TED Talk - J.J. Abrams

Another TED Talk! This one is from JJ Abrams. He discusses the importance is mystery in storytelling. Check it out!

82 Academy Awards Nominations Announced!

Industry blogs blew up this morning with news of the 82nd Academy Award Nominations. Click HERE for a complete list from IMDB. This is the first year since 1943 that ten best picture nominations have been announced. However, does this year deserve ten nominations? Sure, it's been a ground-breaking year with films like Avatar (which perfected motion capture work flow) and District 9 (fantastic CG/Live Action composting and character; on a budget!) But, does that qualify for a "best picture" nomination?
Our mission at AiNYC is to give you a solid foundation in narrative filmmaking. There are several challenges in studying this foundation because the filmmaker is a unique artist. This artist must deal with elements of design, direction and (most important) time. Time is the crucial element to master. In order to keep your audience interested, the filmmaker must discover and experiment with a variety of ways to engage people. The best method is through storytelling. What is the point in making a film if you are not telling a story? Right? Even the most obscure, abstract, experimental films are telling a story. For the experimental film, the character could be a place (the planet, a country, a house) and the plot could be states of being (the planet viewed through rural and urban settings, a country at a various scenes in history, a house lived in and abandoned). Successful documentaries are "stories" occurring in reality (Spellbound: children competing to win the spelling bee. Ryan: following the rise and fall of one of Canada's greatest animators). Following this logic, my belief is that the "best picture"of the year should be the film that has an equal mastery of craft (acting, directing, cinematography, etc.) and storytelling.
My challenge to you is to come up with your own opinion. Look at the top ten films this year. Are there films that should be on this list that were excluded? Are any of these films an example of master storytelling? An animated film made the list this year (the second time in the Oscar's history). Should a documentary or an experimental film make this list? Questions to ponder? Keep Thinking!!! - Director Eve.

Another look at the importance of STORY. . .

I wanted to bring two things to your attention today.
1. Posted above is the 1943 Disney organization chart. (Thanks to BoingBoing.net! If you have trouble reading it, just click on the image.) I wanted you guys to notice that even though this is an animation company, everything begins with story. This company wouldn't exist without memorable characters (to sell toys and costumes, of course!) and heart wrenching plot (yes, I too cried when I saw the beginning of Bambi and Up). Walt Disney was a master filmmaker because he understood that a good story sells films.
2. I also wanted to post an interview with game developers Jordan Mechner, original creator of the 1990's game Prince of Persia, and Eric Chahi, creator of the game Another World. While they are best known in the gaming industry, they've been known to write and conceptulize screenplays and graphic novels. Both of these developers were asked to discuss a director's roll in modern game design. However, the conversation steered off topic to include the core reason why people collect and cherish comic books, films and games: STORY! Click HERE to read the article on Gamasutra. Pay attention to their comments on influence. . .
As always, let me know what you think in the comments section. Super Director, Eve.