Happy New Year 2010 from all of my Blogs and web sites!  Thank you for visiting and come back often!

A Great Investment.....Me!

I have always worked, taken most any job to survive, feed my family, and pay bills on time. I have been a CEO of two small corporations, a college instructor, and a business analyst for a major software company (see profile). At age 45 I went back to Grad School to work on a M Ed in Instructional Design and a MBA in Management. At age 57 I was laid off from the software company (job went to India). I took a part time job in a bookstore to attempt to make ends meet. It didn't work.....and at age 59, I became homeless and unemployed for over a year, eating in soup kitchens and living in doorways. Even with a Master's Degree, help from vocational rehab, & a few non-profits, I have not had a job interview since 2006 (the book store), so in effect, I have not had a "professional job interview" since the software company in 1999!

Yet, I have not entirely given up. I have many creative skills occluding design, writing, educational software, and organizational research. I however, need a few things to make it all work together....hence the INVESTMENT.

I have a old Dell computer with a 15" monitor, donated by an ad in Craig's List! However, a few disabilities make it very difficult to design anything on a 15" CRT monitor. So if folks were able to invest in ME (even $1 helps), I would like to get the following:

1. a 20" - 23" LCD monitor
2. a graphics tablet and pen
3. a larger hard drive (current one is 8 GB)
4. additional software

I will use the new hardware to desing graphics, write educational courses, and perhaps on-line classes. With much luck, may even get paid for it.

Thank you for reading thisappeal, and any help you may be inclined to give. comments and suggestions also welcome!

HD vs Film. Which Format Best Suits Your Particular Project?

by: Steve Lantz

The HD world has changed dramatically over the past few years. Many believe the gap between film and digital video has been closed with the advent of new ultra-high resolution, 35mm-sized, single-chip HD cameras that offer superior color reproduction and exposure latitude comparable to 35mm. All professional filmstyle HD cameras are capable of true progressive frame, 24 frames-per-second (24p) capture and provide other film-style features, such as multiple frame rates, variable shutter and cine-like gamma curves that mimic the tonal qualities of film. In addition, all of these cameras accept 35mm film lenses and accessories (some require adaptors such as the P+S Technik Pro35 and Mini35) which assures the exact same focal lengths and relatively shallow depth-of-field associated with 35mm optics.

The movie industry has changed radically over the past decade. Now there are distribution opportunities for small independents that never existed before. Indies have already proven that they too can be successful and profitable at the box office. While HD cameras are now affordable and in the hands of many independent filmmakers, the rules still stand that to be successful in the movie market, you need to make good films. Film festivals and internet sites like YOUTUBE have opened the doors to Indy filmmakers, providing easy access to large audiences. The number of film festivals around the world has exploded, from a handful to literally thousands and each festival receives hundreds and thousands of entries. Both Panavision and Arriflex have joined the digital revolution, recognizing the increased demand for digital acquisition, especially in TV and Indy film production where budgets are tight. A typical 100-minute low-budget feature production will save over $150,000 shooting HD versus 35mm and save $50,000 over 16mm. On a low-budget production, these cost savings are significant.

The digital workflow has taken over film in many areas, especially in post-production. Almost all editing today is performed on non-linear systems and the vast majority of special effects are created through a digital pipeline. In addition, HD is becoming the universal format for distribution, including HD television broadcast and home entertainment (HD-DVD and Blu-Ray HD players are now on the market). HD theatrical distribution will soon follow. Currently, the movie industry spends close to a billion dollars per year on prints, shipping, insurance and other costs, all of which will be eliminated with satellite distribution of HD films for 4K/HD projection. The projected cost savings to the movie industry is enormous and will ultimately be the driving force that will propel the world into HD exhibition.

Exhibitors will also benefit from HD projectors that are solid state and require little maintenance. Pricing on HD projectors will drop dramatically with economies of scale and will quickly be amortized considering the significant savings in operating costs compared to 35mm projection. For example, showtimes can be programmed into digital projectors allowing automatic start and full automation, thus eliminating the need for projectionists and saving theater owners time in training, salaries and expensive worker's compensation premiums. Landmark Theaters has already begun the process of installing HD projectors into many of their theaters and others are following suit. Conservative estimates suggest that 50% of all theaters in the United States will be converted to HD projection within the next five to seven years and over 80% within the next ten years.

