via nytimes.com
That celebrated 75-year run from mainstream to niche photography is scheduled to come to an end on Thursday when the last processing machine is shut down here to be sold for scrap.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
THIS is the kind of thinking we need: House sequesters carbon, before and after building - Hempcrete House [Pics] PSFK
via psfk.com
Think about it. Structures that actually reduce carbon in the atmosphere through completely passive means.
And all jokes aside ("This house is totally DOPE!"), it's another example of how versatile a product hemp is.
When generations down the road look back, they're going to wonder why we didn't start thinking sooner about how what we build impacts and integrates with the rest of the planet.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Longest Photographic Exposures in History
image via itchyi.squarespace.com
I've always been fascinated with the scale of human time as compared with geologic or cosmic scales. We generally forget that we as individuals are here for an eye-blink in comparison with family bloodlines, which are an eye-blink to cultures, and on out into the concentric circles of Earth, solar system, galaxy and universe.When it comes to photography, we usually think in terms of "moments", and occasionally "time lapse" – a series of moments captured and displayed one after the other in series, forming a kind of Cliff's Notes of time.
But these beautiful, mesmerizing photographs, by German photographer Michael Wesely, are continuous exposures, created by leaving the shutter open and exposing a single negative for up to two years or more.
They are somewhat disorienting; it's hard at first to connect the changes to the three-dimensional matter with the flow of time through the frame.
Time-lapse is simpler for us to relate to. Capturing flashes of time, it shows us a series of easily-digestible bites. We enjoy playing them back at a pace at which movement is rapid, and sky scrapers are constructed in just a few seconds. It seems unreal. But there are people visible in the moments. Substantial humans, frozen a narrow slice of time. Their presence creates a temporal hand-hold.
In these long exposures, though, humans become less than ghostly, their bodies making no apparent mark on the film. In an exposure lasting more than a few minutes, people start to fade. And at this time scale, the things that humans work so hard to build have become fluid... some older parts having coalesced, others just a finger-painted smear across the ground.
But trees remain. And the perceived spiral of the sun remains, as we spin like a toddler, to the point of dizziness.
The volumes of time poured into these exposures, though, are still easy to grasp. We can picture a few years' worth of life in our heads. A couple of birthdays, a few holiday seasons, a handful of family trips. For the most part, things are the same when we return to an old haunt. A new store or a few new homes may have been added, and some humans may have been added or subtracted, but most landmarks – or, more accurately, most "humanmarks" – are still around. A little worse for wear, perhaps, but persistent in our eyes and minds. Still solid. Comfortable.
A year or two on film is something we can still wrap our heads around.
But what if we expand the scale? Wesely says he could theoretically create exposures of 40 years or more. Impressive... but still within memory span for most people. And still within the span of most lives.
What if we were to expose a negative to capture time on a scale that can only be "understood" by the objects that have survived it? Look at the longest exposures on this page, then close your eyes, and try to picture these:
• A 300-year exposure of Washington, D.C. – A few apparitional buildings and monuments, but mostly Potomac and trees.
• A 1,000-year exposure of a grove of giant redwoods – No tourists driving through holes in trunks, and no lumberjacks. Just monstrous stems and a thick cloud of leaves.
• A 200,000-year exposure of the Earth – No evidence of humankind. Just... the Earth.
• A 70 million-year exposure of the Grand Canyon – A very big, very blurry dent in the planet.
• A 4.5 billion-year exposure of the solar system – A bright disk, surrounded in the distance by the faintest, soft, orbital halos.
• A 13 billion-year exposure of the Milky Way – No spiral arms, just a fuzzy spot on the negative.
• A 15 billion-year exposure of the universe – I'll leave this one completely to your mind's eye.
Words like "solid" and "permanent" and even "ancient" tend to lose their sense of longevity once we start widening our gaze a bit.
And words like "ephemeral" and "fleeting" or phrases like "life is short" take on an entirely new perspective.
Just as the shutter is held open, these photographs hold open a window onto a larger sense of who and where and when we are. And they deserve to be explored for as much time as you can spare.
. . . . . . . . .
