The Oscars: Who Will Win/ Who Should Win

 

The Oscars are right around the corner and it’s time to make my annual guess predictions about how the Academy is gonna fuck it up this year. Remember this: The nominees are chosen by experts…and then voted on by the Academy(rich white people), many of which have not seen all of the nominated movies. I’ve also included who I believe SHOULD win the award, based on my own senile preferences and observations.

Original Screenplay

I love how the screenplay is usually the least recognized part of the movie making process. A screenplay should be fresh, coherent, and not lacking in the ingredients which make a movie great (read: The Writers Journey).

Will Win		Should Win
Inglorious Basterds	I believe the Academy has enough experience with Tarantino (think Pulp Fiction) that they will recognize this as his most mature(and polished) script yet. If Avatar wins this category, I WILL kill someone. Not a threat, a PROMISE.	Inglorious Basterds	Tarantino has done it again. His self proclaimed masterpiece is everything a script should be: Action packed, great dialogue, twists, surprises, and all the elements of the Writer’s Journey.

Adapted Screenplay

Will Win		Should Win
An Education	I believed that the Academy would narrow it down to this film, and Up In the Air. An Education would edge out the more “indie” Up In the Air. (see Juno)	District 9	It is a retelling of the director’s own short film, in expanded fashion, keeping the same style, themes and setting. The strength of the underlying themes in both the short film and the feature are what make this a winner in my book.

Visual Effects

Will Win		Should Win
Avatar	With all the hype surrounding the breathtaking 3D, the only way this would be snubbed would be the “I want to set myself apart from the masses” mentality, aka poser syndrome(unlikely).	Avatar	I believe that the 3D in this movie will revolutionize the industry. (See Defense of Avatar)

Sound Mixing

Will Win		Should Win
Avatar	I believe Avatar is gonna have the TIitanic effect (11 wins), so this would overshadow others in this category.	The Hurt Locker	The sound of sand crunching under foot, the multiple layers of explosions, and the most perfect gunfire I’ve experienced in a movie…this SHOULD win.

Sound Editing

Will Win		Should Win
Avatar	See Previous.	Inglorious Basterds	Tarantino is a soundtrack genius. He has this notion of: why try to one-up someone who has already done it better before. The perfectly pilfered pieces he has chosen almost overwhelm a scene. They tell you how to feel, and for once…being manipulated feels good.  (on a sidenote: I know its not soundtrack it’s sound editing…but I’m pretty sure this counts since they are prerecorded songs)

Short Film (Live)

Will Win		Should Win
Kavi	Slumdog Millionaire rip off. I’m pretty sure no one has seen these clips, but this one has Oscar bait stamped all over it.	Instead of Abracadabra	Funny, witty, wrapped in an easily consumable package. The movie exemplifies the balance of naivete and realism which we all must face sometime in our life. I love this film.

Short Film (Animated)

Will Win		Should Win
Logorama	This had a lot of hype, though rightly earned.	Logorama	This movie is almost preachy. It flirts with preachiness like an alter server. But…it has just the right amount of edge to win me over. It also has a unique art style (mixing 3D with 2D logos) which makes it more than worthy of the Oscar.

Original Song

Will Win		Should Win
Take it All	An Academy that names Chicago (ugh) as Best Picture will eat up this horrible, horrible knock off song…horrible F minus	Almost There	Disney at it’s best. The song exemplifies an evolved Disney message: Don’t just wish on the fucking star, work for it, you lazy bum.

Original Score

Will Win		Should Win
Avatar	I’m not sure about this one. My pick might edge out  Avatar in the end. I’m just going on the “Titanic” factor here. (Then again, Titanic had the bagpipes so this might be different)	Up	The theme song notes are light, airy, though a bit reminiscent of Musetta’s Waltz. The rest of the score reflects each scene without overcoming it, which to me is a winning formula.

Makeup

Will Win		Should Win
The Young Victoria	I have no idea why these type of movies win Costume and Makeup. I’m pretty sure its because most of the academy was alive during these time periods, so they recognize the authenticity.	Star Trek	Eric Bana as a Romulan. COME ON DUDE. If they had some klingons…this would be a homerun win for me.

Foreign Language

Will Win		Should Win
Ajami	I don’t wanna be racist here…but I think you can figure it out. It was made in Israel. I’ve seen it…and honestly, I don’t think it should have been nominated (Too heavy handed in its narrative)	The White Ribbon	A perfect film in my opinion. Maybe I’m a sucker for black and white, but this film about a small, rural town excited me like no other. The rawness of the movie remind me of Elephant Man, another black and white film.

