The perfect deck: How to plan, write and design pitch materials

As part of our Step Up strand, we’re offering training to help individuals coming back into the industry after a break, moving into a new role or responsibility level, or improving skills in unscripted TV. 

Great pitch materials are still the backbone of development – but too often they’re created in a rush, by instinct, or habit. In this two-hour online course, we’ll look at how to approach the creation of materials with strategy, structure and clarity.

We’ll guide delegates through the full process – from title and logline to final deck – showing how to elevate their work and avoid common pitfalls.

We’ll also explore the creative psychology of pitching – when to stop writing, when to hit send, and how to bring emotion and persuasion into every page.

Who it's for

This course is for anyone working in unscripted TV who wishes to learn more about how to create the perfect deck.

The majority of our online short course offering is for those at early career stage and above. As a result, we generally require applicants to have at least 3 credits (unless working in a traditionally uncredited role or production studio role). If you strongly feel you would still benefit from the training, please email USF@screenskills.com so we can assess if an exception should be made.

We are committed to ensuring all our courses are accessible to everyone. This course is designed to be as interactive as possible. Please email the above address if you have any access requirements and we will be delighted to help, be that clarifying the form such interaction is likely to take or discussing reasonable adjustments.

What it covers

Delivered with humour and candour, the session will include:

• The Role of Pitch Materials: Understand the goal – taking someone from Position A (“What is this?”) to Position B (“I want to buy this”).
• Embracing the latest technology: A practical look at everything from AI to Canva – how to get the best out of those tools and keep up with your competitors.
• Hook, Story, Close: A simple but powerful framework to structure any pitch – catching attention, telling the story, and sealing the deal.
• Crafting a Great Title: Why it’s 40% of the pitch – how to make it concise, evocative and explanatory.
• Writing the First Paragraph: Distilling your idea into words that open the door to everything that follows.
• Structuring a Deck That Works: Walkthrough of best practice – from the intro page to format detail, tone, and story arc.
• Style, Tone and Imagery: How to write with clarity, adapt to the idea, and make your deck visually sing – without being overwrought.

Trainers

Anna Blue and Will Spokes met 26 years ago as researchers on The Big Breakfast. No training, no handover - just two hours of live TV every morning in one of the most chaotic, high-pressure environments imaginable.

Since then, they’ve each built 27-year careers as entertainment creatives and development consultants, shaping, selling and producing some of the UK’s best-known unscripted formats - from genre-defining hits to inventive digital-first experiments.

Their credits include The Fortune Hotel, The Mash Report, Life Stripped Bare, You’re Back in the Room, Got to Dance, Push the Button, Saturday Night Takeaway, Taxi of Mum and Dad, and The Big Jubilee Street Party.

They still work actively in the industry, both as freelance execs and creative consultants - so everything they teach is grounded in what’s really happening in telly right now.

How to apply

This session will take place online via Zoom. Click ‘apply now’ at the top of the page and follow the instructions to apply for your place: you must login or register before you are able to complete your application.

If you need additional support to complete your application or require the application form in an alternative format please contact USF@screenskills.com

If you are no longer able to attend, we ask you to please use the 'decline ticket' function on the right hand side of the page so that we can release your place. Our sessions are often oversubscribed, so we’d like to give other freelancers the opportunity to fill available spots. Thank you for your consideration.

This session is supported by the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund which invests in training for the unscripted workforce thanks to contributions from broadcasters, SVoDs and production companies.