Animation Basics Successful Proposals: Writing Proposals and Presentations
GCC Academy
Hello, everyone
This is the third lecture on planning skills
Successful Proposals: Writing Proposals and Presentations
First, let’s talk about effective proposal writing
The first topic is the structure and essential elements of a proposal
Among the basic components of a proposal
the first is the project overview
The logline conveys the core concept in a single sentence
A high school student, hiding his superpowers
faces off against a secret organization threatening the city
Such a sentence briefly conveys the protagonist’s identity
the conflict or crisis the protagonist must face
and the entertainment elements this work aims to deliver
It should also encapsulate the overall storyline
Therefore, the first element, the logline
is critical when planning content, introducing it to others
or pitching, presenting, and selling
It serves to capture the attention of your audience
In pitching coaching, this is often referred to as hooking
The most crucial part of this hooking process
is akin to the bait in fishing
and that is the logline
It is so important that it can be called the alpha and omega
of a proposal
Sometimes, a project starts with a logline
with reactions like, 'That sounds good or appealing'
This interest can then drive the planning process forward
However, because of its importance
after the planning and storyline are sufficiently developed
the logline might be revised again
That’s how critical the logline is
It is both the beginning and the end of inspiration
That’s how I’d describe it
The planning intent explains
the significance of this project in the current market
This planning intent, therefore includes
market conditions and some research
It explains why we planned this project
and how it will create new opportunities
It will set new trends
This level of reasoning must be included
Next, the project's unique features should be included
Having around three to four key differentiation points should suffice
For example, the theme song might be sung by aespa’s Winter
or points that could drive popularity
Or perhaps it features a wide variety of characters
similar to Pokémon or Digimon
These elements continuously generate stories
and expand their universe
These can also be defining features of the project
This work can have a long lifespan
and expand into various narratives in the future
It can give such expectations
Thus, the logline, planning intent, and project features
should encompass the identity and commercial viability of the project
These elements should be
included here
Now, will these elements resonate well?
This is where market analysis comes in
In the planning intent earlier
if a brief market analysis was included
this market analysis section should be more detailed
and include credible data
Statistics, newspaper articles
and highly reliable objective data should
prove that the targeted market exists
and is viable
It should include relatable or similar case studies
to demonstrate appeal
After all, it’s necessary to secure investments
and when presenting projected profits to someone
such as expected revenue from this project
the foundation of such arguments lies
entirely within the market analysis
Thus, target audience analysis, market size, and competitor analysis
should be backed by objective data
and abstract terms should not be used in this section
In this market analysis section
everything must be grounded in logical data
Phrases like "It will be better, more fun, or superior"
should all be excluded
Next is the content of the project
Through the synopsis, when we create a proposal
the recipient could be a platform manager
an investor,
or a merchandising business interested in the work’s future potential
thinking, I want to create toys for this
Depending on their needs
the points of focus in the proposal will differ
In reality, many people
don’t intend to read a lot of text in it
However, they are likely to read the logline
and the synopsis
No matter how interesting the character introductions seem
the story progression often has too much text to read
and world-building details can often feel similar
No matter how excellent the world-building is
if the story is uninteresting or lacks appeal
the value of the content decreases accordingly
Therefore, the synopsis is extremely important
The synopsis should be crafted with great care
using only necessary words and sentences to keep it concise
while embedding the charm of the work within its conciseness
to the greatest extent possible
It should also stimulate the reader's imagination
Thus, in the content section of the project
the most important part is the composition of the synopsis
As for character introductions, character settings
can be crucial depending on the nature of the work
but generally, character introductions
focus on how attractive the design is
Regarding story development, if the synopsis
is deemed captivating
even if the text is lengthy
readers are more likely to make an effort to read it
If the story is engaging, its scalability
and the need to understand the story more concretely
lead to interest in the world-building
Think of the content section as having hooking stages
Starting with the synopsis, followed by characters, story, and world-building
