Blood has been spilled this night.
So, as I have said in last post, the Wii is the only way to go. Sony is just not looking good. As if the uselessness of having the Blu-Ray format wasn’t enough, there have been recent developments that I found out about at IMDb that will only harm Sony.
And I quote:
“In the latest embarrassment to strike Sony Corp., the company acknowledged today (Wednesday) that many games designed for the original PlayStation and PlayStation 2 consoles are not compatible with PlayStation 3. News of the problem follows the rash of bad publicity over production delays involving the device, consumer hesitancy over the company's Blu-ray high-definition DVD devices, and especially a recall of laptop batteries that the company had manufactured. Sony had been hoping that the hugely hyped Casino Royale, due out this weekend, would produce revenue to offset the earlier ordeals. Sony managers were in London Tuesday to demonstrate how they planned to integrate the marketing of their products with the new film. Later in the day they attended the premiere of the movie at the Odeon Leicester Square theater -- along with Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip.”
Then there’s the price. They’re releasing two different versions:
1) $599 for 60 GB hard drive; built in Wi-Fi; flash card reader; and a chrome trim
2) $499 for 20 GB hard drive; no Wi-Fi; no flash card reader; and no chrome trim
Pretty friggin lame, if you ask me. And if you don’t, well, that’s what I would say if you did.
…I’m a soldier of the apocalypse, man!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Wii Will, Wii Will Rock You
Something wicked this way comes. Something big is going to happen in the videogame industry in the coming months and few years. Something big involving the 3 major players in the industry: Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. We’re at a cliffhanger that J. J. Abrams would be proud of.
NOTE: For the abridged version of this entry, please scroll down.
But first, a brief history:
I am sure that many of you out there have heard the terms “next-gen” or “next generation” when referring to videogame consoles. A generation for videogames usually lasts about three to four years or so. History has shown that every generation improves on the previous one, and every other generation brings along with it a huge innovation. Allow me to illustrate further. Let’s look back to the late 80s. Nintendo had the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Sega had the Master System, both of which were 8-bit systems. Their big thing was 2D games that were quite advanced for the time.
The next generation of consoles brought Nintendo’s Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega’s Genesis (Mega Drive in Europe and South America). Both of these systems were 16-bit and basically improved on the graphics and technology of 2D games.
Remember how we said huge innovations come along? The next era was the 32-bit era where the people were introduced to real 3D gaming. Sega came out with a very poorly marketed yet amazing system called the Sega Saturn while Sony released its now infamous PlayStation. The games were also played on CDs. The Sega Saturn was quickly forgotten by the masses while the PlayStation continued to grow in popularity with an older crowd as its target audience.
Since we are now in the 3D world, what do you suppose the following generation of consoles did? 128-bit systems were on the loose. Sega released its awesome yet once again poorly marketed and ill-fated Dreamcast, Sony had PlayStation 2, and Microsoft joined in a bit late in the game with its Xbox. The three systems simply made 3D graphics smoother and more realistic while also introducing the world to online console gaming; an innovation that few remember was originated by the Dreamcast.
Which brings us to the generation we find ourselves in at this very moment. However, unlike the past, this generation seems to bring no innovation by its apparent major players. The Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 will only make games look more realistic than before. Unfortunately, not every company has the available budget to make games that take full advantage of the power of these systems. And seeing how many delays the PS3 has gone through, as well as its seemingly wasteful use of the Blu-Ray technology, I believe it will be out of the console wars by the end of this generation. The Xbox 360 will suffer too, but might not fall off completely.
Which finally brings us to the saving grace of this generation: The Nintendo Wii. You might have noticed that Nintendo was not mentioned in some of the above paragraphs. While Sony and Microsoft, and even Sega were doing their battles trying to outdo the other, Nintendo was always off to the side doing their own thing. Their target audience was usually much younger and always appealed to the whole family. The Nintendo 64 had some amazing titles. The GameCube, as well. They have also always been the undisputed leader in handheld portable gaming. And nobody can deny that their games are just plain fun.
