WAGNER TO WATCHMEN: RUMINATIONS ON ADAPTATION
August 04, 2009 - 10:18am
This weekend I finally saw “The Watchmen” film—since my wife and I have a 9-month-old son, it’s increasingly difficult to make it to the movies, especially one that’s almost 3 hours long. Based on Alan Moore’s highly acclaimed graphic novel (though not, in my humble opinion, Moore’s best work), the movie was much criticized by both fans and non-believers—opinions ranged from it being too faithful to the source material and therefore not unique and interesting, to it not being faithful enough and therefore sacrilegious. To this I ask the simple question—who cares? I thought “The Watchmen” was a beautiful and brilliant adaptation. A comparison with the graphic novel misses the point.
I’ve also just finished reading P. Craig Russell’s “The Ring of The Nibelung” graphic novels—literally, a comic book adaptation of Richard Wagner’s “Ring Cycle” operas. Were the graphic novels as good as the operas? Isn’t that an absurd question? You can’t really compare a graphic novel to an opera, as the media are so very different. And despite the fact that films and graphic novels are enjoying so much overlap these days, I think the principle is the same—the media are actually very different. What works on the page doesn’t always work on the screen and vice-versa.
The biological definition of adaptation is the process in which an organism adjusts or changes its behavior, physiology, and structure to become better suited to its environment.
In art, it’s the same. In working an adaptation, the artist’s job is to adjust or change the art such that it becomes better suited to it’s new medium— not necessarily “better” overall, just better suited to it’s new form—whether that be a film, an opera, or a graphic novel.
Russell’s “Ring” adaptations are brilliant in that he captures the spirit of the source material and both adjusts and changes it to suit the graphic novel medium. The results fascinate and soar. Where Wagner employs leitmotifs (“a sort of musical signature—think of Darth Vader and his distinctive entrance music”), Russell creates visual leitmotifs, recurring images to introduce, re-introduce, or subtly include the effect of a character or theme. He adapts the concept of leitmotif from music to visual art seamlessly, and it works brilliantly.
So rather than ask, “is the new art better?” we should be asking first, “does it work in it’s new medium?” And if it does, then the adaptation has been a success.
The next question, of course, is “does it entertain or inspire?”
All pretentious ruminations aside, I thought both “The Watchmen” and “The Ring of The Nibelung” were great. And I’m glad I never stopped to ask whether they were as good, or better, than their sources.
VJT
[As an aside: It’s widely known that Alan Moore did not endorse or see “The Watchmen” film, and if my understanding is correct he didn't want his graphic novel to be adapted at all. Whether or not “The Watchmen” film should exist is a separate issue, revolving around artists’ prerogative and legal rights. That’s for a different rumination.]
MICHAEL JACKSON, THE BEATLES, AND INFINITE YOUTH
July 02, 2009 - 1:27pm
I was shocked when I heard the news about Michael Jackson’s passing last week-- partially because he was so young and, to me, his death so unexpected… and partially because I felt much sadder than I thought I would. I didn’t think I cared so much about Michael Jackson anymore.
But now I realize that to pretend I don’t care about Michael Jackson is like trying to pretend I don’t care about youth. And I don’t mean my youth-- I mean the concept of youth itself.
There was a period in my life-- that precious place between childhood and young adulthood-- when Michael Jackson meant the world to me. (And this was long before “tween” was a marketing catchword, though I’m fairly confident I’m not talking about being a tween, at least as the marketers define them).
In his famous trial, Oscar Wilde spoke of a pure form of love between an elder and and a younger man, where “the elder man has intellect, and the younger man has all the joy, hope and glamour of life before him.”
Well, when I was a heterosexual 10-year old boy, Michael Jackson, his music, and his music videos represented all the joy, hope, and glamour that life had to offer. Yes, I loved him. And now that I am an older man with some supposed sense of intellect, I rejected that memory and buried that love. Why?
It would be easy to say it was because I discovered the Sex Pistols.
But that’s a cop-out.
