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April 22, 2018
Cinematographer Bradford Young Calls for ‘Cultural Shift’ to Combat Industry Bias
The message was clear at Saturday’s American Society of Cinematographers meeting about “changing the face of the industry” to include more minorities and women in cinematography in Hollywood. Engage in collective action from the top down and bottom up, and, if necessary, shame producers and executives into changing their stereotypical hiring practices.
“I’m not interested in legislating change — I’m interested in shifting the culture,” said Bradford Young, only the second Oscar-nominated black cinematographer in the history of the Academy Awards (“Arrival”). “We have to make the cinema we want.”
Young, who has successfully navigated between indies (“Where Is Kyra?”), franchises (“Solo: A Star Wars Story”), and streaming (Ava DuVernay’s upcoming “Central Park Five” series on Netflix), advised minority cinematographers and camera operators to make choices that allow them the freedom to express ethnicity through their craft. “First and foremost it’s not about making vertical moves but about making horizontal moves,” he told IndieWire. “Cinematographers should connect to projects where they can see themselves and the community that they identify with in the film.”
“Solo: A Star Wars Story”
screen shot
Young stressed that his career has been “a reflection of that push back against the sort of pervasive white supremacist culture in our art form. I’ve had the opportunity to work on projects that didn’t seem to have a clear bridge between the community that I identify with and the material on screen. But I still brought my community to the project as a prerequisite. My career is about my cultural acumen, more so than my technical acumen.
“We’re in a time where we can be unapologetic about who we are. So if we’re black, queer, trans, Chicano, European-American, Southeast Asian, we should know that what we can bring to the table is important. And it is something that should be embedded in the films that we make.”
In terms of Young’s challenging “Star Wars” experience, in which directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord were replaced last summer by Ron Howard, necessitating reshoots by the cinematographer, he described it as a moment of clarity. “To me, it did not seem like a natural fit so I had to figure that out,” Young said. “I felt like it was an interesting opportunity to express myself in a particular way. I wanted ‘Star Wars’ to feel like ‘Arrival.’ I’m interested in planting my imprint. I’m part of a [black] community and I have to answer to that. I didn’t disrespect myself or the community.”
“Arrival”
Paramount
Another highlight of the Netflix-sponsored event, organized by the ASC Vision Committee, was a keynote by USC’s Dr. Stacy Smith (founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative). In addition to engaging with companies to change hiring practices for cinematographers, she encouraged the bottom up approach of hiring more women and ethnic diversity within the ranks behind the camera. “We need a new paradigm to ensure qualified and available talent from all backgrounds,” she said. “There will be better product as a result of diversity and inclusion.”
HBO’s Natasha Foster-Owens (West Coast director of production) touted the fact they have rotating cinematographers who are women and women of color on “Insecure” and “Camping.” Also, the HBO Access program offers fellowships in writing and directing to filmmakers from diverse backgrounds.
Cinematographer John Simmons, ASC Vision Committee co-chair, added that studio mandates and tax incentives for minority hiring are positive steps, but more needs to be done individually to diversify camera crews. “We need to ensure that cinematographers reflect the world we live in,” he said. “Diversity is being asked to the party; inclusion is being asked to dance.”
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Source: IndieWire film
April 22, 2018
NASA Scientists Think ‘Gravity’ Is the Worst, Most Inaccurate Space Movie Ever Made
“Gravity” earned critical acclaim, a slew of awards, and more than $700 million at the box office, which is to say that Alfonso Cuarón’s sci-fi drama was fairly successful. One subset of moviegoers wasn’t impressed, however: NASA scientists. In a BBC video in which the women helping us conquer the final frontier list the best and worst movies set in space, “Gravity” is repeatedly cited as the most inaccurate of them all.
Others to earn ire due to scientific inaccuracies are “Mission to Mars,” “Armageddon,” and “Red Planet”; “Planet of the Apes,” and “Spaceballs” receive (dis)honorable mentions as well. Alas, “Gravity” stands above all the others for being utterly divorced from reality. Everything that could go wrong went terribly, terribly wrong, and that’s not exactly the feeling we want everybody to have about this industry,” one scientist says.
