One shot- director reflection

      

      Last Saturday, I shot my one shot film in my apartment and for the most part, the shoot went really well and I was pleased by the efforts of my group members and actors. Admittedly, I planned my first shoot at the last minute and my original location fell through. Because I was not able to shoot at Hammond Health Center, I was forced to find new actors, write a script, and find a new location within a few short hours. I was very disappointed that my first location fell through, but it was my fault on behalf of bad planning and last minute decision making. My new script was not a reflection of my best work. Fortunately, my actress was great and did an excellent job of bringing an emotional aspect to my seemingly cliche script and develop Liz's character. When it came down to the actual filming, my teammates worked really hard. I think that my lighting was very blown out and could have been more subtle. After color correcting in post, darker lighting worked much better with my story and the actions of the actors. 

        As i watched my film in class, I realized that I could have used more camera movement and that my shot was very static. I think that the strongest part of my piece was the acting. i was really pleased with Talia's delivery and think she did a great job of portraying Liz's character. The weakest part of my film was definitely the lighting. It was very weak and did a poor job of representing the high emotion involved in my production. I aslo think I could have chose a better location. My apartment is very bare and does not seem lived. I should have concentrated more on art direction to make a stronger character presence in the home. By using an off campus house, my location would have had more character and would have seemed more natural for the script. 

        As far as my role as a director, this is actually the first project I have worked on as a student that allowed me to fully direct my actors. I think that I did a really good job directing my actors. I realized it is extremely important to know your script and the types of emotions you would like your actors to portray. I also learned that blocking is important when directing. I found it difficult to make the actions of my actors appear natural and struggled to emphasize the importance of the actors physical interactions with the location and set. As a director, you need to know your script, how you would like your production to be portrayed, and the physical and emotional actions you want from your actors. I really enjoyed directing. 

    Overall, I am really pleased with how my production turned out and learned a great deal about production value, directing, and location scouting. I really enjoyed this project and look forward to using these skills for later projects. I learned that post production can greatly increase production value and that is extremely important to maintain the same settings you shot with while exporting. The production of Palmer, was the first time I have felt fully involved in each aspect of a production.

-Brie

Hammet in High School

When I was in high school I really loved mystery movies and noir films. Although it's been a while since I have watched any, I wanted to see if the genre had anything new to offer. I went on Netflix and saw that "Brick" was on, and although i had seen it before five years ago, I wanted to check it out again to see why it did not really stick with me the first time.

The movie was directed by Rian Johnson, who has recently received attention because of his sci-fi thriller "Looper." "Brick" stars Joseph Gordon Levitt, in one of his first break out indie roles, as Brendan Frye,  a high school outcast who discovers that his ex-girlfriend, Emily (Emile DeRavin), has gone missing. Although it is a high school movie, the characters talk as if they are in a 1940s detective movie. With the help of his friend Brain (Matt O'Leary), Brendan gets involved with the drug underworld of his high school, while also dealing with jocks, stoners, the Vice Principal who acts like the chief of police to Brendan's Philip Marlowe.

The movie has beautiful cinematography and the music helps create tension in the most pivotal, tense scenes. The script, although sometimes hard to follow, creates a great mystery thriller from beginning to end. Seeing it a second time, I think I understood the characters' motivations more and how everything fit together. I really think its one of the more underrated movies to come out in the last decade and should not be overlooked by film lovers just because of the high school setting.

 I highly recommend this movie if you like noir, off beat high school movies, or Joseph Gordon Levitt.

Product Placement

There's a lot to say about product placement. There are a lot of reasons to try and avoid it as much as possible, aside from the fact that that company can sue you for not asking for their permission to use their product name. One would think that they would consider the fact that it's free "advertising" for them. However, I think company's get paranoid about their product being associated with a bad persona or bad "representation".

