Category: Wes Anderson

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Wes’s Excellent Interview with Fast Co.


As you may expect, around these parts we read a lot of interviews with Wes Anderson. (A lot of interviews.) But very few are worth posting here– the ground is covered, the same questions are asked, and there’s nothing really to report. However, Fast Co. Create’s recent interview with Wes was interesting because we finally got something new– an inside peek into his writing and directing process.

When asked about his writing process:

“[In writing the script], I want to make more than something you visualize, I want to make something you can sit there and read; you can experience the story.”
[…]
“I like to have a record of something I wrote out there,” says Anderson. Which is why he publishes his scripts. “I’m sure a lot of the people who buy it never read it because you read a few pages and say, ‘Yes, yes, oh yes, I remember all this stuff,’ and then you can kind of move on. But I just like to at least be able to say, ‘Well, it was published and it existed.'” So the Moonrise Kingdom script was recently put out as an e-book by Faber & Faber, […] And he’s not exactly celebrating the e-book’s brisk sales. “I asked the guys at Faber, ‘How many have we sold?’ and they said, ‘We’ve already sold 100.'” Anderson pauses. “Oh, so, 100. In three months. Wow, that’s great. We’re doing great.”

Note to Rushmore Academicians: This is a call to action. Let’s help make Wes a little happier and all buy the ebook. For everyone we know.


The rest of the interview covers his decision to film in Rhode Island, set structure, storyboarding scenes, lessons learned from previous films, the challenges of working with young actors, and his musical selections. Again, it’s well worth a read.

And finally, some great news about Movie #8: they hope to start shooting by the end of the year. Read the full article at Fast Co. Create.

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Friday News Round-Up 6/29/12




Friends, Romans, Countrymen– welcome back into the fold. As you have surely noticed, yes, things are slowing down- down, but not out. There is more to come and much to look forward to: the ever expanding release of Moonrise, award season, more information about Movie #8, films by related artists, and new features (!) on the site. But for now, let’s get to it.

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Cousin Ben Hosts a MR Screening

Maybe you haven’t yet heard, but Moonrise Kingdom is still expanding in its platform release. In order to keep up spirits and excite new audiences, Funny or Die produced an exclusive video directed by Wes Anderson with Jason Schwartzman as Cousin Ben hosting a screening for the Khaki Scouts. No spoilers, but a very cute addition to the online exclusives.

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Moonrise Kingdom and the Success of the Platform Release


The most frequent question that we’ve seen on tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook has been, “When is Moonrise Kingdom opening in my hometown?” If you yourself have asked this question, you are part of the success story of Moonrise‘s platform release strategy.

First, let’s turn to wikipedia for a definition of a platform release:

A platform release is a limited release strategy, whereby the film opens in only a few theaters, then gradually expands to more theaters as word of mouth spreads and the marketing campaign gains momentum. Depending on the film’s success, there is even the possibility to expand into a wide release. The advantage of this strategy is that marketing costs are conserved until a film’s performance has been established. This way, if a film turns out to be very popular or critically acclaimed, the distributor may opt to spend more money than originally planned and push for a wider release; if the movie flops, the distributor can withdraw from the campaign without having spent much money promoting and advertising the film.

As you may have heard, MR opened in only four theaters (two in New York and two in Los Angeles), but the film earned $167,250 per screen, which is highest per-theater box office average for a non-animated film of all time.

Join us after the jump for more thoughts regarding MR‘s success. Continue reading “Moonrise Kingdom and the Success of the Platform Release”

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A.V. Club’s Pop Pilgrims Visit the Real Rushmore Academy

Yes, this is another post about something fantastic the A.V. Club did, but it was too good not to share. The A.V. Club recently took a field trip to Houston and visited the school that stood in for Rushmore Academy, St. John’s School.

The video features shot-by-shot comparisons of campus then and now, excellent interviews with a current teacher at St. John’s who was a friend of Wes’s in high school and the owner of Rosemary Cross’s home, and, as a bonus, has shot of Wes’s yearbook from senior year.


Houston: The Rushmore School

Join us after the jump for a bit more. Continue reading “A.V. Club’s Pop Pilgrims Visit the Real Rushmore Academy”

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A.V. Club’s WA Video Quilt

The A.V. Club put together a fantastic supercut of seemingly all of the accessories in Wes’s first six films. Every belt buckle, pair of sunglasses, hat, and shoe (or paw) is represented in this three-minute film. It looks like a true labor of Wes Anderson-love, and that’s right up our alley.


A video quilt of whimsical Wes Anderson accessories

You can also read a bit about the film over at the A.V. Club.

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Jason Schwartzman Interview from Cannes


We’re a little late to post this one, but don’t let its 6-day age turn you off. Jason Schwartzman, interviewed by Jada Yuan for New York Magazine, is at his best. He talks about his childhood experiences, working with Bill Murray, and his friendship with Wes:

So, when Wes calls, do you just drop everything you’re doing to be in his movies? Do you have a say in what you play?

First of all, let me say this: This is one of my best friends in the whole world and I am very, very lucky for that. There are very few people I could say that are my close people that I really, really care about. And I would say that there are an even smaller amount of them that I could say I actually work with, too. And it’s just very lucky. I met Wes on Rushmore. We made a movie together. We stayed in touch through the years. And then this weird thing happens to you personally and you talk about it and then you keep talking, and then all of a sudden it’s twelve years older and you’re like, “Wow, this is my best friend.”

Read the rest of the interview over at The Vulture.
(image via GQ)

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Friday News Round-Up 6/1/12

 

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Wes Anderson’s Fresh Air Interview

Wes Anderson sat down with Terri Gross to discuss his inspiration of the movie, the casting process, visual design, and his own childhood.

The 38-minute interview is full of great details, like the revelation below:

ANDERSON: Well, I remember – you know, someone asked me in the past week, in Cannes – I don’t – I can’t even remember who it was that asked me this, a reporter. I wish I had noted him, because he asked me something that made me kind of realize what I had wanted to do. He asked if the movie was a memory of a fantasy.

And I thought – at first I wasn’t quite sure what that meant. Then I realized that that is sort of exactly what the movie is. It’s – I remember the emotion of feeling like I was falling in love at that age, 12 years old, and how powerful it was and sudden, and kind of inexplicable. And yet in this – you know, I – nothing happened in my case.
[…]
GROSS: Who did you fall in love with?

ANDERSON: Well, I – I don’t – I don’t know if I want to even say the name, because it’s a, you know, a real person who very likely won’t be listening to this, but maybe would be. You know, a girl two rows over and three seats up who was in my class for years, and I never really had much of a conversation with her.

Listen to (or read the transcript of) the interview at NPR.

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Friday News Round-Up 5/25/12


It’s here, it’s finally here! It’s opening day! Buy your tickets early and often to support Wes and luxuriate in his newest cinematic masterpiece (and confidentially, as few of our editors have already seen the film, we can confirm it’s as wonderful as you had hoped.)

With that said, it’s time to get down to brass tacks, here’s your Friday Round-up: