Check out the sample pages from my upcoming graphic novel, Spare Change, named after the controversial chapter from the film! I made great strides with the comic book conversion of the movie right after the screening at The Roxie. I wanted to take some downtime and figure out what was next for me and the movie. I did have some correspondence regarding distribution possibilities but I’m still considering the options which I will elaborate on later.
What’s more exciting is that my creativity is flowing again. I have been so engrossed with marketing and promotion that I really missed being the writer so I took the time to walk around the city for inspiration and think through things. This is the phase of my creative process when I say “yes” to everything and gallivant around town at night for adventure and new experiences. It’s not a good habit, actually, since it could be dangerous but that’s exactly what I need.
I’ve been researching other graphic novel prints and reading quite a bit of comics to reinvigorate my love for the medium. I’m really stoked and inspired. Speaking to distributors and publishers, they really like my concept and movie adaptation reversal so there is no rush. The interest is growing and the right time will come so it’s only a matter of the extent the book will take to properly complete.
Spare Change will be the first of six anthology editions focusing on Metatron’s storyline. Each chapter will dive deeper into the background of each character and fun facts behind obscure references in the movie. There’ll be a few other neat things about it but I’ll hold out and surprise everyone. Stay tuned!!
Deal Or No Deal
After the screening, I was messaged by a distribution label from LA offering me an opportunity to get my movie out on Amazon, iTunes, Netflix, HBOMax, and all kinds of crazy stuff. The guy basically found me on the roster for selections at SF IndieFest and pitched me to hire him as an agent. He wasn’t condescending when he explained the way it works in Hollywood but I played dumb and pretended to be intrigued when he said, “you just have to pay me $5,000 up front.”
This prompted me to call up another film distributor I met in Tucson, Arizona when my film showed there last September. The director of that festival also work for a distro and he told me what sort of deals they run. Learning that I can skip this agent guy and go directly to platforms, I decided to pay myself $5,000 and forego the Hollywood Rolodex for now in favor of going the indie route at this stage of the game.
To share some numbers, this is what the offer was: 10% of any distribution made (instead of ~25% that sales agents charge) with a $5,000 retainer, meaning if he gets me a $100,000 deal over 10 years, he would only be due $5,000 of that. Like a lawyer. My first reaction was, ‘oh hell nah.’ What I did find out is that most distro centers will take 20-30% with no money up front without any marketing (only platform distribution). That $5,000 could go toward publicity for promoting the film online so going direct to platforms sound like the best thing. So, expect the movie availability on Amazon and iTunes this summer as planned. And the comic will be done too!!