Level 4 Press
Books Destined for the Big Screen

Over one-third of the movies made in Hollywood in the last 60 years have been based on books, and many of them have gone on to become blockbusters. While some of these books are renowned franchises, others are lesser-known literary works chosen from the four million books published annually.

Until now, investors in the entertainment industry have spent extensive resources trying to find novels that check all the boxes for a successful adaptation. Level 4 Press has introduced a better alternative to connect distinctive literary works with film and television buyers looking for their next blockbuster.

The robust book-to-screen pipeline designed by Level 4 Press reverse-engineers the process of adapting books to the silver screen. Rather than trying to find a suitable novel from the hundreds of thousands of published works, Level 4 Press employs skilled writers to develop original ideas. It identifies a suitable idea for a film or television series, then assigns an author to flesh it out and expand it into a novel. The authored novel is published and then turned into a film or brought to film and television buyers as original intellectual property.

“Our distinctive business model differentiates us from other companies that approach IP creation, acquisition and exploitation in a less holistic way,” says William Roetzheim, CEO of Level 4 Press.

This is especially useful in an industry where the path for turning an idea into a film is extremely difficult, inefficient and uncertain. In contrast, Level 4’s book-to-screen model is highly efficient, as it allows the firm to maintain a steady IP stream, with all rights owned and controlled by Level 4, which makes the rights acquisition and contracting uniform, streamlined, and sustainable. And by cutting out various “middlemen” along the way, Level 4 can focus on quality, while capturing value as the IP moves along the pipeline.

“Quality is what matters most to readers and also to entertainment executives. Our system ensures that we don’t just create great books, but we can do it over and over again,” says Randy Becker, executive vice president (EVP) of Level 4 Press. “We currently have a team of approximately 50 authors, seven screenwriters eight editors, and various professionals from the publishing and entertainment industries all helping to support a pipeline of 270 projects, of which 80 are in active development and 20 have been published.”.

The team follows a meticulous process refined by the CEO and EVP. The informed workflow at Level 4 Press is optimized in the image of Roetzheim’s successful process-oriented businesses in the tech industry. It is further optimized by the knowledge and expertise of Becker. They have built a team of hard-working professionals who care deeply about the work at Level 4 Press.

The distinct workforce structure, combined with the robust book-to-screen pipeline, has made Level 4 Press into a vertically integrated IP development company, generating both published novels as well as content for films and television series. It is divided into three divisions, each working toward the same goal. Level 4 Press begins with a step-by-step workflow, where a conceived creative idea is turned into a comprehensive set of specifications for a book and assigned to a co-author for writing. After editing and copyediting, the book is marketed and published under a genre-specific author brand. At this point, Level 4 Films takes over and creates the pitch deck. The script is written based on the book, and the film/television series is packaged for sale as IP to potential buyers.

Level 4 Management is an additional division of the company that functions like a boutique literary agency. Helping both aspiring and more established film and television writers alike shepherd their writing careers, as their strong relationships in the entertainment industry contribute to Level 4’s ability to bring it’s IP out effectively.

“It is a matter of pride that over 40 percent of our novels have hit #1 on Amazon and garnered prestigious literary awards,” says Justin Steger, film and television executive, Level 4 Press. “We are always aware of evolving trends in the entertainment landscape, which is why we publish a variety of in-demand genres that fulfill cravings for engaging books and unforgettable movies and television series.”

Level 4 Press, with its unique book-to-screen approach, presents a lucrative business opportunity for investors. Instead of trying to find the perfect book, they can have the book authored and published based on their specifications and have it ready for screen adaptation – all within significantly lower investments.