TO MY FEW, FANATIC FOLLOWERS!!!
Hello you two! It occurs to me alot of my posts are going to be reviews of things that have nothing to do with film sooooo a new blog is on the way so keep your eyes out!
DocFest
So this week I am delving into my first proper film festival, the Sheffield DocFest! Im not really all that big on Documentary but I think I should be, there's alot of really good work out there and I have enjoyed watching some of it recently.
So what the f**k am I doing at DocFest when I cant fund a project, dont represent a company, dont have a doc to sell or even a particularly interesting opinion i hear you ask.... Well I am simply volunteering as a camera man throughout the talks and panels. Its good fun and I get to hear some really interesting things for free, I would recommend docfest to anyone who can afford it and wants to get into the industry :)
Its been a while... But im back!
Hello its been a little while since my last post, things got busy and blogger changed ect. ect. ect... However as the title suggests I am back for reviews news and ideas!!
New Bird Documentary Post Production (CMPP)
In the post process I didnt expect to do very much as the camera man however I was willing to come and help if it was needed but I was not contacted so I was relatively absent for the start of the process. However once we had our tutorial it became evident there was work to be done that nobody wanted, mainly the transcript of the interview, so I decided to help out by doing that at least. I didnt see the edit again until our second tutorial on the wednesday before it was due however once I saw it I began to worry, despite all the group (except Johnny) and being there to help Alex had not really got the full first assembly done so I decided to stay and help for the simple reason that I wanted to do justice to the guys that made the park and skated for us. So we all sat in the cramped edit room and for the most part Alex did all of the work however I could see him getting frustrated with the long hours without break and with us as a group chatting behind him. I took it upon myself to get him to take a break and let me do a little but of the fine editing on the bits he had done roughly, this method of me giving Alex breaks and discussing with him whether I thought the cuts were correct or not continued throughout the process and Alex seemed glad to have someone else there actually editing. Still it was surely Alex who did most of the work and I mostly consulted when he was unsure and offered other ideas. The music and sound in general proved to be a light problem as although the interview were clear one had skating in the background and the other was silent, this made it difficult to cut between the two however with the use of music and skate cutaways we made it work. Unfortunately Poppy's scores didnt seem to be appropriate to the piece and we used Jardans friends band as they and both a grungy and melodic song that would work throughout the whole piece and tie it all together.
As a group we ended up in the edit suite for over 20hours in the last 2days before the deadline but I think as a team me, Alex, Dan and Jordan worked quite well and I am personally really happy with the final project. There are still a few moment I cringe at and would like to change but they were personal preference and Alex like them, they work I would just rather change them... Overall Im really happy with our Doc and I think we have done Craig, Mackey and the New Bird skaters justice!
As a group we ended up in the edit suite for over 20hours in the last 2days before the deadline but I think as a team me, Alex, Dan and Jordan worked quite well and I am personally really happy with the final project. There are still a few moment I cringe at and would like to change but they were personal preference and Alex like them, they work I would just rather change them... Overall Im really happy with our Doc and I think we have done Craig, Mackey and the New Bird skaters justice!
Skateisan To Live and Skate in Kabul
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olkvWSjbQZQ
This is a review of the Doc "Skateisan".
Skateisan is a very interesting heavily constructed documentary and I think it would be good for audiences to see it that way from start to finish. Within the first minute Kabul is represented as a brutal violent and even horrific place with the use of droning music and bloody visuals even going as far as having the skaters ride past a severed goats head. This extreme view of the city is done to connote a darker and more dangerous culture than our own thus making the skaters unique and different to skaters in England and America however it could also dennote that Kabul and all of Afghanistan is bad therefore aligning with much mass media propaganda of the early 2000's. Thats just the intro...
The piece then takes a personal approach and looks at the life of a boy who Skateistan (an indoor skatepark in Kabul) has helped. Despite the sympathetic overtones of this section and the rest of the short it stays politically motivated and whilst I agree that both the fighting in Kabul is bad and that women are mistreated the Doc seems to use these things specifically to promote the skate park as something good and different and I believe the use of such negative things is in bad taste and cutaways of the war ridden landscape are unnecessary. However the doc is fairly nice and easy to watch but the audience as I said at the start must realise they are seeing a heavily constructed view of Kabul. 2/5
This is a review of the Doc "Skateisan".
Skateisan is a very interesting heavily constructed documentary and I think it would be good for audiences to see it that way from start to finish. Within the first minute Kabul is represented as a brutal violent and even horrific place with the use of droning music and bloody visuals even going as far as having the skaters ride past a severed goats head. This extreme view of the city is done to connote a darker and more dangerous culture than our own thus making the skaters unique and different to skaters in England and America however it could also dennote that Kabul and all of Afghanistan is bad therefore aligning with much mass media propaganda of the early 2000's. Thats just the intro...
