PLAYDIGM Entertainment Licensing & Branding

I have learned a secret about attracting interest from Agents and Producers.

1) Get a referral or introduction from someone who is represented by the agency or involved with the producer.  This is a best-case scenario.

2) Check out a copy of the Hollywood Creative Directory and/or subscribe to the Internet Movie Data Base Pro (IMDB.com) to locate agents and producers contact information.  First, call to confirm the contact information is correct and the person is still with the firm.

3) Contact these agents and producers with a Query Letter – you only get one chance to make a first impression, so ensure this is a professional document with no mistakes.  If you need to know what should be in a Query Letter contact me or seek this info online).

4) I have learned that ‘No’ means “Not Right Now”.   Never take ‘No’ or the lack of a response from those you contact negatively.  It’s just the business.  Get used to it.  The key here is to stand out from the million other screenwriters.  Be creative but in a very professional way!

5) By creating a one sheet poster and synopsis to go along with your Query Letter can improve your chances of being contacted. This has worked for me and I recommend it highly as it shows you are moving your project forward.

6) Of course the main ingredient for getting interest is to write a great script with the potential to make money for a producer.  This gets serious interest because it is not ‘Show Friends’ it is ‘Show Business’.  Just as every screenplay has to be written in the proper format – so does the financial side have to make sense.  The days of art films is fading fast – some say it is already dead outside the indie market.  Ensure your screenplay make a profit.

7) Follow up with ways to remind your new contacts who you are and that you exist.  Postcards, updates on the progress of your script/project, additional elements and talent that are interested or you have managed to get attached to your project (writer-producers are the way of the future).  Have an artist design the movie poster and send it out – this has opened doors that were closed to me before.

The more professional people you surround yourself with will improve your chances of getting your film made.

I have been in the entertainment industry since 1985 (Licensed and Produced the Bruce Lee game (endorsed by the Bruce Lee estate) and co-wrote a game with Robert Ludlum titled Robert Ludlum’s Game of Counter-Espionage.  Now I focus on comics/graphic novels and screenplays (one script optioned and another turned into a comic series).  Focus on your goals and you will reach your destination.

Good luck with your endeavours!
Sandford Tuey
www.Playdigm.com

info@playdigm.com

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

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