On To The Next One

We are finally done. This whole semester has been a whirlwind of stress, sleeplessness, and getting equipment from PPECS. However, it has been the best semester of my life. Fiction Field 1 was a completely different world compared to Intro to Field. I went from making 1-3 minute videos to making 20 minute short films in a years time. I learned so much about everything film and media involved this semester and I am so happy for it.

I have always been one to learn from my mistakes and Arturo will definitely make sure you know if you have made a mistake. While during class you are stressing out, waiting for him to call out the next error that will increase the number butterflies flapping in your stomach, afterwards you realize "hey, that was really stupid of me but, I will never make that mistake again, and I'm a better filmmaker because of it."

My editing skills have had the most progression out of all my skills, after major critiques from lots of people I have really started to settle into my editing niche. I just started editing the Fall Semester of my Freshmen year and I have really found a love for it. Actually compiling the story that you captured is a very rewarding experience. I also believe being a good editor will help me down the road with directing films because thinking about post during production is better then fixing something in post.

As a director I really wished I had been more forward with the actors then I had been. I believe this would have solved some problems with not liking the delivery of certain lines, and ending up with a take that was acceptable but not the most desired take. I let the actors interpret their character too much rather then really breakdown the character individually with them.

I look forward to continuing in this amazing industry. The key is just to keep shooting and I believe if I do this I will really find my style of cinematography. I loved being on set, and I loved hearing all of Arturos crazy stories, and ingenious methods of problem solving. This was my favorite class and I learned so much as well as got an awesome starter film for my demo reel.

"Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives."

After a stress-filled but exciting semester, we are done with Falling High. I knew it would feel good, but not this good. Creating this project has taught me more than any other class so far. It was extremely hard and stressful, but I enjoyed it. My group cooperated really well, thankfully, and I am proud of what we made. I still don't know exactly what I want to do with my life, but who ever actually figures that out? However, I can say that I have a better understanding of the industry and different positions that I could possibly be in the future.

As cheesy as it sounds, the most important thing I will take away from making a short film is that cooperation, preparation, and dedication is extremely vital for the whole production process. It really helps when you get along with your group members. And you can never be too prepared. Do everything you can beforehand, that way the shoots go smoothly. Also, just being emotionally invested into your film is huge. If you're passionate about what you're doing, the end product will come out so much better. It's very time consuming, but in the end, it's extremely rewarding.

I'd just like to thank everyone in the class for making the class special. In light of the Christmas season, I'll leave you all with my favorite scene from one of my favorite movies, It's a Wonderful Life, directed by Frank Capra.

And to all a Goodnight

      Wow to think this is my last post, how time flies. First off I wanted to say it was a pleasure to work with all of you throughout the semester. Additionally this class has been one of the most unique experiences in both college and life in general (especially due to the interesting stories and objective of the class). While some days there might have been stormy seas it is nice to know we will all be sailing into the sunset on calm waters after our screening this Saturday. In all seriousness this class allowed me to gain a true appreciation for the industry and taking myself serious as a filmmaker, I mean how can one not learn from such a seasoned veteran like Arturo. Lastly I wish you all the best in the future as you pursue your careers, good luck on your finals and have a safe break!

      Now that I got all the sappy shit out of the way I would like to share my favorite holiday animated special, A Charlie Brown Christmas. This was actually the first prime-time animated TV special. The animated TV special is based on the comic strip, Peanuts created by Charles Schulz. For any of you that aren't familiar with Schulz or his work he was an American cartoonist that dedicated 50 years to his most notable work, Peanuts. A Charlie Brown Christmas was first debuted on CBS in 1965 and was switched to ABC in 2001 where it is currently aired on multiple occasions leading up to the Christmas. The animated TV special  has received much recognition throughout the years and has won an Emmy and Peabody Award. The last reason this is one of my favorite of all time is the soundtrack and how it works in unison with the animation throughout the entire special. Additionally the music simply spells Christmas as it provides a magical feeling we have all felt at one point or another during the holiday season. Without further adieu here is the classic opening to A Charlie Brown Christmas...

The Painted Veil

The Painted Veil

The Painted Veil is one of my favorite movies due to its beautiful cinematography, directing, acting and  dialogue.The Painted Veil is a love story set in the 1920s that tells the story of a young English couple, Walter, a middle class doctor and Kitty, an upper-class woman, who get married for the wrong reasons and relocate to Shanghai, where she falls in love with someone else. When he uncovers her infidelity, in an act of vengeance, he accepts a job in a remote village in China ravaged by a deadly epidemic, and takes her along. Their journey brings meaning to their relationship and gives them purpose in one of the most remote and beautiful places on earth.

