Alex Garland

Started by WorldForgot, March 07, 2020, 07:51:14 PM

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WorldForgot

writtenby/dirbyDanny Boyle: ShowHide


writtenby/dirbyMarkRomanek: ShowHide



also slo-mo technocratic Dredd and a sure-thing sorta directorial debut Ex Machina before adapting the Jeff VanderMeer novel Annihilation.

Most recently, streaming mini-series:
Quote from: wilberfan on March 07, 2020, 06:05:31 PM



I generally don't do "slow & weird", but I'm hooked on this one after two episodes. Fingers-crossed that it stays on course.

an Anthropocene auteur if I may go for the gag ~
Figured there could be a thread since this iz an on-going series. Forest expands the archetype from Ex Machina - and it'll be interesting to see where Garland can take the mystery though and beyond procedural bounds.

Quote from: polkablues on April 29, 2020, 06:43:49 PM


I just discovered this video of Alex Garland describing his writing process, and he has a technique for writing his first drafts that I'm 100% stealing from here on out.

He starts by writing out his story beats, line by line, one or two sentences each, directly in his script file. When he has the full story bullet-pointed out like that, he goes back to the top and starts writing the actual script above it, deleting each bullet point as he completes that beat in the script, until he has a finished first draft.

I love the "checking off your to-do list" aspect of this process. Much more tactile and psychologically satisfying than just having an outline open in a separate window that you're checking in on every once in a while. Plus, as you're writing, you always have the next beat of your story waiting for you just a couple lines below your cursor, helping make the scene work very goal-oriented in a way that really speaks to me.

Of course, this is only useful for first drafts, not for rewrites, which is what I'm currently procrastinating about. I'll have to find a different lifehack to get myself through that part.

polkablues

Three episodes in and this show is still great, but I'm having a quandary. I genuinely can't tell if Sonoya Mizuno is a good actor or not. She has this lack of affect that's either a really interesting character choice, or bad acting. The jury's still out.
My house, my rules, my coffee

wilberfan

So interesting you'd mention that. I had the identical reaction.

WorldForgot

Have either of you seen Cary Fukunaga's Maniac? She plays a different tone there than she has in Garland's work -- more resolve than stoicism and to good comedic effect.

Episode 2 was like sci-fi The Americans with its pacing and parallel conflicts-- this one took that suspense into Parallax View lvlz of conspiracy. I hope that'll we'll get to see the great algorithm expand outside of the Amaya campus. Would be interesting if its scope became worldwide.

wilberfan

I wonder if the music in "Devs" will get the attention it deserves?  The soundtrack is amazing.  Stick around till the very end of the credits on this week's episode for add'l aural interestingness.

WorldForgot

Quote from: wilberfan on March 26, 2020, 10:31:30 PM
I wonder if the music in "Devs" will get the attention it deserves?  The soundtrack is amazing.  Stick around till the very end of the credits on this week's episode for add'l aural interestingness.

Very cool. Especially after the hymn that's been there for the earlier (naive?) bits of the show. A sibling of their score for Annihilation, without a doubt.

Wonder if you two have come around on the performance after two more eps. I feel like Sonoya Mizuno is showing y'all the range!

wilberfan

Although the first half of tonight season finale of "Devs" had me rolling my eyes a bit, the episode went on to redeem itself.  A rather  satisfying conclusion to a very interesting series.

WorldForgot

Around episode 2 this limited series could have branched off and become a bunch of different FX shows. Dystopian, corp espionage, more spy thriller or more sci-fi -- Instead it was one of Garland's smaller pieces, a sweet play about simulacra.

Spoiler: ShowHide
From Ex Machina -> Deus