Yeah, I stopped listening to Michael Jackson years ago and Johnny Rotten replaced him in both my headphones and my attire. But what I realized last week is that I never stopped believing in what Michael Jackson represented to me-- and that’s why his passing made me so sad. When I think about it like this, my reaction is no surprise at all.
The Beatles were the first band I ever loved, and I discovered them by listening to my parents’ vinyl. But by the time I got The Beatles’ indelibly under my skin, they were already legends, and they had already broken up. With the rest of my city, I was devastated by the death of John Lennon and I will never forget that day… But Michael Jackson was really and truly the first musician I was old enough to actually follow, to feel the excitement of new news and new developments. I remember waiting up all night for MTV to play the “Thriller” video. This was LONG before the days of on-demand and YouTube; I even remember holding a Walkman tape recorder up to the television set so I could capture an audio recording of “Thriller” with the dialog bits. And I remember the giddy anticipation as subsequent videos, songs, and performances were unleashed, not knowing what to expect-- but expecting that it would be, and feel, awesome.
Sure, while I was slam dancing to Murphy’s Law and Underdog at the old Ritz I read about how Michael’s life got increasingly strange, sad, and even morally suspect. But in the end, since I never actually knew the man, what really matters-- to me, that is-- is what he represented for me, what he left behind for me. And that sadder, stranger person is not the Michael I knew, nor the Michael I remember. Mine makes me feel young again-- full of joy, hope, and glamour; ready to stay up all night again and take on the world.
Thanks, Michael-- and rest in peace.
SENSORIA WAS A BLAST!
May 08, 2009 - 10:38am
I had such fun at the Sensoria Film & Music Festival in Sheffield last week, and I must thank everyone who packed the auditorium during the special presentation I gave with our composer Nitin Sawhney. It was a great thrill to speak about the film and answer questions in a public forum-- and especially to have been given the chance to play some music from the upcoming score and soundtrack! (See NEWS for more details). The enthusiasm and support we received was overwhelming, so I'm looking forward to sharing more announcements over the coming months, because we've been hard at work behind the scenes... So stay tuned and thanks again!
SPEAKING AT SENSORIA FILM + MUSIC FESTIVAL
April 27, 2009 - 03:48am
You may have noticed the announcement on the "News" section of the site that I will be speaking about "The Fifth Beatle" at the Sensoria Festival of Film and Music this coming Thursday 30 April in Sheffield (U.K.)-- and I'm THRILLED to be speaking about the film in person and in public for a change :)
Our composer Nitin Sawhney and I will be primarily talking about the approach to music and the soundtrack for the film-- but I'll also take the opportunity to announce some key non-music details about the film's development.
If anyone can make it, PLEASE come find me after my presentation and say hello!
Vivek
Writer/Director
BRIAN TUFANO AS "THE FIFTH BEATLE" CINEMATOGRAPHER
December 01, 2008 - 8:16pm
I'm thrilled and not a little bit humbled to announce the addition* of Director of Photography Brian Tufano to "The Fifth Beatle" creative team. Brian is one of the U.K.'s best respected Cinematographers, and his rich and relevant history goes all the way back to shooting The Who's "Quadrophenia" feature film (in addition to so many of my favorite movies). When it comes to the world of "The Fifth Beatle," Brian Tufano literally was there. Brian also worked on Ridley Scott's Sci-Fi classic "Blade Runner" and was the master cinematographer behind Danny Boyle's "Trainspotting," "Shallow Grave," and "A Life Less Ordinary," as well as Stephen Daldry's modern classic "Billy Elliot." Brian's contributions to "The Fifth Beatle" will be invaluable and I could not be more excited to have his partnership in the making of this film.
Vivek J. Tiwary
writer/director
*pending forthcoming dates and a deal-- stay tuned!
CASTING BRIAN / A LIFE OF ITS OWN
September 26, 2008 - 08:45am
I've just returned from a first round of serious U.K. casting sessions where I met numerous actors interested in the role of Brian Epstein. A second-round process will take place in November, and I fully expect we will have the lead cast by the end of this year!
