Interview: Ben Sherwood of ‘Charlie St. Cloud’

Posted on August 1, 2010 at 3:34 pm

Ben Sherwood is the author of the novel Charlie St. Cloud, the basis for the new movie starring Zaz Efron in the title role as a young man devastated by the loss of his brother. Ben, a journalist, and I spoke about switching from non-fiction to fiction and from a novel to a movie.
I want you to start by telling me about the geese! The title character spends a lot of time trying to shoo off a flock of geese who are occupying the cemetery where he is a caretaker. Where did that come from?
While researching the book, I spent a week as a grave-digger working in the Bronx, New York at Woodlawn Cemetery. I volunteered for the job and they were a little surprised but they put me to work. And I very quickly discovered that if you work in a cemetery, geese are your sworn enemy. When they fly through and land on the ponds or lakes and when they come and go, they make the place very dirty, and so they are the bane of the caretaker’s existence.
There’s very little that one can do that is legal to the geese. One just has to deal with it and live with it.
Charlie’s non-violent method for dealing with them says something about him. He bangs trash can lids to frighten them off.
He wouldn’t want to hurt even a goose.
Tell me about moving from non-fiction and writing as a journalist to writing fiction.
I’ve always been interested in story-telling, whether in journalism, television news, over the last 25 years or the last 15 years in fiction, it’s always been about telling a compelling story. So the shift or transition is pretty straightforward. I just have moved back and for and in and out of journalism a couple of times. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able go back and forth. But it’s all about finding different ways to tell different kinds of stories.
Have you ever seen a ghost?
I have never seen a ghost but in working in that cemetery in the Bronx and in some of my travels to cemeteries around the world and thinking about the way the world works, I’ve often wondered about what happens when those cemetery gates close at night about about the unseen world around us. While I have not had any direct or personal experience with that other world I am fascinated by it and I wonder what surrounds us, what is that unseen world and how does it work, how does it interact with the world in front of us.
The movie lets you make up your mind about whether what we see is happening or whether it is just a manifestation of Charlie’s internal journey through grief and loss.
In the book, it’s a very real world, this unseen world, and it’s very detailed. In the film, they film-makers chose to make it more ambiguous and leave open the possibility that it is happening entirely inside Charlie’s head. For me, I was interested in trying to describe it in as much detail as possible, trying to make it as realistic as possible. It’s all imaginary, of course. If I really knew how it worked I’d be in a different business.
I liked the contrast in the movie between the dynamism and vigor of the opening scene at the sailboat race and the more static scenes set in the graveyard.
The screenwriters came up with a lot of those idea. I give credit to them for introducing the idea of a lot of sailing at the beginning as a very dynamic and engaged way to show us the very active world Charlie was living in. The book starts off with one of the later scenes in the movie that takes you into the central tragedy, the death of Sam. But film is a visual medium and they want to make the screen come alive and pull you into an exciting world. They did a wonderful job of taking you into those sailing sequences so you feel like you are on the boat. Even if you’ve never sailed before you feel like you are right there leaning out over the water and getting splashed.
Did you work with the film-makers?
I had a variety of different conversations with the screenwriters over five years. I was not involved directly but I was regularly in touch with the producers. I feel like one of the luckiest writers around because the producer and writers really cared about the story and the source material while making a movie which is not a literal translation but an interpretation. Every step of the way I was in great hands and they took great care to include me.
Do you have a favorite ghost movie?
I have a very vivid memory of “Ghost,” not just for its dramatic impact but also its humor. One of the Universal executives who was a champion of this project from the start likened it to “Truly Madly Deeply,” which is one of her favorite films. I always welcome that comparison.
What are you working on now?
I wrote a non-fiction book called The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life, the secrets of the world’s most effective survivors, people who have survived all kinds of calamities and challenges, unemployment, foreclosure, mountain lion attacks, cancer, plane crashes. What have they got the rest of us don’t have and how can we get it? I am writing a new book that builds on some of those themes, and am planning a new novel, too.

