Ways to approach an OTT platform with a fiction book

OTT (Over-the-top media service) is an audio and video hosting and streaming service. The platform started as the content hosting platform. They soon began working as production houses. They started releasing short films, feature films, documentaries, and web series by themselves. The development of OTT has brought enormous changes to the entertainment industry.

 

During the coronavirus pandemic, the OTT platforms became the saviors of entertainment. The platforms brought well-deserving books on screen. The OTT platforms are the next golden age of films and TV. The platform has made watching movies very convenient, accessible, and affordable for a wide range of users across the Globe. Anyone with a mobile and internet connection can watch a film or web series from anywhere in the world. 

As per the tradition, avid film enthusiasts have to wait till Friday to watch a film. But that is not the case now. Users can now watch whatever they want in their homes. This is possible as Production houses can release new content almost every day on one and other OTT platforms. 

These OTT platforms offer a variety of content. They use AI (artificial intelligence) to suggest to viewers the content they are most likely to watch. These suggestions are given based on viewers’ past views on the platform. A monthly subscription fee is charged by most of the OTT platforms. However, many platforms offer free content but charge a subscription fee for premium content. The premium content is those films or web series produced and marketed by the OTT platforms themselves. It is done in association with other established production houses. Over the past few years, OTT platforms have been bringing well-deserving fiction books to the small screen.

What is the process for Amazon, Netflix, and Hotstar? 

Things changed with the entrance of global streaming platforms like Netflix, Hotstar, and Amazon Prime. These platforms are different from traditional production houses because they look for additional source materials. The content game has been modified because of the entry of these companies. Netflix, for example, looks very actively for good books as source material. It’s evident from web series like Sacred Games how much importance they give to stories with a depth of writing.

Nowadays, most new streaming entrants are looking for stories in the form of published books. You can have access to a considerable reservoir of content on these OTT platforms for an entire month at the cost of buying one Paperback book. In India, OTTs cost around Rs. 100-200 monthly for a mobile user, and the majority of the paperback books cost much more than this. The average content on an OTT platform is around 22-50 minutes for an episode (series) and 90-150 minutes for a movie. On the other hand, a book with 200 -240 pages at average speed probably takes 240-600 minutes. So it also largely depends on the reading speed. 

The process for OTT platforms like Amazon, Netflix, and Hotstar is approaching them through a licensed literary agent. Netflix, for example, only accepts submissions through an authorized literary agent. It also accepts submissions from a producer, attorney, manager, or entertainment executive but only with whom they have a pre-existing relationship. Any idea submitted by other means is thus considered an unsolicited submission.

Also, all content submitted through Prime Video Direct is made available at the sole discretion of Amazon. Before a licensing decision is made, it assesses your submission through a series of automated and manual reviews. This can take up to three weeks. However, just the request for your content doesn’t guarantee the selection.

You will succeed only if you learn from your mistakes. Thus, the best way to approach OTT platforms is that if one OTT platform rejects you and gives you feedback, you must work on it before pitching your show to another platform. This undoubtedly increases your chances of selection. 

The most important task is to deliver a particular story with the right producer. Once that happens, the producer will develop and package the project. If a good book ends up with the wrong producer, it becomes challenging to salvage it. The task for the director and writer gets complicated if the producer makes terrible choices.

Some earlier Movies/Series based on books from these platforms

These are some popular Books that created a huge fan base when they came alive on screen with these OTT platforms:

The Mysterious Benedict Society: Trenton Lee Stewart

This is an adventure series based on the young adult book series. It made its debut on Disney+ on June 25, 2021. It is a Story of a group of gifted orphans recruited by an eccentric benefactor to go on a secret mission. These children are on a mission to stop the secret messages transmitted into people’s minds through television and radio signals.

Sacred Games: Vikram Chandra

This crime drama series is an Indian show. It streamed on Netflix and took no time to gain immense popularity among Indian viewers. The novel of the same name was adapted into India’s first Netflix original series in 2006. The series starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Saif Ali Khan spans out after a police officer gets a mysterious call from a gangster who assigns the police to save Mumbai city in 25 days.

Leila: Prayaag Akbar

This Netflix series is set in a dystopian land. It follows the story of a mother that goes on a mission to find her missing daughter in a totalitarian regime. The series stars actor Huma Qureshi in the lead role and Siddharth, Rahul Khanna, Sanjay Suri in the pivotal roles.

Gossip Girl: Cecily von Ziegesar

It was made after the popular original series headlined by Blake Lively. Its earlier series was relaunched by WarnerMedia’s streaming service, HBO Max. This10-episode series premiered in July 2021.

The Pursuit of Love: Nancy Mitford

This novel, written by Nancy Mitford, is part of a trilogy that focuses on an upper-class English family. It is Set in the interwar period. The story explores the romantic life of Linda Radlett, which is narrated by her cousin, Fanny Logan. 

What does the contract for a movie adaptation in Netflix look like? 

