http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-director-shawn-levy-exits-warner-bros-minecraft-movie-20141209-story.html
Director Shawn Levy has parted ways on directing a Warner Bros.'s movie project by the name of "Minecraft."The studio had tapped Levy to direct the film but after a discussion with the game makers, he decided to leave. He directed "Real Steel" and "Night at the Museum" but I guess "Minecraft"didn't make the cut. He had developed a whole take on their vision for "Minecraft" but the game makers weren't happy with it. Levy mentions how he "felt he had a good approach, but they just weren't in sync." This caught my eye because I have heard about the development of this game into a movie which intrigued me. I always wondered where they were going to go with it but I guess I'm finding out later than I thought. Warner Bros.'s is moving quickly to find a new director though. As a filmmaker, it good to know which jobs are in the market and how quickly they can leave your grasp. It's also good to know the audience when a things like this, in this case a game, are made into big hit films. This game played by tens of millions of people is something to take serious and execute right. As a student, it's always good to learn what is interesting people nowadays and how it affects the films we make. A question I would have to be who will Warner Bro.'s ask to direct this movie next?
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Oscars: 'Citizenfour,' 'Grim Sleeper' among 15 films on doc shortlist
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-oscars-documentary-shortlist-20141202-story.html
The 87th Academy Awards will take place on February 22, 2015. It's closer than we think. All kinds of movies have been hitting the big screen just in time for Oscar season. The categories range from best sound editing to best costume design to best actress. Among these is the award for best documentary feature. Only the best make this list every year and even being nominated is considered an honor. The academy has put 15 films on the academy shortlist as of now. This is important because out of these 15, a lucky five are on their way to becoming oscar nominations. Members of the branch have narrowed this down from 134 entries. "Citizenfour" directed by Laura Poitras and "Art and Craft" directed by Sam Cullman and others are a few among this shortlist. As a filmmaker, I should be attentive to the variety of films that get Oscar nominations because they got a nominated for a reason. Whether it was the beauty of their costume design or a monumental actor's performance, these type of films are the reason why filmmakers love what they do. As a student, it's always a good way to learn more about what I aspire to do. As a consumer, I now want to watch all the nominations so I can judge them on my own opinion and hope to marvel at them just the same. A question I do have is how have the films nominated changed over time other than just technological advances?
The 87th Academy Awards will take place on February 22, 2015. It's closer than we think. All kinds of movies have been hitting the big screen just in time for Oscar season. The categories range from best sound editing to best costume design to best actress. Among these is the award for best documentary feature. Only the best make this list every year and even being nominated is considered an honor. The academy has put 15 films on the academy shortlist as of now. This is important because out of these 15, a lucky five are on their way to becoming oscar nominations. Members of the branch have narrowed this down from 134 entries. "Citizenfour" directed by Laura Poitras and "Art and Craft" directed by Sam Cullman and others are a few among this shortlist. As a filmmaker, I should be attentive to the variety of films that get Oscar nominations because they got a nominated for a reason. Whether it was the beauty of their costume design or a monumental actor's performance, these type of films are the reason why filmmakers love what they do. As a student, it's always a good way to learn more about what I aspire to do. As a consumer, I now want to watch all the nominations so I can judge them on my own opinion and hope to marvel at them just the same. A question I do have is how have the films nominated changed over time other than just technological advances?
Monday, November 24, 2014
Production Journal
So far, the project has not been going exactly as I had expected. Difficulties keep arising and fixing them sometimes is no easy task. The project as not been coming out as I had imagined creatively. There are ideas in my head that we haven't been able to process into reality. Lighting has been a way bigger challenge then expected. Manipulating the different lights to coincide with the outcome we imagine hasn't been going so great. So far, our opening scene has been the only one we've actually lit to our best ability. Creatively, I would like to say I contributed largely to that scene in the film. I wrote that scene in the script because I knew I wanted to start the film off with darkness. We lit the room with one light and I went over the shots with our DP and director. I learned the affect one light can really have if you manipulate it right. We pointed the light toward our main actor's face and cut it off with black wrap so you can see only a slash through his eyes. It has a lasting affect as you can feel the seriousness of the scene and whats about to happen next. Our other scenes have not been going so well though. Challenges that keep arising involve a variety of things. We need to become more organized with our shots and schedules. Lighting has been a huge challenge on this as well. We have tried to manipulate the lights in different ways from black wrap, gels, and umbrellas but we haven't been able to get the affect we really want through the camera. Creatively, I've been assisting on mostly every job there is. I helped the DP on some shots and ideas to try to present our ideas together with the director. I've also helped with lighting in different places trying to create shadows and a better contrast for the film. I believe we can do better though if we organize ourselves better and really stay on task. Creatively, I believe I should help more audio as well because I do have a few ideas for that as well. Overall, I believe this project can be a success if we all pull through and merge our ideas better.