Thanks to Stefan Klenke aka itchy i for posting the images, and for a great article.
Posted via email from The Flow
Saturday, December 18, 2010
How design – and not just of visuals – yields dramatic results. - TED: Jacek Utko on saving newspapers
via ted.com
Another example of how great design – applied to every aspect of a product, not just the visual aesthetic – can create a major improvement in quality, usability, and sales.
The end result: industry awards... and 29% to 100% increases in circulation.
All businesses in the U.S. – not just newspapers – should listen closely to this talk.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Glass Microbiology | Luke Jerram
via lukejerram.com
An incredible series! Another beautiful example of the intersection of art and science...
Posted via email from The Flow
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Milton Glaser on using design to make ideas new
via ted.com
The great designer Milton Glaser -- always insightful, always entertaining -- on poster design, process, and presentation.
From the TED archives: "The legendary graphic designer Milton Glaser dives deep into a new painting inspired by Piero della Francesca. From here, he muses on what makes a convincing poster, by breaking down an idea and making it new."
Friday, December 3, 2010
Senator Bernie Sanders' Brilliant Speech
via youtube.com
This is a man who knows what's what, and isn't afraid to say it. If, after you watch this, you still think your legislators are right to vote for tax breaks for billionaires and corporations, then either you're a billionaire, you're a big corporation, you're a lobbyist, you're a legislator with pockets full of lobbyist cash, or you're a candidate for involuntary commitment.If, after you watch this, you think your legislators are right to vote for tax breaks for billionaires and corporations, then either you're a billionaire, you're a big corporation, you're a lobbyist, you're a legislator with pockets full of lobbyist cash, or you're a candidate for involuntary commitment.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Nielsen finds live action "more effective than animated ads"
via blog.nielsen.com
For ad agencies thinking of saving money on actors: Nielsen finds live action "more effective than animated ads across all major demographics".
Posted via email from The Flow
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Tell Discovery Communications to cancel Palin! "Drill, Baby, Drill" comes to Discovery?
The media conglomerate Discovery Communications used to be known for their earth-friendly offerings. But they’ve just paid millions to Sarah Palin to host a “nature” show, despite her decidedly anti-environmental stance: She vocally advocates for habitat-destroying oil drilling, she denies global warming is a human-caused threat, and she spearheaded a brutal wolf-slaughter program as governor of Alaska.
Giving anti-environmentalist Sarah Palin a television platform like this runs entirely counter to everything Discovery has always been about.
Unless the network plans to expose her as the land-raping globe-heating dolt that she is, this show needs to be canceled.
Regardless of the angle, paying this imbecile $1.2 million per episode is nothing short of obscene.
Was Discovery Communications bought by Rupert Murdoch when I wasn't looking?
Sign the petition for cancellation!
Tax Day 2010 Freebies
via mashable.com
From free tax form copies at Staples to free coffee at Starbuck's, and from pizza to PF Chang's, there are some free (or discounted) goodies you can reward yourself with for being a prompt taxpayer. Check 'em out at Mashable...
Friday, April 9, 2010
The Cave Restaurant by Koichi Takada Architects » CONTEMPORIST
via contemporist.com
Now THIS is smart design. We've all been in restaurants that have great energy, but where it's impossible to hold a conversation due to the noise level. This architectural firm has used the kind of acoustic software used to tune concert halls to create an atmosphere that allows intimate conversation while maintaining that nice background buzz. The restaurant is called "The Cave"... But it could just as easily be called "Monstro". Now, hopefully the cuisine will live up to the look and sound...
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Is anyone really surprised? - RNC document mocks donors, plays on 'fear'
The Republican National Committee plans to raise money this election cycle through an aggressive campaign capitalizing on “fear” of President Barack Obama and a promise to "save the country from trending toward socialism."
The strategy was detailed in a confidential party fundraising presentation, obtained by POLITICO, which also outlines how “ego-driven” wealthy donors can be tapped with offers of access and “tchochkes.”
The presentation was delivered by RNC Finance Director Rob Bickhart to top donors and fundraisers at a party retreat in Boca Grande, Florida on February 18, a source at the gathering said.
