Video: PAINTING WITH BLEACH

Filmed this a while ago then forgot about it.

Thanks to Mik Jensen for showing me this trick back in the day. Now I can't live without bleach!

Film School Confidential: 5 GREAT STORYTELLING TIPS

I'm not really at school this week but I went today anyway. Kim Fupz Aakeson (ex-cartoonist, screenwriter) was speaking and I didn't want to miss that. Aakeson is usually smart, funny and very hands-on in his approach. Sure enough, quite a few nuggets fell into my notepad. Here are some of them:

• Story structure in three words: Order - Disorder - New order
• A good main character in three sentences: Has a lot of screentime and is shown in a lot of different situations (so we get to know them well enough to care) - Is actively doing stuff (as opposed to reacting to external events)  - Has something personal at stake.
• Research in two sentences: Look for the exotic details in the mundane (how to make a taxi driver interesting) - Look for the mundane details in the exotic (how to make us relate to the people on the space station).
• Good dialogue in three sentences: Remember that people are basically only interested in themselves (everyone has their own agenda and should not merely be servants of the plot or the main character) - Cut out all the courtesies of the conversation (hello, goodbye, thank you) - Skip all the yes and no anwers or replace them with something interesting. 
• When dealing with exposition, it can easily feel like a truck just backed up and started unloading information in a very indescrete way. Fupz suggested a series of situations where the unloading of vital information would seem reasonable; The interview scene (i.e. the job interview, where it's perfectly natural to get a lot of exposition out), the interrogation scene, the scene at the doctor's office, the date scene or the "new kid" trick, where you have someone not familiar with the situation or location show up and ask a lot of questions, providing for a very convenient opportunity to dump a lot of exposition. If none of this is applicable, try to spread out the exposition through several scenes, so it doesn't feel too obvious.

Of course there was more, but that's all you get for now.

Thank you, Fupz. Much appreciated!

Working Methods: FREELANCE ILLUSTRATION ADVICE #1

I've often been asked what's most important as a freelance illustrator. I always say: "Respect your deadlines".

But what about talent? Sure, that helps. But that's like a basic thing. Like you need a bunch of shoes to open up a shoe store. When customers rate the importance of personal relation with a salesman higher than than the actual quality of the product, that applies for art as well. I'm sure there are exceptions. The outrageously talented painter who charges obscene amounts of money for his art and treats everybody like shit. Sure. But for the rest of us hacks, what's most important is we deliver what we promised, on the time that we promised it, and that we don't throw a tantrum if there are a few corrections.

If you don't deliver on time, and you're a pain in the ass to work with, it doesn't really matter how amazing your artwork is.

For my top 10 freelance advice check out this post on MakingComics.com.

On the move: KIM FUPZ AAKESON/ERIK BARFOED/MIKKEL SOMMER PANEL

Last week I was at this panel discussing the upcoming graphic novel version of Kim Fupz Aakeson's novel "De Gale" (The Mad) with Fupz himself, writer Erik Barfoed who converted the text into comic book form and artist Mikkel Sommer.

Though Fupz has a background in cartooning, he did not want to take it upon himself to make the comics version. Sommer seems the obvious choice; a comics prodigy with a distinctive style and without a doubt the most interesting new talent to arise out of Denmark in the past decade.

The panel discussed the rising interest in post-apocalyptic tales. Fupz commented that as a writer you need to put your characters under pressure in order for them to show their true nature. And the end of the World is just about as much pressure as you can think of.

And speaking of pressure, Sommer confessed that he had inked and colored the entire book in 4 months. That's a 142-page book. And it's looks amazing.

Did I mention the guy is 24 years old?

The book will be released in Danish later this month. For more of Mikkel Sommer's awesome art go here.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod

Film School Confidential: CONTRASTS

As promised, here are some highlights from this week's programme at the National Film School of Denmark's screenwriting Master Class:

Monday we looked at how characters are introduced, studying the first sequences from The Godfather Part III, and in the afternoon I had a meeting with my script consultant, who gave me this book by John Trudy that I'm very much looking forward to reading.

The following two days we studied the western True Grit, both the John Wayne picture from 1969 and the Coen Brothers version from 2010, the latter a much darker and heavier-themed movie, right from the opening shot. It was interresting to watch the very different takes on the same source material. The 1967 version was very clean-cut and wholesome, more a heroic tale of the slightly flawed marshall Rooster Cogburn, with an ageing John Wayne going broad comedy with the role. The Coens version takes place in winter, a much bleaker, moodier look at the old West. Mattie's journey into the wild to catch the man who killed her father is also a psychological journey with Mattie's soul at stake. The consequences of hiring Cogburn is blood on her hands and the risk of loosing her own life. In the 1969 version it's an adventure that brings Lassie to mind.

