Sad to leave this blog.. but I've moved onto greener pastures. Wordpress really gave me the functionality I needed to expand into a full website. So, this blog will live on at: www.alinfilm.com
There's a lot to talk about, and still a lot left for me to do. Everything's been happening pretty fast, and sometimes I feel like there isn't any time to just relax and breathe. Not to say I haven't had free time either, in fact, I've been watching all the latest films in theatres. I decided to only review Super 8 and Transformers though, partially just for time, but just because I don't feel like talking about the other ones I've watched this summer.
First of all, I passed my Midpoint. The committee thought my work was pretty strong, and that I'll be successful on the thesis films I've chosen. It's good to know it's over with, and that I can move forward with my plans. If everything falls into place, I should be getting my Master's Degree this time next year. It's kind of scary how fast everything's moving but my confidence level is really high right now. I'm getting great projects lined up and I'm progressing tremendously.
I'm going to be quitting my job at Aaron Brothers quite soon. I'd really like to be able to take some time off before school starts. It'll be good to relax, but it will also give me a chance to tie up any loose ends before I start working on new things. I will hopefully have my new website launched by September. There are two films that are still being kind of wrapped up, "Dinner for Four" and "The Prometheus Sequence." Then we can start talking about submitting them to festivals or something.
Speaking of which, the project that's really starting to scare me a little is "Kenya Boys." It started off as a 14-minute short documentary, for our school's Epidemic Film Festival. I've just received new footage that is about to change all that, and now we're looking at possibly making it a feature length of 1+ hour. The film now has an IMDB page, I'm about to have an IMDB profile. It's been submitted to the Hawaii International Film Festival, and is on its way to San Diego Black Film Festival. It's become something bigger than I ever could have imagined, and I am so glad to have taken that leap of faith in March. This thing could really take me places, and even if it doesn't get me into Hollywood or something, it will at least be an incredible learning experience.
Today I really had a chance to sit and reflect about how I ended up here. I read through old blog posts and watched how much I've changed and grown up since college. At first, passing the Midpoint didn't feel much different from say, getting grades back at the end of the semester. Looking at it now, it's really a milestone to how far I've come along, in terms of a career, and also in terms of me as a person. I feel wiser, having learnt from past mistakes. I feel more mature, psychologically and emotionally I've become a lot tougher. Moving forward from this Midpoint Review, I feel like I'm starting a new chapter in my life. I'm not that UCLA kid who loves taiko anymore. I almost don't even feel like a graduate student anymore. I feel like an adult who is eager to become a professional and start a career.
First of all, I passed my Midpoint. The committee thought my work was pretty strong, and that I'll be successful on the thesis films I've chosen. It's good to know it's over with, and that I can move forward with my plans. If everything falls into place, I should be getting my Master's Degree this time next year. It's kind of scary how fast everything's moving but my confidence level is really high right now. I'm getting great projects lined up and I'm progressing tremendously.
I'm going to be quitting my job at Aaron Brothers quite soon. I'd really like to be able to take some time off before school starts. It'll be good to relax, but it will also give me a chance to tie up any loose ends before I start working on new things. I will hopefully have my new website launched by September. There are two films that are still being kind of wrapped up, "Dinner for Four" and "The Prometheus Sequence." Then we can start talking about submitting them to festivals or something.
Speaking of which, the project that's really starting to scare me a little is "Kenya Boys." It started off as a 14-minute short documentary, for our school's Epidemic Film Festival. I've just received new footage that is about to change all that, and now we're looking at possibly making it a feature length of 1+ hour. The film now has an IMDB page, I'm about to have an IMDB profile. It's been submitted to the Hawaii International Film Festival, and is on its way to San Diego Black Film Festival. It's become something bigger than I ever could have imagined, and I am so glad to have taken that leap of faith in March. This thing could really take me places, and even if it doesn't get me into Hollywood or something, it will at least be an incredible learning experience.