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Jake Gyllenhaal digs deep for gritty 'Nightcrawler' role
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/la-et-mn-en-jake-gyllenhaal-20141113-story.html
Jake Gyllenhaal's newest role in the gritty drama, "Nightcrawler" has caused him to dig deeper for the character of Louis Bloom, a freelancer who sells graphic video footage of crimes and accidents to local news stations. This article interested me because I love Gyllenhaal as an actor from his roles in films such as "Donnie Darko" to "Prisoners." In the article, Gyllenhaal explains how he prepared for this role. He did a wide range of stuff. He spent a lot of time with real life "nightcrawlers." He even lost 30 pounds to better portray a persona of a hungry and prowling coyote he was going for. His dedication to his characters fascinates me. He also talks about how his perspective has changed when it comes to certain roles. When he auditioned for roles such as "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," he explains how it was more about the industry pressure of making money. As a filmmaker, it important to know your actors. They will be a huge part in bringing your vision to life. So knowing which ones share your same perspective and visuals is big. As a student, it's important to know how the industry is affecting the actors as well. There are different types of actors and there are different types of directors so it's good to learn about the type of people you'd like to work with. As a consumer, it helps to broaden which movies I want to spend my money on. "Nightcrawler" seems like a good choice. A question I have would be how well has "Nightcrawler" done in box office sales so far?
Jake Gyllenhaal's newest role in the gritty drama, "Nightcrawler" has caused him to dig deeper for the character of Louis Bloom, a freelancer who sells graphic video footage of crimes and accidents to local news stations. This article interested me because I love Gyllenhaal as an actor from his roles in films such as "Donnie Darko" to "Prisoners." In the article, Gyllenhaal explains how he prepared for this role. He did a wide range of stuff. He spent a lot of time with real life "nightcrawlers." He even lost 30 pounds to better portray a persona of a hungry and prowling coyote he was going for. His dedication to his characters fascinates me. He also talks about how his perspective has changed when it comes to certain roles. When he auditioned for roles such as "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," he explains how it was more about the industry pressure of making money. As a filmmaker, it important to know your actors. They will be a huge part in bringing your vision to life. So knowing which ones share your same perspective and visuals is big. As a student, it's important to know how the industry is affecting the actors as well. There are different types of actors and there are different types of directors so it's good to learn about the type of people you'd like to work with. As a consumer, it helps to broaden which movies I want to spend my money on. "Nightcrawler" seems like a good choice. A question I have would be how well has "Nightcrawler" done in box office sales so far?
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Christopher Nolan explains human touch behind 'Interstellar's' feats
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-sneaks-interstellar-20141030-htmlstory.html
The film “Interstellar” directed by Christopher Nolan is anticipating film set in the future. Our earth is dying and we need to find another to inhabit. Former NASA pilot and father of two, Cooper, is called back with fellow astronauts which includes Amelia Brand played by Anne Hathaway. This visuals on this film are said to be incredible. This caught my eye because the director himself explained some factors to the film in greater detail. He explains how research was a huge key to this in created scenes which included a black hole and dust storms. For the black hole, the visual effects team and executive producer had to work together to create this image. They collaborated on how to define the black hole’s gravity and how it would “warp space-time and bend light to create the otherworldly image.” As a filmmaker, it’s important to know how different positions must all work together to create even the tiniest of details. Another thing Nolan explained was how they created the spaceship interiors as a simulator not a set with no green screen windows; they were actual views. They wanted it as authentic as possible. As a student, it’s good to learn different techniques to make the film come alive and better present your ideas. As a consumer, it’s interesting to see the effort put into the smallest to biggest details of the film many may overlook. But the ones who notice and appreciate are the ones who matter, the reason. I hope to watch this film and notice all of this and more. One question I do have is, what was the most difficult challenge for Nolan in directing this film?
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
'Lucy' overpowers 'Hercules,' 'Guardians' at China box office
http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-et-ct-lucy-hercules-guardians-china-box-office-20141028-story.html
The film "Lucy" directed and written by Luc Besson and starring Scarlett Johansson topped box offices in China recently. It beat both "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Hercules." It grossed $20.8 million. "Guardians of the Galaxy" grossed $17.7 million and "Hercules" grossed $8.5 million. This interested me because there's a noticeable difference between the box office sales. It's a great film and people in China apparently agree. "Lucy" also has grossed more in America over these two films. It's nice to see a movie with a strong female lead do great in sales over typically male led films like "Hercules." As a filmmaker, it's good to learn about how people react to a film internationally as well. There's actually a growing fan base for Scarlett Johansson in China due to films such as "Iron Man 2" and "The Avengers." It's important to know details like this when your casting actors for a film. As a consumer, it's interesting to see how much other people liked this film as well. I actually saw the midnight premiere of this movie because it intrigued me so much and it's good to know how other people are reacting similarly. As a student, it's nice to learn about different countries and their impact on the film industry. A question I do have did "Lucy" do as well in other countries other than American and China?
The film "Lucy" directed and written by Luc Besson and starring Scarlett Johansson topped box offices in China recently. It beat both "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "Hercules." It grossed $20.8 million. "Guardians of the Galaxy" grossed $17.7 million and "Hercules" grossed $8.5 million. This interested me because there's a noticeable difference between the box office sales. It's a great film and people in China apparently agree. "Lucy" also has grossed more in America over these two films. It's nice to see a movie with a strong female lead do great in sales over typically male led films like "Hercules." As a filmmaker, it's good to learn about how people react to a film internationally as well. There's actually a growing fan base for Scarlett Johansson in China due to films such as "Iron Man 2" and "The Avengers." It's important to know details like this when your casting actors for a film. As a consumer, it's interesting to see how much other people liked this film as well. I actually saw the midnight premiere of this movie because it intrigued me so much and it's good to know how other people are reacting similarly. As a student, it's nice to learn about different countries and their impact on the film industry. A question I do have did "Lucy" do as well in other countries other than American and China?
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Hollywood raises profile of ALS with two new films
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-als-movies-20141023-story.html#page=1
After the Ice Bucket Challenge mania, $115 million dollars was raised in awareness for ALS. But still, we don't know much about the disease and the seriousness to it. Hollywood has decided to take it on. There are two films that are centered on this illness to come out soon. One of them is "The Theory of Everything" and the other is "You're Not You." This caught my eye because they both sound like really interesting films. And it's true, we still don't know much about ALS and what it does. From this article alone, I learned about how ALS can affect the brain and spinal cord nerve cells. It can lead to paralysis while one's mind is still completely alert. In "The Theory of Everything," we have Eddie Redmayne playing Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physicist who has been living with ALS for more than 50 years. With an average life expectancy of 2 to 5 years, this is amazing. It's a great story to tell. As a filmmaker. it's insane to see how much one must prepare for a film. In this situation, the actors had to spent months figuring out how to physically portray these characters. Redmayne spent 4 months before production working with a dance coach on movement and even had a voice coach. Hilary Swank, who stars in "You're Not You," worked alongside a nurse and ALS patients for months. As a student, it's good to learn about how you can get your story from anywhere and turn it into something powerful. ALS by itself is already such a strong topic but when film brings it to life with the actual visuals of what it's like to go through this illness, it will lead on a greater path of awareness and truth. As a consumer, it's great to learn about these different type of films with such great stories that I would love to watch. I hadn't heard about either of these films before now and I'm definitely interested in watching them. It also raises my awareness of ALS. A question I do have is how well will the director and actors work together to portray this difficult disease on the big screen? And which of the two will be better or will they both exceed my expectations?
After the Ice Bucket Challenge mania, $115 million dollars was raised in awareness for ALS. But still, we don't know much about the disease and the seriousness to it. Hollywood has decided to take it on. There are two films that are centered on this illness to come out soon. One of them is "The Theory of Everything" and the other is "You're Not You." This caught my eye because they both sound like really interesting films. And it's true, we still don't know much about ALS and what it does. From this article alone, I learned about how ALS can affect the brain and spinal cord nerve cells. It can lead to paralysis while one's mind is still completely alert. In "The Theory of Everything," we have Eddie Redmayne playing Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physicist who has been living with ALS for more than 50 years. With an average life expectancy of 2 to 5 years, this is amazing. It's a great story to tell. As a filmmaker. it's insane to see how much one must prepare for a film. In this situation, the actors had to spent months figuring out how to physically portray these characters. Redmayne spent 4 months before production working with a dance coach on movement and even had a voice coach. Hilary Swank, who stars in "You're Not You," worked alongside a nurse and ALS patients for months. As a student, it's good to learn about how you can get your story from anywhere and turn it into something powerful. ALS by itself is already such a strong topic but when film brings it to life with the actual visuals of what it's like to go through this illness, it will lead on a greater path of awareness and truth. As a consumer, it's great to learn about these different type of films with such great stories that I would love to watch. I hadn't heard about either of these films before now and I'm definitely interested in watching them. It also raises my awareness of ALS. A question I do have is how well will the director and actors work together to portray this difficult disease on the big screen? And which of the two will be better or will they both exceed my expectations?
