Transmission — Episode 02

Do you want to get paid
for your ideas?

Three intellectual property pros share their strategies, mistakes, and what it really costs to live off your ideas — no filter.

1h50minLa Piscine, Montréal3 invités
Aussi disponible sur
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Extraits
Moments forts en format court
Chargement des clips...
Key points

01

Create your own IP vs. license exploitation

The difference between starting from scratch with Wuxia (65K$ Kickstarter) and working with a license like Vampire the Masquerade (1.36M$). Two paths, two financial realities.

02

The 'right moment' myth

Why waiting to be 'ready' is the ultimate trap. All three guests learned the same lesson: just start, you'll fall flat, and that's fine.

03

Community as fuel and as a trap

Kickstarter, fan bases, talent programs. What it really costs to manage the expectations of those who fund you — and the toxic 0.5%.

04

Passion first, business after

If you don't love what you do, aren't getting paid, and it's tough, everyone quits. Passion is the only sustainable fuel.

Guest(s)

Netflix / Write Your Series

Lorraine Sullivan

Creative coaching & training
20 years in institutions (Canal+, Serialize, Netflix). Head of Creative Talent Investment at Netflix. Over 6,000 students trained through Écrit ta série. She empowers creators to give themselves permission to tell their stories.
Écrit ta serie LinkedIn
Paracosme / Wuxia

Jonathan Bélisle

IP creation & AI consulting
Creator of Wuxia the Fox, a visionary transmedia book + iPad app. $65,000 raised on Kickstarter (2014). A design philosopher, he shifted to AI consulting and organizational transformation after realizing his project was 13 years ahead of its time.
Paracosm LinkedIn
Fly Entertainment

Thomas Filippi

License exploitation & board games
8 successful Kickstarter campaigns in a row. $3.9M raised, 15,517 backers. Partnerships with Paradox (Vampire the Masquerade) and Ubisoft (Rayman). No external funding, total reinvestment. Turned a passion for role-playing games into a board game empire.
Flyos Games LinkedIn

What we talk about

Three intellectual property professionals share, without filter, what it really costs to live off your ideas. Create, exploit, support: three approaches, three realities.

Lorraine Sullivan spent 20 years at Canal+, Serialize, and Netflix opening the doors of the industry to emerging creators, training over 6,000 people. Jonathan Bélisle created Wuxia the Fox, a visionary transmedia project that waited 13 years for the world to catch up. Thomas Filippi raised $3.9M on Kickstarter by leveraging the licenses he’s loved since he was a teenager.

Together, they explore why the ‘right moment’ doesn’t exist, how passion and resilience are the true keys to success, and what it really takes to turn your ideas into income — whether you create your own IP, exploit an existing license, or train the next generation.

Three complementary journeys, one shared belief: if you don’t love what you do, aren’t getting paid, and it’s hard, everyone gives up. So, at least enjoy the journey.

Chapters

Navigate the episode

Teaser: the truth about living off your ideas Three powerful excerpts on what it really costs to start. If you don't love what you do, everyone quits.
Welcome to Transmission Introducing the theme: intellectual property. Lorraine supports creators, Jonathan creates his own, Thomas exploits it.
Introducing the guests: The internet knows you Each guest rates from 1 to 10 how accurate their internet description is. Lorraine: 20 years Canal+/Netflix, Jonathan: Wuxia creator, Thomas: $3.9M Kickstarter.
If you could go back 10 years Just one harsh truth. Jonathan would have waited until 2023. Thomas would say "just go for it, you'll fail, that's fine." Lorraine would have left her comfort zone earlier.
Wuxia the Fox: from prophecy to Kickstarter The story of a visionary project born from a dream. iPad app, early voice recognition, 314 backers, and a hard lesson on not preparing your community.
From a scrap of paper to $1.36M: the Fly journey How a game designed in half a day led to Vampire the Masquerade. The failure of their second game, frustration as fuel, and the decision to make the game they dreamed of.
From Canal Plus to Write Your Series: the frustration that changes a system 600 projects a year, always the same stories. Lorraine decided to change things at the source by training creators who never dared.
AI, Disney and the future of creation Disney signs with OpenAI, the metaverse is back. AI as a strategic assistant — not a replacement. The importance of protecting jobs, not just ideas.
30 years old, $10,000 in your pocket, one project: what do you do? Concrete roundtable. Thomas: prototype + Kickstarter. Jonathan: invest in the right connections. Lorraine: understand the ecosystem and play the game.
Impostor syndrome and entrepreneurial resilience Skills change at every stage. No personal debt. The importance of having a co-founder and being transparent with your partner.
La Piscine and the legacy we want to leave How La Piscine opened the first door for Fly. Lorraine wants to keep generations connected. Jonathan wants to finish his dream machine. Thomas wants to prove ethical entrepreneurship is possible.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between creating your own IP and exploiting an existing license?

Creating your own IP (like Jonathan with Wuxia) means starting from scratch: full freedom, but also all the risk. You control everything, but you have to build your community from zero. Exploiting a license (like Thomas with Vampire the Masquerade) means gaining an existing fan base in exchange for royalties (5% to 25% of net sales) and having to follow creative guidelines. Thomas went from $42K (original IP) to $1.36M (Vampire license). There is a shortcut, but it comes with its own constraints.

Do you need a community before launching on Kickstarter?

Absolutely. This is the toughest lesson Jonathan and Thomas learned. The Kickstarter algorithm favors quick funding: the faster you are funded, the more visible you are. If you haven't prepared your community 6 months in advance with emails, content, and a prototype to show reviewers, you'll be at day 10 with no momentum — and panic sets in. Thomas recommends having reviewers contacted 4-6 months before and a physical or digital playable prototype.

How do you know if it’s the right time to start?

All three guests agree: there’s never a perfect time. Thomas waited until 2017 and wishes he’d heard: "just go for it, you’ll fail, that’s fine." Failing is part of your reward because it’s a lesson. Your responsibility isn't to avoid mistakes — it’s to not repeat them. However, one concrete tip: no personal debt. If there’s a loan, it’s in your company name, not yours.

Will AI replace creators?

No, and all three guests agree on this. AI is a strategic assistant: Thomas uses it to streamline emails with his factories in China, Jonathan to speed up prototyping. But the passion, the vision, the soul of a project — you can’t generate that. Lorraine sums it up: AI averages things, creation is the opposite. It’s a unique vision with edge. A video game publisher rejects 80% of projects because they feel commercial, without passion. AI amplifies, but it doesn’t replace the heart.

What is La Piscine and how can it help me?

La Piscine is a Montreal-based organization that's been supporting and stimulating Quebec's creative and cultural economy since 2015. Thomas says that when all the doors were closed (grants refused, not considered legitimate), La Piscine was the first to open one — thanks to a chance meeting at Osheaga. They offer specialized mentoring, marketing campaign funding, and above all a network that opens other doors. For Thomas, this led to meeting the first Assassin’s Creed producer and joining the Quebec video game guild.

ExpansionStudio

You too have a culture that deserves to be seen.

A shoot. A 25K-subscriber channel. A promotional agency. The right talent comes to you.

Launch your podcast
Next episode

Don't miss what's next

Get notified when the next episode of Transmission drops, plus exclusive insights on the creative industry in Montreal.

We could not confirm your registration.
Your registration is confirmed.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Want more?