Just that fact alone takes me out of a film when I watch it. Which is the oposite of what you want. A film is meant to capture it's audience and give them an escape of some sort and to evoke an emotion at the same time. Things like product placement interrupt that process. As soon as your viewer thinks "Oh, yeah I'm watching a film!" then your message has nearly failed. Often, when I see product placement in a film I automatically think "wow, I wonder if they got permission to use that, and if they did how much they had to pay those companies to use their product name in their film. Granted, it is VERY difficult to remove me from the "film" mentality in that I'm always analyzing the behind the scenes magic of the film it self. I'm always trying to de-code films. This makes it somewhat difficult to enjoy certain things in films. For instance, I watched the film "Ted" in theaters. I absolutely HATED it. I refuse to do a review of it in my vlog but since this blog is not as broad and more detailed I will do a mini-review of why I don't like it.

I know that probably most people don't agree with me in hating this film. However, this changes nothing for me. The reason I don't like this film is because, I'm more of a "Film" than a "TV" person. I literally can't remove myself far enough from this film to enjoy it at all. I was also never a fan of family guy. (Yes I have three heads, feel free to keep staring). Anyways, If you love family guy then you'd love this film. I've always found most of the humor of family guy to be rude, crude and similar to laughing at the handi-capped kid at school. It's usually a very "bully-infused" type of humor. The idea of a talking bear to me is a gimmick and I knew the idea of it would not work for as long as it was attempting to. There was also a story behind it which I feel was completely disconnected to the humor. The story of a man who can't seem to grow up and give up his teddy bear is realistically a sad story and pretty lame at that. Then to attempt to make that funny with a gimmick is to me a recipe for disaster. Granted there were some things in the film that were funny, and I laughed at some things. But over all I was not thrilled by it. It was like sitting and listening to someone spew jokes about things that aren't meant to be funny at all for more than an hour. It was like that one friend we all have that doesn't think there's a moral boundary to what's funny, the guy who starts telling Michael Jackson jokes at his funeral, makes jokes about the holocaust while in a synagogue, or jokes about the bat mat shooting while waiting in line to see it in theaters just days after it happened. These are the kind of people I don't like to encourage. Sure some of these types of jokes seem harmless and sometimes even I can't help but laugh at them. However, these types of joke in my eyes shouldn't be given my money. They shouldn't be something we encourage. That's just my opinion and I'm sure there are people out there who would riot against my argument, and if we were in the appropriate time and place I could be beheaded! Not really, but at least I'm sure that there are a lot of people who disagree with me and I respect them for it. In any case, I think it's a good idea to keep it in mind that there is a demographic out there that won't pay to see a film filled with that type of humor. I wouldn't have gone and seen it myself if my boyfriend hadn't dragged me there by saying "we always watch what you want to watch". I'm glad I gave it a chance just so I could prove how much I wouldn't and don't like it. However, if you love family guy and that kind of humor and talking gimmicks, then you'll probably like the film. It's certainly no the film for me however. If you find you like a lot of the same films I do and also don't have much of a taste for family guy humor, you'll probably agree with me. By the way they even had the audacity to mention "family guy" in the film's dialogue. Which also brings me out of the film and makes me think "oh, yeah I'm watching a film...and they just referenced their own material." I can only hope I would never do that to my audience. I felt violated almost. The other thing is that it was very much a kid-type gimmick in that it was a talking teddy bear. I would never take my kids (let alone anyone) to see that film.

So much for a mini-review. I actually could go through in much more detail of why I don't like it. In any case I am a very difficult person to please when it comes to certain things in film. Since I know the ins and outs I don't tend to like things that seem childish or cheap, at least not enough to give it a majority of my money or time. So perhaps I'm a pretty bias person to judge a film in that I am not the typical audience or demographic. However, I am a consumer in film and it's important to appeal to the widest demographic as you can. I'm sure I'm not alone in this. It's important to know that demographic if you want to make money. If you don't really care about making money in the media (anything that requires a demographic to make money) don't worry about your appeal. By all means don't be afraid to do something new and different, but if you are, don't be opposed to criticism. It can only make you better and more appealing.

