Dorothy’s red slippers. Rosebud. The One Ring. Wilson. Certain film props have become so iconic that they are beyond any sensible or estimable value. These objects have become part of our cultural history. How much worth can you assign to something as storied as the wood chipper from Fargo or Butch’s gold watch in Pulp […]
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New software quickly pieces together (ridiculous) movies
Given the immense volume of quickly-created content on the Internet – automatically generated music, 3D printed combs, etc. – it’s surprising that it took so long for someone to come up with a fast movie creator. Plotagon, currently in beta, is a new free service that allows users to assemble clips in a traditional screenplay […]
Continue readingWhat a twist! M. Night Shyamalan is at Politics & Prose TONIGHT!
Drop your evening plans! Notable director M. Night Shyamalan will be visiting Politics & Prose tonight at 7pm! Though certainly a controversial and often derided figure in the film world, Shyamalan’s rise to fame is a fascinating tale; appropriately, he comes to Politics & Prose to discuss his experience in the education system and the […]
Continue readingFilm Studies for Free explores fan culture, and so can you!
We love Film Studies for Free, a blog that curates links to openly accessible scholarly film resources. You might notice them in the blogroll on the right-hand side of this page (they’re a little below the Music Library… keep looking!) We wanted to highlight a particularly good recent posting from FSFF about researching fan culture. […]
Continue readingThe Farce is strong with this video: old blooper reel from Star Wars unearthed
It’s nearly customary at this point for movies to include gag reels, either as a bonus during the credits or as a special feature on the DVD release. Hilarious as they may be, outtakes from The Avengers are very much expected. That’s why it’s so unique that this new blooper montage from the original Star […]
Continue readingHow digital film changes the racial politics of cinematography
Many filmmakers have reacted negatively to the industry’s transition from physical film to digital recordings. For all its benefits – immediate playback, easier editing, color correction – some argue that digital filming loses some the warm qualities that make physical film prints enticing. They aren’t convinced of the benefits, so physical film still has a […]
Continue readingWin a FREE 1TB HARD DRIVE for coming to the New Media Center!
Midterms season is in full swing, and students are starting work on their big end-of-year projects. But where do you store your giant video project? If only you could get a new flash drive or hard drive for free… Good news: our friends at the New Media Center are giving them away! If you attend […]
Continue readingBrave our Halloween giveaway and you might win a free movie!
We’ve been getting into the Halloween spirit for a while now. Time to share some of it with you! In preparation for everyone’s favorite terror-based holiday, we’re giving away digital copies of True Blood Season 4, Hitchcock, and Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 2, Which one will you get? It’s random! Maybe that’s the scariest part. […]
Continue readingIs “cinema” having a crisis? Not quite, says A. O. Scott
A. O. Scott is one of the most notable film writers who actively engages questions about the future of the moving image medium. His articles, though controversial, always offer a unique and thoughtful perspective on the impending and foreboding issues facing the film industry. Scott is deeply familiar with the exodus of creative talent away […]
Continue readingWhy widescreen? All aspect ratio questions answered in 18 minutes
The average media consumer is probably familiar with two aspect ratios, 4:3 and 16:9. Those are the dimensions commonly associated with standard-definition and high-definition TVs, respectively. Most media we consume has been formatted into one of these ratios for the sake of home viewing, but as you’d know if you’ve ever had to watch a […]
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