Return to Paradise

I added a new film to my favorites list yesterday that I thought I'd share with you all!

It's a little bit relevant to our next project because it is loosely based on a true story. It is extremely saddening to me if at least most of the events in the story had actually occurred in real life. It has been speculated that it was based on a story about two australian's who were hanged for drug trafficking heroine. In the movie there are three characters who while on vacation are caught with a good amount of hash. Two of the character's in question had already gone back home but one stayed behind to work on an animal saving opportunity dealing with gorillas. They catch him and through him in prison and he is sentenced to hang, never having mentioned his two other friends until it becomes clear that there is nothing else he can do to save himself from sure death. He releases their names to his lawyers. One of them goes back to the USA to find his two friends who might be able to help him get away.

The film is extremely emotional and very human. Each character is believable and is relatable. It's important to understand that things like this can happen and when traveling the world one must realize you can't just do what you do at home normally. Whether or not this happens to be true.

The film stars Vince Vaughn and Jauquin Phoenix. Both of their performances are spectacular. I would certainly see this film again. I also encourage others to watch it.

It reminded me very much of Midnight Express where an american man is caught with drugs trying to smuggle them across the sea to the US. He then is sent to a turkish prison where he is poorly treated and sometimes tortured. The chances of him getting out are very slim and are often shut down even though his family tries very hard to help him through the american embassy. The punishment is debatably unfair. I think that movie may also be based on a true story.

So a word to the wise; if you're going to a foreign country, you probably should at least know their policies and laws and also you probably should refrain from the use or carrying of illegal substances.

I added Return to Paradise to my favorites list at #92 out of now 123 films!

You can find it on Netflix!

Iron Jawed Angels

In the spirit of election season, I thought I would post about a movie that I really really enjoy. Iron Jawed Angels is a film about Women's suffrage. I watched this film last election season when I was a junior in high school. I remember thinking that the film was very well shot and that the cinematography was very unique. As a woman, this film was very inspirational and informative. Many people are aware of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, but not many people know about Alice Paul who was one of the most influential figures in the Women's Suffrage Movement. The title comes from a Massachusetts Representative who in 1917 opposed the creation of a committee to deal with women's suffrage. He thought the creation of a committee would be yielding to "the nagging of iron-jawed angels"(wikipedia).

The film is about two young women named Alice Paul (played by Hilary Swank) and Lucy Burns who broke away from the National American Women's Suffrage Association (NAWSA) to find their own party, the National Women's Party. The women participate in many protests and get arrested for their actions which are seen by other suffragettes as too forceful and brash. Alice Paul and several other women are sent to a workhouse for a 60-day term for the result of their protesting. There Alice and several other women go on a hunger strike. At one point in the movie Alice is force fed eggs and milk to keep her alive. This is one of the hardest scenes to watch. It looks so painful when they stick a metal device in her mouth to make sure her mouth and throat stay open long enough to get food inside her.

The film was nominated in five categories at the 2004 Emmys including outstanding cinematography which I think it should have won for. I found the movie on Youtube and attached a clip of the first scene which I think is a wonderful sample of its unique cinematography. I really like the shot of the girl on the swing and then the cut to the P.O.V. shot looking up at the tree. It is very interesting and captivating.

C'est Halloween!

It's that time of year where you can bust out the candy corn, curl up in your (either expensive or homemade) costume, and watch some horror films. I don't know whether it was Whoopie Goldberg's fantastic intro to the film in MonsterFest 2000: The Classics Come Alive (it's a thing, look it up), the behind the scenes look, or me just being a ten year old, but Creature from the Black Lagoon has always been one of my favorite Halloween films of all time. Let's dive in, shall we?

Though made in 1954, this film was one of the first ever 3-D movies (I know, fantastic right)? Creature from the Black Lagoon also incorporated underwater scenes, another marvel for the 1950's.  I guess one of the reasons I love this film so much is because there is a forbidden love story amid the "horror". Also, this movie was a huge step forward for the collective art department of our industry. The creature's suit was very primitive (from an art department stand point); the actor could barely see, sit, or keep from overheating but was progressive none the less. Another reason this movie is superb is because this movie has made such an impact on the industry; it basically has been name dropped or referenced since it's release (i.e. The Seven Year Itch, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Simpsons). I highly recommend this film both from a cinema and an entertainment standpoint. Happy sailing!

Sony fs100 Picture Profiles

Hello everybody, since class on Wednesday I've been shooting with the Sony fs100 and have been experimenting with some different picture profiles. There are a lot of great resources on the web and simply by trying out different profiles you can easily get a good grasp over how different settings effect different things. This allows you to take profiles you find online and use them as starting points to acquire your own desired image.

Some good sites I've found regarding picture profiles:

AbelCine, (Dynamic Range Test)

We looked at this site a little bit in class. It has a lot of great information and features a variety of profiles that are optimized to get the most out of the fs100's sensor.

Frank Glencairn Blog

(Multiple Links on Next Page)

Frank is a cinematographer, on his blog he has various links to different profiles as well as example photographs for each one. I've found this to be a good place for references as with it's many examples you can get going in the right direction and then "tweak" the profile yourself to achieve your desired image.

The Crooked Path Blog

Provides a picture profile designed for post color-correction while also detailing why other profiles are not suited for post production color work.

Forum Post with a wide variety of Profiles

Smashed

As a host of the movie review show The Screening Room, on ICTV, I have to watch about three movies a week and write reviews. This last week, one of the movies we watched was Smashed, directed by James Ponsoldt.  The film first appeared at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and won the U.S Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Excellence in Independent Film Producing. The film was picked up by Sony Pictures in August and was released  October 2012.

The film tells of the story of  Kate, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Charlie, Aaron Paul from Breaking Bad. Kate and Charlie are married and both share the love of alcohol. Kate's alcoholism spirals out of control and her job as an elementary school teacher is threatened. Kate then decides to work on her sobriety and asks Charlie to do the same. Kate meets her sponsor, played by Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer. The move showcases Kate's struggle to maintain her sobriety, her marriage, and the relationship she once had with Charlie that was based on their alcoholism.


