How To Make The Most Of The London Screenwriters' Festival 2011 - Part 4

Those pitches should be pretty polished by now, but keep practicing them.

Only two days to go, so here's a reminder of some of the more important things you need to do before, and while you're at the festival.

• Remember your business cards, you'll need them.
• Remember your one page pitches, but only hand them out if asked for one.
• Don't worry too much about missing a session if networking is going well, as the sessions are filmed and will be available on the delegates network after the festival.
• Don't hang around people you know, go and mingle, talk to as many new people as possible.
• Be brave.
• Ask them about what they do and what they're working on, show an interest in their work and don't rabbit on about yourself.
• Take every opportunity to network.
• Stick to one drink in the evenings at the bar, so you can continue to network and don't come across as a dribbling drunk.
• Buy people drinks, they'll love you for it.
• Turn up early, go home late.
• Make as many notes about what you learn as you can - remember to write these out in longer form as soon as you get home from the festival, as they won't make any sense in a months time.
• Be polite, friendly and professional at all times. You're promoting yourself here.
• Follow up any chats after the festival with an email.
• Listen, learn, absorb.
• There is no such thing as luck, only hard work and persistence pays off.

Have a great time and enjoy yourselves.

Now pitch me.