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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Primer: Perhaps the Smartest Sci-Fi Film of All Time

If your all time favorite science-fiction movie stars California’s governor, please stop reading this review now. Still here? Good because in all likelihood you have not heard of Primer, a newly released DVD from Shane Carruth. This film is a must see for any serious sci-fi fan or for that matter any serious connoisseur of fine independent cinema. This intellectually challenging movie was made for just $7,000.00 in the summer of 2001. That was one fantastic investment since it earned more than $425,000.00 in a limited theatrical run and won the 2004 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize. The film tells the story of Abe (David Sullivan) and Aaron (Carruth), two young, hard working, and ambitious engineers, who spend their evenings and weekends trying to become the next Steve Jobs and Steven Wozniak (the founders of Apple Computer for the trivia challenged) by creating and patenting new inventions in Aaron’s garage. While fine tuning one of these inventions, a machine which can counteract gravity, lowering an item’s apparent mass, the boys inadvertently discover that their device has some, well, unexpected capabilities too. Being careful not to spoil the story, it is fair to say that one of these capabilities seemingly allows Abe and Aaron to do just about anything they want and earn a ton of money in the process. From there the film looks at how absolute power affects the duo and examines how they deal with the consequences of their actions. To put it mildly, their lives change in unexpected and astounding ways. The plot is complex and void of exploding cars, supermodels dressed like hookers, and most of the normal Hollywood fare, in other words it is well written, if not a bit ambitious considering that many moviegoers will be challenged. The film is visually interesting, intense, and image driven. Viewers will find it hard to believe that much of the movie was filmed at Carruth’s parent’s house and a U-haul storage center. Almost a complex as this fine film’s story line, is the story of just how this movie was made. Carruth, who is math geek, wrote, directed, filmed, stared in, edited, and scored the movie. Carruth had worked at three engineering-oriented companies, but hated it. Then turned to writing short stories and novels, but soon realized that was not for him either. Eventually, Carruth hit on the idea of becoming a filmmaker. It didn’t seem to matter that he did not have the least idea about how movies were made. Carruth had very little money to invest in his new career, so Primer was made on a real shoe-string budget, but you wouldn’t know it from watching the movie, which looks every bit as good as major movies that can cost millions of dollars. In fact, Carruth’s tiny budget forced him to be creative, it almost makes you wonder if Hollywood should try forcing more filmmakers to be creative. The bottom line is that this PG-13 rated (for brief language) film is an excellent example of modern cinema well worth watching.

<i>1,001 Movies You Must See Before You Die</i> a Must-Read for Film Buffs

Cinema is an art form that's over 100 years old. Hundreds of thousands of films have been produced of all shapes and sizes and of all genres all over the world. As lovers of cinema, we are often confused and dumbfounded as to which films to watch. As an answer, Stephen Jay Schneider and a group of film critics and theorists around the world put together this compilation of 1,001 culturally, technologically, artistically and historically significant films.

Arranged in chronological order and covering over 100 years worth of history in film, from the early 1902 Georges Milies science-fiction film "A Voyage to the Moon" to last year's Oscar Best Picture winner "Million Dollar Baby", the book covers a very wide range of forms and genres of film: From huge Hollywood epic spectacles like "Gone with the Wind" and "Spartacus" to gritty independent pictures like John Cassavetes's "Faces" and Samuel Fuller's "Shock Corridor"; from famous mainstream blockbuster features like "Titanic" and "Jurassic Park" to obscure, daring short films like "Blonde Cobra" and Luis Bunuel's "Un Chien Andalou"; from kid-friendly "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" to disturbing, daring films like "Salo" and "In the Realm of the Senses". Significant effort was made by the editors and the contributing writers to represent nearly every genre of film out there. In addition to featuring the well-known, highly regarded classics of horror, drama, comedy, science fiction, fantasy, etc. sub-genres as varied as Chinese kung fu movies ("Shaolin Master Killer"), blaxploitation ("Sweet Sweetbacks Baaadaassssssss Song") and mockumentaries ("This Is Spinal Tap") are also represented. Also impressive in this book is that it took the effort to feature significant films from all over the world even in countries which are not primarily known for their film industry like Senegal, Egypt and Jamaica. All in an apparent effort to cover as wide a range of the art of film as possible.