HD offers several distinct advantages over film during shooting, such as immediate playback and monitoring of your finished image. LUT's are used to define different looks for the film or the final look of the film print and output that look onto a high-definition display. LUT's can be saved for future film projects or episodes should you want to replicate a similar look. Camera settings can also be saved for future projects so that you can match a particular look exactly (very handy for TV series production). HD monitoring allows you to catch things and make corrections on the fly, while you are in the moment. HD cameras excel over 35mm at locations where you have mixed light sources and don't have the luxury of setting up your own controlled lighting. HD cameras can white balance, film cannot. HD also excels over film in the effects world, where it is possible to view green and blue screen composites on the set, fine-tune alignments in real-time, and give the director a close representation of the finished product.

While there are many who continue to argue that HD is, and will always be, inferior to film, the truth is an HD feature properly lit and exposed looks very close to 35mm and the aesthetic difference is virtually transparent to the audience. Your average movie patron really doesn't know or care what format the film was shot in. All they really care about, and all that really matters ultimately, is that they are entertained. A great story with the right cast and skillful directing goes a long way and it certainly stands to reason that as more people become used to watching HD films, the "look" of HD will become the accepted "norm".

The writing is on the wall. Film will still be the format of choice for a while, especially on large budget features, but eventually one could certainly speculate that the entire process of making films will be entirely digital.

Movies that should have been in B&W

Whenever I watch a 1940's Film Noir in glorious B&W, I realize that there are several other movies that I enjoy that could have been shot without color. Here are four that come to mind:

LA Confidential

Mulholland Falls

China Town

Mulholland Drive

They had the same era, 1940's to early 1950's, dark themes, shady characters, lots of night scenes, etc. If they can "colorize" some classic black and white films, why can't they make certain color films B&W? I think this could be a niche market for "Film Noir" buffs...I'd watch them! Even better, re-release them to "Art Cinemas" to see on the big screen.

Beginners Digital Photography Equipment Tips

When you first begin using your digital photography

camera be sure you have got the correct equipment you

will need before you set out. Owning the proper equipment

is essential whenever you would like to make it

successfully wether you are a beginner or a professional.

If you're going to become a professional with your

digital photography then you had better be willing to

spend a good deal more on equipment than simply somebody

wanting to do this as a hobby. Depending upon what you

would like to do with digital photography it's entirely

up to you as to how much equipment you're going to be

checking out in buying. A professional career in digital

photography might not be what you are looking for do if

you don't have the money for these kinds of equipment

that you will need to have.

Then, if you are merely wanting to enjoy digital

photography as a hobby then I should be able to assist

you out in letting you know what you may require for your

digital camera, accessories and all. For your first

digital camera the important thing is to not spend overly

to much on it. There is no call for in purchasing an

pricey digital camera until afterwards down the road once

you get a good deal more experienced with it. On several

digital cameras you could be capable to even utilize them

as a manual camera. You will merely have to work out how

to adjust all of it's operations. You'll be able to go

out and buy a book for dummies on digital photography as

well, those are always handy to own. They have them for

virtually everything you want to know. Just keep in mind

that owning the proper software for your digital camera

is really significant, it will help you organize all of

the images you have created.

You will need to purchase a bag or case to keep your

digital camera safe and all or any accessories that you

may have bought as well while you're active. Purchase the

camera that you feel best suits your needs and remember

you only require a basic one for beginners. They will

have all of the features you will need just to get going

and with this camera you'll even be able to take truly

great photographs.

Spending more doesn't all of the time mean that you're

buying the better product. If there's not a photographing

equipment store in your city then I suggest you will be

able to simply go online and look up anything you may be

interested in purchasing. You will be able to discover a

couple of really good deals on the internet if you're

wanting to save a little money, who would'nt like to do

that? Or you can ask around, you might have a friend that

can assist you out with your first time purchasing needs.

If there's a local store where you can go in and purchase

digital cameras for digital photography there will be

somebody in there that can help you with any questions

you could have about the product.

Warner Brothers

There was a great segment of "American Masters" on PBS last night on the Warner Brothers Film Studio. The family appeared to be a eclectic mix of personalities and a major factor in the evolution of Hollywood.

I enjoyed it and was amazed at the number of folks of that era still alive, although I have no idea when the segment was filmed.

