Is originality the new trend?

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  • Is originality the new trend?

    Hollywood Moves Away From Middlebrow

    "Moviegoers have sent a message that seems obvious but has often been forgotten: make a good product, or we won't buy.
    "
    http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/27/business/media/27movies.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a25

    'Still, the message that the year sent about quality and originality is real enough that studios are tweaking their operating strategies. Sony Pictures Entertainment, the studio behind "The Social Network,- is trying to bet more heavily on new directors with quirkier sensibilities. To reboot its "Spider-Man- franchise, for instance, Sony hired Marc Webb, whose only previous film was the indie comedy "(500) Days of Summer.- The studio has also entrusted a big-screen remake of "21 Jump Street- to Phil Lord and Chris Miller, a pair whose only previous film was the animated "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.-

    "We think the future is about filmmakers with original voices,- said Amy Pascal, Sony's co-chairwoman. "Original is good, and good is commercial.-'

    So does this bode well for original specs?
    "People who work in Hollywood are the ones who didn't quit." -- Lawrence Kasdan

    Please visit my website and blog: www.lauridonahue.com.

  • #2
    Re: Is originality the new trend?

    There is no trend for specs. People enjoy great writing. That's the trend.
    2011 Screenwriting Goal: 15 pages a day.

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    • #3
      Re: Is originality the new trend?

      Originally posted by LauriD View Post
      Hollywood Moves Away From Middlebrow

      "Moviegoers have sent a message that seems obvious but has often been forgotten: make a good product, or we won't buy.
      "
      http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/27/business/media/27movies.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=a25

      'Still, the message that the year sent about quality and originality is real enough that studios are tweaking their operating strategies. Sony Pictures Entertainment, the studio behind “The Social Network,” is trying to bet more heavily on new directors with quirkier sensibilities. To reboot its “Spider-Man” franchise, for instance, Sony hired Marc Webb, whose only previous film was the indie comedy “(500) Days of Summer.” The studio has also entrusted a big-screen remake of “21 Jump Street” to Phil Lord and Chris Miller, a pair whose only previous film was the animated “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.”

      “We think the future is about filmmakers with original voices,” said Amy Pascal, Sony’s co-chairwoman. “Original is good, and good is commercial.”'

      So does this bode well for original specs?

      I didn't read the article, so I'm just going by these quotes. I find it funny how they say originality is the new trend yet talk about a remake of "21 Jump Street." Maybe the trend is letting different directors break free from being pigeonholed into one genre, and not so much about giving new content a better chance.

      Edit: I read more of the article and another part talks about an adaptation of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and a film revolving around Disney's Haunted Mansion theme park ride. So I don't think the article was trying to send the message that original stories are going to be more respected and in demand, but rather that studios are going to have to make mass-appeal movies that are also high quality if they want theater goers to keep paying.
      Last edited by Writr; 12-27-2010, 06:19 AM.

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      • #4
        Re: Is originality the new trend?

        why waste your time reading the nytimes? you should be reading the hollywood reporter.

        and with the success of the "remake" true grit - a teenage girl newcomer stealing the limelight from 3 a-list actors you should be thinking about your own girl western (or is that somebody else on this board?) and how the industry like to piggyback on success.

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        • #5
          Re: Is originality the new trend?

          Originally posted by NikeeGoddess View Post
          why waste your time reading the nytimes? you should be reading the hollywood reporter.

          and with the success of the "remake" true grit - a teenage girl newcomer stealing the limelight from 3 a-list actors you should be thinking about your own girl western (or is that somebody else on this board?) and how the industry like to piggyback on success.
          #1: because the writing is better.

          #2: sent 36 queries today.

          Lauri
          "People who work in Hollywood are the ones who didn't quit." -- Lawrence Kasdan

          Please visit my website and blog: www.lauridonahue.com.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Is originality the new trend?

            Originally posted by LauriD View Post
            #1: because the writing is better. - but their knowledge is not... obviously!

            #2: sent 36 queries today. no one will be working this week and their mailbox will be jam-packed after the new year. better hope they stick out somehow.

