Checklist Bundle: Preparing Graphic Novels for Transmedia Development

Stop Losing Options: Make Your Graphic Novel Agency-Ready for Transmedia

Missing paperwork, inconsistent file formats, and unclear rights are the three silent deal-killers when adapting graphic novels for TV, film, games, or licensing. If you want your IP to be optioned (like The Orangery’s Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika, which helped land a WME deal in January 2026), you need a repeatable, agency-ready package. This article walks you through a downloadable transmedia bundle—IP asset lists, rights checklists, and production bibles—plus SOPs and QA steps so your work converts to opportunities, not questions.

The 2026 Context: Why Agencies Now Demand Agency-Ready Packs

Late 2025 and early 2026 saw a surge in agencies signing transmedia IP outfits and studios with curated graphic novel slates. The Variety exclusive on The Orangery signing with WME (Jan 16, 2026) crystallized a trend: buyers increasingly prefer IP that’s packaged with clean rights, clear provenance, and production-ready documentation. On the tech side, AI indexing and stricter rights verification workflows have become standard in pitch desks and legal teams.

That changes how creators must prepare assets. Buyers expect:

• Machine-readable rights manifests and metadata for rapid ingestion
• Standardized production bibles that translate to film/TV/game formats
• Secure, versioned high-res art packages and print-ready files

What You Get in the Transmedia Checklist Bundle (Overview)

The bundle we outline here and make downloadable includes templates and SOPs for five core deliverables:

1. IP Asset List (machine + human-readable)
2. Rights & Chain-of-Title Checklist
3. Production Bible template (series + adaptation-ready)
4. Formatting & Technical Delivery Guide
5. Pitch Materials & QA SOPs

Each component is provided as editable files: Google Docs, Word, PDF forms, and an Airtable import-ready CSV for immediate use in production trackers.

IP Asset List: What to Collect and How to Structure It

The IP asset list is the single source of truth for everything attached to your title. Think of it as a catalog that legal, creative, and business teams all trust.

Minimum fields for each asset entry

• Asset ID (unique, immutable)
• Asset Type (cover image, interior page, character model, logo, soundtrack, script)
• Title / Sub-title
• Creator Credits (writer, artist, colorist, letterer) with contact info
• File format(s) and resolution
• Rights Status (owned, licensed, third-party, expired)
• License expiry or territorial limits
• Provenance / chain-of-custody notes
• Metadata tags (genre, theme, tags for AI indexing)

Tip: export this as both CSV and JSON. Agencies increasingly ingest JSON manifests into rights management systems; providing both speeds diligence.

Rights & Chain-of-Title Checklist

Nothing frustrates a buyer more than ambiguous ownership. The rights checklist converts tacit knowledge (“I thought I owned this”) into documented certainty.

Core items to include

• Signed copyright assignment or work-for-hire agreements for all creators
• Contract copies for commissioned artwork or ghostwriting
• Third-party license agreements (music, fonts, archival art)
• Option/previous-agreement history (any prior deals; attach redacted contracts)
• Moral rights statements and waiver documentation where applicable
• Clear list of retained vs. licensed rights (print, digital, film, TV, games, merchandising)
• Territorial and language-specific limitations
• Expiration and renewal terms

Include a one-page rights memo that summarizes rights in plain language. Agencies want an executive snapshot before they read contracts.

Production Bible: Structure That Scales to Transmedia

A production bible turns your graphic novel into a usable roadmap for adaptation. The bundle includes a modular Production Bible template with two modes: Series Adaptation and Standalone Feature.

Suggested Production Bible table of contents

1. Title Page & Key Credits
2. One-Page Elevator Pitch
3. Series/Feature Overview (tone, themes, audience)
4. Character Dossiers (visuals, arcs, actors’ notes)
5. World-Building Guide (locations, rules, tech)
6. Season/Episode Breakdown or Act Structure
7. Visual References & Color Keys
8. Sample Scripts / Scene Treatments
9. Music & Sound Design Notes
10. Merchandising & Licensing Opportunities
11. Legal & Rights Summary
12. Production Contacts & Deliverables List

Each character dossier includes defined beats and visual callouts to aid casting and costume departments. For The Orangery-style transmedia projects, include cross-platform hooks (podcast arcs, game mechanics, AR moments).

Formatting & Technical Delivery Guide

Agencies and buyers expect predictable, professional file formats. Your bundle’s technical guide standardizes deliverables so QA becomes a checklist, not a scavenger hunt.

Key technical standards

• Print-ready art: TIFF 300 dpi, CMYK, with 0.125" bleed; export PDFs as PDF/X‑1a when sending to printers
• Digital proofs: RGB 150–300 dpi PNG/JPEG with watermarks for pitches
• Editable art: PSD with layers preserved; provide zipped folder with fonts or outlines
• Vector assets: AI or SVG for logos and title treatments
• Text files: Provide FDX or Final Draft for scripts plus plain text and PDF versions
• Audio: WAV 48kHz 24-bit masters; MP3 reference files
• Video sizzle reels: ProRes 422 HQ or H.264 at 1080p with timecode burns for review

Also include a clear naming convention and versioning policy. Example: ProjectTitle_AssetType_v01_20260115.psd. Use ISO dates to keep chronological order.

Pitch Materials & QA SOPs

Your pitch package must be tight, memorable, and legally clean. The bundle includes a pitch one-sheet template, a sizzle checklist, and a QA SOP for pre-submission reviews.

