WHAT IS TV AND FILM DEVELOPMENT?

  Development Producers are what we used to call "TV Executives", and our main job is being part of the team which green-lits TV series and then developing the creative part of the show. The script, the acting, the direction, everything that affects the actual show creatively. TV & Film development means that you spend most of your time working with the Writers and the Director, mostly on perfecting the storytelling. Telling the story as clearly and compelling as possible.

  After developing many shows, it builds experience on knowing which stories work and which don't, as a second nature. You also know if a storytelling structure works and how to build up an emotional anticipation that actually pays off when the climax is reached "at last". Many trustworthy interconnected emotional scenes create a worthy script.  Out of the seven TV series I had the pleasure of developing, “ΟΙ ΒΑΣΙΛΙΑΔΕΣ” or "MEET THE ROYALS" is my most popular project, topping the weekly ratings in Greece for its full run of 99 family comedy episodes, averaging a 50% share rating for all audiences under 44 years old. [More About Developing "Meet the Royals" a few scrolls further].

Click to watch In a far reaching linking, the emotional built-ups in a TV series or a Film compare with a lover who builds up erotically for attracting the object of his desire, and then acts his best for fulfilling at least the expectations he has built. Or if you're looking for a big-hit, overcome expectations and transport us in a brand new and provoking game. It's better keeping the above in your mind always, since as a viewer we get really disappointed when the climax is too expected or, even worst, boring [Damn Lost’s final episode].

 As a Development Producer or TV Executive you’re responsible for all creative aspects of the show you’re working on. From being part of the team that handpicks the shows and its principle creators, to also being responsible for the acting, directing, aesthetics, and for the show’s publicity in trailers, social media, press and generally speaking "the image & result" of the show. Network Executives, like Producers, do have a reputation for driving artists crazy, but surely there’re plenty of great collaborations, since so many shows have met so much success, and if you check many of them work together again and again. I had great times working close with artists through my 8 years at Mega TV, and many are still my friends and many times I miss working with them. Mega TV while I worked there from 2006 to 2014 increased its TV series ratings from a share average of 20%, into a share average of 30%! Topping then all the ratings on almost all categories among Greek TV stations.

 We all know though that behind the show-biz’s limelight, all shows also involve hard work. You really have to be an artist to save your full energy and emotions for the actual filming, against the tiring filming conditions.   

 Concerning the project’s production timeline, it's always IDEAL to develop the project from start. Before any hiring takes place. The most important factor of all shows and films is the script. It's the "contract" between the multiple creative sides of the 50-100 crew members. In Greek cinema the average film crew is 20-60 crew members. Funny observation is that there are no nerds in film crews, not that I have anything against nerds. The major rule among crews is "playing nice" at all, because we're certainly going to meet again on another filming in the future; since from profession we share many common acquaintances. For me, the fun I have during the actual filming was my primary reason for turning my life upside-down, my until then managerial position in marketing, and decided at the age of 29 starting anew, go back to school and study filmmaking. Optimistic I, hit the jackpot when the American Film Institute [A.F.I.], the top film school on our planet [according to Variety and Hollywood Reporter] accepted me for a master in Film Producing at in Los Angeles; I’m the first and only Greek to have graduated as a Producer from AFI [until 2018].  

 At Hollywood-favored A.F.I., with 37 alumni having received Oscar nominations in the past decade alone. An additional 118 have participated in award-winning projects ranging from “Boyhood” to “Mad Men” and “Mr. Robot.” At AFI I was tutored from the principle creators of historical films like "Alien," "Star Trek," "Back to the Future," "Jurassic Park," "Blade Runner," "Titanic" and many-many more movie-legends that appeared legends in my small-country Greek eyes. During our weekly master classes, with special guests like George Lucas, Joel Silver -the smartest men I heard in my life, Michael Cunningham for a preview of "The Hours" before it hit the screens, and one-of-a kind actors like Dustin Hoffman, or witty Rosanne Bar who came to share their experiences, mentality and "secrets of success". A common element to all is their speed & length of thinking and talking.

