the lorax

The Lorax is a new animated film thats coming out and so far i've had people talk to me about it and the reviews of the trailer have been kinda negative. My roommate charlie is really upset because he loves the book by Dr. seuss and the trailer looks to take the story he loves in a whole new direction. I have to say im not thrilled by this ether, the voice acting form the two leads zac efron and tailor swift seems kinda week but Danny Devito looks like he's doing a good job getting emotion out of his role. i don't really know what to think yet but here is the trailer.




if the song is familiar to you you might remember it from scrubs

Everything is a Remix!

This great series by Kirby Ferguson is an exploration of the remix techniques involved in producing films (and music). The name says it all. Story structure, as is understood in the West goes back to Aristotle, but today more than ever, the industry, and in particular certain directors take the formulaic road to an extreme by simply copying recent predecessors. Not that there is anything wrong with copying, after all that is how you learn. One just hopes some people take the training wheels after a while. And, oh, a node to the master being copied would also be great. (Disney, are you listening?)

"We Found Love" video

This week I figured I'd talk about how much I love Rihanna's music video for "We Found Love." The video, directed by Melina Matsoukas shows her abusive relationship with Chris Brown. And mirroring that relationship the video is overwhelming and at times disorienting. It's really powerful, not only through just the actions in the video but through the use of color and editing. The cuts are quick and the film doesn't stay in one place for very long. There's a lot going on in this video, with more scene changes than a regular music video and through all these elements the message of this video is able to get across perfectly.

It's Kind of a Funny Story

It's Kind of a Funny Story directed and written by the famous duo Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, is a story about a fifteen year old boy, Craig (Keir Gilchrist) from Brooklyn, New York. He is a junior in high school who goes to a high status high school. Craig is overwhelmed by the pressures of school, however he stops taking the medication that his psychiatrist prescribed. Eventually after realizing he cannot get rid of his suicidal thoughts he checks into a mental hospital. His initial thoughts were that he was just going to be talked to, get some therapy and then be sent home; however that is not the case he must stay there for at least a week. Craig is in with a variety of patients ranging in age from adulthood to teens. Bobby (Zach Galifianakis), another patient who has a young daughter, shows him around the hospital. He soon notices Noelle (Emma Roberts) who is around the same age as him, and has a history of sexual abuse. Craig becomes interested in her and as a result she helps him with his recovery. At the same time he tries to keep his friends from home from knowing what is going on with him. As part of his recovery he experiments with art and finds that he is very talented. Once he recovers it is suggested by his counselor that he transfer out of the school that has stressed him out and into an art school. In the end he is allowed to return home after having gone through a complete mental change.

I thought this movie was particularly well done. I liked that there are some well known actors in it, but not only that, the story is well done and really drives the movie along. The fact that Craig learns so much about himself in this psychiatric ward is important to the story, even though at first he does not think he will get anything out of this experience. He ends up making some good friends and understanding himself and others better as well.

References:

"Doogie Howser, M.D." (1989), "Cribs" (2000), "American Idol" (2002)

Happy Birthday!

A Different Interpretation of Film

The Saturday of fall break I spent the day with my old marching band, and this year I've taken a special interest in their show because their title this year is "The Silver Screen." The songs they're performing are 20th Century Fox Fanfare, Robin Hood, Smile, Marimba Rag, and Hooray For Hollywood. They take a different approach to looking at the history of film and different styles and effects of those films, and portray those effects on the field.
While my friends back in high school might rather focus on the technical aspects of the show, I sat on the sidelines with the instructors seeing a completely different show. And it's just hitting me now what the real point of the show is; the music. The entire show is designed from the musical selections, and those musical selections are landmarks because they affected a mass audience and became pieces that most people can recognize easily. And instead of the music becoming the foundation for different shots and scenes, in this instance they became the foundation for designs on the field, flag designs, body movements, dance, and emotion in the performers.
This weekend is their championship competition, so once the season is over I'll try and update this post with a video of the show. (I can't publicly post videos of the current season's show until the season is over.)

