Another month, another project! Check out this short commercial I produced for Andrea at the Style House last week! Finally bought some new light stands and completely switched my lighting kit over to LED. My thoughts? I love it! Your thoughts? Comment below!
Checkout this beauty timelapse I produced yesterday for Andrea at The Style House! I used two cameras: a GoPro for the main timelapse, and a Panasonic LUMIX G7 for the “before and after” shots. It was a simple project, but I think it turned out great. The client was happy, which is all that matters.
Check out the final product below:
Here’s a behind the scenes look at my set-up:
As you can see above, I mounted the GoPro on a boom stand so that I could get it close enough. Lighting was minimal, with the one on the stand as they key and Andrea’s work light for the fill.
If 2001: A Space Odyssey and Inception were animate objects and managed to conceive a child, it would be Interstellar.
For the past two weeks or so all I have heard, or read online, is that Interstellar is an amazing film, and so far I have received zero negative or condescending feedback. Which is just extremely unordinary, especially for a science fiction film! Last night, I decided to take the plunge (pun?) and see it. I will admit: I was extremely skeptical at first. I have a tendency to be let down by a film if it is over-hyped and does not meet my expectations. I was not disappointed, I was actually surprised by the intense emotional impact the film took on me.
If you’re an emotional person beware, because Christopher Nolan has created the perfect “emotional rollercoaster.” Nolan takes us from being on the edge of our seats to tears in a matter of seconds, which is something very few filmmakers can achieve. I’m not going to lie: I cried and/or teared-up several times, it’s just that powerful. The score (composed by Hans Zimmer) only adds to this emotional ride by creating an otherworldly soundtrack that will only fully envelope you within the experience that is Interstellar.
I have heard that there are several plot holes within the story. I’m not sure what film others have seen, but the only “holes” I noticed were wormholes, black holes, and assholes (if you’ve seen it, you know exactly who I’m talking about!). I plan to go see it again next week in IMAX so I can receive the full experience.
I only have one complaint: there are no explosions and/or flames in outer space.
Bottom line: Few filmmakers produce a film as groundbreaking as Interstellar, and Nolan has set the bar extremely high as far as the future of cinema goes. The way I see it, Christopher Nolan has won filmmaking. Also, I recommend seeing it in IMAX since it is one of the few movies produced specifically for viewing in IMAX.
Rating: A+
Pink Floyd, one of the most influential rock acts within the last (nearly) fifty years, released their final album, “The Endless River,” last week. I finally managed to find the time to listen to the album in its entirety, which I have now listened to several times. Yes, it is that good! The album features all of their signature elements and sounds, which is sure to please any hardcore Pink Floydian.
What’s interesting about this album is that a lot of the tracks were originally recorded twenty years ago during the release of “The Division Bell.” Since Richard Wright’s death in 2008, David Gilmour and Nick Mason have revisited these tracks and selected many to re-record, enhance, and overall beef-up for this album. As sad as I am to realize that this will be the last original album released by the band, I am glad to hear that David plans to release a solo album in 2015 with help from Nick.
The album’s main theme is communication, which is something the band has never fully maintained among the members (please refer back to Syd Barrett’s dismissal and Rodger Waters’ exit from the band). It’s like Gilmour says in the track “Louder Than Words,” “we bitch and we fight, dis each other on sight, but this thing that we do… It’s louder than words.”
Overall, I would say that “The Endless River” is an amazing finale to an incredible journey that will never fully end. Like most of Floyd’s work, this isn’t just an album, it’s an experience.
Automata is set within the not-so-distant future where Earth has become highly irradiated due to deadly solar flares. In order to rebuild harsh areas of the world people build machines, the Automatas, to help them. The Automatas are peculiar specimens that resemble a machine achievable by today’s engineers, so they are not too far-fetched. The Automatas are programmed with two inalterable protocols: the first being they must preserve human life; the second limits them from fixing themselves.
Most films stay true to Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics, but Automata makes no mention of any protocols that oblige the machines to obey human commands. On the contrary, Asimov’s Three Laws do not limit machines the ability to alter, repair, or upgrade themselves. In the film, the machines not only alter themselves, but they become self-aware (alive) and show emotion.
Overall, I recommend giving Automata a chance regardless of its ratings. It looks great cinematically, the writing is decent, and it’s directed by a lesser-known director (Gabe Ibáñez). The main reason I would recommend seeing the film is to view something philosphically different than most mainstream films about robotics.
Well, folks, this is it!
We have reached that bittersweet spot within a movie trilogy where the final film is on the brink of release, and we prepare ourselves to cry. Are these tears of joy? Remorse? No, these are the tears of accomplishment. We cry tears of respect and gratitude for Peter Jackson and his amazing production of The Hobbit Trilogy.
On a brighter note, the final trailer was released today for The Hobbit: BotFA and it looks amazing! I cannot wait to be in line waiting to get inside the theater and watch PJ’s final film within this epic trilogy!
J. Cody Faulkner 