CMNS230 Tutorial Nov 27 - SFU.ca text... · Assignment 3 - The Pitch • Genre – Organisation of cultural products by type – Usually has a set of deﬁned codes and conventions

CMNS230 Tutorial

November 29, 2006Assignment 3

David Newman

Assignment 3 - Cultural text

• Synthesis and application of ideas you should havelearned over the semester

• Those who chose a film will probably find this easierbecause more sources are available, but apply theconcepts you have learned

• Grading will take into account that there are lesssources publicly available for some cultural products(i.e., non-film)

• Some of this will take quite a bit of detective work… itis like putting a jigsaw together. Be prepared that itmight be time-consuming

Assignment 3 - The Pitch• Wikipedia definition of a Pitch

“A pitch is a concise verbal (and sometimes visual) presentation ofan idea for a film, generally made by a screenwriter or director to aproducer or studio executive in the hope of attracting developmentfinance to pay for a screenplay to be written. Pitches are usuallymade in person, although they can be made over the phone or,occasionally, pre-recorded on audio or videotape.

• A good pitch is generally between five and ten minutes long andlays out the premise, hook and essential beats of the story, alongwith thumbnail sketches of the principal characters (often includingthe names of actors who might play the roles), and a clear idea ofthe genre, tone, likely audience, and budget level.

Assignment 3 - The Pitch

• Typically a pitch runs for about 10minutes

• What we are asking for is really an“elevator pitch”

• Maximum of 100 words


• Key elements in what we are looking for:– Premise– Hook– Brief synopsis– Indication of genre– Key stars… if important

– Adapt this as appropriate for the medium you areworking in


• Premise– The fundamental concept behind the text or the

plot– Should be unique and compelling– Short, compelling concept = high-concept– Give the essence of the plot in one sentence– e.g. The Full Monty (1997)

• A group of unemployed male steel workers decide tobecome strippers

Based on the Wikipedia definition


• Hook– Literary technique in the opening that

“hooks” the audience attention so theywant to know more

– Engages the audience

Based on the Wikipedia definition


• Synopsis– Brief outline of the story– e.g. Flower & Garnet (2002)

A portrait of love and loss, hope and heartbreak in small-townBritish Columbia, Flower & Garnet is also a love poem forgedbetween a sister and brother, both of whom are on the vergeof life crises. Sixteen-year-old Flower is the daughter of abroken-down man whose wife died giving birth to a son,Garnet, nine years earlier. When Flower becomes pregnant,her decision to have the baby threatens the family she hasworked so hard to maintain. But it is her brother Garnet whois the catalyst: he has now reached the age at which thequestions he's asking are nowhere near as important as theanswers he's being denied.

– Do the synopsis in your own words, don t just copyit from another source


• Genre– Organisation of cultural products by type– Usually has a set of defined codes and

conventions– Tend to be rather vague categories– Jaws (1975) is a horror-thriller

Based on Hayward (2000). Cinema Studies: The Key Concepts


• Some additional references for you tolook at:– http://www.scripthollywood.com/id29.html

– http://breakingin.net/tswmoneypitch.htm– http://www.allfreelancework.com/articlefreelwriting4lenore.php– Take another look at Branston and Stafford, pp. 223-226

Assignment 3 - Audience

• Define the audience demographics of who ismost likely to be interested in the particularcultural text

• Be specific• There may be secondary audiences with

difference demographic characteristics• Compare to similar texts if you wish• This is often included as part of the Pitch

Assignment 3 - Finances

Funding: Identify the sources of funding for the creation ofthis product and what constraints there are as a result. Tryto identify what the possible cashflow is likely to be. Whatimpact do the funding constraints have on the creation ofthe product? (funding sources may include audiences,government subsidies, overseas revenues, the creatorsthemselves)

This may be the most difficult to research and develop.Those doing a film have the most advantage, but we willtry to adopt easier criteria for other industries whereinformation is more difficult to find.

Example - Flower & Garnet (2002)

Canadian film by SFU grad, Keith Behrman


• Starting point - Internet Movie Database– http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0304023/– Also useful for television– Provides a range of information including:

• Estimated budget• Production and distribution companies• Synopsis and year of production• Release dates and box office information


• We learn there are the following investors or supporters:– Telefilm Canada– Canada Television Fund: License fee programme

– BC Film Television and Film Financing Program– BC Film Incentive BC

– Movie Network– CBC– Canada Film or Video Production Tax Credit Program

– Boneyard Film Company– CanWest Western Independent Producers Fund– Movie Central/Corus

– Rogers Telefund– National Screen Institute of Canada NSI Features First Program


• Telefilm Canada as an investor– Provides access to a range of information

• http://www.telefilm.gc.ca/data/production/prod_889.asp

– Production funding - $636,000• http://www.telefilm.gc.ca/01/18.asp?period=&prog_group_code

=&compo_group_code=&off_code=&titr_dem=Flower&Search=true&imageField.x=6&imageField.y=13&imageField=search


• Company contacts.

