James Steven Beverly

Apparently ALL the nominated pictures have alternate titles: http://www.collegehumor.com/post/6948688/honest-titles-for-2014s-oscar-nominated-movies

I'm not sure about Foreign Film, but I'm betting Gravity sweeps the Oscars, wins both Best Picture, Director and Sandra Bullock wins Best Actress. I'm also certain it will win for cinematography and special effects as well.

Given the current situation with regards to environmental attitudes on the behalf of certain parties, this particular sequence from "Erik the Viking" (1989) seemed to me, rather prophetic.

http://oscar.go.com/nominees?fullsite=true

The more interesting question is which would be the most challenging one to make well, again, I'd go with 'Giant Robots' though trying to out Cronenberg, Cronenberg would be hard to do. That guy's mind in unlike anyone's I've ever experienced, which means dark, disturbing and extremely cool!

My Canadian producer friend, John Talbot sent me these. Maybe you heard 'em but I laughed my ass off (I had it reattached because that's not a good look for me). Check 'em out: What's the difference between a DP and God? God doesn't think he's a DP. Why is thunder after lightning? Even God has to wait for sound. How many first-time directors does it take to change a light bulb? I don't know, what do you think? Q(how many PAs does it take to screw in a light bulb? A(, 1 to do it, 5 to wish they were asked to do it Why did they invent the dolly? To teach grips to walk upright There's a group of surgeons in the hospital operating on a patient. Things start to get tense and one of them drops a scalpel. One doctor looks at the other and says, "Calm down, it's not like we're making a movie here." How many EPs does it take to screw in a lightbulb? What are you talking about? EPs screw in hot tubs, not light bulbs. -What's the heaviest thing the grips carried all day? -the art department. -what's the difference between a PA and a dog? -people get upset when you mistreat a dog.

You hire me to make "The Black Sky", a dark, textured sci-fi space script I wrote a few years ago that will knock your socks off. :D BTW, the lamest option you listed is the "Giant Robot" one

I found this.....utterly BIZARRE....maybe I'm becoming cynical but I actually had to wonder if some of these weren't done intentionally as some kind of subliminal ploy to increase sales DESPITE all of Disney's repeated explanations. However given my "fight the power" nature, If it were just the hired help screwing around I actually have to admire the clandestine duplicity of the animator's artful audacity still, some of this was....let us say....a little twisted. Never the less, it was an element of cinema I had never heard of so without further adieu, check it out B) : http://trc.taboola.com/dailykos/log/3/click?pi=%2Fstory%2F2014%2F01%2F08%2F1267644%2F-cartoon-unlikely-2014-headlines&ri=fc7a6f8506f204eee660535000e902c8&sd=v2_d46e71db3c4bac8c4ed0f1195ccd7e88_7aecb342-234d-4e6d-aafb-61c4452fbf79_1389332083_1389335448_CAI&ui=7aecb342-234d-4e6d-aafb-61c4452fbf79&it=video&ii=~~V1~~-302079745487799608~~NybrHNfWTswllcTHqywXS-CI_2EiWvoPWNuQ1zChZXg&pt=text&li=rbox-t2v&redir=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.answers.com%2Fclick.php%3Fsource%3Dtb%26param3%3Dcelebs.answers.com%2Fmovies%2F10-scandalous-hidden-moments-in-your-favorite-disney-movies%26param4%3Dtb-us-de-enter&p=answers-sc&r=78

Exactly my point. It will make a good allegorical tale as an excellent example of what George Santayana's philosophical warning "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" meant in it's most practical terms.

Inspirational, as I've never seen THESE kind of pictures in any movies about the period: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2487041/Dickens-London-brought-life-Fascinating-snapshot-Victorian-street-traders-taken-dawn-photography.html It's fascinating to see the Gilded Age was only "Gilded" for the rich.

