Q&A: UNION PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPERS
LA-based Union Entertainment is a feature film and videogame talent management and production company that's been representing game development talent for years, helping them sell their own projects or securing work for hire projects. But not everyone is aware that Union occasionally synchs up with DAM to the benefit of developers and publishers alike.We took a few minutes to chat with Union president Richard Leibowitz about how the process works and how developers can take advantage of Union's and DAM's combined efforts.
DAM: I know you're also working with DAM (Digital Artist Management) occasionally in ways that could benefit the readers of our e-newsletter. Can you discuss the nature of the relationship you have with DAM?
Leibowitz: Gladly. The founders of DAM and I all worked together at a company a while ago, so we've known each other for a long time and over the years have found ways to work together. Essentially, DAM is a company that represents individual talent; we represent groups of people -- development companies. Oftentimes DAM will know that a few great developers wish to team up to form their own company; we will work with DAM to help establish that team and get that team their first project. In turn, as we establish those teams or ones from our own sources, we call DAM to help round out and grow the teams. For instance, while representing John Tobias -- who was one of the creators of "Mortal Kombat" -- we helped John and his partners establish Studio Gigante in Chicago with a deal from Microsoft to develop "Tao Feng: Fist Of The Lotus." Once established, we asked DAM to help SG find the individual talent it needed to make and deliver the game.
DAM: So this is a reciprocal arrangement you have with DAM …
Leibowitz: Yes, the way I look at it is they specialize in individuals and we specialize in teams. Occasionally, people will call me and say, "I don't really like where I'm working and I want to go do something else." Well, I'm not really the best person to help them figure out what they want to do and how to get there, so I'll refer them to Andy [Cheren] and T.J. [Summers] at DAM; they'll help them find a new place to go to.
DAM: What would you say to readers, particularly developers, who would like to take advantage of the combined efforts that you are making with DAM? How would they go about doing that?
Leibowitz: If they have a core group of very talented individuals -- say, programmers, designers, artists, and animators, as well as a business person, perhaps a producer -- then whether it’s through DAM or through us, we can work together to establish that group and to find them a development project with a publisher with which to initially fund and establish themselves as an independent development company.
DAM: And if we’re talking about just an individual, not a group of developers …
Leibowitz: Well, in my experience, you can’t start a company with just a single individual, so in that case, I’d recommend that they go to DAM who will help them find a new company to go work for.
DAM: Do you have any ongoing projects right now that you’re working on with DAM that you can discuss?
Leibowitz: Absolutely. A group of individuals in Phoenix recently contacted DAM and said they want to start their own company. That group now calls itself TimeFly Studios. DAM referred TimeFly to us and we’re now working to help TimeFly secure its first project with a publisher.
DAM: So if someone doesn’t know which team to go to -- DAM or Union -- they’ll pretty much be steered in the right direction regardless which one they call?
Leibowitz: Yes. The great part about the relationship we have with DAM is we both know what we do best and we have no problem referring someone or some team from one to the other.
DAM: So far we’ve just talked about start-ups … but you also work with established developers and represent them in their dealings with publishers, don’t you? How does that work?
Leibowitz: Definitely. Every developer is in a constant search for projects and we help them find and secure those projects. For instance, Artificial Mind and Movement is a company in Montreal for whom we’ve helped secure projects in the past, like “Scooby-Doo” with THQ and “Teen Titans” with Majesco. Another example is Epicenter Studios in Sherman Oaks, CA. Epicenter is developing an original project called “Real Heroes: Firefighter” that we recently helped Epicenter sell to Conspiracy Entertainment.
DAM: So are you acting as an agent the way an agent would represent a movie star on an ongoing basis? Or are you acting as a matchmaker for, say, just one or two deals?
Leibowitz: Just as the film agents and managers have long-term relationships with their clients, we’d love to have the same kind of relationship with developers and help them develop all the deals for their studio. But, truth be told, whereas film agents represent individual talent that want or need the agent to develop all their business, game developers are often set up with their own business people to source projects. In addition, publishers typically call developers direct; film studios rarely, if ever, call talent direct. It’s tough for a game development company to relinquish all control of this development to an agent.
DAM: So you don’t have ongoing agent-like relationships with any developers?
