I would love to hear how/if you have discovered a rhythm or guidelines for what gets blogged instead of journaled or tweeted etc…

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.

Unlike most of the initial reviews, I’ve actually had a couple weeks to use it and see how it holds up in day-to-day life. Here are the notes I’ve made along the way:

• The touch screen is very fast and responsive; it never lags!
• Multi-touch would be a welcomed addition, particularly for zooming. The “double tap to zoom” feature isn’t awesome, though it’s not frustratingly horrible either.
• Occasionally it scrolls down the page when you just try to tap something. I haven’t had this problem much lately, so I think it was just a matter of getting used to how it responds to your tap.
• Android (the phone’s operating system) is VERY impressive! The innovation behind Google is something I already endorse every day via Gmail, Maps, Calendar, etc… Knowing they are behind my phone’s interface is very reassuring.
• I love the way it syncs with my contacts from Gmail and Facebook. All of my Gmail contacts were showing up in the phone when I left the Verizon store.
• Contact grouping minimizes repetition in your list. If you have multiple entries or email addresses for someone it will automatically combine them into a single contact. However, it did get rather confused when it saw that I have an uncle named Steve Elliot…
• Until the most recent firmware (or Android) update on December 11th it had recurring problems syncing with google. The remedy linked above wasn’t working for me, and it kept giving me the error message. Fortunately it has worked flawlessly since the update. (This makes me VERY happy!)
• The Android Market is abundant, though not as plentiful as the iPhone App Store.
• There are three keyboards:

1. Virtual Vertical: A bit too small for my fingers. I’ve gotten better with it, but I still can’t type as fast as I would like. It is however great for one-handed use.
2. Virtual Horizontal: my personal favorite. I can access the buttons easily and the keys keep up with my typing as fast as I can go.
3. Slide-out QWERTY: it’s all right, though not spectacular. I frequently hit multiple keys at a time (on accident) when typing on it. I do love the multi-directional arrow pad though. I will often slide the keyboard out just to use it. It makes it much easier to reposition the cursor wherever you need it.

• The keyboards disappear when changing orientation, so you have to tap the text field to get it to pop up again.  This is mildly annoying.
• Auto-complete is excellent and doesn’t get in the way. Ninety-five percent of the time it gives me exactly the word I meant to type. I don’t have to waste time correcting the idiocy of auto-complete.
• The Body Glove case (optional accessory) is the perfect balance between a rubbery grip and a hard case. It’s nice that you can still slide out the keyboard, but it makes the top row of keys a bit harder to hit (for my big fingers). It makes the overall size of the phone appear much bigger than it really is. (I will be using the phone without the case for the next week to see which I prefer.)
• Slide out keyboard means moving parts, which means more places for dust to creep in.
• Dedicated “Back” button makes everything better.
• Multiple windows in Browser is revolutionary! It works just like tabs in Firefox. It’s one of the best examples of Android’s ability to run multiple tasks/apps simultaneously.
• Perfect response time for switching orientation to/from vertical to horizontal. No waiting and shaking like the iPhone.
• The built-in LED flash is fantastic. I don’t care for the direct flash in my photos, but it can be used as a flashlight with some of the apps. It’s much brighter than a screen whiteout.
• I wish it would allow one more row of icons on the home screen. There is a lot of wasted space –particularly if you use Widgets.
• Names and info from your contacts are automatically added to the user dictionary. Makes life easier.
• Speaker volume almost seems inconsistent. Sometimes it’s too loud and other times it’s not loud enough. (I guess there are a lot of variables to consider though –ambient noise, connection strength, recorded volume, etc…)
• Screen resolution is very impressive. Sharp detail and easy readability. Bright enough to see clearly outside on a sunny day.
• There needs to be an option to disable the camera sound. Unless you put the Media Volume on silent the camera’s “shutter” sound is loud and annoying.
• Accelerated scrolling is very well weighted. Makes it very easy to get through a long list or page without a lot of finger flicks.
• The Facebook app leaves much to be desired. It’s not intuitive at all. Just opens the browser for most commands.
• I can “Bump” with iPhones, thus making me a part of the cool kids club.
• The Chipotle app is not currently available for the Droid. …That is almost a deal breaker for me. =)

The obvious comparison: If the iPhone has taught us anything it’s that cell phones aren’t just for making calls any more. Ultimately it comes down to the various apps available, and currently Apple has a better offering.

