Pitch expert Mark Simon was leading the presentation “How to Pitch Like a Pro.” He spoke on his history in animation before speaking on the art of pitching. Simon spoke on his own experience pitching a friend’s incredible story to Hollywood film executives. Throughout the presentation, he kept referring to the importance of character and story when it came to pitching a concept. Simon mentioned his triumphs and failures in his pitching journey, and mentioned when pitching in a room of suits, “Don’t be a dick.” He mentioned pitches being a conversation with great emotion and characters after stating the Hollywood adage, “Scripts are never finished, they’re just produced.” A surprising moment came when a SCAD student was able to test her pitch on Simon with the assistance of ASIFA South Conference executive director and SCAD alumni Ginger Tontaveetong.