cyclone
Well-known member
I learned this in a class that was taught by Peter Guber while I was majoring in film at UCLA, and it is one of those few jewels that have actually borne out to be true regarding trying to get financing for your next film.
His advice is to always base your film (even in the loosest sense) on an already existing published work. Whether it's a book , or a play, or a magazine article, or toy, or song, or invention or whatever...
When you go to raise money and you start by tossing down a copy of the book/play/magazine/item on the table in front of your investors, it immediately says, "Someone else has ALREADY passed judgement on this and has put some money behind it (albeit, just publishing or seed money, but still money). I have actually seen this work in real life. It makes the sale MUCH EASIER. In fact, often people can't wait to be a part of it. The trick is that you have to license the work first. But that's pretty easy, as long as you chose something inexpensive (like an obscure magazine article - which I have done for under a couple of hundred dollars), as opposed to a major book or song (which none of us could afford and which Spielberg has already tied up anyway). And again, as long as you put it in your agreement with the property owner, your creative needs to be affiliated with the property in only the very loosest sense - so that your own story can shine through.
Anyway, been meaning to mention this for awhile now. Hope it's helpful.
His advice is to always base your film (even in the loosest sense) on an already existing published work. Whether it's a book , or a play, or a magazine article, or toy, or song, or invention or whatever...
When you go to raise money and you start by tossing down a copy of the book/play/magazine/item on the table in front of your investors, it immediately says, "Someone else has ALREADY passed judgement on this and has put some money behind it (albeit, just publishing or seed money, but still money). I have actually seen this work in real life. It makes the sale MUCH EASIER. In fact, often people can't wait to be a part of it. The trick is that you have to license the work first. But that's pretty easy, as long as you chose something inexpensive (like an obscure magazine article - which I have done for under a couple of hundred dollars), as opposed to a major book or song (which none of us could afford and which Spielberg has already tied up anyway). And again, as long as you put it in your agreement with the property owner, your creative needs to be affiliated with the property in only the very loosest sense - so that your own story can shine through.
Anyway, been meaning to mention this for awhile now. Hope it's helpful.