Weird Sound People

Although I am interested in pursuing a career in music and media, one aspect of film I will never forget learning is sound. Especially when it comes to foley, I really feel like I can connect with creating sounds that aren't coming from the physical object itself, but ones to enhance the sound itself. This video is about a foley artist working for SkyWalker sound and his experience in working in a giant foley pit. From ET, to Interstellar this guy is truly a magician when it comes to sounds. Also another cool fun fact, did you know that there are more astronauts in the world than there are foley artists.....

ENJOY

The Eric André Show and Public Access TV

This week, after it being recommended by a friend, I watched The Eric André Show for the first time. This friend had no idea of my plans to produce a public access cooking show, nor did I have a clue that The Eric André Show was a sketch-riddled comedy program parodying public access talk shows. Though when it comes to this style I prefer the tastes of Tim and Eric, I found The Eric André Show funny. I especially liked how genuinely uncomfortable the guests felt during their interviews, which seems to have been part genuine, part editing magic.

Tonight I visited Pegasys, the public access studio mecca in Fall Creek in which we plan on shooting/editing together Baking and Entering. They have one studio that is as wonderfully archaic (i.e. analog-based) as we had hoped. There are generic set pieces, curtains (one chroma), a big chunky TV monitor, plenty of lights, and a tall ladder to shoot from. We set up two cameras, plugged in a mic, and fooled around in the control room. I had fun adapting to this much-older version of boards I learned to operate two years ago.

I can see why Eric André wanted to use analog cameras and film in the style of public access television; there's something thrilling about being "limited" in that sense. It's also fun to borrow/imitate a style that is frequently jabbed at feeling uncreative or boring. I'm excited to make the most of public access television this semester.

Jimmy Fallon's Guide To Trend

Since taking over Late Night and later the Tonight Show, Jimmy Fallon has pretty much created the manual for how TV personalities should utilize social media. In today's world, it had become much more rare for viewers to sit down and watch television live. With Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and other subscription based streaming services, the appeal of live TV just isn't what it used to be. So for shows to get into public view, they need to take advantage of all the mediums now available. While all programs should utilize Youtube, Facebook and Twitter, I would argue that it is most valuable for talk show and late night programs. These type of programs often play more like variety shows then one long piece, making them perfect for Internet. With so many different blocks/segments on late night TV, internet videos services are the perfect way to share chunks of the show without having to push the entire hour of content.

Over the last few years, no late night personality has done this better then Jimmy Fallon. A staple of Fallon's Tonight Show has been his many different comedy bits. Fallon consistently rolls off hugely popular segments, with great celebrity cameos and his popular band The Roots. He does everything from funny games, to musical numbers, to surprise reunions. Each of these 2-10 minute segments, instantly goes on to Youtube, where they are viewed, and shared and a rapid rate. These blocks are perfect for Youtube and almost always build enough buzz to start trending on social media. The great thing about sharing these individual segments is that they show the greatest part of Fallon's show while allowing viewers to skip the rest of his program. On a show like the Tonight show that airs five times a week, not every bit hits, but with Youtube, Fallon fans can skip the mediocre parts, pretty much getting a best of highlight reel instead.

Last night, Fallon continued his streak of popular segments, when he reunited Kenan and Kel, popular Nickelodeon stars from the 90's for a "Good Burger" sketch. A big chunk of the Tonight Show's audience has been college students, a group the Fallon usually plays to in his segments. During his run he has staged a series of 90 reunions from "Full House", to "Save By The Bell." These videos have millions of views on Youtube and I'm sure his latest bit will reach high numbers. The "Good Burger" sketch is just the latest example of how Fallon uses perfectly utilizes YouTube, something I'm sure we'll see more of during his reign.

