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You're telling me these guys didn't get the audition notice?!

Attention Deficit

"I don't get it!"

The previews for the movie Stay Alive just utterly disturb me. No, not the imagery, but the marketing tactic. "Hey, dumb people, watch this movie. Here's what it's about. In case you didn't get it the first time, here it is again." How many times in the preview was it mentioned that if you die in the game, you die in real life? At least a couple.

Happy belated anniversary to this blog. Three years last month. I wanted to do a celebratory post with Brock, but time passes by like the wind. We've gone from two readers (ourselves), to something like, five to seven! Amazing. Maybe if we could have some consistent, engaging material... Hey, we don't have time for that.

Turban-O-Matic

Amazing new technology teaches lazy Sikh kids to tie turbans correctly.

Bout time.

The Best of 2005 - Visual Effects

War of the Worlds

David Blitstein, Gintar Repecka, Alan Scott and Daniel Sudick

War of the Worlds was a terrible movie. It was absolutely horrible, poorly conceived and terribly executed.

With regards to story.

Visually, it was a real treat. If there’s one thing the film succeeded in doing, it was in conveying the enormity and reality of these alien tripods in relation to their human prey. While I would have liked to have given this award to Star Wars, the fact of the matter is that War of the Worlds succeeded in conveying computer imagery that appeared realistic, threatening and plausible. One brilliant stroke has to be their keeping the alien craft enshrouded in fog, darkness and trees for most of the film. As a result, the inadequacy of the computer imagery was negligible…instead, one couldn’t help but be overwhelmed and frightened by the very big, very real machines stalking our heroes through the night.
What’s also interesting is Spielberg’s use of these effects and computer visuals in relation to his ornate and fluid camera movements. Instead of being burdened by them, he allows them to free up his camerawork even further. One fancy shot had Spielberg looking at a horrific scene of violence through the viewfinder of a consumer digital camera. Other shots had him spinning and panning around a moving van in a fashion that would be either extremely expensive or near impossible to achieve with a camera car.
Letting his digital creations slip into the night, he presented imagery that seemed solid, concrete, real. And because of that, it was much more frightening. You may not feel the emotion between Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning. But when that tripod set its foot down right in front of her, my heart skipped a beat. I wasn’t thinking of how great the digital effects looked. I wasn’t awestruck by the visuals. I was terrified. And that’s when I knew the effects worked.

The Best of 2005 - Makeup

Revenge of the Sith

Nikki Gooley, Charmaine Fuller and Colin Ware

If there is one nomination I completely understood at the Academy Awards, it was Star Wars Episode III, Revenge of the Sith’s nomination for makeup. Did it deserve more nominations? I tend to think that’s up to you personally to decide. Did it deserve the makeup nomination? Absolutely.
The makeup in Revenge of the Sith was outlandish and unrealistic. And that’s why it was so great. Palpatine’s utterly melted, reptilian appearance post lighting must have taken a tremendous amount of time to apply. And it looks utterly repulsive, right down to the little details such as the crevices in his face, or the pallid skin-tone. The tremendous bags under his eyes might as well be canyons, and the fine wisps of hair on his head practically seem to go transparent against his wrinkled scalp. It’s a stunning and unappealing visual.
On the flip side we have Anakin, who ends up looking very dark and disturbed when he finally turns to the dark side. His eyes don’t quite have the bags that Palpatine’s does, but they do appear deeply set. You could argue that Hayden Christensen’s acting fails to convey the troubled emotion Anakin is experiencing at this point in his life. But I found myself hard-pressed to understand why he failed to relate those emotions…the makeup makes him look so troubled that the rest should have come naturally. Even the tiny scars on his face hint at battles he’s been through but that we haven’t been privy to see.
The extreme on Sith’s fantastic makeup is of course Anakin’s final transformation: a charred corpse. It is said that this contributed to the film’s PG-13 rating. I find that easy to see, as he looks absolutely horrid, like burnt chicken on the barbecue. And that’s a beautiful thing.

Hail to the Hoff

When I saw Brock's post title, I thought he was going to write about the importance of make-up in a movie. Speaking of not posting in a while... Hello! Where have I been???