American Masters

Get Perfect Job with Video Resume

Now here is something I thought of in the early 1990's while in Grad School at age 50. I used video for many projects in college, and thought this would be a good idea at that time.

by Adityasnv Bannatwala

Have you ever heard about the video resume? Video resume is great resource for job seeker who wants to show their abilities beyond the capabilities of traditional paper resume. Now the prospective employers can see, hear and get feel for how the candidate presents themselves.
First video resume was introduced in the 1980s but it was not successful because for use and distribution it needed the hard drive. Now the situation is completely different with the modern capabilities of transmitting streaming video via the internet, video resume become very popular. Now video resume are widely accepted by companies throughout the world for selecting the employee. 4quz7a52cn

Video resumes are mainly use by the people who wants to participate in singing and dancing competition. They can easily show their certain skills, such as leadership, presentation, and creative abilities with the help of video resume. But now it is successfully used in more fields such as information technology. Some IT professional make their video resume as a way to showcase both their soft skill and technical skill (such as graphic design, animation, and programming projects). One common mistake that many people make in their resume is to underrate the value of non-technical skills, such as the ability to communicate and work with co-workers. Soft skill is very important it made the first impression on the employer.

How to Create a Video Resume You needs to be very careful when create a video resume, making a video resume has never been easier. As with a traditional resume, a video resume should concisely explain your skills and accomplishments as they relate to a prospective employer.

• The first thing you should do when creating a video resume is found out how you want to present yourself on camera. In other words, what do you want employers to take away from your video? You are in the performing arts; you will probably want to showcase your talent. If you are in business, you may want to demonstrate your leadership or speaking skills. If you are an IT professional, you will probably want to show your soft and technical skill. • Clearly tell why employers should hire YOU over other applicants. Prepare your "elevator pitch" before you sit down to record your Video. Know what your Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is, and deliver it with confidence. • Body Language: A large percentage of human communication is non-verbal, so be aware of what your body language is telling Employers about you! A Video Resume can be unique and professional at the same time, so relax, have some fun and show your personality. You want to project your professionalism and personality with enthusiasm, so smile and deliver your message with confidence.

The novelty of video resumes can provide an advantage over traditional paper resumes. They are best used in two situations: to open doors to a select few employers who you are targeting, or to move forward a stalled phone interview process. Whereas a hiring manager may spend 10 seconds scanning a resume looking for a reason to reject a candidate, a video resume is something different, and therefore could hook a hirer's attention. But, there are disadvantages that you should be aware of before using a video resume. The video resume should not be viewed as a replacement for the traditional resume but as a potential complement, especially if you have strong communication skills and impressive work samples that are sought after by IT employers. A well-executed video resume can provide advantages to certain job seekers, including IT professionals who are looking for a way to highlight soft skills, technical abilities, and portfolio examples not accurately reflected on traditional resumes.

Free Movie Channel

I have the DTV converter box and get 22 channels, free over the air, broadcast in HD. One is a Movie channel called THIS, a subscript of the ABC channel. It shows movies from the 1960’s to 80’s in a wide range of genres. Beach party, horror, westerns, comedies, and many others. Many are kind of campy, but some are major pictures and stars, but 30+ years old. It is entertaining and did I mention, FREE!

Sunblock for 2012

Moving this Blog

I will be moving this blog back to Wordpress, it's original home.

Film Noir And The Femme Fatale

Femme fatale—is defined as “an irresistibly attractive woman, especially one who leads men into danger or disaster”. To me the most engaging semblance of a “femme fatale” is the stunning image of Lana Turner, as the camera pans from her ankles upward in that breathtaking shot from The Postman Always Rings Twice 1946.

Extremes
The most consistent aspect of film noir, apart from its visual style, is its protagonists. If a usable definition of the noir protagonist is to be formulated, it must encompass its most intrinsic character motif—alienation. The undercurrent that flows through most high noir films is the failure on the part of the male leads to recognize the dishonesty inherent in many of noir’s principal women. This tragic flaw destroys the central male characters in films as diverse as Scarlet Street 1945, The Locket 1947, and Angle Face 1953. It's embodied in the John Dall character in Gun Crazy 1949, whose youthful fascination with fire arms eventually leads him into a relationship with a woman who not only shares his gun craziness but who also introduces him to the parallel worlds of eroticism and violence. A more extreme example of this confusion is exemplified with Dana Andrews in Laura 1944, and Edward G. Robinson in Women in the Window 1944. Robinson and Andrews are fascinated initially not by the flesh and blood women, but merely by paintings—images of them.

The overtly Freudian aspects of such relationships function as a foundation on which to construct a sequence of narrative events that typify the noir vision. Many of these male “victims” are not trapped exclusively by sexual obsessions. Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity 1944, initially considers whether he is capable of committing murder for a woman. Then he thinks about effecting the perfect crime (his entanglement with Phyllis’ phony insurance claim), “It’s beating the house”, he thinks “sort of like the croupier that bets on the turn of the roulette wheel, when he knows the numbers to play”.

