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Not So Small Screen: TV Stands On Its Own

April 5, 2016 by Geno Scala

Television was once the newest medium on the block. Decades after other forms of entertainment like radio and film, TV gained its prominence in the mid 20th Century, as alternative and oft-times complement to radio. Soon after, as sets became more affordable and more technologically advanced, one could find a television, and people in front of it, in nearly every home in America. Responding to such demand and popularity, studios and networks began producing programming to match the promise of entertainment for these talking boxes, expanding the platform from its original few hours of content to hundreds of channels and endless media, in our present time.

Since then, television as the sort of new and personal form of entertainment, became a respected institution in its own right, but one noticeably separate from the glamour of film. In fact, television was seen as the stepping stone for film, a sort of audition in which actors would prove their worth and transition to film as a result of their merit and/or popularity. Similarly, those who had achieved success on the silver screen and then transitioned to television were perceived as struggling and/or unsuccessful. Movie stars simply did not do television–the media were separate and exclusive, with the former considered better than the the latter. That is not so much the case anymore.

Today, television is holding its own, carving a space that will be remembered with awe and excitement. With more daring, creative scripts, large budgets, diverse talents, highly skilled directors and new ways of presenting (such as Netflix and Amazon Prime) television is in vogue, with some arguing that its relevance has eclipsed that of the traditional movies we pay top dollar to see in theaters. While I think the theory is too far of a reach, I think those who postulate such mean that television is in no way inferior to film–the small screen isn’t so small anymore, particularly in our flatter, increasingly global world, where anything and everything can easily be accessed online.

Kyle Buchanan writing for Vulture had this to a couple years ago about the topic: “Why would you worry about a film career when TV can now offer greater acclaim and bigger audiences?” It certainly seems that way for some of the industry’s best talents. Consider Orange Is The New Black’s Uzo Aduba, who plays the character Suzanne “Crazy Eyes” Warren in the award-winning Netflix series. I doubt anyone would argue that she has not become a massive star, alongside the likes of some of the biggest names one can recall from the big screen, despite having never acted in a film.

Similarly, a gamut of stars have turned to television from movies to find their stars shine even brighter, rather being dimmed. Take Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey for example, whom Kyle also mentions in the article, who transitioned to a role of even greater acclaim in the HBO series, True Detective, which he also produced. Or Oscar nominated star, Viola Davis, whom I mentioned last month but at the height of her career, following a nomination for The Help, made a break into television and began seeing more success than anytime in her career.

Of course, these two stars can and have returned to film at any time, just like Uzo Aduba will be making her debut this coming year, but it’s not a necessity, it’s an option. Movies are no longer the culmination of an acting career but another texture, rather another shade of the same color, for many of today’s stars. And that’s a good thing.

Recording Movies With iPhone: A Growing Trend

December 17, 2015 by Geno Scala

Today, billions of people use smartphones, and despite their overwhelming popularity already, that number is only expected to grow. Indeed, experts have predicted that total number of overall users will exceed 6 billion in as little as five years. For many of those users, smartphones are more than mere tools used for communication, rather they are used for everything from entertainment to telling time. And for the more creative and photographically inclined, they can be used to make movies.

Using one’s phone to shoot and publish video is not a novel concept, of course. Websites like Vimeo and Youtube exist mostly for that reason. Most of the user generated content on those sites, in which cell phone is used for recording, are rather casual, including tutorials, reviews, comedy and the like. However, in recent years, more and more individuals are using their mobile devices to create films, not merely for the entertainment of a few friends on social media, but to be released and considered alongside traditional media.

Such is the case for the 2011 short film, Framed. Created by French filmmaker, Maël Sevestre, the film was shot on iPhone 4S and recorded over the course of just a few days, using minimal materials. Yet, the film was lauded by critics for its beauty and simplicity, despite minor problems with regard to things like color. Similar to the writing and shooting process, the editing of the film was completed in less than a day and uploaded to Vimeo. It currently stands at nearly half a million views.

More recently, a movie entitled Tangerine employed this method, using a more updated iPhone 5S. The movie, created by Sean Baker, was released at Sundance, where it took both the audience and judges by surprise. Despite its lack of convention, the film was considered one of the best at the festival, and was the only feature to be shot almost completely on a smartphone (others had used one for certain shots or scenes, but not as a primary source).

These two are just examples of the many filmmakers who are beginning to employ the devices they use daily into their normal line of work. Of course, for both of the aforementioned films, the process was not just using an iphone in hand. There were a few apps, add-on lenses and tripods involved, in addition to editing; each was a completely professional endeavor which just happened to be made using instruments that are not so common within the industry.

What’s promising about these new developments, though, is both access and cost. Not only will more individuals have means to create somewhat professional films at their disposal, the cost of using iPhone versus other cameras is significantly less. Of course, the quality of the camera itself is not better than that of, say, a 35mm. However, it’s likely the quality of camera on smartphones will only improve with time, and, perhaps, it will become the norm.

