Limitless's Ground Breaking Title Sequence

When I clicked Netflix on Friday, I was ecstatic to find that the movie Limitless was finally on instant streaming. What I didn't realize that the movie would have something in it that I had never seen before. While the movie itself was quite good, what really caught my eye was the opening title sequence.

The movie starts with an unmotivated and unsuccessful writer, Bradley Cooper, who is in a rut and can't seem to get his new book started. His relationship has come to an end and his life seems to be spiraling out of control. I don't want to give the movie away so I will just say that he finds someone with this magic pill that activates a humans entire brain and allows them to access every part of it. The movie travels through the complicated rise of Bradley Cooper and the problems that follow him because of the pill.



Now for the most amazing part of the film, the opening title sequence. I had to do a little research to figure out how they were able to create such an effect.


I had posted earlier in the year about the amazing Red camera systems that have infiltrated movie sets all over Hollywood and I found that they were also used for this terrific effect. Surprisingly enough all the camera setups were done static. There were no moving crane shots for this shot. However what was most amazing, according to an interview with Josh Comen and Tim Carras the special effects coordinators, was the fact that there was 15 different camera set ups for just the first third of the sequence.


On top of that they used 3 separate Red cameras set side-by-side on a tripod. Each camera had a different lens, one with wide angled, then medium, then close-up. So not only was there a myriad of camera set ups, but they had three separate angles for each camera for every set up. This allowed for a full panoramic view of each section of the sequence so that they didn't miss an section of NYC. If you click on the link of the interview you can see how in depth the sequence actually got and how much work went into this. The exceptional work shows and this title sequence is definitely one of my favorites of all time.

Suburgatory

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and a relaxing break, for me I have been in a food coma for the last three days. This was the first time in awhile that my entire family was under one roof so we celebrated by watching a plethora of great movies and TV shows. As a quick side note, American Horror Story: fantastic. During this TV binge we stumbled upon a show called Suburgatory, a show about a girl (Jane Levvy) and her father (Jeremy Sisto) living in the suburbs after living in New York city the majority of their lives.

The episode we watched was the Thanksgiving special, it was enjoyable, had very funny jokes and the acting was pretty good. Will I continue to watch it? Eh. Call me a pessimist but I do not have much faith in it. However this show was filled with actors everyone recognizes. It seemed like every five minutes one of my family members would go, "Oh damn its that guy!" As I said early Jeremy Sisto is in it, Cheryl Hines, and Alan Tudyk are all actors on the show.

This show was enjoyable for a couple of good laughs and seeing some great actors, will it last? Honestly I cannot tell but it is worth seeing the Thanksgiving episode at least.

Unique Filming Technique

I found The Other Guys on TV the other night and it was at the scene when they are in the bar. It's very interesting how they did it. Take a look:



Anyway, I was curious how this was done and did some research. It can be easy to 3D model and animate this entire thing but everything looks too real to be created in Maya, 3D Studio Max, Cinema 4D, or Lightwave. These were actually shot in real life.

Another film showed how to do this.



Basically, this was shot twice. Once with not actors and the crane goes through the scene with computed pans and tilts to get the correct frame, then it does the same exact sequence with the same timing with the actors. Later on in the "postproduction" phase, they added in glass, explosions, dollar bills, etc. The same goes for The Other Guys but that had to of been more than two takes because Mark Walberg and Will Ferrel show up multiple times.

Very interesting

It's the Muppet Movie!

It's time to play the music. It's time to light the lights. It's time to meet the Muppets in the Muppet movie tonight!

I just got back from watching The Muppets, the first Muppet theatrical released film in twelve years. In the film Walter, a Muppet himself is the world’s largest Muppet fan. Along with his human brother Gary played by Jason Segel and Gary’s girlfriend Mary played by Amy Adams they must raise 10 million to save the Muppet Theater from Tex Richman. But before they can do that they need to reunite all of the Muppets who have since parted ways and are all over the world. Overall I really enjoyed the film that has the heart warm message that everything is better when you are with the people that you care about.

