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Let's maybe talk about: The state of the film industry


Aria

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Writing screenplays (movie scripts), and making contacts, and knowing how to examine things on a level of what's working right now, what isn't  has really helped put a lot of things into perspective for me.  I first wanna define some things. 

When you write movie scripts that are ideas original to you with the intention of selling them and hopefully seeing them made, they are called Spec scripts.

And the whole hub of scripts that get circulated are referred to as the spec market!

Today, more than ever, the spec market is chock full of some of the best/most fun films you might not ever get to see. A few great ones that come to mind are:

Perfect Match     My Sister Is Marrying A Douchebag     He's Fuckin' Perfect     Cuddle Bitches     Aaron And Sarah      Meet Cute     Happy Anniversary

These are just a few scripts I've not only had a blast reading, but was left wanting so badly to see brought to life.

And all of them were, at one point or another,  sold with people attached (IE - David O. Russell was set to direct Aaron And Sarah, which is basically a high school version of When Harry Met Sally that spans freshman year to senior year).

But development Hell is not only real, it's thriving now more than ever. And it's pretty bizarre, considering the $ signs attached to script sales. It really paints a disorganized, cluttered vibe over the industry. You're gonna shell out all this money for the rights to something that will swim in the lake of fire forever, untouched... and most of the time, when a script is nudged forward towards the path that leads to production, another writer is hired to re-write the draft. It's like, why love a story enough to buy it and then not have that writer who came up with it continue to work on it? Anyway.

A prime example of this involves my favorite writer, Brian Duffield. I collect scripts in general, but have my own Duffield collection, and am proud to say I have shit this guy has written nobody else has.  I think he's absolutely, absolutely brilliant. 

Duffield, in 2012 wrote a spec script called Monster Problems. And it's a total fucking blast. Blockbuster reach, all while maintaining the heart of films that come off
far more personal and "deep" than your typical commercial blockbuster:

Essentially, in the future the world is taken over by monsters, forcing surviving humans underground- In his underground camp Joel is the only one left without a partner. But he's communicating through radio to a girl thirty miles away who he's never met or even heard speak, but has fallen for completely- So he decides to leave the bunker and set off to go to her. And in a world full of monsters, 30 miles might as well be 300 miles. 

As soon as he hits the surface, he's endlessly pursued by monsters trying to kill him, and eat him - A T-REX chases him only to be saved by a monster more massive and ugly and powerful than the T-REX killing the T-REX and continuing its pursuit of him. Blah, blah, blah shit gets crazy... There's a beautiful moment where an AI robot 

For years while it was known this spec sold, it was always the topic of shocked conversation why the fuck it wasn't greenlit and made. It basically begs to be a movie when you read it, so why isn't it one?  Well, finally,  here in 2019 it's been made and is now in post-production. But another fucking writer was hired to re-write it.  And I don't understand, at all. Don't think I ever will. He build this clever, insane world-- He should have been at the helm. 

But that's what happens. And movies either don't get made ever, or are made YEARS LATER.

That recent comedy, "BOOKSMART" which is deserving of a watch, and basically the female Superbad with a bit more heart- The script I have for that is dated 2008.

The recent Theron/Rogen film "LONG SHOT" that was met with a ton of praise -- Eight years ago!

ANOTHER:

 "I WANT TO FUCK YOUR SISTER" hit the spec world in 2007, and is currently being made now as "I WANT TO FUCK YOUR BROTHER". ....

WHICH BRINGS US TO MAIN POINT #1: 

More, and more and more the industry is shying itself away from spec properties. Their near-only interest now lies in producing IP material. IP, for those who don't know is Intellectual Property, copy written material/things re-imagined on the big screen.  If you wrote Indiana Jones or Star Wars today, there is almost a zero chance it will ever get made. It's too risky of an investment, funding a budget required for films like that based around original material. Much safer to do so with already established properties. 

It simply doesn't happen anymore.  

That's why, like them or not, we are practically drowning in super hero films. And remakes/reboots. And movies that are BASED ON blah blah blah. 

Your Ghostbusters female remake...your Ocean's female remake...your Disney animated-to-live action reboots...Child's Play...It... Jumanji...ETC 

And the more time that passes, the more absurd this is honestly getting.

They fucking made JUNGLE CRUISE With Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. A movie based on one of the most boring "rides" at Disney World. It's an exhaustingly slow tour of the park, in a boat.  

Movies based on rides. That's what Pirates was. For the longest time, there was a Space Mountain film in the works. Last I hard, they're still trying. 

They made Tomorrowland 

Battleship. 

Before you know it we'll be getting trailers for Monopoly and Hungry Hungry Hippos. I can almost guarantee it. 

Every year, there is less room given to original material. And the fight to not drown out by the giant wave of high budget super hero films, and things of that nature is becoming a little terrifying. 

