CreativeHQ Producer Clinic takeover: Ruby Walden, founder of Producers’ Pin

You've just pitched your passion project to three different investors: The equity investor wants market metrics to see how the story is positioned. The distributor needs audience analysis. The banker is asking about tax incentives and sales. 

Same project. Three completely different conversations.

If you're pitching the same way to all three, you're going home empty-handed.

The Strategic Pitch Revolution

Ruby Walden, executive producer, finance specialist and founder of Producer's PIN delivered some challenging truths at this week's clinic. She sits between investors and producers daily, and she's seen every mistake we make.

The truth is, it’s not always enough for our film and media projects to be exciting, beautiful stories. Capital partners have specific needs and interests that we need to address individually by speaking their language. 

We're often speaking ‘artist’ when they need ‘accountant’.

Know Your Investor

Within the first 10 minutes of the clinic our brave producers were encouraged to practice their pitches to different investor types: 

• The Equity Investor wants to hear about new markets, scalable platforms, and what extra emotional or intellectual rewards this might bring outside of the financial ROI.
• The Streaming Executive needs audience data, market share expansion, and engagement metrics. They're constantly fighting for eyeballs in an oversaturated market.
• The Traditional financier is looking at interest rates, tax incentives, and the track record of producers who deliver on time and on budget.

Our producers came out swinging citing strategies for scaling, specific audience data, and strategic approaches to maximising tax incentives.

They nailed it.

How would your pitch change for each?

Expect the Unexpected 

Producers can often think the ‘trick’ is to enter a pitch with the lowest possible budget. 

If we spend less money, it will be easier to make that money back, right? 

Wrong.  

If your budget is too low it might look like the production won’t happen at all.

And if your budget shows little or no marketing spend, or no innovation in distribution, how can you guarantee reaching a large enough audience to make the money back? 

Think about the investors, too. Many are accustomed to deploying hundreds of millions—or even billions—of dollars every year. Reviewing hundreds of micro-budget proposals actually hurts their paperwork-to-profit balance. It’s more strategic for them to look at fewer multi-million-dollar opportunities. 

This is where the magic of Producers’ PIN comes in. By streamlining budget assessment and matching producers with the right investor types, suddenly your £2 million passion project isn’t competing against £50 million tentpoles, it’s finding its perfect financial partner. 

And now, with their ‘Budgeting Copilot for Global Media Production’, producers can discover hidden savings without undercutting their vision. Government incentives—like tax credits, rebates, and grants—can dramatically improve the financial picture. For example: you may spend £10 million, but receive £3 million back through a tax credit. That means you still present investors with a £10 million budget, but you can reassure them that £3 million will return regardless of box office performance. 

This approach enables you to ensure your crew is properly paid, protects your creative ambition, and shows investors exactly how they’ll recover their money. Producers’ PIN doesn’t just connect you with the right investors—it helps you to optimise your budget so you can still deliver your masterpiece without stretching beyond your means. 

Final Thought

The story alone isn't enough. 

What’s going to make the difference is understanding exactly what your potential investor is interested in, and speaking that language fluently.

Ready to pitch strategically?

Join CreativeHQ in September to receive specialist support on attracting financial backing for your work.