Back to the subject, product placement is something that pulls me out of a film. It's ok if it's relevant to the story or the character (and as long as you have the money to support that product placement). But when it's a prop of your character's that has something on it that represents a product, it automatically represents a piece of the character. If your character wears a brand name sweater, then maybe that means they belong to a certain "type" or "group". Maybe they're preppy, maybe they're gothic, maybe they're something that represents that company. But when it's completely irrelevant to the story, it becomes distracting to your character establishment. It may even begin to create a future stigma of other characters that may not even be true. Maybe people who buy "said product" are more likely to "do what the character is doing". Honestly that's a stretch. However, you might want to try to keep products out of it. If your character is using a named product, they are automatically branded to that name. Also, some of my favorite films do use product placement. It sometimes doesn't seem to bother me, but when it's very prominent or clear in the film, it begins to bug me a little. It's one of the smallest things to think about on set but if it's the difference between being sued and possibly making your film demographic more narrow or even distracting your audience, it's important to remember it.

Also, these are fun. Beware of a gratuitous amount of swearing!!! This maybe contradicting what I said
earlier about bully humor, but If an insult is what your character needs to say or hear, these are very creative! I can appreciate them, especially when they're done tastefully, creatively, and given appropriately to characters who really deserve it.

Dorm Life

I came across this web series my freshman year when a friend sent me the link. This mocumentary web series was produced by former UCLA students and so I found it very interesting to watch, knowing it was made by communication students like myself. It is very well done and I was very impressed with the production value. Each episode is only about 5 minutes long. It is very well written and I found myself addicted, watching episode after episode, laughing at the quick, witty dialogue and the awkward yet interesting characters. This show is the most watched web series on Hulu and it is a 2008 Webby Honoree for Best Writing and Comedy: Individual Short or Episode.

After finishing both seasons, I decided to look up the students who worked on this film. I found several of them on Facebook, and ended up friend requesting Brian Singleton (pictured above) who plays Marshall Adams, one of the RA in the series. He accepted my request and it is so interesting to see the things he posts. For example, it says on his Facebook that he is currently employed as a writer on Arrested Development. Although I'm not sure he'd respond if I messaged him, I think that it is very cool that through the internet, I can connect with so many people already working in the business. (I once found and messaged Seth Meyers on Facebook... but that is another story). Check out the first episode of Dorm Life below!!

Score One For the Home Team

Go On is one of NBC's new shows for the current fall season. This is also Matthew Perry's opportunity to break back into the TV industry. His last stint in TV was the underrated Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. I feel this time around, Perry has picked the right horse to back. According to the Hollywood Reporter, last week it had a steady rating of 3.3, better then The New Normal.

I'm not really into the whole sports scene, but this show has acquired a perfect balance between sports jargon and character development to have a wide audience. Besides following the life of sports radio personality Ryan King, the show follows his development and growth trying to recover from the loss of his wife. In order to cope with this, Ryan is sent to a loss support group, where he encounters and becomes a part of a misfit group of "losers". From what I've seen of the current season, Overall, I'd say that it might not be a home run, but it certainly scores one for the home team (see what I did there, sports).

One Shot Reflection

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After discussing with the class about my one shot film I realized that there were many things that I could have done differently. I will definitely take this assignment as a learning experience.

 In order to make my short film better I should have worked with the timing a little more. I had Four actions in the film, Harrison found a penny, received a high five, Lucy caught him when he tripped and then he saw an attractive girl sitting on the bench that he wanted to talk to. In class we discussed the idea that we all rush our film shoots to get the project done. I spent a decent amount of time talking with the attractive girl and Harrison to get their timing down for when he is talking to her on the bench but completely spaced on what Harrison should have done before he interacts with the girl. When it comes to editing it is easier to get better pace because you can cut between shots. In my one shot film it was important for to have all the actions happen at the correct time due to the fact that it had more of a music video feel to it. There was a lot going on and it was hard for me to keep my focus on everything that was occurring. In our group of five I was the first to go and I feel that every shoot after that we became a better team.

During class we were taught how to explain to our actors what we want them to do in each take. I learned the importance of mechanics when speaking to an actor as we went through each project. Having knowledge of this prior to the last four shoots I feel that it tremendously helped us when producing the projects. 

-Tori Sturniolo

Raising Some Questions

We have grown up in an era where the norm is “paying” for a campaign. This past summer the movie The Campaign was exactly about this topic. Yes this is a movie mainly allowing Will Ferrell and Zack Galfaasomethingorother to be funny, but at it’s core brings forth a great social problem this country has.

