Pitching a Musical

So you want to propose a show for UNSW MTS? That’s super exciting! We are thrilled to have you pitching for our society! This page is a brief introduction and overview of the what, why and how of pitching a musical with MTS. Pitching a musical for the first or the hundredth time can be daunting, but we, the MTS executive, are here to assist you in any way and help you through the process. If at any time you have any questions please do not hesitate to email executive@unswmts.org

Who can propose?

Short answer: any MTS member can propose! 

If you are a member of MTS, you can propose a musical. To become a member, visit the membership page or email executive@unswmts.org You do not have to be a current UNSW student to pitch a show, but one member of your production team must be (producer, director, or music director).

All people are encouraged to propose a musical, regardless of previous experience.  All that matters is your willingness to learn and be challenged!  Proposals sent to the executive email will be presented in an MTS meeting and members will be able to vote for the best proposal.   

The winning proposal will be put on in the next MTS’ production slot!

Where to start?

The first two things to do are to look through this google drive and understand all the aspects of how to pitch and musical as well as our society's constitution. The clauses which are relevant to you are in regards to productions, proposals and voting. It is very important that you understand what is expected of you in both proposing a show and if your show is selected as the next production.

After you understand what is involved in proposing a show, it is time to choose a production to pitch! You should look at right holding websites such as Hal Leonard, MTI and Origin Theatrical. Do not be limited to these sites alone, but do ensure that the musical you are looking at does have the rights available for hire. It should be noted that you as a production team will not be applying for the rights, the MTS executive will, so do not apply for the rights yourself!

Next you should put together your production team. At minimum this should include a director, a producer and a musical director. At this point, you may also have assistant positions for these 3 roles, but no other roles selected. If you are looking to propose a show and need a particular position filled, contact publicity@unswmts.org executive@unswmts.org or DM our Facebook or Instagram and we can assist you in finding members for your team. Remember that at least one of your production team must be a UNSW student, and all members must be MTS members.

Writing your proposal

The biggest part of proposing a show is writing your proposal. Your proposal should include:

• Synopsis

• Character List

• Production Team List

• Production and Publicity Schedule

• Band

• Budget (Expenditure and Income)

• Revenue

• Venue

• Rights Availability

• Performance Dates

• Audition Process Outline

• Director’s Note

• Musical Director’s Note

• Producer’s Note

• A note about maintaining the wellbeing of your cast and crew

There are a variety of previous MTS production proposals for you to look at as a guide for your proposal. Once again, if you have any questions, please contact executive@unswmts.org and we can assist you. On this google drive, there is also a scaffold for you to use to write your proposal. This, however, is just a scaffold, and can be changed and added to as you see fit. Do not use it as a perfect formula, but instead as a springboard for your proposal.

Budget and Rights

As a part of your proposal, you will need to create a budget to account for all costs that may or will occur. We have a budget template which you can download and edit to use in your proposal. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask!

At this point, please double check that the rights are available in our location and our time. We recommend you do some preliminary research as rights can be denied if other amateur societies are producing the same show at the same time. If there is a professional production of the same show occurring, amateur societies will generally not be able to produce it concurrently. We do not want to select a show and not be able to access the rights, so please double check! HOWEVER, DO NOT APPLY FOR THE RIGHTS! Only the executive team can directly contact rights holders.

Submit your Proposal

Once your proposal is looking perfect, submit it to:

executive@unswmts.org

The due date is generally 11:59pm one week before the EGM. The date that your submission is due will be made very clear on social media and via email. Please do not submit your proposal late!

The executive team will look over your proposal and will provide your production team with feedback for any issues they may have. This feedback will be very helpful for you in your preparation for your pitch.

Your proposal will also be made public to our MTS society on social media so that members can read through your pitch and make a well-informed decision at the EGM.

The EGM Pitch

The final stage of proposing a musical with MTS is pitching it to the wider society at the EGM. At the meeting, each Production Team will be given time to present the proposal and to answer questions from the floor. Each Production Team will be given the same amount of time. The amount of time will be determined by the Executive. Voting will then occur, and the majority will rule what musical will be successful for a certain slot.

At this pitch, you will sell your show to our members and executive. It is not essential that you have a powerpoint presentation to assist your pitch, but it is recommended to provide clarity for members.

Finally, the MTS members will vote on the show to be produced and it will be announced to the members attending the meeting immediately. 

Any other questions?

Reach out to us on socials or via email at executive@unswmts.org