This is by far one of the best films I have seen in a very long time. The reason why I love this film is because of how emotionally raw the characters and story are.  Ponsoldt did an excellent job of portraying the story of two alcoholics without all the fluff and sugar coating. Aaron Paul and Mary Elizabeth Winstead have great chemistry throughout the film and build an emotionally complex performance for audiences. I found myself fully involved in Kate's struggle. This a is a film of intense emotional investment. The characters are bold, the story is very real, and the performances are excellent. Alcoholism is not a subject that is taken lightly and is often shown in a very comedic light in films. I enjoyed the realness feel this film had. The film has high and low points and offers audiences an emotional variety. Overall, a really awesome film that everyone should see.  Check out the trailer below.

The Pianist

Hello world!!

The last film I added to my favorites list came in at number 55 out of a total of 121 films!! Warning This film is a tear-jerker!! The film I speak of is The Pianist!

I had kept seeing it suggested to me on my Netflix account but never really thought too hard about biting the bate. My most recent method in watching films everyday has been to look up the directors of each of my favorite films on IMDB and look for other films they've directed on Netflix. Obviously, I couldn't find all of them. My other method is to look for films on Netflix that are suggested to me by friends and staff members at Ithaca. Sometimes I'll even eves dorp on other people talking about a film and try to find that one too. Needless to say, the "director method" as I like to call it, took me a very long time considering I have 121 films on my list currently!!

The Pianist was directed by Roman Polanski, who also directed Chinatown (#41/121). The writing was very well done and art direction was incredible, directing was wonderful and Adrian Brody did one heck of an act!

It's historical, real, artistic, beautiful... it's wonderful!

I suggest if you don't mind balling your eyes out a little it's a great story and certainly something everyone should experience because it's good to understand what happened from a certain perspective. It's really great! Sorry this post was a little later than usual but I've been a busy little film making student these days! Hope all is well with everyone out there!

Ta Ta for this week!

-Lucy Lynne' Hall

Hour of the Wolf

I watched Hour of the Wolf this past week on Arturo's recommended movie list.  This movie was very interesting and unlike anything I had seen before.  It is a Swedish film directed by Ingmar Bergman and it follows the story of an artist who is struggling with his past and night demons he has while he sleeps. One of the aspects of the film that I find so interesting is that it is told in a series of diary entries.  So after each scene, there is a fade to black, and between each scene we do not know what happens.  There are flashbacks yet the story stays in order.

The film mixes a lot of suspense and horror and it really touches on emotions that many other movies do not.  I was very confused with Johan, the main character, because he was always scared but I did not know why.  And he was violent at times yet I do not know his motivations to be violent.  It is a movie that I think I would need to watch multiple times to fully understand but I enjoyed watching it.

Into The Abyss

Last week I finally checked off a film that's been on my "to watch" list for a while now: Werner Herzog's documentary, Into The Abyss. The film explores our nation's most  controversial institution, the death penalty.  It is told through the stories of two men who were convicted of murder ten years prior, one of whom was actually sentenced to death in Huntsville, Texas (America's most "successful" execution facility) by the end of the film.

Through the duration of the film Herzog interviews all of the subjects himself- we often hear him off screen asking questions.  He interviews almost everyone involved in and affected by the crime- the victims' families, the murderers, the policeman who worked on the case, the families of the murderers, the man who served as the head chief of executions, right down to the woman who met and married one of the convicted criminals after he was sentenced to a life in prison. This way the viewer is able to see the opinions of people involved on all sides of the story. The film proved to be less about the actual crime and more about how it affected peoples' lives. It is clear that Herzog entered the project with no judgements, and seeks to relate to and understand each person he interviews. It is very interesting to see how each subject rationalizes the crime and their respective situations.

Perhaps the thing I liked most about the film is that it does not seem very biased as documentaries often are. Its obvious that Herzog opposes the death penalty, but he doesn't try to force that belief on anyone else through the film. He merely gathers the information he can through interviewing these people involved in the crime and presents it without comment. He lets the viewer formulate his own opinion on the controversial subject. This film very well done, and certainly thought provoking. It is currently streaming on Netflix, I would recommend checking it out.

The Chinese Wall

In my screenwriting class we watched a film titled "The Chinese Wall". The film is about a woman dining in a chinese restaurant alone on her birthday. The film is mainly told from the narration of her internal monologue. This is usually a big no-no when writing for the screen, but works really well for this film. I wasn't into the film at first, finding the subtitles tiring and the action on screen not very captivating. About half-way through the film, I began to get involved in the story. It is very interesting and relatable. The woman begins to people watch and make stories and assumptions about the people around her. It is later revealed that she was wrong about everyone, and the ending is heart warming. I found this film interesting because of it's successful use of narration. I also really liked the story and found it relatable since I often find myself people watching and wondering what their stories  are. It is human nature to try and figure out what people's personalities and stories are. This leads us to come to false conclusions when we don't have a sufficient amount of information about them. I posted the clip below if you are interested in watching this film. 

Blue Valentine

This past weekend I watched Derek Cianfrance's "Blue Valentine," a romantic drama starring Ryan Gosling ("Drive") as Dean and Michelle Williams ("Dawson's Creek") as Cindy. The two meet at a nursing home where Dean is delivering furniture and Cindy is visiting her grandmother. After a second encounter, Dean proves himself to be a charming goofball to the seemingly innocent Cindy. However, they soon rush into their relationship and six years later their relationship falls apart dramatically.

The movie jumps back and forth between the beginning of their relationship and its end 6 years later, when Cindy is a nurse, Dean is a balding drunk painter, and they have a daughter named Frankie. The two leads give great performances, both of which required great range to show the highs and lows of the characters' romance. Gosling, especially, is able to show his character's transformation from goofball to a loving, yet ignorant husband.

I really enjoyed this film, although watching these two fall out of love was depressing, and in two pivotal scenes, very uncomfortable. I thought the script was great and that the dialogue was realistic. Grizzly Bear, a band that I am not too familiar with, did the soundtrack which fit the movie well. I think that Cianfrance is a good director, and I am looking forward to his future films.

amateur directors, directing amateur actors

As it gets closer to the day of our film shoot, I realized myself and my group members  face a huge challenge getting our recreated footage to meet the original. A major factor in the success of this project is being able to tell our actors their exact physical and emotional actions.

