Shot 2: The Girl Who Cried Wolf Last write-up, I described how the first shot was done. The second shot, which jumps closer to the building, focuses on Sara walking along the building, toward her moped. Initially, I took a series of photos of her moving, then put it all together. I imported these separate […]
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Non-Stop Motion-Part I
In September of 2016, I decided to try my hand at stop motion. I scoured amazon for a Lego café/bakery set which came with two figurines, one blonde, one brunette and most importantly a red moped. I wanted to play on the ancient tale of “Little Red Riding Hood” and the moped seemed like an […]
Oscar Fever
The Short End of Oscar Fever: 2018 Oscar-nominated short films Having moved to Bushwick only two weeks ago, I’m still getting acclimated to the aggressively artsy vibe, which is usually repressed in the other boroughs. At your typical Upper East Side cafe, you usually hear patrons strategize about leaping to the next rung of the […]
Humanity in the Time of Replicants
The previews were halfway through when we nestled into our seats in the IMAX screening room. On the screen, an odd collection of superheroes squared off in the obligatory Superheroes Bond scene. Acrobatic fight moves that are only possible in the digital realm, (where gravity joins plot as the latest casualty) with lightning quick cuts […]
The Birth of an Image Maker
Teaching is often about the small victories. The flash of interest from an otherwise disengaged student. The slow, but steady rise of low grades. In a profession where the big picture can be overwhelming, focusing on baby steps makes sense. Sometimes, though, a major battle is won and it fills a teacher with the intoxicating […]
Storytelling in the Age of the Gilded Presidency
“A culture cannot evolve without honest, powerful storytelling. When a society repeatedly experiences glossy, hollowed-out, pseudo-stories, it degenerates.” Like many fledgling screenwriters, I internalized Robert McKee’s excellent book, “Story”, which cuts through the mystique of cinematic storytelling with the cold precision of a scalpel. I learned a lot and, more importantly, I thought a lot […]
The Cynic’s Guide to making a (bad) horror movie
I have wasted more precious hours than the average citizen watching bad horror movies on Netflix and other “streaming platforms”, as the marketing verbiage goes. I have also made a bad horror movie at the age of 26, which was an enlightening and humbling experience. I figure it’s time I pass on my wisdom on […]
Blow-up
Blow-Up is one of my favorite films and seeing it on the big screen at The Film Forum was a real treat. There’s nothing like being crammed in a theater that actually shows a film print instead of a digital projection. The film is unique among art house flicks in that it has enough guideposts […]