Editing

Will Win		Should Win
Avatar	Going with Titanic train again. This is not the WORST choice they could make, given that Cameron is an action scene genius. He puts you in the scene like no other director out there (suck it Michael Bay). TERMINATOR 2, ALIENS, TRUE LIES. DONE, SON	Inglorious Basterds	Tarantino’s editor, Sally, has worked on him forever…and dammit to hell they make a good team. Tarantino’s editing style is a fusion of the oldschool and the new, which is both fresh and exciting. The scene in the film room near the end? Cinematic GENIUS. THIS MAN IS A GOD.

Documentary Short

Will Win		Should Win
China’s Unnatural Disaster	With the way Haiti has captivated the media…China’s similar disaster makes good Oscar bait. Not a bad choice, but not the best in my opinion.	The Last Truck: Closing of a GM Plant	Documentaries are supposed to demonstrate problems or individuals that represent our nation as a whole. This is a perfect example of our greatest national problem: the economy.

Documentary Feature

Will Win		Should Win
Food, Inc.	Hyped to no end, but I agree, it was a good movie.	Food, Inc.	This was a great retelling of The Jungle, written by Upton Sinclair. It once again goes into how bad that food you stuff down your throat really is. America needed another wake up call, so 10 points to Griffendor this movie for doing so.

Directing

Will Win		Should Win
Avatar- Cameron	Come on man…even though James Cameron is a self important douche, this guy has changed the ways movies are made. His ability to put all the ideas in his head onto that screen…Bravo sir.	Inglorious Basterds	This guy though…he deserves an Oscar for this film, no joke. This was a movie that makes cinephiles like me cry with joy. It was a movie made for people who love movies, executed with mastery that can only come from selling your soul to the devil. The music, the script, the acting…none of it would have been the same with another man at the helm.

Costume

Will Win		Should Win
The Young Victoria	See Makeup. I bet the Academy has these very same costumes in their closets.	Coco Before Chanel	I loved this movie. It’s a more mature Devil Wears Prada. The fashion in the film is integral to the story, and I think the designers knocked this one out of the park. But hey, why give the costume design award to a movie to a movie purely devoted to fashion when you could give it to another dime a dozen period piece.

Cinematography

Ah this is my favorite Technical Category. Love lovvvve lovvee guessing this one.

Will Win		Should Win
Avatar	Dirty cheating Cameron with his damn 3D make this one almost a given. FUCK YOU, CHEATER.	Inglorious Basterds	The cinematography is the most art house I’ve seen in a LONG time. The set pieces are gorgeous, the colors dynamic and striking, the framing…orgasmic. I’ll probably write an article simply praising the cinematography of this film. To the director and his cinematographer I say…Bravo.

Art Direction

Will Win		Should Win
Avatar	I’ll admit, Pandora was directly ripped out of Cameron’s mind…and he has done something that has never been seen before (except for in Aliens, but its okay since Cameron directed that too)	Sherlock Holmes	Color me faggot, but I love steampunk aesthetics. This was the movie Wild Wild West aspired to be, and unless I’m missing anything, probably the best Steampunk inspired American film I have ever seen.

Animated Feature

Will Win		Should Win
Up	Pixar has this golden aura around it that gives it extra Academy-cred. (I’m still bitter about Kung Fu Panda not being awarded the prize last year).	Up	I really want Princess and the Frog to win, simply because it seemed like an evolution of Disney, while Up was simply a well-done rehash of past stories. But I admit, the execution of Up was better, so I give the nod here.

Supporting Actress

Will Win		Should Win
Vera Farmiga	It will probably be one of the nominees from Up in the Air, simply because they have these very Oscar-bait roles (corporate zombie/ testy bitch) I think she’ll edge out the newer Anna Kendrick on grounds of familiarity.	Maggie Gyllenhall	For a movie that no one has seen, Crazy Heart is a moving film. This is largely in part because of the chemistry between Jeff Daniels and Maggie Gyllenhall which captivated the viewer from start to finish.

Supporting Actor

Will Win		Should Win
Cristoph Waltz	He won the Golden Globe, and he has enough momentum to win this. Please, let him win this.	Cristoph Waltz	Hans Landa is one of my top villains of all time. He has the charm of Lecter with the evilness of…i dunno, Amon Goethe in Schindler’s List. His delightful Landa’isms will haunt my memory forever. Tarantino may have wrote the character, but Waltz brings him to life. That’s a BINGO!

