#4th props setting and sound design

[harpieisthecarpie]

why do mid straight romances always reference Mr. Darcy, it never makes me care about their irritating male lead, it just makes it very very very tempted to turn on Pride and Prejudice (2005) so I can once again watch matthew macfayden and keira knightley both be pathetic wet cats about each other and then I inevitably black out and wake up to the bonus ending scene on loop

"How are you this evening, my dear?"

"Very well... although I wish you would not call me 'my dear'."

"Why?"

"Because it's what my father always calls my mother when he's cross about something."

"What endearments am I allowed?"

"Let me think... 'Lizzy' for every day, 'My Pearl' for Sundays, and... 'Goddess Divine'... but only on very special occasions."

"And... What should I call you when I am cross? Mrs. Darcy...?"

"No! No. You may only call me "Mrs. Darcy" when you are completely, and perfectly, and incandescently happy."

"Then how are you this evening... Mrs. Darcy?"

"Mrs. Darcy..." [kisses her forehead]

"Mrs. Darcy..." [kisses her right cheek]

"Mrs. Darcy..." [kisses her nose]

"Mrs. Darcy..." [kisses her left cheek]

"Mrs. Darcy..." [kisses her lips]

Ah fucj I did it agai n. I tuought about it so much I manifested th e video

every day i wake up to the tragedy of not being in a loving relationship with nb butch mr. darcy and keira knightley, despite every prior night knowing my heart'd surely collapse beneath my dreamscape's yearning

[fearsmagazine]

DRACULA, A COMEDY OF TERRORS - Review

DATES: Sept. 4th, 2023 – Jan. 7th, 2024 COMPANY: Drew & Dane Productions THEATER: New World Stages, 340 West 50th Street, New York City ACTORS: Jordan Boatman, Arnie Burton, James Daly, Ellen Harvey, Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Kaitlyn Boyer and Sean-Michael Wilkinson. CREW: Director/Writer - Gordon Greenberg; Writer - Steve Rosen; Producers - Drew Desky and Dane Levens; Scenic and Puppet Designer - Tijana Bjelajac; Costume Designer - Tristan Raines; Lighting Designer - Rob Denton; Original Music and Sound Designer - Victoria Deiorio; Wig and Hair Designer - Ashley Rae Callahan.

(L-R) Andrew Keenan-Bolger, Jordan Boatman, James Daly, Ellen harvey and Arnie Burton in DRACULA, A COMEDY OF TERRORS. Photo by Matthew Murphy

SYNOPSIS: A pansexual GenZ Count Dracula is in the midst of an existential crisis. When he sets his sights on the brilliant young earth scientist Lucy Westfeldt, he meets his match for the first time – as well as a slew of other colorful characters including vampire hunter Jean Van Helsing, insect connoisseur Percy Renfield and behavioral psychiatrist Wallace Westfeldt, whose British country estate doubles as a free-range mental asylum.

(L-R) Ellen Harvey, James Daly and Arnie Burton TERRORS. Photo by Matthew Murphy

REVIEW: Horror comedies come in only two flavors - good and bad. DRACULA, A COMEDY OF TERRORS is a sensational, decadent satire that is the perfect treat for the Halloween season.

Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen's satirical and irreverent treatment of the Stoker novel resides somewhere in between “The Rocky Horror Musical” and a Monty Python film, with flares of the immortal Charles Ludlam. The tone is set right from the start as the cast tosses the novel and the hilarity begins. The previous productions of the play, including an adaptation of the piece as a radio play for The Broadway Podcast Network, clearly have sharpened the dialogue and wordplay to a razor sharp wordplay duel that had the audience laughing out loud within the first few moments. The writers have trimmed the novel down to a 90 minute tale that tries to incorporate key elements of the story, taking liberties with the novel’s climax to nicely dovetail with the themes of their play. The satire runs the spectrum from that of the novel, political, contemporary pop culture, and gender. Except for Dracula, the other actors have dual or multiple roles where the juggling of the characters adds to the merriment.

James Daly and Jordan Boatman in DRACULA, A COMEDY OF TERRORS. Photo by Matthew Murphy

Gordon Greenberg’s direction is superb. It is a finely tuned choreography of dialogue and movement that harkens back to the golden era of silent films to the Marx Brothers. There are some delightful props, including puppets, that add yet another level of humor to the production. Greenberg turns up the energy right at the start and maintains it for 90 minutes, giving the audience little time to recover from the side splitting laughter.

James Daly and Andrew Keenan-Bolger in DRACULA, A COMEDY OF TERRORS. Photo by Matthew Murphy

Tijana Bjelajac’s Scenic Design is a wonderful minimalist and still adds atmosphere to the production. Integrated into the set are nice visual and functional elements that are scaled down for an off-broadway production but are lavish enough, and easily would work for a Broadway staging. Tristan Raines’ costume designs are fabulous. The designs capture the period but also combine contemporary elements that highlight the performances.

Arnie Burton and James Daly in DRACULA, A COMEDY OF TERRORS. Photo by Matthew Murphy

DRACULA, A COMEDY OF TERRORS features an award worthy ensemble cast. The delivery of lines, the body language and facial expressions, their interactions are flawless, and if there were any misfires I didn’t notice. There was a fluidity to their performances that at times it felt like choreography. James Daly is outstanding as Dracula. He is as dynamic and enchanting as Tim Curry’s Dr. Frank-n-Furter, combined with the physique of Rocky. He delivers this multifaceted performance rich with comedic timing. Actor Arnie Burton steals the show as both Mina and Jean Van Helsing. He creates two unique performances that embodies the comedic prowess that is reminiscent of Milton Berle to Harvey Fierstein, with a dash of Bugs Bunny. In contrast, actress Ellen Harvey brings to life Wallace Westfeldt and Percy Renfield. She brilliantly effects switching between the two extremes that eventually becomes an uproarious gag in play. The cast does an astounding job of maintaining the energy level of the play for 90 minutes.

Andrew Keenan-Bolger and Jordan Boatman in DRACULA, A COMEDY OF TERRORS. Photo by Matthew Murphy

DRACULA, A COMEDY OF TERRORS is a side-splitting tour de force that would leave Bram Stoker and Mel Brooks rolling in the aisles, and maybe a bit envious. I’ve always advocated that there is a distinct bond between comedy and horror, and this is at its finest. Outstanding performances, fabulous production designs, brilliant directing, all deliver an energetic feel good and memorable theater experience. You must bring your friends for a night you’ll long remember as the perfect treat of this Halloween season.

James Daly in DRACULA, A COMEDY OF TERRORS. Photo by Matthew Murphy

Opening night is September 18. Performances are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday at 7PM, Friday and Saturday at 8PM, with matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2PM. Tickets are $99 - $119. Premium seating is available. Tickets are now on sale at Telecharge.com, (212) 239-6200. For more information, visit www.DraculaComedy.com.

Review By: Joseph B Mauceri

Listen to our interview with director & co-writer Gordon Greenberg & co-write Steve Rosen on creating DRACULA, A COMEDY OF TERRORS – HERE

[seaforth]

Group 8 Scene Recreation - Memories of Murder Production Breakdown

Brainstorming

For the final week of the production workflow module, my group were tasked with recreating a scene of our choice. Bar some budgetary and time concerns, nothing was off the table.

Eventually we settled on the interrogation scene from Bong Joon-Ho's Memories of Murder. I personally had not seen the film but was excited to tackle it based on seeing the director's other work Parasite.

Pre Production

We had plenty of kit to acquire in order to convey an accurate recreation of the scene:

Camera:

Blackmagic Pocket PRO 6K, Samyang Xeen Cinema Lens Kit, Smallrig Tripod

Sound:

Sennheiser 416, Sound Devices MixPre3-Recorder and Mixer, Large Boom Pole, Microphone Stand.

Lighting:

LEDGO LG-B308K 3x 308 light Daylight Reporter LED Lighting Kit, Gloves

Other:

Polyboard (White), Black Flag x3, Floor Cable Cover, Clapper, Sandbag x3

In terms of props we also had to purchase a light from amazon which would replicate the look of the desk light found in the original scene as well as being flexible to being adjusted in order to match different shot compositions. We had also our crew supply shirts and ties for respective actors as well as paper for the process of interrogation.

Aside from kit, scheduling was also CRITICAL and just as important as many groups were filming at the same time. This ended up being a close call as the only time we ended up getting kit that was far enough in advance to leave plenty time for editing conflicted with the premiere of another group project we unfortunately had to miss.

Next we took still frames from each shot in order to plan out lighting:

From there we planned our shotlist:

Along with this we decided on Crew Roles:

Sam Wynne: Director Jack Burns: Producer, Actor, Runner Jake Rae: Director of Photography Jacob Doig: Lighting, Camera Assistant Rushil Deepak: Production Design, Sound

And our actors:

Harry Batkin: Park Hyeon-Gyu Daniel Lee: Seo Tae-Yoon Cameron Mcintyre: Park Doo-Man Jack Burns: Shin Dong-Chul Euan Hunt: Cho Yong-koo

Our chosen filming date the 4th of December 2023.

Filming

While the location of the scene might not seem complex there was lots of shots and respective lighting to match each.

Figuring out framing with the crew/ Practicing lines with actors

We experimented with different angles and setups in the classroom we had booked for the day, and settled on using the corner of the room, which was conveniently near lots of sockets (Useful for our luck of batteries dying).

The classroom booking and the orientation of set placement actually worked out in our favour as we had full view of the room's projector, on which we displayed the original scene allowing both actors and the crew to get a feel for each respective shot as it came and went.

This initial shot we filmed first was actually quite simple compared to the others as we only had one character to worry about, along with just having to light his face, as opposed to later shots with characters blocking part of the framing.

Post Production

I helmed the post production of this project, inheriting the audio and video files onto my macbook. I then edited the film in premiere pro.

FInished Timeline

I attempted to organise individual cuts by colour coding different takes and angles, as the scene ended up being pretty complex to put together.

While not integral to recreating the scene, I thought a nice touch in the post production process would be the inclusion of Korean subtitles, paying homage to original language of the film.

Colour Match Feature

I used premiere pro's colour match feature to try and make some small lighting adjustments based on the original scenes. Admittedly, I don't have much experience with colour correction so I didn't go too in depth past this stage. However, this definitely something I want to learn over the winter break..

[ficforce]

Strong For Me

Sagamiya Konro x Reader

SFW

Set during the great fire in Asakusa

Established relationship

Watching Company 4 roll in on their metal vehicles and dousing the last of the dying flames filled Y/N with more anger than she thought she could bear. They came in like triumphant heroes but where had they been when the fires were roaring and their people were turning into Infernals?

Nowhere.

It had been the Hikeshi running through the town fighting fires and saving anyone they could, it had been regular people throwing endless buckets of water in an effort to save their houses and many of the people who had an ability to control flames were exhausted. She shoved past one of the Fire soldiers as they tried to direct her elsewhere, drawing Konro’s sword on them when the man tried to grab her - she was quickly left alone.

The sword had been given to her before Konro ran off with Benimaru; he had told her to use it to protect herself whilst he was away from her side. The weapon was one of the most precious things he owned and by giving it to her he was telling her he was going to come back.

Only… he hadn’t come back to her yet.

Y/N stepped out of the way as the Captain of the 4th Company headed up the street, glaring at him as he passed but then she heard Benimaru’s voice from a short distance away, “Beni!” Running hurt her possibly broken ribs but it was hardly on her mind as she spotted Konro propped up against a building, “Konro! Konro you’re o… okay?” Dropping to her knees on the side Benimaru wasn’t she reached out to cup his face, turning it a little to properly look at the slash across his nose, “That’s gonna scar but you’ll still be handsome.” Konro tried to smile at her gentle teasing though it came out as more of a grimace and Y/N finally seemed to notice that his skin was smoking.

Her eyes widened once they saw the burnt and still burning flesh over his shoulders, his arms and his neck, “This…” it wasn’t a normal burn, it wasn’t even the kind of burn that someone with fire resistance skin could get in extreme cases - it was burning from the inside out. Inside some of the wounds, she could see what looked like embers and she realised what he had done. “Konro… you… you didn’t have to go so damn hard! What did you do?!” Hearing her voice too loud and almost shrill she covered it with her hands and tried to fight off her tears. Through her blurry vision, she saw him try to lift his arms to hold her but it seemed it was either too painful or they were too damaged.

“I’ll be okay, Y/N.” Konro grit his teeth as a spike of pain shot through his shoulders again, “Just be strong for me.”

x - -

The town was abnormally quiet, even though two days had passed they were still finding their dead and trying to figure out who combusted and who died from some other cause. Asakusa had always been quick to pick itself up and go about its day but this was something different. The fires had destroyed most of the buildings, the Guardhouse was overfull with the homeless even though everyone with a house left were taking in as many as they could - many were frightened that another Demon might appear and Konro wouldn’t be able to beat it this time.

She had been handing out food and blankets to those who needed them when she came across the massive crater Konro had scarred into the land.

It was terrifying to see.

Not only because of what a full-powered Akatsuki could do. Not because it marked where something as catastrophic as a Demon had appeared either. It was where Konro had been willing to sacrifice everything for his Town. Her lover had gone as far as knocking Benimaru out in order to take the Demon on - not because Benimaru couldn’t have handled it but because Konro wanted to make sure someone who loved and could fight for Asakusa as much as him survived.

She could have lost him completely…

Konro had led as many able-bodied men as he could with Benimaru to protect what they could. The crater in front of her didn’t feel real, it felt like if she stepped forward it would dissipate like some sort of mirage. “Y/N,” a thick coat was wrapped around her shoulders as Benimaru came to stand next to her, worry laced his voice as he forced the woman to stand back a little. “You’ll fall in.” He didn’t say anything more as she pulled the coat closer to her body and pressed her face into the material, it was Konro’s coat, it smelt of him - like he did before all of the medicines and charred skin. “I’ll take care of giving the rest of this stuff out. Konro’s asking for you…” What he actually meant was that Konro was in agony and was calling for her.

She turned her head to look at him, her eyes were a little wider than usual and she was trying to smile at him in the same reassuring way she always did. Her hand reached for his hair and she brushed it back a little, stroking her thumb over the bruise on his temple, “Y/N… I’m sorry. I should have done more. I should have been stronger.”

“Y/N…” Konro whispered and tried to reach for her face, wanting to wipe away the stray tear she was trying to ignore - it was agony. His jaw tensed as he tried to clamp down on the pained sounds wanting to escape as he tried to force shredded muscle to work.

Y/N shook her head, “He buried you, Beni… he would have broken your arms and legs if it would have protected you. There was nothing you could have done.” The young man was never going to forgive himself for not being there for Konro, she could see he was already blaming himself and wouldn’t listen to reason. Konro had explained to her how Benimaru had been at his limit, how he had been overheating and for him to be shoved aside so easily further proved that Konro had done right by him.

“…He’s calling for you, Y/N.” He took the supplied from her and headed for the next household that needed help.

Konro appeared to be asleep when she entered the room, the doctor glanced her way before hanging up another IV of who knew what inside, she didn’t care as long as it helped him. There was a large bowl with pinkish water and bloodied bandages soaking inside, shredded packets of medical patches, discarded cooling blankets designed for someone overheating… the room was a mess. The medical rooms were already taken up by the injured so they had moved him to his own room to recover and avoid infections.

“How’s he doing?”

“We’re sedating him as much as we can without killing him, Y/N.” The doctor sighed and began gathering the supplies they’d strewn out of the floor, “It’s tephrosis, his skin is carbonising and the lack of oxygen to his muscles has caused tears all over, he’s got limited mobility in his arms and the muscle around his shoulder blades will take months to heal… if it does.”

Neither spoke as Y/N let that sink in. If Konro couldn’t fight anymore… Strong men were respected in Asakusa, no one challenged the authority of the Hikeshi because it was led by the strongest. Technically, Benimaru was the strongest in a fight but he didn’t have the confidence to lead - someone could easily chip away at his resolve or Benimaru could lose his temper and go too far.

“It’ll heal, he’s stubborn.” The doctor gave her a weak smile and Y/N bit the tip of her tongue, waiting for more bad news.

“His lungs are shot.” There was no gentle way to tell her, “He’s going to be more prone to pneumonia and it won’t be easy for him to fight through it. If he uses his ability excessively not only will it be excruciatingly painful but it will impact his breathing and… the tephrosis could spread.”

It was difficult to imagine what Konro was going through physically and mentally. He wouldn’t regret risking it all for Asakusa but she knew this would be difficult for him. Y/N stood in the doorway with her hands balled up in the material of Konro’s coat, she took in his prone form as if that was going to make her understand how to deal with this. There were cooling blankets beneath him to help fight the inferno beneath his skin, he was pale and even from across the room she could see his skin was clammy as the heat seemed to pour out of him - when was it going to burn itself out?

They hadn’t bandaged his wounds yet, hoping that the air would aid in the healing.

As silently as she could she made her way to his side after the doctor had left, she knelt beside him and reached out to brush the hair from his sweaty forehead, “Y/N?” She nearly jumped at the sound of his voice, her heart hammering against her ribcage as she saw his eyes flutter open weakly, he looked exhausted and her own eyes watered as she saw how much pain was reflected in his. He was doing his best to hide that from her.

“I’m here, Konro,” Y/N leaned down to place a gentle kiss on his lips, “What do you need?” She had never seen him down like this, she had never seen him looking so… weak. He was supposed to be a strong man, he was Asakusa’s protector and now they were saying he would never fight again. Benimaru was torn up inside with guilt. Asakusa was in ashes and its people had lost their usual fighting spirit. “Do you need some water? Or… I can make you something to eat - I c-could…” Her voice got stuck in her throat, the lump that had been forming all morning finally grew too big and she nearly choked on a sob.

“Stop!” She grabbed his hand and lowered it to his side, keeping hold of his hand in both hers, “Please don’t.” Even with her voice breaking she still tried to smile for him, “Don’t hurt yourself anymore, Konro… please.” Y/N could hardly breathe anymore, she pressed her forehead down to his and forced the sadness back - she needed to be strong - “You’ve done enough. You don’t have to give anymore.”

He was the man everyone went to for help or advice, he was the one who brought Benimaru under his wing after the Master had died and kept him on the right track. He gave and gave and gave…

Konro let out a shuddering breath, his lungs ached and he began to cough, every single jolt to his body hurt worse than the previous and he couldn’t repress the pained gasps this time. “It’s okay, Konro, I’m here, I’m gonna look after you.”

x - -

“Building was completed this morning, every house has the bare necessities, schools are open, the market  is trading as fairly as they can and we have a few new recruits training to join the Hikeshi by the end of the month.” Benimaru let out a small sigh as he finished his report whilst trying to learn how to treat Konro’s wounds. He wanted to help in any way he could and somehow, being able to properly treat Konro made him feel somewhat better.

“Three months to rebuild the Town?” Konro mused, “Was it supplies or labour?”

“Labour. Builders worked flat out but most of them were laid up till recently.”

Y/N listened quietly as they spoke, occasionally she would explain to Benimaru what she was doing but it was good to have the young man there to distract Konro. Months had passed but he was still in a great deal of pain, still burning on the inside but the Haijima patches seemed to help prevent the spread and provide some pain relief - she just wished it was something they could replicate so they didn’t need to rely on the Empire. She heard the pained hitches in Konro’s breathing and sometimes he would stop mid-sentence when it got too much. Sometimes it was enough to bring Konro to tears and he was hiding it the best he could to protect Benimaru and Y/N.

“H-how are the twins?”

Benimaru handed Y/N more bandage as she started to wrap Konro, “They’re assholes… they’re gonna come by later and tell you a bunch of lies about me - anything they say is a lie and if it’s not they deserved it.”

“…If Y/N and I ever have kids you’re not allowed to babysit.”

Benimaru snorted and gathered up the medical supplies to toss out, “That’s fine with me.” He stood up and headed towards the door, “Though I doubt any kid of yours would be as mean as two little girls on a sugar kick.” Not a moment after the door had slid shut, Y/N and Konro heard a crash and two little voices mocking Benimaru - it was followed shortly by their squeals and the sound of a nearly grown man chasing two little girls.

Y/N laughed at the noise and for a moment it felt like old times.

Life was slowly returning to Asakusa, it wasn’t surprising really, they were a resilient bunch. “We’re all done for today,” She kissed his heavily bandaged shoulder and rested a cooling blanket over the top, “Ready to eat?”

Konro winced as he turned his head to kiss her temple whilst she rested lightly on his shoulder, “Not really but you won’t take that as an answer, right?”

“Nope,” Y/N had been keeping his meal warm to the side and picked it up as she moved to sit just beside him, more than ready to feed him as she had for the last few weeks, “Konro…” he gave a hum in response, recognising in her tone there was going to be something he might not like. “I know you said you wanted to do it but let me put your sword on its stand…”

Since the day of the great fire his sword had sat in the corner of the room against the wall, she had made sure to clean it but he had told her he wanted to put it back. It was like a target he had set for himself, that if he could pick it up and place it on the stand on top of the dresser, it would prove something. It felt like such a sad thing to see it neglected and thrown aside - Konro had saved up and worked so hard to have it made.

Konro shook his head, “Be a little more patient with me, Y/N… besides, look,” There was a little more light in his eyes and he slowly reached out and took the chopsticks from the tray, “I’ll be feeding myself in no time!” he opened and closed the utensils and Y/N smiled back at him.

“Okay, that’s pretty impressive.” It was a good sign, it meant that he was healing and a part of her was relieved - being strong all the time, keeping his mood up and helping where she could was exhausting. Konro wasn’t a burden to her, she loved him and even if she ha to feed their whole life she would. She wondered how he managed. “You’ll be lifting your sword in no time then?”

“Yeah.” He parted his lips as she fed him a mouthful of rice.

Whilst he chewed Y/N bit her bottom lip a little nervously, “A-and then you’ll lift me up next?”

“Carrying you around is one of my favourite things, Y/N” She brushed a piece of rice from the corner of his lip where she had seemed distracted and missed. “What other challenges have you got for me?

Y/N hesitated before placing the bowl down and she reached for one of his hands, carefully bringing it to her belly, doing her best not to pull at him, “Do you think that in six months time… you could lift our baby?”

“…W…?” Konro’s eyes widened and he stared at her in shock, his mind turning over what she had said and as it began to slowly sink in, a smile a much brighter than any he had had since the fire spread across his face. “You…” Unable to think properly, he moved forward and wrapped his arms around her as best he could, it hurt like hell and she was going to yell at him but he didn’t care in that small, hopeful, moment, “I’ll be strong enough for you both.”

[ducktracy]

185. porky’s hero agency (1937)

release date: december 4th, 1937

series: looney tunes

director: bob clampett

starring: mel blanc (porky, emperor jones), tedd pierce (gorgon, assistant), sara berner (porky’s mom)

the final porky cartoon for 1937, and what a busy year it’s been for him! hard to believe he had an entirely different voice, look, and demeanor just 8 months prior. even then, his character still had much to explore, as we see here—in this cartoon, he’s cast as a child again. curiously, bob clampett is often credited as the one who refined his personality into the one we know today (he did give him his iconic suit and tie), but, like everything else, it was more of a collaborative exploration by all of the directors.

the title card is one of the more interesting title cards in the warner bros. repertoire—it’s a photo of a porky statuette! bob clampett would make several statues during his time at WB and distribute them to his top animators. while the statue in the credits is painted over, you can view an unpainted model here!

here, porky dreams of the wonders of ancient greece, prancing around as the mythological messenger parkykarkus. however, a gorgon has her sights set on turning him into stone, and it requires some quick thinking from porky to weasel his way out of this mess.

bobe cannon animates the expositional sequence, with porky propped up in bed, sucked into a giant book full of greek myths. his mother (offscreen) tells him it’s time to go to sleep, but porky objects, protesting that he was just at the exciting part. cannon’s animation is easy to spot with his trademark buck teeth, yet the gestures he gives porky--finger points, turning the page, etc.--give him a nice dose of youthful energy as he recaps the story, telling tales of gorgons and “great great great” greek heroes.

nevertheless, a disembodied hand turns out the light, dismissing porky’s protests. he heaves a resigned sigh, lamenting how he wishes he could be a great greek hero. 

the cartoon doesn’t make any attempts to keep the dream sequence a surprise--instead, the face of the book’s cover takes up the entire screen, the pillars emblazoned on the front melting to life as we fade into ancient greece. and, as to be expected, our favorite porcine hero proudly stands in front of the building, proudly advertising “HERO FOR HIRE AGENCY -- PORKYKARKUS PROP.”

porkykarkus is a play on parkykarkus (”park your carcass”), a character on eddie cantor’s radio show “the chase & sanborn hour”. truck into porky’s services as he narrates over the specials:

“has anybody any eh-deh-deah-deah-dragons you want seh-seh-sleh-slay-slaye--rubbed out? or maybe ya have some, uh, fair meh-mai-meh-maide--honeys ya want rescued! it’s a peh-pleasure. is your daughter safe? phone eh-peh-porkykarkus at olympia 2222!”

porky’s narration, as always, is fun to listen to, and the physical advertisement has its own charm and appeal, with discounts and deals on certain rescues. not only that, but it’s a damn smart way to save money, having just the narration over the still frame. smart thinking!

conveniently, porky gets a phone call, sparking the tried and true “gear up for a big sprint but merely tinker on over to your destination” gag. as porky answers the phone, filling us in by repeating the hidden dialogue from the other line, we find out it’s the emperor--he wants one hero to go.

chuck jones’ layouts stick out quite strongly throughout this cartoon, especially in the human designs. porky’s statue of mercury is no exception--the bulbous nose and rounded body construction are all surefire trademarks of his work. porky grabs the messenger’s hat and winged shoes from the statue, never once taking a beat to stop as he hobbles along, dressing as he prepares to head out. woodblock sounds simulate the sound of his hooves clopping, but also add an extra jaunty jive to the merry score of “have you got any castles?” in the background, the cartoon’s motif. it would also be a merry melody courtesy of frank tashlin not even a year later.

with that, porky takes off, soaring in the skies like a pro with his winged shoes. if the scene wasn’t appealing enough with the overhead layouts, the animation of porky steadying himself is wonderfully smooth and fun--the cherry on top. he circles the palace where the emperor is located, swooping down to his destination. complete with airplane sound effects, of course.

“howdy, empy!” another bulbous-nosed jones character silences porky from behind his armchair. emperor jones (boy, who could that name reference, i wonder?) speaks in a ridiculously hilarious dialect, completed with a thick accent: “shh! i’m making a fireside chat with my sheeps!” his voice then slips into a rooseveltian draw as he coos “my friends, grecians and customers, this is emperor jones speaking...”

pan to the audience, which consists of a sea of smiling statues. this entire speech sequence is wonderful--not only is his terrible grammar terribly amusing, (”statistics show... what last season at this time was population in greece from 6,000 with 500 with 54 people, with 17 statues.”) but little touches such as one of the audience statues roasting marshmallows and later a hotdog over the fireplace, the emperor making his audience clap by pulling on ropes tied to their arms, and so forth make the entire charade highly amusing with lots of details to look out for. porky standing idly in the background, awkwardly fidgeting as he tries not to intrude is a great little piece of character animation as well.

the emperor gives the skinny, all while chowing down on a hotdog: a gorgon has been turning more and more people into statues, and they need a hero to steal her life-restoring needle in order to turn all of the statues back into humans again. the hero he has in mind is, of course, porky, who bashfully accepts the offer. when the emperor asks those in favor to raise their right hand, he pulls on a lever that causes all of the statues to raise their hands in unison, including a hand on a nearby clock. with a handshake, empy concludes “it’s a deal!”

one of the most impressive pieces of animation in the cartoon (i actually dedicated an entire drawing to it!) is when the emperor sends porky on his way, who waves goodbye as he flies through the air with his winged shoes. just as he tips his hat, he knocks into a pillar, which sends him tumbling upside down, but still airborne. the wings on his shoes form hands as they shake their fists in the glory of the good landing, with porky flashing a cheeky grin to the audience before spiraling lower in the air, regaining his balance, and barreling onward towards a smoldering volcano. the animation is full of life and character--though porky is consistently jolly in the B&W clampett cartoons, the grin towards the camera as he prides himself in his save is a great little touch of personality. slowly but surely, bits of character are now becoming more defined.

a gag that took me just now to recognize it--porky swoops into the heart of the volcano, where we spot the source of the black fumes pouring out the top: the gorgon statue factory. a merry score of “you’ve got something there” serves as some easy listening as we’re treated to a sign gag:

outside of the factory is a human picket fence, comprised of familiar faces: statues of bobe cannon, norm mccabe, john carey, bob clampett himself and chuck jones surround the area. directly outside of the factory is the frozen statue of a salesman with his foot in the door--the joke is not only amusing, but the pose is quite strong and readable, too. though nowhere near the dynamism of frank tashlin’s poses in the mid ‘40s, clampett’s poses in this cartoon are quite defined and exaggerated for the time period. this is especially sharp in the scenes with the emperor.

porky knocks on the door held ajar by the ceramic statue’s foot, holding out an envelope. “telegram for the guh-geh-gee-geh-gee-gor-geh--” a hand snags the envelope out of porky’s grip, causing him to mutter “aww, nuh-neh-nee-nuh-neh-neh-nut--shucks,” a phrase he echoed in clampett’s previous entry, rover’s rival.

we transition to the inside of the factory, where we see the gorgon herself, positioned in front of a camera, awaiting to take “pictures” of her models. tedd pierce voices the gorgon, whose vocal stylings are a parody of tizzie lish, bill comstock’s character on al pearce and his gang. interestingly, the cartoon before this, the woods are full of cuckoos, featured a caricature of lish as well, also voiced by pierce. 

clampett and pierce’s comedic timing is sharp--not nearly as sharp as tashlin’s timing in the woods are full of cuckoos, but abundantly amusing nonetheless. the gorgon asks for a boy--”a sorta young-ish one”--and in comes a decrepit old man who can hardly hold himself up. the gorgon waits for the man to assume his position on the podium where his picture will be taken, singing a pitchy rendition of “am i in love?“, another homage to the characteristics displayed by lish’s character on the radio.

the gorgon snaps her photo, which turns the shaky old man into a stone statue at once, cheekily labeled “ANTIQUE --  $60,000 (P.S.: 000,000)” before he’s yanked off of the podium with a cane. 

“now let’s try a group picture.” you know it’s a ‘30s cartoon if the three stooges come waddling in--they made their caricatured, cartoon debut in the 1934 film the miller’s daughter, notorious for being chuck jones’ first animation credit. as expected, they all beat the tar out of each other while on the podium, rendered immobile only through the power of medusa’s camera. they turn into the three wise monkeys, labeled “3 MONKEYS OF JAPAN -- MADE IN GREECE”. 

norm mccabe’s animation is easy to spot in the next scene with porky, characterized by his signature double eyebrows. porky knocks on a door, parroting a favorite catchphrase from the al pearce show that frequented many a clampett cartoon: “i hope she’s eh-eh-at home, i hope, i hope, i hope, i hope, i hope...”

porky shakes the hand of the assistant, unfortunately a blackface caricature (save for the voice, who is just tedd pierce speaking in a deep, suave voice) as he greets “welcome, stranger. won’t you come in?” before porky has time to answer, he’s yanked through the iron bars of the door and placed neatly in line for the photoshoot, where he peeks through the door to see the action inside.

a pile of men form a pyramid, where the camera turns them into a literal statue of a pyramid, with some slight imperfections. “aw, shucks!” laments the gorgon. “you moved!” she approaches them with her life restoring needle, allowing the men to form into the proper position, maintaining good balance. she gets her “genuine egyptian statue”, quipping “ought to make a handy paperweight!”

the assistant informs porky that he’s next. porky backs up anxiously, echoing a short-lived catchphrase of his from the joe dougherty era: “nuh-neh-no! eh-nn-nee-no! a-a thousand times no!” the decision to make his thoughts visible (his head is slapped onto that of a piggy bank’s) is playful, and also reflects just how big of an influence comics had on bob clampett’s work: comic artists such as milt gross and george lichty have been cited by clampett as inspirations. the george lichty influence is definitely noticeable in rod scribner’s animation under bob clampett, as we’ll discover in the coming years.

in the midst of his panic, porky backs into a statue of "dick a. powello” (dick powell and apollo), causing it to break. but, rather than fuss over the mess, porky uses the opportunity to hatch an idea instead.

in comes strolling porky, concealed by powello’s upper body and a blankett hiding his hooves. the triumphant score of “he was her man” and the gorgon’s smitten woos makes the scene hilarious as is, but the blanket falling off and revealing porky’s pudgy little hooves is the icing on the comedic cake.

porky perches himself on a conveniently placed couch, where the gorgon approaches him. “pardon me, is this seat taken?” she doesn’t wait a wink before snuggling right up to him, a heart symbolizing her affections popping in the air. though clampett would play with typography at times and maintain an overarchingly jovial mood to his cartoons, it’s an odd thing to see him play with comic-like visuals in this manner, such as porky physically envisioning himself as a piggy bank or the heart from the gorgon. i wish he had done it more in this nature!

with the gorgon too close for comfort, porky uses this as an opportunity to grab the gorgon’s life-restoring needle, dangling from her neck and lying against her body. it wouldn’t be a clampett cartoon without sexual innuendos--porky reaches aimlessly around for the needle, prompting the gorgon to let out a shriek, cooing “why, mr. a POWELLo!” 

she smothers the ceramic head in kisses, giving him a nice lipstick finish to boot as she pretends the statue has given her a ring. her ecstasy is hilarious and WONDERFULLY conveyed through strong, rubbery poses worth freeze-framing. picturing porky’s befuddlement is another humor within itself. 

finally, porky’s disguise is revealed when the gorgon literally crushes the statue in an embrace, stone crumbling around him as he desperately slips out of her grip. as the gorgon makes threats to call the cops, reciting the WB favorite catchphrase of “calling all cars! calling all cars!”, porky makes with the needle and jabs it in various statues, warning them “uh-geh-uh-get goin’! i-i-eh-it’s the guh-geh-geh-eh-geh-gorgon!”

as the gorgon chases porky with her camera, he continues to revive a barrage of statues: the antique, the famed discus thrower (who throws himself out of the scene rather than the discus), the man from the end of the trail statue, who exits riding his horse like a merry go round (a nod to friz freleng’s sweet sioux), a woman who marches off with popeye’s forearms--note the bobe cannon statue in the back here--and a mermaid who unzips her fin and makes a run for it. the highlight of the entire montage is when porky approaches two temples (the two of them together labeled “shirley temple”) and injects the needle into them, prompting the temples to use their pillars as legs and run for the hills.

the chase reaches its climax as the gorgon pursues porky with a movie camera, turning the crank ferociously as she runs. her plan works--porky slows down, freezing in mid-air as the gorgon cries “hold it!” thus, the gorgon pins porky to the ground, who tries his hardest to fight back, but ultimately flailing around as she commands him to open his eyes.  

we melt into the present, where we find porky’s mother in place of the gorgon, telling him softly to wake up. he does so, after she pries one of his eyes opens. relieved that it was all a dream, he embraces his mother, prompting a happy end and an iris out.

this cartoon has a soft spot in my heart--it was one of the first LT cartoons i saw on this whole venture. i thought i was the smartest person alive, understanding the three stooges, popeye, and shirley temple references. who knew just how much i had (and still have!) to learn! though even without my sentimental biases, this still stands as a very good cartoon.

as i mentioned previously, the poses in this are full of elasticity and energy, especially in the emperor and the gorgon. porky does a very nice job as well--little pieces of animation such as him fidgeting awkwardly while the emperor rambles on, swinging from side to side as he’s offered the job to be a hero, etc. etc. are full of charm and character. while his personality isn’t the most electric in comparison to characters like bugs and daffy, it’s the little things like these that really make porky stand out. with him, a little subtlety goes a long way, and that’s why he’s one of my favorites. he’s so reserved in comparison to such a wild cast of characters that his timidness actually shines through and sets him apart! (though, on the other hand, he can still have quite the personality, as we’ll discover!)

personally, the only gripes i have with this cartoon is the blackface caricatured assistant (which, in comparison to some cartoons we’ve seen and still have yet to see, is relatively mild, but uncomfortable nonetheless). the jokes, while corny at times, still hit, the animation is full of life and vigor, and the short as a whole has a lot of charm, whimsy, and personality. it has my seal of approval! go check it out!

link!

[hugos-mind-on-films]

Empathic emotion in film - essay - The perks of being a wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The 2012 film, starring Logan Lerman, Emma Watson and Ezra Miller is a masterclass on vehemence. Perfectly expressing the epitome of teenage existence. A story which barely avoids becoming an epitaph for our main character, Charlie. A beautiful life so close to being lost, a theme so violently relatable. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an anthology of tangents, telling the totality of trauma. A story of being ‘both happy and sad’(7:44). Charlie grows and loves, yet within that is a constant reminder, an eternal echo of memories unknown. In this scene, the writer of the original book, the screenplay and the director, Steven Chbosky works with Lerman to reveal the insides of Charlie’s mind and convey Charlie’s crescendo as the realisation and weight of his life crashes down on him. A pure display of emotion and control over the emotion of an audience via the forms of cinematography, sound and mise en scene colliding to create one of the most powerful and memorable scenes in all of cinema. 

The cinematography by Andrew Dunn is exquisite. Although released in 2012, The Perks of Being a Wallflower was shot entirely on 35mm celluloid film. A creative choice that helps tell the story as the celluloid’s noise and softness act as another character in the scene, helping sell the setting of the film in the ambiguous 90’s and it exemplifies Charlie as a person and his foreboding internal struggles, inviting the audience to empathise with Charlie’s emotional state. Shooting on film adds texture to the shot that is not found in the ultra crisp cinema cameras we know today. In the relatively mundane world of suburban Pittsburgh, Tarkovsky like texture is not available, so the in-camera texture of celluloid adds interest and movement into sometimes still shots, while the noise captures the chaos that is Charlie’s mind. The background pandemonium created by the film draws the audience into the world, into the scene and into Charlie’s mind. A chaos and despair that is personified through colour.

Colour is not expressly used in this scene and that is the power of it. The overexposed sky eradicates the tranquil blue from the scene. The walls of his house washed in a dull beige. In his room, the walls, furniture and Charlie himself are cast in shadow. The life of each shot, colour, is sucked out, swept away and neglected. The absence of vibrancy limn the feeling of pain and suffering that Charlie is currently enduring. His memories even follow this same suit. Dark, dingey scenes with deep shadows that shrink even the brightest colours, like the yellow of his sleeping sister’s sleeping bag as he is told not to ‘wake’ (1:25:16, 1:25:39) her. This use of earth tones, dark and boring colours, helps emphasise the low of Charlie’s life. Now that Sam and Patrick have left, the reason to keep going has faded, much like the colours in the scene. The realisation of Aunt Helen and Charlie's ‘little secret’ (1:25:21, 1:25:53) appears through the colour and is accentuated by the lighting.

The lighting in the scene is natural and practical. The front door and hallway are lit only by the windows in the house creating a dark tunnel leading to his room, a visual cue to the darkness he is entering. His room is dark, lit only by the sun entering through his only window. From the straight shot, the harsh 5500 kelvin lighting puts Charlie and his emotions on display. No shadows on Charlie, Dunn and Chbosky’s way of showing he has nowhere to hide. His pain has reached its boiling point. The single lighting setup also creates an agonizing attachment to reality and reminds the audience that this film is real, the emotions are real and Dunn is telling the audience that the danger Charlie is in, is real.

Sound is the engineer of emotion and that notion does not differ in this scene. To begin the scene, a non-diegetic symphonic swell pulls the audience into the brittle, fragmented mind of our main character. The dialogue from Aunt Helen forms in the center of our collective consciousness, just as it does for Charlie. The shattering of Aunt Helen’s car window sends us back into the present where we can witness his whirlpool of pique represented as the piano lulls the viewer through his mental wounds, inviting us into his life. As the piano plays, it motivates the cut to his childhood photos and the visualisation of his innocence lost. As Charlie revels in his guilt for an atrocity he didn’t commit, ‘It’s all my fault’ (1:25:46 - 1:25:52) repeats with the audience throughout the scene both diegetically and in the non-diegetic cadence of the chords. Every sound actuates the visuals via J cuts and audio match cuts. This editing technique links the audience’s eyes, ears and emotions together allowing for us, as the viewer, to latch onto Charlie and become one with him. The sound design of this scene allows a change in the audience dynamic from spectator to participant. The non-diegetic inflating drones expand, heightening our empathy and highlighting his turmoil and as the score introduces more chords to us, creating a cohesion between Charlie and his woe’s, an artificial disarray tethers his memories to the audience’s audio-visual experience. Lerman’s repetition of ‘stop crying’ (1:26:06 - 1:26:15) speaks more to the audience than him. A subversion of a 4th wall break that allows the audience to share their trauma with Charlie and Charlie with the viewer. The creation of a shared emotional experience between Charlie and the audience consolidates itself as all the fragments of his memories and self come together in his head at the height of the score. 

Mise en scene, specifically the placement of props and objects in the frame and costume are vehicles for storytelling that seldom receive adequate respect. In this scene, mise en scene contributes to the conveying of Charlie’s agony and loss of self. Patrick and Sam leaving propels a new found pain in Charlie to the surface of his mind, beguiling him into unwrapping his forgotten trauma. The photos in his house of him and his siblings as children cites a purity and naivety no longer present in Charlie after his sexual assault at the hands of Aunt Helen. A conviction compounded by his wardrobe. A grey suit, provided by Patrick, as a suit is what ‘all great writers wear’ (39:52), ages Charlie far beyond his 15 years. Charlie wearing the suit is a subconscious coping mechanism offering an escape from his past but one he cannot run from. His past catching up to his present. In the back of his room, a light is turned off, indicating his separation from existence and his will to leave rather than live, as a result of his discovery. Charlie continues his catharsis in front of his typewriter. The best present he has ever received, places the audience in a new perspective. Charlie writes letters to a friend and by the end of the film we are writing our letters to him. Pleading him to hold on.

As the scene draws to a close, the frame of Charlie’s head fills the scene into darkness, literally putting the audience into his mind as we are left looking back at ourselves in the reflection, left to write our letters to Charlie.

Steven Chbosky and Andrew Dunn have provided a perfect example of how to convey emotion in film and how to sire empathy within an audience. Through the use of mise en scene, costume, the sub arts within cinematography and sound, the film produces emotion within the viewer and allows for the true depth of the film’s themes to resonate in the audience.

Bibliography:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Motion picture, Summit Entertainment, Mr. Mudd, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America. (All quotes are time stamped for the original movie.)

[isolaween]

Party Preparations!

October 4th and 5th are dates of utmost importance for the Ushiromiya family. They were fateful days when all of their collective sins came to a tragic conclusion. They were the days when the Golden Witch Beatrice revived. They were the days when a little girl lost her whole family. They were the days when said little girl managed to see her family once again and become a grown woman.

But none of those things are happening at October 4th and 5th in Spirale City. The past must not be forgotten, but a truth of the future supercedes a truth of the past. If these days come to be associated with a joyful party at the city’s consciousness instead, then the hosts will be satisfied. There is no need of a massacre for them to reach the Golden Land tonight.

Work began at the mansion early in the morning. King Knight (@gildedusurper) was busy decorating the main hall, which actually benefitted from his perchant to add golden details to everything (the hosts are Golden Witches, after all). Lothric and Lorian (@ashes-of-omelas) arrived with their decorated pumpkins to be put at the main hall too, alongside others Beato made the goats carve for the main hall and the outside. ...At least the goats’ pumpkins have heart to them. On the second floor, Jon Kent (@smallblueboyscout) flew non stop to prepare props that’d make a hide-and-seek game the most interesting. Harley Quinn (@harliquinn) delighted herself at adding little pranks here and there at the escape room. Well, I guess that as long as she follows the plan laid out by the activity’s overseer, it should be alright. Riruka Dokugamine (@shouyoku) miiiight be going a bit overboard with the ‘cute’ factor at the parlor. This looks like the sort of place that’d please Lambdadelta a lot. Lastly for the decoration crew, Yomiel (@hosttrick) sure knows how to prepare an environment with just the perfect touch of ‘spooky’ for a room where ghost stories will occur. All of these people were assisted by either one of the Stakes, a Chiester or a goat butler, depending on their availability.

Things were just as agitated at the kitchen. Travis Touchdown (@suplex51) was ready to show off his skills with a couple kitchen knives and a wooden spoon! Burritos, pasta and smaller salty snacks are just some of the things he pulled masterfully. Meanwhile, on another bench, Balbok (@tallorc) was carefully decorating a portion of bru-mill that he couldn’t wait to present to everyone in party. Let’s just hope that the strong smell that and his other meaty dishes emit won’t startle the sensitive nose of one Toriel (@baaternal), who was facing the oven to get another batch of cookies out of it. The previous batches, plus other baked goods she had prepared, were being checked by Jet (@blackvwatch), who was also giving them final decorating touches, besides moving left and right to assist anyone in need. Leading them all was, of course, the Ushiromiya family’s head butler, Ronove.

Food and drinks also gently catered by some sponsored partners, as goats waited at the entrance to bring them in. Hansol Yi (@fcxrcin) was proud to provide her matcha and matcha based treats, specialties of her restaurant, NokNok Cafe. For those with a more Western taste, Reines El-Melloi Archisorte (@princesselmelloi), owner of The London Fog, was ready to cover you, for she brought classic teas like Earl Grey, coffee and some desserts she usually serves at her store. Those of legal age can also be satisfied, for even the so called Emperor of the Universe, Lord Freeza (@coldcessor) was willing to assist with the party, his role being of catering alcoholic drinks - especially the ones from wine variety. And of course, this can’t be a Halloween Party worth its name without the most important component of all: candies! Thankfully, we can count on Nicholas St. North (@odetotoys) to bring those.

And there were more things being brought to the mansion besides that!  GANG☆STAR, the ever growing clothing brand on Spirale City, was gentle enough to provide some extra costumes to any partygoer who either doesn’t bring any or wishes to change their current ones; all negotiated with Shaundi (@adrenalxna), as her boss is currently out of commission. Riruka was here not only to assist with decorations, but also to bring costumes from her own shop, Atelier Softcoeur! Assisting the arrangement of the clothing space was Kanji Tatsumi (@ziodie), who will later assist with fixing those poor costumes that get themselves into accidents. Oh, and speaking of Riruka, she and Rantaro Amami (@seizonka) still have to handle makeup assistance to guests later tonight! Good thing Rantaro can help organizing the space for that right now. Last but no less important, the famous horror writer and owner of Owl’s Books, Sen Tatatsuki (@bubonem), was more than happy to provide some books from her horror collection to serve as reading material for the ghost stories section to happen tonight.

It’s important to assure the wellbeing and health of people in a party, especially one with so many guests. Thankfully, there is a medical team ready to tend to any injuries or malaise folks can experience here! Right now, the designated medical room is being filled with tablets, medicine bottles, gauze and other medical tools by Litchi Faye-Ling (@kuyuzhishi), Angela Thompson (@caducenurse), Moira O’Deorain (@bitterscience) and Jean-Baptiste Augustin (@imotel). .....Hopefully there will be no conflict between them tonight.

The technical aspect of a high production event like this is also very important to be properly checked beforehand. Peridot (@kindergardening), owner of Facet Five, is currently busy checking each spotlight one by one. I hope she doesn’t mind some light harrassing by Gaap, one of the demons under the hosts’ service. Back in the escape room, Maggie (@tragiclittlebonbon) is having lots of fun setting up the devices that must go up during the game sessions. She needs to make sure they are replayable many times. Leo Valdez (@vldeztm) is checking every nook and cranny on the musical stage set up at the main hall, so that no screw is left out of place. The computer that will play accompanying audio for the musical presentations (and overall play sound effects during the party) is being checked by one Dirk Strider (@failedprince). If he were his relative, maybe he’d even be giving his opinion on what songs to play tonight.

At last, night arrives. People begin arriving to the Ushiromiya mansion even before the alloted time. Once one enters the rose garden, they’d be able to see a couple creatures roaming around the area. Some are ‘normal’ animals. Others are fantastical looking creatures belonging to Battler Ushiromiya. Two people tend to the garden and the creatures in it: Rey (@dawnarose) and Doomguy (@painsawd). The duo is not physically similar at all, but both carry the same passion at making sure the creatures are well cared for, besides inviting arriving guests to leave their own pets at the garden during the party’s duration.

A figure waits for those who arrive at the main entrance. The Witch of Finite, Publius Virgilia Maro (@thefinitewitch), receives everyone with a warm smile, making sure to direct everyone to a seat. She gives off an elegant vibe, even though she is wearing 80′s styled clothing that only Beatrice could have convinced her of putting. Passing by her, one would be faced directly with the main hall, which is covered in decorations and tables and chairs and a stage and, of course, a painting of Beatrice herself. Every table on the main hall has a gift basket full of homemade Halloween snacks over it, which guests can take home. Those who leave the party to go home without one can receive a basket from Virgilia as they pass by her again.

Security is tight tonight. Besides the presence of the hosts’ faithful furniture in every room, some citizens of Spirale are working tonight to keep the festivities safe for everyone. Enkidu (@lancerofclay) is standing by the entrance alongside Virgilia, much like they did at the last party. New to the city and to these parties as general, Mike Chiton (@motorcitymutt) is taking his time to admire the main hall’s visual - without forgetting his duty, of course. As the owner of Sanctuary Moon Security, Murderbot (@yoursecunit) is ever vigilant, his focus being at the parlor and dinner room areas. ...I’m not sure how Ludwig the Holy Blade (@holyequine) has managed to squeeze at the corridors leading to the costume and medical rooms, but he seems to be doing his job well, so why complain?

Waiters are already serving people left and right with treats fresh from the kitchen and drinks. Koku (@looking-for-four) seems to be more focused on the main door entrance than the guests he tends to. Perhaps he is expecting someone in particular to arrive, even if in vain. Ooops, looks like one of the waiters left a drink drop - ah, it was Touma Kamijou (@illusiionbreaker). Poor guy doesn’t get a break for his bad luck even here. As for Giselle (@angelicqualia), she seems to be enjoying the chance to socialize with people and learn more about the holiday. Don’t worry, your salary for this service will be way more than enough to compensate for your uniform. Somehow, Rantaro has chosen to work as both a makeup artist and a waiter during the party. I guess only an Ultimate Survivor could pull that off without dying...

...At last, the clocks hits 7PM. The lights go out, as they’re substituted by the arrival of golden butterflies who gently fly around the whole manor. It seems like the party will officially begin at any moment...

[sooosketchy]

Perfume at Hammerstein Ballroom, New York

My experience and review (sorta) of Perfume 4th World Tour FUTURE POP at Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY, USA

Saturday March 30, 2019

Having gone to their previous shows in NY I knew I couldn’t miss out but this time I changed things up and purchased seated tickets on the balcony. The show started at 8PM and ended around 9:50PM. 

We headed down to the Hammerstein Ballroom around 5PM and the end of the line had already reached the parking lot. The line grew quickly so it was a good idea arriving at least 2-3hrs before the show. After talking to people around us most of them had floor tickets in hopes of getting as close to the stage as possible. There are a couple restaurants across the street in case you get hungry and a CVS down the road. 

I had a seated ticket on the second balcony without assigned seats so I was worried how far back I would be and really wanted to nab a first row seat. The previous concerts I went to at the Hammerstein I bought GA floor tickets and realized that I can’t see anything because of how short I am! I’m 4 feet 9 inches tall and could barely see the artist(s) faces on stage unless they were high up on a stairway/prop. I could try to get to the venue earlier and be close to the front of the stage but that never works out. So I told myself to never get floor tickets and try the balcony next time.

Right before walking into the entrance some guy passing by the line yelled out “This place has RATS!” Without hesitation a fan behind me yelled, “and PERFUME!” Those who heard him in line laughed back and cheered on. He was probably looking for a reaction, but NY is known to have rats everywhere so this wasn’t alarming news. The passerby repeated his statement and then kept it moving.

Once inside we were allowed to bring in shopping bags as long as they were checked, as well as bags, and book bags. We all had to walk through metal detectors and were asked to show digital tickets this time with the barcode. Once you walk through the detectors and grab your bag you could either get in line for merch or head to your seat. The line for merch wasn’t bad so if you do have an assigned seat or you already have a friend reserving your chair go for the merch first because after the show the lines are way too long and not as monitored or controlled. After finding a seat and having a friend hold it for me I went back down to buy merch. Finding the line was a hassle but the staff had started to devise a plan to have the line for merch wrap around a stairway going down a level. The only problem was that the stairs were located in the main floor level. Someone could easily leave the line and pass into GA but the staff was ready and had several people heavily monitoring the line. You had to show your ticket again going back into GA or the balcony, so they were ready to turn people back around if they did not have tickets on them so don’t forget your phone!

Merchandise for the Future Pop tour was lacking. Nothing caught my eye and was disappointed with the t-shirt designs. Out of all the t-shirts only the white one had tour dates for the 4th World Tour, but the font size was microscopic on the back of the shirt. The front image on the white shirt was nice with all three members in a stylish pose printed in black and white ink. I would have liked the other shirts to have dates, but I went for the simple FP logo shirt with the 7th tour dates on the back. I liked the shade of blue for the katakana t-shirt. There was also a $50 t-shirt with the word Perfume on the front and an invitation to the fan club but I passed because of the dark blue t-shirt color. Tote was not as sturdy looking as the comic explorer tote, but fit the $15 price tag. The towel had an interesting design covering most of the surface and the words Future Pop on the center-right corner. What I was looking forward to the most was the pin blind bags! They were only $5 and you had a chance of getting 1 of 67 pin types. Here’s a link with all the items you can get during the tour. https://www.perfume-web.jp/eng/news/individual.php?id=172 

The stairway to go up to the balcony was to the left, but before walking up you had to show your e-ticket to the staff member. After walking what seemed like an endless stairway, I finally made it to the second balcony and I was early enough to get front row seats. Not in the middle of the balcony, more to the left side but the view was great. The seats are cramped together, but I’ve experienced worse so it wasn’t as stuffy for me. I was also front row so I had room to stretch my feet and room in front of my chair and underneath to place my bags. The seats on the first row are elevated significantly from the floor so be careful getting off and on, hold on to the chair so you don’t fall down. I saw people lose their balance stumbling off their chairs a couple times so be aware of the dip. 

As time passed the seats were filling up faster. One thing to look out for is beams when picking a seat. There are seats positioned right in front of beams and block your view completely. So get there early and avoid those seats. There was a couple looking for seats right before the show began and found two empty seats behind us on the second row, but one seat was facing a beam. They took it anyways since it was close up and it looked like all the seats were taken up in the back. 

Having a seat was great and the view was amazing but standing up was going to be an issue. I didn’t want to block anyone’s view behind me so I stayed seated. Of course I struggled to not jump up during Fake It but I stayed down and waved my hands back and forth instead, awkwardly. Suppressing my excitement around others who weren’t as hyped was a huge downer when sitting on the balcony. There’s space in front of the seats, a wide walkway, between the ledge and first row, but staff was sending back anyone who stood behind the railing, even children. This was going on during the beginning first two songs but people got the message and no one else on my side tried to stand behind the railing. HOWEVER, there was a women who sat right behind the railing in front of us for the entire show, she was just the right size and was able to peer over the bar. Because she was sitting I guess none of the staff bothered her or didn’t see her at all. She didn’t stand up not once and was pretty chill scrolling through her phone while PERFUME was preforming live in front of her. o__o

The 1st balcony seemed to have assigned seating but I have no idea how people even got seats down there. When I purchased tickets, only GA floor and BALC2 was available. I was probably too late when purchasing tickets. Side balcony was where it was at! Each one had about 12 seats but most of the people in it were standing up. I’ll probably aim for side balcony seats next time.

 Setlist 

Start-Up: Used the entire stage space to project what seemed to be a screen in thin air, counting down their previous performances leading up to their 4th World Tour and setting the mood for what was to come next, Future Pop!

Future Pop: the crowd was full of energy seeing Perfume back in NY and you could feel it during this song.

Electro World: First throwback song and a perfect follow up to Future Pop. Everybody’s hands were in the air clapping along for this one. A-chan was clapping along as well. Seeing this live was such a treat!

If You Wanna

Chourairin

FUSION: The choreo and silhouette effects were mesmerizing. Hearing this song gets me so amped up but the crowd wasn’t crazy for it. Loved it!

Tiny Baby

Butterfly: Not gonna lie, I lost it for bit hearing this song at first. Didn’t expect this song at all and loved every minute of it. I also appreciated the subs for the lyrics typed out on the back screen. Now everyone can sing along!

Secret Secret: There was no need for subs since the crowd had no problem signing back. Its was nice hearing the crowd sing in unison.  This was another song I needed to control myself and not jump out of my seat. Didn’t focus much on what was going on behind on the screen but the audio was off a bit.  

Not sure what to title the following track. It was a medley of a couple songs with a trap like beat and the trio rapping the lyrics to what sounded like Tokyo Girl. I didn’t move at all but just watched the chaos of glitched distorted visuals flicker on the screens trying to make sense of what was about to happen next. I liked it. More please. 

TOKYO GIRL

Pick Me Up

FAKE IT: Died and was revived back to life. No jumping for me this time around. The pit looked out of control!

FLASH

Polyrhythm: Ahh, Polyrhythm. This is Perfumes anthem. Somehow this song just brings us and Perfume closer together during the performance and feels like we’re all up there on stage with them. But then we’re slowly brought back to reality. Always brings tears to my face seeing this song performed. 

Encore - Magic of Love and Mugenmirai: didn’t take long for them to come back on stage. Not a fan of Mugenmirai in the encore but Magic of love left a lasting impression. 

 PTA Corner / MC / talk: Introductions! A-chan left for a few minutes and passed it over to Nocchi and then Kashiyuka. Nocchi calling out Kashiyuka while she was brushing her hair was funny. A-chan came back with what looked to be a cold ice pack wrapped around her neck, I hope she didn’t pull something.  Pamela representing Dominican Republic did a great job translating (so lucky). Story time! Perfume points out that pizza slices in the USA are bigger than they expected and surprised that just one slice of pizza is larger than thier face! Then asking the crowd how many slices fans usually eat, 1 slice or 2 slices? I spotted someone holding up 4, 5 fingers. Perfume saw it too and couldn’t help but smile. They also shared their visit to the new Hudson Yards, questioning why there was a train leading somewhere to Hudson Yards? And while they were taking a photo at the weird stair case building, looking upwards, rain droplets were coming down and A-chan exposed the smiles in that photo were fake. The crowd was then split in groups. Right side CRISPY! Left side Pizza~! A-chan also taught us a catchy tune about brushing your teeth with dance moves using your hands to brush the lower teeth, upper teeth, back and front teeth. Less crowd interaction during the talking segments than the last shows I’ve been to.  Lots of thank yous at the end. Now we wait for Perfumes comeback!

Rant

Recording was strictly prohibited and was not encouraged at all during the show. I get it, they use WiFi to control certain lights and devices on stage, but I should be allowed to use my phones camera to record while on airplane mode. That way I’m not interfering with the stages WiFi connection. This tour is all about the future and technology and the possibilities we have with them and being told not to use it doesn’t make sense. 

Merchandise was not appealing to me and could use a few more variations of color and the addition of dates of the 4th World Tour in larger font. I’m grateful for what we got but I know they can do better. Maybe bringing back a gallery exhibition like the one during Cosmic Explorer tour can allow fans to purchase merch earlier and have more options in t-shirts, dvds, cds, and other items. 

This one is more personal, on our way to the train station we stopped at a pizza restaurant to grab a quick bite before our train arrived. You could see who else just came from the concert. Some held their merchandise for all to see, Perfume cosplayers, or wore a Perfume concert t-shirt. Unfortunately we bumped into the wrong group of people who also came from the concert that said some pretty unnecessary and hurtful comments about someone in our group.  All we did was ask if they were in line, got weird glances in response and the comments started. I don’t want to go into detail about what they said, just that it was wrong and that night proved Perfume fans are a group of some of the most diverse, creative and dedicated individuals. No one has the right to say who can like what and I hope they realize that soon cause Perfume is going to continue to inspire and attract all kinds of people from different walks of life, so deal with it. 

So how was your FUTURE POP Tour experience? Did you get a blind bag, and which one did you get? Did anything strange or different happen at the show you attended?

[rubalcavah]

"dry" for zara from rubberband. on Vimeo.

director: rubberband. writer: jason fillmore sondock

ep: sara wallace producer: josh sondock production manager: holland kemp production coordinator: ali lauren brody

dp: pat golan production designer: hans maharawal

editor: armen harootun colorist: aubrey woodiwiss sound design & mix: raphaël ajuelos music composition: jakob shaw

starring: charles: josh lovins james: stephan junior thalen: gavin peppers

casual man: geron mckinley street man: dylan mckay sophisticated man: somali findlay single mom: aileen chang bonnie: bonnie schneider caroline: carolyn harrison bishop: bishop dryer suit guy: jeremy david

zara lead creative: gorka sorozabal zara creatives: jae iriah, maria angeles de hita, ruben vazquez & giuseppe sartorio zara producer: nerea rey

assistant editor: victor dos santos

1st ad: matt smith 2nd ad: matt hausmann opa: laura belpedio

location manager: john maher craft services: rich hoxsey cco: luis bonilla cco assistant: nelson diaz cco assistant: arkene farmer-michos testing coordinator: jack leahy pas: maddie ross, angel flores, matt stallworth, trey davis, james berkeley, jonny rivera, charlie pingel, ruby bell, dash porter, bill gomez, al edwards set medic: leslie collins set security: mega set security: troy tyrell

1st ac: chevy anderson 2nd ac: wyatt maker vtr: andrew schmetterling loader: gabriel contreras

gaffer: john cardoni best boy electric: jacob beil 3rd electric: neil christie 4th electric: gavin keenan 5th electric: peter caldwell key grip: paul nickason best boy grip: jon dahan 3rd grip: randolph rudie carty 4th grip: ken tanzer, esq.

sound mixer: michael lonsdale boom op: jeffrey livesey script supervisor: erica lundberg

set decorator: gabrielle rosenberg leadman: chris wyatt prop master: gina cimmelli 2nd prop: conor burke 3rd prop: bryant silvia pa: ronley fernandez carpenter: ethan long carpenter: sean mashhadian construction grip: kurt schwarz scenics: gennadi barbush & alex ibragimov art director: chris dunbar

stylist: tony irvine stylist assistants: samuel deutsch, billy kiessling & stephan lacava tailor: carol ai hmu: tina murgas hmu assistant: vanessa elese

lead driver (camera): oscar moreira glam moho driver: sean cummisky g&e driver: kennyatta turner genny driver: james cisero picture car driver: dermot treanor

[artwalktv]

director: rubberband. writer: jason fillmore sondock ep: sara wallace producer: josh sondock production manager: holland kemp production coordinator: ali lauren brody dp: pat golan production designer: hans maharawal editor: armen harootun colorist: aubrey woodiwiss sound design & mix: raphaël ajuelos music composition: jakob shaw starring: charles: josh lovins james: stephan junior thalen: gavin peppers casual man: geron mckinley street man: dylan mckay sophisticated man: somali findlay single mom: aileen chang bonnie: bonnie schneider caroline: carolyn harrison bishop: bishop dryer suit guy: jeremy david zara lead creative: gorka sorozabal zara creatives: jae iriah, maria angeles de hita, ruben vazquez & giuseppe sartorio zara producer: nerea rey assistant editor: victor dos santos 1st ad: matt smith 2nd ad: matt hausmann opa: laura belpedio location manager: john maher craft services: rich hoxsey cco: luis bonilla cco assistant: nelson diaz cco assistant: arkene farmer-michos testing coordinator: jack leahy pas: maddie ross, angel flores, matt stallworth, trey davis, james berkeley, jonny rivera, charlie pingel, ruby bell, dash porter, bill gomez, al edwards set medic: leslie collins set security: mega set security: troy tyrell 1st ac: chevy anderson 2nd ac: wyatt maker vtr: andrew schmetterling loader: gabriel contreras gaffer: john cardoni best boy electric: jacob beil 3rd electric: neil christie 4th electric: gavin keenan 5th electric: peter caldwell key grip: paul nickason best boy grip: jon dahan 3rd grip: randolph rudie carty 4th grip: ken tanzer, esq. sound mixer: michael lonsdale boom op: jeffrey livesey script supervisor: erica lundberg set decorator: gabrielle rosenberg leadman: chris wyatt prop master: gina cimmelli 2nd prop: conor burke 3rd prop: bryant silvia pa: ronley fernandez carpenter: ethan long carpenter: sean mashhadian construction grip: kurt schwarz scenics: gennadi barbush & alex ibragimov art director: chris dunbar stylist: tony irvine stylist assistants: samuel deutsch, billy kiessling & stephan lacava tailor: carol ai hmu: tina murgas hmu assistant: vanessa elese lead driver (camera): oscar moreira glam moho driver: sean cummisky g&e driver: kennyatta turner genny driver: james cisero picture car driver: dermot treanor

[abdifarah]

Hotel Pennsylvania

Central Pennsylvania is weird. Homeowners string confederates flags as nonchalantly as Christmas lights. My mom, who moved to Central Pennsylvania against my protests, lives about ten miles from Spring Grove, PA, which we have to drive through whenever we visit my Aunt Darlene and Uncle Kenny right below the Pennsylvania–Maryland line. Spring Grove is a cruel joke of a name as the town perpetually smells of rancid cabbage. The smell emanates from the Glatfelter Paper Mill at the heart of the town. All the shops and services in the town either bear the Glatfelter name or use some corny paper pun in their signage. The old brick row homes that line Main Street have porches but no one sits on them. If you do see someone on the street they have an exhausted expression well beyond their years, perhaps from too many cigarettes, or possibly from years of hopelessly working at the paper mill. A cloud – both literal and spiritual – hangs over Spring Grove.

But there is another kind of small town in Central Pennsylvania. All the companies in this town are higher tech with little pollution to diffuse the sun. Power washed brick houses with immaculately manicured lawns line the small streets of Lititz, Pennsylvania. Voted the Best Small Town in America by AARP, every block has either an ice cream stand, or a guitar shop, or a quaint bed and breakfast. On any summer afternoon the sidewalks and streets are filled with happy people. Kids in their bathing suits weave through older pedestrians on Razor scooters. Fit and fresh faced adults in Tevas and Birkenstocks walk dogs, and still active older couples in Brooks Brothers hold hands while taking an evening stroll. It's the kind of town that takes the Fourth of July very seriously. Year round every house has the same 4 x 6 foot American flag fixed at the same 45 degree angle from a post of the white painted porches that wrap each facade, so as to clear up any confusion with one’s neighbor. “Oh, you’re American? I’m American too! What are the chances?” But around the Fourth somehow more American flags appear. They break out those pleated half-circle numbers with the concentric red, white, and blue ring with the star in the middle, and drape them over their porch railings. Little old ladies plant entire fields of miniature flags in public green spaces, in memory of fallen soldiers. (When exactly did the 4th of July merge with Memorial Day? Let there be no question, Lititz, Pennsylvania loves the troops. In Lititz the 4th alone cannot contain the fireworks, but anytime for about a week before and after you can expect to hear a random boom and see a starburst of red white or blue sparks in the sky.

Unlike Spring Grove, Lititz is thriving, bolstered by a constellation of steady companies offering both good paying blue collar work as well as more tech driven white collar jobs. There is a Rolex factory here. Lititz is what I assume Trump supporters envision when they pray Make America Great Again. Surprisingly, despite the overt patriotism and trappings of Americana, Lititz is not Trump Country. The cute coffee shops and overpriced bistros are populated by salt and pepper haired businessmen pissed that Trump’s steel tariffs are cutting into the bottom line, as well as woke college kids home for summer break shedding genuine tears over the separation of immigrant families at the border. Turns out a lot of white folks despise Trump as much if not more than us various minorities.

Despite the friendly faces and preponderance of liberal allies, my skin still crawls in this still uber-white small town. I am usually the only brown person in sight and while the eyes are kind I do feel all eyes on me wherever I go. I imagine walking into a dark divey bar in depressed Spring Grove and the proverbial record screeches and some grisled bartender asks acerbically, “What are you doing here!?” In Lititz the look on peoples’ faces asks the same “What are you doing here?” without the coldness, but rather with concern or surprise, as if to ask “Are you lost?” “How did you stumble upon our white oasis?” I come to Lititz regularly for work as a subcontractor for one of the big companies fueling the prosperity of Lititz, a company called Tait Towers. Most people will never hear about Tait Towers but they are ubiquitous. If you have gone to a big arena concert in the last 30 years you have seen their work, as they are the foremost supplier of decking and stage equipment for rock and pop concert tours. Anything sleek and shiny and automated that adorned the stage of that last concert you attended was probably Tait.  I get called in when they are working on something a little weirder, handmade, idiosyncratic. Over the years assisting Tait’s in-house Scenic Department, we have built a gold vinyl wrapped tiger and lion for Katy Perry, sculpted a 30 foot jungle Tree for Britney Spears, and created an ice crystal themed stage for Lady Gaga. Turns out the ladies of pop like hand made props to counteract their synthesized sound, for which me and my bank account are grateful. It's not the most avantgarde work, but the pay is decent. They put me up in hotel while I am there. For a while I had Hilton Diamond Status after a particularly long five month stay designing and building an inflatable tree for Cirque du Soleil’s Avatar themed show, Toruk. Strangely, I get asked to make a lot of trees.

This past Saturday I was leaving the local laundromat. My hotel has a washer and dryer but I still jump at any opportunity show my black face in town and mix it up with the townspeople. However awkward, I am a glutton for punishment. As I was turning the corner out of the laundromat parking lot I almost shocked myself into an accident as I witnessed a Chinese family on their porch within a row of houses. Where had these people been during those homogeneous 4th of July celebrations or during those awkward evenings I spent at the bar of the Bull’s Head, a local tavern? I suspected that there was a whole unseen community of minorities in Lititz. I remembered the handful of other black and brown people that worked at Tait. Why had I not seen this more diverse crowd during my daily coffee runs to the local bakery, Dosie Dough, or out walking their dogs or playing with their children in the evening? It seemed that the other people of color went to work, did their job, and immediately jetted home as soon as the day was done. Also, a lot of them probably chose to forego small town living in favor of the more urban Lancaster, Pennsylvania about seven miles south of Lititz.

After a few weeks in Lititz, I too found myself retreating to my hotel room after the work day. Should I go out for dinner for a little more ambiance or grab a drink at the bar with its potential for conversation. The pessimistic belief that I would be the only black person and the sole vessel to absorb the awkward stares proved exhausting. I would instead microwave an Amy’s Mexican casserole bowl for dinner and catch up on the last season of The Americans. At some point myself and the other people of color of Lititz made an unspoken pact with the white people of this sleepy town that we would do our jobs and go home immediately in order to perpetuate the belief that this was one of those ideal small towns, the kind that could be voted Best Small Town in America. When I imagine the best small town in America sadly I do not see a Chinese family, black welders, or even myself.

After years of coming to work with Tait I can confidently say that I hate classic rock. Tait is all about classic rock. The founder, Michael Tait, an Australian expat, got his start building stages for the band Yes in the 60’s. As an independent artist, my short stints with Tait represent my only times working in a real workplace with set hours. For years the shop was haunted by an omnipresent Muzak system that played classic rock incessantly. Everyday at around 4pm the Eagles’ “Hotel California”, a song written by Satan himself, would torment us. Working 10 to 12 to 14 hour days to meet a deadline, 4 o’ clock was our witching hour; too late in the day to bring any new energy or insights to the project, much too early to begin cleaning up for the day. The lyrics, “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave” taunted me, less because of their spot on description of my current predicament but more because they’re just stupid. Hearing the same “classic” songs day after day I realized the utter mediocrity of classic rock as whole. Just competently melodic enough to be easy to listen to, unlike say punk or metal (both far superior). Lyrically the stories ranged from completely meaningless, to embarrassingly infantile, to undeniably problematic. Somehow we decided that this was the American music, over jazz, blues, funk, and r&b. Classic rock will be playing on the space shuttle we board after we successfully destroy earth and it will be playing on whatever outpost we establish on the faraway planet we colonize.

Currently, I am working on a set of nine sculptures of Elton John that will array the proscenium arch above the stage for his upcoming tour. Overall, I enjoy this work. At least it is not another tree. And as far as pop music goes I dig Elton John’s music more than some of the other pop stars for whom I have made art. However, at the end of a long day sculpting his strange bulbous nose and thin lips for the seventh, eighth or ninth time I begin to sour a bit on Sir Elton. Elton John is 73 years old (probably older since, like most performers, I assume he gave a younger age when he started out) and we are building a stage for him for a projected three year tour that will net him millions of dollars. How many black artists or other musicians of color are still relevant and can sell out arenas into their 60’s and 70’s? Maybe Stevie Wonder? I can easily name 20 white (male) musicians. We already mentioned Elton John; how about Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon, The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, The Who, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, Rod Stewart, Aerosmith, Sting, Ozzy Osbourne, Jimmy Buffett? I can keep going. Were these giants of rock undeniably better than their female contemporaries or artists of color working at the same time so as to secure an undying career into infinity?

