This article reeks of pretentiousness. Film doesn't need activism, it needs balance and truth. Activism has a tendency to portray an extreme, bais view of an issue and is blind to its own failures. Stick to focussing on telling a truthful story.

I'm 48. Creatively I feel I haven't even peaked yet and still have loads to offer as an up and coming fiction feature filmmaker, yet since around 35 years of age, opportunities seemed to dissipate rapidly. As a father now too, finding free time to keep writing and making films is difficult (but not impossible). I hope my work and talent will eventually get noticed, but realistically I think it is unlikely now ....and that fact disappoints me.

The article is not absurd at all, its inviting you to reflect on the fact that even the big experienced Hollywood executives, producers and directors can get it badly wrong. There are BIG lessons to learn from this botched sequel trilogy (whether you enjoyed them or not) and they could have been ....should have been much, much better for such big 'tent pole' level franchise films. Screenwriting and directing were never George Lucas' strengths, but at least he had a single vision, something Igor, Abrams, Kennedy and Johnson underestimated. Be interesting to see how SW moves forward from this.

Films missing from my list are: The Joker, Deadpool, Three Billboards, Baby Driver, A Monster Calls, Hell or High Water, Big Hero 6 and I would replace Inside Out with CoCo. Definitely Guardians of The Galaxy and glad to see Paddington 2 on the list too!

The Last Jedi is surely the worst example to show how to develop conflict within your narrative. Yes it has answers to all of these questions that (on paper) make perfect sense for each of the three characters, but how Rian Johnson actually gets these characters to connect to each of these points is through some of the worst screenwriting I've ever seen. For me this video essay just comes across as a credulous way to quell the criticism for the film, rather than as a genuine study on character development.

$31.99?! I recently shot a short iphone 6s film with a moondog anamorphic lens attached on my Osmo Mobile. All I did to balance it was blu tack a two pence coin to the side of the gimbal arm. It balanced it perfectly and it only cost me ...well 2p!