MTV Cancels Eye Candy

MTV's TV show Eye Candy followed the life of Lindy Sampson, a 21 year-old hacker who's persuaded by her roommate to start an online dating profile. Lindy, portrayed by Victoria Justice, is hesitant, but does, and quickly starts suspecting that one of her many suitors might be a cyber stalker who is aiming for the kill. As a hacker who has been searching for her sister who was kidnapped 3 years earlier, she decides that she needs to team up with her friends to catch the cyber stalker before he can hurt anyone else. The show was based on a book by R.L. Stine and was picked up by MTV for season one in February 2014. Unfortunately, though, it's been confirmed that it will not return for a season two.
With an open-ended finale, and a lot of potential for the future of Lindy Sampson's story, fans are not impressed and not happy. We don't know if she'll find her sister or what the future holds for her and Tommy. The one thing they do know is that the killer is Jake. I don't know if the discovering of the killer was the selling point on canceling the series or what, but it doesn't make anyone feel anymore comforted with the series coming to an untimely end.
I do think that MTV is at a loss with this one. It was a young adult / teenage version of a Criminal Minds or crime show, and it was much better than the usual reality teen mom bull shit that they have on that channel. You can't tell me that Pretty Little Liars can go on for multiple seasons without revealing anything, yet a show that was progressing the story line thoroughly was canceled after the reveal in a season one finale and tell me that's fair. I think this show had a lot of potential, and the fans did too.  There could have been a sidekick to the killer, Lindy could have finally found her sister, relationships could have progressed, and the show could have gone on. Except it hasn't, which is definitely a loss in my eyes.

The Office(s)

I'm a sucker for sitcoms, especially sitcoms done mockumentary style.  Shows like Parks and Recreation, Modern Family, and Trailer Park Boys are among some of my favorite mockumentary-style sitcoms.  One of television's greatest sitcoms, The Office, also took advantage of the comedic spin this style offers shows. Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) is a regional manager at Dunder Mifflin, a paper company in Scranton, PA.  The show follows him and his employees through their day-to-day lives in and sometimes outside of the office.

Over the years, there has been much debate between TV fans over the "better" version of The Office: the US or the UK version?  Perhaps it's because I first watched the US version, but I prefer The Office: US over The Office: UK.  This is not to say one is better than the other.  They're both excellent shows, and the UK version contains (in my opinion) better acting and a more realistic setting/reactions. Despite this, I find myself drawn to the American version.  They illustrate a more present/in-your-face type of humor, versus more subtle comedy in the UK version. I enjoy the silliness of the characters; Michael Scott is quirky, ignorant, and sometimes downright stupid.  His employees have contrasting personalities all over the board, from Angela's strict charisma to Dwight's nerdiness to Kevin's idiocy.  In comparison to the UK version, the characters in the US version are much more dynamic and exaggerated. This creates hilarious dilemmas and causes ago clashes within the office. 


While both shows have almost identical settings, characters, and story-lines, they're completely different in terms of tone. The Office: US hooks viewers by layering moments of sincerity within the humorous structure.  The show transitions focus to the characters and their personal lives as the seasons progress.  We follow Pam Beasley's love life as she struggles to choose between Roy Anderson and Jim Halpert; we watch Jim build up his dream business; we see Michael obsessively strive to create friendships and relationships.

The last episode aired almost a year ago, on May 16, 2013, and The Office: US unfortunately came to end.  Luckily, Netflix has all 9 seasons ready to be watched!  It also has the UK version of the show. The length of The Office: US series would make one believe that is was the better (or at least more popular) show, but that's for you to decide for yourself.  The first season of both versions of the show are nearly identical (literally -- script, blocking, framing, etc. is all the same).  Try watching the different versions back-to-back and you'll see the differences in the tones of the show.  Which version do you prefer?

                                         The Office: US cast                   The Office: UK cast

Naked Dating?!

It’s no secret that sex is one of the biggest sellers in today’s world.  Because of this, nudity has become an increasing trend in broadcast television (this includes blurred or pixelated nudity).  Popular shows including Game of Thrones, Parks and Recreation, Modern Family, and Girls have all show shown nude or pixelated nude images. The Parents Television Council found that a majority of the shows displaying any kind of nudity are comedies.

Some networks have chosen to direct the trend a different way: nude reality shows.  Discovery Channel premiered Naked and Afraid in June 2013, and other shows like SyFy’s Naked Vegas and TLC’s Buying Naked have also been aired.  Now, VH1 has ordered a new reality dating show revolving around nakedness called Naked Dating. The series is meant to “explore the art of romance -- preconceived notions, stereotypes, and yes, clothing.”  It’s produced by Lighthearted Entertainment, the same company responsible for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

The reality show follows a naked man and a naked woman as they each go on dates with a naked partner.  At the end of the show, they’ll discuss their discoveries from the nakedness, and decide whether or not to pursue the partner.  It's definitely a strange concept, and I'm not too sure it'll last. They’re literally ‘stripping’ away all dating pretenses (ha ha).

