RocketJump's Video Game High School

Hello everyone. I woke up today and decided that I was gonna get stuff done today. I hope I have more days like this because I feel very accomplished when I do. Anyway, on to what you guys are really here for.

I have recently rewatched Video Game High School and decided I would talk about it in light of the next thing I plan to post about character development. Video Game High School (VGHS) is basically a new kid at school story combined with the sports underdog story. All in all the plot is very predictable. However, this marks a change for Freddie Wong. Usually his videos are running and gunning special effects films. Granted, there is plenty of that to go around here, but we have a solid plot. Granted characters fall into the same stereotypes as most school/sport movies and there is little development in the characters until the final showdown, but it is a complete, coherent plot and, as I said about Hotel Transylvania, predictable is not always bad. What intrigues me most is that the current plot arch up on youtube is only the first season. I am interested in finding out what Freddie has in store for us in the next season. He is growing as a film maker and I for one am excited to see where he goes with it.

The Filmmaker's Tool Box: Character Design

Hello all. I have decided to sort of take a different direction with my posts. I am going to do a series of posts that lay out how a good film comes about, from a 5 minute Youtube video to a feature length motion picture. While they are all about very different things, all films have a formula that spans topics and genre. This series is not only intended for those who want to make a film and just don't know how to go about it, but also as discussion points for those who are familiar with the subjects. Hopefully, this will cause a dialog between the groups.

First thing I am going to cover is character design. Obviously this is not the first step in making a film necessarily, but it is such a crucial part of the storytelling process. Every film needs amazing characters. However, there is more to it then just coming up with a schnazzy name. Once you have a character in mind there are three things you must consider fully and completely; who is he/she/it in the physical, relational, and psychological sense.

First on the list, though usually not first to be done, is who the character is in the physical sense. In the world you have created, who is he? Is he a badass vampire count? A lowly office worker? Perhaps just a college student trying to make it big? Once you ground his role in the physical world, it should tie into the other whos effortlessly. That is the key to believable characters. Now that he have our character grounded, we need to dress him. This goes into another post I will make about setting. You have to determine how your character is going to look and how the way he looks in relation to the setting and the other characters. Does he mesh or stand out? Is his look practical, ornamental, just whatever is in the closet? All these things must be considered. An important thing to remember is that nothing is put on screen pointlessly. Even the character's threads say something.

Second is the relational. Who is your character socially? Brother? Boss? Homeless guy? Who does he work for? Who does he come home to? Another thing to consider is group dynamics. Usually, the character is not alone. He is part of a group of other characters. What does he bring to the table? Is he a help or a hindrance? Is there anyone in the party he gets along with? Anyone he doesn't? Character chemistry is important, and can help substantially with casting and writing. This can feed into the physical, helping to describe his physical state in his current stage of life. Also, it could go the other way, with his physical station dictating how people think of him and treat him.

Third is psychological. What does your character want? What does he believe? What does he love? Hate? How did he get there? What would he kill for? Die for? This is probably the most important for actors as it assists them in really getting into character. Everyone has motivation. Even the guy who just walks across the screen for a split second. How does what's going on in the story effect him mentally? What are his relationships or lack there of effecting him? How is he going to get what he wants?

I hope this has put some thoughts into your head and that it helps you in the future. I know it's a lot to process, but it is important to hit all three for each character in order to make them three dimensional and memorable. As a filmmaker and a storyteller you must control and create every aspect of your characters. Once you have the reigns on, you can take them wherever you want to go.

Keep Moving Forward

Honestly I really don't have much to say to you guys about film. However, I shall put a post up anyway. This is basically just to prove to myself that posting doesn't take a very long time and that my audience, small as it is, appreciates it. If I am going to be successful I need to be disiplined. I need to keep moving forward (yes I do love Meet the Robinsons). I must not slip back into the old traps that keep me from posting and keep me from advancing, no matter how slowly, as a filmmaker. I give this advice to all you aspiring out there. Keep moving forward. The moment you stop, the world will have passed you by.

Compare and Contrast: Paranorman, Hotel Transylvainia, and the Question of Complexity

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Hello everyone. I am posting again after another long absence. I could attribute it to school or work, but in all honesty it is just laziness. However, lately I have been feeling very Carpe Diem. This is partialy spurred by Bing's new job at Google and by my friend, who is an artist, wants to be a comic artist, and is actually publishing a comic. He is living the dream. Why not I?

So personal stuff aside, it is time for a compare and contrast between the two films I have seen most recently. I realize I have been putting up mostly animated features, but my current schedule has me watching what my family wants to watch and my financial situation is such that I cannot go out and see whatever I like. Still though, both films were in my opinion excellent.

Let's start with compare. Both are family Halloween movies, animated, and deal with young people and the supernatural. They are both fun to watch and have made me laugh. I loved the Scream Cheese.

However, these films stand apart from each other. Mainly this is due to the levels of narrative complexity shown between the two films, moreso then artistic style, caliber of actors, etc. Let's take Hotel Transylvainia. Just by looking at the trailer we can pretty much see the whole entire story. It's a familiar one. Boy meets Girl. They fall for each other. Dad doesn't approve of Boy and drives Him away. Dad realizes his mistake, brings Boy back, happily ever after. Sorry if this is a spoiler for you guys, but if you did not see any of this coming then you are probably reading the wrong blog. The story is predictable. Yet, we must not discount it for not being very complex or pushing any boundries. It was a charming film, one that should be on the family DVD rack and watched on family movie night. The characters were likable and funny, and , of course, Scream Cheese. Oscar material, probably not. But that doesn't make it a bad film.