Actress

Will Win		Should Win
Sandra Bullock	Ugh, she won the Golden Globe, and has crazy momentum. I really did not think she even deserved a nod for this bread and butter role. No stretch AT all. Play yourself in a movie? Get an Oscar.	Gabourey Sibide	Wow, I’m pretty sure this girl was really abused after seeing her magnificent performance in Precious. Not the best movie, but captivating nonetheless because of this great actress. Oh, and its very uncommon for a black person to win this award. (Halle Berry was one and then…thats it)

Actor

Will Win		Should Win
George Clooney	Ugh, this guy. It’s weird to see nippled Batman even nominated, but his performance was Oscar Bait worthy enough to get their vote. Mickey Rourke(old messed up guy) got shunned last year by a more widely known character actor (Sean Penn).	Jeff Bridges	No, not Harry from Dumb and Dumber, thats Jeff Daniels. This movie is this years “The Wrestler”. No one has seen it, but it is infinitely touching and powerful, thanks to Jeff Bridges. I guess I’m a sucker for those character stories with a tortured protagonist.

Best Picture

Will Win		Should Win
Avatar	Come on, 2 billion dollars…changing the industry…guy who made Titanic. I don’t like it, but I understand their choice.	Inglorious Basterds	To me, this was a perfect movie. The setting, the dialogue, the acting, the music…all top notch. For the cinema lover, this is the holy grail, this is our Koran. Tarantino uses ALL the tricks in the book, without being tired/ passe. He takes us somewhere we’ve never been (he changed goddamn history), and captivates the audience in an interesting, though sometimes boring, film. I will say it again—I love this movie, and anyone who loves movies should feel the same way.

Random Scene of the Day

So I thought up something I could do so that I could start posting something here every day.

It’s called:  “Random Scene of the Day”

Basically, I think up some one page premise and write it here in script format. So here…we…start.

FADE IN:

INT.LIVING ROOM-DAY
John, a normal looking college student, sits at a round dining table, doing his homework. Sal, a gruff looking fellow, enters.

SAL
Man, dude we need to pay rent pretty soon, I think Al–

Sal is interrupted by a doorbell.

SAL (CONT’D)
Huh..I wonder who that could be?

John shrugs and gets back to work. Sal opens the door. No one there.

SAL (CONT’D)
What the hell? Dude, John. I think someone’s playing ding dong ditch on us.

John perks up.

JOHN
Ding dong ditch huh? We’ll show them.

The two stare at each other. They run out of the house.

EXT. HOME DEPOT- DAY
We see John and Sal leaving with a bunch of random items: nails, tape, rope, pulleys, a hacksaw, flour, and assorted screws and doodads.

INT. LIVING ROOM-DAY
We see John and Sal cutting wood, looping rope into the pulleys, and taping things to the door. They finish up and smile at their handiwork. They share a look that says: “This will show them.” They run upstairs.

INT. BEDROOM-DAY
They wait upstairs for the ding dong ditcher to return. The sun goes down and they fall asleep.

INT. BEDROOM- NIGHT
They awake at the sound of an alarm coming from Sal’s computer.

SAL
John wake up! The alarm’s been tripped.

JOHN
H-huh? Oh! Roll on one!

Sal hits a lever which activates an eerie rustle in the wall. We hear the sound of rope tightening. They look down to see a shadowy figure creeping towards the door. The figure is about to press the doorbell. The man’s face is cloaked by shadow. He presses the bell. A shout follows.

SAL
He touched the pin! Activate the electricitiy!

John pulls a makeshift lever. We hear crackling electricity. The man downstairs is shocked till he begins to smoke. We hear his anguished screams. Sal picks up a bag of flour.

SAL (CONT’D)
Now?

JOHN
Wait for it.

The sprinklers turn on behind the shadowed man. They are all aimed at the doorway. The man is soaked. John motions to Sal.

JOHN (CONT’D)
Now!

Sal throws the flour out the window covering the man with powder. John and Sal look on in horror as the man turns up to face them. It is ALI, a stocky persian man.

SAL
Oh crap, it’s the landlord.

JOHN
No way.

Ali is screaming at them.

ALI
John! Sahlva-dor! JOHN!!! Why?! Come down here John!

Sal and John don’t know what to do. Sal remembers something.

