Supernatural... Season 10

Sam and Dean are back with a new season of Supernatural on Netflix, and I couldn't be more excited.
Not only has this show kept me going for 10 straight years, but it has also taken up an entire week of my life. Yes thats right and entire week... over 168 hours. This figure amazes me because when it come to TV I can rarely stay interested for more than a season.

Don't get me wrong this is not something that I am necessarily proud of given that the production quality of the show is questionable at point. That being said I have to give them credit where credit is due. They mad a damn good story. It isn't easy to get someone like me to keep coming back for more but the Winchesters have me in a devils trap.

I do find myself asking "why do I watch this show?" at different point, but I do always end up watching the next episode regardless.

At this point however I will say that I believe the story is a little past its due date. I need closure. I feel like I am probably just as tired as Sam and Dean at this point. I love their chapters so much I just want them to succeed.


If you have never watched Supernatural, I would recommend it if you can make the commitment to the show. However if you dont think that you could watch at least the first 3 seasons I would say dont even bother then. It is most defiantly a show that I do hold close to my heart however and it is always good to run into someone else that has enjoyed the show as much as I have.

So You Want to Work with Children...

One sunny afternoon in my childhood, I was inside watching a movie (like all good little film nerds do). That movie was "Labyrinth", which I had seen at least ten times before. After it was over, instead of going outside and playing catch or whatever normal, healthy children did, I decided to watch all of the special features. I don't really remember much of it, but one thing did stick with me to this day. In one extra, Jim Henson said that he had been told to never work with children, animals or puppets. And yet, "Labyrinth" involved all three, and look how that turned out. Although Henson admitted the process had been extremely difficult, as a viewer, the end result was so worth it.

Fast forward about eight years, here I am in Fiction Field II directing a film mainly consisting of children between the ages of six and thirteen. Immediately, Jim Henson's words came back to me and panic set in. After going through the five stages of grief at the thought of working with kids,  I dried my eyes and decided it was time to buck up and prepare.

I took out my laptop and searched on the ol' Google tips for working with children. After sifting through multiple articles teaching parents with child actors how to "deal" with directors, I finally found some useful information. Here's a few things to keep in mind if you ever decide to work with tiny humans, from research and my own experience (with the assistance of hilarious gifs):

1. Safety: 

It's bad when anyone gets hurt on set, but when it's a kid, you're in a whole other world of trouble. This is why you should always take extra precaution and preventative measures when working with children. First, you should always have a parent or guardian on set with the kid. This way, not only will you have an extra set of eyes looking after them, you can talk to the guardian directly if you need anything or if anything goes wrong. Speaking of supervision, you should always have a member of your crew watching the children (it would be best if you hired someone specifically for this job). Legally, you are required to have at least one supervisor on set for every twenty kids, but you should make your life easier and have at least two. Make sure this person is not only comfortable with children, but is also talented at keeping them entertained and capturing their attention. Additionally, a second person can help walk the children between the waiting area and the set when it is their turn to be on camera. Next, you should ALWAYS have the parent or guardian sign a waiver and release form. This way you're less likely to lose a lawsuit if an accident does occur on set. Lastly, if your shot in any way endangers the child, forget about it. It's not worth it, and I'm pretty sure it's illegal. 

2. The Child Comes First:

This kind of goes along with safety, but I thought it deserved it's own category. When you're on set, the needs of the child comes first. If they're tired, sad, hungry, etc... it's your job to accommodate to them. Maybe you need to take a few more breaks than planned, or maybe the kid just needs a bag of skittles. It's important that the child is happy, just as it is important to keep all of your actors as happy as you can. But, don't let them bully you. Additionally, if the content makes the child uncomfortable or confused, it's a good thing to make sure they know that it's not real, especially if they're younger, or pretend that something else is going on in the scene. For example, for Black Butterfly (my Fiction Field I film), we had a scene where a young child witnesses her mother's suicide by hanging. We had our mother actress holding onto a bar as we shot her legs, then we shot the girl's reaction. Instead of telling her that it was a suicide scene, we explained to her that the actress was just doing gymnastics, which put her at ease. 

3. Directing:

All children are naturally little actors, so getting creativity out of them is usually not the problem. But when you need to give them specific direction, you're going to need to adjust how you speak so that they can understand. It's much easier to give them simple direction, "walk slowly to this spot" or "count to two Mississippi and then put your head down", than to give them motivation for their character. Or, if the child is particularly intelligent or theatrically trained, giving them simple motivation can also help. "Your mean sister just stole all of your candy, and you haven't gotten a single piece all night, how would you feel?" Putting the motivation in a question form allows them to think how they would react in the situation and give a more realistic performance. Being a director, you have to be authoritative, but not mean or scary. You have to find a happy balance between being their friend and someone they listen to. Be friendly and fun, but when it comes down to shooting, they have to be attentive and listen to what you say. When it comes to the shot, you usually can't get the same performance twice. Continuity means nothing to them, so you must plan your shots around that. Or if continuity is extremely important, make sure they know exactly what to do with their body and have a very attentive script supervisor watching their every move. 

