A Changing Steve Carell

My favorite comedic actor, Steve Carell, has recently taken a completely different path in his acting career. Steve is most know for his ridiculous, embarrassing humor is films like The 40 Year Old Virgin, and television show The Office. But this time, he is taking on more drama, and apparently doing an incredible job doing it. The last time I saw Steve act in something somewhat dramatic was Little Miss Sunshine, where he played Frank Ginsberg, an uncle who recently attempted suicide. Apparently Steve's dramatic acting has been thriving in the oscar community in his recent role in Bennett Millers Foxcatcher. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Steve is a highly regarded candidate to be the winner of best supporting or lead in the next year or two. This new project he has signed on to The Priority List, where he will play a teacher dying of cancer attempting to go on a road to connect with his students while making the most of his last days. This is a very different Steve Carell that we may be seeing very soon, one that can potentially be named best actor. Hey, if the main character in How To Loose A Guy in 10 Days can do it, why can't Steve?

12 Years a Slave: Did not dissapoint

While anxiously awaiting my arrival into the UK for spring break, I was given the option to watch several movies on the plane. I sat next to two girls from Whales and while scrolling through what movies to watch, we all stopped at 12 Years a Slave. We all said we have never seen it before but wanted to watch it since we heard nothing but great things and I personally wanted to since it won an Oscar. At first we were not sure because we didn't really want to watch such a depressing movie. We then all looked at each other and said it is ok, we can cry together...and together we did.

12 Years a Slave imparts the cruelty of slavery with full force and tells the story of one man and his fight to stay alive. He fights for his life and is taken into the hands of a malevolent slave owner. This film is in no way shape or form an easy film to watch. In fact it is the complete opposite. The storyline is heartbreaking and violent. But the storyline is not what made this film so unbearable to the eye. What made it unbearable was the different camera techniques and editing that was used. One scene in particular was when a main character was being whipped by her own people. The way the shots were produced and the actors expressions were just brutal. I couldn't help but drop my jaw and cry. It was one of the most powerful scenes I have ever watched. Another was when he is writing a letter to his family, the extreme close up shot and the expression on his face makes the viewer feel his pain. Not only is it the way the shot is framed but it is also the duration of the shot. It is extremely long and you are just stuck there staring at his face and seeing the expression in his eyes. It happens for a few scenes. I don't want to give anything away because I strongly believe everyone should see this movie. It is painful, yet beautifully done. The cinematography, acting, directing, editing, everything was none other than brilliant and got the story across incredibly well.

I went into this movie with incredibly high expectations, and I can definitely say it lived up to them and deserved that Oscar for sure.

Louis C.K.: The King of Comedy

                 Last week, FX announced that Louie, the show created, written and directed by Louis CK, would be airing in early March. I couldn't be happier. Louis C.K. is a man who regularly goes up on stage to talk about his bloated, overweight body. The comedian’s honest, vulgar style of standup has always made him one of the comedy’s most respected standups, but it only recently that he started to make a tangible difference on the spectrum of pop culture. If someone is to make a difference, they must have an impact; their actions must cause some form of tangible societal shift. Be it through his unique television show or groundbreaking way that he released his new standup special, Louis C.K. has managed to make a difference by making people laugh in new, groundbreaking ways.

                With his show’s unique production style, Louis C.K. has managed to change the conventional perception of how television production works. When FX approached him to create a show, they offered him complete creative control in exchange for a small budget of only two hundred thousand dollars. This deal meant that Louis would never have to compromise his creativity in order to please the network. However, the small budget results in Louie having an extremely small production crew, but he makes up for it by handling a lot of the work himself. In addition to his job as an actor, he also writes, directs and edits all of the episodes. He has even overseen the music production for most episodes The deal Louis has made has allowed him to pursue his creative vision on the show, but it is also the deal that is changing the television landscape. Typically, producing television means that the writers and directors often have to compromise their artistic vision in order to satisfy those in charge. Between the advertisers, the broadcasting channel and the production company, someone always has an issue with the show. But with so little money at risk, FX just lets Louis do whatever he wants. And the results are always amazing. 

