Creative Brief: Fill & Download for Free

Here's what works for me, and I'm a very concept driven writer...Watch movies. Be it at home or in the theaters. Block off a week or two where you are just going to watch movies, both new and old. Your favorites and possible new contenders. There's nothing better to get the creative juices flowing than watching other peoples creative juices hard at work. You don't do this to steal ideas or copy. You do this to inspire yourself. Inspiration is needed for any concept to be born. You may see a brief moment in a film that entices you to explore such brief moment further and in a different way. Maybe said moment has nothing to do with the film your watching, as far as huge character or plot development. Maybe it's just an image. Either way, watching movies is usually where I start. If you have an idea of the genre you're looking at tackling, watch movies in that genre. If you have a certain tone you're looking to capture, explore movies that share that same tone, or at least a similar one. If you're looking to capture a certain type of character, again, watch movies that do so as well.What ifs. Sit down and ask yourself some What If questions. "What if a man was an alcoholic and later saw that his daughter was going down the same path?" There's a compelling drama for you. "What if the president was a sleeper agent who had risen through the ranks and is now looking to enact mayhem on the United States?" There's a high concept thriller for you. In my case, my marquee script that nabbed me studio meetings and representation started from watching one of my favorite films, Crimson Tide. "What if a nuclear submarine and its crew were ordered to launch their nuclear arsenal onto the world (Crimson Tide)... AND THEY DID." I took a proven concept and gave it a whole different spin. Asking those what if questions really gets you rolling.Read the headlines. The news is full of great stories, big and small. If anything, you can find a headline that captures your attention and intrigues you. You don't have to tell that specific story with those specific people involved.After any or all of that, plant the seed in your head and let it grow. Go for long drives with some great music. I usually assign my own soundtrack for each concept I develop. Sometimes that captures the tone and feel. Usually it's film scores rather than bands or anything like that. But I'll go for drives, you can listen to it on the way to work, or during a run or walk, or as you lay down to sleep, etc.Plant that initial seed and let it grow.

Thanks for the A2AMatthew McConaughey: From Rom-Com star to an Oscar WinnerHow did that happen? This is what he had to say about it:"Taking a year and a half off and saying no to things in some form or fashion made me a new good idea,Sometimes the target draws the arrow."He was bored. He didn't want to be seen as the shirtless guy anymore.In a BBC interview in 2012, the actor was asked if he had become a different Matthew McConaughey these days. The actor replied: "Same one but a different chapter of my book."In the last few decades, his name became synonymous with the rom-com and action roles, all nicely packaged up with his lifestyle of running shirtless on the beach, getting stoned, playing bongos. Whether it was playing opposite Jennifer Lopez in ‘The Wedding Planner,’ opposite Kate Hudson in ‘Fool’s Gold,’ opposite Sarah Jessica Parker in ‘Failure to Launch’ or opposite Penelope Cruz in ‘Sahara,’ it was always the same formula — pit this actor’s ripped physique with an interchangeable bombshell, give them some sort of dysfunctional relationship, and you have an instant feature film.After a while, even the money of these blockbusters didn't appeal to him. Most of these rom-coms raked in more than $100 million at the worldwide box office, but even the opportunity to make such high figures couldn't mask the stench of the boring scripts, and McConaughey made a conscious decision to turn down these kinds of offers even at the risk of “humongous pay cuts.” According to The Hollywood Reporter, he even turned down a $15 million paycheck to appear in a ‘Magnum, P.I.’ reboot.For years no one had taken him very seriously, relegating him to punchlines about bongo playing and his “Alright, alright, alright,” catch-phrase. Yet suddenly people were sitting up and taking notice.How did McConaughey flip the script on his career you ask?Matthew McConaughey was always a popular star, and his frivolous, formulaic romantic comedies served as golden handcuffs for several years of his career that left him in a creative rut. Give him credit for recognizing that and then actually doing something about it.