The Challenge:
Draft an ad for MUBI's biannual magazine that stays consistent with my established style...
The Script:
Lots of people make movies. A few people KNOW how to make movies. Here’s one of my favorites...
David Sheldon-Hicks is a master VFX artist and the founder of Territory Studio, the group of artists behind some of film’s best futuristic designs — from the digital maps of Blade Runner 2049 to the user interface in Ready Player One. Sheldon-Hicks recently sat down with MUBI, and ended up giving some of the most helpful insight into filmmaking itself.
When discussing his projects, David talks about designing something as seemingly minor as a gps with the same narrative intention as any decision a director might make. To him, The Martian’s geographical tracker isn’t just some graphic that gets Ridley Scott’s characters from A to B. It’s a well-researched navigation system that imagines a near-future update to currently available technologies — keeping the viewer grounded within the reality of a fictional situation and using that real-world connection to build tension. It’s SUCH a good example of how every decision on a set is capable of elevating a movie, and I never would have thought to look at motion graphics that way on my own.
David Sheldon-Hicks is a master at what he does, and you can read his article (as well as some other insightful takes) inside the latest edition of Notebook - MUBI’s print-only magazine that’s all about the art and culture of cinema.
The Challenge:
Explain the concept of 'writing what you know' in more concrete terms...
The Script:
If you’ve ever written literally anything, I bet you’ve heard the phrase “write what you know.” Which can feel limiting at first listen. Because ‘what you know’ is probably not a lot in the grand scheme of things.
You’re probably not a treasure hunter like Indiana Jones or an Alien like ET, and I’m betting you’ve never fought a shark. But Steven Spielberg isn’t any of those things, and he made movies about all of them... so what good is “write what you know” anyway?
Well, it’s all about interpretation. You can write about impossible circumstances while still sticking to the realm of emotional truth.
Take Bill Hader’s Barry on HBO. Now, he’s never been a hitman... that I know of, but according to interviews, he has been a guy who’s unhappy with his job while being really good at it.
I mean, he used to have panic attacks every night on SNL, then kill it onstage. But it was making him miserable and he wanted a change, no matter how ridiculous that sounded.
And that is the central emotional catalyst of Barry... with a lot less murder.
It’s very possible to tell the truth of your own life through the lens of fiction. Because writing what you know shouldn’t put you in a box. It’s a tool to open up a world of possibilities that mirror your own emotional experiences.
Which is pretty darn cool.
The Challenge:
Bring attention to Focus Feature's latest release...
The Script:
The lesbian comedy thriller of my dreams just dropped its first trailer and OH MY GOD.
Driveaway Dolls is officially releasing this September and it looks amazing! You’ve got Margaret Qualley and Geraldine Viswanathan in a crime-filled, buddy comedy that takes them on an existential road trip to Tallahassee with a trunk full of stolen goods.It looks joyful, ridiculous, and thrilling all in equal measure.
So mark those calendars, and I will absolutely be there on day one.
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