               Louis C.K. always finds ways to make people laugh in unique ways. Be it  was on stage or through his sparse though creative television show. His show is one of the most exciting on television right now, taking creative risks both on screen and behind the scenes. And I could not be happier to see it come back.

The Village

Right before break I sprained my ankle. Because of this I spent 90 percent of my break on the couch catching up on TV and watching movies. One movie that stuck with me was The Village. I had watched this movie once before in english class junior year of high school but I forgot most of it. I decided to watch it again because my brother suggested it. 

The movie has such a strange feel about it. The village these people live in is not like any town we would typically encounter. At first I believe these people didn't know any other life. I was surprised to find that this place only existed for a relatively short time. I was brought into the movie thinking everyone that lived here was born and raised. I was very interested by the elders' reasons for starting this colony. Although the story was very uncomfortable and strange to grasp at first I was so intrigued that I had to continue watching. I'm not sure if I actually enjoyed the movie or if I just needed to know what was going on. 

There were a few parts during the film that didn't add up at first and made you question everything. Like when one of Those We Do Not Speak Of attacked Ivy in the woods after we had just been shown the truth of those creatures. That didn't add up initially but we shortly learn that it had been Noah in a costume. Almost everything was tied up nicely which I appreciated.  

 

One thing I didn't like was when Ivy gets out side of the gates, the guard sees her and doesn't question it as much as I think he should. He asks where she came from and is confused when she says from over the wall. But he doesn't even go looking around in there. He just gets her medicine and sends her on her way. I don't know that part just didn't quite sit with me. 

Overall I thought the movie was well done but I'm not sure if it's one I would watch again. 

The Sopranos

Over spring break I started watching The Sopranos, and I was instantly addicted.

The show is about a mafia family in New Jersey, led by the Soprano family. The opening sequence that plays at the beginning of every episode introduced the setting, New Jersey, and then the protagonist, Tony Soprano.

I am a huge editing nerd, so interesting editorial choices grab my interest quickly, and montages and opening sequences are my favorite things to watch and edit together myself. I loved that the camera was never completely steady and that it was shot while Tony was on the move, driving on the turnpike and through the town. Tony is always on the move, and there are always a lot of things happening with each one of the several characters on the show. An opening sequence that was very steady and calm would not fit with the movement and the dynamics of the show.

Directly after the opening sequence in the pilot episode, it cuts to a very still and quiet shot of Tony Soprano in a psychiatrist's office. This greatly contrasts with the feel of the opening sequence, but it grabs your attention because it is unexpected. Opening in the psychiatrist's office was an excellent choice, because it introduced you to the character of Tony Soprano, and because his appointments and relationship with the psychiatrist are some of the most important aspects of the first season.

The characters and the relationships between them are critical to any show, but they do it extremely well on this show. On a show with this many characters, character development is important. If a character isn't developed fully in a reasonable amount of time, he or she will get lost and seem irrelevant. In this show, each character - each member of the mafia family, each member of the Soprano family, the psychiatrist, and each short-term character - is there for a reason, and their personality and their relationship to each character they interact with is critical to the story.

Coming from an Italian family, I may be biased toward the show because I understand and enjoy the culture of an Italian family and the language they use in the show. However, even without knowing what certain words mean and without understanding every cultural aspect of the families, the characters and the storyline are so well-developed that the show is still completely enticing and addicting.

Using Color to Emotionally Affect the Audience

     Color can mean many different things depending on where you are around the world. To most of us here black is the color of death and white is the color innocence and purity, but in some cultures white signifies death.
     The following is a list of colors and some of the emotions they typically convey:
     Red – anger, passion, rage, desire, excitement, energy, strength, power, love, danger, violence
     Yellow – knowledge, relaxation, happiness, optimism, hope, sunshine, summer, cowardice, betrayal, illness, hazard
     Pink – love, innocence, healthy, content, romantic, charming, playfulness, soft, delicate, feminine
     Green – healing, soothing, perseverance, tenacity, self-awareness, proud, unchanging nature, environment, good luck, renewal, youth, generosity, fertility, jealousy, inexperience
     Blue – faith, spirituality, loyalty, peace, calm, stability, harmony, unity, trust, confidence, security, cleanliness, order, cold, depression
   