I read in an article years ago detailing some of the financial troubles of T-Boz and Chilli of TLC, that they did not have much money coming in outside of the $1200 royalty check they received monthly. TLC was a group notoriously mistreated and shortchanged by their management and record labels yet they still had $1200 a month in royalties arriving like clockwork. I can barely begin to fathom what a group like the Rolling Stones receives in regular royalties. At any moment a Rolling Stones song plays somewhere on this blue planet. I hypothesize that the proliferation of classic rock around the world may be the biggest form of white welfare. According to the website, Inside Philanthropy, Jimmy Buffett is worth $550 million. He has one terrible song that he has somehow parlayed into a fortune! He is then free to spread that money among various causes or toward organizations like the NRA. Or take rock and roll’s running joke that the Rolling Stones, despite their hard living are somehow, immortal. While humorous and perplexing we all know the reason for these artist’s longevity. Being wanted, having work to do, being asked to perform, and the monetary and emotional support they afford sustains one’s life. I cannot help but feel that the melancholy that we collectively share when a giant of black music dies – Prince a few years back and Aretha Franklin most recently – stems from the understanding that despite their great fame and success their talent deserved more. They deserved Rolling Stones level treatment. Is there a better rock and roll song that Franklin’s “Respect” or “Chain of Fools?” I should have been in Lititz making nine life-size sculptures of Aretha Franklin and not Elton John.

The last time I arrived at Tait to work on a project I noticed the absence of the Muzak system. Every department now controlled their own music. Sometimes someone plays from their Spotify or Apple Music or we just put on the radio. Much to my chagrin and confusion, somehow the Freddy Kruger of classic rock continues to haunt me even with my mostly young coworkers choosing the music. Someone will mindlessly put on the “Beatles Radio” on Pandora, or WXPN, a Philly radio station, will have a “Throwback Thursday” traversing the entire discography of the Rolling Stones. One day during WXPN’s regular offerings (usually a mix of new rock with a few eclectic curve balls thrown every now and then) Childish Gambino AKA Donald Glover’s “This is America” came on (I too am surprised by the ubiquity of this song as I viewed it less as something to casually listen to and more as the multi-level artwork that I was initially presented with through its graphic video. But alas, the song bumps). Almost instinctively, without prompt, fanfare, or commotion one of my coworkers changed the channel. After hours of absorbing banal rock something mysterious sparked a station change. I tried to put this incident out of my mind. Soon after someone put on an Itunes 80’s playlist. Somehow 80’s music has come to mean “White 80’s”; Culture Club, Billy Idol, and all that other Breakfast Club, Top Gun, Say Anything music, completely omitting black acts, save titans like Michael Jackson and Prince. Surprisingly, a Janet Jackson song slipped onto this mostly vanilla playlist, but almost as soon as I started bouncing my shoulders and popping my neck along with Jackson’s “Pleasure Principle” someone calmly put down their tools, walked to the computer and skipped to the next song!

I work with genuinely good people. The same liberal minded white people that I would overhear furiously denouncing Trump in the coffee shop. But there was something unconsciously disturbing about a black voice coming out of the office speakers, and conversely something calming and reassuring about A-Ha’s “Take On Me,” which restored the stasis after Janet’s interruption. Was the promulgation of classic rock and other culturally white genres part of some conspiracy to entrench whiteness as the default and everything else an aberration? The truth was probably less insidious and more banal, but no less effective. Sometimes I’ll muster the courage to take over DJ duties and I will attempt to put on a more colorful station or playlist, but even I find myself squirming with embarrassment if a particular black song plays. I am conscious that, unlike those classic rock songs that we all know to the point of no longer hearing them, every word of an unfamiliar song from an unfamiliar voice conspicuously grabs the attention and appears in bold text before ones eyes, complete with a bouncing ball keeping place. This can become awkward when, say, Adina Howard’s “Freak Like Me” comes on during a 90’s Jams Playlist. I want a freak in the morning/ A freak in the evening, just like me/ I need a roughneck nigga/ That can satisfy me. Why should a song that boldly expresses black female sexuality be awkward for me? I listen to plenty of songs all day that foreground white male sexuality: AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” or Rod Stewart’s “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy.” Or why should a rap song with explicit lyrics put the room in a frenzy? Eric Clapton literally has a song called, “Cocaine.”

White supremacy resides not only within the purview of avowed white supremacists; that resident of Spring Grove or Dover with truck nuts hanging off his gun metal grey Ford Raptor with the giant confederate flag waving. We are all complicit. The MAGA white supremacist is not the only one lying to themselves about America’s past. The liberal resident of Lititz is as well. So am I. Somewhere we all believed the wonderfully illustrative mid-century American propaganda that America was a white family behind a white picket fence and that everyone else is just borrowing space, when in reality people from all ethnic backgrounds have shared this country since day one. And to be more factual there was a time on this land mass before white people; before genocide, theft, and slavery. Us people of color need to combat this as well. We may be mathematical minorities, but we are not new here. We are not the cousin crashing on the couch, lying awake and hungry, afraid to go to the kitchen and make food, so as not to disturb the owners of the house. We need to not be ashamed of our music, our existence. We need to show up and be seen; at those corny 4th of July celebrations and especially at the voting booth, reminding all onlookers that we are just as American. Only then might we all imagine a more diverse picture when we think of the Best Small Town in America, and only then might I be freed from the hell of “Hotel California” playing on my radio into eternity.

[lesterplatt]

Book your comeback - VIA Rail (DC) from Jeremy Comte on Vimeo.

Client: VIA Rail Canada Louis Levesque Philippe Normand Mia Bergman Alexandra Nasim

Agency: Cossette Executive Creative Director: Louis-Philippe Tremblay Creative Director: Gilles Legault Lead Creative Team: Adrien Heron & Ugo Martinez Art Director: Jessica Fecteau VP/ Lead business: Nadja Décarie Product Director: Nicolas Girault

Production Manager: Erica V. Themens Producer: Alexandrine Perras Strategist: Jean-Claude Kikongi

Production House: Colossale Executive producers: Alex Auray & Vlad Cojocaru Production Manager: Vlad Doclin Unit Manager: Patrick Zaloum Production Coordinator: Magali Rack

Director: Jeremy Comte 1st AD: Isabelle Brutus 2nd AD: Jonathan Jean-Pierre 3nd AD: Michel Yarmush 4th AD: Jessica Ferguson

Director of Photography: Olivier Gossot 1st AC: Mathieu Nadon 2nd AC: Charles Durand Morin Lib: Jean Francois Landry Streaming/ DIT/ VTR: Ronald Casseus DIT Assistant: Andrew Anthony Drone Operator: Guillaume Beaudoin Drone Assistant: Mark Buyra

Casting Company: Smyth casting Casting Director: Ilona Smyth Casting Director: Kelsie Winsor Protagonist: Miho Suzuki Solo Woman: Tara Sky Man reading the newspaper: Harley Sanford Father and Daughter: Jimmy Limb & Mia Ilankovan Couple: Keana graves & Tosh Wadsworth Solo Man: Qasim Khan

Gaffer: Stephane Leblanc BB Electro: Fredéric Demers Electro: Louis Etienne Hebert Racine, Eric Lapointe, Mitch Lawson, Kevin Mcmilligan, Martin Gregor Generator Operator: Yves Ouimet

Head Grip: Stéphane Klopp Best Boy Grip: Mathias Maumont Grips: Lucas Cyrus Navennec, Kim Larouche, Brendan Mclouglin, Nick Persaud, Alex Galan Techno crane Technician: Bertrand Dupuis

Art Director: Melanie Truchon Décoratrice Artistique: Chiara Fossati Prop Master: Francois locas Tech Decors, Mathieu Richard, John Goodwin SFX coordinator : Mario Dumont SFX Techs: Alain Rouiller, Gabrielle Dumont, Ben Bélanger, Mathew Synek

Styling: Skye Kelton Habilleuse: Talia Godin, Summer Ellis Make-Up Artist: Nancy Ferlatte Make-up Assistant: Gisèle Matte Hair Dresser: Darcy Langille Assistant Hair Dresser: Tracy Page

Set PA: Samy Nour PAs: Karl Raymond, Isaa Karim Abaababa, Juliette Poitras, Justine Pelletier Sanitary Coordinator: Wesley Long Sanitary Assistant: Mika Doclin Secouriste: Paul Needham Cantinier: Christian Marion Assitant Cantinier: Pablo Lugo Security: Kristen McNaule, Nick Vallière

Visual post-production: Chop Chop Films Post-production directors: Victor Ghizaru / Colin Beaudry Offline editor (DC): Jeremy Comte Coordinator: Khadija Ellouze Assistant editor: Rodlyne Mahée Jean Conform / Exports: Philippe St-Arnaud Motion designer: Gautier Spiser Online editor: Colin Beaudry Colorist: Simon Boisx

VFX: Mathematic Directeur du studio: Alexandre Pagot VFX supervisor: Thomas Nauthin Lead compositeur: Philippe Bienvenue Compositrice: Sophie Roques Compositeur: Dominique Dauphin Fx Artist: Florian Rhin Chargé de projet: Mathieu Taggart

Sound Studio & Music: Cult Nation Narration: Daniela Andrade Sound Design/ Mix: Theo Porcet Music: Mat Laf

[liuxiang]

Book your comeback - VIA Rail (DC) from Jeremy Comte on Vimeo.

Client: VIA Rail Canada Louis Levesque Philippe Normand Mia Bergman Alexandra Nasim

Agency: Cossette Executive Creative Director: Louis-Philippe Tremblay Creative Director: Gilles Legault Lead Creative Team: Adrien Heron & Ugo Martinez Art Director: Jessica Fecteau VP/ Lead business: Nadja Décarie Product Director: Nicolas Girault

Production Manager: Erica V. Themens Producer: Alexandrine Perras Strategist: Jean-Claude Kikongi

Production House: Colossale Executive producers: Alex Auray & Vlad Cojocaru Production Manager: Vlad Doclin Unit Manager: Patrick Zaloum Production Coordinator: Magali Rack

Director: Jeremy Comte 1st AD: Isabelle Brutus 2nd AD: Jonathan Jean-Pierre 3nd AD: Michel Yarmush 4th AD: Jessica Ferguson

Director of Photography: Olivier Gossot 1st AC: Mathieu Nadon 2nd AC: Charles Durand Morin Lib: Jean Francois Landry Streaming/ DIT/ VTR: Ronald Casseus DIT Assistant: Andrew Anthony Drone Operator: Guillaume Beaudoin Drone Assistant: Mark Buyra

Casting Company: Smyth casting Casting Director: Ilona Smyth Casting Director: Kelsie Winsor Protagonist: Miho Suzuki Solo Woman: Tara Sky Man reading the newspaper: Harley Sanford Father and Daughter: Jimmy Limb & Mia Ilankovan Couple: Keana graves & Tosh Wadsworth Solo Man: Qasim Khan

Gaffer: Stephane Leblanc BB Electro: Fredéric Demers Electro: Louis Etienne Hebert Racine, Eric Lapointe, Mitch Lawson, Kevin Mcmilligan, Martin Gregor Generator Operator: Yves Ouimet

Head Grip: Stéphane Klopp Best Boy Grip: Mathias Maumont Grips: Lucas Cyrus Navennec, Kim Larouche, Brendan Mclouglin, Nick Persaud, Alex Galan Techno crane Technician: Bertrand Dupuis

Art Director: Melanie Truchon Décoratrice Artistique: Chiara Fossati Prop Master: Francois locas Tech Decors, Mathieu Richard, John Goodwin SFX coordinator : Mario Dumont SFX Techs: Alain Rouiller, Gabrielle Dumont, Ben Bélanger, Mathew Synek

Styling: Skye Kelton Habilleuse: Talia Godin, Summer Ellis Make-Up Artist: Nancy Ferlatte Make-up Assistant: Gisèle Matte Hair Dresser: Darcy Langille Assistant Hair Dresser: Tracy Page

Set PA: Samy Nour PAs: Karl Raymond, Isaa Karim Abaababa, Juliette Poitras, Justine Pelletier Sanitary Coordinator: Wesley Long Sanitary Assistant: Mika Doclin Secouriste: Paul Needham Cantinier: Christian Marion Assitant Cantinier: Pablo Lugo Security: Kristen McNaule, Nick Vallière

Visual post-production: Chop Chop Films Post-production directors: Victor Ghizaru / Colin Beaudry Offline editor (DC): Jeremy Comte Coordinator: Khadija Ellouze Assistant editor: Rodlyne Mahée Jean Conform / Exports: Philippe St-Arnaud Motion designer: Gautier Spiser Online editor: Colin Beaudry Colorist: Simon Boisx

VFX: Mathematic Directeur du studio: Alexandre Pagot VFX supervisor: Thomas Nauthin Lead compositeur: Philippe Bienvenue Compositrice: Sophie Roques Compositeur: Dominique Dauphin Fx Artist: Florian Rhin Chargé de projet: Mathieu Taggart

Sound Studio & Music: Cult Nation Narration: Daniela Andrade Sound Design/ Mix: Theo Porcet Music: Mat Laf

[ohlayarfp]

Project : Tartan Dreams  Production Report

We had our shoot on the 2nd to 4th of April 2021. Some of us that were in Edinburgh helped out with collecting the equipment from Screen Academy on the previous day and brought it over to store at one of the crew’s home which was a walk away from the location of the shoot. 

