Hollywood Doesn't Want Your Idea Unless It Is Based On A Book - Houston Howard

[@NelsonStJames]

And this is exactly why we need independent filmmaking.

[@sydnitheromantictaylor112]

So true

[@mytime991]

Why we need to SUPPORT independent filmmaking.

[@ve4mm]

No Shit

[@liquidbraino]

@@mytime991 You don't need to support independent film making. If the idea is good they can get financed through crowd funding. If the film is good it will eventually end up on Netflix, Redbox, HBO or KZbin Red. It's still going to be survival of the fittest but the BEST films are not going to come out of major studios. If you watch independent films do it because the films are great, do it because you enjoy watching movies that don't suck. And DON'T ever pay a single penny to watch these crappy studio movies like the "Avengers". If you MUST... watch it on one of the Putlocker alternatives. If you keep rewarding shitty film making; shitty story telling they're going to keep making shitty movies. They need to be punished for making such crap and the only way to do that is to STOP giving them your money. When they start making movies like the original (1956) "Around The World In 80 Days" I'll start going to the theater again. Until then it's Netflix, HBO, HULU, Redbox and Independent Film festivals. If you live in Los Angeles there's no shortage of film festivals. The Playhouse West film festival costs $25 - $40 (depending on how soon you get your tickets) and it's not just one shitty movie; one hour + $20 for a bottle of water. There's typically around 250 films shown over a period of four days; decent food and they have beer/wine. There's no dress code but most dress business casual or evening gown. You never know who might show up - Playhouse West is owned by Jeff Goldblum. Last time I went there were a TON of great films including one which was produced by Eminem and the cool thing is that they're mostly short films with a few full length feature films which means (average) 10-20 minutes per film with breaks in between so you can go have a cigarette outside while chilling with the actors & filmmakers or grab another beer. I'll be going again in August.

[@chrislacy1990]

It’s a matter of time before Hollywood starts taking risks again. Moviegoers will stop seeing the same material recycled over and over again. Great art requires a level of risk. Many of our favorite films/stories exist because the creator/creators went out of their comfort zone.

[@vandals4873]

No I think you're off the mark here. Movies are consumed like potato chips. They don't need to be profound or life-changing to make money - they simply need to exist. Totally bad shit movies that we've seen the last several years make ridiculous millions overseas. They have a formula now, a very sad formula.

[@southlondon86]

@@vandals4873 Sad to hear. This superhero cgi trash will never end 😢

[@justanotherblackwhitemicke7817]

Not really, my dad LOVES a lot of mediocre films, which is weird because he likes some really great movies. I remember trying to convince my family to buy a subscription of MUBI which has a lot of independent amazing movies, instead, they decided to pay for an overpriced Disney + subscription that didnt have any other content at the time other than The Mandalorian

[@liquidbraino]

They are never going to start taking risks again. I work at Universal Studios and you have no idea what you're talking about.

[@chrisjfox8715]

Nevermind the countless amount of original content you can find on streaming. I agree that there's not but so many remakes that can be done, but until *the people* ACTUALLY stop lining up for them then Hollywood has no reason to change. They can't hedge their bets the way that they used to so, as a business, they "have no choice" but to bet on more sure things. There's no escaping the fact that franchise films make a fuckton of money...even when nearly everyone claims it's bad.

[@MrMojoman1976]

This is probably why so many modern novels come across more like movie novelizations.

[@SgtSega]

I like Forgotten Realms though.

[@Meleena2218]

back in my animation class we were talking about remakes (like the disney ones) and my prof referred to it as "safe money" and its pretty much what this gentleman explained. disney banks off nostalgia but not the quality. sure they dump most of their money into the CGI department, but if you actually break down their remakes, there are a lot of areas lacking: animation, story/ story beats and character building, voice acting (I noticed this in the lion king one from clips) and music development to name a few areas. i notice from looking back at their "making of..." documentaries and clips from their animated movies, they break down SO much more on one scene than current disney does for their whole movies. every camera angle has a purpose to portray a feeling and to link into the next and to set up future story points. the amount of work put into the music was beautiful. it was to help the story and it was simple yet effective. and I think the reason for this is because, the people working on the animated ones are coming up with the blueprints and the story so they know the story backwards and forwards while the remakes just have new people taking the plans but don't have any backstory of how the artists got to what they see. its a big chunk of the development process that's missing so that's why it comes off as hollow and flat.

[@ravensthatflywiththenightm7319]

And even then most of the time they want to toss their junk in and basically bastardize the book instead of just adapting it faithfully.

[@ANTIStraussian]

Some books are to dense for the visual media and need to be changed.

[@ravensthatflywiththenightm7319]

@@ANTIStraussian An extremely few books are too dense. Doesn't represent the vast majority that should be easily adapted if they just followed the story and didn't "toss their junk in", as Peter Jackson put it.

[@iconstatic4960]

ESPECIALLY when it comes to DC Comics TV shows. I’m well past tired of watching Greg Berlanti and his buddies tamper with the characters.

