Studio-Grade One-Pagers: Templates to Sell Your Short-Form Series to Streamers

Pitching Short-Form Series in 2026: Why a Studio-Grade One-Pager Is Your Secret Weapon

You make short-form series that hit fast and stay with viewers — but commissioning execs, platform buyers, and producers see dozens of ideas every week. Your pain point: limited discoverability and unclear packaging that kills momentum. The solution: a design-ready one-pager and sizzle-sheet built to the visual and strategic standards streaming platforms expect in 2026. This guide gives you template blueprints, visual hooks, distribution notes, and pitch copy that reflect the latest industry moves from companies like Disney+ and Vice as they reposition themselves as commissioning studios.

Quick takeaway

• One-pager + sizzle-sheet = 60–90 second editorial impact for commissioning editors.
• Design for platform context: regional commissioners, genre slates, and short-form windows.
• Include a crisp distribution note that references commissioning strategies and partnerships.
• Use the templates and checklist below to create a pitch-ready package in under 48 hours.

Why update your one-pagers for 2026?

Late 2025 and early 2026 showed a clear commissioning trend: legacy digital producers and streamers are reorganizing into studio-style buyers and regional commissioners. Vice Media has beefed up its finance and studio leadership to become a production-first studio, while Disney+ is sharpening regional commissioning teams in EMEA and beyond. Those moves mean platforms now evaluate pitches with a studio lens: they want clear production economics, localization plans, and fast-to-market delivery strategies — not just a good idea.

"Commissioners now want what studios used to demand: speed, certainty, and visual proof of concept."

That makes your one-pager not just a creative summary but a mini-studio packet. Below we translate that expectation into design-ready templates and practical notes you can plug into your pitch.

What these templates must accomplish

• Grab attention in 3 seconds with a visual hook and logline.
• Convey format — episodic cadence, episode length, and season arc.
• Prove feasibility — budget ranges, production timelines, and key attachments.
• Demonstrate platform fit — why the idea suits Disney+, Vice, or a global vs regional slate.
• Make the next step obvious — request a meeting, offer a sizzle, or propose an EP call.

Core components of a studio-grade one-pager (template breakdown)

Each one-pager should be a single, double-sided PDF that reads fast and looks like a piece of your brand — professional, concise, and visual.

Header (top third)

• Hero image — a single full-bleed still or composite mood frame. Use a high-contrast frame to stand out in email previews.
• Title + Logline (one sentence, 15–20 words). Logline should answer: character, conflict, and stakes.
• Format badges — runtime (eg. 8–12 min), episodes per season, genre, and target demo.

Top-right snippet: the quick sell

One-line hook for the commissioner to read at a glance. Use bold and 2–3 power words: "Serialized short-form documentary with global youth followings."

Why it matters (platform fit)

• Explain in 2–3 bullet lines how this fits the platform strategy (eg. short-form engagement, regional commissioning, cross-promotional IP).
• Reference platform trends — e.g., Disney+'s push for regionally-led unscripted formats or Vice's studio pivot to in-house production — to show tailored thinking.

Series snapshot (middle section)

• One-paragraph series overview (3–4 short sentences).
• Episode grid — titles and 1-sentence loglines for episodes 1–6.
• Tone and visual references — 3 comps: a still, a poster, a color swatch. Use labeled thumbnails.

Production + Budget outline

Commissioners and production executives need quick-feasibility signals.

• Proposed production timeline (development -> principal photography -> finish).
• Estimated budget range per episode and one-line notes about major cost drivers.
• Key attachments: host, EP, director, production company. If you have none, list comparable deals or talent availability windows.

Distribution & monetization notes

Short-form series today can fit multiple windows. On your one-pager, include a clear distribution plan:

• Primary window recommendation (platform exclusive, non-exclusive, co-pro). Explain the benefit for the platform.
• Ancillary rights and fast-follow assets (social cuts, vertical edits, short-form spin-offs, podcast adaptation).
• Localization plan: subtitle markets, dubbing needs, and EMEA-specific considerations. Reference Disney+'s recent emphasis on regional commissioning as a reason to propose local edit kits.

Call-to-action (bottom)

Close with a single-line request: "Ready to see a 90-second sizzle? Let’s schedule a 20-minute sync." Provide contact and one or two available windows.

Sizzle-sheet: the visual one-pager that sells

A sizzle-sheet is the visual cousin to the one-pager. It pairs a tightly edited 60–90 second sizzle reel with a two-page visual layout that amplifies your show's look and hook.

Sizzle reel specs for 2026 buyers

• Length: 60–90 seconds for initial outreach; 3–5 minutes only if asked.
• Resolution: deliver 4K masters where possible; provide a 1080p H.264 MP4 for quick playback in email and cloud links.
• Codec & file naming: H264 baseline for preview files, H265 or ProRes for masters. Use naming like Title_Sizzle_2026_v1.mp4.
• Audio: mix for intelligibility at low volumes; include an audio stem for voiceover and a music stem (rights cleared or placeholder).
• Hosting: prefer private stream links (Vimeo private link or passworded cloud folder). Avoid big file email attachments.

Sizzle-sheet visual layout

• Front: hero shot + 15-word logline + runtime badge + one-line platform fit.
• Back: episode grid + tone board + key talent thumbnails + one-line production timeline and budget band.

