Project Greenlight HBO (1 Viewer)

I evaluate this isn't the normal discussion topic, but this season of project Greenlight has been a hoot. I find myself cheering for Effie Brown and loathing the director.

I've never seen the show before but after seeing some of this season's trailers I'm curious. Might check it out soon. Glad to hear it's been a fun watch.

I saw the early years of Project Greenlight, one of the seasons introduced us to Shia Lebeouf, believe it or not!

mattCR said:

I evaluate this isn't the normal discussion topic, but this season of project Greenlight has been a hoot. I find myself cheering for Effie Brown and loathing the director.

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I started out that way, but have reversed. Effie is the poster child for smiling passive aggressive mixed with fake smiling over self importance. His excuse is he's just a privileged kid given a $3 million toy to play with - why shouldn't he be a brat? And the fact that a easy going guy like Pete Farraley had to quit rather than deal with Effie, says everything.


But the more you watch this show, the more you realize all the conflicts are scripted tighter than any actual film scrip they would ever be shooting. It's just so obvious from the very first choice of the most contentious contestant that they were going for conflict from page one with the players involved. And why shouldn't Jason go around his producer to big stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to get what he wants - shooting on film, etc. - that's EXACTLY how it's done on the food chain in Hollywood. Knowing who you really (or only) have to suck up to in order to get your way.

Hollywoodaholic said:

I started out that way, but have reversed. Effie is the poster child for smiling passive aggressive mixed with fake smiling over self importance. His excuse is he's just a privileged kid given a $3 million toy to play with - why shouldn't he be a brat? And the fact that a easy going guy like Pete Farraley had to quit rather than deal with Effie, says everything.

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See, I think almost exactly the reverse. From the moment we had commentary by her about considerations for hiring in the first episode (which made almost everyone else look just.. well.. dumb) to the fact that despite being a producer people want to go around her, I've enjoyed her more as the season has gone on; and if Farelly has a dispute and then can't get over it and has to leave, I view that as far more "on him" in the situation. He's a mentor, he's not a part of the day to day on a micro-budget.


$3M seams like a lot, but I've known more than a few people on films of larger (but not by much) budgets and it goes VERY fast, so I'm kind of surprised she didn't say to Jason (the director in this case): No, we've told you repeatedly..


The fact that he chose to go ahead and shoot in film when the option was: two extra days of shooting or film and he took film.. holy cow. That's a crazy, crazy amateur move.


This is going to be interesting, especially considering I think he's about to film a horrific film..

Caught up with the season so far. Pretty entertaining film-making tension throughout the season. Effie sort of reminds of Wanda Sykes in personality.

Well, Effie was dead on right about several things. One being film vs digital would make no difference because damn the script was horrid

mattCR said:

Well, Effie was dead on right about several things. One being film vs digital would make no difference because damn the script was horrid

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Agreed. A completely pointless conflict in the end, and the show was so contained and interior never would have mattered. Except that the lighting necessary probably took even more time away from the shoot. Never has $3 million looked like so little on screen. But then in one shoot you see about 10 trailers (including probably stand by trailers for Affleck and Damon they probably never used), and then you realize where the money went --- vanity, egos, L.A. unions, and nonsense.