In neat PowerPoint pages, it lifts the curtain on the often-cynical terms of political marketing, displaying an air of disdain for the party’s donors that is usually confined to the barroom conversations of political operatives.
The presentation explains the Republican fundraising in simple terms.
"What can you sell when you do not have the White House, the House, or the Senate...?" it asks.
The answer: "Save the country from trending toward Socialism!”
Manipulating donors with crude caricatures and playing on their fears is hardly unique to Republicans or to the RNC – Democrats raised millions off George W. Bush in similar terms – but rarely is it practiced in such cartoonish terms.
One page, headed “The Evil Empire,” pictures Obama as the Joker from Batman, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leaders Harry Reid are depicted as Cruella DeVille and Scooby Doo, respectively.
The document, which two Republican sources said was prepared by the party’s finance staff, comes as Chairman Michael Steele struggles to retain the trust and allegiance of major donors, who can give as much as $30,400 a year to the party.
Under Steele, the RNC has shifted toward a reliance on small donors, but the document reveals extensive, confidential details of the strategy for luring wealthy checkwriters, which range from luxury retreats in California wine country to tickets to a professional fight in Las Vegas.
The 72-page document was provided to POLITICO by a Democrat, who said a hard copy had been left in the hotel hosting the $2,500-a-head retreat, the Gasparilla Inn & Club. Sources at the event said the presentation was delivered by Bickhart and by the RNC Finance Chairman, Peter Terpeluk, a former ambassador to Luxembourg under President George W. Bush.
The RNC reacted with alarm to a question about it Wednesday, emailing major donors to warn them of a reporter’s question, and distancing Steele from its contents.
via politico.com
It's been painfully obvious for quite some time, but now the RNC has graced us with a document that puts in writing their own special brand of institutionalized, systematic fear mongering... while at the same time demonstrating just exactly who the "elitists" are. Displaying mind-boggling contempt for its own donors, not to mention smacking of race-baiting, this is the sort of thing that should be the undoing of a party. But given the fact that so many in America seem to be more than willing to believe the GOP's lies, it's very possible that no one at the top -- save, perhaps, Michael Steele -- will be dislodged from their corporation-insulated ivory towers.Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Neanderthals everywhere mourn: G.M. to Close Hummer
DETROIT %u2014 Hummer, the brand of big sport-utility vehicles that became synonymous with the term %u201Cgas guzzler,%u201D is being shut down after a deal to sell it to a Chinese manufacturer fell apart, General Motors said Wednesday.
G.M. said only that its planned sale of Hummer to the Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machines Company %u201Ccannot be completed,%u201D without giving a reason, but the $150 million deal had been stalled as the companies awaited approval from the Chinese government. G.M. had been trying to sell Hummer for a year, and struck a preliminary deal with Tengzhong last June.
The two companies had planned to close the deal by the end of January, then delayed the deadline by a month in the hopes of getting the green light from China.
%u201CWe have since considered a number of possibilities for Hummer along the way, and we are disappointed that the deal with Tengzhong could not be completed," John Smith, G.M.%u2019s vice president of corporate planning and alliances, said in a statement. "G.M. will now work closely with Hummer employees, dealers and suppliers to wind down the business in an orderly and responsible manner."
It was the third time since G.M. emerged from bankruptcy protection last year that a deal to sell one of its unwanted brands collapsed. The company is shutting down Saturn after a sale fell through, and it began to halt operations at Saab after an agreement with Koenigsegg AB in Sweden was called off. G.M. later reached an agreement with a Dutch company, Spyker Cars; that deal closed Tuesday.
G.M. also is closing Pontiac but it never attempted to sell that brand.
G.M. said it still would honor Hummer warranties and provide service and parts to current Hummer owners worldwide. Hummer has nearly 400 dealerships globally.