This film was going to be hard to film, as the production crew wanted the film to look distinctly Chinese. They had many barriers when it came to finding a place in China to shoot. As one author quoted from the director of the film, John Curran, "Location scouts covered nearly 5,000 miles all over China in about ten days looking for an area that had an ancient town in close proximity to a river and mountains. The location also had to be near modern facilities that could house cast and crew and support a production office. The scouts looked around Hunan, but settled on Guangxi Province in Southern China. “The production was centered in Gui Lin, a city in Guangxi, because we felt the area and its mountains created the right mood,” says Curran. Gui Lin, one of China’s most picturesque cities, sits along the Li River and is surrounded by majestic, verdant hills." 

This film is one of my favorites and it has such an enticing story line that is unique and inspiring. The musical score in this movie is outstanding and very beautiful. It is haunting and evokes emotion from the viewer. This movie deals with a cholera outbreak in China and it is devastating to see the people of this poor town die such a horrible death. These scenes were difficult to watch, but they were tastefully done.

 I would definitely recommend seeing this film due to the jaw dropping cinematography and the high value of production. 

Here is the trailer: 

Curb Your Enthusiasm

I have recently rekindled my love for HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm”. First airing in 2000, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” follows the life of Larry David, the creator of “Seinfeld.” Much like Seinfeld, most of the humor in this show is derived from Larry’s social faux pas and general disregard for others. The style of the show is very similar to cinéma vérité in that it utilizes the camera to expose the crude reality of certain character. Additionally, although the plots are scripted, most of the dialogue is improvised.

What I particularly enjoy about this show is, that although it is fictional, it is rooted in reality. In interviews, Larry David has stated that most of the situations in the show are based off of his own experiences. Additionally, the show often features guest stars that often play fictionalized versions of themselves. Also, because most of the dialogue is improvised, it comes across as natural and realistic. Unlike some comedies, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” doesn’t try to be outlandish or over the top. Instead it creates situations that, although most people have not experienced, come across as plausible and thus funny.

An additional feature I enjoy about “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is its use of recurrent gags. Some of these gags include Larry’s mention of his Groat’s Disease, which is entirely fictional, and his anxiety over tripping. Similarly, this show often gives nods to earlier episodes as its season’s progress. An example of this can be seen in the video above, in which Larry chastises a handicapped man. By including these things, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” rewards its viewers for watching all of the episodes. 

Kazaam & Kazaamukkah

Back in 1996 people apparently thought basketball stars could act. We saw the release of two films of such topic. Space Jam featured Michael Jordan and Kazaam featured Shaq. The latter received very negative reviews and is considered one of the worst films ever made. From December 1st through December 8th my roommate and I decided to watch Kazaam every day/night. 8 days, 8 viewings of Kazaam. This is Kazaamukkah. 

As I type this I am currently in the middle of viewing 6 and I still have two more viewings to go. I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the film so here it goes. The story follows Max, a white boy with a metrosexual haircut and one missing parent that all 90's films seemed to have. Max is chases by bullies into a abandon building where Max falls on a Boombox which releases rapping genie names Kazaam, played by Shaq. Shaq is as good an actor as one might expect, that is, terrible. Shaq informs Max that he mas 3 wishes and Max realizes that until Shaq grants his wishes he is his slave. From there they go on an adventure that includes Pirated CD's, a villain who is introduced 45 minutes into the movie and two raps songs. The story is terribly put together, makes no sense. Yes it is highly enjoyable even 6 times. No excuse me I need to finish my viewing.  

The Super Not So Secret Gathering of the Technologically Savvy: The National Association of Broadcasters' Convention

Recently, my dad invited me to go to the annual National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas this April. Every year, the NAB (Not to be confused with the NBA), holds a convention dedicated to introducing new technology, techniques, and ideas related to the field of broadcast media.

 < < < <  National Association of Broadcasters (NAB)

National Basketball Association (NBA)   > > > >








Every year, over 100,000 industry professionals flock to Las Vegas to participate in the interactive exhibits, on-floor education sessions, and hundreds of product introductions. Apparently, the participation is so great that the size of the show floor is equivalent to that of 19 American football fields.