• You can try contacting the company, explaining you are astudent working on a project exploring the funding andrevenue flows of a Canadian cultural project, and wouldthey be willing to assist you with some information

• Many will say no or not respond; a few may say yes andgive you some very good information. You have nothing tolose by asking.

SCREEN SIREN PICTURES INC. - Trish Dolman

300 - 291 East 2nd Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5T 1B8, T: 604.687.7591,

F: 604.687.4937, E: [email protected], W: www.screensirenpictures.com


• Company website provides information:– http://www.screensirenpictures.com– Again, we find a list of the investors


• BC Film is the Provincial investor– http://www.bcfilm.bc.ca– 2000-2001 - Development financing estimate

– $9,000 (638,616/71)

– 2001-2002 - Production financing estimate– $75,280 (3,462,895/46), probably higher as feature film (cost

more than doco s), so boost it to $125,000

– Estimated Total = $134,000

– Note, unless you get actual numbers from thecompany, many of your number will have to bereasonable estimates for this assignment.


• Total budget approximately $2,000,000:– Telefilm Canada $636,000– Canada Television Fund: License fee programme

– BC Film Television and Film Financing Program (est.) $134,000– BC Film Incentive BC

– Movie Network– CBC– Canada Film or Video Production Tax Credit Program


– Rogers Telefund– National Screen Institute of Canada NSI Features First Program


• Tax credits– Federal and Provincial (check what was in

force at the time of production)– Based on local labour costs. Rule of

thumb, 50% of movie budget spent onlabour. Typically higher for low-budget.

– Lets assume for this that labour costs are:50% x 2,000,000 = 1,000,000


• Tax credits– Labour costs = $1,000,000 (50% of production

costs; but only allowed 48% at that time)– Federal FVPTC = 16% of $960,000

= $153,600– BC Film Incentive = 20% of $960,000

= $192,000

– Note: there are various rules about monies to be excluded incalculation of the credits, so the actual numbers likely tohave been somewhat lower.

– Also changes in the levels more recently.


• Total budget approximately $2,000,000:– Telefilm Canada $636,000– Canada Television Fund: License fee programme

– BC Film Television and Film Financing Program (est.) $134,000– BC Film Incentive BC (est.) $192,000

– Movie Network– CBC– Canada Film or Video Production Tax Credit Program (est.) $153,600


– Rogers Telefund (bridging finance against govt. subsidies/investments)– National Screen Institute of Canada NSI Features First Program


• Upto a total of $1,115,600• Money from broadcasters would have been for future

broadcasts

• Box office revenue– Check www.imdb.com– www.playbackmag.ca– In this case, pretty low figures, so low they don t seem to

appear on any lists (it is a Canadian film afterall).

– Add video/DVD revenue– Television broadcast fees, and so on

Other sources

• Backend Money (photocopies in thephotocopy room and the library; PDF on theclass website)

• The Movie Business Book (on ClosedReserve in the Library)

• Blockbusters and Trade Wars (on 24 HourReserve)

Other sources

• For book publishing, take a look at:– Thring, Sarah. (1995). Publishing: a view

from the inside, book marketing & salesin Canada. Toronto: Canadian BookPublishers Council

– Dan Poynters Parapublishing at:• http://www.parapublishing.com/sites/para/

(this is focused on self-publishing, but mayassist with some of the concepts of how thebusiness end works )

Audience reception

• What have the reviewers said?• How has it performed in the marketplace (size

of audience… has the audience built overtime)?

• What could have been changed to make itmore successful locally and internationally?

• Think about it as a Producer… what changeswould you suggest?

Relationship to policy

• How has policy made a difference to the productioncontext, content or meaning of the product?

• Canadian film with Telefilm funding - has to meet certainCanadianness criteria defined by the nationality of keyindividuals

• Service production filmed in Canada - attracted here bytax credits (reducing costs)

• Grant from Canada Council for the Arts Book PublishingIndustry Development Program enabling a book to bepublished

• Censorship requirements?• Think about the different kinds of government intervention

that may affect the production of the product

Good luck

CMNS230 Tutorial Nov 27 - SFU.ca text... · Assignment 3 - The Pitch • Genre – Organisation of cultural products by type – Usually has a set of deﬁned codes and conventions

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