Going back to Booksmart, I pointed out the comparison to Superbad. This is important, because Superbad made a ton of fucking money. Booksmart...did not.  And there was a period of time when Olivia Wilde, who directed the film, was campaigning and urging people on twitter to go see it. While there may have been some desperation behind this plea, it wasn't without merit. Booksmart is a really good film, and when you place it side by side with the movie it's widely compared to, which came out in 2007, the results will either put some fuel back into getting more original films produced, or further cripple it.

And in this case, unfortunately, it did more to cripple it. 

The industry asks itself questions like this:  Why did this movie do so badly?

And the answer they come to is this:  Oh,  nobody wants original comedies anymore. Quick, buy the rights to The Hardy Boys! We'll make it funny and fun.

MAIN POINT #2: 

I'd like to explain, if that's okay, my fear regarding casting a black girl as The Little Mermaid. It has nothing to do with the stupid reasons a lot of people are opposed to it. It's the little fucking mermaid...fuck if I or anyone should honestly give a shit what color her skin is.  

The fear lies in the results that would come with it doing poorly, if it were to, or getting critically brutalized. The industry is made up of excuses, most of which miss the mark entirely.  If a movie like this were to do bad, the conversation there wouldn't be "There should have been more focus on the story...the pacing...whathaveyou". Instead of analyzing things like this, and marketing strategies,  the blame gets placed on their "easy outs"...

"I guess the world isn't ready for a black female lead".  

Things like that! Regardless of examples that could/would prove otherwise. 

Everything is poorly founded analytics.  After Bridesmaids popped off,  we were treated to a wave of female led movies. It was the hot thing at the time. But, then poor decisions were made, and female character protagonists were blamed.  

"No one wants to see movies with female leads anymore. Back to men it is.

How about, stop centering your IP re-makes/reboots around women? Cause that shitty Ghostbusters film...that fucking awful Ocean's Eight movie... It almost seemed like plotted disaster from the moment they were announced. 

Give more opportunities outside of that, with more original material that gets the same widespread opportunity/attention these garbage fire films have gotten, 
and then evaluate what audiences want/don't want.  Edge Of Seventeen was fantastic.  Nobody saw it. Distribution was not kind.  But it deserved to be seen. 

And this hardly makes sense. 

In my opinion, the majority of female roles in film are either adaptions of sorts or so very poorly constructed. Scott Pilgrim VS the world is a great example of how not to write and treat a female character. It's kind of gross, and really makes me strongly dislike the entire film. 

There are, of course, exceptions to all of this.

There are people who have earned the respect needed to produce whatever original material they so desire to, but that's a locker room which new, inventive, good writers aren't allowed any access to.  And it's going to get worse before it gets better, and once again.  That's pretty scary.  The majority of original films that get released today are from already established people - New voices are getting  less and less attention, time, opportunity. 

There's always waves in the film industry, where certain things are hot and others aren't. This feels more like a tidal wave, and normally, it functions by genres - This is a far bigger scale. 

WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?

There's attempts at solutions being made, but they haven't landed solidly yet. Netflix and other streaming platforms seem to be embracing original material far more than IP related content, in comparison to the biggest scope of the industry itself,  but honestly, so far, a Netflix movie feels like...a Netflix movie, to the extent it makes sense when you watch it why it wasn't in theaters. That Game Over, Man movie is a perfect example. There's no fucking way that would have ever been distributed wide release style in theaters. And this is kind of problematic. Hopefully, they dig into this, and in time produce features that feel like...well, features. 

None of this is a knock against things like Super Hero movies. They aren't for me, but I understand they are for a lot of people. I just think the lack of original content is going to prove to weaken a future of reflecting back on great movies from this time.  The closest to originality when it comes to Super hero films is that new Todd Phillips Joker movie. I have the script for it  and it indicates on page one that this is it's own story, and only the character himself is linked to comic plot lines. But the script is pretty fucking awful, and on the nose, and if, and when it does bad/is received poorly I'm fairly certain the heat will fall on the fact that it's due to not pulling its plot from published source material. 

I also wanna say, I'm the biggest fan of movies. This is an assessment of the negatives, but it will always be something I cherish. I love film, like a lot of you, and a lot of my friends have a deep connection to music. I wanna see it thrive, and grow and remain something as golden as its potential, but changes need to be made. And one thing we, as audience members,  can do to show them that is support original film, and not wait for them to be dropped on Netflix or released on Blu-ray. 

The world needs to know who people like Brian Duffield, Christy Hall, Noga Pnueli etc are the same way people are familiar with the Seth Rogen, and the Nolans and the Tarantinos. 

And I don't wanna even start on a rant about Disney. but asdlasjldnasldjfadsnj ?

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