Day: December 20, 2008

Categories
Truly Free Film

They Now Admit They Were Wrong

A little more than five years ago, the creative film community rose up in rebellion against the MPAA and Hollywood Studios anti-trust violation known as “The Screener Ban”.  It ended in what was a successful law suit that I not only got to testify in, but had the good fortune of meeting the love of my life in the process.  Quite a win, I say.

It was difficult initially to get some people to question the wisdom (or motives) of those that wrote the paychecks and controlled the gateways of distribution.  Producers, directors,and  organizations like the IFPs joined together and The Ban was rescinded by the force of law.  
Maybe The Ban really was initially enacted due to a fear of piracy, but the judge understood that the actions of studios and MPAA completely disregarded the realities and necessities of the independent sector.  In an effort to protect their revenues, the powerful might have crushed the independents for good.  
Their actions these days, as reported here by Variety,  indicate they now recognize they were misguided in their actions to institute The Ban.  The needs of promotion outweigh the possible repercussions of potential piracy.

It makes you wonder doesn’t it?  What else might be attempted to be enacted in the name of the good of the industry that is neglectful of the needs of a smaller but incredibly vital segment of the larger picture?
Categories
These Are Those Things

Windsor McCay


Over at Bowl Of Noses, I’ve posted about one of my true heroes, someone whose imagination has driven mine, whose art has inspired me and driven me, whose life I wonder about: the man who gave us the comic strip, moving pictures, and true hybrid works, Windsor McCay.  Little Nemo In Slumberland and Dreams Of A Rarebit Fiend are must haves, true Essential Reading.  

I just had the pleasure of stumbling across a study he did, a work in progress.  CENTAURS are the early stages for a film we will never get to see.  But we do get to see his strong line drawing and the personality he injected into each character while delving into art in the age of mechanical reproduction.  The joy the young centaur — they would truly be “kids”, right? — projects at the end of the piece speaks to what could have been.
The curse that the only Little Nemo we have to enjoy as a completed animated film is the one we have is a true misfortune.
Enjoy this instead.
Also be sure to check out Meeting McCay, hailing from Windsor’s home town in Michigan, Spring Lake, and chock full of good stuff on the man, his art, and his influence.
I recommend you buy the books, but you can enjoy an excellent taste of Nemo over at the Comic Strip Library.
Categories
Bowl Of Noses

Little Nemo


The Champion Cartoonist Of All Time has got to be Windsor McKay.  He created Little Nemo In Slumberland, Dreams Of A Rarebit Fiend, and Gerty The Dinosaur, to name but a few.  He was one of the original pioneers of cinema and used to do a trick act where he performed live on stage as if he was training Gerty, who was actually nothing more than a filmed dinosaur.

Little Nemo is hours upon hours of fun for any kid of any age.  McKay drew with architectual precision.  He had full page panels that would work equally well upside down as right side up.  His imagination knew no bounds.
We feel safe in saying that none of other hero drawers could do the work they have accomplished without him to pave the way — so imagine how dull that world would be: No Miyazake, no Tex Avery, no David Weisner, no Chris Ware, and so on and so on and so on.

There is a great collection of his work on-line at the Comic Strip Library.
Categories
Let's Make Better Films

Title Design Roundup

Among the things that suffer on under-budgeted films (which is all I have had the privilege to make) are the title sequences.  You look at the great ones, and they tell you that you are entering another world.  They speak about possibility.  They reframe you POV to focus on a different sort of detail.  They heighten your focus.  

I am pretty sure my favorite title design on my films is The Ice Storm.  That was designed by Bureau, the now defunct design house run by Marlene McCarty who still does all of Killer Films titles. The title sequence they did for Cindy Sherman’s “Office Killer” (which I executive produced) is particularly clever pairing of design and cost control.  With each watching of ADVENTURELAND though, I grow more fond of its titles, which is a sweet and simple pairing with Yo La Tengo’s score (if I do say so myself) and amusement park lights.
Titles are particularly tricky though because of where they come in the process.  No one likes to focus on them until the picture is locked, otherwise they run the risk of designing something that no longer fully fits the film.  At that stage though, there are usually money worries, so you are designing to fit a budget and not from inspiration.  We all have some room for improvement in working with titles.
There are a lot of sites out there though, that help me realize just how high the bar is though.
Not Coming collected the sequences of Saul Bass, generally regarded as the best there ever was.  I could happily have these playing on a continual loop in my house.  If you’ve now got your Bass need peaking, you can also check out the Beta of Bass On The Web, and his logos.
Two sites totally devoted to titles are Forget The Film, Watch The Titles and The Art Of The Title Sequence.  Retinart recently interviewed the guys behind the The Art OTTS.  So if you have sworn off shopping and want to delight your eyes and mind, check out all these sites.
And if you are in the need for a psychotronic fix, check this out — albeit it is just the cards (hat tip MCN).