The deal would have made Tengzhong the first Chinese company to sell vehicles in North America, though it planned to keep Hummer%u2019s operations in the United States.
via nytimes.com
...and people of conscience everywhere rejoice.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
A Brief History of Pretty Much Everything
via youtube.com
So it turns out that doodling in class can IMPROVE your grades! This is a great example of straight-on flipbook-style animation. Crude in some ways, but sophisticated in others. And definitely fun!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Just for fun -- fourfour: Mirror Scare: A supercut
Cliches don't work because they're so overused. But sometimes they do work, for the same reason. (Hey, I have no answers here. Just making an observation.) Here's a bunch of cliches -- horror / thriller / suspense movie mirror scares -- cut together into a series. Which is, in itself, a cliche, which could be called a "Workman". (Hey, did I just coin that?) Regardless, enjoy!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Dick Cavett Meets John Wayne Meets... Noel Coward?
Dick Cavett on his career in television.
Tags:
john ford, john wayne, lauren bacall, noel coward, woody allen
(Warning: Good friends have refused to believe a word of what I’m about to relate. Your credulity is about to be strained.)
The setting was the Universal lot in Hollywood, and I was preparing a prime-time special to be called “Dick Cavett’s Backlot U.S.A.” We’d somehow lured Mae West out of her most recent retirement. We had Mickey Rooney and Gene Kelly. We needed another big-name guest.
Someone came in with a message and casually dropped the words, “The Duke is shooting over on the Western street.”Associated Press John Wayne during a scene from the 1976 movie “The Shootist.”
Astonishing, hilarious, and idol-reinforcing. A must-read for fans of any of the three celebs in the title!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Henrietta Lacks’ ‘Immortal’ Cells | Smithsonian Magazine
An absolutely fascinating, compelling story, from both scientific and human standpoints.
The new book is "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks", by Rebecca Skloot.
Monday, February 1, 2010
The eBook Wars, Part 2 - Amazon to Macmillan: You Win (for Now)
via mashable.com
Note Amazon's language here: "Macmillan has a monopoly over their own titles..."
A "monopoly" isn't the correct term. Macmillan simply has exclusive rights to the titles. But Amazon chose to use a word that has extremely negative connotations for consumers, in an attempt to paint Macmillan in the most negative light possible.
Now, I'm not siding with Macmillan here, and I'm certainly no lawyer, but I have to wonder if Macmillan's legal types might toy with the idea of a business libel suit. Maybe that one word's not enough, and maybe Macmillan is happy enough that they won the round... But to me, that's a little more than plain-vanilla spin.
I'm just sayin'.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Apple vs. Amazon: The Great Ebook War Has Already Begun
via mashable.com
If Amazon refuses to give publishers a bigger cut, will they be shooting themselves in the foot? Probably not. They're the 800-pound gorilla of physical book sales. At some point, publishers have to cave. Amazon has already pulled many McMillan titles after the publisher asked for the same deal Apple's willing to give them.
Once the dust settles, this could mean better prices for consumers... But will an eBook price war only serve to accelerate the downhill slide of paper book sales? In any event, there's going to be some confusion in the marketplace as Amazon, Apple, and publishers all jockey for position.
There were some online music vendors... and then long came the iPod and iTunes.
Kindle was the first decently successful eBook reader... and then long came iPad and iBooks.
Could be deja vu all over again.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Free book summary via WashPost/getAbstract (registration req.): 'Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty'
This is a new weekly feature in the Post-- summaries of leadership books via getAbstract.com.
This week's book is "Leadership in the Era of Economic Uncertainty" by Ram Charan. On the Post page you'll find a review of the book by getAbstract chairman Rolf Dobelli, and a link at the bottom leads to a free 2,500-word summary of the book at getAbstract.
You'll need to to give getAbstract your e-mail address since they mail the summary... and undoubtedly are building a mailing list. But it sounds like a list I wouldn't mind giving my disposable e-mail address to... You can learn a lot about a book in 2,500 words.
Monday, January 25, 2010
If you don't laugh at this, I suggest you find a good therapist. -- Pringle of Scotland Animation by David Shrigley
via youtube.com
Now THIS is a commercial. (Well, a short film, but a promo nonetheless.) The perfect thing to watch right before going to bed. End the day with a laugh, I say!