   

UNtrue Love's "First Kiss"

This week, a short film called "First Kiss" sent the internet on a frenzy, becoming an instant viral sensation, with over 49 million viewers so far. Many of you have probably seen it. Ten couples, meeting for the first time on set, kiss each other in black and white to the soundtrack of French musician Soko's "We Might Be Dead by Tomorrow". The result was awkward and heartwarming, to be able to see something raw and vulnerable shot in such a beautiful way. Here's the video:

Cute, right? Or so we all thought. The internet backlashed when it was revealed that the video was actually made to showcase a line for a small clothing company called Wren. The people in the film were all models and actors, friends of the film's director Tatia Pilieva. Apparently the video was submitted to Style.com for their Video Fashion Week, to show off the company's new fall designs.

But was it really a secret? The film clearly states in the beginning and in the credits that it was presented by Wren. Nevertheless, many felt duped because the company was not well known. Although the models and actors really did meet each other for the first time on set, crowds of viewers felt violated by the marketing tactics of Corporate America, no matter how unintentional it was.

Despite the controversy and the advertisement, I still felt that the video was sincere and creative. The emotions and reactions of the couples were real, no matter what clothes they were wearing. I thought the soft-focus and black and white was an excellent choice, and the music fit so well.

But, this film does have implications for future advertisements. Viral videos are an excellent way to gain exposure, and through product placement, who can really tell what's real and what's a commercial? Unfortunately, fact-checking is going to have to be on the back of everyone's minds the next time they see anything presented by the media.

Whether you're a fan of the video or not, something good did come out of it. Dozens of parodies, including one by Jimmy Fallon, featuring adorable puppies and kittens. Enjoy.

Labyrinth: Not Just For Children

If I could sum up my childhood with one movie, it would be Labyrinth. Every chance I got, I was watching that movie, and still to this day, it is one of my favorites. It explores a fantastical world of goblins and magic, all created by the power team of director Jim Henson and producer George Lucas. This movie also has a dream cast of Jennifer Connelly and the infamous David Bowie. If you are not familiar with the movie, it is about a young girl names Sarah who dreams of a world where she does not have the responsibility of her annoying baby brother and she is the ruler of her own world. When she wishes upon the Goblin king to come take her brother, she finds that she gets more than she bargained for. Jareth, played by David Bowie, swoops in to capture the child, and says that the only way for Sarah to get her brother Toby back is to find her way to his castle hidden somewhere within a magical labyrinth. On her journey, Sarah meets an eclectic cast of characters, all of which are puppets created by Henson himself.

The beauty of this movie truly comes from the set, costumes, and puppets. The viewer is transported to a magical land that is both fascinating and a bit frightening, especially to a young child. There is a dream sequence in this movie that I believe is beyond beautiful. It involves Sarah at a masquerade party and Bowie singing as she gets lost in the crowd of beautiful costumes and strange masks.

Of course the scene is very 80’s, (1986 to be exact) but who doesn’t love a romantic 80’s scene now and then.

Labyrinth is a movie that I will watch over and over again. I would recommend it to everyone, if not for the story, at least for the creative characters from the mind of the brilliant Jim Henson. And if you are still not into any of those things, at least you can be mesmerized by the voice of musical icon David Bowie.

The Women of Wall Street

Everyone's seen The Wolf of Wall Street. And if you haven't, you need to get on that. Seriously, watch it. It's a miracle you've been able to hold any sort of conversation with people since its release. Just kidding, I saw it about a week ago. But I mean, look at this face:

Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Wolf of Wall Street"

Anyway, if you have heard of it, you're aware of the certain misogynistic themes that run rampant throughout the entire 180 minutes of the film. But Meghan, it's a biographical film! It's supposed to be funny! They have to stay true to the characters! And yes, I do admit that there's something outrageous and alluring that sets The Wolf of Wall Street apart from the other hundreds of thousands of "Men-Are-Powerful, Women-Are-Sex-Objects" films, but it's interesting to think about how the movie would've actually went if the roles were reversed.

