Movie Franchises Done Right

Avengers: Infinity War is the culmination of a decade of films, with probably a hundred-or-so Characters from all across the universe. Chances are, it’s going to break box office records, and join the likes of Toy Story 3, Fast & Furious Seven and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in the billion-dollar club.

What do these four movies have in common? They’re the conclusion to long-running franchises, and the end of the story for Characters that audiences will have grown up with. We have watched these Characters grow- Captain America, Buzz Lightyear, Harry Potter, Brian O’Conner- and evolve as they face the events from multiple stories. Each time, they learn something new, they experience loss, their appearances change. As we grow up, so do they.

Time And Care Pay Off

Harry Potter was always going to have an end, and judging by the success of the books, it was always going to be a hit at the box office.

J. K. Rowling and Warner Brothers worked hard to tell eight excellent movies, and every time it paid off. They could have been unremarkable films and made decent money, but the creators put in the effort to make an exceptional product, and this series will be remembered forever.

When Pixar started out, Toy Story was a huge gamble but it paid off. A few years later, Disney announced a sequel going straight to DVD. The studio wrestled back control, told a story worth telling and the results spoke for themselves- it helped Pixar become the animation powerhouse it is today. Years later, they decided to end the Toy Story franchise and take their care making a perfect ending. It grossed over a billion dollars and was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

Developing Organically

Marvel Studios risked everything with Iron Man, and it paid off. They slowly started introducing Characters like Thor and Captain America, letting audiences get to know them. Four years after Iron Man, Marvel released The Avengers and it became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time.

The studio continued the pattern- introducing more Characters to a movie at a time, then bringing them all together. Each time, the box office improved. Some were more successful than others, but audiences got to know Characters as they appeared more often.

The Fast and The Furious started off as a generic car-racing movie. It limped on for a few more installments with different characters, never quite capturing the magic of the original. Then the studio decided to change gears, hire a new director, and crucially bring back Characters from the first four movies. Somehow, this worked and with every new Fast and Furious movie, featuring Characters that now had a chance to develop, the movies became more successful.

When you have a plan, and it shows that you really care about these Characters, it pays off. It doesn’t matter if you planned it all out from the beginning, or it happened organically and you maintained the quality of each sequel. When you realize you have something special that people connect with and you work hard to nurture these Characters, the aforementioned examples prove that it will often result in success.

Forcing It

The previous examples, across multiple movies, make you care about their characters and developed a rich, ongoing story. Yes, even The Fast and The Furious did this. They all took their time to build a universe and didn’t rush their storytelling.

However, they are the exception to the rule. More often than not, in the case of Avengers and Harry Potter, competitors thought in the short-term and wanted what these franchises had worked long and hard to achieve. They wanted the same success in a much shorter space of time, and it didn’t work out for them.

DC Comics

DC, the comics studio that owns beloved Characters like Superman and Batman, altered their plans after the Superman movie Man of Steel and released 3 films in the space of fewer than 2 years. This enabled them to release Justice League, their own equivalent of The Avengers. When they finally released Justice League, a team of 6 heroes, we were introduced to half of the team for the first time. They lacked Character development, and they had no chemistry as a group.

Wonder Woman is the only fleshed-out Character of the Justice League. Audiences responded well to her solo movie, released several months before. It was a huge hit and the most financially successful DC movie. But Justice League made less money than any other DC film before it. A movie featuring Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman together was less successful than Marvel movies featuring superheroes most people had never heard of.

Young Adult Series

After the Harry Potter series, movie studios were desperate to copy its success. They bought the rights to many Young Adult book series and rushed them into production. But The Hunger Games and Twilight, whilst successful, completed their series in less than a decade, and each successive installment made less money than the previous one.

Rather than learn from these popular franchises, rivals wanted to copy them exactly, and put less time and effort into them. Even if they were relatively successful, their attempts have less of a life beyond the opening weekend. Audiences stop talking about their movies pretty soon after the credits roll.

What Writers Can Learn From Franchises

People cry out about “the death of Hollywood”, and how sequels and comic book movies are ruining Cinema. In fact, Franchises, if done right, present a wonderful opportunity for writers.

They are able to take their time developing Character arcs and storylines. Franchises that take their time and spread themselves out end up being more like long-form Television series.