            Lauri
            red

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            • #7
              Re: Is originality the new trend?

              Originally posted by LauriD View Post
              ...#2: sent 36 queries today.
              A-ha! So I'm not the only one who TOTALLY ignored that pre-Christmas "advice" in the thread about taking the next 2+ weeks off!

              I absolutely blitzed last week and got some some great (and fast) feedback, even one on late Christmas Eve, probably because there wasn't as much competition from you hotshots!

              I'm giving them a break today, though, but good luck to you, LauriD.

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              • #8
                Re: Is originality the new trend?

                "In years past,- said Sean Bailey, Disney's president for production, "most live-action films seemed like they had to be either one thing or the other: commercial or quality. The industry had little expectation of a film being both. Our view is the opposite.-

                That's so sad it's almost hilarious.

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                • #9
                  Re: Is originality the new trend?

                  Originally posted by Rantanplan View Post
                  "In years past,- said Sean Bailey, Disney's president for production, "most live-action films seemed like they had to be either one thing or the other: commercial or quality. The industry had little expectation of a film being both. Our view is the opposite.-

                  That's so sad it's almost hilarious.
                  It seems to me that most of the lower-mid echelon just chase any current year's successes on genre and material.

                  On the other hand, the big guys (eg. Disney) want to keep the money flowing, but they look further ahead and have the cash to do so. So, they do a lot of rehashes of their own successes, but they're big enough to try new things, or dapple in quality over commerciality, even if only as small "genre divisions" of their main lines, or to back-pocket something that may be worth something some day.

                  It really comes down to playing the odds, and having enough cash to do it, to try new things, either to catch something in the bud or even start their own "next hot thing".

                  In an interesting recent response to one of my reads, a producer said I should stick to one genre within a script. I took this to mean one simple genre, per story, for the simple-minded audience. What a sorry underestimation of the ticket-buying public. The script in question was described as a Zomedy but with action and romance elements. It was too much for him, I guess.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Is originality the new trend?

                    Originally posted by catcon View Post
                    In an interesting recent response to one of my reads, a producer said I should stick to one genre within a script. I took this to mean one simple genre, per story, for the simple-minded audience. What a sorry underestimation of the ticket-buying public. The script in question was described as a Zomedy but with action and romance elements. It was too much for him, I guess.
                    a couple of my scripts are very complex and while pitching i would get two completely different responses. 1 - that's too much!!! and 2 - that's great... and then you mix it up with that element... etc.
                    my point is never put all your eggs in a basket from one person's opinion. they're just people who have just as many varied opinions as you find here on this board. if they don't like it, move on to the next... unless they're paying you.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Is originality the new trend?

                      A lot of successful films have more than genre going for them. Even superheroes take the time to go on dates and fall in love in between heart-stopping action scenes --though not so much recently, I suppose. AVATAR took the time to slow down and let its leads just fly around and fall in love. JERRY MCGUIRE had two major stories going on, one about the business of sports management and the other about a relationship. LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS was also two things at once, a poignant love story (imho) and a lightly satirical look at the pharma sales biz during the launch of Viagra. You take a number of Coen films and you got your comedy, your violence, your drama all wrapped into one. A lot of people like films that mix it up. When well done, to me this can make for much more interesting films. If more romantic comedies were more than JUST about boy + girl, I think they would be more satisfying, as opposed to some chicken McNugget consumed and then immediately forgotten.

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                      • #12
                        Re: Is originality the new trend?

                        'originality' is such a vague and pandering word. I want to see it in action, not read it in newspapers.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Is originality the new trend?

                          I hope this idea is being repeated enough to become the new mantra for development. I've heard it several times this year - after Easy A did so well, for example. Compared to the talk of pre-sold elements and franchises that seemed so prevalent the last few years, I'll take this.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Is originality the new trend?

                            Originally posted by NikeeGoddess View Post
                            why waste your time reading the nytimes? you should be reading the hollywood reporter.
                            You should be reading both. To tell a writer not to read the NY Times is like advocating ignorance. Besides, I've gotten some of my best story ideas from articles in the NY Times.

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