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Netflix gains fewer new subscribers than expected
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-netflix-earnings-20141015-story.html
The streaming video company Netflix added fewer subscribers these past few months than the usual wave of people they get. They had about a 3 million subscribers when they had expected around 3.69 million like previous times. Shares even fell more than 25%. This caught my eye because I had actually thought Netflix has been getting more popular than before. What could be the reason for these drops? Netflix believed that their increased monthly fees were the reason why. Their advertised prices do change a dollar or two when subscribing due to HD quality or other factors you may want. But they are trying to find a way to pull new users. They are betting on original shows like, "Orange is the New Black" and "House of Cards" to reel many people in. As a consumer, it's interesting to see their strategies on shows I watch myself. I love "House of Cards" and would recommend it to many people. That's exactly what they're betting on. Now that they've made their mark in television, Netflix wants to move on to bigger things. In one word, this would be feature films. They actually just made a deal with Adam Sandler to star in four upcoming movies they have planned. As a filmmaker, this is interesting to hear about jobs in this industry that can come from anywhere. You could end up working for a big budget studio or a video streaming company. Another company thinking about competing with Netflix is HBO. They have plans to start their own a sort of streaming service. With exclusive shows, like "Games of Thrones", this idea may be really successful. As a student, it's nice to learn about what's happening behind the scene of the infamous Netflix company. A question I do have is, if they're having trouble with subscribers now, how will they handle when competition starts arising like a HBO streaming service?
The streaming video company Netflix added fewer subscribers these past few months than the usual wave of people they get. They had about a 3 million subscribers when they had expected around 3.69 million like previous times. Shares even fell more than 25%. This caught my eye because I had actually thought Netflix has been getting more popular than before. What could be the reason for these drops? Netflix believed that their increased monthly fees were the reason why. Their advertised prices do change a dollar or two when subscribing due to HD quality or other factors you may want. But they are trying to find a way to pull new users. They are betting on original shows like, "Orange is the New Black" and "House of Cards" to reel many people in. As a consumer, it's interesting to see their strategies on shows I watch myself. I love "House of Cards" and would recommend it to many people. That's exactly what they're betting on. Now that they've made their mark in television, Netflix wants to move on to bigger things. In one word, this would be feature films. They actually just made a deal with Adam Sandler to star in four upcoming movies they have planned. As a filmmaker, this is interesting to hear about jobs in this industry that can come from anywhere. You could end up working for a big budget studio or a video streaming company. Another company thinking about competing with Netflix is HBO. They have plans to start their own a sort of streaming service. With exclusive shows, like "Games of Thrones", this idea may be really successful. As a student, it's nice to learn about what's happening behind the scene of the infamous Netflix company. A question I do have is, if they're having trouble with subscribers now, how will they handle when competition starts arising like a HBO streaming service?
Thursday, October 9, 2014
'Gone Girl' likely to top box office for second weekend
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-projector-gone-girl-alexander-judge-annabelle-20141009-story.html
It's going to be a busy weekend in the box offices as fall movies begin to roll in. "Gone Girl" directed by David Fincher, is expected to stay on top for a second week in a row. The thriller has grossed $38 million when it premiered last weekend and is expected to gross an added $25 million this upcoming weekend. Behind it, is the one of the only family films in theaters right now, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." Fighting for 3rd, we have the low-budget film, "Annabelle"which has grossed $37.2 million. This especially caught my eye because the film took only $6.5 million to make and has already grossed about triple that. While "Dracula Untold", also fighting for 3rd, took an immense $70 million to make. Both films are anticipated to gross $18 million this upcoming weekend which puts "Annabelle" at 9 times its budget and "Dracula Untold" at a little over 1/4 of the budget. The money differences are astounding. This is important to me as a filmmaker because I learn about the difference a budget can make for a movie. The more you waste the harder it is to gain money in sales. Yet, are low budget movies filmed with the same passion and effort as higher budget films or does it all depend on the filmmakers? The last film to make top 5 is anticipated to be "The Judge" starring Robert Downey Jr. Lionsgate's "Addicted" is thought to pull in less than $10 million. As a consumer it helps me see which films should I go watch myself, as I have really been anticipating "Gone Girl" but "Addicted" had also caught my eye. As a student, I learn about the financial side of film and how money is always a big issue as in any job and how much it affects it overall.