The first thing I liked about the film was the meta jokes calling attention to the movie the characters were in. For example when reuniting the gang they realize that this could take awhile and that we should probably cut to a montage. Instantly a montage begins until we see all the Muppets assembled into the car. One of the Muppets, Rowlf, then asks how come his story wasn’t included in the montage because he thought his was very interesting. The film then cuts back to the group waking him up from a hammock and asking if he wanted to join them, which he quickly answers yes. Other meta-references were to the songs that were supervised and written by the hilarious Bret McKenzie from Flight of the Conchrods. Characters would reference how they were tired from doing an earlier song and dance number. Other times like when The Muppets meet with Tex Richman and he raps them a song about how the answer of giving them the theater back is no the Muppets said a simple no would have been good enough.

Long before the movie came out I was excited to see because of the great marketing behind the film. In the months leading up to the movie they created numerous spoof trailers and posters of popular films with the Muppets as the stars. These included a spoof of the romantic comedy genre with a film called Green With Envy, a parody of The Hangover Part II called The Fuzzy Pack, and a parody of the upcoming David Fincher film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo called The Pig with the Froggy Tattoo. Other films parody included Green Lantern (Being Green), Paranormal Activity (Abnormal Activity), Puss in Boots (Fuss in Boots) and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn (Breaking Prawn). By drumming up anticipation with these funny and successful parodies of popular movies ticket sales should be high for a movie that already has a loyal fan base and already stellar reviews.

Overall the movie was a great and sweet story perfect to watch with your family this holiday weekend. In one related note very much like the plot of the movie of bringing the Muppets back for a new generation, NBC has recently announced this week that it is currently working on a new sitcom with the Jim Henson Company. “The New Nabors” will explore the humorous repercussions of a human family living next door to a puppet family. If it is anything like the movie I am sure the world is in for quite a treat and for the Muppets to bring everyone, as they say, the third greatest gift of all: “laughter.”

The History Channel Evolves into a Primetime Hit

A few years ago when my dad flipped on the History Channel a long series of "Nooooo's" and "Ugh's" from my sister and I because we knew that this meant he was watching some WWII show or something to do with old military equipment like tanks, etc. Now I find myself watching the History Channel on an everyday basis. Why is this? Because when President of the network, Nancy Dubuc, faced to challenge of changing it's image,she did her homework. Now the History Channel sits in the number 3 slot as of the 2nd quarter ratings of 2011. At this point looking back I wonder where Dubuc went right in the evolution of one of my favorite channels.

What made this channel make itself to the top 3 in 2011 was the introduction of the non-scripted, real life shows. Shows like Pawn Stars, Ax Men, Swamp People, American Pickers, and Ice-Road Truckers. All of these shows bring the real life experiences of many different people and the struggles and triumphs they go through to make it.

Personally my favorite show is definitely Swamp People. This show was one of the first big hits for the new look History Channel. After a very successful season 1, this show is moving with momentum into season 2 with a large following. The reason shows like this are so popular, is because the viewers have no clue what this way of living is really like. It is so entertaining to watch these Cajun people who have been brought up for generations do what they do best and wrestle alligators and get enough food to feel their families.



I am so far away from these swamps of Louisiana and this show allows me to get the insider view on what its like to be a swamp rat. The Cajun lifestyle is one that is very interesting and watching this show makes me realize that to make a very successful show, there isn't always a need for a script. Real life interaction can be more than enough and the success of the History Channel is proof of that.

Kevin Michael

I first met Kevin when I was a freshmen. I was working on a video workshop film for one of my ICTV producers. My producer said that Kevin was coming into to play the interrogation officer, I had no idea who he was and didn't know what to expect. Surprisingly he was an excellent actor and was very dedicated to the role. I didn't get to exchange words with him since I was a little freshmen and intimidated by almost everything unless someone recognized me.

Since then, I achieved to be a student engineer, working with almost everyone on the technical staff. It's been tough because I only had the chance this year to talk to or work with Kevin. He was hear at 7 AM everyday and I'd always find him as soon as I walked into the building. We'd have a conversation revolving around graphics, which would lead to him saying something funny how he modelled a girl and she's hanging over his desk, and then suddenly shift gears to MLB Network.

Not only did we talk about work but he was always about doing anything for the students. He took time out of his schedule for students. He'd spend hours recovering a file for a project, explain any principle about multi media or technical operations. He was a very big figure for ICTV, Park Students, and the Park School. I only wish I had more time with him, as does everyone else that he's spent time with, but that's how life goes. I will never forget Kevin Michael, his legacy will live on in everyone and we can replace a technical operations worker but we can not replace Kevin.

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.