All the great directors, both of the past and of contemporary times, have several of their films on this book: John Ford, Steven Spielberg, Billy Wilder, Akira Kurosawa, Yasujiro Ozu, Luis Bunuel, Jean-Luc Godard, Pedro Almodovar, Martin Scorsese, Robert Altman etc. among others. Alfred Hitchcock has the distinction of having the most films with 15 from his oeuvre profiled. Each film is given an essay written by the various contributors detailing the film's significance, it's history and various interesting tidbits of trivia as well as a critique of the film in an intelligent non-pretentious or overly scholarly manner. Though the book is by no means perfect, the questionable inclusion of "Meet the Parents" is one of the more glaring of its flaws and arguments can be made for the inclusion and exclusion of several other movies, this book probably comes the closest to being the most definitive list available that's accessible even to the average film goer. Quite a number of films featured in this book are not currently available on video or DVD. Perhaps their inclusion in this book would help them get released on DVD and thus finding a wider audience.

Whether you are a budding teenage film buff or a veteran film scholar, there is plenty to love about this book which gives a straight-forward, non-snobbish take on film history that would make the art of watching movies truly enjoyable. This is the book all lovers of film should have on their bookshelves.

Daily round up

RORY & DASAN WEDDING ORLEANS CLUB WWW.PERALESPRODUCTIONS.COM 504.236.8196 PHOTOGRPAHY/VIDEOGRAPHY/DJ by http://www.peralesproductions.com/ WITH NOLA MEDIA

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When I was about 15, I hung a reproduction of a Paul Klee painting of a head on the wall at the foot of my bed. Paul Klee shared my walls with Van Gogh and Marlin Brando but it was Klee that I saw the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. The painting seemed simple enough, even childlike, but it continued to fascinate me.

Paul Klee was born near Bern, Swizterland. His father, a German, was a musician and Klee was drawn to both art and music and, though he ultimately chose art, he played violin for a time in the Bern Symphony.
Klee attended an art academy in Munich and then traveled throughout Europe where he saw the latest in art and thus was exposed to all the current art movements.

Primitive art, surrealism, expressionism, cubism, and children’s art influence the work of Paul Klee but he does not belong to any one movement. He has blended all these influences into his own unique art and he is one of a kind.

In 1914, Klee traveled to Tunisia where he had an almost mystical experience with the light there. “Color has seized me. I no longer need to pursue it; it has seized me forever, I know. That is the revelation of this blessed moment. Color and I are one. I am a painter.”

At first glance Paul Klee’s work seems very simple and can provoke statement like, “I could do that,” or “a child could do that.” But this simplicity is deceptive. Colors are layered over each other, juxtaposed, and re-arranged by sissors. Mysterious symbols, ransacked from conventional symbol systems like pictographs, diagrams, graphs, and cartoons, are yanked from their original settings to land mysteriously in a Klee work. Klee has said, “Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible.” Works have whimsical titles like “Twittering Machine,”“Fish Magic,” and ”Dance, Monster, to my Soft Song.”

Klee was extremely prolific, producing over 10,000 pieces, most of them small drawings, paintings, or prints. He created new methods, often painting water colors on oil or chalk grounds applied to fabric or cardboard. He painted within oil transfer drawings applied to paper, sprayed watercolors around stencils, and combined oil and watercolor.

In 1933 Klee was teaching in Munich. The Nazis came to power and his art was declared “degenerate” and he lost his position and any possibility of exhibiting his work. He left Germany for Switzerland.
Klee died in 1940 of scleroderma.
When I was about 15, I hung a reproduction of a Paul Klee painting of a head on the wall at the foot of my bed. Paul Klee shared my walls with Van Gogh and Marlin Brando but it was Klee that I saw the first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. The painting seemed simple enough, even childlike, but it continued to fascinate me.

Paul Klee was born near Bern, Swizterland. His father, a German, was a musician and Klee was drawn to both art and music and, though he ultimately chose art, he played violin for a time in the Bern Symphony.
Klee attended an art academy in Munich and then traveled throughout Europe where he saw the latest in art and thus was exposed to all the current art movements.

