Moosehead Pictures

Writing

Foundation in Literature

We started as readers and writers before ever approaching the technical side of filmmaking. Will studied Religion and Art History, Vanessa studied Literature, and James studied Classics and German.

For us, this literary background is essential: to storytelling, to character, and to imagination in general. The highest images exist in the mind first; we do our best to work up to them while on set.

Literary Inspirations

Here is a brief list of works that we have used as references for our upcoming feature Goldenboy:

  1. The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea Mishima (main inspiration)
  2. Summer Edith Wharton
  3. The Awakening Kate Chopin
  4. “Bliss” Katherine Mansfield
  5. “Sun” D.H. Lawrence
  6. Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert
  7. Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Hurston
  8. The Day of the Locust Nathaniel Lane

Catching up Technically

We knew that investing our time so completely in literature and theory would set us back in regards to the technical aspects of filmmaking. For this reason, we created short films with intentionally different atmospheres to explore different areas of technique.

Now, as we develop our debut feature, we are ready to put together all of the technical knowledge we gained from our short projects and commercial work in order to express the film as creatively and artistically as possible.

Cinema Inspirations

In no particular order, here are some films that have heavily influenced us:

The Dreamers / Last Tango in Paris, Y Tu Mamá También, Days of Being Wild, Lost in Translation / Marie Antionette, High Life, Possessor / Please Speak Continuously, Possession, Suspiria (1971), everything Gaspar Noé, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Under the Skin, The Piano Teacher, everything Jodorowsky, Wicker Man, Dead Man / Only Lovers Left Alive, Withnail & I, Color of Pomegranates, Last Year at Marienbad / Horishima Mon Amor, Irma Vep, Touki Bouki, The Thing, Fear and Loathing, Neon Demon, Good Time, Knight of Cups, Amarcord, La Ciénaga.

For Goldenboy specifically:

Breaking the Waves, Fat Girl, It Felt Like Love / Beach Rats, A Summer’s Tale / Pauline at the Beach (Amanda Langlet in general), Lady Bird, All Dirt Roads / Nettles.