A Good Day to Die Hard, old school

That day that couples love and dread in almost equal measure has come and gone for another year.  I'm sure there were plenty of folks waiting for Friday for the cash infusion to fund your date night, postponing dinner and a movie for a day.  For my husband and myself it was also the opportunity to watch the latest Jon McClane story, A Good Day to Die Hard.  Now, I was introduced to the series by an ex-boyfriend a little over 12 years ago.  He loved the movies with all the gratuitous violence and explosions.  I wasn't as much a fan until Live Free or Die Hard came out in 2007.  Best line: "You just killed a helicopter with a car!" 

Tonight's action packed exploding addition to the franchise was fun to watch, but it wasn't until the credits rolled that I truly appreciated the work that went into the making of this film.  For the first time in a long a while I had watched a movie that contained few computerized effects!  It was shot on film, using Arri cameras and lens with several film crews.  As expected, the credit list for stunt men and women was extremely long, but then when we expected to see list after list of animation and image experts there were none.  I love that the explosion were "real" and shot simultaneously from multiple angles.  No wonder it was filmed outside of the US, the insurance might have strangled the production. 

The audio mixers/editors must have had a blast pulling all of the elements together too.  There were some wonderful moments when you really feel their work, almost all of the ambient sound dissipates when the focus is the overwhelming shock and surprise that a bystander might actually feel.  I particularly enjoyed the ending - not quite riding off into the sunset, but a similar feel.  A little sentimental, but for an action hero who has made us laugh in impossible situations it just seems to work.

Sadly, the film is getting a lot of negative press by the film critics.  True, the story is a continuation of McClane's adventures and true, this time he is reuniting with his son.  But, if you go into expecting a Die Hard movie shot "Old School" then you'll have fun.  We had a good time and I hope you do too!

Prisoner of Zenda

Many years ago, back when I was 17, (see how the epic story begins *waggles eyebrows*) I came across a film called The Prisoner of Zenda.  It's based on a book by the same name and has been remade several times.  The first time I saw it was on VHS, borrowed from the Huber Heights Library.  They had several different versions of this title and I watched all of them.  And all because the first one was silent and had all the swashbuckling, intrigue, action adventure a girl could want. 

The story revolves around a young man who travels to a foreign land in which lives a prince about to be crowned king.  The two meet and discover their very similar figures, like two long lost twins.  Misfortune befalls the prince and his look a like cousin steps in and "plays king." Toss in a lovely princess and a wonderful villain and you've got a fun movie.  The best part is the ending - non-traditional Hollywood, unless you compare the end to some of the great westerns where the hero rides off into the sunset, literally in this case.

So this Christmas I bought a 2 disk set from Amazon that contains the 1937 and 1952 versions of this film.  To my surprise the script and shots were nearly identical!  For a moment it looked like the producers simply colorized the 1937 film.  Being a Selznick production, that might not have been a bad thing.  The '37 film was directed by John Cromwell and the '52 version by Richard Thorpe.  Thorpe must not have had much imagination or the studio was strangling the art considering how similar the films are.

Now, the first time I saw this title I watched the 1922 version and I loved it!  This is of course before sound tied the camera down and after the basic grammar had been established.  If you go to IMDB and look up Prisoner of Zenda you will note that it has been remade no less than 8 times as a film and twice more as a TV episode and series.  The 1996 version includes many references to Start Trek, owing to the presence of several alumni from the franchise.  None of these are bad things and definitely inspired me to find the book and read it.

To my surprise the look alike aspects of the King and his cousin is owed primarily to their RED hair!  It is why the king's brother Michael is referred to as Black Michael - he lacks the aforementioned red locks.  It would be fun to see a pair of twins playing these roles and to go back to the early industrialized time period in which the book is set.  Perhaps even including the much earlier introduction of Cousin Rudolf to Antoinette de Mauban, Black Michael's lover, well before he meets King Rudolf.

With today's technology this story could be made new again with all the excitement and intrigue it should contain.  Just think a wonderful clash of swords, heros riding to the rescue, the bad guy who is loved by the masses... And that was another surprise I discovered by reading the book.  The king is not loved by his people, course he is a drunk and has lived away from the country for several years, carefully nurtured by the king's OLDER brother Michael.  Couldn't we bring out that little side element in some way without losing the rest of Cousin Rudolf's challenges in impersonating the king?  Like so many other things, perhaps it is time to go back to the original work for inspiration on bringing it back to the screen.

AFI hmm.... Decisions, decisions

So it's the middle of October, and what have I accomplished since graduating 5 months ago?  Well, I made the big move to SoCal, secured an internship, and still looking for paid work to cover the necessities like gas.  The internship is fun and I have finally gotten my hands on an FCP 7 system which has enhanced my repertoire.  The camaraderie is great and I have been able to work on some fun stuff so far.  I'm just looking to make the next connection to lead to more work.  In the meantime...

Tonight I made my way to AFI, the American Film Institute, for their open house.  Being stuck in traffic for hours sucked and I missed the first half of the presentation.  I did enjoy the panel discussion that followed the short film, made by one of the alums on the panel.  It is a heady feeling having such talented people encouraging you to apply or offering assistance in making a decision to apply.

The head of the Editing/Post Department was on the panel and we spoke afterwards.  Not too surprising that there were only two in the audience tonight interested in editing.  We discussed the tools and where we wanted to go in our careers.   We even briefly covered some of the tools available to the editors.  AFI uses Avid Symphony and only the editors are permitted to use them.  Directors wanting to cut their own material are relegated to the FCP systems in the library.  I was even told that at AFI they love the editors and shower them with gifts.  Now that is a sales point!