each stage must successfully hook the reader to move on to the next
As I mentioned in the market research section earlier
throughout this proposal, there are many
examples like this to consider
and even knowing they are not ideal
people unintentionally
often make the mistake
of using vague expressions
These must absolutely be removed
and to remove them
you may need to conduct multiple presentation simulations
and show the proposal to many people
For example, stating, "Our work features high-quality animation"
is meaningless as "high-quality"
proves nothing
It does not provide trust
Instead, mentioning someone well-known in Japan
or an animator classified as A-grade in Japan
who worked at a studio there
or stating that their trained animators
have achieved a certain skill level
and have proven their potential through similar works
and are currently involved in this project
is the kind of substantiated statement needed
Since everyone wants to use positive expressions
those reviewing proposals
view them with great skepticism
They also look at them with a somewhat pessimistic perspective
so you must prepare with this in mind
to avoid unconsciously using vague expressions
Similarly, phrases like "expected to be a hit" are useless
"Differentiated storyline"
needs to specify exactly what is differentiated
If you claim "it is expected to be a hit,"
you must provide examples of similar successful works and their similarities
as well as how your work is distinct from them
You should also include the needs of the target market
backed by numerical data
or objective evidence, with indicators
Similarly, phrases like "appealing characters"
do not effectively convey anything
For instance, citing a survey result such as
achieved an empathy score of approximately 85% among females aged 10-16
or 'a certain survey yielded specific results'
must be accompanied by evidence
otherwise, it will not be persuasive
Thus, abstract words
especially embellishments and adjectives
must be removed and replaced with substantiated reasoning
Concrete numbers are essential
Avoid vague phrases like "a large audience"
For example, according to domestic OTT platform standards
there are 3 million monthly users in the same target demographic
Instead of saying "cost-effective production budget"
say "a production cost of 300 million won per episode, with a revenue goal of 500 million won"
Additionally, mention how much similar works spent
and how much less you spent in comparison
or estimate how much more revenue your work is expected to generate
Such details are necessary
For the production period, for instance
state '6 months for pre-production and 12 months for main production'
For similar genres targeting similar demographics
list a few examples of such works
and compare their timelines to yours
Or, contrast them by highlighting how
your work has twice as many characters
yet requires a shorter production time
Explain that this is due to your efficient system
or superior production capabilities
Highlight any unique strengths exclusive to your team
These points should be emphasized
Thus, here is a checklist of phrases to avoid
Innovative, groundbreaking, new, and others
should be excluded as they are unverifiable
Additionally, terms like the best, top-notch, and optimal
may evoke skepticism and should also be removed
These should all be eliminated
Expressions like "will" or "is expected to" indicate an uncertain future
and vague possibilities like "can" or "possible"
should also be avoided
Project Proposal Strategies
Now, let’s discuss strategies
for proposing a project
Depending on the investment business structure
customized approaches can be applied
For example, looking at the main platform case, the key checkpoints are
analyzing the target audience suitable for the channel platform's characteristics
obtaining viewer rating data for the programming time slot
and using these to discuss the potential to attract advertisers
These possibilities can be addressed
For example, if the primary consumers of toys are children
and they are lower elementary school students
there will be specific times they watch content the most
For instance, after school or academy hours, or after dinner
Works targeting these time slots
when linked with such products
have significant advantages
And if such programming is pre-scheduled
it would be even better
However, these also require a clear analysis of target audiences by time slot
viewer rating data, and advertising cost simulations
These should ultimately be based on verified metrics
and presented in a concise calculation sheet format
As for overseas distribution
it can be quite ambiguous and challenging
Creating localization strategies and plans for dubbing and subtitles by country
In fact, localization ultimately means
adapting content to suit that country, which may sometimes include
changing text or sentences within the content
altering signs, and so on
It could also involve modifying costumes and dubbing
These adaptations are called localization
Such adjustments may vary by region
due to cultural issues
or include elements that are rejected or prohibited for religious reasons
Considering and preparing for these factors
when creating an overseas distribution plan