Today I really had a chance to sit and reflect about how I ended up here. I read through old blog posts and watched how much I've changed and grown up since college. At first, passing the Midpoint didn't feel much different from say, getting grades back at the end of the semester. Looking at it now, it's really a milestone to how far I've come along, in terms of a career, and also in terms of me as a person. I feel wiser, having learnt from past mistakes. I feel more mature, psychologically and emotionally I've become a lot tougher. Moving forward from this Midpoint Review, I feel like I'm starting a new chapter in my life. I'm not that UCLA kid who loves taiko anymore. I almost don't even feel like a graduate student anymore. I feel like an adult who is eager to become a professional and start a career.
Super 8
This film was so great, I had to see it twice. There is a lot going for this film, despite the critics' reviews I've read. I think the main criticism is the borrowing (or stealing, as some might argue) of old Spielbergian classics. But I don't like to judge a film based on films that come before it. It makes it all the more difficult when I haven't seen the films it references (E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind... yes, I am a horrible person for not having seen these). Anyways, I'm here to talk about Super 8, and I cannot recommend it enough. It is definitely the best film of the year so far. The performances are superb; the tight cast of kids work extremely well together. They are charming, very natural, and talented. The lead girl is Elle Fanning, and I'd say she delivered a performance far more memorable than any of her sister's. J.J. Abrams is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. He certainly has a great visual style and direction, and is great at putting together talented ensembles and creating dynamic characters.
Verdict: See it in theatres. Buy the Blu-ray when it comes out. This is a keeper. I didn't grow up with E.T., but I'll have Super 8 to rave about when I'm older.
Score: 10 out of 10
This film was so great, I had to see it twice. There is a lot going for this film, despite the critics' reviews I've read. I think the main criticism is the borrowing (or stealing, as some might argue) of old Spielbergian classics. But I don't like to judge a film based on films that come before it. It makes it all the more difficult when I haven't seen the films it references (E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind... yes, I am a horrible person for not having seen these). Anyways, I'm here to talk about Super 8, and I cannot recommend it enough. It is definitely the best film of the year so far. The performances are superb; the tight cast of kids work extremely well together. They are charming, very natural, and talented. The lead girl is Elle Fanning, and I'd say she delivered a performance far more memorable than any of her sister's. J.J. Abrams is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. He certainly has a great visual style and direction, and is great at putting together talented ensembles and creating dynamic characters.
Verdict: See it in theatres. Buy the Blu-ray when it comes out. This is a keeper. I didn't grow up with E.T., but I'll have Super 8 to rave about when I'm older.
Score: 10 out of 10
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
This is one of those films where you just want to shut off your brain. Sit there, and watch the glorious spectacle of robots smashing each other, flying through buildings. The film could've been trimmed down, but it's at the same time, quite impressive how much action they throw into the last hour. I saw this in IMAX 3D, and have to say the use of depth really made it an immersive experience. In terms of story and character, the series has always struggled with this aspect. The story actually is pretty decent, enough to create rooting interest and make you care about the outcome. The twists and turns keeps it interesting and not stale. Sam is still an annoying character to me, and I think the "girlfriend" was a step down from the first two.
Verdict: See it in theatres, and be amazed by the visual effects. It's an enjoyable experience, you will get your money's worth.
Score: 8 out of 10.
This is one of those films where you just want to shut off your brain. Sit there, and watch the glorious spectacle of robots smashing each other, flying through buildings. The film could've been trimmed down, but it's at the same time, quite impressive how much action they throw into the last hour. I saw this in IMAX 3D, and have to say the use of depth really made it an immersive experience. In terms of story and character, the series has always struggled with this aspect. The story actually is pretty decent, enough to create rooting interest and make you care about the outcome. The twists and turns keeps it interesting and not stale. Sam is still an annoying character to me, and I think the "girlfriend" was a step down from the first two.
Verdict: See it in theatres, and be amazed by the visual effects. It's an enjoyable experience, you will get your money's worth.
Score: 8 out of 10.
I've been pretty busy the past few weeks. I've been getting all my stuff together for my Midpoint Presentation. Basically I'm at the halfway point in my graduate program, and I need to show my department the goods, so that they approve my thesis idea. Once that's approved, I'll be working towards my thesis films and getting my degree. Everything's coming together... although there were a few things I wish I had more time to do, like create a new website, and make some adjustments to the films you see in this reel. But this shall do.