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The Winner Twins at Comic-Con

Posted on July 25, 2010 at 11:38 am

I was thrilled to have a chance to catch up with Brittany and Brianna Winner, now 15, to hear about their Strand book series, their school appearances, and their dream of making their story into a movie. One of the highlights of Comic-Con for them was meeting Christopher Paolini, author of the best-selling Eragon series.

Comic-Con — Production Design, Effects, and Writing

Posted on July 25, 2010 at 2:11 am

It is fun to see the stars, but one of the things I love best at Comic-Con is the chance to hear from the people behind the scenes about how entertainment gets produced and how creative people develop their careers and do their jobs. I attended panels on production design, women who write “genre,” and — always one of the highlights — “The Black Panel,” with African-Americans who work in the industry, and I spoke one-on-one with Greg Broadmore, the “lead concept designer” of “District 9,” who works at the legendary Weta special effects group (“Lord of the Rings”).
At The Black Panel, moderator Michael Davis talked with entertainment attorney Darrel Miller, novelist Nnedi Okorafor, artist Denys Cowan, and writer/producer/director Reggie Hudlin, about making your own opportunities and how “there’s nothing to fear except Mel Gibson.” There was a special tribute to actor/director Bill Duke, who answered questions and gave advice to audience members trying to get their stories told. Davis spoke about his efforts to create a program for reluctant readers based on comic books, called The Action Files and the panel recommended resources like CarlBrandon.org for finding stories about characters of color in speculative fiction.
Greg Broadmore told me about creating the fabulous alien creatures for “District 9,” which involved literally hundreds of different ideas. At one point, they were going to be based on a sort of walrus-elephant design for a while before they became the iconic insect-crustacean we saw in the film. One reason is the simpler movements. He called them the “robots of the animal world.” Insects and crustaceans bend only at the joints and you do not have to animate all of the complex and subtle muscle tensing and vein effects. The insect-crustacean also had the advantage of being inherently repelling to us, but they also wanted the creatures to be sympathetic over the course of the movie. So they worked on the eyes, making them big, “quite childlike,” evoking a conflicting inherent emotion in the audience. Broadmore’s current project is the amazing world of Dr. Grordbort’s Infallible Aether Oscillators, an amazing alternate universe story of Earth’s colonizing the rest of the solar system in the 1930’s, as he says, “that era of what could be.”
I always love hearing from the production designers, the people responsible for the overall look of a film, everything from the grandest galaxy to the tiniest buttonhole. This year’s panel was sensational. They described how they read a script and then “re-write it visually.” They talked about the pros and cons of constructing real sets versus working with CGI, what it is like to oversee hundreds of designers and the people who bring those designs to life versus working as an art department of one, creating an entirely imaginative fantasy world versus meticulously re-creating an historic era. They spoke about the importance of the things they have to design so that we don’t notice them — we would be distracted by them if they stood out, but because they are so seamlessly integrated into what we see on screen we don’t get distracted from the story. And we got to see samples of their work, including some breathtaking glimpses of the new Narnia “Dawn Treader” movie.
Mimi Gramatky told the audience that she studied architecture in school and still works on real-life building projects. But when she found out that if she worked in film she could design two hundred buildings a year, and not one of them had to meet safety code requirements, she was hooked. John Muto (“Terminator”) said that to succeed, designers need more than imagination; you need the ability to understand what is practical. And all of them agreed that production designers need to speak the language of everyone else who works on the movie, from the people who are actually responsible for construction to the director of photography and the people who oversee the budgets. Management and relationship skills are as important as creative talent, and the goal is to do such a good job that everyone you work with wants to work with you again.
The panel of women writers was titled “Girls Gone Genre,” because it featured women writing something other than romantic comedies. Actress Felicia Day was frustrated with the roles she was considered for and the pressure to look the way Hollywood thinks actresses should look — “you have to be either glam or quirky.” So she began to write The Guild, a popular web series about a group of friends who play massively multi-player role-playing games, now entering its fourth season. Other panelists included the scriptwriter for the “Twilight” series, Melissa Rosenberg, Laeta Kalogridis (“Shutter Island”), and Marti Noxon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Mad Men”) (pictured). They did compare shoes (Kalogridis hates to dress up and wear make-up, which she says works for her because people think she is tortured and serious, but Noxon enjoys fashion). But they talked candidly and with insight about the challenges and opportunities they face in not being “the chick who wrote the chick” (Gail Simone, writer Wonder Woman and Birds of Prey). It is not just about getting the chance to write. Even when you have the job, you have to be careful about how you express your views. Noxon said, “When you try to improve it, they hear their wife.” Their frustration was less based on gender than on the tension between the business side and the creative side. “Huge electricity companies own story-telling companies,” said Kalogridis.