Unprotected Rights

Protecting your work is extremely important! Here's a little story that stresses how important. One of my professors from my old school (Carey Eidel) lived in LA for a short period of time as an actor. He and his friends wrote a skit. The skit was that they had replaced the door man of the Ritz hotel with the decaf coffee crystals. At the time, coffee crystals were being advertised like crazy I guess, so they decided to make fun of it. In order to shoot this they wanted to ask permission of the Ritz hotel to film outside of the hotel. When they asked I think they were denied so instead of changing things around they decided to wait for the door man on his shift to go inside on a bathroom break. Once he did so they placed and can of the coffee crystals where he was standing, filmed it, and then interviewed people walking in if they had noticed that they had replaced the door man with coffee crystals. I think they may also have filmed each other being interviewed with some funny lines. When they put everything together and edited it and presented it and pitched it to SNL they said they liked the idea but they didn't want to buy it. The next up and coming Saturday Carey and his friends sat down to watch Saturday night live, this is what they saw: (not mirrored of course)

They knew immediately that they had stolen their idea. They contacted a lawyer and he said to them that basically there was absolutely nothing they could do about it. It would cost them more to sue them than what they'd get back if they won their case. So Carey and his friends took a punch. I personally loved the skit and am glad it was produced, however I do wish for my professor that their skit had been payed for even if it were a fraction of the price they usually payed, just for the idea. This was the original commercial that they were making fun of at the time.

 

I actually think I would have liked to have seen them replace the door man and have peoples same reactions. It would have been just as funny. Especially if SNL went the step further with Chris Farley's reaction to it.

Drive

I realize that my posts are starting to revolve around only a few particular films/shows. I posted before a video about the sound behind inception, this video is very similar except about Drive. Instead of focusing on the technical aspect, which the inception video had a lot of, I would pay attention to how the sound mixer is trying to tell the story. Like Arturo was talking about earlier, everyone has different and specific jobs but they are all trying to tell the story.

Warning: Some possible spoilers.

Gaga for Gaga

I bet a lot of you aren't fans of Lady Gaga's music (Arturo I'm looking at you!!!), but you have to admit she doesn't lack creativity (or crazy), and her production team is certainly chock full of talent. For example... her most recent music video for her single, You and I.

From the opening shot to the final... this is clearly no amateur production. The visuals range from disturbing to beautiful and every shot is clearly premeditated as seen with all the different camera angles, movement, focusing, lighting, special effects, etc.. (talk about story-boarding each shot for this thing... it was probably almost a novel!)

The different scenes are so aesthetically strong... most videos would only try to tackle one of these scene changes but Gaga has to have it all. The make up, costumes, sets, dance routines... I'm not sure if it all really works for the song but it's certainly something to watch!

The Simpsons

It looks like the longest running sitcom is coming to a close in two seasons. The Simpsons have been on my entire life but disputes over pay have the voices of the characters calling it quits after 25 seasons. The Simpsons premiered as shorts during the Tracy Ulman show and three years later in 1987, the showed began running as a primetime sitcom. the new season premiered earlier

Creator Matt Groening voiced all of the characters in the first episode and the animation has come a long way. The Treehouse of Horror episodes have become a halloween tradition and those in my generation have associated the show with many major events. The movie was a huge sensation and there are talks of another movie after the show ends.

green screen

now that we have a green screen i was curious how FX would work with it, i looked up this student made tutorial and i think it does the job of teaching the basics. It has a slow pace which helps if you've never worked with this part of the program.

iv>

and here is another lesson  in effects that use green screen, its not all green screen but there are still some handy effects in there

Schweddy balls

I noticed on the news last week that besides Ben and Jerry's having a new limited edition ice cream,  it was dedicated to the old christmas skit of SNL about Schweddy Balls!  Not only was this skit amazing because it pushed the boundaries of television, but it is insanely funny because the spoof takes place on a fake set of NPR.

This is a classic SNL skit that I have NO idea how someone finally got the "balls" to put into an actual product!  This is a MUST see for any SNL fan, and Alec Baldwin is just as amazing as he is on 30 Rock.



