Darkness Light Darkness is a short film by Jan Švankmajer. I think it is a very interesting film that sheds
light on human life. Jan works with clay figures throughout the short. Human limbs (clay limbs) try to put themselves together. Strange
sounds are used during this process. Hands, ears, eyes, a face, and all of the
other limbs eventually come together to create a fully-grown human body trapped
in a small room where they're connected.
I found this film to be very impressive and well done because it is
stop motion animation. It is such a meticulous way of creating a story. You
have to change the models slightly every frame without losing the continuity or
the persistence of vision. You take a picture and change it again and again until the
film is complete.
I don't know exactly what Jan was trying to portray with this film. I think there are a lot of messages that can be taken from it. However, I can only put one message I received into words clearly. This message is: We (humans) try
so hard to discovery our meaning or purpose in life but we get so caught up in the search that we never get a chance to truly live. We have to look outside of the tiny room (narrow perspective) we think were trapped in to see the wonder of life. When each of us are open and truly alive, that is when we will be living out our purpose. I could be completely wrong but that's the great part about films. Each viewer can get something different out of a single film.
The video below is the full short film. Viewer Discretion Is Advised
As today is the fifth of November, I feel that I have to be the film student to post about V for Vendetta. What was originally a graphic novel published in the 1980's (written by Alan Moore and made into art by David Lloyd and Tony Weare), was adapted into a film in 2006 (staring Hugo Weaving and Natalie Portman, featuring John Hurt and Stephen Fry). This 2006 British action thriller follows the story of a masked tragic hero, known only as "V". The story takes place in a totalitarian Great Britain in the year 2020, the people of Great Britain have allowed themselves to be completely ruled by their Chancellor and his Norsefire party. This Great Britain is essentially a police state.
V (Weaving) comes into the picture, wearing his Guy Fawkes mask, ready to take down the High Chancellor Adam Sutler (played by famed British actor John Hurt) and his regime. In an act of chance, he manages to meet Evey Hammond (Portman), who he gets out of a dangerous situation. Over time they build a very close relationship, and the past of the mysterious V is revealed. This is not just the story of V though, this movie can also be described as Evey's journey out from the unenlightened masses. We do tend to see a lot of things from Evey's point of view, in particular our revolutionary, V. Unfortunately it is incredibly difficult for me to get much further into the plot, without creating serious spoilers, as this film really gets its power from the reveals we get throughout the film.
The original writing by Alan Moore is really pumped up by the writing of Andy and Lana Wachowski, who also produced the film (made famous by their direction and writing of the Matrix trilogy). The best moments in this films are the moments where V is delivering some of the most quick and beautiful monologues. Throughout the film the writing consistently keeps the energy vibrant and the pace very much alive. Which is helped significantly by the skilled oration of Hugo Weaving (who played Mr. Smith in the Wachowski's Matrix trilogy) We see one monologue here, where V meets Evey:
The significance of the mask simply being that Guy Fawkes was a British revolutionary who attempted to destroy parliament on November the 5th of 1605. We learn later, the much more in depth reasons as to why V wear a mask in the first place. This mask winds up being the symbol for V's revolution; Guy Fawkes day (November 5) also winds up having serious significance to his revolution as well. We also see the traditional British poem used as well:
Remember, remember the Fifth of November
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot.
I know of no reason,
why the Gunpowder Treason
should ever be forgot
One extra thing to note, is that this film is getting extra attention this year in particular, as we move through NSA wiretaps and other questionable acts by our government. One such article can be read here. Overall this thriller will have you at the edge of your seat. You still have two hours left to watch it on the fifth of November, so stop reading and get to it! That is where I am headed!
Did you watch it? Well if you didn't, then do it. Seriously. Now.
This trailer has revived my faith in reboots. At the start of the trailer, we see Captain America (Chris Evans) and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) discussing their weekends. The short conversation brings back much of the light humor from the first film as well as a reminder that Capt. isn't in his domain anymore--keep in mind he was frozen in ice for many decades.
As he jumps out of the plane, it's hard not to smile. "Was he wearing a parachute?" "No. No he wasn't." From those two lines, viewers are reminded of Captain America's greatest superpower: courage. It's cheesy, I know, but that's why Steve Rogers was chosen to be the world's first superhero, anyway. Wasn't it? Besides his super strength, quick reflexes, and devilishly good looks, the greatest thing about this hero is what's inside. It's why we all grew to love him in the first film.
