Question for FilmTVLaw.com:
With the John Wick franchise remaining as popular as ever, and some major movement on the Lionsgate front in recent months, how do I get my own project through the Lionsgate door? While I’m not new to the filmmaking market, I’m keen to take my work to a higher level, and as one of the most compelling and active ‘smaller big’ names in Hollywood currently, I feel like they’d be ideal for my new work. Any advice you can offer? And thanks for the fantastic content!
Answer by Brandon Blake, Entertainment Lawyer:
Another great question! As always, thanks to everyone who’s been so active with questions and comments on the blog. While I can’t get to every one of you, I felt this one would probably resonate with more than just the commenter. Of course, they (and you all) are also welcome to check out my other Q&A sessions right here at www.filmtvlaw.com/entertainment-lawyer-qa . You’ll find it packed with entertainment related advice and articles just like this.
Luckily, I actually have first-hand experience working with the Lionsgate teams. And you’re quite spot-on with that description. Despite being one of the younger of the major Hollywood studios, Lionsgate offers a compelling balance between ‘big enough to get things done’ and ‘small enough to take interesting chances,’ and they’re much more willing than some of the other Hollywood names to take chances on new IPs and interesting projects with potential. With some Hollywood staple franchises in the bag- alongside John Wick in his many incarnations, the Saw films retain evergreen popularity on the horror market, as does the Expendables franchise in the action market, and they have many other beloved IPs in the bag to match. We’ve recently seen them start to get a little more aggressive on the streaming front, too, with a push to elevate their Starz platform (now rebranded as Lionsgate+ outside the US) into a more solid streaming competitor, and some interesting partnerships with the UK’s Sky to push into the booming European streaming markets.
But before we dig too deeply into Lionsgate itself, let’s step back and take a broader look at how agencies and studios like Lionsgate partner up to push TV and film projects into their studio ecosystem. Then we can double back to breaking into that loop as an independent creator or producer.
Agencies act as the typical launch point for the flow of stories and scripts to studios, production companies, and networks. Packaging, while not as dominant as it once was, allows agents to get other interested parties (especially A-list talent, known directors, and other people with ‘name recognition’ and existing fans) on board with a script or idea. This is often done through in-house project shopping to start, allowing them to bring in current clients that have interest in the project.
Once there’s enough ‘evidence of interest’, as it were, these agencies then push the project in front of interested studios, focusing on producers and acquisitions execs who like to work with similar genres or projects. If the producer/exec bites, there’s a similar repeat of this in-house shopping, where they approach others within the studio ecosystem to drum up interest. Once it has enough momentum to sell itself, it will be bounced to the CEO and President of the studio for a true green light.
With so much of this done internally, it can be difficult for indie operators to ‘break in’ to the loop. Luckily, there’s a lot that independent producers who want to further their scripts and projects can do.
Obviously, making the most of packaging helps. I’ve worked with clients before to bring in A-list interest (perhaps under the Lionsgate circumstances I should point out a client and I brought Keanu Reeves on board to a project before) during the development phase through my personal contacts.
With that in the bag, it is easier to draw in major agency interest to the writer and producer, too, adding fuel to the shopping fire. By doing this ‘legwork’ for the studio development execs, bringing them not just a solid script but interested talent with a stake in the project’s success, you make your project much more compelling than the pile of other great scripts sitting on their desk, and you become a prime candidate for green lighting.
So, to offer some more focused advice:
1. Write a Great Script
Obvious, yes, but you’d be surprised how often this isn’t in place. If a major studio like Lionsgate is looking for purely speculative material and nebulous ideas, they have enough talent in-house to get the job done without looking at indie creators.
Only when you have a fantastic, fully actualized script should you look to add to it with solid basic promotional materials- look books/pitch books, websites, posters, and a great one-sheet of the best quality.
I have 2 decades of experience in the entertainment business, and I can assure you- I can often tell what projects will get attention from the script and promo materials alone. That’s how important this is. You’ll see a lot of talk about ‘bigger’ promos- think trailers, demo reels, sizzle reels, and pilots. Sure, these are great additional materials- if you already have the ability to exactly produce your material at broadcast quality. If the studio is going to have to ‘imagine’ what you could do with a better budget, skip it and stick to the solid essentials you can produce well. They can imagine their own content. You need to sell them yours.
None of it is worth anything without a script that looks and feels production ready, so don’t waste your time elsewhere until that’s in the bag
2. Know your Market
Learn everything there is to know about the market for your project- especially the cast, the directors, and the production companies, studios and streamers that can make your project a success. Note that is the very first step we take when we represent a new client, and it’s a critical one.
You’ve got your eye on Lionsgate specifically, so I assume you’ve probably done some of this legwork. Redo it again, and then consider another pass until you know them and what they like inside-out.
3. Partner Up
Now is the time to start attaching some enticing cast and a director. Sure, you won’t be bringing the entire cast of your show (we presume) to the table with you, but being able to show actionable interest from key entities makes you that much more appealing as an independent project to the studio. If you don’t have the contacts, our firm can do the heavy lifting on this step and start getting your project to major name talent.
4. Find Your ‘In’
Get the project to the right people responsible for green lighting film and television at the entity of your choice. Step 2 should have helped you narrow this down a lot. A solid partnership with a firm like ours, which has these existing relationships in play to leverage and go to bat for you, can be very helpful.
Feel free to contact our office about rates for our packaging and representation services, and please do not decide about complex entertainment legal matters without consulting an experienced entertainment lawyer first. At BLAKE & WANG P.A. I have been representing feature film projects and television series for more than 22 years. Please feel free to contact my office at www.filmtvlaw.com to find out about our availability.