Visual Effects Breakdowns

The amazing part about TV shows and movies today is how visual and practical effects can expand the scope of a story. The abundance of this accessible technology allows TV shows to use what was, for a brief period of time, a costly technique that was usually reserved for movies. Like most things in cinema and film, the less obvious the CGI, the more power it gives to the scene. Good green screen use can make or break a scene and in a show like "Game of Thrones" the CG makes scenes more than the actors do. The show employs a company called Spin VFX for their visual effects needs. Spin VFX have created visual effects for a number of TV shows and films that include After Earth, Max Payne, and Titanic. The men behind the magic are VFX Supervisor Doug Campbell and Supervising Producer Luke Groves. Campbell has been nominated for 5 primetime Emmys and Groves has 3 nominations. The following video is a deconstruction of the visual effects that appear in the show during its third season.

Crazy right? They do such a good job that you don't even know where the effect ends and begins until they remove the key. In certain scenes it's easier to tell than others but for the most part it's pretty damn good. One thing I noticed that was interesting is that in scenes where the final shot needs to take place at night (such as the man walking up the stair case with the green screen behind him or in some of the wide shots of the castle and surrounding camps) the scene is well lit and then darkened by the VFX team in post. I can only assume this ensures that no matter how much the brightness is affected in post, the lighting off the actor's face and surroundings are well lit for the viewer. For further viewing and reading the link to Spin VFX website is right  HERE. What I find fascinating is the ability to peel back a layer of a tv show and have an entirely new appreciation for the work that goes into what we watch. For instance, the scene in the video where they are climbing the 700 foot ice wall was composed of 80 shots...whoever figured these techniques out is a gosh darn genius. 

Dexter: Friend or Foe?

My latest Netflix binge is Showtime’s hit drama series “Dexter.” I don’t typically enjoy shows with blood and gore, but “Dexter” is an exception.  The unique storyline, strong writing, and talented cast make this one of television’s best crime dramas. Protagonist Dexter Morgan is “born in blood” after witnessing his mother’s brutal murder as a toddler.  This traumatic event creates a darkness in Dexter, a thirst for blood only satisfied with murder.  Dexter’s adoptive father Harry teaches him a moral code to protect his secret and survive with the rest of the world.  “Dexter” challenges our own code of ethics and morals as we try to determine the true essence of Dexter’s character.

Dexter is a self-described monster who spends his entire life faking normalcy. He claims to have no emotion or conscience, and tries to fake emotion to seem more human. Dexter finds comfort in Harry’s code and nurtures his evil streak. His killings become ceremonious -- a sacred ritual where he feels alive. Harry’s code forbids killing innocents, so Dexter uses his forensics job with Miami-Metro Homicide to discreetly hunt down murderers to put under his own knife. He twists his darkness into a better evil.

I think most would agree that someone responsible for dozens of murders doesn’t quite fit the bill for a classically ‘good person.’  Anyone finding satisfaction in murder is clearly mentally unstable and a danger to society. But Dexter isn’t killing just anyone. He only targets other killers. The audience recognizes these facts, and chooses to root for Dexter. Sure, he’s a serial killer, but does that make him pure evil? He’s much more than a serial killer -- he’s a loving father, husband, and brother, and he’s doing his best to keep everyone happy and safe. I’m not sure if killing murderers classifies Dexter as good or bad, but he’s not as evil as he believes. Dexter’s blind obedience to the code proves to be one of his biggest weaknesses.  Harry told Dexter he could never change, and would always have to hide his true self. The code restricted Dexter’s individual growth over the years, but he very slowly throughout the show realizes he’s been a slave to the code. In a way, he was forced into this lifestyle. 

Even though he denies having emotion, we know he’s only fooling himself.  Part of Dexter’s kill ritual pays tribute to the victims of his target as he explains to the criminal why he’s going to end his or her life. This proves Dexter has some sense of right and wrong, indicating he does have a conscience after all. Unfortunately, having a conscience doesn’t make you a good person by default. Which begs the questions, is Dexter more good than he is evil? Are his actions justified? Or has Dexter manipulated viewers into thinking he’s more human than he really is?