It's going to be a busy weekend in the box offices as fall movies begin to roll in. "Gone Girl" directed by David Fincher, is expected to stay on top for a second week in a row. The thriller has grossed $38 million when it premiered last weekend and is expected to gross an added $25 million this upcoming weekend. Behind it, is the one of the only family films in theaters right now, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." Fighting for 3rd, we have the low-budget film, "Annabelle"which has grossed $37.2 million. This especially caught my eye because the film took only $6.5 million to make and has already grossed about triple that. While "Dracula Untold", also fighting for 3rd, took an immense $70 million to make. Both films are anticipated to gross $18 million this upcoming weekend which puts "Annabelle" at 9 times its budget and "Dracula Untold" at a little over 1/4 of the budget. The money differences are astounding. This is important to me as a filmmaker because I learn about the difference a budget can make for a movie. The more you waste the harder it is to gain money in sales. Yet, are low budget movies filmed with the same passion and effort as higher budget films or does it all depend on the filmmakers? The last film to make top 5 is anticipated to be "The Judge" starring Robert Downey Jr. Lionsgate's "Addicted" is thought to pull in less than $10 million. As a consumer it helps me see which films should I go watch myself, as I have really been anticipating "Gone Girl" but "Addicted" had also caught my eye. As a student, I learn about the financial side of film and how money is always a big issue as in any job and how much it affects it overall.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
'Interstellar' shoots for the stars, and broad appeal, in new TV spots
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-interstellar-tv-spots-matthew-mcconaughey-nolan-20140929-story.html
The film "Interstellar", which premieres November 7, is in the advertising and marketing process at the moment. A little over a month before the movie launches so they must advertise it widely. They are using Matthew McConaughey, the lead actor, as a big part of the advertisement. The trailers they are putting out are mainly focused on him and his role in the movie. They have big scenes that promote him as the hero. One example would be when he's told, "Your daughter's generations will be the last to survive on Earth. You're the best pilot we ever had. Get out there and save them," by his co-star Michael Caine. McConaughey is a great person to use to promote this film as he has just won an academy award for the film "Dallas Buyers Club" and his great performance on HBO's "True Detective". This is important because the marketing side of film is essential to selling the movie in the first place. Knowing who, what, and when to advertise are all key factors. Here, they decided to show this preview during Sunday Night Football. It's a clever idea as it reaches a broad and wide audience quickly. As a filmmaker, it's interesting to see the ideas of advertisement being used here and how editing a trailer for specific places makes a big difference. As a student, I like to learn about the more business side of film more and what one needs to sell a movie. As a consumer, its nice to know the effort and plan that goes unnoticed in advertising a film and getting it ready to premiere. One question I do have is how is the process of advertising through billboards and buses different than previews on TV? What would they go through there?
The film "Interstellar", which premieres November 7, is in the advertising and marketing process at the moment. A little over a month before the movie launches so they must advertise it widely. They are using Matthew McConaughey, the lead actor, as a big part of the advertisement. The trailers they are putting out are mainly focused on him and his role in the movie. They have big scenes that promote him as the hero. One example would be when he's told, "Your daughter's generations will be the last to survive on Earth. You're the best pilot we ever had. Get out there and save them," by his co-star Michael Caine. McConaughey is a great person to use to promote this film as he has just won an academy award for the film "Dallas Buyers Club" and his great performance on HBO's "True Detective". This is important because the marketing side of film is essential to selling the movie in the first place. Knowing who, what, and when to advertise are all key factors. Here, they decided to show this preview during Sunday Night Football. It's a clever idea as it reaches a broad and wide audience quickly. As a filmmaker, it's interesting to see the ideas of advertisement being used here and how editing a trailer for specific places makes a big difference. As a student, I like to learn about the more business side of film more and what one needs to sell a movie. As a consumer, its nice to know the effort and plan that goes unnoticed in advertising a film and getting it ready to premiere. One question I do have is how is the process of advertising through billboards and buses different than previews on TV? What would they go through there?
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
New York Film Festival seeks to shake up award season
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/filmfestivals/la-et-mn-nyff-curtain-20140925-story.html#page=1
The time for the New York Film Festival has come again and the films lined up are a variety of diverse and most likely award-winning films. The festival has showcased the Oscar winners of past years such as "Her" and "Life of Pi". This season will bring a lot of premieres of many different films by many different actors. "Gone Girl" is a widely anticipated one directed by David Fincher. Others are "Birdman", "Inherent Vice", "Citizenfour", and more. The secret-screening film is rumored to either be "Fury" or "Still Alice". Other than the films, the chief who runs the festival will change again after a recent four year run by Kuo in December. This caught my eye because I've always been curious about the film festivals, especially New York's. I have also been interested and anticipating the film "Gone Girl" so I'm glad to see it premiere at this festival and gain recognition possibly and preferably for the upcoming award season. As a filmmaker, I can see the parallels being drawn for two major American directors, Fincher and Anderson, who are both making a film relating in crime drama. But instead of seeing the similarities, it's the contrast between these two directors that make all the difference. Festival director, Kent Jones, comments, "Paul is an immersive filmmaker who gets into gestures and tone of the time so that film itself becomes a kind of time machine. David has a completely different way of making a movie where things become much more complex and layered in the structure of the film. With Paul," he added, "a lot of that happens within the frame." As a student, it's good to learn about where the films receive their most recognition and lead into box office sales and oscar nominees with festival such as these. As a consumer, it helps me see which films are truly the ones worthwhile watching and will open my eyes and mind. Seeing "Gone Girl" as one of their top premieres makes me want to see it even more. A question I do have is who chooses the films being put into this festival and how exactly does that process work?
