Companies

How Challenges in the Entertainment Industry Can Bring Opportunities to Writers

Dan Watanabe — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 13:29:48 GMT

Current Revision posted to Companies by Dan Watanabe on 3/3/2023 1:29:48 PM

As with other industries, the entertainment industry evolves and changes as new technologies are developed or as consumer wants and needs change. Most recently, streaming service platforms such as Netflix are not growing as expected. The influx of streaming service providers are all grabbing chunks of the existing market share, and international sales are down, leaving providers like Netflix with lackluster numbers.

The good news about all of this, says former Hollywood Development Executive Dan Watanabe, is that cheap programming is making a come back. This means opportunities for new writers because they don't demand the money that the more experienced writers demand. The studios are more willing to take chances on new writers because they don't have as much to lose if something fails.

Watanabe also notes that advertising dollars are being funneled into traditional and network TV, which many in the industry thought were dead. This means a longer shelf-life for content and a wave of opportunity for newcomers.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../HowChallengesintheEntertainmentIndustryCanBringOpportunitiestoWriters.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video

How Challenges in the Entertainment Industry Can Bring Opportunities to Writers

Dan Watanabe — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 00:44:07 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Companies by Dan Watanabe on 3/3/2023 12:44:07 AM

Former Hollywood Development Executive Dan Watanabe shares recent changes in the entertainment industry, and how these can benefit writers.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../HowChallengesintheEntertainmentIndustryCanBringOpportunitiestoWriters.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video

Natasha Gatlin on Her Role as Content Development Manager for Fuzeframe

Natasha Gatlin — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 18:40:13 GMT

Current Revision posted to Companies by Natasha Gatlin on 1/20/2023 6:40:13 PM

Fuzeframe is a company that acquires the development rights of author-published, self-published, or independently published books for development for network or cable channels, streaming platforms, or studio or independently produced movies. As the Content Development Manager for Fuzeframe, Natasha Gatlin is responsible for reviewing Author Solutions' catalog of self-published books to find those stories that might be of interest to Hollywood. She starts by reading a book's synopsis or description and if she's hooked, she will then proceed to read the book. If she believes a book has potential, she will pitch it to her supervisor, who will then determine if the development rights are available. Fuzeframe may then decide to option the book for potential adaptation. You can learn more about book options here.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../NatashaGatlinonHerRoleasContentDevelopmentManagerforFuzeframe.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video

Natasha Gatlin on Her Role as Content Development Manager for Fuzeframe

Natasha Gatlin — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 18:35:32 GMT

Revision 2 posted to Companies by Natasha Gatlin on 1/20/2023 6:35:32 PM

Fuzeframe is a company that acquires the development rights of author-published, self-published, or independently published books for development for network or cable channels, streaming platforms, or studio or independently produced movies. As the Content Development Manager for Fuzeframe, Natasha Gatlin is responsible for reviewing Author Solutions' catalog of self-published books to find those stories that might be of interest to Hollywood. She starts by read a book's synopsis or description and if she's hooked, she will then proceed to read the book. If she believes a book has potential, she will pitch it to her superiors, who will then determine if the development rights are available. Fuzeframe may then decide to option the book for potential adaptation. You can learn more about book options here.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../NatashaGatlinonHerRoleasContentDevelopmentManagerforFuzeframe.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video

Natasha Gatlin on Her Role as Content Development Manager for Fuzeframe

Natasha Gatlin — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 12:58:57 GMT

Revision 1 posted to Companies by Natasha Gatlin on 1/20/2023 12:58:57 PM

Content Development Manager Natasha Gatlin explains her role in finding books to option for adaptation to the screen.

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video

The Role of a Development Executive in the Entertainment Industry - video

Dan Watanabe — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 13:27:11 GMT

Current Revision posted to Companies by Dan Watanabe on 1/22/2019 1:27:11 PM

Media Arts Instructor Dan Watanabe talks about the role of a development executive in the entertainment industry. In this interview, Dan details an executive's duties and how they apply in examples of well-known Hitchcock films.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../TheRoleofaDevelopmentExecutiveintheEntertainmentIndustry.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video

The Role of a Development Executive in the Entertainment Industry - podcast

Dan Watanabe — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 13:26:41 GMT

Current Revision posted to Companies by Dan Watanabe on 1/22/2019 1:26:41 PM

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../TheRoleofaDevelopmentExecutiveintheEntertainmentIndustry.mp3

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, podcast

Hollywood 101 Class 2: Hollywood Basics - The People - recorded webinar

Conrad Sun — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 20:55:43 GMT

Current Revision posted to Companies by Conrad Sun on 2/21/2018 8:55:43 PM

This is the second class in our four part series on working with Hollywood. In this class we will discuss the people you might work with when working on a Hollywood project: - Above the line talent - Agents vs Managers - Studio executives - Production Company Executives

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../7607.Hollywood-101-Class-2-_2D00_-The-People.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar

Hollywood 101 Class 2: Hollywood Basics - The People - recorded webinar

Conrad Sun — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 17:12:58 GMT

Revision 3 posted to Companies by Conrad Sun on 1/30/2018 5:12:58 PM

This is the second class in our five part series on working with Hollywood. In this class we will discuss the people you might work with when working on a Hollywood project: - Above the line talent - Agents vs Managers - Studio executives - Production Company Executives

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../7607.Hollywood-101-Class-2-_2D00_-The-People.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, Recorded Webinar

The Role of a Development Executive in the Entertainment Industry - podcast

Dan Watanabe — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 10:31:28 GMT

Revision 2 posted to Companies by Dan Watanabe on 6/7/2017 10:31:28 AM

Media Arts Instructor Dan Wantanabe talks about the role of a development executive in the entertainment industry. In this interview, Dan details an executive's duties and how they apply in examples of well-known Hitchcock films.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../TheRoleofaDevelopmentExecutiveintheEntertainmentIndustry.mp3

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, podcast

The Role of a Development Executive in the Entertainment Industry - video

Dan Watanabe — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 10:30:38 GMT

Revision 2 posted to Companies by Dan Watanabe on 6/7/2017 10:30:38 AM

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../TheRoleofaDevelopmentExecutiveintheEntertainmentIndustry.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video

How Technology Enables Monetization - video

Andrea Adams — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 19:58:49 GMT

Current Revision posted to Companies by Andrea Adams on 4/13/2017 7:58:49 PM

Technology has created the ability to decrease costs and make more money through automation. This evolution is present even in the entertainment industry, as Film Track Director of Sales Andrea Adams explains, and automation is the mission of her company. Film Track's software streamlines and automates many of the back office processes that take up time and resources during film development and production, ultimately allowing projects to be more profitable.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../How-Technology-Enables-Monetization.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video

How Film Track Helps Manage Intellectual Property - video

Andrea Adams — Thu, 13 Apr 2017 19:58:45 GMT

Current Revision posted to Companies by Andrea Adams on 4/13/2017 7:58:45 PM

Intellectual property, or IP, is anything that can be exploited, whether that be ideas, concepts, characters or stories. Film Track Director of Sales Andrea Adams offers customized software solutions to her clients that help manage and maximize their intellectual property. Using metadata, Film Track's software offers tools such as capturing and reporting on all contractual details, digital asset storage, managing inventories and maintaining work flows. By only have to enter the project data once, clients save time and valuable resources, which ultimately increases revenue.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../How-Film-Track-Helps-Manage-Intellectual-Property.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, Subscriber, video

Tales from the Indie Film Trenches - article

Pen Densham — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 15:36:44 GMT

Current Revision posted to Companies by Pen Densham on 3/10/2017 3:36:44 PM

If making independent movies was easy, then there would be thousands of people doing it. Over the years, I have always gambled on creating my own future. I started off by leaving school when I was fifteen, and by the time I was nineteen, I thought I was a washed-up failure even though I had photographed the Rolling Stones and done a lot of the creative things I wanted to do. I landed in Canada thinking I was sort of a reject from England and discovered a community that actually supported people who had ideas no matter how young they were. I found a fifteen-year-old who was making sync sound movies and helped him sell them to networks. I was still just nineteen.

I realized then that it was going to be tough, but if you wanted it enough and could figure out how to survive, there was a chance for you to create your own movies. So I put together a hippie filmmaker house. I rented a giant house and moved a bunch of filmmakers in so we could all share the load. If one of us was fired, the other people could support that person. We ate a lot of spaghetti, because it was cheap, but we were able to make movies with borrowed cameras on the weekends. We got the labs to process the film. Sometimes we put the film in the freezer for three months until we could afford to process it. But we put our own movies together our own way and found ways of selling them. Having so little to work with ensure that it was our ideas that counted and not how much money we could spend on them.

I am in awe of what you can do with technology today. There are students now who can make movies on two-thousand-dollar still cameras that have the visual quality of any studio film. You can go home and edit on your Mac for nothing. This is freedom to create. This is an ability to experiment and look at the future and create ways of using the visual language that no one has yet seen. We’re in the beginnings of a giant renaissance. This is bigger than the printing press. It’s bigger than anything. No one quite knows where it’s all going, but there’s a future in it for you as long as you believe in what you’re doing and are willing to work at it and—above all—can find some friends who are willing to work at it with you.

Tags: article, fiction, Nonfiction

Tales from the Indie Film Trenches - podcast

Pen Densham — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 15:36:32 GMT

Current Revision posted to Companies by Pen Densham on 3/10/2017 3:36:32 PM

In this interview, Pen Densham—professor, writer, producer, and director—talks about his experiences getting started in the indie film industry. His inspiring story also applies to the indie book publishing movement and will motivate you to work hard and follow your dreams. He realized early on that making it as an indie film maker was going to be tough. But if you wanted it enough and could figure out how to survive, there was a chance for you to create your own movies. Technology has made it possible to do so many new things. Densham believes that we’re in the beginnings of a giant renaissance. No one quite knows where it’s all going, but there’s a future in it for you as long as you believe in what you’re doing and are willing to work at it and—above all—can find some friends who are willing to work at it with you.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../ASIALCATEPenDenshamTalesfromtheIndieFilmTrenches.mp3