The Hollywood Reporter video series had this VERY COOL discussion that I think everyone here should look at. Check it out: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/video/cinematographers-roundtable-full-interview-656836

http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/12/27/on-ice-100-year-old-negative-discovered-in-antarctic-ice

Director of photography Rodrigo Prieto tells THR how he paralleled shots with Jordan Belfort's feelings and created the effect of Leonardo DiCaprio's depressant. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/wolf-wall-street-cinematographer-talks-667772

http://www.thewrap.com/gravity-sandra-bullock-george-clooney-alfonso-cuaron-space-visual-effects

I couldn't let the season pass without posting this one: Merry Christmas!!

Check this out, a seldom seen interview of casting directors and their world: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/video/casting-directors-roundtable-full-interview-665496

I never saw this before but this kinda blew me away: and maybe this as an alternative I agree with: Check it out and Merry Christmas.

Oh, as for Moscowphoto, I kinda got off on a tangent as I really love the Konvas but I haven't heard anything bad about them. I usually go through Raf or Olex when it comes to Commiecams and equipment though.

Good camera, loud though. It's strictly MOS unless you use a Barney and even then, you'll need to shoot outside with the camera set back aways or use software to clean up the noise the camera makes. There is no registration pins but even so the images are good but I wouldn't use it for FX work. These were originally designed as news cameras and the Soviets were very particular about their propaganda so they are tough, well made cameras with little in the way of bells and whistles. The came in a 3 lens turret configuration with OCT-18 mount lenses which were rip offs of the Arri Standard mount only a little bigger, or their OCT-19 which is a rip off and a BNCR mount (The Russians ripped off the west a LOT. The Kinor 35 H and C were basically a stolen Moviecam SuperAmerica with a Mitchell movement You ought to see their near perfect Arri 2 C rip off) There was a turret wild version, the KSR-1 which had a six volt motor, a hand crank that worked for poop, a single frame animation crank and a VERY RARE spring motor. That's the one I have along with a small set of 2 piece anamorphic lenses and a full set of OCT-18 lenses. Then there was the "Stabilize" motor version for sound sync which was kinda odd as the Russian ADR ed everything. Many of these motors were rebuilt, dumping the truly shitty Soviet electronics for modern electronics. (The same was done with the Kinors as Soviet electronics REALLY sucked.) The lenses were mostly made by LOMO though high end glass was made as some of the more elite factories. They are softer and warmer than most modern lenses but perfectly usable with less of that harshness of razor sharp modern glass. They're a good first camera for 35mm work. Arri 2 c's are better from mechanical standpoint but NOTHING can beat the tank like durability of the little Konvas!

Those two things should be related as no matter how beautiful the images are, they's gots to cut together otherwise you're gonna need LOTs of cats for all those windows. :D I personally don't particularly like to operate while directing. I find it a distraction that divides my concentration between framing and performance and when I'm running a camera I tend to focus a little bit more on framing when as a director, I should be focusing on performance. I prefer to tell my DOP what I want to do with the camera then let him do his (or her) job while I watch what my actors are doing, but then again, I came from the theater so performance is paramount for me, besides I'm a journeyman operator whereas some of these guys are truly brilliant at their job so letting them do the work is more often then not, the smart move.

One of the greatest actors to have ever lived. Great man, may he find peace.

Well, that and talent.

I hope you know I was totally joking, although the trailer does seem to harken to a perceived abandonment of the pioneering spirit that drove us to our embarkational foray among the cosmos in which the United States led the way and the desire to rekindle that dream, but with the advent of the moon landing and the introduction of the ISS, "US" would seem to be more appropriate as a term for humanity. HOWEVER, "US" also stands for "United States" so you know in a big blockbuster movie it's gonna be all about "us". :P

Well when you guys land your OWN rocket powered RV on the moon six, count 'em, 1,2,3,4,5,6 times and bring a few bad ass space dune buggies with you just so you can jump over moon dunes, the people in the movie can be you folks :D

LOL :lol: I honestly guessing you were shooting sharks.