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April 8, 2018

‘Empire Records’: Ethan Embry Reveals the Sad, Poignant Reason Why Rex Manning Day Is April 8

It’s April 8, which holds special significance for fans of “Empire Records”: Today is Rex Manning Day. That exciting anniversary, which comes shortly after the news that the 1995 cult classic is being revived as a Broadway musical, is being celebrated online with the usual barrage of gifs and memes; courtesy of one of the film’s stars, it’s also being marked with some sad, poignant trivia.

“The reason we picked April 8th as the day to have the powdered/coifed Rex Manning visit Empire is because Kurt was found on the 8th of April, the day the music of the 90s lost its mascot,” Ethan Embry tweeted. He’s referring to the fact that Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain was found dead on April 8, 1994, less than a year and a half before “Empire Records” was released.

Set in the eponymous record store (remember those?), the film was a critical and commercial failure upon release. Its reputation has grown over the years, largely thanks to children of the ’90s claiming it as a vital part of their youth.

“We musn’t dwell. No, not today. We can’t! Not on Rex Manning Day!” Embry’s character says at one point. Let us all take that lesson to heart on this most sacred of days.

The reason we picked April 8th as the day to have the powdered/coifed Rex Manning visit Empire is because Kurt was found on the 8th of April, the day the music of the 90s lost its mascot.#RexManningDay

— Ethan Embry (@EmbryEthan) April 8, 2018

Source: IndieWire film

April 8, 2018

‘You Were Never Really Here’ Opens Strong, Bringing More Good News to Specialty Box Office

Lynne Ramsay’s “You Were Never Really Here” continues the welcome trend of limited crossovers that includes “Isle of Dogs” and “The Death of Stalin.” This tough New York-set crime film is the best initial performer in the acclaimed Scottish director’s career, with a Joaquin Phoenix performance that’s viewed as some of his best work.

“Lean on Pete” from Andrew Haigh, another established British director working in an American setting, had a more modest but credible opening. The business needs a consistent supply of films like these, which can fill top specialized theaters.

Opening

You Were Never Really Here (Amazon) – Metacritic: 87; Festivals include: Cannes 2017, Sundance 2018

$129,911 in 3 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $43,304

Ramsay’s acclaimed drama stars Phoenix as a tortured soul rescuing young girls from sex slavery. Similar to her earlier “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” this is tough material, told in unflinching form centered on stark, gripping performances.

This opened better than “Kevin,” which opened in a single theater in 2011 to a little less than $30,000. “You Were Never Really Here” opened in three New York/Los Angeles theaters, with a star/director appearance in LA’s Cinerama Dome Friday, its best day. Beyond that, totals are impressive in for material that’s hard to market.

What comes next: Ten more cities in expansion next week, with a wider release the following week.

“Lean on Pete”

Lean on Pete (A24) – Metacritic: 78; Festivals include: Venice, Telluride, Toronto 2017

$50,118 in 4 theaters; PTA: $12,530

Haigh moves from his acclaimed gay romance “Weekend” and late-crisis marriage “45 Years” to an American setting with “Lean on Pete.” A working-class teen bonds with a quarter horse in Oregon, with an unconventional telling.

This is A24’s first platform release since their company-best result with “Lady Bird.” As usual, it played at top theaters in the first two cities, with an average result for their top releases.

What comes next: Next week sees other top cities opening as the start of a gradual specialized expansion.

Where Is Kyra? Michelle Pfeiffer
“Where Is Kyra”

Where Is Kyra? (Great Point/Paladin) – Metacritic: 74; Festivals include: Sundance 2017

$7,000 in theaters; PTA: $7,000

A Sundance 2017 premiere, this intense drama stars Michelle Pfeiffer living out a grim life that gains some solace when she meets Kiefer Sutherland. It opened in a single Manhattan location to a modest initial result.

What comes next: 20 more theaters open this Friday.

“Finding Your Feet”

Roadside Attractions

Week Two

Finding Your Feet (Roadside Attractions)

$127,265 in 57 theaters (+43); PTA: $2,233; Cumulative: $229,947

The second weekend for this English comedy about middle-age couples is performing somewhat below the currently expanding “The Leisure Seeker.” It’s finding an interested older audience, with some potential to continue with word of mouth and further additional theaters.

Gemini (Neon)

$73,071 in 56 theaters (+52); PTA: $1,305; Cumulative: $120,624

This murder thriller, set in the LA movie world, got a major boost in its national exposure. Though most reviews have been favorable, negative ones in Washington and San Francisco might have hurt those areas.

“Outside In”

Outside In (The Orchard) – also streaming

$23,393 in 14 theaters (+5); PTA: $1,671; Cumulative: $47,203

Edie Falco stars as a high school teacher involved with a former student after his release from prison. Lynn Shelton’s film added more dates this week, along with streaming. It is getting strong reviews, which likely helps its at-home viewing more than theaters.

