2001

As this summer drew to a close I found myself going through my father's old record collection. I wasn't surprised by anything I found until I got to the bottom of the second box and found the soundtrack to 2001: A Space Odyssey. I couldn't wait to listen to the soundtrack, but I had to wait until I got to school and set up my record player, seeing as how it had already been packed away. After the craze that was the first week back at school I found myself with some downtime, so I decided that it was finally time for me to watch 2001: A Space Odyssey for the first time after seeing the LP that I had packed away. I was struck by this movie. Each shot was perfectly composed, I found myself in awe of each new successive shot. The soundtrack impressed me just as much, every piece of music that was used drew upon all of the visual information and mood from the scene and amplified it perfectly. The most intense scene in the film was devoid of music, it was filled with the silence that is space. "I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that." The absence of sound in that scene is what, for me at least, cemented it as one of the greatest scenes in film that I have ever seen. After the film finished, all I could think about was how glad I was that I stumbled across that record. If I hadn't, I would have most likely never taken the time to watch one of the greatest films.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARJ8cAGm6JE

Cutting Edge SFX...From 40 Years Ago

When you go to see the latest summer blockbuster, part of the excitement is being blown away by the incredible special effects. As technology has advanced, more and more of these special effects have been done on the computer rather than the camera. Computer generated imagery allows filmmakers to open their imaginations beyond the limitations of reality. However, regardless of how far technology advances, there is still something different about in camera effects.

Case and point: Inception. This incredible, interwoven movie not only had a stellar plot, but it had special effects that enhanced the story rather than distract from it. Admittedly, many effects were digitally generated. However, Director Christopher Nolan knew the value of keeping some effects staged in reality. Not only that, but he also had the vision and planning to creatively realize his world, and integrate it seamlessly with the rest of the film. Take a look the behind the scenes feature on the anti-gravity fight scenes:

What is even more incredible, however, is that effects of this level were achieved over 40 years ago! Master Filmmaker Stanley Kubrick used the exact same techniques in his 2001: A Space Odyssey. From building rotating sets to dangling actors down vertical shafts, Kubrick pioneered the path that Inception followed four decades later. And what is truly incredible is how, after all that time, the old-fashioned way of doing it is still considered the best for these filmmakers. It's amazing to consider where we are going in filmmaking, but it is equally important to know where we came from as well.