*Spoiler Alert – The rest of this review will completely ruin the movie for you, so enter at your own risk.

The movie begins with pure blackness, long enough to make me think the DVD froze. …and then you start to hear some noises. Banging, shuffling, heavy breathing, and eventually the clinking sound of a Zippo and you find yourself all up in this dude’s personal space. It’s cramped, awkward, and pretty dang frustrating not knowing what’s going on. We don’t know why, when, where, or how. All we know is that we seem to be buried alive inside a wooden box.

From there the story unfolds more or less in real time, and the timing of it all is impeccable. Both the actor and especially the editor did a phenomenal job of letting the audience stop and think along with him. He was never given hero status by quickly coming to a solution or knowing exactly what to do. It was a linear, real time story and that made it all the more believable.

For the first 20 minutes or so I kept waiting for some sort of flashback, something to take the story outside of this coffin and into the wide world of cinema, but that never happened. The entire film took place inside a box. A cramped, dark box. The idea is almost too simple for me to wrap my mind around. How could one possibly film a compelling story without ever leaving a six foot box? Surely there would be some reason to take the audience out. I desperately wanted a glimpse of something else, but they never gave it to me. Honestly I think that is the most brilliant thing about the film. By keeping the audience trapped inside the box with him, I got pulled into the depravity of the situation. I found my mental response shifting from, “Okay this is just a movie,” to “Enough already! We need to get out of here now!”

Given that the entire film only showed a single character the acting had to be dead on, and Ryan Reynolds nailed it. His performance was very convincing.

There were times when I questioned the dialog, but the more I think about it the more I realize that it’s mostly just a difference of opinion and survival skills. This led to times where I was nearly shouting at the screen saying, “Seriously dude, tell them this…” Come to think of it, most of the conversations he had on the phone made me angry. …but I’m realizing now that perhaps that was the point all along –to get me to feel what he’s feeling.

Alone, confused, angry, helpless. I definitely felt all of those emotions during the film. I can’t think of another movie where I have been able to relate to a character so much without having been in the same situation myself. (That kind of blows my mind, by the way.)

No doubt they ran into a lot of obstacles while filming because there are only so many ways you can entertain an audience inside a box, but they employed some brilliant camera angles to keep us engaged and to propel the story. I was also really impressed with the lighting. Most scenes appear to be lit by only a lighter, cell phone, flash light, or glow stick. A few scenes appear to have some subtle additional fill light, but it is all blended very well. The did a great job leveraging the color temperature of each light source, giving a subtle change in mood with the different color tones.

The soundtrack was another strong point of the film. There were definitely moments that completely lacked music, but it was obviously done on purpose and aided the story. The music never took over the scene, but it played as a great supporting role in an otherwise one-man film.

There are two things about the movie that are horribly out of place. The first being the snake scene. They worked hard to make everything believable up until that point, and then they smashed your sense of reality. They might as well have had a baby unicorn pop out of his pants. Even though it was a good dramatic change of pace they would have been much better off showing the snake entering the coffin rather than just somehow appearing in his pants without him noticing.

The other awful part was the song selection during the credits. The whole movie was one rough emotional rollercoaster and then those feelings come to a screeching halt before they have a chance to sink in. There is no way this song selection was happenstance and I would love to hear a good reason why it made it in the final film. For me, it killed the mood and I quickly reached for the mute button.

Aspiring filmmakers can learn a lot from this movie. For starters, the whole thing is filmed inside a box; this practically makes the set of Phone Booth look like the expanse of Middle Earth. You’re probably not gonna need a big budget to pull it off, and you don’t have to spend much time lighting the scenes. More importantly though they stripped away all of the unnecessary elements of filmmaking until they were left with the very core of storytelling: A character with a purpose and plenty of conflict. This movie proved that if you focus on those things then you don’t need all the other stuff. Find a simple story and show it well. Done.

In conclusion it’s a brilliant, creative, and thought provoking film. It’s one of the most interesting and dynamic films I’ve ever seen. By dynamic I mean that it will mean different things to different people. What you get out of it will be different than what I did. It doesn’t attempt to answer any questions, nor leave you with any particular thought. It’s a simple, fascinating story that left me wanting more and nothing else at the same time.