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Interview: Chris Epting, a ‘Pop Culture Junkie’

Posted on July 21, 2010 at 3:48 pm

Beliefnet’s new blogger is Chris Epting, author of Hello, It’s Me: Dispatches from a Pop Culture Junkie, the story of his love for the television shows, movies, and music of his life and the unexpected encounters with the people behind them. The vignettes about stars from Mick Jagger, Michael Jordan, Milton Berle, Jerry Lewis, Jay Leno, Fred Willard, and many, many more, are funny, touching, and remarkably vivid.

Why are people fascinated with the personal lives of celebrities?

I think there are a variety of reasons but primarily, I believe it’s due to the images that the general public is “sold” about celebrity life. On TV, in magazines–thanks to many publicists–we are fed spectacular stories of what it’s like to live as a celebrity–sort of like our own American version of royalty–and since most of us do not live like that, our curiosities get built up in extreme ways. Vicariously, many people want a peek into the “glitter dome” simply to imagine what it might be like to exist there. On the down side, I think people also get overly fascinated in celebrity downfall–over all, I think all of the interest and fascination simply stems from the innate desire to know the inside details of people we find interesting.

Most people have a hard time getting in touch with celebrities and an even harder time making any kind of connection to them when they do meet because celebrities are understandably reserved. Yet over and over, you seem to have been almost instantly on a friendly basis with people from John Cheever to Borscht Belt comics and sitcom stars. What do you do to earn their trust?

I’m not exactly sure but my hunch is that I’m interested in certain people in ways that appeal to them or put them at ease. With John Cheever, I was very young–didn’t even really know who he was, and I think he liked that. Everyone always fawned over him but I was just a student interested in some guidance. I was also enthusiastic about writing and very respectful of his time and privacy. As I got older, when I met many of the older actors and started working with them, I think the trust was based on the fact that I knew and appreciated much of their work–and that I wanted to help them evolve as actors and comedians based on the enthusiasm I had for them growing up. And again–I was always mindful of their needs and never asked for too much. Lastly, I’d say many of the people I’ve gotten to know are passionate and energetic about life–qualities I try to embrace as much as I can–and so we have similar values/approaches to life.

You speak very warmly about Jack Riley, co-star of “The Bob Newhart Show” and Sally Struthers of “All in the Family” and “The Gilmore Girls.” What makes them so special?

To me, Jack and Sally both have a special depth and understanding of how they view friendship. Their warmth and honesty is natural, which allows for strong bonds to develop. They’re both also incredibly funny, smart, talented and savvy to the ways of the world, which I like. Actors are interesting people because they’re lives are so unpredictable, so steeped in creativity, rife with the insecurity of not knowing what will come next–but they forge on, against many odds, because it’s in their blood–they’re performers. Jack and Sally, to me, deal with those things well, with the insanity of it all–and they put the same passions and creativity into their friendships that they do their performances.

How did you end up drinking whiskey in a Radio City Music Hall closet with Ron Wood and Rod Stewart?

When I was about 21, I ended up with the job of acting as a sort of creative assistant to Dan Aykroyd, who was co-hosting the very first MTV Music Video Awards (in 1984–the ad agency where I worked was producing the show)). For a week or two I shadowed him, helped come up with little creative bits for the show, and basically did whatever he needed. He was terrific, and had a slew of interesting pals, including Ronnie Wood.