Since my last blog post was such a hit, I decided I would do another informational post. I found a really great article on helium.com, written by David Shakespeare, that provides tips and advice to directors when working with amateur actors. I recommend that you check out the article, but here is an overview of Shakespeare's tips. Check out the article http://www.helium.com/items/1783328-filmmaking-how-to-direct-amateur-actors.

1. Rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal- It is important that your actor is familiar with the film environment and the backstory of their character. Backstories allow actors to become apart of their character and will allow the director to capture characters that feel natural and easy for the actors to portray.

2. Know the script- Make sure that the actors know the script before you begin filming and allow some leeway in the character development to allow actors to customize the characters. Also, listen to how your actors believe a character should be portrayed, sometimes they may read the character differently. It is important to listen to how your actors read the script and don't be afraid to tell them how you want the character or story to be portrayed.

3. More takes, the better- Make sure your actors know that it is okay to make mistakes. When mistakes occur, encourage the actor to stay in character and continue with shooting. It is important that the actor responds to the error, as if they were the character and not just an actor. Do not stress over the mistakes that happen because sometimes they can make the acting seem more natural and may provide a new perspective of your script.

4.Show the performance- Show the actors the captured footage. This provides you the opportunity to comment on the actor's performance and make suggestions to enhance their performance. It is also very beneficial for the actors to seem themselves as the character so they can make appropriate changes. Constructive criticism is vital.

PRACTICE!!!!!!

This article provided me with some really great advice about communicating with amateur actors, so i encourage you all to check it out at the link listed above. Hope you learned something.

Peace,

Brie

30 Rock

A few years ago I started to watch the television show "30 Rock" and I didn't really like it that much so I gave up on it and went onto something new. During the summer someone I worked with suggested that i read Tina Fey's biography "Bossypants". Learning about her life experiences and how she got to be as successful as she is today was kind of inspirational.She worked her way all the way up the totem poll allowing her to one day produce her very own television show. Well after reading her book I decided i had to give "30 Rock" one more chance and I ended up loving it! I think that the show has just the right amount of sarcastic humor, which I love. The face that it is a 30 minute show as well makes is so much better because the show progress throughout the series but its not necessary to watch them in order. If you have not seen the show yet I would definitely suggest it as something to put on your list!

_Tori 

Everybody Loves Raymond

Everybody loves Raymond, including me. I started watching this show last month and I like it. I remember when I was growing up, this show was constantly on TV but I never watched it.  Now I watch it constantly. The thing I love about the show the most is the relationship between Marie, Raymonds mother, and Frank, Raymonds father. the constant insults between each other is one of the funniest parts of the show. Along with how weird and clueless Raymond can be. After awhile it gets annoying seeing how clueless Ray can be.


As some of you may know I am a stand-up comedian. My work takes me to places all around upstate New York and New York City. Last week I went to a conference called the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities (APCA), and at this conference I gave a presentation on ways to be successful and how APCA has helped me become a better student leader and help develop my career as a comedian. During the conference I met with many different talents and agents and made some good connections. I'm in talks at the moment with an agency called The Pearson Project who is looking to sign me and have me on board with their agency. I will keep you all updated on that.  While at the conference, I won an award for Student Programmer of the Year in the Northeast. This puts me in the running for the same award on a national level. I will be attending the APCA National conference in Atlanta, Ga in the spring. If all goes well, I will be showcasing my talents at this national conference and it can potentially lead to me performing at colleges and universities across the nation. I'm pretty excited.

Argo F***k Yourself

Argo is the first great film of the year. Yes The Dark Knight rises and the Master are close but none shined brighter than the latest from Director Ben Affleck. Who knew the man who was once Daredevil would become the best up and coming director of his day? With great films Gone Baby Gone and The Town under his belt Mr. Affleck is stacking up quiet a résumé; and he can ad his latest film to that list.

While Argo may not be perfect it comes as close as any movie this year. Affleck gets the tone of the 80’s without felling forced. What probably is his best strength in the movie Affleck gets all the humor from the Hollywood scenes and then pumps up the adrenaline for the last hour or so. While the action is not very fast paced you still get a sense of real urgency from these characters and that in the end what makes this film stand out compared to most. 

ADR? The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Recently I, for the first time, watched the classic Clint Eastwood western, "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly". I thought it was a great a movie and I think Clint Eastwood is one of the best actors/directors of all time.

But something that really threw me off the entire movie was the audio. At first, I thought Netflix was giving me a problem...but then I realized this was in fact a flaw in the production. I had no idea why/how a movie could be so monumental with such horrible ADR? Then, upon further inspection, I realized that Clint Eastwood was the one character who did not have bad syncing on his audio.

I did some further research...it turns out that the film was in fact filmed in Italy, and quite a few of the actors are Italian. I also found out that the movie is, in comparison to many others, fairly low budget. But I wonder if maybe the bar for things like this was much lower back in the '60s? Anyway, this was something that really stuck out for me. Regardless, Clint delivers a great performance in this classic movie, and I thoroughly enjoyed it (despite the audio side of my brain screaming at me the whole time).

American Horror Story

The premiere of the new season of American Horror Story was on Wednesday. Basically what this series is doing is using SOME of the same actors, but mainly new ones, a new location, and a new story line. It is more or less a mini series. This new season is at an Asylum for the criminally insane. It is ran by nuns and I think 1 priest. It is creepy. I don't recommend anyone watch it alone if you get scared easily!

The lighting in this first episode really stood out to me as really unique. It does make it seem more creepy which tells the story better. The sound effects and music in this show definitely make the show more scary (just like any scary movie or show). The sound really tells the story. Sometimes the camera movements confuse me as to what is going on, but it also adds to the overall chaos of certain scenes.

"What is your name?"- The Master"

My very first blog post was about the trailer for P.T. Anderson's "The Master." The film is about Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix), a drifter after World War II, who falls  in with the Cause, led by Lancaster "The Master" Dodd (Philip Seymour Hoffman). The Cause is very similar to Scientology, references to trillion year old souls and vessels, not the mention other planets at one point. Still the Cause is rarely described in the film, although Dodd's writing is like that of L. Ron Hubbard, referenced as bad and contradictory by some. However, to understand the Cause has nothing to do with understanding the movie.

