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Digital Filmmaking

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professional advice on embracing new technology

Mike Figgis is the director of one of my favourite films, Liebestraum, as well as the much better known Leaving Las Vegas. He’s multi-talented as a director, a musician, and a writer; but like most film directors (most recently David Lynch) he’s now embracing the new possibilities of digital filmmaking. Suddenly, all the laborious paraphernalia of the Hollywood film-making process can be concentrated into a cheap hand-held digital camera that we could buy from Amazon for less than the price of an entry level laptop.

Digital FimmakingFiggis has taken on the new possibilities that these technological developments have made available. And in this book he’s sharing his reflections on the art of film-making in a way which is addressing both an amateur YouTube enthusiast or a serious film school would-be at the same time.

And none of his advice is theoretical: he’s actually using the new technology in making his own films. It’s not so much a book of practical tips: this is more the philosophy of film-making. But he’s acutely anti-snobbish about using the new equipment available. His emphasis is on the love of your equipment – get to know it, use its features, and don’t imagine your talent is being held back by lack of access to the latest kit.

It’s a terrific insight into the consciousness of a creative person: he thinks out loud concerning the creative process – all the time keeping in mind the practical matters of the medium in which he is working and how much it costs.

As the story progresses from one level of film technology to the next, you can feel his creative hunger coming off the page. Instead of telling camera and lighting technicians what you’re looking for, why not do it all yourself? Which is what he did – even after being enmeshed with Hollywood. Indeed, as he argues, especially after being so. The new technology puts more control into the hands of the director.

He goes into a lot of interesting professional detail on such matters as lighting, camera movement(s) and dealing with actors – on all of which issues it seems he likes being in control, but with a sympathetic respect for the professionalism of others.

I was interested to note that when it got to the point of post-production editing, he dealt with the problem of having so much, in fact too much material – and the solution to this problem is what’s called in the IT world ‘meta-tagging’ – that is, you need to name and log what you’ve got, in order to control the architecture of the final product.

His two final topics are music on soundtracks and film distribution – on both of which he knows whereof he speaks. He’s a qualified music teacher and a former keyboards player with Roxy Music. It was his soundtrack for Liebestraum which first alerted me to the quality of his work. He has lots of ingenious suggestions for independent filmmakers and ideas galore for anybody who is prepared to engage in new digital technology.

It’s a pity the book isn’t illustrated – because from the text it’s quite clear that Figgis makes a detailed record of his work process, and it would have been useful to see a few screenshots of the effects and techniques he’s talking about. But as a guide to the new possibilities of film-making, it’s truly inspirational.

© Roy Johnson 2007

Digital Filmmaking   Buy the book at Amazon UK

Digital Filmmaking   Buy the book at Amazon US

Mike Figgis, Digital Filmmaking, London: Faber, 2007, pp.158, ISBN: 0571226256

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EM Forster and Cinema

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film adaptations of E.M. Forster’s novels

The novels of E.M. Forster have proved a very fruitful source for writers and directors adapting his work for the cinema. All his major works have been turned into very successful films which capture the spirit and the atmosphere of Edwardian England in which they are set. They have also profited from first rate actors, some of whom (such as Helena Bonham Carter) have made their names via performances in these films.

Where Angels Fear to Tread (novel 1902 – film 1991)

This film version is not a Merchant-Ivory production, although it’s done very much in their style. But it is accurate and entirely sympathetic to the spirit of the novel, possibly even stronger in satirical edge, well acted, and superbly beautiful to watch. Much is made of the visual contrast between the beautiful Italian setting and the straight-laced English capital from which the prudery and imperialist spirit emerges. The lovely Helena Bonham-Carter establishes herself as the perfect English Rose in this production, and she carried it through to several more. Helen Mirren is wonderful as the spirited Lilia who defies English prudery and narrow-mindedness and marries for love – with results which manage to upset everyone.

1991 Charles Sturridge film adaptation

Director: Charles Sturridge. Screenplay: Tim Sullivan. Starring – Rupert Graves (Philip Herriton), Helen Mirren (Lilia Herriton), Barbara Jefford (Mrs Herriton), Judy Davis (Harriet Herriton), Helena Bonham Carter (Caroline Abbott), Giovanni Guidelli (Gino Carella). Filmed in London and San Gimignano and Montepulciano, Italy.