It’s not all negative, however. “Interstellar,” “Hidden Figures,” “The Martian,” and especially “Apollo 13” receive praise.
Other issues with “Gravity,” which won Cuarón the Academy Award for Best Director: “how Sandra Bullock could move between orbits with almost really no issue” and the fact that, “when she gets out of her spacesuit, she’s in cute little underwear. Where’s the diaper?” Where, indeed.
Source: IndieWire film
April 22, 2018
John Carpenter Will Compose the Score for the New ‘Halloween,’ Jason Blum Confirms
Just because John Carpenter isn’t directing the newest “Halloween” movie doesn’t mean he won’t be involved. Producer Jason Blum has confirmed that Carpenter, who composed the music for the original 1978 slasher in addition to co-writing and directing it, will return to the franchise with a simple tweet.
Carpenter has composed the music for many of his own films: “Dark Star,” “Escape From New York,” “They Live,” “The Fog,” “Christine,” and so on and so forth. This new “Halloween,” which is being directed by David Gordon Green, will be his first film score since 2001’s “Ghosts of Mars.” It’s also the first “Halloween” movie in nearly a decade, following Rob Zombie’s 2007 remake and its 2009 sequel.
Green, whose all-over-the-place career has seen him direct everything from “George Washington” and “Joe” to “Pineapple Express” and “Stronger,” also co-wrote the screenplay with Danny McBride and Jeff Fradley. Jamie Lee Curtis will return as Laurie Strode in the film, which is being released on October 19.
Confirm!
— Jason Blum (@jason_blum) April 19, 2018
Source: IndieWire film
April 21, 2018
Watch: Learn How to Duplicate Objects with This Simple Cloning Trick in Premiere Pro
You can create this impressive cloning effect right inside of Adobe Premiere Pro.<p>Visual effects are a great way to add some flair and a little …
Source: CW’s Flipboard Feed
April 21, 2018
Understanding Dan Harmon’s Story Circle Through the Lens of ‘The Dark Knight’
Even an ostensibly complex story like “The Dark Knight” follows the simple curve of the Story Circle.
Story structure can be a difficult beast to tame, namely because it’s hard to know which structure is “best.” In one ear, screenwriting gurus are telling you to follow one of a million storytelling formulas and in the other ear, naysayers are telling you to ditch formulas all together and ride your story bareback through the wilderness of unblemished narrative freedom.
The short answer: do whatever you want. Personally, I like a story structure that is easy for me to navigate so I don’t get lost when adding all of the necessary elements and one that I’ve come across that has sated my craving for simplicity is Dan Harmon’s Story Circle, which is basically a simplified version of Joseph Campbell’s monomyth.
How simple is it? Well, in this video, StudioBinder broke down Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight to reveal how a seemingly complex plot can actually adhere to the “rules” of Harmon’s uncomplicated 8-step story structure template. Check it out below:
Source: NoFilmSchool
April 21, 2018
6 In-Camera Transitions That Are a Cinch to Pull Off
Got a camera? Is it in your hand? Then you’re ready to do some super easy, super stylish in-camera transitions.
Simple cuts can not only be boring, they can also eat up a lot of screen time as you try to breadcrumb your way to that editorial sweet spot. That’s where in-camera transitions come in. They’re stylish, exciting, and cinematically economical ways to go from one shot to the next. Plus, they’re really simple to pull off. In this tutorial, Kellan Reck shows you six easy in-camera transitions that even the noobiest noob can do. Check out the video below:
Even though the traditional cut is going to make up 99% of all of your transitions, these in-camera transitions are a great way to add a little flair and pizazz to your work. The best thing about them, especially for those who are just starting out, is that they’re so easy to do with just a few motions of your hand and don’t require you to add a bunch of post-production effects to make them work.
Source: NoFilmSchool
April 20, 2018
‘Phantom Cowboys’: How a Filmmaker Grew Alongside the Subjects He Documented
In parts of America long ignored, a filmmaker found stories worth telling.
For many of us longing to reflect on our adolescent upbringing, we take to old photographs, home video footage, elementary school essays, and dusty journals. We’re desperate to connect who we became with who we were; a narrative throughline with indicative hints must exist, right? What would we tell our former selves? To follow our dreams? That things work out? To stress less? To work harder? What if we had no choice in the matter at all?