can enhance competitiveness
These are aspects worth considering in advance
Next is the investment attraction strategy
There are content investment funds
These include funds from KOCCA or the Korean Film Council
and are supported by the government
The state partially finances these funds
while the fund management firms secure the rest through private fundraising
They secure and invest the funds, but typically
the primary usage ratio is predefined
For example, in an animation-specific fund
a certain percentage must be allocated to animation, particularly domestic animation
Additionally, a portion must go to regional animation companies
There are predefined proportions like this
Some funds have such fixed ratios
Understanding and preparing for these in advance
will make securing investments much easier
When starting the initial planning
or when a production company is newly established
it’s challenging to know all these details
That’s where support organizations come in, like
GICON in Gwangju
or KOCCA as a government-supported institution
These support organizations are well-informed about such resources
and often have dedicated staff to assist
You can consult them
and incorporate their insights into your investment strategy
which will make securing additional investment
appear more strategic
and well thought-out
This will ultimately increase your chances of securing funding
and play a significant role in your success
Additionally, in the Korean animation market
one key element that cannot be overlooked is
government support programs
For government support programs
they typically announce their calls for applications
in January or February of that year
These announcements include various criteria
The timing of your application
must align with these criteria
Without prior experience
you might face issues like missing documents
or failing to meet minor requirements
leading to disqualification
Since government programs operate on an annual basis
it’s crucial to apply and secure funding at the right time
Otherwise, it becomes practically impossible to reapply later
For feature-length productions
which typically requires about 18 months of production
adjusting your production schedule solely for a support program
is highly challenging
A good approach, however, is
to research programs from the previous year
review their announcements and selected projects
and analyze them in advance
If you can communicate with the relevant personnel
preparing ahead won’t be too difficult
As for government support programs
most projects launched domestically
have rarely been produced without such support
It is very rare
making it one of the critical elements
to consider
Now, let's talk about licensing business plans
Animation, in fact
cannot generate enough profit solely through distribution
This is the reality in Korea
The broadcasting fees for animation in Korea
and those for foreign animations broadcast domestically
are very different
Each country has laws to protect domestic content
and the broadcasting fees for domestically classified content
are significantly different from those for foreign works
Thus, all content must be planned
to reach a break-even point in the domestic market
This is necessary
Unfortunately, considering Korea's population and consumer base
the animation industry often struggles to break even
It's a very challenging sector
Therefore, licensing businesses are often incorporated
into the planning of many projects
For this reason, it is important to engage with toy companies or apparel firms
early on and communicate effectively
Without such preparation, it’s rare for a toy company
to join as a strategic partner
Hence, from the early planning stages
when creating projects involving such elements
for example, robot animations or girl transformation themes
it is crucial to connect with toy companies or clothing firms
and communicate beforehand
and designing with commercialization in mind would also be important
Thus, during the pre-production phase
strategic alliances
strategic investors, or strategic co-producers
must be coordinated in advance
When such preparations are well-handled
it becomes much easier to secure production costs and business models
It simplifies building these frameworks
Expanding the merchandising (MD) business
broadly encompasses the businesses mentioned earlier
and is referred to as the merchandising business
Within merchandising,
categories like toys and apparel are included
However, toys and apparel are just subcategories
of the larger MD business
In fact, if the MD business does well
the number of contracted companies in each category could exceed dozens or even hundreds
By planning for these categories
setting up business plans is very important
and can be seen as a fundamental step
Including distribution channels
in those business plans can be advantageous
For example, you could join forces with large retailers
or partner with major logistics companies
You could also collaborate with Coupang
or work with toy companies that have displays
in every major supermarket
Thus, through such collaborations in distribution and MD categories
early communication with competent manufacturers
or MOUs could be established
This would significantly enhance the quality of the proposal
