I am planning to go see Green Hornet, but now I am going to see it twice. Why?
Because: Seth Rogen loves our movie SUPER (you will have to wait until April Fools Day to see it), but check this out where Seth says:
“…”Super” is just so ballistic and insane… (laughs)… but I really liked it, too. You do watch them with a slight part of your brain just thinking, “Is this f*cking up our sh*t?” (laughs) .
I can see it on the poster already: “so ballistic & insane — Seth Rogen”.
I am forbidden to reveal how this was done and it would be wrong for anyone in the film to actually take credit. These things take months of planning. Most places forbid you from putting anything in the water supply — and I am not saying anyone involved in the film actually did anything remotely related to such action. Did you know though that there are already over 300 real-life Superheroes patrolling the streets of this great land?
And yes, sometimes they get their nose broken.
We have a bit of a redundancy in the recognition of those that create good work, but that good work does not end with what is up on the screen — which is the part that everyone seems to want to write about. I feel however that we must recognize those that focus not just on the development and production of good work, but those that commit themselves to ALL of cinema, including discovery, participation, appreciation, and presentation — what I consider the other 4 pillars of cinema.
This list, like last year’s, is not meant to be exhaustive. Okay, granted I did not get to the quantity to the 21 Brave Thinkers that I did last year, but the quality is just as deep. Regarding the lesser amount, I don’t blame the people — I blame the technology (of course). I wish I had better tools of discovery that would allow me to find more of the good work and efforts that are out there. I know I am overlooking some BTs again this year. But so be it — one of the great things about blogging is there is no need to be finished or even to be right (although I do hate it when I push publish prematurely — like I did with this — when it is still purely a draft).
I know I can depend on you, my dear brave thinkers, to extend and amend this work into the future. I do find it surprising how damn white & male & middle aged this list is. And that I only found two directors to include this year. Again, it must be the tools and not the source, right? Help me source a fuller list next year; after all, it is as Larry K tweeted to me about regarding who are the most brave these days: “Those whom you don’t know but who continue, despite the indifference of all, to create work that is authentic,challenging and real.” How true that is!
Last year I asked and stated: “What is it to be “brave”? To me, bravery requires risk, going against the status quo, being willing to do or say what few others have done. Bravery is not a one time act but a consistent practice. Most importantly, bravery is not about self interest; bravery involves the individual acting for the community. It is both the step forward and the hand that is extended.”
This year, I recognize even more fully that bravery is a generosity of spirit, as well as a generative sort of mind. It is extending the energy inside ourselves to the rest of the world. I often get asked why I blog (or why so much), and I have no answer for those folks. It can’t be stopped, for I believe if we love the creative spirit as much as the work it yields, if we believe we create for the community and not for the ego, how can we not extend ourselves and turn our labor into the bonds that keep us moving forward. In other words, no one can afford to create art and not be public (IMHO). If you want a diverse and accessible culture of ambitious work, you can not afford to simply hope it will get better — you have to do something (or get out of the business, please).
So without any further adieu, here’s my list of the nineteen folks who have done more on a worldwide basis
to start to build it better together,
Rainn gives back in a big way. I am a bit in awe in how generative and generous this man is. There’s a reason why he has over 2 million twitter followers and it’s not just because he’s really funny. He cares about things. He cares about people. He cares about process. He’s thoughtful. And he’s one of the folks I am thankful for getting to know in this past year.
BTW, if you haven’t encountered Brainpickings.org yet, stop delaying. It is where I found this vid and it is one of the best curated sites out there. Give yourself a gift for being so damn good this year and subscribe to their free weekly newsletter. It will make your new year even better.
SUPER World Premiere Clip from Ted Hope on Vimeo.
A clip from the forthcoming extreme superhero film, SUPER, written and directed by James Gunn, starring Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Kevin Bacon, Nathan Fillion, Linda Cardellini, and Michael Rooker. Miranda Bailey was my producing partner. It will be distributed in the U.S. by IFC Films.
Our director broke first with this photo forecasting some of the mayhem that The Crimson Bolt and Boltie will get into later on in our film SUPER (and as the caps tell you, you pronounce the title LOUD, like at eleven), but hey I am always late to the party.
And if you haven’t yet, please “like” our Facebook Page.
I am not even talking about true transmedia work with developed story lines and expanded narratives; I am just wondering what examples are out there of additional material that has been used by filmmakers, mainstream and the indie DIY side both, to help bring audiences to the films.
