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The Studio as “Auteur”?

The Studio as “Auteur”?. Peter Kiwitt. Two Topics. The concept of an auteur The role of the studio. Auteur: Why?. Entertainment vs. Art. Auteur: Why?. Entertainment vs . Art Sound vs. Picture. Auteur: N ow. Entertainment vs. Art Writers vs. Directors (Industry).

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The Studio as “Auteur”?

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  1. The Studio as “Auteur”? Peter Kiwitt

  2. Two Topics • The concept of an auteur • The role of the studio

  3. Auteur: Why? • Entertainment vs. Art

  4. Auteur: Why? • Entertainment vs. Art • Sound vs. Picture

  5. Auteur: Now • Entertainment vs. Art • Writers vs. Directors (Industry)

  6. Auteur: Now • Faculty vs. Faculty (Academe) • Writers vs. Directors (Industry)

  7. Auteur: Now • Students vs. Faculty (Academe) • Writers vs. Directors (Industry)

  8. Auteur: Problems • Over-simplifies production

  9. Auteur: Problems • Over-simplifies production • Does not apply to all directors and all films at all times

  10. Auteur: Problems • Over-simplifies production • Does not apply to all directors and all films at all times • Frequently unsuitable in a collaborative art

  11. Auteur: Solution • Replace auteur with storychief

  12. Auteur: Solution • Replace auteur with storychief • Storychiefrecognizes layers of storytellers

  13. Auteur: Solution • Replace auteur with storychief • Storychiefrecognizes layers of storytellers • Storychief describes the universal process, not the occasional result

  14. Auteur: Solution • Replace auteur with storychief • Storychiefrecognizes layers of storytellers • Storychief describes the universal process, not the occasional result • Storychief can change during the process of making a film

  15. Storychief (Sample Spec Feature) • Writer

  16. Storychief (Sample Spec Feature) • Writer • Director

  17. Storychief (Sample Spec Feature) • Writer • Director • Studio

  18. Storychief (Sample Spec Feature) • Writer • Studio (or producer) • Director • Studio

  19. Development(Sample Spec Feature) • Submission • Story department • Lead executive read • Weekend read • Weekly meeting . . . • Deal • Notes (execs & story department) • Draft

  20. Development(Sample Spec Feature) • New writer list • New writer meetings • Deal • Draft • Notes • Polish • Repeat

  21. Studio Structure • Executives • Lead executive • Other executives • Greenlight executive • Story department • Reader • Analyst

  22. The Studio as Storychief • Can transform a film, potentially over years

  23. The Studio as Storychief • Can transform a film, potentially over years • Hires writers on reputation and pitch

  24. The Studio as Storychief • Can transform a film, potentially over years • Hires writers on reputation and pitch • Gives collective notes

  25. The Studio as Storychief • Can transform a film, potentially over years • Hires writers on reputation and pitch • Gives collective notes • Hires writers to “punch up” on reputation

  26. The Studio as Storychief • Can transform a film, potentially over years • Hires writers on reputation and pitch • Gives collective notes • Hires writers to “punch up” on reputation • Hires directors on reputationand pitch

  27. Closing • Understand how the process affects the result • Be prepared to deal with the realities of the industry • Recognize weaknesses and, perhaps, bring about change . . .

  28. Closing • Stay with a writer as long as possible (unless truly just buying the idea) • Unify notes before submitting to the writer • Don’t chase after story guru formulas!

  29. The Studio as Auteur? Peter Kiwitt

  30. Notes

  31. Auteur: What? • The French word for “author” • “A film director whose personal influence and artistic control over his or her films are so great that he or she may be regarded as their author, and whose films may be regarded collectively as a body of work sharing common themes or techniques and expressing an individual style or vision.” – Oxford English Dictionary

  32. Auteur: Why? • Justify critical preferences • Reward uniform style

  33. Auteur: When? • 1929 Pour Vous • 1954 François Truffaut “Unecertainetendance du cinémafrançais” • 1962 Andrew Sarris “Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962”

  34. Other Sources • 2002 AljeanHarmetzThe Making of Casablanca: Bogart, Bergman, and World War II • P. 29 “The French auteur theory, the idea that the director is the author of his film, collapses against the reality of the studio system,.”

  35. Evolution of Style • Primitive (1893) • Tableau • Transitional (1908) • Tableau • Cut-in • Tableau • Classical (1917) • Master • Shot • Reverse-shot • Modern (1961) • Master • MS1 • MS2 • CU1 • CU2 • Contemporary (2001) • Master • MS1-A • MS2-A • CU1-B • CU2-B

  36. Development (Broadly) PHASE:BEGINS WITH: • Conception An idea • Speculation Effort to turn the idea into a tangible property • Pitching Presenting the property for sale • Development Investing in property on road to packageable script • Packaging Submitting the script to talent (director then cast) • Financing Submitting the package to investors/distributors

  37. Development (Broadly) PHASE:BEGINS WITH: • Conception An idea • Speculation Effort to turn the idea into a tangible property • Pitching Presenting the property for sale • Development Investing in property on road to packageable script • Packaging Submitting the script to talent (director then cast) • Financing Submitting the package to investors/distributors

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