20 minute read
Film
24
FILM Ask a Prop Master: Discussing LA, Hollywood and that time Ryan Gosling saved a woman from being hit by a taxi
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by Liz Lane
“The stereotype of LA is true,” Sam tells me sleepily, as he tries to shake off the jet lag of being in London on LA time. “You’ll probably run into somebody famous.”
Samuel Cortez is a 32-year-old Prop Master living in California. His favourite film is Back to the Future and he’s a P. T. Anderson and Sam Rockwell fan. He’s been staying in London for a short while with his girlfriend. Before we start the interview, he downs a cup of tea.
“Tea? How long have you been in England?” I ask.
“I’ve been trained well,” he says.
We begin. So what exactly is a Prop Master?
“Overall, I have dominion over props,” Sam explains, “which is anything a character holds or manipulates. That means I work closely with production designers and art directors on the general aesthetic of the film. It’s very detailoriented in that manner. If I’m lucky enough, I’ll be able to fabricate props that cannot be found or bought easily.”
Recently, there’s been a shift in the entertainment industry. With the rise of streaming-services and the decline of in-person cinema, what does this mean for people like Sam?
“It’s a double-edged sword for the industry,” he says. “There is an insane amount of new services, which means there’s an insane amount of content, which means there’s an insane amount of jobs. The rise in channels, as well as coronavirus, put this weird dam on content creation and then once the restrictions lifted, there was just a flood of work which has not stopped since then.”
So what’s the downside?
“There’s a bunch of caveats that are there for every individual production. So a lot of people will find themselves working for less money and longer hours, being twisted and turned a little more than is normal.”
I have to ask about celebrities. Has Sam seen any about?
“You know Ryan Gosling?” he asks.
What – the star of La La Land and my flatmate’s dreams? Yes, I am familiar.
It turns out, Ryan Gosling is a ‘low-level superhero’. Sam plunges into anecdotes about how Gosling saved a woman from being hit by a taxi, stopped a street fight in New York and helped a broken-down vehicle get out of the road.
“Somebody got out of their convertible and ran over,” Sam recalls, smiling, “and I’m like – holy shit, that’s Ryan Gosling.”
Next, we talk about LA. Why does everyone there always seem so damn happy?
“So damn happy?” Sam echoes. “Oh, whoa. That’s a surprising perspective. For me, I think it can be kind of a bleak place. At least, emotionally. If people are happy and that’s the vibe they’re giving, I would say it’s mostly [because of] the weather.”
Does Sam think everyone secretly wants to be famous?
“I think that the westernised idea of success promotes that concept,” he says. “I think everyone everywhere kind of wants to be famous a little bit. One thing that’s expedited that is social media. You go to TikTok and you can be famous tomorrow. Everyone feels the whiff of that now.”
A lot of people originally went to California for the Gold Rush. What are people looking for when they go there now?
“For all the negative things you can say about LA, in my experience, any time I’ve ever wanted to create something, especially anything collaborative, I didn’t have to stretch my arms too far out before I grabbed somebody that was totally willing to participate. There’s something unique about that.”
Lastly, Sam’s been in the UK for a while now. Has he noticed anything strange about being here?
“I see a lot more similarities than I see differences. The same kind of economic and cultural expectations exist here too – take the American dream,” he says, “I do think that it exists here too – it’s just a westernised idea of success.”
His girlfriend has been listening in on the interview and is thinking. “Have you found the people here cold?” she asks him. “Compared to Americans?”
“No,” he laughs and he turns back to me. “Everyone’s been really fucking nice.”
Photo: Unsplash
by Elena Rodgers
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
25
Parasite made history when it won Best Picture at the Oscars. Not only was it the first subtitled film to do so but it was the first South Korean film to be nominated for an Academy Award. Parasite also took home Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best International Film. Only twelve foreign language films have been nominated for Best Picture in the 92 years of the Oscars, including Life is Beautiful, Crouching Tiger, and Hidden Dragon. However, Parasite is the only one to win in that category. In the director’s acceptance speech, Bong Joon-ho claimed, ‘Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.’ I could not agree more.
Bong Joon-ho’s comedy-thriller is but one in an endless number of films which might initially be overlooked because of ignorance, with the belief that subtitles are a hindrance rather than an advantage. When I first watched Parasite, I was in awe of the beautiful cinematography and the astute script which addresses the class disparity and social inequality in Korea, as well as the capitalistic world in which we live. The film brings to light issues which permeate modern society such as the economic and social order reenforced by staircases leading up to the wealthy and down to the destitute.
