Was I the only one to realize that ‘Ray’ and ‘Walk the Line’ were nearly identical in scope? Two completely different performers, geniuses in their own right, but they somehow got jammed into a template type movie format. Or at least that is how I viewed it. So here we go with ye ole ‘Hans Music Legend Movie Template’. Completely uncopyrighted, so Mr. Bruckheimer, feel free to use it.
Lets set ‘er up.
First pick your artist. Preferably he/she is still alive, but just barely. Should have had many obstacles in their career (drugs, bad marriages, deaths, etc) and should have sold a shitton of records. So far we have narrowed it down to anyone ever on VH1's behind the music, minus Styx.
We open with a reflection shot of the artist at the height of their career. Usually glaring into the spotlight, taken back by the 10s of 1000s of fans screaming their name, a moment of quiet reflection in an overly loud environment. And then we cut to the past…
The childhood is not going to be consistent but there will have to be something traumatic that happens (see blindness, death of a brother), I am almost positive they have to live in a small town, otherwise we will use dramatic license. We get a feeling of the love they have for their family, the one or two protagonists in the family, the hard work, the sweat, the poverty, everything that makes us empathize with our hero music star. At the end of the childhood flashback we want them to succeed so bad it just hurts and then they set off….
The starting/mid career scene usually gets the artist out of their shell. They either back up a band, tour endlessly, just play as a hobby, until….. They get discovered. This can be an audition, a gig even a tape being sent in, but whoever listens to that take has to just emote on their face that this is the best thing since toast (at least to me).
Now the fun part. It is just a classic rise to stardom. Lots of big concerts, the “cost of fame” shots. How’s about even a nice drug abuse montage? Sprinkle in a little more drug abuse (mandatory), womanizing/slutting around and/or divorces (mandatory), a couple of hit records (mandatory) and then…
The fall.
They must have a temporary fall, a drug overdose. The loss of a loved one, the divorce. Whatever happens, it has to be bad. I would recommend using that dramatic license I was talking about before. Really pour on the severity of this fall.
There may even be one more lapse, one more fall before we turn to…
Legend status.
And this is what makes those movies. Cash and Charles, you don’t get much better back storied and talented than that. But there are tons of options out there.
We see the artist back where we left them on the opening scene, staring into the spotlight reflecting on the past. They look over to their loved one on the side of the stage. Maybe even wink to them. And then kick into yet another hit song.
Roll credits. I personally would have the artist jump up and freeze frame like a Toyota commercial. Or maybe high fiving the bass player, those guys never get any props.
Talk to you soon Mr. Bruckheimer
