Steven Soderbergh talks natural light with the NYTimes
“The Girlfriend Experience” (2009) was shot by Soderbergh (who acts as his own DP) almost entirely without non-practical light. In this slideshow/audio piece, hear him discuss the implications.
You’re keyeing off a real environment and adapting instead of trying to impose your will on it. And as a result, it makes you realize how constructed most movies are, visually.
I prefer to shoot my own stuff and almost never light for two reasons: 1) I honestly never learned how, and much like shading in illustration never made intuitive sense to me, I never picked up lighting intuitively like other DPs did, and 2) I honestly prefer the natural/ambient light aesthetic, so it all works out nicely.
Side note, I am so excited to see this movie. I think “Bubble” (2005) is one of the most innovative pieces of filmmaking in the last decade, and I have impossibly high hopes for “GfE”. I will see it tonight. By any means necessary. I will report back here.
via Neon Blogarita
“Also, the stuffed monkey from our first manned (or monkeyed) satellite, on a flight where the mission controller is played, of course, by Clint Howard, who has played mission controllers in something like half a dozen movies, maybe a dozen. When he gets a job, he already knows all of the lines. I could give you the exact number of the mission controllers he has played, but looking up his IMDb credits for a review of “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian” seems like dissipation.
Roger Ebert recognizes a pattern in his NatM: BofS review.
via goldenfiddle
Beyonce: ‘Single Ladies’ Raw Footage Audio Pre-Sync
Why am I a sucker for a post-production joke? Because it’s a secret language we all understand.
via @serafinowicz
Because I feel so strongly about The Sound of Young America and the level to which it raises the bar for interview, I made this nice little video with my pal, radio host Jesse Thorn, to share my love and appreciation and to help Jesse nudge listeners to give a little this pledge drive season to support amazing content. Maximum Fun, y’all.
The Genius Reggie Watts at The Sound of Young America Live
I can’t contain it any longer. Jesse Thorn put up this video of Reggie’s set in Portland, where I sat in the audience, moved to fits of laughter, tears, gapemouth and peepants. Andy Kaufman Award winner Reggie Watts is as close to genius as anyone I’ve seen on stage since Andy Kaufman, after whom the award was named.
In the clip above, he stretches delightfully for a bit, but the magic begins at around minute 9, when it all becomes clear.
And for convenience, I get to profess my literal love for Reggie and at the same time my literal love for The Sound of Young America and my good friend Jesse, who at the tender age of late-20s has managed to cement himself as the best, most insightful interviewer in radio or other. Seriously, listen to his show with its many fantastic guests of note, support him with your chump change, and love him as I do.
via dalasverdugo via Maximum Fun
“Transcendent Man” (2009) trailer
I don’t read much. But I’ve read what Ray Kurzweil has to say about our future and it’s changed the way I live and behave. The Singularity is as close to a religious doctrine as I’m willing to follow. Partly because it’s smart, partly because it’s hopeful, but mostly because it’s fun.
I expect this movie will challenge many assumptions not only about the world but Tony Robbins’ jawline as well.
via kottke.org
How one iPhone app changed everything.
Skyward
It just so happens our users are incredible and make nice things because they are creative, charming, thoughtful, handsome and above all else, they are nice people.
Thank you, Geoff and everyone who helped make this wonderful thing.