La Vie En Rose, another Oscar winner, recounts the tragic life of the infamous French singer Édith Piaf. Marion Cotillard emphasises Piaf’s passion whilst simultaneously highlighting her vulnerability in a performance which earned her the title of the first French actress to win an Oscar for a French-language film. However, Cyrano de Bergerac is my personal favourite: the English subtitles maintain the poetic rhyme of the original 1897 play by Edmund Rostand, emphasising the film’s attentiveness to detail. Gérard Depardieu’s portrayal of Cyrano in the 1990 film is extraordinary - he brings panache and a sincerity to the role which is essential to the flamboyant yet insecure character.
Love, loss and inequality are internationally recognised themes which resonate with us. Films have an innate power to capture our attention and alter the way we perceive life. The subtitles become irrelevant when we are hooked on a storyline, allowing us to expand our knowledge and understand the human experience.
There is still a long way to go in terms of the prevalence of international films, especially regarding western recognition. High profile awards, such as the Oscars, do not acknowledge international films, nor the actors within those films, as much as their western counterparts. Hopefully, Parasite will be the first of many to begin paving the way to wider recognition for international actors and films. When this occurs, one-inch subtitles will no longer be a barrier rather a bridge to ‘so many more amazing films.’
26 FILM
Shang-Chi : Review
by Caitlin Telford
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is one of Marvel’s latest releases amongst the many series and movies they have released this year. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the first stand-alone film in the MCU to feature an AsianAmerican superhero. The movie had amazing cinematography and fight scenes, which were a standout to me whilst watching the movie. I was also impressed by the exceptional performances from the cast.
Despite being an action movie, Shang-Chi tells a brief and authentic love story that can pull at your heartstrings. Shang-Chi’s love for his family and friends is what helps drive him down the road of self-discovery. As we follow this journey, we get a great sense of female empowerment in this film from his fearless sister, Xialing, and his friewnd, Katy. This empowerment is great to see from Marvel movies as it gives young girls a role model to look up to and to learn from, rather than being presented as the damsel in distress that ‘needs to be saved’ which is usually seen in action movies.
The film incorporates a combination of Chinese American culture. From material arts to traditional music, the director’s goal to make the movie more authentic to Asian culture is evident with a good portion of the movie being spoken in Mandarin with English subtitles.
In my opinion, this film appeals to all audiences. Many audiences may feel that they can connect to the ideas and traits detailed in the film. Shang-Chi has many positive attributes and values which can relate to everyday life. The movie’s central theme is to accept who you are.
Photo: Unsplash
Why Stardust is a Must-Watch
by Louise Collins
Stardust is one of those films that almost everyone has seen but it’s never at the forefront of people’s minds. We forget about it until something reminds us of it - then we’re hit with a wave of nostalgia, and such a strong love that we must rewatch it. For a while, it takes over our thoughts, and scenes plant themselves in our heads, bringing smiles to our faces. At least, that’s how it is for me.
Stardust is one of my all-time favourites. I used to watch it with my mam several times a year, and we’d beam as bright as Yvaine when the feelings begin to surface. We’d let the credits play and sing along to ‘Rule the World’ by Take That.
For those who’ve never seen it, and have no idea what I’m talking about, Stardust is about a young man called Tristan who vows to find a fallen star for his beloved. When he reaches the spot, the star is in a human form, and the two must travel the dangerous lands of Stormhold. What starts as disdain between Tristan and Yvaine grows to friendship, and maybe even more. The film also features seven brothers in a bloody battle to become the next King of Stormhold, and three witches seeking out immortality.
You might be thinking, “it sounds cheesy”. It is. But that’s the best part. It’s filled with so much magic and wonder that I’d be surprised if anyone finished it without a smile on their face. But it also has darkness – the witches cut out hearts of stars, the brothers murder each other, and one of them is turned into a voodoo doll – after all, it IS based on a Neil Gaiman book.
As I grow older, this film becomes so much more magical to me, especially now I’m in Norwich, which Stardust has its ties to. Parts of Stormhold were filmed in Norwich’s own Elm Hill, with The Slaughtered Prince – Stormhold’s public house – being The Briton’s Arms.
I will never not go feral when discussing this film. It’s one of the films I hold so close to my heart, and yet it’s rare to hear people talking about it. If you adore Stardust as I do, rewatch it and allow yourself to disappear into the magical world of Stormhold for two hours. If you haven’t seen it, get to it, you won’t be disappointed.
