Sometimes, when a group of creatives get together on a course or workshop environment, magic happens.
When you join a John Yorke Story course you will be doing so for various reasons, and we have course members from all different backgrounds and at all kinds of levels. Everyone is considered equal, and everyone’s input is considered as invaluable as anybody else’s.
JYS prides itself on its peer-to-peer philosophy – where everybody gives feedback, not just the tutor – allowing for some left-of-field opinions and takes on ideas that might not have been discovered otherwise. It’s THIS that can lead to surprising and amazing collaborations, transforming ideas into industry-level pitches that could, very realistically, end up on our screens. And that’s the MAGIC!
On a recent Story for Pitch Decks online workshop, the stars appeared to align, and a group of people came together to share their ideas and gain some insight into the sometimes-confusing world of the creative pitch.
The pitcher hadn’t really understood just how much potential this idea had. But I could see it.
– Emma Millions
There was an almost instant sense of excitement and connection as the first exercise kicked off and ideas were shared. It was, as always, a varied bunch of ideas, but it appeared that a few of the participants had direct connections to other people’s pitches, whether through previous jobs, life experience or expertise. This elevated the feedback and made everyone feel very supported.
One idea in particular jumped out to me – the tutor – and as I quizzed the pitcher on the topic things got more and more interesting. It was an unscripted idea on a compelling subject matter that I had personal history with. One of the other participants had actually studied in this subject area. The pitch came attached with incredible access to the world that was being pitched and with some potential amazing new talent. The pitcher hadn’t really understood just how much potential this idea had. But I could see it. As the class continued and the pitcher carried on working on the deck you could clearly see how much their thinking about their idea – and ideas in general – had changed. Something exciting was happening.
[I] did a whole load of development working with the pitcher and the talent they had attached. All with a view to getting this idea out to industry.
– Emma Millions
The idea was so pitchable and, as someone with direct access to industry and able to pitch to the relevant channels, I asked the pitcher if they would be willing for me to help getting the idea in front of commissioners and producers. And from there it’s been somewhat of a creative whirlwind.
Outside of the workshop, I dug deep into what the idea was really about, what the content could be and generally did a whole load of development working with the pitcher and the talent they had attached. All with a view to getting this idea out to industry. As happens in development, the idea has changed, transformed, twisted and turned and has also spawned some other potential TV series ideas. Sizzle tapes have been made. Pitch Decks perfected and meetings put in the diary.
So, in a matter of months, since that magic workshop, a half-thought-out idea has turned into potential commissions and has a life beyond the deck. And, it turns out, that the pitcher almost pitched an entirely different idea! Call it fate, perhaps?
It just goes to show, putting your ideas out there in a creative and collaborative environment gives them a new life that they would never have had if you’d left them languishing on your desktop!
This story of this pitcher’s idea is ongoing – stay tuned for updates.