Here's the "sizzle reel" to get you pumped up about the convention:




Last year, attendees of the 2013 NAB Show got a behind the scenes look at the production of both "Oblivion (2013 film)" and "Oz the Great and Powerful." The Television Luncheon, hosted byNancy O'Dell, featured the induction of American Idol into the Television Hall of Fame with an appearance by Randy Jackson and a live performance by Chris Daughtry. Furthermore, there was a sneak peak presentation of Adobe's (then not yet released) Premiere Pro CS6 editing software and so much more.

The NAB convention not only was the first place to successfully hold a HDTV broadcast, it was also where the Red Digital Cinema Camera was first presented. Representatives from companies worldwide gather in Los Vegas to learn about the newest technologies. Some of the most famous companies with booths include:

Although from the photos below of the event, you can see that these are just a few of the hundreds of companies packed into the convention center. 

 The National Association of Broadcasters, or NAB, is an organization that acts as the voice of the nation's radio and television broadcasters. As the premier trade association for broadcasters, NAB advances the interests of members in the federal government; improves the quality and profitability of broadcasting; encourages content and technology innovation; and spotlights the important and unique ways stations serve their communities. They deal a lot with the law and work to inform policy makers of the primary issues affecting the radio and television broadcast business.

Gordon H. Smith is the current CEO of the NAB as well as a former Oregon Senator. I just want everyone to see how nice and handsome he looks in this picture.

Gordon H. Smith CEO of the NAB

All in all, I'm pretty excited to get a chance to take a look at all the latest industry gadgets as well as do my fair share of networking. I might even get myself a suit.

Editing

For our film since I am an editor I've faced a lot of difficulties going through this process. Before college I had only edited one short ski video that I made with a crappy JVC camcorder I had gotten for my birthday. It had an amazing zoom so that was the sole reason I bought it. That movie was cut on     I-movie and I thought I was the best in the world. Little did I know what I had in store when I came to Ithaca college. I started editing on Avid Media Composer last year in Intro to Field Production. I picked up very quickly but I am still learning a lot tricks of the trade and workflow technique.

This semester I started to use Final Cut Pro for an ICTV show "Life and Death" and Adobe Premiere CC for Fiction Field Production. Last year in Intro we always recorded audio right onto the camera so there was no worries about syncing up audio. This year for Falling High syncing audio up was somewhat of a challenge sometimes the camera audio was turned off and I had to go off of the way the actors mouth was moving and other times we had no slate. In the editing software, I learned to use the wave lengths to sync the audio up and this seemed to speed the process up. The labeling process of clips was also a very frustrating thing when the shot didn't start with the slate or there was no slate at all however I learned to work around these obstacles eventually.

This is my editing set up in premiere. For the most part I used the arrow tool and drag the clips to their desired lengths and used the blade to cut off the access fat. In the top corner you can see my project tab and numerous sequences. Every time I opened and started to edit again I would create a new sequence so that if a mistake was made I could go back to a clean slate without any trouble. This was a useful technique to use and it took a load off of my back stress wise. I hope to start learning more shortcuts on the keyboard so that the editing process happens with a bit more ease. 

There are still hundreds of things I need to learn in the realm of editing but this project really helped me hone in on some skills that will help me in the future. I hope to use Avid more next semester for my Non-Fiction project since Avid is the media standard for now I will continue to use the easy program of Premiere.

2013: A Golden Age For Women in Media?

This past Tuesday, The Representation Project posted a video titled "How The Media Failed Women In 2013." It quickly went viral and was posted on many blogs and journalism websites, including the popular sites Buzzfeed and Huffington Post. The video accumulated over two million views in its first few days and has finally gotten people talking.

From politicians to the most popular musical acts, we see the negative representation of women strewn all over the media. But I want to be positive and focus on the first 30 seconds of the video and the successes of women in media in the past year.

Hollywood movies are dominated by men. Hollywood thinks that films with male characters, about men, made by men, will do better at the box office. This past thanksgiving, The Hunger Games sequel broke box office records for its opening week, and Gravity, fueled by lead actress Sandra Bullock, tops box offices at $500 million worldwide. Cinemas in Sweden have employed a new rating to highlight gender bias in film based on the Bechdel test. If the movie passes the Bechdel test, it receives an A rating, which means it must have at least two names lead female characters who talk to each other about  something other than a man. Such films that have received an A rating, passing the Bechdel test, are the Hunger Games, The Iron Lady, and Savages.