"I joined SHIELD to protect people." This line worked as another great reminder of why we love this hero. The only reason Captain America does what he does is to protect those who cannot protect themselves. He swore that he would use his powers for the greater good of the world. Without his promise, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to be the hero he became.
"Captain, to build a better world sometimes means turning the old one down. And that makes enemies." Oh no! Conflict! What could it be?? We don't know, and that's the point. A good trailer doesn't need to flat-out tell you what the main conflict in the story is. Can they? Sure. But I'm personally a fan of showing rather than telling, which is what the trailer goes on to do.
We are then shown a shot of this man...
Say hello to The Falcon (Anthony Mackie), the newest addition to Marvel's movie heroes. The Falcon, also known as Sam Wilson, has the powers to telepathically communicate with birds and can see what birds see. Who knows if Marvel will stay true to these powers, considering they seem to like to stay away from supernatural powers in their films, but this hero is also highly trained in hand-to-hand combat and, yes, even gymnastics. I'm not quite sure how our new character will be incorporated into the storyline of this film, but at least Marvel can throw him into the Avengers in the upcoming sequel.
"Look out the window. You know how the game works. Disorder. War." It's easy to tell that this Captain America sequel will be much, much darker than the first. After just listening to this one line, as well as watching cars blow up, I suddenly knew that this film will probably not be nearly as light-hearted or comical as the first. Marvel seems to be going down this road with all their sequels. Iron Man 2 was clearly much darker than the first, but then much of the humor we loved from the first film was brought back for the third installment. The upcoming Thor sequel looks much darker in content has well.
"We want to neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen." "I thought the punishment usually came after the crime...This isn't freedom. This is fear." I guess Marvel decided to take a more real-world approach in this film! Often with government agencies--the FBI, the CIA--people question the morals of the things they do and the way those things are carried out. Captain America takes the stance of much of the general public when Nick Fury tells him that SHIELD is taking a new approach to fighting possible threats. He accuses Fury of what many people accuse the U.S. government of doing--acting without just cause.
Next, we see Captain America kick and punch a group of guys in an elevator. Many explosions follow.
In the ending shot of the trailer, we finally get a better look at the villain of the film. They call him the Winter Soldier, but his real name is...wait for it...almost there...getting closer...Bucky Barnes!! Yup! It's Captain's best, dead friend from the first film. How is he alive? No clue. I'm sure I could ask Google and I'd find out in a matter of thirty seconds but I'd much rather find out when I see the film in theaters--probably on opening night.
Along with the excellent dialogue selections they chose from the film, the makers of the trailer for Captain America: The Winter Soldier used some very visually appealing shots to even further enhance the effectiveness of the trailer. I'm not usually one to enjoy sequels, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jumping up and down in my seat after watching this trailer.
For over half a year, the first question I'd ask my friend when I bumped into her was "did you see the new Lizzie Bennet yet?" It became such a frequent thing between us that greetings were often forgotten in lieu of diving right back in to where we had previously left off in our conversations about it. It never mattered what time it was or where each other were, the minute a new diary was uploaded we stopped everything to watch and discuss it.
It was an obsession we had both come to love.
And there's nothing sweeter than getting your friends addicted to the things you watch. It shares the joy and splits the pain. With The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, there was a lot of both to go around. Now, I'll be honest and say I did not like Austen's Pride & Prejudice in its tangible form but this series was quick to change my mind.
You may be wonderingwhy this series could be at all entertaining, but there's a reason it won an Emmy. Its creators, Hank Green and Bernie Su, knew exactly what they were doing from its launch to its finish: and boy did they do a good job.
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, if you haven't guessed, is a modernized adaption of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice. Its titular character, going by the name of Lizzie Bennet, has decided to make a series of video blogs about her life and happenings at the behest of her best friend (Charlotte Lu). Proud, loud, and stubbornly prejudice, Lizzie finds her world taking an unexpected turn as her marriage-obsessed mother tries to match her daughters up with the richest guy in town: who just so happens to appear in new-comer Bing Lee. The story follows the basic plot of the book, as Lizzie now finds herself caught up in the affairs of her sisters and the troubles of dark and broody Mr. Darcy.
It's an age-old classic, but it's definitely worth the time to watch. Like I said, I wasn't a huge fan of the book but the creators have a way with making this story transcend the barriers of time and allow it to connect with its audience in a way not harnessed before.
