Over Thanksgiving break I went to see Pixar's The Good Dinosaur. The movie was good, but it was the same as many other Pixar movies: the protagonist is somehow removed from their comfortable home and they must go on a long journey to get back to it, seeking help from some funny characters along the way. Eventually Arlo, the good dinosaur himself befriends the little boy who he blames for getting him into this mess to begin with, Spot. Their friendship grows as the movie progresses, and I don't want to spoil anything so I'll stop there.
Arlo and Spot agree to help Nash, Butch, and Ramsey along their journey, in return for their help.
SO PRETTY
The movie was BEAUTIFUL. It looked so realistic and definitely inspired me to go hiking. However, what really caught my eye was the short film that played before the movie, Sanjay's Super Team. For me, the short film had much deeper meaning than the movie.
Sanjay's Super Team is about the Patels, an Indian-American family. Sanjay's father prays to Hindu deities while Sanjay prays to his deities, the superhero cartoons he watches on television. Sanjay is annoyed when his father turns off the tv, takes away his action figure, and forces Sanjay to pray with him. Sanjay is distracted by his action figure during prayer when his imagination suddenly whisks him away to a Hindu temple. Inside the temple, statues of Durga, Vishnu, and Hanuman come to life and help him defeat an evil monster. This experience changes Sanjay, who accepts his father's religiosity and consequently joins him in prayer.
(L to R) Durga, Vishnu, and Hanuman
I thought the short was really cool for a couple of reasons. First, this is the first time an Indian character is the focus of a Pixar film, which is important in animation history. Second, I'm interested in mythology, and the portrayal of the deities brought me back to my high school English class, where my yogi storytelling teacher told us both the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Third, the juxtaposition between Sanjay and his father shows that people of different generations and cultures are more similar than we think. At the end of the film, it is revealed that Sanjay Patel, the creator of the short, based it on a true story.
I recently went to see Christopher Nolan's most recent film, Interstellar. Produced by Legendary Pictures, Syncopy, and Lynda Obst Productions, this film takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where food is scarce and nearly everyone is a farmer. The films leading character Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), is a retired NASA pilot who finds himself led into circumstances that require him to take one last mission: to go through a wormhole and find an a planet for Earth to habit. The catch: he has to leave behind his son and daughter. In the end, he chooses to go through with the mission (leaving his family behind) and launches into the unending vastness of space to save humanity.
Overall it was an entertaining film to watch, but it has a lot of flaws and I ended up coming out of it more disappointed than impressed. Here's a list of my personal experience when watching Interstellar:
The Visuals The visuals make the movie. From costumes, to camera-work, and to props, it really does scream "hey, we're in space." It's definitely a feast for the visual eye, and I have to give props to those in charge of art, special effects, and locations because they've definitely set up a very consistent atmosphere to the film. Unfortunately there are moments where the CGI just can't pull it off and it changes to "hey, we're in space, no really, you've got to believe us."
The Audio If you're thinking of seeing this, I would recommend going to the theater. There isn't anything like sitting in the already grand space of seats, surrounded by darkness, and getting that eery mix of dialogue/internal spacecraft noises and sudden bouts of completely silence. It's something that scientist and space junkies alike have been vying for in films that have gone intergalactic, and they'll find a pleasing satisfaction with this one. Unfortunately the lack of sound has been a topic of disgruntlement for a few, as it does slow down the already quite lethargic pacing of the movie. The Characters The acting is good, the diversity is not. It fails to pass the Bechdel Test and it degrades its female and person of color character to essentially become token characters. One is pegged as the "emotional" sappy heart-driven character, and the other has a few lines here and there and then dies by fire. I bet you can guess which is which. It definitely had the potential to be revolutionary in its writing but its lack of stepping away from the cliched and stereotypical writing of hollywood, leaves it feeling like another cookie-cutter sci-fi than a unique twist of storytelling.
