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The New Media Platform
August 24th, 2009 by James Pyn, under Movies. No Comments
The task of technology is to make human activity more productive. The task of marketing is to convince us to upgrade said technology ad museum. As Microsoft has learned — the hard way, mind you — you cant convince people to scramble for the latest version of an operating system whenever it suits Mr. Gates’s whim. Hello open-source and cloud computing. That being said, there are some facets of technological upgrades that are hard to resist, especially when they offer superior sound or graphics.
Given our propensity towards visual stimulation, it’s more difficult to resist superior picture quality as opposed to say a faster computation speed for your word processor. This is why the death of the DVD seems inevitable in the face of the emerging Blu-ray technology. With a slight tweaking of the color spectrum, Blu-ray has rendered conventional DVD players as hard to watch as VHS. Hard to believe, but true.
The blue laser of the Blu-ray technology renders HD quality films and sound, while condensing all that data more efficiently on the disc. This means two and three disc boxed sets will be far more rare — either that or studios will release even more bonus materials. Perhaps they will feature every facet of the films production, from pitch to screen, including actor auditions.
While a typical CD disc can still provide decent sound quality even when scratched, a scratched DVD disc seldom performs well. The tiniest scratch can derail and entire film. The Blu-ray, disc, allegedly, is far more durable and even enjoys a buffering layer to protect the data. Whether or not this stands up to public scrutiny, it does makes for an attractive bullet point on the proverbial PowerPoint presentation that is mass marketing.
It’s curious that technology is marketed in terms of revolutions. Each new device requires that it wrap itself in something as violent and encompassing as a revolution to ensure we feel the urgency. What’s the rush? Why, the corporate bottom-line of course. Hurry and buy before — well, before what? If the technology is worthwhile, it should stay on the market. Given the impressive qualities of Blu-ray technology, it should be well entrenched for any and all takers.
Crossing Over the Bridge
August 18th, 2009 by James Pyn, under Movies. No Comments
It’s no surprise that we live in a world of tag lines. They can teach you a great deal about life. Not only are they the pithy currency of would-be screenwriters and filmmakers alike, but they are semi-clever marketing slogans. That being said, I must say the tag line for BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA is actually dead on. Watching the film (or better yet, reading the book) will indeed help you discover a place that will never leave you, and a friendship that will change you forever. True enough — and well said.
The film is a shining example of how a novel should and could be adapted for the screen, even when you take the minor plot adjustments into consideration. The film was written by David Paterson, who is the son of the novel’s author, Katherine Paterson. As previously mentioned, it was faithfully adapted and lovingly brought to life. This is in no small way an indication of both Csupo and Paterson’s dedication to the tenements of the novel.
The story revolves around two 12-year-old friends who create a world they can escape to — a world of their own making. This virtual kingdom was stunningly depicted by the conceptual artist Dima Malanitchev and brought tot life by the effects wizards at Weta Digital. The director, Csupo, insisted the look and feel of the fantastic elements be realistic and keeping in line with a greater sense of subtlety.
Filmed in New Zealand, the film manages to balance itself between the real-life aspect of everyday life and the imaginative world of the main characters, Jesse Aarons, played by Josh Hutcherson, and Leslie Burke, played by AnnaSophia Robb. These relative newcomers provide a convincing and moving portrait of young friendship and possibly the budding of young love. Their performances are not to be missed.
Completed for approximately $20 million, BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA garnered more than $120 million worldwide, designating it as something of a rarity: a hit. The film virtually swept the Young Artist Awards, sponsored by the prestigious Hollywood Foreign Press Association. It is a film that can be enjoyed by both young and old audiences. Indeed, as another of its tag lines suggests: close your eyes, but keep your mind wide open.
