First of all, it looks like you guys have narrowed it down to two films. Bear or Ghost Town. Two very funny concepts. I don't usually add in my advice too rapidly but there's a few arguments here that I have to speak about. First of all, I'm not convinced that any of you really need to worry about Ghost Town being about death and dying. That's not the story. The story is about a lonely person, who finds friendship through very unpredictable means. Remember what Frank Thomas said about the importance of pathos in comedy? Feeling sorry for the ghost makes the ending so much richer. Furthermore, death does not need to be associated with horror (don't we believe in an after life anyway?) since this Ghost is just as much alive in persona than the people who die. Were you offended by Casper? He was dead! Of course you weren't, because he was very much alive and so were the other characters when they became ghosts. It worries me a bit when many of you have this concern, because this kind of hypersensitivity is what waters down good stories. The person who dies doesn't have to be dark either, he can actually find happiness and friendship as a result of their death. Then the two are happy together. For those of you who didn't like the death in Ghost Town, yet liked Bear better...what about the mawled hunter, a dead dear in the back of the truck, and the pieces of hunting clothes? Now that's really about a dark death!
Bear is a funny idea. This one however, is going to take some serious creative thinking to take it out of it's predictable ending. We've seen so many of these "animals taking on human qualities and tasks" in the past onslaught of 3-d animated animal films, that I don't think it's all that original anymore, unless the character is fully developed in personality which you really don't have time for in a short film. It's a big gag with the hopeful payoff of a laugh, and if you don't get that laugh, then the story is empty. (which is the situation with Noggin). This idea can still potentially work, but it's going to take some creative minds to do it.
So there's my two cents. Take it for what it is worth to you. Since I am not a voter, you can even chose to totally ignore if you wish. You're a talented group, so no matter what you guys decide, I'd be happy to help out and make it the best film possible.
7 comments:
Don't cheat yourself, Ryan! That advice was at least worth a nickel.
we narrowed it down to two ideas? who said that??
I still have hope for the wolves story, it would be good.
As far as originality, one of the things I found interesting from the readings in TMA 185 was there are few original ideas. And most original ideas suck because the good ones have been taken. Not to say we can't be original and should not strive for it, but what makes your story original is how you tell it.
You have heard the same joke told by many people before, but sometimes you laugh, sometimes it is lame. Each person or group has an original voice that will make their story unique, so no matter what we choose, I have total confidence that we will make it original just by telling it our way.
I am having a hard time deciding which i like the most, because there are merits to all of them. maybe we should use a dartboard approach, or perhaps a "jump-to-conclusions mat."
spin a dradle, i say.
I like Rogans comments: Keep it short because people ARE going to leave early.....
I feel like the only story out of these four that would seem go longer than we had hoped for is the ghost story. I would like more than anything to finish this film as early. How cool would it be to have most of it finished by the beginning of next winter semester?!
"It's not as much about the idea as it is about the execution." That's a quote from...ME!! But really, I think that it's a very relevant statement. I would enjoy doing ANY of the four ideas that we narrowed it down to in our discussion yesterday.
As I ran the four ideas past my mother, she said basically the same thing that Jeremy said.
Post a Comment