Monday, January 24, 2011

My Favorite Editor


My favorite editor is E.B. White, the reason why he is my favorite editor is because he has made fantastic books like Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. Those are really good books and movies he makes the viewers have an interest in them. E.B White was born in Mt. Vernon New York. He served in the army before heading to college, the college he went to was Cornell. His first published article was a New Yorker magazine in 1925. My favorite film is Ace Ventura When Nature Calls but E.B White is not the editor of this film. I think editing is important to film making cause you can fix mistakes and errors in a movie or a book. I wouldn't want to be an editor because I think I'd mess up a lot making a film or book so that would mean I would have to spend a lot of time editing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1a4Yn_F7qg

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Favorite Editor


My favorite film editor is Dede Allen, she is my favorite editor because he edited one of my favorite movies, 'The Addams Familly''. She wasn't always a film editor, how she became on was by making her way up. She was first a production runner, and then a sound librarian, and then an assistant film editor. She first edited industrial fils amd commercials, and then l;ater on started editing films.

Dede's editing techniques were simmilar to the editing of dadaist filmmaking, where she used audio overlaps and utilised audio jump cuts. She also used stylistic flourishes the brough realism and energy to the characters. Many of Dede's movies include ''The Hustler'',''Bonnie and Clyde'',''Little Big Man'' and many more. Although I do not have my own editing techniques, i think editing is very important in film making because without editing, all you have is a bunch of shots, when editing, its like you actually put them all together and make something out of them, and you enhance them creating better film, and that was very important, and Dede Allen was very good at doing that.



Editor: James Cameron


I don't have any favorite editors because when I watch movies I only pay attention to the name of the director and the actors. But editors take a huge part in movie making. The editor I chose was James Cameron who is actually a very famous film director, film-producer, and also a screenwriter. He directed, produced, and edited many famous movies in the past and the present times. His famous movies are Piranha II: The Spawning (1981), The Terminator (1984), Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), True Lies (1994), Titanic (1997), and Avatar (2009). My favorite films from him are Terminator 1& 2, Titanic, and Avatar. Even though Titanic was my favorite film from but my new favorite film from him is Avatar. James Cameron was born on August 16, 1954 in Ontario, Canada. He started becoming famous when he released his second movie The Terminator in 1984 which was a box office hit even it was a low-budget of 6.5 million however he still earned 75 million worldwide which made him famous. But the movie that he directed, produced, wrote, and edited along with other editors Stephen Rivkin and John Refoua was called Avatar. Which was released in 2009 and it was the Movie of the year for 2010. The film went on to become the highest-grossing film of all-time worldwide and the first film to gross more than $ 2 Billion. Avatar was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and won three, for Art Direction, Cinematography, and Visual Effects at the 82nd Academy Awards. Avatar garnered four nominations at the 67th Golden Globe Awards ceremony, and received two awards for Best Film- Drama and Best Director. My editing style is basic and simple like everybody else who are beginners in editing . I bring all the pictures, video clips, and music in the background to make one piece of work. But I like to be neat and organized with my editing so I can make a great piece of work. Editing is very important in film-making because without editing the film-making would be impossible and the film would be a disaster. Editing id the most important process of film-making and during editing the editor can fix all the parts that are messed or fix incomplete scenes.

Trailer
Interview
Source 1
Source 2

Editor-Chris Dickens



I don't really have a favorite editor but I really love the editing in the movie Slumdog Millionaire, so I chose
Chris Dickens to blog about. The two movies that I know about that he edited are, Slumdog Millionaire (duh), and Shaun of the Dead. He has edited some other action and sport movies but I don't know any of them. Dickens is British and graduated from Bournemouth Film School in 1990. He won several awards for Slumdog Millionaire including the Academy Award for Film Editing, BAFTA Award of Best Editing, and the American Cinema Editors Award.

There really isn't much about editors on the web....

Here is a link to the Slumdog Millionaire trailer because all samples of his work are so not going to be on YouTube.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Editors

For this blog you will pick an editor. How do you pick your favorite editor? What is your fav. film?

