Entertainment Licensing & Branding Blog

I am off to attend a family reunion at Otter Lake near Princeton in the middle of the British Columbia interior mountains. Our family reunions take place every five years or so and are a great way to keep in touch with the relatives, their children and new young ones we have yet to ever see. I look forward to seeing my son from Saskatoon, who I haven’t seen in over a year and my mother, who still keeps way too busy for a young lady her age.  For six days I will be taking it easy in the outdoors and on the beach away from the city life. No sirens, no cellphone, no internet (that will be the toughest part) and no deadlines. A taste of the 1800’s good life!

Around noon on July30th, we intend to go for a picnic at Tuey Park in Enderby.  My great uncle donated to the city, a stretch of land near the river where the waterwheel grinding facility was.  It is now a luscious park open to everyone.

Later that afternoon we will arrive in Penticton to stay at the luxury Penticton Lakeshore Hotel and Resort on the edge of Okanagan lake for two days and nights. Room service, electricity, television, phone service, spa, lake front water activities, drinks with umbrellas in them, five star tourism at it’s best. Quite the contrast from the previous five days.

That evening are two Bill Cosby shows put on by one of the companies I am a shareholder in and sit on the board of directors of - WALL Music & Entertainment.  It should be a great time for all, especially those in the Skyboxes.

Then August 1st WALL Music & Entertainment is putting on a concert with opening special guest bands - The Latency - Armchair Cynics - Faber Drive who are headlined by MARIANAS TRENCH!   What a fantastic way to celebrate the long weekend.  Tickets and information for the two above events are available at http://www.valleyfirsttix.com .

This is a working vacation because I am expected to be involved in a Board of Directors meeting and possibly a Shareholders meeting as well.  Either way, the Okanagan valley is one of the most beautiful landscapes Canada has to offer and my family and I will be enjoying it to the max.

See you on the beach!!!

Sandford Tuey

PS: I will not be receiving any internet service, so will not be able to reply to any contact until August 3rd, 2009.  Until then, Best Wishes to You All!

The San Diego Comic-Con is the world’s major pop culture event and happens annually in late July taking place at the San Diego Convention Center. This site becomes a bizarre geek-fest, uniquely charming, rare mix of amusement park, costume party and Mardi Gras.  I love it!

When my company exhibited there a few years back, I noticed a satisfying contrast between families pushing children in strollers, right beside die-hard fans dressed as their favourite comic, movie or animae characters. It was not unusual to see  Spider Man, Darth Vader, Iron Man, Vampires, Xena and a cornicopia of pop culture icons wander by our booth or even stop in and purchase some of our merchandise. Celebrities even don costumes so they can walk the floor anonymously.

First time I autographed Galactic Gladiators issues with Scott Lee (our artist), my wrist was sore for hours.  He had  a lot more fans than I expected and I made many new ones.  Everyone loved the look and story, which is always a good sign for a new book.  Next stage is to sell the Galactic Gladiators screenplay (call me).

What surprised me the most, is that all of Hollywood seems to move south for the weekend as filmmakers and stars descend on the event.   Comic-Con is the place to launch an upcoming new property, film, video game, toy or comic/graphic novel.   Exhibitors sell their wares, gaming companies display their newest products, even comic dealers and buyers look for excellent stuff to complete their personal collections.  After all, it is one of the biggest marketing opportunities of the year for companies involved in the entertainment and pop culture industries.

I highly recommend showing off your brand at San Diego, as it is a great way to get a buzz started on your upcoming project.  Word of mouth at this event can make or break a new entertainment property. Getting the Comic-Con stamp of approval is essential for those creative people inventing and designing the next big hit.

The Comic-Con has always drawn celebrity and superstars from the film, television, video game, comic and book publishing world and is the main reason I love this trade show. Where else can you meet famous science fiction and fantasy writers, watch premieres of movie trailers and/or films and animation shows,  while at the same time see legendary film, comic creators and artists past and present.

With over 125,000 people expected to attend this year as it is sold out. Expect line ups to see the more popular panels, guest appearances and presentations.  Be prepared to do a lot of walking, a lot of talking and having a lot of fun.   At Comic-con you will find tens of thousands of people just like you and me. Have a great time…

Cheers!

Sandford Tuey

info@Playdigm.com

It used to be easier than it is today, but you still need to write your screenplay and shop it directly through contacts and agents to the major producers, broadcasters and studios. If you’re lucky and have a great script, they option it and/or purchase it. Then with even more luck and a bank full of money, the movie gets produced.

