Pitch Ready: A Workshop to Refine Your Story and Voice
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About this Weekend Intensive
What makes a good pitch? How do you get the right person to hear it? What materials do you need to support it? In this live online intensive course, you will learn everything you need to know to go from project idea to polished pitch.
Led by an experienced teacher, journalist, and creative executive, this course will teach you why it's important to know your target audience before you start pitching, how to craft a pitch targeted to them and your goals, and how to prepare once you get an opportunity.
Over the course of three days, you will have the opportunity to ask questions, participate in small group exercises, and receive feedback from your instructor and peers. No matter what stage you are in your career or what format you are working in, this intensive will give you an invaluable opportunity to learn how to craft a perfect pitch.
What you bring to the course:
- A project idea in any storytelling medium
- An openness to learn from others and share your work. While we encourage everyone to participate in the live pitch exercise, this is not a requirement to participate in the course.
What you’ll learn from the course:
- The importance of finding and knowing your audience
- How to decide what to include in your pitch
- The value of knowing your story
- The elements of a Pitch Deck
- The importance of why you, why now
- How to decide what format is right for your story
- When and how to follow-up
This course will:
- Cover pitching best practices and expectations for both fiction and non-fiction storytellers
- Provide a workshop-style setting for you to practice and perfect your pitch
- Connect you with a community of peers via a contact form and live interactive sessions
Intensive Schedule
- Day 1: Monday, August 11
- 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (PT)
- Day 2: Tuesday, August 12
- 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (PT)
- Day 3: Friday, August 15
- 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. (PT)
A limited number of need-based scholarships are available and are considered on a rolling basis as they are received. Those who apply earlier will have a greater chance of getting support. To apply for a scholarship, please complete the course registration form.
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Accommodations and services are designed to meet the needs of each participant. Please email us at accessibility@sundance.org to arrange for services.
Weekend IntensiveScholarships
Sundance Collab offers a limited number of need-based, partial and full scholarships. Scholarship applications can be submitted until one week before the registration deadline and do not stack with discounts or promotions, including early registration. Due to the volume of applicants, we are not always able to provide a scholarship, but we may still offer a spot in the course.
Outline
- Opening Circle and Orientation
- Setting and framing your pitch goals
- Giving and receiving feedback
- Identifying your audience
- Knowing your story
- The importance of why you, why now
- Breakout Exercise: Logline sharing
- Deciding what to include in your pitch
- Genre and tone in your story and in your pitch
- What materials can elevate your pitch
- The elements of a Pitch Deck
- Being prepared when opportunity strikes
- Breakout Exercise: Peer Pitch Practice
- Pitch Presentations
- Following up and next steps
- Final Q&A
- Closing Circle
Team
Christabel Nsiah-Buadi
Instructor
Christabel Nsiah-Buadi is an award-winning global journalist and the founder of Your Podcast Pipeline, a resource for audio creators and creative entrepreneurs seeking insights and guidance for their editorial business needs.
Christabel has built, led, and hosted shows for leading media companies. As an executive at Spotify, she gave creators tools and advice to grow their audiences. She also created and led the company’s Behind the Mic one-of-a-kind podcast production fellowship. She also holds Executive Producer and contributor credits with KCET, American Public Media, the BBC, and NPR. In addition, Christabel has taught journalism and audio storytelling to students at the University of Pennsylvania, Howard University, and Spelman College. Her writing about parenting and the media has appeared in The Independent and British Vogue.
FAQ
In Sundance Collab’s Intensives, participants attend live, virtual class sessions in a condensed time period. These sessions are led by an instructor and supported by the Sundance Collab courses team.
All members of the Sundance Collab community are welcome to register for Sundance Collab Intensives. Some Intensives require an application. Please review the description and any eligibility requirements to ensure the Intensive is a good fit. If you have any questions, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.
For application-based Intensives, note that space is limited. Applications are considered as they are received and applicants are accepted on a rolling basis until the Intensive is full or the deadline has passed, whichever comes first. If the application window is open, you will see an “Apply” button on the course page.
We send our application acceptance notifications on a rolling basis, starting after the application deadline. You will be notified of your acceptance status no later than three days before the first session. At any point, you can check the status of a course that you have applied to by logging into Sundance Collab and visiting the course page. You’ll see a purple bar there indicating your status.
When reviewing applications for an Intensive, the Sundance Collab team evaluates the needs and expectations of each applicant. We are also looking to convene a diverse group of participants who will work well together and support each other throughout the Intensive. Finally, we will confirm that the applicant can meet the time commitment necessary and has a strong interest and readiness to complete the Intensive and meaningfully contribute to the group process.
We do not offer any combined applications or discounts for Sundance Collab Intensives.
We often offer a limited number of need-based, full or partial scholarships. Check the course description to see if that course currently has scholarships available. Scholarships are prioritized for one per person per year (from the date of issue). Scholarship applications are available up to one week before the registration deadline. To apply for a scholarship, complete the registration form by clicking the REGISTER button and selecting the option to apply for a scholarship, if available.
Applicants will be notified about their scholarship decision prior to the first day of the course. Due to the volume of applicants, we are not always able to provide a scholarship, but we may still offer a spot in the course. In this case, depending on the course, payment plans may be available and can be selected at checkout.
No, because of the length of the course, we do not offer payment plans for Intensives. However, we do offer a limited number of need-based scholarships which can be applied for within the course registration process.
Yes, you are welcome to take a live, online Intensive even if you can’t make the live sessions. Recordings of each session are available online within two business days.
All sessions are recorded and usually made available within two business days. The videos will also contain the chat and transcript from the session, viewable in the video playbar.
Participants will have access to the recordings for one year following the last session.
All participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. The certificate will include the name associated with your Sundance Collab account.
You can join a course via a computer or mobile device. All of our Intensives are conducted via Zoom.
Download and set up the Zoom software and make sure you have the latest update. Here are some great resources from Zoom’s Knowledge Base to take a deeper dive into using Zoom:
- Watch Zoom's Video Tutorials or review training materials on the Getting Started page.
- Join a Live Training from Zoom.
If you have any further questions, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.
Sundance Collab provides accommodations and support services to participants with disabilities. Please contact us at (435) 776-7790 or email us at accessibility@sundance.org to ask any questions or to discuss your specific needs after you have been accepted into the course.
No currently scheduled sessions
Interested in hearing about the next session of this course?
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