John Hollinger ranks the top NBA Finals teams of all-time, and the Bulls took 1st place (96 team), 4th place (91 team), 5th (97 team), 7th (92 Bulls), 12th (98 Bulls), and 15th (93 team). Lists like these are lightning rods for debate, but it's nice to be reminded of how spoiled we were as Chicagoans (and it almost makes up for a lifetime of misery as a Cubs fan).
Technorati Tags: basketball, bestof, bulls, chicago, cubs, list, NBA, sports
The Vladmaster is a movie told through a handmade View-Master reel. Portland-based artist Vladimir photographs dioramas to recreate famous stories. The View-Master was one of my favorite childhood toys. I wish I still had my old red viewer. The View-Master Ultimate Reel List is the IMDb of View-Master reels.
The new Apple iPhone ads. The iPhone drops Jun. 29. I want one, but my last experience with AT&T (or Cingular, as it was then) was awful. Hmmm.
A still from Michel Gondry's new movie Be Kind Rewind. Jack Black stars as Jerry, who accidentally becomes magnetized, erasing all the tapes in the video store where his best friend Mike works (Mike is played by Mos Def). To retain the store's best customer, an old lady who might be going cuckoo, Jerry and Mike decide to re-enact and film every movie she chooses to rent. Where does Gondry come up with all those wonderful concepts?
Technorati Tags: Apple, film, gadgets, movies, phone, gondry, toys
I was fortunate to be watching the second half of the Cavs-Pistons game the other day, the one in which Lebron went off for 25 points in a row. I feel obligated to pay tribute.
What was unbelievable was that on some of those drives to the basket in the fourth quarter, he didn't even put a move on his guy. He simply put his head down and accelerated past his defender towards the basket (often it was Tayshaun Prince, no slouch). The help defenders were always late to get over, either because James was too quick or because they didn't have the heart to step in front of a 6'8" 240 lb freight train (on the first drive and dunk, he crossed over Jason Maxiell, and you can see the help defender Prince running for his life out of the waybecause he was already too late and was inside the circle where you can't take a charge). it reminded me of playing NBA Live, when you just take an explosive player and press turbo and run straight to the basket and press shoot close to the basket for a dunk. I think it's safe to say the NBA has never seen a physical specimen like James, someone of his size and explosiveness going to the basket.
There were times when the rest of James teammates just basically stood at the sides of the court with their hands in their shorts, eyes averted, and Detroit still couldn't stop James. The variety of ways he scored was just plain fun to watch. I liked the behind the back dribble to shake Billups at the top of the circle for a 3-pointer; it reminded me of Jordan shaking Cliff Robinson with a behind the back dribble for a jump shot in the NBA finals.
My favorite Lebron move, one I haven't seen him execute in a while, is when he drives to the basket and then suddenly spins the opposite direction in a 360 degree pirouette while maintaining his movement towards the hoop. He does that better than anyone I've ever seen.
You can rewatch video of Lebron's final 29 points of that game at NBA.com. James may not have the most likeable attitude, and he has a certain certain amount of narcissism that seems to cause him to coast at times, but when he plays with a chip on his shoulder he can take over a game like only Kobe can in today's NBA. If only we cold implant Iverson's attack-dog spirit in Lebron, he'd be unstoppable attacking the basket.
Me, I'm looking forward to Lebron James vs. Bruce Bowen in the NBA Finals. Let's start beating up on Lebron now so he'll enter that series sufficiently peeved.
Technorati Tags: basketball, nba
I've long thought that pickup basketball provided the ultimate insight into a man's soul. What can we tell about Barack Obama by his pickup ball demeanor?
On the court, Mr. Obama is confident, even a bit boastful.
“If he would hit a couple buckets, he would let you know about it,” said Alexi Giannoulias, who played in the late 1990s with Mr. Obama at the East Bank Club, a luxurious spot in downtown Chicago.
He is gentleman enough to call fouls on himself: Steven Donziger, a law school classmate, has heard Mr. Obama mutter, “my bad,” tossing the other team the ball.
But “he knew how to get in the mix when he needed to,” Mr. Giannoulias said. “There are always elbows, there’s always a little bit of jersey tucking and tugging,” he said, continuing, “Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do to win.”
“Most of the guys who played in our little circle are former players in college or pros,” said Mr. Robinson, who is still Princeton’s fourth-leading scorer of all time. “They’re real high level.”
Mr. Obama cannot match their technical prowess, say those who played regularly with him. But he is fiercely competitive, and makes up for his deficits with collaboration and strategy. “He’s very good at finding a way to win when he’s playing with people who are supposedly stronger,” Mr. Nesbitt said.
The trope for assessing your sister's potential husband is to take him out for a drink, but far better, I think, to take him to a competitive pickup basketball game and see how he reacts. I suspect the disarming quality of pickup hoops has to do with the pace of the game and the instinctive behavior of people when their competitive juices are flowing (which is why board games are often a decent proxy). Obama's wife also believed in the power to discern a man's personality on the court:
Cut to the future Mrs. Obama asking her brother to take her new boyfriend out on the court, to make sure he was not the type to hog the ball or call constant fouls.