[@SgtSega]

Bingo

[@liquidbraino]

@@ANTIStraussian ALL novels are too dense and also not properly formatted for film making. And average novel is 300 page; an average screenplay is 120 pages. It's not about the number of words it's about the individual plot points and emotional beats which makes up any story. A well written story has six plot points. Any plot point can be written on a 3X5 index card and you can tell the entire story on six index cards... IF it's well written. Once you start to dig into the individual emotional beats of a story it's going to take more than six index cards (22-24). And then when you get to a scene by scene breakdown you might need sixty cards. But at some point you need to start dropping slug lines into an actual screenplay. Get all of the story structure figured out; the mechanics - that's your roadmap for the screenplay. Sure, you can work like Stephen King and just start writing without a plan or idea what direction it might go but he's a novelist; not a screenwriter.

[@HaleyMary]

I actually prefer seeing movies that are new ideas as opposed to re-makes. There's something about seeing an original movie and the emotions you feel from seeing that movie stay with you throughout the years. To see a re-make doesn't have the same kind of magic that you feel when you see a movie with an original idea for the first time.

[@liquidbraino]

This video isn't about remaking movies. It's about adapting a novel to a screenplay.

[@chrisjfox8715]

Too bad it's hard to get enough people to actually show up to see them. So many people complain about the lack of originality in theaters yet most are only willing to pay money for something they know.

[@sudhaunshusp]

Haley, I have a opinion as you do. But unfortunately, for past 13 years or so the trend is what is explained in this video. I have a Sci-Fi story, a brand new idea which I want to see becoming a movie and accordingly I was working on writing a screenplay. But then have been suggested by the experienced people in industry to first write and publish a book on it to gain popularity among the masses after which it would have better chances to be picked up by the producers as a speculative script.

[@tonydesoto8891]

Agree! I get no thrill from seeing reboots. Original movies with modest budgets are the best quality films today. Sad that cinema is hostage to people wanting to keep their upper class lifestyles.

[@BlueGuitarMusic]

Hot take! I recommend watching the KZbin video you replied to. Talks a lot about that, and how that preference changes when it’s your money- which currently it’s not!

[@NeoRetroEntertainment]

The crazy thing is that a lot of times "risky" films that are conceived from original ideas actually do really well because of the simple fact that they're something the general audience hasn't seen a million times before. Films like Star Wars and Beetlejuice are great examples of this. I'd hate to see how many amazing original ideas have died because of film execs...

[@MashAttack]

Fun fact: Hayao Miyazaki couldn’t make Nausicca and the Valley of the Wind because it wasn’t based on a manga, so he just *made* the manga. Very silly to have to do it that way, but the movie did turn out very well & I’ve heard similar for the manga.

[@thomasclowater9471]

and the manga ended up being his masterpiece lol

[@cameleyez]

I was just talking about this with a friend, I said every single movie is based on a book or comic etc. Every single one.

[@harrysportello]

It just means that you need to read a lot if you want to write

[@IronwayUniversity]

False

[@ThaAnalyst]

Resident Evil was a video game,, amongst alot of video game movies that don't have a book,n if did came after

[@smg4reblooperd182]

Question, what if you write your story into a book?

[@shadowblaze97]

I think they will only take a risk if a book has a LOT of momentum behind it. Like harry potter

[@speakFILM.]

This is great insight to what I already knew. I urge filmmakers, especially writer/directors, to stop waiting and stop chasing. The industry will not wait for you. Write and direct something you can manage and rinse and repeat. I stopped chasing trends and I am very content with strictly getting into film festivals and working with actors I want to work with. My intention is to create a body of work I can be proud of; the industry is concerned with making a billion dollars. Or more. What side are you on?

[@Horatio787]

You can even make high concept stuff on a low budget if you're clever. Look at Hunter Prey.

[@92kris]

Indie filmmaking for the win…working with less gets those creatives juices pumping for me

[@EugeniaLoli]

​@@Horatio787 I watched Hunter Prey when it came out (in fact, Netflix had licensed it early on after release). Yes, it was low budget and it accomplished a lot, but I wouldn't call it high concept, neither very endearing and interesting as a final analysis. It was meh. Sure, it was great for its budget, but in the large scheme of things, people remember what stays with them, and usually these kinds of films, don't. I mostly remember it for having used the Red One camera (among the first productions that did), rather than its story. Really good high concept films that did stay with me were Primer ($7k), and Coherence ($50k). But these are so few and between... The films that I remember the most, are all high budget Hollywood films. And that's true for most people, unfortunately. And no, it has nothing to do with having been bombarded by marketing, they're just more clean cut. Terminator, Matrix, Predator, Serenity... these are the films that have REALLY stayed with me.

[@Horatio787]

@@EugeniaLoli Terminator 1 cost 1 million dollars in the 80s, so probably still well below 10 million now. The Raid was made for 1 million in Malaysia in 2011.

[@EugeniaLoli]

​@@Horatio787 You have your numbers wrong. Terminator 1 was shot for $6.4 mi in 1984, equivalent to $17mil today, so definitely not cheap indie territory (that usually try to not go over a million). In fact, even Jason Blum now makes his non-sequel films for $5mil a piece, because prices have gone up (his previous stop-gap budget was $3 mil). As for the RAID, I bought the two Blu-rays recently, and the encoding on the first one is so bad (or the camera they used, I don't know), that I stopped watching 12 minutes in (right when they walked into the building). There is a terrible wavy-look on the screen, as if from a bad encoder -- either the BD's, or the camera's. Either way, corners were cut, making it unwatchable for me. I bought the BDs because I heard very good things about the film. But I couldn't watch in that quality.

