Richard Patterson
Given the entertainment industry’s long history, it’s no surprise that a lot of ideas and concepts get rescued. It’s not to say that originality is rare, however at some point you’ll see something familiar. There are many ways of retelling a story or telling a new story while taking notes from sources. Although in some cases it would look like copying, however it’s more often not the case. Let’s dive into some examples of people taking their inspiration and creating something out of it.
The influence in a genre
There are many filmmakers who inspired many of the filming standards and concepts that are seen today. An example of this is the influence the Star Wars franchise has had on the sci-fi genre as a whole. The original movie was inspired by multiple films of the 1950’s-60’s, particularly Flash Gordon and Seven Samurai. Taking these influences, George Lucas created the Star Wars franchise and inspired many filmmakers in sci-fi.
Inspiration from past media
There is also a long history of creators being inspired by anime series they’ve grown up with or enjoyed. As they got older and put into director/ creative leading roles, they were given the chance to craft their own works. A few examples included the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World series, which had its inspirations from anime and video games. There is also the Pacific Rim franchise, which is heavily influenced by the mecha anime genre. These and several other well-known series took their inspirations and crafted it into their own work.
A final example of someone taking their inspiration into their work is animator and director, Akira Amemiya. He’s well known for producing anime for Studio Trigger but he’s also a fan of the Transformers franchise. When he was working on SSSS Gridman, many of the designs were homages to various Transformers characters. Eventually, in 2024 he directed and animated the Transformers 40th Anniversary Special.
Closing thoughts
There is a large number of creators in the entertainment industry who have been inspired from other creators or media. I believe that there is a difference between being influenced by a piece of media and copying it. That is an important difference to know when we hear someone was inspired to become a film/show maker. Not to mention that there is always a new generation of creators who have been inspired from creators they looked up to. If you are a creative person, you just might see more hits of inspiration.
https://theableshow.com/taking-inspiration-into-creation
https://www.imdb.com/list/ls022040458