As an editor, the emergence of a new format, or rather solidification of a new format should be big news. But in terms of blue ray vs hd-dvd my thoughts are simple: I don't care. Both are good formats, blue ray is a little bit better and a little more expensive. I had predicted that HD-DVD would win, because the clues from the last format war told me that it would. In beta-max vs. VHS, the cheaper, worse format won. The next clue came when porno chose HD-DVD (though they later switched to blue-ray). I was pretty convinced that blue ray was going to go the way of beta-max. But I was wrong, and again, I don't really care.
The importance of this event isn't which format was chosen, it's that a format was chosen. This means DVDs are going to start dropping in price and EVERYONE is going to start putting stuff out on blue ray. It's been about a week since Toshiba's announcement and I've already seen questions about blue ray burners and authoring on indie film boards.
I'm not ready to jump on the blue ray train just yet, and it worries me that so many people are. Hell, 90% of people over 60 are still stuck on VHS.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Writing Methods
I honestly can't say that one method is better than another, but it's what keeps you going and helps you churn out a product. Here are a few that I've seen/tried:
Archaeology- This is what most people start with, and quite a number end up using. You start out with a theme or idea and just start writing from beginning to end, uncovering the story as you go.
M. Night Shyamalan- Write from end to beginning. Write the climax and resolution first, then move on the rising action and so on. It has merit for establishing exactly what your story is about right off the bat, but I've never been able to put it into practice.
Over and Done- Map out what happens in your story and then write, starting at the beginning. This is good for collaborations, and popular for screenwriting since you have to submit a treatment to get an episode approved or an advance for a screenplay, in addition to screenwriters nearly all working in collaboration.
The Box Method- This is the way I write most of the time. Start out with an idea and move to an outline, then cement an outline of each scene, to make sure you know what it's really about. All the while jotting down jokes and bits of scenes as they come to you to use when the time comes. Then start at the beginning and write through. It works very well for speed. If I do all my outline work, I can churn out an hour and a half screenplay in 2 days.
Total Instinct- This is a haphazard and dangerous way of writing that I'd only recommend if you're really inspired. You let go of reason and write as it comes to you. You might end up starting at the beginning or middle, and there is a good chance you'll find yourself totally lost with one scene that is suppose to go somewhere in a story that you know nothing about. Still, it can turn out a really great product if it works out; your instinct is the single most powerful thing you can develop as a writer.
There are certainly more than that, and the fact that these are popular doesn't mean they are any better than any other methods. It's just some to try if one is trying to find their own method that works. Both great and terrible writers have used each one of these. It's the content that matters, not the way it gets from your brain onto the paper. If a writing teacher/mentor ever tells you to use their method they have already failed you.
Archaeology- This is what most people start with, and quite a number end up using. You start out with a theme or idea and just start writing from beginning to end, uncovering the story as you go.
M. Night Shyamalan- Write from end to beginning. Write the climax and resolution first, then move on the rising action and so on. It has merit for establishing exactly what your story is about right off the bat, but I've never been able to put it into practice.
Over and Done- Map out what happens in your story and then write, starting at the beginning. This is good for collaborations, and popular for screenwriting since you have to submit a treatment to get an episode approved or an advance for a screenplay, in addition to screenwriters nearly all working in collaboration.
The Box Method- This is the way I write most of the time. Start out with an idea and move to an outline, then cement an outline of each scene, to make sure you know what it's really about. All the while jotting down jokes and bits of scenes as they come to you to use when the time comes. Then start at the beginning and write through. It works very well for speed. If I do all my outline work, I can churn out an hour and a half screenplay in 2 days.
Total Instinct- This is a haphazard and dangerous way of writing that I'd only recommend if you're really inspired. You let go of reason and write as it comes to you. You might end up starting at the beginning or middle, and there is a good chance you'll find yourself totally lost with one scene that is suppose to go somewhere in a story that you know nothing about. Still, it can turn out a really great product if it works out; your instinct is the single most powerful thing you can develop as a writer.
There are certainly more than that, and the fact that these are popular doesn't mean they are any better than any other methods. It's just some to try if one is trying to find their own method that works. Both great and terrible writers have used each one of these. It's the content that matters, not the way it gets from your brain onto the paper. If a writing teacher/mentor ever tells you to use their method they have already failed you.
Monday, February 25, 2008
The crimson room
Today I was going to write about how I have spent 65 of the last 72 hours at work, or blue ray beating HD-DVD, or how downtown Winston Salem made me feel white for the first time since I moved to the area. But those will have to wait, because a much more interesting story came up last night when I was locked both in and out of my office.
To understand the unique situation I was in you have to understand how the security works in my office. Everyone who works there is given a key card (I always thought it was pretty cool, like in a video game). That key card opens the gate to the parking deck, the outside doors when they are locked at night and on the weekends, and all of the doors on your company's floor(s). This means you can take the elevator to any floor and be confronted by 6 locked doors in the elevator area. Mullen, the ad agency I work for, leases the 5th and 6th floor. I work on the 6th floor, with all of the other creatives. My office is the only one that is kept locked because of all the valuable equipment inside. I actually don't have my own key, I use one from my boss's office everytime I need one.
