Fool's Kingdom!

Y'know, AI is kinda cool.

For a few years now I've been developing a TV series about a washed up actor in the 1970s who plays the villain on a Saturday morning kids' show. I've had an idea for a promotional image inside my head, but haven't been able to make it a reality... until now.

Thanks to AI I now have a very nice image of Cantankerous Crumble and his wife Cookie from my sci-fi fantasy property, "Fool's Kingdom"!

Logline: A washed up actor bumps his head and finds himself stranded in a real life version of the children's show in which he plays the villain!

Think of it as the Krofft Brothers meets Doctor Who meets A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.

I originally envisioned this project as a live-action TV show. I've even written the pilot script.

But I feel this project could just as easily be adapted into a film or series of films.

If anyone is interested in learning more about this IP, feel free to reach out!

Drop me a line at wil@nogglestones.com

The Giant of Killarney

Logline: An Irish woodcarver's tiny creations come to life. When an evil nobleman discovers his secret, the fate of Ireland, England, and the world hangs in the balance.

Artwork by the fantastic Benjamin Glendenning!

Email me at wil@nogglestones.com for more information.

#familyfun #animation #hollywood #pitchingideas #intellectualproperty #familyfilm #familyfriendly

Advice for Struggling Screenwriters

 

If you've written a screenplay, novel, or just have a really great idea you want to pitch, it can be frustrating trying to break through all of the Hollywood red tape. It can be equally frustrating trying to find financing to produce a film or pilot yourself.

But here's an option you may not have considered... the stage.

While Broadway is currently as hamstrung as Hollywood when it comes to lockdowns and restrictions, there are plenty of regional and local theaters hungry for good plays and musicals.

Consider rewriting that screenplay for the stage, then pitch it to a few of your local theater groups, or even high schools and colleges.

If you're really lucky, like I was, you'll find a professional musician to partner with.

I'm currently working with Jim Cummings of Soundstage 1 Productions on a musical adaptation of my young adult novel, Noggle Stones. This has been perhaps the best decision I've ever made in my writing career. The plot and characters of Noggle Stones are perfect for the platform of traditional musical theater.

So, if you're tired of beating your head against those Hollywood studio doors, consider theater as an alternative for getting your vision brought to life.

Check out the "Non-Logical Thought" song from the Noggle Stones Musical!

https://lnkd.in/dc2FrSU

For more information contact me at wil@nogglestones.com

2021: Dawn of the Independent Era

 

The past few months have been an interesting journey for me. The turmoil of 2020 aside, there have been encouraging developments in my writing career, particularly in regards to the entertainment industry.

These developments have not sprung from the heart of Hollywood, as I had once hoped. No, these recent opportunities have been pouring in from the independent film and financing world.

I was recently hired to write a horror film, as well as the pilot for a supernatural thriller. And I was invited to submit one of my properties to a group of investors.

The truly encouraging thing about these new partnerships is that I did not seek them out. They sought me. This is why platforms such as Linkedin are so incredibly vital for creating and encouraging professional momentum.

So, as Hollywood struggles with lockdowns, layoffs, and dwindling revenues, the independent entertainment industry is thriving and arriving. I look forward to developing these new creative relationships further, for it is from such collaborations that new eras are born.

Remember, true success is never measured by the money you earn, but by the opportunities you embrace.

Contact me if you're looking for a creative writer for your next independent project. 

wil@nogglestones.com

Is Anime the Answer?

In this era of lockdowns, social distancing, and sheltering in place, traditional Hollywood studios are having a difficult time producing content. While some have been able to work around the issue by shooting in states and countries with less restrictions, most have had to wait until the world settles back into some semblance of normalcy.

Then there is Japan.

While American studios were sitting on content, waiting for movie theaters to fully re-open, Japanese producers were bolder. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba was released to Japanese theaters to great acclaim and success. Not only did it become profitable, it became THE most profitable film in the history of Japanese cinema. 

Here in America, anime is gaining in popularity every day. One has but to look at Netflix where you will find not only Japanese anime, but Netflix’s own original anime productions as well. More and more of these projects are announced every day.

