PLAYDIGM Entertainment Licensing & Branding

Hasbro is a major toy license company.  They have a contract to develop and manufacture toys, games and other merchandise for Marvel and other movies.  It is a company that is focused on developing brands, it’s own and through licensing the right to attach other company’s brands to the products they manufacture. They are what is called in the entertainment industry – a Master Toy Licensing entity.

In 2007, I received a telephone call from George Delaney, a seventy-two years young entreprenuer, who has been a games and toy agent for decades.  I submitted several of my games and brands to him a year earlier but had heard only praise about the quality of my brands, comics and games.  After that, nothing. So I wrote off that attempt to expand my products and brands via his help.

A year passed. Then I got a group of telephone calls in November – December 2008 that he is talking with a Hasbro connection of his.  Now everyone in the biz knows he has had a relationship with this company for many years and sold/licensed a bunch of products to them before (plus to many other companies), so I became very interested right away.  I mean this is Hasbro, one of the world’s largest and most powerful toy companies. They could launch any brand internationally and finance brand penetration to the point where almost everyone on this planet would know what my Galactic Gladiators and other submitted brand concepts were all about.

This was the big leagues.

This was serious business.

This is every entertainment creator’s dream.

Two days later, George Delaney calls me again to ask me to send my bio and toy/entertainment background info to a Hasbro executive with the ability to make things happen.  We also discussed several other people in the Hasbro Research and Development department that we mutually knew (Hi Michael).  So this was the real deal. Things were getting exciting.

He had talked with a few people who liked what I had created and set up a meeting for him to pitch my stuff. This was extremely short notice but being prepared for the lucky breaks is the best way to ensure to be ready for situations like this. His meeting was that afternoon and he would call me with the results later.

Everyone in my immediate circle was excited. Investors, business connections, family and friends were hoping for the best but I made sure they were aware that the percentage for a successful submission being licensed was very low.

This industry has the ability to take one to the highest peak, on top of the world.  This is a stressful state combined with the rushing to get packages together for important  meetings like this one.  My only wish was that I could be there to assist in the pitch because no one knows my products/projects better than me, just like no one else can explain your projects better than you.  Second hand information does not translate as good.

Anxious and uncertain were the next few days until George called to let me know that Hasbro had passed but loved the concepts and artwork used in developing my brands.  Their upper management decided to put over a billion dollars towards their Marvel Master Toy License.

They invest a hundred million to launch a brand these days.  Hasbro put a few of their own in-house brands on back burners to push the successful Marvel projects and toys.  A good decision, as I am a big Marvel fan.  I am sure this will pay off well for both parties.

However, the low of being pushed off to be reconsidered in 2012 or 2013 is some consolation but at least the iron is still in the fire.  If you knew me you know that I never quit and will continue to work on my projects.   Only next time, I am going to be at the meeting and help pitch and seal a deal, if not with Hasbro, then another powerful company.

Of course, I will continue to market my entertainment projects throughout the world as I have in the past.  With or without a major toy licensee.

I originally wasn’t going to mention this but this is part of the branding process and actual inside information can only help you with your endeavours.  Remember- the harder you work, the luckier you get!

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CONTACT: info@Playdigm.com or check out the Contact page.

John Lennon Lives on after his death by doing a Charity Advertisement.
He  will appear digitally in an ad for ‘One Laptop Per Child’ (OLPC).

Yoko Ono granted permission to use her husband’s digital image for a commercial. This is a great way for OLPC to get their message out to the world by involving a famous celebrity (even though he is deceased).  This is a perfect example of one way to build a brand.

It is also a good method to rebrand or extend the life of a brand like John Lennon.   Elvis Presley, Bruce Lee, James Dean, Marilyn Monroe all lend their names and likeness to a host of today’s products that help these Trademarks continue gaining awareness with new generations. This form of product placement works both for the celebrity brand and the products they appear to be involved with (multiple branding).

Rumors prevail that Elvis earns more money now than he did when he was alive.  This is the sign of a perpetual brand.  This is not something that just happens out of luck but is a manufactured technique and a continuing process to keep the brand alive for as long as possible.

Imagine our world with permanent brands.  Will Coca-cola(TM) and Pepsi (TM)  be around a hundred years from now?  A thousand years from now?  My money is on – Yes.  Certain brands have this power and longevity.

In the commercial, multi-coloured pixels form an image of John Lennon, who explains via a digitally constructeded voice, the benefits of giving a child a laptop to help change the world.

Imagine if every one of these computers promote several brands to these impressionable minds…

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Contact: info@Playdigm.com or check out the contact section of this website.

I have been a big fan of the holidays (any holiday no matter which religion or culture).  So with that in mind, please note that I will not be posting on this blog for the next few days.

I wish everyone a (insert your holiday) wishes and to have a great New Year that allows us all to achieve our dreams (whatever they may be).

