Compare the success or failure between the original British creations and American versions of Shameless and The Office. Argue which version is more successful and the reasons why. Address the cultural difference that may have contributed to the popularity of the show.
I do think a big part of the argument would be exploring the cultural differences in how drama and comedy are expressed. Our traditional slapstick vs thier dry, witty humor; our drama tends to feel more exaggerated while theirs feels grounded in harsh reality. American versions of both these shows made American changes for the better or worse? How have these changes translated for audiences when there is access to the originals? – C N Williamson8 years ago
It would be useful to define what success is. – JDJankowski8 years ago
Demonstrate some of the eerie similarities of the Netflix show House of Cards to some of the same elements that are going on currently in the American political arena. Research how the creators of House of Cards obtain their material, and who will prevail as the first female president Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or Claire?
I think it would be good to dissect the political processes represented in the drama to see whether such a malicious pair could get into office in real life. Also how do British and American versions misrepresent parliamentary procedure in order to create good drama? – Benedict Hadley8 years ago
If there is a similarity of House of Cards to American politics in the real word, the obvious avenue of investigation would be, 'What is the source material?' – JDJankowski8 years ago
Society finds it acceptable to ask an artist to give away their work, skills and talents. Many artists are asked to donate their work to events to help them raise money. They tell the artist it will help them to promote their work in exchange for monetary compensation. We do not hear an organization asking a surgeon to perform an operation for free so that it can advance his/her practice. The government also participates in discounting the artist’s talents as well. When an artist does donate a piece of work, they are only allowed to claim the cost of the materials on their taxes not the time, education and talent that goes into creating the piece. Society deems other professions such as doctors, lawyers, and CEOs as worthy. Society does not ask a CEO to donate whatever it is they have to offer for free, but they will ask a musician to play for their organization for free without any consideration; or ask a writer to create copy, or a designer to make their brochure and think that the artist should be thankful for the opportunity.
This article can help get the message out that artists have value and to stop the practice of asking artists to give away their work. Professional artists need to be respected like any other professional in our society.
Agreed. Art is a broader term than just painting though. Writing I an art too, and writers get the same rep which a lot of people here at the Artifice can relate to. I advise whoever takes this up to talk about art in the more general term as well to get the word out. – SpectreWriter9 years ago
I absolutely agree. As a musician, I am often asked to play for free. Your comment about taxes interests me, as I never even considered that a charitable performance could be claimed (and maybe it wouldn't be accepted?). I often hear photographers discussing how their work is undervalued. I think it can be tempting to offer your services for free if you want to support a certain cause or event, but we have to be mindful of how this can serve to devalue our fellow artists' work. – corrigation9 years ago
In the article, because it may come up in the comments, one might want to address why it is we write on this website for free. We obviously put time and effort into our writing so why do we volunteer to do it here without compensation? I think it's a line between other people's expectations of it's worth and ours; we aren't getting asked to do so, it's our choice to share our voice on a particular subject that would otherwise not get read by others. – Slaidey9 years ago
There are many software programs out there that help writers hone their craft. An article that lists which software is the best for grammar, editing, story boards, etc. Also include the associated cost of the program and its varying levels such as free to premium packages. Additionally, include free online writing and grammar sites such as Dailygrammar.com and Grammar Girl Podcasts.
There are also a bunch of text editors designed to minimize distractions, many of which are free. It would be interesting to see those covered too. – Harley9 years ago
As a writer who might look into getting a writing software, I would love to see this written (unfortunately, I don't feel like I know enough about the topic to do it myself). – Nicole Williams9 years ago
It might also be interesting to include things that aren't inherently effective, but may help others. To clarify, I use a mechanical keyboard as well as a program that has typewriter noises - it helps me focus - it might be interesting to include a small honorable mentions section at the end about programs where a writer's mileage may vary. – DullahanLi9 years ago
Which ten films are best known for their cinematography. Explore why these ten films are prime examples. Also speak to the cinematic relevance of the film if it is applicable.
This might be difficult to tackle without a restricted set of dates for the writer to choose from. Maybe it would be better to just hone in on the top 10 films in terms of cinematography from the past decade or two. – CriticalOtaku9 years ago
This is definitely an interesting topic, though there are a lot of different films to choose from. I think it would help if you looked at some of the films that not only look impressive in terms of cinematography, but also brought technical innovations (like Citizen Kane's use of deep focus) that broke new ground for cinematography in films. – Seth Childers9 years ago
Comparative analysis between the first two Avenger films to the latest Avenger film. A look at character development, story line and box office revenues.
The original Avengers film was great because we have never seen that many character in one film. You could talk about since audiences are already used to the Avengers being in one film, has the amazement factor died down for the second film,and does that hurt the Avengers 2 in anyway? – Aaron Hatch9 years ago
Could also mention a couple of the individual character films, such as Thor & Iron man, when discussing character development and how these inform the focus on individual characters with The Avengers films. – Hannah Spencer9 years ago
An article on reasons why Law and Order: Special Victims Unit has been on air since 1999. What is the appeal? Is it because they may be based on true stories; are the writers great, or the directing or the actors? What has made this show work for so long?
