Re: Kathleen Kennedy to step down from Lucasfilm?
I'm going to quote a controversial military figure here and say,
The system itself is broken and by system I'm not just talking about Lucasfilm. I'm talking about the movie industry itself.
I work in the industry so I always sort of feel obliged to stand up for us a bit and point out that creativity is not dead, people work their asses off, and good movies are still made on the regular.
Now, that said, obviously, there are some pretty big problems with the industry and you are dead on with most of your points. But I do want to point out it's not entirely Hollywood's fault. Hollywood is a business, it always has been. Movies are so expensive to produce, no one would put that sort of money up without expecting a return.
When the masses flock to see Marvel movies or whatever else they feel is safe and worth their $20 and have zero interest in story or plot, it has an effect. Why does Paramounbt keep making Transformer movies even though they are terrible? Cause they make a crap ton of money.
I like to use the allegory of a drug dealer in your neighborhood that you wish would leave. Whose fault is it that he is there? Is it on him for pushing the drugs and making addicts? Or are the addicts already there and he's just there to provide supply for a need?
It's a symbiotic relationship. As annoying as I find the extreme NOTMYLUKE contingent, they have the right tact with making themselves heard with their wallets (not by reposting youtube videos ad nauseum). if more people stopped seeing trash movies, studios would be more willing to experiment. But the fact is, whatever the masses show to be a money-maker, that is what studios will do more of.
Again though-- STUDIOS. Indy film is alive and well and thriving. Netflix is dropping 700 new movies a year, the vast majority of them being indy acquisitions. As somebody in the trenches it is very frustrating to continually write new original things, which generally only get me hired to work on pre-existing IP. But all hope is not lost.
We're at a tipping point. As technology continues to get easier and cheaper to use, more and more indy films will get bigger in scope. Right now, studios have three advantages: One, they can afford mega productions with movie stars and tax incentives and clout to shut down half a town to stage elaborate set pieces. Two, they have the distribution power to the movie houses. Three they can do a marketing push to make sure everyone knows the movie exists.
Little by little, alternative methods to these are becoming more and more viable. It's a ways off, but not THAT far off that the playing field will be leveled on these topics just as it has with filmmaking technology.
As for your other points about nostalgia and the impact of cinema in other eras-- you're dead on. It's really hard recapture magic. And if filmmakers knew how to capture lightning in a bottle, studios wouldn't resort to always reworking an IP they know has a built in audience.
