Influences and Inspirations

It is often a joke in the academic study of film that to critically analyse film and TV must surely stop an individual from being able to properly sit down, relax and enjoy a piece of content, and I understand where this conception can come from. When watching films in the cinema I catch myself thinking about how certain shots are framed, the scripting of certain pivotal moments, and even the editing techniques used to amplify the director’s vision. Likely as a result of this, I’ve noticed that many of the films I would call my ‘favourites’ are all somehow responsible for inspiring some element of my own filmmaking interests. This blog post will take a look at some of my favourite films that also happen to be incredibly influential on my own creative endeavours.

1. Whiplash (2014)

My initial interest in Whiplash was a result of the film’s nomination and subsequent success at the 2015 Academy Awards. With the awards (in my opinion) existing mostly to increase ticket sales of certain harder to sell films, Whiplash wasn’t screened in the UK until AFTER these awards had taken place. I managed to grab some free tickets to see a preview screening at my local cinema, and thus occurred one of of my favourite cinema experiences of all time. The film is tense like a war movie, and it’s lead character’s journey is not too dissimilar from the ascent of Rocky Balboa in Stallone’s boxing series. Miles Teller and JK Simmons’ dysfunctional teacher/pupil relationship is thrilling, and the film moves at a pace and rhythm unlike anything I’d ever seen before. About two thirds into the film, there’s a scene where Teller’s character is involved in a car crash. This particular moment is incredibly impactful on the audience, and I remember my muscles tensing as it unfolded on screen.

I remember leaving the screening of Whiplash feeling completely breathless, and the strong tone of the piece motivated me to head straight home to my laptop and immediately begin writing. The film I begun to plan, an action thriller, remains unfinished years later, but Whiplash is a film that is guaranteed to incite my creativity. Damien Chazelle is one of the most talented writer/directors working today, and that the high stakes of this film are communicated predominantly by his use of dialogue is something I wish to be able to emulate in my own career.

2. Scott Pilgrim Versus the World (2010)

Having studied film for six years now, some would find it ironic that my favourite film of all time is a failed cult comedy, however Scott Pilgrim, like Whiplash, also provides me with great motivation for my filmmaking, with a strong focus placed on Edgar Wright’s distinctive use of editing. The editing process is as vital to some of the jokes in Scott Pilgrim as the screenplay and performances are, and Wright’s unique style creates a heightened sense of reality throughout the film, that creates a world where the more fantastical elements of this story otherwise set in Toronto, Canada feel somewhat natural and acceptable. Not only this, but his use of pop culture references is greater than any I’ve previously seen in film, and I’d love to one day create a film that uses existing cultural content as well as Scott Pilgrim does.

Wright’s fast paced editing style inspired much of the edit for my undergraduate film ‘Kill the Director’, and I suppose that his pop culture humour was a strong influence for the ways in which we placed RomCom references throughout that project too. Moreover, it’s the liberal use of realism that I really find to be inspiring for my own filmmaking here. Taking a cue from the graphic novel origins of the story, the narrative of the film is told at a pace that mirrors the speed of many of the films’ cuts, never wasting even a second of screen time in racing between jokes and set pieces. I would love the chance to create a film that moves at such a pace, and many the story ideas that clutter my head can somehow be traced back to Edgar Wright’s filmmaking, and Scott Pilgrim Versus the World.

3. About Time (2013)

One area of my own filmmaking talent that needs improvement is my understanding of scale, and my ability to place the ideas that appear in my writing into the context of actually being produced. I don’t have a full production company at my disposal (yet!) and so need to learn how better to take large concepts and reflect them in a realistic way on screen. One film that I’ve always felt does this well is Richard Curtis’ ‘About Time’. Whilst not a film I would have probably decided to pay £8 for a ticket to normally, I was dragged to a screening with only the basic knowledge that ‘it’s about time travel’. Expecting a sci-fi romp or something similar, I was surprised to find myself sat watching a RomCom when the film first began. Despite this, the film actually integrates its fantastical elements into an otherwise grounded story rather well, and is a film that has audiences desperate to live the life of its main character, Tim.

After watching a film for the first time, I like to visit (or revisit) the critical perceptions of what I’ve just seen, to see how my own opinions and reactions compare to those who also share my interest in reading deeper into the medium. About Time is not an unpopular film by any means, however many critics took issue with its’ seemingly illogical rules and consequences of time travel. I disagree. The subtlety of the Romcom genre allows audiences to form an intimate connection with Domnall Glesson’s protagonist, and so this subjective view of his abilities is effective in presenting the otherwise deeply fantastical nature of time travel. In learning to scale my own ideas, About Time is inspirational in demonstrating how to handle high concept ideas from a more personal and relatable perspective.

About Time. (2013). [film] Directed by R. Curtis. United Kingdom: Universal Pictures.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World. (2010). [film] Directed by E.Wright. United Kingdom: Universal Pictures.

Whiplash. (2014). [film] Directed by D.Chazelle. United States: Sony Pictures Classics

#Reflection