Pop Quiz #3

Congrats to Amber for winning Pop Quiz #2! The answer was Pulp Fiction.

This week's question is in a similar vein...

What iconic film celebrates its 15th anniversary this week? 

Again, it was in many of your Top Five Favs. (And I'm thinking you should try to get your film released the third week of October. It bodes very well for cult favorites that change movie history.)

The first current Media Arts 129 student to answer in the comments (below or in next Wednesday's class) gets to draw from the prize bag. But this time, you won't be allowed to talk about winning.


Here's a tasty Pulp Fiction video for you to consume with the beverage of your choice:

Media Arts 129: Pop Quiz, hot shot!

Okay, no one got my bonus question of how the Zoetrope All-Star Story Contest relates to the film industry. The answer is: Francis Ford Coppola. 

Coppola's production company is American Zoetrope (formerly Zoetrope Studios). 

In addition to making a delicious cabernet, the world-class director has a revered literary magazine, a prestigious annual screenplay contest, and tons of great resources and training for young writers. So check it out!

Let's play Round 2!

This week's question, again for a prize is...

What iconic film celebrates its 20th anniversary today?

Hint: many of you listed it in your favorite films.

To be the one who wins the prize, be the first current Media Arts 129 student to post the correct answer below, or the first to tell me in class.

Good luck ramblers, let's get rambling!

Want to help me judge a horror movie contest?

I know many of you Media Arts 129 students are horror fans! I have a cool opportunity for you this week! I've been asked to judge the Professional Division films from the Horror Film Race!

The Horror Film Race is an annual film festival put on by The Art Institute of Dallas! Festival Director Professor Vince William has approved my use of student interns to observe and participate in my judging process. We'll give you a great job to add to your resume: Judging Panel Intern, Horror Film Race 2014.

Hollywood Industry people hang out with their peers and argue passionately about movies, so let's get you practicing this skillset and add it to your resume! There are 8 short films to judge, about 55 minutes in all. Watching the shorts, discussing them, arguing, and scoring should take about 2-2 1/2 hours (I know we're all talkers, and this should be super fun!). The ultimate decision comes down to me as the Professional Judge, but I want you all to use your powers of criticism, analysis, and persuasion on me.

I'm thinking we can get together in the library this week on Thursday (time to be determined by participants!). If that date doesn't work for the majority, perhaps we can meet at the Starbucks nearest to campus on Saturday or Sunday. The judging deadline is Sunday night.

We will judge on these five categories: Story, Scare Factor, Use of Genre, Visual Quality, and Overall Mood of the Film. Also, Judges can make individual nominations in any category.

The categories are: 

Film of the Year
Best Director
Best Cinematography
Best Villain
Best Scream Queen
Best Blood, Guts & Gore
Best Weapon
Best Scare
Best Screenplay
Best Editing
Best Acting
Best Use of Genre
Best Costume of Horrorfest


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In related horror news, I found this Halloween sale at the Writer's Store on a cool-looking bundle of books and videos on how to write a great horror movie. I'm not familiar with any of them so I'm not personally recommending them, but investigate and see if you want them! It's a pretty good price, but maybe you want to split it with a few other students.

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Also, here is a horror comedy short of mine based on Italian giallos. The film festival version had licensed music from legendary horror band Goblin, from Dario Argento's 1982 Tenebrae. So watch it once with the current music and then picture this music. It's amazing how much music changes a film!

 

And here is a gruesome comedy short that won a bunch of awards. I made it the first day I got my Canon 5D, just messing around testing the camera with my sister, my friend, and my dog Hero. So this was me shooting with the lens that comes with the camera, using natural light and a Zoom H4N for sound. The editing took a lot longer, and was done by me in Final Cut 7.

 

The idea for CONSUMED came from me being on LA INK getting tattooed. I had to listen to the poor woman next to me tell her story on camera over and over again about the coyotes in the Hollywood Hills killing her dog, and how she had to pick up the pieces. Absolutely awful, and I made this movie to purge the story from my brain so it wouldn't happen to MY dog. An example of the art that comes from healthy purging.

David Fincher

Here is a wonderful short video on David Fincher's directorial process to supplement our class discussion on his masterpiece Se7en.

Tonight's Topic: Journeys, Quests, and Odysseys

"O Brother, Where Art Thou?" is a brilliant movie from 2000 directed by the Coen Brothers. For once there is no debate about whether a film is based on past material, because the Coen Brothers declare on the first title card that it is based on The Odyssey.

This popular film is a terrific example of how to update a cultural myth, in this case taking the well-known story of The Odyssey and recreating it in Depression Era America as a musical. The hit soundtrack went on to sell 5 million copies, and win the Country Award's Best Album and Best Song. The movie was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography. George Clooney received the Golden Globe for his performance.

IMDb citings of Odyssey references

Quizlet Chart comparing The Odyssey to O Brother, Where Art Thou?

