Not a “Vulnerable Male”. Until . . . THE MASTER (2012) : a commentary Sadie McKee (1934), 1:24:22   1. relaxed introduction : on absorbing a narrative For example : studying a poem : say, a poem in Latin. Say, the first page of Medea by Seneca. We don’t read the words as we are reading these words right now. No, reading the words of poetry involves an active effort. Let’s pause to reflect on what is meant by the active effort of understanding poetry. We cannot just read a poem and easily absorb it, because, all too often, the language of the poem demands a closer look on purpose, si ..read more

I am looking to shoot a scene where a person is going to be watching TV and I'd like to understand all the available options when it comes to fighting or avoiding flickering. Ideally I'd like the TV to be an old CRT one, in which case is there any other way apart from screen replacement? If I go down this route of screen replacement is the green screen the best way to do it? Are the results believable? I'd like to understand other options too even if it's a projector (doubt it) or a modern LED display that will do it ..read more

Prefatory Matters   1.   “Citizen Kane, one of the best films ever made.”   That is an obvious, unimpeachable comment that requires no elaboration. Yet one cannot say enough about a film more miracle than movie.   Random : the amazing high level of acting across the board. Amazing, because most of the actors (coming from radio, or from the stage) had never before acted in front of a cinema camera before, yet every single one of these novice film actors seems to understand film acting to the highest degree. Just as striking is that many of the key roles progress in age from ..read more

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How does cinematographer Peter Suschitzky manage to keep the audience's attention on DeNiro and Streep In 1984's Falling in Love despite shooting them against the busiest backgrounds in Manhattan filled with endless waves of moving people?  He's shooting the two most watchable actors of their generation so that's half the battle...but what techniques is he using to isolate them? He's not emptying out the backgrounds, in the Manhattan sequences it's the opposite, there's visual clutter everywhere.  Any thoughts?     ..read more

The film Being There (1979) is a major work, equivalent (in the words of Hunter S. Thompson) to "an eerie trumpet call over a lost battlefield". Coming near the end of the film is a moment of striking nihilism, which, therefore, might be otherwise called Truth. The moment involves the character type of the Onlooker. The Onlooker is a story fundamental (not to say the Onlooker character appears in every story). The Onlooker sees events from the side of things, and the Onlooker's summating understanding will never enter history, but die with that character. With the death of that character, all ..read more

"The Ultimate Sacrifice" First to fall of the Achaeans as the Trojans forced their way forward toward Patroclus was a leader of the Boeotians, Peneleos. He had never failed but to fight at the front, but now he was sent out of the field with a wounded shoulder. A spear thrown by someone had incised a bloody scratch there, then wild-fighting Polydamas had leapt in with his sword, and with one hammer-blow deepened the scratch all the way to the bone. Polydamas sprung away to wound the next man, and Peneleos returned to the ships, passing by Hector grappling with Leitus in close combat. Leitus ..read more

Oedipus the play by Sophocles begins : Οἰδίπους : "ὦ τέκνα, . . . 1. Oedipus the king steps into view of some citizens of the city he rules, Thebes. Oedipus the king begins with addressing the people : "ὦ τέκνα" : "O children". Oedipus is the father. Oedipus is the ruler—the right measure. Oedipus is Reason and Control. Oedipus is the State. Oedipus is Right. Oedipus the man is confident, sure, reasonable; practical and trustworthy; helpful and caring; utterly responsible. Oedipus is certain on his feet. In approximately sixty minutes his entire Self collapses from the highest height to ..read more

Note the conjunction of the fine antique wood with the profile of the Mysterious Woman. After Somerton, the Mysterious Woman is the fundamental item on Dr. Bill's mind. Hence, the wood filling the frame. See the wood grain in shot 2? Notice the horizontal bars here (just after the scene above). Then here (just after the scene above). Then vertical bars (just after the scene above). Mutations. Resonances. Making Connections. Art ..read more

I have a working Arri 16s camera that for some odd reason does not have the lines that help you form the proper loop size when loading the camera.  Every tutorial online or manual I've seen simply says "follow the white lines", but mine doesn't have those.  Not even faded lines, its completely blank. Does anyone happen to know the proper loop sizes for loading this camera?  I think the other cameras I've loaded happen to be 7 frames above and 6 frames below but I wasn't sure if this camera is different.   Thanks for your help ..read more