PART THREE: FILM PROJECTS
Let’s face it - You’re nothing without your work. Film Projects are your chance to strut your stuff, expand your horizons, mine familiar territory or, perhaps, say something important.
A Film Project can’t be accomplished alone, however. A basic Film Project involves the cooperative efforts of a Screenwriter, a Producer, a Director and, at the very least, one Actor. The budget and scope of the project can vary from a bargain basement television commercial to a lavishly produced big screen blockbuster.
A project begins with a script idea generated by a Screenwriter. The Screenwriter sets a minimum price for her idea and determines a date when the project must begin. Then Producers begin the bidding, trying to woo the Screenwriter with a large Cash Advance, a healthy Royalty Percentage and the promise of a successful production.
Note: All video projects, whether televised or projected on the big screen, are filmed. So we’ll just call all of your works “Film Projects”.
* MAKING IT HAPPEN
When the Producer wins the bid he must then make the Project a reality. To accomplish this, the Producer must first set a budget for the film. The budget must, of course, be within the Producer’s means. Keep in mind that just like in real life, the budget is merely a guideline. With quality personnel involved, the project might come in under budget. The opposite may also occur. Unless you’re going for broke, it’s a good idea to leave plenty of cash in your coffers.
The budget is the sum of the film’s parts. It includes the salaries of all personnel involved and production costs. It does not include the costs of Publicity.
* PLANNING YOUR RELEASE
After winning the bid, The Producer has a few important tasks to perform before selecting a Director for his film. These selections help the Producer narrow the field of Directors to potential selections whose availability, strengths, successes and asking price fit the project.
1. Design your demographic
* Age Demographic
Choose your primary demographic audience from the pull down menu
0-5
5-10
8-18
15-30
25-54
50+
Developers notes: A key here is to have the age groups closest to your primary demographic also generate substantial income. These demographic trends can be tracked to see which kinds of films are clicking with which sort of audience. As we go along, these demographics may begin to skew younger and institution programming like Sesame Street may more and more often appeal to 30 year olds. In fact, I believe that Institution honors should be a goal you should shoot for as a Producer. It’s in the Syndication!!
100 programs = Syndicated
2 years in Syndication leads to Cult
+/- 10 years with a Cult following leads to your program or film series becoming an Institution
The Cult Thing
Maybe a show could become cult simply by being accessed by other users?
The Other Thing about Institutions
A single film project can become an Institution on its stand alone merit.
* Sex Demographic
Male
Female
* Locale Demographic
Urban
Rural
Art House
GrindHouse
* Audience Demographic
Highbrow
Lowbrow
Middlebrow
2. Pick a Genre
Action
Animated
Comedy
Documentary
Drama
Horror
Romance
Sci-Fi
3. Plan The Release Date
Each weekend’s box office or Neilson week has a potential maximum. It’s our Producers’ job to tap that potential. The better your release; the bigger your piece of the pie. Or not…it actually seems kind of random sometimes.
From this menu you can preview all the films tentatively slated for release each weekend.
4. Publicize Your Project
DIRECTING YOUR PROJECT
1. Set the Tone
A film rating will be assigned to your film based on the intensity of five unsavory elements: Adult Language, Violence, Nudity, Sexual Situations and Drug Use
Use the pull down menu to select the intensity of each (1-10 scale).
Tinseltown uses the American standard rating system. You will be shown your projected Film Rating before continuing.
G = General Audiences
PG = Adult Language, Adult Situations, Brief Nudity, Violence
PG-13 = Adult Situations, Sensuality, Adult Language, Violence, Drug Use
R = Nudity, Graphic Violence, Simulated Sex, Adult Language, Drug Use
NC-17 = Graphic Sexual Situations, Nudity, Graphic Violence, Adult Language, Drug Use
2. Pick a Time Period
3. Cast the Film
To begin, the preliminary casting guidelines are set.
Your budget determines the maximum amount of player characters that may be involved in the project.
