[Weekly Update] November 22, 2021

Currently stuck in between a gap. In case you haven't heard, I'm directing a kung fu short film this winter, and I'm slowing down the channel so I have more time to work on the project. Right now, the bulk of the filmmaking work has yet to begin, and I'm also not in a time crunch to make the next video.

It should've been a relaxing week. But I'm so used to being busy that I just feel restless.

Anyway, onto the update.

CHANNEL UPDATE

• Hope you enjoyed our latest video on filmmaking without a camera. It's quite a different video from our usual topics, but it's one I believe many filmmakers, including myself, need to hear.
• There is currently a follow up video in the work, in which I share some of the equipment options for beginner filmmakers.
• We'll return to our usual topics this December, with a Doraemon movie! Stay tuned for a heartfelt nostalgic trip!

MEDIA TALK

• So I watched Last Night in Soho, let's talk about that.
• Since the film is still brand new, I won't be spoiling anything. In summary, Soho is to horror film, as Baby Driver to heist film, it's a very traditional pulp story enchanted with by the golden touch of director Edgar Wright.
• However, if you are expecting it to be full of quick and punchy cuts, very flamboyance camera angles, intense music and image synchronicity, then you may be... I wouldn't say disappointed, but more like surprised. Surprised at how little of those there are.
• Now, there are still these Edgar Wright moments. The most brilliant of which is the dance sequence, which you can find him talking about here.
• But you can already tell from this scene that the effect is really simple, and the style does not overshadow its story, which is a big departure from his previous works, especially Baby Driver and Scott Pilgrim.
• Indeed, the entire film of Soho merely has touches of Edgar Wright, instead of full blown stylized experience. I was taken back by this at first. But as the film went on, I realize I'm legit enjoying the story, more than any other Edgar Wright movie that came before.
• Think about it, where do we usually find enjoyment from his films? The humor and details in Shaun of the Dead, the deconstruction of a genre in Hot Fuzz, the reinvention of car chases in Baby Driver.
• But with Soho, everything serves to enhance the story. It feels like for the first time, Edgar Wright is holding back his style to let the story shine. And boy, it really shines. With all of the twist and turns, it kept me guessing from beginning to end. It fooled me twice with its plot twists. For someone who's generally pretty good at deconstructing scripts, this film is gold.
• I walked out of the theatre afterward, impressed by how Edgar Wright is maturing. He no longer needs his style to be at the forefront of everything, but is willing to dial things back, in service of a good story.
• A lot of directors never managed to walk away from their style. Shyamalan is maybe the worst offender to this. His style has not evolved over the years. You walk into a Shyamalan movie knowing exactly what to expect. His film always has a twist ending. And collectively, these endings taught the audience to not trust his story. As a result, viewers always have trouble engaging with his work.
• With one movie, Edgar Wright broke my expectation for him. And I'm not sure what to expect from his future works.
• And in a way, that is way more exciting than seeing his old tricks over and over again.

And that is the update! New video should be coming next week or so, depending on the sponsorship situation. It's honestly kinda scary now that we don't have a schedule. Things are kinda messy.

Thank you for sticking with us. I'll make a good film to show you by the end of this, I promise.