And that's where Los Angeles writer, Nicole Donadio, comes in. A couple of weeks ago, she released a video called "The Women of Wall Street", a parody of the original The Wolf of Wall Street trailer. Line for line, and almost exactly shot for shot, she recreated the trailer, but with a twist. All of the roles switched genders. The concept is more impressive than the actual production of the video, but in my opinion, it was very well executed and edited. First, here's the original trailer:

And here's Donadio's version:

At it's worst, it's a silly parody of a blockbuster film. At it's best, it's a nod to the inequality of women in not only the film industry, but the corporate world as well. What I found extremely interesting were the surprisingly negative comments on the Youtube page. Commenters treated the word and the concept of "feminism" in a very critical light. Although "feminism" has always been viewed as a dirty word (known to many as "the F-word"), I found it alarming how many people took the time to express their hatred for not just the video, but the feminist ideals behind it. Regardless, I'm all for these kinds of videos starting discussions and bringing to the surface some of the issues of gender that are mostly shoved under the rug. Props to Donadio, and I'm excited to see if this sparks any more critical parodies.

And in case any of you are interested, here's a link to a well-written critique on The Wolf of Wall Street from a feminist stand point. Because you know, feminism.

Netflix Original Content

     Netflix is a provider of on demand video streaming over the internet and a by mail DVD distribution service. The company was established in 1997 with its headquarters in Los Gatos, California. Just ten years later Netflix announced that it had delivered its billionth DVD. And then in 2011 Netflix had 23.6 million subscribers in the United States and 26 million worldwide. According to a 2013 report by Sandvine, Netflix is the biggest source of North American downstream web traffic, at 32.3%, and registered 28.8% of aggregate traffic.
     Netflix's online streaming is so popular that it has started to create it's own content for it's site. In March 2011 Netflix released its plan to start airing it's original content beginning with the political drama House of Cards which debuted February 2013. Since then Netflix has picked up two seasons of Lillyhammer a season of Arrested Development (with talks of doing another), and two more original shows Hemlock Grove and Orange is the New Black. All three of Netflix's original shows have been approved for more seasons.
     The state of television certainly is taking an interesting turn with full series being created or revived solely for viewing on the internet. This system seems to be going well, but everything could change for the better or worse once Amazon makes its play at the online TV and Movie streaming business.    

Vice

Vice is a documentary television series that explores a variety of groundbreaking stories around the world.  There are different hosts depending on the topic and segment, including the shows founder Shane Smith.  

Vice takes a unique and personal approach to political and cultural topics.  Rolling Stone wrote that it "feels a little like your buddy from the bar just happened to be wandering through eastern Afghanistan with a camera crew."  The audience can truly feel the raw emotion being captured on screen.  The topics range from child suicide bombers to the world's most dangerous drug, scopolamine.  Each episode is so enlightening, and honestly, incredibly risky.  The camera crews aren't always welcomed, and these men risk their lives in their attempt to show us what life is really like on the other side.   

Vice began as an HBO documentary series, but luckily is now available for free via YouTube.  

Shows To Watch Over the Duration of What Will Hopefully Be a Rather Long Lifetime

Over the years, a great many people have asked, "Ryan, what television shows are worth watching?" (Editor's Note: Only one person has ever actually asked him this.) I have spent much of my own time pondering what one's time would be put to best use, in terms of television gazing. 

And so with nothing else to do, (Editor's Note: He wrote this about an hour before a final he had not studied for at all up until that point. And he spent half an hour writing this.) I wrote up a guide to shows that deserved to be watched. Hope it is of some use to someone someday:

Essentials

- The Sopranos (My pick for the best TV show of all time.  It’s about a mob boss in New Jersey named Tony Soprano who is stricken with panic attacks. He goes to therapy to try and solve them. Through both his therapy sessions and his life, we see him struggle with sin, lust, greed, anger. Basically everything that makes us human. And it’s about whether he can overcome those things, or if he’ll be crushed by them. If Freud, Shakespeare, and Martin Scorsese all made a show together, it’d be this. There’s much more to it than that (He’s not the only character), but all this is what that’s what makes the show interesting to me.)