Pitch one-sheet must-haves

• Logline and 2–3 sentence elevator pitch
• Comparable titles and target audience
• Key visual (cover or mood board)
• Core team and notable credits
• Rights status summary (one-paragraph)
• Contact & next steps

QA SOP (30–45 minute checklist before sending)

1. Verify all signed contracts are attached and redacted where needed
2. Run filename and metadata check against IP Asset List
3. Confirm file formats and resolution match delivery guide
4. Confirm fonts are outlined or licensed for embedding
5. Watermark pitch materials and create secure sharing links
6. Create a short audit memo (1 page) summarizing package contents for recipients

Operational SOPs: Onboarding & Version Control

When new contractors or an agent's team joins a project, the handoff should be seamless. The bundle includes a 7-step onboarding SOP that maps how to ingest assets into a production workspace (Notion, Airtable, or a DAM).

Onboarding quick SOP

1. Create project workspace and invite stakeholders with role-based permissions
2. Import IP Asset CSV and run metadata validation (AI tools can auto-tag)
3. Upload master files into a DAM with access controls and watermarked preview generation
4. Assign version control policy (Git LFS or cloud versioning) and name conventions
5. Run rights & contract verification checklist with legal before external sharing
6. Schedule a creative walkthrough (30–60 minutes) using the Production Bible
7. Enable automated backups and timestamped audit logs for provenance

Advanced Strategies for 2026 and Beyond

To stay ahead, integrate these advanced tactics into your bundle and workflows:

• Machine-readable rights manifests: Provide a JSON-LD manifest so buyers can auto-ingest rights; consider modern tag architectures and taxonomies to make manifests robust and machine-friendly.
• AI-assisted tagging: Use perceptual AI to auto-tag characters, scenes, and themes for rapid search and adaptation signal detection.
• Immutable timestamps: Use notarization or blockchain timestamps for establishing provenance and date-of-creation records—valuable during bids and disputes.
• Localization-ready assets: Provide layered files with text layers separated (or source text files) to speed localization and dubbing workflows.
• Modular IP packaging: Create “extractable” asset bundles (characters, settings, arcs) so buyers can quickly see serialized potential.

These are not just tech trends; they’re buyer expectations. The Orangery’s model demonstrates how a well-packaged slate attracts agency representation and multiplatform interest.

Practical Templates Included (What You'll Get Immediately)

The downloadable bundle contains the following ready-to-use templates and examples:

• IP Asset List (CSV + Airtable base)
• Rights Checklist & Rights Memo (Word + PDF)
• Production Bible Template (Google Doc + InDesign layout)
• Formatting Guide (PDF quick-reference card)
• Pitch One-Sheet + Sizzle Reel Checklist
• Onboarding SOP + QA Checklist (Notion template)
• Sample chain-of-title packet (redacted example)

Step-by-Step: How to Use the Bundle This Week

Follow this 7-day sprint to convert an existing graphic novel into an agency-ready package:

1. Day 1: Run the IP Asset List import—catalog all files and metadata. (Use the provided Airtable CSV or a micro-app template to speed metadata capture.)
2. Day 2: Audit rights—collect signed agreements and fill the Rights Checklist.
3. Day 3: Draft the Production Bible one-page overview and character dossiers.
4. Day 4: Prepare formatted deliverables: export one delimited demo PDF and assemble a low-res sizzle. If you need a simple demo site or ingest tool, the no-code micro-app tutorial helps you publish previews quickly.
5. Day 5: Run QA SOP and rights legal quick-check (attach audit memo).
6. Day 6: Create the pitch one-sheet and secure sharing links; watermark as needed — beware of relying on free hosting without secure controls.
7. Day 7: Prepare the final package ZIP (low-res preview + rights memo + production bible) and rehearse a 3-minute pitch. If you prefer a staged product launch for the kit, run the sprint alongside a 7-day micro-app launch playbook.

Real-World Example: How The Orangery-Style Packaging Wins Deals

Case in point: The Orangery, a European transmedia studio, built a slate with clear rights and production-ready documents for titles like Traveling to Mars and Sweet Paprika. When WME signed with them in January 2026, the pitch included a modular production bible and a clear rights manifest—a format that allowed the agency to evaluate adaptation potential rapidly. That is the advantage this bundle seeks to replicate.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Assuming verbal agreements are sufficient—always secure written assignments.
• Sending high-res masters without proofing and watermarking—use low-res proofs in pitches.
• Mixing file-naming conventions—standardize with ISO dates and v-prefixes.
• Ignoring metadata—AI tools scan metadata first; populate it consistently. Consider evolving tag patterns and data architectures to support automated ingestion.

Actionable Takeaways

• Create a single IP Asset List and keep it current—buyers use it to triage interest.
• Document rights now—don’t wait for an inbound offer to figure out ownership.
• Use the Production Bible as a bridge between comics and screen writers/producers.
• Automate metadata and manifests for faster diligence with JSON-LD or CSV exports.

“A packaged IP is a sellable IP.” — Practical rule of thumb for creators and teams preparing for adaptation.

Next Steps: Get the Bundle and Make Your IP Sellable

If you want your graphic novel to be evaluated like The Orangery’s titles—fast, clean, and option-ready—start with the checklist bundle. Download the IP Asset List, Rights Checklist, and Production Bible templates, then run a 7-day sprint. The market in 2026 rewards packaging and provenance; make your project the easy yes.

Call to Action

Download the transmedia bundle now to get agency-ready templates (IP assets, rights list, production bible, and SOPs). Use the included Notion and Airtable templates to onboard collaborators and speed diligence. Ready to customize the pack for your title? Contact us for a tailored onboarding and packaging service.

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