The piece then takes a personal approach and looks at the life of a boy who Skateistan (an indoor skatepark in Kabul) has helped. Despite the sympathetic overtones of this section and the rest of the short it stays politically motivated and whilst I agree that both the fighting in Kabul is bad and that women are mistreated the Doc seems to use these things specifically to promote the skate park as something good and different and I believe the use of such negative things is in bad taste and cutaways of the war ridden landscape are unnecessary. However the doc is fairly nice and easy to watch but the audience as I said at the start must realise they are seeing a heavily constructed view of Kabul. 2/5
King Of Laughter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMq7NrgE8AA
The king of Laughter is a 3min doc about Belachew Grima an Ethiopian in Wallsaw who spreads happiness with laughter. He laughs constantly throughout the aurally intense piece and his words, jokes and laughter is surely a good thing, simple camera work and strong use of speeding up camera footage show Belachew bringing happiness to many people. When it comes to explaining why he tells the audience he lost everything he had in Ethiopia more than once and the only way he could find to deal with it was laughter. The overall message for the piece is simple, laugh and make yourself and others happy. The Wallsaw facts about it being the saddest place in Britain are only included as a frame for Belachew's character and he is surely the centre piece. A good doc however it isnt all that interesting. 2/5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td1qWt2ZPHk&feature=plcp&context=C47c113eVDvjVQa1PpcFPHSOeWxdgqPveK6v9YiIaokv7Rt0q39kk=
This is a more interesting follow up Doc about Belachew which more closely explores his life and his efforts to spread laughter in his homeland of Ethiopia. This is simply a better documentary, whilst I understand the previous doc is specifically made as a 3 minute look at the King of Laughter it is simply not enough time for the audience to become invested in the character or his story and the only come away with a slight wish to laugh a little more. The king of Laughter in Ethiopia however gives Belachew's story the time it deserves and does not hesitate to show Belachew at his low moments as well as his high moments by taking him to the graveyard of his parents and sister who died or HIV. HIV becomes a small focus of the Doc when it is revealed that Belachew himself suffers and that he uses his laughter to help other sufferers who are alienated for their illness. Laughter in his homeland seems also to be a political statement in Belachew's eyes as he sees it as a way to unite the warring tribes in Ethiopia and although this is a nice message and idea the Doc seems to treat it in a sceptical way as it is at this point the interviewer brings up the situation the day before in which a man would not laugh with Belachew. Belachew himself puts this down to psychological problems that mean the brain cannot produce a laughing hormone and he seems to dismiss the interviewers belief that the man mayvjust have not wanted to laugh. The doc seems to further ridicule Belachew by showing him before he attempts to get into the African Union with laughter and then cutting to black titles saying he failed. The last title sequence gives us a few irrelevant facts but for me the strongest things about the piece are if Belachew and his friends can laugh in their situation why cant we? And the best comment from Belachew throughout is "If you meet Geoge Bush I would say""He is human being, other human beings he have to join in laughter, smiling a good positive democratic approach"
The longer Doc is definitely better I give it a 3.5/5
The king of Laughter is a 3min doc about Belachew Grima an Ethiopian in Wallsaw who spreads happiness with laughter. He laughs constantly throughout the aurally intense piece and his words, jokes and laughter is surely a good thing, simple camera work and strong use of speeding up camera footage show Belachew bringing happiness to many people. When it comes to explaining why he tells the audience he lost everything he had in Ethiopia more than once and the only way he could find to deal with it was laughter. The overall message for the piece is simple, laugh and make yourself and others happy. The Wallsaw facts about it being the saddest place in Britain are only included as a frame for Belachew's character and he is surely the centre piece. A good doc however it isnt all that interesting. 2/5
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=td1qWt2ZPHk&feature=plcp&context=C47c113eVDvjVQa1PpcFPHSOeWxdgqPveK6v9YiIaokv7Rt0q39kk=
This is a more interesting follow up Doc about Belachew which more closely explores his life and his efforts to spread laughter in his homeland of Ethiopia. This is simply a better documentary, whilst I understand the previous doc is specifically made as a 3 minute look at the King of Laughter it is simply not enough time for the audience to become invested in the character or his story and the only come away with a slight wish to laugh a little more. The king of Laughter in Ethiopia however gives Belachew's story the time it deserves and does not hesitate to show Belachew at his low moments as well as his high moments by taking him to the graveyard of his parents and sister who died or HIV. HIV becomes a small focus of the Doc when it is revealed that Belachew himself suffers and that he uses his laughter to help other sufferers who are alienated for their illness. Laughter in his homeland seems also to be a political statement in Belachew's eyes as he sees it as a way to unite the warring tribes in Ethiopia and although this is a nice message and idea the Doc seems to treat it in a sceptical way as it is at this point the interviewer brings up the situation the day before in which a man would not laugh with Belachew. Belachew himself puts this down to psychological problems that mean the brain cannot produce a laughing hormone and he seems to dismiss the interviewers belief that the man mayvjust have not wanted to laugh. The doc seems to further ridicule Belachew by showing him before he attempts to get into the African Union with laughter and then cutting to black titles saying he failed. The last title sequence gives us a few irrelevant facts but for me the strongest things about the piece are if Belachew and his friends can laugh in their situation why cant we? And the best comment from Belachew throughout is "If you meet Geoge Bush I would say""He is human being, other human beings he have to join in laughter, smiling a good positive democratic approach"
The longer Doc is definitely better I give it a 3.5/5
Eric's Secrets
http://www.4docs.org.uk/films/show/4/Erics+Secrets
This is a short review of the Documentary Eric's Secrets.
This really is a nice and simple but touching, heartwarming and brilliant doc about 91 year old Eric. He briefly recounts his life and his happiness along the years to a tunefull guitar piece with birds singing in the background and tea in shot. The use of graphics works really well as photographs are used throughout to illustrate Eric's life in an authentic way, giving truth to his words. Eric makes a wonderfully wise statement when talking about his later years with his wife saying "If you accept it as a norm that you will live happily ever after you wont, you have to work at it". He then goes onto another heartwarming memory of his wifes crossword skills as the music cuts to leave Eric's voice and the sound of a ticking clock. "She died 8th of july 2001" is the first line of Eric's short recount of his wife's death which he does not dwell on depressingly or begin to cry but somewhat upliftingly states "she died upstars, she died in my arms" somehow from gently spoken Eric those words seem to mean that he loved her to the end and still does and that personally instills hope rather than depression and I think instilling that in a viewer is one of the highest aims for any film maker.
4/5
This is a short review of the Documentary Eric's Secrets.
This really is a nice and simple but touching, heartwarming and brilliant doc about 91 year old Eric. He briefly recounts his life and his happiness along the years to a tunefull guitar piece with birds singing in the background and tea in shot. The use of graphics works really well as photographs are used throughout to illustrate Eric's life in an authentic way, giving truth to his words. Eric makes a wonderfully wise statement when talking about his later years with his wife saying "If you accept it as a norm that you will live happily ever after you wont, you have to work at it". He then goes onto another heartwarming memory of his wifes crossword skills as the music cuts to leave Eric's voice and the sound of a ticking clock. "She died 8th of july 2001" is the first line of Eric's short recount of his wife's death which he does not dwell on depressingly or begin to cry but somewhat upliftingly states "she died upstars, she died in my arms" somehow from gently spoken Eric those words seem to mean that he loved her to the end and still does and that personally instills hope rather than depression and I think instilling that in a viewer is one of the highest aims for any film maker.
4/5
Doc Filming New Bird (CMPP)
So we spent 2days in Liverpool filming the New Bird Skate Doc. The first day, Monday, started quite late as we didnt get to Liverpool until 3ish. So the intention was to film Mackey at Lost Art (our main interviewee and expert) and then to go to the park and see if we could find anyone to interview or record skating. However our producer Johnny had not properly arranged the interview and it turned out Mackey was not at work until the next morning so we went straight to the park.
Carrying the camera for the 20min walk was not fun but once we got there a few skaters were hanging round and Johnny asked them if they minded being filmed skating or interviewed. None of them wanted to be interviewed but none of them minded being filmed skating, although it was good to get their permission before shooting Johnny neglected to hand out any forms for them to sign and left it to me to get their permission on camera using the PD170. For most of the first day we concentrated on getting some close ups of parts of the park and some stationary shots of the skaters. I learned to use the canon 7D on he way to Liverpool and got some practice time with it on the first day. I made the decision to use the 7D on a tripod for stability on the higher res footage and use the PD170 for the handheld filming as it is easier to get smoother footage due to its size and weight.