The last two days we've been talking character with tv-writer Hanna Lundblad (Krøniken, Lykke). We saw clips from movies such as One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Thelma & Louise, About Schmidt and As Good As It Gets, the latter a perfect example of introducing a character; Melvin Udall (Jack Nicholson) is portrayed as a complete bastard in the first scene where he throws his neighbour's dog down the garbage chute. In the following scene we learn; his job (writes romance novels), his social status (wealthy, but disliked), his demeanor (insults everybody, a recluse, has OCD, control freak), his intelligence (extremely well-articulated and sarcastic insults!), his political standpoint (racist, homophobic), his want (to be left alone) and need (to find love) - all of this within the first 10 minutes! Udall's entire problem/theme of the movie is also clearly stated through his neighbours's remmark "You don't love anything". Right on the nose. And it works!

With Lundblad, we did little 5-minute interviews with each other about our protagonist, answering questions such as "what about your character reminds you of yourself?". We also had exercises, like writing a childhood scene in 10 minutes where our character takes a stand, and describing a real life character who has made an impression in our lives, then together creating the direct opposite of that character. After this we wrote a scene were the two meet, in the least comfortable location for one of them.

So, what did I learn this week?

• When introducing characters it is important to differentiate them, make them stand out in the crowd, through actions, looks, even their name.
• Characters are defined by the reactions of others. In Godfather III, Vincent is not on the guest list and is almost thrown out, but the girls love him. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, everyone is scared of the calm and controlled Nurse Ratched when she arrives the morning after a wild party on the ward, even though she's not physically a threatening figure.
• Be sure to state the want and need of the main characters in the first sequence. In Thelma & Louise, the need for Thelma is to get away from her loveless relationship and be in control of her own life, while Louise clearly needs to let go and allow herself to have a meaningful relationship.
• Take character traits to the extreme. Melvin Udall is not just rude, he is incredibly rude.
• The most intriguing characters are the ones that have contradictions and "cracks" in their persona, a clash of traits or values.
• The characters themselves are not aware of their need until the midpoint or point of no return. After that, the realization may come with a bang or slowly seep in, but it is after the midpoint that they are finally able to act upon their real need.
• The images themselves carry meaning and add to the theme. In the John Wayne version of True Grit, the landscapes are shown in big, wide technicolor with majestical music as score. In the Coen brothers version the landscape is cold, barren and desaturated, more a threat than a beautiful backdrop. The theme is clearly stated with the very first image of the film; a warm light from inside the Saloon, but no one comes out to help Mattie's father who lies shot on the street. In the last image (before the epilogue) we see the same warm light but now the door opens and the occupants of the house come out to help Cogburn and the deadly wounded Mattie.

 Once again, another inspiring week at Film School. Hope you learned a little something here as well.

On the move: AWARD SHOWS AND RELEASE PARTIES

No, I didn't win anything and no, I didn't release anything. But it's been a good week for anyone interested in Danish comics, as Tuesday was the revival of the once-prestigious Ping Award and Thursday saw the much-awaited release of Thomas Thorhauge's collection of film portraits Det Sidste Ord (The Last Word).

The award show in Vega Tuesday night was loaded with Danish celebrities as presenters; Talkshow host Anders Lund Madsen, actor Nicolas Bro, movie reviewer Christian Mongaard and TV hostess Ane Cortzen. Between awards was a well-staged comics battle were even yours truly took the stage (and drew this).

The awards themselves took a fresh look at what's going on in DK including webcomics. I'm sure the political choice of rewarding the more artsy creators served it's purpose; to expand the public awareness of what comics can be. There were also a couple of international awards, featuring Skype thank you speeches from Jaime Hernandez, Shaun Tan and Craig Thompson who won for his book Habibi (interview with Thompson here). The 2012 Ping Awards was without a doubt the coolest comics event ever set on Danish ground. Several high profile cartoonist had to be turned down at the door when the show sold out. Be sure to get your ticket early next year when I shall be nominated and shall win EVERYTHING! Or maybe not.

The event is covered extesively in Danish on Nummer 9. For more on the show in English, go the this article on the Metabunker.

Last night was another chance to celebrate Danish comics, as Thomas Thorhauge released his series of movie star portraits; satirical strips derived from real interviews/quotes from people like George Lucas (above), Clint Eastwood, Jack Nicholson, Marilyn Monroe, Woody Allen and our very own Lars von Trier and his producer through twenty-some years; Peter Aalbæk Jensen.

Ålbæk and the creator had an on stage talk about movie myths and true stories from Aalbæk's long career as head of the Danish movie company Zentropa. Fun stories of Björk and Trier's clashes during the filming of Dancer in the Dark, and the story of when Catherine Deneuve rushed to the aid of a toppled garden gnome during lunch at Zentropa, and hundreds of crew members looked on in horror as the diva gently stood the gnome back up. What Deneuve didn't know was that the aforementioned gnome was frequently used as an outdoor urinal!

Peter Albæk Jensen is  quite a character and a great storyteller, and is also featured in Thorhauge's book. Unfortunately Det Sidste Ord is only available in Danish so far, but the caricatures themselves are worth a look.

And to top off the week, Bill Sienkeiwicz is signing in Faraos Cigarer in about half an hour.

Be sure to come back next week for more movie madness in the series Film School Confidential.