Small Town Hermit

I love learning about the creative process of artists.

I have probably watched the “making of” short films for Chicken Run close to as many times as I have watched the film. (I detest the word featurette.) The Laika studios director commentary and short films for Missing Link are utterly captivating. I even bought the book The Art of Missing Link.

I get less excited about live-action films which have so many computer-generated effects that they might as well be completely animated. (I am sure that there are people who disagree and adore these kinds of films and learning about their process, and that is fine for them.)

New movies have largely fallen off my radar in the last few years, even before the pandemic. A single ticket to my preferred theater had gotten up to about $14, and I decided that it was too much to invest in a dubious 90 minutes of entertainment. There weren’t too many movies which caught my interest anyway, and the trailers for those that sort of did often didn’t provide enough detail (read: any semblance of a plot) for me to make an informed decision.

An article from the gossip magazine Vanity Fair caught my eye the other day. The headline was something juicy about the stars of Mad Max: Fury Road almost sinking the whole production because they couldn’t get along. I had a few brain cells to spare, so I clicked. Come to find out that not only has a book — Blood, Sweat and Chrome — been written about the torturous but ultimately successful production but the film was nominated for 10 Oscar awards, winning 6. A Mad Max film. Hollywood lauded a hard core action film? Seriously? Were there lower standards, or was this something special? My curiosity was piqued. (Note: I have seen no Mad Max films, but I am aware of the ardent following of the earlier installments. I will also quickly say — because the topic could\should be its own post — that I am a fan of what I lovingly refer to as “testosterone movies”: the first Die Hard, the first Lethal Weapon, Tango & Cash, even the first Rambo.)

I watched the trailer. It gave me a sense of conflict between characters and lots of loud vehicles but zero indication of plot. I sought out additional clips on YouTube, but what I found were extensive “making of” documentaries. I was transfixed, especially by the stunts and the vehicle production. This was serious, skilled movie-making on an epic scale. Yes, CGI was an important component, but mostly as background embellishment. Everything had deep roots in practical effects. (According to the IMDB page, 80% of the effects are practical. That feels unheard of in a modern action movie.) Everyone was completely invested, even when they weren’t getting along.

The Oscars that the film received were for craft, but the nominations included best director and best picture. I don’t know which other films were nominated in those categories, but based on what I learned about the process and challenges of making the film, best director was not undeserved.

While I did find a plot summary, I didn’t feel the need to watch the movie, even though Charlize Theron’s description of her character’s motivation made it more tempting. I might read the book, however.

There’s another artist’s creative process that I want to write about, and it is actually the one which was originally planned for this post, but I am going to save it for tomorrow’s post.