Eventually Rafe and Jahim, a first time New Bird skater and his friend arrived and agreed to be filmed, we set up the 7D and used the Merantz660 to record the interview in which we all loosley asked questions. Throughout the time at New Bird I asked Johnny to use his go pro camera to get some fish eye footage as it is conventional of skate videos.
DAY 2
On day 2 we picked up an extra crew member Dan, who had lost his group, he and Alex wrote out some more structured questions for Mackety and the skaters. We walked back to Lost Art but Mackey was not there until 1 so we couldn't interview him yet. This was frustrating as Johnny and told us he would be there and we had arranged our day by this. So we went straight to the park instead, on the way we saw a sign for new bird street and decided to get a few shots of this as either cutaways or an intro. Then when we got to the park it was empty! We took this opportunity to get some shots of the park empty however after a few hours there were still no skaters and we began to worry. I decided as it was too early to go back to Lost Art the best way to progress would be to get some voxpops for coverages sake. The director and everyone agreed and Johnny went and stood by the street however after 15mins he hadn't approached anyone so I took it upon myself to get the interviews. We got 4or 5 interviews and then decided to all return to Lost Art and get the Mackey interview. When we got there Mackey was busy until 5ish so we set up to interview passers buy for a while and took a little break. Johhny again failed to ask for interviews and the rest of the group picked up the slack.
After getting only 2 interviews in over an hour me and Jordan decided to return to the skate park with the PD170 and Johnny leaving the interview group at Lost Art. When we arrived there was only one skater there and despite wishing there were more skaters we decided to get close up to the one skater and get some really good footage. After chatting to Craig (the skater) for a little while he mentioned that he was only back for the week from austria but had to come and skate as he was one of the founding members of New Bird!!! We rang the interview group and got them to bring the kit to the park to interview Craig and from there everything fit into place. We all asked Craig as many questions as possible and ended up with a 30or so minute interview with some perfect soundbites. More skaters turned up and we got some really nice footage. Unfortunately some of my footage got lost whilst Johnny was playing with the gopro but most of the stuff we got was still there. Mackeys interview went really well and he agreed to be on camera so the last half of the second day really saved us..... ONTO THE EDIT!!!
Carrying the camera for the 20min walk was not fun but once we got there a few skaters were hanging round and Johnny asked them if they minded being filmed skating or interviewed. None of them wanted to be interviewed but none of them minded being filmed skating, although it was good to get their permission before shooting Johnny neglected to hand out any forms for them to sign and left it to me to get their permission on camera using the PD170. For most of the first day we concentrated on getting some close ups of parts of the park and some stationary shots of the skaters. I learned to use the canon 7D on he way to Liverpool and got some practice time with it on the first day. I made the decision to use the 7D on a tripod for stability on the higher res footage and use the PD170 for the handheld filming as it is easier to get smoother footage due to its size and weight.
Eventually Rafe and Jahim, a first time New Bird skater and his friend arrived and agreed to be filmed, we set up the 7D and used the Merantz660 to record the interview in which we all loosley asked questions. Throughout the time at New Bird I asked Johnny to use his go pro camera to get some fish eye footage as it is conventional of skate videos.
DAY 2
On day 2 we picked up an extra crew member Dan, who had lost his group, he and Alex wrote out some more structured questions for Mackety and the skaters. We walked back to Lost Art but Mackey was not there until 1 so we couldn't interview him yet. This was frustrating as Johnny and told us he would be there and we had arranged our day by this. So we went straight to the park instead, on the way we saw a sign for new bird street and decided to get a few shots of this as either cutaways or an intro. Then when we got to the park it was empty! We took this opportunity to get some shots of the park empty however after a few hours there were still no skaters and we began to worry. I decided as it was too early to go back to Lost Art the best way to progress would be to get some voxpops for coverages sake. The director and everyone agreed and Johnny went and stood by the street however after 15mins he hadn't approached anyone so I took it upon myself to get the interviews. We got 4or 5 interviews and then decided to all return to Lost Art and get the Mackey interview. When we got there Mackey was busy until 5ish so we set up to interview passers buy for a while and took a little break. Johhny again failed to ask for interviews and the rest of the group picked up the slack.
After getting only 2 interviews in over an hour me and Jordan decided to return to the skate park with the PD170 and Johnny leaving the interview group at Lost Art. When we arrived there was only one skater there and despite wishing there were more skaters we decided to get close up to the one skater and get some really good footage. After chatting to Craig (the skater) for a little while he mentioned that he was only back for the week from austria but had to come and skate as he was one of the founding members of New Bird!!! We rang the interview group and got them to bring the kit to the park to interview Craig and from there everything fit into place. We all asked Craig as many questions as possible and ended up with a 30or so minute interview with some perfect soundbites. More skaters turned up and we got some really nice footage. Unfortunately some of my footage got lost whilst Johnny was playing with the gopro but most of the stuff we got was still there. Mackeys interview went really well and he agreed to be on camera so the last half of the second day really saved us..... ONTO THE EDIT!!!
Documentary Ideas. (CMPP)
So its time for me to document the process of making our documentary, a making of blog if you like. So our Doc began as something based on the musical influences around Liverpool however most of us were not keen on the fact it would become a Beatles project. A few days later Jordan, the Director, saw a Doc about tattooing that was about the passion the tattooist had in his work. So we decided it would be better to make a Doc about someone with passion about their work, from this the idea of Independent stores vs big corporations arose. On the day of our pitch we got together and discussed the idea and the Lost Art Skate Shop, the store we planned on basing the doc on. We get an email from the owner saying he didnt want us to do it on the shop however we also found a news article about the New Bird DIY skate park that was made by skaters who had nowhere to skate, it was then fenced off when CoOp bought the land. The skaters recently worked a deal out in which the insurance was paid by the previous owners. We thought this story had a really nice natural narrative and decided to do the pitch and doc on the park.
We watched a few skate videos that take place at New Bird so that we had an idea what it looked like, here are a few of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6CQB1MMYJk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05uRYpYMtzE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QiMWOK63dM
As an exskater I already knew the style of skate videos and thought that it would be good for some of our Doc to emulate the skate style. We then decided to use multiple camera's to get good c overage and as the camera man I thought this would give us the best chance for a skate vid approach, I wasn't worried about changing the formats because it fits the rough style skater aesthetic.
