The A24 New Wave - A New Book from Aaron West & Jill Blake
Created by Aaron West
A new book by Aaron West and edited by Jill Blake about the film company that has challenged the status quo and achieved success.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Backer Update #12: In the Home Stretch, Epilogue Writing, What to Expect
about 1 year ago
– Sun, Feb 23, 2025 at 04:51:18 PM
Hello all. We're still in a weird period of this Kickstarter. We are in the home stretch and almost to another stretch goal. Typically campaigns will finish similarly to how they started. We had a fast start and hopefully will have a fast finish.
First off, I am sharing the next stretch goal graphic even though it has not technically been reached. This will likely go on the campaign page in the next couple of days. We expect backers will get stickers for this stretch goal. For those who are in a tier with a sticker pack or upped their pledge with an add-on -- thank you! We have a lot of great material for a sticker pack. The actual stretch goal stickers are TBD because we want to see the final art. Rest assured we have a lot of elements to choose from and will make sticker fans happy. I like putting mine on devices and am looking for a sticker that I'll be happy to see on a laptop or maybe even my phone.
The next goal is Postcards, and I have another surprise to share when we reach that goal.
Speaking of final art, expect an update before the end of the campaign. I've seen the Black Phillip sketch and it is fire -- literally and figuratively because there will be some fire in the final art. I expect that to be a popular image. We also expect one more final illustration to be ready in the coming days. Cheers to Caitlin Kuhwald for working on these for us. We know she works fast and she had only promised one final when we were planning the Kickstarter, but it looks like she'll get us three of the four. Most importantly, they are all beautiful and we're proud to be able to include them in the book.
What I've been writing lately is the epilogue. While the book does not cover every single film in the A24 collection -- which is almost 200 films, plus television shows, comedy specials, etc. -- I am looking closely at where A24 is at the moment. That helps project with some confidence where they are going. The 2024 A24 releases are an impressive group that encompasses styles they are known for. There are some dramas, comedies, art films, a sweeping epic about architecture, a war film, and plenty else. I've seen most of them and it has been a good year for the company. I expect as they roll out to streaming services after awards season is when many of you will be able to see them, and many of you have probably caught a couple in theaters this year.
I'll be looking at these recent releases in the epilogue, but also looking at Awards Season to tell the story of how the year in film is representing this "New Wave" movement. The Independent Spirit Awards were yesterday, which are usually a big deal for A24. Surprisingly, they did not take home any awards. The closest was the Producer Award for Sarah Winshall, who produced one A24 film that was released in 2024 (I Saw the TV Glow) but also produced two other features and two shorts. She had quite a year, and I've heard that Good One is a great film.
The momentum in this year's Oscar race has shifted, and is primarily pointing towards Sean Baker's Anora being a major player at this year's Oscars. As of now, the betting odds are for it to bring home Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. It is second in the betting odds for Best Editing. Sean Baker already has two films with A24, and while this year he is working with NEON, I feel that he is a big part of this New Wave movement. I've enjoyed writing his chapter.
Because Anora has done well with the precursor awards, I've been able to write much of the epilogue. The ending of the book will be written next week. A24's The Brutalist looked to be a contender, but the buzz seems to have calmed down. It is a very good film that will likely win Oscars, and is still a dark horse for the big prizes. As of right now it looks to be Sean Baker's year. He's handled the season with grace, championing all of the films and emphasizing the theatrical experience. He gave a tremendous speech at the Independent Spirit Awards that I'll share here:
This has been a fun podcast series and I have some guests lined up. After the Kickstarter, I'll be working on interviews and hopefully will be able to bring on some people involved with the films. Becky had such great energy talking about Alex Garland's Ex Machina, Men, and Civil War. It was great talking with Chris about Miramax because even though they are not the topic of this book, they are a major part of the independent film scene that A24 inherited.
Last, but not least, we are preparing for the campaign ending Livestream and have some special guests who will celebrate with us. We'll share details later this week.
Backer Update 11: Everyone Gets Bookmarks, Unlocking Anora, Podcasts
about 1 year ago
– Mon, Feb 17, 2025 at 08:07:53 AM
We made another stretch goal over the weekend! Everyone gets bookmarks! At least everyone who gets a book. We'll have a set of four bookmarks that you'll see later. We'll ship them with your book.
The next stretch goal is Stickers! We're already on our way to hitting that. Those will also ship with the bookmarks and book, as will Postcards if we hit that by the end of the campaign. These will be based on the four illustrations that Caitlin is creating for the campaign.
But wait? Could there be a 5th?
Here are the current stretch goals as listed on the main Kickstarter page:
$4,500 - Stickers
$5,000 - Postcards
$6,000 - Deep Focus membership
$7,500 - Anora unlocked!
