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More guns with my breakfast, Hollywood, pls.

27 Friday May 2022

Posted by Floreva in Movies, This world we live in

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drawing

Hollywood of the hills

Hollywood maybe be the cray-cray pool of inspiration where imaginative writers craft unique stories, it’s also where dreams are not just built, but watered and nurtured to become the illusion of reality that we are fed to think that’s what our lives should look like. Through the prism of TV series and movies, reality shows and talk shows, as well as televised quiz shows, all carefully designed, scripted, and filmed (yeah, even reality shows where cheating spouses were “exposed”), we are given a standard to compare ourselves, our lives and achievements too, and feel a certain way about it. Usually, bad or depressed…. thank you very much, hollyfriggin’wood, now’s time for my anti-depressant…… So that we can consume more “happy content” (solid, visual, liquid, powder, smoke…) and forget about our own life, goals, and dreams.

Hollywood also fiercely fences itself within its own glam distortions of basic decency and respect for ethics. Arrogantly, Hollywood showed its true nature from the early days on with gigantic wood letters perched on the mountains surrounding this well of unfathomable wealth (but not everybody can drink from it). The very location of the Hollywood sign screams: “I’m above you, you’ll never reach the top unless I decide so, on my terms.”

Interestingly those terms have been exposed in recent years, but with various reception. And the script, the visual storytelling, the cast, and the score permeate society invisibly, changing rules, making rules, making us accept things or deem them “the standard” (I don’t like the word “Normal” which annihilates the possibility of something different to be welcomed as an ok and a viable alternative), when they are not. Another form of coercion or violence that one has to accept in order to get a job or become toast. (Ask Brendan Fraser)

Hollywood of the limelights

Hollywood is also where the lights of the city blind anyone with bling and fake happiness, displayed on glossy photoshopped snapshots in magazines.

Hollywood of the quiet brainwashing of minds

In the name of “creativity”, many things have been filmed and fed to the masses, that serve no purpose other than instilling fear or rage. Or plant ideas that glamorize violence. It’s done on a massive scale, it’s done in technicolor and large screen, with HD sound, the best cast and crew, and more FX than we can think of… It’s more or less subtle… It’s called …brainwashing.

I recall here the chef Olivier Rollinger, who was one evening beaten to death by teens after they had watched Clockwork Orange, just because they had watched it and wanted to unleash their violence onto someone. He was left for dead, badly injured, bruised with a broken nose. Because Hollywood gives itself full license and freedom to do anything and everything (porn is also made there), because morals are deemed to be outdated or a sign of bigotry, movies explore human behaviors and the human psyche with a fresh approach.

Yet, do we need to see horrendous things happening on a large screen, thus engorging our brains with unfiltered horror?

Drawing after shooting in Parkland, Florida, Feb 2018. Florence Vitel

Hollywood of the unapologetic spreading of violence

Violence begets violence, exposure to violence, and the ensuing degradation of our senses as to what is acceptable and what’s not erodes our sense of compassion and respect for others. We are left with a bruised sense of self-respect and respect for this fragile yet wonderful thing: life.

Who can think it’s beneficial for any of us?

Numerous medical studies have shown it’s not innocuous.

When the only resort for angry people is reaching for a gun and killing kids in schools, what does it say about society?

When words cannot express their inner feelings, because they are not shown that’s what to do, and because a gun does it “better” for them, because it’s been seen countless times on screens, isn’t time for a deeper reflection?

When will Hollywood clean its act for good and take full responsibility?

It won’t, because violence, and guns, sell. And it sells because we have been groomed into thinking it’s a better movie with the supposed thrill of a gun being drawn, at some point. Or the potential of it happening. Even some “family movies” such as “Home Alone” feature guns. (Am I the only one to be shocked by that?). And we’ve been shown, that it’s a “normal thing” (= as in “it’s the norm”). Well, it’s not and shouldn’t have become an accepted standard.

The glamorization of gangsters in the 30’s, alongside the renewed lease on supposedly”loveable” bad boys who suck at getting a proper meaningful life, but who are swift to produce a GUN, is still going strong in Hollywood (think no further than moronic Han Solo and his pathetic line to Leia “You love bad boys” and how he grossly ignores her rebuttal of his unsolicited advances, what a jerk, really). Notwithstanding the killing of women or girls, in countless legal or detective dramas/series. (it’s still nauseating really, to see the proportion of females, in comparison to males, being killed in order to “create entertainment”, haven’t those misogynistic or revengeful (for whatever reason) writers not heard of #metoo? or basic respect for the other half of the population?)

Since 1950, gun violence in movies produced in Hollywood has doubled in proportion. Mass shootings have been increasing accordingly too.

From Hollywood to Anytown, USA

Deaths by firearms (mass-shooting, individual shooting, suicide) are not showing any decrease. Coward politicians refuse to tackle the debate, and thus, there’s been no debate about 2nd amendment since the shooting at Sandy Hook, basically.

/www.politifact.com states that : “there have been 1,516,863 gun-related deaths since 1968, compared to 1,396,733 cumulative war deaths since the American Revolution. That’s 120,130 more gun deaths than war deaths — about 9 percent more, or nearly four typical years worth of gun deaths.” 

According to those one-cell-brain-shared-among-themselves politicians, prayers, apparently, are the best protection against bullets from the semi-automatic AR-15 and their magazines of +40 ammo of 39mm. It’s also, incidentally, the rifle endorsed by the NRA as “America’s rifle”. NRA too will send their prayers, if you lose a child or a loved one to one of their fave rifles (that also happens to be the fave rifle of shooters).

No overexposure to violence and no access to guns equals less harm by arms. QED.

No (or less than 2) school shootings in Europe countries in the past 30 years. USA gun homicide rate is 25 times higher than other high-income countries.

Why? because 1stly, no easy access to firearms, and 2ndly, a lesser proportion of movies featuring arms are distributed in theatres, 3rdly, no right to kill, (according to a marvelous – but obsolete in some areas- document, yet in need of an update, clearly).

So. Every parent now asks themselves, WHEN will the next shooting happen (fatalism), when they should be worried IF a shooting MIGHT happen (frightening but rarely occurring possibility).

Big difference.

Let me be clear, no amount of prayers and turning to God (what shitty bigotry is that?) can stop firearms from being fired at innocent kids.

And it should be, of course, that no one fears going to school or in any public place… but I live in America, and I have kids, so I don’t have this luxury of peace of mind.

Just as a matter of irony, the NRA is holding its annual conference this weekend here in Houston, with tcruz and illiterate orange 45 in attendance, as if nothing has happened. Musicians supposed to sing this weekend have canceled their gig. It took this one more shooting for them to cancel, they were ok with all the previous ones, apparently…

If prayers are needed, it is for those criminals to be tried and jailed or see the light eventually and advocate against arms in households.

(according to http://www.massshootingtracker.site, there’s been 4635 mass shootings since 1/1/2013).

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« And the Oscar goes to … » 2014 Edition

10 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by Floreva in Entertainemt, Movies

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Oscars

(Please find hereafter the article I wrote for the French Newsletter)Image

Comme chaque année, la cérémonie des Oscars entraine un buzz médiatique qui va croissant avec les années et les dernières applications technologiques innovantes .

Avant, pendant et après . Meme si le nombre de spectateurs TV dudit évènement s’effrite au profit d’un suivi sur la TV internet.

Avant : pronostic et présentattions des films en compétition , bio des acteurs et réalisateurs ( un petit scandale est toujours le bienvenu, Scarlett Johansson cette année en a fait les -minimes et très calculés- frais.) Annonce des nominations et des présentateurs (hosts) du lieu et comparaison rétrospective de type fashion des participants des années précédentes (la décade est favorisée comme plus propice à la comparaison de l’évolution du style de telle ou telle actrice)

Pendant : pronostic de dernière minute, détail des tenues et bijoux de ces dames en direct, glose sur le style vestimentaire de ces messieurs (le smoking est il soluble dans le style plage? Le Bermuda-smoking de Pharell Williams cuvée 2014, porté sans chaussettes, laisse songeur).

Comme pour tout, certains connaissent les règles -trop subtiles apparemment- du smoking et du bon gout et d’autres… eh bien, autant n’en rien dire.

Idem pour ces dames, qui portent des tenues prêtées pour l’occasion, tout comme les bijoux. Mais le risque est plus limité, le show servant de vitrine aux createurs, établis ou montants, il y a moins de risque de dérapage.

Dernier pronostic aussi avant que le présentateur vedette n’ouvre les festivités, avec plus ou moins de bonheur, là aussi.

Dernières pauses devant les flashes sur le tapis rouge.

Après , ça continue encore: les news télévisées, les journaux -papier et online-, les magazines, les blogs, les réseaux sociaux…tous relaient les résultats, qui sont immédiatements commentés et parfois deviennent “viral” (la fameuse jambe d’Angelina Jolie en 2012 avait eu un nombre de retweets et de commentaires phénomenal). Les magazines de mode proposent alors, outre le passage à la moulinette des détails du style des actrices (maquillage, vêtements , chaussures, bijoux, etc…), des « knock-off » pour copier lesdits styles pour un prix bien plus modique, on s’en doute, piochés dans des marques plus grand public, chaussures et pochettes de soirée compris.

L’arrivée de twitter et de facebook ont boosté les interactions entre l’industrie (toutes catégories confondues) et le public . Les acteurs se pretent au jeu, postent des selfies (autoportraits) sur leur profile de résaux sociaux, commentent, indiquent leur humeur, leurs attentes , ce qu’ils ont pris au déjeuner et qui les habillera, voire , appellent aussi à soutenir quelque cause ou événement politique ou autre. Le selfie de Ellen DeGeneres a fait tourner les moulins de twitter et les commères pendant toute la nuit, presque 3 millions de tweets . Pub fantastique pour les parties concernées, not so sure pour le prestige de la cérémonie.

L’évènement , presque confidentiel et très codifié à ses débuts (15 minutes le 16 mai 1929 , host Douglas Fairbanks,  12 catégories, 270 invités) , est devenu au fil du temps un vrai show à l’americaine, de presque 4h, dont la liste des catégories s’est allongée pour atteindre 29 à ce jour , dont 5 « Special » ; les 3332 sièges du Kodak theater récemment lieu d’accueil ne sont jamais vides). Certaines catégories ont d’aileurs été éphémères ( ex. : Best Dance Direction, Best Original Musical or Comedy Score ,…). D’autres sont régulièrement proposées (ex. : Best casting). On a adjoint à cette cérémonie purement grand écran des éléments de la télévision, par les présentateurs d’abord, ou des stars du petit écran, puis des numéros comiques et enfin, des chansons. C’est, littéralement, le cirque  quand en 1992 David Letterman ( The Late Show with David Letterman) produit un numéro -pathétique- avec des chiens dansants pour remettre à Tom Hanks  -dubitatif -sa statuette pour sa prestation de Forrest Gump.