[@JoshReels]

Houston's book was a HUGE part in getting my audio drama podcast made. I need to continue marketing it and building awareness so I can turn it into a streaming show. Thanks for interviewing him Film Courage!

[@jonathangriffin8060]

As a would-be filmmaker, I will just go the independent route to filmmaking. Unfortunately, it was popular back in the 1990s and lasted for only a decade. Until Hollywood gets over the fear they have with new material from writers, I will definitely make my own films independently. Unfortunately, Hollywood is no longer original with these reboots and remakes of classic television and movies. It is also possible to make films outside of Hollywood. There are a lot of these types of movies and they are so good, that Hollywood comes knocking on that filmmaker's door and beg them to make a movie for their studio. It's amazing how they are dead set against original material and assume that it won't make money, but when that movie has been made outside the studio system, all of a sudden Hollywood wants a piece of the action with that writer/filmmaker. It's a sad story, but unfortunately, it is true.

[@cmdp81]

I totally agree.

[@KimberlyPinkney]

That kinda sucks, since they never follow the book the fans fell in love with. Most times they get it all wrong and simply ruin it.

[@yougottrolled5799]

It's book bait

[@fanartexhibit]

This is why there's needs to be a shift to creators to create their own films. The tools are available to do just about everything you need to make a movie these days. Stop wasting your time with the old system and bring your ideas to life by yourself.

[@Satori2046]

Oh man, amen to that.

[@FUNCism]

YESSIR

[@ThaAnalyst]

My script I'm writing is beyond my bounds,I would need the machine in order for my vision to come to life the way I see it in my mind

[@SullyFox]

@@ThaAnalyst The problem is, the "machine" would never allow it. It doesn't matter how amazing or perfect it is in your mind, there are too many egos and people unwilling to take a chance on a new IP for it ever to get made the way you want it, even if you survived the gauntlet and got it greenlit to begin with.

[@JWLearning]

@@ThaAnalyst The talents and the tools to create wild fantasies are well within our grasp. Creators, software, camera's, lighting equipment, it's all there.

[@jimsizzle5288]

I’ve been writing a screenplay to bridge the gap 3 books either side of the story I have been writing for 8 years. I wanted to write screen plays instead of the books. But without the rich lore and content it’s so risky to put these into motion. It’s so hard to finish one book but this man is right. Unless it’s already put into the world and already trialed and tested, I doubt you get a phone call back. It’s sad when you put your whole life into your work and when the people who like your idea ask “what is your number one”, your answer is obviously going to be profit.

[@TomGist]

This is why you have to try to make “them” come to you. It’s a difficult road, but it’s possible.

[@osaji922]

EXACTLY!

[@chrisjfox8715]

Easier said than done. Movies are more expensive to make than they've ever been. And people would rather stream than go to the theater for small/mid-budget, original films...yet don't want to pay a premium to stream it. Studios are following the data. People complain about lack of originality yet refuse to show up. It's easy to tell studios to take the risk when it's not your money on the line.

[@osaji922]

@@chrisjfox8715 I feel like you ignored what he just said. You also ignored some of what Houston Howard said in the video. He speaks more about this in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/gnzTpZ19mt-Cr7M&ab_channel=FilmCourage. Point is when you get them to come to you, it would imply that you've already built up an audience for your IP and proven it can make money. This is no different than how authors or comic book artists do it. And even if in the unfortunate event they still decide not to produce your film, then guess what, you already built up your own audience in which you can monetize or probably have already monetized from. You really wouldn't even need a studio at that point but I'm telling you, Hollywood understands one language and it's money. If a writer/filmmaker is making money marketing their IP, I guarantee, Hollywood won't be too far away.

[@TomGist]

@@osaji922 Exactly my point 👍🏾👍🏾

[@reginayfavors]

With the Tik Tok star, who might be mediocre at best, that person has 12 million followers and publishing companies can throw a book at that person using a ghostwriter, a podcast, an on-TV personality opportunity, interviews, etc. and the publishing companies can recoup their investment because it is easy to move those followers from one medium to the next. Pre--awareness is key. This is my second listen and I am continuing to gain insight. Thank you Film Courage.

[@BumdogTorres]

In the 50’s and 60’s “reboots” were of Mutiny on the Bounty, HG Wells novels and Edgar Allen Poe stories…now it’s the Brady Bunch.

[@Evanderj]

The expressed understanding for the studio execs & the financial risk takers is the first time I’ve heard anyone present a sympathetic perspective to those ruining the art & magic of cinema- it’s a refreshing paradigm, and I get it, as much as it sucks.

[@soylentcompany5235]

facts

[@remyogun8270]

fuck that...these people should find other jobs then...I'm supposed to "feel sorry" for rich and or wealthy people, who are in an artistic field but who lack actual creativity, and have no ambition nor the balls to take creative risk? Yeah, fuck those guys...