EM Forster and Cinema Where Angels Fear to Tread – film adaptation on DVD – Amazon UK

EM Forster and Cinema Reviews of the film – at the Internet Movie Database

EM Forster and Cinema Where Angels Fear to Tread – a tutorial and study guide

EM Forster and Cinema Where Angels Fear to Tread – Penguin Classics – Amazon UK

EM Forster and Cinema Where Angels Fear to Tread – Penguin Classics – Amazon US

Howards End (novel 1910- film 1992)

The novel is arguably Forster’s greatest work, and this film adaptation by Merchant-Ivory lives up to it as an achievement. It is well acted, with very good performances from Emma Thompson and Helena Bonham Carter as the Schlegel sisters, and Anthony Hopkins as the bully Wilcox. Veteran luvvie and Trotskyist Vanessa Redgrave plays the mystic Mrs Willcox. The locations and details are accurate, and it gives an accurate rendition of the critical, poignant scenes in the original – particularly the conflict between the upper middle-class Wilcoxes and the working-class aspirant Leonard Bast. This is an adaptation I have watched several times over, and always been impressed.

1992 Merchant-Ivory production

Director: James Ivory. Screenplay: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Starring – Anthony Hopkins (Henry Wilcox), Vanessa Redgrave (Ruth Wilcox), James Wilby (Charles Wilcox), Helena Bonham Carter (Helen Schlegel), Emma Thompson (Margaret Schlegel), Prunella Scales (Aunt Juley), Samuel West (Leonard Bast). Filmed in Henley-on-Thames and central London

EM Forster and Cinema Howards End – Merchant-Ivory film on DVD – Amazon UK

EM Forster and Cinema Reviews of the film – at the Internet Movie Database

EM Forster and Cinema Howards End – a tutorial and study guide

EM Forster and Cinema Howards End – Penguin Classics -Amazon UK

EM Forster and Cinema Howards End – Penguin Classics -Amazon US

A Room with a View (novel 1905 – film 1985)

This is a production which takes one or two minor liberties with the original novel. But it’s beautifully acted, with the deliciously pouting Helena Bonham Carter as the heroine Lucy, plus Denholm Eliot as Mr Emerson, Daniel Day-Lewis as a wonderfully pompous Cecil Vyse, and Maggie Smith as the poisonous hanger-on Charlotte. The settings are delightfully poised between Florentine Italy and the home counties stockbroker belt. I’ve watched it several times, and it never ceases to be visually elegant and emotionally well observed. This film was nominated for eight Academy awards when it appeared, and put the Merchant-Ivory team on the cultural map.

Merchant-Ivory 1985 film adaptation

Director: James Ivory. Screenplay: Ruth Prawver Jhabvala. Starring – Maggie Smith (Charlotte Bartlett), Helena Bonham Carter (Lucy Honeychurch), Denholm Elliott (Mr Emerson), Julian Sands (George Emerson), Judi Dench ((Eleanor Lavish), Daniel Day-Lewis (Cecil Vyse) Rupert Graves (Freddy Honeychurch), Simon Callow (Reverend Beeb). Filmed in Florence and Fiesole, Italy, East Sussex, and London.

EM Forster and Cinema A Room with a View – Merchant-Ivory film on DVD – Amazon UK

EM Forster and Cinema Reviews of the film – at the Internet Movie Database

EM Forster and Cinema A Room with a View – a tutorial and study guide

EM Forster and Cinema A Room with a View – Penguin Classics – Amazon UK

EM Forster and Cinema A Room with a View – Penguin Classics – Amazon US

A Passage to India (novel 1924 – film 1984)

This was David Lean’s last film, and possibly his most successful. It received eleven nominations at the Academy Awards. At seventy-seven years of age, Peggy Ashcroft became the oldest actress to win Best Supporting Actress award, and Maurice Jarre won his third Academy award for the original music score.

After more than a quarter of a century, one aspect of the film will strike contemporary viewers as controversial if not politically incorrect. That is the casting of Alec Guinness as Godbole, the Indian mystic. This sort of racial insensitivity was fairly common at that time. The film also lacks some of the anti-Imperialist bite that is present in Forster’s original text, though Lean compensates with spectacular pro-India visuals.

1984 David Lean film adaptation

Director: David Lean. Screenplay: Santha Rama Rau and David Lean. Starring – Judy Davis (Adela Quested), Victor Banerjee (Dr Aziz), Peggy Ashcroft (Mrs Moore), James Fox (Fielding), Alec Guinness (Godbole), Nigel Havers (Ronny), Richard Wilson (Turton). Filmed in Kashmir and Bangalore, India, and Shepperton and Pinewood studios, England.

