1. CTWR 459a:
Development Hell
Part 1
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

2. Making Moving Images
Writing
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

3. What are the Stages in
the life cycle of a
film or TV Project?
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

4. life cycle of a
film or TV Project:
1. D e v e l o p m e n t
2. P r e - p r o d u c t i o n
3. P r o d u c t i o n
4. P o s t - P r o d u c t i o n
5. D i s t r i b u t i o n
6. E x h i b i t i o n
7. L i b r a r y
Thursday, February 6, 14
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane

5. life cycle of a
film or TV Project:
1. Development 3. Production 5. Distribution 7. Library
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
2. Pre-Pro
4. Post
6. Exhibition
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

6. What is Development?
When does Development begin?
When does Development End?
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

7. What Happens between
development and
pro-production?
1. Development 3. Production 5. Distribution 7. Library
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
2. Pre-Pro
4. Post
6. Exhibition
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

8. What Happens between
development and
pro-production?
1. Development 3. Production 5. Distribution 7. Library
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
2. Pre-Pro
4. Post
6. Exhibition
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

9. An interesting thing about the
start of principle photography...
1. Development 3. Production 5. Distribution 7. Library
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
2. Pre-Pro
4. Post
6. Exhibition
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

10. Life cycle represented in actual
time (not exactly to scale)
1. Development
2. Pre-Pro 4. Post
6. Exhibition
3. Production 5. Distribution
future
7. Library
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

11. So in a way, the goal of
development is...
to make a great a script to make
a great movie?
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

12. Yes, but, NO,
in a way,
the goal of development is...
1. Development 3. Production 5. Distribution 7. Library
2. Pre-Pro
4. Post
6. Exhibition
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

13. Why do projects get greenlit?
To answer this, lets back up for a sec....
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

14. What are the ingredients
necessary for a project?
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

15. What are the ingredients
necessary for a project?
1. S c r i p t
2. P r o d u c e r
3. M o n e y ( F i n a n c i n g )
4. B u d g e t a n d B o a r d
5. D i r e c t o r
6. A c t o r s
7. C r e w
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

16. “Elements”
Which is the most important
element?
1. S c r i p t
2. P r o d u c e r
3. M o n e y ( F i n a n c i n g )
4. B u d g e t a n d B o a r d
5. D i r e c t o r
6. A c t o r s
7. C r e w
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

17. Trick question
1. S c r i p t
2. P r o d u c e r
3. M o n e y ( F i n a n c i n g )
4. B u d g e t a n d B o a r d
5. D i r e c t o r
6. A c t o r s
7. C r e w
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

18. So how do these elements come
together?
1. S c r i p t
2. P r o d u c e r
3. M o n e y ( F i n a n c i n g )
4. B u d g e t a n d B o a r d
5. D i r e c t o r
6. A c t o r s
7. C r e w
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

19. Imagine a board game -not unlike monopoly -where each player is
trying to assemble these
elements through barter
and trade with the
ultimate goal of making
money (and maybe some
prestige, and maybe, just
maybe, Art)
Thursday, February 6, 14
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane

20. Welcome to Hollywood!
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

21. So now we know the
object of the game...
Let’s come at it from the other end.
The writer with a script...
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

22. The Development
Landscape
Agents
Writers
Studios
Producers
Managers
Networks
Lawyers
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

23. The Development Landscape
Step 1 - sell a project or
“set up a project”
Agents
Writers
Studios
Producers
Managers
Networks
Lawyers
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

24. The Development Landscape
The Traditional Selling method
aka -- “the big sieve”
Writers
Agents
Producers
Studios
(Financiers)
Thursday, February 6, 14
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane

25. The Development Landscape
The Traditional Selling method
In Television
Writers
Agents
Networks
Thursday, February 6, 14
Studios
(Financiers)
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane

26. The Development Landscape
The Traditional Selling method
With lawyers to do deals and
the advent of managers
Writers
Managers
Agents
Lawyers
Producers
Networks
Thursday, February 6, 14
Studios
(Financiers)
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane

27. The Development Landscape
The Real Selling method
Writers
Managers
Agents
Lawyers
Producers
Networks
Thursday, February 6, 14
Studios
(Financiers)
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane

28. The Development Landscape
Step 2 - attach elements
Agents
Writers
Studios
Producers
Managers
Networks
Lawyers
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

29. The Development Landscape
Step 2 - attach elements
Agents
Writers
Studios
Producers
Managers
Networks
Lawyers
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

30. The Development Landscape
Step 2 - attach elements
Agents
Writers
Studios
Producers
Managers
Networks
Lawyers
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

31. The Development Landscape
Step 2 - attach elements
Agents
Writers
Studios
Producers
Managers
Networks
Lawyers
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

32. Review: the goal of all of this
activity is to get more elements,
because getting more elements
gets you closer to Greenlight
1. S c r i p t ( n e w w r i t e r )
2. P r o d u c e r
3. M o n e y ( F i n a n c i n g )
4. B u d g e t a n d B o a r d
5. D i r e c t o r
6. A c t o r s
7. C r e w
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

33. So basically, HW is just a bunch
of people emailing pdfs to
eachother all day...
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

34. So basically, HW is just a bunch
of people emailing pdfs to
eachother all day...
It used to be couriers...
Try to imagine that for a
minute...
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

35. So basically, HW is just a bunch
of people emailing pdfs to
It used to be couriers...
Try to imagine that for a
minute...
Now try to imagine how email
has impacted the speed at which
development occurs
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

36. So basically, HW is just a bunch
of people emailing pdfs to
It used to be couriers...
Try to imagine that for a
minute...
Now try to imagine how email
has impacted the speed at which
development occurs
this is part of why the spec
market collapsed and source
material became king...
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14

37. if we get this far...
- packaging...
- B/F/D
- term deals,pod
deal, blind deals,
holding deals
©2012
Michael
J.T. Lane
Thursday, February 6, 14