A New Purpose

So this blog is being revamped and has a new purpose- my journey through the USC Master's program for film production. It has already been a crazy journey.  Most of you followed my trek across the country via the Facebook album so I won't re-hash any of that here.  The group that I am part of here, the 2011 SCA Spring Graduate students, is an amzing group of people. We are a very diverse group coming from all over the world and we will all being making very different films, each with a unique perspective.  I can't wait to work with all of them.

I already have several assignements and I will be posting links to them here for you all to see. Over the next couple of weeks I will be editing a scene from Boston Legal, recreating a scene from "All the President's Men" and my P1.  My P1 is a solo project that I must produe, direct, shoot and edit all by myself.  It also must be silent, have no guns or cars and be made for less than $100. Not sure what I am going to do yet for that.

I am enjoying the benefits of being out here. I saw both The Mechanic and Sanctum before their release date for free. I nearly hit Winona Ryder as she booked across the street in her Golden Globes dress as she had illegally parked her Mercedes.  I must admit though, I hate the traffic and parking in this city. and it is always cold.  But these are trifles as this oppurtunity is beyond brilliant.  I feel like I am at Hogwarts. The way the Dean talked about how we were all hand selected and this was beyond a dount the best film school in the world.  She once joked that if all the SCA students didn't go to work one day Hollywood would shut down.  And the she realized that it wasn't a joke, it was true.  To further the Harry Potter analogy I decided that Cinematography is Charms and Transfiguration, Directing is my Defense against the Dark Arts, Editing is Potions and Sound is Herbology. Don't ask me why, it just feels right.

"Your cuts are too arbitrary Mr. Potter!"

I am working at the AMC Del Amo 18 because after a year of 80+ free movies I am not paying for movies anymore.  I am also working in the equipment room at USC. Great job as it is pretty relaxed and I get to be very familiar with all the tools at my disposal.

That's all I can think of for now but this blog will finally be updated on a regular basis because there is always so much going on I want to tell of you.  Also these posts will be prettier in the future with pictures and video but I am on the computer at work right now so I am limited.

(500) Days, (0) Nominations, (1) Angry Blogger

So the first couple of thoughts after glancing over the nominations at 8:30 this morning:

1."Apparently I am not allowed to sleep in." I am a late night projectionist at AMC but despite that there is ALWAYS something happening really early. This just may be the factor behind my insanity.

2. "The Blind Side is nominated for best picture, so is UP" The Blind Side I have not seen but that was unexpected on my part. Now on the matter of deserving it, I'll have to see it first. Now on the other hand Pixar has deserved this spot at least 3 or 4 times now and it finally has it thanks to the 10 nominee slots. It still doesn't stand a chance for the award thanks to the unfortunate attitude against animated films winning the coveted award but it's nice to see the recognition of a nomination. Plus it also is nominated for Best Animated Feature.

3. "Jeremy Renner for Best Actor" Look, I thought Hurt Locker was a very good film. Very intense, pretty original for a war film, as far as I could tell accurate as well. Renner was also very good. It's just, in comparison to many other winners, for example Daniel Day Lewis in "There Will Be Blood", there's a big difference. Watch Jeff Bridges or George Clooney run away with this one.

4. "Thomas Newman isn't nominated for Best Original Score. Neither is Clint Mansell for Moon. Randy Newman's got 2." ...
...
...
Are you telling me that there is a possibility of Randy going up two wins to nothing over his more talented cousin? This is a travesty. And "Moon" was the Best Score of the year- just saying.

5. "2012 is NOT nominated for Best Visual Effects" Hey, I agree with this!

6. "(500) Days of Summer is NOT nominated for Best Picture or Best Screenplay" Oh come on. Really? Look I could understand the Picture snub, if not condone it. But Original Screenplay? REALLY? It's only the most original "Rom-com" in decades!

7. "Avatar is NOT nominated for Best Original Screenplay" GOOD! Now all you wanna-be film snobs can SHUT UP. It's about how you present an idea and Cameron did that masterfully, that's why he is nominated for directing and the movie is up for Best Picture- where I will be rooting for it. Because it is "Best Picture"- that means everything wrapped up as a whole.