Freaks & Geeks

Well yet again I watched another TV series. This week I decided to watch Freaks and Geeks. I had always heard how great this show was from many of my friends so I went ahead and watched it. I was pleasantly surprised at how good of a show it was. If you haven't watched this show already you can find it on Netflix. It stars many actors that we see today that have become very popular. Stars like James  Franco and Jason Segal are some of those actors.

This show took me down memory lane and back to high school. Even though it is a show made in 1999 based off of high school in the 80's, it is still completely relatable. The characters are hysterical and they play the perfect cast of high school misfits. They are nerdy and weird and quirky and they all have their own personalities.

I was really bummed to see that this show was only on for less than a season. The acting and the character development are fantastic and the show had a lot of potential. The show left off very open ended because it was only on episode 18 when it got canceled. Lots of potential, but I guess the rest is just left up to the imagination.

Once Upon A Time...

This week I decided to do what I always do-- binge-watch yet another TV show. The pick this week just happened to be the ABC hit series "Once Upon A Time". I was feeling in the mood for a light-hearted show that entertained me while I procrastinated on homework. This show definitely did the trick. It is an ABC network show so Disney had their fingerprints all over this show. I'm really glad for this because it just wouldn't make sense if something fairy-tale based wasn't Disney-related. After all, Disney owns the rights to most (if not all) of those classic fairy tale stories. 

The show centers around Emma, an orphaned woman in her late 20's who is brought to a seemingly pleasant town in Maine called Storybrook by her son, Henry, who she gave away in an adoption agreement 11 years ago. This town is not just any old small town because it is a town filled with fairy tale characters from all of your favorite stories. The inhabitants in the town are fairy tale characters, but an evil curse was cast on them and they do not know their true identities. Henry is put to the task of making Emma believe in the magic of Storybrook and break the curse so that everyone can live "happily ever after". 

I find this show to be so fascinating because everything about it is so carefully thought out. Every fairy tale is woven into another to create one cohesive world. Snow White is friends with Red Riding Hood and they are both friends with Jiminy Cricket (who also has a dalmatian named Pongo from "101 Dalmatians"). The bad guys in the fairy tales also remain the same and feature bad guys like the Evil Queen from Snow White and Rumplestiltskin. There are also references to other Disney franchises like "Tron", "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe", "Mulan", and "Sleeping Beauty". This show unveils the characters  and it lets the viewer guess at the characters true identity before it is revealed by other characters. 

I'm a big fan of this show because I love fairy tales of all sorts. I really enjoy the backstory that all of the characters have and you end up seeing the good in every character, even the bad guys. This gives the characters much more substance than I thought they had because you get to enjoy the humanistic traits of everyone. This show is great for divulging my love for the fantasy world. 

Recurring Developments

The other day I stumbled across a website called "Recurring Developments". This website, amazingly enough, maps out the entire thread of inside jokes within the popular TV show Arrested Development. This map shows the inside joke, which episode those jokes happen, as well as the description of the jokes, and fun facts of the episode.

For those of you who haven't seen the show, Arrested Development has a whole slew of inside jokes that the characters mention during not only the show, but during the whole series. This is one of my favorite parts of this show because it ties the whole show together. It makes even the most mundane of moments in the show funny because the character pulls out a joke that is just as funny the 10th time you hear it.

The website is so fascinating to me because it shows the level of thought that this show puts into each and every episode. The attention to detail is just inspiring. Each joke is woven into episodes and the process of doing so seems so effortless. All of the jokes work in each episode and they never seem out of place. My personal favorites are the jokes about Ann and the jokes about Tobias being a never nude.

I also found the mapping of the inside jokes to be quite impressive as well. There was a lot of detail in that mapping and you could tell that the people who made it knew their Arrested Development. I love that this show fosters so much interactivity of the viewers. Many viewers don't just watch the show. They go to websites like this to look more into the show and they become participants in the show by blogging or sharing their ideas. This show definitely promotes a cross-platform interactivity because viewers just can't get enough of it!

