56 Comments
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Clare Dove's avatar

This was so helpful! Thank you! And super generous of you to share your actual work

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Just happy to help and pass along knowledge!

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Miquiel Banks's avatar

Great Resource and a definitive digital guide from writing pitch decks. Thanks for sharing!!!!!

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Thanks, Miquiel. Hope it helps!

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(Alexandra) Apple's avatar

Wow thanks this comes at a great time!

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Happy to hear!

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brynne's avatar

this is so helpful - thank you! 🙏🏻

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Thanks for checking it out!

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Aaron Milus's avatar

Eeeexcellent. Thank you for this 🙏🏼

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Absolutely! Hope it helps you get your projects off the ground!

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Steven Bennett's avatar

Do you do these for hire? These are really special?

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Hey Steven! I haven’t, but it’s something I am considering. I might also build ready to go templates that people can download to help kickstart them so they don’t have to hire someone like me. That way you can get high level results and save the money you’d spend on a designer like me and put it toward your projects.

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Rikin Shah's avatar

these are dope. they look like the backs of old 50 cent vintage store novels or books I would have stocked at the habitat for humanity re-store.

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Thanks, Rikin! I appreciate the kind words. :)

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Geoffrey's avatar

This is a fantastic resource. Thank you for sharing.

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Happy it helps!

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Christopher Meesto Erato's avatar

Hey John - hope all is well. I was in the show biz game years ago in NYC and LA but had to bust out to keep my sanity. Yet I had a eerily prophetic story come to me in a dream a few years back that has all the classic elements - love, death, politics and hope! It needs a script doctor to make it more commercial but the story is solid and timely. Here is the first episode - if you dig it reach out!

https://christophermeestoerato.substack.com/p/tent-city-usa?r=12utpl

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Thanks, Christopher! I'll check it out. Don't discredit yourself, though. You're a script doctor too!

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Nicola Rose's avatar

This is great. And love your blog name. I actually made a film about synesthesia. Magnetospheremovie.com

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Wow! So cool, Nicola. Congrats! I'll check it out. I had a film that played at DWF a few years back in L.A. Had a great experience.

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Nicola Rose's avatar

Thank you!

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Svengirlie's avatar

this is an amazingly helpful resource - so thorough. thank you for helping other writers and filmmakers!

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Happy to help!

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Richard Schenkman's avatar

John-Michael, you are incredibly generous to share this hard-won wisdom. Virtually every week I get an email from somebody who wants to sell me a class on all the information you succinctly and humorously reveal in this post, and here you are, giving it away. You're a great American, and I can't wait to see "Violent Ends." (Is it your first film, or are you the same person who made "The Send Off"?) And good luck with "Empire Motel"!!

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Thanks for the kind words, Richard. Yes, The Send-Off is my film as well. That was my first feature and Violent Ends is my sophomore effort. Though, from a resources standpoint, it feels like Violent Ends was my first. The Send-Off felt more like my film school.

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Eliyannah Create's avatar

This was such an incredible share. As I’m working (and stuck) on one deck and mentally preparing to begin another right after, I am insanely glad you shared this.

This is so helpful.

Thank you.

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

No problem and happy to share/help! The mental preparation can be the most challenging, right? One foot in front of the other. That's my mantra. One line of a screenplay at a time, one choice at a time. That's all it takes before suddenly you've gotten up the mountain!

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Taze Wilson's avatar

As someone who has made a number of decks, this is one of the most concise guides I have seen out there (along with two of the best looking decks I've seen in a while). Fantastic post, thank you for sharing

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Thanks so much for the kind words, Taze! I really appreciate it.

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Bronwyn's avatar

This is so massively helpful, thank you for sharing your knowledge and process!

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Of course! Just happy to pass along what little I've managed to figure out through trial and error.

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AI Cinema By Elettra Fiumi's avatar

This is awesome! Spot on, so deep and thorough and inspiring. Brava! I’ve made SO many decks, saw equally as many and just finished a how to create a pitch deck workshop. You can never learn enough. It’s like every time you start a new film or production - it always feels like the first time. Btw some AI tools like Gamma are awesome if you don’t have time to create a deck from scratch.

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John-Michael Powell's avatar

Thanks for the recommendation, Elettra! I wasn't aware of Gamma. I'll check it out and maybe add an update to this post for folks. Thanks!

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AI Cinema By Elettra Fiumi's avatar

Cool! Mention me if you find it useful - just building my audience here so anything helps to get to the people I can help. 💫 and keep in touch 🚀

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