[@soylentcompany5235]

@@remyogun8270 You shouldnt feel sorry but their decisions make sense when you look at them through their perspective. Still sucks tho

[@remyogun8270]

@@soylentcompany5235 it's not about making sense, per say. I'm more upset about this reality, b/c it allows for and almost promotes untalented -uncreative people to value & desperately cling to their positions, over doing their job to the best of their ability-which does include taking risk, which in turn creates an environment of mediocrity. If you are not good @ your job, then you should be terminated and replaced with someone who is actually qualified. It should be the exact same way in the movie industry as it is with NFL,NBA coaches-in that you should be forced to earn your keep and simply be removed if you aren't producing stellar results.

[@soylentcompany5235]

@@remyogun8270 they are producing stellar results. Stellar results in money making and not good art. Thats the problem i guess

[@albertabramson3157]

We already face these problems in hardware engineering. No one wants to build a microprocessor or coprocessor unless it's based on a known Instruction Set Architecture with an established base. of software. In software, no one wants to port their expensive applications to an operating system that doesn't already have a large established customer base and set of development tools. Since promoting and distributing a film can go into the tens of millions, a more cost effective infrastructure for getting movies online and promoted. I'd love to work on that.

[@174mars]

He addressed this perfectly and objectively

[@lowlowseesee]

exactly

[@reginayfavors]

I can listen to Houston Howard all day.

[@ripghotihook]

I'm not sure about the market deciding right now. We've seen the divide between critics and audience. Critics, as far as I've seen, lean into politics/pandering while audiences tend to not care about those things, but movies keep having that crap injected into them. It seems like movies are being made to appease critics over audiences.

[@AlphaProto]

Cowboys and Aliens, was a movie script that got turned into a comicbook to market the script. It took a few years but after the comic started to get attention the movie got made. It may take a bit longer, but it works. Turn your script into a book and see how it does. If the brand gets established, the studios should come to you.

[@formulaic78]

Good luck getting your book published first;)

[@DovieRuthAuthor]

Okay, I'll stick with writing the books first. My true passion anyway.

[@jayrivss9859]

The world is yours, manifest it all

[@S.Clause]

Nothing on your channel about books.

[@williamshaw9047]

Maybe you could write a book that's a reboot of The Brady Bunch.

[@Z5Z5Z5]

@@S.Clause it's just their passion and KZbin name. They probably aren't a KZbinr

[@Neomatrixology]

Loved the A&R parallel, now the music industry is real quick to attempt *repackaging* your original idea but I digress. Throughout the years of that personal experience the technology allowed making music to be more accessible to people outside of the industry. I believe a similar thing is happening with film and a consistent theme I've heard in different Film Courage interviews is finding a way to independently execute your idea. *IF* you can build an audience for your idea then you've already won. The internet is a great equalizer.

[@iziahlove5527]

Best Transmedia teacher right here✊🏽💯

[@danieljackson654]

For me, this video arrives at a critical point in my project. Message received.

[@carlospuentes66]

Ditto!

[@galactica1981]

The answer is to make less expensive movies so the risk isn't so high. But I think Hollywood doesn't want this because it would result in a lot more competition.

[@chrisjfox8715]

That's just it, that is not the answer. Less expensive original movies, people almost certainly won't show up to theaters for. And if you charge them to stream it then any profitable price point you choose, audiences will claim is too expensive for something that isn't "big" enough. Studios hate taking risks yet so do audiences. People don't want to spend $10 on a movie they've never heard of, hence studios don't want to put up $50M to give audiences the very high chance to decline their fresh idea.

[@Z5Z5Z5]

The more artistic and symbolic a movie the more expensive because it's usually a lot of weird shit like a 1000 rotting apples on a wall with a woman standing in front of it in a black mini shirt and an oversized puffer jacket from Prada while a bunch of cgi snakes glide up and down the walls

[@c10_c10]

Great interview again! Houston Howard makes a lot of great points and really reinforces the dilemma that there's no middle market any more, especially in movies. It seems like movies today are a secondary industry to familiarity, content, brand, and IP awareness.

[@ANTIStraussian]

I just went to a film festival a few weeks ago, ever been too one? They have a lot of great movies

[@Reelunique]

Unfortunately those Films don’t get the recognition they deserve. Studios use to greenlight indie artists more if they did well but that’s becoming more rare and the Internet algorithm isn’t helping. I don’t know half of the award winning films on the circuit because all KZbin and Google puts in my feed is Marvel and remakes. Unfair advantage.

[@mutualdelusion1798]

When bureaucracy controls Art. I'm an aspiring film maker & I really don't look forward to be recognized at all. I'm gonna keep doing whatever I love .. making films & I know I'm bound to be unsuccessful & will be starving. Well, I starved & survived on ramen noodles before.

[@hayabusa1x]

Yep. I was actually happy when I was a starving artist. Stressed, but happy.

