On the TFIOS Movie Set

2013-08-27 · letter vlog · John, Ansel Elgort · 2:51 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Books & writing · mode: Personal update · tags: on location, guest or collab, self promotion

John checks in from the set of The Fault in Our Stars movie, overwhelmed to see his imagined story become visible; he says the film exists because readers loved the book and that the cast and crew feel responsible to them.

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Greeting from a trailer on the TFIOS movie set; producer Isaac; weird angle to hide locations; laughing and crying; no spoilers

★★★ John is on the set of The Fault in Our Stars movie, in a trailer with producer Isaac, filming at a deliberately weird angle so as not to give away locations, and cannot show the set (no spoilers). — 00:00:06 · The Fault in Our Stars (film), The Fault in Our Stars
★★ John says he has been laughing and crying and cannot keep his emotions in check; he thinks the crew think he is crazy. (hedged) — 00:00:21

00:00:30 — Hanging out with Shailene and Ansel (Ansel paints miniatures), Hazel's movie parents, the location gag, the screenwriters, the Lizzie Bennet Diaries Emmy

★★ John says he had a great day hanging out with Shailene and Ansel, and reports that Ansel paints miniature figurines: "He's one of us!" (playful) — 00:00:30
★ John also hung out with Hazel's mom and dad - in the movie, not real, though it feels real. (playful) — 00:01:06 · Hazel Grace Lancaster, The Fault in Our Stars (film)
★★ John congratulates Hank on The Lizzie Bennet Diaries winning an Emmy, after the film's screenwriters, on set, congratulate Hank too. — 00:01:24

00:01:32 — What John does on set: headphones and a monitor; his imagined story becoming visible; "what is air" and Josh Boone

★ John says that on set he mostly listens on headphones while watching a monitor. — 00:01:32
★★★ John says it looks boring but is amazing to see a story that long existed only in his imagination become visible, from the Phalanxifor bottles to the costumes, which is why he keeps laughing and crying. — 00:01:37 · The Fault in Our Stars

00:01:59 — An exciting and scary time: the movie exists because readers loved the book; everyone on set feels responsible; poison ivy

★★★ John says this is an exciting but also scary time for people who care about the book, including him and the more than a hundred people working on the movie. — 00:01:59 · The Fault in Our Stars, The Fault in Our Stars (film)
★★★ John says the movie is happening because of the script, producers, director and cast, but also because many people read, loved and shared the book: without that, there would be no movie. — 00:02:12 · The Fault in Our Stars, The Fault in Our Stars (film)
★★★ John says everyone on the set feels a tremendous responsibility to the story and its readers. — 00:02:30 · The Fault in Our Stars (film)
★★ John thinks that sense of responsibility is why it is going to be a good movie. (hedged) — 00:02:39 · The Fault in Our Stars (film)

00:02:45 — Thanks to Nerdfighteria, Emmy congratulations again, sign-off

★★ John thanks Nerdfighteria for making his dreams come true. — 00:02:45 · Nerdfighteria

Humor (significant)

After someone blurts that they are filming in Pittsburgh, they scramble to hide the location by naming other states — 00:01:11

“No, no, no we are in Alaska.”
John keeps saying the internet exclamation 'Oh my God, what is air?' and director Josh Boone explains that air is mostly nitrogen and oxygen — 00:01:49

“clearly Josh you are not spending enough time on the internet.”
Mid-way through his sincere point about responsibility to readers, John notices the plants around him — 00:02:41

“Oh my God, I think that's poison ivy.”

Threads in this video

milestone · The Fault in Our Stars film adaptation (2012) — Filming of The Fault in Our Stars movie is under way; John reports from the set, where he meets the producer, cast, screenwriters and director. (00:00:13)
milestone · The Lizzie Bennet Diaries web series (2012) — John reports that The Lizzie Bennet Diaries won an Emmy and congratulates Hank. (00:01:28)
restate · Can imagination and work make ideas real? — John: it is amazing to see a story that long existed only in his imagination become visible on the film set. (00:01:37)
repeated · John predicts The Fault in Our Stars movie will be a good movie (2013) — John predicts the TFIOS movie will be good because everyone on set feels a tremendous responsibility to the story and its readers. (00:02:39)
came true · John: the Fault in Our Stars film is actually going to happen (2013) — John says the movie is happening because of the script, producers, director and cast, but also because many people read, loved and shared the book: without that, there would be no movie. (00:02:12)

Where the stories that moved here went next

John: the Fault in Our Stars film is actually going to happen (2013) — came true; last: recalled, 2016-09-20
The Fault in Our Stars film adaptation (2012) — completed; last: looked back, 2024-02-06
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries web series (2012) — last documented in 2022 (looked back on in 2026)

Mentioned

Central: The Fault in Our Stars · The Fault in Our Stars (film)

Also: People: Ansel Elgort · Isaac Klausner · Josh Boone · Shailene Woodley

Works: The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Organizations: Emmy Award

Places: Alaska · Indiana · Pittsburgh

Characters: Hazel Grace Lancaster · Phalanxifor

Memes: What is air?

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