 After graduating from the AFI I was a Producer's Assistant for a couple of features, and read feature scripts for Ithaka Productions- first look producing deal with Lionsgate Studio. After a total of four years in L.A. I returned to Athens and was at once hired from my favorite network Mega TV. As a conclusion is a reminder for all who have the ULTIMATE luck in this life making a living with fairy tales, being always appreciative of our unique luck. Personally I'm quite lucky, coz I mostly work on comedies. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever fantasize that I would work on creating jokes and romance and surprises during all my working hours, talking about stories all day. Already more than I dreamt! We in arts & spectacles get to live in our own world for a living! Fantastic! ;)

FILIPPOS IMDB CREDITS

 

 

 

TV SERIES & FILMS DEVELOPMENT: SCRIPT EDITOR/DOCTOR SERVICES OFFERED

Μοντέρνα Οικογένεια- Official Website

THE GREEK ADAPTATION OF "MODERN FAMILY" was the first show I developed solely as a script doctor, for its first season. A “Script Doctor” and Development Executive, to explain plainly, adapts your Film/TV idea and makes it work for large audiences, from pacing its rhythm and from keeping the audience’s interest alive from start to finish. Consistency, plot built-up, accuracy of references, realistic characters, or idealized characters as was "Lakis the Sweetheart." A show that I still am very proud of having developed, despite the cruel criticism against nowadays "sweetheart characters" for not being based on reality. Thankfully, the 37% share average in ratings, shows that many did find him believable+likeable…

If you have a great idea for a Film/TV show that you’re very excited about and you want it to run like a stream with a professional outlook, you’ve come to the right person! Especially if you live in Athens-Greece where I reside. All Greek or English speaking creators are more than welcome to contact me professionally, but I will be honest, I do choose the projects I'm working on, with the criterion of how much sense your script makes, and its probability to actually get produced. They have to "say something" and not create drama and mass killings out of nothing. If you're unsure whether your script is ready to be seen, read it once more as if it's read from someone who doesn't know anything about it, you, the story, or the script, or the story you want to share in general. The good script must be self-dependent, containing everything you wish to express. It must include the core, all the reasons that your story excites you.

  I respond to all proposals and the first meeting is without any charge. Prices vary according to how close to being produced your script is, and there’s a much lower price for shows which aren’t green lit from a Network or don’t find the funds to produce it. Contact me at: Acontact@filippos.com and I will reply to your e-mail within 48h upon receiving. If the script is written from a professional it would take me up to two weeks to read and progress your project. Past experience shows that I also come with ideas for the good scripts. Here’s is my projects list from IMDB.

  I love comedies and family comedies are my specialization, as is all kind of teen related projects. The shows I developed had an average TV rating of 50% share to all audience under 25 years old, the reason being that teen-life fascinates me. "The time of becoming." "All the reasons to love, all the reasons to hate."

 IN CHOOSING THE RIGHT SCRIPT DOCTOR try to pick one who adopts your idea and understands your script's emotional "coming from." Someone who will work on making it widely understood and shine, from highlighting your own special voice. Structure may be very important to scripts, but the ideas shared are what makes the project stand out. Technicalities are the icing.

 In TV I’ve learnt to respect the audience’s mind on always picking the most interesting show per time slot. "The audience knows"- there’re always reasons for a show’s success, which us professionals should pin-point, and not succumb to the stereotype that only Trash-TV sells; because this kind of statements come mostly from creators who created projects which the audience couldn’t relate to.  We in arts & spectacles get to live in our own world for a living! We can even create it. It's called Films and TV and it starts with a great script. :) Let's have fun creating!

FILIPPOS CONTACT INFO


FILIPPOS SHOWREEL TV DEVELOPMENT PRODUCER







MEET THE ROYALS (OI VASILIADES) [99 episodes. Family Comedy/Drama]

Click to watch

OH BOY, wasn't this THE experience? The show will always be dedicated to super special 25 year old actor Thomas Protopapas, a very unique friend of mine and an irreplaceable loss to many people, even years later. We first met during the auditions, and did he stand out as Thomas always did, even from sitting in the waiting room with this "Thomas style" shiny jogging pants. The whole production crew always said how professional and gentle Thomas was and that was long before the tragic accident. His character in the show, Alex, a rich spoiled brat with second thoughts, who stood out, as the first transsexual actor did in the history of Greek TV and in family primetime at 9pm: Lisa [played from the unbelievable Mina Orfanou] is the ultra-ambitious & sexy transsexual sister of Marcos: the widower with three very special teens who, from being poor, was hired as the President of a Natural Products multinational Company, because he saved its owner's life.