Apparently the name of the ice cream has caused problems with grocery stores in the U.S. because it's too much of a "locker room" joke for children.  I agree with the logic, but the name's spelling is so different from the actual meaning that I'm sure any child young enough to not understand, won't be affected by a carton of ice cream.  An orginazation called One Million Moms was one of the groups trying to get the name changed for the limited edition flavor, and it's conservative views were enough to change the minds of many east coast grocery store chains from accepting the new item. 

Backyard FX

     I assume that most people reading this blog are emerging film makers who do not have much money to spend on production, especially effects, but that doesn't mean that you should avoid putting effects into your movie.  Effects can make a film look like it had a bigger budget and make it look more professional. I was wandering around YouTube when I discovered Backyard FX, a channel dedicated to showing you how to make good effects for cheap.

     One video that I thought was very interesting was the camera slider for under $20. You don't really notice how small things, like a gentle move in camera position, can really effect the mood of the shot, and being able to do such a move gives your film a a distinct feel.  Being able to do it for under $20 doesn't hurt either. I highly suggest watching the other videos that Backyard FX posts as well.  They are fun and can help bring a production to the next level. Enjoy.

Two and a Half Men...

I was never a really big fan of the show, but now that Tiger Blood has been replaced by Ashton Kutcher, I was curious enough to check it out. I watched a few old episodes with Charlie Sheen and then the season primer with Kutcher and decided a few things.

1. The show is basically the same. It still has a skeevy character who hits on women and succeeds in getting them into bed. Meanwhile, the rest of the characters go about the same activities.
2. The type of humor in the show can probably carry on for a while. It has already been running for 8 years, and people still seem to be laughing. While it isn't exactly my cup of tea, if it survives to a second season with Ashton then I would say replacing Sheen was a good move.
3. Ashton fits the role pretty well. Compared to his role on 'That 70's Show' this one is pretty similar. He is a womanizer and says pretty stupid, yet hilarious things. He is a great fit for the role.

Finally, I'll leave you with some YouTube clips to compare for yourself.
Charlie Sheen Compilation
With Ashton Kutcher

"I aim to misbehave."

After the last class with Steve Gordon, we talked for a little about TV shows that, despite being amazing, were cancelled. I mentioned Firefly as one of those shows, and thought I would write a post about that show.

Now, I'm not a huge Joss Whedon fan in general. I haven't seen a lot of Buffy or Angel, and from what I have seen I enjoy it, but they're not something I would devote massive amounts of time to watching. But this show was a work of art. The writing is quick, witty, poignant, and has plots that keep you guessing forever.

This is a show that should never have gotten cancelled. I have never spoken to one person who had seen Firefly who didn't absolutely love it. Everything down to the physics in space is well thought out and brilliant.

Since Firefly only lasted one season, a movie was made to complete the story - Serenity.

It explores many themes, like control and familial love. We wonder how much the government should be allowed to interfere in peoples lives and brains (because, as a result of the government attempting to control and make placid an entire planet of people, a horrible type of "person" was created - Reavers.)

Long story short, I miss this show. It could have been made even greater than it was.

The Lion King 3D

So while I'm home on fall break a friend and I decided we wanted to go out and see a movie. Out of sheer impulse, we decided to see The Lion King 3D. While I do know that Disney rips off folk stories from everyone and their mother, one still can't deny that it's an amazing movie. Amazing enough to spark an award winning musical by the same name. Now I was iffy several months ago because I knew it was just an easy way the industry could make money off an old movie. But surprisingly enough, the 3D was a completely different experience. The subtle use of the 3D on the characters was incredible, but the use of 3D on foreground images was actually very distracting. It was as if there was something two-dimensional coming off the screen that you had to struggle to look past. So yes, it's technically 3D and movie theaters can charge twice as much for it, but the people who work on the use of the 3D technology need to take notice as to where it works and where it's a distraction.

But all in all, still an amazing movie. Not sure if the 3D was worth the 13 dollars, but it's still the same movie, just experienced in a different way.

Mobile Movie Making

Technology is amazing. That goes without saying. However, sometimes it takes a second to step back and realize just how far we have advanced. Case and point: mobile filmmaking. Now, before I'm totally discredited by the filmmaking blogosphere, let me qualify that statement. True professionals will always opt for professional tools. However, technology is advanced enough that the only limiting factors to making a great film lie in the artist, not the equipment they use. Filmmaking, long the realm of big budgets and big people, has now been democratized.

