SETH GODIN
His blog posts are often short, but always inspiring. I think his area of expertise is marketing -- something that normally makes most of us vomit -- but it turns out that his wisdom for his industry is applicable to everything creative.
He has integrity, he has a distinct voice, and he wants you to be the best artist you can be. Thousands swear by his every word - and after you read a few of his posts, you'll understand why.
Read Because: He'll make you feel good about the path you're on.
Read Seth's Blog HERE.
Follow Seth on Twitter
DAVID CARR
He writes the Media Equation column for The New York Times. If you've seen 'Page One: Inside the New York Times' you'll know who he is. A fascinating writer, full of knowledge, who writes from extensive research, mixed with his expert opinion. Read his columns and you'll be light years ahead of everyone else regarding what is shaping and changing the media industry.
Read because: He'll make you the smartest guy in the room.
Read his The New York Times Column HERE.
Follow David on Twitter.
BOB LEFSETZ
I only enjoy about one in every ten Bob Lefsetz rants these days. He's a lot like the music acts he criticises - a grumpy, irrelevant has-been. And he's repetitive.
But every now and then; something he says is absolutely golden.
His writing is neurotic and narcissistic -- he writes like he's trying to avoid his thoughts, desperately spewing out words and demanding we all read them.
Not doing a very good job convincing you to read him am I?
As for the repetitiveness, so much of it is valid and exactly what you need to hear again and again. When it comes to being an artist; he preaches about stripping away your ego and expectancy of success. He says it's about the 10,000 hours of hardcore practice.
He'll insult you. He'll piss you off. But he'll also inspire you unlike anyone else. There's a reason why anyone who's anyone in music (mostly band managers and ageing rock stars) read him, the passion jumps off the screen.
Read because: He'll make you feel guilty and self-loathing for not trying hard enough, which in turn will inspire you to action.
Read The Lefsetz Letter HERE.
Follow Bob on Twitter.
MEGAN AMRAM
I first read her work when someone shared her hilarious piece 'America: A Review' on Twitter. A unique comedic voice. Make sure you visit her Tumblr and read absolutely everything. Brilliant.
Read because: She's innovative, unique, and extremely funny.
Read Megan's Blog HERE.
Follow Megan on Twitter HERE.
NORA EPHRON
She died, but the writing lives on. Amazing to think that we all spin words and sentences out of the same 26 letters. She did it better than everyone else. Read her work whenever you can; amazing.
Read because: To not read her work would be stupid.
Read Nora's New York Times columns HERE.
Read Nora's Huffington Post blogs HERE.
DAVID POLAND
You don't really have to read David Poland - he doesn't blog all that much. But he is responsible for the most in depth interviews in the film industry. He gets incredible detail from the biggest names in the business; the archive is an incredible resource.
Somehow he manages to skip the promotional bullshit and get right to what matters about filmmakers and actors: their journeys and their art.
Read because: The wealth of knowledge available in his interviews will make a huge difference in your path to success.
Read his stuff and watch his videos HERE.
Follow David on Twitter.
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Saturday, 25 August 2012
Landing
It's a world of possibilities, you have to remember that. If you're around too many naysayers, the world caves in and you feel trapped.
Truth is; when you pick up a pen, or they point a camera at you: anything can happen.
We don't know everything. We don't know when we'll be excited or inspired. When we go to sleep at night we don't know what we'll dream about.
The next thing you create could mean something to someone. Such a great thought, but then so often we stop ourselves. You owe it to yourself to try.
Creativity is everything. Possibility is everything.
Neil Armstrong put his feet on the moon. And Harry met Sally. And Andy escaped Shawshank.
Remember the school play? It wasn't perfect but it was worth it. You felt the buzz inside. And someone in the audience felt joy.
That's all it is.
Monday, 20 August 2012
Hello, is it me you're looking for?