Budget
~1 million = 25 actors
1-5 million = 35 actors
5-25 million = 50 actors
25-50 million = 75 actors
50-100 million = 100 actors
100+ million = 200 actors
----------------------------------------------
These guidelines will look something like this
(these numbers come from a pull down menu):
Deluxe Movie Film
An Alan Smithee Production
Lead Male:
• Age Range: 30-40
• Salary: $750K-$1mil
• Primary Attribute: Wit!
• Secondary Attribute: Beauty
• Aura: Neutral
Lead Female: …….
----------------------------------------
THE LIFE OF YOUR FILM
Milking It
* Box Office
Finally, your film is ready for release. On the week of its debut, it goes into direct competition with all other films currently open in cinema. Box office revenues are then amassed. The better your film performs, the longer it will run, until, eventually, it is replaced by newer or better film projects. The film’s profits are then split among all characters according to the predetermined royalty percentages.
* Home Video
Revenues are not finished there, of course. In fact, once a film is released it can potentially generate revenue for the rest of your life.
The first method of extending your film’s lifespan is to release it on home video.
The producer must decide whether the home video appears as a Basic or Extended Edition release. Bigger budget efforts or blockbuster surprises may warrant an Extended Edition, with even higher revenues the potential prize.
Most major releases will continue to generate some small amount of revenue for years to come.
* Television Revenue
Next, audiences will expect to see their favorite films at home without ever having to rent the film. A few months after your film’s Home Video release, the Networks will come calling with offers. Negotiate with the top Network to get the most exposure and most income for your film.
* Re-Releases and Box Sets
Much further down the line, certain films will earn the option of Home Video Re-release or (very, very rarely) Cinematic Re-Release. Choose these options for your very best efforts to squeeze that little bit of extra juice out of them or link them to new releases as promotional tools.
Box Sets are two or more projects packaged together into one commercially intriguing product. You may box a film and its sequels, a season of a television series, an actor or director showcase, or any other combination you want to make. Box Sets are expensive to make but can be an excellent source of revenue from the film collecting public.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Part Four: Television
I. THE LIFE OF YOUR TV SHOW
A TV show follows the same pre-production procedures as a film, with a Scriptwriter, Producer and Director working together to create a medium. After that, a series takes on a life of its very own.
The life of a television series is tenuous at best. A successful series takes a huge time commitment from a strong ensemble cast. Just one season requires 22 episodes of the show to be produced. Too many agendas can bring the whole thing apart…and that’s before the ratings arrive. Poorly rated series can quickly head to the pop culture dustbin long prior to finding their core audience.
1. Scripting
A television series begins with a single overarching idea. The Screenwriter may then script each individual episode. The “Script” may be as simple as “The One with the New Monkey” or may be expanded to include information on each character’s story arc, dialogue and action. It’s your story. Make it your own. Your scripting decisions may help the Director generate new casting ideas.
2. Casting
Casting a television show differs from a film in that the Actors must agree on a number of episodes in which they will appear. It breaks down like this:
Lead – The one or two characters that the series is built around
Ensemble Cast – A character that appears in every episode
Supporting Cast – A character that makes a one time appearance in a bit part
Regular – A character that appears in less than half of a season’s episodes
Guest Star – A high paying, high Presence or Credibility role in a single episode
3. Schedule
Once the leads and ensemble cast are selected, the Director has the option of proceeding to the scheduling of the season. Build the supporting cast on an episode by episode basis after that. Thus, each episode will have different production costs.
4. Shooting and Airing
But keep in mind that an episode is treated as if it is live. The week it is scheduled for shooting is the week that it airs. Don’t get to your shooting date without an ideal cast in place.
5. Renewing
If at season’s end your show is pulling decent rating your show may be given the option of renewing.
SEQUELS AND SPINOFFS
Over time, a successful series acquires juice. The actors involved will become more prominent in the public eye; the director more skilled; the audience more loyal.
II. THE COMMERCIAL GAME
Commercials can be an excellent source of quick income, but beyond the brevity of the projects there is a business side of producing adverts that can make for great game play.
