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Biography: Rick Pamplin / Pamplin Film Company
Written by Peter Olivares
Passion, persistence and performance. Those three words describe Rick Pamplin and his 34-year career in the motion picture industry. Beginning in his native Michigan as a news reporter for WEYI-TV, CBS for Flint, Saginaw, Bay City and Midland, Rick learned how to tell a story with a camera, write copy, edit, apply sound and music, make deadlines, produce on a budget and communicate with a mass audience.
After attending Culver Military Academy and graduating from the Cranbrook School in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, he continued his education at the University of Michigan-Flint while working in television. He later edited the award-winning student newspaper, The University News, and worked with friend and future Academy Award® winner Michael Moore ("Roger & Me," "Fahrenheit 9-11").
Moving to Hollywood in 1976, Rick continued his education at Antioch University and had the good fortune to become neighbors with Sylvester Stallone, a little-known actor at the time. After seeing "Rocky," Rick wrote articles about Stallone for national magazines to pay for his college, studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute, worked as an extra in movies, did crew jobs and received a Bachelor of Arts in Media Communications and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Antioch.
Homeless and broke, more than once, after graduation, Rick worked as a magazine editor, freelance writer, radio talk show host and screenwriter. By accident he fell into teaching screenwriting and, later, low-budget filmmaking. He became a popular Los Angeles teacher with sold-out classes, was profiled in newspapers and magazines, and sold projects to studios such as Walt Disney Pictures and Warner Bros.
He also sold film projects to The Guber-Peters Company, an independent production company, and partnered with producer Robert Kosberg ("Commando," "12 Monkeys") for several years pitching and selling movies developed in Rick's screenwriting classes.
In 1994 Rick became an independent filmmaker and set up his own company at Universal Studios Florida, then the largest working movie studio outside of Hollywood. He has produced, written and directed several award-winning films including "Michael Winslow Live," "Magic 4 Morons," "Hoover" starring Academy Award® winner Ernest Borgnine and 2008's "A Dog’s Life: The Oscar Lose Story."
Pamplin also consulted and worked on several Florida-based projects including the Disney feature film "The Waterboy" starring Adam Sandler, a documentary on the popular boy band 'N Sync, and served as Creative Consultant on the nationally syndicated TV series "National Lampoon’s Comedy Night School."
In 2008 Pamplin relocated to G-Star Motion Picture Studios and G-Star School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida where he was appointed “Filmmaker-in-Residence.” After six months, Pamplin left G-Star and is now based in North Palm Beach, Florida as an independent filmmaker, consultant and writer.
The Pamplin Film Company has successfully developed and invested over $1 million in three independent feature films; "Crimebusters," "City of God" and "A Beautiful Life." Pamplin will produce the films with William L. Whitacre, Esq. ("The Blair Witch Project," "Missing in America") and Ernest Borgnine ("Marty," "The Wild Bunch"), who will star in and executive produce each film. Pamplin will direct the films from his own original screenplays.
Passion, persistence and performance have served Pamplin well as he embarks on the biggest challenges and opportunities in his three decade-old career.
Copyright © 1990-2010 Internet Movie Database Limited. All rights reserved.
The Art of the Development Deal
by Rick Pamplin
In Hollywood, motion picture studios use development deals as a way of obtaining literary properties, creating screenplays, shopping them to talent (i.e.movie stars and directors), packaging and presenting a film to be "green lighted" for production.
When I sold film projects to Walt Disney Pictures, Warner Bros. and others those projects were optioned with some money up front against a future larger sale price -- after the picture was packaged and financed and ready for production.
As a screenwriter, I found the Hollywood saying that "Writers create but don't control" to be a near absolute truth and frustrating. I became a director to protect my writing and, later, a producer to ensure that I couldn't be fired as director.
Creative Control
Actors and independent filmmakers eventually realized they could do development deals, too, as a way of having creative control. They functioned much like the studios in packaging their projects (often with agency participation) for funding.
Film financing is always difficult for independents and may take years, or even decades, to complete but a well developed and packaged film project has the best shot at funding and, in turn, gives a solid foundation for a successful film.
A professional development package can save large amounts of time and money for both the filmmaker and potential investors. The filmmaker maintains creative control, protects their literary property, artistic vision and integrity.
"The Blair Witch Project" Factor
PFC now offers filmmakers and clients a chance to assemble a development package with "The Blair Witch Project" consultant who wrote their business plan and the attorney who hired her, went to Sundance and represented Haxan Films.
If you're an actor, writer, director, producer or author who wants to package your movie and find funding we can help -- with some proven, passionate professionals who know how to get your movie packaged, funded, shot and distributed.
Below is a brief overview and outline of the components we recommend and have been proven for an Executive Summary. We can assemble one for you. Contact us if you're interested. The first consultation, by phone or in person, is free.
Executive Summary Outline
Copyright © 2010 Pamplin Film Company. All rights reserved.
Photograph above of Rick Pamplin with Scott duPont filming the new feature length documentary "What is the Electric Car?" in Palm Beach County Florida by Maggie Phipps Pamplin.
Photograph Copyright © 2010 Pamplin Film Company. For more information on Scott duPont go to www.247cast.com/scottdupont. For more information on "What is the Electric Car?" go to www.WhatistheElectricCar.com.
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