But I get distracted, I am here to talk about the Wii. The Wii is the way of the future. The Wii is what will save the videogame industry. The Wii will get every single person in the household playing video games. It is the only console of this generation that is actually trying something new and innovative. The controllers are…well, just see for yourselves. By making it accessible to virtually everyone, Nintendo is going to beat out its competitors who offer the same of the old for about twice the price. That’s right, the Wii will be sold for only $250, and that includes a sports games pack.
Yessir, the Wii is the only way to go. Forget the PS3 and the Xbox 360. They’re not doing anything new. Sure the games look stunning, but we’ve seen it all before. Put your money on the Wii, I know I will…or should I say, I know I Wiill.
ABRIDGED VERSION: The Nintendo Wii will kill the PS3 and the Xbox 360.
…are you watching closely?
NOTE: For the abridged version of this entry, please scroll down.
But first, a brief history:
I am sure that many of you out there have heard the terms “next-gen” or “next generation” when referring to videogame consoles. A generation for videogames usually lasts about three to four years or so. History has shown that every generation improves on the previous one, and every other generation brings along with it a huge innovation. Allow me to illustrate further. Let’s look back to the late 80s. Nintendo had the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Sega had the Master System, both of which were 8-bit systems. Their big thing was 2D games that were quite advanced for the time.
The next generation of consoles brought Nintendo’s Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega’s Genesis (Mega Drive in Europe and South America). Both of these systems were 16-bit and basically improved on the graphics and technology of 2D games.
Remember how we said huge innovations come along? The next era was the 32-bit era where the people were introduced to real 3D gaming. Sega came out with a very poorly marketed yet amazing system called the Sega Saturn while Sony released its now infamous PlayStation. The games were also played on CDs. The Sega Saturn was quickly forgotten by the masses while the PlayStation continued to grow in popularity with an older crowd as its target audience.
Since we are now in the 3D world, what do you suppose the following generation of consoles did? 128-bit systems were on the loose. Sega released its awesome yet once again poorly marketed and ill-fated Dreamcast, Sony had PlayStation 2, and Microsoft joined in a bit late in the game with its Xbox. The three systems simply made 3D graphics smoother and more realistic while also introducing the world to online console gaming; an innovation that few remember was originated by the Dreamcast.
Which brings us to the generation we find ourselves in at this very moment. However, unlike the past, this generation seems to bring no innovation by its apparent major players. The Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 will only make games look more realistic than before. Unfortunately, not every company has the available budget to make games that take full advantage of the power of these systems. And seeing how many delays the PS3 has gone through, as well as its seemingly wasteful use of the Blu-Ray technology, I believe it will be out of the console wars by the end of this generation. The Xbox 360 will suffer too, but might not fall off completely.
Which finally brings us to the saving grace of this generation: The Nintendo Wii. You might have noticed that Nintendo was not mentioned in some of the above paragraphs. While Sony and Microsoft, and even Sega were doing their battles trying to outdo the other, Nintendo was always off to the side doing their own thing. Their target audience was usually much younger and always appealed to the whole family. The Nintendo 64 had some amazing titles. The GameCube, as well. They have also always been the undisputed leader in handheld portable gaming. And nobody can deny that their games are just plain fun.
But I get distracted, I am here to talk about the Wii. The Wii is the way of the future. The Wii is what will save the videogame industry. The Wii will get every single person in the household playing video games. It is the only console of this generation that is actually trying something new and innovative. The controllers are…well, just see for yourselves. By making it accessible to virtually everyone, Nintendo is going to beat out its competitors who offer the same of the old for about twice the price. That’s right, the Wii will be sold for only $250, and that includes a sports games pack.
Yessir, the Wii is the only way to go. Forget the PS3 and the Xbox 360. They’re not doing anything new. Sure the games look stunning, but we’ve seen it all before. Put your money on the Wii, I know I will…or should I say, I know I Wiill.
