A Conversation with The Big Pitcher Winner 2025
There’s something special that happens during The Big Pitcher at Animation Dingle.
The room shifts. The energy sharpens. You can feel it; that mix of nerves, excitement and possibility, as creators step forward to share an idea that has likely lived in their sketchbooks, notebooks and imaginations for months (sometimes years).
The Big Pitcher isn’t just a competition. It’s a platform. A launchpad. A moment.
It’s where emerging storytellers get the chance to stand in front of industry professionals, peers and future collaborators and say: “Here’s my idea. Here’s my voice. Here’s what I want to create.”
Over the years, we’ve seen bold concepts, heartfelt personal stories, wildly imaginative worlds and career-changing connections begin on that stage. For many, it’s the first time pitching in a room like this. For all, it’s an unforgettable experience.
In this blog, we catch up with last year’s Big Pitcher winner to reflect on their journey; what the opportunity meant to them, what they learned, and what advice they have for anyone thinking of stepping up this year. Because if there’s one thing we know for sure, the next big idea could be yours.
Meet The Big Pitcher Winner 2025: Marie Kischuk
What is your first memory of animation?
Oh, I think I was 3 or 4 years old and for some reason I storyboarded/drew some sort of beat boards of the Happy Feet opening sequence. The movie starts with some shots of the galaxy, constellations and credits, of course. The thing is, I didn’t even know English at that time, so I ended up doing some scribbles to imitate letters and just lots of dots as stars. And I was drawing one shot per A4 page! Now that I think of it I wasted so much paper on that sequence… That’s how I started thinking about animation and filmmaking without knowing what it was, haha.
Take us back to the moment you found out you’d been selected for The Big Pitcher, what went through your head?
Oh, I don’t remember exactly, but I just couldn’t believe it and didn’t know what to say. I was pitching for the experience of pitching and to connect with other creatives, to see what other peers and professionals think about my idea… but then omg it truly felt like a dream come true.
What was the biggest challenge you faced when preparing your pitch?
I remember it felt really difficult to fit everything in 6 minutes. I think we all always want to say so much, mention all the gags, interesting things about the world or ideas for the next episodes, or even have a full episode animatic! But in reality, this timeframe is not enough to show and tell a lot, so it was a good challenge to make everything more concise and straight to the point.
Can you tell us a little about your winning pitch, Fished and Found?
So my pitch Fished and Found (previously called Bait Bureau) was for a comedy series about a pair of fish detectives, Valentin and Lea, who run a lost and found agency where they help reunite lost items with their rightful owners. They’re always happy to help with something simple like a lost umbrella, as well as with something more high-stakes or abstract like lost confidence or a lost job! Each episode is a separate, absurd investigation centred around a specific missing item, but at the same time, there’s a bigger puzzle bubbling beneath the surface. A group of sneaky criminals, the Beluga Brothers, are onto stealing thoughts and ideas straight from citizens’ minds, and only the Fished and Found team can stop them! The stories will show that any problem is solvable when approached with humour or from a new perspective, it’s all about teamwork, perseverance and accepting differences.
How did you approach the pitching process? Any tips or tricks you found helpful?
I feel like I wanted to draw as many slides as possible because everyone likes looking at funny or nice-looking images! I think it’s actually important to keep the viewers entertained; it would be a bit boring to talk about some really deep animation idea in front of just one slide for 2 minutes. I might have gone overboard with this, but I found it easier to take out some slides rather than adding something right before the deadline.
Tips and tricks, hmm.. Making sure you hit all the necessary information points, the characters are memorable and the concept sounds and looks interesting. I wrote down roughly what I was going to say and I think it helped. It’s funny that anyway on stage you’ll end up improvising and saying random things you weren’t planning to say, or you’ll forget to mention something you were going to say initially, haha. Also looking at the examples of pitches, hearing how others present their ideas and analysing what cool aspects you can borrow for your own pitch or what felt weak… I know it all sounds very obvious, but at the same time quite difficult to do… ahhh.
What was it like pitching in front of industry professionals? Any standout moments?
