Perfecting the Pixar Pitch
Through stories, we can convey complex ideas, values, and lessons in a way that is relatable and understandable. Inspiring stories can motivate people to pursue their goals, overcome obstacles, and make positive changes in their lives. So how do you tell a good story?
Pixar Storytelling Framework
Pixar is renowned for its storytelling prowess, and these principles provide a valuable framework for writers, filmmakers, and storytellers. The “Pixar Storytelling” framework, also known as the “Pixar Pitch” or “Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling,” is a set of guidelines and principles developed by the creative minds at Pixar Animation Studios. While these rules are not universally applicable to every type of storytelling, they provide valuable insights into the process.
Pixar's 22 Rules of Storytelling
In June 2012, Emma Coats, then a story artist at Pixar Animation Studios, posted “22 Story Rule” on her Twitter account. These rules provide valuable guidance and principles for crafting engaging and emotionally resonant stories. This single Twitter post has since become the go-to guideline for story development and is now referred to as Pixar’s “22 Rules of Storytelling”. While these rules are not universally applicable to every type of storytelling, they provide valuable insights into the storytelling process. Here are Emma’s 22 rules:
- You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.
- Keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer.
- Simplify. Focus. Combine characters. Hop over detours. You’ll feel like you’re losing valuable stuff but it sets you free.
- What is your character good at, comfortable with? Throw the polar opposite at them. Challenge them. How do they deal?
- Come up with your ending before you figure out your middle. Seriously. Endings are hard; get yours working up front.
- Finish your story; let go even if it’s not perfect. In an ideal world, you have both, but move on. Do better next time.
- When you’re stuck, make a list of what WOULDN’T happen next. Lots of times, the material to get you unstuck will show up.
- Pull apart the stories you like. What you like in them is a part of you; you’ve got to recognize it before you can use it.
- Putting it on paper lets you start fixing it. If it stays in your head, a perfect idea, you’ll never share it with anyone.
- Discount the first thing that comes to mind. And the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th—get the obvious out of the way. Surprise yourself.
- Give your characters opinions. Passive/malleable might seem likable to you as you write, but it’s poison to the audience.
- Why must you tell THIS story? What’s the belief burning within you that your story feeds off of? That’s the heart of it.
- If you were your character, in this situation, how would you feel? Honesty lends credibility to unbelievable situations.
- What are the stakes? Give us reason to root for the character. What happens if they don’t succeed? Stack the odds against.
- No work is ever wasted. If it’s not working, let go and move on—it’ll come back around to be useful later.
- You have to know yourself: the difference between doing your best and fussing. Story is testing, not refining.
- Coincidences to get characters into trouble are great; coincidences to get them out of it are cheating.
- Exercise: take the building blocks of a movie you dislike. How d’you rearrange them into what you DO like?
- You have to identify with your situation or characters; you can’t just write ‘cool.’ What would make YOU act that way?
- What’s the essence of your story? Most economical telling of it? If you know that, you can build out from there.
- Remember: you write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what’s burning inside you. And we edit to let the fire show through the smoke.
- Simplify, focus, combine, and find the heart of your story.
7 Steps to Story: The Pixar Pitch
That’s good stuff, but it’s a lot to digest. Before you go writing your screenplay, start with the treatment or pitch deck. This is an executive summary of sorts to pitch the project, book, movie, business, or whatever you are selling. Most importantly, this should be a compelling brief summary of your story, the most dramatic turning points, the main characters, and the hook. This framework can be adapted and applied to a wide range of creative projects or even business stories. Follow these steps:
- Once upon a time…Start with a clear setup or introduction to the world and characters of your story.
- Every day…Describe the ordinary or daily life of the characters before the story’s inciting incident.
- One day…Introduce a catalyst, event, or conflict that disrupts the characters’ routine and sets the story in motion.
- Because of that…Show how the characters respond to each development, each action leading to the next.
- Because of that…Continue the cause-and-effect chain, as events and character decisions create further consequences.
- Until finally…Build toward a climactic moment or resolution, where the characters confront the central conflict or challenge.
- And ever since that day…Conclude the story with the aftermath or the impact of the characters’ actions and decisions.
Why the Pixar Pitch is Effective
Inspiring stories can motivate people to make real changes in their lives. Well-structured narratives are more memorable than PowerPoint slides. In other words, people connect with and remember stories. The Pixar pitch is effective because it combines storytelling fundamentals with a user-friendly structure that helps storytellers create engaging, impactful, concise, and memorable narratives. Here are some key reasons this works:
- Clarity: The Pixar pitch provides a clear and concise structure for outlining a story. It helps writers and storytellers distill their ideas into a format that’s easy to understand and communicate to others. This clarity is particularly valuable when pitching a story to colleagues, producers, or collaborators.
- Engagement: The pitch framework emphasizes the importance of engaging the audience’s emotions. It encourages storytellers to focus on character development and emotional arcs, making the story relatable and compelling. This emotional engagement is a key factor in creating memorable and impactful narratives.
- Universal Appeal: The Pixar pitch is based on timeless principles that have resonated with audiences for generations. It helps storytellers tap into universal themes and emotions that are relatable to a wide range of viewers or readers.
- Structure: The framework guides storytellers in creating a well-structured narrative. By following the steps in order, writers ensure that their stories have a coherent and logical progression, building tension and delivering satisfying resolutions.
- Effective Communication: The Pixar pitch is a valuable tool for effectively conveying a story concept to others. It can be used to pitch ideas to producers, colleagues, or team members, making it easier for everyone to be on the same page regarding the story’s core elements.
- Visualization: The framework encourages visual storytelling, showing rather than telling. By using concrete, visual language to describe the story’s key moments, it helps storytellers think in terms of cinematic or literary imagery.
- Impactful Themes: The structure promotes the exploration of meaningful themes and character development. It encourages storytellers to address important questions and challenges that resonate with the audience.
- Keep it Simple: The Pixar pitch simplifies the story process, making it accessible to both experienced and novice storytellers.
- Consistency: The framework helps maintain consistency in the story, ensuring that important elements like character arcs, themes, and emotional resonance are considered throughout the process.
- Memorability: The structured format of the Pixar pitch makes it easy for storytellers to remember and convey the essential elements of their stories, which is crucial in pitching and discussing concepts.
Pitch a Compelling Story
Easy enough, right? Ok take it easy Spielberg, before you pack your bags for Hollywood, keep the following tips in mind when building your Pixar pitch:
- Be concise: Pixar pitches are typically short and to the point. Aim to convey the core elements of your story in a few sentences for each step.
- Focus on character development: Show how the characters evolve and grow throughout the story.
- Highlight emotional elements: Emphasize the emotional journey of the characters and the central theme of the story.
- Create relatable characters: Make sure the audience can connect with and care about the characters.
- Keep the stakes high: Ensure that the central conflict or challenge has significant consequences.
- Use engaging language: Make your pitch compelling and interesting to grab the listener’s attention.
In conclusion, storytelling is a fundamental aspect of human communication and culture. It serves a multitude of purposes, from entertainment and education to conveying meaning and fostering empathy. The ability to craft and appreciate good storytelling is a valuable skill that enhances our personal and social lives, influences our understanding of the world, and shapes our shared narratives. The Pixar pitch is a great tool for outlining and organizing your story concept, and it can help you ensure that your narrative is well-structured and engaging. It’s particularly useful for summarizing your story when presenting it to others, such as potential collaborators or stakeholders. Now get out there and start selling your story!