Our culture has changed, and Television has become the storytelling medium of choice. Some stories can be told in 2 hours or less, but some need longer. They can connect with audiences for longer, and don’t need to rush things. Shows like The Wire and Breaking Bad have captured the public imagination and remain talked about to this day.

In certain circumstances, if properties are going to create multiple installments of their movie franchise, then they might as well treat them like long-form television. The four successful examples prove that this is one of the best ways forward, as Hollywood relies more and more on expensive blockbuster franchises.

Crisis of Faith

There are plenty of movies like Silence, The Last Temptation of Christ and Noah that tackle characters experiencing a Crisis of Faith. They work because they address something most of us will face in our lifetime, whether or not you are religious. We all face cliff-edges in our life, and can either stay where we are, or take a Leap of Faith.

Characters like Noah (Russell Crowe), Jesus (Willem Dafoe) and Father Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) find that an event comes along with makes them question everything they thought they knew- in this case, their relationship with their God.

However, these examples are either fictional, biblical or historical. In the last few years, a brilliant TV series has shown a man of God in the modern world. This man faces constant Crisis of Faith, but when he overcomes his doubts, he is a better person for doing so.

Rev.

This BBC sitcom starring Tom Hollander depicts the Reverend Adam Smallbone (Hollander), married to an ambitious and talented solicitor, Alex (Olivia Colman). Despite reluctance from Alex, they leave their cushy country parish in a well-to-do area to go and run a parish in one of London’s poorest areas.

His best friend is an alcoholic homeless parishioner he shares beer and cigarette breaks with. His family is harassed by a clueless drug addict who is always trying to scam them.

Adam faces constant threats of his church closing down, a faith school that has little to do with its parish, and the bureaucracy of the Church of England. Adam, not only experiences challenges on a daily basis that make him feel as though his church is irrelevant.  The strain it puts on his marriage and the kinds of tragedies he witnesses within inner-city London make him also question whether he truly believes in God.

We always hear him talking to God throughout the show’s quieter moments, but he’s always wondering if God is listening to him.

Empathy

Rev. works so well because our lead character, who preaches the word of God, is just as flawed as the rest of us are, regardless of our faith. Everyone who believes in some sort of God places their love and trust in this faith. It is only natural they would doubt themselves, and feel all sorts of emotions if something terrible happens. If their faith is not rewarded when they feel they need intervention, they can feel abandoned.

Despite preaching the word of God, Adam struggles on a daily basis as he attempts to hold together his marriage, his community, and his church. At one point, he seriously considers abandoning his faith forever. If you want to know whether or not he takes the Leap of Faith required to keep everything he holds dear, you’ll have to watch the show!

Leap of Faith

I often talk about Characters having to take a Leap of Faith detailed more thoroughly in my Character Map eBook and available in my online store. It takes courage to overcome the leap in the face of our fears. Characters will go on a journey throughout a novel, or a film, or a TV series, to discover what they want vs. what they really need. And if they have the courage to live an authentic life. By the end of their journey, they face a choice– to live in fear or to live in faith.

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Faith, Belief, and Religion

Taking a respite from the usual format for Types Tuesday, as I found this brilliant video essay and just had to share it.

Faith and Belief are unique to every person, whether they are religious, spiritual, agnostic or atheist. It is a universal struggle, whoever you are, and it is something so nuanced that it can make for excellent drama, and create rich, empathetic conflicts for your Characters. It makes for such interesting and engaging stories.

Video Essay

I’ll discuss this in a little more detail on Thursday, but for now, I hope this video essay, by 21st Century Cinephile on Youtube, gives you something to think about:

Let’s say a powerful older male judge on an important talent show demanded to kiss a shy young woman on national television BEFORE judging her performance.  She refused and he insisted, pulling the young woman close and kissing her without her consent.

Wouldn’t the #MeToo and #TimesUP internet be enraged, asking that he be booted off the show or severely punished? There was some viewer push back on Twitter but not nearly enough.

Inappropriate pressure was applied to 19-year-old American Idol contestant Benjamin Glaze. He told the judging panel he had never kissed a girl. Katy Perry motioned for him to give her a peck on the cheek — only to turn her face at the last second and kiss him full on the lips. Then she demanded a “smacking” sound from him.

Glaze staggered in surprise.  The other judges, Luke Bryan and Lionel Richie howled with laughter and gave Perry high-fives. Glaze was rattled before his performance.  He said he was uncomfortable because he wanted to save his first kiss for his first relationship.