My favorite character...

Choosing my favorite TV character is such a difficult task for me. I feel like I emotionally connect with the characters on my favorite shows and I usually have a feeling of friendship with them if I really think that they are a good character. This past summer though, I was fortunate enough to have the time to watch all three seasons of Game of Thrones. While thinking about who my favorite TV character was, Daenerys Targaryen stood out from the other TV characters. I’d have to say that she is my favorite out of all of the TV characters that I have had the pleasure of being acquainted with.

One of the major reasons why Daenerys is my favorite characters is that I admire her. Her character has transformed from a small, obedient girl to a strong, self-sufficient woman. She has been through many traumatic events in the show and she always learns from her mistakes and always grows stronger and more confident. I really enjoy her character because you don’t see many female characters that are as poised and resilient as Daenerys. She plays a character that is honest in her intentions of wanting to reclaim Westeros as her own and rule the iron throne, but she has an undying compassion for the wellbeing of the innocent. She frees slaves and punishes (quite harshly, I must say) the people who do her or other people wrong. That amount of compassion for those who are innocent is very admirable. It is unlike a conqueror to have that compassion for people that they have conquered, but she manages to do so, and thus only receiving more support.

She is also my favorite character because she is just plain awesome. She has three dragons and she has the admiration of all of her followers. She also has a huge army and she has beauty and brains. I always want to see more of what she does in the episodes because her wit and her strength always manage to surprise me. Daenerys Targaryen is just undeniably a fantastic character.

Filming Style of Arrested Development

Like many people I am a huge fan of the TV show Arrested Development and when Season 4 came out, I decided to re-watch the first three seasons and noticed something interesting. There is a very distinct camera style that is used during the show. Almost the whole show is shot handheld by someone who is a little too shaky. Here is a clip to show you what I mean.

The dialogue scenes seem to be entirely shot by cameras on shoulder mounts using fast paced zooms and pans. Normally people discourage this kind of filming because it feels somehow sloppy but for me, it somehow works for the show. Here is my theory on why. For those of you who haven't seen the show first off... watch it... secondly it is about a man named Michael Bluth who is forced to take over his family affairs after his father is put in prison. However the rest of his dysfunctional family make his job unbearable. This is why I think the show is shot so frantically, it is supposed to represent how frantic each episode is. Every episode Michael needs to overcome some obstacle being put up by someone in his family. Since Michael is the protagonist I think that maybe the camera represents how frantic and unorganized his job is.

 

Well anyway that is my theory on the interesting camera style for Arrested Development please comment if you have any questions.

My Big Issue With Women in Television

In the past few months, I've been told by dozens of people that I am overly critical of female characters in television shows. Maybe this is true. But there's a reason that none of them live up to my expectations. I am a sucker for the antihero. There is nothing I find more fascinating than rooting for the bad guy, or watching a character blur the lines of good and evil. Unfortunately, female characters are crippled by the limitations of those writing them. I acknowledge that there are some television writers that have tried to break free from the woman stereotype, but all have failed again and again to create a successful antihero.

No antiheroine has ever clung to viewers the way Dexter Morgan or Walter White have. A major flaw with attempts to create this role is that writers are afraid of going to the extreme. Their hesitance bleeds into the character, preventing the birth of a strong, captivating woman that the audience wants to watch. Of course it's unsettling to think about a female serial killer or meth manufacturer, but it's those kind of extremities that a female character needs in order to prove herself to the viewers. What if Dexter was called Debra? A show about a female cop with deep urges to kill, who's brother is a blood spatter analyst and always on her tail without realizing it. Now that's a show I would watch. What if Breaking Bad's leading character was Skyler White? A show about a woman who's the breadwinner, which is not saying much, but diagnosed with cancer. The doctor's best guess is that she only has a few more months left, and the pilot ends with her finding out she's pregnant. Maybe she runs the show, forcing her high school chemistry teacher husband to cook meth to support her family when she's gone, and turns into a monster. I can't even imagine what those writers could do with a premise like that. But television has nothing remotely close to a female as dangerous and edgy as either of those examples.