One night, Wood wanted a drink so we snuck, on our hands and knees, into co-host Bette Midler’s dressing room and he “borrowed” a bottle of whiskey. Wood, aware the Dan didn’t want drinking going on near his dressing room, dragged me and Rod Stewart into a closet. There, by the glow of Ron Wood’s cigarettes, I listened to them tell stories and jokes. (I’m a huge Rolling Stones fan, and Rod Stewart fan, so this was a big deal). After we left the closet, they made me stand next to them at the window and when fans looked up and started screaming, they told me that now I had a sense of what it was like to be them. An interesting night to be sure.

You have a story-teller’s sense for the revealing detail. I was very touched by the comment about America made by the late Manute Boll. What do you think it meant?

(Thanks!) When the legendary 7 foot seven NBA center said “You have so much in this country that can be broken. Who fixes it all?” after smashing his head on light fixture, I think he was referring to the excess he perceived in America. He came from a small tribe in the Sudan, and he was understandably overwhelmed by what he found here. When I told him we could fix the glass cover, I think he took that as a metaphor and stretched it across our society.

What is it about pop culture that makes it so indelible? Does it sometimes feel more real to us than our real lives?

I think the reason pop culture resonates with many of us is that it defines our frames of reference. The music, movies, TV, books that we grow up on our entire lives touch us emotionally and spiritually–it shapes how we view life – it provides some universal truths for us or simply makes us think about our place on the planet in whatever era we are living through. If it does ever seem more real than our real lives, then maybe that’s because it *is* our lives – we breath it everyday and by doing so, becomes part of pop culture ourselves–willing participants in the evolution of our own cultural surroundings.

What’s your all-time favorite television show and why?

That is so tough! I have many favorites, but I think my “Desert Island” TV show would be The Andy Griffith Show. The setting of Mayberry, the honest characters, the humor, but most of all for me, the show’s strong moral compass always provided a deep comfort. That was important to me, and still is–that small-town sense of decency, civility and friendship that the show represented.

What is it you like so much about the song whose title you use for the book?

I love the Todd Rundgren song “Hello It’s Me” because I feel it evokes an earnest, honest emotional appeal. It also has a vulnerability and spontaneity that I always found interesting–it’s not overly slick or produced – but feels more natural and inviting than a lot of other hits of the era (to me, anyway)

Which of these encounters taught you the most important lesson?

There are many. Though I will say that watching Michael Jordan tend to a dying child was extremely profound for me. The class, grace and soul he demonstrated to someone in need was spectacular. I will add that watching my own children grow, thrive and embrace their own passions teaches me everyday the importance of parenthood–and the lessons we as parents learn from it (and I think my wife would agree with that).

How are today’s celebrities and fan interactions different from those in the 70’s and 80’s?

The internet has obviously changed a lot. Celebrities tweet and blog and communicate in a variety of ways that was never possible back then. I think things are more controlled now and less is left to chance, VIP “meet and greets” are sold and auctioned–celebrities tend to (I think) live in more of a secure bubble–so chance meetings are less likely. Also, the paparazzi has added an element of intensity that many celebrities, justifiably in my opinion, react to by becoming more private.

One thing that makes your book unique is the opportunity you gave some of the people you wrote about to have their say. How did that happen?

It was a concept I had early on for the book–but I had no idea if anyone would be interested in contributing. To me, it was a way to add a fresh angle on the proceedings by incorporating more voices. The first person I approached was Elliot Lurie, who wrote and sang the 1970s hit, “Brandy” (You’re a Fine Girl). I’d written an essay about how the song helped bring my twin sister and I closer and I asked if he’d elaborate on his own impressions of the song and its effects on pop culture. Well, he delivered a terrific piece and that gave me the confidence to approach a few other people. Soon, I had “reflections” from “Wicked” composer Stephen Schwartz, old friends, Lou Gramm from Foreigner and others. Elliot Lurie really helped that idea thrive–and so I was thrilled (as were others) when he made a surprise appearance at a book party the other night to talk about the book, and “Brandy” of course.