In the TV world, Orange Is The New Black, featuring an all female ensemble cast, becomes Netflix's most successful original series with excellent ratings, however Netflix refuses to release any viewership data. This year, there was a record number of women nominated for directing at the Emmy's. Of the ten nominees, five were women. Gail Mancuso won for best comedy directing for her episode of Modern Family, the first female win in this category since 1993. Tina Fey and Tracey Wigfield also won for best comedy writing, which means that women are dominating the comedy category for the first time in Emmy history. And there's just the success of Tina Fey in general. And let's not forget about the success and popularity of Lena Dunham and her HBO show "Girls." Additionally, Kerry Washington was also the first black woman to receive a nomination for lead actress in almost 20 years.


The Representation Project also lists that 2013 saw the first female anchor team on Newshour, Katie Couric is hired as Yahoo's first female global news anhor, Goldieblox ads go viral, and Malala is featured on the cover of Times 100 Most Influential People issue.
chor,

Some other successful and highly influential women in media are the executive editor of the NY Times, media mogul Oprah Winfrey, Arianna Huffington, among a few others. However, the difference in numbers between influential men and influential women is still incredibly way too vast, and while male politicians are still dictating what constitutes rape and whether abortion should be illegal, and that women should pay higher health insurance while receiving less salary than men, something has got to change.

The Representation Project is a "movement that uses film and media content to expose injustices created by gender stereotypes and to shift people's consciousness towards change." In 2011, they released "Miss Representation," a documentary about the representation of women in media and power that was an official selection at Sundance Film Festival, as well as seven other film festivals. 

Dive into the bargain bin

So, you're walking through the grocery store, wal-mart, or anywhere fine cheap movies are sold. You look into the bin of cheap DVDs, and spot something familiar. You wonder to yourself, is that [insert big name animated movie here]? Upon closer inspection, you see that it is an impostor.

Enter the world, of Video Brinquedo, a company in Brazil that specializes in making rip-off animated movies. To put it bluntly, Video Brinquedo movies are terrible. The animation is bad, the character models are bad, the movies as a whole are bad. 

Click the picture to experience Ratatoing. (Or at least the trailer)

All the Video Brinquedo movies re-use assets like there's no tomorrow. The rats in this movie? Get ready to see them in the other Brinquedo movies, along with all the other past models and characters.

Thing is, Video Brinquedo makes money from these. Enough that other studios are following their example.

Kiara the Brave isn't even a rip-off movie though. It's actually an original animated film from India. 

Click the picture to see the trailer. 

Having watched Kiara the Brave or "Super K" as it's actually called. I can say that it isn't very good, but it isn't a shameless Video Brinquedo-ter rip-off. The animation isn't nearly as bad either. 

It's a shame that smaller studios have to rely on tricking people into seeing their movie. Hiding behind the guise of an established movie is downright pathetic. Cheapo animated movies aren't going anywhere soon though. So strap in, grab the popcorn, and get ready for The Last Flight of the Champion.

"It only cost how much to make?" : Primer

This week I had the pleasure of viewing the science fiction drama film, Primer, directed, written, and produced by Shane Carruth. By my roommate's request, I went in with no knowledge of what the film was about, besides the fact that "the movie is insane" and that it has a cult following. Oh, and that it only had a $7,000 budget. Oh, AND there was a crew of only 5 people...

The opening scene was as visually appealing as any other multi-million dollar movie you'd see on the big screen, and as I soon found out, so was the rest of it. The cinematography was flawless, the editing seamless, and the dialogue more intriguingly confusing than anything else I've ever seen (a lot of mathematical discussion that wasn't dummied down for the audience). I would definitely consider the movie experimental in the way it was shot and in the plot line itself. For instance there are several points during the film where there are some rather jarring cuts which help show the disorientation that the characters are feeling when they are inside the time machine and directly after they time travel. That brings me to the plot: a few engineers accidentally find a way to make a time machine (keep in mind the $7000 budget here), and it looks absolutely realistic. Definitely check this movie out!

Arcade Fire's "Afterlife" Official Music Video

      The official music video for Arcade Fire's "Afterlife" came out recently, and it is beautifully done. Written and directed by Emily Kai Bock, it doesn't include any of the band members. Instead, it starts with an uneasy conversation at the dinner table with a father and his two children. From there, it goes into each person's deep desires and longings. It portrays these longings through visually stunning shots with beautiful colors and some black and white shots. The camera movement is very fluid. This video really captures the delicate and captivating sadness of the song. Produced by the Creators Project, the editing enhances the emotionally and touching story through its carefully thought out cuts and overall structure. So take eight minutes and watch this music video. You won't be disappointed.