ABRIDGED VERSION: The Nintendo Wii will kill the PS3 and the Xbox 360.
…are you watching closely?
Sunday, May 28, 2006
The Da Vinci Code?
More like…The Crapinci Code. Ha!
NOTE: For the abridged version of this entry, please scroll down.
So I saw the movie the other day and I didn’t really like it. Here are some of the reasons why:
Sophie Neveu: what was her function? Except for having gotten Langdon safely away from that cop, she didn’t really do much. We’re told she was being unknowingly trained by her “grandfather” her whole life so that she could take over his duties. Then Teabing busts out with that thing about the songs her grandfather probably sang to her that he also knows. Here’s where we’re shown a flashback of a little girl dancing to her grandfather’s singing. The fact that she’s supposed to have been trained her whole life is brought up a bunch of times, and yet is never one put into action. She doesn’t solve any of the puzzles and basically serves as the audience – us – to whom Langdon can explain every little bit of information to so that we won’t get lost. GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
The flashbacks: what the hell was the point of them? They mostly showed me what they already told me. Or they happened the other way around. They told me something, then later they showed a flashback of it. What the crap?
For example:
Robert Langdon: When I was a boy I fell in a well and thought I was going to die.
Sophie: ::blank stare of uselessness::
CUT TO: flashback of a boy in a well.
BACK TO: some other random scene.
Unless the flashbacks have something important to show me, I don’t think they’re very necessary. Specially Sophie’s flashbacks, as mentioned above.
The French Cop Guy: that cop guy played by Jean Reno, whose name I can’t remember. So I’m supposed to believe that this guy who has such strong belief in that priest – so much so that he clearly went against all police procedures – this guy will just turn and let him take the fall at the end? With no hesitation? Merely a “you used me”? I dunno, that seemed kinda weird to me.
Before you people who are fans of the book start going crazy; NO, I have NOT read the book. It doesn’t matter if the book was amazing. Film is a different media. Things obviously have to change. This was an adaptation of a novel. As such, I do not believe it was adapted very well. It felt like to truly understand what was going on, I needed to have read the book. Sure, that will help in any movie based on a book, but it shouldn’t be essential. Also, there are certain expectations when you hear “A film by Ron Howard, starring Tom Hanks”; expectations that I do not believe were met.
ABRIDGED VERSION: The Da Vinci Code was a 2 ½ hour introduction to the last 5 minutes of the movie...and it sucked.
Challenge me...Please. Specially those of you who have read the books and seen the movie.
...the perfect blossom is a rare thing
NOTE: For the abridged version of this entry, please scroll down.
So I saw the movie the other day and I didn’t really like it. Here are some of the reasons why:
Sophie Neveu: what was her function? Except for having gotten Langdon safely away from that cop, she didn’t really do much. We’re told she was being unknowingly trained by her “grandfather” her whole life so that she could take over his duties. Then Teabing busts out with that thing about the songs her grandfather probably sang to her that he also knows. Here’s where we’re shown a flashback of a little girl dancing to her grandfather’s singing. The fact that she’s supposed to have been trained her whole life is brought up a bunch of times, and yet is never one put into action. She doesn’t solve any of the puzzles and basically serves as the audience – us – to whom Langdon can explain every little bit of information to so that we won’t get lost. GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
The flashbacks: what the hell was the point of them? They mostly showed me what they already told me. Or they happened the other way around. They told me something, then later they showed a flashback of it. What the crap?
For example:
Robert Langdon: When I was a boy I fell in a well and thought I was going to die.
Sophie: ::blank stare of uselessness::
CUT TO: flashback of a boy in a well.
BACK TO: some other random scene.
Unless the flashbacks have something important to show me, I don’t think they’re very necessary. Specially Sophie’s flashbacks, as mentioned above.
The French Cop Guy: that cop guy played by Jean Reno, whose name I can’t remember. So I’m supposed to believe that this guy who has such strong belief in that priest – so much so that he clearly went against all police procedures – this guy will just turn and let him take the fall at the end? With no hesitation? Merely a “you used me”? I dunno, that seemed kinda weird to me.
