Sara Omran

New Creative Innovations in the Movie and TV Industry

By Russell Lee Oquist

The pandemic has had a major impact on many industries, as well as, our day to day lives. One of the industries that has been affected in a major way has been the Movie and TV production industries. Initially movies were very difficult to shoot due to the quarantines and restrictions on the gathering of groups. This is starting to change and it is easier to start making movies and TV productions with some careful following of the various guidelines and restrictions.

However, the traditional ways to make this industry profitable have also taken a hit. The financial risks of making movies and TV series are greater than ever and some of the traditional revenue streams are no longer available. For instance, the box office took a gigantic hit as the theaters have been closed for over a year now. Many believe that they will never fully recover. For instance, sales and rentals of Videos and DVDs keep going down. OTT (Over the Top Delivery Services) like NETFLIX, AMAZON, HULU, etc. are becoming very popular. However many believe that fewer “gate keepers” puts the independent producer in a weaker position.

Making movies is always a risk, but even when you have a successful movie the companies then need to move onto the next project and the risk factor starts all over again. Many production companies are looking to land a syndicated TV Series. When successful, this is often the most rewarding and secure line of profit for a production company. However, there is a great deal competition for being able to fill one of the networks key slots. The company needs to take the original concept and pitch it to the network and attach a show runner. If they can convince the executives that the concept is good, then they need to produce a pilot and hope that the network likes it and is willing to take the risk to commit to an entire season. If they are successful, then they can move ahead. If the idea is rejected anywhere in the process, then a lot of time and money have been lost.

As profitable as it has been to make a great movie (if it is successful, of course), a successful Syndicated TV Series is the gold standard for many producers. If you can produce a hit TV show you can have several years of profitable productions and residuals. Friends for example, a very successful sitcom that has developed a cult following in recent years is the 90’s. According LivingALot.com, the series brings in approximately $1 billion in residuals each year. The former stars of the show receive around two percent in residuals meaning the cast makes roughly $20 million just from the syndication. Even though several cast members, such as Jennifer Aniston and Lisa Kudrow, continue to work in film and TV, it’s safe to say they don’t need to.

If you create a great storyline with an intriguing set of characters and fill it all in with great writing and multiple twists in the storyline, you can have the consumer hooked and waiting for each new episode. Better still, when they can, they will “binge watch” the whole season as fast as possible. The Big Bang Theory for example, was able to receive one of the biggest syndication deals of all time. The network TBS paid CBS $1.5 million per episode to get it syndicated on their network. Fox broadcast paid $500,000 for each episode. This brought them a total of $2 million per episode back in 2010. While it is unclear how much the cast makes per episode, Jim Parson, who played Sheldon Cooper on the series, brings in about 10 million a year in residuals. You might say that a successful TV series is the Golden Goose.

Producer Frederico Lapenda has some creative solutions to facilitate production and conquer the financial challenges of the time. This is not surprising as Frederico has long been an innovator and a very creative and productive person. He is one of the founding fathers of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts and has largely been credited with the globalization of the MMA. Lapenda has produced 40 films and documentaries, numerous MMA events, video games and music concerts. One of his most significant recent accomplishments was along with Marvel Comics Founder, Stan Lee, the creation of Allies of the Amazon, a children’s book about the importance of the Amazon rainforest.

So it is not surprising that Mr. Lapenda is thinking “outside the box” to revitalize his company’s production capabilities. I recently had an interview with Mr. Lapenda at Paradigm Pictures’ office along with producing partner, Alex Sulla. Frederico revealed that he has devised a plan to make a series of movies and ultimately a syndicated TV series, with each step of the process funding the next step. The working title is Lafayette and this plan, while not without its challenges, nevertheless lays out step by step process which could pay big dividends.

Frederico outlined his plan as follows. He would set about making one movie every 3 months and selling it on the global market. The proceeds from the first movies would then provide the finances to make the subsequent films. The goal is to make a total of 13 90-minute movies (in a series of adventures). When these movies are completed, the production team would use the same materials trimmed down to make 13 episodes (45 minutes each) for a complete season of a TV series. The movies already financed the making of the TV series and the entire season could be used in the pitch to the networks for the season, so that everyone knew what they were getting. If this is successful, then the production team could soon start working on the 2nd season. The plan is to make the financial exposure covered as the project moves along, minimizing the financial risk and maximizing the potential. The plan provides for a continual flow of financing to cover the costs step by step.

I asked Frederico about the storyline and found that he was understandably vague about the details (after all, there is a lot of competition out there – and storylines are the fuel of the industry). But he did say that the story would take place at a University in Louisiana and that it would present a series of mysteries with supernatural elements. Louisiana’s history, with it’s mysterious swamps and the stories of New Orleans voodoo provides a perfect setting for these stories. The four main characters with very different backgrounds, nationalities and races will be forced to deal with the challenges and apparent attacks from evil forces on their school and community. As they do they will discover things about themselves which enables them to deal with the evil assaults. He didn’t say much about the characters, just that there will be two young females and two young males (in the 20s to 30s). He did reveal that he was already convinced that he has found the right person to play one of the female leads, Sara Omran.

Frederico told me, “I became aware of Sara Omran, due to her widely acclaimed performance in Mostafa Keshvari’s award-winning drama Unmasked (2018). She displayed an incredible depth and subtlety in how she conveyed her personality, character and the inner workings of the difficult choices she had to make as she faced incredibly difficult situations. Sara’s background (she is Iranian and Ukrainian), multi-lingual upbringing and immigrant status gives her a unique and insightful perspective on life. All of these elements will enrich her character in this TV series.

Lapenda’s producing partner Alex Sula did not tell me much about any of the other actors, only that they would likewise represent different cultures and ethnicities forming a cast of great diversity of excellent actors. He did not tell me about any of the other actors being considered, only that every element of this project will feature excellence which would combine to propel these movies and the subsequent TV series into a great success.

Lapenda and Sulla have chosen Louisiana as their film locations for very specific reasons. Louisiana has become an increasingly popular place to make movies. There is an abundance of professional people to man the crews, high quality equipment supply companies and virtually every type of support needed to make fully professional productions. There is another distinct benefit to making movies in Louisiana. The government will reimburse the movie producers 30% rebate of their expenses in the making of the films. So they told me that Louisiana was perfect for their production.

Lapenda did not give me a specific date about when this project will begin, but if everything goes well, it would start summer of 2021. So we will be watching to see how this ambitious project unfolds. If it is successful, the overall plan could indeed set forth a new way to make both movies and syndicated TV series to entertain and to make a profit.

Today’s reality of pandemics and fear of pandemics, where going out and doing things around the world has become increasingly uncertain; home entertainment has become increasingly important. The consumer has developed a virtually unsatiable appetite for entertainment and the vicarious excitement of other worlds and realities. The wise producer who can provide quality entertainment to fill this need can indeed survive these times and pave a lucrative path for the future.

Producer Frederico Lapenda

Alex Sulla