Music was recorded on LP’s, 45’s, 8-tracks, cassette tapes, CD’s, MP3, and now streaming. What is the next technological device for recorded music?
It might also be worth discussing the recent throwback in terms of how music is taken in. Vinyl is now so popular that a vinyl chart has been started, so is there a reason why certain ways of listening have been revitalised? – Hannah Spencer9 years ago
The Mindy Project has had three seasons, what is the appeal of this show, what void is this show filling for the audience? Is it satisfying the need for some of the antics of Sex in The City?
Not even close. The Mindy Project is about a girl who WISHES she was Sex in the City. Instead Mindy is a character who surprises herself almost as much as she does her audience. I fail to see how any fan of SITC could see that show in TMP. – wolfkin9 years ago
The TV drama has met with success and has opened the door for conversations regarding nontraditional sexual liaisons as well as the reality of mental health. Many communities are not accepting of same sex relationships and deny that mental health issues exists. With Empire’s popularity perhaps these issues will find an inroad to these communities.
This would be a very interesting article! You could also discuss the characters, specifically Lucious Lyon and his attitude towards his sons, Jamal and Andre. Andre, for example, oversees the financial business of Empire, yet his father criticizes him for marrying a woman of a different race. – Amanda Dominguez-Chio9 years ago
This is a good topic, I believe that having a show that contains a whole cast of African Americans on cable television is changing the industry alone. With the use of same sex relationships, and mental health can open up to viewers of this television program. – silvam9 years ago
An analysis of Shonda Rhimes and her contributions as a writer, producer and creator of successful TV shows and how this may help other writers who are female or of color become more inclusive in main media.
Can the paraphernalia have a higher return than the feature film itself?
Two words: Star Wars. Star Wars was the real start of merchandising popular films and if anything has made more money than the feature film it is that entire series. – Jemarc Axinto9 years ago
Curiosity behind the such contractual agreements such as a flat fee, commission, residuals, or franchise profits, etc. It would be interesting to know who requests what and if it benefits them financially, socially or is it a humanitarian motivation.
Unique topic, not one many have discussed. Would you be looking for specific examples? Maybe, the article could compare some actors who always take big cheques to those willing to take scale to get the work done e.g. Bruce Willis for Expendables 3 compared to Jonah Hill agreeing to take minimum for Wolf of Wall Street. – Thomas Munday9 years ago
Some items that help to make the film successful is the timing of the release of the film, the public relations campaign, and tours of talks shows to promote the film. Can the cultural climate affect the politics of films that win awards, such as wars, religion, and challenged legislations?
A very ambitious article, and one that has the potential to be very insightful and interesting. With a topic this broad though, it might be better to either focus on specific movie or director examples, or to focus on certain events that have had significant impact. However, if you plan on writing this yourself, you may have much more information at hand that I can mull over at a glance. Perhaps if you decide not to write this, a conversation with whomever picks it up could do this topic the most justice. Good luck! – Matt Collazo9 years ago
Nice topic! Timing is everything when it comes to a film meeting deadlines for film festivals. Over the years, there's been several films that met with controversy. A video that may help this article is an interview of Peter Bart, and bribes are implied that affect how the members of the Academy vote. Good luck! – Amanda Dominguez-Chio9 years ago
Cool article, hope it gets picked up. Are you hoping to cover everything PR and media related or just specific things? It might be cool to either cover every aspect of the journey from Film Festival to Oscar night or specific films known for playing the PR card AKA The Artist for pushing the gimmick to the finish line to get bigger profits post Oscars? – Thomas Munday9 years ago
Timely article, with the recent award season. Be interesting if you highlight how different award shows have different politics? – Aliya Gulamani9 years ago
Mainstream movies and popular television programs; do they mirror the typical culture of the viewing audience or do they shape the culture? Do we have a culture that mimics a popular film or did the film capture a part of culture? For example, smoking in films from the 40s through the 70s may have made this habit popular and helped to shape a culture into an addictive behavior. This behavior may not have been as far reaching without the influence of films that promote smoking as acceptable and popular behavior.
Very interesting topic that you've already developed well with these questions. Mainstream films definitely have a considerable impact on social behaviors, more than we allow ourselves to believe. It would be interesting to link it to TV - series really seem to be at the heart of this tension today. – Rachel Elfassy Bitoun9 years ago
Rachel I agree TV series would be advantageous regarding this subject matter. Since movies are usually a one or two-time viewing for most and TV series enter the homes on a regular schedule and allow for more information to be distributed, which could have various effects on the viewer. Thanks. ~Venus – Venus Echos9 years ago
I would like to read an in-depth psychological analysis of the characters in The Following. I have a layperson’s opinions but would like to read about it from someone educated in psychology. However, I suppose a layperson’s generalization would be an interesting approach.