Howdy,
I've found I've been saying "Howdy" a lot lately, nobody ever likes a guy that says "Howdy". Let's try this again.
Hiya,
Not that either.
Wassaaaaap,
I don't know why I even considred that.
Okay, one more go or I'm just going to fling myself out the window, it's not too grave I'm on the ground floor.
... Fuck it. No greeting. I'm just going to jump in. Just a quick note, I'm watching Coupling, Great series, as I'm writing this so my concentration is spotted.
I'm going to say that I haven't been on in a while because firstly, Google did some annoying things with the login to the Blogspot site and I wasn't able to get on. Secondly, now that I have gotten into University I have moved 467 miles from home and I've started my course so things have been a little all over the place.
So yeah. I seen one of my old friends Blogs and his ramblings and I thought it was abut time that I got back to my rambling for the world to enjoy. I have nothing more significant to say really but I wanted to get this done.
So forecast for the near future, advanced or further ramblings in this area.
Saturday, 5 November 2011
Tuesday, 19 July 2011
The falsity of Oscar pedigree marketing schemes
Hey everybody. Sorry for the lack of updating but I'd rather think and ponder about what I'm going to put up here instead of any old rubbish because I think it's important to have a degree of quality to at least aim for, Otherwise it's just a bit pointless isn't it?
Although there are a bunch of things going on in the televisual world at them moment with Harry Potter (Barf), Comic-Con and being in the middle of the summer blockbuster season I thought I'd try and focus on something a little different. I've been pondering falselly marketed pedigree in movie trailers.
Let me rewind. I was watching the True Grit trailer recently and I, you know when they're telling you what actors and director's are in the movie in those types of trailers, noticed that they had Matt Damon as an Oscar Winner. That's not wrong, it's not a false accusation, but something was irritating me a little about this. When I finally meandered past his IMDb page it suddenly came to me. True that Matt Damon has deservedly won an Oscar, however his Oscar was for Best Screenplay for Good Will Hunting, so why is it being used to advertise his acting? Is it fair to put him down as Acadamey Award winner when what he has won for isn't associated with what is being advertised? If they put Academy Award nominee, as he was nominated for Invictus and for Good Will Hunting, then that would be more accurate, as it relates to what the hell he is actually doing. in the movie but since Damon hasn't written anything other since Gerry,
a movie starring him and Casey Affleck where they are stuck without food or water in the desert. Shouldn't his Oscar win be only appliccable to advertising anything else he writes.
It might not sound like a big deal but I think that it's selling a viewer fals information.. It's adding false pedigree to a role that doesn't rewuire it. Sean Penn didn't rely on his Oscar wins for acting to push the marketing for Into the Wild, so why should this. Ben Affleck didn't lean on his Oscar to market The Town or Gone Baby Gone so why would they. You would think that in a movie where most of the main cast are oscar nominees and the directors themselves have won a few then they wouldn't need to put it like that.
What do you thinl, is this an over thought argument or is there a point here? Is there any other examples of this that you can think of? leave your thoughts in the the comments.
Although there are a bunch of things going on in the televisual world at them moment with Harry Potter (Barf), Comic-Con and being in the middle of the summer blockbuster season I thought I'd try and focus on something a little different. I've been pondering falselly marketed pedigree in movie trailers.
Let me rewind. I was watching the True Grit trailer recently and I, you know when they're telling you what actors and director's are in the movie in those types of trailers, noticed that they had Matt Damon as an Oscar Winner. That's not wrong, it's not a false accusation, but something was irritating me a little about this. When I finally meandered past his IMDb page it suddenly came to me. True that Matt Damon has deservedly won an Oscar, however his Oscar was for Best Screenplay for Good Will Hunting, so why is it being used to advertise his acting? Is it fair to put him down as Acadamey Award winner when what he has won for isn't associated with what is being advertised? If they put Academy Award nominee, as he was nominated for Invictus and for Good Will Hunting, then that would be more accurate, as it relates to what the hell he is actually doing. in the movie but since Damon hasn't written anything other since Gerry, a movie starring him and Casey Affleck where they are stuck without food or water in the desert. Shouldn't his Oscar win be only appliccable to advertising anything else he writes.It might not sound like a big deal but I think that it's selling a viewer fals information.. It's adding false pedigree to a role that doesn't rewuire it. Sean Penn didn't rely on his Oscar wins for acting to push the marketing for Into the Wild, so why should this. Ben Affleck didn't lean on his Oscar to market The Town or Gone Baby Gone so why would they. You would think that in a movie where most of the main cast are oscar nominees and the directors themselves have won a few then they wouldn't need to put it like that.
