Attachments?

Gil Grissom is leaving CSI: Las Vegas. Which, in essence, means the show will cease to exist, haha. It could handle maybe one lead leaving (Sara) for dramatic effect; maybe even one lead lying (Warrick) because, well, that's how it goes. But what surprises me about Gil Grissom (William Petersen) leaving is how seriously it's affecting me.

Although I've enjoyed many attachments to many characters in books--like Jo March, who calls them her 'old friends'--there is something profoundly affecting about characters you see in the flesh, on a screen, hearing their voice, etc. Yes, it's an actor. We know this. So, we become huge fans of said actor. But the illusion still stands. We viewers no more know William Petersen than we do Gil Grissom. But we feel that we have a right to attach our souls to his presence.

He makes us feel better. He provides a fathering figure to a world bereft of many good examples of that crucial role. No, I am not saying that Grissom is exclusively a fatherly role, but many of the qualities that make his role so important, so stabilizing, arise from their association to the tenderness, protection, wisdom, and affection that we long for in our own hearts from our own parents.

Yes, art can be a helpful contemplation on real heart issues. Discourse provides opportunity for us to engage what's inside our hearts...but the far scarier thing is that it can distract. With Gil Grissom gone, many will have to find another means for satisfying that inner soul longing to be taken care of. I don't know where many will turn, but I myself am surprised at my dependence on a figment of imaginations for my own security and support. Isn't there something more? Isn't there something real beyond the great artistry of man?

Yes. Excuse me, I am going to go find Him.

The Excuse of Self-Awareness

So after seeing this fantastic movie, I have wondered:
When does the self-consciousness of a piece of art negate the inherent goodness or evil of its content? When does being aware of self-conscious of or admitting of a reality exculpate you from whatever good or ill resides within that reality?

What do you think?

Ode to Audio

I can't do it.

I can't pull this teaser together without audio.
As I have been re-cutting the teaser, searching hard for improvement, I have hit a brick wall each time: no appropriate audio.

This is a romantic comedy, right? So emo drama doesn't qualify. And orchestral score doesn't quality. Same to techno, mood, or 1940s musical...well, I think.


*turns on her iTunes playlist again*

Any ideas, please comment. Thanks! :)

[The second cut is posted on my Facebook profile; email me if you have problems uploading it.]

Scissorhand

Five...
...or six.

I watched our rough cut five or six times this afternoon taking notes on possible final drafts of our teaser. Please enjoy the following:

FINAL DRAFT IDEAS

1. Simple Corrections:

• replace footage with freeze frame of [7:00 a.m.]
• tighter edit on the 2nd [gargle] edit
• credit both songs
• efface the long pause before the [door]
  
• re-order [cereal pouring]:
• connect Cherrios and milk
• fix the "popping" back-and-forth"

2. Reshuffle:

• underlay [Tiger] behind song credits, final frame
• show [exiting mirror]
• BRIGHTEN all the lighting and colors
  
• re-order [waking] sequence:
  
• 6:59 > sleeping > 7:00 > hand on table
  
• delete the [walking out]
• jump cuts across the room
• entire sequence
• leave just the hand
  

3. New Score:

• *alarm buzzer* cuts off score
• fade in after [intertitle]
• completely new score:
• "S.P.A.T.", Badly Drawn Boy
• "File Me Away", Badly Drawn Boy
• "Feeling Good", Michael Buble
• "Unusual Day", Jane Powell
• "Like Love", Gene Kelly

4. Add a Lady:

• female voice-over?
• icon images as intertitles
  
• freeze-frames:
• on the cell phone
• high-heels

The End Gets Better

Sometimes only a cliche applies: there's a light at the end of the tunnel.


After long weeks of tossing this project around in the dangerous whirlpool of our brain's, "The Perfect Man" draws to a check-point. I do not say close because this project, by its nature, extends far beyond our ENGL332 deadline. But, we are coming onto the close of the semester, and a few things have come to light.

Why the Brakes Kicked In:

• Our actress was unable to remain involved our project; it's the busy time of semester and, most understandably, when schedules are squeezed, freelance acting falls to the back burner ;-) Kevin and I decided not to pursue another actress at this time for the same reason.
• The footage we already had already accumulated seemed sufficient to support our original idea. Re-cutting our script differently from the storyboards allowed for this.
• Half the success of any project is its presentation. As papers and exams loom before us, Kevin and I want to focus our energies on creating a powerful package for the project work we have already accomplished. Therefore, adding more content did not seem wise; rather, polishing our raw content will be a better use of our time as we approach our deadline.

What We Can Do From Here:

• The inclusion of the original short story in our project presentation provides material for a short film script. With further coaxing and marinating, it could even swell to a feature-length film. The characters have been materialized through storyboards and poster sketches, so a little more brainstorming and quality time with them could yield a must longer script.
  
• Our storyboards and concept designs provide for lots of future "illumination" in the promotional suite.
  
• Multiple posters, lobby cards, and promotional stills can be launched off our sketches.
  
• Footage of Emma can expand the current teaser, stand alone as another, or mature into a trailer.
  
• Character blogs and cast interviews can be set up using the current poster design or others developed along side it.

So in The End:

• 11" x 17" poster print
• 5" x 8" lobby card
• Mini-DVD with electronic copies of all the documentation and all the video files
• bound report presenting the project from beginning to end, including the reflective papers