The movie starts of with Freddie at the end of his Pacific Tour with the Navy. The movie soon reveals he makes cocktails that include chemicals, mostly unknown, but among them are a liquid from a torpedo and paint thinner. After incidents involving his nervous condition and these cocktails, he finds himself running away from an accident, which leads him to the boat of Lancaster and Peggy  Dodd (Amy Adams), celebrating the marriage of his daughter with other members of the Cause. Lancaster does not find anything wrong with the obviously mentally unstable Quell, so Dodd invites him to join. In the processing scene (auditing for Scientologists), Dodd asks Quell many questions, such as "What is your name?" over and over and over. This was a very memorable, if not a fascinating and uncomfortable, scene. I know this post is very plot heavy, but that is all I am going to say on plot besides that the movie is about Quell wanting to fit in.

To expect this movie to say something about Scientology will leave you somewhat disappointed. Quell does get involved and become a devout follower of the only man who seems to like him, but the movie is really about Quell. I think that any cult, such as Jonestown or the Branch Davidians, could have been used in the movie, but the post-World War II period was an interesting time when many people were getting involved in group and I think that really helps the film's plot overall.

P.T. Anderson is a great director; so many scenes build tension and he knows how to keep you interested, although the long running time and some of the slower scenes fight against him. The shots were beautiful and the movie is wonderful to watch. The music by Johnny Greeenwood of Radiohead was phenomenal, which helped to build the tension that I previously mentioned. The three leads all gave top notch performances, but I only see Hoffman getting an Oscar nomination this January.

The story was a bit long and you might be asking your own questions, such as "what was the point?'" or "what did that mean?" I really enjoyed it, but I don't know if I would call it a must-see film. There have been many fascinating movies this year, but if any one kept me thinking about the subject matter so intently after I left the theater, it was this one.

I showed the trailer in my last blog post, so here is one of the best short previews I found.

Here is a bit of Greenwood's score.

Film Festivals

I'd like to take this post to promote some film festivals!

Here's one I've been looking in to! I'm not 100% sure on what I want to do just yet but I'll figure it out. If anyone would like to help me out on it let me know! I'd be happy to bring some other people in on this!

This is another interesting website I found over the summer when I was looking for more film festivals to submit White Lights to.

Withoutabox is cool in that it gives you all kinds of film festivals all over the world! I did try to submit my film to one festival but the process was a little confusing and I didn't get my film in on time. Anyway, if you can figure it out, it's worth a try!

It's good to go to film festivals whenever possible even if you're not entering a film. It's fun to not only watch the films and where they place, but also to try and compare them to films you have made and see if the film would belong there! You'd be surprised, some films that are entered aren't as advanced as one might think they would have to be. Your film could really fit in well!

Some people can't really handle film festivals in that they can't sit through so many movies at once. However, some people can handle it. I'm certainly someone who can handle it and I love going to them  just to see the films! I'd also recommend the Theodore Case Film Festival in Auburn NY if anyone happens to be a local or even remotely in the area. I live in Mexico, NY so it's a good hour and 15 min. drive for me to get to it's location at Auburn Public Theater! Which is one of my favorite places! However, unfortunately they didn't do the Ted Case Film Fest last year so there was no way of knowing if they will bring it back again this year or not. It was a great festival (non-competitive) to view the different films being made by various people in the NY area! I met some really great people there as well. Since it's non-competitive I can tell you I know a lot of people that work there as well as the owners! They're a great bunch of folks! So if you're ever in the Auburn area check it out they've got lots of artistic events not just in film but also in music, poetry, and other ars!

Here's  their website! Check it out!!

Speaking of timed film festivals:

This is one of the guys I met at Ted Case FF in Auburn. He actually comes from the same roots as I do in that he went to my old school (Cayuga Community College) and then came to Ithaca he then transfered to Oswego. I don't plan on doing that however! His name Is Jeffrey Newell and he's extremely talented. This was one film festival that he did for a 36 hour film festival. He said he'd never do it again, however I think he did do a 24 hour film festival just recently.

I love seeing ALL of the videos he does, he's truly an amazing person. I would love to work with him someday. I'm sure I will have the opportunity at some point in time.

I would like to try to make a 24 hour film someday just to see if I could and what would come from it.
It'd be good for my brain!
TaTa for now!

-Lucy Lynne' Hall

Persona

Last week I watched Ingmar Bergman's 1966 film Persona for the first time. Its one of those films I'd heard about over and over again, and seen lots of references to in other films, but never actually watched it myself. I didn't really have any idea about what the plot was before going in, but after watching it I was really pleased with it. I tend to enjoy twisted, strange films that provoke thought and the urge to watch it a couple more times.

Here's the premise: Well-known theatre actress Elizabeth Vogler is in the middle of performing a play and suddenly finds that she is unable to speak, crippled with what we gather is an overwhelming anxiety or depression. She is sent to a facility and is looked after by Sister Alma, a nurse. The doctor decides it would be beneficial for Elizabeth and Alma to retreat to her seaside home to help Elizabeth recuperate faster. The two bond though Elizabeth still will not speak, while Alma uses her as a confidant of sorts, constantly talking to her and eventually confessing her innermost secrets. Elizabeth is physically healthy and able to speak, but still refuses while she voyeuristically "studies" Alma's character. Alma, soon in a weakened mental state, begins to assume the identity Elizabeth has cultivated for herself over her years of rising to fame as an actress. Alma basically becomes Elizabeth, helping Elizabeth cope by separating herself from the inner turmoil caused by her own existence.

Persona is minimally shot with many close ups, allowing the viewer to "get into the minds" of the characters. Its very cerebral, and provokes a lot of thought in order to piece it together, while also being pretty creepy. After watching I was able to see the connection between this film and one of my all time favorites, David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, which is said to be heavily influenced by Persona. Both Persona and Mulholland Drive feature main characters that are actors who meld identities with other characters. The concept of fluid identities is really fascinating, and also prompted me to think about where a person's identity lies in the profession of acting. I think that it must be hard for an actor to separate himself from the identity of a character he is playing, or truly know who he is as a person.