What makes you laugh?

Incongruity, mostly — the unexpected moments, the surprises, the unintended–(and Fred Willard)

What inspires you?

People – who live with passion, curiosity, humor and enthusiasm
Places – that reminds us of how spectacular this world is
Things – that illustrate how much opportunity and talent surrounds us – a good book, beautiful painting, perfect song, etc.

Not to mention my faith and my family – the two most definitive forces in my life.

****

Write to me at moviemom@moviemom.com to tell me which celebrity you’d like to meet and I will send the first to respond a copy of this delightful and touching book.

Interview: Lionel Chew of ‘long-distance princess’

Posted on July 17, 2010 at 8:00 am

This isn’t the way he envisioned using his Ph.D. in Sociology from Stanford. But after deciding he wasn’t going to be an academic after all, Lionel Chew brought his knowledge of sociology into the making of the feature film “long-distance princess” (in lower-case because it’s based on a screen name). The movie, which is a teen romance and comedy, finished post-production earlier this year. His goal is to fill a void in values-based movies geared toward youth.
“There’s a dearth of movies that communicate something meaningful to today’s teens, and I want to fill that gap,” offers Chew, who is also a licensed minister. Dr. Chew was nice enough to take time to answer my questions.

Hollywood movies overwhelmingly seem geared toward teenagers. What is it
that makes movies like the “Twilight” series so powerful for kids in that age
group?
In general terms, I think the producers have tapped into the teens’ collective
psyche. They’ve provided vehicles for them to experience vicariously emotions
and lifestyles that are either forbidden or inaccessible. Or they’ve crafted
a statement that validates the youths’ thoughts and longings. It could also
be those things in tandem. But as for Twilight, specifically, I think it’s a
unique phenomenon. I believe several factors work together to make the series
powerfully attractive to teens (or at least to the girls): 1) A
pre-legitimation before it hit the big screen thanks to a devoted fan base of
its books; 2) An attractive and believable lead actress who successfully
embodies a readily identifiable, every-girl persona; 3) Good-looking,
co-leading males, with sculpted physiques to tantalize the girls’ awakening
sexuality; 4) Dramatic tension in the possibility of being destroyed by a
ruthless vampire clan as well as the uncertainty of which of the two male
friends of the lead character, Bella, will eventually win her love; 5) The
vicarious experience of being passionately desired and pursued with an undying
and unconditional love by Bella’s two suitors; and 6) The novel idea that
there are actually such things as not only vampires and werewolves but also
good ones.
What differences do teenagers and adults have in the way they see movies?
Why do teenagers so often want to see the same thing — often the same movie
— over and over?
I’ve observed that usually adults are so much more cynical and critical than
teenagers. In the socialization process, adults are conditioned to think
analytically and professionally and to have professional taste. So it is with
movies. Everyone’s a film critic. I believe it’s also a natural part of the
cognitive maturation process. Adults have been exposed to so much stimuli
throughout their life spans that the mind has been trained to focus
selectively on and retain only that which is essential and non-processed.
What is tangential, trivial or already similar is dismissed in mili-seconds.
As for movies, very few things seem novel. What is new is processed quickly
into already established and comfortable interpretive categories. Then the
adult mind immediately moves on to more important things, like figuring out
whether to get the sedan or minivan. On the other hand, teens (and those
younger) are open to boatloads of stimuli as new. They’re like sponges.
Beside the cognitive, on the emotional level they enjoy things that they can
identify with and seem cool. They can relive those experiences again and
again as a form of positive self-reinforcement. Resolving narrative tension
is not nearly so important as affirming cultural identification. “Yeah, I
know what happens, so what? It’s awesome!!” And movies that resonate with
them also foster a sense of stability and familiarity at an age and in a world
wrought with tumultuous changes. They offer a rare level of security and
comfort as the teens endure an often very uncomfortable stage of life.
What does studying sociology help you understand about teenagers?
One thing that my sociological perspective has helped me understand is the
significance and prevalence of status. One of my areas of focus while at
