Very good, Mr. Randal Crow!
Looks like progress, no? I have a couple of "thoughts." I'm sure nobody is surprised.
But first, I have a new homework assignment for next week and that is to investigate what genre the film is going to be. Is it a comedy? A thriller? A drama? A comedy can be dramatic and a drama can have humor but either way it's necessary to conform to a path or we'll end up wandering in circles. The genre tells us which direction to march, and probably which ending is correct.
I don't think anybody appointed me to be teacher so apologies if I'm stepping out of bounds. You'll have to let me know when I become too obnoxious.
I was going to link to some articles online about genre but was unable to find anything that wasn't completely, utterly, totally fucking wrong and misleading. It's shocking, really. I'll keep looking.
The best definitions of genres I've seen are in Robert McKee's book. Sorry, my copy is in LA. Online you can find a description of comedy that informs us that a comedy is intended to make the audience laugh. Gee, thanks, how very helpful.
So, for next week, let's talk about genre. We're not going to get anywhere without knowing what genre we're in.
Randy, what's below is a good start. I'll let it simmer while I think about it.
In the meantime, a different conundrum. Is this a world that has no batteries? A fantasy world can be anything but I wonder if this makes sense. I don't know why I question it in a place that has metal dirigibles with windmill power. And no steam power? Why not? There is water isn't there? Could it be that there is still some gas and oil but it's so expensive only the super rich can afford it? Or, maybe that's too intellectual. Is this a cartoon world where if a windmill stops, the lights go out? These are questions. I don't have answers. Maybe none of this has to be described. In Jules Verne's story the Nautilus somehow had enough energy to navigate under water. I suppose the audience ignores the obvious question: How do it do dat? In our world, though, we're sort of questioning how everything works. This is either a great story idea or a recipe for disaster. I guess I'm wrestling with the internal logic of the SteamPunk world.
More later...
Preuit
Hey,
I will second that. I see “Steampunk Short" more as an Art Film than an Action Film anyway, and Caro/Jeunetare definitely a team I look up to, look wise, humor wise and "weirdness wise". So if it needs to have a genre name, call it a "Dark Comedy Fantasy”. I am not worried about writing comedy. Most of Jeunet’s comedic moments are not in dialogs, they are visual puns, crazy situations, facial expressions, practical jokes, crazy contraptions, etc…
Our world is NOT a post apocalyptic world, that seems too “cliché”. I like to raise real world issues relevant to our future and the way we are squandering it. No major catastrophe has happened, we have simply stayed the course we are on right now, and the world has run out of oil, gas, coal, and wood. Underground water is polluted because of all the fracking, rivers are polluted because regulations have beed abolished, clean water is scarce. The great dams have fallen in disrepair, with the rest of our infrastructure(we are already well on the way there). Housing has decayed, as well as the water and sewer systems. The electric grid has broken down. Global warming has created havoc with agriculture and farming(we are on the way to that too). Pesticides have killed pollinating bees(that is happening right now). Home grown Islamic terrorist have blown up major infrastructure. China is the world leader, and their shoes and clothes are Made in the USA.
On genre I am not speaking for JJ, but I think we both have the same sensibility and "Jeunet" inspired thoughts about this being a dark comedy fantasy. Or comedy thriller fantasy if such a thing. I am aware that writing comedy is very difficult, so for fledgling writers it may be a bit ambitious. We may need assistance from our teacher.
I have thought about the logic of a world without batteries, and whether it should be explained or not. In a short we would not really have time to go into so much detail, so the audience would have to assume there is just no batteries. And since we are establishing a very fantastical world with our animation style, airships, and pendulums, I don't think the audience will worry about it. We are treading in a hybrid environment however, part cartoon, part live action, so the audience may not buy in. It is an experiment and it will be art. We can lose the whole bit about lights dimming without wind if it creates a question and some disbelief for the audience.
We have talked about the possibility of our world having a little oil and gas available, but only for the filthy rich. It is still an option if it helps the story.
Perhaps our Magnate does have some oil to power his airship, and it is a steam engine. But the public can't really make steam because it requires too much windmill power to boil the water, and ALL fossil fuels are gone including coal. For a short film I am not sure if we have to explain to the audience that other alternatives like burning wood or dung are equally unavailable.
Or, perhaps we do still have steam power in this world, but then our theme of wind mill vs pendulum power becomes dilute.
Please weigh in.
Randy
Hi Guys,
I am not worried a bit about batteries. It’s an old technology that we have barely improved on in 100 years. When Jules Vernes wrote his novels, he thought electricity was the future of locomotion, and equipped his submarines and flying vessels with batteries that could hold huge reserves of electricity. That part didn’t come true, and 120 years later, batteries are still really pitiful storage… It’s a non issue.
I like the windmills idea and the lights dimming. We could have a wind storm with the lights brightening up, and dimming as the winds change, dark clouds, lightning... The windmills could also provide direct mechanical power for certain tools, the electricity being needed mostly for lighting. I see a set up with a shaft going across the room with large pulleys and belts that drive drills, lathes, etc… My cousin’s wood working shop was set up that way in the 50’s when I was a kid.
Our world is NOT a post apocalyptic world, that seems too “cliché”. I like to raise real world issues relevant to our future and the way we are squandering it. No major catastrophe has happened, we have simply stayed the course we are on right now, and the world has run out of oil, gas, coal, and wood. Underground water is polluted because of all the fracking, rivers are polluted because regulations have beed abolished, clean water is scarce. The great dams have fallen in disrepair, with the rest of our infrastructure(we are already well on the way there). Housing has decayed, as well as the water and sewer systems. The electric grid has broken down. Global warming has created havoc with agriculture and farming(we are on the way to that too). Pesticides have killed pollinating bees(that is happening right now). Home grown Islamic terrorist have blown up major infrastructure. China is the world leader, and their shoes and clothes are Made in the USA.
People have home built wind mills on top of their residences for power, they have water towers to wash, and collect rain water rom their roofs to drink.
Of course, the Magnate and his cronies live the good life in their penthouses tapping the remaining strategic oil reserves for power and locomotion.
I like the idea of burning dung for cooking. That’s what they still do in many parts of the world… We could have the dung merchant come by the church every morning peddling his shit (pun intended).
JJ
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