Love After Love (IFC) – also streaming on ITunes

$14,054 in 3 theaters (+2); PTA: $4,685; Cumulative: $31,417

Andie MacDowell and Chris Dowd star in this drama about a family dealing with loss opened in Los Angeles after its initial New York start last week. It continues to get top theater and review attention, with mixed results that parallel its initial high-price ITunes availability.

“Isle of Dogs”

Ongoing/expanding (Grosses over $50,000)’

Isle of Dogs (Fox Searchlight) Week 3

$4,600,000 in 554 theaters (+389); Cumulative: $12,049,000

Wes Anderson’s animated film continues to succeed in expansion. Through three weekends, it is already at the $12 million. That’s where his earlier cartoon feature “The Fantastic Mr. Fox” was (in adjusted numbers) at the same point. What makes the current number impressive is at that point, “Fox” was playing in over 2,000 theaters on Thanksgiving weekend.

This will pass the earlier film’s adjusted $25 million for some margin. It lags beyond his breakout “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” but could near “Moonrise Kingdom.” This jumps to over 1,500 theaters next week, which will test its wider appeal.

The Death of Stalin (IFC) Week 5

$1,109,000 in 557 theaters (+73); Cumulative: $5,596,000

Armando Iannucci’s dark comedy about Kremlin intrigue continues to find appeal above all post-Oscar specialized releases other than “Isle of Dogs.” It is certain to end up as IFC’s second biggest release in the last 15 years (after “Boyhood”) as well as a standalone success in the tricky genre of political satire.

The Leisure Seeker

The Leisure Seeker (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 11

$577,912 in 353 theaters (+198); Cumulative: $1,820,000

A big jump in theaters kept the per-theater performance steady. That’s a positive sign for this mid-level success aimed at older audiences with its road trip story with retirees Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren.

Final Portrait (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 3

$59,600 in 21 theaters (+12); Cumulative: $145,756

Stanley Tucci’s film set in the art world with Geoffrey Rush and Armie Hammer is showing, at best, modest results as it continues to expand in large markets.

Foxtrot (Sony Pictures Classics) Week 6

$58,093 in 45 theaters (+10); Cumulative: $414,117

Similar to other Israeli films, this military-set drama continues to do minor business, though better than many other recent subtitled releases.

Itzhak (Greenwich) Week 5

$51,243 in 29 theaters; Cumulative: $234,487

This documentary on the iconic violinist continues to do niche business in select markets.

Also noted:

1945 (Menemsha) – $45,065 in 11 theaters; Cumulative: $496,892

A Fantastic Woman (Sony Pictures Classics) – $35,419 in 38 theaters; Cumulative: $1,885,000

Call Me By Your Name (Sony Pictures Classics) – $28,650 in theaters; Cumulative: $18,037,000

Back to Burgundy (Music Box) – $24,864 in 14 theaters; Cumulative: $104,873

Journey’s End (Good Deed) – $23,000 in 28 theaters; Cumulative: $134,544

Flower (The Orchard) – $10,921 in 36 theaters; Cumulative: $321,195

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Source: IndieWire film

April 8, 2018

Watch: 5 Mistakes You Typically See in Student Films (and How to Fix Them)

Knowing what the problems are is the first step in avoiding them.

If you’ve ever gone to film school, then you know student films. You’ve seen really moving, funny, and intelligent movies on premiere days, but you’ve also seen really trite, emotionless, and downright shallow movies, too. You’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. That’s totally normal. It’s next to impossible to make a perfect film right out of the gate, which is why it’s helpful to explore and pinpoint the issues that seem to appear in the vast majority of student and first-time films in hopes that you can realize when you’re making one yourself.

In this video, Sven Pape of This Guy Edits talks with editor Dr. Karen Pearlman, author of Cutting Rhythms, Intuitive Film Editing and a lecturer in film production at Macquarie University, not only about common mistakes student filmmakers make when directing their first movies but how editors can help correct some of those missteps in post-production. Check it out below:

Source: NoFilmSchool

April 7, 2018

How to build a cheap VR-ready PC

Once you get past the sticker shock of picking up a headset, the rest of the hardware you’ll need for a basic VR rig is relatively inexpensive. Whether you’re using the Oculus Rift or the HTC Vive, these suggestions will help you make the right choices for your PC build.

The post How to build a cheap VR-ready PC appeared first on Digital Trends.

Source: Digital Trends VR

April 7, 2018

Learn How to Make Your Own DIY Sound Panels for Your Home Studio

If your audio isn’t up to snuff in your home recording studio, these DIY acoustic sound panels might help.

One key to recording great audio in a studio, whether it’s in a professional space or your home office, is by reducing the amount of reverberation in the room. This can be tricky to pull off, especially if the space is large, empty, and full of reverberant surfaces. There are some quick DIY solutions to cut down on echoes and reverb, like covering surfaces with heavy blankets, clothes, or towels, but if you want a more permanent solution, like something you can actually install, check out this tutorial from Ray Ortega. In it, he teaches you step-by-step how to build your very own acoustic sound panels using a few boards and some relatively inexpensive rockwool insulation. Check it out below:

Source: NoFilmSchool

April 7, 2018

No Macro Lens? Here Are 3 Ways to Get Macro Shots Without One for Under $20

Macro lenses might be spendy but these alternatives are definitely not.