We watched a few skate videos that take place at New Bird so that we had an idea what it looked like, here are a few of them:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6CQB1MMYJk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05uRYpYMtzE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QiMWOK63dM
As an exskater I already knew the style of skate videos and thought that it would be good for some of our Doc to emulate the skate style. We then decided to use multiple camera's to get good c overage and as the camera man I thought this would give us the best chance for a skate vid approach, I wasn't worried about changing the formats because it fits the rough style skater aesthetic.
Pockets
http://vimeo.com/21776727
Pockets is a short Doc about what the people of London have in their Pockets. This 3 minute piece offers a wide range of cultural points of view and seems unbiased in its representations. Not all items are explained and some don't need to be whereas others are left a complete mystery, this gives the doc a nice balance between personal stories and simple items therefore keeping the viewer interested and intrigued. The sound is nice and clear and a nice melodic cheerful song is playing in the background. Whilst all the camera work is nicely lit and composed I think focus pulls are overused in this piece, whilst they often disguise the item at first and then reveal or even just let the focus travel up and down the object it is used in almost every shot and becomes distracting. Overall it is a nice little short with a few laughable and heart warming tales and a little bit of mystery.
3/5
Pockets is a short Doc about what the people of London have in their Pockets. This 3 minute piece offers a wide range of cultural points of view and seems unbiased in its representations. Not all items are explained and some don't need to be whereas others are left a complete mystery, this gives the doc a nice balance between personal stories and simple items therefore keeping the viewer interested and intrigued. The sound is nice and clear and a nice melodic cheerful song is playing in the background. Whilst all the camera work is nicely lit and composed I think focus pulls are overused in this piece, whilst they often disguise the item at first and then reveal or even just let the focus travel up and down the object it is used in almost every shot and becomes distracting. Overall it is a nice little short with a few laughable and heart warming tales and a little bit of mystery.
3/5
Im Still Here
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1356864/
Although not a Doc I think it is right to give this.... interesting piece of work a review. Ok so this is a Mockumentary in which Joaquin Phoenix renounces his career as an actor for a chance to be a rap star. For 2 years Joaquin kept up the façade of his new career and the Mockumentary I'm still here shows his highs and lows whilst he attempts to create himself as a wrap star. Again much of this is unreliable however one of the more interesting scenes is set on David Letterman's talk show in which Joaquin is the worst possible guest, chewing gum, being unresponsive and refusing to remove his glasses. After this scene he breaks down at the thought he may have ruined his career.
Much of the film, after knowing its heavily constructed, becomes less poiniant and stops being an inside look into a celebrities breakdown, even a fake breakdown, and becomes more of a representation of what Joaquin and Casey Affleck (the director) believe would happen. Despite the lack of truth this pervays there is still a sick realism to the film, from a narrative view it is easy to draw parallels with Walk the Line, Johnny Cash's biographical film which Joaquin stars in. There are still some nice points in it but over all it is a difficult film to watch, the length the deception goes to gives it credit but its not a fun film to watch nor it is enlightening.
I would give it a 2.5/5 but say dont watch it if your not a fan or arent that interested.
Although not a Doc I think it is right to give this.... interesting piece of work a review. Ok so this is a Mockumentary in which Joaquin Phoenix renounces his career as an actor for a chance to be a rap star. For 2 years Joaquin kept up the façade of his new career and the Mockumentary I'm still here shows his highs and lows whilst he attempts to create himself as a wrap star. Again much of this is unreliable however one of the more interesting scenes is set on David Letterman's talk show in which Joaquin is the worst possible guest, chewing gum, being unresponsive and refusing to remove his glasses. After this scene he breaks down at the thought he may have ruined his career.
Much of the film, after knowing its heavily constructed, becomes less poiniant and stops being an inside look into a celebrities breakdown, even a fake breakdown, and becomes more of a representation of what Joaquin and Casey Affleck (the director) believe would happen. Despite the lack of truth this pervays there is still a sick realism to the film, from a narrative view it is easy to draw parallels with Walk the Line, Johnny Cash's biographical film which Joaquin stars in. There are still some nice points in it but over all it is a difficult film to watch, the length the deception goes to gives it credit but its not a fun film to watch nor it is enlightening.
I would give it a 2.5/5 but say dont watch it if your not a fan or arent that interested.
Catfish
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1584016/
I have been a bit lazy with my blog this month however in relation with my Documentary assessment its time to let you guys know about some interesting docs!
So first up is Catfish, I saw this a year or so ago and was really intrigued by the trailer alone, and found myself asking, is this real? The film displays itself as a documentary but the simple fact that the narrative is so extreme and is filmed from such a random start point brings its authenticity into question.
Marketed as the "Anti Social Network" the film came out around the same time as "The social Network" and tells the story of someone using Facebook to lie and manipulate the main character "Nev" to the extent of having a relationship with a person who is not who they say they are. The whole thing begins to unravel as Nev looks into details and finds that some of the information is incorrect. The disturbing climax is a simple one in which Nev and his friend and his brother drive to meet the family he is so familiar with only to find something he wasnt expecting.
Whilst this is in no way a conventional documentary so much as a found footage style drama, an effect created by the strong use of restricted narration and a linear structure with all things being seen from from Nev's point of view, it is still supposedly true. The idea that as a viewer your not sure about the authenticity of the narrative ties really nicely into the story in which Nev is not sure how real the things he is being told are. This parallel makes it a really strong and intelligent film whilst making it extremely engaging as the feelings of Nev and the viewer are linked making him instantly identifiable.
I would give it a watch if you fancy something a little more interesting to watch and would give it a 3.5/5
I have been a bit lazy with my blog this month however in relation with my Documentary assessment its time to let you guys know about some interesting docs!
So first up is Catfish, I saw this a year or so ago and was really intrigued by the trailer alone, and found myself asking, is this real? The film displays itself as a documentary but the simple fact that the narrative is so extreme and is filmed from such a random start point brings its authenticity into question.
Marketed as the "Anti Social Network" the film came out around the same time as "The social Network" and tells the story of someone using Facebook to lie and manipulate the main character "Nev" to the extent of having a relationship with a person who is not who they say they are. The whole thing begins to unravel as Nev looks into details and finds that some of the information is incorrect. The disturbing climax is a simple one in which Nev and his friend and his brother drive to meet the family he is so familiar with only to find something he wasnt expecting.
Whilst this is in no way a conventional documentary so much as a found footage style drama, an effect created by the strong use of restricted narration and a linear structure with all things being seen from from Nev's point of view, it is still supposedly true. The idea that as a viewer your not sure about the authenticity of the narrative ties really nicely into the story in which Nev is not sure how real the things he is being told are. This parallel makes it a really strong and intelligent film whilst making it extremely engaging as the feelings of Nev and the viewer are linked making him instantly identifiable.