It would play a vital role
If the profit-sharing structure with them is also ideally well-organized
it will make the framework itself more trustworthy
Let’s talk about specific pitching strategies by sector
For example, the audience for this proposal pitch
could be platforms
investors
or within platforms, public broadcasters or OTT services
Each has different needs
In other words, you need to understand their desires
to craft a pitch that appeals to those desires
For instance, public and cable broadcasters
may require specific programming restrictions
based on time slots
Alternatively, through prior investments or communication
you could secure favorable time slots
However, to do this
your content must align well with the platform’s needs
Platforms always have
specific time slots where they perform well
Identifying these slots in advance
negotiating based on them
preparing necessary leverage for negotiation
or aligning perfectly with the nature
of the cable or platform, can make this possible
As mentioned earlier, animation
and our animation, featuring toys
allows easy incorporation of toy advertisements
from manufacturers
which makes proposals like these
more appealing
and more persuasive
For OTT platforms, determining the release strategy
in advance can also be effective
For instance, releasing episodes weekly
can sustain fan engagement and discussion
while a seasonal format ensures
continuous content supply
Plans tailored to these varied needs
should be adjusted depending on the platform
or the pitching audience
Highlight different aspects and omit unnecessary details
Practical Presentation Techniques
Finally, let’s discuss practical presentation techniques
and the key principles of pitching
Pitching is inherently a daunting and burdensome task
yet it is crucially important
Everyone feels nervous before pitching
Although you feel nervous
since you cannot afford to ruin the moment by saying
I messed up because I was nervous
preparation is needed
and mindset control are essential
First, there is something called The Rule of Three Minutes
For example, those listening to the pitch
rarely have only one presentation to attend that day
Suppose there is an opportunity to pitch
for example, at a broadcasting station over several days
They will likely listen to dozens of pitches in a single day
They can’t focus entirely on every single pitch
because they are just human beings
herefore, it’s said that the first three minutes are crucial
to capturing the audience’s attention
To achieve this, one commonly used strategy is
Although somewhat risky
it involves presenting a provocative topic
For instance, do you remember
the giants of the animation industry from 10 years ago?
Half of them no longer exist today
Such statements may provoke questions like, So what’s the point?
How will this tie into a compelling narrative?
we don't know whether this will lead to these questions
but at the very least
this provocation can grab some attention
Another example might be
The global content market has grown by 30%
but the domestic market remains stagnant
This is where our opportunity lies
Starting with such an introduction
may leave the audience curious about what the solution might be
However, this kind of challenge draws attention
and engages the audience
Of course, if the provocation is not supported by strong content afterward
it could backfire
and generate negative reactions
Nevertheless, such provocation can be effective when used appropriately
By grabbing attention and focusing interest
within the first three minutes
you can proceed more effectively
with the rest of your presentation
This concludes the introduction to this approach
The second technique involves maintaining tension
This is about provoking curiosity
It involves revealing key information gradually
For example, we can say that in order to solve this issue
we’ve discovered something remarkable
It’s a simple sentence, but
it presents a problem
and suggests that the process of solving it
revealed something surprisingly
undiscovered before
This method of sequentially opening
and revealing a series of processes
has been widely used in sales in the past
Of course, the effectiveness of this approach
depends on the nature of the content
In such situations, maintaining tension
throughout the 10-minute pitch
requires keeping the audience engaged
Intermittently using provocations like this
or techniques that spark curiosity
can be beneficial
Another technique is storytelling
Here, storytelling
does not refer to the content’s story itself
but to incorporate your own story into the presentation
During the presentation
include your personal transformation
emotions, insights, and how data
led to development or change
When you base your story on personal experiences
the audience will perceive the presentation
as a form of storytelling
They will vicariously experience
what you went through
This method can also help maintain tension
The second aspect is time management
For example, in the three-minute introduction
since the average pitch duration
is usually 10 minutes
but depending on grant programs or specific scenarios
many pitching opportunities
offer only 5 minutes
In a 5-minute pitch
you use 1 minute as the introduction
Start with a strong hook