Et en 2014, on n’a pas peur d’innover dans le genre « no-limit-au-n’importe-quoi » avec un “selfie”, justement, sur scène de la part de la présentatrice et TV star Ellen DeGeneres (qui a l’air impromptu, mais en fait a été minutieusement répété) pour promouvoir la marque d’un téléphone. Cela surprend de prime abord, et puis on apprend que ladite marque a déboursé $19 millions pour s’assurer que les cameramen captureront bien le nom et la génération du téléphone en question. A ce tarif-là, on s’affranchit de ses scrupules, quitte à écorner à la fois le mythe et marcher sur les pieds de la vénérable vieille dame de 86 ans. N’est-ce pas Madame Ellen ; n’est-ce pas Monsieur le Groupe Coréen diversifié Electronique , Automobile, Constructeur Naval, Téléphone Mobile , etc…Passons sur l’épisode pizza, certes inattendu et sympathique, mais inapproprié, dans ce contexte, meme si Brad Pitt a montré une simplicité et une promptitude à distribuer les parts remarquables. Ellen est une femme généreuse, elle le rappelle devant les caméras avec le « tip » qu’elle quête auprès de ses amis les professionnels de cette industrie . Elle aurait pu lui partager son pactole téléphonique et épargner cette ridicule prestation. (Surtout quand on sait que la Vanity Fair Party qui suit traditionnellement ne propose pas que des chips aux invités : en 2014 ; il y a eu : cupcakes customisés, macarons caviar-crème fraîche, salade crabe-avocat, tourtes de volaille-champignons, lasagne à la truffe noire, donuts et café. Bref.)

Cela donne une curieuse impression de populisme d’empereur romain mégalomane. Mais enfin, cela illustre parfaitement ce que veut le public : du pain et des jeux. On est au cirque, à cette minute-là, Panem et Circenses, cela prend toute sa dimension.

Au fil du temps, on a vu de drôle de choses, aux Awards, comme l’utilisation de l’évènement à des fins politiques ou des appels à prise de conscience . Des hiatus qui donnent souvent lieu a de nouvelles règles. Notamment , c’est à cause de Marlon Brando et Sasheen Litllefeather  (par ailleurs fausse Apache et vraie actrice) que les vainqueurs de la statuette dorée sont obligés de venir en personne chercher leur récompense, et non d’envoyer une délégation et ne sont plus qutorisés à lire un speech de critique de 15 pages en déclinant, en plus , ladite récompense (1972, pour le Parrain).

1977 avait été marqué par le discours controversé (contre le fascisme , l’anti-sémitisme et le sionisme) de Vanessa Redgrave. 

2013 avait vu déjà un fléchissement avec une cérémonie -traditionnellement et jusqu’à lors-  dénommée 85th Academy Awards rebaptisée Oscars 2013 (nom officieux). Les puristes en auraient avalé leur carton d’invitation.

Depuis 2001 et le speech de 4 minutes de Julia Roberts , nous savons que le temps de parole pour le discours d’acceptation est calibré et que le « stick man » le rappelle en coulisse.

En 2014, les résultats sont un peu décevants, pour les cinéphiles exigeants, et il est clair que souvent le succès commercial ou que les a-priori des votants sur leurs collègues pèsent davantage dans la séléction et le choix final que les qualités intrinsèques du film, qui devraient être évaluées impartialement.

Que « Gravity » remporte l’oscar Best Cinematography (Photo),  Best Editing (Montage) et Best Visual Effects (Effets Speciaux) reste un mystère (on en reparle dans 10 ans), quand le premier semblerait davantage devoir revenir à « The Secret Life of Walter Mitty » (hélas non sélectionné), le deuxième n’aurait pas déparé «Her» ou « The Secret Life of Walter Mitty » et le dernier aurait du revenir à «Her». Quant à « Nebraska », une catégorie spéciale aurait pu être créée, comme parfois cela arrive, Best Original Cinematography . Et la categorie Best Sound (bande son) devait revenir à « 12 years a slave ».

Dans un autre genre :  « Lego the  Movie » est formidable : la chute est excellente ; le scenario, parfait et l’auto-dérision, déléctable. Et « Budapest Grand Hotel » est sorti trop tard ; et c’est tant mieux pour Gravity, qui sans cette sortie tardive n’aurait pas fait le poids et aurait été balayé et remisé au placard des anecdotes de science-fiction-pseudo-thriller mal ficelées.

12 years a Slave a mérité ses récompenses; même si les pointes de complaisances de son réalisateur sont un poil irritantes et Dallas Buyers Club , comme Nebraska , apportent une vraie gravité, pour le coup (sans jeu de mot), à une industrie qui contemple trop souvent le succès facile comme un gage de qualité. On perd un peu de l’esprit fondateur de l’évènement, qui  malheureusement en cours de route, a récompensé des films a posteriori très décevants ou surévalués, et en a oubliés d’autres qui méritaient amplement leur statuette dorée.

Oscar Trivia :

*Chaque statuette pèse 6,75 pounds (3 ,61kg ) et mesure 13 ,5 inches (34 ,29cm)

*Discours le plus long : Greer Garson pour Mrs. Miniver (1943) : entre 5 et 7 minutes  selon les sources

*Seuls 5 films ont remporté , à ce jour, le « Big Five » (Best Picture , Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay : It Happened One Night (1934) ; One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Vol qu dessus d’un nid de coucous)(1975), The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

*Ben-Hur (1959), Titanic (1997), et The Lord of the Rings : The Return of the King (2003) sont les films les plus récompensés, remportant chacun 11 oscars. Le Seigneur des Anneaux est le seul a avoir remporté tous les oscars pour lequel il a été séléctionné.

*Acteur le plus fréquemment séléctionné: Jack Nicholson (12 nominations, 3 victoires)

*Actrice la plus fréquemment séléctionnée : Meryl Streep (18 nominations, 3 victoires)

*Actrice la plus récompensée : Katrine Hepburn (4 victoires)

*Discours les plus courts : Patty Duke 1963 pour The Miracle Worker. etAlfred Hitchcock : « Thank you »

*Temps imparti à chaque vainqueur : 45 secondes. Certains débordent et sont coupés par : le présentateur, l’orchestre, une bande-son qui démarre, un extrait du film, leur émotion incontrolable.

*La Costume Designer Edith Head a été séléctionnée 35 fois pour 8 victoires (Sabrina , All about Eve, The Heiress, Samson and Dalilah, A Place in the Sun, Roman Holiday, The Facts of Life, The Sting)

* Walt Disney a reçu 22 oscars (pour 59 nominations)

* 6000 votants sélectionnent les potentiels vainqueurs

* Depuis 1989 ; on ne dit plus « And the winner is… » mais on annonce : «  And the Oscar goes to… », par égard pour les autres nominés. Eux, ils pourront reprendre une part de pizza. Donnée par Brad Pitt.

Bon film!

Floreva

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Upcoming Film Festivals deadlines, call for entries.

09 Sunday Mar 2014

Posted by Floreva in Film Festivals, Movies, Writing

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Cinema, movies, screenwriting

Hello Fellow oddjobbers,

 

whether you’re a young or experienced director, screenwriter, DoP, sound master, cameraman, creating doc, experimental, vid, music vid, short, feat. film or just a lover of cinema for the magic produced on screen,

194bd5951b789df300e43e3c8a0249db

 

please find hereafter some other FFest you might be interested in, to submit your work to or to attend, check their website for more info :

Enjoy and good luck!

Floreva

 

MANHATTAN
FILM FESTIVAL
New York, New York – USA
June 19 to July 3, 2014

DL for entries : 18 March 2014 (late DL)

CATALINA
FILM FESTIVAL
Avalon , California – USA
September 24 to 28, 2014

Reg DL : 20 March 2014

Unmissable Stops:
– Palm Springs International ShortFest
– Nantucket Film Festival & Screenplay Competition
– Revelation Perth International Film Festival
Calling All Screenwriters:
– Slamdance Screenplay Competition
– CineStory Foundation Screenwriting Awards
– The First Look Project
Quickly Closing Opps:
– London Independent Film Festival
– Brooklyn Film Festival
– San Antonio Film Festival
– VISIONFEST
The Good Story Competition: Change the World in Four Minutes
Filmmakers everywhere: The Good Story Competition is challenging you to tell the stories of everyday people in Asia doing good to improve the lives of others, and tell it in the most compelling and engaging way possible. All in under four minutes. It’s also a chance to snag cash prizes not just for yourself but for the people you feature in your video. You get to show off your creativity and help make a difference, all at the same time. Register now and submit your video by March 21, 2104 directly at http://www.ourbetterworld.org/goodstoryasia
Final Extended Deadlines – Exclusive to Withoutabox:
Submit today!
CineStory Foundation Screenwriting Awards, Los Angeles, California, USA
March 5, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Derby Film Festival, Derby, United Kingdom
March 5, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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VISIONFEST, Brooklyn, New York, USA
March 5, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Submit today!
Albuquerque Film & Media Experience, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
March 7, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Submit today!
Milledgeville Film Festival, Milledgville, Georgia, USA
March 7, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Submit today!
On Screen/In Person, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
March 7, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Submit today!
American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes, Cannes, France
March 8, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Submit today!
The Classic City International Film Festival, Snellville, Georgia, USA
March 9, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Submit today!
The Los Angeles International Student Film Festival, Pasadena, California, USA
March 9, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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International Moustache Film Festival, Portland, Maine, USA
March 10, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Submit today!
The Los Angeles New Wave International Film Festival, Sherman Oaks, California, USA
March 11, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Submit today!
Rainier Independent Film Festival, Ashford, Washington, USA
March 12, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Submit today!
Brooklyn Film Festival, Brooklyn, New York, USA
March 14, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Submit today!
Hill Country Film Festival, Fredericksburg, Texas, USA
March 14, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Submit today!
London Independent Film Festival, London, United Kingdom
March 14, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Submit today!
SAFILM – San Antonio Film Festival, San Antonio, Texas, USA
March 14, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Big Deadlines Approaching Fast:
Submit today!
Filmbox Movie Award Competition, London, United Kingdom
Rolling Deadline