I really enjoyed this film, though I'm not sure I've fully grasped Persona in one viewing. I'm eager to watch it a few more times as well as check out more of Bergman's work.

When Harry Met Sally

 I know this is an older film, but I really really love it. Last weekend I watched it again for the first time in over a year and thought I would blog about it. It is my favorite movie because of it's writing. If it hasn't become clear by now, I am highly interested in screenwriting. In my opinion, it is one of the most, if not the most important aspect of production. In order to have a good film, you must have a good script. Without that, you have nothing. I understand that delivery and interpretation of these scripts are just as important, but a script isn't something you can "fix in post". When Harry Met Sally was written by one of my favorite writers/screenwriters, Nora Ephron. Ephron writes with a charming wit, a style that I myself strive to incorporate into my writing. Her characters are very strong, each having a personality that is easy to identify with. I think I love this movie so much because it runs parallel to experiences I've had in my own life. This is where Ephron exceeds, she writes about things that identify with the masses. We've all had a friend who we've had feelings for, wondering if they've felt the same. I like that Ephron examines the dynamic between men and women and the unanswered question, can men and women really be just friends? I believe this is her best screenplay, although I really enjoyed You've Got Mail as well. I've recently started to read her short essays which are as comical and witty as her screenplays. If you haven't seen this film and consider yourself a lover of romantic comedies, watch it now. It is the ultimate romantic comedy that is realistic and relatable. Below is one of the most famous and hilarious scenes in the film. The last line, "I'll have what she's having" was thought up by the hilarious Billy Crystal and was performed by the director's mother. It is listed 33rd on AFI's 100 Years, 100 Movie Quotes.

Knock, knock. Who's there? Doctor.

Doctor who to be precise. Doctor Who has been a sci-fi phenomenon for over fifty years. The show originated in 1963 and run through 1989, totaling twenty six series (in the UK series = seasons). Then the show was revived in 2005 and is currently on its seventh series. In total there have been eleven doctors, the most current doctor is played by Matthew Smith.

The protagonist, the Doctor is the last of the Time Lords, an alien race, who travels through time and space in his TARDIS (Time and Relative Dimension in Space). Along his many journeys and adventures, the Doctor meets many companions that then travel along with him throughout the universe and time. Besides companions, the Doctor also aquires many enemies. Enemy number one are the Daleks, an genetically altered (can only feel hate) alien race that fought against the Time Lords in the Last Great Time War (in which both the Dalek and Time Lord races were wiped out). The Daleks were able to repopulate and still try purging the rest of the universe of a non-Dalek race. 

  Doctor Who will have you on the edge of your seat, laughing along with the characters, and routing for the Doctor.

Rango

This week I watched the film Rango. Rango stars a CG animal cast, lead by a chameleon that loves to act. After being let loose in the desert he finds himself in an old western town facing a drought that threatens their livelihoods. Through a series of events the newcomer that calls himself "Rango" is named sheriff and given the task of solving all of the town's problems. As far as the film goes, I enjoyed it's offbeat humor and numerous references to films of the past. It's animation, although highly detailed, still maintained a "cartoony" look and I felt that the use of CG brought life to the setting in a way that a 2D image can't. I recommend this film to anyone looking for an amusing suspenseful comedy or anyone who just wants to hear Johnny Depp give his best Kermit The Frog impression.

Arrested Development

When I find a television show that I like I become completely infatuated with it and can not stop watching it. Since my parents are so generous and frankly just don't know how to use their Netflix account I have been watching as many TV shows on it as possible. Recently I have found my self spending an excessive amount of time watching the 2003 television show "Arrested Development". I'm sure many of you have heard if not seen the show but if not its about Michael Bluth the level headed son in his family. When his father is imprisoned for shifty account practice of his company Michael takes over his family affairs while the rest of his spoiled dysfunctional family members are making his job unbearable. The show only lasted 3 season but Netfilx has recently announced that they will be airing 10 more episodes and there has been rumors of a movie in the making!

-Tori

Comic-Can't

               This week I am at the New York City comic-Con and there is one thing that seems to have changed over the years. When these types of events first started it was just a bunch of comic book nerds getting together to trade and buy comics. Oh boy how times have changed, it seems as if nerd is the new jock. Everywhere you turn you’ll see a booth about the new “hot” TV show or movie. The mainstream pop culture has absorbed into the nerd realm. Today you’ll see football stars standing next to writers for Marvel and DC and it looks a little weird.

            Call me old fashion but there seems to be something missing at comic cons now. Yes everywhere you turn there is someone cosplaying as Deadpool or Batman but it’s almost like we sold out. I use “we” here as in us nerds and geeks. Before Chris Nolan made Batman cool there was no pressure in being a nerd, now that everyone and there mother is one I feel a little slighted. 

PS: This is me interviewing the creators of the Venture Brothers, a greaaaaat cartoon show on Adult swim. 

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This afternoon I went to see The Perks of Being a Wallflower at Cinemopolis. This film was a lot better than I expected it to be. Honestly, I am not one for "indie flicks". I consider myself the opposite of a hipster and enjoy watching the mainstream movies that play in every mall in America. There. Feels good to say it out loud. Anyways, this film kept my attention with its coming-of-age story. The audience isn't privy to the main character's secret until the end when it is revealed in the heart-wrenching climax. The film was very good at keeping a melancholy mood without getting too depressing. There were clever jokes dispersed systematically throughout the film that gave the audience a little relief from the troubled characters. The characters were all very relatable and I was surprised to see so many familiar actors in the cast, some only speaking a handful of lines. I really liked the lighting of the film. There were many shots that were lit up by little bulbs of light. There were wintery holiday scenes lit by strings of white and multi-colored lights, Emma Watson's character has white lights lining the walls of her room, and there are a few scenes where the characters are driving and their faces are lit by lights along the highway. For some reason I really liked this stylistic choice. I found it visually pleasing and it gave me a sense of warmth that coincided with times the main character was feeling warmth in his life. I would recommend this film to everyone. It was my first time watching a movie at Cinemopolis (aside from the time my Fiction Field I film was screened there last Fall) and I had a very positive experience. I am looking forward to seeing more films there over the course of the semester!

