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Quote:The number of stories appears to be limited.
Uhmm, I think that we have zillion of stories, just now and loads of ways to diffuse them, but they simply don't crop out close to the decision-making people.
Passing, or overpassing this status could be worthy to the majors business too. But they prefer to be afraid, and we all know that fear drives to the worst...
Vale,
TITVS/Daniele Sabatini
... Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum
desinet ac toto surget Gens Aurea mundo,
casta faue Lucina; tuus iam regnat Apollo ...
Vergilius, Bucolicae, ecloga IV, 4-10
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We should also write an open letter to Hollywood asking them to finally make movies where the plot has a historical background at least look more authentic.
* No more fantasy gladiators,
* No more loricae segmentatae when the movie is set in the Republic etc.
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I hate to say it, but unless you're willing to put the money up yourselves, you can't make others spend their money as they wish. Think about it; if someone came to you and said "Oi! Even though you've just borrowed $50,000,000, I demand you spend it this way!" how would that make you feel, and what would be your likely reply?
I would suggest that producers might be more open minded to free historical advice, though :wink:
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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Take heart!
A number of History channel documetaries that I saw had a great degree of accuracy. (Guess it was unintentional from the producers part :twisted: )
Or it may be that Hollywood guys are browsing forums like this .
So Jim's comment on free historical advice holds validity :wink:
Kind regards
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Just give me gratuitous nudity and violence and I'm happy.
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Magnus/Matt
Du Courage Viens La Verité
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Seen that the probabilities to get a flop with a colossal movie production are practically the same of a low budget one (loads of samples about it), at least few things could be feasible:
1) be smart making the script, use trojan horses to introduce your messages, imitate the smartests:
writer David Koepp explains in the same issue of Creative Screenwriting how the film's allegorical dimension emerged as he was working on the screenplay. "It starts out subconscious and then, as you realise the parallels, you're tempted to put them in much more directly. I had more direct references, but trimmed them back. I think you have to keep your metaphors and your politics under the surface, particularly in this kind of movie. If it's constructed right, themes will arise naturally out of it. The more you try to hammer your theme and put it up front, the worse everything is." Right to me
2) be smart explaining in your project that accuracy does not cost more, but surely add a lot:
about the roman aspect of the matter, we all know that you are not forced to re-create a fully and accurately equipped legion with accurate enemies enclosed to re-create a good battle, as well as scenes and costumes are always easier and cheaper to be re-created now. Moreover a clever use of CGI multiplying and modifying everything is cheap enough too.
3) Be smart about: who needs of the Star system?
You don't need of a bunch of stars for the characters, just you need of the RIGHT actors. Russel Crowe was not a "stellar" star before Gladiator, nevertheless he was absolutely fantastic in that movie, now branded forever in the collective imagination.
Yes, I'd not try to explain all that, but after getting the $ 50,000,000 (yup!), I'd barely write a camo-script, look for great unknown actors (loads of them!) and make all that accuracy, camouflaging myself as an infamous Xena fan, (Xena t-shirts enclosed all day long) 
Anyway and of course, seen that I'm not a camouflage-type, I'd prefer to find the right interlocutor and talk plain, but it's science-fiction... :roll:
BTW, there is a new software to predict the flops :?:
[url:37fi8tg4]http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/trained-neural-network-predicts-hollywood-blockbusters-flops/[/url]
Valete,
TITVS/Daniele Sabatini
... Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum
desinet ac toto surget Gens Aurea mundo,
casta faue Lucina; tuus iam regnat Apollo ...
Vergilius, Bucolicae, ecloga IV, 4-10
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Quote:3) Be smart about: who needs of the Star system?
You don't need of a bunch of stars for the characters, just you need of the RIGHT actors. Russel Crowe was not a "stellar" star before Gladiator, nevertheless he was absolutely fantastic in that movie, now branded forever in the collective imagination....
...but after getting the $ 50,000,000 (yup!), I'd barely write a camo-script, look for great unknown actors (loads of them!)
Unfortunately, you don't get the $50 million unless you have stars signed up to be in the film. It counts at the box office.
Russell Crowe is a good example, and a non-star doesn't get $5 million dollars for a film (his reported salary on Gladiator). IIRC, he was already well into his work on The Insider and had an excellent track record for his previous films - a critically acclaimed New Zealand actor (check his credits) given a starring role as an American in a big budget production of what many call a classic American novel, L.A. Confidential. Ridley Scott approached him for the lead, but it would not be on the basis of him being an unknown - he had already starred in The Quick and the Dead (Sharon Stone delayed shooting waiting for Crowe to finish his current film, she wanted him to star that much) and Virtuosity, both of which were box office successes, and by this time Crowe had a fan base following. Add to this the work he had already done on The Insider, starring Al Pacino, all it takes is for a combination of Pacino, Hackman, Stone, DiCaprio, etc, to point out he was good and professional as well.
