Lottery based entertainment system

The present invention generally provides a sequential method for producing and/or casting a film, television, play or other form of entertainment. More specifically, a lottery based system is implemented so that the winning person obtains rights to be a subject in a play, television show, film or other form of entertainment. The winning person may actually act in the project or the winning person may elect to have an actor play him or her in the project. Audience members who obtain tickets to showings of the project are themselves given a lottery ticket to obtain the rights to be a subject in a subsequent play, television show or film. Further, the winning audience member may also obtain a prize, such as cash, for winning the lottery. The process repeats itself so that a subject of each new project is taken from the audience of the previous project. The cycle may continue until future audiences no longer support the running project.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally provides a sequential method for producing and/or casting a film, television, play or other form of entertainment. More specifically, a lottery (or raffle) based system is implemented so that the winning person obtains rights to be a subject in a play, television show, film or other form of entertainment. The winning person may actually act in the project or the winning person may elect to have an actor play him or her in the project. Alternatively, the winning person may receive a prize such as, for example, a cash prize. Audience members who obtain tickets to showings of the project are themselves given a lottery ticket to obtain the rights to be a subject in a subsequent play, television show or film. Further, the winning audience member may also obtain a prize, such as cash, for winning the lottery. The process repeats itself so that a subject of each new project is taken from the audience of the previous project. The cycle may continue for a set amount of time, a set amount of cycles or future audiences no longer support the running project. It should be noted that the audience member need not be present to win in some embodiments of the method.

The entertainment industry is one of the most competitive industries in the country. Millions of hopeful actors fearlessly audition on a daily basis to become the next big television or film star. Those auditions are held by thousands of independent producers and studio executives who are themselves fearlessly fighting to win an audience for their next project.

In order to win the audience the producers must offer a unique product. Although largely saturated at this time, reality based entertainment is one of the biggest audience magnets. Reality television programs such as American Idol, Survivor and Big Brother are just a few examples of the highly successful reality programming boom. Typically, contestants on these programs undergo an “audition” process to narrow the field of possible contestants to a manageable few. The audition process often includes live and/or video tape auditions. Many of these projects also include an at home audience voting segment whereby the audience chooses a winner based on talent, personality or other factors.

The gambling industry is one of the largest growing industries in the country next to the entertainment industry. In fact the two are often combined. Las Vegas is ever expanding and riverboats are growing steadily in number. As of yet there exists no known lottery system wherein the winner has the opportunity to star in (or be the subject of) a film, play, television show or other form of entertainment.

A need, therefore, exists for an improved lottery based system wherein an admission ticket also acts as a lottery ticket. Further, no known lottery based casting system exists wherein the winner has the opportunity to star in (or be the subject of) a film, play, television show or other form of entertainment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally provides a sequential method for producing and/or casting a film, television, play or other form of entertainment. More specifically, a lottery based system is implemented so that the winning person obtains rights to be a subject in a play, television show, film or other form of entertainment. The winning person may actually act in the project or the winning person may elect to have an actor play him or her in the project. Audience members who obtain tickets to showings of the project are themselves given a lottery ticket to obtain the rights to be a subject in a subsequent play, television show or film. Further, the winning audience member may also obtain a prize, such as cash, for winning the lottery. The process repeats itself so that a subject of each new project is taken from the audience of the previous project. The cycle may continue until future audiences no longer support the running project.

Audience members obtaining a lottery ticket may purchase the ticket or may, in some cases, receive a free entry by contacting the producers via a predetermined manner, as state law may dictate. The ticket may contain a designator of authenticity and a code to help eliminate fraud. For example, the ticket may include scratch off portion and or a hologram.

In an embodiment, a method for conducting a lottery includes the steps of: providing a plurality of lottery tickets to individuals wherein the lottery tickets act as admission to a first film, play, television show or other entertainment; selecting at least one winning lottery ticket; placing at least one the winners of the first lottery in an acting role in a second film, play, television show or other form of entertainment; and providing a second plurality of lottery tickets to individuals wherein the second plurality a lottery tickets acts as admission to the second film, play, television show or other form of entertainment and wherein a subsequent prize is provided to the winner of the second lottery.

In yet another embodiment of the method, no purchase is required to be entered into the lottery.

