Hi!
I've been in the comic book industry on and off for 20 years.
Whenever I do a comic whether self published or freelance for a company someone will always pick it up for film developement. It can be a pleasant and miserable experience but that's another story.
What I've found is a well done book covers so much ground regarding the vision and execution of a script that it makes things easier for a film company to produce.
Sometimes I can do 10 comic pages and an outline or a script with 10 pages of comics and people start drooling.
I write, illustrate etc. so my overhead is zilch. I'm just a great illustrator and storyteller but have no film producing experience.
Do any of you use comics/storyboards to help pitch a project?
Robert Rodriguez used the graphic novel Sin City pretty much as a storyboard for the movie Sin City. First I've heard of it being done but he was really happy with how it worked out and Frank Miller the writer/artist of Sin City was also pleased because meant his vision was followed.
That may break open the doors to the kind of thing you're thinking about. Beyond that I don't know much about pitch meetings. I know bringing in art is fairly common to give a mood.
RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA
RJSchwarz
Thanks RJ.
Yes, "Sin City" was a first because Frank Miller and Rodriguez knew that the reason comic movies fail is because someone decides to change too many elements that made the source book popular.
Remember both versions of 'The Punisher' ?
The first one had the basic elements but some idiot decided to change his costume which was his trademark. Movie was good but it bombed because the fans and the audience didn't know who the heck the hero was.
The second one had the costume but changed the character around so much from a hard bit 'Nam vet/cop to a sensitive confused guy. It had stars and wonderful performances but it lacked.
The Spider-Man films rule because they stuck very close to the original story. Fine performances and special effects.
So us creators have to have a hand in the film's developement in ratio to our knowledge of the film medium/digital medium or everyone loses out.
You should search out the story of the superman films. Seems they wanted to change the suit, give him a super-car, change the origins. Kevin Smith ranted about all of that at some point. Nicholas Cage (not to be confused with Nike Cage) was signed on and realized how changed they were making the character and dropped off.
Why pay to make a superman movie if you aren't going to make a superman movie. I'll never understand.
RJSchwarz
San Diego, CA
RJSchwarz
RJ I just watched Kevin Smith's interview DVD. I love it. He really speaks for the creators out here and shares with us the far too often psychosis permeating the Hollywood system.
We've just gone through a major upheaval in the animation industry with such things. Remarkably the animation community banded together and fought and won. It's an amazing display of American teamwork.
Far too often the wrong people are put in positions of decision based on their capacity to score drugs and sports game tickets.
On the other hand, creative people don't take responsibility when those executive positions open up. They would rather sit back resting on their laurels. Now in the animation community the artists are now realizing their past mistakes and are taking those exec positions and seeing how the other half lives. They'll make out alright I'm sure and we'll all be ready for some awesome animated films to come.
