Preparing Your 60-Second, 3-Minute, 8+Minute Feature Film Pitch
- Session 1: Saturday, June 20, 2026, 12pm - 2pm PT
- Session 2: Saturday, June 27, 2026, 12pm - 2pm PT
- Session 3: No class - One-on-one Zoom sessions with Christopher
- Session 4: Saturday, July 18, 2026, 12pm - 2pm PT
- Session 5: No class - One-on-one Zoom sessions with Christopher
Summary
Private, interactive pitch lab on Zoom with Hollywood's foremost story professional and WME Story Editor, Christopher Lockhart
Get personalized one-on-one feedback plus downloadable pitch structure maps and sample materials to keep
Limited spots available — secure yours before they're gone!
Payment plans available at checkout or email edu@stage32.com for more info!
Pitching is one of the few skills in the entertainment industry you simply cannot avoid — and one of the most powerful career tools you will ever develop.
Whether you are securing financing, attaching talent, selling a script, or landing representation, your ability to clearly and confidently communicate your idea is what determines whether an opportunity moves forward or disappears entirely. Sometimes you have 60 seconds in a casual setting. Other times you are in a room with decision-makers and millions of dollars on the line. In every scenario, you get one shot to make them lean in.
This exclusive Stage 32 lab is designed to make sure you are ready when that moment comes.
Across five focused sessions with Christopher Lockhart — Story Editor at WME and one of the most respected voices in the industry — you will develop and refine your pitch across every format you will encounter in the real world. From the 60-second opener that hooks the room to the full sales pitch used in high-stakes professional settings, you will build a clear, compelling, and adaptable pitch that reflects both your material and your unique voice as a storyteller.
Through guided instruction, real-world examples, and direct one-on-one feedback from Christopher on your specific project, you will leave this lab with more than just a pitch. You will have the confidence, the structure, and the real-world tools to deliver it in any situation, to any audience, at any level of the industry.
This interactive Stage 32 lab is held on Zoom and goes substantially more in depth than a Stage 32 webinar. Best of all? As soon as you sign up you will be linked on email with your Stage 32 Educator and given a questionnaire to fill out and send back to them. You will have access to your Educator for the duration of your class by email to ask them any questions you have about your craft or career - it’s like having a mentor on demand! And, if you can't make a live session, don't worry! All class recordings will be available 48 hours after each session and you will be able to view them in your Library on your Stage 32 profile. Finally, you can expand your network with like-minded creatives - you'll have a dedicated lounge for interactive support and discussions with your fellow classmates!
Praise for Christopher's previous Stage 32 Teaching:
"Amazing webinar, loved it. It was the best I have ever watched!" -- Robert M.
"Chris was clear, concise, helpful, and focused. Loved his enthusiasm and humor." -- Lori H.
"Oh my god, I was laughing all the way through. In between writing about 10 pages of notes. SO much fun and a wealth of knowledge." -- Denise G.
"Very informative. Clarified a lot of questions I've always had regarding loglines. Well worth the money." -- Emmit R.
"It was very informative and insightful." -- Mays S.