American Idol and Katy Perry insisted it was all in good fun. But that’s what inappropriate men have been saying to women for years. #MeToo applies to men. I don’t care how Glaze or the show has backpedaled, saying it all turned out okay. Pressure much? I don’t care how important or attractive the celebrity is- no thanks means no.

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Three million years ago, a 3-year-old child strayed too far away from its tribe. A predator grabbed the 25-pound toddler and, near the opening to an underground cave. feasted on its human snack.  Stray scraps fell into the limestone cavern below.

Other hominids, dragged into caves by big cats or falling into grass-covered hidden holes, make South Africa’s caves the world’s greatest source of early human fossils. About 900 important fossilized bones have been discovered in the 180 square miles of grassland and caves known as the Cradle of Humankind. Scientists have identified at least four human-like species in addition to Homo sapiens—us. These humans and pre-humans lived in the area at various times over 3.5 million years.

The story these fossils tell is that we,  Homo sapiens, of all types, are more alike than we are different and that we all started in Africa. It’s a powerful lesson for today’s divisive times

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I’m in South Africa for a few weeks, and am involved with The Pitch South Africa, an expansion of the “Enter The Pitch” competition that I’ve been involved in for many years now.

I’ve been working with some incredible South African filmmakers, and I’m so inspired by the talent of the finalists both here in South Africa, and back in the UK where this year is going to be the 15th anniversary of Enter The Pitch!

I wanted to share with you our 6 brilliant finalists, pitching their short films based on, or inspired by, The Bible. See what you can take from their pitches for any pitches you might have to make going forward.

We’ll be announcing the winner soon, and I’ll make sure to announce it in an upcoming post.

Relevé

Language of Love

No Where To Run

Black Jackets

The Second

Today

Each Character Type has unique flaws that can drag them down, and can be overcome to create a satisfying story – Protagonist has a problem, their traits make things more difficult, they overcome those character traits to resolve their conflict, etc.

But what if your character tries to redeem themselves and fails so many times in ways that are harmful to others, that they can never truly be redeemed? To examine this, we’ll be looking at the Netflix adult animation Bojack Horseman. Be advised that MAJOR SPOILERS follow for all four seasons of the show.

Bojack Horseman (voiced by Will Arnett) is Power of Ambition, but the front that he puts on is so typically Power of Excitement that it is initially hard to determine which type he is. His party-loving ways seem like Power of Excitement behaviour, but deep down all his wants is to be liked, and to be successful again.

Bojack is a washed-up actor famed for his role on a network family sitcom back in the 90’s. Now he just drinks and makes the lives of those around him- agent Princess Carolyn (Amy Sedaris), rival Mister Peanutbutter (Paul F. Tompkins), roommate Todd (Aaron Paul) and biographer Diane Nguyen (Alison Brie)- a living hell. Bojack is aware of his deep insecurities and reckless behaviour and manages to ruin the constant shots at redemption that come his way.

Many characters that seem irredeemable never actually try to fix themselves. But Bojack has attempted on multiple occasions to get his life back on track, even abandon Hollywood and live a quiet life, but every time he tries this it ends in disaster and he returns to his miserable bachelor pad near the Hollywood sign.

Most notably he tries to seduce the underage daughter on a woman he once loved, and in a later season, he upsets a man who fixes up Bojack’s decrepit country house while mourning the death of his wife. Even his shots at rehabilitation and growth end in disaster. At some point, an audience must realise that no matter what, a character will never truly change.

Bojack discovers he has a sister, a young woman in his life that he has neglected up until that revelation. It seems like he has found someone to care for, and who may be a positive influence on him, but the viewer is left knowing that inevitably Bojack will destroy the relationship in some unforgivable way.

There are only so many times he can get himself clean of drugs and alcohol, and claim to be thinking of anyone but himself. He is a self-loathing narcissist who may experience profound revelations but never acts on them, and likely never will.

I cannot think of another show willing to show a character is such a self-destructive cycle, especially because the rug is always pulled from underneath our feet. Bojack may never change, but even though he tries- and effort should be commended- he is arguably worse than those that never try.

They may have a shot at redemption, but unwillingness holds them back. Bojack is willing to try, but he is his own worst enemy, and perhaps is truly irredeemable. I’d like to see more writers taking such a risk with their characters, especially ones as amusing as Bojack Horseman.