Now, the thing I want to point out is how intentional they were in choosing the perspective for each shot. It starts with a very low vertical panning shot. This immediately distinguishes him as a prominent, powerful individual regardless of the fact that he’s probably 4 years old and 3 feet tall. That said, the right camera angle can in fact make you look younger, thinner, more powerful, and all that. The trick is to learn how to communicate that from the right perspective. (Hint: photographers would do well to study cinematography.)

Also, notice the camera height on the majority of the shots. Almost all of them were shot at the kid’s eye level, and that was by no means an accident. This helps bring the audience into his world and see things as he does. The number one mistake I see in photographs of children is that the photographer was too lazy to kneel down and see eye-to-eye with them. Do yourself (and your subject) a favor and put yourself in their shoes. Your images will be much better for it. (Hint: This also applies when shooting animals.)

There are two shots taken from a higher perspective, and there is very good reason for those as well. Around the 8 second mark he is wielding his powers against an object much bigger than him. By shooting from high above and looking down they exaggerate the proportions and communicate that this little kid isn’t one to back down from a challenge. He’s shooting for the moon. Then halfway through the commercial they include a shot looking down on him in the kitchen almost as if to remind us that his mom is just humoring him. I don’t think it’s mere coincidence that these two scenes appear when they do. There’s a timing and sequence to it all.

Even the shot of him running past his dad is still on his level. Heck, his dad’s head is cut out of the frame because it’s not important. The story is all about the boy; there is enough context to communicate that the man is his father, but everything beyond that is unnecessary. Find your story or subject and then keep the audience’s attention focused on that.

Simply put, it’s one of the most incredible shows I’ve ever seen. …and it taught me a lot about filmmaking (more about that below).

For starters, Synetic is a “physical theater,” and while I don’t know exactly what that means it’s quite clear that this is not theater as you typically know it. In the case of King Arthur, there is not a single word spoken in the entire show. It’s a dramatic visual experience unlike anything I’ve seen before. … Come to think of it, most of the mind-blowing performances I’ve seen never say a word –anybody seen Cirque du Soleil or Stomp?

Since there are no words, they have to rely on strong visuals and creative storytelling to get the message across. They definitely employed some tricks that are amazingly simple, yet unfamiliar to most theater goers.

The actors themselves probably have substantially different resumes than your average Broadway star. A pretty face and a great accent aren’t good enough here. These people have to be in mad physical shape! I asked a couple of them after the show if they had dance backgrounds or what, and one of the co-stars simply said, “football.” It’s a physically demanding show and they make it look easy.

Oh! and did I mention that the whole show is performed on a water stage?! As if lights, sound, choreographed dancing and fighting weren’t enough, they do it all ankle deep water. It’s a remarkably unique experience, and it marks the first time that a show has engaged my sense of touch. For those like Lacey and I who sat in the splash zone, you’ll want to bring a poncho. …for realz.

Lastly, I found myself wishing I knew more about King Arthur legends.  I feel like I would have appreciated the show more and would have likely noticed more subtleties in the plot.

Anyway, enough talking; check out the trailer and then do yourself a favor and go see one of the last four shows before it’s too late.

P.S. I’ve included my observations about the show below. I would recommend that you go see it before reading any further. I wouldn’t want to spoil anything for you.

Within the first 10 minutes of the show I pretty much decided that I will make a point to see all of the shows at Synetic, and the reason is because they have a solid understanding of visual storytelling.  Filmmakers should really take note. Learning to communicate and tell a story visually is the very essence of film! As a photographer who ultimately wants to make films, the more I can learn about this the better I’ll be.  I’m sure there is much I can learn from these guys.

If I have one complaint about the show, it would be this: I wish they had a bigger budget to work with.  I think there are a couple areas that would have benefited from more funding.  Such as:

