Posts

Showing posts with the label classic

SCRIPT TO SCREEN: Andrei Tarkovsky - A Compendium

Image
ANDREI TARKOVSKY : BAM Cinematek just wrapped up a 2-week run of The Sacrifice and I've been on a Tarkovsky bender watching his films on Hulu. But I'll be the first to admit that when I first started watching his films ( Solaris ), I was confused. I didn't understand what was going on and the pacing was not what I was used to for a sci-fi film. But the power of the film's sounds and imagery remained deep inside me and I couldn't stop wondering about what I saw and the hauntingly beautiful images that appeared throughout the film. As I watched more of his films, the more I realized that Tarkovsky's films are a rich meal of visual poetry for those willing to savor his cinematic flavors. It is no wonder why he is worth the time to listen to when it comes to creating art. Even if you haven't watched all of his works, you have probably heard of him and his influence on cinema. To get a glimpse of his genius for creating visual poetry, watch this short coll...

CASE STUDIES: Dealing with Chinese Censorship to Create Great Movies

Image
The US film industry has seen the writing on the wall and knows that it's economic survival involves China.  But shooting in China and co-producing with Chinese companies means censorship is going to affect the story that makes it to the screen.  This willingness to give in to censorship even on non-controversial matters will stifle the creative decisions and directions of the filmmakers making the movies, maybe even to the detriment of the movie's quality.  A cynic might say that in the end, who cares about that as long as you're getting that box office yuan .  But it stands to reason that the kind of movie you make will determine how much of that money you make.  Put up a great movie and people will flock to it. Put up crap and people won't (at best you'll get a cult favorite that makes its money back over a long time, if ever). Most people are inclined to think that a great movie can't be made under the censor's watchful eye but that's not true. A...

SCRIPT TO SCREEN: The Big Lebowski

Image
The Big Lebowski | Ethan and Joel Coen | 1998 | USA | Format: 35mm  | 117 min I have yet to meet someone who doesn't like The Big Lebowski.  It's a funny LA noir with quotable lines and memorable characters.  The kind of legendary cult classic most filmmakers aspire to make.  And so, let's take a look at how it was made... The Big Lebowski Screenplay Screenplay analysis of The Big Lebowski by Screenplay HowTo Another screenplay analysis of The Big Lebowski by ShoreScripts Storyboards from the The Big Lebowski: The making of The Big Lebowski according to  Wikipedia : Development The Dude is mostly inspired by  Jeff Dowd , a man the Coen brothers met while they were trying to find distribution for their first feature,  Blood Simple . Dowd had been a member of the  Seattle Seven , liked to drink White Russians, and was known as "The Dude". The Dude was also partly based on a friend of the Coen brothers, Pete...