such as shocking market data
a provocative question for the audience
or a relatable story that connects with the audience
to create instant engagement
However, this strong hook
should only be used when
you can adequately support it afterward
Nonetheless, having one versus not making one is a world of difference
so I wanted to discuss the importance of a strong hook
Next, dedicate about 3 minutes to the core content
with 45 seconds for posing the problem
45 seconds for introducing the solution
45 seconds for market opportunities
and 45 seconds for the execution plan
These are fairly standardized structures
that I’ve adapted for this explanation
In this way, you can allocate time
effectively to the key elements of your presentation
through wise judgements
Wrap it up in about 1 minute
as a moment to summarize your key points
This is a good way to think of it
During this conclusion, clearly state
what you are asking from your audience
your specific requests or demands
should be clearly articulated
Additionally, show what next steps
you plan to take following this pitch
So, the conclusion should include clear requests
and outline the next steps
The structure of a 10-minute pitch includes
market/opportunity analysis, project introduction
business viability analysis, and proposals/requests
Allocate 2 minutes, 3 minutes, 3 minutes, and 2 minutes respectively
This too is a widely accepted format
often discussed in pitch-related seminars
frequently cited as an example
Here too, the internal elements
and time allocation can be prepared in advance
Preparing the elements of a pitch
and allocating time for each part
helps avoid potential panic situations
during the pitch
Thus, advance preparation is essential
This is what I wanted to emphasize
Let’s discuss the right approaches for various pitching scenarios
For instance, as previously mentioned
whether it’s OTT, public broadcasting, or terrestrial broadcasting
the needs vary accordingly
When pitching for investment evaluations
government programs, platforms, or business partners
each situation is distinct
Fundamentally, investment and evaluation pitches
are the most challenging and serious
Thus, they are the most burdensome for presenters
creating significant pressure
Due to this heavy burden
the likelihood of mistakes is also high
Even among people I know
those with excellent speaking skills
often falter during investment evaluation pitches
They frequently share such experiences
But it’s a process everyone goes through
If there’s a helpful mindset to adopt
thinking of it as a test you must endure
can make it overwhelming
It feels stressful and nerve-wracking
However, consider
this is a project I’ve nurtured with passion
For my planning to materialize
just completing the planning phase
and sitting idle won’t bring anyone to me
Even if I try to meet someone
it feels daunting and isn’t easy
But by going out and knocking on doors
the pitch session provided for me
is an opportunity presented to me today
It makes the session feel more urgent and precious
as if I can accomplish something
or at least I must do something during that time
This slightly changes how you perceive it
This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for
a rare chance given to me
By reframing the pressure
exam, test, or evaluation
as an “opportunity"
it was incredibly effective for me
And for investors or judges
being nervous isn’t actually that important
Speaking fluently isn’t crucial either
They value the presenter’s sincerity the most
So, if you pitch with sincerity
whether you stutter, forget words, or whatever
it doesn’t matter much
Sometimes, being nervous or flustered
can appear more genuine
and this can occasionally lead to investment
And these sessions, in reality
rarely succeed in one go
You’ll likely pitch repeatedly to the same investors or judges
And when you do
it’s best to actively seek feedback from them
By incorporating their feedback
and revising your pitch accordingly
the next time, those investors or judges
will feel they had an impact on your content
And in fact, the feedback is often, how should I put it
a key and insightful point
That's why pitching to investors and judges
is an incredibly valuable opportunity
and you must make sure to get feedback from them
Incorporate that feedback and sincerely pitch again and again
until eventually, the door may open for you
There are quite a few judges who ask for key messages
You have 10 seconds left, say one last thing
I'll give you 30 seconds, share one message
You have 1 minute left, say everything you want to say
Opportunities like these occur more often than you'd think
I used to think these were just lines from movies or novels
but surprisingly, you encounter them a lot
If you prepare for such anticipated questions in advance
you won't panic and can even, in some ways
compensate for areas that were lacking earlier
or even provide reassurance to judges who were uncertain
It can become a great opportunity to instill confidence
I strongly recommend preparing key messages
in 10-second, 30-second, and 1-minute versions
I really urge you to prepare them
There are cases where you pitch business proposals
To business partners, you explain that this is the content of our project
this is the vision for our business
