Entertainment attorney Simon Pulman (Prior Cashman, NYC) reveals how to build billion-dollar transmedia franchises without risking studio collapse. Learn the formula top 1% of adaptations use.

The entertainment industry faces its biggest paradigm shift in decades. While Hollywood struggles with declining theatre attendance and rising production costs, gaming properties are creating the most successful adaptations in history. Entertainment lawyer Simon Pulman breaks down exactly why this is happening and how it's transforming deal structures across the industry.

In this eye-opening conversation, Pulman reveals how individual incentives are driving risk-aversion across studios, why original scripts have been replaced by IP acquisitions, and the shocking truth about how "Hollywood created Netflix" through short-term financial decisions that destroyed their long-term business model.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 Introduction to Simon Pulman's expertise

02:14 Why original scripts dominated in the 90s vs franchise dominance today

04:35 The audience shift: Why people won't leave home for cinema anymore

07:18 How international content (Squid Game, anime) is reshaping Hollywood

10:47 Snow White remake failure: Budget vs ROI analysis

13:30 Community: The undervalued asset Hollywood ignores but gaming understands

17:42 The Holy Trinity of successful adaptations: Last of Us, Fallout, Mario

21:36 Why honoring IP is non-negotiable for successful adaptations

26:55 How transmedia success drives game sales - the feedback loop

30:10 The weekly episode model vs. binge culture for deeper engagement

33:22 Netflix's gaming strategy: Can they leverage their IPs effectively?

39:08 BioWare's storytelling potential beyond games

43:15 The new deal paradigm: How game companies flipped Hollywood's ownership model

49:40 Roblox's untapped potential: Why it's creating tomorrow's entertainment moguls

56:28 AI's complex entertainment industry implications

57:45 Entertainment predictions for next 12 months

About Simon Pulman:

Simon Pulman is an entertainment attorney with Prior Cashman in New York City, specialising in deals across television, motion pictures, podcasts, video games, and publishing. He helps companies develop, produce, and finance media projects during a period of unprecedented technological and audience behaviour change.

The Transmedia Revolution:

This episode explores how successful properties like The Last of Us have created a virtuous cycle where shows drive game sales and games build audience anticipation for new seasons - all while maintaining the core emotional elements that connected with audiences originally.

Join the Conversation:

What gaming property do you think deserves the Last of Us treatment next? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Connect with Simon:

Find Simon Pulman on LinkedIn for more insights on entertainment law and industry trends.

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In this episode, I sit down with retired Navy SEAL commander and performance expert Rich Diviney who reveals the revolutionary "Mastering Uncertainty Method" - a science-backed approach that elite military operators use to thrive under pressure when things don't go according to plan.

Drawing from over two decades of experience leading and training top performers (including founding the SEALs' "Mind Gym"), Rich breaks down how anyone can harness uncertainty as an advantage rather than a liability. We explore how Navy SEALs develop mental toughness, make decisive decisions under extreme pressure, and leverage their innate human capabilities to excel in chaotic environments.

Rich shares practical strategies to:

Transform uncertain moments into opportunities

Tap into your body's natural performance engine during difficult challenges

Maintain composure under pressure

Improve performance when stakes are highest

Understand your "raw self" to determine optimal actions in any scenario

Avoid the traps causing 95% of teams to underperform

Build the four domains of trust essential to high-performing teams

Whether facing uncertainty in your personal or professional life, this conversation provides actionable insights to develop the mindset of an elite operator.

As Simon Sinek says about Rich's work: "Easy to understand and simple to implement, Masters of Uncertainty is essential for any person or team that wants to operate even better than they do now."

As Andrew Huberman writes in the foreword to Rich's latest book, and the focal point of today's podcast, Masters of Uncertainty: "This book is a practical guide for how to wake up and be the most effective version of yourself, how to bring that to all your life's challenges, and (most importantly) how to perpetually bounce upward and forward when pushed back or under pressure... and in so doing, exceed your previous self and performance—over and over and over."

"People like Rich Diviney are rare: because of what they know, for what they have proved capable of doing, and for their ability to teach it to others... This book will powerfully shift how you view and approach life—its challenges and its less challenging moments too—for the better."

Grab a Copy of The Books Here:

- Masters of Uncertainty: https://amzn.to/41RdlB1

- The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance: https://amzn.to/42aEdLh

Special Offer:

Unlock Your Leadership Potential. Use the code PETERBELL15 to get a 15% discount on The Attributes Assessment at theattributes.com.

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Host: Peter Bell

Guest: Rich Diviney

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This podcast was recorded and produced by Purpose Made, dedicated to helping you achieve your highest potential.

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Russell Binder, the IP accelerator behind Five Nights at Freddy's, Twilight, and The Hunger Games, reveals how gaming communities are reshaping Hollywood's and gamings approach to franchise building.

In this conversation, Russell Binder, founder of Stryker Entertainment, shares his journey from representing comic book creators to building billion-dollar transmedia franchises. With 30+ years of experience developing IPs like Five Nights at Freddy's, Twilight Saga, and Angry Birds, Russell provides unprecedented insights into how gaming communities are transforming Hollywood and gaming's approach to storytelling, merchandising and entertainment.

"When I started in the business, there were the five families, Warner's, Disney, Universal, Sony, and Paramount, and they were generally the gatekeepers of the big IPs," Russell explains. He reveals the strategies behind turning Five Nights at Freddy's from an indie game to a global phenomenon through community cultivation: "The virality of these jump scares and watching people play this game introduced this property to a massive social audience across YouTube, across Instagram... you didn't have to play the game to get excited about Five Nights at Freddy's."

Russell also shares candid stories about working with industry legends: "If you ask me what I love about my job, as much as I love movies, as much as I love video games, the people I've had the pleasure to work with, Steven Spielberg, Sean Levy, Guillermo del Toro, like some of the coolest storytellers and filmmakers..." His insights on what makes an IP truly transferable are invaluable: "If you look at what works in horror, it's iconic. It's Freddie, Jason, Michael Myers in the film business. In gaming, Five Nights at Freddy's and Poppy and Bendy... Iconic characters that translate multi-directionally."

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Russell Binder and Striker Entertainment

05:32 The Twilight Saga

18:17 Transitioning to Video Games: Angry Birds and Five Nights at Freddy's

25:43 Future of Transmedia and Cross-Platform Content

34:27 The Challenges of Transmedia Projects

34:54 Disney's Transmedia Mastery

35:17 Amazon's Potential in Transmedia

36:47 The Evolution of Gaming and Hollywood

37:29 Criteria for Successful Transmedia Ventures

40:15 High on Life: A Transmedia Success Story

41:36 The Future of Transmedia Adaptations

51:09: Working with Steven Spielberg

59:42 The Future of Transmedia and Entertainment

Guest Biography:

Russell Binder is the founder of Stryker Entertainment, an IP accelerator specialising in transmedia development, licensing, and production. With over 30 years in the entertainment industry, Russell has managed blockbuster IPs including The Twilight Saga, The Hunger Games, TheWalkingDead, Pacific Rim, Five Nights at Freddy's, Preacher, KickAss2, TED and TED 2, Terminator Salvation, Terminator Genisys, House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, The BFG, Powers, Ender's Game, and others. His unique approach combines consumer products expertise with film/TV development, helping creators maximise their IP's potential across multiple platforms.

Watch On YouTube: https://youtu.be/I3WAJiz82Hk?si=quh3xArWI_3B9h_P

Connect with Russell Binder:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/russell-binder-19a3791/

Website: https://www.strikerentertainment.com/

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