Detour
Edgar Ulmer’s Poverty Row cult-classic, Detour, 1945, is fraught with outrageous coincidences that in most accounts would be far too absurd to confront, but in Ulmer’s skilled hands are accepted as legitimate premises. Tom Neal plays Al Roberts, a disgruntled piano player in a New York night club. When his fiancée walks out on him for stardom in Hollywood, he decides to fellow her, and sets out to hitch hike west to join her. He gets picked up by a oddball character played by Edmond MacDonald who is carrying a large sum of money and happens to be driving all the way to California. MacDonald relates a story to Robert’s about a female hitch hiker he picked up earlier. In a blundering attempt to ravish her, she viciously attacked him, her finger nail marks clearly discernible on his face. As Roberts takes a turn driving, the MacDonald character mysteriously dies. Roberts thinking that the police will not believe his innocence in MacDonald’s bizarre death, hides the body and drives on alone. The next day Roberts picks up Vera, played with absolute aplomb by the very underrated Ann Savage.

Ultimate Femme Fatale
Out of the Past, 1947, while not a perfect example of the best of the noir cycle, contains many of the elements of the genre. It is best remembered as the film that introduced the erotic and lethal Jane Greer. The beautiful dark-haired Bettejane Greer came to Hollywood in 1945, a B player, she appeared in such obscure notables as Dick Tracy 1945, and The Falcon’s Alibi 1946. Out of the Past was one of only three noir films in which she appeared, the others being, They Won’t Believe Me 1947, and again opposite Robert Mitchum in the Big Steal 1949. Greer appeared in nine additional films through 1957. She took a brief hiatus until the mid-1960s, and has appeared off and on since.

Jane Greer was the “real deal”, unlike many of the frivolous noir semi-goddesses (Lauren Becall, Martha Vickers, Jane Russell, or Laraine Day), her sexiness was derived from sheer cunning. She did not rely on the parodistic flirtations so common to the counterfeits of the genre—while entertaining actresses, they lacked the appeal and darkness of the authentic femme fatale. A fine actress, I’ve always wondered why Greer did not become an icon of the genre in the mold of Gloria Grahame or Lizabeth Scott. She possessed the perfect on-screen persona of a post-war desolation angle. When Robert Mitchum firsts encounters her in the Mexican café, in an early scene from Out of the Past, she describes the complete night spot where he might feel more at home, and as she turns to walk away she tells him, “I sometimes go there”. At that moment we sense the hero’s ultimate calamity. Later we witness her brutally kill two men, and as Mitchum watches in terror, we cannot be confident that in the end he will not wind with her, such is the power of her sexuality.

Later Femme Fatales
Robert Siodmak’s, The Killer’s 1946 and Criss Cross 1949 are fine examples of Universal’s contribution to the noir cycle. In both films it’s the deadly female who topples the hero. Another Siodmak offering is the much downplayed, The File on Thelma Jordon 1950. Barbara Stanwyck portrays a different type of femme fatale than her Phyllis Dietrichson character in Double Indemnity, whom Thelma resembles in method and motivation. This time she ensnares Wendell Cory, playing assistant district attorney Cleve Marshall. Marshall is much more innocent that Fred MacMurray’s Walter Neff, who admits trying to beat the house, well before he meets Phyllis. From the beginning Thelma loves her victim, whereas Phyllis was not smitten until the very end in Double Indemnity. Where Phyllis and Walter are chillingly logical in their scheme, Thelma and Cleve are guilt-ridden, and clumsily romantic. In the end Cleve is not completely ostracized, or dead as was his counterpart Walter Neff. He is however, scarred immeasurably—an emotional Sisyphus, he must now forever bear the weight of his misdeeds.

What Happened
The archetypal model of film noir had run its course by the mid-1950s. The requisite entry of that period, at least among most film critics of the day, was Robert Aldrich’s take on Mickey Spillane’s Kiss Me Deadly 1955, by then though Spillane had moved from the hard boiled pulp hero of the post-war years to the new antagonists of cold-war America, the new great fear of the moment—the “Commies”. Kiss Me Deadly was a greater influence on the French “New Wave” movement, than a further definition of film noir.