The Room: The Citizen Kane of Bad Movies

Normally I do my weekly blog post on the greatness on a certain television show or movie but today to switch it up I am going to talk about one of the worst movies ever made called The Room. The Room is a 2003 drama that has been called the “Citizen Kane of bad movies” and is about a love triangle between a man, his future wife, and his best friend. While many people learn from good movies, The Room is also a bad movie that young filmmakers can learn what not to do.

The biggest problems with The Room are the choices made by the production team, which is pretty much all one man. Tommy Wiseau is not only the film’s director, producer, distributor, main star, and writer, but he is also credited as an executive producer! As we have learned in groups, movies and television shows are made by a team and not just by one person. Each person is responsible for their own roles and responsibilities but having one person be in charge of everything may make certain areas of the film sloppy and not well thought out. There are rumors that Wiseau did have a crew of 400 people but replaced the entire crew twice after disputes. Many of the crew members took on extra roles. Greg Sestero was not only Mark in the film but also a line producer, Wiseau’s assistant, and helped with casting. Wiseau was also very inexperienced himself to begin with. For example he shot simultaneously on 35 mm film and high definition video with cameras on the same mount because he was unsure of the formats and how the final product would look.

The script of the film also suffers. Not only did the script supervisor had to take Wiseau’s script and make it comprehensible since most of the dialogue was just “unsayable” there are many plot holes and strange pieces of dialogue. For example the main characters are all in alley playing catch wearing tuxedos. They mention wedding photos despite the wedding being a month away. When asked about this scene Wiseau simply said that playing football without the proper equipment is fun and challenging. One of the most famous lines of dialogue occurs mid conversation where a character just randomly says, “I got the results of the test back. I defiantly have breast cancer.” Despite this large reveal and moment it is never mentioned or brought up again for the rest of the movie! Unhappy with most of the dialogue after shooting Wiseau dubbed the lines in post and most of it does not sync with the scene or the actor’s mouth. This results in a hilarious scene at the local flower shop.

Finally the casting for the movie is just the icing on the bad movie cake. Wiseau claimed he casted most actors based solely on looking at headshots. One of the actors even quit halfway through the shoot and the rest of his lines were given to Greg Ellery whose character is never introduced, explained, or addressed by name. The worst actor of the bunch is definitely Wiseau himself. Not only can the audience not understand what he is saying but he overuses his arms and just speeds through most of his dialogue without pausing for beats or breaks.

Despite all of these negatives The Room has developed a cult following and continues to have midnight screenings around the world. Wiseau promotes the film as black comedy and that the humor is intentional. Whether that is true or not The Room is definitely a movie you will laugh during, whether it is at the movie or with it.

Entre Nos: Inspiring Story & Film

“Entre Nos” is a captivating Indiepix film about the struggle that Colombian immigrant, Mariana and her two kids Gabriel and Andrea face after being abandoned by their father and husband, two weeks after arriving to the United States. It is merely one story among millions about coming to America and having to start from scratch.

The film which was inspired by a true story and filmed around Queens (in my neighborhood!) in 18 days, won over ten international awards when it was released back in 2009. It follows Mariana’s journey, along with her two children as she tries to keep her family afloat in a new country whose language she does not speak. After being left behind by her husband, and kicked out by the landlord Mariana and her kids walk around Queens collecting recyclables to exchange for money. The family sleeps on park benches and scrounges for food in hopes that they will be able to one day find a stable shelter. “Entre Nos” speaks to all audiences---regardless of language, race and background. At its core, the film is about the drastic measures that immigrants go through in order to achieve basic needs and of course, to protect their families.

What I found extraordinary about the film is that the fact that Paola Mendoza—the protagonist of the film actually co-wrote, co-directed and starred in the film…which was based on her mother’s story when she first came to the United States. Mendoza dedicated the film to her mother, who only agreed to give the rights to her story away if Mendoza herself would portray her.

The story of Liliana (Mendoza’s mother) is truly inspiring—however, I find it more influential that Mendoza herself was able to create a film that is not only special to herself and her family, but to audiences worldwide. Having independent films such as “Entre Nos” are particularly important to Latinos of all backgrounds, but specifically to those such as myself who are studying film and television. It is a reminder that there are stories of all kinds waiting to be told and that they are definitely possible to create—even if you do have to write, direct and star in them yourself.

Here's the trailer for the film:



Watch below a clip of the star of the film with her mother and brother (taken by Mario Diaz who blogs about Latino Films!):

ENTRE NOS INTERVIEW from Mario Diaz on Vimeo.