The plot summary is taken from IMDB.com; In order to gain influence over their North Carolina district, two CEOs seize an opportunity to oust long-term congressman Cam Brady by putting up a rival candidate. Their man: naive Marty Huggins, director of the local Tourism Center. Will Ferrell plays Cam Brady Zack Galifianakis plays Marty. In the movie the CEO’s want to get control of someone who will put forth a new bill for them so they can make a huge profit. Yes most of this movie is over dramatized, but at it’s core it tells the audience about a real life situation going on here. At it’s core it let’s the people wonder who does control our own government officials?

I know most people look at this movie and shrug it off as a raunchy Will Ferrell comedy. But I look at it in a good way; it at the very least gets the message out there. That’s a lot more than other media outlets out there.

One Shot

My group shot Sam's one shot film this past Thursday. I think it went pretty well and Sam seemed to enjoy the clip. We ran into some complications when we first started. We had envisioned using a dolly but the concreate was way to bumpy to allow us to shoot a steady shot. We used our noggins changed how the actor ran, where he ran, and how fast he ran. All three of those elements, when adjusted, tell a whole  different story. Interested to see what the class thinks about it on Monday. 

I was also suppose to shoot my one shot film Thursday but my actors never showed, I knew I should've just asked Denzel Washington to do the scene. We waited awhile for them to show and they never did and group members had prior commitments so we called it a wrap after Sam's shoot. While hanging downtown I ran into a friend and I told him about my one shot film idea and he gave me an idea and volunteered to act in it, so we shot the scene since I had nothing else to shoot. I thought the scene came out ok, especially since it was a last minute idea. I went to go look at it on my mac later that night and it wasn't playing for some reason. I'm going to try again after this blog, if I'm still having issues with it I'm just going to shoot another one shot scene. 

One thing I notice when shooting scenes is that you should always expect something to go wrong. There is typically always something that doesn't go as plan and you'll  need to think on your feet and make adjustments. Preparation is key but you can't really prepare for the unexpected, just when shooting a scene you must always be on your toes and expect the unexpected. 

"Nuit Blanche" and other cool stuff

Last year in my Fiction Field I class, with Steve Gordon, he showed us a series of short films that focused heavily on special effects. One film that changed my perspective on how large of an impact special effects can have on the emotional and visual aspects of a short film, was the short film Nuit Blanche, a Stellar Scene production. The film is directed by Arev Manoukian and focuses on the connection between two strangers and explores their interactions in a fantasy world. I was captivated by the film's ability to display an array of emotions in less than 5 minutes and fully engage the viewer with beautiful music and exceptional special effects. The film is silent and black and white, focusing on the actions of the characters and the tragedies created by their love at first sight.

The most intriguing part of the film is the use of special effects. The first step used to making this film was  constructing the backgrounds and landscapes piece by piece, from a variety of city landscapes and building structures. Each building was carefully constructed and built to portray the dark feelings associated with this story of fantasy.  The director then used green screens the place the actors in these locations. To portray the car accident and glass shattering, each piece of the vehicle was placed in several frames and layered behind the actor. This created a sense of realism and made the car accident very emotional for the viewers. The special effects are done so flawlessly that you believe the accident really took place. The director also altered the lighting present in each shot, creating a dark and dismal look.  

I recommend every film student to see this film. It is an excellent of example of how short films can have an incredible impact on an audience and that sometimes the most powerful films are done without dialogue. Nuit Blanche is an excellent example of extensive special effects and how flawlessly scenes can be created. Manoukain does an incredible job of portraying the emotional complexities of love at first sight and the sometimes unavoidable tragedy. This film is beautiful and proves that the shortest of films can be the most time consuming. Please check out both videos and take the time to appreciate the beauty of this short film.

Enjoy the weekend,

Brie

Supaaa-Star

Our group is done shooting for our one-shot! Finally... Mine couldn't have gone more smoothly. I love it and can't wait to start editing it, I have some cool ideas. It wasn't dusk like I had hoped for, but it was overcast and actually worked really well.

I saw "Superstar" on Netflix and had to watch it. An oldie, but goodie. I was laughing out loud while I was watching it alone. That funny. So I encourage you all to watch it and refresh your mind of its hilarity.

