Film – this amazing invention…

I’ve always found incredible how a good film just takes you away from the reality. For two hours you completely forget what’s around you, you don’t think about your deadlines at work tomorrow, your credit cards being maxed up, or whatever upset you earlier,  your mind is totally with the characters on screen (assuming you’re watching a good film, of course!).  I think we’re privileged to have such a magical invention so easily accessible to us, I think many times we almost forget about how cool it is. I think we just love so much seing, hearing or being part of stories, and film, theatre and animation do just that. (books too!)

It doesn’t always work, of course, I’m sure you all watched bad movies as well, and they just feel strange, you cannot help but “noticing” the people trying to create the character and they feel so fake. I won’t give any examples, of course 🙂 but just imagine one of the worst movies you have seen and think why you felt it was so bad. I’m sure it is because you didn’t get into the story and didn’t believe who the characters are and what they’re doing. You saw the actors (the human/the puppet/the animated character) impersonating someone, and when you feel that, I think the suspension of disbelief is broken… and you’re back to reality and starting to see the whole thing with different eyes. Oops!

It’s very difficult to take the viewer in such a magical journey and hold him with you throughout the film, it takes such a talent and craft keeping us believe in the story and characters for the duration of it. It’s all together, story, script, film directing, actors talent (and lots more than that, I’m sure…) that can create this small but fabulous universe in which we all like to travel from time to time.

Probably the short film is just as difficult to create, maybe even harder? Because you only got a few minutes (usually, but sometimes it can be longer up to 20-25 mins I think…) – and in these few minutes you need to make the audience know your characters, like them/dislike them? get into the story, feel entertained, learn something, feel something… Quite difficult 🙂  The fact that it’s more accessible than full length features probably makes us think that sometimes this kind of film is easier to do, but i think it’s just as hard. That’s if you aim for something that is quality material, I’m sure there’s plenty of bad stuff going around. Just as you find that only a few movies, every now and then, really make you feel great and leave you with something to think about, that goes for the short films as well.

Anyway, coming back to the initial idea, I’m still amazed by the journey I make every time I watch a good film, how it drags me in and I believe all that’s happening on the screen. I can’t think of the actors in it, I think about the characters and the places and when I speak about it, I almost never refer to the actors names, but those of the story’s protagonists. I was worried recently that because I am learning about creating stories and film, that would make me think of such structural aspects while watching a movie and steal the enjoyment that a film should be, but it’s great to see that this isn’t happening. I find myself every now and then identifying elements, but it only lasts for a brief second, then my mind is with the characters and action again. If I watch it a second time, I may want to pay more attention to the directing and acting, to composition, colors and mood and so on. It will still be as enjoyable but this time i will learn more about how it’s been made (hopefully! )

I still enjoy being part of this convention that we have with the film creators. I like finding myself anywhere else than here, when I’m watching their work. It still clicks for me and I hope that sometime the roles can be reversed and I can take you folks away for a little journey, through my films 🙂

thanks for reading!

Short film – Story development

I have started digging deep in this subject, about two months ago. I’m trying to write some interesting scripts developping some ideas I had not too long ago. I did found it’s quite difficult, especially when you drift away from the humour side (which I love anyway and would never leave aside!) – things can be quite tough to put together, even though in the initial stages, you feel like the idea is brilliant and the first draft you wrote is the masterpiece.

Not true 🙂

but it’s a great time learning about it. I suppose sooner or later I would have done it anyway. I really like making short films and this is something I need to learn properly. Too many times I think one could say: oh well I’ll just do some funny gags, some nice characters and there you go, I’ve got a short film. Indeed, but no story, probably.

I really want to know more about story and how you craft it. And so far, what I’m learning couldn’t be more fun and addictive. It’s almost as much fun as when I started learning about animation.

I will keep this section dedicated to various bits and pieces that I find out and like to talk about regarding Story and how it should be done properly.