Once you have your fav. edit. I want you to research how that person became an editor and information about how they work or their style, etc.
Interviews, look at their movies.

If you can please put a link to a sample of this editor's work.
Talk about your own editing style, if you have one.
Why editing is important in filmmaking?

Include pictures and links. 

Favorite Editor


My favorite editor is Thelma Schoonmaker. I chose Thelma Schoonmaker because she edited my favorite movie, The Departed. She has worked on films such as Raging Bull, The Departed, Goodfellas, Casino, Gangs of New York and Shutter Island. She was born in 1940 in Algiers, Algeria. Thelma immigrated to the United States in 1955 and did not pursue a job until 1961 when she accepted a newspaper advertisement for a job when The New York Times was looking for an "assistant film editor." Thelma Schoonmaker has no particular style and uses different styles on different films. Schoonmaker has been nominated for three Academy Awards and won three. I personally do not have an editing style becasue I am to inexperienced. Editing is important becasue with out it movies would be unorganized and lack many effects such as suspense, and focusing techniques.




Michael Tronick

(Tronick is center, holding mic)

I decided to simply pick a movie editor, since I have no favorite movies. I picked the editor The Green Hornet, a movie I want to see, but haven't been able to yet. The editor, Michael Tronick, is a veteran music and film editor. He worked on such known titles as Predator from 1987 and Mr. & Mrs. Smith from 2005. He is the Vice President of American Cinema Editors, as of 2006. He has over twenty-five film credits, and has been nominated twice for A.C.E. 'Eddie' Awards for The Scent of a Woman(1992) and Hairspray(2007).
He started as a music editor, then transitioned into film editor, when a film editor who was working with an office nearby him asked for his help in cutting some song sequences. After that, he got another offer for Streets of Fire(1984), and then a bigger one to be the third film editor for Beverly Hills Cop II(1987). He considers picture editing a much larger responsibility than just music editing. He works on everything with his crew, and tries to get a suitable place to work. After that, he reads through the script several times, and tries to meet with the director if he's not too busy. When that's done, they begin putting together the editor's cut. He puts a lot of work into making sure that his crew is involved with the editing, and that their opinions are heard. He does, however, admit that he's not very 'technical', and and usually has his assistants take care of technical difficulties. Dios mio, there really is nothing about editors on the internet. I couldn't find a single full biography. I'm sorry...

Friday, January 14, 2011

RIZE Comments and Thoughts

Based on our viewing of David LaChapelle's breakthrough documentary film "Rize" please respond to the following questions as a blog comment.

1- Do you think this was a successful documentary? Why or why not?
2- How is David LaChapelle's photographer experience and unique style transferred in his filmmaking capabilities?
3- What similarities do you notice between Rize and Mad Hot Ballroom?

See ya'll on Wednesday. Enjoy the long weekend. We'll finish editing your projects when you get back.
-V

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Errol Morris

Errol Morris was born in February 5, 1948 in Hewlett, New York. When he was two years old his father died from a heart attack. When he was in 10th grade he started playing the cello since his mother was a music teacher. Errol spend a summer in France studying music. He passed by many colleges but didn't like anything he enrolled in. He met Tom Luddy at Pacific Film Archive, and his documentary career took of from there. Tom was the director of Pacific Film Archive. Errol first documentary was Gates of Heaven filmed in 1978. Which is a documentary about pet cementery business. Errol was unknown when he did this documentary but it would help him become more popular. He later produced and directed Vernon, Florida. Vernon, Florida is about the town of Vernon and it's resident that struggled to collect insurance money. One of his very famous documentary was The Thin Blue Line. This doc is about a man, Randall Dale Adams, who was convicted and sentenced to die for a murder he did not commit in the 1980. He's case was reviewed and he was found not guilty about a year after the documentary was released. This documentary won Best Documentary awards from the New York Film Critics Circle, the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, the National Board of Review, and the National Society of Film Critics. Morris won the International Documentary Association Award, an Edgar Award, and a MacArthur Fellowship Genius Grant, but the documentary was rated "nonfiction" instead of  a documentary. Do to this, the filmed wasn't able to be considered for Academy Award. The other popular documentary he made is called The Fog of War. This film is about the life of former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. This filmed won Academy Award for the Best Documentary Feature and the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary. The filmed feature the life of Robert S. McNamara from his birth during the First World War to him managing the American Vietnam War, as defense secretary for presidents Kennedy and Johnson. Morris has many more documentaries and films; The Dark Wind, A brief History of Time, Fast, cheap, and out of control, Mr. Death, First Person, Standard Operating Procedure, and the filmed he made in 2010 called Tabloid. In 2003, The Guardian put him seventh in its list of the world's 40 best directors and he is still going strong in his documentary career.

