How to Develop Source Material/IP into a Series or Film
Summary
Learn from a senior development executive with 25+ years turning IP into hit films and series
Get a downloadable sample IP agreement and insider strategies you can apply to your own adaptation!
PLEASE NOTE: This exclusive Stage 32 webinar is now available to watch on-demand and no longer live.
Adapting existing intellectual property—books, comics, podcasts, games, articles, and life stories—has become one of the most sought-after and competitive arenas in today’s film and television marketplace. Studios, streamers, producers, and talent are actively looking for strong underlying IP with built-in audiences and clear commercial potential. But acquiring rights and successfully transforming source material into a cinematic, sellable project requires far more than simply loving the material. It demands strategic thinking, creative precision, and a deep understanding of both story and business.
Many adaptations fail because creators either cling too tightly to the source material or misunderstand what makes it emotionally resonate. A successful adaptation captures the heart and thematic essence of the original work while reshaping it to thrive in a visual, time-bound format. This often requires bold creative choices, restructuring, and disciplined editing. Understanding how to make those choices—while protecting relationships with authors, agents, attorneys, and collaborators—is critical to turning IP into a viable project.
You will be guided by Nikita S. Adams, a senior-level executive with over 25 years of experience in television and film. Nikita has developed and produced projects for HBO, Amazon, MAX, and Paramount, including IP-based dramas and features. She has held senior roles at Folding Chair Productions, Foxx King Entertainment, Junto Films, and major talent agencies, representing leading production companies and top talent. Her extensive experience developing, packaging, and negotiating adaptations makes her uniquely qualified to guide you step by step from concept to industry-ready project.
In this exclusive Stage 32 webinar, you’ll learn how to identify whether IP is truly adaptable, determine the right medium (film or series), secure and negotiate rights, and translate prose or non-traditional material into powerful visual storytelling. You’ll also gain insight into how to streamline narrative structure, sharpen character arcs, and build a compelling pitch that attracts producers, directors, and talent.
PLUS! You will receive this handout to help you:
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Sample IP agreement
What You'll Learn
Understanding IP & Its Potential
- What qualifies as intellectual property in film and television
- Evaluating whether material is truly suitable for adaptation
- The critical “Why now?” question
- Differences between fiction and non-fiction adaptations
- Books vs. articles vs. podcasts vs. song catalogs
- Life rights and true story considerations
Rights & Negotiation Fundamentals
- How to research and identify who controls the rights
- Option agreements overview and key deal terms
- Strategies for negotiating favorable agreements
- Working effectively with authors, agents, attorneys, and talent representatives
Choosing the Right Format
- Determining whether the material works best as a feature film or television series
- Understanding scope, scale, and marketplace positioning
Adapting for the Screen
- Identifying the core story and thematic spine
- Restructuring narrative prose into cinematic storytelling
- Transforming internal monologue into external action
- Applying three-act structure to adapted material
- “Show, Don’t Tell” for adaptation
- Condensing subplots and streamlining characters
- Strengthening and optimizing character arcs
- Making strategic editing decisions—what stays and what goes
Development & Packaging
- Crafting a treatment before writing the screenplay
- Building a strong pitch deck
- Positioning and pitching your adaptation to producers, directors, and talent
Live Q & A with Nikita
Who Should Attend
- Writers looking to adapt books, comics, podcasts, articles, or life stories into film or television.
- Producers seeking to identify and develop high-potential IP with built-in audiences.
- Creative executives wanting to understand the legal, business, and storytelling considerations of adaptations.
- Filmmakers and showrunners aiming to transform source material into cinematic or episodic storytelling.
- Anyone interested in mastering IP acquisition, rights negotiation, and packaging compelling adaptations.
Executive
Nikita S. Adams is a highly accomplished, senior-level executive with a remarkable career spanning over 25 years in both television and film. She oversaw the development and production of HBO's LIFE SUPPORT starring Queen Latifah, developed and sold a fantasy drama to Amazon and an IP-based drama to MAX, and sold an IP-based feature to Paramount. She most recently served as Head of Television Development at Folding Chair Productions, a multimedia production company with an overall deal at Warner Bros Television.
A proud graduate of Howard University, where she studied Television and Film Production and Business Administration, Nikita began her career at BET before working at New Line Cinema, 20th Century Fox Television, and The Hallmark Channel. She went on to become Head of Production and Development for Jamie Foxx's Foxx/King Entertainment—where she developed a police drama for Viola Davis, a crime drama written and directed by Jamie Foxx, and a buddy crime pilot starring Jamie Foxx—followed by a role as development executive at Forest Whitaker's Junto Films, where she developed five features and produced SHARON 1, 2, 3.
Nikita later transitioned to representation as a literary and talent agent at Paradigm Talent Agency and A3 Artist Agency, where she represented production companies, talent, and brands including the NBA Players' Association, Bishop T.D. Jakes, The Ruff Ryders, Shaun Robinson, Conveyor Media, RTR Media, and Kronicle Media.
After two decades championing writers, Nikita remains deeply passionate about discovering storytellers who create worlds, languages, and characters that captivate audiences: "My passion and fandom for writers goes back to when I was a child. I was then, and still am, awed and overjoyed by how a writer creates worlds and people with curiosities and weaknesses and drive in a way that keeps viewers' attention for 30, 60, or 90+ minutes. It simply blows me away. Comedy, drama, fantasy—it all pulls me in and, when done right, is like a healing salve. My job isn't to 'develop' the writer's voice off the page, but to help the writer craft the best story possible so that it pops off the page and deep into the reader's soul."
Credits
