Since recently, the designers of «AMAVI films» (Fresh Production Group) can boast their new activity, namely the development and design of a book series. On July 1, 2011, in the «BOOKLAND» e-store a new project, «Modern Action Novel», is launched being exclusively represented by three adventure novels from Andrii Kokotiukha.  Our designers have made graphic design for the books, and the result of the first month proves: these covers stand out against others due to their single concept of presenting material thereby attracting fans of modern “men’s” stories. Therefore, books performed in such an unusual style have turned out to be quite in demand. And as far as their author, Andrii Kokotiukha, has cooperated closely and for a long time with «Fresh Production Group», this project with confidence can be called a joint project. And that is why the author answers some questions:

- Andrii, why have you decided to turn namely to «AMAVI films»?

Andrii Kokotiukha: I liked the graphic solution of the film, the screen adaptation of my script, «There Crawls  a Snake», shot by «FRESH PRODUCTION». It is a thriller close in style to neo-noir, and those pictures that in the movie have become kind of a prologue to the story, have very organically fit into it. Besides, the guys share the coordinate system of comics or even a graphic novel, and I am also strongly attached by these genres. Moreover, the books that were to be presented to the reader are stories of such a superman, a modern Bayard. And all superheroes came from comics, the prototypes of which were so called “continued stories” due to which newspapers and magazines in Europe and America had been raising their circulations since the century before last. That is why I addressed the «AMAVI films» designers looking for their understanding.

- So have you met your expectations?

A.K.: Judging by the demand for these books – more than yes. The e-book here is just progressing, but not very dynamically. While abroad some of the authors have already become millionaires, not even being published in paper. Unlike a usual book, you can not take an e-book into hands, turn over the pages – there is only the cover and a short annotation. What I mean is that the interest of the audience depends on the e-book design. One thing is when the result that we have received in a month, is achieved by authors proposing to e-books shops what is already being sold in ordinary book stores, even with the same easily recognizable covers. And another thing is when you enter the market from grassroots, when you can offer, roughly speaking, an original graphic picture – and it attracts attention of itself. So, I believe, we have hit the right audience.

- So, you worked on the project together with the designers?

A.K.: It was like this that I summarized the plot, and the designers showed how they saw it. Then we discussed what came out, there were some comments, but no denial such as, “It’s all wrong!” – no, on the contrary, it was all right, we just wanted, as always, to improve the result as much as possible. I think this clarification is enough, hardly anyone is interested in the know-how of the creative process. The main thing is that as a result, everyone is happy.

- Can your books be turned into scripts?

A.K.: All that I do as a writer can easily be converted into a screenplay. «There Crawls  a Snake», for instance, is the filming of a novel of the same name. As of now, I have more script designs and ready scripts than implemented projects, but this does not objectively depend on me. Another thing is that the books we are discussing now are not usual for me as a storyteller.

- Why?

A.K.: One of them, «Used Material», has initiated a whole series of adventure stories that are quite popular now as at the same time books about police agent Khyzhniak are printed in the “Family Leisure Club” publishing house.  These are different stories – in due time, the publishing house had selected one manuscript of many, they just could not physically take all, and decided to see how it would go. And it did go! And I, not to wait, have transferred part of the novels into e-format, another part is being written for the paper version. Now these are separate stories, there are thousands of readers waiting for continuation. I am unused to them because being a fan and a connoisseur of TV serials, I am not fond of book series with one prevailing hero. If we watch another season of a television serial, we can see that the characters change, as they are played by live people. They put on weight, lose weight, grow bald, grow beards, change style. In a word, they live in a different, fictitious world – but they do live. While only few authors of book series manage to depict their heroes as live people. In the sense that they are also dependent on age and even death. Partly Boris Akunin managed to do it, also Aleksandra Marinina, as well as one of my favorite American authors of “serial actions” Steven Hunter. The others, of course, try to create their own Sherlock Holmes, but he is already founded, and the characters are rarely expressive. Besides, these are heroes that can not in principle be killed, no matter how they risk their lives. I am personally not encouraged to reading by this – I have to be concerned for the hero.

- But you still accepted the necessity of writing a book series…

A.K.: Yes, because I found a solution for myself: to perform each story in an absolutely new style. Look at these e-books: while the series design is common, each picture is individual. Adventure fiction has many varieties and subgenres. For example, «The Cop City» is a criminal novel about how law-enforcement officers have substituted by themselves all the power in one single city, its prototype is Kharkiv; I needed a megalopolis located not far from the Russian boarder. «Used Material» is an action about terrorists. «The Dealer in Invisibles» is a noir with a due for this genre fatal pretty lady. I have already written a western, a detective story about one and the same hero, now I am writing an action, a chase novel. So, I have found how not to be bored with just one hero. And the reader who likes “men’s” genres and adventure novels in general, will not be bored, either.

- Is a television serial about this character possible, based on your novels?

A.K.: Everything is possible. But as I have already mentioned, only my desire is not enough for this. Though, certainly, I always hope and believe that my characters will move to the screen and revive. Generally speaking, all authors want this but not all admit. And not all are ready to work in a team being result-oriented, as the film production requires.

Interview by Daruina Goriunova, PR Manager of Fresh Production Group

Background:

Andrii Kokotiukha is one of well-known modern Ukrainian authors. He writes in Russian and Ukrainian languages.

Andrii was born in Nizhyn. He started writing his first literary works in childhood. He is a graduate of the Journalism Department of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University. The first novel was published in 1987.

A film, «The Dead End» was a screen version of one of his journalist publications shot at Oleksandr Dovzhenko film studio. Detective stories, «Dark Water» and «The Legend about the Headless» were filmed in 2002-2008 by «Film.ua» group. The thriller, «There Crawls  a Snake» was screened in 2009 by «FRESH PRODUCTION» film company. Andriy wrote scripts for several documentaries in the series, «Criminal Histories» for “ICTV” channel.

The books by A. Kokotiukha are produced almost by all Ukrainian publishers. The writer cooperates on a permanent basis with the most popular newspapers, magazines, and TV channels. The works of storyteller Andrii Kokotiukha have been honored with and still receive many awards and distinctions.

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