Looking back on this Blog, it strikes me how much has happened since we began this project, almost 3 years ago... Several past entries begin with "In Memory Of" noting that we have lost friends and partners along the way. And many of you will remember that we were hoping to debut the film in Liverpool by the end of this year, as a Capital of Culture 2008 event... and of course that's not happening...
"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans" indeed.
And that is, really, what's happened here. "The Fifth Beatle" has taken on a life of its own.
The film started as my passion project-- and to be sure, it's still very much that. But now it's so much more, and it represents something important to so many other people-- its family has grown along the way despite some tough losses, it's taken more gestation than expected to develop all aspects properly, it's been both magical and elusive narrowing in on our "perfect" Brian... but it's also closer than ever to entering a new stage of life altogether...
So stay tuned-- the next several months and 2009 have a lot in store for us... And thanks to everyone who's reading this, for being a part of this life of its own.
Vivek J. Tiwary
writer/director
SIMON FULLER VS. BRIAN EPSTEIN?
May 30, 2008 - 05:44am
I've been amused lately by the Billboard Magazine report that Simon Fuller of "Pop Idol/American Idol" fame has "beaten" Brian Epstein to become "the most successful British music manager of all time." This is based on the fact that his artists have sold more in total than the rosters of other music managers-- 116 million records in America. OK.
But to me, the more interesting question is not "who is more successful?" but "how do you define success?". And this is a question that is one of the core concerns of "The Fifth Beatle" film, and something that the characters in my film struggle over.
Is it really only about chart positions and money earned? Personally, it saddens me to think that that's all there is to success in the music industry. (And as an aside, with today's music industry leaking money, if money = success, then the legacies of living music industry execs are in SERIOUS trouble).
But what about cultural impact? Inspiration to your peers? Love and happiness created? Leaving behind a body of work that inspires and will continue to inspire future generations?
To me at least, those are the barometers of success.
And I mean no disrespect-- perhaps Simon Fuller will indeed become "the most successful" by my preferred milestones... but only time will tell, not money earned.
IN MEMORY OF HEATH LEDGER
January 22, 2008 - 9:25pm
It is with great sadness that we learned that Heath Ledger passed away today-- he was a brilliant and daring actor who will be missed throughout the arts and entertainment worlds. He was also on several shortlists as a possible Brian Epstein in "The Fifth Beatle". (Though to be clear, were never in formal conversations with Heath), and everyone on our team are saddened to learn of his loss.
Rest Peacefully, Heath.
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND KEEPING IN TOUCH
January 21, 2008 - 1:58pm
First of all, Happy New Year! Here's wishing you all a healthy and productive 2008!
As reported in the "News" section of the site, our entire team has been hard at work in our efforts to cast the perfect actor to play Brian Epstein. This focus dominates our efforts, and unfortunately (for this Blog) in the interest of not creating rumors, we're keeping the specifics of those efforts and conversations confidential. Since there's little else we're doing, there's little I can write about here! I know it's a bit frustrating to all of you who'd like to know more about the development of the film, what's going on, what to expect, and when-- but please rest assured that we're hard at work, and I'll let you know as soon as a decision on casting has been made... At which point we'll be off to the races!
In the meanwhile, I'll do my best to make more Blog entries and share as much news or thoughts as I can. Consider it a New Year's "resolution" :)
...and THANKS again for all your patience and support!!
Vivek
IN MEMORY OF DEBBIE GELLER
December 19, 2007 - 07:21am
Yesterday I attended a funeral service and memorial for Debbie Geller, who was taken from our world far too soon this past Sunday, from an aggressive form of cancer. Among many journalistic accomplishments, Debbie was the producer of the BAFTA (Britain's Academy Award) award-winning documentary "The Brian Epstein Story" and the author of its companion biography “In My Life: The Brian Epstein Story”. She was passionate and knowledgeable about all things Beatles and Brian. I met her a few years ago, when "The Fifth Beatle" was simply an eager idea. She was immediately a great source of advice and enthusiasm... later encouragement and support... and, eventually, simply friendship. She will be missed by me and our team.
