Just a little taste of our ghost hunting "reality" project. SEE! We are working on stuff.
Paranormous Intro
Just a little taste of our ghost hunting "reality" project. SEE! We are working on stuff.
Just a little taste of our ghost hunting "reality" project. SEE! We are working on stuff.
Opinion: Batfleck??
First of all, I'm not here to rip Ben Affleck. The guy is a huge talent who found his groove and has proven himself as a top-flight director.
My first thought when I heard the news was that this is a risky move for Warner Brothers. Affleck is a fine actor in the right part. But, in my opinion, he doesn't submerge himself in a character the way a Christian Bale might and you need to go in deep to play a convincing Batman. Ben Affleck the actor has a sweet spot and I think Batman falls outside that spot the same way Daredevil did. The further you diverge from his natural persona, the tougher it is for him. I think Affleck as Batman is similar to a choice like Clooney as Batman. However, I don't think he'll kill the film.
Now, after a day of thinking about it, I actually think Affleck is the one making the bigger mistake. After a roller coaster career of triumphs and embarrassments, this guy has been cruising on all cylinders lately. I can't remember the last mistake he made. Gigli is a long-gone memory and no one thinks of him as some goofy guy that wrote Good Will Hunting and was the less successful half of "Bennifer." Ben Affleck is now firmly established as the serious and highly-esteemed, academy award nominated director. No one in recent memory has done a better job of rebranding themselves. In my opinion, he puts that all in jeopardy by putting on a cowl and cape at this point. And let's face it, no one has any idea how this Superman/Batman thing is going to play; not even Warner Bros. The thing could be good (...maybe) or it could be a dumpster fire.
I'll sum it up by saying, I don't think it was the most inspired choice by the WB. I don't think he needs it. I think it's a risk. But, I hope he knocks it out of the park like all his recent efforts.
Office Games: Posterizing
Two weeks in a row with a new office game? You kids are lucky. So far, this one is possibly the simplest, the most childish and, consequently, the most fun. I'm a little disappointed I didn't post this a couple years ago because apparently this game is a thing now (as you can see by the more complicated example above). I know we aren't the only guys to "invent" it, but we didn't rip it off either. So, let's talk about Posterizing...
First, play at your own risk. I bruised a guy's spine at our office. Sorry, Harvey Couch. (Note: Kids, if you see someone coming through the lane with a head of steam, clear out of there like an aging Patrick Ewing. Get out of that poster! Do NOT cower in fear and back into someone's flying knee.) I don't want any lawsuits flying around if dunk fests break out across the nation.
I'm not sure exactly how the game originated, but I know it started in Blanding Tower at the University of Kentucky (probably in 1997) with myself, J.R. Zinner and John Saylor. At that time, I think the game largely consisted of "dunking" on someone with an empty two-liter Sprite bottle. Today, the game has evolved and found its true element in the office environment. Are you ready to play?
The Rules
Okay, you see this?
1) Pretend there's a basketball goal up there.
In fact there is a goal above every doorway/threshold in your building. Anytime someone is crossing that threshold, they are attempting to block your shot.
2) Do what comes natural.
Ball, no ball, substitute ball... it doesn't matter. Dunk on their souls.
Dance parties never broke out after we did it, but there was definitely plenty of screaming and jubilation when someone got crammed on in spectacular fashion.
Indie Wednesday: Spike Jonze
In honor of Spike Jonze's new film "Her" (the trailer for which looks fantastic), I thought I'd share one of Spike's short films on this Indie Wednesday.
We've all seen lone shoes abandoned in the streets and this short has the answer if you've ever wondered... How They Get There. (That's the title, see. See what I did was... It was like I was finishing the sentence but also--)
Also, in a Batman-ing update, Michael Startzman is walking into his office about right now to discover I'll be at home editing Paranormous all day.
DJ Sweat's News and Notes 8.19.13
So, hey, have you heard how much money DJ's are making? For the top guys and gals, the cash flow is apparently astronomical. I ran into this last night and I'm still fairly baffled. David Guetta made 30 million dollars last year. That's Alex Rodriguez money. When did this happen exactly? And is there much, much more skill involved than I'm aware of?
Deadmau5 (somebody shoot me for knowing to use a 5 instead of an S) makes $200,000 per night. I'm now highly upset that I didn't continue my career as the replacement "DJ Sweat" after Derek Emerson retired from the GWA.
Paranormous
The one and only thing happening in the compound this week is the Paranormous edit. Wait... Scratch that. We have a quick final shoot tonight in Danville and THEN it's nothing but editing.
We made good progress last week. Hopefully we can wrap it up this week and get a DVD in the mail on its way to Paducah. I've always wondered if late-deadline submissions are ever actually accepted. Unfortunately we'll be conducting that experiment this year.
And so, I leave you with this...