- The Wire (The general consensus pick for the greatest show of all time. Slow, but so worth it. It’s a very smart dissection of the drug war on a Dickensian scale, analyzing every single possible angle of “The Game”.  If you want to understand that’s wrong with the drug war, this is where to find out.)

- Deadwood (The other pick that sometimes people make for the greatest television show of all time. Of the top 3, it is probably the most optimistic, but that is not saying much. Takes place in a gold mining town in South Dakota during 1877. All about how societies slowly grows. Think Shakespeare if Shakespeare used the word cocksucker every thirty seconds. )

- Mad Men (It is The Great Gatsby on television. All about people and their attempts to acquire happiness, or what they believe is happiness, during a very iconic era of this country. Riveting stuff.)

- Breaking Bad (Favorite show of the last five years. What does it take to break a good man?)

- The Simpsons (Trust me, early Simpsons changed the game. They’re brilliant. For the 90’s, greatestAmerican satire there was. I mean, they’ve invented words that are now in Webster’s Dictionary. That’s how good it is! THEY MADE UP WORDS.)

Not Quite in Top 6 But Might As Well Still Be Essential

- The Shield (Ifyou combined The Wire and Breaking bad. Plus, best series finale to a showever. Taking place in a drug ravaged area of L.A. called Farmington, it’s all about this small squad of cops that is allowed to deal with drug dealers by anymeans necessary. Sometimes they do the right thing. Other times, they don’t. But then, what price are you willing to pay for your safety?)

- Arrested Development (If you haven’t seen this, I’ll be disappointed.)

- Battlestar Galactica (The newer one. I haven’t actually seen it yet, but the general acclaim surrounding this inclines me to say to watch this one.)

- Game of Thrones (Lord of the Rings with more blood, sex, and modern themes of power and politics. And lots of incest.)

- Louie (Modern day Woody Allen basically. Funny but introspective. I love this show to death, and one episodein particular had a massive impact on me emotionally… I am a dork.)

Some Random Great Shows That Are Not Necessarily Essential

- Justified (This show is so good that even when it is slow it is still better than 90% of what’s on tv. But I don’t want to say essential because it’s still on and they could mess it up. I doubt they will at this point though.)

- Terriers (Little known, it only ran a season, but holy shit was it great. Think a modern noir films about two shaggy private eyes working for scraps in southern California. Most fun you’ll have all year. Please watch this show, it deserves to be known!)

- Veronica Mars (Film noir that takes place in high school. Witty and dark, it is a compelling private eye shows. BUT WATCH TERRIERS FIRST.)

- Firefly (I’ll just use what Joss Whedon said. “It’s about nine people looking into the blackness of space and seeing nine different things.”)

- Comedy Bang Bang (You can knock this show out in a day. Parody of late night talk shows, really absurd humor. May not be up your alley, but I love it.)

- Cheers (Not as crazy or manic as current sitcoms and more character based, but great stuff in here if you can get into it.)

Great But Flawed Shows Worth Watching

- Buffy/Angel (Great, great character work. Amazing dialogue. And some wickedly inventive plotting. That said, when it's bad, it's really bad. Which is unfortunately something that happens more often then I'd like to admit. Especially in the beginning, Buffy's rough to get through. I would just skip season one entirely, but many would disagree. Ultimately, it's your call. I haven't seen Angel, but understand that it is of equal merit.)

- Lost (People either love or hate this show. Watch it to enjoy the stellar character work, but do not expect a perfect resolution to all your questions.)

- Friday Night Lights (Another series I have not actually seen but I understand is very good, the only reason I put it on flawed is that a certain subplot in season 2 is still, to this day, routinely mocked by the TV watching populace at large.)

- West Wing (Great in the early seasons, but the seasons not penned by Aaron Sorkin are apparently lacking.)

