[Watch the video interview on Youtube here]
Film Courage; For anyone listening who doesn’t understand, what is packaging and how is it different for various levels of movies, various budgets?
Steve Douglas-Craig, Owner/Teacher at The New Screenwriter, Financier, Screenwriter and Producer: Packaging is exceedingly important because it really speaks directly to the value of the product.
Worldwide acquisitions, for instance when I worked there, generally before festivals we have relationships with sales agents who are representing certain projects out of the agencies etcetera. They would come to us with packages. That means:
-What actors are attached? (Not, who’s reading the script? No one cares about that.)
-Who is officially attached?
They would try to sell us this package and talk about how they wanted it released.
-Who is the director on the film?
-How much financing is there?
-Are you looking for half the financing by coming to us, or do you have the whole financing?
-Who’s financing it?
-Where are you shooting this in order to get access to the tax credits in that location?
The idea of packaging is when we get involved in a project we want to know who’s attached. The reason we want to know that is, Where can I sell this? Margot Robbie/Ryan Gosling, Barbie, no-brainer right. Those kinds of things when you…(Watch the video interview on Youtube here).
About:
After graduating from the AFI, Steve Douglas-Craig was recruited by Sony Pictures Entertainment to work as a Story Editor & Acquisitions Executive for the Worldwide Acquisitions team in Los Angeles where he received an induction into story & business development, feature film packaging, domestic & international distribution, theatrical marketing & product acquisition. He helped develop & shepherd film titles including Terminator: Salvation, The Book of Eli, Django Unchained, War Room, Don’t Breathe (Sequel current in post-production), the Insidious horror movie franchise, Manchester By The Sea, The Grudge (reboot), Searching, Arrival, Whiplash, The Call, Attack The Block & many others (including TV releases – The Tudors, House of Cards). Steve’s tenure at Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions was followed with a promotion to Senior Story Editor & Creative Executive at Screen Gems where he was involved in the development & release of theatrical titles like the recent releases of Monster Hunter & the adaptation of James Herbert’s novel – The Unholy. Before that he helped shepherd Black & Blue, The Intruder, Possession of Hannah Grace, Brightburn, & Slender Man. He was also heavily involved in developing content strategies that attracted financiers & talent to specific projects for the studio. Steve is also a professional screenwriter having worked as a freelance staff writer for the hit CBS TV series Hawaii Five-O over a number of seasons & currently has a pilot & several feature films (including a creature feature) going out through his literary managers in Los Angeles.
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