Hello, blog. Feels like I've been ignoring you recently, it's just that I've been busy. Not that everyone else hasn't been busy, just that this particular type of busy has used up my writing mojo -- it's needed elsewhere right now.
Very sad about Tony Scott. I really dug a lot of his movies. Seen a few blogs and tweeters wondering about what happened, and why. We'll never know, and it's none of our business. His legacy remains: 'True Romance' is the one that'll go down in history. The others were a blast, and totally deserving of your time when you have a chance.
I got to see some athletics at the Olympic Stadium. Was magical. Everything about the games were fantastic. London came alive.
Have had no time to watch films recently, although I did find time to watch 'Manhattan' a few days ago. Such a perfect New York movie. I love the ending, when Ike tells Tracy he doesn't want her to go; but she explains that she has to -- and that it's only six months.
The most beautiful thing about the scene is the quiet wisdom of Woody's character. Six months is a long time, connections form. It's a sad truth; people think the way they feel is the way they feel, but a new place and new people change everything. And all Ike can do is cling on:
"I just don't want that thing about you that I like to change."
I always find that scene incredibly poignant. Woody drops the comedy act and gives us a purely human moment. One of the best films ever.
I need sleep.
Some people make absolutely no sense in emails.
When your script gets chopped up by the producer and then given back to you to patch up the huge mess, nobody remembers that the producer chopped it up - they just think the writer must be stupid.
I would like a high quality pizza.
I saw '360' in the cinema last week. Terrible movie, but Anthony Hopkins is fantastic in it. He's a level above pretty much everyone.
My top 5 films starring Jack Lemmon: The Apartment, Some Like It Hot, Grumpy Old Men, The Odd Couple, Days of Wine and Roses.
Actors I'm liking this year: Olivia Munn, Dev Patel, Mark Duplass, Emily Blunt, Greta Gerwig, Kevin Hart.
Currently listening to:
The Who
The Cure
Marvin Gaye
The Waterboys
Black Flag
Fort Minor
Goodnight.
Friday, 17 August 2012
No Shortcuts
I don't know why you'd want success now, because what would it mean? You think getting discovered is your golden ticket?
Most of the great actors I know personally, sucked ten years ago. Many of the ones who were good ten years ago are no longer acting, because they were too bitter to last. They thought their talent entitled them to success.
You can be the fastest man in the world, but you won't break the 100m Olympic Record without years of gruelling training. It takes a lot of hard work and sacrifice to be the best you can be. Did you see 'Senna'? Talent isn't enough. You need to know the system. You need to work through your mistakes and limitations.
If you're a struggling writer or actor, or in fact any artist at all, it's to be expected, even when you're many years down the road. Moan because you're tired, cry because you can't afford to eat, but don't ever allow yourself to think you're entitled to anything.
If someone is consistently working, if they're earning the money, you can be almost certain they've earned it. You may think you've earned it too, but have you really? When people moan about how hard done by they've been, I never want to work with them; because they assume they've had it worse than you. They don't realise everyone else has been through it ten times over.
I meet a lot of actors who are two or three years out of drama school, and they're outraged that nobody wants to pay them to act. They look down upon the student productions. Meanwhile there are other actors, nine years out of drama school, who shot two hundred student films. And guess what, 198 sucked, but one of them had a great director and another one had a runner who knew a guy who is related to a producer who is casting a massive movie... and that's how it worked out. The point of the story isn't that you luckily meet the right people, it's that it takes 200 projects.
No-one I knows who moans about lack of opportunities has honed their talent enough to deserve being hugely successful. Myself included! But I've made peace with the fact that it's a gradual process. I went through years of steady progress that to an outsider, looked like nothingness. But there I was, my development steadily growing day by day until eventually, it was useful in some way, it meant something to people. You need to have a track record. You need to find your niche. You need longevity.
There are no shortcuts. And if you find one, don't forget to keep learning along the way. Trust in the process of steady advancement.
