#9: Mikel Dever – Cult Fandoms, Filmmaking & How to Destroy a Franchise
Oct 7, 2021
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Mikel Dever, filmmaker, discusses 'The Phantom Menace Effect' on the Star Wars franchise. They explore creative decline, cult fandoms, and the impact of changing endings. They also analyze visual composition, the unconventional process of Hideaki Anno, and the importance of self-awareness and constructive feedback for artists.
The Phantom Menace Effect distorts fans' perception of movies over time due to nostalgia.
The Avon Gellion rebuild films lack the character exploration and deconstruction of tropes present in the original series.
Creative decline can occur when filmmakers have complete control over a franchise.
Hype and nostalgia can lead audiences to praise poorly constructed or flawed works.
Excessive control and lack of collaboration hinder the creative process and result in poor artistic outcomes.
Deep dives
The Phantom Menace Effect: Analyzing the Deceptive Perception of Films
In this podcast episode, the host explores the phenomenon of the Phantom Menace Effect, where initial hype and excitement for a movie blinds fans to its flaws. The episode uses the recent Japanese franchise Avon Gellion as a case study to discuss creative decline, cult fandoms, and the journey of an artist. The guest, Michael Deaver, a writer and film director, provides insights into the Avon Gellion franchise and its impact. The episode delves into the complexities of filmmaking, addressing issues such as collaboration, criticism, and the balance between personal expression and fan expectations.
The Evolution of Avon Gellion and the Disappointing Rebuild Films
This podcast episode explores the trajectory of the Avon Gellion franchise, from its acclaimed original series to the recent rebuild films. The host and guest discuss the unique qualities of the original Avon Gellion, highlighting its character exploration and deconstruction of tropes. They compare it to the flawed and disjointed nature of the rebuild films. The episode raises questions about the impact of absolute creative freedom and the avoidance of collaboration. It also addresses the challenges faced by creators in maintaining authenticity, handling criticisms, and dealing with toxic fan communities.
The Challenge of Staying True to Artistic Vision
In this podcast episode, the host engages in a discussion with filmmaker Michael Deaver about the journey of an artist and the pitfalls of success. They analyze the decline in creative quality that can occur when creators have complete control, using example films like The Phantom Menace and the Avon Gellion rebuilds. The conversation delves into topics like childhood trauma, imposter syndrome, self-hatred, and the importance of being true to oneself as an artist. The episode also delves into the detrimental effects of online harassment and the complexities of interpreting and critiquing creative works.
The Impact of Nostalgia and Hype on Public Perception
This podcast episode dissects the Phantom Menace Effect and its influence on public perception of films. Using the Avon Gellion franchise as a case study, the host explores how hype and nostalgia can distort audience's perspectives, leading them to praise the poorly constructed or flawed works. The episode delves into the significance of emotional connections to creative works and analyzes the fan reactions and controversies surrounding the recent Avon Gellion reboot. The conversation also covers broader topics like the life cycle of cult fandoms, creative decline, and the psychological triggers that contribute to hype-driven hypnosis in pop culture.
Inconsistent Visual Composition in 3.0+1.0
The visual compositions in 3.0+1.0 are visually noisy and lack the deliberate and impactful compositions of the original End of Evangelion. Anno's focus on finding interesting camera angles results in compositions that do not reinforce the emotions or themes of the story, leading to a dissonance between the visuals and the narrative.
Lack of Cohesive Storytelling
The storytelling in the Rebuild movies, particularly in 3.0+1.0, falls short in comparison to the original series. The character arcs of Shinji, Asuka, and new characters like Mari lack coherence and progression. The inclusion of more characters in less time to tell their stories further complicates the narrative, making it difficult to understand or appreciate without prior knowledge of the original series.
Phantom Menace Effect and Changing Perceptions
The reception of 3.0+1.0 may change over time, similar to how the perception of The Phantom Menace shifted. While initial reactions to the movie have been mixed, it is possible for the perception to change as time passes and different voices provide new insights and perspectives. The movie's lasting impact will depend on factors such as critical reevaluation and the emergence of influential voices within the fan community.
Critique of George Lucas' Filmmaking Style
The podcast episode criticizes George Lucas' approach to filmmaking, particularly in the Star Wars franchise. It argues that Lucas, although having great ideas and taste in film, lacked certain skills that affected the quality of his work. Specifically, his dialogue writing was deemed poor, lacking naturalism, subtext, and the ability to effectively convey character motivations. The podcast also highlights the importance of collaboration and the negative impact of excessive control and dictatorship-like approaches in creative projects.
Discussion on the Pitfalls of Authoritarian Creativity
The episode explores the dangers of an authoritarian approach to creativity and the importance of collaboration. It uses examples from George Lucas, Hideaki Anno, and other creatives to illustrate how excessive control and lack of self-awareness can hinder the creative process and lead to poor artistic outcomes. The podcast emphasizes the need for open collaboration, constructive feedback, and self-reflection to create successful and well-crafted works of art.
In 1999 the Star Wars film "The Phantom Menace" released and garnered widespread acclaim amongst fans. But ever since, people gradually started seeing the movie in a very different light; the enthusiasm waned, and the critical perception diminished significantly.
This is a common phenomenon that is like a collectively unconscious lens that distorts through nostalgia. That collective experience is known now as “The Phantom Menace Effect.”
And ugh. Well, history repeats itself... and my guest and I today observed a similar phenomenon this year with the Japanese Evangelion franchise's final film release.
Evangelion fans largely seem to love this new adaption at first in spite of the movie embodying the very things that the series originally intended to deconstruct and destroy. And just like in 1999 with Star Wars fans, this seems like another instance of The Phantom Menace Effect. It makes you question, if they legitimately enjoy this adaption — what did they even like about the original to begin with?
And in this is episode we're going to use this experience as a case study to discuss some larger topics:
The journey of an artist.
Creative decline.
The lifecycle and segments of cult fandoms.
Deconstructing what's causing The Phantom Menace Effect.
My guest today is Mikel Dever. Mikel is a writer and film director with a Master's degree in Film & Television Production from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He is also well known online as GoatJesus, where his YouTube channel garners millions of views for his meta-analysis on Japanese animation, most extensively on the Evangelion franchise.
Outside of that, we also dive into:
The structure and process of filmmaking.
Embracing pain & failure.
The struggle of dealing with criticism and online harassment as a creator.
Childhood trauma.
Self-hatred, imposter syndrome, and staying true to yourself as an artist.
George Lucas, and the derailment of the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
The poison of success, and the death of creativity.
And much more.
This is a condensed form of the conversation that Mikel and I had focused more on the larger general themes and less on the specifics of the plot of the final movie and this series. If you want the "Evangelion fan" extended version, check it out on YouTube here.