The Hunger Games, and Kevin

First off, condolences to Kevin Michael's family. Kevin was a real asset to the Park School, and the fact that he's gone leaves a gaping hole in the Ithaca College community as a whole. He will be missed.

Of course, we've got to move on from tragedy. So let's talk Hunger Games; which, I suppose, isn't really any better. That's not a stab against the movie -- from the trailer, it looks great -- but the story, if you don't know, isn't the happiest-go-luckiest of the bunch.

Quick summary: Post-apocalyptic world. In the nation of Panem -- which was once the US -- a government punishes their people for past protests in a televised annual event called The Hunger Games, where one boy and one girl from each "district" is called to fight to the death. The winner will bring their district prizes and live in luxury. Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen year old girl from the impoverished District 12, is called to play in the games; but she has other ideas for the Games and the government of Panem.

It's not often that I rave about how good a film adaptation of a book looks; but watching the trailer, I was drooling. When I read the books this summer, I had a vivid idea of how the sets would look, how the characters acted, how they fought, the music, etc. Everything in this trailer is exactly how I expected it, except for the actors. They look a little too clean and pretty for poor and oppressed citizens living in the slums and woods. But that's Hollywood; and to be honest, everything else about this movie so far has overshadowed that one little thing.

What's most impressive about this movie is how natural everything looks for a movie that's so unnatural. Maybe it's the rapid fire nature of the trailer, but nothing looked artificial or choppy; the makers of this film really devoted their time and energy into making every detail exactly right, and it shows. Watching the trailer immersed me in this universe. It's something amazing when a trailer can do that.

The movie comes out on my 21st birthday, so I might have to miss opening night for "celebration" and "good decisions." But I predict that The Hunger Games will be the movie event of 2012. What? Twilight? Get that weak mess out of here. Katniss Everdeen will kick Bella's pregnant ass around the block this way and that way. Like, you don't even know.

Montage Montage Montage

So I was watching Robot Chicken last night and I saw this clip and I loved it.

I wish sometimes my life was like that. I could get so much more accomplished. Also, it puts a seamless transitions into the end credits, much better than Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Obviously the clip of Montage Man made me think of Team America's montage scene.

I don't know why but corny montage clips always seem to crack me up.

Misfits

One of the shows that caught my attention this past couple of months was E4's Misfits. Being a huge fan of british TV I had to watch this show. I'm happy to say that i wasn't disappointed by this show. In fact I love it. Misfits has the perfect balance between humor and suspense. The casting for the show is also perfect. But what makes this show different? First of all, this show is about young delinquents who get super powers after a lighting storm. Isn't that awesome? Misfits brings you to a mysterious world where anything is possible. The main characters of the show have conflicting personalities, but in order to survive they have to work together and trust each other. This plot helps with the creation of different scenarios and shorelines that can be both funny and dramatic. Finally I think that Misfits is a great example of a low-budget show that can be creative and interesting.

If you are into british TV, comedy and comic books I would recommend watching Misfits. The first two seasons are on Hulu for free.

All In

After my "idea" was chosen to be made into a group for our final project, I realize I didn't put much thought into the actually story, except that I wanted it to be around poker. After a crazy weekend, and some well thought out plots, I have decided to give this one a go. Twin brothers Josh and Dan are attending the same University away from home and taking on the world as it goes by. Josh struggles to receive good grades and also finds himself to get in trouble with the school police, but him on academic probation. School rules state that win on academic probation, all scholarship money granted from the school will be taken away as punishment. Without his money, the brothers won't be able to attend school for it is too expensive. They turn to their best friend Adam for help, a friend who is good with connections and might be able to find them a job. But Adam has another idea up his sleeve. He introduces the boys into an underground poker club on campus that is run by some graduate students. The stakes are high enough to where the brothers could afford to stay at the school only if they win.

With little money to spare, Dan feels its a good idea to borrow money from a towny loan shark. The two then have decided to work as a team, using signs and symbols to communicate what they have and how they should play the hands. Trouble arises when Dan realizes that he is the one with the knowledge, and that he doesn't need his brother to win the money, causing them to fight against each other. At the end of the day, they both find themselves at the final table, Josh needing to win to stay at school and Dan needing to win to pay back the loan shark. Who has the guts to go all in?

