The Next Money Making Musical Remake

Written By Talia Moore/DT Productions

100 Greatest Film Source

This list could go on and we could have many great debates about what’s the next hottest musical movie remake! Within recent years, Chicago, Moulin Rouge, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Dreamgirls, Hairspray, and now the most recent successful, High School Musical 1-3 says something about how are culture is readapting to musical films.

The viewing audience is become attracted to the catchy tunes, elevated plot lines, and the remake of old classic musicals to modern film. Here, I have listed the top 10 musicals of all time. Without a doubt some have been remade to fit modern day style, but to often the remake of the original musical loses the magic that we remember, or often fail to attempt to stay within the storyline of our original favorites. Only few have been successful at remaking an original musical, and it being wildly successful, or just as good as the original screenplay.

So, what musical from this list deserves a modern day makeover that is worthy or equal to the great success of the original musical screenplay? Well, that for you to decide, the fans who support these musicals and keep them #1 in the box office. I don’t believe chivalry is dead when it comes to old musicals, I believe we must continue to revise the musical for our times with fresh talent, and concepts that support today’s audience, yet with yesterdays filming simplicities.

So, viewing audience please let us know which of these movie musicals are worthy to be called, “The Next Money Making Musical Remake!”

1. Grease (1978)

“Grease is the word!” Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta rock it up as an unlikely high school couple – she the preppy goody two shoes, he the wise-cracking rebel. Still as popular today as it was when it was first released in the late 70s, entire generations of fans can still sing along to every word…”Oh, Sandy…”.

2. The Sound Of Music (1965)

The Christmas TV movie of the millennium concerns the Von Trapp family and their governess Maria. Julie Andrews gives a career-defining performance as the lapsed nun with the big voice, who marries her boss and then helps the family to escape from the Nazis. The movie has some truly brilliant songs, including Edelweiss and Do-Re-Mi, and Andrews has the power to melt even the hardest of hearts.

3. The Wizard Of Oz (1939)

Judy Garland and Toto take us on a magical and scary trip around Oz and teach us that “there’s no place like home”. Dorothy is swept away in a tornado and taken to the land of Oz, where she embarks on a quest to find the wizard who might send her home. Along the way, she meets a cowardly Lion, a brainless Scarecrow and a Tin Man without a heart. Filmed against a background of arguments and numerous rewrites, The Wizard Of Oz, is near flawless and contains one of Hollywood’s most famous songs, Somewhere Over The Rainbow.

4. West Side Story (1961)

Romeo and Juliet is transposed onto the gangs of New York in this classic musical. Two rival gangs, the Sharks and the Jets, do battle whilst two members from each side fall in love. With amazing dance routines choreographed by Jerome Robbins and socially relevant songs, West Side Story lives long in the memory.

5. Mary Poppins (1964)

Julie Andrews stars as the magical Nanny Mary Poppins, who drops into the existence of a conventional British family and opens their eyes to a world of fun and fantasy. Also starring Dick Van Dyke, with his now legenedary �cockney accent� as the chirpy chimney sweep, the Disney film has some classic numbers and continues to be a firm family favourite.

6. Singin’ In The Rain (1952)

Gloriously exuberant and abidingly popular musical from the 1950s heyday. Stanley Donen’s film sets the Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds romance against the fascinating backdrop of the coming of sound in movies. The title song is one of the most famous of all musical numbers of all time and who can forget the image of Gene Kelly dancing in the rain to it.

7. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)

The ultimate audience participation movie. Richard O’Brien’s cult musical tribute to Hollywood’s horror B-movies is rocket powered by Tim Curry’s performance as the crazed Dr Frank N Furter. Hosting a convention of alien deviants at his Ohio castle, the transvestite doctor unveils his latest creation, a love machine called Rocky Horror. Great rock’n'roll, great characters, great musical.

8. Chicago (2002)

Classy, entertaining film version of the hit West End and Broadway musical, with stunning performances from some of Hollywood’s biggest stars: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere and Renée Zellweger. Walked away with some of the biggest prizes at the 2002 Oscars, despite stiff competition from The Pianist and Gangs Of New York. No one seemed more pleased than CZJ, for whom this may turn out to be her finest cinematic hour.

9. Oliver! (1968)

Much loved adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel about social injustice amongst Victorian London’s street urchins. Little Oliver Twist is famous for asking for “more”, and that is certainly what legendary Brit director Carol Reed gives us in this film – 153 minutes of elaborate sets, knees up choreography, memorable songs and lively characters.

