Inneresting 30
issue 30
December 3, 2020
Starting With The Image
In a recent episode of Scriptnotes, John and Craig spoke with Scott Frank about The Queen’s Gambit, and how a photograph taken while location scouting (see above) set in motion the decisions about the entire show’s aesthetic.
For more on the relationship between production design and storytelling in The Queen’s Gambit, check out this interview with Uli Hanisch about designing the show’s sets.
You can see another example of a unifying visual idea in this collection of interviews and clips about Days of Heaven. With that film, the decision to shoot as much as possible during twilight/magic hour was a way of signaling to the audience that, just like the waning daylight, this was a story about a world coming to an end.
Among David Lynch’s influences, you can see signs of surrealist art and the paintings of Edward Hopper. This video essay offers side-by-side comparisons of some memorable moments from Lynch’s work and the art that inspired it.
What Characters Wear; What Characters Touch
Clothing shapes the way that an actor learns to inhabit a character. It also connects to every other aesthetic and storytelling choice.
In episode 464 of Scriptnotes, John spoke with Lorene Scafaria and Mitchell Travers about their work together on Hustlers, and how everything from the costuming to the choice of cinematographer played a role in conveying character and story to the audience.
Amy Heckerling and Mona May spoke with Vanity Fair about the iconic costumes of Clueless.
For the film In the Mood for Love, fashion plays a role in creating the sense of time, place, and character, as do the film’s use of close ups. This intense focus on the objects the characters touch, like the cigarette below, imbues them emotional weight.
Highland How-To: Custom Themes
If you’re going to spend a lot of time staring at a screen while writing, you want that screen to not just be easy on the eyes, but also a joy to look at. That’s why Highland 2 offers a number of different built-in themes, as well as a Theme Builder for creating custom color schemes.
Writers who upgrade to the Pro version of the app can import their own color settings from the Theme Builder website, adjusting the colors of everything from the sidebar to the cursor.
You can start by modifying one of the 11 base themes, or make something completely your own. You can even copy a link to your new theme and share it with other writers!
For more information on Highland 2, check out our Knowledge Base.
Other Cool Things
If you’re looking for something new to read during the holiday season, or getting a jump start on planning your New Year’s resolution book list, check out these course syllabi from famous authors, chock full of recommended reading.
With the return of Helena Fitzgerald’s Griefbacon newsletter, now’s a good time to revisit her 2019 ode to the song “Maps” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. A powerful piece on a song's ability to transport you to another time and place.
From the world of video games, take a look at the often hilarious footage of the pre-visualization motion capture for Devil May Cry 5’s cinematic cut scenes. You can see an explanation of the game makers’ process in this interview.
Gift Recommendations (and a Hat Tip)
On his blog, Terribleminds, Chuck Wendig posted recommendations for gifts for the writer in your life this holiday season. On that list: Quote-Unquote’s own Highland 2.
Thanks to Chuck for including our app in his excellent list of suggestions!
And that’s what’s inneresting this week!
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Inneresting is edited by Chris Csont, with contributions from the entire Quote-Unquote team. Subscribe here.
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