But of course, you're probably still skeptical. What could be so great about another Pride & Prejudice adaption? It's the standard been-there-done-that disease, but have no fear. This is the perfect remedy for you.
The Characters
While not all the characters make the cut for this contemporary narrative, the show still includes all the best with the finest talent available. Every actor brings a sense of realism to their characters, that goes beyond the justice they deserve, while staying true to their canon-counterparts.
They're witty, snarky, laughable, rude, and entirely endearing. There is a little bit from every person that we can sympathize with: even the ones we want to slap upside the head (and trust me, that's plenty). If not for the story, you'll be coming back for the characters.
While the first few episodes have a slight pilot-itis, the quality increases exponentially as we settle into this world that's slowly built before our eyes. We are introduced to Lizzie's best friend, her family, Mr. Darcy, Bing Lee, and their respective allies bit by bit.
It's commendable to see them taking their time to create their personalities and their dynamics. Sometimes it's infuriating, but you're lucky that you no longer have to wait every single week to see what'll happen next (even if you read the book). Yet, it makes the transformation and growth of every person more realistic.
Let me be the first to say Lizzie was not my favorite character for a good portion of the series until I saw that there was so much more to her. Sure, she was stubborn and judgmental but she learned from her mistakes. I actually just re-watched the first and last episode, and it's truly remarkable how much her character was developed. It was comforting because it reminded me that we can always change who we are any time we choose to.
High-fives all around for its wonderfully delightful diverse cast. It's a seemingly small factor, but it proves how easy it is to cast more than your prototypical non-POC. The world is diverse so why not show it. It's representative in a way that allows a wider demographic range to be able to appreciate its influence without having being put to the sidelines.
The Format
The series takes on an unconventional way of storytelling, through its sit-in-front-of-camera vlogging style. Every episode, when it was still airing, was uploaded twice a week and ranged from two to eight minutes of content. It was a strategy I had hardly seen in the internet-world, that worked as well as it did. By uploading at the frequency and with the length that it did, the show kept the pace rolling (for a book that is arguable measured). It encouraged long-time viewers to continue watching but it also opened up its demographic for anyone who wanted to catch-up. It's certainly less daunting to catch up on twenty five-minute episodes than twenty hour-long ones. It's a tactic that most content creators forget to consider.
By keeping them small and constant, the show's development team kept up with the type of audience it had: one that desires more for less.
Even from the way she speaks to us, the show stays true to its paper-backed ancestor. It's called Pride & Prejudice for a reason. By limiting the point of view to Lizzie's own perception and camera, we experience the contempt she gives us along with the narrow-mindedness. Without the perspective of others, we only have Lizzie's side of things. It's truly awesome to see how it takes us into her own view, yet we don't completely allow ourselves to be persuaded.
With the semi-constant intrusion of others (naively or not), we see a glimpse of what Lizzie might be spinning in her own opinion. It also keeps us on our toes. Maybe Bing will be in this one. Maybe Darcy will finally appear. Maybe Lydia will pop in. It's a tease that keeps us coming back for more.
The Connectivity
It's a story about being frustrated with the world and finding out that your way of looking at things may not be the best way (or the only way). Sometimes people have secrets they'd rather keep, or personalities they're too shy to show. And while we may be quick to judge someone for how they appear, it's not always the first impression that's the most accurate.
Green and Su give us a mirror to look into. We can see ourselves, our problems, our pride, and or prejudice. But they gives us friends, people to look up to, and people to learn from. If you haven't seen it I'd definitely recommend you find a comfy chair, some good wifi, and settle in because you won't want to stop once you start.
If there's one thing I hate about the film industry, it's the perpetuation of a film series in order to make more money. Lucrative films are always getting sequels, prequels and and other type of "quel" that can be squeezed out. Sometimes, these subsequent films build upon the foundation set by their predecessor and are quite good. However, I've found that nine times out of ten, the series reaches a threshold where the films simply stop being good. Take the Shrek series, for example. The original "Shrek" movie was great. Funny, charming, built with a great cast, it was one of my favorite films growing up. Shrek 2 was a pleasant surprise, and in some cases proved to be better than the original. Then "Shrek the Third" rolled around. I remember thinking to myself, my goodness this film is terrible. I didn't even bother going to see the fourth Shrek film. For better or worse, each film was considered a blockbuster hit, and perpetuated the creation of other film. I bet right now there's someone in Hollywood who thinks another Shrek film is a brilliant idea. My point is, monetary success is not proportional to quality, and should not be considered as such.
