Obsessions

Tonight, feeling a tad lonely after a long day's work, I sit outside enjoying the view from my balcony. The moon hangs low, coloured golden by the bend of the atmosphere.
Just had an email exchange with my ex. She told she was tired from writing and doing some workshops. I replied that I hoped she was also enjoying herself (meaning writing and workshopping), and she answered back that she had a some extra time to entertain herself (meaning outside the work). Which just showed one of the fundamental differences between us. I enjoy to work, even when its not exactly enjoyable. She has a very sharp division between work and pleasure. And when we were together I would try and make her
see the fun in working, and she would try to make me stop working to have fun. Wonderful.
After a lot of border skirmishes over this issue, I came to realize that I am really obsessed with my work, and more importantly that I like this obsession. To me it still feels a lot like when you were playing as kids - and naturally I have found my work path within drama, the most playful and collective art form. Of course there is the whole added layer of professionalism, and if you are not careful this might end up becoming the dominant part.
Mmm, somebody is grilling fish on a nearby balcony. Smells delicious.
My new project with director Thomas Bjerregaard, now titled Entanglement, is progressing well. Apart from my fascination with quantum mechanics, it also allows me to explore two of my other favourites: The question of love and the complementarity of comedy and tragedy. I have begun to write a synopsis, and have mailed the first draft of it to Thomas, and I awaiting his response. It is really looking exciting and very do-able in terms of a small cast, few locations all in the same area and with a high concept that should be able to attract investors. When the synopsis is ready we will begin to look for a Danish producer and Greek co-producers. I really want to nail this one and see it get produced as soon as possible. I hate the often loooong financing process. This one we need to push aggressively. If we can get it produced next year I will be very proud of myself and Thomas. Read more!

Sunday in summer-Athens

So, getting ready to head into a new week. Athens is slowly, but steadily becoming depopulated as more and more people go off on vacation, most of them to the islands. I'm still here and working. Apart from my new script, I'm going to talk to both director and producer about The Mountain, the script I recently finished 1. draft of. Its always a bit nerve-wrecking to wait for the response, and well, of course even more so to get it. The big irrational fear is that I have fucked up somehow, and the script is not good at all. The more rational fear is that they won't understand what I'm trying to do in the script, and we won't be able to reach an understanding of the premise and the logic I have applied to fulfill it. So tomorrow morning.. I'll meet the director. Then I'll know his response. Tuesday the producer is back in Athens, and has hopefully read the script (he promised - and I promised to lock him inside the toilet with the script if he hadn't). What I hope to hear from him is that he thinks it's good enough for him to go out and start financing the project, getting some money for development - so I can get paid. Being in a financial tight spot myself, I don't really want to spend to much more time on The Mountain without some money coming my way. My time will be better spent getting other ships into the sea, as well as working as a paid script consultant for financed project. From now and throughout August I will work with another Greek director on his up-coming film, which is to start shooting this year. His script has a strong story, but has a few weaknesses in 1st and 2nd act, and then some real problems in 3rd and 4th act. We have had an initial meeting and he agrees with my diagnosis and approach to solve the problems. The next days I will go over the 1st and 2nd act making extensive comments and suggestions for changes, while he thinks about the problems of 3rd and 4th. We will see how it goes. Read more!

Creating drama

My workshop continues. This time I began by talking principles again. How principles comes before the forms. And never to trust any rules or models or such stuff as the golden standard, but only use such as the simple tools they are - and then know your principles of Drama. Yes, I say drama and I don't mean the same as in the video store, where everything serious and with emotions as centerpiece is filed under that definition. Drama is the definition
for the whole mega-genre, as opposed to the mega-genres of poetry, music, dance and epos (the novel&short-story). And the founding principle of drama is simply that drama deals with conflicts. This is the raison d'etre of the genre. Yes, all the other mega-genres also has some elements of conflict and deal with them. But for drama this is our main issue - and this is so because in our form we have characters acting in the here and now - which is the recipe for conflicts. The novel in comparison has the basic form (writing) where thoughts and reflections can be presented in its natural form (without necessarily being boring) and this gives us, the audience, a perspective outside the here and now. But in our genre, Drama, we deal in the moment, of what is happening right now in front of us. This is our main strength and this is why in film scripts or theatre plays using flashbacks can be very tricky - because the moment you loose the moment you loose the audience. After talking about the very basic principle for our genre I introduced the 4 act structure I mainly use, but I kept stressing that this is just one of many forms. One that I find useful, but one that I by no means swear to as the only one. I told the workshop participants that its useful to get acquainted with as many models as possible, to better understand that none of them is the only one, and to be able to pick and mix depending upon your needs for a specific project.
Then it was time to talk about the participants own projects. And this part of the workshop I can't really refer to in any level of detail, because what is being discussed is confidential and stays between me and the participants. But each participant tells the rest of us about their project, what's its about, where they are, what problems they experience and then I try and deal with it, give the best questions and suggestions I can come up with - and also very important are the questions from the other participants - as a part of the workshop experience is to become better at working in a group dynamic. Read more!

