Entertainment Licensing & Branding Blog

Thanks to Nicolas Chartier of Voltage Pictures, one of the producers of the Oscar winning picture THE HURT LOCKER, suing pirates has become the hot topic once again.  This entertainment war between the makers of films and the audience who don’t pay to watch them, is about to go to another level.

Being a creator of entertainment products, I am a firm believer in copyright and making a living from one’s art/work.  It takes quite a bit of time to write a screenplay and even more to produce it.  You wouldn’t want to produce something you made and then not be able to earn fair market value from it so you can exist and continue to do what you love.

I don’t go into a store and borrow/steal things because I know that it ain’t worth getting caught.  Aside from the fine there is the criminal record which is worse than any monetary loss.  Is it fair to sue someone if they buy a DVD of their favorite movie or a CD of a great band and lend it to a friend? In this case I don’t believe they are a pirate.  They are not making a profit from this transaction. You can sue them (you can sue anybody these days for almost anything) but it is unlikely you will win.

It is my opinion, that to solve this piracy problem, go after those websites that upload copyright material illegally and ensure they can not offer people to download this material.  Are they not the ones who are breaching the creators copyright?  This makes more sense and could be achieved by getting the Internet Providers to ensure this is not being done.  Sure it is a complicated and expensive process, but suing someone for thousands of dollars because they (may or may not) have stolen a DVD/CD off the internet is not proportional to the crime.  If you stole an item from a store the fine is directly related to the worth of the item stolen and again, the criminal record is the worse part.

The entertainment industry needs to go after those that offer their goods online - not the viewers.  I have bought the Beatles White Album too many times and copied it from record to cassette tape then to CD and MP3 digital files.   I also will be lending my cassette of Alice Cooper tunes to a friend - does that make me a Pirate?  Or him?

I shake my head and wonder how all this will play out.  Either way, hope you all are rocking to good tunes and enjoying great movies because it is what helps make life worth living!  Mind you, if you do come across one of my entertainment products - please pay for it.  lol

Sandford Tuey

info@Playdigm.com

Stephen Colbert has a big pair!  He dared to taunt the Bilderberg Group during the opening of his April 15, 2010 show on Comedy Central.  Is he crazy - like a fox?

Or was it a dare?  He did point to a member of the audience or someone behind the scenes after making the comment.  If he seemed nervous doing it you couldn’t tell.  Maybe he thinks his persona is too big to gain attention from what some say is the most powerful group of people and corporations on our planet.  Time will tell.

Either way Colbert spoke the secret rulers of the world’s coded name just as he commenced his program. Sure it was just a quick mention and then a plea for the Bilderberg organization ‘not to shoot freelance reporters’ like him - as he kind of referred to himself.

Is he brave?  Is he causing eyes that he doesn’t want watching his show to begin following one of the funniest and most powerful comedic brands on Earth?  Is this wise?

The Bilderberg Group first got their nick-name from the hotel in Holland they held their initial meeting at (or the first meeting that was uncovered and revealed to the public).   It is known that these rich and powerful people/companies influence almost everything in our lives but no one dares to talk much about this or can get close enough for insight into what they are planning for all of our futures.  Love to be a videorecorder on the wall during one of their conferences.

With most of the world’s media under the Bilderberg members control, it will be surprising how much anyone, Colbert or otherwise, is willing to say out loud.  I mean, could the networks or cable providers silence him by terminating his show, even though he is so damn popular?  If anyone can stop Colbert - it’s the Bilderberg Group. lol

Will Colbert speak out more on this topic?  We can only hope so as more people need to know the truth!

Keep your eyes open and learn who really rules our world…

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.

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?

I will be celebrating the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday until October 14th because it is one of my favourite times of the year (until the next holiday of course).  I really look forward to celebrating the American Thanksgiving too!

I wonder how many other countries celebrate Thanksgiving at a different time of the year (better add those dates to my holiday calendar).

lol

Oh… here comes the boss - back to work.  Oops - I just looked in the mirror.

Enjoy the holiday and your family time!

Sandford

I was asked the other day:  Which movies do I like?

My response was, “Every film ever made, including the bad ones. You can learn more from a bad movie, then a good one.”

I continue to receive responses from my query letters sent out to American agents but since I was represented by one of the best agencies in Canada, I have a few requirements for any agent I get involved with.

1) We are both on the same page, meaning, he or she knows what I am seeking in the industry and what I am prepared to do to make these goals a reality.

2) He or she is going to be proactive in developing my screenplays into packages and market them into the industry.

3) The agent has the ability to get my scripts in front of major players and actors because they are critical to major distributors financial involvement.

4) They will keep me up to date on a once a week basis.  One email a week seems reasonable.  I will leave them alone to do their business but if they want to talk, I am available 24/7/365 (as usual).

5) Provide input on scripts I write and am thinking of writing. They have their finger on the pulse of the industry.

6) Are able to negotiate with my legal counsel any options or sales deals.

7) Love their job and enjoy movies of all kinds.

If this sounds like you, let’s talk…

Sandford Tuey

info@Playdigm.com

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!

“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