10. Moulin Rouge (2001)

With luxurious hues, stunning costumes and unrelenting pace Moulin Rouge is a treat for the senses. The recreation of the notorious Parisian venue is the setting for a tragic love story between lowly poet Christian (Ewan McGregor) and Satine (Nicole Kidman), the beautiful courtesan. The unique mix of popular ballads and timeless show tunes combined with the powerful lead performances and fantastical imagery make Baz Luhrmann’s Oscar-winning musical an escapists dream.

Agent and Agency List

Any one seeking an agent should first write or telephone the agency and find out whether or not your a good match. Each agency specializes in representing certain types of material. Some agencies have specialized divisions. You should briefly — very briefly! — detail your background and describe your material. The agency will let you know whether or not it is interested in the material and to whom you should send it.

Most agencies, as a courtesy to writers, will return material sent to them if a self-addressed stamped envelope accompanies the submission. However, if you’re submission is not returned for any reason, you should know that the agency has no obligation to do so.

Which is why we strongly recommend that you register your script before sending it to anyone.

Production Company E-mail list

Film Production Company E-mail List

Please note this e-mail list is used for reference only

DT Productions has no claim or connection to the companies listed

You are free to contact at your own will.

3 Ring Circus Films
filmcircus@aol.com

3am Pictures
query@3ampictures.com

3rd Coast Digital Films, Inc.
Coastfilm@aol.com
www.3cdf.com

AC Works
acwrks@aol.com

Action America Entertainment
actionamerica@bigfoot.com

Addis Films, Michael
mikeaddis@loop.com

http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/2920

AEI-Atchity Edit./Ent. Intl. Inc.
webaei@aol.com

http://www.aeionline.com

Affrime Productions, Mindy
minaffrime@aol.com

A-films
datk@aol.com

Why Invest in a Movie?

by James Jaeger

A movie is the best investment one can make for the up-side potential vs. the risk. They’re better than real estate, blue chip stocks, gold, silver, precious stones, income-producing rental properties, futures, treasuries, international currencies . . . better than anything, with the possible exception of investing in your own education and spiritual enlightenment.

There simply is no business with manufacturing capital entry requirements as low as motion pictures where the potential return can be as unlimited over the short, medium and long terms. For instance, a movie such as HALLOWEEN, costing as little as $320,000 to produce, earned $75,000,000 and it does not stop earning money – for a lifetime. RETURN OF THE SECACUS 7 cost only $60,000 and grossed $2,500,000. BENJI cost $550,000 and grossed $45,000,000; NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD cost $114,000 and grossed $40,000,000, GRIZZLY cost $700,000 and grossed $31,000,000, DAWN OF THE DEAD cost $700,000 and grossed $55,000,000 and BLAIR WITCH PROJECT costs $5,000 and grossed over $150,000,000. And just when we thought nothing could top BLAIR WITCH, along comes MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING which was produced for about $1.5 million as an independent film (turned down by all the studios for financing I might add) and it has so far generated over $200,000,000 and it hasn’t even hit home video or foreign yet. There are thousands of other examples where the return was at least three times anything done by securities listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the S&P 500 or the NASDAQ.

5 Tips To Help You Become A Film Producer

EZINE

Here are the 5 important skills one needs to develop to become a successful film producer:

The first and fore most important skill you need is organization. If you were the kid who kept the minutes of the club meetings, edited the yearbook, or organized the prop-closet by era, you already have this skill. It is something that is very difficult and hard to teach, but you can certainly learn it, to become more organized.

If you are the person who can’t find his or her keys and has no idea how much is in your checking account, you need help. Get organized. There is simply no proxy for it.

Read books like “How to Get Organized When You Don’t Have The Time,” by Stephanie Culp and many more books available on Amazon. You get, at least, some idea about it. Or do whatever you have to do, but just get organized.

The second important skill you need is ability to make decisions quickly. Despite the best planning, things change moment-to-moment during film production. You will have to decide right on the spot whether to set up the next shot despite the looming storm clouds, or to move on to another location, completely distracting the schedule. Whatever but you will have to take right decision at right time.

One of the best ways to develop this skill is to completely bury your doubt. Know that you are the boss, and any mistakes to be made are yours to make and you will suffer the consequences of wrong decisions. If you act decisively, and accept responsibility when necessary, your team will accept your decisions unquestioningly.