Technorati Tags: basketball, politics, obama
I am really sick: eyes watering, nose running, throat burning. My sinuses and chest are so congested I feel like I'm breathing through one of those coffee straws. A lot of people at school seem to be sick; one professor just canceled a class tomorrow morning. It's odd to see a cold seize hold around school when the weather is 70 degrees and sunny every day.
I have not slept as much or as regularly this quarter, and this weekend was really packed. Perhaps the lack of sleep has compromised my immune system. Whatever the cause, here's a sick day worth's of content.
Saturday I spent as 1st AC (assistant cameraperson) on a classmate's shoot. Since this was a reshoot, we had the luxury of a 2nd AC, and it made life a lot easier. Last quarter we had one AC per shoot, and that's a lot of work for one person. You have to load and download film, take focus measurements, guard the camera, swap lenses, check the gate, clean filters, move the camera into position, swap the camera from sticks to dolly and back, pull focus, keep a camera log, set the T-stop on the lens, run a stopwatch on shots to calculate how much film was run and how much is left, mark and clap the slate, write camera reports, and more. It's a very technical position, but I enjoy it. The day started early, with a 5AM alarm buzzing in my ear. When I got home at the end of the day, I told myself I'd take a quick nap and then head out to meet up with a few friends. I woke up at 5AM the next morning.
Sunday was spent at a wedding in Laguna Beach. I know nothing about the city other than what I'd seen on a few episodes of that MTV show of the same name (that show was shot beautifully on Panasonic Varicams, I believe). I'm not sure the city had any say in the matter, but that show forever cemented that town's image among most of America as the place where wealthy, self-absorbed teenagers ply their Machiavellian schemes to climb the social ladder.
Monday, on a last-minute suggestion from Mark, I attended the last day of the Star Wars convention at the LA convention center (the official title of the event was Star Wars Celebration IV). I consider myself a moderate Star Wars fans (enjoyed eps IV-VI, watched eps I-III out of devotion), but next to the types of fanatics you'd imagine at a gathering like this, I felt like Paris Hilton at a Mensa meeting.
At one T-shirt booth I asked a vendor if she had a particular Boba Fett t-shirt in large.
"Which one?" she barked.
"The second one from the right, top row?" I replied, taken aback by her hostile demeanor. She looked over her shoulder and then back down at some book she was reading.
"That's Jango Fett," she muttered, and paid me no further attention. Oops.
This being the last day of the convention, the schedule was very light on Lucasfilm-generated content. Most things to see were created by vendors or fans, from droids, action figures, and models to fan films and costumes. One room featured dozens of decorated Darth Vader helmets, much like the ubiquitous cows that appeared on city sidewalks a few years back. Darth as Lady Liberty? Or the Unabomber?
At another booth, as I looked over some artwork, a boy of about 8 or 9 years old walked behind me holding a yoda lightsaber, one of the ones that lights up and makes lightsaber sounds when swung through the air. A booth clerk, in his early forties, stopped the boy.
"The yoda lightsaber?" nodded the man in approval. "Strong choice."
"It's my first one," said the boy, beaming.
"That one's very light," the man explained. "Good for people who use a one-handed fighting technique, like me." He proceeded to demonstrate with some shadow-fencing, but one of his parries smacked me in the back of my head.
"Sorry, man," he said.
"Easy there, Jedi," I said, rubbing my head.
I watched a couple of fan films in the screening room. The ones I saw were all 2005 award winners. "One Season More" is an animated short that imagines Luke Skywalker's yearning to leave Tatooine as a musical number. It has the suitable mix of love and satire that characterizes the best of fan homages. It's one portion of Star Wars The Musical. This year's winners and entries can be seen at AtomFilms.
No plans for a new Star Wars movie were unveiled, but one welcome bit of news was the announcement of a new CG series from Lucasfilm Animation: The Clone Wars. Here's a sneak peek. I really enjoyed the last animated series, Star Wars - Clone Wars, Vol. 1 and Star Wars - Clone Wars, Vol. 2. This looks to be in that style.
Tuesday morning and early afternoon I spent at Disneyland with Alan, Sharon, and my two nephews Ryan and Evan. What do Disney and Lucas have in common? Both appropriated stories and built entertainment empires. Lucas took strands of Japanese film and set them in another universe (Lucas was originally supposed to direct Apocalypse Now, and Star Wars is his version of that movie, about how a small force--the Rebels--can overcome a larger force--the Empire--through sheer force of will). Disney took Grimm's fairy tales, which were indeed grim, and gave them happier endings and an animated life.
Since the last time I visited Disneyland, over 10 years ago, the most apparent change is that the price of admission has more than doubled. But seeing it all through my nephew Ryan's eyes helped me to appreciate just how enduring a piece of culture Disney built. He was so excited he was a live wire--no nap needed on this day.
While sitting with my nephew on It's A Small World, he almost jumped out of the boat he was so pumped up. That ride doesn't look like it's been updated one bit since my parents took me on it when I was a child (I thought perhaps we'd see young children in India answering customer service phones, or Chinese kids sewing Nikes, but the ride retains its idyllic view of the world), and yet it still kills with youngsters.