EM Forster and Cinema A Passage to India – David Lean film on DVD – Amazon UK

EM Forster and Cinema Reviews of the film – at the Internet Movie Database

EM Forster and Cinema A Room with a View – Penguin Classics – Amazon UK

EM Forster and Cinema A Room with a View – Penguin Classics – Amazon US

Maurice (novel 1913 – film 1987)

This is the coming out as gay novel that E.M. Forster wrote in 1913-1914 but that remained unpublished during his own lifetime. He had reservations about its literary merits, feelings shared by Kings College Cambridge, who owned the rights to the novel. The College was eventually persuaded to give permission for the film adaptation by the powerful advocacy of its producer, Ismail Merchant.

1987 Merchant-Ivory film adaptation

Director: James Ivory. Screenplay: Ivory and Kit Hesketh-Harvey. Starring – James Wilby (Maurice Hall), Hugh Grant (Clive Durham), Rupert Graves (Alec Scudder), Denholm Elliott (Doctor Barry), Simon Callow (Mr Ducie), Billie Whitelaw (Mrs Hall), Barry Foster (Dean Cornwallis), Ben Kingsley (Lasker-Jones). Filmed at Kings College Cambridge and various locations in London.

EM Forster and Cinema Maurice – film on DVD – Amazon UK

EM Forster and Cinema Maurice – Penguin Classics – Amazon UK

E.M.Forster and Cinema Maurice – Penguin Classics – Amazon US

© Roy Johnson 2016

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Henry James and Cinema

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film adaptations of Henry James’s novels and stories

Following the popularity of his novels and stories in England and America, Henry James spent almost a decade trying to reproduce that success in dramatic form. He adapted novels for the theatre (The American) and wrote a number of original plays – none of which were commercially successful. Indeed a work into which he poured all his hopes (Guy Domville) resulted in his being booed off stage on its first night. It is therefore not without a certain historical and cultural irony that his stories and novels should have become so fruitful a source of dramatic content with the coming of the cinema and television.

The examples shown here range from his earliest, lighter novels (somewhat in the tradition of Jane Austen) to the later and much darker works. All of them translate well into what are generally classed as ‘costume dramas’, and the greatest deal with issues of profound moral complexity, which are well realised by some of the cinema’s greatest actors.

The Europeans (novel 1878 – film 1979)

– video clip currently unavailable –

This is a very early novel by James which explores one of his favourite themes – the interaction of European and American cultures. In the autumn of 1850, the puritanical Mr. Wentworth receives two slightly bohemian visitors from Europe, Eugenia and Felix. One of Wentworth’s two daughters is instantly delighted by the pleasure and amusement Felix offers. A wealthy neighbour, Mr. Acton, is attracted to Eugenia, who is going through a divorce with a European aristocrat. There is a chance that the Americans are being used by the penniless Europeans – but the outcomes are evenly divided.

Directed by James Ivory. Screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Starring – Lee Remick (Baroness Eugenia Munster), Robin Ellis (Robert Acton), Wesley Addy (Mr Wentworth), Tim Choate (Clifford Wentworth), Lisa Eichhorn (Gertrude). Filmed in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, USA.

Henry James and Cinema The Europeans – film adaptation on DVD – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Details of the film – Internet Movie Database

Henry James and Cinema The Europeans – a tutorial and study guide

Henry James and Cinema The Europeans – Oxford Classics – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema The Europeans – Oxford Classics – Amazon US

The Ghostly Rental (story 1876 – film 1999)

James’s original story is not much more than a folk tale with a mild ghostly element – the most notable element of which is that it features someone who impersonates a ghost. In this updating and radical transformation a mysterious, morbid professor who has suffered a number of horrid events in his life tries to help a young troubled man, whose girl friend was killed during an illegal abortion. Produced by the master of horror movies, Roger Corman.

Filmed as The Haunting of Hell House Directed by Mitch Marcus. Produced by Roger Corman. Screenplay by Marcus and Lev L. Spiro. Starring Michael York (Professor Ambrose), Andrew Bowen (James Farrow), Claudia Christian (Lucy), Aideen O’Donnell (Sarah).