Monday, January 10, 2011

David LaChapelle - Documentary Director



Although David LaChapelle is famous for his grotesque and surreal photography, he has done a lot of work with videography as well. LaChapelle has released one documentary, Rize, featured in the trailer shown above. It is about blacks living in the inner city of Los Angeles, California, and their unique styles of dance that have spread country-wide. These dances, such as "krumping," help to bring kids together and keep them out of gangs.

LaChapelle's work does not stop there though. He also directed Elton John's concert, The Red Piano, as well as commercials for major companies such as Burger King, Tommy Hilfiger, L'Oréal, H&M, and TV show promotions for Channel 4. Links to some of these commercials can be found below:


Some of LaChapelle's photos are below as well, some featuring artists like Shakira and Britney Spears.


Ric Burns


Ric Burns is an American filmmaker born in Baltimore Maryland. Ric had a role in the series The Civil War which he worked on with his older brother Ken Burns. Ric directed films like Coney Island, The Doner Party, and New York. Mostly known for his series New York, he shows how New York starts out as a small dutch trading post and how it transforms to the greatest city in the world. Ric's newest work is all about the wailing business following world war one. Though Ric has been apart of many successful films he is not nearly as famous or as well known as his older brother.


Link:http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0122849/
Trailer:American Experience - Into the Deep: America, Whaling & the World

Documentary Director


Shinsuke Ogawa is a Japanese documentary film director, Shinsuke was the most influential independent documentary filmmaker in postwar Japan. He began his career a Iwanami Production making films along sides other directors. Turning independent, he first made documentaries about radical political movements in 1960s and 1970s Japan, most famously the "Sanrizuka" or "Narita" series, which recorded the struggle by farmers and student protesters to prevent the construction of the Narita International Airport in Sanrizuka. Ogawa's was a committed form of documentary, which clearly took the side of those combatting unjust power. A growing sense that he did not understand the life of the farmers he was filming, however, led Ogawa and his crew, collectively called Ogawa Productions, to leave for Magino in Yamagata Prefecture where they spent decades filming the life and histories of everyday farmers while living with them and pursuing agriculture. The "Magino" films became the epitome of Ogawa's stance towards documentary: that one can only record a reality that one has been truly immersed in.

Link:
Narita: Peasants of the Second Fortress
Michael Francis Moore was born on April 23, 1954 Flint, Michigan. After dropping out of the University of Michigan following his freshman year Moore worked at the local Buick plant. At 22 he founded the alternative weekly magazine The Flint Voice, which soon changed its name to The Michigan voice as it expanded to cover the entire state. In 1986, when Moore became the editor of Mother Jones a liberal political magazine, he moved to California and The Michigan Voice was shut down.michael-moore.jpg

Ken Burns






Ken Burns is an American documentary film maker. He has made many documentary films and television shows. His most famous television series was called The Civil War and was the highest rated series in the history of American Public Television and on its premier in 1990 it had over 40 million viewers. Over his thirty plus years as a documentary film maker Ken Burns has been named one of the most influential documentary film makers of all time. The Civil War is second only to Robert Flaherty's Nanook of the North. Not only is he influential when it comes to documentary films, he has influenced many others such as Stephen Speielburg and George Lucas.
Over the years he has had 12 Emmy Awards and two Oscar nominations.
Right now Ken Burns is working on six-hour history of Prohibition, Which should show on PBS this year. Films on the Dust Bowl, the Roosevelts, the Vietnam War and the Central Park Jogger case are also in the making or at least being thought about.
Ken Burns is known for photographing live-action scenes such as a battlefield at times of low light, sunrise and sunset. He was born in 1953 in Brooklyn, New York and attended Hampshire College.
Tribute Video
Site used:PBS