There are a few female roles that somewhat satisfy my antiheroine needs as a viewer. Alicia Florrick, also known as The Good Wife, takes her life back after having to stand beside her political husband as he makes a public apology for a sex scandal. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her go from a suppressed stay at home mom to a very successful lawyer who has taken back control over her own life. Still, I wouldn't consider that antiheroic, as much as I would call her a strong, independent self-heroic woman. I have seen a hint of antiheroism in Nurse Jackie's leading lady. Jackie Peyton is an unfaithful, rule breaking drug addicted nurse that any woman could relate to. She constantly goes around the system to do what she believes should be done, no matter how immoral her means are to make it happen. Even with all of that, she lacks the edge that I'm looking for.

I have searched far and wide with no luck in finding a female character that can rank among Dexter Morgan and Walter White. At the end of the day, I've decided that there is only one way I'm ever going to find the antiheroine I am searching for. Time to write her myself.

The Doorway

This Sunday season 6 of TV's brilliantly mod drama Mad Men premiered.  I'm a bit of a fan.  If by "bit of a fan" includes owning 3 seasons on DVD and dressing up as Don Draper for halloween.  I think AMC's 4 time Emmy winner is the smartest, sleekest, and best TV show ever.  Taking place in the 1960's Mad Men follows the advertising world of New York City's Madison Ave.

The show's creator Matthew Weiner didn't just suddenly appear with a hit drama, he served as producer and writer on the HBO hit The Sopranos for 2 years prior to taking his talents to AMC in 1960.  The stories are elegantly told, with brilliant cinematography and a cast of characters that really make you wonder who is a good guy and who is bad.

One of the things I love about this show is it's historical accuracy and it's depiction of a totally different world than we live in today.  Other shows attempting to set their drama in the 60's era (The Playboy Club and Pan Am) seemed to use minor details to convince audiences of the world around them such as hair, clothes and cars.  Mad Men gives the look and the feel that you have literally time traveled for an hour and stepped into the world of social change and cultural phenomenas.   One of my favorite scenes from season 1 that really shows you how the world has changed is during a birthday party for one of Don's children.  A child who is attending the party is running around the house playing and accidentally knocks over a drink.  A man who is not the child's father immediately slaps the boy across the face as punishment. The real father of the boy then comes over and asks the child to apologize to the man who slapped him.  He then scolds him and tells him to run along and says "and tell your mother to come clean this up."

The show brings up very topical issues but puts them in a completely different context and shows the struggle with these issues from a different decade.  It deals with African-American rights and equality in the workplace.  Women's rights and a woman's struggle to enter into a career path.  It discusses divorce, homosexuality, single parenting, and adultery.  But it shows these topics how the 1960's handled them. I really feel like it's a history lesson every week when I watch.

The characters are what really keep the show going, and all actors give equally compelling performances.  Overall between the 6 acting categories at the Emmy's the cast of Mad Men has earned 25 acting nominations yet has not won a single one.  Jon Hamm and John Slattery are always nominated, as well as continuous nominations for Christina Hendricks and Elizabeth Moss.  Although the show it's self has won Best Drama Series 4 years in a row (Only to be beaten my Homeland just his year) It's actors have not gotten the full recognition they deserve.

I will continue to watch Mad Men and hope to show my children this utterly phenomenal show because I think I've learned more about the 60's watching an episode of this show, than I ever did in my high school US History class.

Same War, Different Battles

My newest TV addiction is Canada's Bomb Girls.

Set during the beginning of WWII, Victory Munitions is building bombs to help the cause.  A richer, well to do woman, Gladys Witham, wants to help out with the cause and not just by making appearances at her father's fundraisers. Instead of taking the office job at VM, she decides to go against her parent's wishes and ends up working on the floor. Her dad ends up using to his advantage and uses her as the spokeswoman for his grocery store chain.

At the factory, we meet a wide array of characters with great background stories for each of them. Like Kate, a woman on the run from her abusive bible thumping father. From the first episode, you know that she's had issues trying to fit in and keep the past, the past. She also gets the nickname "Church Mouse" for her gospel-like singing voice.