The time for the New York Film Festival has come again and the films lined up are a variety of diverse and most likely award-winning films. The festival has showcased the Oscar winners of past years such as "Her" and "Life of Pi". This season will bring a lot of premieres of many different films by many different actors. "Gone Girl" is a widely anticipated one directed by David Fincher. Others are "Birdman", "Inherent Vice", "Citizenfour", and more. The secret-screening film is rumored to either be "Fury" or "Still Alice". Other than the films, the chief who runs the festival will change again after a recent four year run by Kuo in December. This caught my eye because I've always been curious about the film festivals, especially New York's. I have also been interested and anticipating the film "Gone Girl" so I'm glad to see it premiere at this festival and gain recognition possibly and preferably for the upcoming award season. As a filmmaker, I can see the parallels being drawn for two major American directors, Fincher and Anderson, who are both making a film relating in crime drama. But instead of seeing the similarities, it's the contrast between these two directors that make all the difference. Festival director, Kent Jones, comments, "Paul is an immersive filmmaker who gets into gestures and tone of the time so that film itself becomes a kind of time machine. David has a completely different way of making a movie where things become much more complex and layered in the structure of the film. With Paul," he added, "a lot of that happens within the frame." As a student, it's good to learn about where the films receive their most recognition and lead into box office sales and oscar nominees with festival such as these. As a consumer, it helps me see which films are truly the ones worthwhile watching and will open my eyes and mind. Seeing "Gone Girl" as one of their top premieres makes me want to see it even more. A question I do have is who chooses the films being put into this festival and how exactly does that process work?
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
'No Good Deed': Five reasons for its surprising box-office success
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-no-good-deed-five-reasons-surprising-box-office-success-20140915-story.html
The film "No Good Deed" directed by Sam Miller was released on September 12 and was surprisingly high in box office sales. It wasn't expected but Oliver Gettel explains a few reasons why. He says the date it was released was just the right timing due to it being right after the end of summer blockbusters and right before the beginning of new fall hits. Another reason said is that it was promoted greatly using twitter and instagram to enlarge the hype. He also explained that they targeted the right audience, being women which was 66% of the summer's viewers, and African Americans. The last two reasons were the starring of British actor, Idris Elba, who has recently had some big screen roles and the stiff competition this past weekend. The only other film released this weekend was "Dolphin Tale 2" which targets a whole other audience. This caught my eye because I was just as surprised to see this film do very well in box office sales. It never really caught my attention and I didn't think it was going to catch the attention of many others as well. I was clearly wrong. The impact of this to me as filmmaker makes me realize such small details can make a large change in releasing a film. If the date would have been different or the actors changed, I don't believe the film would have been as successful. As a consumer, it opens my eyes to different films I wouldn't have thought of watching in the first place. Hearing of this success, makes me read reviews about the film to see if it's actually worth watching. As a student, it helps me learn more about films and this aspect of it. Box office sales are a large part and I should learn about the way different films are successful due to different factors. A question I do have is, could anything have been done to make sales even more successful? What factors could have been changed or added to aide in this?
The film "No Good Deed" directed by Sam Miller was released on September 12 and was surprisingly high in box office sales. It wasn't expected but Oliver Gettel explains a few reasons why. He says the date it was released was just the right timing due to it being right after the end of summer blockbusters and right before the beginning of new fall hits. Another reason said is that it was promoted greatly using twitter and instagram to enlarge the hype. He also explained that they targeted the right audience, being women which was 66% of the summer's viewers, and African Americans. The last two reasons were the starring of British actor, Idris Elba, who has recently had some big screen roles and the stiff competition this past weekend. The only other film released this weekend was "Dolphin Tale 2" which targets a whole other audience. This caught my eye because I was just as surprised to see this film do very well in box office sales. It never really caught my attention and I didn't think it was going to catch the attention of many others as well. I was clearly wrong. The impact of this to me as filmmaker makes me realize such small details can make a large change in releasing a film. If the date would have been different or the actors changed, I don't believe the film would have been as successful. As a consumer, it opens my eyes to different films I wouldn't have thought of watching in the first place. Hearing of this success, makes me read reviews about the film to see if it's actually worth watching. As a student, it helps me learn more about films and this aspect of it. Box office sales are a large part and I should learn about the way different films are successful due to different factors. A question I do have is, could anything have been done to make sales even more successful? What factors could have been changed or added to aide in this?
