JJ Abrams Brings Balance to the Force (Awakens)
Dr. Scott’s idea of the Fanboy Auteur differs from Gray’s Undead Author in a couple of major ways. One of those ways is that, where the Undead Author has a high status in relation to the text and chooses to shed that image for an apparent alignment with the fans, the Fanboy Auteur gains that status because they are aligned with the fans.
Whether or not JJ Abrams fits this part of the bill is debatable, and surely answerable by someone who knows more of his career history. However, the other major difference between Scott’s theory and Gray’s is that where the Undead Author seemingly sheds their corporate/industry status to align with the fans, the Fanboy Auteur balances both aspects, each with the same weight of importance to their job.
This interview for collider.com paints Abrams heavily in that light. He begins by asserting his status as a fan first thing, with the interviewer reminding the audience of his attendance at conventions before he had the episode VII gig, and Abrams talking about taking his children along and sharing his love of the series with them. Both of their statements serve to deepen the authenticity of Abrams fan status.
But despite his overt status as a fan as invested in Star Wars as the rest of us, they go on to talk about how he is in fact going to be an executive producer on episodes VIII and IX, followed by a brief conversation about how he is doing all of this while still at the helm of the newest sequence of Star Trek movies. If you take away the fact that these are two of the most beloved sci-fi universes of all time, you remember that he is at the head of these massive, high-profile, big-budget blockbusters, which is inseparable from the corporate side of things.
Just in case the audience doesn’t see that he can handle both, he finishes off with a great speech that, if you are a fan, you will recognize as a subtle and friendly bashing of the prequels. He is asked about the balance of CGI and practical effects in the upcoming film and delivers exactly what the fans want to hear: he is doing everything he can to get us back to the real feel of the original trilogy that we fell in love with. Real sets, costumes, sunlight. But he is also sure to emphasize that, while he is using CGI to edit more out than in, it is still a major part of the film that makes it a step forward. What I get from this statement is that he is doing his best to bring a balance to the Force Awakens that will give both the fans and the industry as much of everything they could want from the film, which to me is both exciting, and proof that he fits at least part of the description of the Fanboy Auteur, courtesy of Dr. Scott.
Works Cited:
Scott, Suzanne. “Who’s Steering the Mothership? The Role of the Fanboy Auteur in Transmedia Storytelling.” The Participatory Cultures Handbook. Taylor & Francis, 2013. Web. September 26, 2015