What do you thinl, is this an over thought argument or is there a point here? Is there any other examples of this that you can think of? leave your thoughts in the the comments.
Saturday, 25 June 2011
When does a spoiler stop being a spoiler?
Hey everybody. Although I know I'm not teeming with readers I apologize all the same for not putting up anything for as long as I have. Life just seems to get on top of you and, well, things have gotten a bit simpler now that my family has moved into the current decade and we've finally had wireless internet installed. This is why I am currently writing this at a ridiculous hour in the morning. (02:54am GMT) and nothaving to wait til I have time to mooch internet from elsewhere.
Anyway for a while I have been thinking about SPOILERS. Anybody who's a fan of Dr. Who and has been watching the past season will know that it's been a rollercoaster of twists and turns. Don't worry mein readers I won't spill a single bean about it, btu any of you who do know anything about the latest series will know that one of the recent main characters is prone to saying a particular phrase every now and then (not a catch phrase per se). But well, "Spoilers!!"
One of the biggest terms that has come into use through the means of the internet is that of the term "Spoilers" 'When one runs the risk of revealing an item item of interest that the other does not wish to see or hear, they will announce that it is a Spoiler so as to warn them of said information."
Most of us have come up against the blockade that is a spoiler alert. When you're at work and you want to talk to everyone about the latest episode of Lost or Breaking Bad but that one person hasn't seen it yet, that one person has forcefeilded that juicy bit of story that you are itching to talk about. It's the worst. Almsot as bad as when you are that person. Haven't had time to catch up or to see that big film in the cinema so while everyone is talking about it you have to exclude yourself, because you don't want to know yet. It sucks. But the questin that's been picking at my brain for a while is When do Spoilers stop being Spoilers?
*************May contain revealing Spoilers*****************
One of the big examples that I can talk about is from the film The 6th Sense. This film contains one major twist towards the end, which by now everybody knows, that Bruce Willis himself is a ghost. This is a spoiler that a lot of people managed to keep to themsleves after watching it only using it urge anybody else who hasn't seen it out of their seats and go see it. If anything at least it was a maginificent self marketing machine. Waves upon waves of tantalized and eager audiences would crash down on cinemas and video stores to see what the big deal was. This is when everybody knew that it was best to keep their lips sealed on the matter and let anyody else who wanted to see it experience the unravelling. But when is the cut off point? When can you begin to talk about this twist openly and freely without any objection.
For instance I love to watch tonnes of old movies, The Birds, Casablanca, Sunset Boulevard or Double Indemnity and a host of other stuff. When I talk to people about wanting to see any old movie that they may have heard of or watched, I have had to, on several occassions, interrupt their sentences shouting "Spoiler Alert!!!" It's frustrating. Is it my fault that I was born on the wrong decade so that people can still safeley assume that when I talk about these movies that I don't want to know every detail going into it? 
It's so bloody frustrating!!! Even when they use some sort of weird referntial advert to Psycho and you finally watch it, and you know because of that ad that It's all Norman. I can understand that people reference the things they love but it's difficult to avoid these things when you don't know it's going to happen. It's difficult to know that a certain show or ad or whatever will spill beans on films you eventually want to watch. I think because of an off hand comment in Veronica Mars I know a big twist in Citizen Kane, and I haven't even watched it yet. I desperatel want to but I am waiting to forget that little bit of information.