SAL
Oh crap! Stop the–

Sal is interrupted by the splintering of the door as a giant log, suspended by ropes, hurtles at Ali’s crotch. It knocks him back.

SAL (CONT’D)
…the log.

Ali is screaming louder.

ALI
AHHH! My Chuol! AH! JOHHHHNNNN!!!! JOHHHHNNN!! WHY??!! COME DOWN JOHN! COME DOWN!

Sal and John look at each other once more, frightened.

SAL
What should we do?

JOHN
Shhh dude. Turn off the lights.

We see the lights up stairs turn off. The duo sit in the darkness and listen to Ali screaming. They hear him stomp off. They wait.

SAL
I think he left.

JOHN
That-

John is interrupted by the sound of a bat crashing against the side of the house.

ALI
JOHHHN! COME DOWN! I KNOW YOU ARE HOME! JOHHHN!!

The crashing continues then stops.

JOHN
Do you think he’s done?

We hear the sound of a window shattering. Running sounds follow. A car drives off.

SAL
Now he is.

FADE OUT

I Love You, Man Review

Don't you hate when movies use the title in the movie? It seems cheesy.

The basic premise of the story is that soon after Peter Klaven(Paul Rudd) proposes to his girlfriend of 8 months, Zooey(Rashida Jones), he realizes he has no guy friends whatsoever. The meat of the movie is him searching for a best friend, who he eventually finds in Sidney Fife (Jason Segel).

Now, to be frank and to the point, I expected more from this movie. The trailer looked hilarious and got me pumped to go see this flick, but I just felt that it did not deliver all that it promised. The only things that were truly ingenious/ well written were the parts of the film that were shown in the trailer, lessening the surprise and excitement on their delivery. Apparently Apatow was not involved in this movie, but you can definitely notice the influence of his work on this film. I came into the moving thinking that it was an Apatow film, but after watching it, I realized how mistaken I had been.

This was not at the same caliber as Apatow’s work…the lines feel uninspired and at times…boring! Though Segel and Rudd work monumentally well together, much of the talk between jokes is forgettable. The two lead actors put so much into their characters, it pains me that they are brought down a notch by the unpolished structure and unpolished nature of the script. Structurally, the film is a very predictable comedy. The plot is very linear, and though some random curve balls are thrown in ( Lou Ferrigno, the Hulk for example), but it seems like reaching/stretching. You see the makings of the final conflict working much earlier than they needed to be…and you just know that things will turn out better than anyone could hope.

My real gripe about the script is that it felt like the only dialogue that had any meaning was the witty banter/ dirty jokes / comments that was passed like a football between characters. The fights between Rudd and Jones seem petty and uninteresting…the final confrontation before the resolution between Segal and Rudd felt lifeless and unbelievable. But like I said before, it is not Rudd’s or Segal’s fault…the story is simply missing some beats that would aid in putting a bit of oomph to the situations.

The ancillary characters are one of the few real successes in the movie. Each minor character has a unique voice that is interestingly developed throughout the movie, sometimes even stealing some of the thunder from the main characters. Once again, their efforts are somewhat lost in the structure of the movie, which makes them more like extras touting lines at random times, rather than essential pieces of a puzzle.

From the technical side of things, not much can be said about things here. As expected from this type of movie, the cinematography is simple and non-invasive, allowing the characters to work in the scene. There is one particular scene where Segal and Rudd hug after a particular “moment” and the fountains in the background “blow their load”, a visual metaphor that gave me a chuckle. I should note here that there is some very weird homo eroticism that permeates throughout this movie, that gives it a certain awkward charm—similar to what was accomplished in Superbad. But this movie is no Superbad, though it tries desperately.

In conclusion, I’ll say that the movie would be doomed were it not for the charismatic Segal and Rudd combination. The story is predictable yet at times strangely random. As far as being a movie with a point…I feel that the movie could have been more than what it is in its present form. It could have been a deeper, more heartwarming character study of the girls’ guy, but rather, it felt like a camera following two goofballs messing around. Watch it for the witty dialogue, funny ancillary characters, and the clever repartee, but don’t expect much in other categories.

The Oscars: Afterword

Well, for the most part most of my picks came through. Except for two choices that were big surprises to me. Well, maybe not that big.