A tidbit - he was Stone's desperate first choice for Alexander.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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Yes, an enough known good actor, but not a 20-30 millions "stellar star" (just five millions...), like Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt or Mel Gibson (that turned down, if I'm not wrong) for example:
[url:3bi65ril]http://www.forbes.com/2006/06/12/06celebrities_money-power-celebrities-list_land.html[/url]
he became stellar just after Gladiator, stated that in the previous movies he was not so worldwide impressive!
Vale,
TITVS/Daniele Sabatini
... Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum
desinet ac toto surget Gens Aurea mundo,
casta faue Lucina; tuus iam regnat Apollo ...
Vergilius, Bucolicae, ecloga IV, 4-10
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Quote:Yes, an enough known good actor, but not a 20-30 millions "stellar star" (just five millions...), like Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt or Mel Gibson
Tom Cruise as Gladiator, hee hee - he would need a stool to 'face' his opponent! :evil:
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Hehehe, no mercy for the stars! :twisted:
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Valete,
TITVS/Daniele Sabatini
... Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum
desinet ac toto surget Gens Aurea mundo,
casta faue Lucina; tuus iam regnat Apollo ...
Vergilius, Bucolicae, ecloga IV, 4-10
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Quote:Yes, an enough known good actor, but not a 20-30 millions "stellar star" (just five millions...), like Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt or Mel Gibson (that turned down, if I'm not wrong) for example:
[url:ix7cvo76]http://www.forbes.com/2006/06/12/06celebrities_money-power-celebrities-list_land.html[/url]
I don't see Robert DeNiro in that list. Now tell me Will Ferrell is more of a stellar star than he is :wink: Crowe refuses to supplement earnings by doing advertising gigs as well.
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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Yes, anyway...
From The Guardian: "By 2005, after only 10 years in the business, Forbes magazine had Ferrell down as America's best-paid actor, with $40m in the bank that year. And he turned down $29m to make Elf 2, a sequel to his brilliant 2003 Christmas hit about a human raised by elves, making his way in Manhattan. Wow, indeed.
Will isn't at all embarrassed talking about such large sums of money. 'That's what was on offer for it,' he says. 'But I killed the idea of a sequel. I never liked it - $29m does seem a lot of money for a guy to wear tights, but it's what the marketplace will bear. It's insane, but it's not my call. The studios perpetuate it and they make it hard to say no.'
 hock:
Bob? For once I use a christian motto: " sic transeat gloria mundi"...
Vale,
TITVS/Daniele Sabatini
... Tu modo nascenti puero, quo ferrea primum
desinet ac toto surget Gens Aurea mundo,
casta faue Lucina; tuus iam regnat Apollo ...
Vergilius, Bucolicae, ecloga IV, 4-10
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Quote:..."sic transeat gloria mundi"...
![[Image: 2082448Vanit19cXWattsGeoFredSicTransitGloria2.jpg]](http://216.77.188.54/coDataImages/p/Groups/109/109273/folders/103262/2082448Vanit19cXWattsGeoFredSicTransitGloria2.jpg)
"Sic Transit Gloria", George Frederick Watts, 19th century.
AMDG
Wm. / *r
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Speaking of $40 Million...
Harrison Ford
2007/01/09
[size=150:2dqkfhmu]Ford's Star Wars snub[/size]
Harrison Ford turned down a $40 million pay day to make a new spin-off 'Star Wars' movie.
Hollywood legend Ford, 64, snubbed director George Lucas' big bucks offer in favour of playing heroic archaeologist Indiana Jones again.
However, Lucas wasn't too disappointed with Ford's decision as he was already developing an idea for a fourth Indiana Jones movie with Steven Spielberg.
A source told Britain's Daily Star newspaper: "George wanted Harrison to play Indy but cleverly sounded him out about playing Hans Solo instead.
"Harrison was horrified. After that he was delighted to be playing Indy again. He told George he just couldn't face being stuck in a spaceship with Chewbacca again."
Ford will earn $40 million for donning his famous fedora hat once again and embarking on a final adventure as the whip-cracking adventurer.
Ford and Lucas announced they were making a fourth 'Indiana Jones' film earlier this month.
The movie, produced by Lucas and directed by Spielberg, is due to be released in 2008, 19 years after Ford last appeared as thrill-seeking Indy in 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'.
Must be nice to be in a position to turn down that much money for what would essentially be an "easy" gig. (Easy as compared to some roles he has taken. Of course, he would have to say his lines with a straight face, and given some of lines Lucas has written speaking them in any kind of a convincing manner is no small talent indeed!)
:? lol:
Narukami
David Reinke
Burbank CA
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Quote:Take heart!
A number of History channel documetaries that I saw had a great degree of accuracy. (Guess it was unintentional from the producers part :twisted: )
Or it may be that Hollywood guys are browsing forums like this .
So Jim's comment on free historical advice holds validity :wink:
Kind regards
You must have been lucky!! I´ve seen a few History Channel doc. that maked me wanna cry!! Vikings in fur and cross laced legbindings (you could almost se a goast of hornes on the helmet and hear Vagner in the background. dadadadaaada dadadaaaaaaaada....)
Aëtius aganst the huns and the Roman army timejumped straight from 9 AD (At least I got the impression that I know what happened to the lost legions...)
and this was just two examples!
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