HOW TO PUT A DECK TOGETHER
A deck refers to a collection of slides used as a visual aid during a pitch or presentation – think deck of cards, with each card being a unique slide.
Creating a deck is useful when applying for funding or pitching on a job to get your ideas across clearly. It can also be a helpful way to get your ideas in order, so you have a better understanding of what stage your project is at and if any areas need work.
Consider including the following pages in your deck:
PG01 Title Page
The name of your film and your name or the name of the client that you intend to collaborate with and your name.
PG02 Hello Page / Intention
Upbeat introduction
Discuss your excitement for both the opportunity to pitch and the project itself.
Share your thoughts on the brief, why you’re interested in the project and what you can bring to the table.
Explain what it is you want to create.
Format & Audience
Useful to think about who this story is for and the audience type that you want to tap into
Context
Share why you want to tell this story, how the idea come about, and what your influences are.
PG03 Synopsis/Overview of the idea
Sum up your ideas and aims for the project clearly.
What is the story/idea?
What is it about?
Ensure you understand the journey your film will take the viewer on
What is your point? How do you want to make your viewers feel?
Think about the story arc that you want to take the viewer on. What would you like to achieve?
PG04 Style & Technique
Show the viewer what your project will look like.
Depending on your timescale and budget consider including original design work, references, or mood boards for the following:
Design style
Mood and tone
Character designs
Background approach
Colour palette
Animation test of technique and performance
Script/Storyboard
If you're required to expand on your idea
PG05 About you
Bio and links to past work
PG06 Thank You
(Any comments? - it’s useful to thank them for giving your deck consideration)
In summary:
We think decks are helpful, for both you and those you want to get excited about your project. We suggest creating decks becomes a part of your usual practise, when applying for funding, mentoring, pitching etc.
Consider creating a template that you can easily amend for different projects and think about how much time you want to spend on developing a deck for a project. Some projects may only require four slides, others might be a ‘pull out all the stops’ kind of deck. Always consider how much time, effort, and budget you want to spend on creating a deck.
The most important aspect of your deck is clarity. Remember, people will be coming to your project blind and it’s best to assume that the person reading it doesn’t understand your subject or medium. So be as clear as possible about what you’d like to achieve and how you’d like to execute it.
Keep it concise as people will most likely have read a lot of other proposals before they get to yours, and they have limited time to give each treatment.
Always use friends and colleagues to read through a deck. If something isn’t clear to them, don’t get offended; try to understand what it is that they are not getting.
Remember, you are selling your ideas to someone in a proposal. You need to convince them to buy into you and your idea. Keep it positive and thought provoking.