Henry James and Cinema The Haunting of Hell House – film adaptation on DVD – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Details of the film – Internet Movie Database

Henry James and Cinema The Ghostly Rental – a tutorial and study guide

Henry James and Cinema Complete Works of Henry James – Kindle eBook – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Complete Works of Henry James – Kindle eBook – Amazon US

Daisy Miller (novella 1878 – film 1974)

Daisy Miller is one of Henry James’s most famous stories. On the surface it’s a simple enough tale of a spirited young American girl visiting Europe. Her behaviour doesn’t sit easily with the conservative manners of the time. She pushes the boundaries of acceptable behaviour to the limit, and ultimately the consequences are tragic. Peter Bogdanovich puts lots of colour and light into his adaptation, which features Cybil Shepherd, who was his lover at the time and at the height of her fame, having just been the star of his earlier movie The Last Picture Show.

Directed by Peter Bogdanovich. Screenplay by Frederick Rafael. Starring – Cybil Shepherd (Daisy Miller), Harry Brown (Frederick Winterbourne), Cloris Leachman (Mrs Ezra Miller), Mildred Natwick (Mrs Costello), Eileen Brennan (Mrs Walker). Filmed in Rome and Lazio, Italy, and Vevy, Switzerland.

Henry James and Cinema Daisy Miller – film adaptation on DVD – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Details of the film – Internet Movie Database

Henry James and Cinema Daisy Miller – a tutorial and study guide

Henry James and Cinema Daisy Miller – Oxford Classics – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Daisy Miller – Oxford Classics – Amazon US

Washington Square (novel 1880 – film 1949)

This is a simple tragicomedy that recounts the conflict between a dull but sweet daughter and her brilliant, domineering father. She has a handsome young suitor – but her father disapproves, believing him to be a fortune hunter. There is a battle of wills – all conducted within the confines of their elegant town house. Who wins in the end? You will be surprised by the outcome. The plot of the novel is based upon a true story told to Henry James by the British actress Fanny Kemble.

Filmed as The Heiress (1949). Directed by William Wyler. Screenplay by Ruth and Augustus Goetz. Starring – Olivia de Haviland (Catherine Sloper), Montgomery Clift (Morris Townsend), Ralph Richardson (Doctor Austin Sloper), Miriam Hopkins (Aunt Lavinia Penniman). Aaron Copland is credited with having composed the theme music, but he denied it.

Henry James and Cinema The Heiress – film adaptation on DVD – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Details of the film – Internet Movie Database

Henry James and Cinema Washington Square – a tutorial and study guide

Henry James and Cinema Washington Square – Oxford Classics – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Washington Square – Oxford Classics – Amazon US

The Portrait of a Lady (novel 1880 – film 1996)

A young American woman is invited to live in Europe and discover her full potential. She is immediately the subject of romantic interest by three rich and eligible bachelors. But when she unexpectedly inherits a fortune she chooses a man with no money who devotes himself to aesthetic matters. Slowly she realises that he has a guilty secret and is turning her life into a nightmare. Jane Campion (The Piano) creates a visually spectacular adaptation, and John Malkovich turns in one of his masterful performances as the sadistic husband.

Directed by Jane Campion, Screenplay by Campion and Laura Jones. Starring – Nicole Kidman (Isabel Archer), John Malkovich (Gilbert Osmond), Barbara Hershey (Madame Serena Merle), Mary-Louise Parker (Henrietta Stackpole), Martin Donovan (Ralph Touchett), John Gielgud (Mr Touchett), Shelly Winters (Mrs Touchett), Richard E. Grant (Lord Warburton). Filmed in England and in Florence, Lucca and Rome, Italy.

Henry James and Cinema The Portrait of a Lady – film adaptation on DVD – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Details of the film – Internet Movie Database

Henry James and Cinema The Portrait of a Lady – a tutorial and study guide

Henry James and Cinema The Portrait of a Lady – Oxford Classics – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema The Portrait of a Lady – Oxford Classics – Amazon US

The Bostonians (novel 1885 – film 1984)

A Boston female rights campaigner and a conservative Southern lawyer contend for the heart and mind of a beautiful and bright girl unsure of her future. The principal subject matter of the story is ‘The Woman Question’ – that is, the conflict between traditional views of the role of women in society, and the views of suffragists and what today would be called supporters of women’s liberation. It also touches on the psychologically ambiguous issue of ‘The Boston Marriage’ – two independent women living together.

