nofilmschool » looper

How to Create a Logo Sequence in After Effects Inspired by the Movie 'Looper'

Joe Marine — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:06:48 +0000

Rian Jonhson’s newest film Looper has gotten a bit of coverage on NoFilmSchool, from the availability of the script, to Johnson’s original sizzle reel, to his interesting in-theater commentary track. While the actual title sequence for the film is a bit different, Antonio Cerra from CRR_NTN and Aetuts+ has taken inspiration from one of the trailers for the film and produced an After Effects tutorial so you can create your very own logo complete with lens flares. Click through to check it out. (more…)

2012 Screenwriters Reveal the Toughest Scenes They Wrote

Christopher Boone — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:27:55 +0000

Many screenwriters talk about the difficulty of facing the blank page as they start page one of their screenplays. The desire to get the opening of the screenplay right can overwhelm, even paralyze. Yet, as the screenplay finally begins and takes shape, the first page is not necessarily the most difficult page. In reality, the challenge tends to come later, not when the audience is introduced to the movie, its characters and its world, but rather when the story truly launches into what will compel the audience to stay engaged for the next 90 minutes or more. Thanks to Kyle Buchanan at Vulture (and Movies Editor for New York Magazine), we have a series of screenwriters from some of the most acclaimed films of 2012 describing in their own words what were the toughest scenes to write in their own screenplays. (more…)

'Looper' Screenplay Available For Your Consideration

Christopher Boone — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 14:00:56 +0000

In the midst of the flurry of screenplays popping up on studio awards websites for your consideration over the past few days, astute NFS reader deanareeno tipped us off to the official Looper tumblr page posting the screenplay for Looper on Saturday. Rian Johnson includes a short intro in the PDF of the screenplay to point out that this particular draft was the final draft before production, so for fans of the film, you’ll be able to find several points of departure from this script and the final film. (more…)

Rian Johnson's Sci-Fi Film 'Looper': A Great Case Study of the MacGuffin

Benjamin Dewhurst — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 19:00:59 +0000

You see Joseph Gordon-Levitt on the left here? He seems pretty confused. Now, it’s arguable that he’s contemplating the nuances of time travel. Or maybe pondering how he can elude male pattern baldness. But you know what? I think he’s thinking about something else entirely — his MacGuffin in Looper, written and directed by Rian Johnson, who also helmed and wrote Brick and The Brothers Bloom. Hit the jump for a great video by Isaac Niemand that looks at the MacGuffin in general, and a take on Looper‘s MacGuffin by boingboing’s Jamie Frevele that provides a great case study. Note the bottom portion of this post is SPOILER-ridden if you haven’t seen Looper yet! (more…)

Compare Writer/Director Rian Johnson's Sizzle Reel for 'Looper' to the Film's Trailer

Joe Marine — Sun, 14 Oct 2012 23:42:38 +0000

We’ve discussed pitch/sizzel reels and mood/tone films a few times on NoFilmSchool before, but it’s interesting that so many of them are now finding their way online. Rian Johnson – writer/director of Brick and The Brothers Bloom – with the help of his good friend Joseph Gordon-Levitt (who stars in the just-released film), put together a fake trailer for his new film Looper long before production on the movie began. Check out both videos below. (more…)

Could the 'Looper' In-Theater Commentary Track from Director Rian Johnson Start a Trend?

Joe Marine — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 15:09:31 +0000

The theater experience is great for some, and terrible for others, and it greatly varies depending on the venue, the movie, and those pesky human beings that always seem to populate said venues. You’ve probably heard of director commentaries — and you may even have listened to a couple in your day — but how about a director’s commentary to listen to at the theater? Rian Johnson, director of Brick and The Brothers Bloom, has done exactly that for his new science fiction film, Looper. (more…)

'Looper' Writer/Director Rian Johnson: Budget Doesn't Affect the Fundamentals of Making Movies

Joe Marine — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 22:54:47 +0000

Rian Johnson is one of the more fascinating filmmakers to listen to not only because he is a film geek and loves movies, but because he took a very traditional and then non-traditional path to success. After attending film school at the University of Southern California, he spent most of his 20s floating around Hollywood until he finally made his first feature, Brick. His third feature, Looper, is now in theaters, but last year he sat down with MakingOf to talk about screenwriting and directing, and some of the ways he approaches his work. Below is another interview with Johnson and his long-time friend and leading man Joseph Gordon-Levitt. (more…)