2nd April 2021

We did the test shoot. There weren't really many problems that happened that day. The test shoot only consisted of us crew members only as we wanted to limit the number of people on set. The director and DOP started testing shots that they planned based on the storyboard. We started with cleaning up the set which is the store itself. The part of the store that we wanted to use was messy so I moved the mess to some place else and started dressing the set according to plan. Thankfully most of the items for props (aside from the drawing of a man lifting his kilt and cereal boxes) were all there. It’s just a matter of moving some things to make it more realistic and make the area feel used. The director told me that he wanted to make the counter look messy so I messed it up with the extra cereal boxes that i have and crumpled up a few papers. I’ve also used the mannequins in the store to make it seem like Ruaridh was the “life of the place” before the Americans came along. Soon after everything was done we all went back to get enough rest for the actual shoot the next day.

3rd April 2021

All of us arrived in the morning and as Ruaridh’s talent arrived, I did a few changes on the set specifically on the counter for the final time. I gave him the costumes that I’ve purchased and he changed in the basement of the store along with the director as he started prepping him.

Not too long later the talent for Steve arrived on set and considering his parts were the least, we wanted to finish his parts first. We shot his scene where he was walking towards the counter with the camera being just over Ruaridh’s shoulder and also the scenes where he was at the counter observing Ruaridh’s interaction with the Americans. I had to go into the set to dress it over and over again after each take as the scene where he came up to the counter he instantly cleaned up the mess. So every time we cut, I had to run over and re-scatter everything exactly as how it was supposed to be. Once it was done, the sound recordist, director and producer took Steve downstairs to record his voice overs which are the parts where he talks to Ruaridh through the phone.

Our time with Steve was probably the shortest among all the casts. Right after he finished his scenes and voice recording, he went home while we continued on some shots with Ruaridh’s character at the counter. At some point I noticed an error on my behalf which the props were involved in. And by then i started becoming more cautious and very particular so that the continuity won’t be affected. It was tricky for me as the production designer as most of the time the shoot was shot from the middle and end scenes then only the early part of the scene. This is because our producer and director wanted to finish all the scenes with different casts on one day so that we could focus on only Ruaridh the next day.

Just before Lunch time, our two cast that were playing the Americans arrived. We did a short shoot as we waited for the food delivery to arrive. So I went down with both characters and gave them their costumes which were rain ponchos, bags and hats. Once they came upstairs everyone loved their look and thought they looked exactly like tourists. The shoot went well as all of us were close and we could joke around with each other yet still work professionally well together. With the Americans, the only props they touched and were in the shot for their scene were only the mannequins, the rack with tartans and the tartan booklet. These things did not move much so I wasn’t as tense as I was during the counter scenes.

Once their scenes were over, we had about an hour left before we left as per schedule so we did a few solo shots for Ruaridh’s scene. Mostly while he was standing near the Americans so again, the props didn’t affect much as it was more on close ups. I just had to clean up some mess in the background but other than that, nothing much was left to do. When we finished, all of us packed up our stuff and stored it in a safe compartment in the store. As for the set I left it as it is and warned the rest to not move things on the table.

4th April 2021

As most of our scenes were done and settled the day before, the last day was much more laid back. During this shoot is where I feel Ruaridh’s talent did his performance so well! We often had to hold ourselves from laughing and sometimes we kept retaking due to the director bursting out in laughter showing how well the talent played his role. Not to mention, the talent himself is a funny guy and a really fun person to chat with. He also jokes around about me being super protective over my props which he tends to mess up with unintentionally. On the last day of shoot I was super attentive passing cereal boxes one after another to Ruaridh as if I was assistant but it was mainly for the shots where he was crunching on the cereal. I also had to make sure everything was in place. This is after all the first scene so everything had to be more messier than before and considering we were working backwards, I had to take note of every movement Ruaridh did with the props on the counter. Once everything was done, Ruaridh did a voice recording for his thoughts and it was a wrap for him once it was over. 

The camera crew started packing up the equipment to bring back to the crew’s house as before while me and some of the crews cleaned up the set and made it look like the way it was when we arrived but at the same time we tidied it up more. We then took the equipment back to the crew’s house and everyone left for their home finally getting rest after 3 days of shoot.

[vourmajes]

MV Directors/Producers NCT Have Worked With

The 7th Sense - NCT U

VM Project

Without You - NCT U

Fire Truck - NCT 127

(SMSTATION) Taste The Feeling

Chewing Gum - NCT DREAM

Flexible Pictures SM Creative Director: Hee Jin Min Music Video Director: Kim Jak Young Producer: 송민서 AD: 문준희 정예진 DP: 원순애 Gaffer: 윤정빈 Art Director: 정은영

Good Thing - NCT 127 x W x Esteem

HIGHQUALITYFISH

Switch - NCT 127 feat. SR15B

Limitless - NCT 127

Flexible Pictures SM Creative Director Hee Jin Min Music Video Director: Kim Jak Young Producer: 송민서 AD: 정예진 Director of Photography: 김준홍 Gaffer: 정중혁

My First and Last - NCT DREAM

(SMSTATION) Dream in A Dream - Ten

Film Director: Junwoo Lee

(SMSTATION) Around - Hitchhiker x Taeyong

Cherry Bomb - NCT 127

GDW Project SM Creative Director Hee-jin Min SM Coordination/Arrangement : Younsun Park, Juyoung Kim Music Video Credit Executive Producer: GDW Producer: Rangdoo Production Coordinator: Sewook Oh Director: Oui Kim 1st AD: Jisun Lee 2nd AD: Seokyoung Yoon Director of Photography: Hyunwoo Nam B Cam: Siwoo Um 1st AC: Byungik Joo 2nd AC: Joonhee Kim 3rd AC: Sejin Lee Jimmy Jib Operator: Gwangho Song Gaffer: Seungnam Yun Art Director (Set & Props): Sebin Bok Post Edit: Oui Kim, Jisun Lee VFX(3D): Donghoo Yoh Motion Graphic: Jisun Lee, Seokyoung Yoon Music Video 2D Animation Supervisor: Kyeong Wook Jo Music Video 2D Animator: Si Hyeong Park, Yongwoo Kim, Do Hun Kim, Su Kyoung Kim Stunt Wardrobe: Eunice Jera Lee Special Effect Team: D&D Stunt Team: Mooto Action Studio Stunt Coordinator: Seungeok Seo

(SMSTATION) Young & Free - Xiumin x Mark

(SMSTATION) Lemonade Love - Parc Jae Jung x Mark

(SMSTATION) Cure - Yoo Young Jin x Taeyong

We Young - NCT DREAM

(SMSTATION) Star Blossom - Doyoung x Sejeong

Limitless (Japanese ver.) - NCT 127

(SMSTATION) Try Again - d.ear x Jaehyun

filmbyteam Directed and captured by @rohsangyoon Camera crew: Kong Won Jun @rhddnjswns11bangeanjin @bangdoryblue Line producer: Jeong Young Hun @observer._ Sound: Kim Da Bin @b2n_k Hairmakeup Jang Hae In @shewas10 Styling @ellenayim -

(SMSTATION) The Little Match Girl - Baek A Yeon x Wendy

https://www.instagram.com/p/BcHRXHQAgFT/?taken-by=saltfilm PD | 김현우 연출부 | 배성호, 나경인, 구본승 외 3 명 촬영 | 박성재 조명 | 권성호 미술 | 양미미 감독 | 이준우

(SMSTATION) JOY - NCT DREAM

(SMSTATION) Timeless (live ver.) - NCT U

nvrmnd Director: Sunghwi Producing Team: SURE Producer: Downy Jung (of SURE) Assistant Director: JAPA Gyusung Lee (of SURE) 2nd AD: Jaehoon Lee, Chan Lee Director of Photography: Seongeun Lee, Joe Brown, Daggyeon Kim, Sangmin Jo Gaffer | Daehyun Pung Art Director | kim.taehee.kim Jimmy Jib | Jongseop Shin EDIT | Joe Brown 

(+) NCT x ASTELL & ASPR Promotional Video

https://www.instagram.com/p/BeaxKreDINZ/?taken-by=gdwdop Director: Kaye Hwang 1st AD: Minchul Iim Director of Photography: Hyunwoo Nam Gaffer: Hyunsuk Song Art: Misun Oh JimmyJib: Kwangho Song

(+) NCT 2018 Yearbook #1 & #2

filmbyteam Executive Producer. Kim Yeong Jjun @photokyj80 (filmbyteam) Director. Roh Sang Yoon @rohsangyoon (filmbyteam) Photographer. Kim Yeong Jun @photokyj80 (filmbyteam) Assistant director. Sim Woo Jjin @reflectson (filmbyteam) DOP. Song Ho Yoen 1st Han Sang Kyu 2nd iyongdo 3rd Yoon Jun Sang Gaffer. Park Ji Sung 1st Kim Sang Hyun 2nd Kim Jong Eun 3rd Kim Se Ra 4th Lee Seung Jong 5th Lee Jae Hyun Generator. Kim Young Wook Grip. Jung Woo Kuen, Kim Dong Gil MCC. 54th street Inc. Camera equipment. syfilm Production design. Yoo Yeo Jeong Prop. Yoon Jeong Bin Color. jeonokjin 2d. Go Moong Young Producer. Jung Hyung Hwa Associative producer. Kim Young Seok Music. Kim Kyung Min (#1), dakshood (#2) Data manager. jungbokyung @bk.yung__ (filmbyteam)

[kinghardy]

SEEDS Web Series

Funds for Student Web Series

Hey Tumblr! My name’s Iman and while I mostly use this blog to shed tears over Thomas Hardy, I do on occasion post personal updates on things I’m currently working on or am apart of. 

As some of you may know (for those who follow me) I’m in the midst of pre-production for a web series that’s set to film in Chicago, IL the week of June 4th, 2017. 

The series titled SEEDS is a web-series centered around the conversations of young, college-aged black women and bridges the gap between adolescence and adulthood. It’s a series written by a black woman, directed by a black woman, and produced by a Muslim woman (me) with an almost entirely female-led crew, which is rather unique to the film industry. 

While we previously started an IndieGoGo campaign to raise funds for the production (you can view our original campaign here), renting camera, grip and sound equipment, setting aside funds for props/production design, crew meals, and other vital costs, has us cutting it very close on our budget.

So, tumblr, this is where you come in! I am hoping some of my awesome followers & friends can share and/or generously donate any amount towards the production. Be it $1, $5, any dollar helps.

The plan for the series once post-production is well underway is to begin using some of these funds towards submitting the series to festivals such as SeriesFest for an exclusive premiere before releasing it online to friends & fans alike. 

A little background about me so you know this request is legitimate; I’m a producer based in Illinois (you can find my IMDb here). I have worked in the industry since 2013 working on some pretty amazing productions. The crew we’ve got attached are a mix of industry professionals and film students from DePaul and Columbia college, with professional working actors headlining our cast. 

Our amazing screenwriter and creator behind the entire project, Deja, talks a little more about the web series here:

If you’re interested in donating to this project, please find our paypal below:

http://paypal.me/seedsseries

If you’re unable to donate, please consider reblogging and sharing this as much as possible. As we near the filming date of June 4, 2017 we’re working at full capacity to ensure every dollar raised gets us not only through production but post-production as well.

Please consider supporting us in some way, we’re incredibly grateful for every share, reblog, or repost about it.

Thank you and have a blessed day!