• Background Image

    News & Updates

July 2, 2017

James Franco Used Tommy Wiseau’s Voice While Directing ‘The Disaster Artist’ — Literally

James Franco is a man of many interests and inclinations. Among his various pet projects — the advanced degrees, the literary adaptations that no one asked for and no one watched — few seem better suited to his sensibilities than “The Disaster Artist,” a dramatization of the making of Tommy Wiseau’s “The Room.” A hilarious detail about the film just emerged from an interview with one of its stars: “Franco directed the whole movie in character as Tommy Wiseau.”

READ MORE: ‘The Disaster Artist’ Review: James Franco is Very Good as a Bad Actor in His Loving Tribute to ‘The Room’ — SXSW 2017

That’s according to Jason Mantzoukas, who quickly clarified while speaking to Entertainment Weekly: “Well, I should amend that — he wasn’t in character as Tommy Wiseau, but once he started the day doing Tommy’s voice, he would spend the rest of the day doing the voice,” he explained. “So, it wasn’t like he was pretending to be Tommy, but it was like James using Tommy’s speech pattern and accent. It was really special and very funny.”

READ MORE: A24 and New Line Cinema Partner on James Franco’s ‘The Disaster Artist,’ Set Awards Season Release Date

The film has a bizarrely stacked ensemble cast including but not limited to Seth Rogen, Bryan Cranston, Zac Efron, Nathan Fielder, Ari Graynor, Josh Hutcherson, Paul Scheer, Sharon Stone, Hannibal Buress and Franco’s brother Dave. “The Disaster Artist” arrives in theaters on December 1 courtesy of A24 and New Line Cinema.

Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.

Source: IndieWire film

July 2, 2017

Jared Leto Wants Your Home Videos for a Project Called ‘A Day in the Life of America’

Now that he’s done sending unwanted gifts to his “Suicide Squad” co-stars, Jared Leto is asking Americans to send him videos about people’s conceptions of the country for a project called “A Day in the Life of America.” The “portrait” was launched by 30 Seconds to Mars, which Leto fronts, as a means of celebrating Independence Day.

READ MORE: Jared Leto Is The New Chief Creative Officer of Streaming Service Fandor

Here’s what Leto — who, for accuracy’s sake, we’re required to mention is an Academy Award winner — would like to see from you:

“A baby being born, the complete circle of life, a billionaire, a family living in a shelter, police patrolling the streets, protesters, refugees, heroes and villains, a truck driver, a sky diver, a sex worker, a base jumper, a firefighter, and every great race, color and creed that make up the fabric of our nation. Trailer parks and Trump hotels, big cities and small towns, farmers and football players. A doctor, a preacher, a baptism, a funeral. Sunrise and Sunset.”

READ MORE: Jared Leto Will Direct Patty Hearst-Themed Crime Thriller ’77’ For Paramount

The project’s website assures potential contributors that only “the most brave, bold, and creative” work will make the final cut. More information may be found at thirtysecondstomars.us.

Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.

Source: IndieWire film

July 2, 2017

Bawdy Nun Comedy ‘The Little Hours’ Soars at Specialty Box Office

All of a sudden the scary decline at the indie box office has reversed. Through the first five months of 2017, only four films opening limited in the standard four New York/Los Angeles theaters opened with a per theater average of $20,000. In the last four weeks, four films have opened strong as “Beatriz at Dinner” (Roadside Attractions), “The Big Sick” (Lionsgate) and “The Beguiled” (Focus) opened well and reached crossover crowds.

This week’s addition, Sundance comedy hit “The Little Hours” (Gunpowder & Sky) is the latest surprise. Loosely inspired by the bawdy 14th-century Boccaccio classic “The Decameron” (The Hollywood version starred Joan Fontaine while Pasolini shocked in 1971), this tale is set in the Medieval Italian countryside with bawdy contemporary dialogue as a randy peasant hides out at a convent after his master catches him with his wife. It did strong business at four theaters on two coasts.

This comes the same week as Netflix debuted Bong Joon-ho’s “Okja” to strong media response with limited theater openings in the two cities. (As always, no grosses were reported for the South Korean Cannes competition premiere.) Also showing up in a handful of theaters was Sean Penn’s “The Last Face” (Saban) also showing on Video on Demand. It got zero attention, likely to its benefit after disastrous reviews at Cannes 2016.