With the diversification of the entertainment industry and distribution through multiple sales levels/tiers, the task is much more difficult today and requires more people than ever before.

Got this question the other day:

“How does a movie make money?”

A quick concise answer:

On average, for every dollar made via a film’s box office or television revenue - there are four to five dollars made in it’s DVD/VHS release.  Then there are the international markets and the other secondary levels of income (second run theaters, first run television, movie channels, DVD/VHS, internet, etc).

I would like to add that if the screenplay has the potential for merchandising, like a toy line and sub-categories  (television series, cartoon series, animated film versions, direct to DVD) and/or graphic novels, figurines, clothing line and a plethora of other consumer products - then this brand revenue can be a lot larger than all the other forms of a film’s income.  Some estimate are as large as ten to twenty times more than box office or television revenue.

Does that make a film/movie really just a 90 minute commercial for the licensed products of the movie brand?

Kind of…

Yet, from a screenwriter’s point-of-view, it makes sense to write a story with a merchandising aspect since it takes the same amount of time to write, as it would a drama, horror or romance/comedy - but has more profit potential.

Sure there will be writers who think that writing this kind of screenplay is sacrilegious, but one sale of this kind of movie could finance the rest of their writing career and allow them to focus on as many dramas and non-toy line stories they want.

Even actors like Robert Downey Jr. and Christian Bale take the big pay day in the superhero genre (and merchandising industry), so they can do what ever the hell they want to.  That seems like a logical path to take.

Bryan Singer sure isn’t hurting from his choice to enter this segment of the movie industry because it’s SHOW BUSINESS - BUSINESS!

I look forward to seeing your movie everywhere!!!

Sandford Tuey

www.Playdigm.com

I receive questions all the time and every now and then I post one here and answer it to the best of my knowledge.  For four years I consulted for the Searchgrad program at the Alliance for Arts and Culture. I still help artists make money from their art and here is a question from a past Searchgrad.

“I met a teenager in India selling small rugs and I had the thought to hire him on a website with video, photo, and bio.  I’ll offer to buy rugs from him/his family and/or to give him a % of all online sales. Do you have a thought on how to proceed, maybe regarding import/export. A friend is going to India and will video tape the kid and look into purchasing and so on.”
Thank you.
Cavelle

Hi Cavelle,

First, thank you for your great question!

1) From a business model this opportunity raises more questions.  How old is the teenager?  If he/she is under the age of 18 they are not legally an adult and can not be legally bound by contract, so if they do not produce the rugs and/or deliver the rugs, there really is nothing you can do.  If you sign an agreement with the teenagers parents, that is another story, but what are you willing to do should the business relationship collapse, or the teenager disappears/dies?

2) Let’s say that the teenager is an adult and is providing or has family/friends providing the rugs. What kind of deal does he have with the rug makers? What kind of guarantee can you expect from him/her to deliver? What kind of conditions is he/she or the other rug makers working under? What kind of reasonable wage?  The reason I ask is that if the online public were to find out that this was a variation of a sweat shop/child labour project, it would negatively affect your project.

3) Have you created a business plan?  Without a written business model figured out, you will be trying to reach a destination without a map. Plus you need to price out everything anyway to see if you can make a profit - preproduction, production, shipping, insurance, taxes, marketing and every other thing that can happen with international trade.

4) Have you been in one of the rug retail stores here in the city?  People are already importing rugs ranging in quality and usually at volumes that allow them to sell at a very low price.  If your project can not compete, then why put in all the time and effort?  You need to work these things out before investing any money.

5) For whatever reason, if the teenager is paid and will not perform the delivery or there is a quality issue, good luck on getting this corrected.  International court cases are extremely expensive and that is why dealing with global corporations seems to be the way the world is turning.  Which is not good for the little guy.

6) One last point. If you take payment from online buyers and do not deliver (for whatever reason) you will be the one liable for these transactions.

I realize that I have answered your question with more questions, but once you answer them, you will have the answers you seek.

Good luck with all your endeavours!

Sandford Tuey
www.Playdigm.com

PS: Contact the Export Development Corporation for more import/export information on international contracts, insurance and banking.

“Knowledge combined with the financial means can achieve anything!”

Sandford Tuey

For those of you who do not know me,  I have been consulting in the areas of corporate management and the entertainment industry since 1985.  Those that have retained my services have been thankful for my involvement with their projects and to have access to my wide knowledge base.  I enjoy my work and do the best for my clients.

