Executive and creative development for independent film and series
Coralian's Project Development arm offers comprehensive coverage and creative feedback, treatment and deck design, scheduling and budgeting, financing strategy, and producer support — for select independent films, series, and visual projects with a distinct creative voice. Four engagement types, structured deliverables, and the option of an à-la-carte engagement when none of them is the right fit.
The arm runs alongside our production house. Some projects we develop and then produce ourselves; most we hand back to the originating writer or producer with everything they need to take the work into the market — script ready, deck built, finance plan drafted, talent strategy mapped.
Why work with us
Writers and producers come to us to navigate the early, often opaque stages of development and packaging — the part of the process where most projects either find their footing or quietly stall. We do the heavy lifting; you keep full control of your intellectual property.
We don't option or buy material. Unlike traditional production companies that take over a project in exchange for resources, we engage as a work-for-hire partner. The script remains yours. The deck remains yours. The decisions remain yours.
We don't take a story-by credit on consulting work, and our fee is never contingent on whether the film gets made. You're paying for the package, not for a promise we can't honor.
We work online and internationally with active relationships in Los Angeles, London, and Madrid. We've worked with first-time writer-directors, festival-track veterans, agencies, and platform commissioners; the methodology is the same regardless of budget tier.
Engagements
Pick what you need. Each engagement stands alone, and any can be tailored à la carte. All begin with a careful read and a written response before any document creation begins.
i — Project Assessment
A clear-eyed read of where the project stands.
— Script coverage and creative notes
— Positioning and market read
— Development priorities and next steps
ii — Package Build
The full pitch-ready package.
— Treatment and comprehensive pitch deck
— Strip-board scheduling and cast scheduling
— Top-sheet budget
— Preliminary finance plan
iii — Packaging Strategy
Bringing the package to the market.
— Talent strategy and attachment exploration
— Sales and distribution positioning
— Strategic guidance and relationship-based introductions where there is a real fit
— Producer support through the packaging window
Note: We're not registered brokers or professional fundraisers. The service includes strategic consulting and introductions; we don't guarantee financing outcomes.
iv — Long-Form Partnership
For adaptations, rewrites, complex development, or projects that need sustained guidance.
— Macro creative assessment of source material
— Treatments, decks, and ongoing creative development
— Talent attachment exploration
— Weekly written progress and standing catch-up calls
— Cross-consultation with our production and post arms when relevant
Deliverables timeline typically 3–6 weeks per engagement, depending on project complexity.
Pricing is project-specific and shared on a short call after we've read the material. We send a one-page written scope before any work begins — fixed fee or hourly, your call.
Long-form creative partnership
For projects requiring more advanced creative assistance — adapting existing IP (book, podcast, article, essay) into film, series, or hybrid format; projects that need substantial rewrites; or projects already underway that need course-correction — we offer a bespoke Creative tier, priced by engagement length.
It exists to avoid the "development black hole" — the silent stretch where a script disappears for months. We commit to weekly written progress, scheduled catch-up calls, and a real review cadence. The IP remains yours throughout; we take no story-by, no co-writing credit, and no equity in the project.
Typical scope:
— Macro assessment of source material and market opportunity
— Written report on the existing IP, highlighting items worth developing
— Creative outline for the selected direction
— Treatments and comprehensive pitch decks
— Talent attachment exploration
— Pitch meetings at networks, buyers, and platforms
— Weekly progress report by email; standing catch-up calls
— Cross-consultation with our production and post arms when relevant
— Introductions to relevant agencies, sales agents, financiers, buyers, and production partners when appropriate
Process & timeline
1. Read first. Every engagement starts with a careful read of what you have — script, treatment, manuscript, brand brief. We come back with a written response before we sit down together. No call-first, talk-it-out — we want to think on the page before we think in a room.
2. Scope in writing. Once we both agree the project is something we want to take on, we send a one-page scope with deliverables, milestones, and a fee. Nothing starts without a signed scope. Retainer is paid upfront before any document creation begins.
3. Drafts in cycles. We work in short, named drafts (V1, V2, locked) with a written change log on each. You always know what we changed and why.
4. Delivery. Standard engagements turn around in 3–6 weeks. Long-form partnerships run anywhere from two months to a year, depending on the project. We stay in steady written contact throughout — no development black holes.
5. Ownership stays with you. Unless we co-produce, every deliverable belongs to you — script, treatment, deck, lookbook, schedule, budget. We don't take a story-by credit on consulting work, and our fee is never tied to whether the project gets financed or made.
FAQ
Who is Project Development right for?
Early-stage producers through veterans looking to further the development, structuring, financing, packaging, or selling of a film, series, or branded project.
How do you decide which projects to take on?
We review each submission on three axes: originality of concept, marketability in the current landscape, and the strength of the team and existing package. We don't engage with every project — we'd rather say no honestly than collect a retainer for a project we can't help.
Will I stay in my creative role (writer, director, producer)?
Yes. We work to keep the elements you've planned. If a particular attachment makes the project a harder sell, we'll tell you honestly so you can decide.
Do you option or purchase material?
No. We engage as a work-for-hire partner. The IP is yours throughout.
Do you take ownership in my project?
No. We don't take ownership in Project Development engagements. If we end up producing the project as a separate engagement after development, that's a new contract with its own terms.
Who'll be my point of contact?
You'll have a named lead on your project from week one — either Arturo (Mexico) or Akshay (India), with weekly written progress notes regardless of which engagement you're on.
Can I pick and choose à la carte?
Yes. The engagements are a starting point; if your project needs three things from Package Build and one from Packaging Strategy, we'll structure that specifically.
What if my project doesn't secure funding after we work together?
Financing is never something we can guarantee, and we won't pretend otherwise. What we do guarantee is that your project will be fully prepared, presentable, and aimed at the right partners. The package is yours to keep using long after our engagement ends.
Can payment be deferred?
No. Retainers are paid upfront before any document creation begins.
Engage us
Send a short note describing the project, where it is right now, and what you're hoping to walk out of development with. Attach the script, the treatment, the deck — whatever exists.
We read everything. We respond when we have something real to say — usually within ten working days.