Spotlight #05
It's been already a month with you guys and we want to thank you for your support. When we started, we just wanted to try something new and we weren't sure if somebody else would be interested in such a newsletter.
But during that month we fell in love with the process and we can't wait for every new volume. Right now, we would love to ask you for a favour – let us know what you liked the most, what would you like to read more about and what, on the other hand, doesn't work for you. It would be a huge help, as we're preparing to take this to a next level. Thank you!
This Week's Curated Articles
Ben Affleck on post-pandemic future of the mid-budget movie: 'It's going to be very, very difficult'
When Batman talks, people tend to listen. And right now, he's saying that the future for mid-budget films (similar to those he directed – Argo, The Town, They Way Back) is online distribution. He admits he might be wrong, but let's be honest – we live in extremely uncertain times and people got pretty used to watching movies in the comfort of their home.
How 'Euphoria' Breaks the 'Rules' of Storytelling
Zendaya is the youngest winner of Lead Actress in Drama series but that's not all that's cool about Euphoria. Sam Levinson said to the LA Times that the concept of the show is to "Break all the rules we can" and seems like he meant that.
Deepfakes Come to Commercials (and Why Filmmakers Should Take Notice)
The biggest celebrity athletes are in Florida in lockdown to minimize the exposure to covid, yet networks need to announce the sports are back. So how do you do that?
How about body double filmed on a stage in LA, athletes recording themselves via Zoom saying the lines (and vowels separately) from different angles, and some deepfake technology? No? Hulu did that.
Netflix Cancels Another Show After Only 2 Seasons. Why?
I bet that we're not the only ones who found some treasured series on Netflix, binge-watched at least one season and then cried when the next one was cancelled just out of nowhere. But Netflix is actually changing the overall rating system of what stays in the air and has specific methods, which can seem harsh at first. But it goes hand in hand with today's accelerated time, don't you think?
So we will give you a lifeline: if you fall in love with a series and you are in a desperate need for another season, binge-watch it and make all your friends do that in 28 days from the release date. Wanna know why? Read through.
This Week's Recommendation
Jason Isaacs And Jemima Kirke Join Sex Education For Season 3
Side note to the previous article: Sex Education, which premiered in January 2019, is coming up with the third season and also new faces - for example, Jemima Kirke (which you may know from another great series by Lena Dunham called Girls - that's like a raw and non-hypocritical Sex and the City) and Jason Isaacs. If you didn't see it yet, do it. A mix of a great cast, entertaining characters and great soundtrack is a must-see.
Resources you can use for your next project
Sound Effects
In a nutshell: BBC released 16k sound effects free to download, so save this page and we're sure you will appreciate it one day.
Festival Window
SXSW is Going Online for 2021
SXSW, a festival that takes places in Texas since 1987 and concentrates films and music, is going online. It is not a surprise in the whole covid situation, but their attitude is inspiring. As once a wise producer said (or at least we use it as a golden rule), an obstacle is a gift and that's how SXSW is approaching it. So, they decided to not give up, to not just sit on their hands and move the whole festival to Zoom.
Speaking of festivals, here is a small recap of the world's festival situation - which are ongoing, which are postponed (with TBC dates) and which are cancelled.
Trailer of the Week
Aaron Sorkin, Joseph Gordon-Lewitt, Sacha Baron Cohen, Eddie Redmayne, Jeremy Strong, Michael Keaton and many more... We think that's all we gotta say to it, because the rest is more than readable from the trailer.