I would give it a watch if you fancy something a little more interesting to watch and would give it a 3.5/5
Chronicle
I saw Chronicle at the cinemas a few days ago, I was attracted to it as it was a superhero film, however it does not origonate from a comic book so I was excited to see a story I knew nothing about. I was not disappointed, despite the writer laying the torment on, a little thick, the central character it was a good film focusing on the immoral things poeple could be pushed to. It cheated its way out of being a handicam film by giving the characters control over the camera with telekinesis but the post modern aspect of film making is always nice to see despite the fact it was accompanied with the line "the camera distances you from everyone else" to destroy all subtext. The character development was nice and visually some of the shots achieved and the concepts such as the spider and the crushing of the car was really nice. It was also good to see the only costume being donned a gasmask fireman suit rather than leather and latex which helped to give the film some authenticity. Finally one of my favourite things is what they didnt do, they didnt waste time coming up with a complex origin or trying to explain what gave them powers. If they had, it would not have worked! No question about it, it would have made it silly and would have wasted screen time so I am extremely happy they didnt rely on a meteorite or government testing or anything equally cliche. (PS comics can get away with it because of their medium and because many of them are the archetypes the cliches have been made from.)
So I would recommend!! 9/10
So I would recommend!! 9/10
Experimental, The End
So we finished the sound filming and editing and after looking at all the footage we ended up editing it in a conventional way, if we were to play around with the footage we had it wouldnt change the Doc feel all that much it would only make it worse. We presented our work and admitted that it had become more of a doc than an experimental short, hopefully the ideas and processes coupled with the technical skills will be enough for us to pass. I am happy to be putting the project behind me as I never really felt it got going properly as the group was not enthusiastic enough about it. Oh well onward and upwards, to infinity and all that...
3D Walter Murch
http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2011/01/post_4.html
Here is a little blog post by Roger Ebert documenting a letter sent to him by Walter Murch about 3D cinema.
Personally I disagree as I am a supporter of 3D, I think as technology increases things like the darkness and the quality will be improved. As for the perceptual thing I think with time it is something we will adapt to and become more comfortable with as we do it more in our homes and at the cinemas.
Here is a little blog post by Roger Ebert documenting a letter sent to him by Walter Murch about 3D cinema.
Personally I disagree as I am a supporter of 3D, I think as technology increases things like the darkness and the quality will be improved. As for the perceptual thing I think with time it is something we will adapt to and become more comfortable with as we do it more in our homes and at the cinemas.
In the Blink of an Eye (Walter Murch)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1879505231?tag=wwwrogerebe0b-20&camp=213381&creative=390973&linkCode=as4&creativeASIN=1879505231&adid=111QNJDBBFF1T8R6A671&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.suntimes.com%2Febert%2F2011%2F01%2Fpost_4.html
Today I am reviewing Walter Murch's book In the Blink of an Eye, it is a little different for me but this book is an in depth discussion about editing from an experienced editor which gives some really helpful perspectives. The best thing he says throughout is that there is a list of importance for when to cut, the list goes: Emotion 51%, Story 23%, Rhythm 10%, Eye Trace 7%, 2D plane of screen 5%, 3D space of action 4%. This list is a nice guideline for when it is appropriate to cut. Another interesting although annoying point Murch brings up is that our only comparison to cutting in real life is a blink, he surmises that blinking is not only an action to wipe away dust and rehydrate, but is a method of blocking out useless information and an emotional reaction. In this way he suggests we blink at specific points of understanding within conversations, he argues these points are often the right times to cut. This is an interesting idea that unfortunately turned me into someone who cant stop watching people blink! Another guide to editing in the book is a three step method;
1 Identify a series of cut/ blink points.
2 Determine what effect each cut would have on the audience.
3 Choose which effect is correct for the moment (remember the percentages of the earlier list)
Towards the end of the book he discusses the advantages and pitfalls of digital editing however the book is somewhat outdated and many of the pitfalls have now been overcome. The book itself is an interesting easy read which touches on the practical and philosophical questions surrounding editing and enlightens the reader to the true essence of editing. :)
Today I am reviewing Walter Murch's book In the Blink of an Eye, it is a little different for me but this book is an in depth discussion about editing from an experienced editor which gives some really helpful perspectives. The best thing he says throughout is that there is a list of importance for when to cut, the list goes: Emotion 51%, Story 23%, Rhythm 10%, Eye Trace 7%, 2D plane of screen 5%, 3D space of action 4%. This list is a nice guideline for when it is appropriate to cut. Another interesting although annoying point Murch brings up is that our only comparison to cutting in real life is a blink, he surmises that blinking is not only an action to wipe away dust and rehydrate, but is a method of blocking out useless information and an emotional reaction. In this way he suggests we blink at specific points of understanding within conversations, he argues these points are often the right times to cut. This is an interesting idea that unfortunately turned me into someone who cant stop watching people blink! Another guide to editing in the book is a three step method;
1 Identify a series of cut/ blink points.
2 Determine what effect each cut would have on the audience.
3 Choose which effect is correct for the moment (remember the percentages of the earlier list)
Towards the end of the book he discusses the advantages and pitfalls of digital editing however the book is somewhat outdated and many of the pitfalls have now been overcome. The book itself is an interesting easy read which touches on the practical and philosophical questions surrounding editing and enlightens the reader to the true essence of editing. :)
Modern Life is Rubbish
http://www.bbc.co.uk/filmnetwork/films/p00g6n0y
I found this little gem randomly whilst on the bbc film network and gave it a little watch due to my familiarity with Rafe Spall (who is along with Paddy Considine one of the Andy's in Hot Fuzz). I have to say as a drama short I think it works really well, it tells a simple story in a short amount of time and gives a message whilst questioning that message through a caricature of a "believer". Yeah I really enjoyed this short, it seemed like the climax of a drama series without the need for all of the build of tension, it was the conclusion to an unseen debate that most of us are on one side of. I would recommend it as it is only 13mins. Oh and the final shot is really nicely composed and coloured and a great shot in general.
I found this little gem randomly whilst on the bbc film network and gave it a little watch due to my familiarity with Rafe Spall (who is along with Paddy Considine one of the Andy's in Hot Fuzz). I have to say as a drama short I think it works really well, it tells a simple story in a short amount of time and gives a message whilst questioning that message through a caricature of a "believer". Yeah I really enjoyed this short, it seemed like the climax of a drama series without the need for all of the build of tension, it was the conclusion to an unseen debate that most of us are on one side of. I would recommend it as it is only 13mins. Oh and the final shot is really nicely composed and coloured and a great shot in general.
