The Oscars

Don't forget to check out The Academy Awards or Oscars on 22nd February, to see who gets the top recognitions this year.

Thoughts on who should get what?

What was the shiniest film of 2008?

MR - funding update

Hi folks. This is a funding update for the movie I co-wrote; MICHAEL'S RESIGNATION.

Our shiny target is £50,000 and we've so far raised £3851. Not a huge amount, but it's early days. We do need a lot more though, so I thought I'd just ask you to take a look at our site and maybe give me your opinion on the film. Maybe even decide to invest?

What we really need is for people to tell their friends. Maybe you can't invest, but you may know someone who has a rich father? You get the idea.

Any help or publicity you could give us would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading,

Neil
neil.baker@michaelsresignation.com

Sub-titles

By sub-titles, I mean the extra bits on movie titles, not the things you read at the bottom of the screen.

Sub-titles most often appear in sequels; TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY, UNDERWORLD EVOLUTION, FANTASTIC 4: RISE OF THE SILVER SURFER etc. They say something about the film. For example...

You've seen THE MATRIX, but now comes along THE MATRIX RELOADED. You think you've seen the Matrix? You ain't seen nothin' yet. This second installment is going to be twice as hard and action-packed as the last film. Make no mistake! That's the general message the sub-title gives.

Sub-titles can also be used to manipulate the viewer; they can force the audience into a state of mind. They can trick people into viewing the film from a particular angle or assuming that the film is better than the last. For example...

UNDERWORLD: RISE OF THE LYCANS tells you something. It tells you that while you may have sided with the vamps before, you'll like the Lycans in this one. The audience is forced with the predisposition of siding with the Lycans in the third installment. Trickery.

The sub-title for LORD OF THE RINGS: RETURN OF THE KING is interesting. What's LORD OF THE RINGS about? Some little hobbits trying to destroy the Ring right? No. This movie wants you to focus on Aragorn. Think about it. Who is that film about really? What are they all about really?

Of course, some sub-titles just tell you more about the movie you're going to watch.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: AT WORLD'S END tells you that we're going to the ends of the earth. You know what is going to happen.

STAR WARS EPISODE III: REVENGE OF THE SITH tells you that snotty little Anakin is about to take revenge and such.

X-MEN 3: THE LAST STAND tells you that the X-Men are taking...a last stand. While X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE tells you that there are (probably, depending on WOLVERINE'S success) going to be several films. And that this one is going to be about Wolverine.

So sub-titles are something to think about. In my humble opinion, I'd stay away from sub-titling feature films unless they're sequels. They make the title longer and more complicated. However, they also hint at a series - possible future money. Take TENACIOUS D AND THE PICK OF DESTINY. That suggests there will be more D films. Don't think there will be, but maybe we'll see TENACIOUS D AND THE DRUMSTICK OF JUSTICE or something. You never know.

Of course some shiny sequels don't have subtitles; SPIDER-MAN 2, BLADE 2, X2....you get the idea.

Have a think people and let me know what your opinion is on the matter.

Neil.

MR on Myspace

You can now become a fan of MICHAEL'S RESIGNATION on Myspace. Chat to us here.

Writing Interviews

This is my back-catalogue of writing interviews. Most are with writers, but there are also some directors, actors and producers in the mix too. All contain some useful information about writing. Enjoy.....

• Joss Whedon ('Buffy the Vampire Slayer') on serial television, character development, writing methods. Watch interview here.

• Don Roos ('Marley & Me') on his unique writing method, which includes just an hour of work a day. Watch interview here.

• David Goyer ('Blade', 'Batman Begins') on story development, film school and being approached for work. Watch interview here.

• John August ('Big Fish', 'Go') on breaking story conventions, character development and rewrites. Watch interview here.
  

• Thomas Lennon & Robert Ben Garant ('Night at the Museum') on the collaborative process, character voice and comedy writing. Watch interview here.

• Darren Aronofsky ('Requiem for a Dream', 'The Wrestler') on thinking of directors, actors etc when writing. Watch interview here.

• Neil Marshall ('Dog Soldiers', 'The Descent') on the blending of genres and the practicality of on-location shooting. Watch interview here.

• Paul Haggis ('Crash', 'Million Dollar Baby') on the fear of failing, inspiration and the difficulty of the 'next scene'. Watch interview here.

• Blake Snyder (Save the Cat) on character progression and genre. Watch interview here.

• Robert McKee (Story) on the importance of setting and the limitations of the worlds you create. Watch interview here.

• Callie Khouri ('Thelma & Louise') on writing for demand, working from experience and what a good writer can do. Watch interview here.

• Sheldon Turner ('The Longest Yard') on procrastination, alone time and the importance of theme. Also on why people who write good outlines write bad scripts! Watch interview here.
  

• Ed Solomon ('Men In Black') on confidence, scene description and how to influence direction. Watch interview here.

• Jim Uhls ('Fight Club') on outlines, character voices, adaptations and voiceover. Watch interview here.

• Shauna Cross ('Whip It') on action vs emotion, the film business and it's importance, as well as tips for aspiring writers. Watch interview here.

• Ed Burns ('The Wire') on 'Generation Kill', the number of characters, and war conflict. Watch interview here.

• Michael Halperin ('Star Trek: TNG') on the importance of the second act and character development. Watch interview here.