Comparative Mythology



The Latin translation of George Clooney's name Ulysses is Odyssseus, which means "Man in Constant Pain and Sorrow". The hit song Ulysses records is "Man of Constant Sorrow."

Ulysses discovers his wife hasn't waited for his return and is marrying another man.


Big Dan Teague is the Cyclops.



Baby Face Nelson machine guns the cows for no reason during his getaway, echoing the fools' slaughter of Sun god Helios's cattle, for which Ulysses is later punished with the threat of the electrical chair, and taunted as a "cow killer". (In the Odyssey it is the Sun god's lightning bolt.)



The Sirens homage needs no explanation:




Pete is changed into a frog mirroring Odyseus's men being changed into animals. Ulysses frets about his hair, pride in appearance being his tragic flaw.

 


The Hogwallop barn fire fight references Odysseus' journey from Scylla to Charybdis.



This scene mirrors Odysseus hiding as sheep from the Cyclops.




The flood scene is an amazing reference to Poseidon's many floods in The Odyssey.




The Coen Brothers would go on to do another mythological adaptation in 2009, with "A Serious Man" taking on the Book of Job. That acclaimed film was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Screenplay.

Watch some movies we've discussed in class

Netflix Instant:

Witness
Say Anything


Netflix DVD:

No Way Out
Quest for Fire
The Big Lebowski

The Hero's Journey as explained by puppets

This six minute supporting video is one of my class favorites. It clearly explains the supporting characters in a monomyth, shows great examples from famous films, has humorous recreations, and...it's puppets!

Zoetrope All-Story

You have until tonight at 11:59PDT to get your short story entries into Zoetrope's prestigious All-Story contest. It's annual, and costs $20 an entry.

The first student to tell me at the next class on 10/8/14 what Zoetrope's connection is to the film industry wins a small prize from me.

An Idea...

Hi Students!

Many of you are aspiring screenwriters, novelists, and storytellers. The great thing about this idea is that you don't have to have done any of those accomplishments yet to win! This is a Monthly Logline Contest, with only a $5 entry fee.

*Ultimate Logline Contest
Monthly. $5 an entry. Add “Award-Winning Writer” to your resume in the easiest and cheapest way possible. http://ultimatelogline.com

Learning to write a logline is an incredibly important and criminally underrated skill. It is the key to how you get professionals to take their valuable time to read your amateur spec script. 

How do you write a logline the industry wants? 

Here is an analysis of the ten loglines from the 132 spec scripts that sold in 2012. http://www.scriptmag.com/features/scripts-that-sold-in-2012-what-are-the-common-elements

Here is Scriptshadow's advice: 

http://scriptshadow.blogspot.com/2011/06/scriptshadow-special-how-to-craft-damn.html

Remember to keep it simple. James Cameron's pitch for TITANIC was "ROMEO AND JULIET on the TITANIC." Yes, he was James Freakin' Cameron...but don't you already get what the movie was about and see the poster? Bingo.

x-Professor Fies

* I'm not affiliated with the contest, I've never entered it, and I don't know its reputation. But it seems like a fun, easy way for you to enter the confusing world of screenwriting contests.

Welcome to Professor Fies's Supplemental info for Media Arts 129!

Hi Students!

Here are some resources, and this week's list of revival screenings and special appearances in Los Angeles. Enjoy!

x-Professor Fies



Resources:
Wordplayer.com screenwriting articles from working pro Terry Rossio.

JohnAugust.com screenwriting articles and podcast from a working pro.

WGA Writing Seminars: https://www.wgfoundation.org/writing-seminars/  (free newsletter) Get to know Kevin Ott at the free WGA.org library, and his intimate “Genre Smash” writing panels every month at Nerdmelt. I’m attending 10/21 Chris Carter panel. https://www.wgfoundation.org/screenwriting-events/genre-smash-x-files-creator-chris-carter/

Revival Screenings and In Person Appearances:

Sign up at FilmRadar.com for their newsletter alert of LA screenings and appearances.

http://www.cinefamily.org

http://cinespia.org

http://www.newbevcinema.com

Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood: http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/egyptian_theatre_events

Aero Theater in Santa Monica:

http://www.americancinemathequecalendar.com/aero_theatre_events

This Week’s Events 10/1/14:

Cinefamily.org:

10/2 Harmontown screening, Dan Harmon in person.

10/4 Spectrefest, networking with working filmmakers and festival programmers.

10/6 Greg Proops Film Club, networking with film lovers and comedians.

Alliance of Women Directors:

10/7 New Models of Distribution $10 7-10pm http://www.allianceofwomendirectors.org/#!page3/cee5

Arrow Theatre:

10/2 The Judge, director in person

Egyptian:

10/2  Directors Liv Corflixen & Nicholas Winding Refn in person between their films.

10/3 Director Fred Dekker live at Monster Squad.

10/ 4 Snowpiercer screening with comic book writer Ed Brubaker.

10/4 The Town That Dreaded Sundown, Director appearance and Jason Blum!

10/4 Tokyo Tribe – Manga creator and actors in person