So today ends my first experience serving as a juror. It lasted 8 days (10 if you count jury selection process). I have to say overall I enjoyed it and would not mind serving again. Would I prefer to serve every time? That's a different case. The experience was a good experience, but it's also a personal inconvenience obviously. The amount of time spent away from home, from work... But those inconveniences didn't really outweigh the good parts about the experience so, yeah, it's a split.
We did reach a verdict, and it was favorable to what I believed the verdict was. But I'm still left a little unsettled, and that's because I feel like those who were against the verdict didn't really understand what they were being asked to do. Objective, fair, logical judgment was not being used on their part. And while I can't force someone to do that, it just speaks to me about common sense (or lack thereof). From what I understand of the law (and what is actually written in our jury instructions), a person is innocent until proven guilty. For those declaring the party was guilty, the argument revolved around "there is no evidence." If there is no evidence, that means the party is guilty? Imagine: "There is no evidence that this man committed murder. He is guilty of committing murder." Did we just sentence an innocent man?
I can see it the other way as well. Guilty men not getting sentenced in jail. And I guess it's a morally gray area. Do we let a criminal walk around back in the streets, or do we let an innocent man weep in the jail cell? The law system is a trip, ain't it?
We did reach a verdict, and it was favorable to what I believed the verdict was. But I'm still left a little unsettled, and that's because I feel like those who were against the verdict didn't really understand what they were being asked to do. Objective, fair, logical judgment was not being used on their part. And while I can't force someone to do that, it just speaks to me about common sense (or lack thereof). From what I understand of the law (and what is actually written in our jury instructions), a person is innocent until proven guilty. For those declaring the party was guilty, the argument revolved around "there is no evidence." If there is no evidence, that means the party is guilty? Imagine: "There is no evidence that this man committed murder. He is guilty of committing murder." Did we just sentence an innocent man?
I can see it the other way as well. Guilty men not getting sentenced in jail. And I guess it's a morally gray area. Do we let a criminal walk around back in the streets, or do we let an innocent man weep in the jail cell? The law system is a trip, ain't it?
Hello world, yes I'm still alive and kickin'. The past couple of weeks have been grueling, but I feel like a lot has come out of it. We're heading into May, and the months of March and April have been all a blur. Before I know it, halfway into May and the semester will be over.
The better half of March was all about "Kosovo Boys," a 14-minute documentary I edited over the course of 2 and a half weeks, eating right through my spring break in order to make a March 31st deadline. We were pushing to enter it for our school's Epidemic Film Festival. We pulled it off, got it done to where my producer and I were happy with it, and just two days ago, found out it has been officially selected! So May 6th, we will be at the festival, fingers crossed we take home "Best Documentary." And even if we don't win it all, I can at least be happy that something I've worked on has made it into a festival. There's a first for everything, right?
The second I finished "Kosovo Boys," I had to immediately switch gears into directing mode. April 1st-April 17th took me from pre-production all the way to the shoot. Those 16 days were pretty intense, throwing out audition notices, doing the audition and choosing actors, finding crew and location, writing/revising script, storyboarding, equipment... I guess in the real world these duties wouldn't all fall unto the Director, but I decided to skip finding someone to help me with all that stuff. It was an almost hellish experience, rewarding yet stressful at the same time. Coming out of it... yes I would probably direct again, but it's not something I could always do. If I really had a story I wanted to tell, I would.. but if someone approached me and asked me to direct something of theirs, I think I would have hesitations. It would have to be a project I'm really intrigued by. I'm perfectly content with editing, or being someone on the crew of the set.
This weekend I finally had a moment to breathe. Things will get crazy as we roll into finals. I've taken on 3 other Directing 1 projects to edit (and will be crew member on two of them). And I need to oversee editing on the project I directed. Then my editing class I have a final project as well, although it is pretty far along compared to everything else that's in the pipeline.
There's all sorts of stuff I'd love to post online for my friends to see.. it's a matter of can I or should I? May and June will be all about me pushing out a new website, that will have more of my recent stuff, a reel, a big giant portfolio site. I don't know if I would post any of the films I've worked on in their entirety though... it'll depend on those directors I guess. I'd certainly like to, but there are probably some issues in putting these things full out in public. Legal rights perhaps, or maybe the director isn't comfortable doing that type of thing. We'll see.
