PLAYDIGM Entertainment Licensing & Branding

Here are what I consider to be the best entertainment brands.

1)Pixar = Toy Story/The Incredibles all the other animated films.

2)Marvel = Spiderman/Fantastic Four/Hulk/X Men/Avengers.

3) Disney = Mickey Mouse/Aladin and many others.

4) DC Comics = Batman/Justice League/Superman

5) Platinum = Men In Black = Will Smith – how can you not like it?

6) Robert Ludlum = (The Bourne Series and other novels).

7) Stephen King = Just the volume of brands he created is amazing.

Universal Studios = Back to the Future/Jurassic Park/etc.

9) Spielberg = Indiana Jones/ET/Jaws/

10) Lucas Entertainment = Star Wars

These are the brands I like and were not based on revenue or other reasons. I did not place Galactic Gladiators or any other of my own Brands on the list.

Which are your top ten entertainment brands?

How are movies based on toys a good idea?

Well those that have been following my posts know that I have been calling feature length films that are based on entertainment properties like Spiderman, X-Men, Men In Black, Hellboy, etc…  ninety minute commercials for the toys.  Most in the know would agree but Mattel’s move into transmedia, specifically films and a possible television series to promote a new line of toys it is developing confirms everything I have been saying.  I mean it was obvious after Transformers and G.I. Joe came out.

The toy company’s latest project,  according to Playthings Magaziine and the New Yorker, is about “…an alien civilization that’s been living in the depths of Earth’s oceans.” The article added that the Mattel executives decided that this idea had the most inherent “transmedia” options, which is the current buzzword for the potential to spiral off into every possible product that people will pay to play with, see, hear, or eat.”

I think the executives of the film and toy industries are blurring the edges, if not overlapping product placement and/or substituting quality of subject with whatever sells the damn stuff.  The challenge will be for the screenwriters to take a basic concept or 2 dimensional character and flesh it out so that it entertains.  Some Marvel, Darkhorse and DC franchises have been successful but can a Toy company make the grade?  Time will tell.

I will check out this project just out of curiosity but they better get it right the first time because there most likely won’t be a second chance to take my money.  Especially when I am trying to compete with the big boys.

I am sure those that appreciate and love cinema believe the merging of toy-and-screen will be the death of film, but licensing and merchandising professionals are cheering and believe it’s the next logical move for Hollywood.  The Toy industry could benefit big time if this is successful… after James Cameron’s AVATAR… anything goes!!

The ongoing development of a brand.

Stage 9

Learning how to write a comic was the hard part compared to finding artists, colorists and lettering people. I took a three act sceenplay and broke it down into three comic issues of 22 pages each (this is the standard amount of story pages per comic these days).  Everything seemed fine.

I then searched the net and asked everyone I knew to recommend people to develop the screenplay into my comic book/story boards.

After compiling a list of potential candidates and reviewing their portfolios and previous work, it came down to three excellent artists.  There was a female who drew manga style (good for international markets but not what I really wanted), there was an unknown guy who drew very well but normal super hero style (which I knew would not translate well into the Asian markets)  and Scott Lee, who’s artwork was excellent and unique (might even go global if given the chance).

Scott’s characters are long, sexy and lanky. Very different style then what is out there.  His artwork is interesting and good enough that he has worked with Marvel, Top Cow/Image, DC comics and presently works with Radical Entertainment (one of Canada’s premiere video game publishers owned by Universal – Vivendi).  Picking Scott was the best decision I have ever made for designing new characters for a new brand.

The same process kind of happened with choosing the colorist but once Scott introduced me to the work of Ben Prenevost, it was an instant and wise choice.  His coloring technique was perfect for my theme and story. Plus he had worked with Scott before and together their style just works.

Next I checked out graphic designers who could provide lettering and page layout for printers.  I knew from the beginning that this person should be local (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) as I would need to work closely with them prior to it being submitted to the print company.

Rachel Moffat of was introduced to me and her graphic art experience is incredible.  Not only did she pick up the comic craft instantly, but we also designed our own dialog balloons (needed a special way to transmit thoughts from one Psion character to another character).  It was a pleasure working with her as the patience she needed to put the whole project together was amazing.  Remember, both of us had never produced a comic before.

The next installment will be titled Galactic Gladiators Part #6.