I guess the only rules we can maybe emulate is that of Television. For instance, British show Misfits finished with a big twist at the end of season 1. However in the season 2 marketing campaign they showed an advert on E4 repeatedly where they revealed the twist that Nathans power was that he was immortal. Personally I thought that this was a serious mistake on the marketers but from what I noticed more people seemed to have watched season 2 than they had season 1. So maybe they did do something right, but did revealing that entice the extra viewers? Did it wipe a clean slate that allowed people to safely walk into the new series knowing everything they had to?
Many shows eliminate any new viewers beecause of adverts and such, they reveal major previous twists. I have witnessed many people who say they want to catch up from the start but know to much to walk clean in. From my experience lets use Buffy for an example. I am a huge Joss Whedon fan, I have watched Firefly and Dollhouse at least a half dozen times and I love it but I have been urged by friends to watch Buffy if I enjoy his stuff so much, but why? If a season works towards something, all the writing, the shocks, the twists, the turns, all work towards one big reveal then isn't it a bit pointless when you already know that twist. My own friends who are trying to get me to watch it are revealing major details while they themselves rewatch it. So i know going into that, Sunnydale is at the edge of Hells mouth, or that Willows a lesbian or that Buffy dies and comes back and that Willow trys to destroy the world and Xander stops it by talking. No semblance of spoiling has come across any mind while they tell me this and I can't stop it because I have no context of how major or minor the reveal is.
It's the same with when I was trying to get into One Tree Hill. I'd get urged by people and as they were watching it I'd find out that Hayley's pregnant or that Lucas goes with Peyton and Brooke. So when I watch the 1st seaon I know the twist that Hayley and Nathan get married. I know that twist the person Peyton thinks is her brother isn't, I know that Keith dies. Losing them a potential fan. How is anybody supposed to get into these things when this keeps happening? Do you have to wait until the whole thing is dead and finished and watch it like an archiver discovering a little story of the past?
However I'm tired so I'll try and conclude this. I think personally we have to play it by ear. Be considerate of the fact that maybe sombody hasn't watched Casablanca so doesn't know that they don't end up together. Ask if they've seen up to season 2 of Breaking Bad to know that Walter watched Jesse's girlfriend die or not. Some people may be a little behind. People have the capacity to catch p, so let them without ruining it.
Or maybe we should consider the Soap Opera for a minute. Plenty of new generations tune into Eastenders or Coronation street, or even to our American cousins General Hospital or Days of our lives, they don't watch through the back catalgue and find out who's killed who or what blew up when. They walk in blindly and find out as they go along or some friend or family (usually elderly) fill them in. So if people can do that with soaps why can't they do it with everything else?
It is now 04:43am GMT, let the debate begin.
Anyway for a while I have been thinking about SPOILERS. Anybody who's a fan of Dr. Who and has been watching the past season will know that it's been a rollercoaster of twists and turns. Don't worry mein readers I won't spill a single bean about it, btu any of you who do know anything about the latest series will know that one of the recent main characters is prone to saying a particular phrase every now and then (not a catch phrase per se). But well, "Spoilers!!"One of the biggest terms that has come into use through the means of the internet is that of the term "Spoilers" 'When one runs the risk of revealing an item item of interest that the other does not wish to see or hear, they will announce that it is a Spoiler so as to warn them of said information."
Most of us have come up against the blockade that is a spoiler alert. When you're at work and you want to talk to everyone about the latest episode of Lost or Breaking Bad but that one person hasn't seen it yet, that one person has forcefeilded that juicy bit of story that you are itching to talk about. It's the worst. Almsot as bad as when you are that person. Haven't had time to catch up or to see that big film in the cinema so while everyone is talking about it you have to exclude yourself, because you don't want to know yet. It sucks. But the questin that's been picking at my brain for a while is When do Spoilers stop being Spoilers?