Irvin B Charne

Irvin B. Charne was a quiet man of modest nature, with a love of music and a dedication to the law.

The son of a tailor turned corner grocer, he grew up in the three-room apartment behind his father’s store and went on to carve out a distinguished career as an attorney.

Along the way he served his country, inspired his children and swung sweetly enough on the clarinet to play in college dance bands, including one called the Campus Cats.

Irvin B Charne died last week after a long illness. He was 95.

Perhaps best known for his work as one of the attorneys representing children in litigation that desegregated Milwaukee Public Schools in the 1970s, Charne was a widely respected lawyer who practiced in a variety of areas.

Among other cases, Charne won equal pay for a group of female brewery workers and handled the complicated liquidation of an insurance company.

The U.S. Supreme Court appointed him to represent a man challenging Wisconsin’s sex crimes law, and following Charne’s argument the court ordered a new hearing for the man.

In 1976, Federal Judge John Reynolds appointed Charne to serve as co-counsel with Lloyd Barbee in the longstanding case over segregation in Milwaukee schools.

A court-approved settlement calling for sweeping measures to desegregate the schools was reached in 1979. A few years later, Charne was representing Milwaukee Public Schools in a legal challenge to suburban districts — a case that led to a settlement providing for the transfer of students between the city and suburbs.

A 1978 Milwaukee Journal article said Charne enjoyed a reputation as “a thorough and shrewd legal strategist” and as “one of Milwaukee’s finest trial lawyers.”

His colleagues felt likewise. In 1999, Charne received the Professionalism Award from the American Inns of Court for the Seventh Circuit, an honor given annually “to a lawyer or judge whose life and practice display sterling character and unquestioned integrity, coupled with ongoing dedication to the highest standards of the legal profession and the rule of law.”

Charne was born in Milwaukee in 1922. By the time he was 7, his parents were running a small grocery store in Riverwest, at the corner of N. Weil and E. Wright streets.

Charne graduated from East Division (Riverside) High School and had begun college when his reserve unit was called to active duty and he was sent to Attu, in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands.

“I rose to private first class,” Charne later told a Milwaukee Journal reporter.

It was a characteristically humble remark.

“He was very quiet,” said his son James. “He was a very modest person.”

After the war ended, Charne’s unit was stationed in California, and Charne, a fan of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington and Count Basie, was assigned to a band that included many professional musicians.

“Playing with them,” he later wrote, “was my best military experience.”

After his discharge, Charne returned to college. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Wisconsin Law School and, in 1951, entered private practice.

James Charne said his father stressed that the most important goal of a professional such as an attorney should be providing service, not making money.

“And if you do a good job and you provide service, then the rest takes care of itself,” James said, quoting his father. “He felt very strongly about that.”

James Charne said his parents, rather than trying to impose their own viewpoint, always supported him and his brother, David, in their life choices.

Those choices led David, who died in 2005, to an unusual dual career as a lawyer and an entertainer who worked as a magician, clown, juggler, comedian, mime, actor and director.

James, meanwhile, became a music executive and, ultimately, an attorney specializing in intellectual property, technology and entertainment. He said his parents’ willingness to let him follow his own interests was “maybe the most wonderful gift that both of them gave me.”

Surviving Irvin B Charne is his wife of 71 years, Merla; his son James; and a sister, Anita Laufer. Services were held Monday.

Here is what his son, my husband had to say:

My father, Irvin B Charne was laid to rest today in Milwaukee. As we sat in the front row of the sanctuary at the synagogue he helped build, staring at the simple unfinished wooden casket (Jews do not have open casket funerals), my mother rightly commented that my dad was not the remains resting in the casket laid before us, but rather the large crowd of friends, family, and colleagues who had been inspired to honor his memory and his work by attending this farewell –despite terrible Wisconsin winter weather.

It had originally been my decision not to speak at the funeral — but the rabbi encouraged me to reconsider. Both he and his father knew my father well, for decades. He could speak about my father’s contributions to the community and to the congregation — but, he suggested, I could add personal reflections to make the proceeding richer.

So .. last night, my fingers went tapping away.

This was my eulogy delivered today:

“I’m here to talk about my father. But it is impossible to talk about him without including my mother. They were a team. United. Together. For 71 years.

