Having just recently rewatched Cloverfield, and 10 Cloverfield Lane, along with the recently released Cloverfield Paradox, I realized that there is much to learn and it is good!
1. Each film is it's own entity. You do not need to have seen any of the others to enjoy each one.
2. You can have a franchise/series that is both related but not sequels to any of the others.
3. You can build an engaging story that includes elements from each of the films without even actually referencing said previous films.
4. You can make each a different style of film without copying the others, ie; hand held found footage, closed room thriller and sci fi horror.
5. You can make a film series about the same or similar time lines without rehashing events.
6. You can do it without name recognized actors, though the films could then be a jumping off point for the careers of said actors.
As a side note, when I first saw Cloverfield, I hated it. I am not a fan of shaky camera/hand held work. It gives me a headache. But on rewatching this, it worked for the film itself.
Each film was entertaining, and frightening with only a few cheesy jump scare tricks that actually worked and were done with finesse.
This is something that indie film makers can and should consider when writing their films.
It gives me all kinds of ideas about some of the my stories and how to weave a whole universe from them as a whole.
As a writer, I am awed and impressed.
I have grown!
Comments