May peace and joy be everyones reward!

Best wishes to you,

Sandford Tuey

Today is my birthday!

Ever since I was a child, every year I would decide what I wanted to do on – MY day.  To me it was an independent annual holiday.  Sandford Tuey day.

If I wanted to sleep in, skip school, take a day off work, or do something exciting – I would.  Planing this day was like preparing for a vacation.  Every hour would be organized like a military campaign, while other times, I would lounge by a swimming pool, relax and let the seconds slip away. Not a care in the world (for 24 hours at least).

This doesn’t have anything to do with branding but you should also take the time on your birthday to appreciate your life and how fragile living really is.  There are only so many days in a year and December 22nd – to me is special.

Make your birthday a special day…

Sandford

info@Playdigm.com

My entry into the entertainment industry was through the back entrance – merchandising.  In 1985, I created, financed and published ‘The Original Bruce Lee Martial Arts Game’ and marketed it into 75 countries.  Not bad for a guy who never owned his own corporation before and was running the business out of his basement.

The instant recognition and credibility awarded me due to my legally licensing and endorsement by Mrs. Lee and the Bruce Lee estate, helped with penetrating the international toy industry.  After years of expanding the product line and exhibiting at trade shows, I realized that the big money was in owning the brands that were licensed to be on product boxes and not the products within the boxes themselves.

After many years of licensing big name celebrities and organizations and placing them onto my products, I inverted my company from a manufacturer of toy products to a creator of brands.  It was the smartest thing I could have done.  Wish I would have done it years earlier.

Summer Redstone (who owns Paramount) once said in an interview: “We are paying the talent (actors) too much. Because it is not the talent that makes the movie, it is the script. The play’s the thing, as someone once said. And if you have a great script, the talent rushes to appear in it and not at too heavy a price.”

Even though the talent (actors and directors), once attached to a project, help producers obtain the financing from studios, investors and banking institutions, none of this would need to happen without a good story.

That is why I started writing screenplays, at first on the side in my spare time and now on a regular basis. All of my screenplays have been spec scripts (speculative) and not on assignment.  Unless you allow for the fact that I assigned myself to develop certain concepts over other story ideas that I came up with.  Choosing only the best-of-the-best to write.

People follow characters who are placed in situations where the plot and/or antagonists hinder the lead protagonist in achieving their goals.  Spiderman, Hellboy, Superman, Harry Potter and other brands, draw audiences because they relate with or enjoy the characters within those stories. So it made sense for me to come up with my own characters and stories to brand.

For every dollar earned from box office or television revenue, there is roughly four to five times that earned from VHS, digital online, DVD sales and rentals.  These figures are dwarfed by the amount of revenue generated by merchandise based on the successful movie brands.  Luckily, this is my area of expertise and I can design boardgames, toys, graphic novels and other merchandise to compliment the screenplays I write.

A target audience will not only pay for tickets to see their favorite characters played by their favorite actors, but will also buy the video/DVD and watch the movie/animation or television show over and over. For movies to become blockbusters they need viewers to watch them again and again. This can be driven by good reviews and positive word of mouth.  Even inter-industry brand promotion and product placement helps.

Great movies are reissued in different formats over the years in new editions. While others end up in the discount bin. Bigger star power, larger awareness and profile, bigger budgets, and a more powerful promotional campaign from studios does not always guarantee franchise success. Low budget films can become huge unexpected hits and prized collector’s items because their screenplay are just better.

That is why I have chosen four of my best movie ideas to develop to final script in 2009.  Because the movie business finances big budget tentpole movies and the compensation for my time and effort is greater for writing these kinds of brand specific projects, I am going to focus on these type of films, it just makes sense. Mind you, with one exception – one script is a low budget project that has the potential to be made locally her in Vancouver, Hollywood North.

My goal has always been to create and develop the best entertainment products as possible. Design characters that audiences will love, and films that will stand the test of time. Brands that will still be in the public’s mind long after I have passed away.  Films, video games and merchandise licensed from such entertainment properties that people will enjoy forever. This has been one of my goal for decades.

I look forward to the new year and writing the next screenplay which will hopefully, turn into a success brand the world will enjoy.

Want to save some money?

So you are doing lunch or talking over coffee about some great idea or project until you agree to do something for someone and/or vice versa. Entering into a verbal agreement with a person(s) is as legal as a binding written agreement. So be careful what you say or commit to. Everyone knows you should always consult with legal counsel on any contractual matters or legal agreements, but lets say this is the long weekend or you can’t reach your lawyer for some reason or you are a poor starving artist.

In the spur of the moment you shake hands and realize that you have just entered into a verbal agreement without a signed written contract.  Nothing is in writing.  Both parties should draw up an agreement to sign but again, lets say there is no access to printers or legal counsel or some unknown reason both parties can’t sign anything at this time.  Trust me it happens.