Well, as a video editor, I spend most of my time at work sitting down in front of a computer screen. I can't sit comfortably with a cell phone, keys and wallet in my pocket, though. So I take these things out a lot and place them on desk. Well, last night was a marathon editing night so at 11:30pm I got up to fill my water cup. I walked out the door closest to my office that lead to the elevator area, preparing to cut through to the break room like I always do. Well I took about 2 steps when I reached to my pocket and noticed that both pockets were empty. The door behind me had already closed.
My wallet (which contained my keycard), my keys, my jacket, and my cellphone were all in my office on my desk. I was totally boned. I couldn't call anyone from work because all the numbers were in my cell phone. I couldn't drive home and wait for morning because I couldn't get out of the parking deck without my card, or even start my car without my keys. I couldn't call a cab because I had no wallet and no money. I couldn't even walk the 7 miles home because my jacket was in my office and I probably would have frozen to death before I got there. Not to mention, if at any point I changed my mind I wouldn't have been able to get back into the building. I either had to get back into my office or sleep in the lobby of the building.
I took the elevator to the second floor, where the lobby is. On my way down, I noted that I was probably the only person in the office that late on a Sunday. Even security only worked Monday morning to Friday night. When I reached the bottom I walked over to the security desk and rummaged around. I was looking for a master keycard or a phone number, anything that could help me out. I found nothing, but a scary looking box that if I knew how to operate it I could probably disable all of the door locks, but since I didn't if I touched it that night would end with me having a comfy cot in a holding cell.
The security desk having failed me, I went into the construction on the second floor. I figured with all the construction going on, they probably hadn't key carded every stairwell yet. After some searching and a lot of stepping of steel beams on the floor, I found a stairwell that I knew wasn't a standard one that Mullenites used to go between the fifth and sixth floors (both of which are locked by electronic locks).
I climbed the stairs to the fifth floor where I tried the door. It opened, but my celebration was too early, I climbed up to the sixth floor and tried the door, it was locked, but by a key lock and not an electronic one. This is when I began to feel like I was in on of those irritating flash games that stick you in a locked room with no hints and very few clues on how to get out.
But the fifth floor opened up new possibilities to me. I first circled the floor looking for someone who might have left a keycard out and calling out to see if anyone was still working and could let me upstairs. No luck. Then, I circled the floor again, checking all of the inner doors to see if there was another stairwell with no keycard access. Apparently I had either found the only one, or the only unlocked one. So I made my way to the service elevator, which refused to go anywhere but floor 2.
I started to panic, then. As close as floor 5 put me to my office, it was still out of reach. I briefly thought of trying to get into the ceiling and climbing up a vent or something outrageous, but the ceilings are 15 feet high, even standing on a desk I wouldn't be able to graze the ceiling with the tips of my fingers. Nearly defeated, I began wandering again, looking for a stray keycard and trying to thing of alternatives. As I was thinking, my mind strayed back to the locked stairwell door on the sixth floor. I remembered that it was a key lock and while thinking about that out of the corner of my eye, I glanced a tray full of paperclips. So I took 2 paperclips from the tray and a letter opener and walked back up the stairs. I picked the lock and rejoiced. I ran to my office and picked up my wallet which has yet to leave my person since.
To understand the unique situation I was in you have to understand how the security works in my office. Everyone who works there is given a key card (I always thought it was pretty cool, like in a video game). That key card opens the gate to the parking deck, the outside doors when they are locked at night and on the weekends, and all of the doors on your company's floor(s). This means you can take the elevator to any floor and be confronted by 6 locked doors in the elevator area. Mullen, the ad agency I work for, leases the 5th and 6th floor. I work on the 6th floor, with all of the other creatives. My office is the only one that is kept locked because of all the valuable equipment inside. I actually don't have my own key, I use one from my boss's office everytime I need one.
Well, as a video editor, I spend most of my time at work sitting down in front of a computer screen. I can't sit comfortably with a cell phone, keys and wallet in my pocket, though. So I take these things out a lot and place them on desk. Well, last night was a marathon editing night so at 11:30pm I got up to fill my water cup. I walked out the door closest to my office that lead to the elevator area, preparing to cut through to the break room like I always do. Well I took about 2 steps when I reached to my pocket and noticed that both pockets were empty. The door behind me had already closed.
My wallet (which contained my keycard), my keys, my jacket, and my cellphone were all in my office on my desk. I was totally boned. I couldn't call anyone from work because all the numbers were in my cell phone. I couldn't drive home and wait for morning because I couldn't get out of the parking deck without my card, or even start my car without my keys. I couldn't call a cab because I had no wallet and no money. I couldn't even walk the 7 miles home because my jacket was in my office and I probably would have frozen to death before I got there. Not to mention, if at any point I changed my mind I wouldn't have been able to get back into the building. I either had to get back into my office or sleep in the lobby of the building.