Watch it below:

It aint pretty but it works

So you plan weeks in advance, write lists upon lists of the exact gear you'll need for each shot while you're on set. So finally the day comes when it's time for pre-production to end and to get into the thick of the film making. But somethings not quite right? Somethings missing or broken or the gear you got still wont get you the shot or you have no gear at all! The site Shittyrigs.com is dedicated to these kinds of instances.
     On shitty rigs you'll see everything from professionals to complete amateurs building finecking and just grabbing whatever is on hand to get the shot they need. Some are ridiculous such as a camera masking taped to the tripod or a 5d mark II taped to the ceiling with a mirror behind it. The basic idea behind all of this is you don't need everything in the world to make a good movie. All we need is ingenuity  and duck tape. Thats all I ever want to use anyway.
check out www.shittyrigs.com

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Caught Fire

The Hunger Games sequel Catching Fire was a hit at the box office. It made a record $110.2 million dollars in the Box office over Thanksgiving weekend. This made it the highest grossing Thanksgiving movie ever. It has a domestic total of $296.5 million dollars. The Hunger Games is based off of the novel trilogy by Susan Collins.

The story is the dystopian future of North America into a totalitarian society called Panem. The nation includes 12 districts and the Capitol. The Capitol decides everything for the capitol. Every year there is a lottery to chose 2 individuals from each district to represent their district in the Hunger Games. Each tribute will fight to the death till there is only one winner. When Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark defy the capitol in the games, they both end up being the victors. Without giving the rest away, I will just say that the adventure they take on immediately takes the viewer in and outcome is definitely not what I expected.

In the second movie, Peeta and Katniss have to go back into the Hunger Games to fight once again. Despite the rule that if you are a victor you don't have to be in the lottery again.
The reason this sequel has become so popular is very clear. Francis Lawerance, the Director of Catching Fire explains the many reasons he thinks it was so successful. He says "Susan created a really rich world, filled it with compelling characters, and told a great story with just a really truly amazing character, Katniss, at the center of it. I think one of the things about Katniss's character is that whether you're a guy or a girl, you can relate to her because she's so real and relatable." He goes on to talk about Katniss' flaws and mishaps which make the viewer connect even more with her character.
This goes to show that in some cases, relate-ability can really boost ratings. Making her qualities less hero-like and more real is something that allows viewers to put yourself in her shoes and imagine what you would do in similar situations.

What most people fail to realize is the amount of visual effects put into the film. For example, the exterior shots the the train car Peeta and Katniss are in in the beginning of the movie,  were typically aerial plate shots into which a digital train and track were added.  Most of the arena was all digital as well. The jungle, ocean, shore, and beach line were completely digital. This included the movement of wind moving the the trees the ocean waves and more. Such a job was done by VFX supervisor Janek Sirrs. I hop I didn't spoil anything, but for those of you who haven't I strongly recommend it!

Digital Viewfinder for Cinematography (DView)

       I am back again with another application that may be able to aid in you in your kit as a filmmaker. This week I am posting about an iTunes application called Digital Viewfinder after Arturo mentioned the The Wolf of Wall Street in the ASC and more specifically how the director chose from various camera's and lenses in order to achieve the final look of the scene. This app does just that by allowing you to easily visualize shot framing for a number of different cameras and lenses without having to actually bring all the equipment along to the location. By replacing the classic director's viewfinder this invaluable application not only mimics a wide variety of professional film equipment but it also gives desired aspect ratios, focal length, full meta-data and GPS coordinates. Additional features include being able to organize your location photos into projects, share your photos or create a PDF report and lastly if that isn't enough it also allows for the selection of 45 professional digital and film motion picture cameras including names like Panavision, RED, Sony and Phantom. Lastly the app allows for you to share your shots by sending them via iMessage, AirDrop, Email, Facebook and Twitter. Digital Viewfinder for Cinematography is $29.99 on the iTunes app store and is available for both the iPad and iPhone. This could be a handy tool for upcoming projects especially if you are involved with preproduction planning!

Here a few screen shots showing some of the features I have outlined above...