Before you people who are fans of the book start going crazy; NO, I have NOT read the book. It doesn’t matter if the book was amazing. Film is a different media. Things obviously have to change. This was an adaptation of a novel. As such, I do not believe it was adapted very well. It felt like to truly understand what was going on, I needed to have read the book. Sure, that will help in any movie based on a book, but it shouldn’t be essential. Also, there are certain expectations when you hear “A film by Ron Howard, starring Tom Hanks”; expectations that I do not believe were met.
ABRIDGED VERSION: The Da Vinci Code was a 2 ½ hour introduction to the last 5 minutes of the movie...and it sucked.
Challenge me...Please. Specially those of you who have read the books and seen the movie.
...the perfect blossom is a rare thing
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Studio Church
Greetings and salutations to all.
I would like to direct everyone's attention to a new link i have added to my links section: "Studio Chuch - Sculptures by James Church". Anyone and everyone who considers themselves to be an appreciator of the arts simply must check it out. I've always had a fascination with sculptures, but mainly those really classical ones by Michelangelo, Bernini, Rodin, and the like. I never got into any of the more contemporary peoples. But let me tell you, I just looooove his stuff. Oh man, especially the suspended ones. And i'm not just saying that cause he's my cousin. No siree. They're so beautiful that i can't even think of adequate words to accurately represent my feelings with. This doesn't happen very often. I don't know what it is. The figures seem to just carry sooooo much feeling and emotion with them that it boggles my mind. So check it out, enjoy, and let me know what you think.
...if he'd just pay me what he's paying them to stop me robbing him, I'd stop robbing him
I would like to direct everyone's attention to a new link i have added to my links section: "Studio Chuch - Sculptures by James Church". Anyone and everyone who considers themselves to be an appreciator of the arts simply must check it out. I've always had a fascination with sculptures, but mainly those really classical ones by Michelangelo, Bernini, Rodin, and the like. I never got into any of the more contemporary peoples. But let me tell you, I just looooove his stuff. Oh man, especially the suspended ones. And i'm not just saying that cause he's my cousin. No siree. They're so beautiful that i can't even think of adequate words to accurately represent my feelings with. This doesn't happen very often. I don't know what it is. The figures seem to just carry sooooo much feeling and emotion with them that it boggles my mind. So check it out, enjoy, and let me know what you think.
...if he'd just pay me what he's paying them to stop me robbing him, I'd stop robbing him
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Easternlight Films acquires Dayyan Eng's Waiting Alone
*****************************
Easternlight Films has acquired world rights to WAITING ALONE (Du zi deng dai), the first feature by Chinese-American helmer Dayyan Eng (aka Wu Shixian), whose BUS 44 was the first Chinese short to win at Venice and Sundance fests.
This urban comedy sports an ensemble cast of upcoming Chinese talent and a cameo by Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun-fat.
The tale focuses on an aspiring author who goes to absurd lengths to make a woman fall for him. Pic was voted best local film of the year by more than 50 Chinese newspapers.
The Australian-U.S. sales outfit negotiated the deal with Wu's Beijing-based production shingle while en route to Hong Kong Filmart. Pic will be presented through Arclight's recently established Asian label, Easternlight, headed by Ying Ye and Arclight co-founder, Gary Hamilton.
Taiwanese-born Wu is an American citizen who is part Chinese, part Scottish and part Persian.
He was the first foreign national to receive a best picture award at the Chinese Academy Awards last year and claims to be the only foreign helmer in the Film Directors Guild of China.
*****************************
You can find that article here
How freakin awesome is that? That's my cousin, by the way, for those who don't know. So congratulations to him! Check out the site for Colordance Pictures for more info on this amazing movie.
...I'm being toyed with by a bunch of depraved children
Easternlight Films has acquired world rights to WAITING ALONE (Du zi deng dai), the first feature by Chinese-American helmer Dayyan Eng (aka Wu Shixian), whose BUS 44 was the first Chinese short to win at Venice and Sundance fests.