Supporting Actress: Penelope Cruz? I dunno…it seems Vicky Barcelona is getting wayy too much credit. It was a good movie but not great, in my opinion. It’s a one watcher, not an Oscar Winner. I felt the other actresses were much more down to earth and believable.
Cinematography: Are they never going to give Roger Deakins an Oscar? It’s odd, he is so good because he is invisible and ubiquitous, but he is never given any credit because his work doesn’t “pop” as much as other photographers.

Best Actor: Sean Penn. Like I said earlier, I wanted him to win. I just didn’t think that he deserved it more than Mickey Rourke. I wished both of them could have won (and Penn did give a glorious shoutout to the comeback kid), but it seems that Hollywood truly is a bunch of commie homo-loving sons of guns.

Coffee Princess Trailer

Anyone ever see that Korean drama Coffee Prince? If your not an asian girl, my guess is no. Anyway, we’ve been helping some of our friends out with their Korean project with their spoof called Coffee Princess. Hopefully I’ll have the entire series to post as we progress.

Mad Film Dash 2009 Entry

Mad Film Dash is a University of California event where students have 24 hours to write, film, and edit a short film. Teams are given a choice of three random genres, a random artifact to be included in the piece, and a random line to say in the movie. This was our entry into the competition.

My Oscar Picks!

The Oscars are coming! With that, here are my personal picks for this year.

• Best picture-Slumdog Millionaire. Personally, I felt that slumdog wouldn’t be an Oscar contender…but after seeing the momentum behind it, I gotta get on the bandwagon. I’ll admit it was my favorite movie this season, I just didn’t think it would be considered.
• Best Actor – Mickey Rourke. His stunning take on professional wrestling was not only gripping…it was an intimate look at the comeback kid. But I wouldn’t rule out Sean Penn, who was once again…stunning.
• Best Actress- Kate Winslet. Though I love Streep in her usual dragon lady role…it’s a big been there done that kind of feel. Kate Winslet showed a side of herself in the Reader that I’ve never seen before.
• Best Supporting Actor- Heath Ledger. Once again, I believed someone else SHOULD have won (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) but the Joker just has too much momentum behind him.
• Best Supporting Actress-Taraji Henson. This was my most difficult pick, because of the other ladies nominated. I really felt that she delivered her lines with such verisimilitude that I couldn’t help but feel a motherly connection with the woman.
• Best Animated Film- Wall-E. No Contest here.
• Best Costume- Revolutionary Road. Never has so little said so much. 
• Best Editing- Slumdog Millionaire. The cuts that reveal passage of time are simply amazing.
• Best Foreign Film- The Class. I’ll admit I only saw this movie and Waltz with Bashir…but the film left such an impression on me that I feel it should win the Oscar. It did sweep Cannes.
• Best Cinematography- Roger Deakins. Revolutionary Road should have been the movie he was nominated for, in my opinion, but his work is once again invisible yet unforgettable.
• Best Art Direction- Revolutionary Road. The theme, I’ve read, was to keep it simple/believable…to not scream the 50’s, but to set a framework for the movie. I believe it was a success.
• Best Director-Danny Boyle. I want to root so hard for Gus Van Sant because of his brilliant job on Milk, but Slumdog was just too touching to go unnoticed.
• Best Screenplay (Original)-Milk. Dustin Lance Black turns the life of an individual into an understandable and believable narrative.
• Best Screenplay (Adapted)- Slumdog Millionaire. Just the temporal presentation of the story wins this in my book.
• Best Documentary- Man on Wire. Simple proof that non-fiction can be even more gripping that fictional events at times.
• Best Makeup- Hellboy 2. Though the Joker’s makeup was undoubtedly a big part of Ledger’s performance…Perlman’s change is still top notch.
• Best Music- Slumdog Millionaire. Though most of the music was collected from a library, it still fit the movie sublimely.
• Best Sound Editing-The Dark Knight. The sound of the batpod is what sold me on this one. I’ll admit some of the sound effects were a bit corny…but not a deal breaker in my book.
• Best Sound Mixing- Slumdog Millionaire. In my opinion, the sound quality was perfect in this movie. The streets of Mumbai never sounded so crisp and believable.
• Best Visual Effects- Benjamin Button. Never has a movie been so dependent on visual effects since Forrest Gump. 

Coraline

Coraline.  a stop animation flick in 3D.  Coming   into this movie, I was a little skeptical, maybe I was a little tired, maybe I didn’t feel like watching a kids movie.  The first part of it is really slow.  Character was established quickly, you knew the flaws and everyhing.  It took a little too long to really get going.  It may have spent a little too much time going through every little detail to set up everything.  It was an okay movie, not the kind of emotion invoking movie you go to see.  It really was a children’s movie.  The kind of movie where the feelings invoked are fear of not getting everything you want from your parents on only wanting more.  Fear of dolls.  Fear of buttons.  It’s kind of dark and Tim Burton-y.  A little suspenseful.