During the eulogies, one of Debbie's friends commented that much like Brian Epstein, Debbie's accomplishments and importance to her field often went unacknowledged. And another friend said that he will always see Debbie sitting beside him whenever he listens to The Beatles-- that Debbie will now and forever be his "Fifth Beatle".
In a similar way, Debbie's spirit will always be interwoven with the fabric of our “Fifth Beatle” film.
Thanks, Debbie. You are gone in body, but not in spirit. And not forgotten.
Love,
Vivek
LAST NIGHT A ROCK BAND SAVED MY LIFE…
September 07, 2007 - 11:41am
…I had a really crappy day on Wednesday, and went to see Perry Farrell’s Satellite Party that night at NYC’s Irving Plaza. Were they as good as Janes’ Addiction (original lineup—one of my top 5 fave bands of all time)? Not even close. But a comparison would be missing the point. It was the most fun I’ve had at a rock show in ages.
45 years ago Brian Epstein walked into a dank basement to see The Beatles perform—instantly, his black-and-white Liverpool world was infused with the possibility of endless color, and he with a purpose and mission in life to share that color with the world. “The Beatles are going to be bigger than Elvis!” he prophesized. At the time, a seemingly impossible concept.
Millions of miles from the Cavern Club and 12 years after Epstein’s fateful visit, music journalist Jon Landau walked out of The Harvard Square Theater in Cambridge, exclaiming “I saw rock and roll's future and its name is Bruce Springsteen... On a night when I needed to feel young, he made me feel like I was hearing music for the very first time." Their partnership would go on to change the face of American music.
Did the Satellite Party change my life? No. Did it inspire me in a way I hadn’t been inspired in some time? No.
But it made me feel young and happy and full of possibility.
And I think that’s what music does at its best—it brings us back to past moments impossible to forget, or points us towards a future full of possibilities… whether dark, depressing, and dangerous, or full of beauty, happiness, and light.
Thank G-d for the Epsteins and Landaus who run with the torches.
Vivek J. Tiwary
Writer/Director
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IT WAS 40 YEARS AGO TODAY (well, last week actually)…
September 04, 2007 - 12:37pm
…that Brian Epstein passed away. I take the day off work every August 27th, and use the time to do some “visioning” about what I want from my future—both personally and professionally. As you can imagine, Brian was a great inspiration to me—all his accomplishments, all those hurdles crossed. The fact that there are Jews and homosexuals in the entertainment business doesn’t raise any eyebrows today, but in the UK in the 1960’s, Brian was a true outsider and a trailblazer. I don’t face nearly the same hurdles, but as a first-generation American of West-Indian origin making his way through the shark-infested entertainment waters… well, Brian’s story has many emotional touchstones for me, and he has become a kind of “historical mentor” to me. But as with all my mentors, I’ve learned from them both what to do and what NOT to do. For example, Brian never made enough time for love in his life… I try to be conscious of that trap and make sure to spend as much time with my loved ones as I can… And I’ve devoted half of my professional life to StarPolish, a company dedicated to educating musical artists about the pitfalls of the business and empowering them in their careers. Brian did the opposite, sheltering The Beatles when it came to the business of music... Although it could be argued that he freed their minds (and time) to be all that they could be as artists, to take their music to new, uncharted territories, to break boundaries… and we know how well that turned out :) Nevertheless, The Beatles were truly at sea in the wake of Brian’s passing—at which time he had also accomplished by the age of 32 what I can only hope to accomplish before I close my eyes for good… with any luck, well past the age of 32… So many emotions crowd so many thoughts during this time of year... Rest In Well-Deserved Peace, Brian.
If anyone else has a strong feeling or reaction to the anniversary of Brian's passing, please let's discuss it on our Message Boards here.