Primitive art, surrealism, expressionism, cubism, and children’s art influence the work of Paul Klee but he does not belong to any one movement. He has blended all these influences into his own unique art and he is one of a kind.

In 1914, Klee traveled to Tunisia where he had an almost mystical experience with the light there. “Color has seized me. I no longer need to pursue it; it has seized me forever, I know. That is the revelation of this blessed moment. Color and I are one. I am a painter.”

At first glance Paul Klee’s work seems very simple and can provoke statement like, “I could do that,” or “a child could do that.” But this simplicity is deceptive. Colors are layered over each other, juxtaposed, and re-arranged by sissors. Mysterious symbols, ransacked from conventional symbol systems like pictographs, diagrams, graphs, and cartoons, are yanked from their original settings to land mysteriously in a Klee work. Klee has said, “Art does not reproduce the visible; rather, it makes visible.” Works have whimsical titles like “Twittering Machine,”“Fish Magic,” and ”Dance, Monster, to my Soft Song.”

Klee was extremely prolific, producing over 10,000 pieces, most of them small drawings, paintings, or prints. He created new methods, often painting water colors on oil or chalk grounds applied to fabric or cardboard. He painted within oil transfer drawings applied to paper, sprayed watercolors around stencils, and combined oil and watercolor.

In 1933 Klee was teaching in Munich. The Nazis came to power and his art was declared “degenerate” and he lost his position and any possibility of exhibiting his work. He left Germany for Switzerland.
Klee died in 1940 of scleroderma.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

The Budget Bride's Guide to Saving Hundreds on Photography

Photo Credit: celtics baby clothes

If you are planning a wedding, you already know how much things can add up. From invitations, venues, catering, decorations, and so on, you can quickly spend thousands of dollars on your wedding day, without even realizing where all of it went. In fact, according to theknot.com, the average wedding cost is $27,800 per couple! Think of how that money could have come in handy in case of an emergency, in putting down a down payment on a new home, or in financing a fantastic honeymoon! However, if you take control of your budget now, you can have a memorable, elegant wedding while saving thousands for your happily ever after years.

The first thing you need to do when you are planning a wedding is to decide on how much you can reasonably afford and then discuss which items are the most important to you. Many couples decide that photography is at the top of their list. Follow the tips below to have memorable pictures, while staying on budget:
Shop around for photographers

The first step in saving money in general is to find out who offers the service and how much they charge. Never accept the first offer that you receive. Call various photographers and ask them what they charge and what their service includes. Be sure to consider how much the entire cost of photography will be. For example, a photographer who charges less per hour who charges more per each picture may not be a good deal. Search through your phone book and go online to see photographer's blogs and samples of their pictures.

Think outside the (office)box

Although there are plenty of photographers who specialize in photography and have a career in photography, there are also many skilled photographers who have different day jobs, pursue photographer as an interest, or specialize in other forms of photography. Check around for people such as these who have experience in photographing weddings, but who do not depend on it for their bread and butter. Think about anyone you know who fits this criterion: someone who takes pictures for the local newspaper, a sports photographer, a friend who has taken a few photography courses, etc. They will often charge much less than photographers who make their living from inflated wedding packages. Typically anything associated with weddings is more expensive than something without the wedding association. So try to find a photographer that has similar experience with a much smaller price tag.

Get digital prints

Ask your photographer if he can photograph you with a digital camera. Any type of special effect like using sepia pictures, black and white pictures, red eye removal, coloring in certain elements like the flowers while leaving the rest of the picture muted, and so on can be completed by just a few buttons. So you won't have an effects expense passed on to you. Also, ask your photographer if he can give you the digital prints on a cd or memory card. If he does this, you will need to be sure that he has signed over the rights of ownership to you so that you can develop the pictures yourself. This step could save you hundreds, maybe even thousands, and you will only be paying for his hourly rate and the ownership rights, rather than a certain dollar amount * the amount of each picture.