- Scrubs

- Boardwalk Empire

- Homeland

- Malcolm in the Middle

- 24

Frozen

I recently watched Frozen for the first time (I know I'm behind on the times I'm sorry). Although I found the songs catchy and the characters endearing something seemed to be lacking for me. There wasn't that in depth of a story. For some reason it felt to me like things happened too fast. Christoph complains that Anna is going to marry someone she just met and then shortly after is in love with her and wants to marry her. There wasn't enough time for me to accept that character development. I also was disappointed with the lack of involvement of the two main characters Elsa and Anna. I felt like these two were playing minor roles. The movie focused more around the background characters that were there for pure entertainment purposes and did not particularly move the story forward such as Ol. Don't get me wrong, I loved Olaf as a character but I felt like he took away from the story that Disney was trying to tell. I also think a lot more could have been done with this story. The ending felt rushed and cliche even though the world was saved by true love of a sister as opposed to a significant other. It still felt a little forced. Perhaps I was just expecting it to be so much more than it was because of all the hype I'm not sure. But I don't know that I would agree with people who say Frozen is the best Disney movie. I definitely think the movie was beautifully done with catchy songs and a few interesting subtle risks taken by Disney. However I found the story lacking a little bit. It's not one of the Disney movies that I could watch over and over again. Maybe once in a while with my baby cousins but not repeatedly on my own like I would with other movies.

Supporting Characters Are Sometimes The Best Characters

I have recently noticed within a couple of different movies that people talk more about the supporting characters than the main characters that the story is placed around. The most recent movie I have noticed this in was the Disney animation film Frozen.

I was watching Frozen for the seventeenth time with roommate and she stated that she really just watches the movie for Olaf, who is the snowman in the movie. Every single time I have seen this movie I fall more and more in love with him. He is just so funny and entertaining, to be honest I really watch the movie for him as well. There are also other supporting characters like Kristoff and Sven who just make the movie amazing. They add so much to the film. Without them the film would be a good story, but very little entertainment. When you search the best scenes from Frozen, the majority of the clips that are chosen contain these three supporting characters. Here is proof!

The same thing with the Despicable Me movies, both the first one and the second one. While I love the movies as a whole I really watch the movies for the minions and the three little girls they are adorable! After watching the second movie I realized that they really created it around the minions. There was a lot action from the minions and the little girls.

 So with all that being said there are many movies that I have seen where the supporting characters are better then the actual main characters. Supporting characters are my favorite characters!

Fair or not?

As some of you may have heard, a fantastic film came out recently known as "Captain Phillips" featuring Tom Hanks as Captain Phillips. The film is critically acclaimed and was nominated for numerous Oscar awards. The antagonist in the film known as Samali Pirate was played by actor Barkhad Abdi. Mr. Abdi prior to who's role was a chauffeur and a mobile phone salesman prior to taking on his Oscar nominated role. The reason why I am talking about Mr. Abdi is not because of how well he played his role, but what he stood to gain from it (or not gain may be a better way of putting it). As this being the first film he ever acted in, he was payed a salary of $65,000 for his monumental role. Regardless of his current predicament, do you think it is fair that the british director Paul Greengrass who had a $55 million budget only allocated $65,000 of it to Barkhad Abdi because he could? This is a tough predicament many people in power struggle with. Do you pay someone the minimum you can or the amount that the person truly deserves? If you said what the person deserves, what do you believe Mr. Abdi should have received? Or do you feel what he received is fair?

This issue was brought to light because Mr. Abdi apparently is struggling to pay his bills after he decided to quit his job to do the film. "Captain Phillips" $106 million alone in the U.S. box office, so it really makes you think if what Mr. Abdi received is fair. As an aspiring filmmaker I believe what is produced should be based on the most profitability, but should be based on the vision that I have. Anyone involved in the version and playing a key role in it's development should be rewarded in accordance with the budget I have and the effort they put in. Whether your Tom Hanks or Barkhad Abdi, I believe that if you are playing a massive role in a multimillion dollar feature film, you deserve a larger salary then $65,000. Mr. Abdi is one of the reasons I'd loved the film so much. His amazing performance should not go unrewarded. I hope that someone from the film has it in their hearts to remedy him for his fantastic job. Maybe you Mr. Greengrass can help him out? If not, Tom, you should try to help your supporting costar out, show him that you appreciated his performance. I mean your salary was probably at leas a few hundred times his.

