Lessons filmmakers should take from Mad Max: Fury Road
1. Your oppressive post-apocalyptic world doesn’t have to be physically dark. It can actually be bright and colorful. The audience actually likes to be able to see what is going on.
2. Visual story telling is a lost art that needs to be found again. Seriously, this movie did not have a lot of dialog to begin with but you could have taken it all out and I would have still been able to follow the movie pretty well. Show us, don’t tell us.
3. Physical effects enhanced by CGI are the way to go. It will always have more weight than CGI on its own. Real people doing real stunts in real locations gives a substance that is missed when the same stunts are done in front of a green screen.
4. (and this one is REALLY important) You can have an action movie that centers around interesting female characters that aren’t being objectified and have their own agency and people will see it (and it will be AWESOME!). Also, your male character doesn’t always have to come charging to the rescue, he can even be the “damsel in distress” occasionally.
5. A flame throwing guitar is an excellent addition to any chase scene.
