PLAYDIGM Entertainment Licensing & Branding

The process of developing a story is complex and all kinds of things must be considered.

Normally I start with an idea that is unique or topical but with a twist. I add a great lead character surrounded by solid side-kicks and associated characters.  Of course, no story would be very good without a fantastic antagonist and the more bad  your bad guy/girl is – the more good your hero’s will be.

Then I write a simple Logline (the gist of the story in as few words as possible).  The best format I have come across but is not the only way to construct a Logline is as follows:  Film’s name and genre is about (protagonist’s name or type of person) who must do something (the goal) and if not able to achieve this, someone (the antagonist) will stop them or something bad will happen.

Here is an example – GALACTIC GLADIATORS is a Sci-Fi action adventure where animal rights, environmental activist Tessa Guess is forced to lead a coalition of abducted mutating humans and aliens in a guerrilla war against an evil extraterrestrial species – the Chaons, or our galaxy will be destroyed.

I then expand the Logline to a paragraph, then to a one page summary also known as a ‘one sheet’.  This captures the essence of the entire story for a reader to see to help them decide if they are interested in reading the entire story / screenplay.

Once the one sheet is edited to as powerful a presentation it can be, I write a three page synopsis – Act One, Act Two and Act Three (one page for each Act). This allows me to see the weak parts of the story.

Most writers create a Treatment or Synopsis.  This document can be as few as a couple pages but is normally ten to thirty pages but I have also seen them 100 plus.  This is used to solicite funds and interest from producers, production companies, and other souces who will pay writers to write the first draft of the script.

Then there are the standard polishes of the first draft and even a page one rewrite which can be caused by producers or stars wanting to change a major part of the concept, like make it a western when the story is presently set in space.  These kind of outside notes can drive a writer crazy but if you cashed their cheque – you can’t complain.

Once I have the draft of the screenplay that I am happy with, I give it to my agent or send it out to entertainment connections I have and see what kind of interest there is in it.  This of course is after a query letter has first received requests to see and read my material.

While the marketing is on going, I copy and past the screenplay into a Word file and add more detail and internal conflicts and thoughts, as well as a few hundred pages so that the same story concept can become a novel, a graphic novel, a video game script, etc.

This is the fastest way to diversify your writing and help you have multiple markets for the same material.  I recommend doing it this way since a screenplay is the quickest to write at only a maximum of 90 to 120 pages.

Of course, before you send any material out you should have as many people read and evaluate it, be they friends, professionals or your mom.  Everyone has seen a movie or read a graphic novel and will definitely have an opinion.  Listening doesn’t hurt and may even improve your story and help you profit from your effort.

Should you have any questions send them to admin@Playdigm.com

Writers and Creators of stories, characters, novels, comics or any other intellectual property must not just think about the industry they are in.  A brand is much larger than the initial concept and how it is introduced to the public.

The original one page short story you write may be expanded into a 90 to 120 page screenplay, which in turn could be copied and pasted into word processing software and then reformatted and expanded with more details into a 300 page novel or non-fiction book. You can also reformat all this into a comic series or graphic novel (like I have done) or reformat the text into a video game script.  This allows you to diversify your one idea into many separate markets and saves a lot of time and work in gaining brand awareness.

The short story can be submitted to magazines, the screenplay to film and television producers, while the novel version can be sent to book publishers. The comic/graphic novel and video game script can be sent out to comic and video game publishers

This is a great way to move your writing project further if it is not selling or being optioned in another medium.  Diversify your brand for better sales, interest and awareness.

Multiple markets are the way to go.

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(c) Sandford Tuey All Rights Reserved.