The One-Page Format Zach King's Team Uses to Pitch Every Idea
Your best ideas are getting killed by how you present them. The fix takes five minutes and one sheet of paper.
The T-Sheet Format
Emile Rappaport, Senior Creative Director for Zach King, revealed the pitch format their team uses for every single video—borrowed directly from Pixar.
It's called a T-Sheet, and the constraint is the point.
One page. Two sides. No exceptions.
Left Side: The Story
A brief text write-up of the idea. Not a script—just the concept. The format forces you to distill it. "You can't write a novel in there," Emile says. If you can't explain it in a few sentences, it's not ready.
Right Side: The Visual
Images that represent the idea. Screenshots of a trend you're riffing on. An AI-generated mockup. A Google image. Whatever helps the room see it instantly.
Top: Title + Name
What's the idea called? Who's pitching it?
That's it. The team reviews these in Monday creative meetings. If the room gets excited, the idea moves forward. If not, it dies fast—which is exactly what you want.
The format works because it removes the ability to oversell. You can't hide a weak idea behind a wall of words.
How to Use This
- Create a T-Sheet template. Split a page down the middle. Left side for text, right side for images. Title and your name at the top.
- Write the concept in under 100 words. If you need more space, your idea isn't focused enough yet. Rewrite until it fits.
- Add 2-4 visuals that sell the idea. Reference images, screenshots, rough mockups—anything that helps someone see it without you explaining.
- Pitch without preamble. In your next creative meeting, share the T-Sheet and let it speak. No five-minute setup. The format does the work.
- Kill ideas faster. If a T-Sheet doesn't excite the room in 30 seconds, move on. The format is designed to surface winners quickly.
What Else Emile Revealed
- The "blue sky" rule that protects wild ideas from getting killed too early (and when the producer hat goes back on)
- How a guy went from cleaning bathrooms on a Spielberg set to directing Jesse Eisenberg and the Jonas Brothers
- Why their behind-the-scenes content often outperforms the main video
- The celebrity outreach strategy that landed Tom Brady for 15 minutes (and cost nothing)