In case you don't know, it's an SNL spin off comedy from 1999. It stars Molly Shannon and Will Farrell. It is a definite feel good movie that will make you smile in the end. Also, maybe it's just our generation & how we are (I am) obsessed with the 90s and early 2000s, but it just adds to the awesomeness.  I don't really know how to critique this film though.... With shooting this week I didn't really have time to watch and critique a film.

This weekend is Applefest! Everyone should go and enjoy Ithaca fall!! :)

En Blomst

After spending time in class discussing short films I've been thinking a lot lately about what goes into making a short film and what the director is trying to tell the audience-especially in such a short amount of time. The other day while perusing the internet I came across an article about a short film by Lars Von Trier called "En Blomst." Intrigued by the idea of a short film made by one of today's great directors, I decided to check it out. The film runs about 7 minutes long and contains no dialogue. It follows a young boy who plants a seed and nurtures it day to day until it grows into a flower. When the plant finally blooms, the look of contentment on the boy's face is disrupted by the loud sound of two military planes flying by. Suddenly, we see the boy's body laying on the ground with blood coming from his head, indicating he's been shot. Next to his body, the once lively flower is now wilted.

The most amazing thing about this simple film is that Von Trier shot it when he was just 15 years old. It reinforces the fact that true artists have an inherent need to create, at any cost, no matter how old or young a person may be. Another striking thing about this film is highlights the central themes (darkness, death) that continue to be the focus of Von Trier's films. Another theme that stuck out to me was the idea of nature and the cycle of life, as everything that lives, plants and people, eventually die. Nature was also a huge focus of Von Trier's most recent film, Melancholia, so there is another parallel between connecting themes in the director's first and most recent work. Despite Von Trier's openness about using his own anxieties and depression to influence his films, it makes me wonder if most directors have constant themes (perhaps unintentional) that can be noticed in their own films.

The Red Balloon

I had seen this picture numerous times before, but didn't know where it originated from until I recently watched the short film "Red Balloon". This film won an Oscar for best original screenplay in 1956. Running only 34 minutes long, I find it astounding that this film won its award before the Oscars even had a category for short films. Using very little dialogue, this film tells the story of a boy who discovers a balloon with a mind of its own. I was impressed by the production quality for it is such an old film. The Foley sound effects were done well, the colors were bright and defined, the music was driving, the location was utilized well, and I know this may sound childish, but I was intrigued by the balloon's seemingly self-achieved movements. I spent a lot of the film trying to figure out how they were able to make the balloon swoop left to right, up and down so deftly. At one point I was able to see the fishing wire that connected the balloon to the little boy so it looked as though the balloon was following him, but I was unable to figure out how they did other more difficult maneuvers like having the balloon go in and out of windows and doors. My favorite shot of the whole film is pictured below. I think it is very aesthetically pleasing and would love to have seen this in person. 

Many of you may have already seen or at least heard of this film. It is a very popular film that has been shown in many elementary schools. I read on one critics blog that "The Red Balloon" is the single largest-selling nontheatrical print in history. If you have not already seen it, I would strongly suggest doing so. Here is a copy of it that I found on Youtube. Ignore the introduction, I'm not sure who put that on there.

Coffee and Cigarettes

In class this week we watched "Cigarettes and Coffee." After class I decided to look up the film, however I searched "Coffee and Cigarettes" by mistake. This brought me to the films of Jim Jarmusch, a director whom I have never watched but I have alway been interested in looking into.  I finally decided to watch this movie based on the cast, which includes Steven Wright, Roberto Benigni, Steve Buscemi, Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Cate Blanchett, Meg White, Jack White, Alfred Molina, Steve Coogan, Bill Murray, RZA, and GZA.

The movie is actually 11 short stories about people talking, drinking coffee, and smoking cigarettes.  Each of the films are unrelated and involve characters just participating in conversations. They are almost always playing themselves. The discussions do connect a little bit in theme; people talk about enjoying coffee and cigarettes, or why those things do not constitute a meal, Tesla Coils, familial relation, the music business, and celebrity life style. I also noticed that an Iggy Pop song plays during the Jack/Meg White short.