Recently it was just announced that the "Night at the Musuem" franchise is getting another installment. Now, this one particularly bothers me. I remember being in elementary school when the first film came out, and I was very excited. Rightfully so, as the film was charming, witty, and had a pretty good premise. After seeing the second one, it was clear that the source material for the films had quickly evaporated. It was essentially the same as the first, only it had lost it's charm. I feel like this downhill slide could only continue with a third film. I mean, how many museums can Ben Stiller almost ruin?
It seems like this project is going to get the greenlight, as Robin Williams recently announced that he would reprise his role as Teddy Roosevelt. Nothing to keep a film going like the attachment of big-name actors.
Although I don't want it to, this film will definitely and unfortunately happen.
This semester I have had the fortune of being able to produce a documentary and start to understand what it is that goes into a documentary. It's a very different shooting style than fiction but I think they are still after the same goals. After seeing what it takes just to make a student documentary I thought back to all the amazing documentaries I've seen in the past. I was able to fall in love with them again now that I have a better understanding of what is going on, one of those being Chasing Ice. Chasing Ice is a documentary about a National Geographic photographer named James Balog trying to document the drastic changes that are happening on our Earth. The thing that I love about how Balog did this documentary is how he addressed the problem in his documentary. How can I take the immense amount of layers of reason, science, and controversy that go into climate change and put it into one storyline that accurately represents the issue and depicts what is happening? James Balog took the most captivating and sympathetic aspect that everyone can stand behind and that's the beauty of nature. He is intentionally making the ice look alive and he does this very well. Then once we have fallen in love with the beautiful ice of the Arctic, he shows us it's destruction through time lapse. At the time James was making this, technology was actually fairly limited for a time lapse camera that could survive the relentless weather of the Arctic. Consequently James invented a heavy weather proof, timed camera and mounting system for the sake of this project. It wasn't easy though and he documents his struggle with this system over a matter of years but the amount of work and pain that went into this created some of the best videos documenting the destruction of glaciers. Unfortunately through the making of the documentary James body also takes a toll. His knee's start giving up on him and he pushes it to the point where he is putting others in danger because of his health. He then takes the media front and starts giving speeches. The story is immensely powerful and in my book is a successful documentary because it makes you aware but most importantly want to take action.
And all of the shots of the ice they get are just breath taking. They are clearly National Geographic photographers. The way they play with the shapes and the natural light and colors of the ice is beyond me. Working on something like that is a dream for me.
In the spirit of Halloweekend, I decided to look up the greatest horror films of all time. This list is up for debate, and it comes from rottentomatoes.com. The movies are ranked based on the "tomatometer" scores, which I'm sure most of you are familiar with. Critic's votes are also taken into account for these ratings. I can agree with some, however, my personal top 5 are way different from these top 5. I think The Shinning should be a lot higher on this list than where it is listed, as well as Silence of the Lambs (even though I don't consider it a horror movie) Take a look at the list below for yourself and if you feel inclined, comment your top 5 horror movies, you can include movies not on the list.
1
100%
Repulsion (1965)
2
100%
Frankenstein (1931)
3
100%
The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
4
100%
Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari. (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) (1920)
5
100%
Spoorloos (The Vanishing) (1988)
6
100%
The Invisible Man (1933)
7
100%
Vampyr - Der Traum des Allan Grey (1931)
8
100%
Them! (1954)
9
100%
The Witches (1990)
10
98%
Let the Right One In (2008)
11
98%
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
12
98%
Aliens (1986)
13
98%
King Kong (1933)
14
98%
The Evil Dead (1981)
15
98%
Evil Dead 2 (1987)
16
98%
Eyes Without a Face (1960)
17
98%
The Loved Ones (2012)
18
97%
Ringu (Ring) (1998)
19
97%
The Innocents (1961)
20
97%
Werckmeister Harmóniák (2000)
21
96%
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
22
96%
Psycho (1960)
23
97%
Nosferatu, a Symphony of Horror (Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens)
(Nosferatu the Vampire) (1922)
24
96%
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
25
96%