EDITOR: Laura Patterson
Adapting Narratives to the Small Screen
BY benjamin smith
Throughout history, we have been telling the same stories via different mediums. Religious teachings becoming masterpieces of portraiture, word-of-mouth stories whittled into wood or carved into stone as a visual version, novels into plays into films into television series into whatever other creative mediums await us in future. Adaptation allows for the reinvention of a story in a new light with changes made depending on who tells the story, with the core remaining the same. While it is called adaptation, transferring a story from one medium to another is almost like translating words from one language to another; you have to rephrase and accentuate details that are more visual and can be more easily expressed through action, movement and perspective, or less visual which are better expressed in poetic language and structure on a page. Never has an adaptation been completely accurate, detail-for-detail or word-for-word. Each artistic medium has its own area where it excels, but all also have areas where they lack, and some aspects have to be lost or gained in translation to make the story fit into the mould of the medium. Television, however similar to film, allows for longer narratives to be shown than film ever could. The episodic nature of TV shows allows for better pacing and development of the story, characters, and all other elements, when done well, purely because it has more space and time, not needing to be squeezed into a two hour-ish margin to hold audiences’ attention. Television also tends to be a medium well suited for more plot-driven narratives and smaller, intimate conflicts rather than large spectacles and dramatic action more commonly seen in feature-length films. Not every story is going to be best suited for the original medium they were produced in, and not every story will thrive in anything but their original medium. Take the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman, for example. It’s first literary installment, Northern Lights, achieved vast success when it was published in 1995, but the 2007 film adaptation - entitled The Golden Compass - was a financial dud (we won’t mention the video game adapted from the film). Then, the 2019 series on the BBC, His Dark Materials, allowed the magic of the books to successfully be recaptured on screen. The adaptation from novel to TV was the better choice for the narrative, due to the density of the novels, both in length and content, as well as the tales’ character development, which needs proper time and pacing to be explored. A TV adaptation also provides the adaptation with the opportunity for further seasons to adapt the other books in the trilogy, and their companion stories. The accessibility of TV also makes it highly suitable for adaptation, with large audiences being available to view from the comfort of home and minimal need for extra payments. However, like all forms of adaptation, things can go too far and get out of hand. Shows such as Game of Thrones and The Walking Dead started to stray away from their source material in their later seasons, and as a consequence the quality of the series started to decline, moving away from an adaptation, and into original content. With the development of fan favourites that can recur throughout a show and unique structural methods, adapting to television gives you a large expanse of space for new creative ideas to express stories in continually fresh and experimental artistic ways.
Photo: Unsplash
28 TV
Review: Sex Education - Season Three
By Sophie colley
*Trigger warning: sexual assault/ abortion Sex Education has been met with huge success and popularity from viewers since its premier in 2019, so it was hard to imagine the newest season could live up to this expectation. However, this is exactly what Season Three did.
Being a show which had already tackled a significant variety of hardhitting topics of contemporary interest including sexual assault and abortion, Sex Education has a name for presenting important subjects that are often not spoken about, and this trend continued throughout season three. Although entertaining, every episode could equally be a therapy session, constantly raising taboo topics that need to be addressed.
The season starts with Moordale High, the branded ‘sex school’, being introduced to the new head teacher Hope, who initially seems as though she only has intentions to help improve the school and ditch its unofficial branding. This quickly turns around when drastic changes to the school policies begin to target students who don’t fit into certain criteria. Caught up in all of this is a new addition to the show, Cal, a non-binary character who repeatedly clashes with Hope, when the Headteacher fails to understand why they will not wear the “correct” uniform. Once again, the show raises such an important topic, the issue of ignorance shown towards non-binary students in schools, and in a larger societal respect.
Alongside Cal’s storyline, season three also deals with IVF, divorce, sexuality, the lasting impact of sexual assault, and the trauma of childbirth; and that only scratches the surface of what the season is about. The show delicately and subtly teaches us a lesson in every single episode. The show validates questions and concerns every pubescent teenager will have in their life, poking fun and gently soothing all in one dramatic and quirky gesture. Having been picked up for a fourth season, I have high hopes for the Sex Education’s future!
The Emmy Awards: American TV’s Biggest Night!
BY benjamin smith
September 20th 2021 saw the biggest names from the small screen over the last year gather for one of the most prestigious entertainment award shows in the Western World, the Emmys. The 73rd edition of this ceremony saw many stars awarded for their work through some of the most trying recent times, and British talent was on full display! One of the most successful shows of recent years, The Crown, won big, snatching seven trophies, including ‘Best Drama’. The show also swept the 4 acting categories for serial drama, with Norwich native Olivia Colman winning ‘Best Actress, Drama’ for her performance as Queen Elizabeth II, as well as wins for Josh O’Connor in ‘Best Actor, Drama’ for portraying Prince Charles, Tobias Menzies in ‘Best Supporting Actor, Drama’ for portraying The Duke of Edinburgh, and Gillian Anderson in ‘Best Supporting Actress, Drama’ for chillingly portraying Margaret Thatcher.