and this is how we plan to distribute it widely
and we ask them, please consider proposing business partnerships
Such situations do arise
In these types of business proposal pitches
it’s occasionally possible to delegate the presentation
This often applies to licensing companies, distributors
or general business meetings
In such cases, sincerity
or having the CEO or director present is not very important
A professional host or presenter can often make it more engaging
and convey the vision effectively, even if it feels slightly exaggerated
You can even mix in some flowery language here
However, the figures and data must be reliable
and precise enough to withstand scrutiny
Trustworthy data is essential
So prepare your presentation materials accordingly
and, of course, prepare for various Q&A scenarios
If these aspects are meticulously prepared
things are likely to proceed smoothly
Finally, let’s wrap up the lecture
To summarize the key points once more
Planning must be specific
You should only use specific data and clear expressions
In other words, avoid flowery language and unnecessary abstract words
as much as possible
Also, for investments and business structures
a tailored approach strategy is necessary
In other words, there can be multiple versions of a proposal
And pitching is a valuable opportunity
given to realize your project
so don’t view it as overly daunting
Instead, think of it as a precious opportunity
that isn’t easily given
and remind yourself of this
Even if I’m nervous, I can still focus on saying what I want to say
and it served as a significant motivation for me
So lastly, here’s the practical checklist
In the planning stage, conduct market research and data analysis
as well as define unique selling points and specific target audiences
These aspects must be verified and established
For production preparation, you need a detailed production budget
along with a schedule plan
Also, key production personnel, including internal staff
and external contractors or freelancers
must be reliable production personnel
There should be a clear plan outlining their involvement
Depending on the stage of securing investments
it could be a planned strategy or include secured investments
It might also be plans for the next phase
To persuade investors
specific execution models or commercialization plans
must be meticulously developed
Using the three elements explained earlier
prepare your pitching materials thoroughly
Categorize the presentation materials based on the situation
Prepare a list of expected questions
and continuously update and refine them
They should be developed further
Through ample rehearsals
even in unexpected or nervous situations
it’s crucial to say everything you need to
These issues can be largely addressed through rehearsals
This concludes the lecture on animation planning skills
We’ve covered all the content
This is the end of the lecture
Thank you
Effective Proposal Writing Techniques Basic Structure of a Proposal
Project Overview: Logline, Purpose, Key Features Market Analysis: Target Audience, Market Size, Competitor Analysis Content Details: Synopsis, Character introduction, Story development, Concept setting
Guidelines for Writing an Effective Proposal Use Specific Expressions and Quantifiable Data
Checklist of Phrases to Avoid: Unverifiable Adjectives, Exaggerated Statements, Uncertain Future Tense, Ambiguous Possibilities
Project Proposal/Platform Meeting Strategy Key points: Analyze target based on channel and platform characteristics → Viewership data → advertiser potent
Overseas Distribution: Key Focus Areas →Localization strategy tailored to each country →Dubbing and subtitle planning →Approaches to address cultural
Investment Attraction Strategy Content Investment Funds: Government-supported funds such as KOCCA and KOFIC, Private content-specific investment funds
Government Support Programs: utilization plan for support programs by stages, response strategy based on evaluation criteria, emphasis on key element
Licensing Business Plan Pre-contracts with toy/clothing brands: characters for commercialization, seasonal product launch, negotiating minimum guarant
MD business development: category-specific business plans, distribution channel acquisition strategies, revenue-sharing structures
Presentation techniques Pitching principle First 3-minute rule:engaging opening, pose a problem and presenting opportunities Sustain engagement:
Time management techniques 5-minute pitch structure Intro(1 min): impactful hook+striking market data → challenging question → audience related story
Core content (3 min): present problem (45 sec), solution intro (45 sec), execution plan (45 sec) Closing(1 min): clear requests and next step proposal
10-min pitch structure: Market and opportunity analysis(2min), Project introduction(3min), Business feasibility analysis(2min), Proposal and request(2min)
Pitching strategies by situation Proper mindset
A valuable opportunity for project realization Feedback from investors and judges is a valuable insight for project development Convey confidence in the project with a sincere attitude
Practical preparation Prepare core messages in 10sec, 30sec, and 1min versions Prepare clear answers to expected questions and outline appeal points