|
|
|
Forward
(continued from page 3)
How to Succeed in Animation
Readers of this book may ask, after wading through my tales of failures, lost projects and lost payments, (PART II), how did I ever manage to survive in this business?, or what is my right to put out a book with the title, "How to Succeed in Animation?"
Well, I learned from the failures, and I did succeed. I managed to get into the black, and you can also.
Here are some ground rules:
1. Make yourself valuable and wanted. That’s the overall first step. Know what you are doing, and prove it long enough so that you yourself are a valuable commodity - that producers want you. There is no substitute for becoming a "name." How do you do that? Well, first of all, you can read. This is a book in your hands. So read stuff. Keep up with what's going on in popular culture, and in the animation field itself. Improve your skills. Learn to sniff out trends, and try to think of what might be the next step. Try not to be just a follower, but think about how you can make a mark with something fresh and new. But also think about what your client or prospective client wants and needs. Don't risk crazy ideas unless you really have the facts and solid theory of why you think your idea will fly, and that you can make it fly. Not easy, but you will be surprised what benefits thinking and thorough preparation can bring!
2. Net profits do not exist: A producer lured me to Prague with, among other things, a contract offering me 25% of the net profits. Even such worldwide hits as "Forrest Gump" made no net profits. Probably no movies make any net profits, given the opaque accounting methods used by studio number-dimmers . Go for the gross. Better less up front and a bigger share of returns - but only if distribution appears to be a reality.
3. Distribution: Making an animated film without having first secured distribution is only for those who live on love. If you are independently wealthy, or driven by creative fires, and can work on your film over a period of years while you wash dishes for a living, sure, why not? But a producer, who also has distribution secured, is your best bet for a film you hope to be paid for. The secret of success is to find a market for the kind of films you want to produce, and then undertake to serve that market. Do your best to secure potential distribution before you put your heart, sweat, and years into a film that may end up playing only on your own living room video.
4. Double-for-nothing: Three of my film projects that did not materialize, THE PIED PIPER, NICHOLAS JINGLE , and CHARLOTTE'S WEB, were financial successes for me ! My disappointment at not being able to realize my vision for these three projects was at least compensated for financially, because of the double-payment clause for non-production I managed to get written into my contracts. From being so badly burned by The Hobbit calamity, I tried to insure myself against pie-in-the-sky producers. Most producers run on optimism. Producing movies is one of the highest of high-risk undertakings. I would never want to be a producer. I am satisfied to take a smaller piece of the pie along with a smaller share of the angst. I am not interested in being in the thrall of the producer's optimism in cases where I know very well that actual production is far from certain. Every producer seems to approach me with the proclamation that "production is 99% certain. I keep a wary eye on that li'l ol' missing 1%!
In many cases, the producer is so certain that the production will proceed, and wanting to keep me working on a screenplay and storyboard, that he will gladly sign a contract guaranteeing me a double payment, should by the most "remote chance" the film will not be produced. On all three of the above non-productions, I received a hefty double-payment.
11 Comments Posted
Kammy Rivera: I loved the producer joke! And you are absolutely right about the junk that's on tv nowadays. To this...
James C: Hey guys and gals. I have always loved Pixar movies and films, and i especially love cartoons. Youre...
mike anderson: Dear Mr. Deitch,
I appreciate the time and effort you have given to help prospective animators. The...
 More Comments...
|