Give up the Obvious

I have spent the last several months exploring all kinds of interesting options for screenwriters and filmmakers.

Starting with a broad idea that SOMETHING has to give in the world of movie making and movie distribution to bring the audience back, I have been interviewing people in different disciplines in the industry and related industries to get a handle on what the thinking is today, and what the possiblissities are tomorrow. My beef is that spending $100 on a mediocre experience is not something I want to repeat over and over again just because I think I love the movies. The number of times I have left a cinema thinking, "Wow, that was just not worth that much money," are countless and embarrassing. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice or maybe 30x and shame on me. You know?

In a world where technology drips from the rooftops like a rainy day, going to old-time, linear, flat screen experiences with no interaction are just...boring. I am a huge HUGE believer in story. But, the STORIES ARE BORING and redundant to the point of having always two movies out that seem to have the same story (i.e. "No Strings Attached" and "Friends with Benefits"). The presentation is BORING. The theaters are BORING. Yeah. 3-D worked for about a minute.

People in Hollywood! What are you thinking?

Well, I suspect the economy has been used as an excuse for lack of vision by more executives than just President Obama. It's like we've been playing a game of "freeze tag" and they didn't get the message that they can move. So, I'm saying they're out of the game for a while.

But, I have observed some movement on television that I find intriguing. They have those silly scan squares now popping up here and there, Jon Stewart, CBS shows, and I've followed a few of them with some curiosity. So far, nothing to write home about, but it gives me hope that there may be a shift happening. What Hollywood is missing is this very simple thing: the AUDIENCE can be as entertaining as the show.

I interviewed a lovely guy who has worked with a large cable network as a strategic development Senior VP person with visionary ideas. It seems that Hollywood wasn't quite ready to jump on board, and that is a shame because he had some very cool projects in the tube of development. In the end he ended up deciding to pursue the more avante guard world of film festivals where new experiences can be tested with less risk, and a more devoted audience. He told me that in the UK there is a preview show at some theaters where the audience in three different theaters "drive" race cars via motion control cameras in the theater. The three theatres each have their own vehicle, and one of them "wins" the race because the audience caught on to how to move to manipulate their assigned car. Then the winning theatre gets a concession coupon texted to their smart phones. Cool, huh? Ah the possiblissities!

I've interviewed web designers, app designers and programmers of all sorts to see how this magnificent idea engine of the internet and smartphones can be integrated into a cinematic experience. It turns out that it isn't really that hard to imagine accomplishing it in a short time. OMG.  All I have to do is raise about $35- $55,000 to develop some kind of interactive app that we could be enjoying in a year or so with some brave Hollywood and Cinema Distribution people on board.  Somebody give me the money!

To this end...and to other ends...I am experimenting and hoping to raise funds for another creative project that has been near and dear to my heart for a long time. It may seem to have nothing to do with film, however, give up the obvious on this one folks. I love Tarot. I'm not the only screenwriter and screenwriting instructor who does -- John Truby has a whole development program using Tarot on his website. I could wax poetic about how they're linked in story, in character, in the way symbolism and allegory communicates, but that would miss the real point. The point is I am raising funds for a creative project to write and illustrate about Tarot on Kickstarter called The Kosmic Egg Tarot Project and the thing is that I really want to finish this piece of work as much as I want to do all of the other creative projects I have up my sleeve. I need financial support to start getting my ideas out into the world where you all can experience them! This is my first foray into the world of Kickstarter, but if it works, I promise you that I will be bringing an experimental cinema experience project before you within the next  6-12 months. Ah the possiblissities!