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, podcast

From Page to Screen: Taking Your Story to Hollywood - podcast

Pen Densham — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 15:35:29 GMT

Current Revision posted to Companies by Pen Densham on 3/10/2017 3:35:29 PM

Hollywood producers often look to literature for their next big movie. The trick is getting their attention. Pen Densham, Hollywood producer, writer, and director, talks about how to sell your book to Hollywood and the right way to initiate contact with people in the movie industry. He says that how you approach producers and directors is key in selling your book-to-movie idea. If you want people to pay attention, you need to approach them personally and figure out how to translate your project into something that excites them. Find a director you like and whose projects are in the style of your book, and then write them a letter to pitch your book. If you have someone willing to look at your book, you need to manage their perceptions of it, because it’s all about perception. You need to sum up your story in a catchy and appealing way so that the buyer sees it as a financial opportunity. If you can make your project seem like the logical next step in their personal journeys, they’ll definitely take a look at it.

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../ASIALCATEPenDenshamFromPagetoScreenTakingYourStorytoHollywood.mp3

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, podcast

From Page to Screen: Taking Your Story to Hollywood - article

Pen Densham — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 15:35:18 GMT

Current Revision posted to Companies by Pen Densham on 3/10/2017 3:35:18 PM

I’m always in awe of anybody who has managed to write a novel. I find the idea overwhelming and quite wonderful. In the movie business, people look to other people’s success to guide them in their choices about what movies to support and what movies to develop. If you’ve created a book, there’s going to be admiration for that—you’ve already met with some success. There’s no guarantee that anyone will take notice unless it’s a bestseller, but it’s a tangible asset.

So say you’ve written a book and are hoping to get some people in the movie industry to look at it. How do you approach them? Well, you look at their body of work. If there’s a director you like, and you see that the kinds of projects they do are in the style of your book, you write them a letter. In the letter, you let them know you’re familiar with their work and that you think your project would be a way for them to grow their creativity. People tend to send out letters to thousands of people, and that makes everyone feel anonymous. If you want people to pay attention, you need to approach them personally and figure out how to translate your project into something they can discover and get excited by.

You should be aware that you’ll have to sign a release form. Before we look at your project, we make you sign a form that gives us your first born, your house, your ownership of the moon, and so forth. We’re in a business where people frequently sue because they think someone has stolen their ideas. But an idea is not the same thing as a finished project, and the release form is a way of protecting ourselves in case we’re already working on something that’s similar to an idea someone sends us. Out of my whole career, I’ve seen very, very few stolen pieces. It’s really not worth the effort, because if you actually did steal someone’s idea, by the time you got to the release of the movie, you would have millions or even tens or hundreds of millions of dollars at stake. If the original owner of the idea turned up at that point, it would cause a panic among the people financing the movie. So people go out of their way to make sure everything is above board. My feeling is that there’s no real danger in signing a release, and it gives you an opportunity to get people to read what you’ve created.

If you have someone willing to look at your book, you need to manage their perceptions of it, because it’s all about perception in this game. You need to sum up your story in a catchy and appealing way (Alien was pitched as Jaws in space, for example) so that the buyer sees it as a financial opportunity. That’s part of our responsibility as creators. We have to put as much creativity into the act of selling our material as we do into the act of creating it. Part of that means finding allies—if you don’t have an agent, maybe your lawyer can sign a letter and send it for you. Maybe you have a professor or a friend who is a well-known author who is willing to sign off on what you’ve created. If your letters are personal and show that you’ve done your research, sometimes those kinds of endorsements can be enough to get someone interested. And you can try going to actors, many of whom have production companies. Go to the actors’ agents and managers, people who the actors are paying to find them great roles. They’re not hard to get to.

One of the things I do at USC is to make my MFA students read How to Win Friends and Influence People. What does that have to do with writing? Well, we’re human beings telling stories to other human beings, and we have to reach out to them. That’s true when you’re writing your story, and it’s also true when you’re trying to sell it. You have to show people that you know something about them and appreciate what they’ve done. If you can make your project seem like the logical next step in their personal journeys, they’ll definitely take a look at it.

Tags: article, fiction, Nonfiction

From Page to Screen: Taking Your Story to Hollywood - video

Pen Densham — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 15:34:59 GMT

Current Revision posted to Companies by Pen Densham on 3/10/2017 3:34:59 PM

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../PenDenshamFromPagetoScreenTakingYourStorytoHollywoodNEW.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, video

Tales from the Indie Film Trenches - video

Pen Densham — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 15:34:23 GMT

Current Revision posted to Companies by Pen Densham on 3/10/2017 3:34:23 PM

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../PenDenshamTalesfromtheIndieFilmTrenchesNEW.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, video

Tales from the Indie Film Trenches - video

Pen Densham — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 15:34:10 GMT

Revision 2 posted to Companies by Pen Densham on 3/10/2017 3:34:10 PM

www.authorlearningcenter.com/.../PenDenshamTalesfromtheIndieFilmTrenchesNEW.mp4

Tags: fiction, Nonfiction, video