Okay, it’s only one book. ‘From Word To Image’ by Marcie Begleiter.
Only one birthday. Mine. Today. I’m old.
And only one contest. But it’s my first, so that’s cool.
But first a quick note to say I’m still alive.
Again. And it looks like I can only manage one post a month or so until I finish this contract that may or may not kill me.
You know you’re working too hard when you have to write “Don’t die” in your day planner. (You think I’m kidding…I actually did that. Twice.)
But enough about ‘Kid vs Kat vs Karen’. We have a guest author today! From a real author!
I’ve recommended this book before and I am doing it again. Because the new edition just came out last month. And word has it, my blog is mentioned in the resources. How cool is that? Plus it is one great book on the subject of storyboarding for live-action film.
If that’s what you want to do, get this book.
So in celebration of this second edition of ‘From Word To Image‘ by the awesome Marcie Begleiter, I bring you a guest post by her. About a little twist to storyboarding and pitching a film.
Then there will be some details on the little contest we’re having. I’ll give you a hint…FREE BOOK. Signed by the author. (Okay, that was more than a hint.)
Take it away, Marcie!
Visual Pitching: Storyboards on Steroids
By Marcie Begleiter
Author of From Word to Image: Storyboarding and the Filmmaking Process
Since the mid 1980’s my film activities have covered storyboarding, set decoration, art direction, prop design, graphics and even gassing up cars…basically, when a producer or director called, my attitude was ‘You need it, I’ll do it’ (within reason, of course ;-))
The pre-viz work in particular was developed once the financing has been secured, the heads of the production team chosen and then we raced against a production schedule to complete the prep work before the cameras rolled.
But lately a particular request has arrived on my desktop that’s a bit different in character.
Visual Pitching’s time has come.
With production financing a challenge in the best of times, many a director and producer are looking to walk into meetings with more than a practiced verbal pitch. Bringing in visual research that focuses on characters and settings, presenting key frames and flipping though storyboards or even showing animatics in pitch meetings have often been a key to selling Action and SciFi films.
But these materials can also bring inspiration and an expanded avenue of communication to pitches for all manner of projects including character driven stories, romantic comedies or indie dramas.

Key frame for visual pitch ”Super Chicas” A feature film by Juliette Carillo, writer/director
What comprises a visual pitch?
At the simplest level, it helps to convey the look and feel of the story and how it will be told in images. There can be references to lighting, to other classic films, to character appearance and even how the film will be shot. Key frames, what I sometimes think of as ‘storyboards on steroids’, are sometimes used to give a snapshot of particular moments of high action or emotion.