The better half of March was all about "Kosovo Boys," a 14-minute documentary I edited over the course of 2 and a half weeks, eating right through my spring break in order to make a March 31st deadline. We were pushing to enter it for our school's Epidemic Film Festival. We pulled it off, got it done to where my producer and I were happy with it, and just two days ago, found out it has been officially selected! So May 6th, we will be at the festival, fingers crossed we take home "Best Documentary." And even if we don't win it all, I can at least be happy that something I've worked on has made it into a festival. There's a first for everything, right?
The second I finished "Kosovo Boys," I had to immediately switch gears into directing mode. April 1st-April 17th took me from pre-production all the way to the shoot. Those 16 days were pretty intense, throwing out audition notices, doing the audition and choosing actors, finding crew and location, writing/revising script, storyboarding, equipment... I guess in the real world these duties wouldn't all fall unto the Director, but I decided to skip finding someone to help me with all that stuff. It was an almost hellish experience, rewarding yet stressful at the same time. Coming out of it... yes I would probably direct again, but it's not something I could always do. If I really had a story I wanted to tell, I would.. but if someone approached me and asked me to direct something of theirs, I think I would have hesitations. It would have to be a project I'm really intrigued by. I'm perfectly content with editing, or being someone on the crew of the set.
This weekend I finally had a moment to breathe. Things will get crazy as we roll into finals. I've taken on 3 other Directing 1 projects to edit (and will be crew member on two of them). And I need to oversee editing on the project I directed. Then my editing class I have a final project as well, although it is pretty far along compared to everything else that's in the pipeline.
There's all sorts of stuff I'd love to post online for my friends to see.. it's a matter of can I or should I? May and June will be all about me pushing out a new website, that will have more of my recent stuff, a reel, a big giant portfolio site. I don't know if I would post any of the films I've worked on in their entirety though... it'll depend on those directors I guess. I'd certainly like to, but there are probably some issues in putting these things full out in public. Legal rights perhaps, or maybe the director isn't comfortable doing that type of thing. We'll see.
Well, haven't been posting here much, mainly because I've just been so busy! I'm really excited because I've got a lot of projects in the pipeline. A music video, a short film, and a documentary.
I recently finished up one project, which was a lot of fun to work with and got a great response from class. It will be up online pretty shortly. It's a music video featuring a close friend from middle school. I just realized, we actually began the project a month ago. The past month has felt like such a blur. With work and school, I would fit recording sessions with Gary for about 3-4 hours a week. The first two weeks the footage came out so rudimentary, and we looked at it and knew we could do better. So in just one day, very spur-of-the-moment, I call in a cinematographer friend, Cliff, who has helped me in the past. His lighting setup and production design really saved our project, and elevated it to a new level. And all in a day's work! Now it was up to me and Gary to get the best sound recording, which we would spend 3 weeks getting and fine tuning. I can't wait to share Gary's talent, and the video, to everybody.
While that's been going on, I've also started working on editing a short film that we shot in November. It's a gangster film, and the biggest production I've been a part of. Prop guns, blood make-up, costumes, the whole works. The editing is shaping up real nicely, and I really shocked myself at how fast I was able to craft out the story. Working on set as a boom operator, I had no idea how the shots turned out and whether we had a complete story captured on film. But the crew worked very hard, I was able to find all the shots I needed, sync it to sound, and I'm almost ready to present a first cut for class. For the final draft, I'm feeling a little ambitious, and hope to be able to maybe add some music or spice up the sound with some sound effects.
And now, just a few days ago I've been working with a producer friend to try and get a 14 minute documentary cut and ready to submit for the school's Epidemic Film Festival! The deadline is March 31st, which means I probably need to get started VERY soon (and maybe stop blogging, hehe). The Festival is a pretty big deal at our school, it's the only time of the year where students get to showcase their work. I hope I'm able to craft out the story and bring the producer's vision to screen. I've been able to see the footage and there's some really fantastic shots that I'm excited to start playing with.
So, I'm alive and well, and getting a taste of an editor's life!
It's jam-packed but I love it.