Directed by James Ivory. Produced by Ismail Merchant. Screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Starring – Vanessa Redgrave (Olive Chancellor), Christopher Reeve (Basil Ransome), Madaleine Potter (Verena Tarrant), Jessica Tandy (Miss Birdseye), Wesley Addy (Dr Tarrant). Filmed in Boston and Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA.

Henry James and Cinema The Bostonians – film adaptation on DVD – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Details of the film – Internet Movie Database

Henry James and Cinema The Bostonians – a tutorial and study guide

Henry James and Cinema The Bostonians – Oxford Classics – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema The Bostonians – Oxford Classics – Amazon US

The Altar of the Dead (story 1885 – film 1978)

This is an interesting experiment that compresses and updates three Henry James stories into one. The story is set in a small French town after the end of the first world war. Julien Davenne is a journalist whose wife Julie died a decade ago. He gathers a collection of her memorabilia into a green room. When a fire destroys the room, he renovates a little chapel and devotes it to Julie and other dead friends. A late work from avant-guard director Francois Truffaut (with sub-titles). It is based on – The Altar of the Dead, The Beast in the Jungle and The Way It Came.

La Chambre Verte (The Green Room) Directed by Francois Truffaut. Produced by Truffaut and Marcel Berbert. Screenplay by Truffaut and Jean Gruault. Starring – Francois Truffaut (Julien Navenne), Nathalie Baye (Cecile Mandel), Jean Daste (Bernard Humbert). Filmed in Calvados, France.

Henry James and Cinema The Green Room – film adaptation on DVD – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Details of the film – Internet Movie Database

Henry James and Cinema The Altar of the Dead – a tutorial and study guide

Henry James and Cinema Complete Works of Henry James – Kindle eBook – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Complete Works of Henry James – Kindle eBook – Amazon US

The Aspern Papers (novella 1888 – film 1947)

A rich literary bachelor in pursuit of a famous poet’s love letters comes up against the elderly woman to whom they were once addressed. She still has the letters in her possession, but she also has no money and a daughter for whom she wishes to find a husband. A battle of wills ensues, set in her crumbling Venetian palace. The elderly woman dies without making a will, so the bachelor is faced with a moral dilemma – and he hesitates dangerously.

Filmed as The Lost Moment Directed by Martin Gabel. Produced by Walter Wanger. Screenplay by Leonardo Bercovici. Starring – Robert Cummings (Lewis Venable), Susan Heyward (Tina Bordereau), Agnes Moorhead (Juliana Bordereau). [Please excuse the dubbed voiceover.]

Henry James and Cinema The Aspern Papers – film adaptation on DVD – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Details of the film – Internet Movie Database

Henry James and Cinema The Aspern Papers – a tutorial and study guide

Henry James and Cinema The Aspern Papers – Oxford Classics – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema The Aspern Papers – Oxford Classics – Amazon US

The Pupil (story 1891 – film 1996)

A young university graduate is hired by a rich family to act as private tutor to their precocious son. He develops a close relationship with the boy, and he also realises that the parents neglect their son and don’t pay their debts. When a financial crash looms, the family try to pressure the tutor into taking the boy into his own care. The tutor hesitates, and the delay proves fatal.

This is a Polish adaptation, filmed as L’éleve. Directed by Oliver Schatzky. Screeplay by Schatzky and Eve Deboise. Starring – Vincent Cassel (Julien), Caspar Salmon (Morgan), Caroline Cellier (Emma), Jean-Pierre Marielle (Armand). Filmed in Krakow, Poland.

Henry James and Cinema L’éleve – film adaptation on DVD – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Details of the film – Internet Movie Database

Henry James and Cinema The Pupil – a tutorial and study guide

Henry James and Cinema Complete Works of Henry James – Kindle eBook – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Complete Works of Henry James – Kindle eBook – Amazon US

What Masie Knew (novel 1897 – film 2012)

This adaptation transfers the events of the novel from nineteenth century London to New York in the twenty-first century. When a young couple are enmeshed in a messy divorce and custody battle, they neglect the welfare of their daughter, who comes under the protection of an old friend of the family.

Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel. Screenplay by Nancy Doyne and Caroll Cartwright. Starring – Julianne Moore (Susanna), Alexander Skarsgard (Lincoln), Onata Aprile (Masie), Joanna Vanderham (Marge), Steve Coogan (Beale). Filmed in New York City, USA.