We all know the limits of our lenses, but that doesn’t mean we still don’t try to push them way beyond their capabilities. Personally, I try to turn all of mine into macro lenses—I get close to my subject, focus, move a little closer, try to focus, and move closer still, but eventually, all I’ve got is some useless blurry mess. Unless you’ve got a dedicated macro lens, I assume you’ve done this too, and I bet you’ve considered buying one until you saw the price tag.

Well, if you’re on a tight budget but still want to capture some macro shots, Caleb Pike of DSLR Video Shooter has shared three alternatives that will do a pretty decent job under $20. Check out his video down below:

Here are the inexpensive macro alternatives Pike mentions in the video

Source: NoFilmSchool

April 6, 2018

Watch: How to Pull Off a Stylish Whip Pan Transition in Adobe Premiere Pro

If you want to add some flavor to your edit, try a whip pan transition. They’re stylish, attractive, and relatively easy to create.

Whip pan transitions are all the rage right now in part because they’re a great way to disorient your audience or hide an edit with a little flair and style. The best thing about them, at least on a technical level, is that they’re relatively simple to pull off. In this tutorial, Zach Ramelan of PremiumBeat walks you through the process of creating a seamless whip pan transition in Adobe Premiere Pro.

Now that you know one way to create a whip pan transition, you might be wondering how to put this nifty little effect to work on your own projects. Here are just a few ideas to get some ideas flowing.

Source: NoFilmSchool

April 6, 2018

‘The First Purge,’ ‘Night School,’ Paul Schrader, & More Trailers You May Have Missed

Staying on top of the trailer circuit is a full-time job in and of itself. We’re here to help.

There’s no better way to kick off your weekend then by looking ahead to what’s arriving in theaters in the coming months. In this edition of Trailer Watch, we feature the latest from master auteurs Spike Lee and Paul Schrader, a new documentary by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, a creepy children’s film by horror maestro Eli Roth, a new fall comedy that reunites Malcolm D. Lee with Tiffany Haddish, and a prequel to the politically conscious horror franchise, The Purge. Take a gander below and let us know which of the six you’re most looking forward to.

Pass Over (dir. Spike Lee)

Source: NoFilmSchool

April 6, 2018

Gorgeous Tarot Card Design by Caterina Bianchini

We’re totally digging these gorgeous Tarot cards designed for Neustellar, a Swiss organization run by Andreas Graf that provides spiritual teaching, mindfulness workshops and counseling. The creative talent behind the work is the lovely Caterina Bianchini, a multi-award winning designer and art director based in London. Tarot cards may not be the first place you look for drawing inspiration but we hope these have moved you just as much as they have us.

These beautiful Tarot cards were designed to promote each of Neustellar’s classes ranging from old age and wisdom to crisis intervention. The concept behind creating designs that referenced Tarot cards was that tarot cards are used to indicate the future, give a sense of what might be ahead, to allow for the individual to plan or accept. Specifically, the designs were created to be a graphic interpretation of each class offered. You’ll notice tree lifelines symbolizing the old age and wisdom cards while outlines of mountainous shapes convey new perspectives for the healing card. Each card was designed using this thought process to create designs that were authentic to their specific healing power. Enjoy and check out more work by Bianchini here.

ABOUT CATERINA BIANCHINI

Caterina Bianchini, is a multi-award winning designer and art director based in London.

Working across the field of creative direction, from design to art direction. Each project challenges current design norms by experimenting with unique typographic layouts and carefully curated colour palettes.

Projects are approached with conceptual and strategic thinking, creating work that is considered, charismatic and beautiful.

Clients include Levi’s, Diesel, Lush. Red Bull Music Academy, Red Bull Studios, Nike and Adidas.

ibby
Apr 06, 2018

graphic design

illustration

mindfulness

Source: Abduzeedo Illustration

April 5, 2018

UI/UX & Interaction Design: Amazon Alexa App Concept

On ABDZ, it’s rarely a case where we will feature a project that shares some of the thinking behind the design. We mostly see beautiful UI but most of the times are incomplete or misleading in terms of design thinking. But today, we are taking a look at this concept for Amazon Alexa App by Jooyoung Joung, what I liked about his concept is that he designed this experience based on problems from the current Alexa experience. To me, where the work from Jooyoung truly shines inside his user flow, super well-thought-out and totally defines his vision of the experience. In UX, we spend most our time working on building an experience or redesigning one.

My Alexa is a suggestion of new concept for Amazon Alexa app. This project has new visual and empathic interface. My Alexa will empower user’s daily life with inspiration, motivation, insight and empathy. The whole concept was inspired by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.