Back To Basics

Moving images excited people. It was fascinating to see something new. You'd turn a wheel and a picture would flicker and change.

And then there was the film camera. Babies cried and we wanted to help them. Trains rushed towards the screen and we had to dive out of the way. Something new and simple was all it took to set our souls racing.

D.W. Griffith told stories. Chaplin made us laugh and cry. We liked feeling things we'd never felt the same way before. We liked new experiences. The hills of Africa, the great gun fights of the West. The glorious romances.

Then something changed. Movie stars started chasing the attention, getting artistry mixed up with celebrity. They sold cigarettes and washing powder. We didn't just dream with Monroe and Reagan, we bought the soaps too. It was part of the American dream but it meant we lost something.

What we loved about 'Jaws' was the story. Spielberg knew this and took a dive after the first round. Others stuck around for the sequels and toys. We began to forget again that it's about the simple stories. They only want to make films if they can sell the junk too. Harry Potter got kids reading and it got their parents dreaming. That's the good part. But then we sell the mugs and t-shirts and toy figures, and the studios like it and see the money rolling in.

So we start to wonder what films will sell good toys. We get it all wrong again. The films suck and the toys suck and we wonder what the hell we're doing.

The things you hold dear from the movies are the stories. The image burned into your mind of Bogart is because of a story he told you in a movie you saw ten or thirty years ago, not because he sold you some Casablanca action figures.

Tell a good story. That's our job here.

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Build A Diverse Audience

Do you have to make it in Hollywood? Is that really your goal?

Film is a business. If your films earn more than they cost to make, people will invest in you. Everyone talks about 'making it' in Hollywood, but why?

If you have a blockbuster you need to make, then it's possible you need a film studio. Otherwise, maybe not.

If your film costs $100,000 to make, and your film earns $105,000 through distribution in Germany, you're a success.

People don't realize that potential audiences are everywhere. Speak to a Ukrainian or someone from Finland, they know all the characters from 'Friends' and they can list their top five Tom Hanks movies.

If you have subtitles for your short film, you'll instantly have a bigger audience. It's a bit of an effort, but maybe it's worth it? Maybe your friend from France can tell you about a French website that filmmakers use to get feedback on their movies. Maybe there's a forum where Japanese people are sharing films.

Good ideas travel across the world - especially if they're executed well. There's no need to limit yourself to thinking of America. Everyone recognizes Woody Allen but it's the Europeans who love him. They love those kinds of movies.

If you're trying to get the attention of Hollywood, you're doing the same thing as thousands of others. We're the iPad generation. It doesn't matter where the viewer is from, they all have access. You have a unique voice as an artist, and maybe that unique voice will fit the Danish sense of humor perfectly, or maybe your visual style with excite French audiences.

That's why film festivals are so important. You're making your work available to people like you. How many people in your home town truly 'get' you? Maybe two. How many people in the world 'get' you? Maybe five million. Go find them.

We live in diverse towns with people of all nationalities, colors, shapes and sizes. Hollywood doesn't cater for everyone. Sure, they have the numbers at the box office, they can get you a huge opening weekend, but can they get you a soulmate in Finland? Maybe they can, but maybe you can do that yourself.

Take an evening to research. Who is your audience? Where in the world do you want to reach? What cultures appreciate what you appreciate?

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Thinking Of You

I recently wrote a guest post at Tonja's Musings.

When you like someone it's scary isn't it. You like them and you wonder where they are and who they're thinking about at this precise moment in time. And the chances that it's you are so minimal.

And even if they're thinking of you they could be thinking of someone else too. Everyone is getting over someone and everyone is dreaming of their own thing.

The chances of it working out are too daunting to think about. When did it ever work out before?

You can read the full article here.

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Tuesday Dialogue #4 - Ally Mcbeal & Larry Paul

Setting the scene: Ally is getting insecure about Larry's feelings at the beginning of their relationship. In her office after a case, Larry tries to set her straight. 

LARRY: Uh, look, Ally. I, uh --  I know you're probably wondering why things maybe haven't err, accelerated as fast as as maybe, y'know last week, I-I opened up to you more than I ever-- it was exhilarating and uh, a little scary. And it's -- uh--

ALLY: Scared you.

Well I'm not afraid of this, I'm really really excited, if you only knew, how. I'm doing a lousy job of explaining it.

No you're not. You wanna take it really slow because you want it to be right. Well, slow doesn't bother me Larry. You and me we're gonna get there and we should just enjoy the ride.

How about tonight we --

How about tonight you let me cook you dinner?

That'd be great.

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A Blogging Break

I've done this before: Said, "Hey I'm taking a break!" and then I immediately write fifty posts in three days. I think that happens sometimes; you give yourself permission to stop and then by doing so you relieve the pressure to perform. It's a bit like sex, but even then, 50 times in 3 days is a little much even for me.

But I am aware that I am a little burned out on the blogging front. Burned out because, I put a lot of pressure on myself to write really well, and most of the time I think I do write well -- but these past few weeks I think many of my posts have been on auto-pilot, a feeling backed up by the lack of interaction from you guys.

It may be a one week break, it may be a month. It may only be four hours. But I'm officially letting myself off the hook and we'll see what happens. It's also the case that I have more work going on than possibly at any point since I started this blog. I've been getting home late after a day of writing or meeting about writing or getting notes about my writing; and I feel obliged to blog --- but the juice isn't there. So now is perhaps not the time to be blogging.

It's time to move on, it's time to get going,
What lies ahead I have no way of knowing.

But under my feet baby, grass is growing,
It's time to move on, time to get going.

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