Pitch Script for Mike Ajouz
Date: December 25, 2025
Purpose: Spiritual prep before Mike reads the V2 document
Length: ~3 minutes
Style Reference: Mamdani-style short cuts (avg 3 seconds per shot), multiple settings, direct-to-camera with B-roll intercuts
SHOT LIST
General Filming Notes:
- Average shot length: 2-4 seconds
- Total shots needed: ~50-60 cuts for 3 minutes
- Settings to scout: 3-4 distinct locations (home office, outdoor walk, coffee shop or coworking space, car)
- Equipment: Phone on tripod + handheld for movement shots
- Wardrobe: Same outfit across all locations for continuity (or intentionally different for each setting)
PART 1: THE HOOK (0:00-0:25)
Setting: Home office, natural light, sitting at desk
| Shot # | Duration | Type | Line / Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3s | Direct to camera (DTC), medium | "Mike, I want to share something with you." |
| 2 | 2s | B-roll | Hands on keyboard / notebook |
| 3 | 4s | DTC, close-up | "Before you read the document I've put together, I want to give you the heart behind it." |
| 4 | 2s | B-roll | Phone with document open |
PART 2: MIKE'S WORDS (0:25-0:55)
Setting: Walking outside, natural light
| Shot # | Duration | Type | Line / Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 3s | DTC, walking toward camera | "You've said things in our conversations that I haven't been able to shake." |
| 6 | 2s | B-roll | Feet walking on pavement |
| 7 | 3s | DTC, medium | "You said the church doesn't understand it's fighting an enemy." |
| 8 | 2s | B-roll | Wide shot, Gary walking away from camera |
| 9 | 3s | DTC, close-up | "That we've abdicated the field." |
| 10 | 4s | DTC, medium | "You asked me for something tangible we can commit to, in a period of time." |
| 11 | 3s | B-roll | Cityscape or horizon |
| 12 | 4s | DTC, walking | "Because everybody talks about how great things are going to be, and nothing happens." |
| 13 | 3s | DTC, stopped, close-up | "You also told me something about myself." |
| 14 | 4s | DTC, medium | "You suggested that my gift is gathering human potential and activating it for causes." |
| 15 | 3s | DTC, close-up | "That there aren't good systems for that, and that's what God put me here to do." |
PART 3: THE ORIGIN STORY - DOTA (0:55-1:25)
Setting: Indoor, different angle (kitchen counter or standing)
| Shot # | Duration | Type | Line / Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 3s | DTC, medium | "I've been thinking about that." |
| 17 | 2s | B-roll | Coffee being poured or hands on mug |
| 18 | 3s | DTC, close-up | "And I realized: I've been doing this my whole life." |
| 19 | 4s | DTC, medium, slight smile | "In high school, at boarding school, I got half the male population playing Dota." |
| 20 | 2s | B-roll | Gaming imagery (optional: old photo, controller, screen glow) |
| 21 | 3s | DTC, medium | "Not because I was the best player." |
| 22 | 4s | DTC, close-up | "I just figured out how to make it the thing everyone wanted to be part of." |
| 23 | 2s | B-roll | Ethernet cables / router / tech equipment |
| 24 | 5s | DTC, medium | "When the administration shut off our internet, I found the smartest kid in school..." |
| 25 | 4s | DTC, close-up | "...and convinced him to string together LAN networks so we could keep playing." |
PART 4: THE ORIGIN STORY - DANCE PARTIES (1:25-1:50)
Setting: Car (parked), intimate framing
| Shot # | Duration | Type | Line / Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | 3s | DTC, medium | "I also hosted the dance parties in the Quad." |
| 27 | 2s | B-roll | Through windshield, movement blur or street |
| 28 | 3s | DTC, close-up | "Got in trouble with the administration." |
| 29 | 2s | B-roll | Hands on steering wheel |
| 30 | 4s | DTC, medium | "But then I negotiated with them." |
| 31 | 5s | DTC, close-up, leaning in | "Because the parties were so popular, so good for student life, that they couldn't shut them down." |
| 32 | 3s | DTC, medium | "That's when I started to understand leverage." |
PART 5: THE PATTERN (1:50-2:10)
Setting: Back to home office or new indoor spot
| Shot # | Duration | Type | Line / Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | 3s | DTC, medium | "Scrappy community building." |
| 34 | 2s | DTC, close-up | "Resourceful problem-solving." |
| 35 | 4s | DTC, medium | "Finding the one person with the skills you need and getting them bought into the mission." |
| 36 | 2s | B-roll | Handshake or whiteboard with notes |
| 37 | 5s | DTC, close-up | "And understanding how to create something so valuable that the powers that be can't ignore it." |
| 38 | 3s | DTC, medium | "That's the pattern." |
| 39 | 4s | DTC, medium | "That's what I did with Woke Folks. With Civics Unplugged. With Gitcoin. With Edge City." |
| 40 | 3s | B-roll | Montage: logos, photos, event footage if available |
| 41 | 3s | DTC, close-up | "Different contexts. Same gift." |
| 42 | 3s | DTC, medium, pause before | "And now I want to deploy that gift for the Kingdom." |
PART 6: THE PROPOSAL (2:10-2:40)
Setting: Standing, more formal posture, clean background
| Shot # | Duration | Type | Line / Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 3s | DTC, medium | "What I'm proposing is a system. A talent engine." |
| 44 | 4s | DTC, close-up | "We build an institution together." |