A discussion on the adaptation of books for the screen, especially the web series on the OTT platforms like Netflix, seems very interesting. Book adaptations are a must-watch whether it’s turned into a movie or an OTT series. Some people always say that the book is better. However, sometimes experiencing the screen adaptations becomes almost irresistible, even if it is to analyze the work critically. 

Although films try to fit in the vast subject in books in a few hours, a movie screening gives the makers space to do justice to the original work. The most exciting thing is that many people read the book after watching the series.

Netflix works with content providers, distributors, producers, and creators to acquire licensing for TV shows and movies so that it can stream on our service. However, there can be a few different reasons when content is unavailable for streaming. For example, the content rights might be currently exclusive to another company.

 

If the folks at Netflix are interested in a movie deal with you, they will negotiate directly with your distributor or sales agent. Most deals usually pay a licensing fee for one or two years. If the agreement is accepted, you will need to provide your agent with the necessary content, video files, and artwork.

 

Top 10 production houses that accept manuscripts in India and the movies they are known for:

The idea of screen adaptations of books is not a new one. Many mythological stories such as Ramayana have been adapted as TV shows and films for decades. Moreover, many agencies have been pursuing screen adaptations for the past few years. But what is now becoming common is taking the screen adaptation business from mere agenting to curating content strategy.

• Bollywood UTV Motion Pictures/ Disney UTV

UTV Motion Pictures is also known as Disney. It was founded in 1996 by Ronnie Screwvala and Zarina Screwvala. It is s headquartered in Mumbai. Its parent company is The Walt Disney Company India.

It has a collection of 3900.140 crore INR. It came up with its first-ever Hindi movie in 1997. They are the producers of the highest-grossing Indian film, “Dangal” worldwide. This blockbuster movie earned almost 2,024 crores in INR worldwide. It has also produced some mind-blowing films like “The blue umbrella .”It has been awarded the national prize as the best children-oriented movie. It has also produced many other box office hits such as PK, Rang De Basanti, Chennai Express, Barfi, and Jagga Jasoos.

• Fox Star Studios

Fox Star Studios, founded in March 2008, has the same parent company as UTV Motion Pictures, which is The Walt Disney Company India. Vijay Singh was the CEO of the production in 2008. 

Their first movie was Khichdi by Aatish Kapadia. It was released in the year 2010. This production house’s two best-earning movies were Sanju and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. It gained popularity worldwide. Chhichhore, a movie by Nitesh Tiwari, was awarded a Rajat Kamal National award. Its other famous movies are- Total Dhamaal, Housefull 4, and Chhapaak, to name a few.

• Eros International

Eros International Media Ltd., also known as Eros India, was founded in 1977 in Mumbai. Kishore Lulla and Arjun Lulla founded it. ErosSTX is its Parent Company. Two of its factions are- Eros Music and Trinity Pictures.

“Waqt,” directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah in 2005, is their first release. Since then, it has been the creator of blockbusters such as “Bajrangi Bhaijaan .”The distributor share of this movie crossed 150 crore INR. This movie has achieved many more milestones and fame for this production house. Other famous films like Bajirao Mastani, Hero, and Bajrangi Bhaijaan have received many Filmfare awards.

• Dharma Productions

Dharma Productions is a trendy production house created by Yash Johar in 1979. It is based in Mumbai. The first film produced by this house was Raj Khosla’s very famous movie “Dostana .”However, after the death of Yash Johar in the year 2004, his Son Karan Johar and a skilled director took over.

Karan Johar’s debut direction, “Kuch Kuch Hota Hain,” in 1998 brought this Production house phenomenal success. It is said to be the highest-grossing film of the production house. Karan Johar’s “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gam” is a movie that brought the production great success yet again. 

• T-Series Super Cassettes Industries Ltd

Gulshan Kumar founded it in 1983. T-Series is the largest music record label in India. It started with a musical romance movie, Aashiqui, in 1990. Initially, T-Series’ highest-grossing movie was Bhool Bhulaiyya. However, it has also produced blockbusters like Kabir Singh, Airlift, and many more. 

Tamil

• Raaj Kamal Films International

The Universal actor Kamal Haasan owns this top Tamil production house. It also started as a distributor in 1981. Its top movies are Hey Ram, Uttama Villain, and Vishwaroopam.

Andhra

• Arka Media Works

 It is one of the biggest production companies in Tollywood. Shobu Yarlagadda has established in the year 2001 in Hyderabad. Its most prestigious film is Baahubali. They have produced many blockbuster movies like Vedam, Maryada Ramanna, Baahubali-The Beginning, and The Conclusion. It has also received The Nandi Award for Best Feature Film for Vedam. It has also received awards for Best Popular Feature Film for Maryada Ramanna.

