Monthly Archives: February 2017
Star Search: Forcing a Wake-Up Call
Star Wars is everywhere. That’s real life. And since it’s Friday, let’s kick off the weekend with some flashback fun.
Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens was a spectacular movie, as well as a wonderful first chapter in the franchise’s newest trilogy. But before the force awakened, J.J. Abrams and Co. needed to cast the best young talent to try to do what Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford did in the late ’70s and ’80s with Episodes IV-VI. An impossible feat, but still worth a shot.
SNL created a few laughs with this audition-based set-up in late 2015 before the theatrical release of The Force Awakens. And thank goodness they did.
Believe it or not, the most disturbing audition parodied above for the new Star Wars trilogy was George Lucas. He is not the director the franchise (yes, the very same franchise he created) is looking for these days.
(Cough cough Jar Jar Binks…and Episodes I-III).
A Circle’s Past Perfection is a Modern Imperfection
“When and how should technology be utilized? How much personal information is too much information? Have we crossed the line of no return? Has the human race finally come full circle with its development, innovation and necessity for information technology?”
–“Technology Coming Full Circle?” on Jimmy’s Daily Planet from December 7, 2016
The excerpt above is from a Jimmy’s Daily Planet blog post from December 7, 2016 that was inspired by the first trailer for the movie The Circle that stars Tom Hanks, Emma Watson and John Boyega. Given the ever-increasing dependency (and apparent willingness) on the part of advanced societies to insert technology into seemingly every aspect of our daily lives, the questions above are left wanting at a somewhat alarming rate and moment in time. And The Circle aims to not only cover, but actually answer these critically important inquiries with truths we may not be prepared to discover.
Adapted from the 2013 novel by Dave Eggers with the same title, the two cinematic trailers for The Circle confirm I’m not the only person who fears that innovators (and some fans/consumers) of new technological advancements have possibly never seen any films or read any books related to science-fiction or robots or the rise of machines. I’ve been saying for many years that we’ve been (as shocking as it reads) “big brothering” ourselves. Truly incredible, isn’t it?
Ladies and gentlemen, there’s even a popular CBS show called “Big Brother” that involves recording people interacting in a surveillance house. And it’s a hit show.
It must be stated that many (possibly countless when all of recorded history is concerned) technological inventions can and have greatly propelled us forward to better places. Absolutely no argument there. We need innovative technology to help us. “Help us” are the key words here. However, these select (and amazing, in some respects) advancements do not provide blanket approval for every single new innovation that presents a new camera and form of surveillance. The second trailer for The Circle, released just hours ago online, will present this modern dilemma with, hopefully, consequential introspection.
“Some people simply view a circle as full and some people simply view a circle as empty.
Time will tell for this cinematic Circle.”
–“Technology Coming Full Circle?” on Jimmy’s Daily Planet from December 7, 2016
Let’s see if the second trailer adds clarity for the cinematic destiny of The Circle.
The theatrical release date for The Circle is April 28, 2017. Until then, good luck trying to find all the cameras.
Hint: There may be too many to count…
2049 is…2017?
Whatever the industry, teaser trailers for movies have changed the game of advertising and marketing.
Exhibit 1,234 (a random number, but it’s a fun number to write and see written) is the teaser trailer for Blade Runner 2049, which is the long-awaited sequel to the 1982 science-fiction film that’s helped define the genre. This trailer release was covered on Jimmy’s Daily Planet back on December 19, 2016 when Warner Bros. Pictures debuted the film’s first look. However, after watching this same trailer dozens and dozens of times (on my computer, phone and Apple TV), something finally clicked. And that is that movie trailers, like Blade Runner 2049, are the modern equivalent of the “Mad Men” era of print ads.
Teaser trailers tell a story with just enough details to inform the viewer, yet not enough information to satisfy one brief look into the movie/the product. The point of this blog post is to consider that the companies or organizations that can successfully tap into and transfer the captivating storytelling power of a teaser trailer into their marketing and/or advertising business plan for their clients will win the day.
And the next day…and the next day…and, you get it.
Even if you haven’t seen Blade Runner or even if you aren’t a science fiction fan, watch this teaser trailer and try to say you aren’t at least slightly intrigued about what happens next in this futuristic world.
Ryan Gosling’s character was right: “Things were simpler then.”
And things are also more exciting now.
Keep This Song in Your Back Pocket
If only there was a device that could enable a bunch of your favorite songs to be placed in your back pocket?
Somehow, someway, Steve Jobs will forever be present in our minds…front or back.
The 2015 film Steve Jobs, directed by Danny Boyle, was a fascinating cinematic exercise. Put simply, Aaron Sorkin adapted a screenplay from the leading book about Steve Jobs with a title of the same name by Walter Isaacson into three scenes. That was it. And the three scenes took place before a major product launch by the Apple co-founder in a behind-the-scenes kind of fashion with rapid fire conversations.
Interestingly, there were many new truthful revelations (some minor, some surprising and one absolutely mind-blowing) that occurred before the conductor took the stage in front of the spotlight to introduce his NeXT innovation.
In that same spirit, let’s take a moment this Tuesday to challenge ourselves to think different. Not to think differently, which is grammatically correct. But to “think different” as Steve Jobs charged we do (which actually is thinking differently, when you think about it). There is a song in the film that feels like the only music Steve Jobs would have listened to before a life-altering idea that wasn’t by Bob Dylan. Whether you work in an office and are allowed to listen to music (perhaps with headphones) or if you choose to listen to this song before or after work, please give the following song a try.
Who knows what inspiration this musical wonder (“Grew Up At Midnight” by The Maccabees) may spark?
Watching the movie Steve Jobs in the theater and again just recently, the one thing that’s crystal clear is that Steve Jobs was a masterfully innovative storyteller above all else. Say what you want about him (good or bad), but he changed the world.
And that is insanely great.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 