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Nevada's Tesla tax package could slash funds for state's film program
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-onlocation-nevada-tesla-20140910-story.html
Nevada's film program's funding is being cut due to a tax package for an automaker company named Tesla. The new Tesla battery factory is said to open up to 6,500 jobs and even offer more than a billion dollars in incentives but it's the film industry who's getting the short end of the stick here. This proposal just less than a year when the industry was just started to emerge in Nevada. The proposal is gonna make it harder to attract movies and TV shows to the state. This is important because its a drastic hit to this booming film program in Nevada. Randy Soltero, a lobbyist for Local 720 of the International Alliance of Theaterical Stage Employees, states "I totally support what Nevada is doing with the Tesla deal — it's a great way to diversify the economy. But I also believe the film program is an excellent way to diversify the film economy, and the program is working." It's also a blow to Vegas, as the casinos used movies and TV shows as a huge tool for marketing. This impacts me as a student because I learnt that the film industry is involved with so much including the government. A tax package for an automotive company deeply effected a film program, two completely different companies but still intertwined in some way. As a filmmaker, I learn about the conflicts that professional filmmakers and crew workers may have to go through. What does one do when your money is being cut almost 90% than the funding you've been getting for 4 years? It's insane to think what a substantial change one would have to adapt to. As a consumer, it makes me think about the films who do need to get filmed in Vegas. Will the cut in funds still let the film be made to the expectations it deserves? It's a lot to think about to everyone involved. A question that does arise is how does this affect other people of the film industry in say Hollywood? Is it a plus or a negative for them as well?
Nevada's film program's funding is being cut due to a tax package for an automaker company named Tesla. The new Tesla battery factory is said to open up to 6,500 jobs and even offer more than a billion dollars in incentives but it's the film industry who's getting the short end of the stick here. This proposal just less than a year when the industry was just started to emerge in Nevada. The proposal is gonna make it harder to attract movies and TV shows to the state. This is important because its a drastic hit to this booming film program in Nevada. Randy Soltero, a lobbyist for Local 720 of the International Alliance of Theaterical Stage Employees, states "I totally support what Nevada is doing with the Tesla deal — it's a great way to diversify the economy. But I also believe the film program is an excellent way to diversify the film economy, and the program is working." It's also a blow to Vegas, as the casinos used movies and TV shows as a huge tool for marketing. This impacts me as a student because I learnt that the film industry is involved with so much including the government. A tax package for an automotive company deeply effected a film program, two completely different companies but still intertwined in some way. As a filmmaker, I learn about the conflicts that professional filmmakers and crew workers may have to go through. What does one do when your money is being cut almost 90% than the funding you've been getting for 4 years? It's insane to think what a substantial change one would have to adapt to. As a consumer, it makes me think about the films who do need to get filmed in Vegas. Will the cut in funds still let the film be made to the expectations it deserves? It's a lot to think about to everyone involved. A question that does arise is how does this affect other people of the film industry in say Hollywood? Is it a plus or a negative for them as well?
Thursday, September 4, 2014
Hollywood's summer slate elicits a collective yawn from filmgoers
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-fi-summer-box-office-20140902-story.html
This summer's box office sales have dropped 15% compared to last summer's. None of the summer films crossed the usual 300 million mark, not even the much-hyped movies such as "Transformers:Age of Extinction." Many questions arise as to why. Films with strong female leads seemed to be the ones who drew most attention. But the film who grossed the highest was "Guardians of Galaxy." Still, the sales dropped 15%, why? Some highly anticipated films didn't get to screen this summer and also there were less animated films. Others say that moviegoers decided to rather wait to stream films on Netflix or order them on cable. But the audience's opinion on the films in the first place is a big factor to that. As a consumer, if I wasn't unsure about going to watch a film, I would want to get other people's opinion who have watched it. If they tell me it's not as good as they thought it would be then I would rather wait. Why waste my money on a film that's not worth it? I would want to see a film that delivers. Bruce Nash also comments that there wasn't a big name film, like a "Harry Potter" type, that came out to draw a wide amount of attention. But there were a few independent films that did such as "Chef", which I do wanna see myself. As a filmmaker, I would want to analyze the decay in sales and why. I would want to understand which type of films the audience wants to see and which have bored them. This is all important because this industry is a "momentum-driven business." It caught my eye to see how the sales dropped over one summer due to the change in films. I enjoyed many of the summer films myself and believed that the sales had actually done great due to the widely anticipated waiting of movies like "The Fault in Our Stars" and "If I Stay." But they did worse than I thought. A few questions that I have are which film was the least grossing and why? Will filmmakers put out a whole different range of films next summer to raise the sales or will it just get worse?