And the results are quite impressive. So impressive, in fact, that it's good enough for even some of today's blockbuster films. That's right! Upcoming comic book hero conglomeration, "The Avengers" had some sequences filmed on an iPhone 4. Some shots were even included in the trailer! I challenge you to spot the difference:

Cinematographer Seamus McGarvey said, "I understand that sometimes there is no choice and you have to go for the cheapest option, but if you are limited for choice, you can still make poignant decisions that will effect the look of the film." And if it's good enough for filmmakers with a 200 million dollar budget, it's certainly good enough for many others. Filmmaker Park Chan-wook and his video artist brother Chan-kyong won the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival for a 30-minute film that was also shot on a iPhone.

And for the mobile phone auteurs with more of a budget, there are even more options. Companies make hundreds of different tripods with iPhone attachments, and even some high quality lense packages are available to attach on to your mobile shooter. The possibilities are truly endless.

Once the film is shot, however, you of course need to edit and distribute it. Well, your phone can help you out here too. Though somewhat limited in scope, Apple's own iMovie mobile application is more than capable for simple edits and trims. And when your done, you can even upload directly to YouTube, Vimeo, CNN's iReport, or any site you can think of.

The world of mobile phones presents an exciting future for the world of filmmaking. With a camera in everyone's pocket, anyone can try out their moviemaking skills, and put together a high-quality final product without ever booting up a workstation. The only limit now is our imaginations.

And just to prove this point, this entire post was written on a smartphone.

Icebreaker

This is a film my friend Jeff Newell. I met him over the summer at the film festival in Auburn Ny. When I saw this film. I knew his unique artistic ability and knew I would certainly enjoy it. This little film only lasts about 3 minutes but establishes so much. The deep interaction between two so-called friends and how well they both know each other. Not only do they have the same taste in girls but they knew each others next move. In the beginning it reads out a vast list of explicit warnings. I wondered how on earth did they establish that in such a short amount of time. It certainly amazed me! The surprise ending is certainly disturbing and isn't meant for a weak stomach. The sound is also very disturbing. What I appreciate the most is that if you go to watch it again, you begin to understand the short lines that mean so much more than what they would in a normal everyday conversion. Completely, unnoticeable until you realize the end.  Also, the acting was done wonderfully! Not much was required of it but simplicity is beauty and can also imply complexity. I love it when films really reach out and grab you by the mind and heart. That is why I live!

Power of Viral Videos

So I'm assuming most of you have already seen this video with these two little girls singing Nicki Minaj's "Super Bass"

The video was uploaded a month ago and has since received over 13 million views. Due to the popularity of this video both of these girls appeared on Ellen last week. The cousins traveled from England to the show in LA. Here's their interview and performance:

Plus the girls even got the chance to meet and perform with Nicki Minaj herself.

(This made the whole family cry-even their dad) Just goes to show what can happen after uploading a video onto YouTube.

All Work and No Cable...

Hey all!
So I just realized that I have absolutely nothing to write about for this week (since I lack cable and haven't had the time to catch up on hulu), except for my P&D project. I'd been looking forward to this project since the summer, when I saw the finished product of a friend's project, but I had no idea how difficult it was to pull off this project and do it well.
The Requirements:
Must utilize both studio and b-roll
*2 people in the studio the day of your project
Must have more than one set in the studio
Total run time between 3 and 5 minutes.

*We had to find out own talent for this project, unlike other classes where your talent comes from other students in your class, my class only has 8 people, so it's necessary for us to find our own talent.

The requirements seemed easy enough, but the project was surprisingly difficult. The biggest problem my class had was not the production itself, but finding talent. Suddenly, this project turned into "who has the better friends willing to come in for class at 8am with you," and every class someone had a different story of how they had to call in the weirdest favors to get people to help out with their projects. But unfortunately, the people who had the most difficulty finding people also had (in my opinion) the lowest quality projects, since they spent the majority of their time locating talent. I decided to take a different approach. The day this project was assigned, since my Tuesdays and Thursdays are completely free other than my class, I spent the entire day designing my sets and scripting my shots, then once that was done, found my talent.

