Jacob's LRF Blog

 Hello everyone. If you’re reading this, this will be my first blog post since The Youngest Hart and my blog post about it which has been deleted. I’m going to be blunt, this was a post made out of frustration and anger at myself. I said things completely out of character to the conduct I have shown in my time in the studio. I felt I wasn’t going in the direction I wanted and I lashed out. I deeply apologize to everyone for that and thank Jeff Stockton, Dolan and Chad Taylor for helping set me straight. In honesty, I came around with The Youngest Hart. I recognized that I went too far in certain aspects (most notably the villain) and in the future I will be moving forward to ensure such a situation does not happen again. I am currently ongoing a revision period with some of my movies to ensure the highest quality possible and I am happy to say that much progress has been made. I am also very excited for Season 19’s output with my return to animation, the creation of a possible fran...

 I'm sure most of you have seen at this point, but Columbine has officially revealed its box-office numbers and critic reviews. To put it simply, it didn't go well. In fact, it's almost certain to be one of the worst-reviewed, if not the worst-reviewed movie this season. With that said, I almost feel glad that this was released. There's been a few things I've been coming to realize since the release of Mask of the Phantom and I think now is the time I discuss it with you. Unfortunately, I will have to bring up one of our colleagues. However, I believe it's for a good cause. If at any point it feels like I am being too harsh, I apologize. I made sure to get in contact with Alex after the box-office was revealed. Let me stress this now, Alex has made significant improvements since he first arrived in Last Resort Films. Watching him go from Hippies from New York and Theatre Kids to The Vegan Movie, Haunted and Suburban (and to an extent Heights and Kurt and Courtne...

 As most of you are aware by now, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 is expected to be released during this round. I was not expecting this movie to appear during this season, but it's always good to see what you've worked on be showcased. Ruben Schwartz also released his Trades article for this season and it's a wonderful read as always, being very informative and detailed about which movies could be contenders for awards and which movies may soon join them. With that said, I'd like to address the casting for Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 and explain why I made some of the decisions I did. I'm aware some of you may be surprised by some of them ('Weird' Al Yankovich being the most eyebrow-raising), but I'm hoping to quell most concerns some have. This will also give insight as to how I cast musicals. 1. Do they have the voice? This is the most crucial part. You can be the perfect person for the role, but if I don't have proof t...

Alternatively, you could call this 'Jacob rambles about animation and LRF' but I have points to back up some of the things I have to say. Plus, it's mostly organized. Mostly  organized. Okay, let's back things up a little. I, like most of you, love animated films. Animation can craft stories that are not just on par with their live-action counterparts, but sometimes surpass what they can do. On top of being able to tackle any genre at any point in time, animation can also make characters do things you can't imagine them doing anywhere else. It takes things we wouldn't otherwise relate to or sympathize with and turns them into characters we root for or want to see get knocked down. On top of that, it's a box-office goldmine if done right. Illumination has made an insane amount of money by being the comedic, upbeat uncle for children. Even if their movies aren't the most inventive, they're often wonderful to look at and watch. Blue Sky and Dreamworks c...

This is going to be a pretty short post today, I don't really have much to talk about but I do have a fun story I want to tell. Everyone comfy? Good! So yesterday, I was finishing up a movie pitch when I take a look at the cast. I asked myself "Is this really the order of the cast I want?" and I switched it up. I'm not going to tell you what the film is about, that's still seasons away, but I will tell you the name of one actor who's in it. Tom Cruise. There's a reason he's one of the biggest stars in all of LRF, he has made a name for himself by being in some of the finest action movies ever created. From the Splinter Cell series, to Alan Wake, to more recently the Amaedroa Strain and Heights, Tom Cruise knows how to sell a movie and get people in the theatre. Every project he stars in is special. So most of the original cast is rejected, which I figured was going to happen. But Tom accepts, however he gives me a few requests for casting. Again, I had...

Introduction: When you've made thirteen films, you tend to think back about what you made before and wonder if it still holds up. Sometimes it does, other times not so much. I may not have the most prolific resume ever (no films over 80), but I take pride in most of the movies I've written for the studio. But what if I took all thirteen films and put them in a list? Which one would be my favorite? Let's find out! #13. Odette On the surface, it doesn't seem too bad. The writing is sound and you get a good sense of what the story is like (a darker, edgier version of Swan Lake), but when you hear about what it took just to make it (including one project getting delayed so I could get in something for the season) and how it didn't deliver, you begin to ask "What went wrong?" I'll tell you. Casting. Everything regarding casting destroyed any chance of this film's success. I'm not quite sure what the process was choosing the cast for this movie, but ...

So I'm trying this whole blogging thing again. I could've sworn I had a blog for the ongoing adventures of my life in LRF, but it seems to have either been deleted or lost in the internet void. So here we are. A brief introduction: Hi, I'm Jacob. I've been writing at Last Resort Films for the last six seasons and have produced thirteen films overall. I am on the autistic spectrum (high functioning) and writing is one of my many passions. Whenever something happens or I'm entering a rough mental patch, I usually find that writing helps me feel a lot better. When I write, it's like I'm transporting myself into a new world with characters to create and adventures to tell. It's not always pretty, but they get the job done. You'll notice I don't really talk much on the LRF forums. This is usually because I prefer not to cause too much of a commotion and go under-the-radar unless if needed. I also don't want to accidentally offend someone (which ha...