PODCAST for I Am Number Four

So last night I did my first podcast and got the chance to talk about I Am Number Four.  If you'd like to have a listen check out the UNKNOWN/I AM NUMBER FOUR podcast below.

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OSCARS - BEST FILM EDITING

The Oscars are quickly approaching and it seems like everyone is following "The Road to the Ocars" in one capacity or another.  With IMDB and their amazing featurette video collection that gives you amazing looks behind the scenes of this years nominees it is hard not to get distracted while at work as it is easy to spend hours watching all of the videos they have posted.  On top of that almost every entertainment outlet is jumping to post as many articles as they can about who they feel will take home the golden man this year.  I myself even jumped at the opportunity to write an article on the nominees for Best Film Editing.  Whether you are a working professional in the industry or just a fellow film go-er I hope to share a little insight into a catagory that has a tendency to go unnoticed for the true amount of work that goes into editing a feature length film.  I hope you enjoy the read...

BEST FILM EDITING NOMINEES - WHO WILL WIN?

When it comes to filmmaking I feel that there are three key points in production that can ultimately make or break a film. The first is with writing in the pre-production phase, the second is directing during the production phase and the third is with editing during the post-production phase. I know that sounds like an easy concept, but I feel that within the last few years this knowledge has been forgotten. It is not just a good story that is need or a talented director and cast, but let’s say one of those are missing, who then becomes the one person that can make something amazing or show it for what it truly is… the editor.

A skilled editor that has become a master to their craft can make a struggling actor look amazing, can turn a lack-luster story into something completely unusual by rearranging scenes or dialog, and with a little help from additional pieces within the post-production world (visual effects, color correction, audio mixing, etc) an editor can create something potentially so great that even a seasoned director might be surprised by the outcome. This year’s Oscar nominees are all pretty similar in genre, but it is no doubt that they are deserving of the recognition for their long hours in a dark room....

Black Swan is a psychological thriller that is set within the backdrop of a prestigious NYC ballet company. If you had watched the trailers closely, this film seemed to have many different faces. It was the job of an editor to create a short television spot that threw in as many interesting points to make people want to see the movie. Some thought it would be a dance film. Some thought it would have romance. While others saw it for what it was, a beautiful thriller that got under your skin and festered through our heads driving us mad by the ending credits. With so many amazing scenes, and I’m sure hundreds of hours of footage that never found their way off the cutting room floor, editor Andrew Weisblum masterfully cut together sequences that left the audience squirming in their seats from start to finish and scratching our heads as we walked out of the theater.

Giving us suspense and quick cuts when needed that drew us in to the madness that overtook the lead character. Using quick cuts and image manipulation for subliminal messaging, there seems to be nothing that this editor is not capable of doing. Having to structure his editing from scratch (as it was said in an interview the Aronofsky did not use storyboards for this film), one can only image the number of house Andrew spent staring at a computer going through sequences, fine tuning his cuts and putting finish touches on some of the most elaborate scenes to hit the big screen in several years. The scenes that most impressed me were the ballet scenes. Having come from a dance background and knowing what goes into performing Swan Lake, it was impressive to see the ballet from Weisblum prospective as an editor which the editing choices he made from wide or medium shots and cutting to close-ups to give us an impression of the stress and strain that Nina (Natalie Portman) went through and then interweaving the actual story into the ballet and still making it appear as seamless as the ballet routines themself. Director Darren Aronosky could not have asked for a more skilled editor to bring this film to life. This is Andrew Weisblum’s first Oscar nomination, but I’m sure it will not be his last.

The Fighter is a boxing drama based on real life boxer Micky Ward and his brother Dicky Eklund. Not that there is much to say about the drama portion of the story, but it was the boxing scenes that were the true giveaway to the skill and talent of editor Pamela Martin. Just imagine having to shift through 70 hours of footage that came from the 5 “HBO” cameras and then the 2-3 film cameras used to capture the action taking place outside of the ring – and that was just for the boxing scenes.