1. The Basics of Commercials – Getting a Job
Unlike in Film or Television, the job of making commercials isn’t generated by an independent screenwriter with an idea. In the commercial game, there are hundreds of businesses with the agenda of advertising their product. It’s up to you to best represent them.
Take the biggest businesses as an example. Corka-Cola is a huge multi-national conglomerate that generates billions of dollars. Every year they’re going to flood the market with commercials and generate lots and lots of job opportunities for Tinseltown characters. So in these scenarios the very biggest companies contact the very biggest Producers with the opportunity to shoot their $10 million commercial scheduled for the First Week of the year.
If he agrees, it’s up to the Producer to prepare the very best commercial possible on time and on budget…or lose millions of dollars. If the commercial is a success, everyone involved gets a big paycheck with a small time commitment and the #1 company stays on top.
2. Making It Happen
Making commercials happen works in the same manner as film – a Producer hires a Director who in turn casts the Commercial. Look for the best personnel for the job.
3. The Leader Boards
Every industry has a #1. Keep up with the Top 50 Beer Companies, The Top 10 Insurance Providers and more on the Tinseltown Industry Leader Boards. Companies will rise and fall based on the success of their advertising. In the commercial game, do your best to move your employer up the charts and get recognized for your success in the annual Advertising Awards.
4. The Big Game
Every year The Big Game is played on the First Week of the year. This is the day when the leader boards are shaken up the most.
5. Or…
As a screenwriter, you have the option of introducing a new product into the industry. Your product goes head to head with the biggest businesses in the industry. You’ll write scripts for your product’s advertising and hire a producer to take care of the rest. Find a healthy level of success to match your enthusiasm. It’s all good income.
A TV show follows the same pre-production procedures as a film, with a Scriptwriter, Producer and Director working together to create a medium. After that, a series takes on a life of its very own.
The life of a television series is tenuous at best. A successful series takes a huge time commitment from a strong ensemble cast. Just one season requires 22 episodes of the show to be produced. Too many agendas can bring the whole thing apart…and that’s before the ratings arrive. Poorly rated series can quickly head to the pop culture dustbin long prior to finding their core audience.
1. Scripting
A television series begins with a single overarching idea. The Screenwriter may then script each individual episode. The “Script” may be as simple as “The One with the New Monkey” or may be expanded to include information on each character’s story arc, dialogue and action. It’s your story. Make it your own. Your scripting decisions may help the Director generate new casting ideas.
2. Casting
Casting a television show differs from a film in that the Actors must agree on a number of episodes in which they will appear. It breaks down like this:
Lead – The one or two characters that the series is built around
Ensemble Cast – A character that appears in every episode
Supporting Cast – A character that makes a one time appearance in a bit part
Regular – A character that appears in less than half of a season’s episodes
Guest Star – A high paying, high Presence or Credibility role in a single episode
3. Schedule
Once the leads and ensemble cast are selected, the Director has the option of proceeding to the scheduling of the season. Build the supporting cast on an episode by episode basis after that. Thus, each episode will have different production costs.
4. Shooting and Airing
But keep in mind that an episode is treated as if it is live. The week it is scheduled for shooting is the week that it airs. Don’t get to your shooting date without an ideal cast in place.
5. Renewing
If at season’s end your show is pulling decent rating your show may be given the option of renewing.
SEQUELS AND SPINOFFS
Over time, a successful series acquires juice. The actors involved will become more prominent in the public eye; the director more skilled; the audience more loyal.
II. THE COMMERCIAL GAME
Commercials can be an excellent source of quick income, but beyond the brevity of the projects there is a business side of producing adverts that can make for great game play.
1. The Basics of Commercials – Getting a Job
Unlike in Film or Television, the job of making commercials isn’t generated by an independent screenwriter with an idea. In the commercial game, there are hundreds of businesses with the agenda of advertising their product. It’s up to you to best represent them.