From the Highway - Casting

Friday was a double script meeting day. That's a little hardcore for me because I spend a lot of energy in a meeting. Each of them runs 2-4 hours. And I'm totally invested at every moment. Last meeting was with Yorgos Siougas about the "Mountain"-project. We had a good start. Some obvious chemistry and shared references. I'm curious to see where it leads. The first meeting was with Giannaris and we concluded the character-phase, where we have been going over all the characters again, this time making sure that they all reflect our basic conflict and theme. Looking at how they mirror our main character. The work has produced a lot of great details and small corrections/clarifications. And has been fun, too. Our next phase is to go scene by scene from the top. We will check each scene for a) the sharpness of the characters' objectives b) connection to central conflict/theme c) montage-value.
By montage-value I refer to the value you accumulate in the way you set the scenes up against each, the connections of relevance you make when you cut from one scene to the next. In this respect we are trying to establish some basic montage rules for the film. We are still debating them. Guess it will be our first subject for the next meeting. And then we are trying to seriously discuss potential actors, especially for the two main parts, Jason and Kate. After this cycle of improvements the script should be ready to convince top-tier actors of the projects attractiveness. And we really need to find 1 or 2 names to carry the film into the international market. Maybe you have some casting ideas? The two characters are:
Jason is his early 40s, a man with a strong body, a face that tells you of experience after 20 years sailing all over the world on the oil-tankers his adoptive family owns. He is a captain and 'a good man'. Giannaris sees Jason as a mediterranean type (dark hair, dark skin - some passion under a civilized exterior).
Kate is his wife, just a little younger than him, she is a grounded woman, who has known loss and difficulties without losing her faith in life. She can at times be cynical, but her objective is always aimed directly at enhancing life. She is trained as a medical doctor, she has good instincts and a quick mind. Guts. Physically Giannaris sees her as a more north european type.
Suggestions and comments are more than welcome. Oh, and the title is now not going to be Welcome Aboard. New title suggestion is Overboard. See the new poll. Read more!

10 Reasons for the Danish Film Miracle OR How Europe Can Beat Hollywood

During the 90s Danish film underwent a small revolution. From being a small nation that occasionally would get a film into the international market, as well as seeing it run away with the box office at national cinemas, the Danish film industry now has record setting statistics in all areas. Of all European countries Danish films does the best in their national market, often beating the more glamorous American productions at the box office. Every year several Danish films sell well in the international market. Almost every year there is a serious contender for the foreign film Oscar nomination. And all this in a very small country (5 mio+ population). It really shouldn't be possible. Its a case of the bumblebee that shouldn't be able to fly. Here is a look at some of the reason and circumstances that have made it possible.

1. Script is the foundation
By the late 80s or early 90s it became clear to both producers and the National Danish Film Institute that the script is the all-imporant foundation for a good movie. This should be self-evident, but in many countries the script is the weakest link. And also so in Denmark before early 90s. And not just realizing it, but acting upon it, the early 90s saw the establishment of two new national educations for writing - the script line at the National film school and the National Playwright Education (which also dedicate periods of its 3 years to film, TV and radio scripts), as well as a dramatic increase in the Film Institutes support for development of scripts. The institute changed its strategy on scripts - from selecting a few that they would eventually also support the production for - to supporting the development of too many scripts. The wisdom being that you have to get too many scripts to choose the best. This also meant more professional scriptwriters, as even the ones who didn't make it into production got paid (to some extent) for their hard work. It also became the standard that the consultants at the institute (who are the ones that single-handlely choose which scripts and film to support) would act as proper consultants, giving advice and know-how support to projects in development. Meanwhile the production companies also got the idea and began to develop more scripts.

2. Actors are real stars
The 90s also saw a new generation of actors entering the screens and stages. This was a generation who played more 'natural', meaning they would speak lines more organic and less artificially - but most of all they understood to reflect modern society in their acting. They became stars in a new way. They didn't become Hollywood glamour stars, but real stars, in the sense of remaining to be real people that the audiences could relate to in a more real way. The producers of both films and theatre understood to take advantage of this new generation, and make them stars - and thereby help to attract audiences.

