The place to discuss, share content and offer tips and advice to OTT - "Over the Top" streaming and Transmedia – the technique of telling a single story or story across multiple platforms including, but not limited to, games, books, events, films and television.
In the current landscape of franchises and cinematic universes, a 30-page pilot is just a snapshot. Producers are looking for a Scalability Engine. A "Lore Bible" isn't just an encyclopedia of your world; it's the blueprint for growth. It defines the "Gravity" of your IP—the physical rules, the hist...
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"No matter what you create, writing, directing, composing, or producing, your work will evolve. It has to. The strongest creatives are not the ones who get it perfect on the first try. They are the ones who stay flexible, who listen to the story, and who are willing to refine, adjust, and even let g...
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Dwayne Williams 2 it seems then, Dwayne, that we have to listen to the right voices, the ones in tune with the story-world we are creating. After all, not all voices are helpful; some are distractions...
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Yeah, I agree, there can definitely be distractions. Geoff Hall It is important to understand your creative goals, so you can recognize which voices genuinely support your story and discern which ones...
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Generally speaking, I ask myself whether a voice can be considered as "reasonable" under the auspices of what passes for a standard conversational tone, unless the voice is meant to utterly bisect oth...
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We’ve all seen it—a movie changes a key plot point from the book. A perfect example: the 2019 "Pet Sematary", where they killed the daughter instead of the toddler.
My question: Where do you draw the line? Is being 100% faithful a mistake in screenwriting?
Nikolay Tsenov In adapting a novel to the screen, you need to be aware of the different ways each works in a story. For example people often think that novels are more detailed than a film because in...
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I agree that some changes are necessary for the screen, but often, the film ends up changing the entire essence of the story.
Take the latest "The Count of Monte Cristo" (2024), for example. Having rea...
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I love this question! Especially when it comes to dense material like Tolkien's work and certain Sci-Fi publications. Staying "loyal" doesn't seem to be utterly necessary, if one can find a way to inf...
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Frankly, I had to come up with a book that I wasn't technically able to "betray" in screenwriting. The book is a role-playing game and the fictional story line in the screen material essentially teaches viewers how to play the game to create their own stories.
Sharing some good news for young audience related stories and IP. The news article says that:
“Together, Borkent and Rietveld lead the creative development of F.A.B.S. Friends Adventures, with Borkent serving as writer, co-director, and co-producer. “Children don’t just watch stories, they inspire us...
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Adaptations Part Two: Graphic Novels
What are your thoughts on your favorite graphic novel adaptation? What things were left out? Added in? Combined? Simplified? And if you helmed it, what would you have done?
Graphic novels already use the language of cinema to tell their action via images with the w...
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love this Michael Dzurak - great point about graphic novels being basically storyboards.
Some works might be standalones, but they leave such an indelible mark that their mantle is picked up by another work determined to carry on the emotions and feel. Not officially a sequel but more like a reincarnation. For example, Breaking Bad is a spiritual successor of The Sopranos.
You see it all...
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Banafsheh Esmailzadeh That’s a great way to look at it I like the idea of storytelling as an ongoing conversation rather than isolated works.
A pairing that always stands out to me is Breaking Bad and...
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Banafsheh Esmailzadeh I do find myself thinking of specific works when starting a new script and trying to imagine what sort of lineage it would fall into. I'm sure that is an ego driven perspective b...
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Hey Stage 32 Community!
Agree. One story is one window into a world.
It's much less common now thankfully, but back when anime in particular got heavily localised and censored, they would often change the names and locations of the work (not to mention the title), to the point where it was a whole other story. One of the most infamous examples is Cardcaptor Sakura, w...
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This made me think of (the tangentially related topic of) "TV appropriate" dubs of movies with lots of profanity. Such as, Scarface where on the opening scene, Tony Montana is mocked for his facial sc...
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Adaptations Part One: Books
What have you noticed about your favorite adaptation? What things were left out? Added in? Combined? Simplified? And if you helmed it, what would you have done?
Books are probably the most popular type. The story is there, so are the characters, and a popular book already h...
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Another reach… another “hear me out.”
Being multilingual is neat because you find subtleties in different languages that don’t always translate well. It’s also been said that you have as many lives as languages you speak.
I’m not fluent in any of the languages I speak (except maybe English lol), but I...
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This is very true! Great observation! I find different languages aren't just ways we talk -- they encompass entire attitudes
Thanks Michael David~ agreed, I know some emotions are definitely better expressed in certain languages. It's why I love how enthusiastic Japanese voice actors are in anime and video games, for exampl...
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Languages are rooted in culture, so even among English speakers, Americans and Australians have different jokes, not to mention slang and experessions. But if you go into another language, those diffe...
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I love that Michael Dzurak, I know it's the same in Japanese with how you address the second person, as well as how you refer to yourself. But yeah, separated by a common language is always fun to exp...
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I’ve been thinking about a system where long-haul flights offer onboard gaming via local servers, so passengers can play AAA games or try unreleased demos without internet. Passengers could pay small amounts, like $3–$10, for demos, full game access, or premium experiences during the flight. Could t...
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I've seen games on flight, but it was pretty basic games like solitaire and the like. There was an option to network seats and play against and/or with someone, such as for poker.
However, getting a be...
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The American Cinematheque is launching its own podcast next week, featuring filmmakers like Edgar Wright and Danny DeVito discussing their favorite moviegoing memories! It's a cool celebration of theatrical experiences at a time when people keep asking if cinemas are dying.
But what really stands out...
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Sounds exciting, Sam Rivera. Podcasting feels like a smart move for the future and for growing the audience, and it opens up new ways to market stories and connect with film lovers. I think this shift...
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What producers are looking for a "scalability engine"?