• Props.  The stage was extremely well thought out.  They transformed it in so many ways using primarily a few pie-shape “rocks.”  I applaud the creativity and resourcefulness here.  However, I’m a stickler for details.  Some of the props seemed a little “wiggly.”  Some of the larger background pieces looked a little funny when they were being moved into position.  I couldn’t help but imagine the person hiding behind it trying not to be seen, and that pulled me out of the show at a couple points.  Also, I was sitting in the front row so those halfway back may not have even noticed.
• Music:  To be fair, the music was the first thing that caught my attention and made me think, “Oh man, this is awesome!.”  However, about halfway through the show I wondered exactly how they made the soundtrack.  Most of it was a hybrid of sound effects with some melodic rhythms thrown in.  I was actually quite impressed by the unique style of it, but the more I listened the more I thought something was missing.  I think the show would benefit from a specific musical theme, something like the soundtrack from an epic Hollywood film.  It would be nice to walk out of the theater humming a theme song, but unfortunately there is no such thing.  I would love to hear a composer like Hans Zimmer craft the music for this show…

The water stage was a truly unique experience.  They did a good job of using it to embellish the story without making it some sort of gag.  In fact, I think it would still be an amazing show without water.  I personally thought there was a little lag in the middle where the water stage wasn’t necessary, but they picked up the pace shortly thereafter and had me captivated by it again.  It really makes the show a sensory experience, not just the usual sight-and-sound combo.

The lighting was phenomenal!  Many of the scenes are lit primarily with the actors holding flashlights.  It’s brilliant!!  Not only does it just look awesome, but it gives the actors a tool that is usually reserved for the stage director; they use the light to let the audience know where to look and what’s going on.  There was one scene in particular where Arthur was holding two flashlights; he flipped one around to point at what he was looking at while the other one pointed to his face.  It was so simple, yet such a terrific example of anticipation, action, and reaction –those are the very nuts and bolts of visual storytelling!

I’d love to hear what you think!  Go check it out and then let’s talk.

Recently I designed one for Ellen and Brendon’s wedding.  They got married on a snowy day in December (DC’s biggest snowfall in years! …until Snowmageddon in February, that is).  Unlike any other DVD cover I had done thus far, they specifically requested that the design resemble the cover of Field of Dreams.  Before I saw it, I thought, “This will be a piece of cake.  The hardest part of a design is figuring out how to arrange everything, and in this case I’m just mimicking another layout…”  Then I Googled “Field of Dreams dvd cover” and became less than excited.

For starters, it’s one of the tackiest movie designs I’ve seen in a while.  To complicate things there are three variations of it.  Basically, I had to take the essence of this and force it into my style.  To make things even more difficult, I failed to do my research beforehand so I had no pictures of either the bride or groom posing like Kevin Costner here.

In the end, the three variations actually helped.  Finding the consistencies between them allowed me to boil the design down to the most basic elements: person in the middle, text overhead, big circle, and implied triangle.  Here’s what I came up with. What’s the verdict? Does it look Field of Dreams-ish?  (Note, back cover was an open design.)

P.S. I’d be happy to talk in detail about the ins and outs of making a DVD cover. Pipe up in the comments if you want to see more detailed posts like that ’round here.

Nevertheless, I walked out of the theater and couldn’t seem to stop making notes about it (which have now been polished into the blog post that follows).

SPOILER ALERT! Enter at your own risk…

I’m speechless…
Never before have I been so awestruck by a film.

Technically Speaking…

The movie blew me away! I don’t suppose I can realistically classify myself as anything more than a special effects enthusiast –maybe hobbyist on a good day– so I tend to mentally unpack visual effects shots in an attempt to imagine how it was created. While watching Avatar, my brain just locked up. I couldn’t even begin to guess how they created everything.

Yet, the technology never eclipsed the story. It wasn’t about doing something that had never been done before. It wasn’t a build-up to a special effects climax. It was merely what was necessary to tell the story in the best way.

James Cameron very wisely waited until the time was right to tell this story. He knew he needed to let his ideas simmer and percolate for a few years before he could make this film without compromise.  He definitely made the right choice.  It makes me wonder how many other stories have been told prematurely and suffered because of it…

Enter Pandora…

The story takes place in an alien world called Pandora. The concept artists did an outstanding job of creating a world that is completely extraordinary, yet totally believable and strangely familiar. This greatly aids the audience’s ability to connect with this foreign world and helps us leave our preconceived notions of reality back on earth.  Yet it is loaded with all the trappings of good fantasy –giants, floating mountains, planets, moons, spirits…  It all feels so magical, yet it’s not presented as magic; it’s simply the order of nature on Pandora.
     Imagine if you spent your whole life on Mars and then came to earth and saw birds, waterfalls, flowers, and even humans for the first time. Don’tcha think it would all seem magical?  That’s what Pandora is. It’s a magical reality.

