Spotlight – Volume #01
Sure, newsletter is made to be send via e-mail, but we decided to publish (with delay) it on our website as well. That being said, let's get right back to the business!
This Week's Curated Articles
Life in a Production Office: A Filmmaker's Survival Guide
To put it out in the open – the people behind the Spotlight are all production department – and this article is an interesting probe into the life of a Production Office in the US (the author of it is NYC based). So for all of you who are curious what might be different from our own experiences, or you thinking about moving to the US, or about to get into the production – we think this is the article to read.
The 20 Best Books on TV Writing
There are countless books on writing. A shitload of books on TV writing. And we know you can't possibly read them all. Even the best 20 is too much. So we took it upon ourselves to recommend only 3 – Story by R. McKee, Adventures in the Screen Trade by W. Goldman and On Writing by S. King.
Best Book-to-TV adaptations
You can find 17 Books-to-TV adaptations in the article, and these are the ones we're most excited about:
- Bridgeton (Netflix) because we're interested in Shonda's Netlix debut
- Lovecraft Country (HBO) because JJ Abrams and Jordan Peele
- The Stand (CBS) because we love post-apocalyptic books, movies and TV Shows, and it's fuckin' Stephen King!
From the Archives
Best Filmmaking Software and Tools
Like it or not, the pen and paper are no longer enough. Though we highly recommend keeping a notebook and pen with you at all times! Studio Binder put together quite a list of recommended apps and tools to use, divided into 14 categories. We bet you will find some new additions to your phone, laptop or tablet.
What's happening in Czech Republic
Carnival Row Finished filming in Czech Republic
Amazon Studios and their Victorian fantasy world wrapped up filming of season two. More than 900 people were involved and only 10 % of them were foreign crew members. Erik Oleson, the season two showrunner, had nothing than praise for Czech craftspeople:
The craftsmanship of our Czech crew is second to none, among the best I have ever seen in 30-plus years in the business.
Now, as you all probably heard or read, on Friday, August 28, Chadwick Boseman passed away after four long years of battling cancer. We would like to take a moment and appreciate his fighting spirit, and modesty, because he never publicly announced the illness and yet he managed to make several movies despite his condition.
Roundtables, interviews and other
Actor's Roundtable: Chadwick Boseman, Timothée Chalamet, Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Hugh Jackman and Richard E. Grant
We love Roundtables, no question about that. Such talents put together in one room, talking about the very thing we love – filmmaking. In this episode, actors talk about confidence, choosing roles, making a living in the beginnings and also about all the other work that goes into being an actor, and it isn't acting.
Would you rather read the transcript than watch the roundtable?
This Week's Recommendation
42 (2013) – The Story of Jackie Robinson
Boseman's passing made us think back to his breakout role – playing Jackie Robinson in a movie titled 42 (2013). What a sad coincidence that Boseman passed away on MLB Jackie Robinson Day 2020 when every player of Major League Baseball wears a jersey with no name and only 42 on their back.
Jiří is a big fan of sports movie because he devoted more than half of his life to sports. Sad truth is that there aren't so many sports movies worth watching. But this one is an exception because the movie isn't only about sport.
It's about the bravery of a few people going against the flow, envisioning a better world. It's about the first Afro-American baseball player in MLB, hardships he had to endure and the restraint he had to demonstrate to pave the way for others. And that's a story worth telling. Also starring Harrison Ford.
Trailer of the Week
Batman (2021)
Finally! DC FanDome revealed some so long anticipated trailers (teasers, sneak peeks), such as this one. Matt Reeves is back and we're more than excited. We love the sound design, it's so chilling. And Robert Pattinson as Batman? Jeffrey Wright? Zoë Kravitz? We can't wait any longer (though we have to – until October 1, 2021) to see them on the screen.