In still another embodiment of the method, an authenticator code is provided on the lottery ticket.

And in another embodiment, the lottery is televised.

In yet another embodiment of the method, admission tickets are provided to the first and/or second film, play, television show or other form of entertainment wherein the admission tickets are not lottery tickets.

In another embodiment, a method for conducting a lottery includes the steps of: providing a plurality of lottery tickets to individuals wherein the lottery tickets act as admission to a first film, play, television show or other entertainment; selecting at least one winning lottery ticket; producing a second film, play, television show or other form of entertainment wherein the second film, play, television show or other form of entertainment is at least partly based on the life of at least one the winners of the first lottery; and providing a second plurality of lottery tickets to individuals wherein the second plurality a lottery tickets acts as admission to the second film, play, television show or other form of entertainment.

For a more complete understanding of the above listed features and advantages of the present method for a lottery based system reference should be made to the accompanying drawings. Further, additional features and advantages of the present invention are described in, and will be apparent from, the detailed description of the preferred embodiments and from the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring now to the drawings wherein like numerals refer to like parts,FIG. 1illustrates a flow chart of the sequential lottery based entertainment system1. As previously indicated, the present invention relates to a method for conducting a sequential lottery based entertainment system1wherein a first winner2of a first lottery3is given the opportunity to act in a film, play, television show or other form of entertainment4. Alternatively, the first winner2of the first lottery3may elect to have an actor5portray him or her in the film, play, television show or other form of entertainment4. The first lottery3may take place before the first film, play, television show or other form of entertainment4or the first lottery3may take place after the first film, play, television show or other form of entertainment4. In some embodiments, the subject of the film, play, television show or other form of entertainment4may be the first lottery3and any events surrounding the first lottery3. In some embodiments, the film, play, television show or other form of entertainment4may be a documentary or a dramatization of the first lottery3and or the events surrounding the first lottery3.

A second lottery10may be held after the first lottery3. More specifically, the second lottery10may be held after the release of the first film, play, television show or other form of entertainment4. In an embodiment, audience members25of the first film, play, television show or other form of entertainment4would pay26for an admission ticket50to see the first film, play, television show or other form of entertainment4. The admission ticket50would have a unique number51and an authenticating device, such as, for example, a hologram53, or other device commonly used in the lottery industry. In addition, the admission ticket50may have a scratch off portion62offering a possible additional prize. Because the laws of some states require that free entries be provided to the public if a game of chance is conducted with a prize, the current method may allow the public to obtain the admission ticket50for free. In some embodiments the audience member25would not be required to view the actual film, play, television show or other form of entertainment4, but may simply only be required to possess the winning admission ticket50.

The second lottery10may be held for audience members25of the first film, play, television show or other form of entertainment4. The winning audience member25in possession of the authenticated admission ticket50may win, for example, the right to later act55in (or have an actor5portray him or her) in a second play, film, television show or other form of entertainment15. The process may then repeat itself until the audience25interest drops off. The lottery3of each of the projects are generally held after the release of the film, play, television show or other form of entertainment4. Preferably, the lottery3is held on a live television broadcast.

The winning audience member25may also win the right to produce a film, play, television show or other form of entertainment4. More specifically, winning audience member25may have the right to determine the subject of a subsequent film and may, for example, help with the casting of the film.

The winner2of the first lottery3may elect to transfer rights to act in and/or be the subject of the second lottery10. More specifically, the winner2of the first lottery3may elect to give away63the rights of the winning admission ticket50to, for example, a friend, family member or the like. Further, the winner2of the first lottery3may elect to sell the winning admission ticket50through, for example, a website auction64. The website auction64may be set up by the entity controlling the lottery. The process may repeat itself so that, for example, the winner2of a fifth lottery may transfer rights to act in and/or be the subject of the sixth production.

If the lottery3is for a film, the audience members25may, in some cases, purchase the admission ticket50at a local theater. In such cases, the admission ticket50may be purchased by the same clerk selling admission tickets to other films. In some states it may be required to restrict the purchase of the admission ticket50to people under a certain age, which is usually eighteen. In these cases the movie theater may sell a non-lottery ticket movie ticket to the underage person whereby the underage person may attend the movie, but would not be issued an admission ticket50having a lottery3number.