“I did consciously say, ‘You know what, I’m going to not work here for awhile and think about what I want to do,’” McConaughey said. “I feel like I've done a version of rom-com and action roles before. Or I feel like I can do that tomorrow morning. And I think I've done enough of that for now, and I want something that I don’t think I can do tomorrow morning. I want something that scares me.”The standard path for the big actors of this generation is to make huge franchise movies, like a Bourne or Marvel series, and then to work on passion projects on the side.McConaughey seems to have taken a different path: He just makes the good stuff. He just shows up for the really interesting films. At the age of 43, he has emerged as one of Hollywood’s biggest, brightest, most interesting movie stars and has pulled off what is being calling a ‘McConaissance’.After 2008’s wretched Fool’s Gold and a brief appearance in Tropic Thunder, he disappeared off the radar. From 2009 to 2011, he didn’t appear onscreen. He said he was offered some roles similar to the previous one and after he said no to a number of them, the studios just quit offering those roles to him.Eighteen months he said no to projects. It’s a long time. As he puts it, “I let it all go, I free-formed it”. You've got to be impressed that he was willing to take the risk that he could do something different.He was seen next on the big screen in 2011 two movies with very different roles, the first being ‘The Lincoln Lawyer’, in which he portrayed a morally questionable defense attorney and the second reuniting with the man who kickstarted his career, Linklater, with a role in ‘Bernie’, playing a prosecutor.With this return, he had transformed himself from a ‘star’ into an ‘actor’.He continued on on his new career redirection with roles that walked an amoral line and defied what was expected of him. Whether it was William Freidkin’s ‘Killer Joe’, trashing his former image with a mother-killing role; Lee Daniels’ ‘The Paperboy’, where the director tried to make the heartthrob as “unattractive as possible”; or Jeff Nichols’ ‘Mud’, playing a fugitive with blood on his hands.Then, reaching the final stage, his rebirth became official with his career-changing role of Ron Woodroof in Jean-Marc Vallee’s ‘Dallas Buyers Club’. Playing a Texan homophobe who contracts HIV and eventually becomes a pioneer of the AIDS movement in the ’80s, McConaughey dropped 47 pounds, shedding what remained of his once glistening beach-ready bod.What most people don’t know is that McConaughey was the first one in mind for Ron Woodroof when producer Robbie Brenner was given the script. It was his dedication to the character that would inspire his fellow actors and the production crew to follow suit. Aside from the physical aspect, which involved 98% dieting and 2% exercise, he poured over the real Ron Woodroof’s journals, listened to hours of interviews between him and screenwriter Craig Borten, and covered his script with detailed questions and notes for the production crew, much like he does in his own journals.The lesser known fact about True Detective is that McConaughey first read for the role of Hart but was drawn more to the darker Rust. “I had gone back and I said I like this, I like Rust Cohle. I said, ‘How about this guy? That’s me’”.His ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ co-star Jennifer Garner said of his acting abilities, “Part of what everyone is drawn to in Matthew is that he is someone who is so himself all the time.That’s what ranks him above the rest."For almost two years, McConaughey let the phone keep ringing, and when he’d finally figured things out, he answered it to find an eclectic collection of filmmakers — William Friedkin, Richard Linklater, Lee Daniels, Jeff Nichols — at the other end of the line. “Isn’t that wonderful the way the world works, Billy Friedkin called about Killer Joe, Steven Soderbergh called about Magic Mike. Richard Linklater handed me the script for Bernie when we were on our way back from hitting baseballs. Lee Daniels called about The Paperboy. I didn’t find out about these projects and go chasing them. They came to me”, he says smiling.“Phone ringing, but that’s second, whoever is on there is second because right now this project is going to bed with me, I’m getting the pages laminated and I’m taking it in the shower with me, I’m going to the library, I’m recording stuff and taking it to the gym. And it’s so much fun. And these are characters and stories that if I had another year to work on them I could keep going, keep going, keep going.”I guess it’s this attitude and hard work of his that shows in the movies which the viewers, the movie makers and even the critics have not failed to see.He will yet again tackle a new and drastically different role with this November’s ‘Interstellar,’ Christopher Nolan’s sci-fi epic that co-stars Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain.As he spoke to the press after winning his Golden Globe Sunday, “I have been choosing roles that shook my floor, that challenge me in a way that I go, ‘Oh I’m not sure what I’m gonna do with this, but I can’t wait.’”We've come a long, long way from The Wedding Planner now, haven't we? :)TOP WORKSStarting with 2010′s The Lincoln Lawyer, which has been often cited as the jumping-off point for McConaughey’s turnaround,these have sparked the actor’s remarkable renaissance.The Lincoln Lawyer (2010)The Lincoln Lawyer has been widely cited as the film to spark McConaughey’s recent critical resurgence. Based on the novel of the same name by Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer tells the story of low-rent defense attorney Mickey Haller (McConaughey) who believes he’s landed the case of a lifetime when he’s hired to defend a rich playboy (Ryan Phillippe) accused of rape and attempted