Stop Motion Animation

Kina Grannis' first album, Stairwells, came out in 2010, and though she's not quite on the popularity level of A-list artists like Justin Timberlake, her YouTube channel has over 830,000 subscribers and her next album is due out this May. Kina is known for her YouTube covers, her beautiful original music, and her unique and creative videos. One of her most well-known videos is a music video for her original song, "In Your Arms," with over 10.2 millions views since it's release in November of 2011. Here's the music video:

This music video is far from ordinary. It was made using stop motion animation, a very detail-oriented and time-consuming method of animation, but one with an amazing result when executed well. In stop motion animation, objects that appear to move on their own are actually physically manipulated, placed frame by frame and photographed. The photographs are then made into a video, and it appears that these objects are moving fluidly and by themselves.

Kina Grannis and Greg Jardin, the director of the "In Your Arms" music video, took stop motion animation a step further and used jelly bean art. There are entire paintings made out of jelly beans that look incredibly accurate and interesting.

In the "In Your Arms" video, each and every frame was made of jelly beans, individually and precisely placed, to create the scenes you see her in during the video. Once the jelly beans were perfectly placed, a sheet of glass was placed over the box they were in and Kina lied on top of it, maneuvering herself into whatever position the director told her she was in in that exact frame, and then a picture was taken and the process began again. Each frame could take several hours, and there were approximately 2300 frames to shoot, so the video, in its entirety, took over a year to shoot. The end result was worth it, and as such a young and new artist, she created one of the most unique and interesting music videos the world has ever seen.

The "Making of..." video shows just how they went about making this video and how much and how many people went into it. 

Characters are what makes a show: Parks and Recreation

The television series Parks and Recreation is one of my favorite shows. The subtle humor and natural goofiness is what drives the show to become a successful comedy. The show is about Leslie Knope (played by Amy Poehler) who is the deputy director of the Parks and Recreation Department in Indiana, Pawnee. Leslie is incredibly passionate about her job. Leslie will do anything in her power to become a woman involved in government. She has an interesting, yet supportive team behind her the entire way she strives for the top. The way the show is composed is documentary like. The camera is constantly moving and the characters talk directly to the camera in each episode.

                                                     

As soon as I began to watch, I found myself hooked. The character development in the show is what makes the show so interesting and attractive. Even though the characters have very different views from one another, they all work well together and support each other. For many people my age, politics can tend to be boring, unless one has a strong interest. This show is a spoof on politics and the government. It is humorous and enjoyable to watch. The characters engage the audience by adding humor and relatable jokes.

Each character in the show is very different, yet adds something to the show. Leslie Knope, the protagonist, is a passionate, hard-working, ambitious woman who loves her hometown and will do anything to climb to the top. Leslie cares deeply for her friends and her coworkers. She will always put others before herself.



                                                  

There are several relationships in the show that are very interesting. Ron Swanson’s relationship with Leslie is one of many. Ron hates the government and having anything to do with the government, where as Leslie’s passion is about the government and becoming a woman in politics. Her main role model is Hilary Clinton. Even though Ron has a completely different view than Leslie, they still have a strong friendship and work well together. Another interesting relationship in the beginning of the show is the romantic relationship between Andy Dwyer and Ann Perkins. Ann is a neat, kind, smart, loving character that will do anything for her loved ones and friends. She is a nurse and has a general direction of where she is going in life. Andy on the other hand is a low-life with good intensions who does not have a real job. He plays in a low-key band and shines shoes. Andy is clearly out of Anne’s league and Anne can do a lot better. The characters continue to grow and connect with each other, which makes the show easy to keep watching.

Makeup: Another Essential Part of the Story

So we all know that in order to make an awesome video (film/show/etc.) you need a camera, a tripod, an audio person, lights, a script, costumes, actors, and so much more. One aspect that I personally forget about is makeup. Makeup can really help set the mood of the video and can actually make or break it too. For example, think of "The Walking Dead" series; imagine if they used no makeup. They would look horrible and the show would be nonexistent. Luckily for "The Walking Dead" they have amazing makeup artists who create amazing works of zombies, or should I say art. I have watched a couple behind the scenes videos of the makeup artist creating these zombies. It is crazy what they use and how they use it to create these creatures. Here is a tutorial that "The Walking Dead" crew put up as tips for Halloween.