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Los Angeles Film and Script Festival, Los Angeles, California, USA
March 5, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Submit today!
Meeting Rimini Film Festival, Rimini, Italy
March 5, 2014 – Regular Deadline

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Submit today!
New York Los Angeles International Film Festival (NYLA), Encino, California, USA
March 5, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Submit today!
Revelation Perth International Film Festival, Hawthorn East, Australia
March 5, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Submit today!
West Field Screenwriting Awards, Averill Park, New York, USA
March 5, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Workers Unite Film Festival, New York, New York, USA
March 5, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Breaking Walls Thriller Screenplay Competition, Lewes, Delaware, USA
March 7, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Brooklyn Film Festival, Brooklyn, New York, USA
March 7, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Submit today!
CINE Golden Eagle Awards, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
March 7, 2014 – Regular Deadline

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Submit today!
FILM-COM Financing & Distribution Market – Features, Television, Docs, Video-Gaming, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
March 7, 2014 – Regular Deadline

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Submit today!
Family Resources Film Festival Gala, Davenport, Iowa, USA
March 7, 2014 – Late Deadline

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International Moustache Film Festival, Portland, Maine, USA
March 7, 2014 – Late Deadline

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London Independent Film Festival, London, United Kingdom
March 7, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Real to Reel International Film Festival, Shelby, North Carolina, USA
March 7, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Santa Monica Teen Film Festival, Santa Monica, California, USA
March 7, 2014 – Regular Deadline

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Glen Rose Neo-Relix Film Festival, Glen Rose, Texas, USA
March 8, 2014 – Late Deadline

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The Harvard College Film Festival, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
March 8, 2014 – Late Deadline

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BolderLife Festival, Boulder, Colorado, USA
March 9, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

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Submit today!
Motor City Nightmares Film Festival, Milford, Michigan, USA
March 10, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Submit today!
Nantucket Film Festival & Screenplay Competition, Nantucket, Massachusetts, USA
March 10, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Submit today!
Northside DIY Film Competition, Brooklyn, New York, USA
March 10, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Submit today!
Palm Springs International ShortFest, Palm Springs, California, USA
March 10, 2014 – Regular Deadline

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Submit today!
Pittsburgh Independent Film Festival, Los Angeles, California, USA
March 10, 2014 – Regular Deadline

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Submit today!
Sacramento Horror Film Festival, Sacramento, California, USA
March 10, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Submit today!
Studio City Film Festival, Studio City, California, USA
March 10, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Submit today!
COMEDY NINJA Film and Screenplay Festival, Los Angeles, California, USA
March 11, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Submit today!
Oaxaca FilmFest, Oaxaca, Mexico
March 12, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

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Submit today!
Los Angeles Cinema Festival of Hollywood (Spring), Los Angeles, California, USA
March 12, 2014 – WAB Extended Deadline

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Submit today!
Los Angeles Movie Awards – Summer Session, Los Angeles, California, USA
March 12, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

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Submit today!
Los Angeles Reel Film Festival, Los Angeles, California, USA
March 12, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Submit today!
Port Townsend Film Festival, Port Townsend, Washington, USA
March 13, 2014 – Regular Deadline

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Submit today!
OREGON Independent Film Festival, Eugene, Oregon, USA
March 14, 2014 – Regular Deadline

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Submit today!
Colourfest Film Festival, Parramatta, Australia
March 14, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

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Submit today!
Prescott Film Festival, Prescott, Arizona, USA
March 14, 2014 – Regular Deadline

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Submit today!
Santa Monica Teen Film Festival, Santa Monica, California, USA
March 14, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Submit today!
Short Sharp Film Festival, Coffs Harbour, Australia
March 14, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

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Submit today!
Southampton International Film Festival, Eastleigh, United Kingdom
March 14, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

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Submit today!
The Art of Brooklyn Film Festival, Brooklyn, New York, USA
March 14, 2014 – Late Deadline

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Calls for Entry Just Announced:
Submit today!
Fester: The Mindf*#k Festival, Los Angeles, California, USA
Event Dates: January 1 to December 31, 2014
Rolling Deadline

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Submit today!
Brainwash Movie Festival, Oakland, California, USA
Event Dates: July 18 to 26, 2014
March 15, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

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Submit today!
La Costa Film Festival, Carlsbad, California, USA
Event Dates: September 18 to 21, 2014
March 31, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

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Submit today!
Fargo-Moorhead LGBT Film Festival, Moorhead, Minnesota, USA
Event Dates: September 12 to 13, 2014
March 31, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline, No Entry Fee

View Listing

Submit today!
Ojai Film Festival, Oak View, California, USA
Event Dates: November 6 to 13, 2014
April 1, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
Indie Memphis Film Festival, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
Event Dates: October 30 to November 2, 2014
April 2, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
Slamdance Screenplay Competition, Los Angeles, California, USA
Event Dates: January 23 to 29, 2015
April 8, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
Script Pipeline Great Idea Contests, Santa Monica, California, USA
Event Dates: July 15, 2014
April 15, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
FilmQuest, Provo, Utah, USA
Event Dates: June 30 to July 5, 2014
April 15, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
SaMo Indie – The Santa Monica Independent Film Festival, Santa Monica, California, USA
Event Dates: September 18 to 21, 2014
April 15, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
Louisville’s International Festival of Film, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
Event Dates: October 9 to 12, 2014
May 1, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
Boston Jewish Film Festival, West Newton, Massachusetts, USA
Event Dates: November 5 to 17, 2014
May 1, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
Imagine Science Film Festival, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Event Dates: October 17 to 24, 2014
May 1, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
Shriekfest, the Los Angeles Horror/SciFi Film Festival, Lake Mary, Florida, USA
Event Dates: October 2 to 5, 2014
May 1, 2014 – Regular Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
Mill Valley Film Festival, San Rafael, California, USA
Event Dates: October 2 to 12, 2014
May 16, 2014 – Regular Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
Nine Worlds Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festival, London, United Kingdom
Event Dates: August 7 to 10, 2014
May 23, 2014 – Regular Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
Shore Scripts, London, United Kingdom
Event Dates: November 1, 2014
May 31, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA
Event Dates: November 7 to 23, 2014
June 1, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
Flagler Film Festival, Palm Coast, Florida, USA
Event Dates: January 9 to 11, 2015
June 1, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
HERO FEST – MY HERO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, Laguna Beach, California, USA
Event Dates: November 21 to 23, 2014
June 1, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
The First Look Project, presented by Script Pipeline, Santa Monica, California, USA
Event Dates: February 15, 2015
June 15, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
Big Apple Film Festival (New York), New York, New York, USA
Event Dates: November 5 to 9, 2014
June 30, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

Submit today!
Beaufort International Film Festival, Beaufort, South Carolina, USA
Event Dates: February 11 to 15, 2015
July 31, 2014 – Earlybird Deadline

View Listing

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Film Festivals call for entries

04 Tuesday Mar 2014

Posted by Floreva in Creating, Movies, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Hi fellow oddjobbers,

 

please find hereafter some interesting FF to submit your work to (vid, script, feature, short, sound). Click on links below

Great Opps for Rising Talents:
– Nantucket Film Festival & Screenplay Competition
– Provincetown International Film Festival
– Indianapolis International Film Festival
– Brooklyn Film Festival
Ones Not to be Missed:
– Edinburgh International Film Festival
– Moscow International Film Festival
– Hamptons International Film Festival
– DOC NYC
Unique Circuit Opps:
– NewFilmmakers Los Angeles
– Dragon*Con Independent Short Film Festival
– Lunafest Film Festival
– American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes
The Good Story Competition: Change the World in Four Minutes
Filmmakers everywhere: The Good Story Competition is challenging you to tell the stories of everyday people in Asia doing good to improve the lives of others, and tell it in the most compelling and engaging way possible. All in under four minutes. It’s also a chance to snag cash prizes not just for yourself but for the people you feature in your video. You get to show off your creativity and help make a difference, all at the same time. Register now and submit your video by March 21, 2104 directly at http://www.ourbetterworld.org/goodstoryasia

 

 

ZERO FILM
FESTIVAL – LONDON
London, England – United Kingdom 
July 11 to 13, 2014

Reg DL : March 15, 2014

COMMFFEST GLOBAL
COMMUNITY FILM FESTIVAL
Toronto, Ontario – Canada 
September 11 to 20, 2014

Reg DL March 15, 2014

International Film AWARDS BERLIN 
Berlin – Germany 
September 3 to 7, 2014
 
Upcoming Deadline: March 15, 2014 
Name Film Festival   Name Film Festival   Name Film Festival   Name Film Festival
 
OREGON INDEPENDENT 
FILM FESTIVAL 
Portland, Oregon – USA 
September 9 to 29, 2014
 
Upcoming Deadline: March 14, 2014 

HELL’S HALF-MILE 
FILM & MUSIC FESTIVAL 
Bay City, Michigan – USA 
September 25 to 28, 2014
 
Upcoming Deadline: March 15, 2014 

First-time submitters get reimbursed their submission fee and become alumni, which allows them fee waivers for life. A $1,000 USD cash prize awaits the winner of the HHM Jury Award, and numerous other prizes are on hand to ensure an unforgettable (and potentially lucrative) four days of networking, partying, and increased industry visibility. Some HHM filmmakers will even be granted complimentary travel and accommodations. 

Good luck everyone.

       

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The secret life of Walter Mitty and Her – Sundance FF

24 Friday Jan 2014

Posted by Floreva in Entertainemt, Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Cinema, film festival, Script

Well, well, well….

With the academy awards ceremony just around the corner, it’s the right time to hit the theaters and enjoy the inventive movies on offer. Rather that rushing to see “The Wolf of Wall Street” (Scorcese with DiCaprio, based on a true story, what could possibly go wrong? I’ll watch that later), I’ve chosen “Walter Mitty and his secret life”, because the storyline sounded appealing, and there was no dissatisfaction .