Philip Seymour Hoffman, greatest actor of our time? Quite possibly, and I've been a fan of his for a long time. Congratulations to him!

So, I actually watched the Oscars from beggining to end. I think I've only done that once before. That time being when I was in Hollywood, not too far from the Kodak Theatre. Jon Stewart received mixed reviews, but I thought he was great, and was probably the factor that kept me watching. The skits were well done too.

I have about five pages for a mocku-docu-mentary on a local, inspirational short film. Mocku, because part of it is made up, and Docu, because it centers around a real film. But if the filmmaker of this short is not down with it, it becomes all for fun. I plan on approaching him soon about it.

Make up

I have neglected to post lately because of school and a number of other pressing tasks. My apologies. To make up (in a rather poor fashion), here is a download to the first 5 pages of my new script. If you want to kill 5 minutes, by all means...

-Brock

Updates

-In Avid class right now...tonight is project night; turning in my photomontage.
-The first 5 pages of a new script are in hand..."The Sin of the Opiate". Scary. The first official feature-length since "The Madcap Armament".
-New short film..."Honeytrap". I'm specifically writing this one for someone I know who is running a writing competition, but maybe I'll get around to posting it.
-Will not be posting Filmic for the general public to read...sorry folks.
-Working on Wildlifeless director's notes..."Friendly Enemies" was right, the writer part does try to smother the director part of you.

That is all.

Done

The 48-hour film competition is complete. My only comments? I never want to act again. Next year, we'll find someone skilled enough to be alongside Gabe.

Flies are buzzing round my head

Big fish eat the little ones...big fish eat the little ones

not my problem, give me some

new script

More best of stuff tomorrow...in the meantime, I went location scounting with Josh over the weekend, and on the ride over managed to do some research for the screenplay I will write this semester. I posted a tid-bit for my last few scripts, so here's one for this - Clicky.

The Best of 2005 - Art Direction and Costume Design

King Kong - Simon Bright and Dan Hennah/Terry Ryan

Upon viewing Ron Howard’s Cinderella Man, you will see a cold and realistic portrayal of the Great Depression, as it really was – grimy, desolate, tattered and patchy. When he set out to direct King Kong, Peter Jackson took a different approach. Taking these images of depression and hard times, art directors Simon Bright and Dan Hennah fashioned an image of 1933 that was less about reality and more about grandeur. From the obnoxiously yellow taxicabs, to the street-corners packed with boarded-up theaters, King Kong is a film with an artistic flair that aims to create a cinematic filter for our viewing of that time. With the Lucas/Spielberg stylized jungle and the rickety old steam freighter, Kong’s visual atmosphere practically screams “ADVENTURE!” It’s more about the serialized version then the correct version. And yet, in artistically defining the look of this film, Jackson sought out a few key items that rooted the fantastic nature of the film in a dose of reality. The camera used by Black’s Denham is an authentic Bell & Howell 2709 – the same camera used in the original Kong film. Look closely at the movie posters on the New York streets and you will see original one-sheets for “East of Borneo” and “The Mummy”. Even when the good guys break out heavy weapons, they break out Tommy guns that might as well be missing from the set of Dick Tracey. Every minor detail, set and object was directed to lean to a more fantastic, colorful slant.

And so was the costume design. The costumes in this film fit their particular characters, and each makes a statement about those characters. Brody’s drab vests and herringbone coats define him as a playwright. The freighter crew’s raggedy frock and black overcoats (with sailor caps) speak of their mercenary nature. And Black’s shyster fedoras complement his wheel spinning as much as his mischievous eyebrows do.
The art direction and costume design of King Kong is remarkable because it set out with a very specific goal in mind – one that clearly benefited the highly visual nature of the film. It set out not just to recreate an era, but also to create the director’s vision of that era.