Stanford was social stratification, which happens in all groups and in all
areas of life. So, naturally, I’m alert to its presence and dynamic. And
teens are also very sensitive to it. That’s why in junior highs and high
schools everywhere cliques are not only ubiquitous but also very well-defined.
And just about everybody knows who the high status, mid-status and low status
cliques are. And if you don’t, you’re probably on the bottom. In
“long-distance princess,” I do highlight this, but also poke fun at it,
because, in my opinion, everyone’s a little too obsessed with it, if not
consciously then subconsciously. A large part of the main character’s quest
is not just seeking love but breaking rank.
Why do you think so few movies communicate meaningfully to teenagers?
Most Hollywood executives are not out to communicate but to market. Money,
aka the prohibitive cost of making and marketing a film, so dominates the
landscape that executives–the money men–have reign of the regime and not the
artists, visionaries nor auteurs, of whom the latter are now industry relics.
Studios can’t afford to take risks on niche movies that don’t have obvious
mainstream allure. And, so they make movies that appeal viscerally with the
lowest common denominators (explosions, skin, weed, 3D, etc.) to fill seats in
the theaters.
What were your favorite movies when you were a teenager?
Wow, I’m not sure if I should admit this! But my favorites were “Star Wars,”
“Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” and, yes, “Saturday Night Fever.” The
one that has influenced my filmmaking perspective today (at least consciously)
would be “Star Wars,” only because I know that its creator, George Lucas,
wrote the script, paying careful attention to employ hero myths that were
supposedly embedded in our collective subconscious. Similarly, when I wrote
“long-distance princess,” I purposefully employed common themes and motifs
underlying the princess archetype.
How did the idea for the “long-distance princess” come about?
I wanted to reach teens with something positive and affirming, knowing that
most Hollywood fare hasn’t been meeting this need. Teens today are assailed
by so many confusing messages and, given today’s post-modernized milieu of
morals in flux, aren’t sure where to turn. So they depend on their peers and
the media to be arbiters and gatekeepers of mores and style, however
unqualified. This creates a vacuum of positive messages and models and a
misguided glorification of the material, physical and superficial. The
pressure to conform to the resulting draconian social norms is paralyzing.
It’s not surprising that tragically the teen suicide rate in our nation has
been rising, especially among girls . To combat all this, I purposed to make
a movie that showed that someone cares about them and their struggles and that
ethics and convictions are still powerfully relevant. I also wanted to let
them know there’s real hope.
What were the most unexpected challenges you faced in making the film?
It was the difficulty of post-production. We had unforeseen equipment and
compatibility issues with the footage and editing system in the beginning and
middle of the process that nearly scuttled the project as well as my sanity.
Eventually, after endless hours of consultation with various “experts” and
simple, blind experimentation, all of it was finally resolved, which I really
consider a minor miracle. I’m just glad I can now communicate with you here
instead of some half-way house.
What is your favorite scene in the movie?
Ah, so hard to chose, when after all, all of it’s your baby. I’ll need to
choose among those that won’t give away the movie, but I’d say it’s the scene
at the beach where the two lead characters, Lisa and Todd, share their deepest
dreams. It sounds cliche, but I feel their exchange is poignantly real.
Overlooking the gentle roll of the ocean, they pine for those things that seem
hopelessly idealistic. Yet, they’re so earnestly honest. They give each
other a chance to peek into the most treasured part of themselves, and this is
when their hearts really start to touch.
What do you want to do next?
Right now, I’m working hard to attract the attention of potential distributors
for the movie by building interest and momentum. As for fan reaction, it’s
been great! Teens at preview screenings have gotten so into it that they’ll
actually shout things at the characters on the screen or scream in excitement
at certain parts. Obviously, I wanted the movie to connect with them, but,
honestly, I was really surprised it happened to this extent. And the parents
who’ve seen it have also been quite positive. This has really convinced me to
try to secure a wide, theatrical release. As for future films, I’ve got a lot
of ideas on the easel. But I’d like to give audiences the chance to
experience this one first.