3. Education is vital
Denmark has had a good National Film School since the 60s, but by the 90s it became upgraded with the new scriptline, and this also lead to the students learning to work in the all-important triangle of director-producer-writer. The scriptline excelled at teaching the students to work with 'the natural story', the concept of its scriptwriting-guru Mogens Rukow, who insisted on using natural stories - the family party, the dinner, the business meeting - whatever social structure who already has it's own fundamental natural story as a framework for all situations in a script - or even as the basic framework for a whole movie (like his own small masterpiece - Festen (The Celebration) which uses the celebration of big family birthday as its framework). The other areas of the Film School managed to attract the best Danish and international talent as teachers, as well as setting very high standards for the admittance of new students. In the same period Denmark also saw the opening of other schools around the country, which would teach film making at a lower lever, the entry level. They became the standard road to eventually being admitted to the National School.

4. Teamwork over auteur
Denmark has always been torn between the continental idea of the inspired genius and the auteur versus the anglo-saxon idea of solid work creates success. The anglo-saxon idea incorporates the concept that art can be taught, while obviously a genius can't be taught, but is something almost god-given. In the 90s there was a shift towards the Anglo-Saxon view, that manifested itself in a belief in teamwork - the institute stressed the need of a collaboration between the trio of producer-director-writer, and it more or less became a requisite for financial support. The production companies were quick to adapt to it, as well as most directors and writers. It became about teamwork - and this also went hand-in-hand with the new generation of actors, who were not prima-donnas, but mainly relied a lot on teamwork, playing with the other actors.

5. Companies help out new talent
A tradition already existed in Denmark for established companies to give a helping hand to young talents no-budget productions big lending or renting out equipment for free or at a very low cost. This tradition became all the more important as the 90s saw a steady growth in the amount of young people seeking a life in film-making. By staying in touch with the new talent the companies were able to both stimulate them and harvest the best of them. The Lars von Trier company, Zentropa, is especially famous for this, as well for employing a huge number of volunteers, often working 1-2 years without pay for the company. At the same time Zentropa and other companies were often quick to take a chance on new talent.

6. Critical mass
In the 70s and 80s most directors would go years between making a feature film. This is not good for developing your art and skills. During the 90s the Film institute and the companies managed to increase the number of yearly productions dramatically, due to their success - as they made more money and also managed to pressure the politicians into increasing the budget for the Film institute - to support the Danish Film Miracle. And it is necessary in the small country to have a substantial state support to carry the burden of risk, as a small country can't have major studios big money that allows for risk taking. Also the critical mass applies to the number of production companies, which increased throughout the 90s, both in numbers and in the number of 'continually producing companies'. The critical mass also has an impact on the audiences as they get used to going to the cinema to see a Danish film, they come to expect it, even to expect that a new Danish film has always just opened its run.

7. Mainstream and art
The famous division between art and mainstream is not so divisive in Denmark. Many films which could be considered art house material are just about mainstream enough to do well in box office. Also the institute support both types of films, as the philosophy is that the two oft-estranged cousins of cinema actually help each other out. Its all one big pot - if the companies make money on mainstream they are better situated to take a chance on art.

8. Dogma
There's no way around mentioning the event of Dogma-films. The stunt played a major role in re-inventing Danish cinema. It brought everything down to earth, back to basic, and maybe most importantly it made it possible to produce more films, as they were quite cheap, because the rules of the Dogma-manifesto decreed the absence of all the superfluous, expensive stuff like effects, lighting and so on. It became all about the story and the actors. The fundamentals. The general lesson here is to focus for a while on some core values of filmmaking that can inspire and propel forward a new generation of filmmakers.

9. Film, TV and theatre are connected.
In Denmark there is not a great division between the three, which means a lot of the same talent, especially actors, work in all three fields, but also to a great degree this goes for some directors and writers. This means several things. The talent are able to earn a living, because they have more options. They are more well-rounded in skills. And they can bring the experience in one field to enhance the others.

10. Lars von Trier
As with Dogma, its impossible not to mention Lars von Trier as a major influence for the blossoming of Danish Film. By his personal example, by his Dogma-initiative and by the activities of his hugely successful renegade company, Zentropa, led by famous pretend-maverick Peter Ålbæk (always sporting a big cigar) he has brought inspiration and helped open doors for other Danish filmmakers. No matter how you rate his films, there is no discussion that he has made a huge impact on the Danish film industry and his fellow filmmakers. And unlike Sweden, were Bergmann was a huge national symbol that almost blocked out anybody else (not intentionally of course) Lars von Triers personal success seems more generous for others, more like a catalyst, than an unreachable standard.