Experimental Shooting Day 2
So yesterday Jake came up to my house and using a black sheet and some dedo lights we recreated the studio aesthetic so that we could film the boxes full of props that we did not have on Friday's shoot. I do think we used adequate props to create the stereotype however Jake thought for time and visual reasons we should not shoot the scenes through box holes like my planned footage. This was something Johnny also wasn't keen on a few days before so I let it go, however on reflection I think it would have added to the aesthetic of the piece and without it all of the camera work editing and messages will be fairly conventional and my masking idea with the boxes being thrown out takes a lot of the experimental aspect away from the film. I also think that we are struggling with scheduling throughout this project and while this is my responsibility there have been multiple times when the other crew members just have not been there, as well as Johnny's trip abroad that left me and Jake to plan the project. since then I feel Johnny hasn't been engaged with the projects concepts and is struggling to understand the different ideas me and Jake have and as a result of this the ideas he is agreeing with are the more conventional ideas. Could it be that our experimental piece ends up outside "boundaries of experimental" and lands in a neat little conventional, ironic "box"?
Over the next two days Johnny will be finishing the edit and me and Jake will be recording a script he has written for a dialogue to go over the piece which will hopefully add to the effectiveness of the film and make the conventional camera work and regrettably small range of visuals more interesting.
Over the next two days Johnny will be finishing the edit and me and Jake will be recording a script he has written for a dialogue to go over the piece which will hopefully add to the effectiveness of the film and make the conventional camera work and regrettably small range of visuals more interesting.
I Am Legend
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480249/
Now here is a film I have been meaning to review for a long time. Upon seeing it like everyone else I raved on about its brilliance and desperation, but I made a big mistake, I liked it enough to read the book. Like most adaptations the film does not live up to the book, for many reasons. Matheson's novel is bleak and dark and Robert Neville is completely alone and hopeless. He deals with the desperation by drinking and smoking excessively, hating himself for it in a self destructive cycle that is the heart of the novel. The film however focuses more on his connection to the dog which in the book doesn't appear until half way through the book, and once it does it is afraid of him, slowly he gains its trust until it disappears coming back infected. Matheson painfully discribes Neville's holding and comforting of the dog whilst thinking of scientific ways of curing the dog giving the reader a little bit of hope. Right there the chapter ends with the gutting line "a week later the dog was dead". I understand that the film needed another character such as the dog to converse with Neville but within the book Neville's thoughts are all that is needed and perhaps his narcissistic comments on his bleak life would be better in film as they are definitely what makes the book better. Another dislike of the film is the back story given to Neville, it makes him a top scientist who helped create the disease whilst searching for a cure to cancer. In the book he is the epitome of a normal man in an extreme situation and he motivates himself to learn and question the Vampire myth that seems to have become true. Unfortunately the end is also disappointing with a mystical cure being found and Neville dying, although this is an extremely emothional ending it is no more so than that in the book where Neville is captured by "living Vampires" who have retained humanity and live off synthesised blood. To this new society Neville is the enemy and he ends his life and the book with the reflective thought that as minority changes so does society and with that realisation he ends the book with "I am legend"
In conclusion the film is good and it is understandable to change it the way they have, but I have to wonder if the film was more like the book would it be as good as it was or would it rise to the level of the book?a
Now here is a film I have been meaning to review for a long time. Upon seeing it like everyone else I raved on about its brilliance and desperation, but I made a big mistake, I liked it enough to read the book. Like most adaptations the film does not live up to the book, for many reasons. Matheson's novel is bleak and dark and Robert Neville is completely alone and hopeless. He deals with the desperation by drinking and smoking excessively, hating himself for it in a self destructive cycle that is the heart of the novel. The film however focuses more on his connection to the dog which in the book doesn't appear until half way through the book, and once it does it is afraid of him, slowly he gains its trust until it disappears coming back infected. Matheson painfully discribes Neville's holding and comforting of the dog whilst thinking of scientific ways of curing the dog giving the reader a little bit of hope. Right there the chapter ends with the gutting line "a week later the dog was dead". I understand that the film needed another character such as the dog to converse with Neville but within the book Neville's thoughts are all that is needed and perhaps his narcissistic comments on his bleak life would be better in film as they are definitely what makes the book better. Another dislike of the film is the back story given to Neville, it makes him a top scientist who helped create the disease whilst searching for a cure to cancer. In the book he is the epitome of a normal man in an extreme situation and he motivates himself to learn and question the Vampire myth that seems to have become true. Unfortunately the end is also disappointing with a mystical cure being found and Neville dying, although this is an extremely emothional ending it is no more so than that in the book where Neville is captured by "living Vampires" who have retained humanity and live off synthesised blood. To this new society Neville is the enemy and he ends his life and the book with the reflective thought that as minority changes so does society and with that realisation he ends the book with "I am legend"
In conclusion the film is good and it is understandable to change it the way they have, but I have to wonder if the film was more like the book would it be as good as it was or would it rise to the level of the book?a
Day one of experimental filming
So I spent Friday filming for our experimental project with Johnny and Jake, although we got all of the shots of the wall (which I spent hours painting) we still managed to get to the studio in time to film the Alice and Charlotte who agreed to act for us. We were planning on doing a combination of shots to do with the people holding boxes placing them within a stereotype, "in a box", however despite my questioning on the days before shooting and my attempt as producer to get the shoot properly organised, shot listed and prop listed the rest of the group thought it would be fine and didn't co-operate. This meant when we got to the shoot we did not have the props we needed to strongly make up the stereotypes. so instead we will use the box to anchor two scenes together, one with the people and the boxes and one with the stereotypical objects and the boxes. Although this may not be particularly experimental it makes sense to do it this way however I'm worrying a little because i think we are paying too much attention to the meaning and not enough to the aesthetics. I did have a little argument whilst filming with Johnny as he was sat on facebook whilst Jake was filming, I asked Johnny to do the filming despite the fact I didnt do any because his role is camera man and I want him to get the credit for what he is doing. Hopefully we will finish the filming on teusday so we can get the editing done in the last part of the week.
Experimental Painting Boxes
I have spent 12 hours over the past two days painting boxes to make my wall of boxes, im tired! It is nearly done though and looking really good, the colours contrast really nicely and the fact that all the boxes are different sizes make for a really 3 dimensional image. We have discussed the filming a little more and have 2hours booked for friday in the studio so hopefully if i get my production mind into gear and sort shot lists and things we will be able to do it all in time :s Johnny is back from his holiday now so we should be able to film anytime from now onwards, its just a case of arranging when and what to shoot. My boxes should be done by tomorrow so its going to be a busy week but hopefully we should be working well soon.