murder. But Haller soon comes to find that the case isn't nearly as simple as it appears and he becomes ensnared in a deadly plot.Bernie (2011)McConaughey’s next role reunited the actor with director Richard Linklater — the director of 1993′s Dazed and Confused – which first put McConaughey on the Hollywood radar. Starring Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, and McConaughey, Bernie chronicles the true life 1996 murder of 81-year-old millionaire Marjorie Nugent in Carthage, Texas by her 39-year-old companion Bernhardt “Bernie” Tiede. Although Bernie didn’t find much success at the box office, the film was a big hit with critics — according to Rotten Tomatoes, top critics were nearly unanimous in praise, awarding the film a 93 percent Fresh rating.Magic Mike (2012)Up next for McConaughey was another critically acclaimed supporting role in Steven Soderbergh’s comedy-drama Magic Mike. Starring and loosely based on the experiences of Channing Tatum, who was an 18-year-old stripper in Tampa, Florida, Magic Mike revolves around a 19-year-old Adam (Alex Pettyfer) who enters the world of male stripping guided by Mike Lane (Tatum) who has been in the business for six years.Killer Joe (2012)Killer Joe is another indie flick that didn’t garner much attention or box office success. Directed by William Friedkin, Killer Joe is a dark comedy crime film written by Tracy Letts and based on Letts’ play of the same name. When 22-year-old drug dealer Chris (Emile Hirsch) finds himself having to come up with $6,000 quick, he hires Detective “Killer” Joe Cooper (McConaughey) to murder his mother in the hopes of taking out an life insurance policy.Mud (2013)Directed by indie standout Jeff Nichols, Mud is a coming-of-age drama starring McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Sam Shepard, and Reese Witherspoon. When two boys find a man named Mud hiding out on an island in the Mississippi, they decide to help him escape with the love of his life as bounty hunters descend on the small town.Mud was universally praised by critics, holding a 97 percent Fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes’ top critics. McConaughey’s performance was again a standout with critics again praising his recent return to form.The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)To be one of the most notable characters in a three hour orgy of excess and mayhem is pretty special. To only have a few minutes screen time is better still.That’s what McConaughey achieves with his portrayal of Mark Hanna, the chest-beating, coke-sniffing boss of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Jordan Belfort.Your life will be better if you beat your chest and sing like Hanna. It will.Dallas Buyer's Club (2013)Oscar winning role of AIDS-sufferer Ron Woodruff who refuses to accept the death sentence given to him by doctors and illegally imports drugs to help fellow patients.Not much needs to be said about this movie.True Detective (2014)The series, co-starring Woody Harrelson, made its debut January 12 as McConaughey accepted his Golden Globe on awards night to critics praising the depth and tortured nature the actor brought to his character, Rust Cohle, one-half of a detective team on a 17-year investigation into a serial killer with occult overtones in Louisiana.Sources:Matthew McConaughey: The Story Behind His Reinvention5 Roles That Led to Matthew McConaughey’s TurnaroundHow did Matthew McConaughey ever become Oscar-worthy? Well, a bit like this...Matthew McConaughey (actor)

I'll hopefully be able to provide you with some of the answers you seek. I'm a huge art lover. Actually, my love affair with all things artistic was sparked quite early. My father is an abstract sculptor. Thus, from birth, I have been heavily immersed in the world of art. Due to my father’s profession, I was constantly exposed by the many processes that go into creating a work of art. The initial concept, design, and planning stages at the outset of a new piece, to the accumulating of materials and the constructing of the various elements of the sculpture, and right on through to completion. The ‘behind the scenes’ world of an artist is impressively complex. Many elements must come together in concert, to culminate in the finished product that the public sees.Because most of my father’s friends were fellow artists, I was also exposed to all sorts of creative types from many varied backgrounds. That's another aspect I find so enriching about the world of art—it’s open to all comers. Amongst my father’s closest artist friends is a woman named Adrienne Gonzalez. From my earliest childhood—rather than the typical accoutrements one might ordinarily see in a little girl’s bedroom, upon my wall was displayed a large piece of Gonzalez’ work. That painting—with its semi-abstract images of butterflies and dragonflies entranced me so, I frequently stared upon it for hours. Somewhat like getting lost within a dream, is how it made me feel. Presently, it’s hanging in the hallway of my parents’ home.Work by Adrienne Gonzalez (unsure of the year, but probably mid-1960’s is pretty accurate). (I’m afraid my camera flash ruined the photo a little, but the overall magic of the piece is still very evident).By providing a brief bit of