The Academy's Top 10:(not in order)
Avatar (2009)
The Blind Side (2009)
District 9 (2009)
An Education (2009)
The Hurt Locker (2008)
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire (2009)
A Serious Man (2009)
Up (2009)
Up in the Air (2009/I)

My Top 10 (and why I am angry):
1. Avatar
2. Moon
3. (500) Days of Summer
4. Up in the Air
5. District 9
6. Up
7. Away We Go
8. The Hurt Locker
9. Watchmen
10. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince


Next year's best picture:

Just kidding.

(500), Precious lead 2010 Spirit Award Nominees

2010 Spirit Award Nominees

Best Feature
500 Days of Summer
Amreeka
Precious
Sin Nombre
The Last Station

Best Director
The Coen Brothers, A Serious Man
Lee Daniels, Precious
Cary Fukanaga, Sin Nombre
James Grey, Two Lovers
Michael Hoffman, The Last Station

Best First Feature (Award given to the director and producer)
A Single Man
Crazy Heart
Easier With Practice
The Messenger
Paranormal Activity

John Cassavetes Award (Given to the best feature made for under $500,000)
Big Fan
Humpday
The New Year Parade
Treeless Mountain
Zero Bridge

Best Screenplay
The Messenger
The Last Station
500 Days of Summer
The Vicious Kind
Adventureland

Best First Screenplay
Cold Souls
Crazy Heart
Amreeka
Precious
A Single Man

Best Female Lead
Maria Bello, Downloading Nancy
Helen Mirren, The Last Station
Gwentyth Paltrow, Two Lovers
Gabby Sidibe, Precious
Nisreen Faour, Amreeka

Best Male Lead
Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Colin Firth, A Single Man
Joseph Gordon Levitt, 500 Days of Summer
Souleymane Sy Savane, Goodbye Solo
Adam Scott, The Vicious Kind

Best Supporting Female
Monique, Precious
Samantha Morton, The Messenger
Natahlie Press, Fifty Dead Men Walking
Mia Wasikowska, That Evening Sun
Dina Korzun, Cold Souls

Best Supporting Male
Jemaine Clements, Gentlemen Broncos
Woody Harrelson, The Messenger
Cristian McKay, Me and Orson Welles
Ramon McKinnon, That Evening Sun
Christopher Plummer, The Last Station

Best Cinematography
A Serious Man
Sin Nombre
Treeless Mountain
Cold Souls
Bad Lieutenant

Best Documentary
Anvil!
Food Inc
More Than a Game
October Country
Which Way Home

Best Foreign Film
A Prophet
An Education
Everlasting Moments
Mother
The Maid

Robert Altman Award
Joel and Ethan Coen for A Serious Man

This blogger is pulling for (500) Days of Summer in all categories it is nominated. My sources also have told me that Two Lovers, A Single Man, and Food Inc. are all formidable films.

Pre- Oscar Race lineup

My list of predictions for the 10 Best Picture nominees before the "Road to the Oscars" begins.

The Lovely Bones
Avatar
Moon
District 9
500 Days of Summer
Inglorious Basterds
Star Trek
Bright Star
The Hurt Locker
Away We Go ( or Up if they allow an animated film)

Hard at Work

I am hard at work on many projects right now. Some more urgent than others. But I want to give the heads up. On the back burner I am slowly working on
A.) A revamp of the Top 30 Soundtracks list
B.) A list of my choices for Best Picture for every year
and
C.) My Top 10 Films in every genre

...and Disappointment

With high expectations two brothers set out to their local AMC to find a a great film. Unfortunately "Where the Wild Things Are" disappoints. This is not to say its a bad film as we had very high hopes. It just didn't meet our high bar. What's truly disappointing though is how the potential was there. The cinematography is great. Jonze gets a phenomenal performance out of Max Records who for the most part is by himself on screen for the majority of the film. The mechanical effects from the life size puppets is so lifelike that the visual just take you in. The sad part is the emotion kicks you back out. The creatures aren't likable enough and the pathos is so sporadic you feel like your emotions are being thrown around like a bad rag doll. You want to have a good time and that lollipop of fun is pulled away every time you are within its grasp. Basically the film doesn't want to commit itself one way or another. The film definitely has it's moments and is a visual stunner so I would like to recommend it and just remind you it's a good film, just not the great one it could be.
3.5 out of 5 Stars

Excitement

I am seeing "Where the Wild Things Are" tomorrow morning. YAY!