I took the elevator to the second floor, where the lobby is. On my way down, I noted that I was probably the only person in the office that late on a Sunday. Even security only worked Monday morning to Friday night. When I reached the bottom I walked over to the security desk and rummaged around. I was looking for a master keycard or a phone number, anything that could help me out. I found nothing, but a scary looking box that if I knew how to operate it I could probably disable all of the door locks, but since I didn't if I touched it that night would end with me having a comfy cot in a holding cell.
The security desk having failed me, I went into the construction on the second floor. I figured with all the construction going on, they probably hadn't key carded every stairwell yet. After some searching and a lot of stepping of steel beams on the floor, I found a stairwell that I knew wasn't a standard one that Mullenites used to go between the fifth and sixth floors (both of which are locked by electronic locks).
I climbed the stairs to the fifth floor where I tried the door. It opened, but my celebration was too early, I climbed up to the sixth floor and tried the door, it was locked, but by a key lock and not an electronic one. This is when I began to feel like I was in on of those irritating flash games that stick you in a locked room with no hints and very few clues on how to get out.
But the fifth floor opened up new possibilities to me. I first circled the floor looking for someone who might have left a keycard out and calling out to see if anyone was still working and could let me upstairs. No luck. Then, I circled the floor again, checking all of the inner doors to see if there was another stairwell with no keycard access. Apparently I had either found the only one, or the only unlocked one. So I made my way to the service elevator, which refused to go anywhere but floor 2.
I started to panic, then. As close as floor 5 put me to my office, it was still out of reach. I briefly thought of trying to get into the ceiling and climbing up a vent or something outrageous, but the ceilings are 15 feet high, even standing on a desk I wouldn't be able to graze the ceiling with the tips of my fingers. Nearly defeated, I began wandering again, looking for a stray keycard and trying to thing of alternatives. As I was thinking, my mind strayed back to the locked stairwell door on the sixth floor. I remembered that it was a key lock and while thinking about that out of the corner of my eye, I glanced a tray full of paperclips. So I took 2 paperclips from the tray and a letter opener and walked back up the stairs. I picked the lock and rejoiced. I ran to my office and picked up my wallet which has yet to leave my person since.
Friday, February 22, 2008
What are you good at? Really?
I won't say what is making me doubt myself, but there is definite doubt.
As I think of everything that I'm good at, it's all subjective. I'm smart- but that depends how you define intelligence. I'm good at filmmaking- but thats really for the audience, ignorant of the specifics of filmmaking, to decide. I can write- or what says the reader? I'm pretty funny- but.. am I, or do I just make myself laugh? I'm a good musician- but does hitting right notes make me a musician? I'm very fast- or I was, nearly 10 years ago.
The only quantifiable thing that I was ever good at was running, and that is no longer relevant. Since everything I'm good at is subjective does that mean I have to look to the consensus to tell me if I'm really good? Otherwise, I'm just another no talent reject who thinks he's a big shot. Doesn't seem like a very fair system.
As I think of everything that I'm good at, it's all subjective. I'm smart- but that depends how you define intelligence. I'm good at filmmaking- but thats really for the audience, ignorant of the specifics of filmmaking, to decide. I can write- or what says the reader? I'm pretty funny- but.. am I, or do I just make myself laugh? I'm a good musician- but does hitting right notes make me a musician? I'm very fast- or I was, nearly 10 years ago.
The only quantifiable thing that I was ever good at was running, and that is no longer relevant. Since everything I'm good at is subjective does that mean I have to look to the consensus to tell me if I'm really good? Otherwise, I'm just another no talent reject who thinks he's a big shot. Doesn't seem like a very fair system.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
You'll get no envy from me, Canada
In the past few years there has be a lot of 'Canada envy' from Americans. Good ol' Canaja has cheap health care, no George bush and presumably less loud obnoxious morons. But the thing is, Canada isn't that well off, either.
While our dollar continues to freefall, salaries are still higher here and goods are still cheaper. The US is still where the money is. Also, low taxes. With as much as things suck here, people forget that they've been sucking everywhere else for a good deal longer.
While Rupert Murdoch may control half of our media, Canada's media is even more consolidated. While sexual violence is on the rise here, it's gotten so bad in Japan that they have to have to have women only subway cars.
While all our jobs are going to Mexico, it has done little to help the rampant poverty.
So stay vigilant and be aware of how shitty things are, but don't forget perspective. It's all going downhill anyway. This is what I think the world will look like in 2050:
While our dollar continues to freefall, salaries are still higher here and goods are still cheaper. The US is still where the money is. Also, low taxes. With as much as things suck here, people forget that they've been sucking everywhere else for a good deal longer.
While Rupert Murdoch may control half of our media, Canada's media is even more consolidated. While sexual violence is on the rise here, it's gotten so bad in Japan that they have to have to have women only subway cars.
While all our jobs are going to Mexico, it has done little to help the rampant poverty.
So stay vigilant and be aware of how shitty things are, but don't forget perspective. It's all going downhill anyway. This is what I think the world will look like in 2050:
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Definitions
Americanimie(uh-mer-i-kan-uh-mey ) n.-
An abomination born out of American teens' obsession with Japanese culture. To cash in on the anime trend, American artists started to produce cartoons in a sub-anime style.
Revo Monkey(ri-vo muhng-kee) N.