The iPhone has proven that consumers are willing to put up with a second-rate carrier (AT&T) to get the bells and whistles of the hardware. Verizon finally has an impressive phone on their great network, but I don’t think anybody expects it to actually replace the iPhone. At least there is now a comparable alternative.

Conclusion: I LOVE the Droid! It’s been a remarkable tool for me, and has drastically increased my productivity. At the end of the day, it depends on what you’re looking for in a phone. I personally wanted to be able to check email, surf the web, and have GPS for local searches. I haven’t downloaded a single game, song, or movie on my Droid even though I can. It’s just not important to me right now.

If all of your friends have iPhones and you want to be like them, get an iPhone. If you’re on Verizon and want a great phone, get a Droid.

Each year all of the Gaylord Hotels do a thing they call ICE! (all caps with the exclamation point, if you wanna be picky).  Basically they setup a tent, chill it down to nine degrees Fahrenheit, bring in two million pounds of ice, and then sculpt it into a totally awesome winter wonderland.

But, you may be asking, how do you keep the temperature at nine degrees in a tent?!  And why does it have to be nine degrees if water freezes at 32?…  Honestly, I don’t have a clue.  What I do know, however, is that it’s worth checking out!  It would be an understatement to say that it’s impressive.

Aside from the amazingly detailed sculptures and the sheer volume of the work involved there are four slides made entirely of ice.  Just to make sure it was safe for kids I decided to test it out myself.  …five times to be exact.  =)

I was pleasantly surprised at how non-miserable the temperature was.  Don’t get me wrong, nine degrees is butt cold!  However, it is certainly bearable.  The wonderful thing is that there is virtually no wind.  Your toes will inevitably freeze stiff if you don’t keep walking –I did a little running man dance action to keep the blood circulating to my toes; now I just wish I had video of this…

Anyway, I’m rambling.

Moral of the story, if you’re near one of the four Gaylord Hotels this Christmas season, be sure to check out ICE!  You’ll be glad you did!

P.S.  I heard that one of the hotels is doing a Charlie Brown Christmas theme this year for ICE!  Needless to say, I’m SOOO jealous!  Hmm…  Hey Gaylord, do you need someone to photograph that ICE!?  I know a guy… =)

Tomorrow I’m finally making that happen.  In 7 hours I’ll be getting on a bus headed to New York with little more than my camera and moleskine.  Life is too short to keep putting it off.  Can’t wait to see what happens…

I gotta say a big thanks to my friends Rodney and Lacey for subtly encouraging me to pursue this simple dream.  I’m so thankful to have friends who inspire me!

…meh.

It’s been over a week since I saw it, but judging by the fact that I didn’t feel compelled to write a review immediately (as is normally the case), one could safely guess that it didn’t leave too big a mark on  me.  In a nutshell the movie was forgettable. The day after I watched it I had to jog my memory just to recall how it ended.

I should mention that my familiarity with the GI Joe franchise is nothing to brag about.  I was always more of a Lego kid than a GI Joe fella, but still, you’d have to be living under a rock for the last 30 years to not know a thing or two about GI Joe –it’s iconic!  Personally, I think that set the wrong tone for the film.  If they had given it some random title and therefore distanced it from the nostalgic icon then I think it would be a decent flick, not necessarily great, but decent nonetheless.  They set the expectations much too high for this film making it an easy target for critics, not unlike Transformers.

It has always seemed to me that GI Joe was based in reality, an exaggerated one, but reality nonetheless.  Isn’t the motto “A Real American Hero” after all??  Sadly this movie runs 180 degrees from that; it’s pure science fiction no matter how you slice it.  Personally I had an easier time believing that Spiderman was real.

On a technical note, I have to say that the film had some really sweet transitions in it.  The visual effects team pulled off some very sublime storyshowing by creatively bleeding one scene into the next.

And that’s all.

SPOILER ALERT!! For realz, if you haven’t seen the movie then you shouldn’t read this one yet.

From the very first moment of the film I found myself saying “Wow!”  It was a five second animation that was not only very well crafted, but also set the stage as an elegant recurring theme –perhaps even with a bit of foreshadowing.  It had texture and character and an articulate way of getting the point across.  Like a well-designed logo, it was simultaneously simple and subtle.