They used oatmeal, gelatin, latex, and a lot of makeup to create this realistic look. There have been a number of scenes within the series that have characters who have missing jaws, lips, arms, etc. How the heck do they do that? Well here is bicycle girl, who is the first walker to be seen in the show. This is how they got her ready.

So imagine this production of bicycle girl takes about three hours. There are scenes within the series that have twenty to fifty walkers walking the streets. Imagine how much time that has to take making everyone look like a legitimate zombie. While it probably only takes them a half hour or so for the smaller characters having to do twenty to fifty of them is insane. Really appreciate the work that is done by makeup artists because they are extremely talented and creative. Also I totally recommend watching "The Walking Dead"! It is an amazing show!!!!

East of Kensington: The Process of Filmmaking

Recently, I've been surfing the internet for short films to help with our process of filmmaking for this class. I came across an awesome website called Short of the Week, that displays innovative and worthwhile short films regularly. In addition, they publish articles regarding the short film world and post news about awards and film festivals.

Anyway, while browsing the site I found an interesting short thesis film created by students of Chapman University, (the same university that the student thesis film "Into the Silent Sea" came from, directed by Andrej Landin) and decided to check it out. It's called "East of Kensington", a thriller written and directed by Kellen Moore during his time at Chapman. It tells the tale of Peter Pan after he drops off Wendy, Michael and John back home to London after their adventures in Neverland. The film takes a disturbing turn, which captivates you till the very end. It's twenty minutes long, which is the same length as the films we're making, so I made sure to pay attention to the structure of a film that's already proven to be successful.

East of Kensington from Kensington Creative on Vimeo.

I thought the short was visually impressive. The dark color theme was cohesive during the entire film and gave it a certain tone and mood that was very effective. Also, the dreamlike scenes with Wendy were haunting and beautiful. Overall the shots were truly appealing to the eye and very well executed. Furthermore the attention to detail was spectacular. Everything from the scenery to costumes to the pictures on the walls and in the newspaper were accounted for. This is something to keep in mind when designing our sets and collecting props and costumes for our own films.

Now that we're in the writing and story creating phase of our process, there is a lot to consider about structure and story. A short film only has a certain amount of time to leave an impression, so every part of it must be well thought out and purposeful. Specifically this film, I learned a lot about ways to include back story without taking up too much time or hitting the audience over the head with exposition. Granted, the characters and plot for this film are well known to the audience, so a lot was dependent on that, but there was still an entire implicit history of the characters lives fit into a twenty minute time frame. The use of the dream sequences and careful dialogue to explain what happened to the children while Peter was away was well done.

Another important characteristic of a short is feeling like a full story, even though it's really only a snippet or event of something larger. "East of Kensington" jumps right into the story, without much background. Then at the end, although it doesn't seem like an ending, has a feeling of completion and finality. This is something that I believe is significant to contemplate while writing the script to our own films. Watching other peoples' short films is extremely helpful and rewarding when you are attempting to do the same, and a lot can be learned from the trials, errors and successes of those who have created films before us.

Nathan Fielder is a comedian taken to the next level. His show Nathan for You follows him as he tries to help individuals create successful businesses. The catch is that his ideas are actually ridiculous, but the best part is; they are just so ridiculous, they sometimes make an impact.

            

Nathan for You is set up like a reality show, Nathan himself is the only actor involved, and the businesses that he features are all real. The ideas that he has span from making a haunted house so scary that the customers would sue the company, to charging people a dollar for gas after a rebate that can only be claimed at the top of a large mountain. His ideas show just how hilarious and brilliant Nathan is. More than not, the companies he tries to help are reluctant to try his ideas, but they always go along with it in the end.

One of the ways in which Nathan translates even more comedy into this show is through his personality; he is a scrawny, awkward, and nerdy guy, which makes his humor all the more appealing. Beyond simply being funny, his show makes a statement of how ridiculous certain aspects of our society are. There is one episode where Nathan goes as far as creating an entire fake reality dating show parodying the bachelor that everyone down to the host thinks is real. In this episode he “tries to find love and gain confidence,” but in the end, shows how people will do anything just to get on television.