Blog : December 3, 2009 : 2:53 pm
(Off-topic: This piece covers a lot of union behavior as it relates to the industry. If you are an indie filmmaker interested in entering the marketplace, I highly recommend you contact the film unions about your project. They want to encourage up-and-coming creatives, and if you respect their needs, will most likely work with you on getting your project accepted by their standards)
Catching up on some old news: Roman Polanski was recently moved from a Switzerland jail to an undisclosed location for security reasons. Read the BBC News story here: Film Director Roman Polanski Moved from Swiss Jail
He’s still in custody, wherever he is, so extradition to the U.S. is still possible. Opinions fly on both sides as to whether Polanski should still serve time for the crime he committed more than 30 years ago. I think he should.
And it occurred to me that the arguments around Polanski’s freedom mirror the arguments I used to level against the Hollywood unions (SAG, WGA, DGA, etc) as an independent filmmaker.
As my company became a signatory to SAG’s New Media Agreement last year, I have clearly changed my opinion of unions. And Polanski’s predicament is a perfect example of why unions are necessary, in today’s marketplace.
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Posted 3 months, 1 week ago at 2:53 pm. Add a comment
“In crook stories it is almost always the necklace and in spy stories it is most always the papers.”
- Alfred Hitchcock -
If you’ve ever taken a film class, you know what the MacGuffin is.
(I actually got into an argument once with a teacher who insisted the MacGuffin was the most important element in a film. While it’s important to the characters, it is almost irrelevant to the actual film, or to the audience’s experience.)
TVTropes.com has a great wiki set up about the MacGuffin and the sub-groups they’ve discovered. It’s a fun read, especially for avid story theorists.
TVTropes.com -> The MacGuffin
(discovered this link courtesy of the lovely archives at JohnAugust.com)
Posted 3 months, 1 week ago at 9:00 am. 1 comment
Rian Johnson (director of “Brick” and “The Brothers Bloom”) did a great interview on MakingOf.com, where he puts into words something I’ve been formulating for awhile.
Key excerpts of his quote, and the full video interview under the cut.
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Posted 3 months, 1 week ago at 9:10 am. Add a comment
News : November 24, 2009 : 9:00 am
I added a new category to the site, “Notable Links.”
Should be pretty self-explanatory.
While we’re here, it’s a good time to explain some of the category structures I’m using for the site.
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Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago at 9:00 am. Add a comment
Real problems from fake people.
Dear Earl,
I read your post about how screenwriters should become directors to protect their work. Isn’t that a bit much to ask somebody? It’s hard enough to learn one job.
In that specific case, I was referring to the screenwriter’s weakened position in the moviemaking system.
Directors have more power. Ergo, if screenwriters want the power to protect their stories, they should seek a position of power. I’m not saying every artist needs to study every field.
Oh, thank goodness.
But now that you mention it, it’s not a bad idea.
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Posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago at 9:00 am. 1 comment
Just read this post about Elizabeth Knox and her unhappy experience with the movie adaptation process. Here’s the article:
Author cried over film of Vintner’s Luck
I don’t want to address the merits of Ms. Knox’s story as I think it’s irrelevant to my point here. My point is: it’s time for the role of a screenwriter to come to an end.
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Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago at 9:49 pm. 2 comments
Real problems from fake people.
Dear Earl,
We just received an email announcing the open entry period for a big media award/film festival, and we’re going to enter!
Awesome, congrats. Why are you entering?
When you win, the trophy is amazing, it’s made of crystal and golden butterflies — wait, what? What do you mean, ‘why?’ It’s a big award/film festival!
How much is the entry fee?
Huh? I don’t know. It’s somewhere around ($50/$100/$200).
Maybe it’s just me, but if someone is asking for more than lunch money, I like to know why I’m doing it.
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Posted 3 months, 3 weeks ago at 1:59 am. Add a comment
Found this blogpost on Twitter, courtesy of Matt F’n Wallace. It’s a piece by Kurt Sutter, a TV showrunner, and it digs into the little-mentioned world of television runners. It’s a world I’m currently fascinated by. Film directors brag about shooting a 2 hour film in 30 days. A television showrunner could be overseeing the production of between 13 and 22 hour-long features, each of which will be turned around in a matter of weeks. In short, these guys know the process, and they know how to multi-task.
Read more here: The Show Must Be Run
Posted 3 months, 4 weeks ago at 1:15 am. Add a comment
Scifi Wire posted this story (Warning: Sanctuary Spoilers) about a recent plot twist on Sanctuary.
What Really Happened To (Spoiler Deleted)
Here’s the excerpt I want to focus on (emphasis mine):
Creator Damian Kindler: “Once we know for sure about a third season, there is definitely an Ashley story in there that we’re developing…(snip) The intention was to never kill her off with any finality. It was always to kill her off in a way that was dubious at best and fraught with inconsistencies and fraught with mystery and isn’t completely solved even when they have to put her to rest and move on.”
Let’s start with some disclaimers.
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Posted 4 months, 1 week ago at 11:05 pm. Add a comment
Last week I spent a few days in Auburn, Al, catching up with Doc Waller, executive director for the Layman Group. He did an interview with me (as Board Emeritus for the group) about art, the Layman Group, and their collective futures, and you can see the best pieces of it here:
Earl Newton on Art
Posted 4 months, 3 weeks ago at 10:43 pm. Add a comment
