Film remake

[Guest Alexandre Lucena]

Dear People.

 

I have this immense gap in my soul that remains unfullfilled. That is: To direct a feature length.

I am limited by my government`s lack of funding for cinema. I expect to get a maximum

US $ 35.000,00 from my State`s art fund. So I am seriously considering to remake an italian classic:

Vittorio de Sicca´s Bicycle Thief. It is cheap to produce and has a very human story. I am not

considering Van San´s approach to Hitchcock´s Psycho that is to shoot scene by scene the same as the

original. I would stick to the story point for most parts though as to ensure that the film works.

 

Alexandre

[Mark Allen]

$35,000 US is about $35,000 more US dollars than anyone in the US can get from the government for their movies - so that's a great thing for you.

 

But if you have a burning passion to make movies.... why would you be doing a remake? Is the "immense gap in your soul" for telling stories or for telling people you make movies. Make sure it's for telling stories or it's going to be a big disappointment for you.

[Lars.Erik]

$35,000 US is about $35,000 more US dollars than anyone in the US can get from the government for their movies - so that's a great thing for you.

 

But if you have a burning passion to make movies.... why would you be doing a remake? Is the "immense gap in your soul" for telling stories or for telling people you make movies. Make sure it's for telling stories or it's going to be a big disappointment for you.

 

 

I agree with Mark. If you have such a burning passion. Use that passion to make you OWN movie. Let de Sica be de Sica. He is one of the greatest story tellers of our time. I believe a remake should only be made if the original could have been better. And I can't see how on earth "Bicycle Thief" could be better. I hate the remakes of "Lolita" and "Psycho". They are just made for one purpose. To make money. So please, make your own film. It can be "Bicycle Thief" similar. Just don't make a remake of it. It's just to good of a movie.

 

Someone in Norway made their own film recently. They didn't get any funding from the Norwegian Film Council. They said "up yours" and made it anyway. Everyone worked for free on it. The cost of the film was about $8.500. They shot on XL1 I think.

 

When it was finished the quality of the film was so good that it got a cinema release. Technically it isn't very good. But the acting and the story was great. And this is true, it's one of the best told stories on film in Norway the recent years. So in that sense, you got a whole lot of money. The crew and actors who worked for free, got their money when the film got a cinema release. Ticket sales. So it is possible.

 

Whatever you do, I wish you good luck.

Edited February 27, 2006 by Lars.Erik