PPH: om Post Production Hell

Det ringer inn til det som mye mulig er siste time i Back to school weekend. Tema: POST PRODUCTION HELL!

Dette er et uttrykk som filmgeeks gjerne slenger om seg med; her går tante Grusom i dybden og forklarer litt nærmere hva dette innebærer.

Post production hell -eller Development hell / Development limbo- er et begrep som brukes om filmer og spill som "fanges" i etterproduksjon. Disse prosjektene kan bli forsinket med mange herrens år - eller de ender opp med aldri å komme ut.

"Independence Day 2" var et eksempel på en film som holdes i postprod limbo; der befant den seg siden 1997 og fram til utgivelse i 2018. World War Z er nok en annen film som har vært en snartur innom postprod hell for en kjapp skjending og refokusering. Urk!

Hvordan ender så enkelte filmer opp i denne tilstanden? Årsakene kan være mange:

1. Skaperen av åndsverket har solgt rettighetene til et studio med sine regissører og produsenter; infrastrukturelle endringer i filmverdenen kan fort medføre at produsenter og ansvarlige endres, og da kan det plutselig bli snakk om rewriting/recasting. Uenighetene er i gang - og prosjekter bremses eller strandes.

2. Større samfunnshendelser -som 22. juli eller 11. september- gjør at enkelte tema plutselig blir vanskelige å berøre. Enkelte voldsmann/shootout-filmer cannes gjerne like etter skolemassakrer og slikt noe. The way of the world. En streik i skribentmiljøet eller andre fløyer av filmindustrien kan også medføre at studioenes fokus flyttes fra langsiktige prosjekter til "ready to release"- greier. Quick fixes.

3. Av og til kan et studio bremse/stoppe en utgivelse for å forhindre konkurranse med et annet av sine egne produkter. timing is everything - i filmindustrien som i alt annet.

4. En finankrise eller to er også godt egnet til å få studioene til å tenke mer profitt og mindre... vel, alt annet. Remakes, anyone?

5. Skjær uflaks. Dødsfall hos nøkkelpersoner, for eksempel. Shit happens. Jeg mistenker for eksempel filmene "The Gerber Syndrome" og "Metesala/Winter of the dead" å ha havnet i postprod hell; når filmene ikke er å finne to-tre år etter oppgitt dato er det no` muffins på gang.

That is all. Takk for oppmerksomheten! :)

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