On Wednesday night — it was another raging #WatchWithTheAcademy party. This time, WWTA was hosted by Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.
Director (plus co-screenwriter) Edgar Wright and his star-studded cast of sidekicks shared some filmmaking tips for us as well. And, in the process, we learned a few secrets being the art of successfully rendering a cult classic. Here’s a brief rundown.
1. Start with a great story (like the one Canadian cartoonist Bryan Lee O'Malley thought of).
2. Then make a great script. You’ll probably want to do some research first by watching a shit ton of other movies.
3. Never underestimate the importance of story-boarding, even when your source material sorta looks like one to begin with.
4. Surround yourself with the most skilled crew you can muster, including future Oscar nominees.
5. Find the best locations, even if you have to build them yourself.
6. Choreograph every fight sequence.
7. Fill your cast with crazy cool talent (including some superheroes).
8. Drop plenty of F-bombs.
9. And finally, make sure that your lead actors, Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Michael Cera, are there for you, even 10 years later.
And that’s all you need to direct a cult smash. Clearly Edgar wins.