Michael Moore


Michael Moore is one of the most prolific, important, and controversial directors of today. His films, which are almost always political in some way, are some of the most well known and influential films of the modern era. Four of his documentaries are in the list of the top ten highest grossing documentaries ever, and one, Fahrenheit 9/11, is the highest grossing documentary of all time.



He is not only is he one of the most well known film makers, but also one of the most controversial. His liberal films often include radical stunts such as bringing victims of gun shootings or health insurance issues to interviews, or by bringing burlap bags with money signs on them to wall street to "get the money back for the American people".

Michael Moore was born in Flint, Michigan in 1954 and attended the University of Michigan-Flint. Later, in 1986, he became the editor for the liberal political magazine, Mother Jones. He was later fired from the job as the editor after the magazine refused to publish a cover story about the closings of GM factories in Flint. After this incident, Moore would go on to create his first documentary in 1989, Roger & Me, which was about the closings of GM factories which were moved to Mexico. This film launched his career and set him apart as the liberal film maker he is today. Moore's next big film, done in the same provocative style, was Bowling for Columbine, took on the American gun culture and was a reaction to the Columbine shootings. After Bowling for Columbine, Moore produced Fahrenheit 9/11, which discussed the Bush administration and the War in Iraq. Next, Moore made Sicko, a film revealing the evils with the American health care. Moore's latest film has been CAPITALISM: a love story, which dived into the latest economic crisis.

Resources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Moore http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5555726/10_highest_grossing_documentaries_of.html

Spike Lee Project

On March 20, 1957 Spike Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia and as a young kid his family moved to Brooklyn New York (the setting for some of his movies). In 1978 Spike graduated from college with a major in fine arts and television. In 1983 Spike released his first movie that he directed called Joe's Bed-Stuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads. It wasn't until 1986 that he released his first feature film called She's Gotta Have It and it accumulated over 7 million dollars in the U.S. box office. Some other Spike Lee films include famous sports stars some being Dwight Gooden, Roger Clemons, Reggie Jackson, Willy Mays, and Jackie Robinson (all of which played some years as a member of a team in New York). Some of my favorite movies are Spike Lee Joints including Summer of Sam (about the Son of Sam Killer) also The Original Kings of Comedy and also his latest film released in 2008 Miracle at St. Anna. Spike Lee is married since 1993 to Tonya Lewis and has one daughter Satchel who was born in 1994. Spike has been a life long New York Knicks fan and has held season tickets since 1985 (the year that Patrick Ewing was drafted) also Spike appeared in one of the ESPN 30 for 30 documentaries and he tells the story of his interactions with then Indiana Pacers star Reggie Miller. Spike was said to have triggered Reggie Miller to make shot after shot on route to a 93-86 Knicks loss during the playoffs the next day a New York newspaper read "Thanks a lot Spike" and another read "Spiked". In 2004 Spike sparked racial tension calling Larry Bird the most overated player in NBA history because he was white. Spike has been critized by the black community for "Acting white" and "Ignorance towards Blacks".

Link to Spike Lee Interview: Interview
Linke to Spike Photo: Photo

Friday, January 7, 2011

Documentary Director Project

Pick a documentary director of choice. Please no duplicates. Check with your classmates.
Here are some examples:
Documentary Film Directors (loads of examples)
Ken Burns
Michael Moore
Michael Apted
Errol Morris
Marin Scorsese
D.A. Pennebaker
Chris Hegedus
Jonathan Demme
David Lachapelle and more....