The subtleties of the fantasy world really helped sell it as a believable place. The special effects really sing when you take your eyes off the obvious things and notice the attention to detail that is prevalent throughout the whole film. I think this is most clearly demonstrated in the night scenes, namely the rays of light emitting from footsteps.

It seemed like a lot of the wonder came from massive scale differences. One of the most simple yet awesome examples of this is the HUGE tree where the [avatars] live. It is such a commanding presence, yet it looks just like any tree you’ve seen before. Another scene involved enormous vines that were twisted like a DNA double helix. Again, it’s amazing, but not completely foreign.

In addition to the visual imagery, Pandora is rich with history and culture. Similar to Lord of the Rings an entire language, religion, and way of life was created for the film.

About halfway through the movie I found myself hoping it wouldn’t end any time soon. I wanted to keep discovering this new world.

The Story…

The film itself is partially told as a sort of self documentary, giving it a more personal feel than I expected from a Hollywood blockbuster. Even some of the camera work suggests the notion of a personal video diary –handheld zooming and panning shots, as well as some shots that resemble web cam footage. It subtly adds a personal touch to the film.

Unlike most sci-fi/action flicks in recent memory, Avatar’s story is king. It’s deep, and it slowly unfolds in front of you. It shows two parallel worlds in similar fashion as The Matrix, but takes it a step further by overlapping them. A key shift happens when Jake Sully says that “the real world” feels less like reality than his avatar world Na’vi. Not surprisingly, I began to feel the same way as I watched from my seat.

Eventually you find yourself on the side of the Na’vi and, if you’re anything like me, actually start hoping that they will demolish the humans. It’s amazing how the film leads you to cheer for the destruction of man. If that doesn’t demonstrate the influential power of film, nothing will.

Surely some people will say this is manipulation, or brainwashing, or politics; I’m saying it’s phenomenal storytelling! It leverages our territorial instincts to protect what we know and what we care about. By getting emotionally invested in the Na’vi culture our allegiance shifts from what we know (i.e. the human race) to what we have grown to love (i.e. the Na’vi). Personally, I think it’s brilliant!

Miscellaneous…

The horse-like creatures didn’t feel right. Their movement seemed very unnatural to me. That was the only thing that reminded me that what I was seeing was largely computer generated imagery.

Colonel Miles Quaritch (aka the bad guy) was perfectly played and scripted. You respect him, but really want him to be dead already. Very good tension built between him and Jake Sully.

Oh! Yeah, um, apparently Michael Jackson had a cameo in this movie. Trudy Chacon, the rebel pilot chick, looks way too much like MJ in some shots. I have to believe this was purely an accident, because it seemed so very out of place.

There were no stones unturned. Every element that was introduced served a purpose by the end.

It absolutely acknowledges the spiritual realm. I’m glad to see this thread woven into mainstream stories like this although I’m not suggesting that it paints an accurate picture of spirituality. It adds another layer to the story, making it that much more intricate and deliberate.

Jake’s handicap almost subconsciously helps you cheer for him. His avatar provides an escape from his human condition and gives the audience an ideal, underdog hero. It creates an emotional entry point without committing much screen time to develop.

The Director of Photography deserves a nod from the Academy here. There were so many sweeping camera moves that really aided the story without feeling like gimmicky 3D. Many of the action sequences involved long takes that actually showed what was happening. …unlike the cheaters behind Transformers. (Don’t get me started…) By clearly showing the audience what is happening they evoked many involuntary responses –”Holy wow!” “Are you kidding me?!” etc… Remember what you thought when you saw the World Trade Center slowly collapse on 9-11? Well, it’s kinda like that; it pulls a response out of you.

Conclusion…

I LOVED it!

Everything about it was so well done. My brain has been spinning with questions and ideas since I walked out of the theater. It has inspired me to learn and develop the craft of filmmaking and storytelling on a whole new level. That alone is worth the price of admission.

Actually, that’s a lie.  None of that happened.  The real story goes like this…

I had some leftover rental gear, and I was determined to put it to use.  I had no idea what I would shoot, but I had a location in mind and I knew I wanted an emphasis on creative lighting.  My friend Brandt Siegel saved the day by  joining me at the last minute.  We got together and made the most of it with no particular goal in mind; we just got off our butts and started taking pictures.  Here is what we came away with at the end of the day.