| 45 | 5s | DTC, medium | "That finds the most capable, high agency Christians on the planet before anyone else sees them." |
| 46 | 4s | DTC, close-up | "If you like them after sitting down with them, we fund them." |
| 47 | 2s | DTC, medium | "We connect them." |
| 48 | 2s | DTC, close-up | "We document what works." |
| 49 | 3s | B-roll | Notebook, spreadsheet, or meeting imagery |
| 50 | 4s | DTC, medium | "And then we double down on the people and experiments that show traction." |
PART 7: THE VISION (2:40-2:55)
Setting: Back outside or window light
| Shot # | Duration | Type | Line / Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | 5s | DTC, medium | "Together, we can build something with the same strategic sophistication of Soros' machine." |
| 52 | 3s | DTC, close-up | "But with the opposite spirit." |
| 53 | 3s | DTC, medium, emphasis | "Righteous infrastructure that compounds." |
PART 8: THE CLOSE (2:55-3:15)
Setting: Home office, same as opening (bookend)
| Shot # | Duration | Type | Line / Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 54 | 3s | DTC, medium | "The document I just shared with you lays out the details." |
| 55 | 2s | DTC, close-up | "Which will evolve with your feedback." |
| 56 | 4s | DTC, medium, sincere | "But the heart of it is simple:" |
| 57 | 4s | DTC, close-up | "I believe God created me and you to find and unleash kingdom builders." |
| 58 | 4s | DTC, medium | "I've been doing this kind of thing my whole life without knowing it." |
| 59 | 4s | DTC, close-up, direct eye contact | "Now I want to do it on purpose. With you." |
| 60 | 3s | DTC, medium | "Read the proposal with that in mind." |
| 61 | 2s | DTC, close-up, small nod | "And let's talk." |
| 62 | 2s | Hold on face, fade to black | (silence) |
FILMING CHECKLIST
Locations to Scout:
- Home office / desk setup (natural light, clean background)
- Outdoor walk route (quiet, good light, interesting background)
- Car (parked, shade preferred to avoid harsh light)
- Standing spot (clean wall or bookshelf background)
Equipment:
- Phone + tripod
- Lavalier mic or phone close enough for clean audio
- Ring light or window for face lighting
- Second phone for B-roll if possible
B-Roll to Capture:
- Hands on keyboard/notebook
- Coffee pour / mug
- Walking shots (feet, wide, tracking)
- Through windshield / car interior
- Tech equipment (cables, screens)
- City/horizon establishing shots
Post-Production Notes:
- Cut on action and between phrases
- Match energy of cuts to pacing of speech
- Use subtle zoom/scale adjustments to add motion to static shots
- Consider light background music (royalty-free, subtle, builds at "righteous infrastructure")
FULL SCRIPT (for teleprompter or memorization)
Mike, I want to share something with you. Before you read the document I've put together, I want to give you the heart behind it.
You've said things in our conversations that I haven't been able to shake. You said the church doesn't understand it's fighting an enemy. That we've abdicated the field. You asked me for something tangible we can commit to, in a period of time. Because everybody talks about how great things are going to be, and nothing happens.
You also told me something about myself. You said my gift is gathering human potential and activating it for causes. That there aren't good systems for that, and that's what God put me here to do.
I've been thinking about that. And I realized: I've been doing this my whole life.
In high school, at boarding school, I got half the male population playing Dota. Not because I was the best player. I just figured out how to make it the thing everyone wanted to be part of. When the administration shut off our internet, I found the smartest kid in school and convinced him to string together LAN networks so we could keep playing.
I also hosted the dance parties in the Quad. Got in trouble with the administration. But then I negotiated with them. Because the parties were so popular, so good for student life, that they couldn't shut them down. That's when I started to understand leverage.
Scrappy community building. Resourceful problem-solving. Finding the one person with the skills you need and getting them bought into the mission. And understanding how to create something so valuable that the powers that be can't ignore it.
That's the pattern. That's what I did with Woke Folks. With Civics Unplugged. With Gitcoin. With Edge City. Different contexts. Same gift.
And now I want to deploy that gift for the Kingdom.
What I'm proposing is a system. A talent engine. We build an institution together. That finds the most capable, high agency Christians on the planet before anyone else sees them. If you like them after sitting down with them, we fund them. We connect them. We document what works.
And then we double down on the people and experiments that show traction.
Together, we can build something with the same strategic sophistication of Soros' machine. But with the opposite spirit. Righteous infrastructure that compounds.
The document I just shared with you lays out the details. Which will evolve with your feedback.
But the heart of it is simple: I believe God created me and you to find and unleash kingdom builders.
I've been doing this kind of thing my whole life without knowing it. Now I want to do it on purpose, with you.
Read the proposal with that in mind. And let's talk.