Indie Wednesday: Hitting the Cycle
One thing we like to spotlight here is anything that connects film and the state of Kentucky. Therefore, I present to you the trailer for J. Richey Nash's independent feature, Hitting the Cycle. The city of Lexington plays prominently and it's interesting to see the production value put into the movie. The trailer is a tad long and the pacing is off, so I'm guessing it isn't a fair respresentation of the film as a whole.
Office Games: Batmanning
I came into work one day and found his signal, but the Batman was nowhere to be found.
It's been awhile since we've given you an office game to liven up your workday. This one is fairly straightforward, but it's fundamental to involve only the coworkers you like. Otherwise, people will just think you're a jerk and/or you'll get fired.
Batman is mysterious. He lurks. You never know when he'll pop or when he'll vanish. It can be fairly annoying to those who know him (and therefore to your coworkers as well). From this moment hence, you shall be the Bat!
So far, there are two versions of the game...
Ditch the Commish
You know the drill on this one. Commissioner Gordon is chattin' it up with Batman; for some reason he always turns away. Then, he wants to ask Batman a question and POOF, dude is gone and Gordon is all alone like a chump on an empty rooftop.
So, the next time somebody wants to tell you all about this or that at work, come in and hover close to the door. Wait for your opportunity and, as soon as they're not looking, POOF... slip out of there like a ninja. Who knows, maybe even try it in a meeting. Can you imagine the points for Batman-ing an entire room of people?
Bat Signal
If you're like me, you need friends to get through a day at the office with a semi-positive attitude. That's why it's a big deal if one of them takes a day off. And if you didn't know they were going to take the day off before you showed up, then things can get ugly for morale. Let's just say my friend (we'll call him uhhh... Michael Startzman), let's say "Michael Startzman" just loves to take take days off without warning.
I'm not sure if he did it on purpose initially, but it soon became one of his favorite pastimes. I came into work unsuspectingly one morning to find the post-it note pictured above on my monitor and Startzman out for the day. Not cool, Batman. But... it did make me chuckle.
So, I fully encourage you to entertain yourselves by channeling your inner Batman. Yes, technically the game is just about being a jerk to your coworkers, but the key is doing it with style. Feel free to grow and innovate. Get creative and take the game to new heights! (But, then be sure to share the results with us.)
Whatever you do, just don't do this...
ShootLocal's News and Notes 8.12.13
I'm going to start today with a little ray of light for indie filmmakers like us. Then, I'm going to follow that up with a call to action. I've looked at a hundred filmmaking apps and I have yet to find one that sets my world on fire. Artemis came close maybe, but the clouds parted recently. Enter ShootLocal.
You can find great locations to shoot all over the world. The time saving alone could be tremendous. The key is to have plenty of users in your area and that is your call to action. Photographers and videographers and filmmakers out there, you have to use this thing for it to be one of the best tools I can imagine on a filmmaker's smart phone.
I did a test run this weekend and the process is very simple. Take a couple pics (up to four), add some keywords, and the app charts the location on its own. Presto. If nothing else, it's a great way to catalogue favorite spots just for our own records.
Believe it or not, we don't have location scouts on staff. If we get stuck while we're out running and gunning on a Space Cops shoot, I can pull out my phone and find some perfect, hidden gem that you posted...? How great is that?
So I call on all you filmmakers; especially in Kentucky, Southern Indiana, and Southern Ohio. Not just that; let's get the initiative started. Spread the word! I'm not asking you to flood the app with every other block in your town. On the contrary, I think that would be counterproductive. Personally, I think the beauty of the app is that it hopefully keeps me on the lookout for special places and perfect backdrops for composition that I might have otherwise passed by.
Paranormous
A small, but important ghost-hunting update. This week will encompass the bulk of editing on our pilot. It's do or die time. Basically, if we make enough headway this week, we'll have a chance to make the Rivers Edge Film Fest (late, late) deadline. If not, no chance. (Wish us luck!)
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| Fact: B Long never wears a shirt. Ever. |
That's it for today, folks. We'll see you back here tomorrow for a new Office Game.
Indie Wednesday: Whitehorse City Council
This is no spoof. This is the real deal. Right now you're wishing your City Council had half the amount of bad @$$ this one does. But it doesn't. And it can't. Because you don't live in Whitehorse and that's just the way they do things in Canada.
I'm betting Whitehorse City Council meetings get triple the ratings of any other community cable televised meeting in North America (which would bring the total viewers up to 3).
News and Notes 8.5.13
No time for much of a News and Notes column today. I'm in the middle of the 8-5 grind and, as soon as it's over, I'm headed to Danville to wrap up our Paranormous shoot. If everything goes to plan, we'll be out and about, haunting cemeteries and small liberal arts colleges. So, be on the lookout, Danvillians.
I also just noticed I've been spelling Paranormous incorrectly on this blog. I'm a doofus.
If you're jonesing for more to read this morning, I highly recommend Allen's breakdown of his day at Fandomfest 2013. It's hilarious and a great look inside the geek-culture phenomenon of modern day "cons". We posted Part Two on Saturday, but you can read them both right here:
Fandomfest Experience
Part One
Part Two