$9,000 - Magic Hour membership
$10,000 - Full color book!
The Anora unlocked goal is still a good ways from where we're at. If we get there, we'll include that image as a bookmark, postcard, and maybe even a sticker. It'll also be an option for mix and match packs and the upper rewards tiers.
Why Anora? You'll see when you read the Prologue that a few 2024 films prompted this book -- Dune: Part Two, The Substance, and Anora. Surprise, none of them are A24, but they all felt like commercial versions of this "A24 New Wave" concept. After seeing Anora was when my writing really started.
Currently I've been writing the Epilogue. I knew that the ending of the book would depend on this year's Oscar season. There have been a number of A24 films in contention, and some still have a chance. The Brutalist could win Best Score, Best Cinematography, Best Actor, Best Director, and possibly Best Picture. Sing Sing has a lesser chance at some awards, but would be considered an upset if it won anything. Screenplay is the most likely. Anora looked like it had fallen out of favor around the time of the Golden Globes, as The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez gained momentum. Since then a lot has changed, and after a number of awards ceremonies, Anora is now the frontrunner for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and it has a chance at Best Actress. It also won the Palme d'Or, which is arguably the most prestigious award. Sean Baker is an A24 alum and has become an enormously popular director. It's only fitting that the book ends with him.
As already noted, we have four illustrations for four parts of the book. The fifth would be for the Epilogue, and it will be Anora. It'll be another original illustration from Caitlin Kuhwald. It will be be available as a perk by the end of the campaign. We want that to happen, and we think we can get there. This is yet another reason we want to print this book in color.
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The podcast has been a blast. We have two new episodes available. They can be found at the links below, or anywhere you find podcasts. Just search for "The A24 New Wave."
We'll be releasing one about The Safdie Brothers soon. We also have episodes about Barry Jenkins and David Lowery planned. This is a series that will continue long after the Kickstarter campaign.
We'll leave you with this wonderful post from Becky D'Anna's. She's a big Pearl fan. I can't think of a better birthday cake. I'm eyeing May Queen for my birthday later this year.
We should have updates soon on the artwork for the Sacramento and Black Phillip illustrations. We're also planning our campaign closing livestream. We hope you can attend!
Backer Update #10: Stretch Goal Reached, Third Eye
about 1 year ago
– Thu, Feb 13, 2025 at 08:02:59 AM
Hello Backers! Jill and I have been working this week, planning the editing and printing. We have looked at a lot of different film books and have an idea for what we think would be best size and style for this project. We’re on our way. We agreed that we want to print this in color, and while the printing is expensive, we think it is manageable. Those who have pledged for the book are probably getting quite a bargain based on what the final product will look like. We can’t promise color yet, but we expect to know by the end of the campaign.
First off, stretch goals! We changed these up a little bit. Things happen. Plans change. A couple podcast appearances were delayed beyond the Kickstarter campaign but we still expect to finish strong, and we are looking forward to the livestream on 2/27 at 5pm EST.
As you can see from the graphic, we have reached a stretch goal of an A24 Journey. More on that below. We are almost to the next goal where everyone with a physical book as part of their pledge will get bookmarks. These will be from the illustrations that Caitlin has created.
Speaking of illustrations, here is the final art for Third Eye:
We couldn’t be happier! Did we mention that we have to print this in color? It would be a shame to print Third Eye and the May Queen in black and white. That’s our goal and we’re getting closer to making that a reality.
There is a new Third Eye pack. This image is now available as part of the Mix and Match pack, and will also be an option for the Patron and Benefactor reward tier.
The A24 Journey is programmed for April at CineJourneys. You can think of it like a film club, but since I’ve been writing a book, this one will be different. I’ll be using research from my book to inform how we look at the films. With our Journey format, you can participate as much or as little as you want. We expect to have three calls where we talk about an A24 double feature.
Will be able to share more about my writing soon. While I’ve been traveling, I’ve been fine tuning the prologue and the epilogue. Some things have happened that make the book’s ending more clear.
Until next time.
Backer Update #9: Third Eye and Sacramento Sketches, New Rewards Tier, Close to Next Stretch Goal
about 1 year ago
– Thu, Feb 06, 2025 at 11:45:57 AM
Hello everyone,
As of right now, we are inching towards the first stretch goal. While we are thrilled by the success of this campaign and that this project will happen, the true cost is a great deal more than our fundraising goal. We are exactly three weeks away from the end of our campaign, and hoping for a strong finish. We are preparing guests for the livestream, and we expect to have the first backer to our campaign (!), Caitlin, Carl (the book layout designer) and many others to pop in and say hello as we count down this campaign.