Meantime, “The Beguiled” blasted out to 674 theaters and a Top Ten showing, while the more slowly expanding “The Big Sick” continued its even more impressive showing in 71. These two bolster the recent indie box office vitality.

Opening

The Little Hours (Gunpowder & Sky) – Metacritic: 70; Festivals include: Sundance, Seattle 2017

$61,560 in 2 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $30,780

And now for something completely different. The weekend’s best limited opener stands out as one of the top openers of the year. This comedy with an ensemble of millennial comedians (including Aubrey Plaza, Alison Brie, Dave Franco and Molly Shannon) about randy nuns fighting over a runaway peasant has its roots in classic literature. Smartly marketed by Gunpowder & Sky, which has had several recent streaming releases with limited theatrical play — this is their first traditional release — the comedy opened at the Sunshine in New York and Arclight Hollywood to strong initial response.

Impressive for its youthful appeal, the numbers went up 16 per cent on Saturday which suggests upbeat word of mouth. Favorable reviews and marketing clicked, but the oddball comedy (Jeff Baena also directed the Sundance premiere “Joshy” and co-wrote “I Heart Huckabees”) offered a welcome alternative to the usual specialized fare. This will be an interesting one to watch in upcoming weeks.

What comes next: This expands to around 30 total theaters this week and more than double that the next.

The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman's Portrait Photography

“The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography”

The B-Side: Elsa Dorfman’s Portrait Photography (Neon) – Metacritic: 80; Festivals include: Toronto, New York 2016

$12,078 in 3 theaters; PTA: $4,026; Cumulative: $12,078

Errol Morris’ latest actually opened in Toronto last week (climaxing a retrospective of his acclaimed documentaries), with New York and Los Angeles coming along this weekend. This latest effort, less intense on the surface at least than most of his films, deals with a quiet Massachusetts photographer whose life’s work is shooting giant portrait Polaroids. It got the usual strong set of reviews his films usually receive

What comes next: Morris’ films always get national art house play, and this should be no exception.

13 minutes

“13 Minutes”

13 Minutes (Sony Pictures Classics) – Metacritic: 56; Festivals include: Berlin 2015, Seattle 2016

$12,612 in 3 theaters; PTA: $4,204

German director Oliver Hirschbiegel (“Downfall,” with its famously YouTube re-subtitled Hitler bunker scene, and Nicole Kidman-starring Don Siegel remake “Invasion”) returned to his homeland for this recounting of a 1939 assassination attempt on Hitler. Its U.S. release has been long coming — this premiered in early 2015 at the Berlin Festival. Two and a half years later, this initial U.S. release brought minor results for SPC.

What comes next: Expect this to get a usual full arthouse release in upcoming weeks to maximize potential.

Marie Curie: The Courage of Knowledge

“Marie Curie: The Courage of Knowledge”

The Society for Arts

Marie Curie: The Conquest of Knowledge (Big World) – Festivals include: Berlin, San Francisco 2017

$(est.) 16,000 in 5 theaters; PTA: $(est.) 3,200

A biopic on the immortal scientist is focused on her struggles to be taken seriously in a male-dominated field. This European production opened in five theaters to initially modest results.

What comes next: The subject matter likely propels this to further big city play.

Pop Aye (Kino Lorber) – Metacritic: 74; Festivals include: Sundance, Rotterdam 2017

$4,332 in 1 theater; PTA: $4,332; Cumulative: $13,034 (includes pre-release revenue).

This seems to be the week for stories of human interaction with large animals in Asian settings. Opening parallel to “Okja,” this made-in-Thailand Sundance-premiered tale of a trek with an elephant from Bangkok out to the countryside opened at New York’s Film Forum on Wednesday (5-day total: $6,034).

What comes next: Los Angeles opens this Friday.

The Reagan Show (Gravitas Ventures) – Metacritic: 69; Festivals include: Tribeca, Seattle 2017

$5,500 in 2 theaters; PTA: $2,750

This CNN documentary about the staging of the Reagan presidency opened in two New York/Los Angeles theaters. Its positive critical reaction will enhance its VOD interest this week.

What comes next: Streaming starts on Tuesday.

“Le Trou”

Le Trou (Rialto) (reissue)

$7,500 in 1 theater; PTA: $7,500

Jacques Becker’s classic 1960 prison escape story opened in New York to the usual restoration results, including some good media attention that will elevate this in its future multi-venue presentations.

What comes next: The usual niche theaters in major cities should see play for this ahead.