Leibowitz: Yes, we do have those sorts of deals with some developers -- usually with the smaller or younger ones that demand more of our time and attention. But not all developers, especially the larger and more established ones, like that sort of relationship, so we have to work within the framework that they pose to us. As much as possible, I would love to have a developer under contract for as long a time period as possible, but if I can’t get that all the time, so be it; we will leave it up to our successes to prolong the relationship. If we’re able to get a developer one project, they’re probably going to want us to help them a second time … and then a third and a fourth. So we have flexible relationships depending on the needs of the developers.
DAM: The video games industry seems to be using a lot of writing talent these days to create quality storylines for games, much of it from Hollywood. Is that something that Union gets involved in also?
Leibowitz: Absolutely. We have a roster of great writing talent that includes some of the best writers in the business, people like Flint Dille and John Platten who wrote “Chronicles of Riddick” for Vivendi, Sean O’Keefe and Will Staples who wrote “Lair” for Sony, Paul Jenkins who wrote “The Darkness” for 2K Games, and others. All of the guys I mentioned also write and/or direct feature films.
DAM: Maybe you can comment on the “convergence” trend -- turning games into movies and movies into games. You have a film division within Union Entertainment. Is that what that division does?
Leibowitz: Union develops content in the best manner possible. What I mean by that is that if we have a concept that is great for a game, we’ll develop it as a game. If we have a concept that’s great for a film, we’ll develop it as a film. It’s whatever the content dictates. Obviously, the goal is to develop something that we can release simultaneously as a film and a game. A good example is a project called “Zero G.” The high concept screamed summer tent-pole, so we partnered with Temple Hill Entertainment and The Gotham Group and sold the project to Fox. As the film goes into pre-production, we’ll work with our partners, with Fox, and with game development talent to make the best game possible, hoping to release it day and date with the movie.
DAM: In that instance, you would seek out a developer or a publisher who would be interested in that project?
Leibowitz: Yes. What we’re doing with that project now on the game side is similar to what we did with “The Darkness.” We have the original concept document, we’ll attach both a great writer and developer, and then, all together as a package, go to a publisher and say that for X number of dollars we can make this game and release it on this date.
DAM: So, in effect, you’re acting as a middleman or as a matchmaker.
Leibowitz: I would call that a producer.
DAM: What would you say to the readers of this e-newsletter? How can they take advantage of all of these services that you offer?
Leibowitz: The most important thing for us is talent. If you are great at what you do and have other great people to team up with, then there is an opportunity to establish a new development company, create content, or both.
DAM: So if someone has these talents, they should just contact you and see if there’s some sort of deal you can do?
Leibowitz: Right!
Salary negotiations are a dance. There are times when the sparks fly and you're making out with your dance partner right there on the dance floor. And, sadly, there are other times when you're stepping all over each other's feet.
>> Q&A: Opportunities For Developers In Virtually A Whole New Industry
The concept of "virtual worlds" is a familiar one inside the game's industry but is just now becoming familiar to businesses outside. They're just now catching onto how VWs can strengthen their communications externally with customers and business partners, and internally with employees. That means opportunities for VW-savvy developers looking for business -- or jobs -- outside of gaming.
>> Not Everyone Feels The Crunch
Game developers know certain things are inevitable -- software bugs that need exterminating, for example. And schedules that invariably lead to excruciating crunch times.
>> THE IMPORTANCE OF PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES
In today’s information age, it is not uncommon for companies to run background checks prior to extending an offer. Even more common (and almost the rule), hiring managers will want to speak with your previous supervisors and co-workers to assess your suitability for their position. Since a formal offer will most likely hinge on a successful reference check, keep the following points in mind so you don’t let that opportunity for career progression pass you by.
>> THE BUSINESS OF MMOGS: ARE SUBSCRIPTIONS PASSÉ?
While the majority of MMOGs in the U.S. still earn their keep by collecting monthly fees, the classic subscription business model is no longer a knee-jerk reaction for most domestic publishers of new massive-multiplayer online games.
>> INTEL GROWING VISUAL COMPUTING DEVELOPER COMMUNITY
Intel’s Visual Computing Developer Community has a newly redesigned Web site that the company is recommending as a really helpful destination for game builders seeking advice or anxious to share their expertise.
Last month, we discussed how, over the years, the team here at DAM has encountered job seekers of all flavors. And we focused on the top five mistakes made by job seekers.
>> Q&A: UNION PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPERS
LA-based Union Entertainment is a feature film and videogame talent management and production company that's been representing game development talent for years, helping them sell their own projects or securing work for hire projects. But not everyone is aware that Union occasionally synchs up with DAM to the benefit of developers and publishers alike.
