Shona Films

First off…sorry that I’ve not been on the blog stuff. Work and Twitter (which I now hardly use.)

If good directing is all about good decisions than JJ Abrams is a great director. I saw Star Trek yesterday and was amazed. Every call was right.

Okay he had a few slip ups. The Green Woman who shared a room with Uhuru. Why didn’t Kirk, Sulu and Crewman soon to die, when they parachuted into the atmosphere of Vulcan have re-entry burn? And if Nero could travel back in Time why not go back and save his planet instead of look for Spock? I thought the stupidest Aliens were the ones from Signs who were scared of water yet decide to attack a planet that is 70% water. But we have a fresh contender.

Okay so I’m being silly. It’s a revenge film I get it. And I really did. How he re-introduced the crew was immense. Pegg who I really didn’t want to like was outstanding. I also felt JJ’s use of the CG wide shot was incredible. There was a sequence at the end when Spock attacks the Romulan ship and they fire at him. Just a huge wide shot of glowing dots but it looked so good. You needed it.

Again like all Abrams films his sound designers were again immense. The silence of space when Kirk jumps and all we hear is his breathing! Wow. And then bringing back the TV theme at the end. Hello Bond people? Are you watching??

I was thinking about the film well into the next day which in my mind is always the sign that the film is good. It left an echo. By the way check out JJ’s MYSTERY BOX TED lecture…http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/j_j_abrams_mystery_box.html

So what’s great about a blog is getting down your thoughts…things that have been bubbling away in your head that you’ve been wanting to share for ages.

So I was thinking about theme and I also realised that sometimes theme can come after plot. I’m working on something at the moment where literally I’ve had no idea what it was about until yesterday when suddenly the theme just revealed itself to me like a cheeky meerkat. (Gotta love the Russian speaking ones on telly.) I just think it trulyhelps when you do have a theme before you put pen to paper as I think it can help you make story choices…as does a clear understanding of character (but more on that later.)

Okay so what do I mean? Okay Jack has to get the beans to Jill. In your head you can work out a number of ways this can play. By boat. By air. By sea. By car. But if your theme is say being TRAPPED (as was one of the themes in AMERICAN BEAUTY…watch the beginning. Lester wanks in a cubicle. Works in a cubicle. All contained places.) then you might choose a car because it could be like a moving prison cell? Okay not a great example as boats and planes can both be contained spaces but you get my point?

I always wonder about theme. Character and plot. Which one comes first…its a bit like the tree falls in a wood question…I don’t know…I think its like a jigsaw though they all work in accordance with the other. Plot feeds into theme and back again. I dunno. I think maybe the answer is every project is different. For one you might have exactly what you want to say but no plot or characters. For others the opposite…anyway…whatever way you do…give yourself a break and spend ages thinking. It is work no matter what that little voice in your head says!

Don’t believe me…it has to be true…the BBC told me so!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7945569.stm

And the news I have been waiting for…it’s the Return of the Mac…http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEcwudfiqwD7fd

…now if they could bring back the Greatest American Hero…Belive it or not I’m walking on air. I can’t believe it myself. Suddenly I’m up on top of the world, It should’ve been somebody else.

I talk about this a lot…making a film is only part of the struggle, the most crucial aspect is getting it SEEN. So this first script writing note is gonna be about THINKING TIME.

Before you put anything down on paper… …see more »

So before I left yesterday I heard our local ice cream who bizarelly plays the them for the Third Man as his ‘come and get me’ song. Icecream vans…does that mean officially that spring is here?

Thanks to everyone who came down yesterday…I got there and couldn’t get a ticket and had to wait for a later showing! Man if thats repeated all over the country things could be good! Great seeing an audince jump and squirm at all the scares. Off to Bradford now for the Bradford film festival…