Being able to craft a pitch deck and to present creative ideas to others in a visually appealing, clear and concise manner is an important skill for television Directors. Pitch decks can serve as an important tool to share your unique vision with collaborators and can assist you with communicating the potential, purpose, and goals of your creative projects. On February 26, DGA members seeking tips on how to do this received valuable information during the Director Development Initiative (DDI) lab, Strategies for Showcasing Your Work: Preparing Pitch Decks and Prep Materials.
The online event featured Directors Thembi Banks (Survival of the Thickest), Adam Davidson (Bosch: Legacy) and Rachel Lee Goldenberg (Minx) in a conversation moderated by Director Jean E. Lee (The Rookie: Feds) that explored pitching television projects, while providing examples and offering advice for how episodic television Directors can approach creating prep materials (such as a pitch deck) to best showcase their work.
Banks, Davidson, and Goldenberg explored how a pitch is like a performance, highlighting how important it is to come into the room with confidence and with as much knowledge as possible about the project that you are pitching. They shared that the goal of pitching is to keep the audience engaged as you balance showcasing your ability to tell a story, communicating your perspective and unique point of view, while also demonstrating your capacity to collaborate and be a team player.
Banks noted “They want a little bit of your pizzazz, and they want you to sprinkle a bit of what makes you special into the show, but I think it’s a fine line because you are coming into someone else’s home.”
Together, the panelists all encouraged Directors to stay true to themselves while pitching and to be mindful of not just presenting what they think other people will want to hear, with Davidson sharing that for every pitch, he works to “connect to the material and find his way in.” Similarly, Goldenberg noted that Directors should “share what you bring and can offer and what you truly believe rather than trying to chase what you think someone wants.”
Throughout the discussion, Lee posed key questions to the panelists, while also asking questions from the audience, covering topics such as which tools the panelists use to create their pitch decks and offered advice on how to approach pitching for different kinds of shows.
DGA Members can watch the full video from
Director Development Initiative events by clicking here.
ABOUT THE PANELISTS:
 Thembi BanksBanks’ directorial credits include the feature Young. Wild. Free.; and episodes of The ‘Burbs, Forever, Survival of the Thickest, Running Point, The Sex Lives of College Girls, Unprisoned, Love Life, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Work in Progress and Insecure. Banks joined the DGA in 2019. |
 Adam DavidsonDavidson’s directorial credits include the features One Mile and One Mile: Chapter Two; the pilots for Joseph of Egypt, Fear the Walking Dead, Kingdom, Wisdom of the Crowd and Ordinary Joe; and episodes of I Will Find You, Bosch: Legacy, La Brea, Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist, I'm Dying Up Here, Bosch, Hell on Masters of Sex, Rome, Treme, Deadwood, True Blood, Hung, Entourage, Community, Friday Night Lights, Parenthood, Lost and Grey's Anatomy. He was nominated DGA Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series - Night for his Law & Order episode “Under the Influence” and won the 1991 Best Short Film, Live Action Oscar and the 1990 Cannes Film Festival Best Short Film Palme d’Or for his short, the Lunch Date. Davidson has been a DGA member since 1997. |
 Rachel Lee GoldenbergGoldenberg’s directorial credits include the feature films Swiped, Unpregnant and a musical remake of Valley Girl; the movie for television ;A Deadly Adoption; the pilots for the seriesTiny Beautiful Things, Minx and I’m Sorry; and episodes of the series ;Looking for Alaska, Divorce, Teachers, Lady Time, Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, Angie Tribeca, Man Seeking Woman, Z Nation and The Mindy Project. Goldenberg has been a DGA member since 2015. |
 Jean E. Lee (moderator)Lee’s directorial credits include the Lee’s directorial credits include the features The Heart of Puerto Rico and Original Sin; and episodes of The Rookie: Feds and New Amsterdam. Lee joined the DGA in 2022. |
About the Director Development Initiative:
The Director Development Initiative is designed to provide current information on the Director’s craft in order to further the Guild’s goal to increase diversity and inclusion in the industry. The DDI Lab series is an ongoing initiative that hosts regular workshops virtually and in person.