After you have picked your director you will research and create a blog featuring links to sample trailers, resource links, and photos. You should talk about the director and how he/she became a documentary filmmaker, and projects/film. You can also include excerpts from interviews, etc.
You will "present" your director/blog in class--so be prepared to talk about him/her. Be informed!

If you want an A, I suggest you don't leave this project until the last minute. You can work on it in class on Monday, but you should also work on it this weekend.
These will be graded on Tuesday. Good luck!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

PSAs

What is a PSA?
Please provide examples and a detailed definition.

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Their Level Best


Despite the fact that Patriots has a record of 14-2 this regular season, they still have challenges on their way. The teams and opponents that they're about to face are going to more difficult which still lies ahead of them. Patriots are having a terrific season so far but they still need to be more serious and more focused because anything can happen in the Playoffs. Post season can be a surprise to the Pats but if they try their hardest then they can probably win the series. Tom Brady has already won 3 Superbowl championships and 3 Superbowl rings and there is no doubt that he can't get the fourth one. This year everything is working well for the Pats because the Coach Bill Belichick has always been a great coach, and Brady and Welker along with the new players in the roster this season have shown their great energy, effort, and their talents. New players like Danny Woodhead, Deion Branch, Rob Gronkowski, and Aaron Hernandez are a great addition to the team because they are not only skilled but they got that energy and will to play good every week. Last season Pats didn't do so good because Brady was injured for a while and the team really didn't try hard. Pats lost to Baltimore Ravens last season in the Playoffs in the first round which was pretty disappointing. But this season they're back as they were back in '07 with the 16-0 record even though they lost in the finals. I think Pats going to win it all this season because this time they got new players, good coordination, well-coached, playing with heart and soul, and showing great effort. Brady is having a terrific season and should be considered the offensive MVP of the year because he got 36 touchdown passes and only 4 interception which I think is pretty amazing. Patriots will face tougher opponents along their way in the Playoffs and all they need to do is to keep up with the great work and effort and they might as well win the Superbowl this season.

New Album from Pop Phenomenon Lady Gaga

We all know or heard about Pop Sensation Lady Gaga, either by the way she dresses or her self written songs. The image to the right follows her first Twitter posting of 2011 in which she announced that her new single, “Born This Way,’’ will be available in stores on Feb. 13 and that the album of the same name will be for sale on May 23. She said she would post a "Born This Way" announcement on New Years for her "Little Monster's Christmas present." Also has been posting lyrics from the song such as “Don’t hide yourself in regret, just love yourself and you’re set. I’m on the right track baby, I was born this way.’’

Blackbirds dead in Arkansas

Shortly after midnight on New Year's Eve, 3,000 blackbirds fell from the sky in a 1.5 square mile section of Arkansas. Collected carcasses were sent back for testing but the scientists were unable to find out whether the birds died before or after hitting the ground, and found no trace of disease or toxin. Scientist believe the birds were either disoriented by a thunderstorm, or that fireworks had startled them, confusing them and leaving them headed toward the ground.

Brain Impediments of Success On New Years Resolutions

According to previous studies as well as new ones, the brain has always been a major part of an addiction. In the Boston Globe article, New Year's resolutions? Brain Can Sabotage Success, scientist Dr. Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse comments on the brain's want for immediate gratification, and how it effects New Years Resolutions, as it were. The truth is, it's similar to addiction. The Frontal Cortex, the part of the brain that makes decisions, is also influenced by the Striatum, which can turn habits into reflex, making the person do it without thinking. The Striatum is rich is rich in a pleasure-sensing chemical called Dopamine, which is fed to it by the Substania nigra through dopamine pathways in the brain. Dopamine drives the brain's reward pathway, conditioning habits-like alcohol or drugs. Once an activity is wired into the brain as a reflex, it's hard to get rid of. To change, the different routine must be practiced on a tight regular schedule, always at the same time, for a while. It is haphazard, the brain will never catch on. Biological impediments are not a reason to forget New Years Resolutions, but in order to get past them, we have to focus on making our selves do them.