Paranorman. Oh my God. I went in there assuming that it was going to be fairly predictable, like Hotel Transylvainia. I was wrong. I was very wrong. This film went places that I didn't think a childrens movie would go. If you have seen the movie, you know what I am talking about. If not, watch Paranorman. What I like most about this twist is that you do not see it coming. Not in the trailer, not on the poster, not anywhere. Brave did a similar thing, with most of the plot, heck almost all of it, was kept under wraps. I like this trend. I like being surprised at the movies. Anyway, one other interesting thing is that unlike most kids movies, more or less all the characters in this movie, with the exception of the protagonist, were unlikeable. A bold move, but this is a bold film. Even when they are working together, and even after they have completed the mission, I still didn't find them any more likable. I suppose this is just like real life. While the characters are not likable, they are rather funny. In the end, I am impressed with this film and the risks it took. It was ballsy, but really paid off in the end as far as I go.

Now hopefully I can get more posts out on a regular basis. What the next entry is going to be about, I have no idea. Stay tuned and I will try not to leave you waiting too long.

My God, has it really been a month? I have been away so long...but I see that I have recieved some more views so that is good. While I do not have time to post a big long thing like I usually do, I am posting to let you guys know that I am here. Things just got crazy there for a while. This week I will start posting full on about all things film and possibly other stuff as well. I hope you stick around for more!

Film Spotlight: Tim Burton's "Corpse Bride"

I had the urge to watch this for the better part of last week, so I decided to watch it today and talk about the themes and such within this film. This is my second favorite film by Tim Burton, with my first being "Edward Scissorhands". Let us start with the obvious. Tim Burton, with a majority of his films, uses a color scheme I call "ironic coloring". While "Edward" was a better example of this, "Corpse Bride" also made use of this technique to subtly bring home the main conflicts and ideas presented in the film. One thing to watch for is who receives color and who does not. The dead characters are extremely vibrant while the living ones are a dull monochrome. Even the skeletons have more color then, say, Lord Barcus. We also see that Emily makes use of a single color, blue, throughout the film. This becomes extremely significant when we take into consideration another classic Burton conflict: the organic vs the machine.

Nearly all his movies have this in there in some way, though the results of this skirmish vary widely in my opinion. In this film, the machine seems to have it's way. If you watch the intro credits, you notice that everything in the town runs of a metronome. Everything is moving in time with everything else, even the cat. The only thing that breaks this is the butterfly, the symbol of the organic and of freedom. It's fluttering wings almost mock these poor creatures for being the cogs they are. The dead then, ironically, are organic. They are lively and fun, never hesitating to dance to the beat of their own drum, quite literally in this case.

One final component is the component of exaggeration and caricature. Most of the living are quite comical-looking, often engorged in strange places. Examples of this technique are evident in other Burton films, including, and most recognizably, in "Alice in Wonderland". The dead are a different story. They are, more or less, symmetrical and normal looking.

Now lets bring this all together. What is this film trying to say? Let's start with the living. They are simply bits of clockwork, blown out of proportion by their incongruance with humanity. Their greed turns them into strange looking creatures, showing their faults for all to see. They are bland, colorless, a mockery of what life is supposed to be. Indeed, they are more concerned with their social standing then the lives of others. However, two characters seem to break the mold. Victor and Victoria (must have been popular that year) are rather symmetrical and normal looking. That isn't the only thing they have in common. They are both idealists, and they are both passionate in an immpassionate world. Thus they are more human looking, as they are closer to the ideal human Burton has created in his mind.

Now the dead are vibrant, symmetrical, and very passionate. The trappings and social game is cast away, allowing them to live as they please, with all the passion they could desire. While this is the norm, we are reminded that Emily is clad in not many vibrant colors, but one, a pale blue. She is also trapped by the machine by the bonds of matrimony. Though she represents unrestrained passion, she is still unable to escape the mundane and be truely free.

These are all things to keep in mind when watching or rewatching "Corpse Bride". I could go on and on about it, but I figured I would give your eyes a rest.

I apologize for my absence. Work has taken up quite a bit of my time. I have noticed that my pages have been viewed by people from Germany and Russia. When I talk about foreign film, as I plan to in this post, please understand that I am speaking as an American film maker and thus please excuse me if I say anything offensive. If I do say something rude, it is through ignorance and not malice.

As I stated earlier, I am going to be talking about how an American film student, whether they be a scholar or actually working with cameras, should view international film. Filmmakers should learn from everything and anything, regardless of country of origin. Artists, everyone, is constantly learning and thus having broadened horizons will only make you that much more learned. Granted, we should always take it with a grain of salt. Country of origin does not guarantee quality, good or bad.

Any film school worth it's salt will give you at least a taste of foreign film, if nothing else but to whet your international appetite. I would encourage you to go out and find some for yourself. Often you can find gems that a conventional film school might overlook. Good examples of these are the Japanese "Casshern" and the Spanish "Pan's Labyrinth". Bollywood can be very fun to watch, if a bit melodramatic for my taste. Yasmin Amid's films are true wonders and I would suggest them to anyone with any serious interest in film.

The same goes for animation. Just because something is a cartoon does not mean that a filmmaker can learn nothing from it. Again, granted, your not going to learn a lot from watching "Dora the Explorer" all day. However, I feel that Japanese anime can teach a filmmaker about thinking outside the box. There are at least 3 series' about vampires that I have seen and they are all extremely different. With everyone saying all the narratives have been told, I find it refreshing to see that such is not true and that origional stories can and do get told.

I will go more into detail about my exaamples in later posts, but for now I leave wou with this bit of advice. Learn from everything.