Pitch Like Hollywood: What You Can Learn from the High-Stakes Film Industry

THE ROOTS OF PITCH PANIC

Many years ago, Peter developed a course called “Instructional Humor.” It was designed to help public speakers use humor to get their information across more effectively. It turned into one of his darkest hours:

I was invited to give a presentation at a university with a specific religion in its name. They told me that the youngest audience members would be in their mid-forties and reminded me that the school had a religious affiliation. I was cautioned to err on the conservative side. I came, I talked, I conquered.

It went so well that I was asked to come back two weeks later and give another talk. A day before the ...