It’s honestly really nerve-wracking when you think about experienced industry professionals listening to what you, a baby no name, have to say… but when you’re pitching, time flies by so fast! In the moment, you kinda forget about other people around you, so you’re just talking about the idea you’re passionate about and it feels nice. Afterwards I just wanted to lie down… hehehe.
What was the most valuable feedback you received during the Big Pitcher?
Okay, it’s not gonna be some specific words of feedback but overall the takeaway from the experience of preparing the pitch with the JAM team/comments from the Dingle and Cartoon Springboard experts.
So, when I’m just coming up with ideas for my own projects, I usually just create whatever and hope someone likes it. But when you’re pitching there are so many things to consider, like thinking about the target audience, making sure every slide is very clear and memorable, rethinking is this actually the best way to show something or do we need to show this at all? For example, I usually don’t like talking about the main messages or themes of my future projects, I want people to see it and decide for themselves. But pitching/preparing a bible requires in fact selling or advertising skills which I don’t think I have… haha, but this whole journey is really interesting.
Also on the topic of feedback.. receiving it might be difficult at times but it’s cool to be open and hear others while staying loyal to your own voice. It’s often that I felt something was a bit off but wasn’t sure what exactly and then when someone else pointed it out, I was like okay right, that makes sense.. and overall it’s always a nice idea to get fresh eyes on your work!
Was there anything about the experience that surprised you?
What surprised me was how chill all the experienced industry people are. And overall, how relatively easy it is to pitch your ideas (I didn’t do Pitch and Pint but what an amazing concept!) I’m fresh to the industry and don’t have much experience attending festivals, so it was the thing of like wow these cool guys are right next to you, they’re also nervous or they joke in a weird way, they’re all human and nice and open to give you feedback.
Could you describe what your internship at JAM was like?
It was great! It was definitely a unique opportunity to work on your own project under the guidance of industry professionals and at the same time help out with some of the JAM projects. I learned so much about the pipeline and how everything works, basically, really eye-opening and inspiring!!
What was it like to develop your series?
It’s been such an incredible journey and it’s not the end yet 🙂 The process is actually simpler than you might think but at the same time more difficult than you think! It involves lots of doing and redoing, trying different things and sometimes going back to what you had initially or sometimes changing lots of things completely. I think the important thing is to believe in your idea throughout the journey. You will spend many hours with these characters so it’s important that you really care about this project. Like honestly, I would be ready to develop the concept even into a series of short comics, no matter what the experts think!
What was your favourite moment at Animation Dingle (besides winning, of course)?
Oh it’s difficult to pick only one, it was an amazing experience of listening to cool panelists, watching cool films, meeting new cool people in a picturesque place, having ice cream, drinks and dancing… but okay there was this one funny moment when it turned out I was staying in the same hostel room with another person who was doing the Big Pitcher. I love coincidences like this!
One thing you’d tell your past self before pitching?
I’d tell myself to calm down and breathe before going on stage at The Big Pitcher so that I’m not talking too fast or unclear. However, knowing that, I really took my time during my second pitch at Cartoon Springboard and ran out of the allocated time, so honestly, not the best advice.. I think before pitching, I’d tell my past self: Go girl!!
Finally, describe The Big Pitcher experience in three words.
Amazing, would recommend!
Ready for the Next Big Idea?
What makes The Big Pitcher so powerful isn’t just the prize or the panel, it’s the moment. The moment someone decides to back themselves. The moment an idea leaves the page and enters the room. The moment a story finds its audience.
Each year, The Big Pitcher reminds us that animation begins with one brave voice willing to share something new. It’s a celebration of originality, ambition and the kind of creative courage that pushes the industry forward. As we look ahead to this year’s pitches, we’re excited to see what worlds will be unveiled, what characters we’ll meet and what stories will spark new conversations.
So whether you’re stepping onto the stage or sitting in the audience, be there for it. Support it. Be inspired by it. Because at Animation Dingle, big ideas don’t just get heard; they get lifted up. And we can’t wait to see who takes the mic next.