The panel members circulated and shared stories of successes and what to expect.  The talent in the room was overwhelming.  To a person they were positive and excited about the conservatory and the life fellows live while in attendance.  You live, eat and sleep film the first year.  On the first day fellows are told to say goodbye to loved ones.  A couple of alums likened the first year to joining the military, it's that intense. 

Myself, I feel drawn to the conservatory for the networking, the intense study, and the tools.  My Avid is awesome, but to work in a professional atmosphere with other nutty editors...just wow.  The question becomes how to pay for it.  Tuition alone is $100,000 for two years.  I figure it would cost at least another $50,000 for materials, living expenses and gas.  The application fee is $85 for each attempt; you only get three.

The other concern is that there is no guarantee that I will make it to the second year.  At the end of the first year your work is reviewed and your professors decide.  Of course, being accepted is the initial hurdle after all.  The entire panel kept repeating that applicants and fellows have to find and display his/her unique voice.  To my friends in film, it is amazing what AFI offers and it is worth the application fee.  Now, I just wish I lived closer.

Graduation and Now What?

Well, it's been over a week since I graduated with my Bachelor's of Arts.  Now I'm ready to take over the world!  No, not really.  More like sending resumes out to all and sundry hoping to land a position that will prepare me for what I really want to do.  I have been applying for internships and paying gigs and so far nothing has come up.  I shouldn't be worried, but I am.  It has been three years since I worked a regular job and longer than that since I have gone through the interview process.  To top it all off I am also moving across the country to California.

Ok, CA is where dreamers and the talented all gather hoping for the big break.  To be honest I really just want to break even.  I might even find a way to split my time between LA and Cleveland.  Many of my friends are embarking on some really amazing projects.  I am a bit sad not to be in a position to help them.  In the meantime I do have an independent film to work on and more packing to do.  So why is it that I find myself knitting each evening?

You could say that I'm lonely and knitting does make the time go by faster.  My husband took a position in the LA area a couple of months ago.  So, it's just me and fur-babies.  My dogs are loving that I am here to walk them and cater to their every need.  The cats, well...the cats are cats.  They do whatever they want, whenever they want.  Mostly they keep me around because I can open the food containers and distribute catnip.  LOL


It's been hard, but in another month I will finally be westward bound.  In many ways I am ready to start this new phase of my life.

3 weeks in and...

This is the third week of classes and I am starting to feel it.  As usual there is more to read everyday, although having finished one book the rest is not as daunting as it could be.  I did drop one class because it was not advanced enough for me which was very disapointing.  Audio is incredibly important to what we do and the class was not going to cover mixing or developing layered backgrounds.  I am incredibly grateful for the education I was given at WSU, more so now because the audio protion was more developed.

I have managed to go over the documentary with a fine tooth comb with my professor.  There are a number of things to correct, some in the narration and others too.  We are both very pleased with our notes and Dr. N has offered to assist me in the future on this project.  There remains a lot more to do to flesh it out to what it really could be.  The permisions and film clips alone make my head spin.  Now if only someone could find clips of the two Race films...  I have to start the ball rolling on finacing this project or it may never get done.

This Means WAR

This Means WAR is such a fun movie and perfect for a date night.  My husband and I saw this last night at a sneak preview.  I was able to convince him to go because "Reese Witherspoon is so hot."  Or at least, he thinks so.  We decided before the credits rolled that this was a film that would be granted high honor by becoming part of our collection.  These days with streaming and downloading, we love Netflix & Hulu &..., making a DVD/BD purchase grants a special status to any film.  This is one I can't wait to share with my family!

I loved the intercutting of her freak out moment and the battle taking place in the restraunt.  The dialouge between the two separate groups of friends was funny, realaistic, and maintained the general pacing.  I did not realize Lauren's ultimate choice until it occured because my attention never wandered from moment to moment.  Any time I was tempted to "figure it out" was snatched away by the witty banter and wonderful song selection.  That alone made me wish I could have a soundtrack for my own life. 

Take a break and grab your date for a movie that will have you laughing the whole way through.

The Tripple F: Fantastic Female Filmmakers

I spent all of last fall working on a short documentary about early women filmmakers.  It was fascinating learning about their contributions and watching as many of their films as I could get my hands on.  I spent most of my time just discovering who they were.  There are a handful who are well known, like Guy-Blache and Weber, but when you start trying to associate women with the various film movements around the world it becomes more complicated.  Ever heard of Nell Shipman?  She was a Canadian lured to Hollywood during its infancy.  Shipman eventually left Hollywood and continued to make films in Idaho.  Very cool Lady!

The project itself consumed my time and nearly all of my energy.  I received my grade promptly, but my professor did not give me any comments.  Her reasoning was that she waned to go over it in detail with me.  I am immensely grateful for her time and effort.  We found 2 flaws yesterday and I verified tonight that they were in the script.  However, it took the careful ears of two people at the same time to catch it.  AND we had to rewind it twice to be certain.

My professor has told anyone who asks, and those that haven't, how pleased she is with the documentary.  Even after catching the flaws, she was very careful to remind me how good she thinks the documentary is.  I knew it had flaws, but I am proud of what I accomplished with this piece.  The information is solid, the writing is better, and I am going to turn it into a feature.  That being said, I continue to blush whenever she mentions it around me.

On Thursday my documentary class was shown two clips from the documentary.  They didn't say much about it, but it was shown at the end of the class and most everyone wanted to get away to lunch.  I had hoped to get some feedback from them in order to improve it.  I showed it to my family and they didn't have much to say and in general found it to be too fast and inaccessible.  Looks like I have a long road ahead to take this from a short to a feature.

Fortunately, I have a great group of supporters.  From my professor who is critically examining it, to my friends, to my mother they have all expressed their belief in the project.  With their support and critiques I believe this project will find its way to a festival near you.  Good luck in your own endeavors!