This summer's box office sales have dropped 15% compared to last summer's. None of the summer films crossed the usual 300 million mark, not even the much-hyped movies such as "Transformers:Age of Extinction." Many questions arise as to why. Films with strong female leads seemed to be the ones who drew most attention. But the film who grossed the highest was "Guardians of Galaxy." Still, the sales dropped 15%, why? Some highly anticipated films didn't get to screen this summer and also there were less animated films. Others say that moviegoers decided to rather wait to stream films on Netflix or order them on cable. But the audience's opinion on the films in the first place is a big factor to that. As a consumer, if I wasn't unsure about going to watch a film, I would want to get other people's opinion who have watched it. If they tell me it's not as good as they thought it would be then I would rather wait. Why waste my money on a film that's not worth it? I would want to see a film that delivers. Bruce Nash also comments that there wasn't a big name film, like a "Harry Potter" type, that came out to draw a wide amount of attention. But there were a few independent films that did such as "Chef", which I do wanna see myself. As a filmmaker, I would want to analyze the decay in sales and why. I would want to understand which type of films the audience wants to see and which have bored them. This is all important because this industry is a "momentum-driven business." It caught my eye to see how the sales dropped over one summer due to the change in films. I enjoyed many of the summer films myself and believed that the sales had actually done great due to the widely anticipated waiting of movies like "The Fault in Our Stars" and "If I Stay." But they did worse than I thought. A few questions that I have are which film was the least grossing and why? Will filmmakers put out a whole different range of films next summer to raise the sales or will it just get worse?
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Emma Roberts, Kiernan Shipka Bound For Prep School Thriller ‘February’
http://deadline.com/2014/08/emma-roberts-kiernan-shipka-february-toronto-826267/
This article explains a new film to be released starring Emma Roberts and Kiernan Shipka. The film is called February. They give us a brief summary of the film. They describe it as a horror thriller involving a girl being "possessed by an unseen evil force." Not the most original idea but what is anymore. Then, they end the article with a little bit about the crew. This caught my eye because new movies bring new ideas to the screen. I love to be aware of the next thrilling film that comes out and especially who's acting in it. This impacts me as a filmmaker because I'm curious to see Robert's new role and the dynamic she has to take on it as it is a horror film. I've enjoyed some of Emma Robert's past roles, one just recently in American Horror Story, so I wonder if she can pull off horror just as well. Also, this is supposed to mark Osgood Perkins' directing debut so I would like to see this man's techniques and work on this film. As a student, it is always good to learn from different ideas from different directors. As a consumer, this helps me see if I should even go and see the film. I love the actors they have but what actually catches my eye is the fact that Bryan Bertino is helping produce the film and I myself am a fan of The Strangers, a film he directed. A question I do have though is Perkins ready to direct this film and bring his ideas to life? This debut could either fail him or lead him on a path further into the film industry.
This article explains a new film to be released starring Emma Roberts and Kiernan Shipka. The film is called February. They give us a brief summary of the film. They describe it as a horror thriller involving a girl being "possessed by an unseen evil force." Not the most original idea but what is anymore. Then, they end the article with a little bit about the crew. This caught my eye because new movies bring new ideas to the screen. I love to be aware of the next thrilling film that comes out and especially who's acting in it. This impacts me as a filmmaker because I'm curious to see Robert's new role and the dynamic she has to take on it as it is a horror film. I've enjoyed some of Emma Robert's past roles, one just recently in American Horror Story, so I wonder if she can pull off horror just as well. Also, this is supposed to mark Osgood Perkins' directing debut so I would like to see this man's techniques and work on this film. As a student, it is always good to learn from different ideas from different directors. As a consumer, this helps me see if I should even go and see the film. I love the actors they have but what actually catches my eye is the fact that Bryan Bertino is helping produce the film and I myself am a fan of The Strangers, a film he directed. A question I do have though is Perkins ready to direct this film and bring his ideas to life? This debut could either fail him or lead him on a path further into the film industry.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Chloe Grace Moretz explores young love and loss in ‘If I Stay’
http://www.dailynews.com/arts-and-entertainment/20140818/chloe-grace-moretz-explores-young-love-and-loss-in-if-i-stay
The article explains Moretz's newest role in a the film, "If I Stay". They give us a brief summary of the story behind it and its comparison to other teenage book films such as "Divergent" and "Twilight". The director explains that it isn't just a film for sappy teenage girls but has a deeper meaning including a strong sense of family to it. He also says," The movie is about life. It's not all about death." We learn how Moretz prepared for the role and her relation to the character. They end it with a small background on Moretz's latest and current accomplishments. This caught my eye because it has been a widely advertised film and book lately. I liked to learn more about the actor who has stepped up to this role and how. This article impacted me by showing me the smallest bits of this industry such as the things actors do to prepare a role and the spotlight and pressure that is on them the entire time. As a student, it's hard to think a girl only a year older than me is already accomplishing great things. As a consumer, it makes me want to see the film more as I now know the preparation and work she has brought to it. As a filmmaker, it helps me realize the type of actors one wants to transfer their passion to and want to see and need in our films. We want someone who can become the character, someone who is willing to and ready. A question I would have though are the other actors just as dedicated and clearly understand the concept of the film? Everybody's part is needed to bring together this strong dynamic story to life in a brilliant way.
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