The Birds (1963)
26
96%
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
27
96%
Martin (1978)
28
96%
Dead of Night (1945)
29
96%
Theater of Blood (Theatre of Blood) (Much Ado About Murder) (1973)
30
96%
[Rec] (2007)
31
96%
Sleuth (1972)
32
96%
Village of the Damned (1960)
33
96%
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
34
95%
Don't Look Now (1973)
35
95%
Nosferatu: Phantom der Nacht (Nosferatu the Vampyre) (1979)
36
95%
Suspiria (1977)
37
95%
The Fly (1958)
38
95%
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
39
95%
House of Wax (1953)
40
95%
Deep Red (Profondo rosso) (1975)
41
95%
House On Haunted Hill (1959)
42
95%
Island of Lost Souls (The Island of Dr. Moreau) (1932)
43
95%
Midnight Son (2009)
44
94%
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
45
94%
Halloween (1978)
46
94%
Young Frankenstein (1974)
47
94%
Los ojos de Julia (Julia's Eyes) (2010)
48
94%
Fright Night (1985)
49
94%
The Wolf Man (1941)
50
93%
Gwoemul (The Host) (2006)
51
93%
Room 237 (2013)
52
93%
Gojira (1954)
53
93%
Re-Animator (1985)
54
93%
Freaks (1932)
55
93%
Horror of Dracula (1958)
56
93%
Sleep Tight (2012)
57
93%
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
58
93%
Matinee (1993)
59
92%
Drag Me to Hell (2009)
60
92%
The Cabin in the Woods (2012)
61
92%
The Shining (1980)
62
92%
Carrie (1976)
63
92%
Cat People (1942)
64
92%
I Walked With a Zombie (1943)
65
92%
The Mummy (1932)
66
91%
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
67
91%
The Fly (1986)
68
91%
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
69
91%
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
70
91%
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1960)
71
91%
Dracula (1931)
72
91%
Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut (2004)
73
91%
Eraserhead (1977)
74
91%
Arachnophobia (1990)
75
91%
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
76
90%
Zombieland (2009)
77
90%
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
78
90%
The Wicker Man (1974)
79
90%
Phantom Of The Opera (1925)
80
90%
The Dead Zone (1983)
81
90%
The Return of the Living Dead (1985)
82
90%
The Tenant (1976)
83
90%
Seconds (1966)
84
90%
Hausu (House) (1977)
85
89%
Let Me In (2010)
86
89%
Russian Ark (2002)
87
89%
Ginger Snaps (2000)
88
89%
Cronos (1993)
89
89%
Near Dark (1987)
90
89%
House of Usher (The Fall of the House of Usher) (1960)
We've all been through that painfully boring safety video at the beginning of a flight. Now take a second to think about the last time you actually watched it...it's been a while, hasn't it? I always talk to the passenger next to me, even if I don't know them, instead of paying attention, or maybe even start a Sudoku. But then, Virgin America changed the game. Their new pre-flight safety video presents the important information through song. Watch the extremely catchy video that was released on Tuesday below.
The innovative video was written and performed by YouTube sensation Todrick Hall. He's known by many as the guy who sings his order at McDonald's and Subway and other restaurants. He also is known for mashing up popular songs to tell a story. If you're interesting in seeing more of his work, you can check out two of my favorites: "CinderFella" and "The Wizard of Ahhhs," which features the well-known a cappella group Pentatonix.
"Cinderfella"
"The Wizard of Ahhhs"
It was only a matter of time until a company snatched up Todrick and made a killer song that was bound to go viral, so congrats to Virgin America for being the lucky one. What a genius idea to put a rap and hip-hop twist on the informative video. Directed by Hollywood blockbuster director Jon M. Chu ("G.I. Joe:
Retaliation," "Step Up 2"), the video includes a plethora of talented dancers,
singers and choreographers, some of which you may recognize from shows like "American Idol" and "So You Think You
Can Dance."
Unfortunately, two days after the video debuted, a rule was changed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Now, passengers are allowed to use their cellphones from gate-to-gate to play video games and watch movies, as long as they aren't making calls. That makes the video already outdated, as one line asks passengers to shut off their electronics. Editing should fix that problem fairly easily. The airline is actually holding a talent audition via Instagram, and the winner will appear in the updated version of the in-flight safety video.
I am just so impressed with Virgin America. With a catchy tune that makes you want to get up and dance, this marketing is absolutely fantastic. I've never flown Virgin America, but I really want to after seeing this.
A longstanding tradition in the Colleran household is the annual watching of Charlie Brown Holiday specials. While I enjoy the slightly mediocre (but still heartwarming) Thanksgiving episode and love the anti-consumerism, holiday-spirit fueled Christmas episode, the Halloween special may be my all time favorite Peanuts cartoon. In the spirit of Halloween (and the 47th anniversary of its release in 1966) I decided to keep the family tradition alive and watch the special yet again.