[@AMetalheadsJourney]

This reminds of a story my friend told me who was a script writer but it is even worse. A friend of mine got to Hollywood and found a low to mid level producer and the producer loved his script and the next thing he asked was, "Who do you know in this business?" He went ahead to tell him, if you can introduce me to some big shot you know in this business, I can produce this script. lol. So you are in fact only taken seriously depending on who you know or who you have access to. Hollywood is one big network where the main goal seems to be to get connected to others in the network to improve their own status. lol

[@annamarieriley1478]

This is what I've been saying for the last few years! Thank you for articulating it so well! We don't need to endlessly complain about what is. We just need to understand the rules of the game if we actually want to play....and win.

[@Catchintherift]

How does this video only have 5k views? Its such a good talking point that needs to be heard by more creatives! Unfortunately 9/10 times they don't even do the books justice that they make these shows off of either.

[@ccrocker3]

Wow! Great video. Totally flipped by perspective on the system, seeing things from the producer's point of view, not the writer's. I can actually empathize with decision makers in Hollywood now because I understand that they're just trying to put food on the table. Film Courage, you are amazing! Thank you so much for putting out these high value videos!

[@timontide6404]

They're not trying to put food on the table. They're making the safest, most obvious films to appeal to the widest audience to make the most money.

[@josetapia9606]

@@timontide6404 bascically, trying to put food in the table. Not saying you are wrong. But neither is this out of malice. Still, not gona a penny for a mediocre movie. Fact is at the end of the day, we are not "artist and fans" group or "corporate vs fans" We are a "producer and consumer" relationship. They are not obliged to satisfy my with their products. But neither I'm obliged to buy their product.

[@SullyFox]

The problem with Hollywood is they NEVER learn from their mistakes. They want IPs to come with a built-in audience, but always seem to forget that with a built-in audience comes built-in expectations.

[@smg4reblooperd182]

Question, what if you write your story into a book?

[@SullyFox]

@@smg4reblooperd182 It still falls on the studio/filmmaker to stay true to the book, which is unlikely.

[@NJGuy1973]

No, it has to be based on a certain type of book. You write a mediocre teen paranormal romance, you get a deal. Meanwhile, "A Confederacy of Dunces" will probably never be made into a movie.

[@kevinwilt5496]

I remember reading the book Easy Riders and Raging Bulls about the film school generation and the 70s revolution. That generation became more spineless and money grubbing than the generation they rebelled against.

[@lowlowseesee]

ah yes the trajectory of most fucks lol

[@leonoradompor8706]

What is constant is change and new ideas****

[@errhka]

SO TRUE about the bubble these execs live in. They have no idea what 'normal people' want without some other input because they aren't living with it (That's a very Californian phenomenon which is a whole other cultural thing but I digress.) As a result you get alot of deflecting of decisions and non-committal attitudes which results in mediocrity Separately, it's a pet theory of mine why the film Crash was so successful in Los Angeles vs in other parts of the country where it seemed to most like an 'obvious' preachy mess. To the privileged members of the academy such simple statements of racism with real life examples that would have been familiar to them WAS revolutionary. I think the film is actually a great portrait of the city because of this level of fake sincerity as well.

[@chrisjfox8715]

I lived in North Carolina at the time and I loved that movie.

[@kevinwilt5496]

That bubble wasn't always there. In the 70s up to the early 80 the crew, the producers, and the stars all used to party together. My friend's dad was a gaffer and owned a cabin in Lake Hughes back in the late 70s everyone would party there. I heard the stories of Peter Fonda getting into a fist fight with his best boy over who gets to sleep on the couch. Then corporate America bought the studios and film makers were replaced by accountants and the rest is history.

[@magnusskallagrimsson6707]

I am seeing bubbles further up the Coast away from California, too. The 21st Century could be called "The Bubble Century". People living in bubbles, and the world outside of that bubble looks exaggerated and strange, wrong.

[@tonybarnes2920]

Sounds just like where the videogame biz is now. I got into game making 36 years ago and it wasn't like it is now. It was the wild west, with people trying everything. Now, it's just wannabe Hollywood, without the formalized process and protocols. I honestly wish more consumers understood this, instead of just yelling in the wind at the hard working people who put out media. If they understood the business of the business, they might make better choices which would sway the decision-makers. Execs just follow the money, simple as that. In my biz, "gamers" complain about things being "forced" upon them, but the reality is; if no one bought it, the execs wouldn't do it.

[@crazyralph6386]

Just think, a guy like Alan Ladd Jr couldn't work in the industry nowadays the way its structured, and we'd never would've heard of Star Wars or Indiana Jones?

[@festo8756]

Your comment is asinine. Alan Ladd jr decided to greenlight star wars because it was similar to past profitable movies. No different to movies today.

[@festo8756]

For example Red Notice was greenlit because The Rundown was successful

[@chuzzbot]

That 'executive' should be stocking shelves, not optioning scripts.

[@GodsCosmicBollock]

That's exactly what he's afraid will happen if he doesn't play it safe.

[@lowlowseesee]

that exec is related to a higher up so you can keep stocking the shelves lol

[@KEP1983]

Write the film you want to write. Then change the lead character into a known superhero or villain. I.e. the Joker formula.

[@zerevv]

and cruella

[@JonathanEBoyd]

he always has a lot of gems in his interviews and a good practical level headed approach

[@filmcourage]

Do you agree with Houston? What is your reaction?