"Pringle of Scotland has commissioned artist David Shrigley to create a humorous short animated film about life behind-the-scenes at Pringle to celebrate the brands return to Milan Fashion Week.
"The animation, showcased during Pringle of Scotland's menswear show in Milan on 18th January, depicts the making of jumpers and cardigans over the past 195 year history of the Scottish brand."
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Enlightening article if you design menus, or order from them! How restaurants entice us - Menu design secrets - (The Guardian)
via guardian.co.uk
I've designed a few menus in my time, but had obviously not learned the Jedi mind tricks that the masters use. Time to study up... but will it mean using the Dark Side of the Force?
Posted via web from The Flow
Beatles Infographics (via @Guy_Kawasaki, then via @Alyssa_Milano)
Fantastic infographics, fun for Beatles fans (like me) and infographics fans (me again).
I'll definitely be exploring this Flickr group. If I only had another 20 hours in my day, I might be contributing something... But these guys seem to have it more than covered.
(And no, I'm not joking about the retweet chain...)
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Caprica premiere doesn't disappoint
via syfy.com
As a long-time science fiction reader and watcher, I have to say that I'm relieved... The team that brought us the modern day retelling of the Battlestar Galactica story has managed to match the quality of that now-retired show-- or maybe even top it in some ways.
It looks like SyFy's new series Caprica will honor many of the great "traditional" science fiction themes with great intelligence and depth. It's a real breath of fresh air (as was BSG) compared to many of the low-budget, badly-written, badly-acted pics shot in 3 days in eastern Europe, slathered with some crude CG, and piped lukewarm onto the screens of SyFy viewers.
A strong cast, strong writing, and the strong production and post-production values of BSG have imprinted on this new show, which could be even more mature than BSG. If future episodes are as good as the pilot, we're in for some exciting exploration of culture, politics, religion and human nature all wrapped in a fine dramatic ride... not to mention a few scenery-blasting robots-gone-berserk now and then.
So, even though the presence of the ECW has dropped SyFy's IQ like a rock with a lobotomy, maybe Caprica is the brain transplant the network needs.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Now, the MoveOn.org petition: Stop the flood of corporate money into our democracy
Sign the Petition
Full petition text:
"Congress must act now to make sure voters--not corporations--have control of our elections. Pass public financing to make our elections fair."
via pol.moveon.org
I'm doing everything I can to wake up Congress on this vital issue. Please add your voice!
Post-SCOTUS-Meltdown Petition: Tell Congress to ensure fair elections!
While purportedly acting in the name of free speech, the conservative portion of the court has managed to take a huge step toward stifling the speech of individual Americans. Corporations must not be allowed to dominate the dialog in our democracy.
Please sign this petition!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
SCOTUS rejects limits on corporate campaign spending (Wash. Post)
Corporate America is once again empowered and emboldened by the right. By "upholding free speech", the conservatives on the SCOTUS bench further stifle the individual voices of the American people. One more step toward the corporate state. Rollerball, here we come.
Monday, January 18, 2010
FBI broke law for years in phone record searches
E-mails obtained by The Washington Post detail how counterterrorism officials inside FBI headquarters did not follow their own procedures that were put in place to protect civil liberties. The stream of urgent requests for phone records also overwhelmed the FBI communications analysis unit with work that ultimately was not connected to imminent threats.
Is there anyone who can honestly say they're surprised by this? And... Meuller didn't know? Seriously? Is my skepticism showing?
'Avatar' passes 'Star Wars' for 3rd place - and helps choke out the future of the indie?
'Avatar' passes 'Star Wars' with $491.8 million domestically
The Force is now with James Cameron as the 3-D epic
Associated PressJanuary 17, 2010 | 10:58 a.m.
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James Cameron's "Avatar" had a $41.3 million weekend to shoot past "Star Wars" as the No. 3 movie on the all-time domestic box office charts. Next stop, "The Dark Knight."No. 1 for the fifth-straight weekend, Cameron's sci-fi saga raised its domestic total to $491.8 million and should top $500 million after revenues are counted on Martin Luther King Day, according to studio estimates Sunday.
