Film School

Start with a BANG! Hook the viewer/reader! Your story should grab them by the throat! We've all heard the advice on what the start to our stories need to be . . . but just HOW do we accomplish that? What do the great openings that we can think of have in common? This week on the CRF, we do a deep dive on BEGINNINGS.

Happy New Year! What a *YEAR* 2020 was for all of us . . . but the page has now turned. We're no longer in the past. We're living in the future. 2021 is a new year. What do you want to accomplish? What did you do poorly last year and want to do better in the new year? And what did you do well that you want to continue? We're looking ahead, this week on the Cutting Room Floor!

Kevin!!! If you're a certain age, this movie defined your childhood. Who DIDN'T want to kick the fam, watch violent movies, eat ice cream all day, and turn their house into a labyrinth of death and defeat the Wet Bandits?! Christopher Columbus and John Hughes are at their family-friendly peak, and made a true Christmas classic that STILL delivers the giggles. And, as we dig in . . . pretty gd airtight execution-wise. Happy Holidays!

2020: you were a motherf*cker.

For real, this year has been an all-timer of a year. It's challenged our perception of what a year even IS. And it's come from all sides: personal, professional, global. 2020 will always be the year of COVID-19 . . . but there's a lot that goes into that. It was also the year of working from home, the year the "industry" changed, the year of the presidential election, changing jobs, podcasting, quarantine . . . just, so so much. We talk about this year for us. Enjoy!

What have I done?! Alec Guinness takes a starring turn as the unbreakable WWII Colonel Nicholson. He finds himself as a prisoner of war in a work camp tasked with building the Japanese a bridge over the river Kwai. It's a battle of wits and will for self-respect, cowardice and bravery, and ultimately survival. William Holden also pitches in as the POW-turned commando Shears who returns to the camp he escaped from to destroy what Nicholson is building. It also has one the more iconic marching music refrains in cinema history. A classic of the genre. Come whistle along with us!

If you're anything like me, the voice inside your head that lies is so good at it, it doesn't even sound like it's lying. It sounds calm, rational, confident . . . what it's saying even FEELS GOOD to listen to. But, nevertheless, it's a liar. It's based in fear. And, it's holding us back. So, how on this green earth do we tell it apart from the voices in our head that should be listened to? And when we've recognized the lie . . . how do we not listen to it?

Coming home can be the hardest. William Wyler flexes some considerable cinematic muscle in this ensemble WWII story of three soldiers who struggle to return to their normal lives after serving in World War II. We have Homer who's lost his hands and can't find the will to ask his long-time girlfriend to marry him; we have Fred, who's married but find himself in love with somebody else; and then there's Al, who can't seem to find meaning in his bank job any more. Made in 1946, when each of those men had thousands like them in the real world, it's amazing just how much this film has stood the test of time. We discuss it, this week on Film School!

How do you know when it's time to level up? And, when you know it's time to take whatever that next step might be . . . how do you take it? How do you break through? Josh and Ira share how they know when that moment comes, and offer their own insights into how to accomplish it. Plus, a couple great recommendations on what to watch. Enjoy!

The motherlode! John Huston pairs up with his own father plus Bogart to spin a tale of gold and greed. It was a big influence on Lucas and Spielberg when they were developing Indiana Jones, and it's based (somewhat) on Huston's own experience in the Mexican Cavalry. Bogart plays against his type insomuch as he's definitely not a hero. Be careful what you wish for. It might just be your undoing. Enjoy!

Home. How often do our stories start with where we live? Why is that? What is it about "home," or even when we visit somewhere else and it fires up the imagination? How do we get inspired by where we live? It's certainly a personal question; how much are YOU inspired by where you live? Does it show up literally in your work? Or is it a step or two removed, bits and pieces in an otherwise alien locale? We dive into drawing inspiration from our surroundings, this week, on the cutting room floor!