Talent is easy, style is quickly learnt. Heart and substance take years to form. But they only form when you work on them. You have to turn up at the running track. You have to know your vehicle inside out.
You need to be an artist.
Sunday, 12 August 2012
Things That Make THINK LIKE A MAN a Great Movie
I just got around to seeing 'Think Like a Man' - and loved it! Here's why:
KEVIN HART
This guy is hilarious! He's pretty much the biggest stand-up in America right now, but I don't love his act. But his screen acting? He rocks every scene in 'Think Like a Man'. All of the other characters are reasonable -yet somewhat dysfunctional- whereas Hart's character is crazy, but in a way that makes complete sense! He's recently divorced, extremely bitter, and loving his freedom.
He's the glue of the film. Without him, it'd be a standard (yet good) rom-com; when he's on screen, every moment is funny. That is, at least, until his character changes towards the end, in a touching moment that I don't want to entirely spoil.
I was surprised by how good Kevin Hart is in this movie. Makes me think of the great comic actors; Bill Murray, Robert Downey Jr, Woody Allen; they have this way of keeping you riveted. For me, Hart has that quality in this film.
MEAGAN GOOD
Meagan Good is a fantastic actress who's credit list doesn't live up to her talent. If you look back at the past few years, she's done a lot of projects, but you've heard of virtually none of them. So it's great when you see her in a good role, such as in this film or as Kali in 'Californication'.
And I'm not saying her performance in 'Think Like a Man' is worthy of an Oscar. But that's not in the job description of a rom-com. In a rom-com, you need to be intriguing, attractive; and able to ride the emotional waves of the story. She does it here with an ease and grace that makes you want to see her in a wider array of bigger movies. Hopefully that day is coming.
REGINA HALL
Best known for the 'Scary Movie' franchise, but I always loved her in 'Ally McBeal'. She joined the show in a time of huge transition. While Downey Jr caught the attention, she brought a comedic touch that was unique yet totally in keeping with the show. She was one of the high points of its weak final season.
Like Meagan Good (and indeed Gabrielle Union, who is also in this movie), you sense she is capable of a lot more than she seems to get cast in. She's has great timing, and she's relatable. I still think her best roles are yet to come.
JERRY FERRARA
It's Turtle from 'Entourage'! It's a similar character, for sure; but Ferrara gets to go (slightly) deeper, and he pulls it off. The Turtle character is just a bit of fun, but in this movie he actually has to act. I'm not suggesting Ferrara was great in this movie, but that's mostly down to his character -- he's just a passenger; helping the movie float along. His character is possibly the least interesting of the guys, but he does what he can.
KEITH MERRYMAN & DAVID NEWMAN (The Writers)
I like the script. I'm not going to say it's the most original film ever, but that wasn't their job here. The job was to follow the tried and tested structure of a rom-com and make it engaging. They created a world that is about dating rules, and mind games. A world where woman want love, and the men want sex. Of course, real life is often like this, but it's also just a stereotype that is easily challenged. That's how good comedic films are built. They need a strong premise, and everything builds around it.
Everything here works -- and there are some great lines mixed with some great improvised moments.
TIM STORY (director)
The thing that's great about this movie is how easy it is to sink into it and enjoy the characters. It covers a lot of ground in two hours -- juggling between the different stories and subplots that an ensemble piece requires. It's done eloquently and amusingly. I admire any director who can keep to a solid structure yet still allow the actors to be free to improvise and have fun. And you sense that everyone was having fun in this movie.
OVERALL
A lot of fun! It's a rom-com that delivers on the laughs, and isn't overly cheesy or predictable. Kevin Hart steals the show, as does Meagan Good, who is captivating. And let's try and find a way to get Regina Hall in more movies that aren't just sequels of 'Scary Movie'. 'Think Like a Man' was trashed by critics and has a low score on IMDB, but I think it's great. I'm not sure what else you could want from this kind of movie.
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