There are of course other reasons and circumstances. But these are the 10 most important in my opinion. Some of these are easily copied by other (small) nations, who wish to stimulate their film industry. And they should do so - because the smaller countries of Europe and around the world need to step up and challenge the hegemony of Hollywood. Smaller countries can't beat Hollywood at it's own game. The country and the film studios are just too big. The money too big. We can't compete with that. This is why they most look at different strategies. There should be a healthy competition. And USA and Hollywood became big by rigging the playing field in the post WW2 situation, where USA took its payment for the famous Marshall-help by forcing European countries to embrace the american industry. Pre-WW2 European films were dominant in europe. This all changed after the Marshall-plan had helped the war-torn countries back on their feet by force-feeding the American products. Read more!

Sunday recap: The End of Love

OK, so it's Sunday. And I'll begin a habit of recapping the week. Work, love-life and all the rest in between.

This week has been about my web presence. Getting the blog up and running. Tuning my applications for optimal browsing and stuff like that. Getting into the habit. And then it has been work. I'm reading two projects at the time being.

Constantine Giannaris' new film, which is so far titled "Welcome Aboard". I do a little experiment of surveying how that title sits with people by using a poll on this blog. Giannaris and I have been working on and off with the script since august 07. Before that he has worked with it for, what? 2-3 years I think. It's becoming more and more tight and it's a really good process. My role is as a collaborative consultant. It means I'm not really a writer, but also that I'm not 'just' a consultant. It's in between, with a lot of hands on and concrete, detailed suggestions to Giannaris, it's on all level of the process - discussing the major idea(s) propelling the story, incorporating the fruit of those discussion in detail - it's editing, trying to cut not-so-necessary stuff, re-arranging material for greater effect and so on.

And then a new project has landed on my desk. "The Mountain", which I have been invited to write for a Greek director, whose name I don't really remember yet - George or Yorgos something. The boss of Highway Filmproductions, Yorgos Lykardopoulos, tells me he is talented and has made a very good short film. They've had other scriptwriters on the project, but none of them have been satisfactory for the director. He is clear about the fact, that he doesn't want to write himself - which is good because it makes the rules of collaboration well defined. The idea is his and according to Lykardopoulos he is very flexible about it - maybe this is a problem. Sometimes, although its very rare, people are too flexible, which means it's very hard to find out what satisfy them, and so you can continue doing rewrites. Anyway, it's too soon to pass any judgments on this project. All I want to say now is: It's a kind of supernatural psychological thriller. I'm meeting the director in the coming week to find out what the core of his mountain-idea is. And if we can develop a working chemistry.

On the personal level the week hasn't been too bad, relatively. It is the first week after me and my girlfriend broke up (again - but this time it seems final). I catch myself almost sending her a sms to share a feeling or experience or thought and then I realize that we have broken up. I feel awful lonely at moments and miss her intensely. And she is very adamant of cutting the connection completely. I'm more a softy, who wouldn't mind a little ongoing post-break-up contact. Well, I try not to think about it too much. Last time we had a serious break up I was really in the deep end, where I constantly felt and thought about it, and was sure I would never find love again. That this was it. The end of love. I still feel like that, but I don't obsess about it. If it is the end of love, then I will accept it.


Read more!

David Mamet told me to make a workshop

Today I went to the office of Highway Filmproductions down in Psiri to finally set up and begin the workshop on scriptwriting. This has been in the pipeline for a long, long time. I really want to do it. As one of my old teachers said in a paraphrase of a Danish saying: "You learn as long as you have students". I like the interaction, the meeting of other writers, trying to focus and distillate my knowledge and experience in scriptwriting to help them overcome their challenges.
There are two long term ambitions of this project - to stimulate the Greek film industry, where the major weakness is the script - and to eventually write a book about scriptwriting. Personally I like only two of the many book I have read: Lajos Egri's "Dramatic Writing" and Syd Field's autobiography "Going to the movies" - no not really his books on scriptwriting - more this one, as it narrates his own experience of finding the building blocks of his 'system'. It is much more educational and exciting to read. Then I like the website called wordplay.
Essential is David Mamet. His book on acting is a must for any writer. The writer and the actor are intimately linked. Or, the better they are connected, the better for the drama (the film, the theater, the tv-series). The history of their relation goes all the way back to ancient Greek drama - which was a writer and a bunch of actors - no producers, no directors, no middlemen. And by the way, TV-series are gaining ground as the major format for contemporary drama, and I believe one of the reasons is exactly the intimate relation between writers and actors.
David Mamet also informed me of the fact that instead of keep looking for a mentor, we should become our own. And it was this which initially set me on to creating the workshop. Read more!