Daniel Patrick Carbone’s Phantom Cowboys, an elegiac documentary that quietly invokes those questions via three young men living in different parts of the United States, offers cumulative evidence rather than concrete answers. Life does the same.
Source: NoFilmSchool
April 20, 2018
Watch: 4 Iconic Camera Moves that Define ‘Breaking Bad’
This video looks at four trademarks that gave the series a uniquely hypnotic aesthetic.
When people talk about the legacy of Breaking Bad, one name usually comes up: Vince Gilligan, the series’ creator, writer, director, and showrunner. But the series, as famous for its cinematic aesthetic as its Shakespearean storyline, had another titanic creative force: DP, Michael Slovis.
Slovis arguably played an equal role in shaping Bad, which was one of the most stylized TV series ever to hit airwaves. This video from ScreenPrism looks at four trademark camera moves from the series, dissecting how they worked with the show’s existential themes to create a unified work of American art.
Source: NoFilmSchool
April 20, 2018
SXSWfm 2018 Showcasing Artist Interview: Jordan Rakei
At SXSW 2018, SXSWfm interviewed soul R&B artist Jordan Rakei. They sat down to talk about his recent release Wallflower, his favorite collaborations, and his time touring the world. Read an excerpt of the interview below, and listen to it in full on our Mixcloud.
Listen to SXSWfm Interview with Jordan Rakei
Jordan Rakei Interview Highlights
How many times have you been to SX? Is this your first time?
Jordan: This is my first time, yeah.
Wow, welcome!
Jordan: It’s crazy. It’s a crazy place.
Why was coming to SX so important for you?
Jordan: I think it’s important for all artists. It’s sort of like a right of passage for all artists to come through here while they’re trying to grow their careers. So it’s great to play to loads of new fans. There were loads of fans at my show yesterday where they had never heard me before, so that was really sick.
You released your second album in September of 2017. Six months later you are here touring the US and now at SX, how does that feel?
Jordan: It’s exciting! It’s cool to be able to play new music to such a world wide audience. I went to Australia, I went to Japan, I went to Korea, and now America. They’ve been massive supporters of me since my first EP, so it’s amazing to finally be able to tour a lot of cities for the first time. It’s been amazing.
I read an article that called you an “Introverted Multi-Instrumentalist.” How does that make you feel? Do you agree?
Jordan: Yeah, I would say I play multiple instruments and I’m introverted, so it perfectly sums it up I think.
Does that correlate to your album title, Wallflower?
Jordan: Yeah, so Wallflower is about me observing the world from the outside and sort of, coping with it as I grew up and dealing with social anxiety and stuff like that. So wallflower’s usually someone who is sitting on the walls of the party, sort of observing from within.
So what’s next for you? You have the album [out] six months ago, what’s going on?
Jordan: So I released the album, and I’ve pretty much toured the world except for two continents, excluding Antarctica but I don’t know if anyone tours there.
You should be the first.
Jordan: I’ll play to the polar bears. But yeah, I think I want to write again. I’ve got a few festivals in Europe over the summer, but other than that, it’s really chill. I’m just going to start writing. That’s sort of where I’m at at the moment. As soon as I get back – I’m flying back tonight and going back to London tomorrow – I’ve got a session the day after and I’m going to crack on and start writing again. I’m inspired at the moment to write another album.
Tune in to hear the full interview with Jordan Rakei below. Keep checking our Mixcloud page in the coming weeks as more interviews with 2018 SXSW Showcasing Artists are released. You can listen to SXSWfm 24/7 via our online player.
Listen to SXSWfm Interview with Jordan Rakei
2018 Showcasing Artist, Jordan Rakei – Photo by Shelby Magness
The post SXSWfm 2018 Showcasing Artist Interview: Jordan Rakei appeared first on SXSW.
Source: SxSW Music
April 20, 2018
Oculus wants to stretch your skin to see what it feels like to be human
In patents filings made public this week, Oculus describes a couple different technologies that could make its virtual reality even more immersive. The patent filings describe simulating touch with a “skin stretch” instrument
The post Oculus wants to stretch your skin to see what it feels like to be human appeared first on Digital Trends.
Source: Digital Trends VR