If you or someone you know has a gambling addiction please call or refer them to gamblers anonymous.org.

Finally

Our group finished our last shots Friday morning and as I sit here putting some final touches on the editing I am surprised that I haven't had to do anything too weird considering how many issues we had. One thing that I am disappointed about is the lighting is a little different between shots. I also wish we had gotten some ADR yelling, but maybe we can work that in before the final screening in December.

As one project comes to an end, another is beginning. We had a brief casting call tonight. Will set it up and sent some emails out and put a post on Craigslist. We may have found a few of our henchmen tonight.

On another note I was reminded of a great website Video Copilot last night, by Rick Ross of all people. It appears that the boss himself may watch Video Copilot for tutorials. If you watch the very beginning of this video you will see a crumbling effect.



This is taken straight from Andrew Kramer's "Procedural Crumble" tutorial.

Sound in Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead is a zombie movie parody starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. While the entire movie is definitely worth watching, a main staple of the film is the sound effects. Using intense and defined sound, that is typically found in action movies, for everyday activities heightens the humor of the scene. His mundane life comes with a soundtrack, muting outside noises, the viewer focuses on the loud stumbling on a curb, or listens as opening a soda can becomes an epic action. But all this is even before the dead come back to life, the climax of the movie. These dramatic sounds accompany his actions from the very beginning. Sounds like these direct the viewer to a genre or reference they are about to experience.

The movie also strongly brings music into play. Aside from using music from other classic zombie movies, director Edgar Wright incorporates it right into the action. In this scene, they are fighting off zombie in a pub, and become rhythmically intertwined with the music playing the background, fighting off zombies to Queen's Don't Stop Me Now.

Production wise, the sound is very clear. The ambient sound such as subtle music and constant zombie groans seem natural when paired with the main dialogue.

CBI Convention Orlando 2011

Halloween weekend I went away and escaped the cold of Ithaca. I went down to Orlando, Florida for the annual college broadcast convention to represent ICTV. I travelled down to with three other executive staff members to learn useful ways of upgrading our station and network with other schools about what they are doing with their stations.

The hard thing was that CBI is very radio and newspaper based so there wasn't much for television. While there were various workshops taking place, myself and other ICTV executive staff members met some people from Washington State University. These people from Washington State were in a similar situation as we are with ICTV, being a huge conglomerate student organization. It was interesting to hear their organization of their station since they are completely student run and we receive money from the dean for funding.

They had a huge executive staff, dividing everyone into a certain branch of the channel. For instance, they have a President who oversees everything but then they have a VP of Television, a VP of Marketing, VP of Finance, and a VP of Human Resources to be instated. It was completely structured as a real network, which we were all impressed with how they managed it. It also astounded us that their executive staff members and producers receive college credit for their efforts, where as we are completely voluntarily and receive extra curricular recognition.

The biggest difference between Ithaca College and Washington State University is that we, as in Ithaca, are a private school and WSU is a public school. Aside from meeting these two representatives I also had the chance to sit in some workshops dealing the use of social media for television stations, radio stations, and newspapers, and how much of an impact social media has in advertising and gaining viewers, listeners, and readers. Another resource was learning how useful your website and can be and how to track hits and visitors through Google Analytics.

The conference is in Chicago next year, which I plan to attend in hopes of being on ICTV Executive Staff again. I look forward to see what CBI has installed for TV after joining the CBI TV list serv so we can all collaborate ideas and expressive needs.

Financing Your Projects Through the Internet

One of the biggest concerns as student filmmakers (among the many we face) is how we are going to finance our projects. A lot of people use their savings, apply for grants, or simply ask mommy and daddy for help. But recently, many people have been looking somewhere new for funds: the internet. There have been a number of websites that have been launched that support artists by creating an avenue that both gains awareness and funding for their projects. The two biggest sites out there right now are Kickstarter.com and IndieGoGo.com.

Kickstarter.com is a strictly free fund raising platform for creative projects. Anyone can sign up and anyone can pledge money to a project. No matter the size of the project, you can set up a project page and start advertising. However, in order to actually get the money you raise, you need to reach the quota you set initially for your project.
IndieGoGo.com works a little different, but serves the same general purpose. There are two small fees taken out of the money you raise that go to the website and the service they use to handle the money, but regardless of whether you meet your goal, you get the funds you raise.