Consider limiting the photographer's time

Consider the actual amount of time that you want to have the photographer around. Keep in mind that many photographers will also charge you for the time it takes to travel and set up for the pictures. Some brides want the photographer to take pictures while they are preparing for the wedding, but if you are not interested in these types of pictures, don't ask the photographer to be around during that hour. Consider having your photographer take your pictures during the important parts of the ceremony and formal posed pictures after the wedding. Then just have him stay for the first hour of the ceremony, rather than the entire event. You can still get in many of the important photos during this time, such as the first dance, the receiving line, and the cake tasting. But you can save hundreds of dollars if you do not keep the photographer around for the next 1-3 hours of the reception. And with many photographers charging hundreds of dollars an hour, this is easy money that you can pocket for your future.

Opt out of the reception

Consider not having your photographer take reception pictures at all. This will save time on moving between venues, set up, and hours off of his rate. Many brides today are opting for more photojournalistic pictures, rather than posed pics. Place a couple of disposable cameras on each guest table and ask for their help in taking pics at the reception. Be sure to leave a convenient basket for them to drop the cameras off at before they leave. For the cost of a few $5 cameras, you will wind up with hundreds of pictures to choose from without the hefty photographer's fee.

Compare packages

When deciding on a package, be sure that you are comparing what each photographer is offering you. Sometimes you will save money by going for a package deal, sometimes you may be better off deciding on a certain number of pictures, rather than a package. So carefully scrutinize the charges for each package. Also be leery of unnecessary charges: a $100 wedding photo album is not worth it when you can go to your local supermarket and buy one for $10. According to Elizabeth and Alex Lluch in Planning the Most Memorable Wedding On Any Budget, you can also save big if you place the pictures in the wedding album yourself. It might take a little time, but make a day of it with your new spouse to look back at your happy memories.

Skip the engagement photos

Although it might be nice to have pretty picture to send with your invitations or to the local newspaper for your engagement announcement, you can use alternative methods, rather than pay the hefty studio and professional photography fee. For example, if you already have existing formal photos of you and your fiancé, use those instead of opting for a multiple hundred dollar studio session. Alternatively, ask a friend with photography experience to set up a muted background or go to a natural setting and have her photograph you and your fiancé for your engagement photos. Finally, check a local family photography studio, such as Wal-mart, Sears, or JC Penny. They will have appropriate backgrounds, but charge much less than a wedding photographer.

Barter, barter, barter

If you have met with several photographers and you liked one more than the others, but he was a little too expensive, let him know that you received a better offer and see if he comes down on the price. Also, before you commit, be sure that you ask "Is this the best deal you can give me?" for even more wiggle room. In this economic time, more and more people are learning powerful negotiating skills and businesses are suffering from unprecedented losses. See how flexible your photographer will be with the price. If you can't quite get the deal you want, go with another photographer or see if your first choice can throw in a freebie, such as a free parent's album, rather than a reduction in price.

Barter some more

If you have any type of service that you complete, see if you can exchange your service for the photography or a portion of his fees. Also, if you blog or you are involved in advertising or website development, see if you can get a discount if you provide free advertising for the photographer after your event. This type of service exchange can be posted in a local newspaper ad or on craigslist.com. Alternatively, if you have a friend or relative getting married, see if your photographer will give you a discount for a positive recommendation and referral.

Consider a student photographer

Yes, it might be scary to put the future of your only wedding pictures in a non-expert's hands, but you can save big by asking a student photographer to capture your wedding day. Additionally, students are more likely to give you digital prints (see above) in exchange for them gaining experience and increasing their portfolio contents. Be sure that they have some previous experience and make sure you look at their previous work. Also, be sure that your expectations are clearly stated and make sure that they can be depended on and that they are punctual.

Regardless of which photographer you go with, be sure that you get recommendations for him, check his portfolio, and make sure that you both know what you will be getting. Be certain that any adjustments are in writing, especially if the photographer has reduced the price. Then rest assured that you have done your best to get the pictures you want, and the peace of mind you need as you begin your new life with cash in your pockets.

Boppy Pillow Photography Prop

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Photography props are expensive and many times are not even worth the investment. A Boppy Pillow however, even if bought at full price, is well worth the investment. You will get years of use from your Boppy Pillow and as a photography prop the Boppy Pillow can be used for babies and pets. The Boppy Pillow is also washable so it can be cleaned inbetween uses. You can purchase Boppy Pillows new at stores such as Target or used at resale shops and rummage sales.