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Order – FROM THE MIND TO THE MARKET – now.  It will be available later in 2009. Pre-order by contacting Info@Playdigm.com.

(c) Sandford Tuey All Rights Reserved.

The Watchmen, a 12 issue comic series was originally published in 1986 and many believe it changed the medium forever. It is a great comic book but I personally don’t think it changed anything any more than other just as successful brands have.

It was written by Alan Moore, illustrated by artist Dave Gibbons, and colored by John Higgins. The Watchmen was an immediate commercial success and became an instant best-seller.  It’s publisher, DC Comics, profited enormously and rose above it’s constant competitor Marvel, for market dominance, almost due to this brand alone.

However, it was at the cultural level that the effects of ‘Watchmen’ are still  being felt today throughout the comic book universe and the film, television and literary realms.  Superhero’s have never looked the same in the eyes of those who read the graphic novel or will soon see the movie (launched today).

Another $12 of mine for the entertainment industry, of which an all important portion goes towards The Watchmen brand.  See you in the theater…

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.

Stephen Colbert ran for President of the United States of America in the Marvel Comics Universe. Even though he won the popular vote, he lost the electoral vote to President-Elect Barrack Obama.

During one of his comedy shows last week, Colbert held up a Spiderman comic with a picture of himself on the cover. He proudly signed the cover to the audience’s delight. Then with a stroke of genius, he had the Marvel artist who penciled the book come out and sign the cover too. All with the knowledge that Barrack Obama collects Spiderman and Conan comics.

Stephen Colbert placed this now ‘one-of-a-kind’ Collectible Spiderman comic on a shelf for all to see, with the hope that Obama will come onto his show, in exchange for receiving this comic book. I know the value of this comic will bring the soon-to-be President of the USA to a one-on-one with Colbert. Not only because of the comic book’s rarity (only one out of tens of thousands of copies printed) but for the media attention that is sure to follow should Barrack appear on his show.

Any appearance by Obama on the Colbert Report would spark mega-mainstream media coverage (nationally and internationally) with a viral marketing campaign via word of mouth and that is a good thing for the President-elect, for the Colbert Report, Comedy Central network and for the Comic Industry (Marvel especially). A win-win-win-win scenario. Well done Mr. Colbert.

Collectibles can be such a valuable tool in marketing and public relations. As a creator of content and product you should create collectibles by autographing some (not too many though). These few products will stand out from the other unsigned ones and bring a higher sales price. If you come up with a good publicity stunt or idea, maybe even some media coverage.

Never underestimate the value of collectors and their need to keep a complete set of whatever it is they are collecting. That is what makes collections and those that collect so rare and valuable.

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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.

What are Action Book Ends?

Book ends hold books on a shelf together and are rooted at each side with something solid and secure.

Action is a portion of a story that draws the reader to the material and can enhance and develop characters if done right. Each tome between the Book Ends of Action are like chapters of a novel or scenes in a movie. Usually action between the Book Ends of Action, will not compete with these two action sequences.

Therefore, Action Book Ends are how good writers start their stories with a bang and then finish their stories with even bigger climactic action sequences.

Warning Spoiler Alert:

In IRONMAN, the protagonist Tony Stark is in Afghanistan riding in the Fun-Humvee until explosions and action cause him to be captured by terrorists. This introduces the main character in a great way and we see the type of person he is by the way he reacts to the situation he finds himself in. Reacting to action.

At the end of the movie, Ironman is fighting WAR MACHINE, which is a bigger, more powerful and deadlier armored type robot suit. This climactic end sequence is crammed with more action than the opening sequence (which is the standard in action films). The story reveals even more character of both the protagonist, love interest and the antagonist. That is until the story is wrapped up in the resolution scenes and the lights come up in the theater.

Even though this important Marvel character’s life is in jeopardy, (inside we all know they would never kill him off), but you just never know until the film is over. This tension is heightened by action that may harm the protagonist.

Is this brand too valuable to terminate it’s lead character? Other characters have died (Superman, Captain America, etc) which may surprise their followers at the time but due to the effort and money allocated to building such brands, it doesn’t make financial sense to stop the continued brand development process. Plus, we all know characters can be brought back from the dead at any time the creators/writers desire.

Conflict develops character. So use the Action Book Ends to spice up your stories and attract audiences. Your writing career and entertainment project depends on it.

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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.