And now, you’re probably also wondering what’s doing with the development of “The Fifth Beatle” film. Well, Brian was a complicated man with many facets both public and private—a man steeped in seeming contradictions. So we need an actor who really wants the difficult challenge of doing the work and digging deep into these facets… and we’re accordingly being very careful and patient with our casting, doing our research and making sure we’ll have no regrets. I can say that I’ve been flying to both Los Angeles and London regularly, and that there is a LOT of love for the film from all the right “players” in this process. And I’ll also add that we are still prepared to shoot in the first quarter of 2008, with a goal to premiering the film in Liverpool by the end of 2008, while the city is still Europe’s Capital Of Culture. But please be patient as we keep more exact details behind-the-scenes for now... and since timeframes can alter and Tomorrow Never Knows, please stay tuned for more specific breaking news...
With Love,
Vivek J. Tiwary
Writer/Director
MUSIC VIDEO RANT
June 08, 2007 - 09:53am
Wow. It's been a long time since I wrote, hasn't it? Well rest assured that "The Fifth Beatle" is very much alive and in development. We've been hard at work casting-- which those of you in the film industry know is a long, important process that requires a lot of patience... my least favorite virtue :)
And in the interest of not having rumors fly, it's best that I keep mum on our behind-the-scenes efforts for now...
In the meanwhile, I've been directing music videos. I just wrapped one for Columbia Records recording artist Ari Hest, which you can view on YouTube. I love writing/directing music videos-- it's a great way to merge my passion for film and music. You'll see from this video that I try to make my music videos narrative, like little films with little stories... I suppose those are the types of music videos I grew up with in the 80's-- Remember the classic music videos by Druan Duran, Michael Jackson, Def Leppard, etc.? Whether or not you like those artists, you can't argue with those videos! They were amazing. I'd argue that was a sort of "Golden Age" for music videos. These days, those sorts of true filmic music videos are a rarer breed-- a development that probably followed MTV's playing less and less videos... Since it's harder to catch a music video on TV, I suppose today's directors generally feel it's better to focus on visuals over narrative, to grab the audience's attention ASAP. With short attention spans, isn't a narrative a bad thing? Well I think that mentality doesn't give today's audiences nearly enough credit. And I think/hope that the pendulum is swinging back to the narrative form, as the Internet becomes the dominant medium on which to see a music video... since videos are now easily available, more bands are making them, music fans can find them more easily, etc... It's a beautiful thing.
Anyway, enough music video ramble from me. I hope to have some "Fifth Beatle" news I can reveal soon... Stay tuned...
Vivek J. Tiwary
Writer/Director
HAPPY NEW YEAR + NEXT STEPS
January 23, 2007 - 2:12pm
I hope everyone had an excellent 2006, and I wish everyone a 2007 full of success. Last year flew by, with "The Fifth Beatle" growing from a draft of a screenplay to become a living, breathing entity-in-development on its way to a shooting schedule (the hope is for the end of this year, though there are several parameters that could change that). Amazing how time flies when you're having fun!!
As mentioned on the News page, we've added some amazing people to our crew, including Production Desiger Gavin Bocquet and Costume Designer Jany Temime. I feel very blessed to be surrounded by such talented folks.
Right now, we're meeting with DP's (Directors of Photography, aka Cinematographers) and are knee-deep in casting. Unfortunately, I can't share any more details than that for now, but please keep checking back with the site, and join our e-list for the most breaking news...
More to come!
- Vivek J. Tiwary
KERRY BARDEN CASTING THE FILM
September 31, 2006 - 5:08pm
You might have seen the announcement on our News page about Kerry Barden joining our team as Casting Director. I couldn't be more excited about this addition! Check out all the impressive credits in his bio... All I can add is that he's also a really nice guy :)
- Vivek J. Tiwary
BUSY BUSY BUSY
July 03, 2006 - 12:38pm
Many apologies for being so infrequent with my blog entries. The reason is simply that I've been extremely busy with the film-- on both creative and business levels. As a quick overview: The script is in great shape and we're putting finishing touches on a premilinary budget and schedule now. We're enjoying a ton of interest in the project, and I'm accordingly in lots of conversations throughout the film and music industires... I'm sincerely hoping that I can stop being so cagey and reveal more/real details soon, but it's always been my nature to not talk about developments until things are truly settled, negotiated, etc. So please continue to stay tuned, and thanks for all your support and interest! ...and I hope to be better about this blog in the future :)
- Vivek J. Tiwary
"THE FIFTH BEATLE" VISITS HOLLYWOOD...
