CIS 487/587 Bruce R. Maxim UM-Dearborn Elevator Pitch CIS 487/587 Bruce R. Maxim UM-Dearborn 11/18/2018

What is it? The pitch is an attempt to move from hobbyist and professional? Simply talking about your game off the top of you head is boring. (pitching is 30% talking and 70% listening) The goal of the pitch is to tell someone enough about your game for them to make a judgement in the shortest amount of time possible. You want to hear: “great concept I will play test your game” You get one chance – do not blow it. 11/18/2018

Good Pitch Attributes You only have 30 seconds to tell it all. Use clear language (no jargon). Use powerful word imagery. Tell a story. (how did you come to create THIS game?) Practice, practice, practice (in front of people) 11/18/2018

Creating the Pitch Write everything down. Don’t edit yourself at all; just start collecting your ideas. Put in as much long-form, stream-of-consciousness stuff as you can here; write it all down in all the ways you can think of. Why does this game exist? How did you make it? What was your goal in making this game? What are your hopes for this game? Leave it for a while (24 hours?) and look at it again Revisit and highlight the best stuff. Start drafting the main script and cut it down to 30 seconds. Practice, practice, practice (in front of people) 11/18/2018

What, Who, Why Who am ? Who am I pitching to? What am I pitching? Why am I pitching that? Why am I pitching that to you? What would you gain from what you are pitching? What is the cost of this gain? 11/18/2018

Tips Start the presentation by exchanging business cards. Always be ready to pitch your game. Fast Don’t be afraid to pitch because it’ll mean: a. They won’t believe what you’re pitching. b. You know your pitch isn’t good enough. c. You don’t understand the nature of pitching Time and timing is everything Include a call to action (“what I need from you ….”) 11/18/2018

Create a Pitch Spend 10 minutes creating a 30-60 second pitch based on your earlier one page plan Find another person outside your team Give your pitch and then listens to their pitch What new insight did you learn about your game? 11/18/2018