0

Tag: perspective

Sep152024

Inspiration at the Movies: Tintin

Referring to the villain named Mr. Sakharine in “The Adventures of Tintin” (2011):

“A sour-faced man with a sugary name” – Captain Haddock

“May I present Monsieur Shuggair Adetittiff” – Biance Castafiore

Ya gotta love these plays on words! They make the second layer of humour for adults in a movie whose primary audience is children. Kids enjoy other humorous elements in the story – especially from slapstick and coincidence – but the movie is layered in comedy. The witty elements, like saccharine/sugar references, connect with adults and older kids like a secret in plain sight. This witty layer adds to the movie’s marketing reach, and adds to its replayability as the audience makes new discoveries with each viewing.

Isn’t that what we do in life too: re-visit places we’ve been to before and add new layers of discoveries to our memories?

Ever been back to your old school and realized that the lockers you thought where tall are actually rather short? Ever spoken with one of your old teachers and learned a new perspective on events that happened to you or your class from years before? The new realization or perspective doesn’t replace your old memory, it adds a layer to the existing memory. You can remember it as if you were young, and you can remember it with a layer of adult insight.

Just as discovering the witty layer of humour in “The Adventures of Tintin” is like a rite of passage on our journey to maturity, so too is finding and adding layers of perspectives to old life experiences. How wonderfully complex and layered our lives!

Where are you inspired to re-visit in your life to add a new perspective?

Cheers & a good shoot to you,
Deb

– – – – – – – – –

Where is Deb?

Mon. Sep. 16 – Guest Speaker at GEMS ETVP (Emerging TV Producers) Program, Vancouver BC

Tue. Oct. 8 – Guest Speaker for Telefilm at the Sustainable Production Forum (SPF24), Vancouver BC

Wed. Oct. 9 – Women in Film & TV In-Person Networking for Production Managers hosted by Netflix, London UK

Mon. Oct. 14 – Raindance’s Boozin’ n Schmoozin’ Networking for Independent Filmmakers, London UK

And FYI, the third edition of “Film Production Management 101” is coming to bookstores and online in January 2025, but available now for pre-order (e.g. on Amazon, Amazon Canada, Indigo-Chapters).

Jul32010

3 Things Filmmaking I Learned About Filmmaking from… The World Cup

 1. Not Everything is Black & White

Sure the ball is black & white, but the perspectives of people watching the game differ dramatically. We can share the same moment, same images and still come out with different opinions about what happened on the field. As filmmakers, we can craft a movie experience, and might be able to influence (but cannot control) how the message will be received and interpreted.

2. It’s a Worldwide Experience

Street parties erupt around the world! They are amazing! So many cities around the globe as good as close down during the final few games so the citizens can stop to follow every minute. As soon as the game is over, hoards of fans of all ages descend on the formerly empty streets to share in the exhilaration of a game won. I’m not just talking the host city, either. It’s quite a phenomenon, and I’ve been fortunate to experience it in person a number in a couple of countries now – seeing ghost like streets turn into a network of celebrations – the grandest of all street parties. What an amazing gift that the World Cup can affect with us the world over. Filmmakers have this unique opportunity too to become a worldwide experience, to affect people we don’t even know. The audience may not have street parties for a film, but they certainly line up to see some of them. Wouldn’t you like to affect people on this scale?

3. It Matters

The World Cup isn’t health care, education, food or shelter. No, it’s not what we’d typically consider the essentials of life, and yet is it? When you see the emotional reaction of the fans around the globe you have to recognize how much it really matters. Pride of country. Pride of heritage. Celebration of sporting excellence. It’s great for morale, and with great morale do you think there is anything we can’t do? In this way, the World Cup is also like filmmaking – another forum where people connect to the “product” on an emotional level. We need these emotional connections in life. And so the work we do is therefore essential. It really matters.

Cheers & a happy World Cup to you!
Deb