Your Nine-Second Film Tax Incentive Pitch

"Who was it that coined the term “blip culture?” The point is that our attention span has been shortened to the point where you have only about nine seconds to make your point today. When news programs show a clip of someone speaking, it averages about nine seconds. It used to be 30. Entire movies are pitched with a “logline,” a 25-30 word description, something you can say in about nine seconds.

"If we want to be successful in promoting a refundable tax credit to bring more film and TV production to the state, we have to craft a nine-second pitch. We would hope that a longer discussion would follow, but you need to have that quick “grabber.” In nine seconds, you have to tell the person what you want them to do, and why. 

"How’s this?

"Would you support a refundable tax credit to attract a potentially multibillion-dollar film and TV industry to Minnesota?

"Actually, I can say that in just over seven seconds. 

"Would you support a refundable tax credit to attract film and TV production to Minnesota, which has the potential to be a multibillion-dollar industry?

"A little bit better wording, eight seconds. 

"Would you support a refundable tax credit to attract film and TV production to Minnesota, which could be a $9 billion industry employing 92,000 people?

"Bang! Just over nine seconds, and it has specific numbers. “Nine billion” has more impact than “multibillion,” and 92,000 jobs are not to be sneezed at. Those numbers not made up. They’re from Georgia.

"OK, can you make a good nine-second pitch?"

This item was featured in the Twin Cities local newsletter.