Film School

Bogart and Hepburn star in this epic John Huston flick that was filmed ON LOCATION in Africa, something that was quite incredible for the time. It's WWI, the Germans are invading, and our two plucky heroes decide they need to take down a warship with a 6lb gun all by themselves...and fall in love along the way. The titular "African Queen" steals the show as the run-down river steamer, a boat that had historic reverberations at none other than Disneyland. It's high jungle adventure this week on Film School!

You've probably heard of the storytelling advice 'show, don't tell.' It's one of the most important things to keep in mind when telling a story. But, what does that REALLY mean? And WHY do we need to do it? Josh and Ira dive into that this week, including a very unique perspective on this common axiom that comes from their background as actors. We got you covered. Enjoy!

Can you ever go home again? Spielberg, Ford and Lucas were game to try 20 years after making the last Indiana Jones film, which also wraps up our brief vacation from the AFI Top 100. The band was back together, but could the music ever be the same? That became the question at the heart of this film for Josh and Ira, and the analysis over how they fared, what worked at what didn't, was fascinating indeed. We get critical and existential, this week on Film School.

Should I create as much content as I possibly can? Or should I take my time to make each project as good as I'm able? It's the age-old question of quality or quantity, and it's age-old because there is no easy answer to it. We all want to be as good at our art as we possibly can be, and it can be confusing how to get there...and how that confusion and anxiety can in and of itself be unhelpful. Ya boys discuss their own answers to these questions this week on the Cutting Room Floor.

I TOLD you, don't call me Junior!!! After the mixed reviews of the last Indy film, Spielberg and Lucas reached back to pull from Raiders...and the results are incredible. Adding Connery as Jones Sr really puts this one over the top and it's arguably just as good as the first one. Once again, we have to stop the Nazis, and this time they're after another biblical macguffin: the Holy Grail. Doesn't get much more mystical than that. A return to form is always so satisfying. We discuss, this week!

Who doesn't love gear?! Equipment. Software. Electronics. Notebooks. Pens. All the tools of the trade and the creature comforts we all use to film or write or photograph or brainstorm...it's just so fun! This week, ya boys talk about what gear they use to write, film and edit. From cameras to writing software to headphones to where we write out our ideas and dreams, it's all here. Enjoy!

Hey lady, you call him DOCTOR JONES! If Temple of Doom does *one* thing (and it actually does much more), it gives us Short Round. If you saw this movie as a kid, who didn't want to be Indy's best friend and helper? Temple is definitely problematic. It doesn't hold a candle to Raiders...but how much did we just miss Indiana, and how fun are some of the set pieces? Mine car chase? Yes please! So, how good or bad really IS Temple? We watch and discuss.

AND...here are the pics of Josh's 20-something year old code card from the Indiana Jones Adventure ride at Disneyland:

Just don't panic cry, Josh. That's what our dear McClenney tells himself over and over whenever he receives feedback...and it's no different for Ira. Feedback is hard. It's haaaarrrrddddd. Our creative work is so personal to us, we work on it so hard, and for someone to tell us that it's not perfectly perfect feels...well, PERSONAL. But listening to and applying feedback is THE THING that separates the masters from the amateurs. So, how do we reconcile that? Ya boys tackle it this week. It's a big one!

Indy, why does the floor move? OMG. This movie needs literally no introduction. It's the classic supernatural adventure story that gifted us all with Indiana Jones, arguably Harrison Ford's best character (Han, stop looking at us). He's an archaeologist Bond set in the mid-30s, an era of time where mysticism abounded and the ancient world was still being discovered, un-buried, and looted for its powerful, cursed treasures. Nazis! Creepy-crawlers! Temples! Old Testament! ROMANCE! Raiders of the Lost Ark has it all.

How do you write a pageturner or a movie that you can't turn off? Cliffhangers. Pure and simple. Cliffhangers keep the people coming back for more. So, how do we apply that idea to our stories? We use the wonderful article from Ruth Harris this week to talk about this underrated and misunderstood tool, and it's kind of blowing our minds. But, you'll have to listen to learn the secrets... :)

Please check out Ruth's original article here: https://annerallen.com/2019/08/7-rules-cliffhanger/