An abomination born out of American teens' obsession with Japanese culture. To cash in on the anime trend, American artists started to produce cartoons in a sub-anime style.
Revo Monkey(ri-vo muhng-kee) N.
| Used to insult a man who bends over backwards to try and get female attention. Short for reverse monkey. A monkey walks with it's "hands" in front of them, but if someone is bending over backwards they put their hands behind them for support. It could also tie into them being spineless. Fat Angst (fat engk-stuh) n. General anger caused by being fat. |
Monday, February 18, 2008
Short Reviews 2
Film: Rocky
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Review: I haven't seen this since I was like 10, but it's f'n rocky
Film: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Review: A bit weirder then the original, but pretty decent. Some of the best cinematography and makeup work I've ever seen.
Film: Kill Bill Volume 1
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Review: Might have been better if Tarantino would use his trademark useage of time well. At all.
Film: Donnie Darko
Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Review: I'm not sure what everyone is humping this movie for. I thought it was pretty mediocre.
Film: There's Something About Mary
Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Review: Funny when I was 13. Not anymore.
Film: Bruce Almighty
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Review: Morgan Freeman is God. That is all.
Film: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Rating: 1 of 5 stars
Review: I didn't really like 4-6, so I certainly don't like 1-3.
Film: Dodgeball
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Review: Vince Vaughn is comedy gold in the right part. Even Ben Stiller is bareable in this.
Film: Knocked Up
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Review: Modern humor mixed with a Clerks-like genuineness. Surprisingly very good.
Film: Happy Gilmore
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Review: I haven't seen it in a long time, but fist fights with bob barker are timeless.
Film: Harry Potter 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Review: The only one I liked out of the current 5.
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Review: I haven't seen this since I was like 10, but it's f'n rocky
Film: Charlie and The Chocolate Factory
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Review: A bit weirder then the original, but pretty decent. Some of the best cinematography and makeup work I've ever seen.
Film: Kill Bill Volume 1
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Review: Might have been better if Tarantino would use his trademark useage of time well. At all.
Film: Donnie Darko
Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Review: I'm not sure what everyone is humping this movie for. I thought it was pretty mediocre.
Film: There's Something About Mary
Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Review: Funny when I was 13. Not anymore.
Film: Bruce Almighty
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Review: Morgan Freeman is God. That is all.
Film: Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
Rating: 1 of 5 stars
Review: I didn't really like 4-6, so I certainly don't like 1-3.
Film: Dodgeball
Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Review: Vince Vaughn is comedy gold in the right part. Even Ben Stiller is bareable in this.
Film: Knocked Up
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Review: Modern humor mixed with a Clerks-like genuineness. Surprisingly very good.
Film: Happy Gilmore
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Review: I haven't seen it in a long time, but fist fights with bob barker are timeless.
Film: Harry Potter 4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Review: The only one I liked out of the current 5.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Reluctant Education
Pepper bit me last night. This is a dog that I've had for 11 years and has never once bitten anyone. Not including puppy, play bites. Pepper always felt bad when she even hurt someone accidentally. And we always said that with the way she could tear apart a toy, if she meant to hurt someone, they would be hurt a lot worse. We were right.
Pepper and I were playing with her donut toy, and she accidentally bit me trying to get a better grip on the donut. So I pushed her away. I suppose I hurt her because that's when she snarled and bit down on the index finger of my right hand. I was shocked, but I would have quickly forgiven it if Pepper acted sorry. But she didn't. She growled as I dragged her by her collar into the kitchen.
It hurt, so much that when I saw the wound I thought she had bitten through my entire finger but after I cleaned it up and wrapped it up, I just went about my business. But I woke up early this morning (4-5am) because of the pain. I couldn't move the finger or bend it and it was massively swollen. So I took the now-normal Pepper outside and then skipped off to the hospital to see if my finger was broken.
It's not, though it hurts to do anything with my right hand. I'm taking pepper to the vet tomorrow to see if anything is wrong. Thankfully no one has suggested I put her down, not even my parents, who I would have expected it from.
Something I did find out though, through this regrettable experience, was that either the staff at Forsyth Memorial is exceptionally nice or people are very sympathetic to a bewildered looking 22 year old man in pajama pants who is clutching his hand.
Pepper and I were playing with her donut toy, and she accidentally bit me trying to get a better grip on the donut. So I pushed her away. I suppose I hurt her because that's when she snarled and bit down on the index finger of my right hand. I was shocked, but I would have quickly forgiven it if Pepper acted sorry. But she didn't. She growled as I dragged her by her collar into the kitchen.
It hurt, so much that when I saw the wound I thought she had bitten through my entire finger but after I cleaned it up and wrapped it up, I just went about my business. But I woke up early this morning (4-5am) because of the pain. I couldn't move the finger or bend it and it was massively swollen. So I took the now-normal Pepper outside and then skipped off to the hospital to see if my finger was broken.
It's not, though it hurts to do anything with my right hand. I'm taking pepper to the vet tomorrow to see if anything is wrong. Thankfully no one has suggested I put her down, not even my parents, who I would have expected it from.
