Film is amazing: medium of the century! Adapting stories from the written word to the moving image is my current obsession; it seems like it would be a no brainer to do something like that, but I bet it caught people off guard when the idea was first proposed, and perhaps even shunned. I believe the best films are ones that utilize the original material, but not too literally. Here’s a prime example: when Stanley Kubrick adapted the book written by Stephen King entitled “The Shining,” Kubrick made changes to the screenplay which differed drastically from the novel and only used some of the base plot points as a skeleton for his own tale. This brilliant understanding of the difference between the two mediums led to an iconic film, and also one of my favorite films of all time. That being said, Stephen King hates Kubrick’s version of the story because it is too different from his original novel.
Along with Kubrick, some of my other favorite directors include Quentin Tarantino, and Edgar Wright. My current favorite film (other than “The Shining”) is “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” from 1971. Yes, the one with Gene Wilder! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched that film My current favorite filmmaking/editorial practice is the use of a perfect square aspect ratio, most recently used this year in the William Dafoe movie, “The Lighthouse.” Something about it really attracts me, and it gives a ‘Polaroid brought to life’ feel. I decided to utilize it for the art in my featured image for this post. I can’t wait to finally pursue my ventures in film and directing in the future. I am determined to shoot a film in every major genre of film before I die, as well as create music and the soundtracks for all of my films. Wish me luck and let me know if you want to volunteer as my key grip or caterer!
-2/19/2020