And my personal favorite character is Betty McRae. She's sassy and very strong willed and one of the best workers at the factory. She ends up taking Kate under her wing and falls in love with her. She tries to be a girl and dates one of the boys at the factory but it ends up more like a bro-mance with hanging out in bars and talking about hockey with him. She also is a farmer's daughter with three brothers so when someone twists her the wrong way, she can handle what's thrown at her. In an episode when three German POWs escape, she ends up finding one in her boardroom's basement and we learn that other than being a lesbian, we find an even bigger secret. She's actually German and her family has hidden fellow German's from internment camps. Although the escaped Nazi believes that she's fellow Nazi, she ends up ratting him out explaining that just because she's a German, doesn't make her a Nazi. She also beats him up a little bit which was pretty awesome to watch.

Vera Burr, due to a factory accident she's now slightly disfigured... well, has an awesome scare on her face, is known as a "Patriot-tute", a woman that sleeps with soliders for gifts. She's also sassy and very on her toes due to the accident.

Floor matron Lorna Corbett, whose two sons are pilots in Europe, her daughter is working as a nurse at the local hospital and her husband is a veteran of WWI and was left disabled and in a wheelchair after a bomb exploded near him. This all leads to affairs and stress at work... But she's also one of the strongest women next to Betty.

There are more characters in the show that really bring to life what it was like to really be fighting on the homefront during WWII. They try to show that this isn't just a man's war and that everyone can pitch in some how. With some great acting, cinematography and costuming, this is probably one of the best TV shows I've watched in a while.

Also... I need all of the shoes and dresses this girls wear... 

Picking up a fan-favorite

This week I've started to watch a fan-cultivated show Community.  The NBC sitcom centers around an eccentric Spanish study group at a community college.  The show was created by writer Dan Harmon and premiered in 2009. The show focuses on comedian Joel McHale and his fellow group of actors getting into crazy situations, and often referencing and parodying pop culture.  I'm now on the 6th episode and enjoying it quite thoroughly.  Despite it's critical acclaims and cult following, the show is not very popular among viewership.  Ratings have been above 4 million viewers but did not reach much more than that.  This has caused much controversy over the show, since NBC would not proclaim the show a success, however it has a very big core fan-base that really enjoy the show. Season 4 which was scheduled to premiere in October was delayed to premiere in February and Dan Harmon stepped down as show-runner.  

I am enjoying the supporting characters more than I enjoy the main 2 characters.  Joel McHale (Jeff) who host's The Soup on E! is a hilarious comedian and I really enjoy him, but his character is not very likable, and he's sneaky and kind of mean.  His leading lady Gillian Jacobs (Britta) I do not find very likable either.  I find her snarky and annoying, and find it hard to connect with her.  Hopefully as the show goes on, these characters will grow on me.  The supporting characters are all wonderfully developed.  Of course Chevy Chase is a comic classic and can't do wrong, Danny Pudi and Donal Glover are remarkable, and Yvette Nicole Brown is hysterical.  My personal favorite is Alison Brie of Mad Men.  I find her character refreshing and love seeing her span of talents from a show such as Mad Men to a comedy like this one.

Their show is filmed in a single-camera format, and was even picked up into syndication in 2013 by Comedy Central.  It's been noted that some of the actors like to improvise lines while on set.  Chevy Chase has been particularly noted to improvise and Joel McHale and Donald Glover are known to like to come up with their lines as well.

What I really enjoy about this show is that it is based off of creator Dan Harmons actual life.  This is just like my ICTV show I created that is based off of my own life.  I was always told to "write what you know" so I was very pleased to see that other people follow that rule as well.  I'm sure it was a lot of fun to produce a national television show based off of your life.  I will continue to watch the show and maybe they will convert me to becoming a cult follower.

Parks and Recreation=Undervalued

Today I started my Friday the same way I usually do. I wake up and make myself breakfast with coffee while enjoying the newest episode of one of my favorite shows of all-time, Parks and Recreation. Although I consider the show to be very consistent, I really think they have outdone themselves this week.

 The show consists of several main characters who make up this mockumentary-styled sitcom based in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. The show stars Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari, and many more. The show capitalizes on the small-town setting of show, which provides the audience with real genuine characters that they can relate to.

This week's episode successfully portrayed each of the character's attributes through several comedic elements for the viewers to enjoy. I really enjoy the energy of the show because the characters are very authentic and believable. It is shocking to me that it once struggled with poor ratings because I cannot refer to one episode that wasn't at least decent.