Something I did find out though, through this regrettable experience, was that either the staff at Forsyth Memorial is exceptionally nice or people are very sympathetic to a bewildered looking 22 year old man in pajama pants who is clutching his hand.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
10 things I've learned as an editor
1) You can not throw a DVD straight no matter how you try.
2) DVD frisbee is dangerous and painful.
3) If you don't take a break from editing at least once every few hours, you will go clinically insane.
4) You can not out-swear a producer. Even the foul mouth of the teamster pales in comparison.
5) Surfboards made entirely of discarded dvd remnants rarely float.
6) If you have been awake for 4 days, the raptors are probably a hallucination, but hide behind the avid just to be safe.
7) Just because you can see the first floor from the 6th floor doesn't mean you don't need an elevator.
8) Creatives don't appreciate it when you say that a spot is 'a hulking load of horse shit'.
9) People don't listen to lowly editors, so to be heard, you might have to do some work with a baseball bat.
10) People's skulls are more resilient than you'd imagine
2) DVD frisbee is dangerous and painful.
3) If you don't take a break from editing at least once every few hours, you will go clinically insane.
4) You can not out-swear a producer. Even the foul mouth of the teamster pales in comparison.
5) Surfboards made entirely of discarded dvd remnants rarely float.
6) If you have been awake for 4 days, the raptors are probably a hallucination, but hide behind the avid just to be safe.
7) Just because you can see the first floor from the 6th floor doesn't mean you don't need an elevator.
8) Creatives don't appreciate it when you say that a spot is 'a hulking load of horse shit'.
9) People don't listen to lowly editors, so to be heard, you might have to do some work with a baseball bat.
10) People's skulls are more resilient than you'd imagine
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Short Reviews
I was looking through my facebook movie ratings to see which ones I marked highly and noticed that a lot of my 1 or 2 line reviews were worth reading. So I figure I'll throw 10 or so down every now and again to archive them.
Film: School of Rock
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Review: I'm a Jack Black fan, just not of his comedy, which is pretty much just monkey sounds and movements. This one isn't so bad, though.
Film: The longest yard
Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Review: I only watched it because I had heard they mentioned ASU. I regret my decision.
Film: American Pie
Rating: 1 of 5 stars
Review: It might have been funny when I was 15 and an idiot.
Film: Meet the Fockers
Rating: .5 of 5 stars
Review: I watched this for a film class. Otherwise, I would have scoffed and moved on after watching meet the parents. This was worse.
Film: Spiderman 3
Rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Review: I'm pretty sure this is a joke.
Film: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Review: Gets major points for shooting on location instead of using CGI bullshit.
Film: The Ring
Rating: 1 of 5 stars
Review: I barely remember watching this. But I remember being bored.
Film: Ace Ventura
Rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Review: Sorry Jim Carrey, you are not Jerry Lewis. Sorry Jerry Lewis, you aren't funny.
Film: Braveheart
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Review: Had me shouting FREEDOM at inappropriate times for 2 weeks.
Film: Hitch
Rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Review: It's a chick flick in disguise. You tricked me Will Smith and Kevin James!
Film: School of Rock
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Review: I'm a Jack Black fan, just not of his comedy, which is pretty much just monkey sounds and movements. This one isn't so bad, though.
Film: The longest yard
Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Review: I only watched it because I had heard they mentioned ASU. I regret my decision.
Film: American Pie
Rating: 1 of 5 stars
Review: It might have been funny when I was 15 and an idiot.
Film: Meet the Fockers
Rating: .5 of 5 stars
Review: I watched this for a film class. Otherwise, I would have scoffed and moved on after watching meet the parents. This was worse.
Film: Spiderman 3
Rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Review: I'm pretty sure this is a joke.
Film: Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
Rating: 3 of 5 stars
Review: Gets major points for shooting on location instead of using CGI bullshit.
Film: The Ring
Rating: 1 of 5 stars
Review: I barely remember watching this. But I remember being bored.
Film: Ace Ventura
Rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Review: Sorry Jim Carrey, you are not Jerry Lewis. Sorry Jerry Lewis, you aren't funny.
Film: Braveheart
Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Review: Had me shouting FREEDOM at inappropriate times for 2 weeks.
Film: Hitch
Rating: 1.5 of 5 stars
Review: It's a chick flick in disguise. You tricked me Will Smith and Kevin James!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Harry potter 5
An old review of harry potter that I dug up because I'm busy today.
As a big fan of the books, I found myself disappointed. It was a very long book, yes, and I agree that cuts were necessary; in fact i even applaud the fact that they kept all of the important information, unlike in movie 3. However they changed a lot. And not for the better. And, with the exception of cutting out dobby(who I'm sure is expensive to animate) yet again, these changes have seemingly no reason. Events are moved around the storyline arbitrarily and many fun things are cut out to economize time. Still, I would not have minded these changes if it did not detract from the emotional arch of the book. Harry's adolescent struggle into manhood is probably what turned many people off of the book, but it's still a main theme and one that isn't represented well. Overall I thought the story seemed scattered and had they stuck closer to the source material in emotion, I wouldn't have minded the arbitrary changes.