It takes true talent to be able to capture the feel of a film within a film (the HBO documentary within the come-back story) and have it flow as though it is the most natural thing in the world. It turned out that not only were we given a one-two punch by the cinematography, but the editing choices truly make us feel each of the hits taken by the seasoned actors. Pamela Martin created her own choreography through editing that made the fighting sequences flow so smoothly that it created reaction from the audience with each throw. Even the characters in-your-face attitude was made more obvious by the choices made while cutting together this film. Although I am a bit partial to Boston based films (especially when it tells an amazing story) but seeing Pamela Martin’s final cut just brings a smile to my face. The Fighter is definitely worthy of the nomination as it kept pace with other amazing boxing films that have come before (Rocky and Raging Bull).

The King’s Speech is a drama that tells the story of an English royal with a troublesome speech impediment. Under most circumstances a story of that follows someone with a stutter would come across with little potential of being anything but a bore, but that is not the case. Editor Tariq Anwar tears apart the boring and sprinkles in life and laughter to make a soon to be king’s journey to overcome his speaking challenge one that draw in the audience and holds on straight through til the end.

The combination of cutting in close-ups and quick cuts to match the rhythm and beat of the speech lessons, along with the humor of seeing a king swear profusely to get through a complicated speech is so skillfully pieced together that it keeps the story moving smoothly. It is these lessons and the final scene of the film that showcase the skill of Tariq Anwar. The King’s Speech is a film that could have rendered the audience silent, but with some creative editing left the audience with a smile and fully entertained. This is Tariq Anwar’s second nomination – he was previously nominated for American Beauty.

The Social Network is a drama based on a specific time in the life of the man behind Facebook. The dialog heavy film challenged editing team Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter to the fullest extent with grueling hours behind a computer finding the perfect combination and balance between entertainment and story. I recall an introduction for a clip at one of the previous award shows mentioning that it is a true challenge to make a story that focuses on a guy typing on a keyboard interesting, but that is just what Wall and Baxter did. The combination of a writer and director that could be called perfectionists with a unique view on story telling, and then teaming them up with amazing editors who can match the talent level across the board is truly amazing.

After sitting on set for hours taking notes and editing along the way, the overall outcome is summed up in the utter perfection seen during the opening sequence of the film. The editing combination of cuts between various takes of a multi-camera shot is something that takes time and practice, but Wall and Baxter present a scene that is flawless and set the pace for what the audience would be in for, a perfect edit. This is the second nomination for editing team Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter – they were previously nominated for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

127 Hours is a drama that tells the story of Aron Ralston’s struggle to make it through a potential deadly situation. With a story that follows the typical survival story, there is little wiggle room to make the story unique but with a creative editor on your side there is far more room to move. Keeping the pattern flowing between the story in the cave and Aron’s memories is no easy feat, and using images that are interesting to keep the story moving is one of the overall challenges. The sequencing and image choices needed to make the audience feel what Aron was going through hit home with subliminal messaging with the use of beverages or food interwoven throughout the memories, using image inserts to make the effect stronger ultimately leaving your mouth watering for something to eat or drink.

Jon Harris’ skill with the trim tool finds the perfect balance and timing for scenes that would otherwise be nothing more than another Wilson hanging out on Cast Away island. Danny Boyle’s fluid style of filming and never repeating a setup make the editing process that much more complicated and give the opportunity of any slip of the knife that much more obvious, but it did not happen. This is Jon Harris’ first Oscar nomination.

This year’s five contenders are all heavy hitters, but for many years the Film Editing category has been linked to the Best Picture of the Year winner. Right now things are leaning in favor of Tariq Anwar for The King’s Speech. I have a difficult time arguing with this choice as I myself feel the true competition this year is only between The King’s Speech, The Social Network and Black Swan. Personally I feel the talent that went into editing Black Swan should win out over all others, but due to the artistry of the film I sadly feel it has little chance if the two categories are truly tied in any way. However with The Social Network having swept much of the award season already, I wonder if it has the strength to sweep one last time. Time will only tell but I will be keeping my fingers crossed for an upset and Black Swan taking the award.
TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE THIS ARTICLE IS PUBLISHED AND LET ME KNOW WHO YOU THINK WILL WIN...
http://www.picktainment.com/blog/2011/02/road-to-the-oscars-best-film-editing/

Blog Contributor Article Review

Hey Everyone!

