Pitching and Presenting Yourself
Session: May 2026
About this Live Online Course
Does the idea of talking about yourself as an artist make you uncomfortable? Does the term “general meeting” make you break into a cold sweat? Or perhaps you are an established artist but could use some guidance on what people are looking for and how to present the best version of yourself.
In this live online 8-week class, you’ll hone your identity as a writer and/or director and present yourself in meetings and networking opportunities. You will develop and practice your “general meeting” and gain an understanding of the different types of meetings and what to do in each of them. You’ll leave this course knowing what a creator needs to know to break into the business and sustain a career.
In this course, you will:
- Learn what agents, managers, and executives do
- Understand what financiers, executives, and festival programmers are looking for
- Find out about the different types of meetings and how to prepare for each
- Complete homework assignments on your own time and participate in live, interactive exercises
- Learn how to put together your bio, website, lookbook, website, and more
- Develop and practice a pitch for yourself (your “general meeting”) and receive feedback from an Advisor
Who this course is for: This course is ideal for emerging writer-directors seeking to build confidence when pitching and presenting themselves, or for established creators looking for guidance from an experienced instructor and techniques to succeed in the business.
1-on-1 Sessions: For additional guidance, you will have the opportunity to purchase a 60-minute, 1-on-1 meeting with a Sundance Collab Advisor.
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.
Live Online CourseScholarships
Sundance Collab offers a limited number of full and partial need-based scholarships for individuals who need assistance.
Due to limited scholarship funds available, we prioritize one course scholarship per participant in a 12-month period. Scholarship applications are available up to one week before the registration deadline and do not stack with discounts or promotions, including early registration.
Outline
Topics include:
- Opening Circle
- Course Overview
- How to give and receive feedback in class
- Determining your personal narrative
- Crafting your personal intro
- Networking tips and etiquette
- Writing the perfect email
Topics include:
- How to make your logline shine
- Creating a captivating synopsis
- Writing your artist’s statement
- The pitch - what’s your story?
- The short as a “proof-of-concept”
- Creating pitch decks, lookbooks and other pre-visualization materials
Topics include:
- Who wants to see what?
- Designing your personal website
- Perfecting your resume
- Crafting your bio
- Taking a headshot that shows who you are
- What makes a good reel - and who needs one
- Creating a strong writer’s portfolio
- Using social media to your advantage
Topics include:
- Demystifying agents, managers, lawyers and executives
- Determining what type of representation is right for you
- Types of meetings and how to approach each one
- Preparing for your meeting
- How to conduct yourself in-person and on Zoom
- Taking meetings as a writing duo or creative team
Topics include:
- Understanding what producers and financiers do
- What is the definition of Talent?
- What producers are looking for from you
- What financiers are looking for from you
- Attracting and approaching talent
- Doing your research
- Using your experience as a selling point
- Tracking your submissions and your network to stay in touch
Topics include:
- What is a General Meeting?
- What executives are looking for from you
- Perfecting Your Personal Intro
- Turning general meetings into jobs
- Using your network to reach who you want to meet
- The art of the follow-up
Topics include:
- What labs/fellowships are looking for from you
- What festivals are looking for from you
- Creating a lab and/or film festival strategy
- Using labs and competitions for access to collaborators and reps
- Launching and sustaining your career through film festivals
Topics include:
- Creating a career strategy
- Effectively publicizing yourself and your work
- Launching and sustaining your career through industry opportunities
- Takeaways and next steps
Team
Misha Calvert
Instructor
Misha is an award-winning writer, director, and showrunner based in New York. Her newest film Fault, set in the world of women’s pro tennis, premieres at Tribeca Film Festival in 2026. She has created five digital series, including two that sold to networks: Strut (Tribeca 2018) which campaigned for an Emmy in 2022, and All Hail Beth (BRIC TV). Upcoming projects include Pink Flags, starring Raye and Sawyer Spielberg, and Candy, a musical short created in partnership with singer-songwriter Kate Eberstadt. On the feature side, Misha is developing two narrative dramas. She is the founder of Vermilion, an arts organization offering classes and career strategy to creatives worldwide.
FAQ
In Sundance Collab’s Live Online courses, participants attend live, virtual class sessions on the same day and time for a specified period. These sessions are led by an instructor and in some cases, supported by a team of advisors. In some courses, you are given assignments with submission deadlines to help you take the next step with your work.
- Each week you will be able to attend live lectures via Zoom video and ask questions of your instructor.
- In some courses, you will receive individualized feedback from your course advisor on elements of your work.
- In some courses, you will have the opportunity to have a 1-on-1 session with your advisor. Depending on the course, this session may be included or may be purchased separately for an additional cost. Check the course description for specifics.
All members of the Sundance Collab community are welcome to register for Sundance Collab courses. Please review the course description and any eligibility requirements to ensure the course is a good fit. If you have any questions about a course, please email collab_courses@sundance.org.
Note that space is limited. If the registration window is open, you will see a “Register” button on the course page. If there is an application, applications are considered as they are received and applicants are accepted on a rolling basis until the course is full or the deadline has passed, whichever comes first.
We do not allow creative partners to do our live online courses as a team. However, both creators can individually register for the course.
Part of Sundance Collab's unique educational approach is to create a teaching team for every course. Each class is led by an instructor who may be accompanied by additional course advisors. This allows us to keep an intimate ratio of participants to advisors and to provide a diversity of voices and approaches to the course content.
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.
Yes, we offer two or three-part payment plans for Live Online courses, depending on the length of the course. In all cases, the first payment is due at the point of registration. The remaining payment(s) are spread out throughout the course term. For specific payment plan dates for a course, please reach out to our team at: collab_courses@sundance.org.
Yes, you are welcome to take a live, online course even if you can’t make the live sessions. Recordings of each class session are available online by the following day so you can keep up with the course lectures. For courses that include a 1-on-1 session with an advisor or instructor, the meeting is scheduled according to your (and their) availability.
All sessions are recorded and usually made available within one business day. The videos will also contain the chat and transcript from the class session, viewable in the video playbar.
Participants will have access to the recordings for one year following the last class session.
All participants will receive a Certificate of Completion. The certificate will include the name associated with your Sundance Collab account.
You can find any courses that you are enrolled in or have already completed in the profile section of your Sundance Collab account under “Courses.”
You can join a course via a computer or mobile device. All of our live, online courses are conducted via Zoom.
Download and set up the Zoom software (https://zoom.us/download) 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.