Worldwide, 20th Century Fox's "Avatar" lifted its total to $1.6 billion, second only to Cameron's last movie, 1997's "Titanic," at $1.8 billion.
"One guy makes two movies in 10 years, and they're by far the biggest movies of all time. That's remarkable," said Chris Aronson, head of distribution for the studio.
"Avatar" topped the original "Star Wars," which took in $460.9 million domestically in its original run and several reissues over the years. But factoring in today's higher admission prices, "Star Wars" remains well ahead of "Avatar" on actual number of tickets sold.
"Avatar" now is closing in on "The Dark Knight," No. 2 domestically with $533.3 million. After that, only Cameron's "Titanic" at $600 million will remain ahead of "Avatar" domestically.
"We'll be proud of our No. 3 slot," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros., which released "The Dark Knight" and has hopes for more in the Batman franchise from its director, Christopher Nolan. "I can just give Chris Nolan a nudge that he's got to raise the bar."
Warner, which has Nolan's sci-fi tale "Inception" with Leonardo DiCaprio opening this July, had a strong No. 2 debut of $31.6 million for its action thriller "The Book of Eli." The movie stars Denzel Washington as a post-apocalypse prophet carrying the last known Bible to safe haven across a decimated America.
Expanding nationwide after a month in limited release, Paramount's drama "The Lovely Bones" came in at No. 3 with $17.1 million. Directed by "The Lord of the Rings" creator Peter Jackson, "The Lovely Bones" features Saoirse Ronan, Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz and Stanley Tucci in the story of a murdered teen looking back on the world from the afterlife.
Lionsgate's family action tale "The Spy Next Door" debuted at No. 6 with $9.7 million. It stars Jackie Chan as a newly retired agent forced back into the spy game when bad guys come after him and his girlfriend's kids.
Like "Titanic," which dominated the Academy Awards 12 years ago, "Avatar" is expected to remain aloft in the box office charts as Oscar season progresses. "Avatar" was up for best drama at Sunday's Golden Globes and is considered a likely best-picture nominee when Oscar nominations come out Feb. 2.
"It's kind of the cherry on top of the cake for this movie to not only be a massive box office hit, but to get all this awards attention," said Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com. "It's hard sometimes to get a 50- or 60-year-old out of their chair to go see a science-fiction movie in 3-D. But if 'Avatar' gets enough recognition from the critics, they may just do it."
Fox executive Aronson would not say if the studio expects "Avatar" to pass either the $600 million domestic total for "Titanic" or its $1.8 billion worldwide total. Some box office watchers say "Avatar" could climb as high $2 billion, though.
"'Titanic' was a ship. Batman had a motorcycle. 'Avatar's' a rocket ship," Aronson said. "Is there a lot of fuel left in the tank? You bet."
Even if "Avatar" sets a new revenue record, it's doubtful it would sell as many tickets as "Titanic" did because of today's higher admission prices.
"Titanic" sold about 130 million tickets domestically based on average ticket prices of about $4.60 back in 1997 and 1998. Based on today's average domestic price of about $7.50, "Avatar" would be at around half that mark.
Average admission prices for "Avatar" likely run even higher, given that much of its business comes from a 3-D version, which costs a few dollars extra to see.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Tuesday.
1. "Avatar," $41.3 million
2. "The Book of Eli," $31.6 million
3. "The Lovely Bones," $17.1 million
4. "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," $11.5 million
5. "Sherlock Holmes," $9.8 million
6. "The Spy Next Door," $9.7 million
7. "It's Complicated," $7.7 million
8. "Leap Year," $5.8 million
9. "The Blind Side," $5.6 million
10. "Up in the Air," $5.5 million
Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times
Related stories
From other L.A. sources
- ’Avatar’ passes ’Star Wars’ with $491.8M in US|abclocal.go.com
- ’Avatar’ Passes ’Star Wars’ $491.8M In U.S. Sales|cbs2.com
Around the Web
- Should Studios Adopt the James Cameron Model of Moviemaking?|bloggingstocks.com
- ’Avatar’ rules again with $68.3 million|courant.com
- ’Avatar’ rules again with $68.3 million domestically, tops $1 billion worldwide|chicagotribune.com
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via latimes.com
While I really liked Avatar, and it has good things to say, and it's an amazing technical achievement... I'm not sure it deserved the Golden Globe. That -- along with the pic stacking $1.6B+ globally -- will only encourage studios to pass up smaller films and go for the event movie even more often.