The next thing that jumped out at me proved to be one of the greatest strengths of the film.  Unlike most movies, this one gave the audience a simple tool for understanding how all the pieces fit together.  Namely, they gave us a clear 500-day timeline.  At any point in the film the audience was given a solid understanding of context. They didn’t tell us everything up front, but rather they gave us glimpses of what lies ahead and what happened in the past.

Personally I think that was a revolutionary decision.  One of the inherent differences between a book and a movie is the sense of time.  In a book the author can pause time, fill in as much back story as needed, and then pick up right where it was paused and the reader never misses a beat.  In film, however, we have this built-in understanding that time is still moving forward because we are seeing events unfold in front of us.  500 Days of Summer tackles this problem brilliantly!  They used a visual tool –the timeline– to give the editor liberty to juxtapose virtually any two scenes and have them make sense.

Rather than using cliche flashbacks, dream sequences, or text overlays like “Three months earlier,”  which can get redundant if not confusing, the use of the timeline allowed the filmmakers to focus on enriching the story without having to worry about whether or not the audience will be able to follow along.  Additionally, it opened up new opportunities to add extra touches for humor and subtlety.  It’s a fantastic juxtaposition of imagery!

I’m not really sure how to phrase this, but it felt like the film had its own personality.  Some people are blessed with a tremendous ability to tell stories; they know how to captivate their audience by giving them just the right details at the right time –not just a chronological rundown of events.  This movie feels the same way.  It’s a masterpiece of storyshowing!

The director and editor seem to have a very keen grasp of film as a visual medium.  Though the movie is full of dialog, the actors never had to explain anything because we got to see everything firsthand.

The audience never sees Summer’s husband, and I think that was a very wise decision.  We don’t really need to know anything about this guy –all we know is that he’s not Tom and therefore we don’t like him, so we don’t need to waste time developing his character.

The split-screen effect of Expectations Vs. Reality was pure genius! They brilliantly wove together the elements of Anticipation, Action, and Reaction. Most filmmakers would have done a canned dream sequence, but Marc Webb (director) creatively raised the bar here. The voice over and the Expectations built the anticipation perfectly.  The Reality showed the action, and then we were all taken by surprise with the reaction (ie. engagement).  You could demonstrate it like this:

1. Anticipation = voice over + Expectations
2. Action = Reality
3. Reaction = “Whoa! I did not see that one coming…”

The fact that the film chose to focus on the dude rather than the girl, to me, gave it a lot more credibility.  Us guys can relate to it because it’s a chick flick about a dude who’s not perfect. Heck, he’s not even Mr. Right.  Like it or not Summer was “the one that got away,” yet the story never loses sight of Hope.  It keeps looking forward.

In the final scene when Tom meets a new girl I found myself doubting the potential.  After all, we spent a year and a half falling in love with Summer, and then this new girl arrives on the scene and is supposed to change all that?  Fat chance!  I had come to the conclusion that he would never find another girl like Summer, and just when I was ready to hang my hat Autumn comes and changes everything…

around 11:30 AM -  “Um, BOTH twitter and facebook aren’t loading for me. …maybe that’s really not so bad after all.”

12:38 – “Wedditing like a boss today.”

2:17 – “Twitter simply refuses to update from the web today.” (I actually started typing that one on my phone until I got distracted by gchat)

3:24 – “Just posted new photos on flickr and facebook! Russell Family Photos http://tinyurl.com/mcapqe “

5:22 – “Sweet action! I got 3 packages today! Refurb’d flash, removable hard drive trays, and a sample album.”

5:28 – “Mad props to Nikon for repairing my flash for free even though the warranty expired two weeks prior. Thing looks brand spankin’ new! #NikonFTW”

6:02 – “Heading out to teach a lighting ‘workshop’ for the folks at Marsden Media!  …although really it’s just a few friends getting together to play with speedlights.”

SPOILER ALERT!  I’m just sayin’…

The finished film landed perfectly between the rich, polished feel of Hollywood and the simple, raw feel of indie.  It had solid actors and the cinematography and lighting  were very well done, but the story is simple and they did a really good job of making the filmmaking seem simple as well.

The main characters felt like very real people wrestling with very real questions.  …even if they did find themselves in some odd situations.  I really connected with John Krasinski’s character (Burt).  I feel like he anchored the film very well and gave the audience an entry point for all of the strange, awkward, and humorous scenes the film contains.
     Verona, the other main character played by Maya Rudolph, kept reminding me of someone I know but couldn’t place.  I think that’s a testament to her acting as well as the scriptwriting.  Her story and persona felt close to home, yet she was distinct enough to be her own person.  Together, they were a couple that was approachable and average, yet interesting and entertaining.

