What is an IP After all

Intellectual Property Explained 

In the entertainment world, IP stands for a creative property that has been tested and gathered some kind of audience. Not to be confused with the law term, which refers to the concepts of copyright, privacy rights, publicity rights and trademark. 

In other words, an IP is a piece of work that has already been put to test in some form of media (book, webtoon, stage play, short film, podcast, published article, NFT, web series, comic book, influencer character; or even a first movie or TV show) and can then continue to mainstream film or TV. 

Are IPs safer? 

Because of the very high costs of turning any script into film or TV products, producers will generally look for models that are "safer". An established IP inspires more confidence, therefore feels less risky. 

To many producers, the most reliable form of IP is a film / TV series franchise (but it can also be the costliest). This Variety article leaves no doubt that franchises are running stronger than ever. 

Books are the top IPs 

Investors, distributors, producers and studios tend to trust more a proven concept that has already assembled viewers than, let’s say, an original work that is still in a script format. 

Books are by far the number one source of IP adaptations into both big and small screens. Here are two impressive lists of literary adaptations for 2023 by Vulture and by Esquire.

Can an AI produce IPs? 

The short and utterly scary answer is yes. Last week, a group of US based business magnates asked for a six-month pause in Artificial Intelligence research. Apparently, AI is not only competing with human intelligence, but presents a true risk to our race. This interesting The Guardian article dives deeper. 

The good news for screenwriters is that the Writer’s Guild of America is banning AI from writing scripts. The association is going the extra mile and seeking to ban any adaptations from AI creation, including literary material. Read more about it in The Hollywood Reporter.

Content is King 

We know, it can feel quite overwhelming to think that you need a middle step in order to shoot a script. But keep in mind that we are here to help you figure it out, either by including an intermediary IP action, or by taking the independent route. 

And remember the good news: in our current era, content is king! 

Wishing you all a blessed April, 

Laura