QUESTION AND ANSWER WITH MEDIA MAN AS NOW SHOWING ON THE WEBSITE: www.mediamanint.com/interviews.html 
© ArtworkSusanne Bradley ©TravelersTales - Richard Bradley Productions MediaMan: So what is Travelers Tales? RichardBradley: Travelers Tales is a collectionof feature length stories with a common theme. Set in places and times that weknow or imagine with principle characters who must take a journey. In eachjourney the travellers comes against amazing and almost impossible situationswhich provide an inspirational and thought provoking conclusion. MediaMan: Looking at all your other work whendid you put this series together? RichardBradley: Several years ago I wrotetwo scripts. With the idea for the 3rd storyline developing I soughtthe guidance of senior script consultants, someone able to point these unusualstory ideas in the right direction to hold an audience. MediaMan: Do you mean the flow of the story? RichardBradley: Yes, exactly. Because of theunusual concept I needed to ensure the three act structure and turning pointscame together well for the reader or viewer to be hooked into the story afterthe set up in act one. And to stay well and truly into it during act two and wantingto know the final outcome in act three. The consultant I used was Dr LindaSeger who has international film and TV drama credits consulting to the majorHollywood studios and American TV networks. MediaMan: I notice that Dr Seger is anAmerican, why her? RichardBradley: I already had a workingrelationship with Linda Seger from years ago. For me, she provides excellentanalysis of story strengths and weaknesses. And as the stories are set anywhereand everywhere with characters of many different nationalities, Linda was agood choice from this perspective. And very importantly she is very good withconfidentiality issues. After Linda’s the heavy writing with a local scripteditor checking scripts along the way. MediaMan: You are obviously happy with theresult? RichardBradley: Yes – all up 26 individual feature length stories have now been written, properly script editedand reworked several times. The script editing is so important to this – youneed someone with good writing skills with a cold approach to what you havewritten. If this process is done properly the end result is so much better. MediaMan: Well although you may be happy,but has any of this been properly tested on the commercial market? RichardBradley: Yes, four selected scriptshave been analysed on request – one of them had an offer of $3M to co-producebut unfortunately this did not suit Australian investors and rebates. But theoffer and especially the money was on the table. MediaMan: So what is the investmentstrategy? RichardBradley: The offer is to provide arebate of 35% on the investment which is structured in Australian Dollars toprovide a favourable exchange rate as well. Secondly through my financial peoplethey will also be able to provide long term surety of the “at risk component”suitable to investors, on top of the rebate and exchange rates. It meansaffordable protection – the Australian rebate for local qualifying films, whichincludes this series, is stated at 40% but you have to factor in non-qualifyingcomponents and this is why I state 35%. MediaMan: So you are saying that theinvestment could have risk free components? RichardBradley: It can be but work needs tobe done by my financial people to look at the best options available. Once thestructure is approved by the investor the funds are placed into a managed fundand drawn down to the production company in a controlled manner to make eachfilm. MediaMan: What is your role withproduction? RichardBradley: Writer/producer – there isplenty of willing talent out there to make these films. The brief will be todeliver what my production company requires and Travelers Tales is a greatopportunity for employment, especially for emerging production talent, good directorsand actors from all backgrounds. This is essentially important now with everreducing Government assistance to the Arts in Australia. MediaMan: What about the distribution? RichardBradley: This area has changeddramatically over the past several years with streaming of films and thesechanges will continue to accelerate. My production company has been active indistribution for many years with plenty of success. The series will be nichemarketed through a subsidiary of my company to defray P and A costs and withsub licencing to companies already earmarked for this, it will be a matter ifthe series takes hold and I believe it will. The distribution structure willalso be placed to ensure that the local rebate conditions are adhered to. MediaMan: Film production is such a risk –how can you overcome negative attitudes, especially at this time? RichardBradley: Yes film production is areal risk – always has been and always will be. This is why we have keyfinancial people to build proper managed funds to try and eliminate as much riskas possible. Most Australian films and for that matter many American andBritish films don’t make any money. But if you are to be in this business youneed to stay positive and enthusiastic towards your work or you might as wellnot even bother. MediaMan: Just on a creative note I’minterested in what other writers might have inspired you? RichardBradley: I reckon with these, JosephStefano, Rod Serling and Richard Matheson - they pushed the boundaries joiningthe real and imagined world and when putting these scripts together I oftenthought of how they would do it. I’m also indebted to the countless hours of backgroundclassical music playing whilst I was writing – it was, at times, unbelievablehow music written hundreds of years ago played a part in guiding creativeenergy. At times after I set up after the first twenty pages the script seemedto almost write itself. The initial treatment preparation and set up is sovital to a good story. MediaMan: You say the stories are aboutanother place, another time, are they all fiction? RichardBradley: Not all, some are based onhistorical fact and others on what might be or could be. All with a commontheme – it’s a very unusual series. I think they’re unique. MediaMan: You obviously enjoyed the creativewriting process? RichardBradley: Yes it makes life worthliving. MediaMan: Okay, we’ve known each other along time so let’s see what’s out there! RichardBradley: Thanks, if there is anexpression of interest the first move will be to introduce investors to ourfinancial consultants to see what can be structured for them. We know thebudgets and requirements to get started, on approval of finance. Media Man: If you are interest in thisseries and are a genuine investor please contact Media Man or Richard Bradley Productions and your enquiry will be passed on in confidence tothe financial planners Townshend and Associates who are based in Melboune.
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