By the late 1950s and into the 1960s, strong, tough, independent women were being replaced by coadjutors and consorts. “Leading Ladies” who, though portrayed as capable and self-reliant had, however, moved well into the background. A prime example is Doris Day in Pillow Talk 1959. And so to the male protagonists, who were now being portrayed as gallant Don Juan’s or attentive Casanova’s, a fashion that was to reach it zenith with the James Bond films.

To me, the “classic noir period”, spanned the interval just after World War II, until the early 1950s. The central figures portrayed in these films, were too often caught in their double binds, filled with existential bitterness. They were drowning outside of the social mainstream. They came to represent America’s stylized vision of itself, a cultural reflection of the mental dysfunction of a nation in uncertain transition. And often these characters were women, the femme fatales of a film style distinctly original, and wholly American.

¹Alain Silver and Elizabeth Ward, “Film Noir: An Encyclopedic Reference to the American Style”

Some classic Martini posters to go with that "Film Noir"

Black and White

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Defining The Film Noir Movie Genre

The Film Noir is an unusual movie genre in the movie world because it is so hard to define. It is not like comedy, sci fi, western or romance, which have obvious and definable characteristics. Some might say that the boundaries of noir are very tight comparatively speaking, particularly those who confine the entire genre to twenty years, 1940-60, and a certain country, the United States.

The term was coined by French critics, first by Nino Frank, who in the immediate post war years noticed a darkening of mood in the Hollywood crime film. The term Noir by itself is used to describe films that contain specific elements and techniques, both technical and literary. Movies within this category are often gangster films, police procedural, or detective films, or films that deal with social problems of the day.

This movie genre is probably the most popular of the genres that sell on disc. Its films come in mostly well-priced and attractive boxes in bright colors and fun typefaces, they seem to epitomize classic Hollywood, which is interesting because at the time that the movies comprising the genre were made, the term film noir was unknown.

Most critics agree that the first film of this genre was Stranger on the Third Floor, which starred relatively unknown Hungarian actor Peter Lorre in his first major lead role. The Production Codes of the day forbade any character from literally getting away with murder, and forbade any characters who were not husband and wife from being filmed sharing a bed with one another.

This did not stop writers and directors from coming up with some risque plot lines however. One of the most famous movies of the Film Noir genre, Double Indemnity, starring Barbara Stanwyck, revolved around an insurance salesman who becomes infatuated by Stanwycks character and agrees to help her murder her husband so that she can collect the money from the insurance policy in her husbands name.

Other notable films of the genre include The Maltese Falcons, Shadow of a Doubt, Mildred Pierce, Detour, The Big Sleep, Out of the Past, Force of Evil, The Naked City, White Heat, Gun Crazy, Sunset Boulevard, In a Lonely Place, The Night of the Hunter, Sweet Smell of Success, and Touch of Evil.

The evidence of film noir can still be seen today in the popularity of detective films, mysteries, psychological thrillers, and other crime related dramas.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/defining-the-film-noir-movie-genre-534470.html

What the Hell is Going on in Mulholland Drive?

LOL, I've seen this flick at least three times and am cluless till now!

Mulholland Drive (2001)

is a surrealistic vision of Hollywood directed b y David Lynch and starring Naomi Watts and Laura Helena Harring. Lynch won the Prix de la mise en scene (Best Director Award) at the Cannes Festival and was later nominated for an Oscar for the movie. Many critics rank Mulholland Drive as one of Lynch’s greatest movies alongside Eraserhead (1977) and Blue Velvet (1986).

The movie’s meaning is open to interpretation with Lynch refusing to offer any explanation of his intentions for the narrative. The basic plot - Diane Selwyn is a struggling actress in Hollywood but excepting the first shots of the movie the first half of the film is shot from the perspective of Diane’s dreaming. She dreams that she is Betty, a charming, idealistic but heady young woman who is just arriving to Hollywood with a pounding heart and lofty dreams. She meets and falls in love with pretty but needy Rita and wows studio executives with her fabulous acting skills. However, when Diane awakens from her dream, we realise that her real life is far from rosy - she is reeling from the break-up of her relationship to the successful actress Camilla and is at the beginnings of a mental breakdown.

Diane hires a hit-man to do away with Camilla as we are shown the course of their relationship through a series of non-linear flashbacks. Lynch wanted people to derive their own interpretations of what the movie meant, but with the movie becoming a financial disaster he was forced by the production company to release ten clues to the public as to what the plot was about. He provided them but there is some debate as to whether the clues are completely honest or slightly misleading.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/movies-articles/what-the-hell-is-going-on-in-mulholland-drive-768566.html