Yesterday we announced that we’re partnering with Good Universe, a LA-based film production, f

Yesterday we announced that we’re partnering with Good Universe, a LA-based film production, financing and sales company to develop material for games and film, beginning with Firewatch.I’d like to talk a little bit more about that, what it means for a Firewatch movie, and why we’d do something like that, in general!Almost a year ago we got an email from Akshay Mehta. He claimed that he worked for Good Universe, a company in LA run by two men, Joe Drake and Nathan Kahane, and that they had made successful movies. (Most recently, the horrifying Don’t Breathe, but Joe had run Lionsgate for years and brought you a few little movies based on The Hunger Games). His claims were validated by Google in addition to the fact that he repeatedly said “I’m legit, bubby!” like a real Hollywood deal-maker. (Akshay didn’t actually say this but I could tell he wanted to.)Around this time, it was right after E3, we were getting a few emails about the future film rights to Firewatch and we kept putting them off. It felt silly to pursue a film deal for a game that wasn’t even out yet and probably could be a stinker. Nevertheless, I got to know Akshay and months later, about four days before Firewatch came out, I was in LA and stopped by to show them the game.Joe, Akshay and the rest of Good Universe work on Wilshire Blvd., about a block from an office where I used to make copies for a pair of producers in college, about fifty steps from Rodeo Dr. and a strong 7-iron from the agency WME. If you’ve ever watched an episode of Entourage, you have seen this stretch of street many times. Sitting in Joe’s office, I started talking a little bit about what we wanted for Campo Santo as a company and quickly began to hate the sound of my own voice and transitioned into showing them the game. It was maybe 5pm so I figured I had 45 minutes before folks wanted to head home but we spent the next couple of hours combing over the prologue, Day 1 and Day 2 of Firewatch. It wasn’t the first time we’d talked to folks about the story or the game but it was the first time I’d played with anyone and had such a strong emotional reaction. They understood what type of story we were trying to tell and were curious about the tools we employ to tell it. I’d never experienced anyone in that business have the sort of process curiosity they showed along with an easy-going demeanor that didn’t try to big-time the one guy in their office with an indie-game running on a giant laptop.Conversations moved from Firewatch to the abstract ways Campo Santo and Good Universe could work together going forward. And in the end, we decided that, while developing a Firewatch movie is exciting, and we are definitely in the early days of doing that, in Good Universe we had another company that shared our values and we could call upon with weird and exciting ideas (and that they could do the same). It’s not dissimilar to the wonderful partner we found in Panic Inc. when we set off on this scheme at the very beginning.It felt ridiculous to not pursue a partnership with these folks. It’s rare that you find people who don’t just share your creative values but your business ones as well. Solid relationships are the only way anything in any creative business gets made.So, when will Firewatch be in theaters? Who will play Henry’s hands? Who will do the voice of Turt? For those of you who understand what film development means you a) know I couldn’t say if I knew and b) know that getting a movie made is a tireless process that mixes luck, timing and sheer will together to create success. What I can tell you is this isn’t a situation where we sold someone the rights and they’re off to do whatever they want with with it – anything you see out of us will be the product of a partnership, brought to you by tireless people like Akshay and countless contributions by everyone here at Campo along the way.Until next time. We’ve got convertibles to purchase and sunglasses to don. We’re in the pictures, bubby.-Sean -- source link

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