Masters Of Sex

 
One of my new favorite American television drama series is called Masters of Sex. This show was developed by Michelle Ashford and based on Thomas Maier's biography Masters of Sex: The Life and Times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the Couple Who Taught America How To Love. Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan star as the lead characters, Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson, two pioneering researchers of human sexuality at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. The series tells the real story of Dr. William Masters and Virginia Johnson and was picked up for a first season consisting of 12 episodes. September 29,  2013 was the premier date  for the show but, with great ratings for the pilot October 22, 2013 Showtime renewed Masters of Sex for a second season for 2014.

This show is based on the real life Dr. Masters and Virginia. It's exciting to know how much the show has differed from the original story. Some characters like Barton Scully was a combination of several men whom Masters knew. One of them gay, but it was not the same man serving as provost during Master's initial study. Writer/producer Michelle Ashford also serves as a showrunner for Masters of Sex. Because of the time period Ashford has it set in the prop masters Jeffery Johnson had an extremely difficult job in creating and finding the sexual devices from that time period. He was able to obtain some vintage vibrators and dildos for use in the series along with acquiring condoms manufactured in the era. He designed "Ulysses," a transparent dildo with attached camera first seen in the pilot episode, from scratch,  along with a diaphragm sizing kit seen in later episodes. As I watched I remember how sex was such a "taboo" idea to talk about. The release of this show in a time period where sex is something that is more open to talk about allows the audience to fully be intrigued with the content of the show and realize the irony of the time period then and now.

The first season of Master of Sex has received acclaim from critics. Based on 48 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, the first season received a 90% approval rating from critics, with a rating average of 8.4 out of 10. The sites consensus: Seductive and nuanced, Masters of Sex features smart performances, deft direction, and impeccable period decor." Metacritic gave the first season a score of 85/100, based on 32 reviews. Matt Roush of TV Guide wrote that "There is no more facinating, or entertaining, news series this fall season." Diane Werts of Newsday gave it an "A" grade, complimenting the series on its use of humor, stating "its deft balance of epic scope and whimsical humanity", as well as the strong performances of the actors and creator Michelle Ashford's "scene-setting scripts". David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle particularly praises the performances, calling them "extraordinary" and "stunning", and noting the series' A-list directors such as Michael Apted and John Madden. Hank Stuever of the The Washington Post wrote that after two episodes, "the character get better and more complex, the story builds, strange things start to happen and now I can't wait to see how its interweaving plots unfold. Alan Sepinwall of HitFix praised lead actors Michael Sheen and Lizzy long stretch. It's also a refreshing anomaly: a prestige cable drama that doesn't fee; like a recombination of elements from 15 shows that came before it.

"Frozen" will melt your heart!

Featuring the voices of Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, "Frozen" is the coolest comedy-adventure ever to hit the big screen. When a prophecy traps a kingdom in eternal winter, Anna, a fearless optimist, teams up with extreme mountain man Kristoff and his sidekick reindeer Sven on an epic journey to find Anna's sister Elsa, the Snow Queen, and put an end to her icy spell. Encountering mystical trolls, a funny snowman named Olaf, Everest-like extremes and magic at every turn, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom from destruction.

I am still amazed at the progression of animation and what is has become.This adorable movie is getting rave reviews, from both critics and their audience members. One critic claims Frozen is “Beautifully animated, smartly written, and stocked with singalong songs, Frozen adds another worthy entry to the Disney canon”. On RottenTomatoes.com Frozen received a 91% overall rating for people who enjoyed the loveable film. The snowman featured in this film, called Olaf is hilarious and I wish he was real. This film has adorable characters that everyone, young and old, can relate to. 

This film is a must see, as it has a great cast an adorable plot line. If the winter weather has got you down, go see Frozen and warm up your chilly bones!

Here is the trailer, check it out: 

"Soft Focus? Fix it in post."

"Soft Focus? Fix it in post." While that is a phrase no one will hopefully ever say on set, there is a camera that can do just that: Fix focus in post. The Lytro is the first commercially available, consumer level, still-photography camera that doesn't just record a 2D image, it records the entire light field. This  allows for entire new editing possibilities in post. The two most outstanding features of the Lytro is that you can shift the focus and slightly change the perspective after the shot has already been taken.
Try it out on a few pictures here:

The Lytro however, does not support any video recording capabilities. There are many things that excite me about this camera, and many features I feel it is lacking. Regardless, this is a unique, new advancement in the world of consumer cameras. Advancements like these force other companies to step up their products and make advancements of their own. At the rate technology is changing and being developed I can't wait to see whats next.