Pitching Your Passion: Siobhan Mulready
Siobhan Mulready is an up and coming Australian director represented by TAXI Film nationally. When she’s not behind the lens on TVC shoots, she’s developing her own shorts and series through Screen Australia and Stan.
First off, what’s the most difficult aspect of pitching for advertising projects?
Treatments are incredibly loaded and high-pressure documents for directors. If it’s a big job it could represent the difference between getting or not getting a portion of our yearly income. Depending on the job (and who we’re up against) they can represent a step forward, or sometimes a step backwards, in our standing as a director. They take a huge amount of time, energy, late nights, early mornings, canceled plans, and frustrated partners who have to put up with our sudden Dr Frankenstein-esque obsession. Putting all that into something with no guaranteed outcome requires self-care and management of your thinking.
What’s been the best process you’ve experienced so far for pitching (treating)?
We understand it’s not always possible, but any job where you are given plenty of time to put together the treatment. It’s essentially half your work as a director done, because you are planning and delivering a roadmap that everyone works off.
Having the opportunity to explore, try things, come up with new references and ideas and float them by the agency creatives and our technicians will always get you a better treatment.
Tell us a bit about the personal projects you’re working on outside of advertising.
Currently, I have a few projects in various stages of development. A long-form premium drama concept that was developed with Stan and Screen QLD last year. A coming-of-age survival film that is currently under application for development and script funding. A web series that is in early development and a short film that has just been released online.
What were the stages involved in getting these projects off the ground? Is much ‘pitching’ involved?
You will pitch all the time - to potential collaborators, to producers, to funding bodies and distributors at different stages; in written, video, formal, and informal face-to-face formats.
Our most developed project was through a Screen QLD initiative that was searching for emerging writers with TV ideas. My co-creator and I were lucky that we already had a perfect idea when the initiative was announced, so we were able to spend lots of time putting together a great application. Getting through that put us in direct contact with Stan and senior story producers, who shepherded us through the process of further developing our idea, creating a series bible and a pilot script.
For my film I’m working with a different writer. We are going the more traditional route of ideation and story development together (usually over beer). We have a producer with broadcast credits and long-form funding experience attached to the project to help apply for the next stage of development funding. A producer usually takes the lead in the application process and attracting interest while we are generating all the creative materials.
Your starting point should always be your one-page synopsis. Many key decision-makers won’t listen to a pitch but will read a one-pager.
So it needs to be good. You must sell the concept, but also be very direct about what it is, what the plot is and who the characters are.
What’s the most stressful part of ‘pitching’ personal projects? Is rejection harder?
Of course, it depends how far down the line you are when you receive the rejection, but I’d say in the early stages it’s easier getting a rejection on personal projects because there is so much of it. You pitch a lot, and you try to look at rejection as just part of the process of refining your pitch, developing relationships and getting feedback from industry. There are tons of reasons why a production company or a distributor might pass on a drama project. They could already have too much of that genre/format on their slate or be targeting a particular market that your project doesn’t fit. At the end of the day, it’s still yours and you love it and you get to keep trying, even if it’s years down the track and it takes another form.
What’s your advice for individuals looking to get a personal project off the ground?
If your project is a short form one, just go for it!
Talk to directors you like. Most of us love working on passion projects and are always hunting for good scripts to play with.
If you want to direct it yourself, you’re far better off finding a producer with a bit of experience that can help identify what support you’ll need along the way. For the longer form projects:
Talk about it: Before you throw your heart and soul in, tell everyone you trust about it. Watch their reactions. See what they get excites them. Try explaining it in less words. You’re not only practicing your informal pitch but developing your idea directly with an audience.
Share the credit: We have an advantage coming from advertising because we are used to working in teams. In my experience, co-writers help you move through story problems, maintain momentum, push you further creatively and can help you keep a project going.
Do your homework: Nothing’s more embarrassing than someone saying in the middle of your pitch “Oh! Is it like XYZ?” and you replying that you’ve never seen XYZ. It makes you look unprofessional and unprepared. Watch all of the relevant reference material and have a handle on what your target market is watching too.
Protect yourself: The Writers Guild has a slew of writer’s agreements available for members that protect you if your creative partnership is challenged. A simple co-writers agreement protects both you and the idea if there’s a dispute. When more complicated paperwork comes into play (like with a production company) always get the Writer’s Guild to look over it before you sign.
Has the emergence of streaming services led to more funding opportunities?
It’s more of an explosion of streaming services and all advice says it’s a great time to try and break into this world. They’re crying out for stand out, unique content. Never before have platforms been able to cater for niches on such an international scale and many of the networks and SVOD’s (streaming video on demand like Stan or Netflix) are partnering with state screen agencies to try and find fresh new voices. These are great avenues to pursue, but it’s also a fabulous time to get your idea straight online to build an audience.
Proof of concept short films and web series have been incredible launch pads for creatives in both the cinema and SVOD spaces and give you far more creative control down the line.
How do you manage time between paid production jobs vs personal projects?
It’s a constant juggling act, but it’s mostly led by my advertising work. When a job is on and I’m in development I let my co-writers and producing partners take more of the load, or we put it on hold until the job is finished. Drama development is a world where projects are constantly stalled or suddenly flying ahead. So everyone’s used to changing schedules.
In the lead up to a personal project deadline, how do you minimise stress?
Taking breaks and reminding myself I can only do my best at any given time.
The brilliant thing about the drama world is you’re allowed to have weaknesses and collaboration is expected.
A dialogue expert can come in and go over the script, or a comedy whizz. A whole writer’s room might be called to develop a certain character more. Give it your best always, but it will never be perfect, and it won’t turn out the way you first expected.