Waking Life

Last night I decided to watch "Waking Life," a film by Richard Linklater ("Dazed and Confused," "School of Rock"). It's a sort of animated film using rotoscope, meaning that it was shot with actors and then animated over.

The film stars Wiley Wiggins (Mitch Kramer in "Dazed and Confused") as the Dreamer. The movie basically follows the Dreamer from one conversation to the next, making it comparable to Linklater's "Slacker" or even "Dazed and Confused." Wiggin's character is involved in some of the conversations, while the other he seems to be watching from afar, which is something common in dreams. The movie is a dream from beginning to end, featuring false awakenings and surrealistic moments. The Dreamer wants to wake up, but finds that he keeps going deeper into his lucid dream.

The overall reality is strange in this movie. For example, one character talks about the human body being mostly water while water starts to fill up his outline. Another character becomes redder and redder as he becomes angrier.

The conversations range in their topics, including lucid dreaming, existentialism, and even politics. Many of the conversations were interesting to listen to, but not all of them stick as Linklater throws each one at you, one after the other. The one that really stuck with me featured Julie Deply and Ethan Hawke playing their characters from "Before Sunrise." In this scene, they touch upon dreams and life after death, and the connection between the two topics.

 I think that the movie is well made and interesting and leaves us with some interesting concepts and ideas, which movies should do, but I feel that it goes on for too long and some scenes were boring enough that they could have been cut out entirely. "Waking Life" would have made been better as a series of shorts in my opinion.

Here's one scene that I really enjoyed (the man with the ukelele is the part I am talking about).

And here's the trailer.

Art Direction Tips

After directing my last film, I realized how important it is to focus on the art direction of a production. I never realized how important the art department is until I watched my film and realized my location lacked character presence. It is important to use art direction to increase the emotional level of your film and to emphasize the emotions, relationships, and actions of a film. The art department is responsible for visiting the location, learning to be creative with budgeting, and props. This week I decided to research some information about what art direction is exactly and I am going to share what I found with you guys. I found this really cool article, written by Shane Burley, on the website brighthub.com. The article provides beginners tips on how to improve your art direction skills. 

1. Why you need an art director:  It is a very standard position and is found on most film sets, big or small.  It is not always necessary to hire a specific crew member for art direction, it should be observed and maintained by all crew members.

2. What art directors do?: The art direction works under the production designer. The art director is responsible for designing and altering sets that meet the directors vision. They are required to attend production meetings in order to better understand what the director wants to portray in the piece.  Everything that is placed in a set is under  the supervision of the art director.

3. Visit Location: The first step to art direction is looking at the location and determining how the space can be altered to maintain the director's vision.  They also look at the available electricity in the space and the objects that are present and can not be moved.

4. Creative Money Management: Being creative will allow you to design sets without requiring lots of money and it is important to pay close attention to the location of items in a set because a little altering can completely change the look of the space. It is also important to know what objects are specifically needed to portray the director's image. 

5. Get dressings to locations: You are responsible for making sure that all props and set dressings get to the location on time. It is preferred that items arrive prefer production day to make appropriate alterations to the items. 

6. Production Stills: The art director should take still photographs throughout the production for company books and formal documents. These pictures can be used for internet marketing and future product fundings.  The photos can also be used to maintain continuity and promotions.

7. Don't Over Burden:  You must assign someone who is very creative and has a strong concept of the directorial image. Don't rely on the director for the art direction, it creates too much stress.

Well guys,  I hope you learned some stuff and this article provided a great deal of beneficial information. Check it out at http://www.brighthub.com/multimedia/video/articles/62308.aspx. 

Peace, 

Brie

The Canyons

The first teaser trailer for Bret Easton Ellis and Paul Schrader’s low budget “contemporary L.A. noir” indie The Canyons was released this week.  The crowd-sourced film has an interesting cast in notoriously troubled star Lindsay Lohan, porn star James Deen, and director Gus Van Sant. Of course, the film is made up of the tried and true Ellis formula: disaffected, rich 20-somethings as they navigate their way through caustic relationships fueled by drugs and violence in the big city. In the press release, the film is described as exploring the “dangers of sexual obsession and ambition, both personally and professionally, among a group of young people in their 20s and how one chance meeting connected to the past unravels all of their lives, resulting in deceit, paranoia and ultimately violence.”  

The trailer (sans dialogue) gives off a campy '70s grindhouse vibe despite looking visually pleasing with some of the vast, paradisiacal shots reminiscent of Godard’s Contempt.

Personally, I’m intrigued by this project because I’m interested by the people involved.  You could say that Bret Easton Ellis’ schtick is a bit tired, but his writing is usually pretty thought-provoking and compelling. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t go through a phase of reading a bunch of his novels a few years ago. I’m also really interested by Paul Schrader (who we discussed in class) and his involvement as a director, since he is considered one of the Hollywood greats. And who doesn’t want to watch anything Lindsay Lohan does whether it’s in hopes of a comeback or for pure schadenfreude? I’m not that impressed by the kitschy Tarantino-esque vibe of the trailer, but considering who’s involved it really has the potential to go either way in terms of quality. The Canyons: complete train wreck or sleeper hit? Either way, I’ll be watching.

Burn one bridge you burn them all

So I'm going to try and stay positive in this post since now we know, big brother is watching! By the way Hello, Big Brother! Weather's lovely here in Ithaca! Anyways, moving on.

I'd like to point out the qualities in people that I like to work with. Perhaps one day that can be useful to not only me, when it comes to hiring people but also in terms of who I am.

Adults: I love working with adults because they have things to do. They're always busy and hard to get as actors. They've always got something to do at 4pm and they can't do anything for you past then! I like this because it keeps me on track, I might have dedicated my whole week/weekend/day etc. to my shoot but they have lives too. This gets things done quickly for me and keeps me on track enough for me to also be an adult and get my own things done!

Good Friends: I love people who as soon as you call for help, they jump at the chance even if they live 2 hours away. I like working with friends as long as they're not distracting. I think it helps in their commitment if they know me more personally. I'm not just a director or a producer to them, I am Lucy, their friend.

