jeremytoback2-blog

[jeremytoback2-blog]

Pitching For The Win

There are no wasted lines in great songs. The same holds true for a great pitch. In a song you have finite time to bring the listener into an emotional message. In a pitch you have the reader’s finite attention to magnetize and convince. This wasn’t as much the case just a few minutes ago. Blame the escalation of competition, distraction, repetition of the form. I take my response from the song. Hook ‘em with the first phrase. Make every line count, every thought lead to the next. Make it clear. Make it punch. Invest it with expertise, passion, and just enough poetry. Honor the damn reader. Draw them into an experience. Orchestrate a case that wins on the first page. Let the rest support the decision they’ve already made.

[jeremytoback2-blog]

Treatment Writer - Pitch Writer

I am a Los Angeles based commercial + video treatment and pitch writer who collaborates with directors, producers, entrepreneurs, businesses and brands to communicate their vision with a differentiation and heart that sells. I work with clients to understand and clarify their ideas and approach, then express them with an individuality and voice to make impact with specific audiences. The fifteen hundred commercial, video, TV and film treatments I’ve written have yielded everything from Super Bowl spots, to viral digital campaigns, to an award winning Netflix documentary-series. 

I hold a B.A. in English from Princeton University and bring over two decades of professional and creative experience to all the work I do. I'm happy to provide treatment examples, rate and workflow details via email. 

CONTACT:  JeremyToback+gmail+com

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• 1500+ treatments have yielded everything from Super Bowl commercials, to viral digital campaigns, to production deals, to the Peabody Award winning Netflix series, “High on the Hog.” 

• Awarded work includes commercials for Apple, Pepsi, Chase, Porsche, Rimowa, McDonalds, Verizon, Nike, Lexus, Best Buy, Gillette, Microsoft, Toyota, Sony, Always, United Airlines, GE, Subway, Chrysler, Google, Old Navy and many more.

• Production companies I collaborate with include Smuggler, Anonymous Content, Skunk, Landia, Markenfilm, Rakish, RSA, Stink, Object & Animal, Reset, Caviar, Exit Films, Serial, Chelsea, and more.

[jeremytoback2-blog]

Formula For The Pitch

When we pitch an idea, a project, or a business we want it to make impact. We want it to sell, close the deal, award. This isn’t poetry, after all, though there is a poetry to it. In my time in the game, I’ve found that the most effective pitch writing expresses four connected elements: the idea, the purpose, the vision for the idea, and the ability to execute on that vision. This is as true for a commercial treatment, as it is for a TV, movie, gaming pitch, or business proposal. The idea is the pulse of everything. Whether it's a visual storytelling trick that transforms perception of the latest model of a classic car, a documentary-series that puts a piece of familiar history into a revolutionary new context, or a business that repurposes swathes of neglected land for regenerative agriculture, we express it clearly and with heart. Though the purpose often seems baked into the idea, we make it more meaningful by communicating its relevance to the target audience and the person or entity pitching. Put plainly, this is why this idea will matter to people out there and this is why it matters to me personally. The vision for the project then becomes truly powerful, when we express it with the kind of clarity and detail that shows that we-the-pitcher know how to deliver on it. Relevant experience may play a role, as in, “I’ve written a ton of these things that have yielded awarded projects and sales.” But showing is more potent than telling, so a strong vision shows readers everything they need to know about ability. Wait, did I just do that? That’s the formula for the pitch. The art, as ever, lies in the execution.

[jeremytoback2-blog]

Differentiator

We live in the midst of an accelerating whirlwind of messaging and content, where the need to stand out will only continue to escalate with the adoption of AI. In my fifteen+ years as a ghostwriter for global commercial directors, producers, brands, and entrepreneurs, I have made that differentiation my mission. I have worked with clients to communicate their message with the clarity, individuality, and heart needed to give it real impact with their audience and win. Armed with the knowledge that we need readers to believe and feel as much as understand precisely where we're coming from and why, I have helped directors and producers land everything from Super Bowl commercials to viral social media campaigns, to an award-winning Netflix series. I have done the same with my indie-folk duo, Renee & Jeremy, guiding our hush songs of connection to over 250 million streams globally.   

The irony of the ascendancy of algorithms is that it will continue to put a primacy on the ability to communicate in a way that is deeply, individually human. Now is the time to express that with more commitment, dedication and fight than ever. Let’s work together to tap into that power for you.