On the other hand the composition and cinematography was the best yet. In this movie, the clean cut style of Columbus is completely abandoned for a more modern, gritty style. Still, with how much I liked it, I heard people talking about the use of time changes in editing and I could almost hear the style sailing swiftly over their heads.
Overall I think it's not the worst but certainly not the best.
As a big fan of the books, I found myself disappointed. It was a very long book, yes, and I agree that cuts were necessary; in fact i even applaud the fact that they kept all of the important information, unlike in movie 3. However they changed a lot. And not for the better. And, with the exception of cutting out dobby(who I'm sure is expensive to animate) yet again, these changes have seemingly no reason. Events are moved around the storyline arbitrarily and many fun things are cut out to economize time. Still, I would not have minded these changes if it did not detract from the emotional arch of the book. Harry's adolescent struggle into manhood is probably what turned many people off of the book, but it's still a main theme and one that isn't represented well. Overall I thought the story seemed scattered and had they stuck closer to the source material in emotion, I wouldn't have minded the arbitrary changes.
On the other hand the composition and cinematography was the best yet. In this movie, the clean cut style of Columbus is completely abandoned for a more modern, gritty style. Still, with how much I liked it, I heard people talking about the use of time changes in editing and I could almost hear the style sailing swiftly over their heads.
Overall I think it's not the worst but certainly not the best.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Final Fantasy- The spirits within
For some reason I got it in my head that Final Fantasy- The Spirits Within was dull and poorly produced. After rewatching it a few weeks ago, I honestly can't think of where I got that from.
Even though the animation was created in 1998 (and well before), it still represents leading 3d technique. 10 years later, the animation has hardly been surpassed. In the Disney artist sweatshop vein, square outdid themselves on the detailing. The tiny imperfections on a character's skin, the individually animated 10,000 hairs on Aki's head. A scary amount of work went into the film and it shows.
Also in the production is probably the best group of voice actors in any animated film to date. That may sound like a big claim, but it's really not. Most mainstream modern animated films get big name actors to do the voices and more often than not, they suck. This is a group of some big name actors who actually do a good job. It's incredibly rare.
Finally, the story. When I first watched the movie, it took me a few times through to get exactly what was going on. I was young (12) and the film is pretty complex. When I watched it a few weeks ago I caught everything, and I was able to appreciate the subtleties in dialog and some of the more adult jokes I might not have gotten 10 years ago. It's mostly good, but there are a few melodramatic romantic moments that are like an animated soap opera. I know I have a bit of a bias against love stories, but this stuff is really over the top. Nothin' like zero g nookie to easy the pain of comrades' deaths.
Even though the animation was created in 1998 (and well before), it still represents leading 3d technique. 10 years later, the animation has hardly been surpassed. In the Disney artist sweatshop vein, square outdid themselves on the detailing. The tiny imperfections on a character's skin, the individually animated 10,000 hairs on Aki's head. A scary amount of work went into the film and it shows.
Also in the production is probably the best group of voice actors in any animated film to date. That may sound like a big claim, but it's really not. Most mainstream modern animated films get big name actors to do the voices and more often than not, they suck. This is a group of some big name actors who actually do a good job. It's incredibly rare.
Finally, the story. When I first watched the movie, it took me a few times through to get exactly what was going on. I was young (12) and the film is pretty complex. When I watched it a few weeks ago I caught everything, and I was able to appreciate the subtleties in dialog and some of the more adult jokes I might not have gotten 10 years ago. It's mostly good, but there are a few melodramatic romantic moments that are like an animated soap opera. I know I have a bit of a bias against love stories, but this stuff is really over the top. Nothin' like zero g nookie to easy the pain of comrades' deaths.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
The Buffy Method
I've talked about how Angel doesn't really have seasons, since all of the episodes blend together. Buffy is almost the exact opposite. Buffy has very clearly defined seasons. So much so that there is a loose formula that each season follows. So I introduce :
The Buffy Method
Step 1: The first 1-3 episodes should deal with the previous season. Dealing with the aftermath of the giant fight, or repenting wrongs. Skip this step for the first season.
Step 2: The next 4-12 episodes establish what the season is about and set up the mindset of the characters in the season.
Step 3: Once the theme is established- enter big bad. The main villain will get an episode about him/her with lots of dramatic twist music cues.
Step 4: After the villain is introduced the next 10-15 episodes will continue with the theme of the season. The main villain will occasionally be involved in episodes, but for some reason stays mostly away.
Step 5: The final 2-3 episodes of a season are the big climax and short resolution. There is a final showdown, the main villain is defeated, probably killed.
The Buffy Method
Step 1: The first 1-3 episodes should deal with the previous season. Dealing with the aftermath of the giant fight, or repenting wrongs. Skip this step for the first season.
Step 2: The next 4-12 episodes establish what the season is about and set up the mindset of the characters in the season.
Step 3: Once the theme is established- enter big bad. The main villain will get an episode about him/her with lots of dramatic twist music cues.
Step 4: After the villain is introduced the next 10-15 episodes will continue with the theme of the season. The main villain will occasionally be involved in episodes, but for some reason stays mostly away.