Take the biggest businesses as an example. Corka-Cola is a huge multi-national conglomerate that generates billions of dollars. Every year they’re going to flood the market with commercials and generate lots and lots of job opportunities for Tinseltown characters. So in these scenarios the very biggest companies contact the very biggest Producers with the opportunity to shoot their $10 million commercial scheduled for the First Week of the year.
If he agrees, it’s up to the Producer to prepare the very best commercial possible on time and on budget…or lose millions of dollars. If the commercial is a success, everyone involved gets a big paycheck with a small time commitment and the #1 company stays on top.
2. Making It Happen
Making commercials happen works in the same manner as film – a Producer hires a Director who in turn casts the Commercial. Look for the best personnel for the job.
3. The Leader Boards
Every industry has a #1. Keep up with the Top 50 Beer Companies, The Top 10 Insurance Providers and more on the Tinseltown Industry Leader Boards. Companies will rise and fall based on the success of their advertising. In the commercial game, do your best to move your employer up the charts and get recognized for your success in the annual Advertising Awards.
4. The Big Game
Every year The Big Game is played on the First Week of the year. This is the day when the leader boards are shaken up the most.
5. Or…
As a screenwriter, you have the option of introducing a new product into the industry. Your product goes head to head with the biggest businesses in the industry. You’ll write scripts for your product’s advertising and hire a producer to take care of the rest. Find a healthy level of success to match your enthusiasm. It’s all good income.
Part Five: The Press
PART FIVE: THE PRESS
You can’t please all the people all the time: Tinseltown gives you a panel of critics against whom you will test your latest work of art. These critics come from a wide variety of media and vary just as widely in their sway. One minor critic can rant ‘til blue and still not save your darling project. The biggest critic need only turn down his thumb to crush your dreams.
Yes, the critic panel influences the ratings of your project but they can also go the further step of lavishing you with trophies come award season. Tinseltown has several ceremonies to honor the best (and even worst!) projects and characters of the year. Each trophy earned will influence the staying power and residual income of your project. Each year, only one project will earn Tinseltown’s highest honor, The Arthur.
In Tinseltown, each real life day is a week. Each month has 4 weeks. A year passes every 48 days of real time. This means awards season comes every month and a half. Relish your wins but then get back to work!
So…the last 5 days of the ‘year’ are reserved for awards shows.
Day One - specialty awards like the low budget awards show – “The Indies”; the Sci-Fi “Sol Awards” and Horror “Screamies” ceremonies.
Day Two - the Tinseltown Arist’s Guild (TAG) awards – these are voted on by the players of Tinseltown (those that meet certain criteria)
Day Three - is the “Goldies” awards (different categories, different perspective)
Day Four – The Big Ones – Commercial’s “Homeys”; Television’s “Fannys”; and Film’s “The Arthurs”
And Day Five to recognize the very worst projects and career moves of the year – “The Goonies”
TABLOIDS
Tabloids care less about critical review than image reinforcement. Tabloids thrive on fame and relationship gossip, often at the expense of Tinseltown’s denizens. Characters who achieve a certain amount of Presence will start being featured in the tabloids. These appearances influence your Presence and Credibility, both positively and negatively.
You can’t please all the people all the time: Tinseltown gives you a panel of critics against whom you will test your latest work of art. These critics come from a wide variety of media and vary just as widely in their sway. One minor critic can rant ‘til blue and still not save your darling project. The biggest critic need only turn down his thumb to crush your dreams.
Yes, the critic panel influences the ratings of your project but they can also go the further step of lavishing you with trophies come award season. Tinseltown has several ceremonies to honor the best (and even worst!) projects and characters of the year. Each trophy earned will influence the staying power and residual income of your project. Each year, only one project will earn Tinseltown’s highest honor, The Arthur.
In Tinseltown, each real life day is a week. Each month has 4 weeks. A year passes every 48 days of real time. This means awards season comes every month and a half. Relish your wins but then get back to work!