March 22, 2006 - 5:03pm
I just got back from a trip to the City of Lost Angels taking meetings about "The Fifth Beatle." Los Angeles may be the land of sunshine and plastic, but early indications suggest that all systems are go with my strategy for developing the film. Slow and steady wins the race. Stay tuned...
- Vivek J. Tiwary
JUDE LAW SET TO PLAY BRIAN EPSTEIN?
February 08, 2006 - 11:02am
It was news to me as well when I saw this article! Funny, because as I noted in a previous entry, I'm not interested in starting any celebrity gossip, and I never spoke to anyone connected to the Liverpool Echo. So I have no idea where they got their information, but let me clear up any confusion: as of this date, we are NOT in talks with Jude Law or any of his representatives. I do know that several years ago Jude Law publicly expressed interest in making an Epstein biopic. And I happen to think that he'd be great as Brian. So I suppose the Echo's accurate in saying "Now he has his chance." But the truth remains that we're not as of this date in talks with Jude Law or any of his representatives.
- Vivek J. Tiwary
A CALL FROM ROLLING STONE
February 06, 2006 - 2:08pm
I was pleasantly surprised when Rolling Stone called me last week, out of the blue, wanting to break the story about the film. I warned the writer that I couldn't discuss our efforts reaching out to actors and directors, but it appears that we made the grade, even without the help of celebrity gossip :)
So here's a nice first article about "The Fifth Beatle."
I'll add that we're keeping a close eye on the actor reccomendations being posted at our message boards under WHO SHOULD PLAY BRIAN EPSTEIN? Let us know what you think!
- Vivek J. Tiwary
INTRODUCTION
November 29, 2005 - 2:00pm
I suppose my unrequited love affair with the Brian Epstein story began some 10-12 years ago, when I decided that music management was the area of the music industry I was most interested in pursuing. I had been a lifelong Beatles fan, so I thought that it was the smart/right thing to do, if I was planning on going into artist management, to study the management of the band that had wrote and re-wrote the rules of the modern music industry as I saw it...
What I unearthed after much difficult research (there is a paltry amount of information readily available on Brian, which is part of why I want to bring his story to the world) was not just an inspirational business story and a blueprint for what I want to accomplish with my music company StarPolish (www.starpolish.com), but also a very human story-- a story about staggering success, steadfast determination, and a desire to change the world; a story about love and being an outsider and belonging; a story about speed and ambition and tragedy. A story full of music and dreams. A story I could relate to-- and wanted to relate to-- on so many levels. Brian became my "historical mentor", if you will. A person from whose history I've tried to learn from-- both what to do and what NOT to do. Brian was certainly a flawed and imperfect hero, but a hero all the same.
So with "The Fifth Beatle" I've tried to capture what I think is the essence of the man-- the poetry and inspiration and feeling behind the Brian Epstein story. I'll make no illusion about presenting an absolute "truth". The entertainment business is one of professional fabulations after all. That conflicting and selective memories and information exist is to be expected. Trying to uncover the "truth" is a fool's task. But I have tried to remain faithful to facts and history, while also using fantasy and dreams to convey this fantastic yarn, as only fantasy and dreams can do.
...plus that makes it so much more fun! :)
In this blog, then, I'll try to tell the story behind my story and this film, and talk about Brian, about why I'm doing this, and about how the film is being developed. You'll get current production updates and screenwriting notes, as well as flashbacks from my personal diaries (e.g. my first trip to Liverpool, meeting some of the living cast of characters, etc.). I hope you like it, and I hope it'll spark some discussion. Brian was a complex man, and this is a complex story and a complex project. So visit the forum and chime in with any thoughts, reflections, opinions, whatever. See you again soon...
Vivek J. Tiwary
Writer/Director/Producer
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