Songs That Make You Wanna Direct An Oscar-Winning Film
By Sam Boyer, Staff Writer
So you want to make an Oscar-winning film. Where do you start? Directing the nextGodfather or Titanic is a tall order for anyone, so you’re going to have to start small. Get some inspiration!
Oh. You don’t have any, you say? There’s your problem. You can’t direct your magnum opus without a simple idea. So where are you going to get this inspiration? (And if the word “remake” crosses your mind for even a second, you may need to rethink your career choice.}
One of the most accessible sources for inspiration is music. You’d be surprised how many great filmmakers have been inspired by music. Just one song can spark an avalanche of ideas, and among all those ideas lies the greatest film ever made.
Okay, maybe not the greatest. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here. So if you find yourself stuck in a creative rut, aspiring filmmaker, give some of these tunes a listen. And…action!
1. “Boy With A Coin” by Iron & Wine
Exposition. You’re introducing your male protagonist. He’s the quiet, down-to-earth type, only concerning himself with the mundane actions of his unfulfilled life. Let’s put him in the suburbs. He’s married with two kids and works five days a week. He’s been pretty content with this life up until this point. Now he’s looking for something to change everything.
2. “Possibly Maybe” by Bjork
You’re introducing your female love interest. She’s young, quirky, and adventurous. She’s everything our hero has been searching for. Yes, your hero is married, but there’s just something about this girl that makes him question all his decisions in life. She gives him coy glances in passing for a while, then reaches out to him. They hit it off and start to get friendly.
3. “This Is Hardcore” by Pulp
Cue torrid love affair. Make it as dirty as you want. Strive for that R rating. Your female love interest begins to mold your hero into an entirely different person. Your film can take a dark turn here. Consider having your hero develop an unhealthy obsession with his mistress. Better yet, make him a sociopath.
4. “Do You Fear Sleep?” by The Moscow Coup Attempt
If you choose not to go in a dark direction, construct a heart-breaking portrait of intimacy between your hero and his love interest instead. The hero is happy with his new girl, but carries a gnawing feeling of guilt in the pit of his stomach (because, you know, he still has a wife and kids at home).
5. “Ocean Breathes Salty” by Modest Mouse
Either way you choose to go with this affair, your hero’s marriage will still crumble. Even worse, the love interest leaves him, too. Just go ahead and take everything away from him. He needs to learn a lesson.
6. “Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand” by Primitive Radio Gods
Your hero is alone and feeling nostalgic for his previously mundane life. He ventures to the big city for a change of scenery and a chance to clear his head. Everything is kind of a blur. He turns to alcohol (or maybe even drugs) for comfort. This would be the opportune spot to put a montage of self-loathing. You want the audience to stop scolding him for his mistakes and take pity on him.
7. “Intervention” by Arcade Fire
This is the moment of clarity. Your hero has hit rock bottom and there’s nowhere to go but up. He acknowledges his mistakes and realizes that if he wants things to go his way, he’s going to have to make the first move. Cue montage of the hero cleaning up his act and heading out to make amends.
8. “Make War” by Bright Eyes
Your hero and his mistress meet up one last time to discuss things. She apologizes, tears up, and the hero makes a joke to lighten the mood. She laughs and asks if they can still be friends. No, it doesn’t work that way. Both parties exchange bittersweet goodbyes and your hero mentally prepares himself to face his family.
9. “The Way Things Are” by Fiona Apple
This is it. This is the inevitable confrontation with the scorned wife. Your hero decides to go with the “I was wrong, I’m scum” approach, which doesn’t seem to work at first. He gets chewed out by his ex-wife and just takes it because he believes he deserves it (which he kind of does). But he still half-expects forgiveness.
10. “Knife” by Grizzly Bear
Happy endings don’t usually win awards, so your hero and his wife won’t get back together. He’s ruined everything, but he’s oddly okay with it. This was a learning experience, after all. He’s grown as a person and now he can start over. You can end the film with your hero walking away from his old life and the mess he’s made of it with a new sense of self. It does hurt him to know that he’s lost everything, but that’s life, right? Cue poignant scene with your hero walking down a lonely road. End credits.