This urban comedy sports an ensemble cast of upcoming Chinese talent and a cameo by Hong Kong superstar Chow Yun-fat.
The tale focuses on an aspiring author who goes to absurd lengths to make a woman fall for him. Pic was voted best local film of the year by more than 50 Chinese newspapers.
The Australian-U.S. sales outfit negotiated the deal with Wu's Beijing-based production shingle while en route to Hong Kong Filmart. Pic will be presented through Arclight's recently established Asian label, Easternlight, headed by Ying Ye and Arclight co-founder, Gary Hamilton.
Taiwanese-born Wu is an American citizen who is part Chinese, part Scottish and part Persian.
He was the first foreign national to receive a best picture award at the Chinese Academy Awards last year and claims to be the only foreign helmer in the Film Directors Guild of China.
*****************************
You can find that article here
How freakin awesome is that? That's my cousin, by the way, for those who don't know. So congratulations to him! Check out the site for Colordance Pictures for more info on this amazing movie.
...I'm being toyed with by a bunch of depraved children
Monday, May 01, 2006
Searching...
I haven’t done one of these updates in a while, so I thought I’d do so before a real posting. Also, this time around, I must say it’s some of the best entries ever. For those of you new to The Niblog, the following is a list of search entries that led people to this very blog.
They are:
- people v lucas
- chef munib
- antonia banderas clothes
- tyler durden pictures
- top 50 chick flicks
- recent good chick flicks
- 50 top chick flicks 2005
- ayyami-ha song
- chick fliks
- most popular chick flicks
- recent chick flicks
- divine secrets of the yah yah sisterhood
- niblog movie
- the best chick flicks
Yes, that says Antonia Banderas. NOT Antonio.
What I love the most about this list is that people are coming here looking for info about “chick flicks”. My sincerest hope is that these hapless souls leave my site enlightened with new knowledge and information about the ridiculousness of the term. Sheesh. Some people.
And divine secrets of the yah yah sisterhood. That just rocks.
Again, if you are not familiar with my loathing of the term "chick flick" feel free to direct your attention here and here. Go ahead. You deserve to know the truth.
...good swords are kept in their sheaths
They are:
- people v lucas
- chef munib
- antonia banderas clothes
- tyler durden pictures
- top 50 chick flicks
- recent good chick flicks
- 50 top chick flicks 2005
- ayyami-ha song
- chick fliks
- most popular chick flicks
- recent chick flicks
- divine secrets of the yah yah sisterhood
- niblog movie
- the best chick flicks
Yes, that says Antonia Banderas. NOT Antonio.
What I love the most about this list is that people are coming here looking for info about “chick flicks”. My sincerest hope is that these hapless souls leave my site enlightened with new knowledge and information about the ridiculousness of the term. Sheesh. Some people.
And divine secrets of the yah yah sisterhood. That just rocks.
Again, if you are not familiar with my loathing of the term "chick flick" feel free to direct your attention here and here. Go ahead. You deserve to know the truth.
...good swords are kept in their sheaths
Monday, April 17, 2006
This Should Be Interesting
I want to try this here and as my title says...it should be interesting.
Leave a comment. I'll:
1. Respond with something random I like about you.
2. Tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. Name something we should do together.
4. Say something that only makes sense to you and me (or just me).
5. Tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. Leave you a quote that is somehow appropriate to you.
7. Ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal so you can do the same for other people. You MUST! (unless, of course, you just really don't care)
...I've seen your picture in the paper and wondered what you looked like
Leave a comment. I'll:
1. Respond with something random I like about you.
2. Tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. Name something we should do together.
4. Say something that only makes sense to you and me (or just me).
5. Tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. Leave you a quote that is somehow appropriate to you.
7. Ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal so you can do the same for other people. You MUST! (unless, of course, you just really don't care)
...I've seen your picture in the paper and wondered what you looked like
Sunday, March 19, 2006
V for Vendetta...and Viewing Movies
NOTE: For the abridged version of this entry, please scroll down.
