Post 22

By Darrell J Banks

CR 2014

5,783 plus members of the AMPAS,   (Academy of Motion Picture and Sciences.) To become a member requires and invite or according to wiki a nomination, members are not known.

 Although a few have posted their pics up. (four)

Well so out of 7.147 billion people on earth a 00000 percentage (you do the math) determines what the best film for the rest of us is. Ugh.   If you didn't know it already, film has been created and marketed for males; USA males mainly. It appears we in North America like to emulate our perspective on war films, comic films even the feminine dramas such as Saving Mr. Banks and Blue Jasmine. Yes, even when the camera remains focused on the suave beauty of both stars they remained fixed, as the sistas would say on some man. Which is somewhat interesting if you are a woman or minority director, screenwriter or actor.  I mean if the greatest of us must remain fixed on a dead father or husband what we can create that will garner any award let alone an Oscar (tm). Furthermore, it means you are might be limited in what genres, topics, subjects or even budget your future project might envision.  If your goal like mine is to own one of those gold plated statutes with your name etched on it, you might want to consider what project you want to pursue in the next decade. 

 Projects -

Recently I got an email from a screenwriting group that suggested you write a log line before you prepare an outline of your script, let alone write 120 pages. You know what a line is and a log. So what exactly is a log line? Well like what you use to be a phone message it is best short and sweet.  A phone message pad had the name of the caller, the number and what the caller wanted from you.  What do studios really want?  Well if we consider two Oscar contenders.  A log line/ phone message especially an Oscar log line should be sweet and simple. Example- Saving Mr. Banks- Caller (protagonist) Emma Thompson) wants a great drama about her father, represented by her Aunt Mary Poppins. What does she want redemption for her personal failure to save her father?

Example- Blue Jasmine- (protagonist Cate Blanchett) wants to retain her sanity, from the memories of an abusive dead husband (Alec Baldwin).   What does she want acceptance and love from those who do not care about her? 

Maybe if you can come up with the right “message” you too can become a member of the AMPAS. (The acronym reminds me of the Willy Wonka song) For that, song read tomorrows post.