I recently wrote a review for Picktainment.com and it has just been published.  Yes it is a second review on I Am Number Four, but if you are interested please check out the link below.  The more hits I get the better standing my articles are on the page, so please help me become one of the highest viewed contributors. 

Thank you very much!

Hannah

http://www.picktainment.com/blog/2011/02/review-i-am-number-four/

I AM NUMBER FOUR -- Review

I have always heard that imitation is the highest form of flattery. Well I guess that means that I Am Number Four is a film meant to flatter all things science fiction and fantasy, or at least that is the impression. Granted the concept of the story is very interesting and has great potential as a film, but the images and story that is given to the audience is less than flattering.

Unfortunately I Am Number Four does not live up to its potential. With an opening scene that left some audience yelling out "What is this... just another Twilight?", and characters that look like pathetic knock-offs of other recognizable sci-fi characters I can't help but question the longevity of the franchise.  If you have never heard of I Am Number Four, you should be aware of the fact that it is a film adaptation to a young adult novel by author Pittacus Lore (which is actually a pen name used by co-authors James Frey and Jobie Hughes). Although this is set to be a series, the second book (The Power of Six) is not due out until August. That being said, if you have not read the story then film does little to help you along as it gives you little to no back story and then leaves you scratching your head with confusion so many times that your not sure what the story is.  There is no clear indication as to what is going on in the opening sequences, and by the time the story has started you question if they even had a script to shoot with.  However if you have read the book and are able to keep up with the film... I'm sorry to say this but be fair warned the story has pretty much been slaughtered.

SOME SPOILERS AHEAD: Very early on I knew things were going to be bad.  When you have to guess and hope to piece together information on your own it seems like it defeats the purpose of going to the movies a bit.  I mean think of it like this, when Harry Potter first came out no one really knew what a Muggle was, right?  But now I'm sure that every (even those who have never picked up a Potter book) know what it means.  Now, with I Am Number Four there is enough information that is extremely important and relevant to the alien worlds that are created that if you don't know what a Legacy is (magical power developed by the "gifted") or that a Mogadarians are an evil race that invaded the home planet of the main characters, than you are kinda left hanging.  There was enough time during the opening scenes to have developed this information during the voice overs that were used, but for some reason it never happened.  You are slowly fed the information over time and then have to think back to an earlier scene just to recall something that was seen or mentioned.  Even some of the characters are all over the place and not quite who they should be.  Like Herni (Timothy Olyphant - Justified and Hitman) should have a much larger role but is instead left on the side of the road to hang, or the fact that Four (Alex Pettyfer - Beastly), who goes by the name John Smith, is almost just as clueless as the audience AND THEN Six (Teresa Palmer - Sorcerer's Apprentice) shows up and she's doing things that she should not be doing.  And the reveal scenes to John's friend Sam (Callan McAullfie - Flipped) and his girlfriend Sarah (Dianna Agron- Glee) are so out of place and messed up that it just made my heart sink at how badly the production had hurt these great scenes.  But before I give too much else away I will move on...

SPOILERS OVER

With an opening scene that looks as though it was pulled from Twilight's New Moon and a complete lack of information regarding who any of the characters are, audiences are given little chance to connect with the characters and story. I understand that this is a film adaptation, and it would be one thing if the majority of those going to see the film have read the book, but that does not seem to be the case.  At the screening I attended I over heard more people questioning what they had even gotten themselves into as they had neither heard of the film and clearly had no idea it was based off a YA novel.  My biggest disappointment is how poorly they represented some of the pivotal scenes in the story.  Pittacus laid out so many great scenes that could have been built off of, while instead it seems as though the film adaptation has turned into nothing more than a parody or satire of the story.  The one-liners are so bad that they are more likely to just leave you laughing, and with the way the film is laid out it is unclear how much time is actually covered.  On top of that, several important characters are introduced and then forgotten halfway through the film only to return just before the credits roll and have performed a comlpete 180 for no explainable reason.  I can't help but wonder who had the final say on the edit.  With the number of holes that exist in the story I don't understand how Disney approved the cut and gave a release before it was truly ready.

