Filmmaking / Directing : The Next Trend by Stephen Jackson

Wouldn't if be great if one of us could predict the next trend?

Yes Marcus...If I could I would never get dressed and sit on a velvet throne!

Remember, civil and courteous. You're right though, Marcus. It would be cool to successfully predict what comes next. But we can't so all we can do is discuss and offer opinions.

I'm sorry my post came off as uncivil and discourteous.

The "fad" has been around forever. The first Superman movies were made in the 30s, along with Dick Tracy which was huge then. The trend happening now is, spec screenplays are out, graphic novels are in. Video games are also evolving and spawning huge wads of movies, though the gaming version of a "Dark Knight" quality epic is probably a ways off.

I think very soon video game films will be the the summer blockbusters. More immersion with both medias will become very common.

Possibly more novels,books of all sort!

Thrillers.

What seems on the upswing to me are well-crafted horror flicks--like The Conjuring. These can be shot on a shoestring and still turn a huge profit. The producers will follow the money.

While I'm not a big fan of horror, I see the point.

I think audiences have been conditioned to expect spectacle when they go see a movie in a theatre, and there aren't many genres that can satisfy those expectations. The 2014 release with the biggest buzz is Christopher Nolan's Interstellar. If that takes off then you have your answer. Don't forget, Disney has a multitude of Star Wars movies on the horizon.

There's always a demand for a great story . . .

I believe raunchy comedies will be the next big thing. We have already seen it will the hangover, bridesmaids, this is the end, etc.

I know what I have missed and that is a good tear-jerker... I don't get a chance to go to the movies very often, but when I do, it's always action or horror. A good hero story based on fact is another that I miss.

As an Architectural Storyteller, I hope for a day when the drama embedded in the design and construction of buildings becomes a standard in the movies. For example, I'm reading "Empire Rising," a novel set against the construction of the Empire State Building. I hear a film version is in production. I can't wait! ~ I happen to know that there are great details and characters - great stories - all around the design studio and the construction site. (OK, you read it here first: Architectural Stories will be a big deal...)

Remakes have always been a no-brainer for studios, although the best ones are those that have something geneuinely new to say. Take King Kong (remade three times), Dracula and Frankenstein (remade god knows how many times), etc etc etc. The current trend for video games adaptations and comics is just a logical extension of this credo. It's easy to think that in the future all we will see is the equivalent of a roller coaster ride (can't wait for the moving seats!), but I think there will always be a place for good stories that are well told. Look at "The Artist", for example.

Video games

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/81248452/

I hope good drama will come back. The Descendents, August: Osage country, Inside Llewyn Davis, All is lost, Blue Jasmine are some signs that hopefully movies won't be made for 14 year olds only! Some of the superhero flics have shown disappointing results at the box office last summer, which, from my point of view, is good, because basically they are all the same, and how long can explosions keep us interested? Also thrillers will always be in.

I agree. I saw a movie the other day which had a good story, great acting and no violence, obscene language or sex scenes. A friend jokingly said,"then why did you go to see it". What it also had was amusing scenes, and very touching scenes that showed some good morality. It really got you emotionally involved. I am speaking of course of "Saving Mr. Banks". There should be more of those movies.

How about some real life stories with an action, get life done, type story line. There are so many interesting life stories of the common man struggles with drama, experiences, and even humor that keeps one's energy for life as a continuum.

Is this a sign of the times? Big blockbusters are every where with sequels an CGI and massive budgets being used extensively. Nothing new, but what happens after this usually? People get bored of the same old thing and smaller grittier films come into play. See the 70snew wave, smaller hard edged films that filled a void after massive epic studio productions were busting the banks but not generating the revenue. Directors such as Scorsese, Coppola, and Altman finding audiences that the studio never even knew existed. Then after the we grew tired of the special effects laden blockbusters of the 80s we saw something similar happen and the birth of the Independent Films, directors such as Tarantino, Soddenberg and Kevin Smith helping to create a new wave once again. However, with the current cinema goers now being mainly over 60 because of the baby boom back in the 50s and 60s, maybe this is going to be the target audience that will eventually dictate the next big cinematic movement

Yes!...the baby boomers seem to be attending a lot of movies now days, but when I attend, I see the basic all age movie goer. The demographic readout would be interesting to research. Who has the facts?

Stephen, I agree with you about keeping comments civil and courteous,but I am really confused as to how D. Marcus's one statement can be viewed as discourteous and uncivil. Madeline if you want a good tear-jerker I saw one the other day on dvd,it is not the most recent of movies, but it certainly fit the criteria called "Never Been Kissed" with Drew Barrymore. It is also funny. I for one am also not a fan of horror movies Stephen.

Make that two! I like some thiller action films.But not horror,..most of them are demonic.

Hi Stephen, I love big blockbusters however I would prefer them to be intelligent and thought prooking rather than just action.

oops should be provoking, getting late here

Absolutely, Colin. There needs to be a balance between action and intelligence. On the best examples of this balance would be The Avengers (2012). There was a fair amount of incredible action, but there were also moments where we learned so much about the characters and, in a way, about the real world.

I think that true life dramas are going to be big this year.. like world hunger/poverty movies, and biographies. Even though I read today in our local media, that "Vampire Academy" is big, what makes most ppl here in SA excited is series like Broken Bad (everyone relates to crime and drugs) and Game of Thrones (medieval heroes and warriors). Nelson Mandela movie was also huge here (true life story). I would personally like to see a good family movie void of sex, bad language and violence, filmed preferably by Steven Spielberg (my hero). Some remakes arent that bad, but it also depends on the movie, the actors and who its aimed at. I barely look at a movie if I dont know the actors, or if the poster looks boring. Detail and cover is important.