OMGPOP Founder Wrote a Movie About the Dark Side of Civilian Drones
After a bazingo exit, the possibilities for a startup founder seem endless. You could form a mafia with your old coworkers, you could design bourgeois apps for your pals. If the mood strikes, you could charge a small Hawaiian island on your credit card. Whatever floats your yacht. Ever the outlier, OMGPop founder Charles Forman is trying his luck in Hollywood.
In an email to Valleywag, Forman explained:
I'm working on a movie about the unintended consequences of new technology: specifically civilian drones. I have to act quick before Shia LaBeouf hears about it.
On his blog Setpixel, Forman describes the beginning of his writing process ("I Googled: 'How to make a movie.') as well as a failed attempt to get inspired in Bangkok ("I could have gotten the same amount done in my apartment.") Now, like an upright citizen of the sharing economy, Forman is crowdsourcing feedback on his script:
I have sent the treatment out to many people. I have received great praise including: "That is great, are you coming home for Christmas?", "Slightly better than I thought it would be.", "Not horrible.", and "This is really long."
To the people I have sent the treatment to, but have not yet responded, I simply have 5 questions: 1) Did you read my treatment? 2) Why not? 3) Then, when? 4) Did I mention you were my inspiration? 5) Can I borrow some money?
I'm sure that many people were indifferent or unsupportive when Abraham Lincoln was writing War and Peace. If I was there, I would tell Abraham, "You can do it, I'll back your Kickstarter." And I wouldn't pull my pledge right before the goal was met.
Be a part of history.
Forman reportedly made north of $22 million when Zynga acquired OMGPop in order to get its hands on the hit game Draw Something, so I'm not sure why he's put out the collection plate. (We all know how that deal ended up for Mark Pincus.)
Fameball-era gossips may remember Forman as a bright, quirky light in New York's otherwise low wattage tech scene. He dated Julia Allison, snuggled with David Karp, and seemed to gaze out at the absurdities of Silicon Alley with a knowing wink.
I'm sure Shia LaBeouf will be calling in no time.
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