“When I came upon the scene, my father was a young lawyer busy building a law practice. But he was always ready to step forward when help was needed. Like when he carved out time to become pack master of my Lake Bluff School cub scout troop. Or became involved in the North Shore YMCA because in 7th grade I was a member with many of my school friends of Junior Hi-Y lunch club.

“That willingness to get involved was a trait we saw throughout his life and career.

“My father was a strong leader — but his style was to lead quietly and by example. No shouting. No orders. No negativity. No demands. He believed strength came from one’s values and beliefs …. And then quietly acting on them. In doing so, he set an example that I have tried to emulate in my own personal and professional life.

“My father and my mother, together, always encouraged me and my brother to find and then follow our passions; “to take the leap of faith” as my wonderful wife, Laurie, would say. Even if those passions were not their passions. They never gave orders. Never told us what we must do.

“My father and my mother both understood you can not order love, trust, and respect; it must be inspired.

“The love and support they gave extended beyond our immediate household to all of our extended family. My parents were always in the background, but always there with unconditional encouragement, and support, with advice only when solicited.

“My father and my mother encouraged my brother and me to follow our own paths, pursue our own interests, discover our own passions. In the end, we both did so, taking widely divergent paths, but finding happiness and satisfaction in our choices.

“My father lives on in the hearts of my mother, his children, family, friends, and colleagues. Living his beliefs and quietly acting on them permitted him to leave his mark on the world.

“Serving as wonderful role models permitted my father and my mother to leave their mark on my brother and on me.

“My life is infinitely richer because of that.

“I could not have received a greater gift.”

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I gained a bit of weight over the holidays.  I spend way too much time on FaceBook and the Apple News App.  It’s depressing. And I am an emotional eater. So I bought a Learn French Program, Rosetta Stone, and I do a French lesson when I need a bit of distraction.  No more checking Social Media obsessively. The French lessons are divided into bite-sized pieces, games, and word matching. It’s a more productive way to spend time.

Although I’ve always wanted to learn French, that’s not really the point. I want to emulate the svelte stylish French women I see in Paris (a cousin is one of them).  I do the lessons mostly to remind myself daily of the best self I aspire to be. It makes me happy instead of depressed. I am not emotionally eating and I am losing weight.

You might want to try it– not the French lessons– but something that reminds you to be your best self.  It might be daily, prayer, meditation, sketching, a craft, or a walk in the park. Incrementally, bit by bit you can become the best version of who you are!

Super Size Me is the major problem of American adaptations of content originating elsewhere.  The wonderful Austrailian series, The Slap is a good example.

In the original series, a conglomeration of friends and relatives are bonded as family.  They come together for Hector’s 40th birthday.

A young overindulged child, Hugo, is insufferable during the day, ruining other’s toys and finally swinging a cricket bat at another child’s head.

Harry (not the child’s father) picks Hugo up and when Hugo kicks him, Harry slaps the boy. Rosie, Hugo’s mom, goes ballistic. The aftermath of the slap tears the family apart.

In the original, Hector is a low-level city administrator, stalled in his job. He’s feeling his age and fantasizes about their young babysitter.  In the American version, he upgraded to architect and city planner, but still idealizes the babysitter.

His wife, Aisha, is a veterinarian with a small practice.  In the American version, she is promoted to a medical doctor and head of a successful clinic.

Rosie, Hugo’s mom, is a stay at home hippy mom and lives in a ramshackle home with husband, Garry, a failed artist/painter working as a laborer. In the American version, she lives in an artistically expensive bohemian home with husband, Garry a successful well-known artist/painter.

Hector, in the Australian version, is a mechanic and car salesman. He is the slapper. In the American version, he is a rare auto dealer.

It is as if American writers and showrunners believe conflict is intensified and the dramatic stakes are raised if the characters are high-status individuals. The American version flopped while the Australian version garnered a variety of awards, deservedly so.

All you need to know about the Super Size Me phenomena is the American remake of  Los Misterios de Laura, The Mysteries of Laura.  In the South American series, the heroine is a frumpy middle-aged Columbo-like female detective called Laura Pero (Laura the Hound). In the American series she is played by a glamorous, Debra Messing named Laura Diamond. In one episode, the slender curvaceous Messing swims in a $1300 bathing suit at a spa she is surveilling.

My advice to American Broadcasters is “get real” and stop Super Sizing. It doesn’t improve the story and in most cases ruins it!