Both sites allow you to create incentives for the funding backers. Instead of royalties or other monetary incentives, the production team can create personalized mementos that show their thanks. Popular incentives including things like a DVD of the project, a thank you video from the cast and crew, an associate producer's credit, and signed memorabilia from the production.


A specific example of how this new kind of funding is working is an Ithaca College student production called 'The Market.' They set up an IndiGoGo account and have raised over $4,000 to make their originally short film a feature length production.

These websites are perfect for us fledgling filmmakers, but it's also important for any other creative projects you may be involved with. Both sites provide avenues for funding for traditional art, comics, video games, theater, and more. If you can think it up, you can fund it. I would suggest these sites for anyone with a solid idea and a good marketing campaign to help get your good ideas off the ground.

The Hobbit

Everyone has a movie or show that they are really looking forward to watch. For me I really want to see the Muppet Movie...it looks fantastic. But what I am really excited for is The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. I am a huge Tolkien fan like a HUGE Tolkien fan. It is probably the nerdiest part about me. Peter Jackson has been posting video journals about the production and his most recent one focused on the technical side of making the movie.

I enjoy these videos and I hope you guys do too.

The Lengths the Cameraman will go to get ONE shot

One of my favorite shows to watch on television that amazes me every single time I watch it, is Planet Earth. The number one question I find myself asking is, how do they get that shot? I find myself fully intrigued in finding out how they get each shot. We never seem to realize what extent these cameraman go through to make Planet Earth as great as it is. As challenging and grueling the work load is I can appreciate how satisfying getting one specific shot could be.



After watching each Planet earth section they go over the most extreme and great expeditions the camera crew went through. The video above shows their quest to Pakistan to find the snow leopard
and the luck they fared when they found a mother and her cub and the hunt to survive. On the DVD, There is another video that is before this clip where a freelance videographer, Doug Allan traveled to Ladakh, in the Himalayas. He began a 3 year quest to find a snow leopard and was after 7 weeks he captured a few very distant shots. He obtained better shots with remote cameras and they he moved and the video shows the rest. It was amazing to me how much sitting time Allan endured and how lucky they truly are to tape these clips of the snow leopard.

David Fincher and The Social Network

The Social Network is an award winning film by David Fincher. It tells the story of how the social-networking site of Facebook was founded but it is also so much more than that. It uses this story as a backdrop of friendship and betrayal. Based on the novel The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich, The Social Network is arguably one of the best films from the last few years.

David Fincher known for movies like Se7en and Fight Club is considered a visual artist. His films are very stylized in terms of color and composition. Looking past the technical side he also works well with actors. Not only does he allow and plot time for experimentation for the actors, he is also determined to get their best performances. In the opening scene between Mark and Erica, which was over eight pages of straight dialogue, he took 99 takes. He did this to break the actors and strip the acting away from them. Instead of sounding like rehearsed lines it looks and feels like two college kids simply talking as their characters. There is no acting going on. They know the lines inside and out and now Jesse Eisenberg and Rooney Mara have become Mark Zuckerberg and Erica Albright.

Fincher is also great with special effects. Actor Armie Hammer played both the Winklevoss twins but there are many people out there that think that there are two Armie Hammers in the real world. Josh Pence actually played one of the twins from the neck down and had Armie’s face digitally replaced over his. To further match each other’s movements and rapport they spent 10 months in twin boot camp together. This makes scenes like the rowing scene at the Henley Sequence possible.

My friends and I were so excited for this movie to come out that we even decided to recreate the amazing trailer shot for shot all in one 24 hour span during finals week of last year. Without telling our friend who looks like Jesse Eisenberg (so he would not know what he was doing) we ran around campus recreating the scenes from the movie. We later spent weeks editing it all together to make it match with the original trailer. If played side by side with the original they would match perfectly (which I have actually created a file doing so). Even though it is filled with inside jokes between friends it was posted online and have since received a large number of views (currently we just hit 800). A few weeks ago I was even asked to talk about the trailer on Ithaca College’s television show The Screening Room: Director’s Corner. If you are interested you can check out the interview here. I am the third and last person interviewed in episode five from the Fall 2011 season.

The Social Network is a brilliant film by David Fincher that I cannot speak more highly of. The acting, directing, writing, and soundtrack are just amazing. This film actually made me want to go back and re-watch other Fincher films and currently has me very excited for the upcoming Fincher release of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. If anything like Fincher’s previous work I am sure it will be spectacular.