Inspirational Director- Mathew Vaughn

Looking at a young filmmaker, you often go to the ones you think are inspiring and have potential of being great. Mathew Vaughn, best known for his films X-Men: First Class and Kick Ass, I believe is someone to look out for in future. He knows storytelling and how to use visuals. One of my favourite film of his was Stardust, it is a mixture of fairy tale with great story and just the right amount of comedic stuff. His visual style is excellent, even with a good budget he manages to attracts big name actors and able to tell story through amazing visual effects.

He knows what he wants and how the look he is trying to go for that will contribute towards portraying the story. Looking at interview from Sky Movies Premier about making X-Men: First Class, he talks about the look of it and that he wanted to give it a “Bond look” and that he was inspired by James Bond films, and looking at the film you see those inspirations he looked at. There is elegant look, very clean visuals and cinematography. Bond films have always been about style and gadgets shown in an elegant way, almost looks like and advertisement.

“Everyone knows now with CG, whatever you can think of it you can it, and I just don’t think the audience are impressed with it anymore. They are impressed when they’re given a good story, they’re impressed when they can relate emotionally to the characters” 9:38minThese days its got to a point which anything imaginable can be achieved through special effects. What the director means by "audience aren't that impressed" with special effects, he means special effects shouldn't be the driving force of the movie or anything you trying to make. Ideas are what make audience get into it. Once the idea and story is interesting, audience can over-look the effects because they already invested in the story, the effects are to show or give an idea to us visually.

The movie X-Men First Class was critically and box office successful, even though we know X-Men is about special effects and seeing our lovable characters do cool stuff, we also care about 'how' and 'why' its happening. Also believability has become something we all ask ourselves while watching, "could this happen?" and if could, "would I have done the same as the character?” Through years of movies, great stories and ideas. We have learnt a lot. What the director mentions about the story being the key driving force and not effects, is that we don't like to treated stupid, we appreciate being treated intelligent having us invested and feel we belong in the universe presented to us.

I agree in some extend his approach towards Effects. Otherwise, effects come hand in hand with story. Looking at Sci-Fi movies or any creature movies, if the creatures or aliens do not look convincing enough to scare or interest the audience then the whole crew behind the film has failed. You cannot have a good story with bad visuals or vice versa, they both have to compliment each other. Visual Effects does not have to be realistic, but if it is close to it then we can let it pass. This brings back classic movies like Jurassic Park and Jaws during Steven Spielberg’s time, his movies delivered great stories with great visuals.