Working the Pitch: How Finance Trailers Are Changing the Game

Forget the deck. Lead with the trailer.

In today’s fiercely competitive funding landscape, a PDF isn’t going to cut it. The best pitches aren’t built on spreadsheets, they’re built on story. And the smartest filmmakers are proving their vision before the cameras roll.

Welcome to the era of the finance trailer: cinematic proof-of-concepts that don’t just describe a project, they sell it.

This session pulls back the curtain on how these short-form visual pitches are helping producers raise millions, secure cast, attract distributors, and galvanize support early in the life of a project.

Led by Walter Bienz, founder of The Solid State, Australia’s most awarded film marketing agency, and the editor behind concept trailers for acclaimed directors like Jennifer Peedom, Justin Kurzel, and Robert Connolly, this session draws on real-world examples that have changed the trajectory of indie features and high-end series alike.

You’ll learn:

•  Why trailers beat pitch decks at grabbing attention (and wallets)

•  The key ingredients of a finance trailer that actually works

•  How making a finance trailer sharpens the filmmaker’s vision of the story

If you’ve ever struggled to explain your film’s tone, ambition or audience appeal—this is the tool you’ve been missing.

Whether you're a producer, writer-director, or emerging creative trying to punch above your weight, this is your invitation to stop telling and start selling.