Upon first glance, there's really not a whole lot to "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown." The animation is extremely crude and doesn't hold up at all to what we're accustomed to today. The voice acting is weird and awkward. And the story is kind of all over the place, splitting the 25 minute episode into Linus desperately waiting for the Great Pumpkin to visit his pumpkin patch, Charlie Brown trick or treating with the rest of the gang, and Snoopy...taking off on his dog house and fighting the Red Baron.
However, the Great Pumpkin is so much more to me than that. The animation is beautifully simplistic, with solid colors hilariously being used as backgrounds 50% of the time and Linus' hair shooting straight out from his head whenever he's excited or scared. The voice acting is weird and awkward, but it's also authentic, because all of the voices were recorded by real kids. And the story. In part, it's the story of a naive child who gets his expectations up over something that's not real, only to have them coming crashing down around him later on. For the most part, though, it's simply the story of kids celebrating Halloween and being as mean as possible to Charlie Brown.
Poor, poor Charlie Brown. The guy just can't catch a break. Whether he's being forced to use the back of his head to model for a pumpkin carving or getting a rock at every house he trick or treats at (the line "I got a rock" gets me every. Single. Time. The delivery is just so deadpan and perfect), Charlie Brown ends up having just as bad of a Halloween as Linus does. This in and of itself says a lot about the time period; Charlie Brown is just mercilessly bullied the entire special without any consequence. At least in the Christmas special he gets his tiny, pathetic tree decorated by everyone, but there's just no redemption for him this time around.
Anyway, there's so much more that could be picked apart and analyzed about this particular holiday special (Snoopy's weird, PTSD-esque fantasy/dream being a big part of that) but I'd much rather just take the Great Pumpkin at face value. It's fun, it's mindless, and to me at least, it encapsulates everything that the Fall season should be. In the words of Linus: "I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far at the eye can see."
I was flipping through reddit.com the other day (like a good college student should) and I came across this really cool picture posted on r/pics. He strapped a flashlight to his chest and then took a long-exposure shot. The result was fantastic...
After being a little inquisitive, I found his personal website: DennisCalvert.net
He's posted dozens of amazing pictures here that he created with artistic lighting, but what I found most exciting was his tutorial section where he explains how he made several of his pictures.
Keep in mind that there is no serious photoshop work going on here. All of these were created with specific lighting tools to create really interesting designs. To see how he made any of these visually stimulating pictures, check out his tutorial page here.
Of course, this blog mainly focuses on films and not photography... so let me reel this in a little.
Because film can not take long exposure shots like photos can, the possibilities become a little more narrow unless you want to use special effects. However, there are still plenty of ways to artistically use lighting. By this point most of us understand the standard three-point lighting system like in this diagram:
When all of them are used, you get a nice looking shot like this one here:
It looks great, but the absence of one or more of these lights is when you can get a really interesting shot. Take for example this shot from There Will Be Blood:
In this shot there is only one light source on Daniel Day Lewis and he is blending right into the background. It really pulls our attention to his face and makes us wonder what his eyes are so transfixed on.
Here's another example from The Third Man, where one light is creating a dramatic contrast between the character and the environment.
I pulled all of these pictures from an album I found (on reddit... of course) which explains lighting and color temperature really well. Check it out here.
On a final note, I just want to say that we really do live in a world of free education today. You just need the motivation to find it!
Tina Fey is at it again. The comedy genius, known for her
funny impersonations on SNL, her role
as Liz Lemon on 30 Rock, and writer
and teacher in the movie Mean Girls, has signed a contract with NBC for a new
single-camera comedy show called Tooken. Written by Tina Fey and her 30-Rock collaborator, Robert Carlock, right after ending
their Emmy winning comedy ended its last season, they got together to make this new
series. Its going to center around a
woman who escapes from a doomsday cult and starts her life over in New York
City, where the show is going to be shot. Tina will be playing the role of a character ,of
course, as well as Ellie Kemper, who many know from the very popular, very
funny show, The Office.
“Tina and Robert have created a new signature comedy for us
that is audacious, emotional, and clever,” said NBC Chairman Robert Greenblatt.
“While tapping into very relatable themes, there isn’t anything like this
anywhere else on television.
As a big Tina Fey fan I am very excited to see what new
comedy she will be bringing to the table. Tooken is expected to make its debut in
the Fall of next year. I Can’t wait!!