Recently I have noticed something different in the way I see movies. One thing I have always known is that I have more patience and optimism for a movie than the average moviegoer. By this I mean that I have generally been willing to sit through a slow-moving film in order to see if it will be paid off in the end or not. But that’s besides the point I’m trying to make here. Lately my whole frame of mind for watching movies has changed. This all came to me as quite an epiphany as I watched V for Vendetta on Friday. As I sat there, I found myself automatically drawing up parallels between the movie before me and the great cinematic mastery of Kurosawa. As I sat there, I found myself far more interested in the cinematography and lighting of the film than almost anything else. The experience was both exciting and somewhat annoying at the same time. As I sat there, I felt like Neo in the end of The Matrix after he gets up from being shot by Agent Smith. He looks around and sees the world around him in a new and clearer way. Neo rocks.
So yeah, the difference in my viewing became most clear when it ended and we all met up outside to discuss what we thought of it. It seemed to be the general consensus that the movie was “freakin awesome!”, but all I could say was “it was pretty visual…beautifully shot.” So here’s my review of the film, if I may. It was visually stunning. You could definitely see how well it was adapted from the visual media of comic books. In terms of the plot and such, I gotta say it didn’t really do much for me. The movie gave me very conflicted feelings. In some parts, it seemed like they tried to compress a lot of information within a short time, but at the same time, the movie as a whole felt pretty empty. A lot of things were left unanswered and the characters were kinda static, now that I think about it. Also, if you’re expecting non-stop action, just know that you’ve pretty much seen it all in the previews. I think the film’s been getting a lot of attention and hype for several reasons:
ABRIDGED VERSION: V for Vendetta was alright. I see movies differently now.
If you have seen the movie, please share your views by leaving me a comment or two.
...mankind united with infinitely greater purpose in pursuit of war than he ever did in pursuit of peace
Recently I have noticed something different in the way I see movies. One thing I have always known is that I have more patience and optimism for a movie than the average moviegoer. By this I mean that I have generally been willing to sit through a slow-moving film in order to see if it will be paid off in the end or not. But that’s besides the point I’m trying to make here. Lately my whole frame of mind for watching movies has changed. This all came to me as quite an epiphany as I watched V for Vendetta on Friday. As I sat there, I found myself automatically drawing up parallels between the movie before me and the great cinematic mastery of Kurosawa. As I sat there, I found myself far more interested in the cinematography and lighting of the film than almost anything else. The experience was both exciting and somewhat annoying at the same time. As I sat there, I felt like Neo in the end of The Matrix after he gets up from being shot by Agent Smith. He looks around and sees the world around him in a new and clearer way. Neo rocks.
So yeah, the difference in my viewing became most clear when it ended and we all met up outside to discuss what we thought of it. It seemed to be the general consensus that the movie was “freakin awesome!”, but all I could say was “it was pretty visual…beautifully shot.” So here’s my review of the film, if I may. It was visually stunning. You could definitely see how well it was adapted from the visual media of comic books. In terms of the plot and such, I gotta say it didn’t really do much for me. The movie gave me very conflicted feelings. In some parts, it seemed like they tried to compress a lot of information within a short time, but at the same time, the movie as a whole felt pretty empty. A lot of things were left unanswered and the characters were kinda static, now that I think about it. Also, if you’re expecting non-stop action, just know that you’ve pretty much seen it all in the previews. I think the film’s been getting a lot of attention and hype for several reasons:
- It’s being sold as the first movie from the makers of The Matrix since The Matrix, even though all they really did was write the screenplay. They had nothing to do with the directing. You won’t hear that in the previews because everyone knows who the Wachowski Brothers are, but no one cares about first-time director James McTeigue.
- People seem to have this tendency of relating the issues in the film with current world events and calling it “controversial” for doing so. As everyone knows, anything that’s called “controversial” will sell like Oreos.