Boppy Pillow Photography Prop Pose #1: Baby On Back
Place the Boppy Pillow on the floor of coffee table or other raised surface, not to high since you will be photographing from above. Cover the Boppy Pillow with a backdrop, blanket, material, etc. Gently rest the upper body of the baby on the Boppy Pillow, the baby's bottom should be near the open end. This position is perfect for newborns that can not support themselves.

Boppy Pillow Photography Pose #2: Baby on Tummy
Prepare the Boppy Pillow as above on a raised surface. For this pose the table can be high or low since you will be photographing from in front of the baby. For this photography pose you will be facing the open end of the Boppy Pillow away from the camera. This pose does require some upper body strength so it works best for babies 2 months and up. Place the baby stomach down with the upper body resting slightly forward of the Boppy Pillow. You now have a perfect head and shoulders position.

Boppy Pillow Photography Pose #3: Baby Sitting
Prepare the Boppy Pillow as described in pose 1. As in pose 2 the raised surface can be high or low since you will be photographing from in front of the baby. The Boppy Pillow opening should be facing the camera. Sit the baby inside the hole with the baby's legs coming out the opening. The Boppy Pillow will help support babies that can sit unassisted. In this pose the Boppy Pillow is mainly used to keep the baby sitting tall. Photograph the baby from the front. This pose will help you capture a nice head and shoulders photo of babies six months and up.

Boppy Pillow Photgraphy Pose #4: Pet Laying
Again prepare the Boppy Pillow as stated above. You will be photographing from in front of the subject so a high or low table will work. The Boppy Pillow opening should face to the left or right of the camera. Lay the pet with the front paws on the Boppy Pillow. The body should be laid into the center and if large enough out the opening. Stand behind the camera in front of the subject and get the pet to turn their head towards the camera. I use a rubber chicken, not a squeaker toy. A squeaker toy will scare most animals and usually makes a dog jump up and want to play. You only want to get the animal to look in your direction with their head.

I have included a couple of photos that show the Boppy Pillow in use.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Stephanie Harrison Photography - Where You'll Find the Best Photographer in Town

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Whether you're looking for that perfect photographer for senior pictures, wedding photos, new baby celebration or special family moments, Stephanie Harrison Photography is the place to go! You'll not only find a professional studio that is conveniently located in the heart of the Historic Depot District in Richmond, Indiana, but you'll meet one of the friendliest, easy going photographers around; not to mention at a great value!

The photographer at Stephanie Harrison Photographer, none other than Stephanie Harrison herself, offers an artistic style that can't be found elsewhere. The results of her work give an eclectic, non-staged, and real feeling. She captures expressions and movements perfectly in her photographs. She's got the perfect personality for children and adults alike. She can accommodate any situation from serious, quiet moments to doing whatever is needed to get an unsure baby to smile, make nervous folks feel comfortable or even catch that wondering gaze of a beloved pet.

Photos aren't always taken inside the studio at Stephanie Harrison Photography. The opportunity is also there to go outdoors and use the resources of the Historic Depot for a more urban look, combining the exposed brick of old buildings with the sweet, fresh face of a new baby, for example. Stephanie is also often available for on-site shoots for weddings, special celebrations and other purposes!

Stephanie Harrison has the experience to make your photo shoot the best it can be! She's been featured in a number of magazines across the world and has won various photography awards. With such skill and recognition one might think her prices would reflect it, but at Stephanie Harrison Photography, the value is unreal!

The session fee is a very reasonable $40.00 for up to four people. Prices for prints obviously vary by size but range anywhere from $8.00 for eight wallets up to $90.00 for a huge 20x30 print! She offers packages for senior pictures starting at a low $99.00 and Wedding Packages that can be had from $550.00. Also available are Gallery Canvas Wraps in various sizes which are, simply put, awesome!

Stephanie Harrison Photography can be found at 195 Fort Wayne Avenue in Richmond, Indiana and reached at (765)962-3133. The website, www.stephanieharrisonphotography.com offers numerous examples of Stephanie's work, a price sheet, bio, and contact information for setting up your first session.

Stephanie Harrison Photography; you simply won't find a better photographer around!