background, I can perhaps illustrate some of the ways in which art has been so beneficial to my life. My father was an exceedingly difficult man, and, as I grew older, our relationship became increasingly strained. Art, however, was the one way we truly connected. Over the years we took many trips into New York City to visit the all the great museums and galleries. To be in those great art houses felt other-worldly and supremely comforting all at the same time. Massive buildings containing arts from all cultures and all eras, in so many differing presentations—from metal and wood sculpture, to oil and watercolor paintings, to murals and etchings, to ancient pottery and carvings, to African, Indian, and Egyptian artifacts, to high-tech video installations, and so much more, its all there for the seeking and finding. And, I must say, if there's a single place to go where one might fall in love with art, New York is certainly that place.My deepest art connections with my father though, were forged in my youth, when I would at times assist him with the actual construction of his works. Some of my few fond childhood memories are of times I'd bring a cup of tea to my father’s studio, where we’d then consult over what shape I thought a particular sculpture of his ought to take. When I was older, I also assisted my father in gallery set-ups when he had public exhibits of his works. Another great experience came as a result of my father’s position managing the vast art collection owned by Vassar College, where I was able to access their holding of incredible works up close—even getting to take in my hands, art works by the likes of Georgia O’Keeffe, Rembrandt, and Leonardo Da Vinci. Perhaps, for some, that wouldn't sound too interesting. For me though, it was thrilling. The experience left me as giddy as a young teen might feel upon meeting their favorite pop star.You mention that you are interested to know what in particular I like about art, and what—if anything, I dislike about it. With art, there is so much to love, and very little not to like. The art world is so fascinating because it is endlessly varied and diverse. Art changes from person to person and culture to culture. Too, from year to year and century to century, art has steadily evolved. But, most significant to acknowledge is the fact that all societies, all cultures must have art. Show me a culture without art and creativity, and I'll show you people who are soul-dead—empty, without meaning or purpose. That idea makes me think of the great Twilight Zone episode with Burgess Meredith (‘Time Enough At Last’; airdate November 1959) where his character is so desperately trying to discover a quiet spot in his busy, noisy world, so that he may read his beloved books in peace. After he finds himself as the sole survivor in a post-nuclear holocaust world, he is despondent and on the verge of suicide. That is—until he discovers the public library with their whole collection of books strewn out amongst the street. Alas, literature had saved his life. BUT, this being the Twilight Zone means there was probably not going to be a happy ending. Poor Meredith’s character accidentally broke his thick coke-bottle lens glasses. He was blind without them. Sans the tragic ending of that story, this is how it is with art—it enriches our life and our world view. It sustains us in unique, intangible ways. It reaches out to unite diverse peoples. In our present-day world we can also see examples of art and its political impact on society. It crushes me to know of historical art works destroyed as an act of vengeance or as a method to gain control over people. The Islamic State militants, for example, did such a thing when they tore down centuries-old structures, statues, and art works in Iraq. A modern-day prophet had apparently determined that these statues and artifacts represented their historical peoples worship of something other than God. To preserve these works of art was thereby determined to be heretical. Hence, they had to be banished. For me that action is utterly shameful, incomprehensible, and truly without excuse. A history destroyed is forever lost.Art has, over time, been the source of much debate, controversy, even mayhem—and yes, I find that to be a good thing. There was nary a time in history when artistic styles began to shift significantly, that the critics didn't come out in full force crying foul and scandal. While we now appropriately revere impressionist and abstract art, at the time these styles first were being experimented with, the artists creating the works were derided and scorned. We view works by Monet today and call them masterpieces, but this was certainly not the case for him initially. To offer a more recent example—in 1999 an exhibit entitled “Sensation: Young British Artists From The Saatchi Collection”, was shown at New York's Brooklyn Museum of Art. There were several works in the 90-piece show that caused some debate. One work in particular—Chris Ofili’s painting ‘The Holy Virgin Mary’, impressively roused a great scandal and drove then-mayor of New York—Rudolph Giuliani, into an uproar. The painting, which depicted a black Madonna adorned with elephant dung and some sexually-explicit images, was deemed by Giuliani