So…the last 5 days of the ‘year’ are reserved for awards shows.
Day One - specialty awards like the low budget awards show – “The Indies”; the Sci-Fi “Sol Awards” and Horror “Screamies” ceremonies.
Day Two - the Tinseltown Arist’s Guild (TAG) awards – these are voted on by the players of Tinseltown (those that meet certain criteria)
Day Three - is the “Goldies” awards (different categories, different perspective)
Day Four – The Big Ones – Commercial’s “Homeys”; Television’s “Fannys”; and Film’s “The Arthurs”
And Day Five to recognize the very worst projects and career moves of the year – “The Goonies”
TABLOIDS
Tabloids care less about critical review than image reinforcement. Tabloids thrive on fame and relationship gossip, often at the expense of Tinseltown’s denizens. Characters who achieve a certain amount of Presence will start being featured in the tabloids. These appearances influence your Presence and Credibility, both positively and negatively.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Part Six: City Life
PART SIX: CITY LIFE
It’s important that you make every week of your life count (much like you do with your own life, of course). Set your schedule to include a lot of work for yourself but don’t forget to dedicate time to your health and personal life. If you’re not involved in a project, select one of the following ways to spend your time:
Acting Class – will round out your attributes to some extent though not nearly as much as being involved in actual projects.
Broadway – Take on some challenging Roles and make some connections. You never know who will be working on Broadway.
Conditioning – Taking time to maintain or improve your attributes through strenuous physical activities
Talent Practice – Helps develop secondary skills
Public Appearances – Brush up your Presence and promote your projects with television interviews, magazine features, awards show participations, party goings, red carpet entrances and more
Personal Life – Hookups and Breakups as outlined below
Vacation – Doesn’t boost any of your characteristics but it can save them (especially the Mental ones) from eroding.
THE RELATIONSHIP MENU
HOOKUPS
Over time, your character may fall in (and out) of love. This can occur in one of two ways. The first is decided by you. If there is a particular character that appeals to you, simply select the Hookup option in the Relationships menu. If the Hookup is reciprocated, the characters will begin dating. The second way is a random result of Chemistry. Emotions run high on the set and if two characters involved in a project have an extremely high Chemistry Rating a Hookup may occur.
You may choose to engage in a same sex hookup in Tinseltown, but they will never occur randomly.
BREAKUPS
When the magic ends, simply select the Breakup option and it’s over…at least for you. If the Breakup is not reciprocated by the other character further complications may follow! Breakups may also occur without your permission. A character’s Discipline points and life choices largely influence these seemingly random occurrences.
Developer’s Note: When random breakups occur some folks will want to get back together. At first (for an interval of, say, a month) the pull down menu will grey out the Hookup option with their ex. Each time the couple gets back together the odds of their breaking up again rises exponentially. The tabloids will love it more and more each time.
MARRIAGE & DIVORCE
Yep, you can even get married. Yes, you can even get divorced. There is buzz involved.
PROGENY
The result of these hookups is, of course, children. Children will affect the lives and careers of your characters in a variety of ways. Mostly, they will consume your time and generate media buzz.
The children of Tinseltown’s citizens can play a role in the future of the city themselves. When children are born, they enter the Free Agent pool. Newbie players entering Tinseltown for the first time have the option of choosing a child of an established personality or beginning as a complete unknown. Child Actors begin the game with a certain amount of Presence and a bit of a reputation.
Tinseltown (TM) supports population control, especially among Actor types. If you don’t want children, select the Birth Control option in the Relationships menu. If you really don’t want children, select Get Fixed. You must work this option into your schedule.
SPENDING YOUR MONEY
The good news about all this money you’ll be making is that it practically spends itself!
The better your character’s discipline the less money will fly out of your life.
There are though a number of items you may purchase to pamper your character…houses, property, fashions, vehicles, sports franchises, &c. Each large purchase reduces your Discipline and helps money go away but will also to some degree boost your Credibility and Presence.