The Best of 2005 - Sound Design and Sound Editing

Batman Begins - David Evans, Stefan Henrix and Peter Lindsay

There is a fantastic moment in Batman Begins where Bruce Wayne faces off against his trainer and quasi-sensei, Henri Ducard, on a frozen lake. It is a sequence that works because you can literally “hear” the ice moving underneath them. The sound of the earth changing, a deep rumble, stands as a sonic complement to the change Wayne himself is going through. Later on, less subtle sound effects come into play. We have the sublime “poof” of the shadow organization’s gunpowder, the echoed and scattered rasp of the Scarecrow’s drug enhanced voice and the thoroughly satisfying roar of the Batmobile. The sound in Batman Begins excels because it creates an atmosphere that builds upon Nolan’s concept of hyperrealism. Very few sound effects in the film are inconceivable. Most are simply augmentations of sounds that exist in the real world. But their lush, enhanced bombast helps bring the world of Batman into a realm that is just out of reality’s grasp. And yet each sound is designed to complement the story.
Additionally, the sound editing complements these sounds, making full utilization of them at the most appropriate moments. When the Batmobile revs into and out of frame, the roar of its engines passes us by as well. The horrific screech of bats, the sound of Wayne’s secret fear, only cuts in at the most unexpected of moments. And it is sharp enough to unnerve the audience, as Wayne himself is unnerved.
While other films also succeeded in creating unique soundscapes (War of the Worlds in particular), Batman Begins succeeded in creating a colorful, defined atmosphere that was articulated in every shot, every breath. Plug some earphones in and close your eyes, because Batman Begins is a fine accomplishment in both sound and sound editing.

School

Today was my first day back at the school since last semester. Should be a good year. It did get off to a rocky start...but the routine will smooth itself out. Hopefully it is interesting. I did see many members of my "SCC crew", and they were happy to see me around the campus. Many of the regulars (Jayme from 'Outside In', Chad from 'The Subject', Brandon from 'Pantomiming') want in on Filmic, so that's cool. I told them it was a war film, and they all lit up. And then I told them, "it's not about war though". So now they're confused. When they read the screenplay, they won't be.

Another Year, Another Day...

The first post on this blog of 2006. A little late, sure. But really, just another day passed. Somehow, though, I feel that it'll be a big year.

Moms against Radiohead

Consider this the most outrageous story of the year.

All I can say is that Josh has a tape with every notable Radiohead b-side up to OK Computer...it's too late to save him.

Post from...

...Marco's house!!! Ahhh-hahahahahaha. Gonna shoot a scene for a new film here this sunday. Marco is going to even be in the film, as well as Moxie Moehtar. Two staples of our acting catalogue.

Anyway, just wanted to say that I'm posting late and I'm posting at Marco's house. I'm collecting different places to post from.

That's it...that's where I'll shoot my picture

Gasp! Has pre-production begun? On what?

King Long

A complaint I read frequently from film critics: “Why doesn’t Steven Spielberg make films like he used to? You know, fun films with great action sequences!”

What these individuals fail to grasp is that we now have Peter Jackson to make those films for us. Yes, picking up Spielberg’s slack, Jackson’s latest endeavor is King Kong, a film people have been talking about, dreaming about and gossiping about for the last month or so. I in particular was interested in this film, both because of the visuals and because of the choice of Jackson as the director. I must admit, I found myself wondering how Kong would have developed if another director had tackled it. After finally viewing the film I concluded that while such a take may have been interesting, it probably would not be as unique and visceral as Jackson’s.

When viewing Kong, one can’t help but get the feeling that Jackson is a guy who loves to make movies. Just look at the scenery! He’s taken a world of Saturday Morning Serial adventure, mixed it with the vaudeville whimsy of the 1930’s and thrown in his own brand of cinematic tension to create a world that is really fun to visit.
The streets of New York glow with hypertension: riot patrol officers and repossession men take away material belongings, theaters pockmark every corner on the street, and honest citizens don’t accuse other people of being terrorists…no, they call them “Bolshevik’s”. It’s a glimpse of the 1930’s that is both familiar and outrageous. Yes, among the congested streets and smoky projection rooms, you’ll find Jackson winking right back at you. Some directors might have chosen to place this modern retelling of Kong, like Jackson has, in the very time in which the original was made. I doubt that few would have added as much character and color though as he has. He has really created a fine world to populate with his actors.
And among these thespians we have Jack Black who plays Carl Denham, Naomi Watts who plays Ann Darrow, Adrian Brody who plays Jack Driscoll and Andy Serkis who plays Kong himself.