Doing your homework before engaging a lawyer can save you a substantial amount of money. What I mean is after your meeting go somewhere and write down ‘your understanding’ of what you are committed to do and what the other party has agreed to do.  Then email a letter to the other person/group with all these points.  This is the first record of a deal.

If there is any future dispute, winning the case all comes down to evidence and the talents of the lawyer you retain.  Note the following:

1) The best case is to get it in writing and all involved signing a contract.

2) If not able to do so, here are a couple ways to protect your position in a deal.

a) Verbal Agreements are a binding contract but it is important to sign a contract explaining in detail what both parties will be doing and what compensation each is expected.  Record your understanding in a daytimer.

b) After a meeting where a verbal commitment is now expected from you and the other party, how to prove what was said and agreed upon? Well start by sending a follow-up email or letter indicating that you enjoyed the meeting on such-and-such date and look forward to achieving the goals both agreed to. Then write exactly what you believe the verbal understanding is and send it to the other party.  Don’t forget anything.

Should the deal fall apart for any reason and it becomes necessary to go to arbitration or court to sort things out, then the legal system will appreciate what ever evidence that can be reviewed. Even an email that lays out the conditions of the agreement from only one parties side.

If the receiving party of your email does not respond negatively or challenge any of your points and understanding of your agreement, most likely the email will be accepted as a good representation of the agreement. Otherwise, if the email was not the complete understanding of both parties, the other party would have responded to clarify exactly how they interpret the contract. Their silence could be deemed consent of the written facts expressed in your email. Believe me,  it is better than nothing to help substantiate your verbal contract.

3) Audio and video tape records are good, as long as it is legal in your jurisdiction (check with police on that). During a conversation (telephone or live) make sure all parties involved are identified and participating in the conversation, try and fit in the date as well.

It is my understanding in Canada, that it is legal to record someone without having to inform them you are doing so (as long as you participate in the conversation). For example. You can not record other people at another table in a restaurant without being involved in that conversation. That is considered eavesdropping and is illegal.

For those living in America, I would love to know how this is reflected in the law, so if you know  – post a comment.

In the end, if the verbal contract turns into a disagreement  and a ‘he said – she said scenario’, over who agreed to what, a judge will most likely agree to what was written and delivered to the other party.  If the other party does not respond, then what was laid out and received, is most likely the correct understanding of the agreement, or why didn’t the receiving party not bring up any changes or alterations to the only written version of it.

Bottom line is – “Always be careful what you say and agree to”.

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Orders for the FROM THE MIND TO THE MARKET – ebook will be available in 2009. Preorder now by contacting Info@Playdigm.com and for further information. (c) Tuey All Rights Reserved.

It may seem hard to keep focused on your goals when reality gets in the way.  You know the little (or big) things that lead you to do something else, than what you love to do or should be doing – be it work or personal priorities.  Necessary things like doctor appointments or unexpected paperwork or a call from that important talent manager or agent.  The kind of things that take you away from what you want or love to do.

Allocating time in the form of appointments or by blocking off a portion of each day for yourself, you will realize very quickly how much extra time you will have to deal with the things you want to do or should be doing.   For many years I ensured that Monday mornings and Friday afternoons were for me to catch up on outstanding work related matters (especially Monday).  While Friday afternoons allowed me to take the day off early (instant long weekend) or take a client for a late lunch or deal with a family matter or heaven forbid – work overtime.

You would be surprised how productive engaging with clients on some Friday afternoons can help with networking, solidifying business relationships, closing deals, plus is a great way to get to know the people you work with outside of an office environment.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I am a self motivated productive worker and believe in getting things done.  Many times I have put in 16 hours days and worked entire long weekends, without sleep, to prepare everything for a trade show or create a contract or an entertainment project deadline that the client decided was a rush-rush and needed to be moved ahead of schdule.  Standard procedure in this industry.

If you don’t have written goals for your personal life, then get some on paper.  You do this for business, so why wouldn’t it make sense to do it for yourself.  Focus on what you love to do.  Can’t find the time to play the piano and record the song you created that is in your head – do it!  Want to learn something new – learn it.  You need to figure out the things you love to do that you would do, even if you were not paid to do it.  There is more to this life than money.  Happiness has a value.

However, time is more valuable than anything.  We all have only one life to live on this planet (usually under 100 years). Time you can’t save but it is most important how you spend it.  Believe me, you don’t want to be in your seventies thinking, I wish I would have done this… or done that. I have yet to meet someone who says on their ninety-ninth birthday, “Boy I wish I could have put in more hours at the office.”

Block out time for important things now and take small steps to achieve the goals you have made.  You can do it!

Stay Focused and remember – the harder you work at your goals, the easier it will be to attain them.

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Orders for the FROM THE MIND TO THE MARKET – ebook will be available in 2009. Preorder now by contacting Info@Playdigm.com and for further information. (c) Tuey All Rights Reserved.