Page 16 - Real Style January 2018

Culture News
ed solomon
WIth hIs latest serIes, screenWrIter ed solomon Is carvInG out an all neW Genre.
WIth thIs month oFFIcIally marKInG 2018, it couldn’t be a better time for ed solomon to make
a departure in screenwriting while keeping up with the changing era
of television and lm. as the writer behind such iconic lms such as Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Men
in Black and Now You See Me, solomon is also the writer behind steven soderbergh’s new hBo murder mystery series Mosaic, which stars our January 2018 cover girl, Jennifer Ferrin, along with sharon stone, maya Kazan and Beau Bridges. launching as six one hour episodes in January, the show is slated to run as both a traditional format television program and an app with exclusive content.
a shining example of non-linear television, Mosaic represents the evolution from a traditional, typical show. “People have tried working in the branching narrative format for a while, here and there, but I don’t think anyone of steven’s level has spent several years working to create seven and half hours of material for it,” shares solomon.
“this is also the rst time a company like hBo has invested resources into making something like this, and then on another level, this is the rst time that the technology has been available to allow us to do it in a way that the interface would feel
like it was in a seamless marriage with the material itself,” he adds.
solomon wrote the script for Mosaic in collaboration with soderbergh, who had created a prototype four years ago. What started out as a 10-minute piece quickly evolved into a major project: a daring new genre that solomon describes as “not a television show, not a movie.”
so, what caused solomon to take such a creative risk with Mosaic? according to him, it all comes down to the magic of storytelling.
“throughout literature people have written stories that shift points of view. I’ve always really loved that kind of story. I nd it more enriching for me,” says solomon.
In particular, solomon is intrigued by the different perspectives of
a story. “I nd it richer for me as
a reader of novels to be deeply ensconced in one person’s perspective and see other characters moving throughout it, then ip over to another character and then see the
character I was deeply involved with identi ed as a minor character in this other person’s story. I love that,” he muses.
With more than three decades in the business, it’s clear solomon is still in love with the art of writing. “I’ve done this at a smaller level, but never to this degree, with such a great lmmaker [soderbergh] who is willing to take such a risk with the entire movement itself. that, to me, is the greatest thrill. this is not about money, or any kind of cynical act or trying to cash in. It was totally about how we can push ourselves creatively, how can we use that energy to create something unique and new.”
like any creative soul, solomon believes in searching for inspiration in unique places, and admits that his ideas could be found just about anywhere.
“every project originates from a different place. It could be from a feeling you have, and suddenly images form. out of those images, desire comes to maybe eradicate
16 Real Style January 2018
By elen SteinBerg
PhOtO, cLaudette BariuS