a little one-sided...

The United States is suffering from a plague of superficiality. As a society, Americans are content with the idea that everything is exactly as it appears. Our culture has evolved in a way that allows us to focus exclusively on a finished product without any consideration as to how it was made or who put it together (ex. Where does orange juice come from? The grocery store?). In the niche of high profile films, moviegoers glorify talentless Actors, who must be fed their lines by off-screen prompters, and then completely overlook the directors, producers, and countless others who keep the entire production from falling apart. My name is Lindsay Pope, and I am batting in the minor leagues of counterculture. Against the grain, I believe that true beauty lies within the depths of one’s soul and no amount of money or make up can cover an ugly spirit. I apply this idea to modern cinema; Even an A list cast cannot save a movie that is inadequately written or poorly directed. Contrastingly, an innovative script and intelligent directing can make a blockbuster hit out of an Indie film with “no name” actors (ex. Slum Dog Millionaire). This blog is being created in the name of justice and is hereby devoted to redistributing the limelight away from the superficial aspects of film and onto the multi-dimensional traits of the characters behind the big screen.

This is what my profile looks like when I'm being honest about my limited knowledge

The first movie I can remember seeing in the theatre was the mighty one of a kind, best selling film of all time, Titanic. I was seven years old and completely enthralled in what I now know to be the creative genius of James Cameron. My name is Lindsay Pope and I am not a director by any means. I am merely a baby college student completely awestruck with appreciation for great filmmaking. My weekends consist of enjoying as many movies as I can realistically, or unrealistically, squeeze into my Friday and Saturday nights. I am currently enrolled in a film class at UNC Chapel Hill and though it is completely kicking my tail, it is changing my view of modern blockbuster Hollywood and heightening my appreciation for classical cinema. It is my belief, now more than ever, that in order to truly appreciate any art form, you must be knowledgeable of its beginnings for the only way to tell how far something has evolved is to know where it began. The goal of my blog is hopefully to watch my own understanding of film mature and to channel my newly found and newly appreciated knowledge into a productive and interesting blog.

This is what my profile looks like when I'm trying to impress others with my film knowledge

In the early 20th century, film made a gigantic leap from a purely scientific and technological existence to become the latest greatest form of artistic creation. Directors replaced scientists in the roles of creating and distributing films and gave rise to the era of the modern cinema. My name is Lindsay Pope and I have never directed, produced, acted in, creatively designed, or written a movie, but I have loved movies with my whole heart since the very first one I ever remember seeing(Forrest Gump). I am a performer by nature; having been a dancer since I was three, but I have only recently had my eyes opened to the beauty of what happens off-screen. While sitting in my film class I stumbled upon this quote: “A director is someone who is asked questions about everything.” I have tremendous respect for the work of the writers, actors, producers, but above all, the directors who make cinema happen. It is my desire to escort my readers past the simplicity of viewing a movie on the big screen, and introduce them to the individual aspects that go into film creation.

The Movie Whore

http://themoviewhore.com/

"Mine is a life wasted on, I mean devoted to film."

Written by creative consultant, co-writer, and producer, Jim Carter, "The movie whore" covers a wide range of film topics. Though his focus is film analysis, he refuses to limit himself, ocassionally including subjects such as lighting and the importance of watching a film with a good audience.
Carter begins his analysis with a quick overview of the films plot, which keeps all readers up to date even if they have not seen the movie. His writing persona is of a man who genuinely loves movies and is able to extract good elements from even the worst B-flick action movie. His criticism is subtle, but rich with substance and understanding. I love that Carter is enough of an authority on his topics that he does not feel the need, like so many other bloggers do, to be violently opinionated or harsh in his reviews; instead, he casually points out high and low points, always leaving the option for his readers form their own opinions.
Carter’s strongest quality is his ability to connect with his readers. In his most recent blog, Carter offered readers the chance to post questions they would like to have answered by an actor or director, promising to post the answers to some of these questions upon his return from L.A. this coming weekend.

The Film Experience

http://filmexperience.blogspot.com/


"The general public doesn't go to the movies to see movies but to be a part of pop culture" Nathaniel Roger uses his blog to express frustration with the direction that pop culture has forced onto cinema. The writing persona that emerges is of a man who is brazen and unforgiving in his analysis of Hollywood and its most prominent characters. Being a freelance writer he is self described as "up to his knees in deadlines" and possibly uses his blog as an emotional outlet. The feeling a reader gets when reading his blog is similar to the feelings one may get while watching a talk show or listening to a radio show in the morning; you either like it, or you don't. The fact that he is an American movie goer is something that he feels gives him the right to have an opinion. furthermore, from the depth of his analysis, his readers may believe that he is well informed and more of an authority than he actually is. They also may feel that he is as critical of the industry as the industry should be of itself, in regards to remaining an art form, and not a product of popular culture.

Tree

Tree - The making of a short film

The journey is never to create a “low budget film”, but to give a film categorized as “low budget” the ability to convey a message that people will hear. Director Phil Dale spent one year creating the short film “Tree”. On his blog, Tree- The making of a short film, Dale and a few of his partners describe the challenges of creating a film with a nearly nonexistent budget.

Dale is wonderfully inept at including topics to interest both his colleagues in short film, as well as those who simply enjoy watching films. Writing as an artist sharing his craft with the world, he genuinely wants to make known his struggles and triumphs. Dale has sixteen years experience in the world of animation and was most recently recognized for his work on the animated film, Coraline.

In reading the very first paragraph of this blog, it is easy to recognize Dale’s passion for his craft. After filming was complete, Dale made it a point to revisit his blog a year later and update readers on the status of his film. This blog is easy to read and interesting because it isn’t overly verbose and includes beautiful pictures and actual footage to accompany the narrative.