Other notable British wins were for Michaela Coel in ‘Writing for a Limited Series, Movie or Drama Special’ for her sex, consent, and relationships drama I May Destroy You, the first time a black woman has won in this category; Kate Winslet in ‘Best Actress, Limited Series or TV Movie’ for her performance in the American Midwestern crime drama Mare of Easttown, and Ewan McGregor in ‘Best Actor, Limited Series or TV Movie’ for his performance as American stylist and fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick in Halston. Ted Lasso, a comedy about an American football coach hired to manage an English football team, won big in the Comedy awards section, winning four awards, including ‘Best Comedy’ and ‘Best Actor, Comedy’ for Jason Sudeikis’ portrayal of the show’s eponymous character.
While there was much to celebrate there were several drawbacks to the evening. For example, though a record number of people of colour were nominated in the acting categories, (including Mj Rodriguez being the first transgender performer to be nominated in a lead acting category for her work in Pose), none walked away with an award, a decline from four POC winners the previous year.
This means that, though recent years have seen progression in racial diversity of nominees, the recognition of the talents and work of POCs as the best in the highly politicised entertainment industry still needs to be cracked wide open, and to include more Asian, Latino, and other minority demographics in mainstream entertainment that award shows like the Emmys celebrate.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
TV
29 Feature: Norfolk Screen Talks: Writing Comedy For TV By Laura Patterson
As an avid comedy-watcher for as long as I can remember, I was keen to attend an online talk on Writing Comedy For TV, hosted by Norfolk Screen Talks on September 22nd. Professor Brett Mills was fantastic chairing this downto-earth panel of writers: Laurence Rickard (Actor, Co-Creator for Ghosts, Horrible Histories, Bill and Yonderland), Helen Serafinowicz (Co-Creator and Scriptwriter for Motherland), and Phoebe Walsh (Actress and Writer for Ted Lasso and Four Weddings and a Funeral). Being a third-year student who is uncertain of my future after graduation, it was comforting to hear the wins and losses of each writer in their career, as well as the turning points that kept them writing and creating. For Laurence, it was a few silly sketches he made with his friend one summer after graduating, catching his ‘big break’ sending his work over to Channel 4. Helen spoke of the personal writing she did when she had children, which she was able to pitch later to producers, creating Motherland. She emphasised the importance of writing everything down – even a small anecdote. Phoebe talked of how good university is for meeting like-minded people, but she also discussed how far you can go if you stop comparing yourself to others and concentrate on your own talent and skill. It was fascinating to hear the challenges each writer has at the early stages of their writing. The content needs to be funny, but it must also have an interesting character development and arc throughout the series. All the writers spoke of the extensive group discussions they would have in preparation, throwing gags and quotes onto whiteboards and post-it notes. This is where their ideas would evolve and be tied together, allowing them to have fun later in the writing stage. Laurence expressed how there were benefits to writing independently, but he was grateful to have all the “eyes and minds” of his team to polish off his thoughts and make them a reality. The panel also mused over what makes writing funny in the first place. Of course, there is some science and formulae to it, using well-known structures and techniques to make an audience laugh on demand, but they recognised that the best jokes were actually the irrational ones. Phoebe emphasised how following this ‘gut’ feeling is integral to comedic writing. In the editing stage, Laurence reflected on how easy it is to second guess the funniness of a joke when the screenplay has been read over and re-drafted multiple times. He assured his listeners to have faith in your past self as a writer. Helen added on saying it also takes great discipline to ‘let go’ of the bits that don’t sit well, even if you’re very attached to them. Good comic writing is also intertwined with drama and emotion. The characters in these successful shows feel real because they have heart to them. Phoebe spoke beautifully of how her writing in Ted Lasso tries to emulate the truth of life - it includes the highs and lows and a balance between comedy and pathos. The sole aim of writing in general is to move your audience in one way or another. I certainly felt moved and entertained listening to the wise words and wit of these talented writers. TV Comedy has always filled our screens with joy and delight for the comforts of our home - it was great for these creators to share the secrets of their scriptwriting and to keep on inspiring up-and-comers like myself.
Photo: Unsplash
EDITOR: Benjamin Smith
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JAMES BOND NIGHT
