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My POV
Brian A. Wilson
ROBERT KOSBERG: GREAT PITCHES, GREAT PEARLS OF WISDOM
As part of my Sherwood Oaks event last week (sherwoodoakscollege.com), I had a meeting with Robert Kosberg. If you don't know, Bob is The Pitch King in Hollywood. He makes his living selling pitches.
The pitches aren't just his ideas. They're the ideas of hundreds of people all over the world. Folks send their loglines and story ideas to Bob. If he likes one, he gets in touch with the person, then Bob pitches the idea to studios. If the idea sells, Bob gets paid by the studio and the person who submitted it gets paid by the studio.
Who says there's no access in Hollywood?
If you ever get the chance, go see Bob speak. He's very passionate, funny, enlightening and motivational. This past week was no exception. Let me pass along a few of his observations.
I thought the best thing he said was that when he goes in to pitch, he turns the process on its ear. Instead of feeling cowed by the executive across the desk, instead of going in hat in hand and hoping and praying the exec likes his idea and won't yell at him for bringing it in (an approach that all too many screenwriters take, unfortunately), Bob goes in with guns blazing.
He says he adopts the attitude of, "You, Mister Executive, should buy this because it's a great idea, and if you don't buy it, the guy down the street will and you're going to lose your job."
I don't know about you, but I just found a new attitude for pitching my scripts.
Other useful observations from the pitchmeister:
"This industry is starved for creative thinking and original ideas."
"People say ideas are a dime a dozen. No, BAD ideas are a dime a dozen. Good ideas are worth a fortune."
How do you know if an idea is good, or original? How can you decide which script to write next? "After you tell your idea to 50 people, get good reactions, research it six months and it still holds up-maybe you've got a good idea."
And let's not forget the business side to show business. We all have to make a living, have to make a little money now to stay in the game and make the big money later. Kosberg is a firm believer in peddling your pitches at a modest rate ($5,000 to maybe $50,000) to pay your dues so you can hang in the game.
"You have to get in the Hollywood machine, let them exploit you, but most importantly, pay you," Kosberg said.
Realistic advice from a true Hollywood professoinal. Thanks, Bob.
Hope that helps.
Keep writing.
BW
LA
[email protected]
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