Cartoons and Moviemaking

Animated movies can be a great tool for filmmakers...

Here's what writer/director David Mamet says about it:

"Cartoons are very good to watch--are much better to watch, for people who want to direct, than movies... It wasn't any more expensive to draw it from a high angle or from a long angle. They didn't have to keep actors late to draw a hundred people rather than one person... Everything was based on imagination."

No, we aren't animators (at least we haven't tried tackling that yet.) But we'll agree that cartoons, animated movies, and graphic novels all prove to be great inspiration when it comes down to moviemaking.

[Photo by docpop]

No "Think" Gags

Mack Sennett was the name behind those famous Keystone Cops. And in the early days of silent film, he was the undisputed king of comedy.

And Mack Sennett had one rule for his gag writers: No "think" gags allowed.

The explanation went something like this: When the audience is thinking, they can't be laughing. (Mack Sennett obviously did not believe in multitasking.)

The punchline of the joke has to be a gut reaction. And if you're being forced to think about it... you'll probably miss the joke. Which is the whole idea behind slapstick comedy. When you see that cream pie, you know that it's gonna end up in someone's face. And usually the face of someone serious, like the President of the United States, or the old lady librarian. 

A young Frank Capra spent some of his early filmmaking days working for Sennett. In his autobiography, when he discussed this phase of his career, he pointed out a flip side that is also true: "When the audience is laughing, they can't be thinking."

A Funny Way to be Serious

Film mogul, Sam Goldwyn, is often quoted as saying: "If you want to send a message, use Western Union."

Which basically is saying that movies have no other point than to entertain. And when most people think of a movie that is made for pure entertainment, they probably think of comedy, right?

Well, there does seem to be a plethora of comedies that would certainly fit nicely into this category.

However, for every proverb there is an anti-proverb; and every quote has an "anti-quote"... Actor Peter Ustinov is quoted as saying: "Comedy is simply a funny way of being serious."

Ustinov has a point. You can deal with a serious or solemn topic in a comedy. (Stanley Kubrick's Dr. Strangelove comes to mind.)

But Goldwyn's point is that most people don't want to equate movies with sitting in a classroom. If there's an obvious "lesson to be learned", than they'd rather be somewhere else. On the other hand, there are people who want movies to be more than just plain fluff.

A good movie will work on various levels... Like the aforementioned Dr. Strangelove (1964). As a political satire, it's trying to make a point about the very serious topic of nuclear warfare. On the other hand, you can enjoy the movie for its pure entertainment.

The best of both worlds.

[Photo by Peter Lee]

Location Scouting

Just a few photos from our location scouting last week... (We're currently in pre-production for a new feature film.)