I thought some of the stories worked and some of them didn't just because the discussions were not too interesting. My favorites were Steve Buscemi as a waiter bothering two twins, Iggy Pop and Tom Waits (who apparently is a doctor) meeting, Bill Murray  (as himself) waiting on RZA and GZA, and Cate Blanchett meeting with her non-famous cousin Shelly (played by Cate Blanchett too).

Each short was in black and white and features many above-shots of the coffee being stirred on tables. I thought the shots were well composed and the shorts were well directed. Some of the subjects were boring, but I will definitely remember the ones I mentioned above. Although I wouldn't say that this is a must see, I do recommend checking out a few of the films.

Below is a link to "Delirium," starring RZA, GZA, and Bill Murray. Sorry that I couldn't get the video into the page, but it's not on youtube.

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v426774KxRb5qFG?h1=Delirium+-+Gza%2C+Rza+%26+Bill+Murray

Things I've learned from criticism

Being that I am a film critic myself, I like to get tough criticism on my own films. I am my own worst critic for sure. I can tell you that none of my films EVER will make it on my Favorites List. Incase I haven't mentioned it yet, I have a giant list of my favorite films. None of my films will ever make it on there because I will always know the flaws of them. If one of my films could make it on my own list, I would die very happy. This to me will keep me making films for the rest of my life. I will always think of where I can improve. One might think this would be a depressing thought. However, it actually keeps me going, that there is always room for improvement. I currently have 121 films on my Favorites List (and growing).

My criticism of a movie to consider it a favorite is that it has to evoke an emotion from it's audience (especially if they are resisting this emotion and it happens anyways), it needs to have no questions asked (no cliffhangers (unless they work)and no misunderstandings), It has to be a movie that I would want to see again and if I see it again I either get a new feeling overtime or the same enjoyment with out degradation. For some of my favorite movies I laugh every time I watch it no matter what, I cry at least the first time I watch it (it's very hard to make it on my favorites list as a drama), It's extremely different/creative and there's no other that compares to it and for some of them I just enjoyed as a child and they stick with me forever.

When watching my films I try to pay attention to extreme detail. Then when I move on to a new film (after the criticism of my previous) I really concentrait on improving the things that failed last time. It's almost like studying for a test, you write down all the material you need to know and you go through each thing and cross off the things you already know by heart, and then you study the things you're not confident on.

Perhaps to answer what this most recent project; the one shot film with rotation of jobs, it's about fully expanding yourself in order to say you have done each of those jobs. It's about strengthening your weaknesses. No one is going to be "perfect" in everyone's eyes but I would like to come as close as I can to making my self the best film maker I can be. This unfortunately initials being uncomfortable. I'd like to thank all of those that have worked with me in my learning experiences especially in this project where you had to sacrifice having the best people do the job I was assigned to do, you may not have gotten the best aspect of that part of your film but I'm glad you allowed me to have that experience in learning. To me it is the best way of learning is just simply by doing. We as children learned how to read more by reading with someone. We learned to play video games on our own. We learned how to use a computer by seeking out and playing around. I think that is what we are best at and we learned these things by simply doing them. I can think of a few things I learned how to do on my own just by playing around, one is how to play the guitar, another is how to use a cell phone, how to use my ipod (not all of it's features, but most). If I can learn how to basically do something then I can survive in this business.

Some of the weaknesses in my own films/films I've worked on (not even my own mistakes but others as well) are very big key things I needed to learn in order to be a film maker. One of the first things I learned in criticism of film is that you need to pay attention to continuity. It's very important to keeping your audience interested in the story.
Another thing I learned was that in certain cameras, horizontal close lines or white/light colors can mess up the vision of the camera by blowing out the color by the light or by creating a crazy moving pattern on someone's shirt or a couch.
I've also learned how to tone down an actor or actress.
How to give the shot the time it needs.
I learned early in my career that the use of a tripod can make a world of difference when you want to real critics to take you seriously. I had a DP once who flat out refused to use a tripod for the longest time. I eventually replaced him because he was lazy. After that I made sure my DP's were comfortable using a tripod before I assigned them to the job.
I learned in my scripting class last year how to write effectively with no dialogue let alone too much. It's one of the hardest things to master because you really dont know if your audience will get what you're trying to say. You're literally trying to play charades with a mass amount of people who will never see you personally.
Through this project so far I've learned how important it is to keep as many options as possible and try them all if you can, keeping it within reason and being time aware.
Also It's good to get things done in a timely manor as long as it doesn't hurt creativity. The best way I found out how to do this is by rehearsing a bunch times and planning your butt off for the shoot.
Being over prepared is a great thing. Keeping your crew fed and alive is a wonderful thing.
Another thing I try to always do for a shoot is research realistic situations. For last years project White Lights I researched a lot about people's out of body experiences and the similar things between each story including the biggest thing I noticed was that they all described a white light. Hense, the name of my film being White Lights.