What You'll Learn
Session 1 – The 60-Second Pitch: “Tell Me…”
- What a strong 60-second pitch needs to accomplish
- Key elements that make a pitch clear, concise, and engaging
- Common pitfalls that weaken a first impression
- Adapting your pitch to different situations and personalities
- Positioning yourself as a writer alongside your material
- Case study examples of effective short-form pitches
- Q and A with Chris
Assignment: Prepare and practice your 60-second pitch
Handouts: Sample materials and reference scripts
Session 2 – The 2–3 Minute Pitch: “Tell Me More”
- Expanding your pitch while maintaining clarity and control
- Building a structured flow that keeps your listener engaged
- Key elements that deepen interest without overwhelming
- Maintaining focus and avoiding unnecessary detail
- Understanding pacing and engagement
- Case study examples
- Q and A with Chris
Assignment: Prepare and refine your 2–3 minute pitch
Handout: 2–3 minute pitch structure map
Session 3 – 1:1 Pitch Sessions (60-Second & 2–3 Minute)
- Live individual pitching sessions with direct feedback
- Notes on clarity, structure, and delivery
- Adjustments to strengthen engagement and confidence
Assignment: Revise pitches based on feedback
Session 4 – The 5–8 Minute Pitch: “I’m Hooked”
- Transitioning into a full story-driven pitch
- Structuring a compelling narrative that captures the entire film
- Creating a clear beginning, middle, and end in pitch form
- Building visual storytelling through language
- Communicating tone, character, and marketability
- Understanding what buyers and executives are listening for
- Case study examples
- Q and A with Chris
Assignment: Prepare your 5–8 minute pitch
Handout: Long-form pitch structure map
Session 5 – 1:1 Final Pitch Sessions (5–10+ Minutes)
- Live individual final pitch presentations
- Direct, personalized feedback on content and delivery
- Final adjustments to strengthen clarity, confidence, and impact
Assignment: Final pitch refinement for real-world application
Who Should Attend
- Screenwriters and filmmakers with a feature film project they're ready to pitch but aren't sure how to package or present it
- Writers who have pitched before but struggled to hold the room, stay on track, or leave a lasting impression
- Creatives who feel confident in their story but freeze up, ramble, or lose control when put on the spot
- Writers preparing to meet with producers, executives, financiers, or representatives who want to walk in fully prepared
- Storytellers who can nail the short pitch but fall apart when asked to expand and go deeper into their material
- Emerging and mid-level writers looking to develop one of the most essential — and most overlooked — career skills in the industry
- Creatives who want direct, personalized feedback from a working Hollywood story executive who knows exactly what decision-makers are listening for
Executive
Christopher Lockhart is Hollywood’s foremost story professional. He is an executive, filmmaker, and educator with 40 years of industry experience.
As Story Editor at WME, the world's largest diversified talent agency, Chris curates film and TV projects for A-list actors such as Denzel Washington. He has read over 60,000 screenplays in his career. Chris got his start at International Creative Management (ICM), where he worked as script consultant to legendary talent agent Ed Limato, who represented industry giants such as Mel Gibson, Richard Gere, Michelle Pfeiffer, Liam Neeson, and Robert Downey, Jr. Chris later moved to the venerable William Morris Agency and then WME.
Chris branched off into film producing with the cult horror hit The Collector and its sequel The Collection, which opened in the top ten American box-office. He wrote and produced the award winning documentary Most Valuable Players, which was acquired by Oprah Winfrey for her network. Most recently, he co-produced Newborn starring David Oyelowo. As an educator, Chris has lectured around the world on the craft and business of screenwriting. He spoke about storytelling to visual effects artists at the FMX in Stuttgart, Germany; has spent several weeks in Sierre, Switzerland mentoring international writers for Dreamago; visited the Caribbean, where he met with island filmmakers as a guest of FilmTT (Trinidad and Tobago Film Commission); traveled to South Africa to consult with screenwriters; and recently returned from a writers' retreat on the southwest coast of Scotland. For over a decade, he was an adjunct professor at National University's MFA Professional Screenwriting Program. He also taught a popular class at Los Angeles Valley College. His writing workshop The Inside Pitch was filmed for Los Angeles television and earned him an Emmy Award nomination. He was the AFMX 2023 recipient of the Sibylle & Robert Redford Award. Chris graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with an MFA in dramatic writing.
Chris founded a Facebook group called The Inside Pitch, where he moderates 16,000+ creatives and offers daily advice and feedback on the Hollywood script maze. He lives in Beverly Hills, CA and has a 17-year-old son.
Testimonials
Praise for Christopher's previous Stage 32 Teaching:
"Amazing webinar, loved it. It was the best I have ever watched!" -- Robert M.
"Chris was clear, concise, helpful, and focused. Loved his enthusiasm and humor." -- Lori H.
"Oh my god, I was laughing all the way through. In between writing about 10 pages of notes. SO much fun and a wealth of knowledge." -- Denise G.
"Very informative. Clarified a lot of questions I've always had regarding loglines. Well worth the money." -- Emmit R.
"It was very informative and insightful." -- Mays S.
Credits
