So, since staying at my brothers, I've been introduced to a series I've not seen before: Grimm. For those not in the know, this is a Supernatural/Procedural Hybrid about a detective in the Portland Police Department named Nick Burkhardt who is a descendant of the Grimm family. The Grimm family are humans with the special ability to see creatures called Wesen... mythological Human/Animal creatures that many of our fairy tales are based on. The Grimms can see these beings as they are when they are feeling emotional. Historically, the Grimms hunted and killed Wesen, but Nick, working as a Cop must find a different way; seeing that some Wesen are just really looking for quiet, uneventful lives, whilst some still revel in darkness. Nick protects the good Wesen and handles the bad ones as a Cop if he can, but a Grimm if he must.
I have to say, I probably wouldn't have given this show a try on my own, but I'm glad I've gotten into it, because it's a really entertaining show. Most episodes have the "Monster of the week" formula, but it's always well done, and there is an overarching political drama coming from the Wesen society hidden within our own, filled with intrigue, shifting loyalties, and hidden agendas. The intensity of these stories has been building steadily over the course of the season and a half that has aired already.
One particularly well executed element is that Nick is having to learn this Grimm stuff from the ground up. His only tutelage in the legacy of the Grimms came from his dying aunt in the first story. So, Nick has had to have all of this explained to him, learning it all along with the audience. As Nick becomes entrenched within the Wesen world and all the drama therein, we get pulled in with him.
A lot of this schooling comes from a character called Monroe. Monroe is a Wesen, a Blutbad... a type of creature that once inspired the legend of the Big Bad Wolf (BAD WOLF!). Whilst the Blutbad are generally violent and devious, some, like Monroe have put aside their baser urges and become productive parts of society. Monroe himself, for instance, repairs timepieces for a living, and generally seems no different than most people.
Monroe is, at least at first, a reluctant helper, but he gets really invested in helping Nick explore his heritage even as he explains what he knows about the various types of Wesen. By the time the first season comes to a close, Monroe is a close and valued friend to Nick, and a source of much of the show's wry sense of humor.
Despite Nick's partner Hank and girlfriend Juliette initially staying out of the Grimm side of things, they eventually get pulled into the Wesen scheming as well, as Nick's aunt cryptically warned that they would be.
If you haven't watched this show, give it a shot, whether you feel I've explained it well or not. It's a great addition to the TV landscape today, and if you give it a chance, it will become a high-point of your week.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Veronica Mars the Crowdsourced...
Once again I forgot about this blog for a metric age. So much has been changing in my life recently, though, I am bound and determined to actually post things now. I have thoughts I want to express, and Twitter sometimes just isn't adequate. And this is a topic I am really, really interested in, so this seems like a great place to put it.
A lot of interesting discussion on Twitter this week about the success of the Veronica Mars Kickstarter. Most of the debate seems to center around the presence of Warner Brothers in the mix.
Warner Brothers, as the owner of Veronica Mars as an Intellectual Property, has to be involved in the process of bringing Veronica Mars to the big screen. They literally HAVE to be there. Yet, many are saying that a big corporation allowing a film project to hit Kickstarter for funding is either "Tacky" or "Gauche" or "Violates the indy spirit of Kickstarter." I'm afraid I just can't agree with that.
John Rogers, Former Producer/Showrunner of Leverage, argued (I think rightly) that Warner Brothers allowing a film they were unsure of to engage in crowdsourced financing (essentially presales in a way) to see if there was a market for the film represents a sea change in the way Hollywood Studios may bring riskier projects to the screen. By setting a goal it had to reach to get greenlit, then actually putting that funding toward whatever budget WB is going to put up themselves to enhance the quality of the finished project... well, that's just not been done before, and opens up a new means to demonstrate that there is an audience for these films. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't, but a big Hollywood Studio like Warner Brothers even entertaining the idea, much less implementing it... that's just something new coming into play, and succeed or fail, it's really damned interesting.
The ridiculous Hipster argument of "violating the indy spirit" is likewise a nonstarter. The idea that by doing this that Warner Brothers is somehow preventing people from also backing independent projects is a strawman of epic proportions.
Of course, the question of profit sharing has also risen its head, and that's trickier in some ways... but this isn't being done as a traditional investment. It's not even allowed to be done that way by law... yet. There is a Crowdsource Act making its way through the corridors of power, but it's not there yet and has a limit of $1 million, which would be insufficient for larger projects. I really see this as presales. People are putting up money to support the film and are getting more than just the film in return. It's iffy, and any genuinely sticky issues will come in here, I think.
We live in interesting times, it seems. I can't wait to see how it all plays out. And most of all, I actually want to see that Veronica Mars film. Loved that show. Congrats of massive proportions to Rob Thomas, who I have been a fan of since the original Cupid in 1998.
A lot of interesting discussion on Twitter this week about the success of the Veronica Mars Kickstarter. Most of the debate seems to center around the presence of Warner Brothers in the mix.
Warner Brothers, as the owner of Veronica Mars as an Intellectual Property, has to be involved in the process of bringing Veronica Mars to the big screen. They literally HAVE to be there. Yet, many are saying that a big corporation allowing a film project to hit Kickstarter for funding is either "Tacky" or "Gauche" or "Violates the indy spirit of Kickstarter." I'm afraid I just can't agree with that.
John Rogers, Former Producer/Showrunner of Leverage, argued (I think rightly) that Warner Brothers allowing a film they were unsure of to engage in crowdsourced financing (essentially presales in a way) to see if there was a market for the film represents a sea change in the way Hollywood Studios may bring riskier projects to the screen. By setting a goal it had to reach to get greenlit, then actually putting that funding toward whatever budget WB is going to put up themselves to enhance the quality of the finished project... well, that's just not been done before, and opens up a new means to demonstrate that there is an audience for these films. Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't, but a big Hollywood Studio like Warner Brothers even entertaining the idea, much less implementing it... that's just something new coming into play, and succeed or fail, it's really damned interesting.
The ridiculous Hipster argument of "violating the indy spirit" is likewise a nonstarter. The idea that by doing this that Warner Brothers is somehow preventing people from also backing independent projects is a strawman of epic proportions.
Of course, the question of profit sharing has also risen its head, and that's trickier in some ways... but this isn't being done as a traditional investment. It's not even allowed to be done that way by law... yet. There is a Crowdsource Act making its way through the corridors of power, but it's not there yet and has a limit of $1 million, which would be insufficient for larger projects. I really see this as presales. People are putting up money to support the film and are getting more than just the film in return. It's iffy, and any genuinely sticky issues will come in here, I think.
We live in interesting times, it seems. I can't wait to see how it all plays out. And most of all, I actually want to see that Veronica Mars film. Loved that show. Congrats of massive proportions to Rob Thomas, who I have been a fan of since the original Cupid in 1998.
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