Be a good negotiator. This is the third important skill you need to develop. You will have to make deals for every single thing on the set or on location – the equipment, the set properties, the crew, the film stock, everything. Everything will have to be negotiated. When negotiating rates, you can easily save 15 percent or so off what you expected to pay for almost anything in any branch of filmmaking.

There is one important thing you need to know when negotiating: You can always say no. If you can’t get the deal you want, simply say no. Practice it. No. Just make it clear that you will take your offer elsewhere.

Want to Become a TV or Film Producer?

Better Learn the Art of Making a Deal

EMORY.EDU

“There are a gazillion great ideas out there, but it comes down to who you can get to buy into your product,” says Tracey Baker-Simmons, the co-owner of Atlanta-based B2 Entertainment Studios, LLC who has produced such shows as “Being Bobby Brown.” “This is business and you have to consider to whom you’re pitching your idea, which audience they attract and who you can get attached to your project to make it more viable.”

Baker-Simmons, for example, was able to get Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston to agree to a show about their lives. While the show took only a little over three months to film, crafting a deal took twice as long.

The deal, Baker-Simmons explains, is the business behind the glamour and it’s the hard work and detail that can make or break a TV show or film before it ever comes to light on the screen. Art aside, Baker-Simmons stresses, “this industry is 80% business and 20% creative.”

According to Baker-Simmons, the business acumen stretches beyond creative projects, and begins with selecting a professional team, which includes an agent, attorney, etc, with years of experience who embrace her company’s vision. We spent a lot of time interviewing for our professional team and we checked references,” she explains. “We also made a decision to select a team that had a presence in Los Angeles and New York because those cities are essential in the industry and having representation there makes a big difference.”

As for the creative aspect, Baker-Simmons says an idea is merely the starting point. “The first thing networks and studios consider is how a project will fit into their network, film or theater.”

Therefore it’s vital that would-be producers thoroughly research a potential client to whom they will pitch their idea. Why? “Because the buyer needs to satisfy his or her client, such as advertisers, and make money,” she says.

Pitch Your Script

Pitching a script is an art form, and although it can be stressful, it’s something every writer has to perfect before approaching executives or agents. So what is pitching exactly?

A pitch is an animated summation of a script with emphasis on the main characters, the conflict, and the genre. When pitching a script, you use this summation to persuade industry professionals to option the work (purchase it for consideration).

Pitches come in two forms: the two-minute pitch, also known as the teaser, and the story pitch, which is traditionally 10 to 20 minutes in length, though the shorter the better. You absolutely must have both types of pitches prepared before you contact industry personnel. You never know when you’ll be called upon to sell your story or how you’ll be asked to sell it.

The teaser pitch

The teaser pitch is a short pitch. Traditionally, you get three sentences to hook listeners into the premise, the genre, and the scope of your film. When crafting this pitch, pay particular attention to what you think they might be listening for. Producers probably want to know the following details:

• How the film might be cast

• How much it will cost to make

• How they’ll market it

• What films it resembles

If you follow those requests, your first sentence introduces the characters, the next sentence illustrates their conflict, and the final sentence leaves listeners wanting more. The conflict generally suggests the film’s genre, but if not, consider alluding to that in the final sentence as well.

Here are some examples:

• Europe, 1912. Jack Dawson and Rose DeWitt Bukater enjoy a secret and passionate romance after they meet on a ship chartered toward New York. That ships happens to be the Titanic.

• Jessica Stein has met and refused virtually every man in New York City. Maybe it’s time she looked for a woman. (Kissing Jessica Stein)

• Northern England, 1984. Young Billy Elliot, the son of a poor local miner, decides to start training for a career. In ballet. (Billy Elliot)

These examples suggest the skeleton of a short pitch. You might use them at the onset of a meeting to rope listeners into a more detailed explanation, or perhaps insert more details in between these sentences. In any case, practice your pitch at home with a stopwatch. Never exceed two minutes — try to do it in one, if you can. If you maintain the three to five page limitation, timing shouldn’t be a problem; you’ll finish in well under two minutes. If executives want to know more, they’ll ask. Be animated, enthusiastic, and concise. Movie trailers are good examples of this kind of pitch; so are the blurbs on the back of video and DVD boxes.

Join New Social Network For Movie Moguls

DT Productions has set up a social network for movie enthusiast. Members will have the opportunity to network with producers, directors, indie film makers, screenwriters, and others who just want to be apart of the movie business. Please give your opinions and advice for members and seekers alike.

www.themoviemogulsclub.ning.com