So after weeks of preparation, it was the day for my project. I got up at 6, was in the studio by 7, and by 8:45, I was ready for my 3 takes. And I'm pretty sure I'd never been so ADD in all my life, every time someone needed something, I would get sidetracked and would go help them, to make sure everything was done right. And from the first rehearsal, I noticed a huge flaw in my script: my shot pacing was WAY too fast. Compared to the other projects in my class (mine was second to last) their pacing was at a much more comfortable speed, and since I spent most of my time calling shots, I couldn't even focus on making sure the cameras had their shots lined up before taking them (oops!)

Luckily, shooting the B-roll was the easy (and really fun) part. Since there was no need for audio, I was able to get some friends together to just have some shots of them being silly around campus. And the biggest thing I've learned from this project: Have good friends. Without them, the entire project could have gone up in flames.

Non-Linear Storytelling

I've always been fascinated with movies that don't necessarily tell the story chronologically. The creative latitude that video gives us as filmmakers is something that we take for granted. A non-linear narrative is a different way to gain and keep the audience's interest. Many great films use non-linear narrative, Memento for example. Another great film that also uses it is 500 hundred days of summer. Most of you have probably seen in, being there are so many Zooey Deschanel fans. This used non-linear storytelling to give a fresh take on romantic movies. In the scene posted below, two sub-narratives are told to the audience at the same time. It's also a good example how two similar scenes can tell very different stories with only a few minor changes.

A New Production of a Classic

I would like to bring your attention, if it has not already been brought, to a remake of a classic musical that is set to come out in 2012. Now, I am not one to like musicals in general, I think that Rent and Wicked have gotten played so many times, and now whenever I hear a song from them my brain clenches up like a fist. Yeah, you could say I'm sick of them.

There is one musical, however, that ever since I was in it in senior year of high school never ceases to bring joy to my heart and a tear to my eye. That musical, ladies and gentlemen, is Les Miserables. The tragic yet uplifting story of Jean Valjean and his pursuer Javert amid the chaos of revolutionary France is nothing short of amazing. And IMDB says that they are set to remake it.

Not only are they going to remake it, but the cast that is rumored to star is crazy good. Hugh Jackman as Jean Valjean, Anne Hathaway as Fantine, Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert, Helena Bonham Carter as Madame Thenardier, and Geoffrey Rush is rumored to play Monsieur Thenardier. I mean...really. It going to be amazing.

It's going to be directed by Tom Hooper, who also directed The King's Speech.

You can read more about the new production here, and here is a trailer for the 1998 version starring Liam Neeson, Geoffrey Rush, Uma Therman and Claire Danes.

SNL Today

So, SNL These days is taking a lot of hits.

I am a huge fan of SNL - I got a book on the history of the show from the library this summer and buried myself in it. The show has such an interesting history, and learning especially about the first 5 years really got me excited about the show. But, watching it does not always give me all the laughs that the old episodes did.

Here is an old clip from the famous Samurai Delicatessen sketch, a real classic that is still generally well-known today:




Here is a website with a list of clips from the show with Anna Farris.

There are a ton of really horrible parts of these sketches...you can see them looking at cue cards and everything, it is disappointing to watch.

What I think they show needs is a strong focus on the talent. Back in the 70's when the show started, the group of actors and actresses were from Second City and other well-known comedy groups. Today, the actors are from similar pools, but they don't all seem to have the same amount of talent. I also think that choice of host is important - this is seen especially in this episode.

I also think that because of censoring conflicts I have read about in the book, Live From New York, I understand that it has been getting harder and harder to get skits past the censors if they are not P.C. I think that true comedic talent cannot really shine unless we have the ability to laugh at ourselves, and when censorship rules and laws prohibit certain jokes because they may offend someone it hinders our ability to enjoy comedy to its fullest extent.