Henry James and Cinema What Masie Knew – film adaptation on DVD – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Details of the film at the Internet Movie Database

Henry James and Cinema What Masie Knew – a tutorial and study guide

Henry James and Cinema What Masie Knew – Oxford Classics – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema What Masie Knew – Oxford Classics – Amazon US

The Turn of the Screw (novella 1898 – film 1961)

A young governess is employed to look after two children in a remote country house. She becomes convinced that her young charges are possessed by the ghosts of two former servants. The whole house seems charged with a malevolent and vaguely erotic menace, and the governess has nobody to turn to for help. The outcome is truly horrible.

This amazingly complex ghost story has been adapted several times for the cinema. The best version is by British director Jack Clayton and filmed as The Innocents. There is also a Spanish version filmed as Presence of Mind and a prequel directed by Michael Winner called The Nightcomers starring Marlon Brando.

Directed by Jack Clayton. Screenplay by John Mortimer and Truman Capote. Starring – Deborah Kerr (The Governess), Peter Wyngarde (Peter Quint), Meg Jenkins (Mrs Grosse), Michael Redgrave (The Uncle), Martin Stephens (Miles), Pamela Franklin (Flora). Filmed in East Sussex and Shepperton Studios, Surrey, UK.

Henry James and Cinema The Innocents – film adaptation on DVD – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Details of the film – Internet Movie Database

Henry James and Cinema The Turn of the Screw – a tutorial and study guide

Henry James and Cinema The Turn of the Screw – Oxford Classics – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema The Turn of the Screw – Oxford Classics – Amazon US

The Wings of the Dove (novel 1902 – film 1997)

An impoverished woman who has been forced to choose between a privileged life with her wealthy aunt and her journalist lover, befriends an American heiress. When she discovers the heiress is attracted to her own lover and is dying, she sees a chance to have both the privileged life she cannot give up and the lover she cannot live without.

This is a lush and beautiful film version of the novel from director Iain Softley. His London scenes are successful, but the film really comes alive visually in Venice. Even the costumes were nominated for an Academy award in this outstanding production which captures faithfully the spirit of the original novel.

Directed by Ian Softley. Screenplay by Hossein Amini. Starring – Helena Bonham Carter (Kate Croy), Linus Roache (Densher Merton), Charlotte Rampling (Aunt Maude), Michael Gambon (Mr Croy), Alison Elliott (Milly Theale). Filmed in Venice, Italy and London, UK.

Henry James and Cinema The Wings of the Dove – film adaptation on DVD – Amazon UK

Red button Details of the film – Internet Movie Database

Henry James and Cinema The Wings of the Dove – a tutorial and study guide

Henry James and Cinema The Wings of the Dove – Oxford Classics – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema The Wings of the Dove – Oxford Classics – Amazon US

The Golden Bowl (book 1904 – film 2000)

The story concerns an extravagantly rich American widower and his sheltered daughter, both of whom marry, only to discover that their respective mates, a beautiful American expatriate and an impoverished Italian aristocrat, are entangled with one another in a romantic intrigue of seduction and deceit.

Merchant-Ivory pull out all the stops in their repertoire for creating lush period detail. Costumes, furniture, jewellery, and art objects all help to recreate a convincing fin de siècle atmosphere. The inclusion of original film footage from early last century adds tremendously to the period flavour.

Directed by James Ivory. Produced by Ismail Merchant. Screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Starring – Kate Beckinsale (Maggie Verver), James Fox (Colonel Assingham), Anjelica Huston (Fanny Assingham), Nick Nolte (Adam Verver), Jeremy Northam (Prince Amerigo), Uma Thurman (Charlotte Stant). Filmed in Rome, Italy, and London and Lincolnshire, UK.

Henry James and Cinema The Golden Bowl – film adaptation on DVD – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema Details of the film at the Internet Movie Database

Henry James and Cinema The Golden Bowl – a tutorial and study guide

Henry James and Cinema The Golden Bowl – Oxford Classics – Amazon UK

Henry James and Cinema The Golden Bowl – Oxford Classics – Amazon US

© Roy Johnson 2016

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How to Make Money Scriptwriting

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practical guide to professional screen writing

This is the second edition of a very successful book which covers all aspects of scriptwriting (or script writing) and making a living as a professional author. It’s the work of a leading literary agent who brings insider tips and guidance on what is a tough market in which to make a living. Julian Friedmann takes a practical, no-nonsense approach which encourages would-be authors to become more aware of what he calls the ‘politics’ of writing. This means paying more attention to the market place; being prepared to fit in to the system of television or screen, and being prepared to deliver to audiences what they want.