ABRIDGED VERSION: V for Vendetta was alright. I see movies differently now.
If you have seen the movie, please share your views by leaving me a comment or two.
...mankind united with infinitely greater purpose in pursuit of war than he ever did in pursuit of peace
Sunday, February 05, 2006
Picture Perfect
Before I begin this post, I’d like to discuss something that’s been brought to my attention several times. I’ve been getting some complaints about the length of my posts. Actually, quite a few complaints, so I’ve decided to try something new this time. And if it works out, I’ll stick with it. I don’t really plan out the lengths of my posts, but if it’s something I get excited about, they tend to go for quite a while. So this is what I’ll do. If I see that the entry is pretty ridiculous in length, I’ll add a brief summary of it at the end. So in the beginning of the post I’ll have a disclaimer saying something like: “For abridged version, scroll down.” and then at the end of the post i'll have an "ABRIDGED VERSION" sign or something like that. Let me know how you like it.
NOTE: For the abridged version of this entry, scroll down.
So. The topic of choice today is the often overlooked phenomenon of photography. A picture. Does anyone actually take the time to think about the genius behind it all? It boggles my mind every time I do. Let’s take a very brief and completely incomplete history of the camera. With its roots in the camera obscura: essentially a room with a hole in the wall that projected whatever was on the outside to the wall across it upside down. Then of course the camera became much more accessible. Then jump over to Eadweard Muybridge who was the first to take a series of consecutive pictures and essentially discovered what we still call motion pictures. Now it’s almost mandatory to have a camera in any electronic device and no one thinks twice about the awesome power they have in their hands. The power to take a picture. To treasure forever less than a second of our reality. A perfect reproduction of an exact moment in your life on a piece of paper. A piece of paper that immediately transports you to that instant no matter how many eons ago it took place. How? No matter how many times I read about the science behind it, I am still marveled by its workings.
As you may already know, it’s kind of impossible to talk about the impact of pictures without talking about movies. And like I mentioned above, they are in fact called the motion pictures. As in, moving pictures. As in, pictures that move. But they don’t really move. Pictures are pictures. Which brings me to yet another phenomenon. And you can’t say it’s not a phenomenon because it’s actually called the phi phenomenon. This is what makes us think that pictures move. You’ve seen it at work all the time in traffic signals when they have those lights in the shape of arrows that turn on and off in a specific order to make it look like the lights are moving. Are they actually moving? NO. But the illusion is created, and the brain is fooled. Isn’t that freakin amazing?! Or am I just completely alone in this? But that’s not even the best part. No no no no no. The best of all is the persistence of vision. That’s the real trickster in movies. A lot of people seem to not realize that when they watch a movie in the theater, they’re actually watching a series of pictures rolling in front of them in succession. These are called frames. Generally, they go by at 24 frames per second. In between each one of these frames, there is a black, empty space. So really if you think about it, every second, you look at 24 pictures, along with 24 black spaces. You may be asking why you can’t see these black spaces. Well, it’s thanks to the persistence of vision. When the brain sees one frame, it briefly holds on to it long enough so that it’s overlapped by the next frame, interpreting it as continuous and completely overlooking the black space in between. If anyone doesn’t find that amazing, leave a comment. And if you do find it amazing…also leave a comment.
ABRIDGED VERSION: Pictures are cool. Movies are cool too.
...she was like the water that freezes inside a rock and breaks it apart
NOTE: For the abridged version of this entry, scroll down.
So. The topic of choice today is the often overlooked phenomenon of photography. A picture. Does anyone actually take the time to think about the genius behind it all? It boggles my mind every time I do. Let’s take a very brief and completely incomplete history of the camera. With its roots in the camera obscura: essentially a room with a hole in the wall that projected whatever was on the outside to the wall across it upside down. Then of course the camera became much more accessible. Then jump over to Eadweard Muybridge who was the first to take a series of consecutive pictures and essentially discovered what we still call motion pictures. Now it’s almost mandatory to have a camera in any electronic device and no one thinks twice about the awesome power they have in their hands. The power to take a picture. To treasure forever less than a second of our reality. A perfect reproduction of an exact moment in your life on a piece of paper. A piece of paper that immediately transports you to that instant no matter how many eons ago it took place. How? No matter how many times I read about the science behind it, I am still marveled by its workings.