>> QUALITY OF LIFE? DOES ANYONE STILL GIVE A DAMN?
It's been exactly 3-1/2 years since EA_Spouse -- née Erin Hoffman -- wrote her open letter to the games industry and focused a laser-like light on the oppressive working conditions that her fiancé and, by extension, the rest of the development community endured. "Quality of life" (QoL) became the buzzword du jour and unionization the hottest topic around studio water coolers.
>> Top 5 Mistakes Made by Job Seekers
Over the years, the team here at DAM has encountered job seekers of all flavors -- from the "timid, one-word answer" guy to the "you're lucky I've even agreed to talk to you" guy.
>> Q&A: SPARKPLAY READIES ‘EARTH ETERNAL’
The success of the games industry has lead to a growing number of small studios forming with the help of venture-capital or private equity. One of those is San Francisco-based SparkPlay Media which is developing an unusual MMOG that is designed to use some of the more popular social networks as customer acquisition tools.
>> CASUAL GAMES LOOK TO AD-SUPPORTED 'TV MODEL'
Some may recall a time not so very long ago when it didn't cost a red cent to watch television. Advertisers funded everyone's home entertainment and the only price you paid to watch your favorite sitcom was having to sit through the commercials.
>> iPhone: Savior Of Gaming? Or Apple’s Marketing Mastery At Play?
On March 6, Apple’s 2.2-GB iPhone SDK was publicly released, complete with a Steve Jobs-fronted presentation detailing all the bells and whistles.
>> 'SIN CITY' VIDEO GAME GOES STRAIGHT TO THE SOURCE
Some films seem so perfect for converting to video games that one wonders why it never happened. Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill," for example.
>> 'IRON MAN,' 'HULK,' 'ALIEN' POWER SEGA'S REINVENTION
It's no mean feat powering up from being video game publisher No. 14 in 2004 to becoming the industry's sixth largest third-party publisher today. But Sega of America is tasting that success. Industry analysts credit its president and COO since 2005, Simon Jeffery, as the force behind the company's struggle to reinvent itself.
>> WHAT NEXT AFTER CARIBBEAN PIRATES? BRUCKHEIMER BETS ON VIDEO GAMES AND THE MIDDLE EAST
Given the current state of world affairs, Iran is probably not the most ideal setting for a family-friendly, big-screen blockbuster. But refer to it, instead, as "Persia" (its former name), set it back 2,500 years or so, and base it on a popular video game brand, and what have you got? Exactly the sort of creation producer Jerry Bruckheimer might envision as his next major project.
>> AND THE AWARD FOR BEST VIDEO GAME WRITING IS ...
[NOTE: This article was written in early February, before "Dead Head Fred" won the WGA award on Feb. 7th.]
Awards for the best video game writing? Isn't that an oxymoron? Aren't video games about jumping, shooting, running, shooting, and -- more shooting?
>> GDC 2008 & The State Of Independence
This year's GDC event at the San Francisco Moscone Center seemed to focus more on the little guys than the big boys, with indie and casual games like Fez and Crayon Physics Deluxe inspiring the specialist press moreso than your Gears Of Wars and your Street Fighters. (At least that's what they told me during after-show drinks).
>> Q&A: Boon Or Boondoggle: Tips For A Successful GDC
GDC season is upon us again. Time for booth duty, seminars, new gadgets, renewing acquaintances, meeting people, and parties galore.
>> WBIE On Developer Shopping Spree
When it comes to large media companies playing in the video games sector, the two most aggressive contenders are clearly Walt Disney Co. as No. 1 and Warner Bros. as No. 2. Both are spending a lot of money and moving quickly.
>> Q&A: From SONY To Startup
Best known for creating the “Twisted Metal” and “God Of War” series at Sony, David Jaffe is now co-founder and creative director at seven-month-old indie developer Eat Sleep Play. Why does anyone leave a cushy job after 14 years at Sony to become an indie? We took a few minutes to chat with David to get some answers.
>> Game Developers Expect Credit Where Credit Is Due
Imagine working on a blockbuster film for 2-1/2 years and then being left out of the movie's end credits. It's not likely to happen because union contracts dictate giving credit where credit is due.
>> NBC Uni's Move Into Vid Game Ads Augurs Trend
When Microsoft bought the in-game advertising network Massive in 2006, it was said that the purchase validated the business of selling ads inside video games. But Microsoft was already in the games business, of course, and knew full well the value of in-game ads..