Tucker and Dale Vs Evil
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1465522/
Truly brilliant role reversal comedy horror! We all know the normal story, a group of teenagers go into the woods to find they are trespassing on some maniac, hill billy serial killers land and they all get slaughtered except the last girl who somehow manages to kill the murderer within seconds of her demise.... or something like that. Tucker and Dale Vs Evil however flips this on its head, the hill billies are kind considerate human beings mistaken for creeps who, when the teenagers begin attempting to attack the hill billies, end up the centre of teenage accidental suicides. The story is hilarious and I recommend it to all!!!
Truly brilliant role reversal comedy horror! We all know the normal story, a group of teenagers go into the woods to find they are trespassing on some maniac, hill billy serial killers land and they all get slaughtered except the last girl who somehow manages to kill the murderer within seconds of her demise.... or something like that. Tucker and Dale Vs Evil however flips this on its head, the hill billies are kind considerate human beings mistaken for creeps who, when the teenagers begin attempting to attack the hill billies, end up the centre of teenage accidental suicides. The story is hilarious and I recommend it to all!!!
The Serpent and the Rainbow
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096071/
A slightly unusual watch I know but there is a reason I watched it. I am a big xombi movie fan and for my A2 film studies course I analysed the xombi films of George A Romero and talked about how they comment on politics and social issues. Whilst researching the xombi myth the story of Haitian vudou priests creating xombies was the original creature. Whilst the popular Zombie was created by George Romero, he never actually imagined them as zombies or xombies, his creatures were more inspired by Richard Matheson's vampires in I Am Legend.
Anyway whilst researching I read of Wes Cravens attempt at a true xombie film and allways wanted to give it a watch. I think it is bluntly political whilst displaying the right amount of magic mixed with medicine within a basic thriller/ horror plot. So not a favourite by far and I think unless your a true xombie fanatic its probably best to give this one a miss as it suffers from poor acting, a fairly boring plot and an expected resolution. Overall if I had to rate it I would give it 2.5/5
A slightly unusual watch I know but there is a reason I watched it. I am a big xombi movie fan and for my A2 film studies course I analysed the xombi films of George A Romero and talked about how they comment on politics and social issues. Whilst researching the xombi myth the story of Haitian vudou priests creating xombies was the original creature. Whilst the popular Zombie was created by George Romero, he never actually imagined them as zombies or xombies, his creatures were more inspired by Richard Matheson's vampires in I Am Legend.
Anyway whilst researching I read of Wes Cravens attempt at a true xombie film and allways wanted to give it a watch. I think it is bluntly political whilst displaying the right amount of magic mixed with medicine within a basic thriller/ horror plot. So not a favourite by far and I think unless your a true xombie fanatic its probably best to give this one a miss as it suffers from poor acting, a fairly boring plot and an expected resolution. Overall if I had to rate it I would give it 2.5/5
The Switch
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0889573/
The Switch is a simple RomCom about hijacking your friends artificial insemination and forgetting you did, reaping the consequences seven years later. I dont mind a good romcom and gave this one a chance due to Jason Bateman who I think acts well in all his films especially the series Arrested Development. However The Switch was light on the romance and light on the comedy, however it did make up for it with a heart warming story of a man building a relationship with his son. I did enjoy it but only as something to watch as a fell asleep, as with most romcoms it was fairly typical, predictable and was sickeningly heart warming. (in a good way) Anyway another good, not too taxing, little flick for a quiet night in.
The Switch is a simple RomCom about hijacking your friends artificial insemination and forgetting you did, reaping the consequences seven years later. I dont mind a good romcom and gave this one a chance due to Jason Bateman who I think acts well in all his films especially the series Arrested Development. However The Switch was light on the romance and light on the comedy, however it did make up for it with a heart warming story of a man building a relationship with his son. I did enjoy it but only as something to watch as a fell asleep, as with most romcoms it was fairly typical, predictable and was sickeningly heart warming. (in a good way) Anyway another good, not too taxing, little flick for a quiet night in.
The Strangers
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0482606/
Not much can be said for this film, it was very simply formulaic and unexplained and simply a jumpy hour and a half worth of Liv Tyler being scared and crying. Unfortunately that is the way most current horror goes, but for a typical horror flick this one was actually particularly good. Although there was no explanation to the physical and mental torment that builds tension and makes the audience jump, the tension itself was well created and I jumped more than once. I wouldn't give it an overall high rating but if you fancy a little jump than try The Strangers, just don't expect to find a new favourite.
Not much can be said for this film, it was very simply formulaic and unexplained and simply a jumpy hour and a half worth of Liv Tyler being scared and crying. Unfortunately that is the way most current horror goes, but for a typical horror flick this one was actually particularly good. Although there was no explanation to the physical and mental torment that builds tension and makes the audience jump, the tension itself was well created and I jumped more than once. I wouldn't give it an overall high rating but if you fancy a little jump than try The Strangers, just don't expect to find a new favourite.
Experimental Planning
So me and Jake got together on friday and thought about what to do fro our project and these are my notes from what we said.
Experimental Boxes
Here are the boxes I got for our experimental, they cost me nothing so i think thats a good production job done!
Composograph update
Spoke with Alice today about the composograph, we have decided to do it around multiple sounds from one object or type of object rather than doing it on a theme like the kitchen, photography or snooker. We had a little chat about doing it on shoes, we could use squelching, squeeking, velcro, zips, taps, scuff and flip flops within the composition. We will think a little more and decide the exact theme soon.
Moon
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1182345/
This was recommended to me by many people so I finally gave it a watch. You will get no spoilers here but basically it is excellent! The whole film builds an excellent atmosphere with excellent acting accompanied by a hauntingly beautiful piano soundtrack. The iscolation and mystery throughout the film make it really gripping and make Sam a sympathetic identifiable hero. I like the (spoiler sorry) fact that it didn't turn into 2001 Hal2.0 or anything like that and the computer stayed an essential character without being a HAL copy. (end of spoiler) I really liked the film and, as is becoming common, recommend it to all scifi nuts and film fans in general.
This was recommended to me by many people so I finally gave it a watch. You will get no spoilers here but basically it is excellent! The whole film builds an excellent atmosphere with excellent acting accompanied by a hauntingly beautiful piano soundtrack. The iscolation and mystery throughout the film make it really gripping and make Sam a sympathetic identifiable hero. I like the (spoiler sorry) fact that it didn't turn into 2001 Hal2.0 or anything like that and the computer stayed an essential character without being a HAL copy. (end of spoiler) I really liked the film and, as is becoming common, recommend it to all scifi nuts and film fans in general.