“The Beguiled”

Week Two

The Beguiled (Focus)

$3,260,000 in 674 theaters (+670); PTA: $4,836; Cumulative: $3,579,000

After its very strong platform opening, Sofia Coppola’s Civil War gothic drama expanded quickly to impressive initial national results. Smartly building on the auteur director’s marquee draw, its Cannes showings (and the Best Director prize) along with its cast, this has enjoyed two successful weekends to set it up for bigger things.

The best recent comparison is to Focus’ “The Zookeeper’s Wife.” That Holocaust drama also had a credible cast (led by Jessica Chastain) but lesser reviews with an initial week’s release of fewer theaters (541) resulted in a slightly higher gross of $3.3 million.

This was good enough for a #8 overall position. That will help elevate the drama even more to compete for theaters in the heart of the summer. We’ll need another weekend to gauge how big a breakout this could be, but at this point it is positioned to perform at the same high teens level reached by “Zookeeper.”

“The Big Sick”

The Big Sick (Lionsgate)

$1,672,000 in 71 theaters (+66); PTA: $23,552; Cumulative: $2,229,000

A very strong second weekend expansion for this culture clash family comedy/drama continues to promise a significant crossover appeal as it grows. The numbers are in the range of top late-year Oscar contenders, standing somewhere between “Manchester By the Sea” (also an Amazon Studio film) and “Moonlight,” both of which did quite well in somewhat fewer theaters their second weekend. This will break nationally on July 14.

The Bad Batch (Neon); also available on Video on Demand

$27,736 in 46 theaters (+16); PTA: $603; Cumulative: $146,810

Ana Lily Amirpour’s latest genre-oriented film continued its theatrical run while streaming with minor results.

My Journey Through French Cinema (Cohen)

$4,979 in 2 theaters (-1); PTA: $2,490; Cumulative: $26,762

Bertrand Tavernier’s travels through his country’s film past continued in New York and Los Angeles for not bad results for its nearly four hour length.

Food Evolution (Abramorama)

$2,744 in 2 theaters (+1); PTA: $1,372; Cumulative: $7,057

Los Angeles added on to the release of this doc about GMOs. The results continue to be minor.

Ongoing/expanding (grosses over $50,000 in under 1,000 theaters)

Beatriz at Dinner (Roadside Attractions) Week 4

$1,190,000 in 683 theaters (+192); Cumulative: $4,474,000

Miguel Arteta’s film about two disparate worlds clashing over dinner continues its run with more theaters. Roadside smartly got this out ahead of a wave of strong specialized/older audience releases; they will end up with a gross somewhere over $7 million.

The Hero (The Orchard) Week 4

$920,315 in 401 theaters (+320);  Cumulative: $2,117,000

Sam Elliott’s turn as an actor reflecting on his career and life had a big jump in theaters this week positive results. It had a 50 per cent Saturday night jump, suggesting strong response from its intended older audience.

The Book of Henry (Focus) Week 3

$270,545 in 363 theaters (-287); Cumulative: $3,870,000

Colin Trevorrow’s return to small-scale work between his “Jurassic World” and “Star Wars” assignments is quickly fading after a disappointing release.

Paris Can Wait (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 8

$269,498 in 214 theaters (-194);  Cumulative: $4,710,000

Eleanor Coppola’s French-set romance is winding down as her daughter Sofia’s “The Beguiled” takes off. Its total results could see it approach a respectable $6 million.

READ MORE: How the Coppola Family Dynasty Makes Movies Together

Maudie (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 7

$98,581 in 32 theaters (+4); Cumulative: $2,931,000 (U.S. cumulative: $315,448)

This biopic about an eccentric Newfoundland artist (Oscar contender Sally Hawkins) continues its slow expansion (its third week in U.S. release after an earlier opening strong Canadian specialized result) with modest results.

The Exception (A24) Week 4

$101,904 in 48 theaters (no change); Cumulative: $393,054

Excellent hold with the same theater count for this recreation of an encounter between the exiled German Kaiser and Nazi power in the days before World War II.

The Women’s Balcony (Menemsha) Week 18

$66,647 in 26 theaters (-8);  Cumulative: $741,353

This Israeli orthodox-community crisis drama continues to add to its impressive total now in its fifth month of slow national releases.

My Cousin Rachel (Fox Searchlight) Week 5

$55,000 in 61 theaters (-102);  Cumulative: $2,585,000

Disappointing throughout its run, this Rachel Weisz gothic mystery is running out of gas earlier than expected.