Step 5: The final 2-3 episodes of a season are the big climax and short resolution. There is a final showdown, the main villain is defeated, probably killed.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Editing to music
Editing to music is something that I excelled at right away. It's something that takes more music knowledge than editing prowess.
The key is to let the music make things happen. Not only the cuts should be to the music, but also the camera movement and the character movement. This becomes difficult, specifically in fiction, to make it cohesive, but you are allowed a few frames to fudge with movement, as long as your cuts are in time.
Now the most obvious place to make a cut is at the end of a musical phrase. But very often the phrase is too long and you want to make multiple cuts within the phrase. Regardless, you should almost always cut at the end of a phrase, regardless of how many times you cut within it. If you let a shot carry over from one phrase to the next anyone who watches it will feel wrong footed.
Inside the phrase cuts should be made on strong down beats. This usually indicates the first note in a measure, or every 2 measures and so on, but it can vary greatly depending on the music. In your typical rock song, it's best to go with percussion or rhythm guitar. Bass is doable on many songs as well depending on how prominent it is, but vocals and lead guitar are typically not going to give good places to cut. A strong down beat for percussion will probably be snare, rim, bass drum, or some combination of those. Rhythm guitar's downbeat almost always comes at a chord change. Different instruments have down beats at different times, rhythm guitar might be every 6 measures while percussion is every 2, so you should pick which instrument you're going to cut to. If you get caught, and say, don't have enough footage to make it to the next rhythm guitar, you can switch to bass. Here is a small diagram to show how you might line up a phrase.
If this had been a real project, I probably wouldn’t have switched instruments so quickly, but assuming this is the beginning of the song, I like to get some quick cuts in to introduce the montage or whatever I’m cutting.
Something that you might run into is not being able to find the downbeat. Sometimes it’s a little hidden in ballads and certain types of electronica, as well as unusual occurrences in other types of songs. Listen carefully to each instrument, and when you hear it repeat, that is most likely a downbeat. If you are cutting to a ballad or something else with a weak beat, be careful how you use hard cuts, fades work much better until the end of the phrase. Quicker music with a stronger beat is another matter. If you’ve ever played music, you’ll be able to find the downbeat without any issue at all, but non-musicians might have some trouble. If you can’t find it by listening to each instrument and hearing where it repeats, try tapping your foot to the music. Listen for what your foot is following and wait for the loudest note. That’s probably your cutting point. It’s not a perfect method, but if you don’t know music, this probably isn’t going to be your game anyway.
Cutting is the easy part. Matching movement to music is much more difficult. If you’re doing straight fiction, you might not want to match movement to music. If you match it too close, it’s called Mickey Mousing, and as the name implies, is only fit for 1920s cartoons. If you’re working with a composer, though, he or she can make sure that doesn’t happen by giving you more subtle cues within the music. Since you’re matching your cuts to the bass, percussion or rhythm guitar, you want to match your movement to something else or things will get ugly. Movement works best with the lead instrument, typically vocals or lead guitar in rock.
It’s difficult to explain exactly how to use movement because for every shot and every song it’s totally different. The only real advice I can give is my music editing motto again: Let the music make things happen. I’ve put an early video I did for Embarq below for an example. Watch how the music makes things happen, turning the lights on, swinging the logo, making the camera flash, etc.
In the spirit of letting the music make things happen, the music can be a little early, but never late. The audience’s brain is more likely to forgive lateness in the visual than the audio (though 3 or 4 frames is all the leniency you’ll get, and it’s best if you’re not early at all). However, the corollary to letting the music make things happen is of course, letting the video create the music. That is where the video would come early, but it leads almost immediately to Mickey Mousing, so unless you’re working for Disney, it’s not a good idea.
The key is to let the music make things happen. Not only the cuts should be to the music, but also the camera movement and the character movement. This becomes difficult, specifically in fiction, to make it cohesive, but you are allowed a few frames to fudge with movement, as long as your cuts are in time.
Now the most obvious place to make a cut is at the end of a musical phrase. But very often the phrase is too long and you want to make multiple cuts within the phrase. Regardless, you should almost always cut at the end of a phrase, regardless of how many times you cut within it. If you let a shot carry over from one phrase to the next anyone who watches it will feel wrong footed.
Inside the phrase cuts should be made on strong down beats. This usually indicates the first note in a measure, or every 2 measures and so on, but it can vary greatly depending on the music. In your typical rock song, it's best to go with percussion or rhythm guitar. Bass is doable on many songs as well depending on how prominent it is, but vocals and lead guitar are typically not going to give good places to cut. A strong down beat for percussion will probably be snare, rim, bass drum, or some combination of those. Rhythm guitar's downbeat almost always comes at a chord change. Different instruments have down beats at different times, rhythm guitar might be every 6 measures while percussion is every 2, so you should pick which instrument you're going to cut to. If you get caught, and say, don't have enough footage to make it to the next rhythm guitar, you can switch to bass. Here is a small diagram to show how you might line up a phrase.
If this had been a real project, I probably wouldn’t have switched instruments so quickly, but assuming this is the beginning of the song, I like to get some quick cuts in to introduce the montage or whatever I’m cutting.