Starship Troopers
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120201/
I hadnt seen this classic sci fi until yesterday when I decided it was time to give it a go. Wow! I expected a dodgy looking cheesy half arsed scifi and I got a comical/ satirical, intelligent, epic, war scifi with some balls!
I think my favourite thing about the film is its guts to show people being mauled by savage beasts and even savager drill instructors, then fixed by unexplained scifi medicine. I also liked the political commentary on "fleet doing the flying and MI's do the dying" along with the scientific side being aided by telepathy. Overall there is so much scifi goodness in there and like all good scifi it doesnt waste time with too much exposition, it just gives us comical media snippets, the whole film is excellent and a scifi masterpiece!
I hadnt seen this classic sci fi until yesterday when I decided it was time to give it a go. Wow! I expected a dodgy looking cheesy half arsed scifi and I got a comical/ satirical, intelligent, epic, war scifi with some balls!
I think my favourite thing about the film is its guts to show people being mauled by savage beasts and even savager drill instructors, then fixed by unexplained scifi medicine. I also liked the political commentary on "fleet doing the flying and MI's do the dying" along with the scientific side being aided by telepathy. Overall there is so much scifi goodness in there and like all good scifi it doesnt waste time with too much exposition, it just gives us comical media snippets, the whole film is excellent and a scifi masterpiece!
Captain America and Thor
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800369/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458339/
Firstly I am a big fan of comic books and of both these films. The only thing a want to analyse about them is their compliance with the recent superhero narrative. The recent trend in comic book films really went big with Spiderman in 2001, it re established an obvious formula that had been used by previous superhero films like Batman. The film starts with a normal person who gets powers and defeats a villain. Both Hulk films, both Punisher films, Iron Man and more follow this simple narrative and it is beginning to get worn out. The upcoming film The Avengers offers a refreshing change by using the characters established in previous marvel films to make a film about a supergroup the Avengers.
Captain America fits this formula fairly nicely however the inclusion of a struggle to become a "peoples hero" and a respected soldier ads new interest to the story as well as the 1930's setting. Thor on the other hand does not fit the formula so neatly, one could argue that Thor has only just gained his power fully and that through flashbacks to him as a child we do see him beforehand. However is is simpler to say the formula is reversed, he begins with his power and loses it, the films resolution fits the formula as he regains his power along with humility, falls in love and defeats the villain. As I said I enjoy both films even if they are formulaic!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0458339/
Firstly I am a big fan of comic books and of both these films. The only thing a want to analyse about them is their compliance with the recent superhero narrative. The recent trend in comic book films really went big with Spiderman in 2001, it re established an obvious formula that had been used by previous superhero films like Batman. The film starts with a normal person who gets powers and defeats a villain. Both Hulk films, both Punisher films, Iron Man and more follow this simple narrative and it is beginning to get worn out. The upcoming film The Avengers offers a refreshing change by using the characters established in previous marvel films to make a film about a supergroup the Avengers.
Captain America fits this formula fairly nicely however the inclusion of a struggle to become a "peoples hero" and a respected soldier ads new interest to the story as well as the 1930's setting. Thor on the other hand does not fit the formula so neatly, one could argue that Thor has only just gained his power fully and that through flashbacks to him as a child we do see him beforehand. However is is simpler to say the formula is reversed, he begins with his power and loses it, the films resolution fits the formula as he regains his power along with humility, falls in love and defeats the villain. As I said I enjoy both films even if they are formulaic!
I Believe In Sherlock
http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-Believe-In-Sherlock-HolmesMoriarty-Is-Real/305311476173064
So the internet (or at least the corners I look in) is going a little mad today and for the last few days. "I believe in Sherlock Holmes" posts are popping up all over social networking sites and posters are appearing in streets. The story relevance is that Moriarty made Sherlock out to be a fake before his death, fans are showing their support. But why? the series isnt under any threat of being cancelled and as far as anyone knows it hasnt spawned from a BBC advertising scheme, fans have just started doing it. I think more than anything as a fan of the show this can only be a good omen, if people like it enough to do this they are inadvertently advertising which is good for the show. I hope one day I write something people like enough to show their support for in such an interesting and unprovoked way.
So the internet (or at least the corners I look in) is going a little mad today and for the last few days. "I believe in Sherlock Holmes" posts are popping up all over social networking sites and posters are appearing in streets. The story relevance is that Moriarty made Sherlock out to be a fake before his death, fans are showing their support. But why? the series isnt under any threat of being cancelled and as far as anyone knows it hasnt spawned from a BBC advertising scheme, fans have just started doing it. I think more than anything as a fan of the show this can only be a good omen, if people like it enough to do this they are inadvertently advertising which is good for the show. I hope one day I write something people like enough to show their support for in such an interesting and unprovoked way.
Source Code (2011 dir Duncan Jones)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0945513/
So I recently watched Source Code, I am quite a science fiction fan and thought this might be a good flick. I did really enjoy the film and would recommend it to anyone who likes an action film with a bit of mystery and intelligence. The best thing the film does is to add the mystery of what the source code is and what the main character is doing and where he is when he isn't having his Groundhog day moments. This dual narrative is the most interesting part of the film an what happens on the train is practically irrelevant. The strongest science fiction idea doesn't come till near the end SPOILER!! where you find out the source code is more than the scientists think and that the source code continues as a parallel world for the hero to live in. This concentrated dose of scifi ideas saves the ending from being a cheesy cliché in which the boy gets the girl and asks her if she "believes in fate". END OF SPOILER So overall its an easy watch with not too bad acting and a nice bit of scifi.
So I recently watched Source Code, I am quite a science fiction fan and thought this might be a good flick. I did really enjoy the film and would recommend it to anyone who likes an action film with a bit of mystery and intelligence. The best thing the film does is to add the mystery of what the source code is and what the main character is doing and where he is when he isn't having his Groundhog day moments. This dual narrative is the most interesting part of the film an what happens on the train is practically irrelevant. The strongest science fiction idea doesn't come till near the end SPOILER!! where you find out the source code is more than the scientists think and that the source code continues as a parallel world for the hero to live in. This concentrated dose of scifi ideas saves the ending from being a cheesy cliché in which the boy gets the girl and asks her if she "believes in fate". END OF SPOILER So overall its an easy watch with not too bad acting and a nice bit of scifi.
Experimental Storyboard idea
So me and Jake arranged to try and sort some stuff today so fingers crossed some more ideas will be certain at the end of today. Till then im no illustrator but here is a storyboard I did to show an idea for the project.
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