I have had only two clients question the cost of my services.  The first was a friend of mine who thought I should supply the answers to his questions for free.  I explained that I make a living consulting and if he did not like my fee structure, to go see a lawyer and pay for the information he was seeking at fair market value.  He called me back a couple days later and paid my invoice without further question.  It seems that the information I provided to him was correct and cost him three times more than what I charge.  The other point he brought up was that the lawyer’s office hours were limited to only  9am until 4pm and availability depended on how busy the legal counsel  was with their many other customers during those Monday to Friday hours.

No comparison to the access my clients have to me.  Once an agreement is signed between myself and the client AND I receive the retainer funds, I provide the client with my direct cell phone number and 24  hour access every day of the week. I do enjoy a few hours sleep so I explain that emergency calls only after 11pm until 7am, but depending on the crisis, it is not unusual for me to take calls at all times of the day or night.  I also make sure I only have six active clients at any one time so I can devote serious attention and assistance to my customer’s projects and concerns.

The second client, entered into an agreement with certain conditions that provided for a small ownership position in their corporation and some other future perks if the endeavour became successful.   So for many months, based on this understanding, I provided consulting services and knowledge for a variety of topics on corporations. how they are structured, share types and amounts, pricing, how to incorporate, how to run a Directors meeting and many other answers to the soon to be President’s questions regarding governance, personal liability and responsibility to future shareholders, directors, plus many other matters.

Everything was going well, even with the standard complications of any start up venture.  Then came the day to issue the share certificates and I am all of a sudden to change the way I invoice clients, my price structure and to become a direct employee.  This was not what we agreed to back before this company was formed.  I was then sent a list of tasks ranging from assisting the new legal counsel to design a contract,  construct and develop the company website and to help the financial officer create a business plan. Pretty standard stuff for me but a lot more work.

Reluctantly, I have had to suspend my services until this matter is worked out, since I already have a fair block of consulting time invested.  Even though I really want to be involved with this group, my legal advisers told me it doesn’t make sense to continue incurring more hours on the project in the event a mutual arrangement is not reached.  I really look forward to helping with the success of this company as there are lots of things that are needed to be completed asap but time will tell.

I am asked to give clients advice,  but it is not my responsibility to force anyone to take my advice and do the things I suggest. Even if it is the right thing to do and in their best interests.

I always mention to my clients that they should seek legal and accounting advice from professionals, including getting second opinions. There are many professionals that make errors or over-charge for their services. The key is to find the right knowledge for the perfect price.  Pay people what they are worth because there is a price for knowledge and all men are not created equal, even though I wish they were.

One last thing, don’t have the $100/hour person doing the $10/hour job.  It just does not make common sense.  Yet clients sometimes think that because they hire me, they can ask me to do any task, yet my first response is the one above.  It comes down to what value is knowledge worth.

The bottom line is that it is a good decision to pay a person who can answer a question in minutes because they have the knowledge base, experience and understanding of the industry the question is aimed at.  It is a bad decision to pay a lower price to someone who takes three times as long to figure out the same answer.  In the end, it may cost more.

For more than thirty years people have asked me if I am a lawyer. My reply is “No, but I make sure they do a good job for those that hire me.”

Good luck with your ventures…

Sandford Tuey

It’s not easy being creative and designing brands, toys, games, stories, products and screenplays. You work on your concepts every chance you get, with no guarantee that anyone  will ever see your latest masterpiece.  Showing it to friends and relatives is fine but just not enough.

Getting representation in the entertainment industry should be one of your goals.  If you allocate five days a week to writing, reduce it to four and dedicate one solid day a week to finding an agent or manager to advance your career.  Or mail out query letters to producers, studios and broadcasters. It is what I did to successfully get represented and gain interest in the industry.

Having someone shopping your screenplays to producers, broadcasters and studios is a best case scenario. It allows you to focus on the writing, creating and meetings with producers, directors, studio/broadcasters and actors to discuss their involvement with your script and brand.  You can concentrate on being a writer and put all your energy into the more enjoyable part of being a creator, the creating of stuff.

Make sure you find an agent or manager that you can work with. Don’t make the mistake of settling for the first agent or manager that shows an interest in your work unless you really get along with and relate well with them.  More importantly, will they market your material to a list of their connections, producers and production companies, make submissions, follow up and help negotiate a deal? If they also help you develop and edit your work, so much the better.

It’s a two way street, so help them do their job as well. Their time and money is precious and they could be working on another person’s file, so do what ever you can to help them advance your career.  Run a concept and logline by them before you put in the long hours of writing a treatment and final screenplay. They will ensure that your piece of work is ready for the outside world. Your agent/manager should be able to find real people with actual credits who will fall in love with you and your script and who fight for your projects.  These representatives are really worth their ten percent commission.