[@etabiansosin]

Hollywood has been making movies based off of books for decades. This is nothing new.

[@EricGraham94]

@@etabiansosin even at the individual’s creative level, all creative influence comes from somewhere in general. For George Lucas’ Star Wars, it was Akira Kurosawa’s Hidden Fortress. For David Lynch’s Dune, it was the original 1960’s novel. These are a couple examples out of many, but I think when people think “where’s the creative spark” when it comes to an adaptation, they want a different spin or take on it, ie: DC Comics (especially the Snyder films which I especially gravitated towards personally).

[@etabiansosin]

@@EricGraham94 Just saying.

[@etabiansosin]

What are your thoughts on The 4 Species Movies?

[@toddkonrad2407]

Waiting on the full interview now 🙂

[@southlondon86]

Horror movies defy those rules because they are cheap, easy to make & market. They churn out huge profits. Plus every year that goes by horror always sells. So it doesn’t really need big name attachments/pre-awareness.

[@toddkonrad2407]

Exactly. Horror and other low budget genre fare has always been aspiring filmmakers best friends because you’re trusted enough to deliver what’s needed by the producers to sell, but can polish up your craft and artistic skills for future projects. It’s why Roger Corman ended up bringing in so many huge talents over the years. They gave him what he needed and he left them alone otherwise to try stuff out.

[@Ncyphen]

A great example is Iron Man, the leading film from the MCU. When Marvel Studios was making the film, They couldn't get a single distributor to sign a deal with them. Iron Man was not seen as a proven super hero, everyone wanted Spider-Man, Hulk, X-Men, Fantastic 4. No one was willing to take a risk on a second rate (at the time) super hero. It wasn't until near the end of production that they got Paramount onboard. There's much less risk when a film is nearly complete versus one that hasn't started shooting yet.

[@OpEditorial]

In other words, it's nothing personal but if there isn't a a proof of concept (and an established fanbase) it's not going to work, Marvel is finding this fact out the hard way with "The Eternals"

[@hadihardcore]

That doesn’t have anything to do with what he was saying. Marvel has already done some films on characters that weren’t well known like guardians of the galaxy or even iron man. And guess what? They succeeded. Eternals on the other hand is just an awfully written film with lame characters.

[@themittonmethod1243]

@@hadihardcore Iron Man was a VERY well-known character prior to the films, almost as well known as Spider-man. GoG and Eternals however, were not well known at all, except to a very small (in the greater population) group of fans.

[@andyhello23]

So good for people who do not have a basic understanding of how it works, to see videos like this, and explain it to them. Also the reason why they want it in book form, is there is so many ideas stolen, that companies probably do not want to take the risk of investing in something, that could be stolen by others, and they claim its theres. If people buy the right to a book, they can say they own that idea, or ideas, as commercial ideas.

[@timaitken2277]

It is an executive's job to identify which risks to take. An executive that takes no risks is not doing their job - stagnant business is dead business.

[@Amelia_PC]

No! Please! Hollywood should keep doing what they're doing, so we, the small fries, can stand a chance. It happened to NY comic con this year. Marvel and DC didn't come, so many small publishers, including my friends, could shine and move forward. So, please, Hollywood, keep exactly what you're doing.

[@StripedJacket]

Queens Gambit was also already established as a book

[@villebooks]

Not based on a book but a bestselling book.

[@Thenoobestgirl]

If I could only make book adaptations for the rest of my yet to be launched career I would be forever happy. Just give me the option... 🤷🏻‍♀️ Also this is the reason why I've decided to now write my fantasy script as a novel as there is no way in hell any studio would take it on without an established fanbase. I'm getting to explore my story and world deeper and so far I've been having a lot of fun! :)

[@MetalGildarts]

Im also writing an epic fantasy and it’s been great so far

[@vanitasthomas4829]

You know strangely despite this being super sad and messed up to listen to, I incidentally kind of adopted this mentality a bit. I just write some stories as my own books that I can hopefully get adopted into screenplays when I finish and pitch them. Some fan fiction, some original, but at least they can't say it's not based off a medium 🤷‍♂️

[@ttrev007]

This makes me wonder how many great books get wasted on a script that will never be made into a movie. Maybe script writers should consider making them into books?

[@MTB_Rider_96]

Exactly! Which is why I know my screenplay will never be made unless I make it MYSELF, and market it MYSELF. I need to find ways to creatively finance My Own Screenplay 10 minute short (maybe even make an animation short), and market it at film festivals and some contest. Know one in "Hollywood" is going to take a chance on an unproven person or idea. Of course it's all about the Money!

[@ComicPower]

The next time I hear someone say why does Hollywood keep making the same crap over and over? I will just send them this video. Lol

[@batman5224]

I think people need to be aware of the fact that only successful books are adapted into films. Obscure books are almost never green lit. Of course, film is a different medium than literature. Book adaptations are still going to be far more original than remakes or sequels. In fact, most classic films are based on books. However, deciding to adapt a book shouldn’t be based on its popularity. Honestly, I don’t understand why a movie studio has to spend 200 million dollars on a movie. You can make a quality film for 10 or 20 million. It just requires a more creative approach. If I were an executive working in a studio, I would obviously take finances into consideration, but if I thought that 99 percent of my films were shit, I don’t think I could live with myself. I don’t see how most movie producers could even enjoy cinema. Beyond making a standard living, how do they spend their free time? If you’ve created a world that is completely devoid of artistic meaning, why would you want to live in such a world?