Criticism is very important in growing if you want to be the best film maker you have to make more films than anyone else and you have to absorb the toughest critics so that you can learn and grow from your past. That's what we're all paying the big bucks for here at Ithaca.

So now, Keep calm and watch some movie mistakes where people still made billions!

Goodfellas, cocaine, and my one-shot-film location

A couple days ago my roommates and I settled down to watch one of my favorite movies, Goodfellas. The 1990 adaptation of Wiseguy, by Nicholas Pileggi is directed by Martin Scorsese and depicts the lifestyle of italian mobsters throughout the mid fifties to early eighties. It's a great story but more importantly reminds me of a personal theory of one of my friends regarding Scorsese's cocaine use and his directing style. My friend believes that throughout Scorsese's career you can see a fluctuation in his directing style dependent on his drug use, specifically the "speed" of the film. He believes movies like Taxi Driver and Mean Streets have a much slower feel to them then New York,  New York and The Last Waltz Personally, I've never agreed with him but it's a interesting theory that still pops into my head every time I watch a Scorsese film - at least it was memorable.


Lastly, I want to share my one-shot-film location with you guys:

It's exactly what I had in mind when I wrote the script so I'm really excited to film the project this Monday.

A man amongst men

            I won’t publicly endorse a product unless I use it exclusively. My only official recommendations are U.S. Army issued mustache trimmers, Morton’s salt, and the C.R. Lawrence Fein two inch axe-style scraper oscillating knife blade.”

The perfect T.V, character has been a argument going on for decades. People say there is no clear cut number one character because there is no way to tell; I’m here to tell you THEY ARE WRONG. There is only one character that is clear-cut above the rest, and he happens to be on a T.V. show that is still on the air. This character is the embodiment of what a man actually is; Hid name is Ron Swanson.  Ron is a no tolerance man when it comes to the country he loves. He thinks a gun should be in every house and

“It’s never too early to learn that the government is a greedy piglet that suckles on a taxpayer’s teet until they have sore, chapped nipples. I’m gunna need a different metaphor to give this nine year old.”

This is a man who once gave a land mine to a nine year old. He is the American of all Americans. His love for bacon is only matched by his love for America. He is a man with his own pyramid, and that’s where I will leave you with this rant.

“I have been developing the Swanson Pyramid of Greatness for years. It’s a perfectly calibrated recipe for maximum personal achievement. Categories include: Capitalism, God’s way of determining who is smart, and who is poor. Crying, acceptable at funerals and the Grand Canyon. Rage. Poise. Property rights. Fish, for sport only, not for meat. Fish meat is practically a vegetable.”

Wilfred

This weeks post is going to be about the TV show "Wilfred starring Elijah Wood and Jason Gann. "Wilfred" follows the manic depressive Ryan Newman (Elijah Wood). In the midst of a suicide attempt, he's asked to watch over his neighbor Jenna's (Fiona Gubelman) dog Wilfred (Jason Gann). However, for some odd reason Ryan sees Wilfred as a human in a dog costume, whereas everyone else sees him as just a dog. Ryan begins to watch over Wilfred as Jenna lives her busy life, and they begin to form a friendship. Wilfred tries to help Ryan out of his depressive state, in his own twisted way (and with his own agenda).

I had first seen an ad for "Wilfred" when I was watching FX at some point over the summer, but never got a chance to watch it. I recently discovered that the first season was on Netflix, so I decided to give it a shot. Since then, I haven't been able to stop watching and have already completed the first season.