Around 2:00 AM that night I was transferring the photos to my computer when I came across our Matrix reenactment photo and thought, “Oh man! Wouldn’t it be cool to Photoshop some bullet ripples in there?” and then I thought, “Heck, I could animate it into a visual effects shot.”

So that’s what I did.

It’s been so long since I’ve done anything creative with animation or visual effects, and I’ve really been wanting to push myself lately.  Needless to say, I made it a priority this time and now I have something to show for it.

I kinda doubt that any of my readers really care to hear the detailed explanation of how I made this, so unless a few of you pipe up I’ll skip that part and move on to my closing thoughts.

I’m most proud of:

• The color correction
• The sound sync
• The look of the bullet trails
• The cut-out of me (particularly my hair and out-of-focus gun and hand)
• The fact that it’s done even though it never had to be

On the other hand, if I had more time I would change:

• The lifespan of the bullet trails.  They are too short for my taste.
• The Depth of Field and Motion Blur of the bullets.  They are too sharp since I did not render with either DoF or MB.
• The dynamic interaction with the background.  I tried to hide this by overlapping the bullet trails or making them disappear behind me, but it simply wasn’t worth the effort to make realistic bullet holes for this impromptu personal project.

All things considered, I’m very pleased.  My only goal was to make something creative, and this is far above my expectations for a last-minute photo shoot.  Huge thanks to Brandt for going along with me on this random adventure!

It started off as a gorgeous day with white puffy clouds, and it stayed that way all day until about 45 minutes before the ceremony was supposed to begin. Dark clouds rolled in and it began to pour right at 6:00 o’clock.

Fortunately it passed over in about 15 minutes and we were able to hold the ceremony outdoors. In fact, the rain and the cloud cover were the perfect ingredients to make the pictures lush and colorful. For me, it was a blessing in disguise.

I couldn’t be more impressed with Michael and Laura’s attitude. They took everything in stride and they seemed thrilled just to know they would be married when all was said and done.

Big thanks to my lovely assistant Amanda for getting some excellent shots!  I really wish I could claim her photos as my own.  =)

See all the photos here on Pictage.

Anyway, last night we filmed the interview, and I figured I’d share a bit of it here…

It’s been a while since I’ve done much video stuff, so I was happy to be behind a video camera again. I guess I had forgotten how much more gear-intensive videography is than photography. Not only is the equipment itself bigger, but there is the entire audio component that you don’t even have to think about with photography.

We didn’t want the interview to feel too formal, so we opted to film it at a friend’s apartment. By the time I set up the camera and the two light stands it started to get a little crowded, but we still worked it out.

Here’s a better look at my setup:

By the way, the above setup was re-positioned slightly for this photo.

As you can see I used a Canon XL2 as the main camera on a Bogen tripod with a video head. I also had a smaller one-chip camera that I used to film the interviewer, but it’s not visible in this shot. The lights are the Lowel OmniLight Kit. The light on the left was my back/rim light and the upper-right my key light. I used two microphones just to make sure I was getting some clean audio –one wireless lapel mic, plugged into the camera; and a second lapel mic plugged directly into a MiniDisc Recorder. There’s some noise on the wireless mic –I attribute that to my minimal experience with wireless– but I got a nice recording on the MiniDisc, so I’m happy.

Finally, here’s a freeze-frame from the footage:

Setup and tear-down took longer than the interview itself, but that’s just part of the job sometimes. It felt good to be behind the video camera again, and I’m thankful for the opportunity. There is still some editing to do, but it’s been enjoyable so far so I’ve got no reason to complain =)

You can view all the photos and order prints from Pictage now!

Special thanks to Amanda for helping me capture this lovely wedding! =)

Not only did I get to know the attendees, but I also got to know the videographer who was covering the event along-side me.  At some point I had mentioned that I do motion graphics, so, long story short he asked me to make an upbeat intro for him.

I always enjoy working on something new and different, and this was no exception.  My After Effects skills are a little rusty.  Then again, I don’t pump out nearly as much AE content as some people.  =)  Nevertheless, it was a fun change of pace.