*************May contain revealing Spoilers*****************
One of the big examples that I can talk about is from the film The 6th Sense. This film contains one major twist towards the end, which by now everybody knows, that Bruce Willis himself is a ghost. This is a spoiler that a lot of people managed to keep to themsleves after watching it only using it urge anybody else who hasn't seen it out of their seats and go see it. If anything at least it was a maginificent self marketing machine. Waves upon waves of tantalized and eager audiences would crash down on cinemas and video stores to see what the big deal was. This is when everybody knew that it was best to keep their lips sealed on the matter and let anyody else who wanted to see it experience the unravelling. But when is the cut off point? When can you begin to talk about this twist openly and freely without any objection.
For instance I love to watch tonnes of old movies, The Birds, Casablanca, Sunset Boulevard or Double Indemnity and a host of other stuff. When I talk to people about wanting to see any old movie that they may have heard of or watched, I have had to, on several occassions, interrupt their sentences shouting "Spoiler Alert!!!" It's frustrating. Is it my fault that I was born on the wrong decade so that people can still safeley assume that when I talk about these movies that I don't want to know every detail going into it? 
It's so bloody frustrating!!! Even when they use some sort of weird referntial advert to Psycho and you finally watch it, and you know because of that ad that It's all Norman. I can understand that people reference the things they love but it's difficult to avoid these things when you don't know it's going to happen. It's difficult to know that a certain show or ad or whatever will spill beans on films you eventually want to watch. I think because of an off hand comment in Veronica Mars I know a big twist in Citizen Kane, and I haven't even watched it yet. I desperatel want to but I am waiting to forget that little bit of information. 
I guess the only rules we can maybe emulate is that of Television. For instance, British show Misfits finished with a big twist at the end of season 1. However in the season 2 marketing campaign they showed an advert on E4 repeatedly where they revealed the twist that Nathans power was that he was immortal. Personally I thought that this was a serious mistake on the marketers but from what I noticed more people seemed to have watched season 2 than they had season 1. So maybe they did do something right, but did revealing that entice the extra viewers? Did it wipe a clean slate that allowed people to safely walk into the new series knowing everything they had to?
Many shows eliminate any new viewers beecause of adverts and such, they reveal major previous twists. I have witnessed many people who say they want to catch up from the start but know to much to walk clean in. From my experience lets use Buffy for an example. I am a huge Joss Whedon fan, I have watched Firefly and Dollhouse at least a half dozen times and I love it but I have been urged by friends to watch Buffy if I enjoy his stuff so much, but why? If a season works towards something, all the writing, the shocks, the twists, the turns, all work towards one big reveal then isn't it a bit pointless when you already know that twist. My own friends who are trying to get me to watch it are revealing major details while they themselves rewatch it. So i know going into that, Sunnydale is at the edge of Hells mouth, or that Willows a lesbian or that Buffy dies and comes back and that Willow trys to destroy the world and Xander stops it by talking. No semblance of spoiling has come across any mind while they tell me this and I can't stop it because I have no context of how major or minor the reveal is.
However I'm tired so I'll try and conclude this. I think personally we have to play it by ear. Be considerate of the fact that maybe sombody hasn't watched Casablanca so doesn't know that they don't end up together. Ask if they've seen up to season 2 of Breaking Bad to know that Walter watched Jesse's girlfriend die or not. Some people may be a little behind. People have the capacity to catch p, so let them without ruining it.
Or maybe we should consider the Soap Opera for a minute. Plenty of new generations tune into Eastenders or Coronation street, or even to our American cousins General Hospital or Days of our lives, they don't watch through the back catalgue and find out who's killed who or what blew up when. They walk in blindly and find out as they go along or some friend or family (usually elderly) fill them in. So if people can do that with soaps why can't they do it with everything else?
It is now 04:43am GMT, let the debate begin.
Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Film scores on telly shows
As some of you may know this week the Apprentice has started back up on the BBC this week. Yes it's that time of year again where Lord Alan Sugar will whittle down a bunch of eager, argumentative, brown nosers through a series of bizarre tasks, that supposedly show there business skills, down to one over eager brown noser who is then dubbed the Apprentice.