"Wilfred" is a show unlike any that I've seen on TV before. I wasn't sure exactly what it was about when I first saw the ad's for it, but I've got to say that I think the plot is ingenious and extremely creative. The character's personalities are defined so well, and the dynamic of Ryan's unsure nature and lack of confidence in himself, coupled with Wilfred's dog personality translated into a human life, is a great tag team for a TV show. It's an extremely original program. I would recommend it to anyone into the 'dark comedy' genre of programs.

In the Reach of Greatness

Last January I watched the cancelled Starz show "Party Down" when it was still on Netflix. I had heard it was a good show and I watched a few episodes, but I didn't really see why people loved it so much. I watched all twenty episodes, and towards the end of the series, the show did get better. Recently, I finished watching it a second time and I realized that the show was actually borderline brilliant, just short of greatness before it reached its potential.

The show is about a catering team made up of 6 people played by Ken Marino, Adam Scott, Lizzie Kaplan, Ryan Hansen, Martin Starr, and Jane Lynch (who later went on to Glee and was replaced by Megan Mullally). These characters are aspiring musicians, actors, writers, and one who wants to own a soup restaurant. All of them want to make it big, but are stuck at the bottom  serving people who are richer and more successful them (and also obnoxious). They work multiple events, such as a wake, weddings, sweet sixteens, and Steve Guttenberg's birthday (which is probably the best episode).

The show is not always laugh out loud funny like "It's Always Sunny" or "How I Met Your Mother," but the humor lies in the realism of the dialogue. I really recommend it to anyone who likes the actors I listed (especially Jane Lynch and Martin Starr who probably do their best work here).

The show has great guest stars, including Joe Lo Trugglio, J.K. Simmons, George Takei,  and Steve Guttenberg.

Aesthetically, the show is like Arrested Development, with hand held cameras, not always going for super close ups.

Thematically it's about failure and how sometimes not all of us can be successful in life. This theme plays out through all twenty episodes, leading to a very subtlety poignant final scene.

Here's one of my favorite clips showcasing Martin Starr's Roman and Jane Lynch's Constance.

A Great Show

One televisions show that I enjoy and I think a lot of other people on this campus enjoy is It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  This is a show about 5 friends that own a bar in philadelphia and go on crazy antics with different schemes each episode.  Each character is funny in a different way and they are all very self-centered.  With the Emmy awards coming up, I was surprised to see this show not nominated for Best Comedy.  I wondered why, because it has gotten a lot of critical praise.
     One thing about this show is that it is not flashy.  Aesthetically, it is nothing special.  The low budget probably plays an factor in this.  But there aren't any crazy camera shots or special effects or zooms that make this show special.  To sum it up, the show is shot in a very simple, unchallenging way.  Now I'm sure there are difficulties with filming and that not every shot is super-easy, but in comparison to other shows, this show is shot in a very basic way.  What separates this show from others is its writing and acting.  Its writing is what makes it so funny.  And the actors are brilliant with their characters.  This proves a belief that good acting and good writing can trump something that is aesthetically pleasing.  That the writing and acting are just as if not more important than the way it is filmed.  Here is one of my favorite clips from the show.

American Horror Story

Happy Thursday,

It is that time of year again, when our TVs become filled with new shows and our favorite series are back on the air. Last year, I became completely addicted to the FX television series, American Horror Story, produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The show features an incredible cast including, Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, Dylan McDermott, and Connie Britton. I was immediately addicted to the show because of its successful attempt on turning horror into television. I have been a huge fan of scary movies since I was a young child so I was extremely thrilled to get my scary fix from a weekly show. The show did a great job of maintaining the storyline throughout the season, with surprising plot changes and a strong character dynamics. Each episode left me excited for the next. I love Jessica Lange, for her part as Constance. Constance makes her presence known in the first season for her dark past with the house and her obsession with her youth. She is a strong and bold character and never fails to turn up the drama. 

Season two begins October 17 at 10/9c on FX. This season is set to take place in an insane asylum, instead of the victorian style California home, putting more focus on the living than the dead. Adam Levine, Lily Rabe, and Zachary Quinto will be making a debuts as vital characters in the show this season. It is rumored that season two will feature new characters, new locations, and new twists. Check out the trailer below.

Best,

Brie