As you may already know, it’s kind of impossible to talk about the impact of pictures without talking about movies. And like I mentioned above, they are in fact called the motion pictures. As in, moving pictures. As in, pictures that move. But they don’t really move. Pictures are pictures. Which brings me to yet another phenomenon. And you can’t say it’s not a phenomenon because it’s actually called the phi phenomenon. This is what makes us think that pictures move. You’ve seen it at work all the time in traffic signals when they have those lights in the shape of arrows that turn on and off in a specific order to make it look like the lights are moving. Are they actually moving? NO. But the illusion is created, and the brain is fooled. Isn’t that freakin amazing?! Or am I just completely alone in this? But that’s not even the best part. No no no no no. The best of all is the persistence of vision. That’s the real trickster in movies. A lot of people seem to not realize that when they watch a movie in the theater, they’re actually watching a series of pictures rolling in front of them in succession. These are called frames. Generally, they go by at 24 frames per second. In between each one of these frames, there is a black, empty space. So really if you think about it, every second, you look at 24 pictures, along with 24 black spaces. You may be asking why you can’t see these black spaces. Well, it’s thanks to the persistence of vision. When the brain sees one frame, it briefly holds on to it long enough so that it’s overlapped by the next frame, interpreting it as continuous and completely overlooking the black space in between. If anyone doesn’t find that amazing, leave a comment. And if you do find it amazing…also leave a comment.
ABRIDGED VERSION: Pictures are cool. Movies are cool too.
...she was like the water that freezes inside a rock and breaks it apart
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Congratulations Mr. Jordan Streiff & Co.
So I would just like to take this opportunity to congratulate my good friend Jordan Streiff on winning the Best Comedy award for his short film A Meditation on the Speed Limit. This congratulating also extends to Amanda Hunter who worked with Jordan on this project. She is also amazing. I'm pretty sure there were other people who helped them out, but uhh...they're the only ones I know...so yeah.
But anyway, without further delay, I strongly suggest everyone go download their film. You will not be disappointed. Unless of course, you DON'T check it out. So that's all for now. Expect a more thorough update soon.
...uncommon beauty is commonly overlooked
But anyway, without further delay, I strongly suggest everyone go download their film. You will not be disappointed. Unless of course, you DON'T check it out. So that's all for now. Expect a more thorough update soon.
...uncommon beauty is commonly overlooked
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
A Request
So I realize it’s been a ridiculously long time since I’ve updated this here blog. I think it’s probably because I’ve been kept so busy during the break that I didn’t have much time to be bothered enough by anything to write about it. As such I will ask you all to wait just a bit longer for a truly real post. School is starting back up tomorrow so I’m sure I’ll plenty to write about again.
Anyway, till then I would like everyone to leave a comment telling me of a time when someone was incredibly annoying or rude to you. No names need to be given about who did what. Even if you want to leave a comment anonymously, feel free to. But please think about some time that you got really pissed at someone for something they did, no matter how miniscule it was. Even if that person was me. Just say what the situation was and all that jazz. You’d be helping me a lot by doing this. Thank you.
...all the ladies are wanting to get carnal with me because of my premium dance moves
Anyway, till then I would like everyone to leave a comment telling me of a time when someone was incredibly annoying or rude to you. No names need to be given about who did what. Even if you want to leave a comment anonymously, feel free to. But please think about some time that you got really pissed at someone for something they did, no matter how miniscule it was. Even if that person was me. Just say what the situation was and all that jazz. You’d be helping me a lot by doing this. Thank you.
...all the ladies are wanting to get carnal with me because of my premium dance moves
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