Honest people: I like working with people who say they're going to show up at a certain time, and surprise! They do! They stay through the whole shoot, if they find themselves borred, they don't leave the shoot and go eat tocos with their friends they seek out someone on the shoot who looks like they're struggling and stressed and they ask them "Is there anything I can do."

Not emotionally attached: Never count on two people's relationship to last through your shoot. Even if they've been together for 12 years and your shoot is only three days out of their lives. I love the people who DONT bring in their emotional ties to the crew/set. When you can turn the sad face off and do what is asked of you, I'm in debt to you.

Talented people: This of course goes with out saying. I enjoy working with people who know what they're doing. However, it's not my first priority. I'm more intrigued by people who are honest and committed.

Reliable ones: I love the reliable ones. The one's who send you a Facebook message years after you worked with them saying, "Hey I found something you might be interested in doing, here's the information let me know if you need help with money!" and "Hey, I know you're cleaning houses on the side for money, someone came in to work the other day saying something about needing his rental home cleaned, I gave him your number, I hope that's ok!"

The brave ones: I like the people who show up to set to help and hang out with you after the shoot. You loose an actor last minute or you didn't have time to plan for back up, you ask your friend, "Would you be willing to step in as our bad guy?" and they say "Well, I'm not a very good actor but sure I'll try." It works especially well when they wind up being a genius bad guy!

Guerrilla filmmakers: I love guerrilla film makers in the sense that they're so eager to work! They love to just make films so instead of going through what we (really should) do, Pre-production, they just get up out of bed and they make a film! Even if it means they had to steal a few things from their job to make it.

Loyal people: I love the ones who drank all night long, got in a huge fight with their ex/boyfriend, got home at 4am, tried to sleep for a few hours, called you at 7am and asked you where the location is and an hour later they show up to the shoot dressed in their finest, not emotionally derailed, there on time and ready to work.

Non-credited, don't care: I try to make sure everyone that works with me is credited. However, I love the ones who you ask to be your DP and if we can use their brand new camera on set and even though they're the producer of another set that's shooting that day, they say "heck yes"! Sorry I couldn't give them class credit for the project, but they got money out of it for winning the film festival.

Cry on demand: I've worked with a couple of people who know how to cry on demand. It's truly incredible especially when everyone around them is laughing and goofing off like fools. As you're reading this tell me if you can cry on demand! It's hard right?! I give them props...sometimes literally! *Pun intended*

Make up!: I love make up artist. It may take a long time to get them to get things done but when you can give them the time, their work is phenomenal! The same can be said if they're a set decorator or many other film spots!

Sorry I can't be there: I like it when people I have assigned as extras actually call me in a timely mannor and tell me they can't be there instead of just not showing up. Then when I ask them again the next time if they would be available for another shoot, they say " I owe you one, I'll be there!"

Home owners: I love working with home owners who let you borrow their whole house, let you move all their stuff into one tiny room and sleep on the couch with their dog while you finish up production. In fact they help you move all their stuff into that tiny room. Then they go out side and smoke with your producer! People like that should win nobel prizes!


Got to work at 10 am, no problem: I like when a main actress/or finds out the shoot was not on the day they thought it was and even though they have to work 10 minutes after the shoot, they don't bail on you they get there on time and I wrap them early!

The ones who want to work with you!: I like the folks who will come up to you one day and say "Lets work together on the final project!" It may not be realistic but hey that's awesome they WANT to work with YOU! I'm flattered.

Sympathetic people: When you're a surprise stand in on set and you're going to be covered in fake puke, the make up artist makes sure you're comfortable and that your shirt doesn't get wet. It's always good to keep your people happy!

The Chillest: The assistant directors that you come up to the day before the shoot and say "Ok, so here's the news: Our set designer quit, our location house burnt down, our props master threw out all the props, we have no audio." and they say calmly "Alright! Cool! We'll figure it out. No worries, man!" Such a joy!

People with Kids: Oh boy so your writer changed his mind at the last minute, He wants the kid playing on the floor watching tv while his mom's cheating on her husband on the couch! Great where are we going to find a kid!!!!???? You're lighting intern says "I could bring my 2 year old daughter she'd love it, oh and I'll bring the toys too!"

Sound people: They're one of a kind. I can't hear what they hear and it was so hard to find a good one! Especially one who isn't taken already! Good sound is hard to find!

The rays of sunshine: So everyone's ticked cause it's 30 degrees and we ran out of hand warmers 3 hours ago. Your actress says, "Hey everyone, there's a bright side!" and all of us laugh! I'm glad those people exist.

Inventive: I love the people who can make things happen when there's no budget. The set decorator who figures out how to make police riot shields out of tote box tops, gaffers tape, mailbox letters, a saw, sand paper, and a door handle on the back!

The big ones: The producers with big intense scary looking faces with folded arms and a can-do atitude. Low and behold he's holding a rubber duckling!

The DP: Sure (s)he's always cranky and maybe his/her but crack hangs out but (s)he's the best one for the job, no one can beat him/her and (s)he's there!! Just don't stand in his light or way!

To be honest I could go on and on. I sometimes wonder what if I was in charge of hiring people? Would I be good enough? I probably wouldn't hire them based on their looks or any other physical boundary but by their experience and their personality. I'd probably hire my friends and people who I'm told by reasonable sources that they're the best! I'd give anyone a chance! But only if they know they're quite replaceable!

This is why we don't burn bridges, because when you burn one bridge you burn a lot of them. For every student, intern, kraft services person, lower ranked person on your set, that you don't keep happy, you're got an army of people behind them who wont come asking you for a job. On the oposite side of the spectrum, for every employer in the industry (even if they're just a friend or group member in film school) you've got a sea of people in front and behind them who will take their word for it, you are or you're not cut out for the job. I'll take a good lesson in the people I've worked with, and try to reflect those qualities in me as they were in them. The same can be said for the one's I fired or never worked with again. I can learn from their mistakes, not just my own.

I happen to know the consequences of my actions, and I hope that they will only make things better in my future! I'm thankful that no matter the circumstances,  I will always own up to my mistakes and never blame someone else for my problems or force people to help me. I am human and even if I lose my job because I've made a mistake, I will always find another one. This I've learned from working with so many people, especially my old school where we had a lot of people who had lost their jobs, they didn't just give up. Besides, who wants to work with a company that threatens your job for silly human errors that really wont effect the system that much. Always know your priorities. What's more important to you, your job or your career, your play time or your future, your family or your employer, your heart or your paycheck, your career or your life? Think about it!