Malayalam industries

• Aashirvad Cinemas (AVD)

Mohanlal and Antony Perumbavoor founded it. It is Kerela’s leading production company. They started the company with the Mohanlal viral film ‘Narasimham .’It became a top hit of the year and made a record by running for 200 days in the theaters. Ravanaprabhu and Rasathanthram are some of their other early ventures. They also produced another National Award-winning movie Spirit in 2012. Recently, they created the picture ‘Drishyam .’It was a huge hit and made a record collection of 75 crores at the box office. 

Hollywood

• Warner Bros. Entertainment

Warner Bros. Entertainment is a Hollywood production house founded in 1923. It has created some of the best movies. Its movies have innovated the industry, such as “The Jazz Singer.” It is an unstoppable production company that has not only created some fantastic film franchises. They are Harry Potter and the Batman.

• Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group

This production house is a division of Sony Entertainment. This production house is a part of the giant Sony conglomerate. The studio’s largest subsidiary is Columbia Pictures, acquired in 1989 from Coca-Cola. Their other divisions are:

• TriStar Pictures
• Screen Gems
• Sony Pictures Classics
• Sony Pictures Animation
• Destination Films
• Affirm Films

The genres these production houses accept 

OTT Platforms have brought many well-deserving fiction books to the small screen. There will soon be new book adaptations hitting the OTT platforms. To name a few, there is ‘Cherry’ based on the book by Nico Walker, ‘Shadow and Bone’, based on books by Leigh Bardugo, and ‘The Last Letter from Your Lover,’ based on the book by Jojo Moyes. Nowadays, people are using their creative writing as a whole to move towards the screen, be it film, television, or OTT platform. OTT platforms have turned fiction books into a commercial power.

The genres that Indian filmmakers prefer are late biographies. This is because they have been in great demand. They are also open to adapting literary works in different genres. However, a good thriller, horror, or mystery always makes for a good adaptation. They prefer a good story, one that would work with the audience.

More and more writers are now trying to make their books accessible to the audience through OTT platforms. However, authors write stories that inspire and motivate them. The OTT platforms have hardly any influence on how or what the authors write. Book adaptations do not generally depend on the commercial success of the book. It does not matter how many copies the book has sold as long as the story is attractive and compelling. An excellent and enthralling story typically works in any medium.

There are a lot of books that don’t make it to the screen because the trader is not ready for a project of that scale and genre. Thus, timing is very important. Some stories need huge budgets and highly skilled producers to execute a task. The book is simply the source of the story. It has to evolve into a project with the proper screenplay, director, actors, and rest of the crew working together. 

People involved in the production house 

A production house consists of a team of people with different talents who pool in their resources and use them to produce the best piece of art. A production house is that organization that gets a movie made. It consists of the following members.

Producer

This person is essentially the group leader. He is the one responsible for managing the production from the beginning to the end. The producer initiates the project from the initial idea and ensures that the script is finalized. He also arranges the financing and manages the production team that makes the film. The producer also coordinates the filmmaking process to ensure that everyone involved in the project is working on their scheduled time and the decided budget. The movies cannot get made without the producer at the helm.

 

Director

The one who is primarily responsible for overseeing the shooting and assembly of a film is the director. The director can be said to be a film’s primary visionary. However, they would not be able to make the film without the help of various other artists, technicians, and supporting staff. Although, it is inextricably linked with many other people who work together to get the job done.

 

Screenwriter

The dialogue in a film may seem very natural to the viewer. However, it is the writer that carefully crafts it. Also, the screenwriter does far more than provide dialogues for the actors. He ensures that one scene transitions to the next logically and interestingly. As the producer, the viewers also generally overlook the screenwriter’s role. We must remember that if there is no script, there is no movie.

 

Production Designer

The production designer is the first artist to translate the script into a visual form even before shooting. They create numerous storyboards that serve as the film’s first draft. It shows the visual progression of the story from one scene to the next. This also ensures the visual continuity of the movie from beginning to end. It becomes a template to follow during the editing process.

 

Art Director

The art director is responsible for the film’s settings, like the landscapes and the interiors that provide the physical context for the characters. In addition, this person is responsible for acquiring props, decorating sets, and making the settings look natural.

 

Costume Designer

Costumes convey a great deal about the film’s period and the characters who wear them, including their economic status, occupation, and social background.

 

Cinematographer

The Cinematographer is responsible for capturing the entire film or video. He is the one who pays attention to lighting and the camera’s technical capabilities.

 

Editor

The editors choose which shots to use and the order to place them. As a result, they have a very profound impact on the appearance of the final film.

 

Actors

Actors hold the most significant responsibility for portraying the characters in a film. Thus, the Actors job is much more complicated than just appearing on the set and reciting lines. 

 

Music Supervisor

Music has always been an integral part of movies since the beginning. Just selecting the right music for the film intensifies the story for the audience.

 

When everyone works together, the filmmaking process turns out to be fun and straightforward. Using these team roles for the production house, creating a film is made more authentic.

 

Conclusion

The book must be picked by one of the best production houses in the country. The result for the same film could probably be different if the production house is weaker. The essential things for the success of any project are development and talent packaging. The key to success is that stories or books need to develop into good projects.