People ask me how can a woman be so hot and funny simultaneously? Mina Orfanou

   The original show is "LOS ROLDAN"; a huge success in its Argentinian original version and counting many adaptations around the globe. The good thing about adapting it was that the story was equally balanced between characters and events, and therefore gave much-much space for localization and adding our style to the show, in contrast for example with the Greek version of “Modern Family” where the characters, plot and lines intertwined continuously. The success of “Meet the Royals” was not expected because we didn't know if so many ‘first timer’ protagonists would be adopted from a large audience. To minimize the risk, we did a whole run of auditioning more than 600 talents aged 15-25, to hand pick around ten. All of them are still very active and for sure a huge part of the show’s success, along with Greek star-actors like Kostas Koklas, GerasimosSkiadariesis, VasilikiAndroutsou, Zeta Douka, just to namedrop a few. :) 

   I won't get in deeper about "Vasiliades special ingredients" [an ugly expression I must admit] because hey, I have to make a living also with these kind of knowledge. It really helped that we had a whole year for preproduction, and therefore all the time to perfect the scripts with writer Vicky Alexopoulou and production company’s execs Eygenia Christopoulou and Alex Balasinos, practice with the actors, create "the visual" of the show with multiple TV series director & good friend Pierros Andrakakos; and finally get the characters & visual results we planned from the start. People liked it and thank you mucho for that. Personally I was very much into the romance between the son of Marcos, rasta-hair car mechanic, Leonidas (Panos Vlahos) with sensational Nefeli (Katerina Geronicolou), his cruel lender’s only daughter and childhood love of Alexis (Thomas Protopapas), the son of the Isnogood wannabe caliph (GerasimosSkiadaresis) in the place of President Marcos. At the end Leonidas would have gotten the girl, let me just tell you that. :) Expect in the not so far away future, the next step in family comedies! :)

Performs:
Martha Karayianni, Kostas Koklas, Gerasimos Skiadaresis, Vassiliki Androutsou, Zeta Douka, Alexandra Paleologou, Mina Orfanou, Katerina Geronicolou, Panos Vlahos, Aggelina Paraskevaidi, Tomas Protopapas, Nicos Anadiotis, Melina Spetsieri, Maria Miriokefalitaki etc.
Director: Pierros Andrakakos
Adaptation-Development Producer: Filippos Marinakis
Script Head: Vicky Alexopoulou
Dialogues: Yiannis Diakakis, Nicos Papadopoulos, Gogo Fotiou, Costas Kalafatis, Eva Pantazi

WATCH a portion of "meet the royals"

 

 

 

 

 

DON'T PAY THE FERRYMAN [OUk an lavis para toy mi EHontos] [14 episodes TV series: SatIre/Animation]



THE TITLE DERIVES from the famous cynical philosopher of Good-Ole Greece, Menippos who told the Ferryman [the Greek Reaper, Charon] when asked for the MANDATORY one drachma for the passage across the river to the afterlife.

You can't take from he who has nothing

Menippos

And that originated from the not so funny demands of our E.U. "allies" for more and more taxes, to cover their revenge rather than their citizens’ welfare. Did our honorable paying of the taxes decrease the taxes people pay in Germany?... Huh?... When do the people win?...
   About the show, Yiannis Tsitsonis who came up with the idea, teamed up with childhood best friend and writer of "Singles" [a memorable thought provoking show for youngsters] Yiorgos Feidas, to co-create an intelligent, super-fast, multidimensional South Park of our own. In our promo words: "South Park meets Karagiozis [a shadow puppet from the 19th century] in a provocative, satirical pop show without any complexes, as the first animated TV series in Greece for big and a bit crazy kids."
   DEVELOPING new territory comes with many challenges and we did probably experience them all. From the point of nobody getting the jokes, to the point of creating its own audience from the first episode. Moving from 9pm family comedy, to 23.59pm satire "say all you want, just don't get us sued" was like a creative present to the creators.

   My personal favorite episode is #5, when the principle heroes: God Hermes [as a twink, sensitive, hottie], cynical philosopher Menippos [an image of cynics around the globe], and Haros the Reaper [who gets his heart broken all the time], have to visit count Dracula and then meet the "Twilight" characters and their vampire romance glittery universe which meets a classical Greek comedy of the 80’s.