The film is based on a 1939 short story by James Thurber.  While some changes have been made in regard of the original story, namely since the action in the book is wrapped tightly around Walter Mitty and a single event as trivial and unremarkable as accompanying his wife to the drugstore. He stays for a smoke outside the shop while she proceeds with the groceries’ list. The essence of Walter Mitty’s rich inner life and  feats is pretty much interestingly translated onto the screen. Ben Stiller does a remarkable composition, a pleasant mixture for a contemplative character made of grace and reserve, the plot is maybe not fantastically inventive, but it flows nicely and the ties are well tied together, interwoven with clues we grabbed along the road to his own journey into the real world. Haven’t we all day-dreamt of delivering punching line to people who are as annoying as a dickhead, or to rude people or haven’t we fought that with a bit of increased audacity we would have done or said something bound to lead to a better situation, and kept for ourselves for various reasons? Sometimes, though, the only alternative is to harness that audacity and just…. well, dive into the unknown, because it feels right.

It is also a refreshing film for three reasons ; firstly in the sense that the filming locations are not somewhere in the States, pretending to be that particular area in the world where the action is supposed to be taking place. The crew did film in several part of Iceland (but they did not film the Himalayan part in real Himalaya though but in Iceland too, namely in Longufjorur on the Snaefellsnes peninsula, still, the magic works).

It’s refreshing too because the crush he has for his colleague finds a quiet and gentle materialization when he firmly holds her hand, and we are spare the too-often -seen lip-crashing kiss plastered all over the screen since Top Gun (1986), in big scale, which since then made every kissing moment look like its always raw desire on steroids that both the protagonists seem to be able to either perform or want. So a little change is very welcome, and here the apparent shyness makes it for a gentle breeze without losing its powerful implication. Out of Africa (1985) was the embodiment of that elliptically shown strong desire, and it never felt less powerful that a close-up on naked bodies rummaging together on a bed, against a wall, on the floor, warlike, and seldom necessary in such length or numerous occurrence.

Thirdly, ( no offence, please) it felt refreshing to have locals playing the characters of locals, and not some American again playing the foreigners, much to the weariness of the (European, shall I write?) audience. Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as a Greenlandic pilot is just perfect and he feels right too, just as the Chilean ship crew and the Icelandic/Greenlandic ship crew or the ticket agent (Rosamund Gundmundsdottir).

“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” is a very pleasant film, which provides an enduring feeling of lightness and happiness and a sense of joy, The photography is fantastic and that alone should have the movie being qualified for the Academy Awards, along with a  perfect script. Ben Stiller proves again that he is a real creative bloke, he acts in and directs here a great film, whose qualities will better with age. (Unlike the absurd “Arthur Newman” , 2012, in which Colin Firth and Emily Blunt unconvincingly play 2 American con artists, lost in their own identity and tediously trying to escape their miserably boring lives, 2 appealing British actors along with the somewhat inconsistent Anne Heche. Result : greatly annoying film full of wearisome cliches ).

“Her”

“Her” is a surprise, emphasing on the loneliness experienced by humans  dwelling in this modern techie urban habitat. We follow the life of Theodore Twombly whose job is to write love letters for people who lack either the ability, or the  time to do so. Theodore is a loner, still grieving over his lost relationship to his childhood sweetheart. He enrolls on a program providing humans with a personal OS, a virtual companion, able to learn and grow human like feelings. What ensues id crystal clear : he falls in love with the witty software, which improves so rapidly in the field of emotions and psychological understanding that their relationship becomes (strangely) intimate and emotionally accurate. Of course, what underlines the script is that no such relationship can exist, since we are humans, and no machine, as much sophistication it can get/operate/create/develop/have , can rival another human being because there is a moment when feelings and closeness need to find their physical expression and materialization through those trivial things but unbeaten yet : the skin, fingers, lips and eye locking into another step of intimacy, different and yet complementary to the closeness of soul, mind and spirit.

Here, Spike Jonze signs a question-raising film regarding our human condition, the loneliness we can experiment even when surrounded by fantastic tools of communications and technology enhancing or facilitating our everyday life. In the end, the moral of the story looks like : to experiment human contact and togetherness, joy in being reunited and this sense of “belonging”, the simplest thing to do is to ring a friend, drag them out of their flat, and together, closely seated in the warmth of human bond (love, friendship), contemplate the sunrise, rekindling with our human capacity to marvel at the simple joys Nature has to offer, and that can never be replaced, even by sophisticated machine. Steel can never have goose pimple, whereas the human body can  express inner emotions through various changes, in temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, change in color of the skin, breath and fluids exuding its pores or tear canals.

A modern tale, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, with a mustached Joaquin Phoenix.

Everybody’s gathering to Sundance FF!

I heard the other day over the radio Matt Damon and Glenn Close… I think this once alternative and indie-prone Film Fest seems to be gradually getting transplants and defectors  from Hollywood and getting to be contaminated by Hollywood stars and spirit…..Or is it? Anyway, I recommend RAINDANCE film Fest, and other Indie Film Fest, less known and yest more innovative and out of the big machine circuits…

So fellow film lovers, oddjobbers, check those FF and let us keep cinema ALSO indie.

So long,

Floreva

VISIONFEST
FILM FESTIVAL
New York, New York – USA
May 14 to 18, 2014

Hurry, Last Looks:
– L.A. COMEDY SHORTS
– Chicago International Movies and Music Festival
– Fort Myers Film Festival
Exciting Earlybirds:
– Vancouver International Film Festival
– Guanajuato International Film Festival
– Napa Valley Film Festival
Circuit Gems:
– OFF PLUS CAMERA International Festival of Independent Cinema
– deadCENTER Film Festival
– Sunscreen Film Festival
The 5th Annual New Media Film Festival
Based in Los Angeles, the New Media Film Festival celebrates the ever-changing world of new media. Declared “worth the entry fee” by MovieMaker Magazine and hailed for making “the cutting edge accessible” by Huffington Post, the festival accepts Web Series, 3D, Apps, Digital Comics, Machinima, Made on Mobile/Tablet, Music Videos, New Media, Scripts, Shorts, Shot on RED, 30-second pitches, Socially Responsible Content, and Trailers among other formats. The jury includes reps from Pixar, Fox, and The Caucus, among others. A total of $45K USD in awards will be presented at the festival this June. Join filmmakers from around the world, hear industry leaders, and network…submit today!

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Sante Fe Film Festival and upcoming film fest deadlines

04 Saturday Jan 2014

Posted by Floreva in Movies, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

film, screenwriting, Script

Hello oddjobbers

new year means new set of resolutions and goals, excellence to strive for and schedules to be followed.

Image

Last year, I had the great opportunity (I worked  wisely to make it happen, though) to go to the Santa Fe film fest and I met several people, and discussed various topics related to filming, low/zero budget short films planning, production and so forth. I was invited to the wrap-up party and to date, this event is one of the most memorable events I’ve been too since I’m a US resident. Like many fellow harmony seekers, I have decided to set out a bunch of new resolutions (because health, work, achievements, personal bliss and family and friend  happiness are obvious resolutions to stick to, I don’t even mention that), and keep them in mind everyday during 2014 to follow through.

Since I’ve submitted script material to film fests, as a member, I happen to receive an update on every forthcoming film related events, fest, contests, etc. I’d like to post more about the subject, and I want to submit more material that I did last year.

I’ve gathered also information on a nearby Community Center to possibly enter a film-making program, whose founder and lead teacher  had his students qualify for Cannes film fest in 202 (and win!). I need my transcript and then I can proceed with the enrollment.

Ok ,so now that I’ve shared that with you there’s no turning back…

Here some film fest some of you might interested in, either to submit a doc, a short, a feature, a script.

Enjoy and best wishes!

ATHENS INTERNATIONAL (oscar qualifying)
FILM + VIDEO FESTIVAL
Athens, Ohio – USA
April 11 to 17, 2014

THE IRON MULE SHORT
COMEDY SCREENING SERIES
New York, New York – USA
Monthly Screening Series
Circuit Biggies and Oscar Opps:
– Los Angeles Film Festival
– Seattle International Film Festival
– Nashville Film Festival
– Aspen Shortsfest
– Bermuda International Film Festival
Regional Favorites:
– Sonoma International Film Festival
– Maui Film Festival
– Chicago Underground Film Festival
– Sarasota Film Festival
And More to Explore:
– The European Independent Film Festival
– Chicago International Movies and Music Festival
– Script Pipeline Great Idea Contests
– Rainier Independent Film Festival
Please click on each link to land on the film fest website.
Enjoy and good work!
F; inspired.

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Santa Fe Film Festival 2012 DREAM AWAKE

12 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by Floreva in Creating, Entertainemt, Movies, Places, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Brightwood, Georgia O'Keeffe museum, Nothing without you, SANTA FE Film Festival, short film

Last Friday, I flew to New Mexico with a friend to the SANTA FE Film Festival (SFFF).

The theme was : Dream awake. What a good motto, what a wonderful idea.

Santa Fe and the SFFF : Such a marvelously energetic city, such a great event. Films, shorts, Q&A with directors, actors, producers, composers. Meeting passionate people, sharing their work and their art and their thoughts about it  with a genuine simplicity. It sounds obvious, of course. And yet, the authenticity feels so unspoilt in a festival like that one,  that you leave the event boosted, and fulfilled, especially if you are  an oddjobber like those who flocked in there.

SFFFpass

Being in Santa Fe again, in (almost) Winter time, with cold air filling the bright blue sky saturated with sun beams, it felt so good.

This city has really something about itself and in itself that you just can’t miss to experiment. The air seems to be rustling with extra positive vibrations.

The nearby mountains (visible from nearly every corner, unlike Houston, flat as my palm) anchor your looks into that beautiful Nature. You can’t escape beauty : architecture, settings, landscapes, buildings, the most creative human activity (painters, writers, potters, craftsmen, filmmakers, even  festivals to celebrate all that!!), a true osmosis between our natural environment and our humanity.

Georgia O’Keeffe sensed that earthy energy and savage beauty as she transcripted on the canvas or on the paper those vibes. Her paintings are as peaceful and quietness inducing as the vision of the surrounding scenery.

No wonder a film festival set in this city would attract talented and tactful professionals.

Our stay was blessed and punctuated with the most exquisite and nice encounters, some probable, others completely impromtu, absolutely unexpected. Saturday early morning, we came in the CCA to retrieve my friend’s ticket, and we ended up in the nearby venue, chatting with the person in charge that day, and visiting the Military Museum of the NM National Guard. very interesting.

 

DSC_0074

Then we went downtown Old Santa Fe, for a visit before the screening of the film that lay at the core of this trip. We visited the Georgia O’Keeffe museum.  We chatted with I can’t remember how many persons. (It is me or it this city is triggering people into conversations?).