The Story This definitely makes you question life, in bad and good ways. For the first half of the movie I was very into the story. It was an interesting spin on the genre of (post)apocalyptic movies and presented a very chilling concept of time and space. Seeing Cooper's daughter go from spunky ten year old to feeble old woman, while he remains the around the same age as he left, sets your consciousness on edge. It almost pushes the theme of mortality and consequence in your face, but in a way that really makes you sympathize with the characters.
Unfortunately, that's where my interest stopped. While again, the movie had a great potential to be something very philosophical in nature, it turned into something that seemed like they choose the ending from picking papers from a hat. (here's where the spoilers start)
The Paradox
Disregarding the science of the movie, it falls into what I like to label as a bad use of a paradox. Now, this is debatable amongst many and you don't necessarily have to agree with this but in my opinion, there is only one good type of paradox in writing: a multi-verse paradox. That means that in the event of time-travel, character A can change the time-line but only for a universe that is not their own. Meaning, Cooper's character could go back and save humanity by using the powers of fifth-dimensional humans (humans who have essentially become enlightened creatures) to code a message in the clock hand of his daughter's pocket watch, but not to his actual daughter.
This theory stems from the fact that in order to start the paradox a character has to be effected by the outcome of the paradox already. So for Cooper's character in the past to find the coordinates to even start his whole adventure out into space, Cooper's character of the future has to know the circumstances of his past to change it. Thus a paradox. Because Cooper A couldn't have become Cooper B without Cooper B interacting with Cooper A. A multi-verse theory fixes the issue of there being a catalyst (ie. how does Cooper B become Cooper B if Cooper A doesn't know about Cooper B), because it says that Cooper B is an entirely different Cooper that is interacting with Cooper A's universe (one that is exactly identical but caters to two Coopers). It's slightly complicated but it solves the issue of things starting.
The frustrating thing about Interstellar though is that Cooper A is Cooper B. And thus the paradox problem is that Cooper B can't have told Cooper A everything he needed to know without Cooper A already getting this information from a Cooper B who knows it already. It just doesn't work.
The Discovery
Do you know that moment where something happens and you're just like, "how did they possibly even get to that solution?" That came up quite a bit for me. One of the major ones being the entire solution to saving humanity being Murphy (Cooper's daughter) realizing that the "ghost" in her room is actually her dad from the future sent back into a tessaract where he could interact with her dimension across years. There's a very tense (and very anticlimactic) moment where she and her friend are facing off with her brother, and she's racing to piece together the clues in her old bedroom. This doesn't entirely make sense without context but the point is there's a moment where she looks at the watch her dad gave her when he left and all of a sudden she just goes "oooh, all those cryptic messages I thought that a ghost was leaving for me by knocking books off my wall was actually my father come back to guide me." It's a moment that could've worked had it been set up properly but ended up pulling me out of the moment.
The Verdict
There is quite a lot that still could be discussed but these were the immediate thoughts I had while watching it. It's not something I'd likely see again but I can't say I didn't enjoy watching at least part of it. There are problems, problems that need to be addressed, but it's an okay film if you find yourself at the theater looking to kill time.
It may be a homework assignment, or it may just be the most tantalizing six word story you've ever heard. Regardless, "The Sloth Made Some Smart Investments" conjures a heart-wrenching tale of an unlikely hero. Who is this Sloth? How is he capable of making investments? And what financial secrets does he know that I could use to increase my own personal wealth?
I honestly don't know, but I'm sure these questions and more are sure to follow as Mr. Sloth takes on the stock market, checking his E-Trade while eating lunch, and being smart with his daily spending as he saves for the future.
Welcome everyone!. The following project structure is intended to provide you with a methodology to be both specific and help you track the progress and meet your milestones. Since individual projects vary widely some points might not apply. However, you can use it as a roadmap to define/clarify your goals and go back to it frequently and methodically.
It has four distinct phases:
DISCOVERY
This phase helps you understand the big picture and the opportunity to achieve the main goals of your project; to take an idea from conception to completion in the most effective manner.
Brainstorming, sketch scenarios, analysis and feasibility assessments.
Define the requirements, scope, timeline, budget (your time and resources) and benchmarks for the project.
Synthesis:
Produce a final script with the discovery result.
Develop a production plan and a storyboard.