  At one point Bella, who finds Edward probably the least sexy man in the universe, is looking at something in the microscope and giving it her full attention; when Edward asks her what she is looking for, she says the obvious: "Your penis! Haha!" We did go through a lot and we're good friends since then. We "Saved OUK" once, thanks to a campaign for an extra episode, with people voting for more OUK, and thanks to our collaboration with Cosmote. There would have been another season of “Don’t pay the Ferryman” if the crisis hadn't hit Greek media so hard. My prayers are to work on another show like this. (duh!) Above is a link for ENGLISH SUBBED first episode of “Don’t pay the Ferryman” a big thanx to the translator - and to the right is my personal favorite Vampire Satire “Don’t pay the Ferryman” episode in Greek.

Created from Yiannis Tsitsonis & Yiorgos Feidas
Menippos: Panos Mouzourakis
Hermes: Yiannis Sarakatsanis
Charon: Lefteris Eleftheriou

MANKIND's NEXT STEP? is OUK THE SOLUTION?





SWEETHEART LAKIS (LAKIS O GLIKOULIS)
[69 episodes TV series: family comedodrama]

Click to watch

Are sweethearts a myth, or not?

 MOST CONTROVERSIAL show, simply put because it portrayed an unbelievable human (or not?) who consciously avoids cheating and is sweet to all but the ones who try to benefit from his kindness, even if that means less wealthy. The show is dedicated to kids and adults who during our times watch, on the same TV set, live wars in full action. Lakis the sweetheart’s adaptation in Greek was based on a true sweetheart and he can't be that alone since it received an average share rating in all audiences of around 37%, even if it was severely criticized from critics and the non-watchers. He was also called "stupid," just because of the above. In another universe, but not so far philosophically, Dostoyevsky wrote a too nice for this world character, and people openly called him an idiot. Too...

   Lakis, a parent of three teens and husband to notoriously attractive and a bit of a bitch Voula who tries to seduce Lakis rich brother, who took all families posessions because Lakis didn't want to fight him. But Lakis comes across his high school sweetheart, Melina and her trust and love gives him all the wings he needed to confront Voula and his brother. Melina, even if she's on permanent wheelchair stands as a shield to all his troubles and Lakis deals everything with ethics, even at the hardest times, for he is a sweetheart. To skip all the above the most creditable person of the show thanked Yiannis for the success of the show, as the editor in mega TV Promo connected the since then top hit in Greece "O Lucky Lucky. I'll do you like a truck" to the show. It must be added that even if Lakis the sweetheart was based on Colombian "Pocholo," the original one was a drama soap and adapting it with writer Apostolos Tsaousouglou we kept the characters, naturalized them, set the tone, and Apostolis wrote mostly his own stories far away from the original, and that must be noted.

   The promo trailers needs no subtitles. Lakis the sweeteheart was the first show i worked and fell for. I'm still getting mocked from everyone when I share my proudness about Lakis. :) PROMO "superman lakis"

PROMO "KING KONG lakis"

 

 

 

 

filmarK productions

FilMark Productions Official Page   Besides from developing shows, there's plenty of love for all Arts. Especially writing and visual arts like photography and directing. Photography is capturing whatever consists for you perfect balance and Directing to me is a beautiful picture, moving. Filmark Productions YouTube Trippy Channel is about inspiration & beauty, and sometimes it exhibits hard to believe truths about our world, and sometimes it trips around unblelievable sceneries from around the globe.

   The Filmart short films we did with teenager Florian are based on our sleepless philosophical conversations. (total views around 900,000)
   All 7 are about a poetic boy daydreaming or moon-dreaming in an effort to cope within our vile epoch. To me these videos are a very interesting and artistic collaboration between two generations, since I was 39-40 during these days and Florian was 17-18. Our videos artistically are, I think, a combination of the best of both worlds. By being a professional in TV and Films, it was such a refreshing two years where the two of us were the whole "production crew" and had all this flexibility to act as we felt during our amazing times filming.
   Our Filmart period was a very special period of mine, exploring the magic of Romanticism and artistic positivity during the Renaissance, through the art and philosophy of Leonardo Da Vinci, which was our central theme. More in the novel I'm publishing on October the 20th, 2018, about Leonardo and Mona Lisa. :)

playlist of filmarK short film's






 

 

Filippos Marinakis "the revelation of mona lisa: guide in wisdom"
|HISTORICAL FICTION NOVEL DECODED THE Mona Lisa!😲|HUMAN EVOLUTION|


