The Indie Filmmaker’s Pitch Deck

A plug-and-play pitch deck template for short films and feature films at the earliest stage – when you need people to be interested before they commit to reading a full screenplay or clicking through a crowdfunding page.

No one has time to read upfront. This deck is your MVP – your minimum viable product. It’s the first thing producers, funders, collaborators, and grant committees look at to decide whether they lean in or move on.

Used well, this becomes the strongest calling card for your project.

🔑 Field-Tested Framework

This exact pitch deck structure has helped filmmakers raise millions of dollars across short films and independent features.

Not just through crowdfunding – but by unlocking:

• Executive producers
• Producing partners
• Grant funding
• Labs, fellowships, and development support
  

In many cases, the biggest value wasn’t the money raised directly – it was the doors opened, the relationships formed, and the leverage created by having a clear, compelling deck that people actually wanted to engage with.

🧠 What makes this different

Most pitch decks fail for it's purpose because they:

• Over-explain
• Hide the emotional core
• Confuse "taste" with clarity

This template is built around movie dramaturgy, tonal aesthetics, & reader legibility.

It teaches you:

• What information matters at each stage
• What to cut when things get bloated
• How to communicate tone, world, and intent clearly and quickly

The result is a deck that feels structured, beautiful, and intentional – regardless of genre.

🧩 What’s Included

You’ll receive:

• A Canva pitch deck template (16:9 presentation)
• Clear placeholder copy for every slide
• Detailed Notes section guidance explaining what each slide does and what to avoid
• A structure that covers:
  • Logline
  • Synopsis
  • Characters
  • The World (Locations, Cinematography, etc.) 
  • Creative Comps 
  • Financial Comps 
  • Director's Statement
  • The Ask (Budget)
  • Team
  • Next Steps (Status, Goals, Timeline)
  • Contact (CTA)
    
    

🎨 Design Philosophy

This tried-and-true design is:

• Neutral yet "cinematic"
• Genre-agnostic
• Focused on hierarchy, spacing, and restraint

All images included are reference placeholders only. You’ll replace them with your own references or cleared materials from sources like ShotDeck, FilmGrab, or Genery.

🛠 How It Works

• No Canva Pro required – works fully with a free Canva account
• Delivered as a template link – click once and it duplicates into your account
• Fully editable and reusable

You can export to PDF later if needed, but the template lives in Canva so you can keep updating as your project evolves.

👤 Who This Is For

This is for filmmakers who are:

• Developing shorts or feature films
• Preparing for grants, crowdfunding, or early funding conversations
• Tired of juggling ten half-finished documents instead of one clear deck

If you’re applying to labs, reaching out to producers, prepping a crowdfunding campaign, or starting private funding conversations – this is for you.

✅ 100% Satisfaction Guarantee

If this pitch deck doesn’t help you clarify your project or present it with more confidence, email us within 7 days for a full refund. No questions, no pressure.

💬 The Objective

The entire goal of this deck is to get someone to say: “Tell me more.” 

That might mean:

• An in-person meeting
• A Zoom call
• A phone call
• An email reply
• A click through to your crowdfunding page

Too many decks forget to ask for anything at all. This one doesn’t.

💾 Instant Access

After purchase, you’ll receive a unique Canva template link.

Click it, duplicate it, and start building immediately. 

7-day satisfaction guarantee. Try it risk-free.