The Business of Adaptations for Film & TV

The Business of Adaptations for Film & TV 

Agents, Hollywood producers and publishers are always searching for the next great story, but not all writers start from scratch. Oftentimes, ideas come from the things we see, read, write and hear. The challenge for many is how to translate these materials from their original form of a book, article, and story into a full-fledged viable screenplay. Savvy industry professionals love to leverage their time and efforts by capitalizing on a story that can be adapted into many forms. Learn from this experienced panel about ways to locate common sources for your story or script and the power and pitfalls of working with adaptations for your project.

Topics:

– Why some of Hollywood’s hottest scripts use adaptations and why they work.
– The power and pitfalls of using adapted material.
– Benefits of using an adaptation approach vs. starting from scratch.
– 7 ways to locate common sources for your story or script.
– Find your story by taking a Hollywood producer’s point of view.
– Secrets for writing an adaptation like a Hollywood pro.
– How to effectively answer the question, “So, what’s your book about?” based on the adaptation source.
– Fool-proof ways to develop a reputation as an adaptation resource.

Panelists

Louise Fury is a literary agent at The Bent Agency in NYC. She has sold books to traditional and electronic publishers and represents many successful self-published authors. A huge advocate for exploring secondary rights she’s sold audio, film and foreign rights for her clients. A native South African, Louise lives in Manhattan, but travels to Cape Town every year, where she spends time educating South African writers and meeting with international publishers.

Maria C. Miles is the founding partner of an entertainment law firm with offices in New York. Miles’ practice focuses on all areas of entertainment law including, film, music, publishing, fashion and new media. Most recently, she served as general counsel for a multimedia start-up overseeing a diverse range of matters including technology licensing and intellectual property (trademarks, copyrights and patents) both in the US and abroad. Prior to her role as in-house counsel, Miles was counsel to award-winning actors, writers, producers, television hosts, multi-platinum recording artists, and corporations in the fashion industry related to their entertainment matters.

Jenevieve Brewer is a 15-year veteran talent manager working with a select pool of adult clients in her company Jenevieve Brewer Talent Management. Her clients have booked guest star roles for numerous episodics such as Law and Order SVU, Power, Mr. Robot, Orange Is The New Black, Gotham and Blue Bloods. Currently she has clients in recurring roles on Billions, The Outsiders, Bull, Nightcap and The Deuce. Her clients have booked supporting and lead roles in the feature films such as Southpaw, The Life and Death of John Gotti, and First Kill. Her clients currently appear in national and regional on camera and voiceover spots for Verizon, Coke, Swiffer, PNC Bank, Merrill Lynch, Nike and Lyrica.

Mark DeGasperi is the Executive Director of Media Development International, a writer’s management and services company (www.mdinternational.us). He has been a freelance script doctor, writer, lecturer and professional story analyst in New York for fifteen years — reading screenplays, stage plays and books for film and TV adaptation. Most recently, he has worked for Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Robert DeNiro’s Tribeca Productions and Odyssey Networks. Previously, he has covered and scouted movie material in New York for Miramax Films, Universal Pictures, New Line Cinema, the William Morris Agency (WME), International Creative Management, Jonathan Demme’s Clinica Estetico, Stanley Jaffe’s Jaffilms, Imagine Films and the former Polygram Films.

Jennifer S. Wilkov is a #1 international best-selling award-winning author, an award-winning freelance writer, and a respected book, entertainment & business consultant in her business called “Your Book Is Your Hook!” She supports book writers, screenwriters and playwrights by teaching the essentials to writing a bestseller: a great project, a strong platform and a well-polished pitch, presentation and hook for their book or project. She teaches at the School of Visual Arts in New York, Writers Guild of America, East, NYWIFT, The Writers Store, Writers Digest, and other conferences and events. Her keen eye for stories that sell and their many possibilities is trusted by industry professionals.

Produced by Jennifer S. Wilkov

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