I recommend the series to all because I believe it takes advantage many different comedic methods to satisfy all senses of humor.

Does Anyone Even Watch This Show?

After recently getting a Showtime account, I was able to explore all of the wonderful TV shows and movies offered online and on the channel.  I have already watched all of Homeland so it was time for me to start another Showtime series that I could become addicted to.  That's when I decided to start watching Episodes.  Episodes stars one of my favorite comedic actors Matt LeBlanc of Friends fame.  The show even won him a Golden Globe last year for best actor in a comedy.  But after watching a few episodes, I realized....I think I might be the only person in the world who watches this show.  I have never heard anyone talk about it, nor have I seen any advertisements for it on other sites like Hulu, or TV Guide.  Could this be a diamond in the rough or is there a reason for its lack of viewership?

Frankly, I love the show.  It's a smart comedy about two British TV writers who move to L.A. and are forced to "Americanize" their show.  Episodes is unique in the fact that it is an American and British comedy, premiering on Showtime as well as on BBC 2.  The show was created by Jeffry Klarik (co-producer of Mad About You, and The Class) and his business and life partner (how cute!!) David Crane (co-creator of Friends).  I think the two have created an extremely witty show with a funny ensemble.  To be frank I probably would not have started watching this show if Matt LeBlanc and David Crane were not involved, because Friends is my all time favorite show.

Episodes follows around a married couple who have won yet another BAFTA award for their TV show about a headmaster at a boys boarding school.  A snobby, pompous LA producer has them come out to LA to produce the show, much to their dismay.  After casting Matt LeBlanc (who plays himself) as the headmaster things go downhill after everyone starts changing their show.  They change the plot of the show, and the cast and characters and chaos ensues.  Episodes has been renewed for a 3rd season, and I can't wait to continue watching the rest of the series on Showtime, hoping that someone else in the world will watch it with me and enjoy the quirky characters and silly plots just as much as I do.  I think one of the reasons I enjoy it so much is because it reminds me of what it's like to produce my own sitcom (Boys of 213 on ICTV check it out!) and I can relate to the producers in many ways.

The Real World: Life After College

After watching the video about The Hobbit today in class, and working with people on our final project, I got to thinking...what's the future going to be like?  We're all struggling these last few weeks with finals, but what's going to happen once we step out beyond the Park School and actually have to do this for a living?  Instead of having classes to deal with on top of our productions, we'll have real life issues like families, mortgages, and all of that fun stuff. Is that going to be easier to balance, or more difficult?  Will we manage those two day run and guns?  Can we complete a feature film with only four days until the premiere?  Are we ever going to get adequate sleep again in our lives?

Noon...eight hours into a shoot...and I'm not even
on the actual makeup department.

The fact of the matter is, despite the kind of semi-insanity it takes to put in the hours in either pre-, post-, or regular production, the dedication is one of the most important parts.  You can't make a quality film without genuinely caring about the final outcome; when you make something truly good, you feel as if you've put a part of yourself into it.  It's like all of your time and annoyance at the entire thing has finally paid off, and will, with some skill (and maybe some luck), make this a really worthwhile production.  It's something you have to feel for yourself to wholly understand, I think, and from what I've known of the sensation, it's an awesome payoff.

You've also got to be flexible if you're going to work on any kind of shoot; your title might be "camera 2," but if someone asks you to, you can jump in and work as a boom op, extra, gaffer, or anything, especially on smaller productions akin to what we'll more than likely all be starting in.  Again, it goes back to your dedication; when you really want something to come out well, it shows in the work that's put in, even when it isn't technically your job to do something.  Being an extra hand never hurts on most shoots, so hopping in on little things to make the entire production go smoother.

So, the question: what's the better life choice, to get the necessary amount of sleep each night to function properly at a mediocre job that you mildly like, or to stretch every last minute with work you're passionate about despite its slight impact on your health?

As much as I love my naps (and I really love naps), I'd totally go into this field of frenzy and film in a heartbeat.  The years ahead working with this sort of thing will without a doubt be spontaneous and full of late nights, but for the enjoyment I get out of putting in the time and effort with a group of like-minded people, it's worth it.