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Sequelophobia

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In July of last year, the news about Finding Nemo 2 was leaked, and this is the post I put up in response:

As soon as it was announced that Andrew Stanton would be directing a “Finding Nemo 2”, a storm of protests erupted around the internet. While I am not quite as excited about sequels as I am about new product, I am in no position to judge, and I’m not in agreement with those who rant on the topic. I can understand how it is for Pixar. When you have hundreds of people depending on the company for their income, not to mention stockholders, it’s a very intense pressure to produce money makers. They have built up a stable of beloved characters, and audiences will come back to see them. That’s money just waiting to be made. The whining of the fanboys is a squeak in the distance. They will go to the movie anyway.

As far as upcoming films from Pixar, I am only aware of Monster University, an unnamed dinosaur film, and Finding Nemo 2. (Newt was canned, from what I hear.) Then counting the last 4 movies, Toy Story 3, Cars 2, Brave and Up, that puts them at 4 sequels and 3 originals. Yes, that seems like too many. If the Cars 2 sequel hadn’t been so bad, I would be more confident. And it is rather soon to announce Stanton’s new project so quickly after the disappointment of John Carter. Was Finding Nemo 2 already in development? Or is this a rush job to get him back to work quickly? I think Pixar has set the bar so high for themselves, it’s extremely difficult for them to take risks on fresh talent and ideas. From what I’ve heard, they are having a crisis in developing new directors.

Andrew Stanton directed my two favorite Pixar films, Finding Nemo and Wall-E. For me, Finding Nemo was an instant classic, and I will go to the 3D release this summer. But the characters were so tailored to the story, imagining them in something else is hard to do. Their adventure was so powerful, and took them so far out of their “safety zone” trying to match it will feel like expecting the same miracle twice. It just loses credibility. In contrast, consider “The Incredibles”. Superheroes are expected to follow up one crazy challenge with another. Nobody is complaining about Batman sequels. Of any Pixar property, we should have an Incredibles 2.

Another reason I’m not too bothered by sequels is this. I obviously like comedy, and comedy is far friendlier to extended development than drama. Most comedians have a character they are known for, and that is what draws the audience. Even though Jack Black plays a new character in every movie, it really is just Jack Black in a new situation. Comedians can develop with each experience. And audiences are more receptive to characters they know already.

Then there is what I would call a “cult” of originality. Creating something totally original is damn near impossible. Virtually every artistic creation is a development of something that came before. And those that are radically different have a hell of a time being accepted. Most Pixar lovers would not care for something radically different. The complainers want new, but not different.

It is extremely rare for me to quote the Bible, but here you go…

Ecclesiastes 1:9
What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

The “Art” isn’t in creating something new, but in creating a fresh experience of the same things people already like.

Animated Acting: Make an entrance!

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I teach animation at the Academy of Art University, and one common mistake I see students make is this. The scene opens with a person in a relaxed standing position. Then they start “acting” with some arm gestures. It’s as though they are waiting for the director to say “action!”

I tell them the audience is gathering an impression from the very first frame, and it’s great if the character is already clearly in some state of thought or action. If you are just doing a single shot, imagine there was a scene before, and we are cutting on action to your scene.

That little tip leads me to a larger topic. That of how a character enters a scene. A great entrance will immediate capture an audiences attention. Charlie Chaplin worked at making interesting entrances. Here, the actor Rowan Atkinson explains why:

Chaplin so took over a picture, he seemed to always be center screen, or entering or exiting in some eyecatching manner. Entrances and exits are a special aspect of physical comedy, worthy of great thought, but Chaplin also did this for a different reason: editing. Sennett would often edit out any material he didn’t care for, and this angered Charlie. But Sennett had to leave in the entrances and exits. By embedding good stuff in those moments, Chaplin was assured of quality screen time.

Sennett was editing out what he didn’t care for, and audiences will do the same, essentially forgetting those moments.  So Chaplin used that knowledge to make sure his time on stage was as effective as possible.  He could make a great entrance, then slow down a little maintain the integrity of the performance.

Of course we don’t have to do great entrances to keep from being thrown on the cutting room floor.  But it is a way of not being boring.  It’s a way to get the audience immediately excited.

While comedians and animated characters can put a lot of energy into entrances normal actors also want to know why they are entering a space.  Here is a 4 minute video about entrances and exits from a writers point of view.  As a film maker, you are the director, and this is worth watching.

Now back to energetic characters trying to grab the spotlight.  In the TV series Seinfeld, Cosmo Kramer made a trademark of barging into Jerry’s apartment without knocking.  Here is a montage of Kramer’s entrances.

Entrances are more than just coming in through a door.  Any time a film begins, the first scene is essentially the entrance.  One way of making this entertaining is a camera reveal of the situation.  In some of Popeye’s earliest shorts, we would first see him in close up, bobbing up and down like a sailor, with the rain pouring down.  He would be in a heroic pose:

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As the camera pulls back, we see the real situation.

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The Three Stooges had some great entrances.  Here is one of my favorites from “No Census, No Feeling” which starts at :24. While it looks like stuntmen were used, they matched the action over the cut very nicely.

One group that has taken entrances very seriously are professional wrestlers. They are all showmen.  A youtube search for “entrances” will show numerous compilations of them. I was impressed with this particular fighter’s entrances, which are very theatrical.