The mission of getting rep’d is a logistical campaign. It’s not easy and some say it’s 80 percent of your actual effort compared to the 20 percent dedicated to the creation of your screenplay, manuscript, toy, game or other brand/product. Start by submitting to agencies that accept query letters and submissions. You can find these contacts in Canada by looking in the Reel West Digest and Canada Film Directory or in the USA by purchasing the Hollywood Creative Directory or joining an industry association and guild. Check out websites related to the industry you are in such as IMDB pro and similar sites like these.  Use search engines and you will be surprised how easy it is to locate potential industry mentors.

Then the hard part starts - getting past the gatekeepers and having the chance to pitch your project to the person who can make a decision or write the check. The more personal you can become involved with these contacts you are making, the easier it will be to follow up and gain their interest in your properties and brands. Get to know them and have them get to know you, in and outside of the office.

Good luck with your search for representation and keep focused on your goal.

Sandford Tuey

info@Playdigm.com

The on going saga of building a brand:

Stage 11

After the first draft of the Galactic Gladiators screenplay was completed, I filed copyright and had my Trademark Agent - Brian Long register the title with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.  Estimated cost of $1,000 when hard costs, agent fees and miscellaneous were incurred.  This process took almost a year waiting for government approval.  Once we received the Trademark certificate, we were ready for the next stage.

Stage 12

The process to obtain international distribution with Diamond Comics (distributor for Marvel, Image, Darkhorse, Top Cow, DC comics and pretty much every other important comic/graphic novel and related merchandise), was more complicated than expected.  They required that before approving any book from a new independent comic company they would need to see a completed first issue and enough story for four issues.

The period of brainstorming to design each character’s look and wardrobe for all the humans and aliens took just under a year. This included the look and feel of the environments, planets, spaceships, technologies and other items people don’t realize have to be created from our imagination.  I would write a description of say - the protagonist Tessa or the extraterrestrial species known as the Psions and Scott would draw his version of those characters until they were perfect. This pre-production phase was a most enjoyable process for me.

Stage 13

We raised the initial funds to retain Scott Lee (artist), Ben Prenevost (colorist) and Rachel Moffat (graphics) to start the first book. Page by page, the first issue of Galactic Gladiators came together.  I was surprised that the pre-production cost for issue one was around $30,000.  This was more than we budgeted for, but this had to be done before confirmation of distribution by our potential major  distributor.

After incurring all these costs to draw the line art, ink pages, color and letter the first issue and make prototype mock-ups that were sent to Diamond for approval, I was totally shocked when they declined the comic book series for distribution because they did not like the title.

People who know me, know that ‘NO’, to me means ‘Not Right Now.’

Diamond explained that the Galactic Gladiators title was too - Battlestar Galactica or 1980ish and declined to market my comic.  I was devastated because of all the money and time that we had invested into this project and how important having Diamond involved was.  This of course, was prior to Battlestar Galactica being remade for Space Channel and it becoming a huge hit on television. However, it took a movie called GLADIATOR, starring Russell Crowe to change Diamond’s mind.   Gladiator was a huge hit!

Also, a bit of quick talking on my part helped as I explained that my title was perfect, catchy and a brand name worthy of a comic series they should market.  I reconfirmed that I already had the Trademark secured in Canada and an application filed in the United States of America.  They reconsidered their previous decision and now ‘got it’ and decided to handle my brand.

The rest is history.

Next Report will be #8.

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FROM THE MIND TO THE MARKE - Pre-Order this ebook by sending an email to info@Playdigm.com (put title of book in the subject line).  This ebook is expected to be available in late 2009.  Reserve an issue with no money down. Payment to be required later.

(c) Sandford Tuey All Rights Reserved.

Rocking in the Free World (Neil Young) is going to be an understatement this long weekend!

Independence Day is a time for us to raise a drink in honor of all the troops!  Not just because I served in the military but because these brave men and women are risking their lives so that we can keep our way of life deserve our respect and appreciation.  So a toast to FREEDOM!!!

Fire up the BBQ and enjoy your holiday!

I love July because I celebrate Canada Day - July 1st  - because I was born in Vancouver, BC Canada and my mother is Canadian.  I also celebrate July 4th as my father was American!  The best of both worlds…

Have a happy holiday and give your family a big hug of appreciation!

Sandford Tuey

info@Playdigm.com