The sexual references were dangerously close to being overkill.  In a movie like this you expect there to be some sexual humor, and for the most part they executed it well.  However, for a short time I began to wonder if the film was turning into more of a diary of all the awkward sexual conversations they found themselves in.  In my opinion there needed to be a little more humor that wasn’t about sex, or at least spread it around as it seemed a tad too concentrated in the middle of the film.

The entire soundtrack comprised songs from a single artist, Alexi Murdoch. … Actually, I just checked Amazon and it looks like the soundtrack contains a few songs from other artists, though they might be “inspired by” type songs; I dunno –probably should research this more.  My point is that all the songs had a similar feel and I think they complemented the picture perfectly. Having a single musician compose all the songs really added to the simplicity of the story and wove a consistent thread throughout the film.

The dialog felt a little forced at a few points, not cheesey but cliche perhaps.  These moments happened most frequently when the characters were recalling stories and memories from their past.  What they were effectively doing was building some history behind the story/characters, but it felt a little too much like a text book version of character development.
     I think the real problem has nothing to do with the dialog itself nor the actors.  Rather, the story was butting up against one of the inherent limits of filmmaking, that is the fact that dialog does not work well in a visual medium.  Filmmaking is “storyshowing” not storytelling, to borrow the term from Richard Pepperman.  My guess is that they realized this weakness in the script pretty late in the process.  They would have to substantially re-write it to avoid the dragging dialog scenes, or they’d have to fork over a lot more money to show the stories as opposed to telling them in dialog.  I’m really not sure what I would have done in this case, and it’s very possible that they picked the best option.

I can’t help but wonder what the editing and directing process looked like when they were working on the ending of the film.  It felt like they filmed multiple endings and then decided to use them all. *insert light bulb “ah ha!” moment…
     The first “ending” (referring to the scene on the trampoline) felt like an ending because there were no stones left unturned.  Everything had more or less been resolved at that point and I fully expected the credits to roll.  However, the film picks up and Verona opens a can of emotion and gets the ball rolling once again.  THAT was the problem. That scene should have taken place much earlier in the film because she sets the stage and then they resolve it in the very next scene.  There really wasn’t enough time between the setup and the callback to make it as strong as it could have been.
     Also, I would guess that the first “ending” was never intended to be concluding scene at all.  Rather the actors delivered such a stellar performance coupled with a building song from Alexi Murdoch that it just happened to feel that way.

All in all, I really enjoyed the film.  It’s not for everybody, and it’s not without its shortcomings; but I personally am a sucker for a good, simple story.  It was raw enough to feel like an independent film, but not raw to the point of being distracting or poorly done.  I’m already looking forward to the DVD release hoping to hear the director’s commentary.

Here’s why…

For starters, I have an absurdly wide foot.  I have always had a hard time finding shoes that fit.  Wes, the owner of Tri City New Balance, was able to find a shoe that was a perfect fit on the first try.  In fact, they might very well be the best fitting pair of shoes I’ve ever had.  I was amazed that Wes was able to determine what would be best for me without ever meeting in person.  He clearly knows what he’s talking about.

So far they have held up surprisingly well.  Granted, I’ve only had them for a little over a month, but compared to my last NB experience these new puppies are in a whole new league.  I’ve taken them out for some hiking, walking, biking, and playing some friendly football.

The laces on them are ingenious.  They  appeared to be somewhat lumpy, but when I stopped to consider why I realized that they stayed tied (and tight) better throughout the day because of the bumps in them.  Unlike every other shoe I’ve had, these don’t feel like they gradually loosen by the end of the day.  It’s subtle, but it makes all the difference.

The only thing I don’t like about them is the little plastic “N” on the sides of them.  I think they could have done a better job incorporating it into the design of the shoes, but as it is, it feel like they designed the shoe and then said, “Shoot, we’ve got to put our signature ‘N’ on here somewhere.  …ah, just glue it on the side there.”  After examining it further it’s clear that it was more intentional than that, but it still feels cheap for an otherwise fantastic shoe.

Man!  All this talking about ‘em makes me want to just put them on and go run around or something  =)

Thanks again to Wes for reaching out to me and changing my opinion of New Balance!  I’m a fan and I would gladly recommend them to others.  Shameless plug, baby!