5 Movies Worth Seeing Right Now

December 10, 2015 by Geno Scala

With awards season just around the corner, many pundits are making predictions about what is likely to be honored by organizations like the Academy of Motion picture Arts and Sciences, otherwise known as the Oscars. Many are good at such predictions, using what and who the Academy has awarded in the past as some sort of scale. Nevertheless, this blog is not about what will or should be honored, rather it is a list of great movies which have come out this year, many of them within the last couple of the months, that should be seen by viewers and movie lovers.

20th Century Fox

The Martian: America’s fascination with capturing outer space appears to be making a resurgence. Given the 2013 release of the award-winning, Gravity, and the highly anticipated return of Star Wars this winter, this incredibly popular film captured audiences globally, because of growing interests. The film is shot beautifully, with the support of a more than stellar cast and expert direction from none other than Ridley Scott. While literary lovers typically lament when movies are adapted from books they love, there weren’t many with a lack of appreciation for this production, and for good reason.

Open Road Films
Spotlight: This film is as bold as the true story it’s based on. Yet, it balances somehow, with incredible poise, the controversial subject matter, leaving the audience to judge for themselves who is at fault. With a spate of power-house actors on the cast, one might assume that there would be clashing of some sort, or that one would inevitably outshine the other, but that doesn’t happen here. Consequently, a large part of the film’s success should be attributed to the film’s director and co-writer, Thomas McCarthy. Bring this film to life in the way that he did is true artistry.
Amazon Studios, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks
Chi-Raq: This is one of the more creative films to be released this year, which had movie critics raving that Chi-Raq is the Brooklyn native, Spike Lee’s, best film in years, decades, perhaps. Based on the classic Greek comedy, Lysistrata, the film expertly uses satire to carry its message of the staggering amount of murders happening on Chicago’s south side, as a result of gun violence. While unbalanced with regard to pacing and story development, the film is incredibly poignant and relevant, and, as previously stated, beyond creative.
A24 Films
Room: Also based on a novel, this movie is an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end. Any film that can keep the audience intrigued, even when it knows the premise, is exactly why people enjoy the art of movies. The relevance of the story itself cannot be understated, in light of very similar events that have taken place in the news within the last few years. And not unlike Netflix hit, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, but certainly with a different approach, the movie allows us to understand the emotional toll but incredible strength of the victims which endure abductions and kidnapping, and relate to them as more than mere headlines.
Altitude Film Distribution
Amy: This is the only documentary on the list; it needed to be included. This movie shows the gone-too-soon British pop star’s rise and demise. The importance of the film is its ability to highlight the beast of the industry and other contributing factors to one’s ruin and, in this case, death. Yet, it’s not all pain and sorrow. The innate, raw talent of the singer is carefully highlighted, and the director is careful to center her love of music as her ultimate passion, which suggests it, rather than the horrendous way she passed, should be her legacy.

Submit Your Script To Amazon For Free, Using The Company’s New App

November 23, 2015 by

Everyday, Hollywood is moving further away from the members-only, closed door machine it has notoriously been. The world of entertainment is more competitive than ever, and the popularity of content across the vast array of media presently available, has everyone on their toes, hoping to create the next big show with enough virality and excitement to keep the attention spans of the internet generation. This race to create content versus mere syndication of older shows, has been embraced by everyone from Netflix to Youtube, and even the major networks have upped their collective game, as I mentioned in my previous blog. Hence, there is a lot opportunity for aspiring writers looking to break into the industry.

In an attempt to solidify its product as a real competitor to Netflix, and with similar services popping up from the likes of Tidal, Amazon is making this process of acquiring talent a little bit easier and a lot more exciting. Just weeks ago the company launched its screenwriting app, which not only formats stories into screenplays as one types, it employs an offline feature, and enables uploads of common formats.

Of course, Amazon is not the first to develop a scriptwriting app. There are others, like Final Draft and Scriptly. However, what differentiates the product from others is that it allows users to submit the content created on the app directly to Amazon, to be considered for new shows and/or movies for the company’s Amazon Studios.

Prior the launch of this service, the company did allow individuals to submit scripts for consideration, but only those pertaining to feature films, comedies and shows for children and adolescents. With the Amazon Storywriter App, however, scribes will have the opportunity to submit dramas to the studio, as well; and if scripts are selected, writers will have the option of selling to the studio for an amount equal to a writers’ guild minimum–somewhere in the ballpark of $200,000 for a movie and around $50,000 for a TV show.

This new app creates a marketplace for experienced writers, who just need the right opportunity to showcase their talents, as well as for novices, who may not have as much experience but have great ideas for a story. It also puts Amazon slightly ahead of competition, putting the company in position to get first dibs on material created on the app, in addition to generating interest and positioning its content as being open to everyone.

Nevertheless, as arstechnica.com warns, writers should have their intellectual property adequately protected. By law, Amazon may have the right to produce and publish similar content, so long as the material isn’t “substantially” similar. It would behoove any interested party to establish an understanding of what substantial means and to what they are agreeing by granting the company rights to their work.