Overall:

At the beginning of the movie, I couldn’t pay attention so I just looked at the way they did the stop animation,  but after a while, I couldn’t help but get sucked into the story. Plus the 3-D animation is awesome!

P.S. I’m not very good at writing reviews

The Lack of Creativity (read:courage) in Hollywood

I just came back from a horror film. No, it wasn’t scary. Yes, I do think those people they interviewed which said it “Rocked Their World” are payed actors. The most horrific part of the movie was seeing a beloved tale (A Tale of Two Sisters) be massacred with every horrible unoriginal frame that flashed onto the movie screen. Why?! I asked in anger. “Why?! Why?! Why?!” I screamed, knocking my popcorn over.  The bearded fellow adjacent to me seemed angry too, growling so hard the popcorn fell from his whiskers.

As I walked back to my car (apparently theaters frown upon loud tirades during screenings), I wondered what was wrong with those fat cats in Hollywood. Hundreds of thousands of scripts are copyrighted every year, yet it is these unbelievable shitty remakes that end up getting made. I know, I know. The stories have been “proven” in the consumer market (A Tale of Two Sisters beat out the Matrix Revolutions when it came out), but why remake it? A re-releasing with subtitles would have sufficed. Look at these two pictures from the Uninvited (the remake) and the original film.

Tale of Two Sisters

Pretty, don’t you think? The original folk tale dealt with drowning, so whenever water is shown in the movie, it acts as a sort of cue, reference, etc. Think of the color orange in the Godfather. Next Up, Shitsville.

The Uninvited

Hmmm… See any symbolism here? Ironically there is. This image is an example of the prostitution of ideas. The unnecessary rehashing of art, simply for money’s sake. I italicized unnecessary because, in my opinion, creativity is a rehashing of  old concepts. But the difference here is…creativity presents these old, tried and tested ideas in NEW ways. I’ll show you what Mr. Thomas Guard thinks creativity is…

Beautiful Imagery

DONE, SON. I can just see the director smirking with an undeserved sense of accomplisment, gently stroking his douchebag soul patch as he wrapped this scene. “I’ll win an Oscar for this!” He’d think, driving away in his Ferrarri to sleep on his bed of money, his head rested neatly on his cocaine/prostitute thong pillow. Ok, I’ll admit. The majority of Best Picture winners are either adaptations or biopics. I get it. Having an already worked out story makes creating the world on screen that much easier. But when we start remaking old pictures because of FEAR of failure, or some idiotic idea that the old movies won’t “connect” to newer audiences, we are only perverting our beloved art form for money. Like a whore. Those older movies are so great because they are relevant even 50 years after they are made, remakes are NOT the answer. I heard they were going to remake Bonnie and Clyde, a CLASSIC, with Hillary Duff in the titular role. Faye Dunaway was flabbergasted. Hillary retaliated by saying her “fans” don’t even know who she is…and that she was old and had plastic surgery. Her fans don’t know her, making her “obsolete”. Herein lies the problem. We, the consumers PAY for junk like this. It won’t stop till we stop.

So I say to you, moviegoers everywhere! STOP WATCHING BAD MOVIES. If you accidentally watch a bad movie, LEAVE! Ask for your money back! But that is too much to ask. Mastery of the craft…Compelling narrative…a movie’s HEART…all these things are unnecessary if you just wrap shit up in pretty packaging. I call it the P.T. Barnum effect. Smooth talk well enough, and people will pay to see you spew vomit on a movie screen for two hours. Is there hope for American cinema? Of course. There are people who know how to balance pretty, crowd-pleasing tactics with compelling narrative and filmmaker spirit (Spielberg!), but these individuals are few and far between. Can the efforts of these few filmmakers work to balance the dime-a-dozen PT Barnum filmmakers that litter the alleyways of Hollywood? Only time will tell.

Compression

Ever wonder how someone with the same camera as you can get stunning pictures while you are left with a muddled pixelated mess?

Perhaps compression is your issue.

After some snooping I found a good guide for compression at Eugenia’s rants, here. Finally I can start making some decent images appear! Thanks Eugenia.

Below is a video I uploaded with good compression.