Happy Sunday, Creative Army!

I hope your weekend has been a creative one so far. Whether you have been writing, filming, editing, or sketching out the next spark of an idea, I have something today that will give you a boost. So grab your coffee, and let’s dive in.

This week’s featured video comes from StudioBinder- How Back to the Future Uses Perfect Blocking to Tell the Story.

If you have ever wondered why Back to the Future feels so alive, this video pulls back the curtain. It walks through how director Robert Zemeckis and cinematographer Dean Cundey built the film around continuous, flowing shots instead of a rapid series of cuts, so the audience feels like they are standing in the room watching it all unfold. The video shows how they packed each frame with layered story information, moved the camera across all three axes at once, used eye trace to guide your attention exactly where they wanted it, and, most impressively, blocked actors along the Z axis so the staging itself did the editing. Some of those shots fit six or eight separate "shots" into a single unbroken take.

What I love about this breakdown is the lesson underneath it. None of that was an accident. None of it was discovered on the day. It worked because it was planned, meticulously, shot by shot, long before anyone called action. And that idea, that the magic is really preparation in disguise, is exactly what I want to talk to you about today, because it applies to far more than your camera. It applies to your deal.

Here is a question I get all the time- "RB, if my script gets made and becomes a franchise, but I don't write the sequel, do I still get paid on it?" And the answer is the same answer as that Zemeckis shot. It all comes down to what you prepared for, in advance.

Let me explain. If your film spawns a sequel and you are not the one writing it, you will likely still be owed something, because that sequel is built on characters and a world you created. You may be looking at a producing credit of some kind, an executive producer or associate producer credit, and compensation to go with it. But here is the part too many writers miss: none of that is automatic. All of it has to be negotiated at the point of the first sale. Not later. Then.

I will give you a real example from my own career. The very first script I ever got paid an option on, I wrote as a standalone. A complete story, beginning to end. Sequels were nowhere in my mind. But when I got into the room, one of the first things the head of the production company said to me was, "We love this, because we can see two or three sequels in it." And of course I said, "Yes, exactly, that is exactly why I wrote it." The point is, the moment that interest is on the table, you protect it. When we papered that deal, you had better believe there was language in there protecting me for sequels and spin-offs.

And in today's world, this goes so much further than just film sequels. When you are negotiating, you can fight to carve out other mediums entirely. Maybe the deal is strictly for film, but you hold onto the right to develop a podcast, or a stage play, down the road.

So what is the takeaway here? Decide what matters to you before you sign, not after. Know which rights, which mediums, and which future versions of this story you care about keeping, and fight for them while you still have leverage. And please hear me on this last part, because it is the most important thing I will say today: get yourself a truly great entertainment attorney. A great one is worth their weight in gold. I am being completely serious when I tell you that a sharp entertainment attorney can, at the right moments, be more valuable to you than your manager or your agent.

Because just like that perfect Zemeckis shot, the future you want is not something you stumble into. It is something you plan for, frame by frame, line by line, long before the cameras ever roll.

So let me ask you this, Creative Army: have you ever thought about which rights to your own projects you would fight hardest to keep? The film? A series? A game, a podcast, a stage play? Tell me in the comments which medium you would protect first, and why.

As always, here at Stage 32, we love sharing stories and knowledge with our fellow film fans. Know someone who would love this content? Share it with them. You can keep up with all of our videos by subscribing to the Stage 32 YouTube Channel. For more inspirational, educational, and motivational content on all things entertainment industry, follow me on Instagram and X @rbwalksintoabar.

Wishing you a very happy, healthy, and creative Sunday.

Cheers,

RB

StudioBinder | How Back to the Future Uses Perfect Blocking to Tell the Story

RBWalksIntoABar | If My Script Becomes a Sequel and I Don't Write It, Can I Get Paid On It?

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