10 Lessons The Movie Industry Can Learn From Christopher Nolan

3. Focus On The Present

Present What Marvel film are you most looking forward to? I'm sure Kevin Feige and the rest of the blockbuster powerhouse would want the answer to be Thor: The Dark World, but odds are it€™s something much further ahead; Guardians Of The Galaxy or Avengers: Age Of Ultron. Now this may say something about Thor€™s lesser appeal, but I€™d say it€™s more to do with Marvel€™s current information release policy. When you've got two new films coming each year it€™s obviously impossible to keep the focus just on the one coming up, but there€™s a danger as we move beyond Phase 2 people will be looking so far ahead what€™s actually coming next will feel like old news. Nolan never discusses anything beyond the project he€™s currently working on; when pushed on Inception€™s release whether he€™d return to Gotham he was incredibly closed lipped. The brilliance here is twofold. In keeping his focus on the film at hand means each time the movie€™s the best it can be; there€™s no thought of €˜saving€™ something for a later entry. But also it keeps audiences primary interest on what they€™ll be seeing soon, helping the box office for that film be as high as it can be, with the film not feeling like filler. Pixar are the only other high profile example of this; although some concept art often surfaces of studio€™s upcoming catalogue, there€™s never a trailer or any real promotion for a film before the previous one is released.
Contributor
Contributor

Film Editor (2014-2016). Loves The Usual Suspects. Hates Transformers 2. Everything else lies somewhere in the middle. Once met the Chuckle Brothers.