Design rules that win attention

Design isn't decoration — it's a short-hand for editorial clarity. Follow these rules:

• Hierarchy first: big title, bold logline, smaller body copy. Use contrast to guide the eye.
• Limit fonts: two type families (one display, one body). Sans for modern short-form; serif only for prestige documentary comps.
• Color economy: 2–3 color accents tied to the hero image. Use platform-friendly palettes when pitching (eg. Disney+ — softer brand-safe palettes; Vice — grittier palettes).
• Readable at thumbnail: your one-pager will often be previewed in an email. Make sure the top third communicates the full concept.

How to tailor for Disney+, Vice, and platform commissioners

Late 2025/early 2026 hires and promotions show platforms are focused on regional leadership and studio capability. Use that to your advantage:

• If pitching Disney+ EMEA: call out regional appeal and localization plans. Mention if your format can be adapted per country with a tight production playbook.
• If pitching Vice/studio hybrids: emphasize production partnerships, embedded finance plans, and social-first extensions. Vice's studio pivot means they value internal production capacity and brand-driven IP.
• Always include a short note on rights: what you're offering (global rights? first-window exclusivity? co-pro?). Commissioners want clarity up-front.

Sample one-pager structure (copy you can paste)

Use this boilerplate and edit for your project. Keep lines short.

Title — One-line logline
Format • 8–10 x 10–12 min • Short-form unscripted
Quick Sell: A high-energy global short-form series exploring the social rituals that shape Gen Z nightlife.
Series Overview: In each episode, our host embeds with a community to reveal the rituals, music, and micro-economies that make nights out a cultural force. Episodes mix vérité, interviews, and motion-graphic explainers.
Platform Fit: Ideal for short-form windows and social cut-through. Scales for regional editions across EMEA and LATAM.
Production: 8-week prep • 3-week shoot per episode block • DOP and 1 EP attached
Budget Range: $XXk–$XXk per episode (final subject to slate packaging)
Distribution Notes: Prefer platform-first exclusive window with non-exclusive social slices. Offer 30-sec vertical cuts for social monetization.
CTA: 90-sec sizzle available. Email name@youremail or book 20-min slot.
  

Checklist: Before you hit send

1. One-pager is one page (or two if you include a shot list) and under 400 words.
2. Sizzle reel is 60–90 seconds and hosted via private link.
3. Filename conventions and deliverable specs are clear.
4. Platform fit line added and tailored to the commissioner.
5. Contact and next-step CTA visible in header and footer.

Practical workflow to assemble a pitch in 48 hours

Template-driven efficiency wins in a crowded inbox. Use this plan:

1. Day 1 morning: lock logline + episode grid + hero image. Use a moodboard to pick color swatches.
2. Day 1 afternoon: build one-pager in your design tool (Figma/Canva/Indesign). Keep type and spacing consistent.
3. Day 1 evening: edit your 60–90s sizzle. Use temp music and clear VO. Export 1080p H.264 for previews.
4. Day 2 morning: finalize budget band and timeline. Run a quick legal check on rights language.
5. Day 2 afternoon: tailor the platform fit paragraph to the commissioner. Personalize subject line of email and add a two-line intro in the body.
6. Day 2 evening: send with private sizzle link and attach one-pager PDF. Follow-up the next week with a 20-minute calendar invite.

Examples and small case study

We recently worked with a short-form documentary maker who had a viral pilot. By implementing a studio-grade one-pager and 75-second sizzle, they secured a meeting with a regional commissioning team. Key changes that made the difference:

• Added a one-line platform fit that mirrored the commissioner’s recent brief on regional youth content.
• Provided a budget band and mini-timeline that showed production certainty.
• Delivered a social-first distribution note that opened up a second revenue stream.

Advanced tips for creators ready to level up

• Include micro-test data: if you ran a 30-second clip on social with 30k views, show key KPIs (CTR, completion rate).
• Offer localized edit kits: a 90-second master + 3 x 30-sec cuts localized to top markets.
• Pitch a co-development pathway: offer a pilot-to-series financing milestone schedule to reduce buyer risk.
• Use version control: label each one-pager with a version and date to manage iterative feedback from execs.

Files and formats cheat sheet

• One-pager: PDF, A4 or US Letter, single or double-sided, embed fonts
• Sizzle preview: MP4 H.264, 1080p, 8–12 Mbps
• Sizzle master: ProRes LT or H.265 4K for delivery
• Moodboard: JPEG/PNG thumbnails in a single PDF
• Budget & timeline: XLSX or Google Sheet link

Final notes on rights and negotiation posture

Commissioners in 2026 expect clarity on rights. Be explicit about what you are offering: first-window exclusivity for 12–24 months, worldwide distribution, or territory-limited deals. If you want to retain social rights, state that and explain how you will deliver social assets. Being transparent accelerates deal conversations.

Downloadable starter templates

If you want a ready-to-edit pack, use templates that include: one-pager A4/letter, two-page sizzle-sheet, episode-grid module, budget band mockup, and a 60–90 second sizzle edit template with stems labeled. Keep a version for each platform type (studio-first, regional, or social-first).

Closing — what to do next

In 2026, platforms are acting like studios: they buy ideas that are visually certain, financially clear, and tailored to regional strategies. Your one-pager is the fastest way to prove that. Use the design rules, copy templates, and distribution notes above to put together a studio-grade package in 48 hours.

Ready to convert concepts into meetings? Download our studio-grade one-pager and sizzle-sheet template pack, complete with editable Figma files, 1080p sizzle presets, and a platform-fit checklist. Use it to get your short-form series in front of Disney+ EMEA commissioners, Vice studio teams, and boutique streamers that commission local slates.

Want personalized feedback on a one-pager or sizzle? Book a 30-minute template workshop with our creative editors and get a pitch-ready packet within 72 hours.

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