to be ‘anti-Catholic’. The city threatened the Brooklyn museum with the revocation of their lease, and the withdrawal of municipal funds, if they didn't remove the offensive work. Fortunately for the art world, the museum refused to back down. All of the controversial works remained on display, without censorship. From the museum director’s standpoint, these works were important—if controversial, and while they might be difficult or perhaps challenging to look at, they had real artistic merit all the same. As an ironic foortnote—it didn't turn out too badly for painter Chris Ofili. His much-derided work sold at auction several years later for $4.6M. I think the art world got the last laugh with this one.Work by Chris Ofili: ‘The Holy Virgin Mary’ (1996. Constructed of: paper collage, oil paint, glitter, polyester resin, map pins, and elephant dung on linen. 243.8 x 182.9 cm)The footnote I just mentioned, which describes the multi-million dollar sale of this painting, actually brings me to the singular aspect of art and the art world that I dislike. While I wholeheartedly agree that the masterworks we often witness being sold at auction for such exhorbitant sums generally do have great value, at the same time, it certainly skews for the average viewer, what it means for a work of art to be considered good or worthwhile. There are literally countless supremely talented artists from all across the globe—men and women that we may never hear of. Perhaps they are only able to show their works at smaller, lesser-known galleries, and thus, they remain essentially invisible to the power-brokers who dominate the highest end of the art market. But, these unrecognized artists are generally no less talented or capable, or deserving of the supreme adulation our world’s most recognized artists receive. I find this aspect of the business patently unjust. As with any other market, being successful in the art market has everything to do with who you know and the quality and quantity of exposure you get—primarily. Talent is, frankly, secondary.In your subset of questions, you inquire if there is any specific work of art that holds special importance. In my attempt to offer a response, I'd first like to say something more broadly about art. The world of art, which for me encompasses not only the visual arts of painting, sculpture, photography, and the like, but also the artistry found in dance, in classical music and classic jazz, in literature, film and live theater—it all holds great significance for me. I truly believe art—all arts, enlarge vision. They allow us to not only exist within the physical world around us, but a more conceptual world as well. When one looks upon, say, an abstract painting, they might see a certain image in it. The next person to come along may interpret the work in a wholly different manner. Viewing these works stretches and challenges our perceptions of life around us. I find this quality of the arts to be of immense value—a value which can't be bought at any price. It's something intangible and utterly magical. If forced to identify one single work of art that I'd choose over all others, I'd be hard-pressed to do it. Certainly though, there is one artist that has a foothold in my soul, and it's a work he painted that has me thoroughly entranced. The artist is Edward Hopper, and it’s his 1942 painting Nighthawks that I love so especially (though the entirety of his creative output is sheer genius to me).Work by Edward Hopper (1942. Oil on canvas 84.1 x 152.4 cm. Located at Art Institue of Chicago).Regrettably the image I’ve provided, nowhere near does adequate justice—in terms of relaying the power this work truly exudes, the painterly skill of the artist, or the masterly way in which Hopper conveys intense emotion in a bunch of brush strokes on canvas. If at all interested, I would certainly encourage you to seek out some larger, clearer reproductions of the work, if not actually going to the Art Institute of Chicago to view the painting in person (something I went to Chicago specifically to do, myself).‘What is art?’. I left this portion of your inquiry for last. For me, art is the ability to transcend. It's a way of creating something magical out of us mere mortals. Art is any creation that is soul-enriching, or soul-feeding. It's anything which demands for us to sit up and take notice in a way nothing else can as capably do. Art is beauty, ugliness, curiosity, pain, pleasure, joy. Art unites people. It tells a story, and creates an abstract new world. Simply put—without art we as people would have nothing, we would be nothing. At least, nothing worthwhile. We would have no spiritual link to our past, nor any reason to look to our future. Art is the physical, tangible incarnation of a philosophy for our life’s existence. At least, this is how I interpret it. Others may define art in very different terms. But alas, that is what makes art and the art world so valuable and so necessary. It belongs to each of us.As a final offering, I've enclosed a few images of my modest little home. This is just a brief sample of the dozens upon dozens of works I have hanging on every wall of my home. I surround myself with art, because it constantly feeds me. I'd wither away without it.