I recently finished up one project, which was a lot of fun to work with and got a great response from class. It will be up online pretty shortly. It's a music video featuring a close friend from middle school. I just realized, we actually began the project a month ago. The past month has felt like such a blur. With work and school, I would fit recording sessions with Gary for about 3-4 hours a week. The first two weeks the footage came out so rudimentary, and we looked at it and knew we could do better. So in just one day, very spur-of-the-moment, I call in a cinematographer friend, Cliff, who has helped me in the past. His lighting setup and production design really saved our project, and elevated it to a new level. And all in a day's work! Now it was up to me and Gary to get the best sound recording, which we would spend 3 weeks getting and fine tuning. I can't wait to share Gary's talent, and the video, to everybody.
While that's been going on, I've also started working on editing a short film that we shot in November. It's a gangster film, and the biggest production I've been a part of. Prop guns, blood make-up, costumes, the whole works. The editing is shaping up real nicely, and I really shocked myself at how fast I was able to craft out the story. Working on set as a boom operator, I had no idea how the shots turned out and whether we had a complete story captured on film. But the crew worked very hard, I was able to find all the shots I needed, sync it to sound, and I'm almost ready to present a first cut for class. For the final draft, I'm feeling a little ambitious, and hope to be able to maybe add some music or spice up the sound with some sound effects.
And now, just a few days ago I've been working with a producer friend to try and get a 14 minute documentary cut and ready to submit for the school's Epidemic Film Festival! The deadline is March 31st, which means I probably need to get started VERY soon (and maybe stop blogging, hehe). The Festival is a pretty big deal at our school, it's the only time of the year where students get to showcase their work. I hope I'm able to craft out the story and bring the producer's vision to screen. I've been able to see the footage and there's some really fantastic shots that I'm excited to start playing with.
So, I'm alive and well, and getting a taste of an editor's life!
It's jam-packed but I love it.
You could call this list late, since it's 2011 already. Or you could say this is early, since some people like to do this during Oscars season. Either way, I felt like doing it now, having just saw Black Swan a few nights ago. After seeing that, I felt like I've seen all the best that 2010 had to offer, and compelled to write up this list. Here we go!
5. Kick-Ass
I was so impressed and surprised, I had to see it again, just one week after the first viewing. It sucked me in right from the beginning, and I have to say it is one of the most entertaining comic-book movies I've seen. Big Daddy and Hit Girl were awesome, and single-handedly made the film for me.
4. Toy Story 3
It once held the number 2 spot, but after thinking about my list some more, the next 2 films on the list really brought something different to the table. Toy Story 3 was an awesome film, and I think I walked out saying it was better than Up. Reflecting now, Up is still the best Pixar film, and Monster's Inc is still my favorite one. I've been dying to watch it again though, to better appreciate all the nuances. The new characters and storyline were very refreshing for the series, and further expanded on an already deep and explored franchise. I hope we get more new Toy Story in the future, either as shorts or as feature-length.
3. The Social Network
I wasn't ready to believe all the hype. Right when it came out critics were already raving and calling it the best film of the year. So I had to check it out for myself, and boy was I impressed. I would never have expected to be so impressed, but when you look at the director's credentials (Se7en, Fight Club) he delivers pretty consistently great films. Jesse Eisenberg does a fine job portraying Zuckerberg, and he convinced me, and I'm not particularly a fan of Eisenberg. Garfield delivered a breakthrough performance, and I look forward to seeing him as the new Spider-Man, I think he is very talented.
2. Black Swan
Watching this film in theaters, I remember having a physical reaction to it. Certain scenes would kind of give me chills - the type of scene where you shift in your seat and prepare for what's about to come next. I find this experience enjoyable, because then I feel engaged and feel a connection to the movie. It's an interesting, unique feeling that I can't quite describe, but it's usually a sign that I really dig the film.
It's a very beautiful film, visually, and I don't find myself using that adjective very often when I do a review. What the film really succeeds in is using that beautiful (and sometimes haunting) imagery to tell the story and get inside Nina's psychological struggle. The film has a real raw feeling to it, and Natalie Portman's strong performance (she had better win Best Actress) is what fuels that feeling. The performance, the visuals, the music... Black Swan blew me away.