I am not saying that the show has gone 100% down hill...Kristen Wiig, among others, are absolutely hilarious. It is possible that we all think SNL has gone down the drain because it was once so brilliant and ground breaking that it set its own standards so high that it may never fill its own shoes.

Let's hope it does. :)

Sita Sings the Blues

I came across this wonderful piece back in High School and it's just really cool. It's written, produced, directed and animated by artist Nina Paley check out her blog @ blog.ninapaley.com to find out more about her, she's a really interesting person. The thing I love about this specific piece is her way of intertwining elements of her own life, events from the Ramayana( one of the two great epics on india) and the music of Annette Hanshaw. When I first heard about this I was like, how in the world do all those things go well? but Paley finds a way to bring it all together and its just incredible. She created the entire cartoon with 2d animation and Flash and it took her an estimated 5 years to make the entire piece. Which I think is pretty fast considering she did the bulk of it by herself. Unfortunately she did have some problems distributing the piece due to some copyright infringement but it all got settled as her fan base helped her earn the 50,000 dollars it took to use the music in the film.
If you have time watch the whole movie its worth it:

Remakes

This weekend I saw the remake of Footloose. I've seen the original Footloose once- so I don't remember it too well so it was hard for me to compare. I do know this version stayed true to the original but definitely modernized it. The remake was decent, and I think it's hard to compare a remake to the original in that the movie is no longer new- when, like Footloose did where it copied the original closely. There are some remakes that stray from the storyline. For example- The Karate Kid and Fame both remakes that created new characters and new storylines. Remakes don't really bother me like they do some people. But I guess if someone tried to redo one of my all time favorites (like the Blues Brothers, mentioned in my last post) I'd have a much different reaction. I am kind of nervous about this Great Gatsby remake though.

New footloose trailer:

Old one:

On Set Lingo

Do you need your "juicer" to bring some more "C47s"? Did your "crafty" leave a "Gary Coleman" in the shot? Will you know what to get when your supervisor asks for a "stinger"? The world of film has its own set of traditions, practices, and of course, language. Crews have created their own shorthand for everything from positions to clothespins. And if you're going to be successful in the film world, it would be best to become familiar with the language as well.
Here's a few words to know before heading on a professional set:

• C47 – a clothespinCrafty – craft services area and/or person
• Day Player – a crew member hired for only one day or a handful of days worth of work
• Furnie Blanket – a furniture blanket or sound blanket
• Gary Coleman – a small C-stand
• Hot Points – yelled when carrying something with the potential to hit somebody like dolly track or a C-stand. Usually said when going through a narrow hallway, doorway or around a corner
• Juicer – an electrician
• Last Looks – phrase to call in hair/make-up to give a final touch-up to actors before a scene is filmed
• Magic Hour – the time right before sunrise/after sunset in which the sky is somewhat dark but still illuminated. Often lasts only 20 minutes despite its name
• Martini – the last shot of the dayPicture’s Up – phrase to alert all on set that cameras are almost set to start rolling
• Scripty – the script supervisor
• Sides – a half-sized script that contains only the scenes being shot that day
• Sparks – an electrician; see “juicer”
• Stinger – an extension cord
• Video Village – the area in which viewing monitors are placed for the director and other production personnel. Referred to by this name because of the propensity to fill with people, chairs, and overall “too many cooks in the kitchen”

This is only just the iceberg of the filmmaker's language. It takes practice to become fluent, but just like real languages, it comes with many different dialects. Each crew will have their own, special code that develops organically throughout production. Knowing what to say and what's being said will go a long way to being taken seriously on set, and moving up the ranks, from Scripty to Director.

Pulling off a sports movie

As an avid sports sports fan, every time a sports movie comes out I have to go see it. Whether the movie be about golf, baseball, hockey, basketball, etc., I must see it. I finally got to see the most recent blockbuster sports film to come out, Moneyball, on Friday night. While the performances were awesome (Brad Pitt kills it as Billy Beane), I couldn't help but come out of the movie disappointed. The main problem with the film is that while it is based on the book, it is also based on the 2002 Oakland Athletics 2002 season. While it may have appeared to make sense to a regular movie goer, there were so many holes in the story. Several key players were left out of the movie and many of the motives and and key plot points that drive the story line simply didn't happen.