And then, the FILM. “NOTHING WITHOUT YOU”. Just as it was about to begin, we met the director, Xackery Irving whom we greeted and he was so kind as to take some time to talk to us, and thanked us for coming from so far, Houston.

The film deserves the prize it won at the Toronto Film Festival earlier this year.

Emily Fradenburgh is a lovely actress, impossibly talented and natural in her way of playing,  and her character is so appealing. We adhere to her motivation without the slightest reluctance. And we are thrilled, of course, because her life is at stake.

The script is well balanced, with drama and humour, thrilling moments and suspense.

And it has what most of us revere  : a twist end. But not a sloppy one, a well constructed, well defined and precisely chiseled one.

All in all the film is extremely good, finely crafted and structured. And the music is a pure moment of happiness.

The Q&A was a great moment, with The score composer, the producer, the director, the actress and another actor. The Qs showed that the audience is mainly composed of professional (talking about angles in shooting and stuff of the kind). And it was pleasant to learn as much by listening carefully to the As as we did for the Qs.

We went to the party held for the fest. And it was a blast, again, because you meet there all the people who make the fest! I talked with some of the crew of NWY, and they were forgiving to the enthusiast that I am. It felt like I was a child with a sugar tooth locked in a candy store! I also talked with the producer and the scriptwriter of the short we would watch the next day, “Brightwood”, winner of several prizes too. Amazing short, gorgeous sets, lovely child actress, the director of photography did an amazing job and it deserves its awards.

I feel so blessed and lucky to have been able to go to Santa Fe. And I wish all those talented people success, luck, and more creativity and extremely good connections to craft other good works and masterpieces for their audience to enjoy.

Thanks Emily, Victoria, Dorie, Xackery, Gabriel, Rick, Jacob, Keith, Ruth, Nani, Scott, and all of you who make all that possible.

I came back in Texas full of energy, a will to quickly achieve my writing projects – and particularly this road movie script. I am boosted, energized, more balanced, and I know that even ZERO budget films get shot. So, all is possible, you see.

It took a decade for the director Xackery Irving to achieve his script (it went through many re-writings and editings, as he told the audience), but at last, he made it. It must have been though, and depressing maybe sometimes, but it has a shape, a name and a prize to acknowledge its quality. Think hard and confidently enough that you can do it, and you’ll do it, and even better that you originally thought.

SO….

more caffeine and ….

FADE IN….

Good night, fellow oddjobbers.

Floreva, still enjoying  the light of Santa Fe….

 

“Nothing without you”, written & directed  by Xackery Irving, 95 min, genre : Psychological Thriller, Narrative feature

nothingwithoutyoufilm.com

facebook.com/nothingwithoutyoufilm

“Brightwood”, written by LaDora Sella, directed by L.Gabriel Gonda, 18min.

Brightwoodmovie.com

 

 

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How the Santa Fe Film Festival can boost the writing of a road movie.

05 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by Floreva in Movies, Places, Writing

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Cinema, contest, road movie, Santa Fe, Script, WITHOUTABOX, writing.

Dear readers, fellow oddjobbers , sharers of a glimpse of your thoughts about this world, providers of happiness,

This week end  a major event takes place, the Santa Fe Film Festival.

Many events take place  in the cinema field each week. But this one has a particular taste for me. because it’s Santa Fe (3 times in my life I have felt that good in a city, like you belong, ya know? : in London, in Darjeeling and in Santa Fe, I have no explanation).

And parallel to that, I was writing a script for a submission to the London Film Festival. A road movie. the two ideas merged eventually: why not setting the road movie in TX and NM? I mean, the story was already set, constructed, the characters have their back stories,  I already had written a good deal, the city of departure and the city of arrival had just not been chosen. So, why not a trip from Houston to Santa Fe?

A crazy idea cropped up : why not going up there with my car? You know, driving all the way, enjoy the scenery and the fabulous  landscapes, music blasting, in good company, chatting and laughing, sharing anecdotes, enjoying a rapid meal, before entering this wonderfully energetic city for a big event? And getting free, instant, real-life, consistent impressions for the script? Material readily available!

I very much enjoy a good road movie. The unity of time and space, the journeys, both internal and physical, the grandiose scenery, the confinement leading to confrontation before the resolution and the pacification can occur, has always been profoundly appealing to me.

At a party with friends, the subject of Santa Fe and the Film Festival hosted there came up, as they said they’d drive around New Year’ Eve to White Sands. Conversation drifted then to New Mexico. I didn’t remember the date of the festival, since I only took my subscription to WITHOUTABOX last September,  I only knew there is major Festival taking place there, and for instance, that “Brokeback Mountain” was presented there, among others. We all reckoned that Santa Fe has special vibes. It’s a magical city, and some of us agreed that it  had a relevant impact on our mind, or souls.

Parties like that boost one’s (that’s me, yes) energy & will to work harder, and to write more!!!

Anyway.

In November I received an alert via WITHOUTABOX (the interface I use for script submission for various contests) about the SFFF. I twitted about it. Got a RT from a director (thanks). And I thought i’d love to  see that. And I’ll drive. Houston-Santa Fe. I only needed a friend to share the road, the wheel, the fantastic Week End lying ahead, and a pure cinephilic moment. Plus this director presents his movie there. In Santa Fe. And he wished me safe travels to SFFF. (twitter, you do a great job).

Was I looking for another sign  to go there, to stop telling myself it was crazy to even think of going there, 15s hours, etc? There was the sign, bold, unmistakable.

And another thing : the hero in my script (begun 5 weeks previously) bears the same name as this director, only the spelling is slightly different. 

The film festival takes place just before my birthday. Festival is Dec 6-9; my b-day is the 10th.

So, I told myself : “that would be the most perfect and accurate B’day present, to go there, see amazing movies and shorts, feel the powerful energy of creativity bursting everywhere, meet interesting people, in the field I want to work more and more with and for…Big Spirit of the World, clear the path and make it happen!”

Yeah, really. Sometimes you got to manifest what your want, loudly and you must be convinced that it will happen. I was confident. I trusted myself to make the right choices and to be strong-willed.

It boosted my writing, I can tell you! I locate their stops and their venues on the map and with Google satellite photos, I feel I travel along with them.

I checked the feasibility, and bingo! Greenlight at every level.

In the meantime, the friend’s availability had been invalidated. Car trip seriously unmanageable.  So I checked flights, found one, booked a room and a car in Albuquerque. Bought my tix.

And so be it!

While doing so, I wished I could decide someone to join in at the last minute. Like : you go to a party, and  you say  : “I’ll go to Santa Fe tomorrow. – How nice? how lucky you are, I wish I could …- Interested? Join me! -OK!!!!”

Driving up there will be for another time, because, come on, it’s 15 hours’ drive. I’ll do it next time, with a car packed with friends as crazy as me for cinema. As it was also a bit short to organise it “impromptu”, (although I just love last-minute crazy ideas for a weekend).

The room I booked, for the SAME price could be either : one-queen-size bed (with kitchenette, easier for meals, you know) OR TWO king-size beds (with kitchenette).

Guess what I chose?

I was very much in the mood of sharing that moment with a good friend.

And I made that wish again : to go there with someone.

And it was granted. Impromtu. Last minute. Last Sunday, at lunch with wonderful friends.

You know that wonderful and terrifying moment when you say : “I go there, it’s crazy stuff to do, but… I’m doing it…Would you like to join me?”. And there goes the answer : “I’d love too! Let’s grab a ticket and …just.do.it”

You think your dream can come true, so  you set your mind on a particular frequency, your energy vibrates and bam! it happens. I have a sense that I am on the threshold of a new episode in my life, and I dedicate all my forces, my energy, my focus, my resources, my thoughts, to this achievement, this goal, this new path of fulfillment and of a deeper sense of happiness…

Guess what is the theme of this year’s SANTA FE FILM FESTIVAL?

DREAM AWAKE.

It could never have  been more suited.

Discipline your will, harness your dream and live the life you’re meant to live.

Keep your dream alive, but don’t let it slip through your hands, dear reader/writer.

Floreva, sending you positive energy AMAP (as much as possible)

I’ll post on SFFF later .

http://www.santafefilmfestival.com/

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On being a writer who learns and writes.

06 Saturday Oct 2012

Posted by Floreva in Books, Entertainemt, Movies, TV Series, Writing

≈ 9 Comments

Tags

screenwriting, writing.

Time for reflection about being a writer.

When I was 14, I wrote a novel, not very long.  And then, I destroyed it. It was too personal, too raw, too me and I was too vulnerable, or so I thought…I wrote dozens and dozens of poems and texts. I wanted  two things : to be a writer AND to play on stage. I was an amateur theater actress and wrote in the school newspapers.

At 16, I wrote down a list of titles for the books I would wrote and a corresponding list of names, the character’s names.This list I still have with me, by my side as I write all that now, for your eyes. I kept on writing, although I had to change my professional choices. Eventually, deeply buried in those marketing jobs, I forgot about my self essential and my real life . Then one night, in August 2010, around 3 in the morning…

…I woke up. I mean, I WOKE UP to my past aspirations.  I was in the kitchen, sleep escaping me. My mind is racing.  For various reasons, over various subjects. And a thin fragile thread, long forgotten, attached to the very essential part of my soul is hit by a light I thought I had lost years ago. It was given back to me.

The energy of the writing spirit.

Now, at this hour of night, that day, I wanted to fight for that. This was the fighting spirit meeting the writing spirit. Good! Let’s go on!

So, in the heart of the night, I let the sun rise. I wrote  for 4 hours on my laptop. Characters knocked on the door of my mind, allowing themselves in, story unfolding neatly and energy increasingly awaking my creativity and my imagination…

Since then I have kept writing.

Now, I feel that I need to write more, to publish frenetically. I feel miserable taht I have not been able to give complete work to my publisher. I am affected by the virus of perfectionism. I rewrite, again and again, and again.  I got stuck on sentences for days, to achieve the ultimate construction. Letting go is difficult, and reaching a satisfying level is complexly hard. Sometimes, I think I have not done much in those past months. So I decided to summarize it.

What have I done in those past months, then? (Apart from my daily duties, of course). I did my homework and my work. And I ‘m still on it.