I Am Number Four takes over an hour to develop and then ends before it can begin to redeem itself. Granted there is one amazing scene just before the end that almost makes up for all of its faults, if only you can get past the Mogadarians appearance. As I watched the film I could not help but think that the Mogs looked like poor imitations of the Romulans from Star Trek, although they were dressed in "Goth" clothes and 6" platformed boots and their faces resembled a cross between a fish and the vampires from 30 Days of Night.  It was almost a laughable offense to what those characters should have been. Unfortunately there is little else I can say about the film, but if you are able to get through the first hour I promise you will be rewarded with one amazing fight sequence when Six (Teresa Palmer - Sorcerer's Apprentice) shows up to help the main character John (Alex Pettyfer - Beastly)  fight the Mogs. I'm sure that the follow-up film will make up for all the mis-haps, if it is given a chance to survive opening weekend.

As much as it pains me to do this I give I AM NUMBER FOUR a 2 out of 5.  The film can't touch the novel.  So, if you are looking for something that is a quick read that is fun and somewhere along the lines of a Harry Potter or Percy Jackson type of story I would recommend checking out the young adult novel by Pittacus Lore.  EVEN BETTER... pick up the book at the library or book store and read it before going to see the movie.  It will help guide you through and in all honest, even though I disagree with a lot of what they did with the adaptaion, I enjoyed the film knowing all of the backstory.

Contributor to Picktainment website

To any readers out there interested in following any of my additional writing... I have recently been picked up as a contributor for an LA based website called picktainment.com.  In addition to posts and reviews that I will be posting here (and updating more frequently soon) I will also be published at the following link.  If you would like to follow me please feel free to check in with the following link to view any articles. 

http://www.picktainment.com/blog/author/hannah-depew/

The way the site works is that the articles that receive the most hits are the ones that are linked to from the home page so please help me by passing along my link and any articles you find interesting to friends that might also enjoy reading and following my work.  Also please feel free to leave comments on any of my articles.  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

GNOMEO & JULIET -- Review

To 3D or not 3D, that is the question. Okay, not really but you get the joke. Much like that weak pun, Gnomeo & Juliet has its moments to shine, before falling to pieces. The cute kid friendly take on Romeo and Juliet does a decent job introducing the classic play to children, but falls flat with many of its jokes. Unlike Shrek, Gnomeo (which is a Disney film) appears to forget what it's trying to achieve mid-way through the film. One of the reasons why so many love the original Shrek is because it took something from almost every animation we had available to us growning up and included it in the parodies throughout its story. Gnomeo (being "family friendly Disney") tried to pun its way through classic Shakespeare, but forgot the puns. It could have taken advantage of all the Disney tales that have come before and used them to create fun new jokes for kids. If only they could laugh at themselves a little, especially since they are releasing the film as a Touchtone production. Instead we get a parody of an American Beauty scene, which seems a bit out of place, if you know what I mean.


Gnomeo & Juliet tells the story of rival gnomes (the Reds and the Blues) that live in the backyards of Mr Capulet and Miss Montague, which is separated by a wooden fence. Much like Toy Story, the gnomes come to life to continue their war when the humans are not home or looking into the backyards. The play on how ridiculous some of the garden gnomes can be is brought to life when the war between Reds and Blues is nearly discovered and they must "freeze". It is not until Gnomeo meets Juliet before the real trouble starts. The only difference between the real Romeo and Juliet and this animated version is that there is only one tragic, or rather one tragically funny death for poor ol' Tybalt.