This is what poses the main issue for sports films that are based on true stories, the outcome is already decided. Whenever I go into a sports movie, if it's based on a true story, I always know the end. It makes the film less exciting for me because I want it to look and feel just like the real thing did. An example of this is the film Miracle. The movie is about the 1980 USA mens hockey team that beat the USSR in the Lake Placid olympics. While the movie was good, I didn't get the excitement I was looking for because I already knew the final result.

One of my other favorite sports films is Eight Men Out, the story of the 1919 Chicago White Sox, better known as the Black Sox. Eight members of the team famously took bribes from Chicago gamblers to throw the 1919 World Series and were promptly banned from baseball the following year. Another main problem with sports films is finding actors who are athletic enough to play professional athletes. This is an example of a film that does a marvelous job at simulating game action.

Maybe I take sports films a little to seriously because of my fandom and attention to detail when it comes to the quality of what I am seeing related to sports films, but thats probably why my favorite sports movie doesn't take itself to seriously.

My favorite sports movie of all time is the Sandlot. It's the classic story of the new kid on the block that finds friends through the game of baseball and the magical sandlot where they play. Yes it's corny and silly but the movie is heartwarming and a true classic for any baseball fan .

do able FX

so i've seen this once or twice before on youtube and i thought it was kinda cool so i thought i'd share it on the blog. Its a youtube channel called indiemogel and it has a lot of film making tips for our level of film making. They teach some after effect and real physical effects which i found pretty cool most of the effects they show cost around 60 dollars and i think they really add something to the scenes they are in, check them out.

this one teaches you how to smash a wall


this one shows you how to make a scott pilgram punch effect





and lastly this one shows how to get a real cut throat shot

Welcome to the 60's

Mad Men is one of the most successful shows of the past few years... and of course if wasn't going to be long until other networks wanted a piece of that success. Thus spawned ABC's Pan Am and NBC's The Playboy Club.

Both are shows are about very different, but very glamourous settings in the 60's era with some very strong women protagonists. I'll confess now that I'm hooked on both of them even thought The Playboy Club has already been cancelled!

Pan Am has a better promise though. It's about the Pan Am stewardesses and their dreams of seeing more of the world than the contemporary housewives of the time. There's romance, adventure, mystery, glamour, and a touch of Cold War spies. The pilot opens with a real pilot (punny i know) tipping his hat to a little boy who looks on with wonder, and it ends with one of the stewardesses waving at a little girl looking on with that same look, "maybe I could do that too". They had me eating out of their hands! I'm such a sucker.



As for The Playboy Club... not as great writing and the whole Playboy Bunny murdering the mob boss doesn't go over so well. Still, the setting, costumes, and characters I think are great. I especially love the "Bunny Mother". She plays her role perfectly. Too bad all that wasn't enough and it's already cancelled!

There's a great article from The New Yorker about how the two shows show television's transition from strong male leading roles to strong women leading roles... and whether that's going to work or not. You can read that article here.

Zombieland

Zombieland, directed by Ruben Fleischer is about Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg) a very shy kid who is just trying to get back to his family in Ohio to see if they are still alive because of the brutal attacks by the zombies. In his travels he meets Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), a man who hates zombies. He accepts a ride from him to Columbus. They become hungry so they decide to break into an abandoned grocery store. At the store they fight off three zombies and bump into two teenage girls,Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin). The younger girl has been bitten by one of the zombies and begs for them the kill her.When they find out that she really isn't infested they all stick together on their journey to an amusement park in Los Angeles that they heard was zombie-free. On the way they continue using Columbus' rules
to defeat zombies. Will he find his family? You need to watch and find out!

This movie is a great movie about zombies because they explain what is happening in their world which is very helpful since zombie attacks haven't been proven to be real. I like the way that Columbus tells us the rules when he performs them so we know exactly what to do. I also thought that the cinematography was very well done. Ruben did a great job telling the story and I would highly recommend this movie.


