MeetMarket 2006 is an AIDC and AFC initiative that provides an opportunity for selected teams to meet with international buyers. To enter an idea you need to complete an application form, a synopsis and log line and a one-minute pitch teaser. I’ve decided not to submit an application to Meetmarket, but I’m keen to prepare a one-minute pitch teaser for the documentary I’m producing, as well as my short film. I think that a teaser is a valuable pitching tool when approaching potential funding bodies. I think it’s also a good creative exercise to go through because it’s like a visual synopsis. It requires paring back your vision so that you can effectively capture the essence of the film in one minute or less. It would be particularly useful for my short film concept because visually I can show what has proved to be lengthy and complex to explain in just words.
Recently I went to hear Fiona O’Connel (Vision diVision Productions) speak about the process she went through to secure funding from the AFC for her short film The Road Ahead. When she was invited to attend an interview she took a DVD of visual and audio references that highlighted her vision for the film. Although the material was collated from films and music other than her own and that she didn’t have copyright clearances for, the DVD provided solid examples of how she would achieve the vision for her story.
