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Getting some inspiration:

My thoughts after watching a film I enjoy. 

03_07_19

In my last entry, I said that Nightcrawler has some interviews at the beginning and that I should watch it for inspiration.

That’s exactly what I did.

When I watched it a couple of years ago, I loved Nightcrawler. The direction and color grading were incredibly well done, but what sold the film for me was the thrillingly dark story and Jake Gyllenhaal’s performance as Lou Bloom. We watch as a man within the grips of desperation claws his way to relevancy, trying to cling to a profession that earns him money, as well as a sense of self-worth. He gets his break as a news reporter, but his lust for recognition ultimately leads him down a dark path. No spoilers here, but it’s a really good film. Go watch it and come back here to finish reading this.

In my last post, I remembered that Lou goes through interviews, pleading for a position, similarly to how I imagined my protagonist will do. Although the film does show these scenes, this is not how it begins at first. After a few scenic shots of the area, we are introduced to Bloom by watching him cut wire from a fence, hoping to sell it. He is stopped by a cop and assaults him. We watch him drive away with the wire, fiddling with his new watch, one that used to belong to the officer. Immediately, the audience is shown the measures the Lou is willing to go to accomplish his goal, as well as the position he is in. This immediately provides the protagonist with a motivation and a moral compass for the duration of the film.

I definitely like this better than simply beginning with a struggle, which, in this case, is a job interview. A slight insight into a character can go a long way.

Thanks for reading.

-f.s