...Unless we all (no, really, ALL) remember to go to the smaller-budget movies and show that their margins can be high on a percentage basis.
Unfortunately, many distributors seem so very enthusiastic about buying smaller pictures, then fail to come through with even a modest marketing push, gambling that a website and a tiny viral campaign will allow them to get away with spending (risking) next to nothing.
So, could it be that we -- as active social networkers, bloggers, and texters who can spread the word about the little indie gems -- could be responsible for the success or failure of the smaller movie in theatrical distribution?
Or will all small movies eventually be relegated to disc-only release, while the theaters become the exclusive residence of the mega-tentpole, 3-D, Scent-O-Rama extravaganza?
True, movies of scale work better on a big screen, and IMAX is pretty amazing. And indies seem to tend to be scaled more for an intimate setting like your living room. But there's nothing like seeing even an intimate movie with a decent-sized audience for that collective experience... not to mention the emotional power of the big screen and the sound system. Plus the fact that somebody else gets to clean up the spilled popcorn later.
And all this is without even touching on decent budgets -- and local production -- keeping solvent the workers in the factory town known as LaLa.
One worries about these things... Not just because one makes at least part of one's living from the industry. But also because there really isn't any substitute for going out to the movies.
-------
[Then again, I wonder if the box office comparison to Star Wars is in inflation-adjusted dollars...]
Monday, January 11, 2010
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Bad late-night ratings - Good news for scripted television?
via nytimes.com
NBC's local affiliates' late-news ratings have beaten the winter Olympics skiers to the bottom of the hill... and they're not happy about it. So, after the closing ceremonies in Vancouver, there will be a shuffle in the network's team lineup.
"The network has a plan in the works to restore Jay Leno to his old spot at 11:35 each weeknight for a half-hour, while pushing the man who replaced him, Conan O’Brien, to a starting time of 12:05 a.m. Mr. O’Brien would then have a full hour."
While there's no mention in this article of what would fill the 10pm slot, I'm hoping that scripted shows could be given a chance. Okay, call me a dreamer... But creativity doesn't have to be incredibly expensive to produce... and so-called "reality" can never take the place of a well-produced comedy or drama.
Oh, sure, they can try.
But if the execs open up to new concepts and stop rehashing old formulae, they could actually find the cost/viewership balance with something more than an ersatz tribe of misfits stranded in the middle of nowhere, trying to out-dis each other in front of an army of cameras.
Time for me to get that spec pilot back on the front burner...
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Robert Downey Jr.’s Shapeshifter Holmes (NYT)
via nytimes.com
Can't wait to see this one -- for better or worse. For the record, I'm a Jeremy Brett man. But I can be flexible. Just hoping Ritchie and Downey haven't utterly destroyed the character.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Resolving to make resolutions -- #1: Read more
My friends and clients tend to think of me as being terribly tech-connected, but there are a few glaring gaps in that rep. Still no TiVo--afraid I might watch too much TV. And I'm cheap. Still no iPhone--thinking I might wait for Verizon service. And I'm cheap.
But today, I slapped some virtual spackling compound on one gap: I finally joined Audible.com, downloaded Malcolm Gladwell's "Blink" as my first audio book--and was hooked on both the book and audio books in general by the end of the 11-minute introduction.My sensitive ears don't really dig the compression (at least on this title?) but I got used to the subtle burbling after a couple minutes. I can tell I'm going to be catching up on a ton of sorely-missed reading.I'm still cheap, but I think the price per month including 1 book is going to be well worth it.I'm plotting to start more positive stuff like this in the new year. After more than half a century, I think I'm finally giving into the new year's resolution thing. Somehow I feel safe now that it's not just a passing fad.Any and all audio book recommendations are welcome!
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