[@dreamcatcher5502]

The top grossing film of all time is NOT a book. In fact out the top 25 films of all time only one was a book and that is Harry Potter.

[@ThePremiumChicken]

It's a tale as old as time: maximise rewards while minimizing risks.

[@computerjantje]

sidenote: The reason to leave the USA while you can is the side remark I heard in this video. It was a sum up of luxuries executives have and do not want to risk losing. One of those luxuries was "don't want to lose the house in a gated community." . That tells me everything. So for the good life in the USA you have to lock yourself from the rest of the community. The country is just to freaking dangerous to have a normal life in.

[@ZReviews]

The Gated community is just a top 2% thing. They exist all over but really those Hollywood gated community folks would not settle for a Nebraska or Pennsylvania Gated Community. So its just a way to discern yourself from the median income. Status things, not safety per say.

[@richarddoan9172]

That's not true. Violent crime in the US has been falling for over 20 years (with a recent slight uptick since Covid). You don't have an accurate conception of life in the US.

[@col.strayga1389]

It doesn't have much to do with crime, mainly to keep out undesirables like peasants and the unwashed masses.

[@melanieforyou]

Some entertainment is for riveting story-craft, other forms of entertainment are for zoning out and being practically hypnotized levels of brainwave use.

[@CamoFFAArmy]

and this is why i love A24

[@Andrea-nom]

Bingo! Original, creative amazing!

[@Admin_TIAgents]

Very inspiring I enjoyed this very much. Thank you for sharing.

[@frank500fx4]

he made me understand how stuff works........great

[@Nick-1117]

In any creative industry you have to understand the business/industry you are operating in.

[@crencottrell7849]

Well if Hollywood only wants adaptations, I need to read all the Vampire Hunter D books that came out and see if it can get turned into a miniseries 😅

[@angellover02171]

That could be a winner. There a ton of interesting manga out there too.

[@kuramobay2445]

But didn't the studios have separate outfits for indie projects in the recent past? I don't see why executives should be torn between tentpoles and indies. It's different budget levels and different audiences. I'm pretty sure the streaming giants don't have these issues.

[@ajnovamusic]

Basically 2 steps: 1) Find an IP 2) Adapt it in an interesting way

[@carlospuentes66]

Houston’s perspective should be chiseled in granite. The dude is ALWAYS spot on!

[@sydnitheromantictaylor112]

It sucks that we rarely get anything different, the mainstream shit always puts out the same old same because its what makes the money but I think these studios should take risks every once in a while because this world is starving for something different. Its shy squid game was so popular, because it was different.

[@footballfrequency7979]

I just want to say here that what he says is correct but being open minded about attachments can really help. I'm editing my script but the agent of who I want in this has already spoke with me. But if that person was a huge name then it would've been impossible. I put my tires where I could find traction and it's been working. I've spoke to several agents of actors for this project of mine pretty easily. I just got to hope they like the project.

[@tedereTSSK]

A good tutorial. Worth the watch. Thank you.

[@ComicPower]

Anyone that ever asked why does Hollywood keep recycling the same crap over and over instead of original ideas should watch this video.

[@1800astra]

I finally got around to watching Ari Aster's 'Midsommar'. I thought it was excellent - long, meandering, immersive, memorable. Wasn't that an original IP, with characters (especially Dani) that we hadn't seen before and a milieu which was both unfamiliar and strangely hypnotic? Who had the b@lls to greenlight that?

[@lordbatz7363]

A24 who has made some of the most interesting films of the past 10 years. They are not a big studio and based out of new york.

[@madsniperD]

It's a horror. They said horror films are the exception here. And even Ari Aster had to make Hereditary, a more classic horror film, first to get free reign with his creativity. That being said, I honestly can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

[@lordchungus1552]

Midsommar I thought was not as good as Hereditary but I felt that it was better than the other horror garbage like the Nun and the Curse of la Llorona. Though Midsommar was not as good as I thought it could be Ari Aster is a director/writer I am keeping an eye on.

[@PooperScooperTrooper]

Last Night On Soho is the best film I've seen for a while. No idea if that's based on a book or not.

[@mychannel-rt2gn]

It made only 30% of its budget so it’s safe to say that Hollywood won’t be taking a venture like that again anytime soon.

[@PooperScooperTrooper]

@@mychannel-rt2gn No way? That's awful to hear, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[@SgtSega]

The Spider-Man trilogy was decent. Those felt like genuine love went into them.

[@StripedJacket]

As someone who wants to do a hero’s journey or an original super hero flick it’s super weird hearing how much it’s safe but over-saturated lmao Hopefully in a few years it’ll be safe and not so saturated so I can get it made.

[@xQuandaleDinglex]

Seeing how something lesser known like Invincible blew up, I think you're gonna be waiting a while. Could be wrong. :/

[@ImaginaryShadows1]

That’s why I’m going to learn how write novels so I have better shot of getting my stuff made. We need to have different types of skills and not rely on just being a screenwriter.