Have a nice day, enjoy the weather while it lasts!


-Lucy Lynne' Hall

One-Shot Film Reflection

My one-shot film assignment can be watched here.

Whew, that turned out to be more difficult than expected; overall though, I'm pretty happy with the final outcome of my one-shot film. I wish I had taken more time in my pan though in order to extend the entire length of the piece. I feel that the extended time would have helped in building suspense, making the final outcome of the film that much more satisfying. Timing is definitely something I will now pay closer attention to while shooting, and something I tried to keep close attention to today while shooting for assignment #2.

As I acted as my own DP for the shoot I left feeling pretty great about how smooth I was able to keep the camera pan throughout the entire shot. Shooting out of a car was pretty difficult but with how secure we kept the tripod with the sandbags, any bumps on the road where almost entirely unnoticeable. It's the first time I've tried such a technique and I now feel confident using it on shoots in the future.

On another note, today my group shot for assignment #2. I must admit that I've never gotten used to filming strangers and filming them today felt way too uncomfortable. However, we were able to get a couple good shots that could be worth recreating. I look forward to trying to make our second version identical as I think such a shot when put side-to-side to the original could look very interesting.

-nickp

One Shot Reflection

Directing has always been something that I've been somewhat interested in, but not too sure of myself in. At least in production classes, I've been used to developing an idea in a group and being the DP-essentially being able to frame my own project as I see fitting. It was a challenge for me this time to step back from this role, and tell someone else how I wanted my vision to be seen. However, I found that (even though I was only able to do one take) when you have faith in your crew and their abilities, this can end up looking really great.

The pre-production process, however, proved to be much more stressful than I had initially anticipated. My idea sort of 'came to me' in a brainstorming process, somewhat out of nowhere. I knew it was a bit ambitious, but for once I wanted to go outside of my comfort zone in a production class and really try something I'd never done before. I went through about 3 trials of making the sugar glass that essentially failed. The first one didn't harden at all. The second ended up looking alright (but ended up failing...I'll get to that). Then, the night before shooting, my talent suggested I try doing it again just in case. So I did, and it again came out decent.

At the time of the shoot, I first decided to use the last piece of sugar glass because I thought it looked the worst. The shoot went great and the photography looked amazing. As I went to remove the first piece I made from the pan, it broke right in front of me. So I had to go with what I had. It ended up looking really great and I was able to do some cool stuff in post. I think I'm gonna try my hand at directing the next opportunity that arises.

The "Last Kiss" Photo

The other day I came across an interesting article involving spontaneous inspiration and the hassle of release forms and other annoying but necessary things to get done when trying to make a film. With the conclusion of our one shot projects, I thought this article was particularly interesting. The story involves a man named Mo Gelber, an audio engineer by day and occasional photographer who happened to follow a crowd of reporters outside a courthouse, not even knowing who they were following. Amongst the commotion, Gelber saw something he found more interesting: a young couple sharing a last kiss getting escorted by police officers on each side of them. He ended up snapping this shot.

Gelber was pleased and ended up entering it into a contest called "Project Imaginat10n," a collaboration between Canon and Ron Howard. The contest called for people to send in their photographs with the potential of one being turned into a film. Gelber's shot ended up winning. However, the judges gave Gelber only a few days to get all the release forms signed, leading Gelber on a wild goose hunt, since he had no idea who any of these people were or where to find them.

Gelber called the police station and tracked down the cops pretty easily, who had no problem signing the forms. The hard part came when trying to find the couple in the photo. Gelber ended up turning to his Facebook friends, who put him in contact with a popular photography blogger who ended up putting Gelber's photograph on his blog, asking if anyone knew where to find the couple. A few hours later (pretty much up until the last minute of the deadline) the woman in the photo contacted Gelber, telling him that she and her boyfriend (who were arrested for graffiti) would be happy to sign the release and help him win the contest.

Mo Gelber faced another problem when it came to working out the details of the contract with Canon with his photo subjects. The problem was that the release states that for the rest of their lives, only Canon or the contest representatives could photograph them. Long story short, Canon and the couple's lawyers tried to negotiate the terms of the release but were unable to reach an agreement and Gelber's shot was disqualified. However, a positive to come out of this story is that now Gelber's photography has gained much more media attention.

I think this story is quite interesting because it highlights all of the legal stuff involved in making films that we often forget about. Unfortunately, it is a necessary part of the filmmaking process and could potentially force the artist to compromise the project. Of course, Gelber's situation is a bit more difficult because everything was being done through the Canon company, but these kinds of issues are still things that filmmakers commonly face.

Read the full interview with Mo Gelber here: http://good.is/posts/how-this-last-kiss-photo-sparked-a-facebook-manhunt/

One Shot Reflection

I got to do a lot this project. I did like having the 4 mini projects because I got to have many different positions. I got to experience what it is like as an actor for Maddie's film. I am never actually in any of my projects or my friends projects, so this was new. I was also in my own film, but since you couldn't see my face, it doesn't count. I got to DP for Lindsey's film, which was cool. I think that I underestimate my ability to work a camera sometimes. Besides it being a little shaky, which I feel was out of my control, it is nice to have something that you did that doesn't look like shit. (Pardon my french).  Dave made it easy on us all and had the camera on the ground, so although I did "DP" for him, I didn't have much work besides framing it, then standing back.

Directing my project was awesome. I love being director. I really didn't have too much to do with directing my actors because of the way my project was. Only feet and no real sound. It made it feel a lot more relaxed and fun. It also made shooting it really quick and simple, so we were able to do multiple takes trying different things with the flower, the hula hoop, and camera movement. I am really proud of this project. I think it is different, I got to edit it completely by myself. In the past, I have had group members that are more experienced than I am in editing, so they take full control of that aspect. But I really like to edit and to see my ideas for my final piece really come together. So it was nice to actually have full creative control and have it come out nicely!

The only issue that I had with this project was exporting it wrong. I am about to leave my apartment to go to Park and re-export it with the correct settings.