The lockdowns make these kinds of productions very attractive to producers, platforms, and audiences. Add to that anime’s proven track record and hardcore fan base, and you have a winning strategy for successful content.

#anime #animation #demonslayer #japan #entertainment

Is Hollywood Dying?

If you’ve read my last few blog posts, you may be thinking, “Just who the hell do you think you are, Wil Radcliffe?” And to be honest, I don’t blame you for thinking that (although I feel the cursing is a bit unnecessary).

After all, what does a writer in the middle of rural Indiana know about what’s going on in Hollywood? The thing is, knowing where the new trends are heading doesn’t have anything to do with where you live. It has to do with what you observe and how you interpret it. And being a lifelong nerd I have read the tea leaves currently brewing in nerd culture.

Fans are hungry… nay, starving for traditional, old-fashion storytelling. Audiences do not want to go to the movies to be lectured, scolded, and humiliated. They want to be inspired, uplifted, and entertained.

They don't want agendas. They don't want politics. They don't want a social sermon.

Recent big budget flops in late 2019 and early 2020 are strong evidence of audience rejection of Hollywood's recent deconstructionist approach to entertainment.

Subverting expectations is one thing. Shattering iconic franchises is another.

While it is true that the pandemic has continued to eat into Hollywood's profits, it is merely a sprained ankle, while poor storytelling is the gaping head wound that the industry has suffered from for many years.

When our ancient ancestors gathered around the campfire to tell stories they did so to help their brothers and sisters escape the brutal reality of everyday life. That primal urge lives in us today... the fire that never dies.

That being said, I have the solution for Hollywood’s incredible shrinking profits. It is a new property brimming with strong, vibrant characters, an engaging plot, and 1,000 years of human history to explore, exploit, and experience.

I give you… The Whisper King.

 

I shall do my best to tell you about this dark and twisted tale. And yet I do not have much time. The shadows are coming for me, even as they once came for young David Kinder.

Even now I can hear their hissing voices, twining through the nooks and crannies of reality, slithering along the edges of my imagination.

“Cuthach,” they say. “Cuthach turas Scáth Sliabh bheith i seirbhís ag Cogar Rí.” 

Much like David Kinder, I must make a choice. Do I surrender to the shadows, or do I find some reason to keep my humanity?

For David, it was his friendship with young Donna Elizondo that kept the evil at bay. But when Donna moved away, David had no where else to turn. And so he surrendered to the darkness and followed the whispered voices to a bleak and terrible place called the Shadow Mountains.

For 25 years David was trained to fight, to kill, and to become a true monster. He was groomed to be the most elite and vicious of the Whisper King's army.

I wrote the first Whisper King novel five years ago. It was picked up by Necro Publications, along with the two sequels.

Prior to that it had been optioned by Platinum Studios to be published as a graphic novel and adapted for film and television.

That option has expired, meaning another studio has the opportunity to bring David Kinder's story to life.

Keep in mind, the Whisper King has been luring children to his realm for over a thousand years. He has trained hundreds of thousands from every corner of the globe, every period of time. Their stories are ours to tell.

For what purpose, you may ask?

You'll have to join me around the campfire to discover that.

If the shadows don't take us first.

Email me at wil@nogglestones.com if you would like to discuss The Whisper King or one of my many other intellectual properties.

It's not too late, Hollywood. I'm here to help.

The Giant of Killarney!

Studios are bleeding a lot of money and have content they can't get out to the theaters. In some cases they are able to recoup or minimize losses through VOD or streaming. The problem is, what do they do when they run out of their backlog of content? They can't create new content due to the restrictions put in place because of the pandemic. Without new content their sources of revenue will shrivel up and die.

The good news is you're going to see A LOT of animated projects coming out soon. Animation is the work-around for the virus. It's the one way studios can keep creating content while still observing social distancing rules.

With that in mind, here's a fresh IP ripe and ready to be developed as an animated feature: The Giant of Killarney. It's a fun, exciting, family friendly property with lots of licensing potential.

Artwork by the fantastic Benjamin Glendenning!

Email me at wil@nogglestones.com for more information.

#familyfun #animation #hollywood #pitchingideas #intellectualproperty #familyfilm #familyfriendly