[@BishopWalters12]

They can't live off the 80's and 90's much longer.

[@adampitcher3309]

Big risks. Big rewards. Star Wars and the Matrix are good example of this and they didn't really cost too much to make the first ones and yet made a huge amount more money. You need to take risks not to advance the industry but to get ahead of the competition. Following trends can get you small returns but setting the trends can get you big profits. Hollywood is now trying to cash in on Anime because everyone is enjoying them simple because of the new ideas and the diversity in genre which is why Hollywood copying Anime isn't going to work (and so far hasn't) due to them just coping and slapping "western values" on them. Hollywood needs to start funding medium cost projects, its not money that makes a movie great (it can certainly help) but story and ingenuity of the crew and the team behind the camera, again example would be Star Wars and 007 Goldeneye is great example of new ideas (with the Tank car chase and how they did some of the stunts etc). It is ideas and good writing that make the biggest profits and thus quickest promotions in the movie industry.

[@princemwamba5230]

Wasnt the matrix based around books though

[@MirceaLazar]

So true! For our commercial society

[@Met9171]

What if I already finished the whole script? Isn't that the best book rather than just bringing an idea alone without having written a script?

[@Thenoobestgirl]

House sitting for celebrities sounds like the coolest job lol

[@MikeHoffey]

I don’t know how to write a book, or have time. I’m busting my ass to write a great, cool, different, new idea, origInal screenplay. Somebody will see the value, even if it takes five more years and someone in a gated community with dogs and kids and medical insurance gets fired. I’ll wait it out…

[@lowlowseesee]

thats a tough road. you would be better off making a short or full length yourself. waiting on someone to see the value.....that thing will catch mega dust no matter how fantastic it is

[@TheTrip1995]

So many great films based on books. The Godfather, Goodfellas, Jaws, Die Hard, Psycho, Forrest Gump, and Jurassic Park just to name a few

[@Scrimjer]

This is the most realistic video I have ever seen

[@1truemoose]

Does it have to be a new book, or could it be from an out-of-copyright book? Or does it have to reflect the current zeitgeist?

[@SgtSega]

What about adapting historical events or famous people throughout history? Political movements, famous singers and actors, greatest minds of their times, ect. There's always adaptations of real world events.

[@Briansgate]

New products can't gain name recognition if they aren't given the chance. It's a Catch-22.

[@S.Clause]

That was a good movie, based on a book too

[@osaji922]

Writers don't need Hollywood to be given a chance. Go build an audience for yourself. Get on youtube. Start a podcast. Start a website and blog. Do something to raise your profile and build value for you and your work.

[@ImmortalRimas]

This is what happens when the bean counters take over, creativity dies. It’s really sad that in terms of New Screenplays not based directly on anything else we may never see another Star Wars or Alien or Terminator or Nightmare on Elm Street or Back to the Future or Lethal Weapon or Robocop or Pulp Fiction or The Matrix etc ever again

[@AaronJMarch]

Is it just me or is this just saying the same thing over and over again? I just want to send him love!

[@davidherring3333]

This honestly makes me wonder if the film we know as the 2016 Ghostbusters was meant to be an original I.P. and the producers took it and simply changed aliens or monsters to ghosts and attached the Ghostbusters name and voila.

[@Madbandit77]

Doubtful with the exposed Sony emails. That film was an example of how you could ruin an IP.

[@LycanVisuals]

At least we got Nolan doing it on the big budget scale.

[@ANTIStraussian]

As long as he doesn't write the movies anymore.

[@crazyralph6386]

his last film was a jumbled mess

[@fourn7wenty]

Does anyone know good film festivals for new creative short films? My wife just completed her first short film this year and it’s a very artsy type film.

[@ZondervanSchnibble]

Reading Cassavetes on Cassavetes and it’s always been this way more or less

[@CNNBS]

Do I agree with Houston. Pleeease. OF COURSE I DO. HE'S MY TRANS MEDIA GURU!!!

[@justanameonyourscreen5954]

Just means I'll prolly never sell or get anything made by 'them'...all mine are original...save for a few that I've wrote as sequels to some blockbusters that I really enjoyed...as exercises of course The latest one...The Mummy: Sands of Time...I was really disappointed with that Tom Cruise remake...

[@MetalGildarts]

Yeah that film was not stellar…

[@themittonmethod1243]

@@MetalGildarts correct, it was rather granular... and the sand... it gets in all the cracks... it had potential and was decently acted but the story left quite a bit to be desired.

[@osaji922]

Never? Maybe. What have you done to get them to come to you? Did you start a podcast? Are you on youtube? Do you have a website where I can read your original scripts? Did you market your scripts in any way that would prove to them there's value for your work? Okay, so you can't go through the mountain. Who cares? You can go around it, you can go over it, you can go under it. If you're a true creative, then find a way.

[@justanameonyourscreen5954]

@@osaji922 no...

[@justanameonyourscreen5954]

@@themittonmethod1243 not only that but the tone was dark and gloomy...whereas the originals were light hearted adventure type date night movies...we need more date night movies...