Director Shawn Levy exits Warner Bros.' 'Minecraft' movie

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?

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?