TIME, AGING AND HEALTH
Time passes quickly in Tinseltown so it’s important to seize opportunities. A week clicks past every day, so a real time year is equal to just over 7 Tinseltown years.
Your character ages accordingly and will need to adapt to different roles in her many stages of life. Physical and mental health will eventually deteriorate and your character will die. Welcome to the Circle of Tinseltown life.
Plastic Surgery, Drug Addiction, Alcoholism
ETC....
(Players buying sponsoring or voting for each other’s products)
100 MOST BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
GOALS
It’s important that you make every week of your life count (much like you do with your own life, of course). Set your schedule to include a lot of work for yourself but don’t forget to dedicate time to your health and personal life. If you’re not involved in a project, select one of the following ways to spend your time:
Acting Class – will round out your attributes to some extent though not nearly as much as being involved in actual projects.
Broadway – Take on some challenging Roles and make some connections. You never know who will be working on Broadway.
Conditioning – Taking time to maintain or improve your attributes through strenuous physical activities
Talent Practice – Helps develop secondary skills
Public Appearances – Brush up your Presence and promote your projects with television interviews, magazine features, awards show participations, party goings, red carpet entrances and more
Personal Life – Hookups and Breakups as outlined below
Vacation – Doesn’t boost any of your characteristics but it can save them (especially the Mental ones) from eroding.
THE RELATIONSHIP MENU
HOOKUPS
Over time, your character may fall in (and out) of love. This can occur in one of two ways. The first is decided by you. If there is a particular character that appeals to you, simply select the Hookup option in the Relationships menu. If the Hookup is reciprocated, the characters will begin dating. The second way is a random result of Chemistry. Emotions run high on the set and if two characters involved in a project have an extremely high Chemistry Rating a Hookup may occur.
You may choose to engage in a same sex hookup in Tinseltown, but they will never occur randomly.
BREAKUPS
When the magic ends, simply select the Breakup option and it’s over…at least for you. If the Breakup is not reciprocated by the other character further complications may follow! Breakups may also occur without your permission. A character’s Discipline points and life choices largely influence these seemingly random occurrences.
Developer’s Note: When random breakups occur some folks will want to get back together. At first (for an interval of, say, a month) the pull down menu will grey out the Hookup option with their ex. Each time the couple gets back together the odds of their breaking up again rises exponentially. The tabloids will love it more and more each time.
MARRIAGE & DIVORCE
Yep, you can even get married. Yes, you can even get divorced. There is buzz involved.
PROGENY
The result of these hookups is, of course, children. Children will affect the lives and careers of your characters in a variety of ways. Mostly, they will consume your time and generate media buzz.
The children of Tinseltown’s citizens can play a role in the future of the city themselves. When children are born, they enter the Free Agent pool. Newbie players entering Tinseltown for the first time have the option of choosing a child of an established personality or beginning as a complete unknown. Child Actors begin the game with a certain amount of Presence and a bit of a reputation.
Tinseltown (TM) supports population control, especially among Actor types. If you don’t want children, select the Birth Control option in the Relationships menu. If you really don’t want children, select Get Fixed. You must work this option into your schedule.
SPENDING YOUR MONEY
The good news about all this money you’ll be making is that it practically spends itself!
The better your character’s discipline the less money will fly out of your life.
There are though a number of items you may purchase to pamper your character…houses, property, fashions, vehicles, sports franchises, &c. Each large purchase reduces your Discipline and helps money go away but will also to some degree boost your Credibility and Presence.
TIME, AGING AND HEALTH
Time passes quickly in Tinseltown so it’s important to seize opportunities. A week clicks past every day, so a real time year is equal to just over 7 Tinseltown years.
Your character ages accordingly and will need to adapt to different roles in her many stages of life. Physical and mental health will eventually deteriorate and your character will die. Welcome to the Circle of Tinseltown life.
Plastic Surgery, Drug Addiction, Alcoholism
ETC....
(Players buying sponsoring or voting for each other’s products)
100 MOST BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
GOALS
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