Also noted:

Chasing Trane (Abramorama) – $14,762 in 7 theaters; Cumulative: $363,061

Source: IndieWire film

July 2, 2017

The best 360 cameras you can buy

While 360 cameras are still a new technology, that doesn’t mean there’s not a few that are worth a look. Whether you want to shoot from the middle or just need a simple, affordable option, here are the best 360 cameras on the market.

The post The best 360 cameras you can buy appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source: Digital Trends VR

July 2, 2017

The Greatest Rolling Shutter Demo EVER! Why Are Vertical Lines Crooked In My Video?

There are a lot of <b>Rolling Shutter Demo</b> videos around the web, but this one from SmarterEveryDay is #11 on the youtube trending list and I just had to …
Source: CW’s Flipboard Feed

July 1, 2017

Watch: The Paintings That Inspired David Lynch’s Cinematic Style and Philosophy


David Lynch’s great love of art shows in his very peculiar mundane/macabre cinematic visual style.


Watching a David Lynch film is kind of like walking through an art gallery while on LSD. One one hand it’s beautiful, artistic, even slightly boring, but on the other it’s utterly macabre, so incredibly out there, and so peculiar that the unfamiliarity of the scene seems almost nostalgic. It makes one think, “What kind of man thinks up these kinds of scenarios?” Well, although Lynch is definitely a unique breed of filmmaker, he’s not without his teachers, and in this video essay by Menno Kooistra for VoorDeFilm, we get to take a look at the famous painters that inspired the director to create his bizarre brand and cinema. Check it out below:



Read More

Source: NoFilmSchool

July 1, 2017

3 Cinematic Techniques Alfred Hitchcock Used to Make His Films Stand Out


As a director, Alfred Hitchcock is in a league of his own, but what kinds of cinematic techniques did he use to make his films so iconic?


Alfred Hitchcock was an absolute master of cinema. His complete understanding of the art form allowed him to construct complex cinematic worlds around his audience as they watch his unsavory cast of killers, thugs, and cheats lay waste to his damaged, but determined, heroes. But how exactly did Hitchcock do it? In this video, Sven Pape of This Guy Edits names three techniques that ol’ Hitch used in most, if not all, of his films in order to make them the most thrilling, well-told stories in cinematic history.



Read More

Source: NoFilmSchool

July 1, 2017

Mobile Application & UI/UX: A look at Pay & Go Wallet App

Mobile Application & UI/UX: A look at Pay & Go Wallet App

I am not a true believer of fancy mockups when reviewing a UI/UX project, what’s more, interesting is the process behind its concept. The user flow, the wireframes, and the actual UI are all part of it all. Let’s take a look at this mobile application of an app called Pay & Go. Designed by the folks at Meat Agency, their goals were to basically change your payment behaviours.

Meat Agency is a studio that specialized in product design where they have worked with startups and brands on researches, prototyping, copywriting, branding, visual design for web/interfaces and all kinds of development.

Pay & Go is an electronic payment platform, that helps everyone on the everyday needs It saves your time and gives a piece of mind for the periodic and instant payments of your life. Basically it changes your payments behavior.

Mobile Application & UI/UX: A look at Pay & Go Wallet AppMobile Application & UI/UX: A look at Pay & Go Wallet App

 

Links

AoiroStudio
Jul 01, 2017

Source: Abduzeedo UI/UX

July 1, 2017

The Beguiling Cinematic Worlds of Sofia Coppola


What makes a Sofia Coppola film a Sofia Coppola film?


Oscar-nominated director Sofia Coppola has been directing films for almost two decades and in that time has proven herself to be a true visual virtuoso. Her films are patient, subtle, and nuanced while still managing to be powerfully mysterious and perplexing—each one its own carefully crafted cinematic world that beguiles audiences with their unique and personal artistry. In this video essay by ScreenPrism, we get to see these worlds from all angles, from their visual construction to their oft conflicted inhabitants, as well as get a better understanding of the sensibilities of their creator.






A life in pictures


What many of you know is that Sofia Coppola is the only daughter of famed director Francis Ford Coppola, but what many of you may not know is that she didn’t set out to become a film director like her father. She instead got her start in the fashion industry, interning with Chanel at just 15 until she set her sights on CalArts to study painting, ultimately transitioning into photography at the Art Center College of Design.

Read More

Source: NoFilmSchool