Optioning The Brother On The Shelf
Wednesday, 5 May 2010 14:23![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dr_phil_physicsHunting License Approved
Recently Dr. Phil has reached an agreement with Jeffrey C. Silver and his Fourth Floor Productions regarding an option on my May 2009 Analog story "The Brother on the Shelf". Contracts have been signed and a pleasant check received. Jeff has a year to try to find some financing to come up with a movie or television production deal.
Image via Wordle.net
Reality Check
Yes, I know that most options on stories don't go anywhere. That most production deals never make it to shooting. That lots of things which get into production or even get shot never see the light of day. Hollywood is a harsh business. But it is a business. And it needs a lot of projects churning to keep in business.
But Dr. Phil -- this is just a short story! True. But it's a lot harder to shoehorn a novel into a movie script, than turn a short story into one. I was at a panel once where this question came up and one writer said that a typical SF novel is at least 100,000 words, while a typical movie script is 125 pages -- triple-spaced and specially formatted. That's not a lot of room for those 100,000 words. That's why all those Philip K. Dick short stories have been made into movies.
So will we see a movie version of "The Brother on the Shelf"? I honestly don't know. Would such a movie be a True Version of Dr. Phil's 29th century universe? I honestly don't know. But I will say I included in the contract my unpublished novelette "Home Front", from which "The Brother on the Shelf" was pulled from, as additional source material so that at least my vision is on the table. And frankly, I have to say that even if it goes off in a different direction, that's not necessarily so bad. I find the movie version of Starship Troopers to be quite the guilty pleasure even if it's neither Heinlein's story or having any science literacy or military accuracy value. (grin)
So is this exciting? Absolutely. Anyone who has met me or read this LJ on a regular basis knows that I am a huge fan of the movies.
The bottom line is that Hollywood is going to do what Hollywood is going to do. But at least I get to peek in on the process. (huge grin) And for now I get to cash a pleasant check for my troubles. (win!) And should Jeff succeed in getting his project financed, I just might get to fly to L.A. and buy him a very expensive steak dinner. (mmm!)
Dr. Phil
Recently Dr. Phil has reached an agreement with Jeffrey C. Silver and his Fourth Floor Productions regarding an option on my May 2009 Analog story "The Brother on the Shelf". Contracts have been signed and a pleasant check received. Jeff has a year to try to find some financing to come up with a movie or television production deal.
Image via Wordle.net
Reality Check
Yes, I know that most options on stories don't go anywhere. That most production deals never make it to shooting. That lots of things which get into production or even get shot never see the light of day. Hollywood is a harsh business. But it is a business. And it needs a lot of projects churning to keep in business.
But Dr. Phil -- this is just a short story! True. But it's a lot harder to shoehorn a novel into a movie script, than turn a short story into one. I was at a panel once where this question came up and one writer said that a typical SF novel is at least 100,000 words, while a typical movie script is 125 pages -- triple-spaced and specially formatted. That's not a lot of room for those 100,000 words. That's why all those Philip K. Dick short stories have been made into movies.
So will we see a movie version of "The Brother on the Shelf"? I honestly don't know. Would such a movie be a True Version of Dr. Phil's 29th century universe? I honestly don't know. But I will say I included in the contract my unpublished novelette "Home Front", from which "The Brother on the Shelf" was pulled from, as additional source material so that at least my vision is on the table. And frankly, I have to say that even if it goes off in a different direction, that's not necessarily so bad. I find the movie version of Starship Troopers to be quite the guilty pleasure even if it's neither Heinlein's story or having any science literacy or military accuracy value. (grin)
So is this exciting? Absolutely. Anyone who has met me or read this LJ on a regular basis knows that I am a huge fan of the movies.
The bottom line is that Hollywood is going to do what Hollywood is going to do. But at least I get to peek in on the process. (huge grin) And for now I get to cash a pleasant check for my troubles. (win!) And should Jeff succeed in getting his project financed, I just might get to fly to L.A. and buy him a very expensive steak dinner. (mmm!)
Dr. Phil
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: Wednesday, 5 May 2010 18:46 (UTC)no subject
Date: Wednesday, 5 May 2010 18:57 (UTC)Dr. Phil
no subject
Date: Wednesday, 5 May 2010 19:46 (UTC)no subject
Date: Wednesday, 5 May 2010 20:53 (UTC)And thanks!
Dr. Phil
no subject
Date: Wednesday, 5 May 2010 22:08 (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, 6 May 2010 02:30 (UTC)Thanks.
Dr. Phil
no subject
Date: Thursday, 6 May 2010 02:42 (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, 6 May 2010 02:56 (UTC)Dr. Phil
no subject
Date: Wednesday, 5 May 2010 22:16 (UTC)Which just goes to show how little you know about how Hollywood works. By the time you get to the point of flying to L.A. to have dinner with Jeff, some studio will be footing the bill for your flights, hotel, dinner and per diem. Silly SF Writer!
P.S. Mondo Congratulations. This is indeed the height of coolness.
no subject
Date: Thursday, 6 May 2010 02:20 (UTC)Thanks. It'll be interesting, especially if Jeff can rattle any cages.
Dr. Phil
no subject
Date: Thursday, 6 May 2010 02:07 (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, 6 May 2010 02:26 (UTC)It's definitely an exciting development right out of left field.
Dr. Phil
no subject
Date: Thursday, 6 May 2010 03:47 (UTC)no subject
Date: Thursday, 6 May 2010 05:04 (UTC)Dr. Phil
Congratulations
Date: Thursday, 6 May 2010 03:55 (UTC)mattw
Re: Congratulations
Date: Thursday, 6 May 2010 05:16 (UTC)Dr. Phil
no subject
Date: Thursday, 6 May 2010 03:57 (UTC)xxo
no subject
Date: Thursday, 6 May 2010 05:20 (UTC)Dr. Phil
no subject
Date: Friday, 7 May 2010 05:33 (UTC)And so glad to know that you're authorized to discuss my money publicly on the Internet for me. I obviously don't pay you enough.
Dr. Phil
no subject
Date: Friday, 7 May 2010 17:14 (UTC)Feel free to delete my comment yourself next time if I goof again.
no subject
Date: Friday, 7 May 2010 17:33 (UTC)Dr. Phil
Anything ever happen with this?
Date: Thursday, 31 March 2011 18:08 (UTC)Re: Anything ever happen with this?
Date: Friday, 1 April 2011 01:28 (UTC)Dr. Phil