Present a timeline and a budget estimate.
Don't be afraid to make mistakes! invent associations, structures, forms, silences, sounds.
DESIGN
During this phase, create the look and feel of the story. Develop the story requirements, the creative components, the technical design and the infrastructure that supports the project.
Creative Design:
Storyline and character creation
Script
Storyboard
Art Direction
Audio Design
Production Design
Technical Design:
Equipment requirements
Set/backgrounds/location/plates
Lighting diagrams
Special efx design
Models, costumes and makeup
PRE-PRODUCTION
Develop and integrate all the creative, technical and information components.
Research, research, research!
Location Scouting
Set design
Casting
Graphics, 3D video/audio production needs
Technical integration
PRODUCTION
Lighting
Rehearsals
Systems testing
Problem resolution
Cinematography
Sound
POST-PRODUCTION
Media Management
Editing
Sound Mixing
Color Correction
VFX
Title Design
DEPLOYMENT
Live environment:
Projection
Audience Test performance and feedback
Implement promotion/communication strategies
Showtime!
That's all folks!
1-Quality: the true nature of things, the peculiar and essential character
Last year in one of my classes we analyzed Knick Knack, one of Pixar's very famous short films that I'm sure most of you remember.
I love Pixar because most of its short films are interesting and appealing to everyone. Knick Knack in particular is the perfect example of a short story told in less than 4 minutes. It also proves that if you are creative enough you can make a simple story stand out from most films. Just like any other featured film, Knick Knack introduces us to a character with a defined objective, and many conflicts that prevent him from achieving it. The creators of this short film made an excellent job introducing the world of the film visually, and in less than 40 seconds. I also like that all the beats of the film are shown visually rather that by dialogue. This aspect of the film makes it even more funny to watch. Finally, another reason I love this short film is because like most good short films it has a little twist at the end. I feel that all of us can take this movie as an example when we work in future projects. It'll be great if instead of trying to tell a complex film with several plot, we would focus in a simpler story. I feel that if we do this we'll add to the creative value of our work.
This past Fall Break was good for two things: Sleeping and watching TV. So I would like this opportunity to recommend one of the most interesting, and complex shows I caught up with during the break. Of course I'm talking about Game of Thrones. This show is HBO's adaptation based on a series of books, called A Song of Ice an Fire (which I personally haven't read) by George R. R. Martin. One of my friends' described this series as "The Lord of the Rings meets the Godfather". I can only describe as exceptional. It is a show set on a hypothetical middle earth where its characters plot, plan, and backstab each other to get the power of the seven kingdoms. In this series everything is fair and possible. As they try to win the Iron Throne the show reveals each of the characters' story, and how these characters relate to each other. I feel that's what adds realism to this show. The uniqueness of each of the characters. Everyone has suffered a different path that drives each of the character's motifs during the show. The series makes a great job combininge these stories naturally, regardless of their complexity.
Production wise Game of Thrones is an ambitious project. The detail they put into every scene is just incredible. From the acting, sets, costumes, music, props, and even the language, they have succeeded creating this fantastic world, not so different from ours, but still unknownt and mythical. I would recommend this series a hundred percent and if you guys want to know more about the production of this series I would also recommend watching this video.
So I took Arturo's advice and watched Chinatown over the weekend. I just got to say that If you guys are interesting in watching one of the most developed story lines you will probably see in the movie industry, this is your movie. A brief review, directed by Roman Polansky, Chinatown tells the story of private investigator, Jack Gittes (Jack Nicholson), as we tries to unveil a conspiracy to steal the water supply of the city of Los Angeles. I know this storyline sounds kind of dull and overdone, but I think that Chinatown is more than that. The plot for this story unfolds by itself. The audience goes along with the movie as this reveals every key point of the story. This type of storytelling is so subtle that you don't even realize the complexity of it until you are done watching the movie. It just flows very naturally. I don't want to spoil the movie, but the big theme of the story (the water supply stealing) ends up being not as important as the story lines between the characters develop and overshadow the water supply storyline. I also think that it's really impressive that Polansky only use the main character, Jack Gittes, as his only mean to reveal the plot.