4. Camera Angles:

Children are short. It's a thing. Unless they ate some Popeye spinach all their life, you have to account for how you're going to shoot them in relation to adults and locations. If you want to make them look weak and sad, shoot them from above. If you want to make them powerful, shoot them from below (if you can). These are basic. But, it's important to film them at eye level for normal scenes so that you can get the right mood. Shooting at the child's level adds warmth and friendliness to the scene, rather than a striking angle. Additionally, when shooting a close up on a kid, it's better to move the camera closer and use a wide lens rather than zooming in. 

Needless to say, after this weekend, my next film will star adults... But children are great. Really, they're great.

The Remake Of Carrie

I'm not a fan of scary movies nor was I a fan of the old Carrie but I absolutely hate remakes! First of all remakes of the originals never come out as well. It always seems like the director is trying to keep the important scenes and similar lines but it always looks cheesy like a really bad knock off. Carrie is a 2013 American supernatural horror film. It is the third film adaptation of Stephen King's 1974 novel of the same name, though MGM and Screen Gems, who are producing the film, employed a script that reportedly more faithful to King's original novel.

In the first movie the mother was creepy and terrifyingly religious! I was afraid to be Carrie but in the new version the mother from the beginning always seemed weaker then her. Carrie's powers were more evident in the remake from early on. In the original she doesn't realize her abilities until later on in the movie. They changed a lot of the scenes that made the original creepy movie creepy. Chloe Moretz did an excellent job trying to live up to Sissy Spacek's original performance in the 1976 version directed by Brian De Palma. I will say the new Carrie has great visual effects and explosions that make Carrie's powers seem more real and believable.

It's the same movie just not as good I think. Some people enjoyed it like modern scary movies they have a good finish a big bang and the audiences tolerate them. For me the entire story needs to be good from start to finish.

Supernatural

If anyone were to ask me what my favorite tv show was I would definatley say Supernatural. Supernatural is now on its seventh season and the show is still as good as it was when it first began. Even though the shows front runner Erik Kripke stepped down and is no longer running the show, the production value is still amazing. I am pleseantly surprised that the show has gone this far and that it still is a good show. I'm glad this show hasnt suffered what happens to many shows who have had many seasons which is becoming stale and unteresting. Supernatural however has not failed to keep my interest and I wish that more people watched it. A lot of people brush it off because of it genre which is sci-fi and horror. Unlike the many cheesy horror movies out there Supernatural is about more than the monsters that they have to get rid of during and episode. Supernatural is about the bind between two brothers who struggle with their unstable lifestyle as hunters of all things supernatural. It is a show I recomend everyone to watch because it truly is a good, engaging and all around awesome show.

Supernatural Effects

In the show Supernatural, each episode deals with a different demon or creature, and none of that would exist without the special effects. It's not just in post production and after effects, but blood pumping mechanisms and extreme make up are needed to make this show happen. I can't even count how many times someone gets stabbed or sliced in this show and there is an entire team working from pre to post to make this all happen. I was watching a few videos about the special effects and this one is a pretty revealing behind the scenes look at how the special effects team creates the blood, gore and monsters.

What is particularly interesting is how they start planning before they even get the script. They don't film everything and then work in the effects, but they can be called up and just be asked for more blood. With the demand for so many effects in such a short period of time, the production team has the dilemma of completing the project, but still making is aesthetically pleasing and as realistic as a demon throwing Jensen Ackles against a wall as it can be. Then, they have to deal with the actors limitations and creating what they need as characters to work with. The show is unique in which each episode deals with visual and special effects as well as make up effects. It is hard to distinguish the line drawn between production and post production effects. Obviously, programs like After Effects have the ability to create blood, but that can easily be done in a more organic method. It comes down to the kind of visually pleasing image you are looking for.

American Horror Story

I made the mistake of watching FX's new American Horror Story by myself at one in the morning. While it probably wouldn't have been as scary watching it when it aired, the unique style of editing and strange story line will leave the viewer with an uncomfortable feeling either way. Even beginning with the warning that you're going to die. Ryan Murphey leaves Glee way behind and introduces the Harmon family who move to California looking for a fresh start and find themselves in a house haunted by the ghosts of it's past. While some are turned off by it's copious amounts of blood and sex, many of the scenes are of a freaky, psychological nature as it boasts unettling imagery. Christopher Baffa's cinematography evokes a classic horror movie feel, combining tension created by handheld shaking with flawless crane shots. While many horror shows and movies rely on the mystery of a darkened room, American Horror Story brings the thrills right out in the open with very filling lighting, bringing the viewer right into the action. The liberal use of close-ups feels like a violation of personal space as we are literally pushed into the character's most intimate moments and best kept secrets.

The Pilot left us with overflowing story lines and the incredible possibility of character development. There is a thawing divide between the husband and wife as they repair their marriage and a very unsettling romance budding between their daughter and her mysterious, unstable friend.

However, what makes the show so different and anticipated is the exact thing that may be it's downfall. The show was so packed with grizzly and horrific elements that the family undergoes so much trauma in the first episode alone. If it were anyone else, they would have been on the next plane home after supernatural experiences and incredibly straightforward warnings from a tragic past resident. While many are eagerly awaiting the second tension filled episode, it makes me wonder how long the show can last riding along this quickly.

Below is a behind the scenes segment about the haunted house on the show.