FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2010

THE SAM HILL GROUP AND GLASS ROAD PR BRIDGE PUBLISHING,

MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRIES WITH INNOVATIVE ALLIANCE 

Partnership to Offer Management and Promotional Services to Authors, Artists

(Nashville, Tenn.) Cinematic storytellers and writers of story-centric nonfiction now have the option of a full-service management company with experience and relationships in both publishing and motion picture industries. By partnering with The Sam Hill Group, whose owner, Emmy Award-winning director Steve Feldman, has over three decades of experience in the motion-picture industry, Glass Road’s expansion into management uniquely serves creators of stories that work across the media spectrum.

“For years, the refrain from cinematic novelists has remained constant,” said Rebeca Seitz, President of Glass Road. “They want a management company that can take their stories into the motion picture industry, produce those stories into movies or television, and continue to grow their presence in the publishing industry. This alliance can do that-- and more.”

That “more” involves packaging promotional services into agent representation for every management client. Glass Road management clients will be provided full publicity and marketing campaigns for each product, as well as ongoing branding campaigns for the time between product launches.

“We know that publicity and marketing budgets are tight these days,” Seitz said, “So we created a way to keep those services on the table while removing the need for the publishing house or author to fund them outright.”

In addition to development consideration for every project, The Sam Hill Group will enhance promotional services with author videos and book trailers. Some projects may then be produced in-house or shopped to alternate production houses.

“Our early work with Glass Road has revealed fantastic production opportunities,” said Feldman. “We’re excited to forge a formal partnership that allows us to bring a new perspective to movies and television in this country—bringing excellently-crafted stories to life on screen while maintaining the integrity of the worldview within them and the superiority of cinematic skill that should be applied to all Christian product.”                                   

Based in Nashville, TN, The Sam Hill Group develops and produces video and film content for a wide variety of audiences and platforms. Each project undertaken must resonate with truth and benefit audiences with a deeper understanding of the relationship and responsibility we all have to each other. Emmy Award-winning TV director Steve Feldman serves as its founder and president. He has worked with talent as varied as Bill Maher, Linda Ellerbee, Bill Nye, and Elmo on networks including PBS, CBS, Disney, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, MSNBC and Discovery. His credits include Sesame Street, the ‘Nick News, Politically Incorrect, The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss, LazyTown and the debut musical theatre production for Walden Media, Rock Odyssey. In addition, he has produced and directed documentaries on prison life for MSNBC and is currently developing a documentary feature about the life of David Berkowitz, the “Son of Sam”. Learn more at www.samhillgroup.com.

MORE...

Yep! It’s true. Glass Road is partnering with The Sam Hill Group to—at last—create a true home for cinematic storytellers and story-centric nonfiction authors. Our adventure began when Rebeca Seitz (President, Glass Road) met Steve Feldman (Founder, The Sam Hill Group) at the Gideon Film Festival earlier this year. Surrounded by screenwriters, novelists, actors, directors, and producers, the two quickly discovered a shared passion for two things: excellence in endeavor and a Christian worldview.

 What services will now be offered by Glass Road that weren’t before?

Prior to the partnership, Glass Road served authors with promotional and editorial services. We’ll still do that. Now, though, we’ll also come alongside writers as their literary agent. We’ll create proposals (as we’ve done for years) and take those proposals to the acquisitions editors at publishing houses for consideration.

Each literary project will, in turn, be considered for further development by The Sam Hill Group. If SHG determines a product is appropriate for television, film, iPad adaptation, e-book enhancement, or another form of video-driven product, it will either produce that product or shop the idea to other production houses.

Additionally, management clients will be afforded the video capabilities of The Sam Hill Group. So, author promotional videos and book trailers are now easily created and included as part of the author’s management services rather than being a separate line item in the author’s promotional budget.

How is this any different from the literary agencies already in existence?

There are several very good literary agents out there – we know because we’ve worked with them for years. For writers who create product other than books, though, the appropriate agent listings are slim, indeed. We wanted to create something that doesn’t already exist: a hybrid, full-service management company that has a proven track record in both the publishing and motion picture industries, and that is welcoming to those who write from a Christian worldview.

Authors who come to Glass Road for management will receive much more than a literary agent. They’ll get the promotional services that Glass Road has built its reputation on as well as video services and motion picture development consideration from an Emmy Award-winning director.

What if I only want the Glass Road promotional services, not the management?

We’re happy to still provide publicity work to clients as we always have. The only difference? Our management clients receive that work for free while non-management clients must contract separately for the work, as they do with any publicity firm.

Can you offer anything to screenwriters?

Yes, a screenwriters division is coming. If you’re a screenwriter, please email rebeca @ glassroadpr . com (removing the spaces, of course) and we’ll let you know more about the opportunities on the horizon.

I have an agent. What do I do if I want to switch to Glass Road?