Firstly, I have prepared myself to properly tackle the writing of a script (because I am also a film lover since an early age) so I have :

  • read about 15/ + books on the subject ( The little red writing book, The golden book on writing –what’s this fantasy about colours??-, How to write a damn good thriller, How to write a damn good mystery, The art & craft of storytelling, A writer’s guide to fiction, The Bible of screenwriting, Crafty screenwriting, Writing screenplays that sell, Writing is a verb –oh?, The writer’s book of wisdom, See Jane write : a girl’s guide to writing chick lit, How not to write a screenplay –appealing/disturbing title, hence brilliant,  How to write what you want & sell what you write – long title, didn’t like the book, and 2 or 3 others.
  • shelled, analysed and studied about 40 scripts (and I am far from those 2/week I need to read!), among which  Eve (Mankiewicz), Body Heat (for that subtext), The big easy, Ocean’s 11 & Ocean’s 12, The electric Horseman, Howards End, Being John Malkovich, 3 Days of the Condor, Sherlock TV ep, Luther TV ep, The Prisoner TV ep, The Mentalist 4 TV ep, Scrubs  TV ep, West Wing 2 TV ep,   Amadeus, The Godfather, Donnie Brasco, Maltese Falcon, Pulp Fiction, Heat, Barton Fink, Sleepy Hollow, O Brother, Stagecoach, Night of the Hunter, The big Lebowski, The Big Sleep,  When Harry met Sally (yeah, for THAT scene, and see how it’s written), Some like it hot, etc…
  • read 7 modern plays (The Odd Couple  -his and hers- , Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf, The importance of being earnest, Ginger ale boy and Electric ballroom by Enda Walsh, one Shakespeeare…)
  •   read 6 novels , including the wonderful War Horse,  to relax

Secondly, I have written for myself (all)  and my publisher (a very small part) and you, -soon to be mine agent  (some):

  •  a 433p techno-thriller , with 2nd and 3rd  (same hero) in the synopsis -ripening room)
  • a 2x 150p drama novel (considering compiling to make one 300p book)
  • 2 short-stories
  • a long-feature radioplay (53min)
  • a short film screenplay
  • another short film screenplay
  • a synopsis for another short film
  • an article about a painting exhibition
  • 10 songs out of 12 for a musical project (with a music composer)
  • 20 poems (some are 2 or 3p long)
  • 4 detailed synopses for novels
  • 2 detailed synopses for short-story
  • 9 detailed synopses for a TV series
  • a synopsis for a noir feature film
  • 1 fan fiction TV ep
  • a 1st draft for a 3-act play in need of rewriting, editing, finishing and trimming
  • bits and pieces to be assembled into projects
  • 10 loglines /ideas for novel/Shortstory/script.
  • posts in a blog & tweets in a twitter account

I have relaxed in watching :

  •  300 ( or more) films and TV Series episodes, of various genres. (Next thing, I must try Doctor Who) [I can watch Sherlock AND read the script in the same time while sipping coffee. I’m like Windows, I am multitask) [[Sometimes, I watch the entire series in a row until it’s über-too late]]

In the meantime, when I have an insomnia, I also have observed & studied my targets (thanks Writer’s Market and magazines and blogs and news) and prepared my business and marketing plans, established the communication plan, established a list of other  contests I want to participate to. I have a new idea for a short…

I need a coffee, now. Strong, black, ultra caffeinated. Maybe I can just chew some coffee beans… It’s faster and a lot less fussier than brewing a mug ‘o joe…

It’s going to be a short night.

So long, Folks.

Coffee and films, what could go wrong?

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What if…?

05 Friday Oct 2012

Posted by Floreva in Books, Entertainemt, Movies, Writing

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Good story, screenwriting

The oddjobbers (writers, screenwriters and the kind) know that some of the best stories (apart from adaptations of literature pieces, remakes, documentaries, mockumentaries, historic and period dramas) started with a  seemingly übersimple child’s game : “let’s make believe that…. (I am a princess in a pea pod shaped mattress; I am a dragon slayer; Ramses, King of Egyptian people;  this mud is our chocolate pie and Mum is the Big laundrymatic Chief Lady;  I have a hammer, I am a pop singer and I smash all my toys; MY name is Han Solo and  YOU are Chewbacca; etc).”

The only difference is in the formulation : What if….?

And starting with this “what if…” postulate can lead you pretty far and produce some of the finest stories, provided your ideas are decently fueled with a good imagination. Forget narrow-minded or clichés  things, unless you twist them enough to turn them into an interesting pattern.

 

Results can be good or… not so good.

Let’s have a closer look: (remember I  talk fiction here, not historical facts nor period dramas).

Sometimes the results are just astonishing and we are being provided with great literature and films. (I leave the scientific or engineering part of this aside, its not my field).

For instance :

  • What if …a scientist wanted so bad to compete with God and created his own creature? Results : Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818) and James Whale (1931) [+ numerous adaptations TV, films, theater and countless spoofs & cartoons.]
  • What if…an evil man, feeding only on human blood, could transform into a bat and contaminate each person he bites? Results : Dracula by Bram Stoker (1897) and Tod Browning (1931) [+ numerous adaptations TV, films, theater and countless spoofs & cartoons.]
  • What if…aliens invaded the Earth? Results : The War of the worlds by HG Wells (1898), radioplay by Orson Welles (*wink*) 1938 and all the Alien Invasion literature & films influenced/induced by those geniuses [from The day the Earth stood still (1951) to Mars Attacks (1996) & Men in Black 3 (2012)]
  • What if …a priest wanted to protect his religious community from persecution and created an protector which later turns destructive? Results : The Golem (first writtten by Rabbi Eliyahu of Chelm (16th Century), then by Rabbi Yaakov Emden (1748), by  Franz Klutschak (1841) and film by Paul Wegener (1921)
  • What if…a school director’s wife and his mistress teamed up to murder him to get rid of him? What if he DID not actually dies and sought revenge? Result : Les Diaboliques  (The devils) by HG Clouzot (1955), (forget the remake w. Sharon Stone , it’s pathetic)
  • What if…pets and animals could talk and tell their adventures to a young Victorian aquarelist woman? Results : all Beatrix Potter’s books and Miss Potter (2006)?
  • What if…a zillionaire paid paleontologists to revive some defunct Dinosaurs species on an island, the team escaping a funest fate just in time? Results: Jurassic Park by M. Crichton (1990) and by S. Spielberg (1993) [and sequels, and spoofs and various others Jurassic monsters]
  • What if…a rejected secretary decided to turn love down, wrote a best-selling book about it- thus allowing other women to take control over their feelings, love and ensuing pain- to finally win the object of her thoughts turned true love? Result : Down with love (2003).
  • What if…a widowed woman who discovered that her husband left her broke, had an affair, eventually befriended the lover while developing a marijuana business to erase her debts and found love? Result : Saving Grace (2000).
  • What if…There was a secret passage to enter a famous actor’s mind for some minutes, allowing to control his mind and body? Result :  Being John Malkovich (1999)
  • So many others.

Yet, sometimes the results are, well, you know…so so, to put it kindly.

For instance :

  • What if…we followed the life of several teenagers on their campus and recorded their  abyssal stupidity and their gastric problems? (American pie*)
  • What if…we stuffed in so much SFX on screen, everyone will think it’s a GREAT movie? (Matrix, Thor, Iron Man 2, Spider man, Star Wars the Phantom Menace and the updated episodes, Titanic)
  • What if…we made any sequel of a any Blockbuster in the attempt to make as much money, based on the notoriety of the 1st film, hey? (Bad, bad, baaaaad idea, seldom good sequels, Jaws, Highlander, Rocky, Rambo…)
  • What if…we had NO viable idea but tried ANYWAY?  The March of the Yellow giant Raspberry (it’s a joke), Sex lives of the Potato men* (it’s not a joke), Gigli (now really, a lesbian who sleeps with men?),  Jersey girl (now really, again, a music rep in a BIG company who does not how to change his daughter’s diapers, chooses to lose his temper and trash his client Will Smith, ending in solo pleasures and a crazy Liv Tyler?), Cowboys and Aliens* –no comment- (2011).
  • What if…Abraham Lincoln was (secretly) a VAMPIRE HUNTER?….(Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter * 2012)
  • And, what if…. IN THE SAME TIME, Abe Lincoln chased Zombies*?  (2012)(I think he might have had a seizure, if not already dead, and certainly had turned in his tumb)
  • What if…there is no proper script or plotholes or unsatisfying endings? 2001 : space odyssey (yeah, I know, you hate when I say that, but have a second look), Indy and the last Crusade( I know, I know, yet, plotholes around), Barton  Fink (sorry, ending’s weak)

* Oh God, someone REALLY greenlighted that, you know, and put MONEY into it, and INFLICTED it to the world!

So long, folks, I have to find a greenlighter for my 15 min-script in which :

the protagonist gets a tip from a spaceship alien commander that his mother is the reincarnation of the American Pie (eaten by Lincoln in a theater) made of Potato slices found in the Tumb of Bigfoot, rescued by Indy while en route to the dentist for his pet Shark JAWSY the 6th, and that’s disturbing fact, because he tries to to fight his growing inner apetite (haha) for fame  in participating in the “Yukon contest of the tough guys of the Woods” :  being able to eat 999 fries in one mouthful (haha, again). Being connected with/to a potato mother presumably still alive in the stomach of someone (brought back to life per thunderstorm), the stakes are high and the obstacles, numerous. Will he burn out? (hahaha) .Good idea, hu?

Floreva

PS : For science cum-what if… : http://what-if.xkcd.com/13/ (ANSWERING YOUR HYPOTHETICAL QUESTIONS WITH PHYSICS, EVERY TUESDAY)

 

 

 

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That’s entertainment.

19 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by Floreva in Movies, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

entertainment, hero, Johnny Cash, Motivation, movies, screenwriting, Walk the Line

This morning, I went for a walk with some friends and the subject of movies came up. Tonight, I reflect on our conversation…

I’ll try to explain a little more what we talk about when we talk about the satisfaction induced by a good movie.

 

TV series,  Movies,  Plays… That’s entertainment and we love that. Why? Why do we love going into a dark room filled with strangers to watch people we are not even acquainted to, make their show for us? And why are we pleased afterwards? (I talk here only of good quality time, ok?)

We are especially pleased when our expectations -most of which we are not fully aware as they generally lie in our unconscious- are met.

We are satisfied and content when the characters are consistent, clearly established for what they are (Hero, Romance, Nemesis -stands between the hero and his goal achievement-, reflection -supportive  to the outer motivation) and the plot carefully built and conducted.

