Randomness: Pixar’s Amazing Tech Advances

Chick 1 says:

I have long praised Pixar and their movies. They took animation, which had largely been a children’s only genre, and focused on bringing depth and meaning to the story and characters. While the animation was amazing, it was their creative storytelling that always hooked me.

I’ve worked at an animation company long enough now to appreciate some of the more technical but still very creative aspects of CGI. And now there is an excellent article on those break throughs over at Den of Geek. Of all these, I do remember being completely blown away by Sulley’s hair in Monsters Inc. You can read the full article here.

Posted on February 19, 2010 by Chick 1 in Randomness 214 Comments

Randomness: Cool Movie Posters

Chick 1 says:

Check out these cool minimalist movie posters. My favorites are the Back to the Future series below. You can see more here.

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Posted on February 4, 2010 by Chick 1 in Randomness 189 Comments

Randomness: Oscar Noms

Chick 1 says:

Nominations for the 82nd Academy Awards were anounced this morning. (Groundhog Day!) No major surprises. I didn’t expect major nominations for (500) Days or Star Trek but I was disappointed that (500) Days of Summer was not nominated for Original Screenplay. Oh well.

My main question – will this be the year that a woman finally wins Best Director? Many feel Kathryn Bigelow is deserving. We’ll find out March 7th. Read more

Posted on February 3, 2010 by Chick 1 in Randomness 52 Comments

Randomness: Nickelodeon Slime Commercial

Chick 1 says:

Love this new spot for Nickelodeon! It has great music and fantastic editing & pacing. The energy and charisma of the actors show why they are leads on Nick programming. And I love seeing the physics of the slime in slomo. Interesting that only one of these stars has the sense to keep his mouth closed when being slimed. Gross. Makes me wonder what it tastes like.

Posted on February 2, 2010 by Chick 1 in Randomness Leave a comment

Randomness

Randomness: Interview with Hans Zimmer

Chick 1 says:

Hans Zimmer is one of my favorite composers and I know I’m not alone in that feeling. He’s an incredibly prolific and varied writer. From Twister & Driving Miss Daisy to The Lion King & Prince of Egypt to Gladiator and Pirates of the Caribbean, his work is really amazing. Gladiator & Pirates are two of my favorites of his and I tend to associate him with big epic scores. But his work is not as easily identified as John Williams or James Horner (whom I can sometimes identify by a single chord). Read more

Posted on January 29, 2010 by Chick 1 in Randomness 867 Comments

Randomness: Wow…what a realistic computer screen.

Chick 1 says:

Ever get a giggle at the completely-not-connected-with-reality computer screens that are often shown in the movies? I’m looking at you, Mission Impossible. Remember the screen when Ethan is sending emails to Job. It’s awful. Granted, it was 1996 and the internet & email were still relatively new but most folk knew it looked nothing like that.

Sometimes the unrealistic screens work within the world of the movie. In The Matrix, the computer interface is obviously an important part of the script and we’re willing to believe that the strange characters and the falling green columns are meaningful to the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar. Read more

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Chick 1 in Randomness 69 Comments

Randomness: A Few Thoughts on the Golden Globes

Chick 1 says:

The Golden Globes were Sunday night and while I didn’t do a blow by blow blog (& probably won’t for the Oscars either) I will offer a few scattered ramblings.

First off, of course I’m thrilled that my boy Downey Jr won Best Actor in Comedy/Musical for Sherlock Holmes. It’s great to see him so happy & his charming speech was one of the highlights of the night. But while his performance was awesome, I’m not sure he should have won. Read more

Posted on January 20, 2010 by Chick 1 in Randomness 19 Comments

Randomness: JJ Abrams and his Mystery Box

Chick 1 says:

I’ve occasionally stumbled across Ted Talks on MentalFloss.com but I’ve never really had the time to explore them. Yesterday I discovered this 20 minute manic and somewhat scattered speech by Lost & Alias creater, JJ Abrams. While I do wish he had gone a little deeper into the topics, I appreciate his perspective on mystery & what good “action” movies are really about. His thoughts reveal why he is such a successful writer and director. Enjoy.

Posted on January 5, 2010 by Chick 1 in Randomness 148 Comments

Randomness: Tim Burton’s Batman Turns 20

Chick 1 says:

Yes, it was 20 years ago this summer that Tim Burton changed the landscape of comic book movies and made a ton of cash. 1989 was a great summer for movies; Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, When Harry Met Sally, Parenthood, The Abyss, and Uncle Buck (an odd choice for summer release considering the cold Chicago setting). But the mother of them all was Batman. It gave me quite the little crush on Michael Keaton. And while I sensed this was a significant movie, my understanding of its impact was limited to the rising prices at the concession, a phenomenon I dubbed “Batprices”. There’s a great article over at Salon.com about the lasting impact this movie has had on the film industry. Check it out if, like me, you’re interested in that sort of thing.

Posted on July 3, 2009 by Chick 1 in Randomness 25 Comments

Randomness: What Happens to Rejected Cartoons

Chick 1 says:

Working at a graphic design/animation company, there are always new & creative videos & such that make the rounds. Here’s one that was sent to us by a client as a reference. Besides being hilarious and fairly disturbing, I love the theme of creativity vs making a living. If this video is this guy’s way of dealing with his frustration at working in the industry, I’m impressed. (And, also, I hope he doesn’t live anywhere near me.) Please note this may not be safe for work, depending on where you work. It will definitely make you say, “That is SO wrong.” Be sure to watch til the end. That’s the best part!

Rejected

Posted on June 18, 2009 by Chick 1 in Randomness 3 Comments

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