References:
Hare Trigger (1945), All About Eve (1950), "Wanted: Dead or Alive" (1958), For a Few Dollars More (1965), Deliverance (1972), Star Wars (1977), "The Incredible Hulk" (1978), Dawn of the Dead (1978), Caddyshack (1980), "Cheers" (1982),Scrooged (1988),What About Bob? (1991), Babe (1995), Kingpin (1996),Anaconda (1997),Titanic (1997),Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), "Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1" (2000), Garfield (2004), "Robot Chicken" (2005), "Hannah Montana" (2006), 2012 (2009/I)

The Mockbuster

     A mockbuster is a movie that is a thinly veiled copy of an actual blockbuster film.  These films are essentially rip offs of real movies and they are even named similarly, and one man has stood out as the creator of these hollywood knockoffs, Shane Van Dyke. Shane is the grandson of the famous Dick Van Dyke. He has created such films as Titanic 2, Transmorphers, Super Shark, an Paranormal Entity.  

     These Films were not cheap to make, most filmed on Red One cameras and with expensive, yet mediocre effects.
      So the question is, why make these movies, why not make a new idea, why make bad copies of already famous movies?  Some people think that these movies are made to trick people. They plan on making their money by DVD sales from people who are confused as to what they are buying. A grandma trying to buy Transformers for her grandson will accidentally buy Transmorphers.  This idea makes sense   when you look at the titles and covers of the movies, they are almost identical to the real version, in color and fonts.

    It seems like an extravagant trick to play on people, but it is happening all the time. Asylum the production company behind nearly all these films also came out with Allan Quatermain and the Temple of Skulls, a clear copy of Indiana Jones. I guess it is safer to expect money from accidental DVD sales of rip offs than from a possible flop of a fresh idea.  I will let you judge for yourself whether or not what they are doing is right, but I find it amazing that anyone would willingly attach their name to such blatant forgeries.

The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride is one of the biggest hits of my childhood and will forever remain on my favorites list. As of right now it is ranked 15/72. It's hard to beat that! The first time I saw the movie I was very young and it immediately became one of my favorites. My best friend in grade school and I always used to quote the movie and I and much of my family still do. If you haven't seen it. Go SEE IT RIGHT NAHHH!! *swift kick in the rear*. At first the movie wasn't a big hit, but once it took off it made history in my life. It is actually based from a book there are at least two versions of the book. The story was a very old one passed down from generation to generation. The man who the young boy in the movie is supposed to be portraying, rewrote the story and released it to be made as a movie, his name was William Goldman. His grandfather read it to him as a boy and his great grandfather read it to his grandfather etc. When he re-made the story he shortened it by a lot because the original book was excruciatingly long and bogged down with unnecessary dialogue. The story was originally written by S. Morgenstern. Goldman finally read the entire book with out the cuts and discovered that when his uncle or grandfather was reading it to him he left out a lot of the story.

If you're not convinced that it is an awesome movie yet then I dont Know what to say you must be some kinda of non-movie-going-......thing.

Parody or Advertisement?

My question this week has to do with advertising. I'm sure if anyone has watched a Nickelodeon show semi-recently, they have seen the "Pear" computers that the main characters use. Clearly, this is a parody on Apple computers, which they use possibly because they didn't feel like going through Apple to use their computers, but my question is that since everyone clearly knows that the computers are parody-ing Apple, is it really a parody, or a simple and hidden advertisement? I tend to think that it's almost product placement, because not only did they copy the idea of having a symbol on the back of the computer, it was a fruit that looks very much like an apple. I guess my question would better be answered by going to people who know about advertising and product placement, but it's something that's always made me curious.

Boardwalk Empire

Most of you have probably heard of HBO's hit television show Boardwalk Empire. Last week I posted the call sheets for the show. I was watching it tonight and I remembered thinking how amazing the actual boardwalk set is. The set built nearby NYC is a miniature version of the Atlantic City boardwalk in 1920. Where the ocean would be is a huge blue screen. By being able to use this huge blue screen the show is able to spend more money elsewhere and pull of shots that were improbable before (like a shot of the ocean behind a fake boardwalk). It reminded me how far technology has come, even in the last few years, and I think that more filmmakers need to consider it an option. Although there are many examples of its abuse, I think CGI can be a great thing.