We are satisfied and happy when we can anticipate what’s next, but not too much. We love surprises (well, good ones only).

We are satisfied when action is moving at a pace we can follow (not too fast and not sloppy).

We are satisfied when the dialogues are intelligent, funny, or memorable. (We, silverscreen and telly nerds, LOVE to quote our favourite heroes)

We are satisfied when we can adhere to the inner or outer motivations or the hero and  when the stakes seem plausible and rise until becoming unbearable. (and better, when the situation we once experimented, or someone we know has, obviously not the case when the world needs to be saved by Superman)

We are satisfied when we can adhere to the means the protagonists  choose to resolve their conflict(s) -driven by outer/inner motivation- and finally achieve their goals (even if it’s a little dirty secrets, look at the success of Dirty Harry or Dexter, he is a SK & mental, for Christ’s sake!).

We are satisfied to allow ourselves to grieve upon the difficulties they encounter and being  upset to see them almost (almost) ready to let go of the fight/quest/willing-to-change. We are satisfied when we see them being THAT close to drift from  their love/ goal/personal growth/saving of the world and  finally kick bottom to be up again & to regain the stamina to continue STRONGER.

We are satisfied when they WIN. Or justice is done, conflict is resolved, truth revealed, and happiness or healing on the way. Unless it is the thing to understand that is – AT LAST- understood.

We are supersatisfied when the twist ending (when there is one) is strong, astonishing and brilliant, (exactly the opposite of what we expect).

Because that’s how we, humans, are built. And that’s what we need.

All we need is hope. And all we hope for is that our needs are fulfilled. Magically, we have a powerful tool to obtain the results: we can pick a movie and be fulfilled with whatever we need to keep us going on with our life and our responsibilities ad duties : joy, happiness, motivation, beauty, motive for thinking, determination, hope, courage, passion, understanding, knowledge, a break in our daily routine, a brain-spa, a good laugh, a good thrill, a good fright…in 3 words : a good moment.

As we go to the theaters to make that magic possible, for most of us, what we crave above all is a damn good screenplay.

What is a screenplay? It’s the body of the movie (or of the TV series episode), the structure, the rules organising the whole thing and keeping from falling apart, or ending with that awkward feeling of discontent, frustration or anger, because your need or your expectation has not been fulfilled…

Yes, a story follows rules, it’s not just -so-stories (;-p Rudy K.)

Long story short:

The HERO has a CONFLICT to resolve (INNER or OUTER).

(Example : in Walk the Line, Johnny Cash has INNER CONFLICTS (lack of self-confidence and struggle to become himself/ his growing love for June/destructive behavior) and OUTER CONFLICTS (an abusive father who prefers his eldest son and despises his son JR (Johnny Cash) & big bro loves his lil’ bro JR/ Mother says nothing/ his wife and children vs. his touring the country and his affairs/ his dealer tracking him down) to overcome.)

He has a MOTIVATION :  INNER  and OUTER (tangible) to change the situation 

(Example : Walk the Line. INNER MOTIVATION : getting married/ then to win June’s love/ deal with his past/become himself, OUTER MOTIVATION : to break free from addictions/ come to terms with his father’s rejection/record songs.)

The HERO has GOALS to achieve and they sustain his MOTIVATION :

(Example : Walk the Line. Johnny Cash’s GOALS are  : to overcome his addictions/become a singer/tour with June, Elvis and Jerry Lee.)

The HERO must deal with an OPPONENT (NEMESIS character) or ADVERSITY, preventing him potentially to achieve his GOALS. ADVERSITY must be visible and identified (The CIA, the terrorists, the police, a disease : does not work , even if a collective danger/obstacle,  they must have a face, a name and they must confront the HERO individually in the end, disease can be personified by a disillusioned nurse or physician, or patient).

(Example : Walk the Line. MULTIPLE NEMESIS : Johnny Cash has to divorce his wife in order to be with June, his father must learn to respect him, the dealer must be well… dealt with, authorities must be convinced to let him play in prison)

The HERO can find help or support along his journey (REFLECTION character), even love (ROMANCE character).

(Example : Walk the Line. REFLECTION : Jerry lee, Perkins & Elvis. ROMANCE : his wife and then June)

In the end, the CONFLICT is pacified, the MOTIVATION is resolved (the hero has failed or succeeded at achieving his goal(s) , in every case, the HERO has gained personal growth, his journey is complete.

The end. That’s all folks! 

What movie is your favourite and why?

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DNA for dummies or Genetics and the screenwriter.

14 Friday Sep 2012

Posted by Floreva in Entertainemt, Movies, TV Series, Writing

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

DNA, Genetics, Inaccuracy, screenwriting, Script

Is it just me? Or are you, dear reader,  bothered too,  when a nice piece -TV series or movie- does not play DNA by the rules?

Namely, the color eyes chart. Especially, when it’s clearly said/showed/brought to our knowledge that NO foul actions or adultery/messing around have EVER occurred in the life of Madam since she’s married*? So?

So how come that THIS happens :

“(Recessive*) Blue eyes father + (Recessive) Blue eyes mother = Dominant** Brown eyes child “? The off-springs should have (Recessive) blue eyes.

Unless… The father has transmitted one (Dominant) Brown to the bundle of joy to, UNBEKNOWNST to the screenwriter. Or props were not properly stocked and the person in charge lacked those colored eye lenses. Too bad…

Maybe it’s just me. I probably shouldn’t have been so much attentive as a student in 8th grade, I suppose. Or is it only because I was just better in genetics than in geology, and the knowledge has sunk in deeper and is still there? [I confess : I took my (sweet) revenge in excelling at genetics whereas I sucked at geology, AND I was being taunted by my biology teacher because my father IS a geologist. No kidding,”why my cousin has blue eyes and mine are only hazel ?” bore much more appeal than “feldspars KAlSi3O8 – NaAlSi3O8 – CaAl2Si2O8″. And honestly, the sole interest I have in stones is when they are square-shaped, small, sparkling, red or blue, mounted on a golden ring]

*(in “Downton Abbey”, Robert Crawley, Earl of Grantham, his wife  Cora, Countess both blue-eyed produce two brown-eyed daughters -Lady Mary and Lady Laura, or in the episode “The Hide”  of the series “Foyle’s War” the boy is also affected of the same heritage; and some others I do not recall right now). 

**Recessive means it takes two of them lads to be strong, dominant means it is stronger, even on its own. It’s not me, it’s the law of Genetics. It’s possible to have blue inherited eyes if one of your parents is brown-eyed and the other blue-eyed, provided at the upper level (grand-parents) one of them had blue eyes too and had transmitted the Recessive gene to the younger generation. It means that the recessive (i.e. non-dominant) is stored in the genetic patrimony and express itself oddly and randomly with another recessive gene. 

Just as the script (and therefore, the show) must not bear historical inaccuracies, nor errors (such as  continuity, plot holes, factual, visible crew, revealing, characters, police cars plates changing every other episodes…),  it must get the DNA heritage done properly, don’t you think?

Super Screenwriter explains it better than me :

Super Screenwriter is a genius ©Floreva 2012

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Nowadays it’s difficult to make a breakthrough in the Industry if you’re a shark, a rat, or a sheep…

10 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by Floreva in Books, Entertainemt, Movies

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Animals in Movies, entertainment

The Animal Kingdom seems to be an endless source of inspiration to fuel buoyant imaginations and savagely creative brains.

So far, it has cared for award-winning movies, and provided an extensive literature and comics or cartoons.

Among the most prominent actors of the Deuterostomes, Ecdysozoa, Metazoa, Fauna, that flow spontaneously in mind, we have : 

Category “Water-based”:

Sharks, fish (clown fish notably), otters, crabs, sponge (yeah, but trimmed and square), octopus, crocodiles, alligators, caimans, piranhas, penguins, the Creature of the Black Lagoon

Category “I run faster than you humans”:

Horses, huskies, dogs (namely dalmatians -and I mean 101 of ’em-, colley and various shepherd’s) , lions and lionesses, wolves, mice, unicorns, zebras, tigers, foxes, cats

Category “Phobia-inspired” and “terr-horrific”:

Spiders (ALL of ’em) , flies,  bugs, mantis, scorpions, snakes (boas, pythons, vipers, etc…ALL of ’em too), bees, wasps, ants, rats…

Category “Dead but reborn”:

T-Rex, Pterodactyls, Triceratops, Velociraptor, Aurochs, Dodo, Brachiosaurs, Dilophausaurs, Phoenix, werewolves,  were-rabbits…

Category “We are cousins, according to Darwin”: 

Apes, Chimpanzees, Gorillas, monkeys, Tarzan and Greystoke (ooops…)

Category “The rest that needs a category each, so I put them all together”:

Fawns, elks, mooses, unicorns, goldfish, birds, pigs, rats, mules, seals, elephants, hamsters, pandas, turtles, owls, bats, rhinoceros, lamas, camels,  brown bears, sheep…

What insects/bugs/animals did not have their 1/4h or fame so far?

Let’s see….erm…Think of what it may give as movie/series/book title :

Lice? (“Invasion of the lice” = already an award-winning entertainment event every fall in every school districts)

Unio Crassus? (“My so-called life as an extinct mussel in Netherlands”)

Were-Butterflies? (“Muffy , Were-Butterflies slayer”, huhu)

Tenia? (“It’s a long road to Tipperary’s loo”, “Independence Week”)

Dragonflies? (“US Airforce Once”)

Alpaga? (“My friend Alpaga”,”White tooth”,”Harry and the giant Alpaga”,)

Goat? (“Something new on the western front”= good meal ahead, haha)

Horseshoe crabs? (“Invasion of the horseshoe crabs”, see pix above, taken by yours faithfully or “2012 : A martian  odyssey” featuring horseshoe crabs invading the dust people of Mars with the landing of the Rover “Opportuniy” on the Red planet)

A mad bull? (“Mad bull and his brothers”, )

A strange animal, result of the crossing of an eagle and a jellyfish by a crazy-rejected-by-the -academy scientist, brought to life by a thunder in a windmill? (“The big sleet”, “Some like it undercooked”)

What would be your choice of an animal for a would-be hit story?