Meanwhile I'm busy discussing the project. There should be some guest appearances coming up, and we have another A24 New Wave episode about the Safdie Brothers "in the can." We have recordings scheduled to talk about Osgood Perkins, David Lowery, and Alex Garland. Look for those four episodes soon. We'll eventually post them here, but you can see them on our YouTube channel or wherever you get podcasts.
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We have new art! Kinda. Here are the latest sketches that will eventually be book illustrations, and they will be available as perks.
Below is the Third Eye image. It might not be immediately clear with a black and white image, but the ephemera in the background is going to shine in color. There will be all sort of swirlu shapes, googly eyes, and this will be the intro to section of the book: Everything Everywhere. We wanted this section to be bold and powerful. What will follow is A24 becoming a titan, with another Best Picture win, and redefining the barriers between independent and mainstream film.
The next chapter sketch is for Sacramento. There is a lot going on in this image, so we are sharing the full illustration sketch and also a close-up. I'm particularly fond of the cast on her right arm, which shows that she's not crazy about her mom. Please do not read into the skin tone of either illustration. The Third Eye shows an Asian character, while Sacramento is of a young, suburban white girl.
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We have one sketch remaining, Black Phillip, and the final versions of Third Eye and Sacramento should be ready relatively soon. We expect one to be ready by the end of the campaign and hopefully more, but we cannot commit to those yet. That said, Caitlin tends to overdeliver so I'm optimistic.
Because these images are taking shape, we are offering a new Mix and Match rewards tier, which includes a signed copy of the book, and your choice of images for the shirt, tote, and art print. You'll notice that the rewards listed are all May Queen, but they can be whichever image you want. We'll handle that with the backer survey. When we have the final versions of the remaining illustrations, we will post specific reward tiers for just those images. If you want a Black Phillips, Third Eye, or Sacramento pack, please choose the May Queen pack and leave a note. We'll get you the right swag.
Patron and Benefactor tiers will also get the option to mix and match.
That's it for this week.
Backer Update #8: Goal Achieved, First Backer Goal Reached, Upcoming Stretch Goals
about 1 year ago
– Fri, Jan 31, 2025 at 12:06:21 PM
Fundraising Goal Reached
I am pleased to share with you wonderful people that we have met our fundraising goal! With this goal unlocked, all backers will get access to an upcoming lecture from Dr. Francesca Caraceni. As you can see in this brief video, she is an English Assistant Professor from the University of Milan. She has a Literature PhD and Film Studies Masters. She talks in this video about how she will approach Yorgos Lanthimos' Poor Things and the adaptation of Alasdair Gray's novel, which also incorporated Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.
Book Changes to Incude Illustrations
Because of the amazing May Queen image that you all saw this week, we made a big decision about the book. We are going to include Caitlin's illustrations in the book. She is working on Third Eye now, and we should be able to show you some of that next week.
We have decided to divide the book into four parts for different timeframes. Each of the images will represent different periods of A24's artistic stages. While we love this, it is subject to change during the editing process. We'll make decisions that result in what will present the material in the most satisfying way.
Part 1: The WWitching Years: 2012 - 2015 (Black Phillip image) Part 2: The Lunar Years: 2016 - 2019 (Sacramento image) Part 3: The Mid-Summer Years: 2019 - 2021 (May Queen image) Part 4: Everything Everywhere: 2022 - Present (Third Eye images)*
The section names are likely to change.
Here is that May Queen image in case you missed it. How can we not put this in the book?
Stretch Goals:
While we have met our initial goal and this project will happen, we want it to be the best book that we can imagine. Books are expensive, especially good ones, and we don't want to cut corners.
Below are some stretch goals that we need to reach in order to publish the book that we want to exist. Each goal that is met will unlock a new perk and/or an upgrade to the completed book.
Goal 1: $3,000 - Lanthimos Adaptations Access - Reached All backers will have access to Dr. Francesca Caraceni's Poor Things presentation in April.
Goal 3: $5,000 - May Queen Sticker! The May Queen image is not in the sticker pack, and we will include the sticker with the book when it ships.
$Goal 4: $6,000 -Bookmarks! Backers will receive four bookmarks based on Caitlin Kuhwald's illustrations for this campaign. Please note that because of bookmark sizes, they might not be the full illustration, but trust us, they will be amazing bookmarks!
$7,500 - Postcards! Backers will receive four postcards based on Caitlin Kuhwald's illustrations for this campaign.
$10,000 - Full Color Book! YES! You read this correctly! If we reach this goal, we will ship the book in full color. These are beautiful images and the book will shine in color. We have other ideas up our sleeve. More to come. We want this to happen!
We hope that these stretch goals are obtainable, because our final goal is to include another illustration -- which will be added to the rewards and these stretch goals -- and another entire book.
THANK YOU! We are so appreciative that you have helped make this book happen. You are going to absolutely love it!