The biggest highlight for the adults in the audience will be the star-studded cast that lends their voices to the entertaining lawn ornaments. With stars like Michael Caine (Lord Redbrick), Maggie Smith (Lady Bluebury), Patrick Stewart (Bill Shakespeare), James McAvoy (Gnomeo), Emily Blunt (Juliet), Ozzy (Fawn), Hulk Hogan (Terrafirminator), Jason Statham (Tybalt) and last but not least Dolly Parton (Dolly Gnome) it is no wonder the film does, at the very least, keep us entertained. The only issue I have with the film is it does not hold up to the names attached. Like Disney films that have come before, Gnomeo attempts to include a handful of songs, but fails miserably to add anything to the story or have any significance to that being portrayed on the screen, only adding minutes to those particular scenes where they are included, making it feel like the scenes will drag on forever. I felt that the addition of the songs were nothing more than an after thought, drawn up because the original running time was too short to be considered a feature film and were the best they could come up with to fill the run time. A good example of the use of music is when "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" was played in full, which almost mocks the use in Miramax's Ella Enchanted. If only more effort was put out to make a quality film and the budget was directed towards better writing instead of on a 3D distribution, which added nothing to the film, but at the prices one pays to view a 3D movie, add much to Disney’s bottom line.

Gnomeo & Juliet is a cute story, although a poor attempt on Disney’s part to come up with a Shrek-like film. The use of 3D is pulled off, however there is really no point to it. Unlike Yogi Bear, there are no flying turtles, bears or anything that flies at the screen for that matter. Although this was the first 3D film that did not leave me walking out of the theater with a headache, unlike the recently released Sanctum which I’m still feeling the pain. I wish studios would get over their 3D kick and just give us some quality films. Gnomeo & Juliet will entertain young children, and it’s nice to see that they are getting introduced to some classic literature, though, in Disney’s typical style, rewrites the storyline to a more family friendly tale. It is an ideal film for parents or relatives of children under the age of 10.
 
I give Gnomeo & Juliet a 3 out of 5.
 

SANCTUM -- Review

Caving seems like a cool thing in theory, but in practice I'm sure it's not all that cool (except for those special few that do it professionally).  The element of surprise and the vast unknown is terrifying enough above ground and I'm not sure I would want to put myself out there somewhere in the deep blue sea, especially if it has never been "explored" before. 

Sanctum is an adventure thriller that will keep you entertained (so long as you go in armed with a bottle of pain killers).  The setting and sets are beautiful and amazing but the cinematography is a little less than desirable.  With the framing of several scenes giving the 3D a bit of an amature feel by leaving large blobs covering entire corners which throws off the coposition and eventually has your eyes screaming in pain because they couldn't quite tell what they should be focusing on.  Keep in mind this IS NOT a James Cameron film.  He neither directed nor wrote any aspect of this film.  He is nothing more than one of the many executive producers and a BIG NAME to bring in the crowds.  Sanctum was actually co-written by first time writers John Garvin and Andrew Wight (who are actual divers which adds to the diving element of the story) and it was directed by Australian director Alister Grierson (Kokoda).

If you are seriously looking to check out Sanctum I highly recommend that you avoid the 3D screenings like the pleague.  Not only is there nothing that truly deems 3D as a necessity (sorry to disappoint but nothing comes flying at you, there are no explosions and nothing comes straight at the screen).   The story will be just as good (if not better because you can follow it) in 2D.  You will still be able to see the almost unrecognizable cast (mostly Austrailian talent and obscure actors that might soon have larger roles after this film) going through the stressful situation that is forced upon them as their one way out because unaccessible and they must go in search for a new way out through an unknown path.  The sets created are amazing and you will enjoy them for what they are, but there is no need to pay the extra money to see a little extra depth in what we already know is a HUGE cave. 

For all of the pain that the 3D created for me, I will say that the film itself had some very good elements to it as well.  The adventure of cave diving and the stress it puts on those participating in the extreme sport is definitely felt by the audience.  The cast does a great job of making you feel what they are going through (I only wish that Mr Fantastic (Ioan Gruffudd) had not been casted as Carl because he was the weakest of all the characters).  Sanctum even gives you a few chair squirming scenes that left me turning my eyes away from the screen.  I would say tht if you are looking for something that will have you on the edge of your seat, Sanctum will give you that.  It is a film to see in theater as it has some amazing visuals of the world beneth the surface, but if you are looking to beat the weather or just enjoy a movie look for theaters not showing it in 3D. 

I give Sanctum a 3.5 out of 5... but Sanctum 3D a 1 out of 5.  If only the world would get off its 3D kick, then we could all be happy.  **Here's hoping**