Shop@Amazon "The Revelation of Mona Lisa: A Guide in Wisdom"  At last the Mona Lisa is Decoded! Opening the path for mankind of how to Evolve from a flat one-dimensional being onto a wise three dimensional cosmic being! Mona Lisa's face is actually split into two different half faces as clearly seen here. Li-onardo da Vinci and Sa-lai, his long time companion. Behind Mona Li-Sa Lionardo da Vinci hid the unknown till now newfound Natural Law that: “Just like Mona Lisa, we all are Three People Joined in One Body!" Ever wondered why Lionardo da Vinci was such a genius? Believe it or not, this is actually the SOLE way for evolving onto a wise cosmic being similar with Lionardo da Vinci and the wise cosmic beings all-around the Cosmos. Our scientific facts have just been changed. The actual Da Vinci Code at last Decoded! Mankind Next Evolutionary Step? The Age of Our Great Awakening? Where were you when we started evolving? Whoever comprehends the sayings of this abook will Evolve.

Shop@Amazon "The Revelation of Mona Lisa: A Guide in Wisdom" [B&W]Shop Ebook Kindle@Amazon "The Revelation of Mona Lisa: A Guide in Wisdom" Shop@Amazon Deluxe In Premium Colour Edition "The Revelation of Mona Lisa: A Guide in Wisdom"

THE STORY:

  "The pure Nicolas da Florentia age 29 at Italy in the 1800's, from being a romantic thinker Awakens his Inner Spiritual Guide and evolves onto the higher realms of Spiritual Awakening and Wisdom, after discovering the long-lost secret manuscript of Lionardo da Vinci favourite student, accounting his initiation into cosmic wisdom by Da Vinci himself. Based on 4,500 Da Vinci manuscripts, Nikolas decodes the Mona Lisa for real, and meets several karmic wise men on his way in Wisdom. He passionately searches for his other-half, and actually discover it inside him. He completely awakens his Inner Spiritual Guide, unifies his Three Selves, and with thrice as much brain-power Evolves into a Wise Cosmic Being, opening his cosmic Third Eye. The first and sole Guide in Wisdom in the history of mankind. Make your own mind. Or remain one-dimensional forever."

 

 

 


FILIPPOS GLOBAL NATURAL ΦOTOGRAPHY

Filippos Fotography Gallery: eYES wIDE oPEN   WATCH THE SLIDE-SLOW HERE of more than 30 photos, or scroll for the gallerys. Since I was a boy I loved trippinng around theglobe with my camera in hand, always. Especially in our times, we're the first generation which can travel easily to anywhere in our planet. My trips started on a cruise going to Konstanoypolis, Kusadashi, and the most intriguing Cairo and Luxor in Egypt. There a street boy was dealng about selling souvenirs, and the funniest was that instead of lowrering the price, he asked for more and more!

Salto Angelo in Venezuela. 

           Since then I've been wth my camera as my best friend all around Greece, from motherland Crete to Soufli on the borders with Turkey. Tripping continues with the Interail and travel around Europe, specifically Barcelona, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Nice.

          In later years I went 5 times to Thaliand, and also to Cambodia 3 years after they allowed tourists and yeah, in Pnom Pegn there were dozen of gigantic bats flying around us and yes cockroaches certainly claim to own this land.

            Romania and Transylania in order to see where Dracula lived. Also, did a road trip from Barcelona to Morocco, and a road trip on Route 66 from Los Angeles to Texas and oh boy talking about an adventure... Venezuela is also such a beautiful exotic place, which was my 1st foto travel e-book.

            This part of my site is all about images and not about words. May we share together our beautiful lands and throw the trashies. This is for the glory and perfection of Nature!

*The featured photo is from the borders of Cambodia and Thailand. I asked to take his picture and he asked in return to offer him a cigarette. Kindly notice the "friendly" posture of the locals in his background... The second photo is from Koh Chang in Thailand, and the third one is the longest waterfall on Earth, 1km long, the Salto Angelo in Venezuela.


[AVAILABLE FOR HIRING ALL AROUND THE GLOBE. ADVENTURE ME!]

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PREVIEW MY "VENEZUELA" E-PHOTOBOOK

watch MY EXOTIC LANDS SHORT FLMS

FILIPPOS PHOTOGRAPHY WEBSITE