Chinatown reminded me of Dexter. In this show we also get a lot of information from Dexter's point of view. Dexter is also a suspenseful drama where the audience follows him as he investigates his different victims. For example, the way both of this characters sneak around to get the information that they need is pretty similar.
But coming back to Chinatown, its composition is pretty interesting as well. There is some pretty cool shots in this movie. Especially when Gitter is observing or hiding from someone, which brings me back to the story being tell only through Gitter's point of view.
I think that this movie is worth watching. I'm not really into movies from the 70's and early 80's because they tend to be pretty cheesy with the music and the general mood (and I did see some of this in Chinatown, especially during the credits), but I guess that was the style back in those days. But you should definitely watch this movie since it's a great example of storytelling and direction.
For this week's post I wanted to talk about a movie that I watched last week and that I would highly recommend. I'm talking about Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious. As with most of Hitchcock's movies, I wasn't disappointed with this one. It was the perfect combination of a romantic and suspenseful thriller. I feel that what makes Hitchcock's movies so compelling is the fact that he takes his time to set up the sequence of events that will lead to the resolution. I notice a variety of elements in this movie that we've discussed in the past. Like the key which served as a Mcguffin. I feel it was an essential element to move the story along and keep the audience enthralled.
Another Mcguffin that I noticed in Notorious was the bottles of wines in the wine cellar.
Hitchcock doesn't really expands why they were transporting this substance in the wine. He just uses the wine bottles to bring the story together. Another interesting fact about the way Hitchcock tells a story is that his story lines are very focused. Even thought this story took place in a Post-World War II setting, Hitchcock didn't emphasized this story line. He focused more on Devlin, Alicia, and Alexander's story. I feel that this helped me engage more in the story and care more about the destiny of this characters.
Welcome everyone!. The following project structure is intended to provide you with a methodology to be both specific and help you track the progress and meet your milestones. Since individual projects vary widely some points might not apply. However, you can use it as a roadmap to define/clarify your deliverables and go back to it frequently and methodically.
It has four distinct phases:
DISCOVERY
This phase helps you understand the big picture and the opportunity to achieve the main goals of your project; to take an idea from conception to completion in the most effective manner.
Brainstorming, sketch models, scenarios, analysis and feasibility assessments.
Define the requirements, scope, timeline, budget (your time and resources) and benchmarks for the project.
Requirements of Analysis:
Prioritize and validate requirements based on quality(1) and strategic factors
Determine success criteria and metrics
Define a preliminary list of production requirements.
Synthesis:
Produce a final script with the discovery result.
Develop a high-level implementation plan. (storyboard)
Present a timeline and a budget estimate.
DESIGN
During this phase, create the look and feel of the solution (style). Develop the story requirements, the creative components, the technical design and infrastructure that supports the project.
Creative Design:
Storyline and character creation
Script
Storyboard
Art Direction
Audio Design
Production Design
Technical Design:
Equipment requirements
Set/backgrounds/location/plates
Lighting diagrams
Special efx design
Models, costumes and makeup
PRE-PRODUCTION
Develop and integrate all the creative, technical and information components.
Creative Production:
Location Scouting
Casting
Rehearsals
Graphics, 3D video/audio production needs
Technical integration
Technical Production:
Set design
Lighting
Cinematography
Sound
System testing
Problem resolution
DEPLOYMENT
Demonstrate the solution after all final specifications and testing results.
Live environment:
Projection
Audience Test performance and feedback
Implement promotion/communication strategies
Showtime!
That's all folks!
1-Quality: the true nature of things, the peculiar and essential character
Over Thanksgiving break I went to see Pixar's The Good Dinosaur. The movie was good, but it was the same as many other Pixar movies: the protagonist is somehow removed from their comfortable home and they must go on a long journey to get back to it, seeking help from some funny characters along the way. Eventually Arlo, the good dinosaur himself befriends the little boy who he blames for getting him into this mess to begin with, Spot. Their friendship grows as the movie progresses, and I don't want to spoil anything so I'll stop there.