1. Inception
Most of you can probably tell I'm obsessed with Christopher Nolan's work, but I truly believe he is the best director in present day Hollywood. Inception represents the best film he's ever done, and I remember walking out of that theater thinking, "This is the best movie I've ever seen in my life." And I still stand by that statement. The story, and pretty much the entire concept of the film, is original and extremely well-executed. Reading critic's reviews, or hearing friends complain about it, they like to point out various plot-holes or other logical fallacies. It's an extremely complex, yet tight screenplay though really. I was baffled by how intricate you have to be, and creative; I can't imagine what it would've been like to write that screenplay, or read it even. It's clear how much time was spent on it, and how much time he spent working out how it will play out on screen. And for that I have a tremendous amount of respect for Nolan.
I loved every bit of this movie, and I had to go see it again just 4 days after I had seen it. It is an amazing piece of film, and I think it is a shame for those who try to over-think and over-analyze it, instead of appreciating it at a filmmaking level. The film delivers a strong message, and I believe those people that focus on the flaws are missing the whole point. Call me biased, or a Nolan nut-hugger, whatever you want to call me, but I stand by this movie 110%... best movie I have ever seen.
5. Kick-Ass
I was so impressed and surprised, I had to see it again, just one week after the first viewing. It sucked me in right from the beginning, and I have to say it is one of the most entertaining comic-book movies I've seen. Big Daddy and Hit Girl were awesome, and single-handedly made the film for me.
4. Toy Story 3
It once held the number 2 spot, but after thinking about my list some more, the next 2 films on the list really brought something different to the table. Toy Story 3 was an awesome film, and I think I walked out saying it was better than Up. Reflecting now, Up is still the best Pixar film, and Monster's Inc is still my favorite one. I've been dying to watch it again though, to better appreciate all the nuances. The new characters and storyline were very refreshing for the series, and further expanded on an already deep and explored franchise. I hope we get more new Toy Story in the future, either as shorts or as feature-length.
3. The Social Network
I wasn't ready to believe all the hype. Right when it came out critics were already raving and calling it the best film of the year. So I had to check it out for myself, and boy was I impressed. I would never have expected to be so impressed, but when you look at the director's credentials (Se7en, Fight Club) he delivers pretty consistently great films. Jesse Eisenberg does a fine job portraying Zuckerberg, and he convinced me, and I'm not particularly a fan of Eisenberg. Garfield delivered a breakthrough performance, and I look forward to seeing him as the new Spider-Man, I think he is very talented.
2. Black Swan
Watching this film in theaters, I remember having a physical reaction to it. Certain scenes would kind of give me chills - the type of scene where you shift in your seat and prepare for what's about to come next. I find this experience enjoyable, because then I feel engaged and feel a connection to the movie. It's an interesting, unique feeling that I can't quite describe, but it's usually a sign that I really dig the film.
It's a very beautiful film, visually, and I don't find myself using that adjective very often when I do a review. What the film really succeeds in is using that beautiful (and sometimes haunting) imagery to tell the story and get inside Nina's psychological struggle. The film has a real raw feeling to it, and Natalie Portman's strong performance (she had better win Best Actress) is what fuels that feeling. The performance, the visuals, the music... Black Swan blew me away.
1. Inception
Most of you can probably tell I'm obsessed with Christopher Nolan's work, but I truly believe he is the best director in present day Hollywood. Inception represents the best film he's ever done, and I remember walking out of that theater thinking, "This is the best movie I've ever seen in my life." And I still stand by that statement. The story, and pretty much the entire concept of the film, is original and extremely well-executed. Reading critic's reviews, or hearing friends complain about it, they like to point out various plot-holes or other logical fallacies. It's an extremely complex, yet tight screenplay though really. I was baffled by how intricate you have to be, and creative; I can't imagine what it would've been like to write that screenplay, or read it even. It's clear how much time was spent on it, and how much time he spent working out how it will play out on screen. And for that I have a tremendous amount of respect for Nolan.
I loved every bit of this movie, and I had to go see it again just 4 days after I had seen it. It is an amazing piece of film, and I think it is a shame for those who try to over-think and over-analyze it, instead of appreciating it at a filmmaking level. The film delivers a strong message, and I believe those people that focus on the flaws are missing the whole point. Call me biased, or a Nolan nut-hugger, whatever you want to call me, but I stand by this movie 110%... best movie I have ever seen.