Now, I must admit, I had a hard time understanding the slant of some performances at first. For example - Watts plays Darrow with such “gee-golly!” earnestness that she could disarm a tank. Black is of such fanatic desperation, such deceit, that I immediately forgot that films like “Orange County” even existed. Simply put, it’s hard to get used to these characters…at first. But then one remembers that this is merely an additional layer of the world Jackson has created. Black’s Denham and Watt’s Darrow are exactly the kind of people who might populate a New York like this.
One can’t help but wonder however, if the over the top caricatures of Darrow and Denham influenced Adrian Brody’s interpretation of Jack Driscoll, a playwright turned weary screenwriter on Denham’s latest picture. Driscoll is really the only straightforward character of the movie. Not overtly funny, nor arrogant, Driscoll is just a little bowled over by Black’s Denham and a little heartsick over Watts’ Darrow. And as a result of taking his character without any slant, Brody gives us a nice little “in” to the movie…that is, until Kong arrives.
Serkis should get the most praise. He created the movements, expressions and gestures of Kong through computer capturing technology. What’s most remarkable though about his work and the work of the animators helping him to create Kong, is that they not only created a GIANT MONKEY…but they created a giant monkey with a soul. There is actually personality and charm to Kong. Even more remarkable are the exchanges between Kong and Watts. Despite the impersonal barrier of technology, there is something very personal in the moments between Kong and Darrow. You really believe that she feels for him and he for her. I think that some of the credit goes to Serkis, who created a Kong with a heart. But most of the credit goes to Watts for being able to act with a blue screen and make it seem real. So many actors have fallen flat when presented with the obstacle of blue screen. And it’s no wonder why; actors have to use their imagination to create the inner-life of their characters, relying upon the physical set and other actors to motivate their outer-life. Watts manages to create both the inner-life and the outer-life in her moments with Kong, and she does it with great feeling and emotion.

As for the story of Kong, it’s pretty much the same as the original film. This version is told with such cunning and suspense however, that it remains viewable as a completely different piece. You’ll still get screams out of every moment of terror, laughter out of every bit of humor. What’s more, Jackson has added some genuine dilemmas to motivate each character. Denham has to complete his picture. Darrow has to find work. And Driscoll has to get Darrow back from Kong. There are plenty of character arcs interwoven into the story to make this film a dense venture.
There are problems with this film however…problems that tend to make me reluctant to pursue a second viewing (for the moment). Foremost among these flaws is the incredible running time of the film: 3+ hours. Jackson pulled 3+ hours off before, with Fellowship of the Ring, but he has a rougher time making the movie pass as smoothly here. It gets tricky right around the second act, when Denham and his crew arrived at the infamous Skull Island, home of Kong and the location of the second act. The island, while terrifying (and aided by a fantastic running parallel to Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness”) ends up becoming nothing more then a broken record of action sequences.
At times, the movie also feels a little overdone. There’s a fantastic T-Rex/Kong fight at the middle of the film that is spectacular and moving…for the first 5-minutes. By the time Kong and the Rexes are fighting down a Cliffside though, trading blows in-between the vines and tumbling rocks, it all becomes a little much. Many action sequences in the film tend to suffer from this problem. They become so grandiose and epic that you end up feeling burned out very quickly. The most enjoyable sequence for me was a car chase through the streets of New York with Kong hot on the heels of Brody.
In his bloated length and action however, Jackson seems to ironically mirror the hubris of his own character, Denham, who ends up exploiting Kong in a way that takes the word “gaudy” to a new level. Jackson is every bit the Carl Denham, standing in front of a curtain, bludgeoning us with the fireworks, dinosaurs and gigantic gorillas that awaits us on the other side.

Ultimately, King Kong is a fantastic adventure film, with strong performances, great cinematography and superb direction. But it’s just such a commitment. I really did enjoy this movie and its characters; but I can’t help but feel that I might have enjoyed them a little more had they left me wanting more.

That’s a trick Jackson hasn’t mastered yet.