Something that you might run into is not being able to find the downbeat. Sometimes it’s a little hidden in ballads and certain types of electronica, as well as unusual occurrences in other types of songs. Listen carefully to each instrument, and when you hear it repeat, that is most likely a downbeat. If you are cutting to a ballad or something else with a weak beat, be careful how you use hard cuts, fades work much better until the end of the phrase. Quicker music with a stronger beat is another matter. If you’ve ever played music, you’ll be able to find the downbeat without any issue at all, but non-musicians might have some trouble. If you can’t find it by listening to each instrument and hearing where it repeats, try tapping your foot to the music. Listen for what your foot is following and wait for the loudest note. That’s probably your cutting point. It’s not a perfect method, but if you don’t know music, this probably isn’t going to be your game anyway.
Cutting is the easy part. Matching movement to music is much more difficult. If you’re doing straight fiction, you might not want to match movement to music. If you match it too close, it’s called Mickey Mousing, and as the name implies, is only fit for 1920s cartoons. If you’re working with a composer, though, he or she can make sure that doesn’t happen by giving you more subtle cues within the music. Since you’re matching your cuts to the bass, percussion or rhythm guitar, you want to match your movement to something else or things will get ugly. Movement works best with the lead instrument, typically vocals or lead guitar in rock.
It’s difficult to explain exactly how to use movement because for every shot and every song it’s totally different. The only real advice I can give is my music editing motto again: Let the music make things happen. I’ve put an early video I did for Embarq below for an example. Watch how the music makes things happen, turning the lights on, swinging the logo, making the camera flash, etc.
In the spirit of letting the music make things happen, the music can be a little early, but never late. The audience’s brain is more likely to forgive lateness in the visual than the audio (though 3 or 4 frames is all the leniency you’ll get, and it’s best if you’re not early at all). However, the corollary to letting the music make things happen is of course, letting the video create the music. That is where the video would come early, but it leads almost immediately to Mickey Mousing, so unless you’re working for Disney, it’s not a good idea.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Sensitive Guy
People talk about the sensitive guy. A guy who like romantic comedies, gossiping, and going for walks on the beach. I would say I hate that guy but the truth is that he doesn't exist(not to be confused with shy guy, those are real). It's a persona certain desperate men put on to try to attract a mate. You might be dating or even married to one of these atrocities. The longer men keep up that image, the more invested they become in it, until they really believe that's them. But it isn't. Every man has the instinct to eat 72 oz steaks and impregnate as many women as possible. Intelligence keeps us from doing those things, but the undercurrent is still there. Instinct can be suppressed but it can not be denied, regardless of evolution and intelligence. There may be the extremely rare case that doesn't have these instincts, but those are genetic abnormalities and should be eliminated for the survival of the species. Of course women are idiots and even though they say they want this type of guy, they'll end up with some alpha male who will pressure her into anal sex, so I think we'll be OK either way.
That brings me to another point, though. As much as I hate the sensitive guy persona, I equally hate the alpha male. Not only are these guys much more outwardly obnoxious, they are much more plentiful. It is possible to be respectful of women without being a simpering ninny 'sensitive guy'. Of course this type of guy thinks everyone is a sissy but himself.
Yet another evolutionary mistake is a group I deemed a long time ago as 'revo monkeys'. Revo monkeys are much like 'sensitive guys' in that they should live a long lonely life in their mom's basement. But like 'sensitive guys' they make a desperate stab at finding a mate. Revo Monkeys are pretty much women worshipers. They follow a woman's every wish just so they might get a short glimpse inside her delicates. These guys are much more prevalent than 'sensitive guys', but not nearly as much as Alpha males.
So does this label all men as hopelessly pathetic or rape and pillage Neanderthals? Certainly not. Alpha males make up about 25% of the population, limited intelligence, but with redeeming qualities such as athletic ability and occasionally looks. Revo Monkeys and Sensitive Guys make up 10% of the most useless population together, somewhat limited intelligence, not attractive, no real personality to speak of. And then everyone else. We're not perfect, but we're not those guys, either.
That brings me to another point, though. As much as I hate the sensitive guy persona, I equally hate the alpha male. Not only are these guys much more outwardly obnoxious, they are much more plentiful. It is possible to be respectful of women without being a simpering ninny 'sensitive guy'. Of course this type of guy thinks everyone is a sissy but himself.
Yet another evolutionary mistake is a group I deemed a long time ago as 'revo monkeys'. Revo monkeys are much like 'sensitive guys' in that they should live a long lonely life in their mom's basement. But like 'sensitive guys' they make a desperate stab at finding a mate. Revo Monkeys are pretty much women worshipers. They follow a woman's every wish just so they might get a short glimpse inside her delicates. These guys are much more prevalent than 'sensitive guys', but not nearly as much as Alpha males.
So does this label all men as hopelessly pathetic or rape and pillage Neanderthals? Certainly not. Alpha males make up about 25% of the population, limited intelligence, but with redeeming qualities such as athletic ability and occasionally looks. Revo Monkeys and Sensitive Guys make up 10% of the most useless population together, somewhat limited intelligence, not attractive, no real personality to speak of. And then everyone else. We're not perfect, but we're not those guys, either.
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