I've never really been a fan of these types of shows, watching somebody claim superiority and a bunch of people trying to appease their whims to further their careers doesn't scream entertainment for me. I find it embarrassing watching an episode of Friends where, as per several of the later episodes, Ross makes a fool of himself by thinking he's always right. I have to change the channel in those situations, mute it, put my hands over my eyes, anything to not watch a train wreck of a situation.
But as a change of pace the other night when I was up at half four in the morning and for some reason wanted to remain watching TV so I decided to watch The Apprentice on BBC Three. As I mind numbingly witness a bunch of grown people fight over who deserves the blame for what I realized that not only are these people over dramatic but there was something else. While watching I recognized a couple of tunes that seemed familiar to me. I couldn't get it at first but then it came to like a bolt from the blue.
In one of the scenes where they were developing their apps it was being underscored by one of the tunes from Toy story 2. Specifically the tune were the toy fixer (also known as Geri from Geri's game) is fixing Woody up for preservational purposes. Then later on when everyone is heading over to the board room they use one of the opening tunes from TRON Legacy. These are just some of the tunes I recognized from one episode.
And this isn't the first instance that I've noticed this, especially on the Beeb. A couple of months ago on one of the newest episodes of Top Gear, during one of their drag races I recognized while having it on in the background that they were using one of the tunes from the Inception Score. Curiouser and curiouser I started to find it more and more, especially with repeats of Top Gear. They seem to love using tunes of Hans Zimmer's from the likes of The Dark Knight and Inception during some of their races.
When seeing these tunes used in the cinema, for their original purpose it's brilliant. To see it haplessly slapped on to dramatize some banal show that is otherwise unexciting tarnishes it, I personally love listening to film scores but just watching it being used for something like that takes away from it's glory. If you want good music , get your own. Stop stealing the good stuff.
So what do you think, if they have the money to get this music couldn't you make your own? Do you think it's okay to use the film score? Or do you think that it sucks and these shows don't deserve it?
I've never really been a fan of these types of shows, watching somebody claim superiority and a bunch of people trying to appease their whims to further their careers doesn't scream entertainment for me. I find it embarrassing watching an episode of Friends where, as per several of the later episodes, Ross makes a fool of himself by thinking he's always right. I have to change the channel in those situations, mute it, put my hands over my eyes, anything to not watch a train wreck of a situation.But as a change of pace the other night when I was up at half four in the morning and for some reason wanted to remain watching TV so I decided to watch The Apprentice on BBC Three. As I mind numbingly witness a bunch of grown people fight over who deserves the blame for what I realized that not only are these people over dramatic but there was something else. While watching I recognized a couple of tunes that seemed familiar to me. I couldn't get it at first but then it came to like a bolt from the blue.
In one of the scenes where they were developing their apps it was being underscored by one of the tunes from Toy story 2. Specifically the tune were the toy fixer (also known as Geri from Geri's game) is fixing Woody up for preservational purposes. Then later on when everyone is heading over to the board room they use one of the opening tunes from TRON Legacy. These are just some of the tunes I recognized from one episode.
And this isn't the first instance that I've noticed this, especially on the Beeb. A couple of months ago on one of the newest episodes of Top Gear, during one of their drag races I recognized while having it on in the background that they were using one of the tunes from the Inception Score. Curiouser and curiouser I started to find it more and more, especially with repeats of Top Gear. They seem to love using tunes of Hans Zimmer's from the likes of The Dark Knight and Inception during some of their races.
When seeing these tunes used in the cinema, for their original purpose it's brilliant. To see it haplessly slapped on to dramatize some banal show that is otherwise unexciting tarnishes it, I personally love listening to film scores but just watching it being used for something like that takes away from it's glory. If you want good music , get your own. Stop stealing the good stuff.So what do you think, if they have the money to get this music couldn't you make your own? Do you think it's okay to use the film score? Or do you think that it sucks and these shows don't deserve it?
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