PLAYDIGM Entertainment Licensing & Branding

Welcome to Today’s Question:

Q:   How long did it take to license Bruce Lee’s name and likeness from the Bruce Lee estate?

A:   The entire process took about six months from the time I contacted Black Belt magazine, who in turn led me to Mrs. Lee’s attorney (at the time) – Adrian Marshall, who let me know that the estate wanted to see a prototype of the board game.  I made three hand-made copies of THE ORIGINAL BRUCE LEE MARTIAL ARTS GAME and sent one off to Mrs. Linda Lee.  I got positive reviews and word that Brandon thought his father would like it.  After I negotiated the licensing details and an agreement worked out, I paid the advance royalty fee and received a one page letter that doubled as a valid contract which allowed me a three year worldwide production and marketing deal.

This was my first venture into the game industry and my life changed.

Sandford Tuey

PS:  I am going to answer one question every Monday as time permits.  So if you have any questions about the entertainment, game or toy industries, branding and licensing – send them in to    info@Playdigm.com.  Make sure you put QUESTION in caps in the Subject Line so it will stand out from the mass email I receive.

To make a successful brand you will have to do more than just write a good story, be it a short story, novel or screenplay.  Every writer hopes and looks forward to their big break.  Well unless you make it happen, it isn’t going to happen.
So what can you do?

First,  you need an amazing story idea – then write it down.  A story so damn good that everyone wants to read it or hear it told.  That means having a great idea and putting it on paper.  I always explain when I give seminars or am a keynote speaker at conferences and events, start with a short story, two or three pages that will express the basics of the idea, but more importantly, turns your unprotectable idea into something you can copyright.

I recommend the three page short story structure so that you can write Act 1 on page one, Act 2 on page two and Act 3 on the final page.  This gives you the skeleton of the story.  I do this as soon as possible, that way if I talk to anyone about this intellectual property, it is no longer just an idea (which are easily borrowed).

Once you have that, you can expand it into novel format or a screenplay or a comic book/graphic novel, video game story format, etc…   This is where diversifying your original story allows you to sell it into several markets.

I write the screenplay next because it only has to be a maximum of 120 pages.  This script, based on your short story, will be able to be shown once you have the first draft completed – rewritten several times with input from friends and professionals in the industry that you can trust (will not borrow your excellent concept).  If many of these readers point out the same problem or area, then this is a sign to correct or improve or delete that section of your story.  That is why readers screen screenplays at studios and production companies.  This is also a great way to ensure you are ready to submit your best work.

Second, you have to brand yourself by making people, especially industry people, notice and want to know more about you.  AND what you have written about.

By drawing on your past, previous  profession, jobs, interests, you may spark some interest with a person who can lift you from obscurity.  If you have no writing past then it is time to start creating one right now.

Your brand? Who are you right now and what have you done in the past.  How can this bio info be leveraged to make you stand out from all the other writers?

Take a class at a reputable University or College/school.  Co-write with a famous writer.  Write greeting cards or comics or video games or any thing – even a website blog like this.  What ever gets you attention and in the search engines.  That way if some one tries to locate you, they search for your name on the internet and there you are.

If you write two screenplays mention the second one in your query letter as it makes you seem more professional than a one-time script writer.  Then there is the  email/mailing campaign that promotes you and your screenplay.  What should be in a query letter will depend on who it is written for.  I will discuss this in a future post.

The key is to get as much exposure as possible.  Network at events, conferences, trade shows, mingle where other writers hang out or join a writer’s group, meet producers, directors and actors.  If you can, put on a party and invite the elite, if they don’t show, hey you tried.  If they do, make sure they enjoy themselves, that way they will remember you.

There are so many ways to make a brand so don’t limit yourself to staying within the box.  My mother always said, “If you don’t ask… you won’t receive.”  She is right, so go ahead and contact the star or element you need to take the next step.  The worse they can do is say ‘No’.   Robert Ludlum said no to me three times and I still did a deal with the man.

Work with what you have, create the image you want and live the part.  Sure the world’s a stage but you are the writer, write the lead character (you) a really juicy part.  Because, in the end, you only get one life to live = so live it the way you want to and you will be surprised how many doors open if you just keep promoting yourself and have others help you too.

This is the reason stars remain stars – they hire Public Relations firms.  Which is another great idea to help brand yourself if you can afford it.  Otherwise, you are your own PR company.

Cheers and good luck branding your story and yourself!

The Olympics are finally over and Vancouver, Canada is almost back to normal – if you can call living in a big city that.  The crowds have thinned down to rush-hour status as the ParaOlympics are now underway.

I should first point out that I voted against bringing the Olympics to British Columbia in the referendum, not because I don’t like the winter games or sports, I watch them every four years on television no matter which country is the host.  What I voted against was the cost and how the billions of tax dollars could have been better spent.

It took British Columbians a hell of a long time to pay off the Expo 86 World Fair debt and I didn’t think we should jump into that kind of deficit as quickly as our present provincial government chose to do so.  Especially after the Liberals have been selling off our Provincial assets (BC Rail, BC Gas) and still trying to sell BC Hydro. So now comes the headache after the party and the realization of how much did it really cost?    I have seen numbers ranging from 2 Billion to as high as 6 Billion dollars.  I wonder what my personal share will be?

I also did not think it fair to BC residents living outside Whistler and the lower mainland.  It is questionable if they benefited at all, definitely not from any of the construction contracts or the short term  tourism, yet they get to share equally in paying off the amount to host such an expensive event.

Then there was the issue of security and the inconvience of rerouting traffic due to closing down major streets like Robson and Georgia or dealing with the checkpoints and security personel within a half mile radius of every event center/facility.  Sure it was only two weeks and It was interesting to see people with back-packs getting searched just to board a skytrain but since I served in the military that didn’t bother me at all, in fact, I am sure it deterred any thoughts of terrorism.

But was it all worth it?

It will depend on how fast this debt can be paid off without hurting the standard of life to the middle class and poor.  If it takes a couple generations to erase, then definitely ‘NO’ and the money could have been better spent on dealing with this recession/depression and its affect on our corner of the world.  Heck, just the interest on the principle debt could have raised a lot of BC citizens up from below the poverty line and helped our seniors live out the rest of their lives under better conditions.  Or imagine how clean every hospital in British Columbia could have been – at the least, Hospital Acquired Infections would have been reduced dramatically.  Oh well, there is so much a couple billion could do for a province…

One thing for sure is that the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic brand are making a profit from every one of their summer and winter events, leaving the hosting nations with the mess to clean up, like a evening party guest that leaves in the wee hours to head to the next celebration.   I wonder how much profit they made?