 

PS : thanks a bunch to the animal/bugs/insects/others/animated or plastic things featured in  : Jaws, Planet of the Apes, Starship troopers, the Fly, Arachnophobia, Crocodile Dundee, King Scorpion, Rintintin, Lassie, My Friend Flicka, Stuart Little, Moby Dick, A close shave, Gorillas in the mist, Dumbo, Jungle book, the Birds, Free Willy,Oliver and Co, Basil, Babe, march of the Penguins,Happy feet, Bedtime for Bonzo, Monkey Business, Bringing up Baby,  Wallace and Gromit, Beethoven (and all dog movies you can remember), The Creature of the Black Lagoon,King Kong, Benji, The Black stallion, Seabiscuit, Lassie come home, Cats, The Whale, The Lion, The Bear, The Fly, the Spider, Jurassic Park I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII …hum, sorry, one too many ;-  etc, etc… you name them… 

So long, folks.

Floreva in the Mist too ( here, in Cape Cod today)

 

 

 

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Tea and Thor, the though guy who changed.

04 Monday Jun 2012

Posted by Floreva in Entertainemt, Movies, Writing

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

hero, screenwriting, Tea, Thor

It’s 4 pm, and at this moment, I need a cup of tea.

Coffee is more a morning affair, a routine to fuel my lack of energy to sit at my table (my desk, or an anonymous table in a coffee house or at the library), get to what I have to do, figure out how the things must develop onstage (for the musical project I am currently working on), finish the work, retrieve the scene where I left it (for the techno-thriller), having allowed  the hero to breathe a little more before throwing him into an unbearable dilemma, when I switched the laptop the night before.

The perfect cuppa is better enjoyed with an episode of a great TV series, after 8 pm, when I am not out.

I am addicted to tea and telly paired together (well, not the telly, rather the TV series on the telly). While busy with my favorite vice,  I can’t help but analyse the product I am served.

I suppose it’s what everyone suffering from the same disorder does : We shell the tricks of the screenplay, anticipating moves of the action or of some characters, expecting them to react in a particular way. I like it when I have a right guess, I feel the screenwriter has done his job properly, by having followed the rules and that the director has done a good job too with the clues, letting the audience to recall them on time and find the path to enlightenment.  I like when the series is so cleverly crafted that if leaves me puzzled or amazed. It’s highly enjoyable when this feeling lasts a bit more and makes one smile. It’s always better when the trick/twist end/resolution is cleverly chiseled and not set on a short fuse.

For instance, I felt quite disappointed with “Thor”. But not with “Pirates, band of misfits” that I saw last Sunday.

Ok, so…Thor.

Thor is a nice guy. He is about the become king of Asgard.Check. Strong, big, handsome, chiseled 6-pack, charming smile, his father is proud of him. He is the hero. The hero is a though guy (with loads of special FX, too much), he wants war. Check. Special FX. Check. Special FX again. Cheeeeeeck.

Thor has a jealous brother, Loki (Nemesis character), conspiring against him. Check. But he is shot-tempered (Thor, not Loki. well, Loki too). This is his main drawback (coupled with an unquenchable thirst for revenge upon the people of Frost Giants). The Frost Giants interrupt and try to steal a casket, followed by Thor and his friends (reflection characters). Battle takes place.

(Special effects,I, II, III, IV)

Odin is terribly disappointed. His father, the king of Gods (all this is inspired by Norske tales and the marvel comics) banishes him from the Scandinavian Olympus and the brother is seeking to seize the throne after this banishment. Check.

Special effects.

Thor is a shallow, smooth character inside, a little guilty on the edges (well not that much) when he learns that his father is dying. Loki has layers that add depth to his dilemma (his is the adopted son of Odin, an offspring of a killed Frost Giant Chef).

Special effects.

Later, Thor faces the dilemma : inner motivation : striking back, showing he is not that short-tempered and he can change and become king . Outer motivation : to regain his father’s esteem and redeem his right to the throne (and regain his immortality and his powers). Check. Check. Check. Special FX.

On Earth, he meets Natalie Portman, the pretty scientist (she embodies both (a little) the reflection character and the romance character). She lives and work in a RV, with her assistant and a tutelary personification of the father (= authority, credibility, etc).

Special effects.Special effects.Special effects.Special effects.

Thor is accustomed to be served by servants, right? He does not know how to clean a table, cook an egg (furthermore in a kitchen on our planet, he is a God from Above the Clouds), or understand why it’s important to be polite to others, right? (Special effeeeeeeects)

He must face a dilemma : he must understand that making war is bad bad bad. He should be torn between his blossoming attraction for Natalie and his duty and his anger to show his father that he has all rights to seek revenge over the people from the icy world, right? Especially when his brother comes down to whisper the song of  war and brute force to crush them and regain his throne, right?  His brother wants to use those feelings to destroy Thor forever, and seeks to excite his appetite for blood and fight. The audience expects to see the dilemma plastered all over his blond face, his hands twisted with remorse and regret and duty and courage and anger…

It must, it should, it needs to last some minutes, and could be shown in several micro-scenes, inserted in the flow of the linear construction of the timeline, even in parallel actions, to add tension and thrill and build the suspense.

But not Thor. He does not give a toss to our expectation of tension, thrill, or supense.  He has his magic hammer (well, ok, ok, it is still stuck in a mud bed, with all the FBI, CIA, whatever agency agents all around sent to observe the unknown device, and the rain is pouring, and it’s night and it’s thunderstrom everywhere, and Thor escapes the security to retrieve his hammer and he  meets Natalie again and….), his blond suntan skin and his surfer hair, he is tough (remember?) AND he has changed.

We know that because he said so, while piling the eggs sunny-side-up into Natalie’s plate, a tea towel thrown over his shoulder, with a nice apron and a perfectly peaceful gaze at his bro, Loki, who just can’t believe his ears (just as the audience, BTW, this was dumbfounding, I daresay).

“WHAT? No war? what about your anger, and your will for revenge? And regaining your hammer and its power and your powers? Those people are our ENNEMY from the beginning of time, blablabla…” (he tries really hard to shake the king-to-be-banished-but-not-really-and-already-forgiven-by-Daddy). Special effects.

But no. It’s written in the script, so there goes Thor  : “I HAVE C-H-A-N-G-E-D, nanana… No war. Peace and love, bro. “

Can you believe that? What happened to the screenwriter? Why frustrating the audience like that? There are rules, in the good book of screenwriting rules.

See? Special effects can’t be all. And I need a tea. Tea and Thor, the guy who changed. Not the perfect match. Too bad, it was promising, even the second seeing is frustrating.

So long, though guy.

Floreva, TVseries addict forever.

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Celebrating Hollywood Glamour

12 Saturday May 2012

Posted by Floreva in Cafés, Movies, Places

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Tags

Cinema, Elizabeth Taylor, Hall of Fame, Hepburn, Hollywood Blvd, Humphrey Bogart, Jack Lemmon, L.A.

Hepburn.

A name shared by two major actresses. One epitomizes dry wit in screw ball comedy. The other embodies charming ingenuity. Both are symbols of The Hollywood Glam. Today, Golden age movie lovers (as me and 5 other very good friends for instance) remember Katherine, born May 12th, 1907.

Portrait of Hepburn, 33 years old

She’s best remembered for her role alongside Legend Humphrey Bogart in “African Queen”, “Mary of Scotland”, “Bringing up Baby”, with Cary Grant playing a deliciously geeky paleontologist, “The Philadelphia Story”, “The Lion in the Winter”, “Woman of the Year”, “Guess who’s coming for diner”.

Miss Katherine was a theater wonder too. She even played the role of Gabrielle (Coco) Chanel, in the Musical “Coco”, in Broadway.  And of course, played most of Shakespeare’s immortal chef-d’oeuvres. Let me mention “Taming of the Shrew”, “The Merchant of Venice”, “Anthony and Cleopatra”, and “Much ado about nothing”.

66 year long career, 44 feature films, 33 plays. She liked her numbers to be even, one could say.

This reminds my of my trip last year, in L.A.

It was in February,  the blue sky was bursting with sun, the air was light and breezy, the palm trees were nicely trimmed.

My camera was showing impatience to encounter Hollywood Blvd, the Chinese Theater and Sunset Blvd.

I went also on top of Observatory Hill, to catch an amazing view of the city, the ocean sparkling away in the horizon, and all the memories of “Rebel without a cause” secluded in my mind, as I strolled around and inside the building.

Later, I drove on Sunset Blvd, photographing the houses of those who built my love for the cinema and my interest for the entertainment industry. Below is B.Karloff’s former house (dark pic, I’m afraid, for the impersonator of dark characters).

Lana Turner’s former house.

Mansion of a beautiful one (alive and above).

In the vicinity of the loop where Cary Grant used to live ( below)…


…one stumbles upon this…

…Undoubtedly handy for the Bentleys and RR owners in the neighbourhood.

While in L.A. I tried those super trendy flavoured coffees from various shops, in Malibu, on Hollywood Boulevard, on the beach, in Santa Monica district, and I wanted to taste different kind of brews. Conclusion : I’m not a fan of vanillastrawberry/cinnamon/citrusblueberry/whatever fancy/ aroma. I prefer my Italian to be strong, rich, well scented, and easy going.

No fuss coffee for me, please, even in super glam bold California’s City of Angels.


The organic deli just around the corner was so inviting, I sorted my pix in there, while resting my sore feet, and made myself a wish and a promise : to come here again with more time to be able to visit a studio (or two), and work harder, to get to live here.

I raise my ultra-caffeinated black coffee to thy, Hollywood.

A toast for the joy, the drama, the humor, the laugh, the thinking, the glamour, the cogitation instilled in our lives.

A toast also to The Frères Lumière and Georges Méliès who made it all possible,

Th. Edison,  Buster K., Abel Gance, DW Griffith, Renoir, John De Cuir, Edith Head, Givenchy, Chas Chaplin, Ealing Studios (UK), The Studios de Joinville (France), Cinecitta (Italy), Babelsberg Studios (Germany), Fritz Lang, Alec Guiness, Jimmy Stewart, Garbo, Marilyn, Jeanne Moreau, Godard, Wiene, Murnau, Jean Dujardin, Michel Gondry (“Science of dreams”, “Be Kind, rewind”), Mitchum and Lancaster, Ozu, Bruno Ganz, Nino Rota, Mancini, Agnès Varda, Imamura, Dame Judi Dench, Jack Lemmon, Damian Lewis, Brenda Blethyn, Hannah Schygulla, Romy Schneider, Bibiana, Begalu, Daniel Brühl (“Goodbye Lenin”, “Joyeux Noël”), Patricia Mazuy, Joséphine Siao, Maggie Cheung, Guillaume Canet, Eva Green, among many others.

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