ScriptwritingHe paints a picture of a very difficult business which makes big demands of the would-be screenwriter. The only way to succeed is be prepared to collaborate; drop your ego; know that viewer-ratings is All; and ‘murder your darlings’ when required.

There are excellent chapters on how to structure and produce a ‘pitch’, a ‘treatment’ and a ‘step outline’ for a proposed script. But even if you’re good at doing all that, there’s still more to learn: how script editing and script reports work; what ratings, audience share, and programme research mean; how to deal with an agent – or without one; how to handle meetings and negotiate with producers; how to understand a basic agreement and protect your own interests as a writer; and how to survive financially whilst you are waiting for that call from Hollywood.

The emphasis is almost entirely on cinema and television. There’s no mention of the theatre, and radio only gets a very brief mention, although there is one chapter on writing for interactive multi-media.

There’s also no advice on the details of writing techniques: he assumes you know how to write, or can find out elsewhere. His guidance is on how to make a success of scriptwriting from a business point of view. There are full explanations of all the people you need to contact; how to make your work look professional; and how to take rejection without losing heart.

He ends with a very useful series of appendices with includes examples of negotiations with producers; sample memos commissioning a deal; legal contracts; Writers’ Guild minimum Terms of Payment; plus all the contact details for writer’s groups, training courses, and professional associations.

Anyone entering this ferociously competitive field of creative writing needs all the help they can get. Friedmann explains why it is such a tough business, and in doing so he reveals the strategies you need to succeed. You will find advice on writing skills elsewhere. This is insider guidance on how the business works.

© Roy Johnson 2003

How to Make Money Scriptwriting   Buy the book at Amazon UK

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Julian Friedmann, How to Make Money Scriptwriting, Bristol: Intellect, 2nd edn, 2003, pp.219, ISBN: 184150002X

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The Art and Science of Screenwriting

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creative writing guide for the cinema and television

This is a practical handbook on screenwriting, an explanation of what a screenplay is, a guide to getting your own ideas into the correct format, and an account of all the stages that follow the production of a first draft. Philip Parker starts off by explaining the key concepts of any dramatic narrative and showing their relationship to each other in what he calls a ‘creative matrix’. These are story, theme, form, plot, genre, and style. He explains how each of these is relevant, then takes you through what he calls ‘the tools of the trade’ – the original Proposal, the Outline, the Treatment, the Step Outline, and the Screenplay Layout.

The Art and Science of ScreenwritingThese are all progressively longer documents which specify exactly what the film is about and what happens in it. He shows you how to produce these documents, and even how to lay out their contents on the page. He also shows how to develop screen ideas out of novels and stories, contemporary events, historical happenings, even newspaper stories or your own life or dreams. There is also an explanation of the differences in writing for television and the cinema.

The most basic elements are how to establish credible characters and how to best arrange the sequence of events in a multi-strand narrative. To demonstrate this in practice, he offers examples and analyses of film scripts for both television and cinema, showing how scenes are paced and edited, and how narratives are controlled.

He also identifies what he calls the ‘ten basic stories’ and ‘eight basic themes’. I’m not sure that all narratives can be so reduced, but it leads to a lot of useful discussion of genres and stereotypes – and how to recognise them. He also goes on to show the different styles in which films can be shot appropriate to their genre.

He finishes with two important chapters. First, having written the initial draft of your screenplay, how to go about re-writing it to produce a sharper version. Second, how to get your work accepted, deal with agents, cope with rejections, and strike deals which lead to your getting paid.

It’s suitable for anyone who has an interest in screenwriting – from would-be first time writers, to experienced professionals such as directors, producers, and media teachers.

What he emphasises is that producing for the screen is an industry in which the screenwriter is only one part. It might be an important part, but you have to be prepared to co-operate with other people. There are useful suggestions for further reading, but one thing that’s missing is a glossary of technical jargon. That’s one for the next edition.

I still don’t know why screen scripts present their instructions in ugly continuous capitals, but he shows you exactly how to do it. If you want to get on in this business, you have to conform to its rules.

© Roy Johnson 2000

The Art and Science of Screenwriting   Buy the book at Amazon UK

The Art and Science of Screenwriting   Buy the book at Amazon US

Philip Parker, The Art and Science of Screenwriting, Exeter: Intellect, 2nd edn, 1999, pp.219, ISBN: 1841500003

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