Natan De Decker

720
4 min

Filmmaking

On Worldbuilding: April and the Extraordinary World

August 22, 2020

Worldbuilding might be by far my favorite aspect of storytelling. I love immersing myself in fictional universes such as Westeros, the Wizarding World, and a galaxy far, far away. But the most interesting fictional worlds are those based on the world we know.

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534
5 min

Writing

On Making a Western: Red Dead Redemption II

July 4, 2020

If I had an opportunity to make a film from any genre, it’d be a western. From The Good, the Bad and the Ugly to Unforgiven, I find the westerns to be fascinating. Not only in films by the way, but in other forms of visual art too: series, comic books, and video games alike.

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585
4 min

Editing

On Introducing the Hero: Raiders of the Lost Ark

May 16, 2020

Lately, I got my hands on The Complete Making of Indiana Jones by J.W. Rinzler, so naturally, I wanted to rewatch Raiders of the Lost Ark. It got me thinking that it's probably the best-edited film I've seen, period. And I'm not talking about the desert chase sequence.

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451
4 min

Editing

On Cutting Action: The Matrix

May 9, 2020

The film that set the bar higher for both science-fiction and action on the eve of the second millennium. It inspired a new generation of filmmakers and changed the landscape of special effects. Often imitated, never equaled. Buckle up, Dorothy.

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462
4 min

Filmmaking

On Designing Emotions: Blade Runner 2049

May 2, 2020

The sequel to the best science-fiction film of all time lives up to its predecessor. I might even add that it's—in my opinion—the greatest film of the decade. It is a film that talks about us, humans, and our ability to create and respond to works of art.

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454
5 min

Filmmaking

On Film History: James Bond

April 24, 2020

Whether you went to film school or just love films, I'm sure you've heard that same old song: you need to study film history. All of a sudden, you've gotten yourself hundreds of films on your watchlist. Here's an unpopular opinion: stick to James Bond.

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684
5 min

Writing

On Symbolism: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

January 8, 2020

Four years after a promising start with The Force Awakens, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the last chapter in the Skywalker Saga, blasted on our screens and ended up being a huge disappointment for many fans. How exactly did we get here?

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830
4 min

Writing

On Creating Villains: Batman Mask of the Phantasm

October 23, 2019

Villains have to be my favorites characters in a film. From Darth Vader to Michael Corleone, they are by far the most intriguing personalities a writer needs to come up with. A great hero needs a greater villain. The Joker might the greatest of all.

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572
4 min

Filmmaking

On Staging Dreams: Eyes Wide Shut

September 22, 2019

It's been 20 years since the influential director has passed, and, after my trip to the Stanley Kubrick Exhibition at the Design Museum in London, I wanted to talk about its most divisive film and explain why I think it is definitely his most underrated work.

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587
4 min

Editing

On Cutting to Black: The Sopranos

August 1, 2019

20 years after its initial run on HBO, I finally watched the show so many critics labeled as "the greatest of all time". With its legendary and ambiguous cut to black, I was surprised how well the show held up, even after it paved the way to Breaking Bad.

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714
4 min

Filmmaking

On Conveying Ideas: The Lion King

July 16, 2019

Animated films are really costly and time-consuming to make. Filmmakers must look for a way to tell their story in the least runtime possible. Such difficulty requires problem-solving in storytelling. How to convey ideas in the most-efficient manner?

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738
4 min

Writing

On Subverting Expectations: Game of Thrones

May 21, 2019

TV's biggest, most popular and talked about show has come to an end. After 8 years, we finally got to see who's won the Iron Throne. Or do we really? It's time to look back at the most cinematic piece of entertainment ever put to our home screens.