Something I wondered while wandering the park: what happened to the Mickey Mouse Club? Why isn't that show still running? Look at some of the talent that came out of the sixth and seventh seasons of the most recent incarnation of the show, which ended in 1994: Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, and Ryan Gosling. That's the pop music equivalent of the 2003 NBA Draft that produced Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh, among others. The Mickey Mouse Club was so competitive that Jessica Simpson and Matt Damon failed to make the cut. I'm not sure why they ceded that space to the likes of American Idol. If Disney doesn't bring back that show, I hope they've at least retained the services of the casting director/talent scout.
------------------------------------
I miss walking the streets of NYC. Google Maps Street View allows me to revisit old favorites. Here's my old apartment.
Microsoft Surface, coming Winter 2007, is one of the early products pointing towards the gesture-manipulated touchscreen interface seen in Minority Report.
An upcoming June software upgrade will allow it you to watch YouTube videos on the AppleTV.
The 2007 Cannes Film Festival winners. From what I've heard from folks who attended, the lineup of movies was very strong this year.
Christopher Nolan is going to shoot some of The Dark Knight in IMAX format. Most features that have been projected in IMAX theatres are simply 35mm films blown up. Since they weren't framed for the IMAX theater, I find many scenes incomprehensible unless you're sitting in the back row. Audiences viewing The Dark Knight at an IMAX theater will see the movie switch aspect ratios from whatever the 35mm aspect ratio is to 1.43 to 1 when the IMAX scenes come on screen.
Based on Gallup Polls, America is willing to elect a black or a woman for president, but if you're gay or an atheist (or both, I presume) your time has not come.
Darren Aronofsky disses the DVD for his movie The Fountain. It doesn't have a commentary, but Aronofsky has said he recorded one himself and will post it online soon so you can listen to it while watching the movie.
as many of you can tell it is light on the extras as compared to my previous dvd releases.
everything at the studio was a struggle.
for instance: they didn't want to do a commentary track cause they felt that it wouldn't help sales.
i didn't have it in me to fight anymore.
whatever.
so:
niko, my friend who did the doc on the dvd came up with a novel idea.
we recorded a commentary track ourselves.
we're gonna post it on a site soon, http coming soon.
you can play it and watch the flick and hopefully you'll enjoy it.
Technorati Tags: Apple, cannes, dvd, film, filmmaking, filmschool, microsoft, movies, music, politics, disney, starwars, tech, tv, video, youtube
It took me a long time to come around to the American version of The Office. I loved the British original, as many did, and after watching the first few episodes of the American version I wrote it off as another sugar-frosted clone, like a Starbucks rendition of foreign drink. But for some reason I programmed my DVR to grab this latest season, and the other night, utterly brain dead after another marathon editing session, I turned on one episode, and then another, and then another, and before I knew it I had watched the entire season. At some point they ran out of British episodes to adapt and set off on their own path, and in doing so settled into a more confident stride. The American version is sweeter, not as uncomfortably tragicomic as the British version, but they share a comic rhythm. There's no laugh track, but punchlines are punctuated by a moment of silence and a sidelong glance into a handheld camera that sometimes pops in with a quick zoom (the laughter occurs on the other side of the TV screen, i.e., on my sofa). It's an effortless and graceful method of delivering jokes, and it stands out in contrast to the brutish contortions of American sitcoms.
If you're not extremely wealthy and can't get access to a hedge fund, don't fret. The influx in capital into hedge funds has made them, on average, a lousy investment.
Since 2000, the average hedge fund hasn’t done any better, after fees, than the market as a whole, according to research by David A. Hsieh, a finance professor at Duke.
New medical device triggers a happiness nerve in your neck with electrical pulses. I wonder what it does to people who are already happy.
Technorati Tags: finance, happiness, science, tv
Ivan Basso confessed to "attempted doping," and now Bjarne Riis admits that he used EPO during years that include his 1996 Tour de France win. Eric Zabel and Rolf Aldag, who rode for Telekom during the Riis and Ullrich Tour de France wins in the 90's, also fessed up to EPO use. So did Telekom rider Bert Dietz. And Udo Bölts, and Christian Henn. Cycling is detoxing, and it's necessary, though not pretty.
On this the weekend of the Star Wars convention here in LA, psychiatrists have diagnosed Anakin Skywalker, later Darth Vader, of having a personality disorder. It sounds so obvious as to be an Onion headline, but apparently it's not. If you read me this line, I'd swear it was satire:
The diagnosis came to [psychiatrist Eric] Bui, a Star Wars fan, as he watched the series. "I thought to myself, 'That guy is crazy.' But he's not crazy. He's borderline."
Speaking of Star Wars, there's a rumor going around that George Lucas will announce a new Star Wars movie tomorrow at the convention (Saturday).
New ride at the Kennedy Space Center simulates 17,500 mph liftoff of a Space Shuttle. Now that sounds cool.
90% of handset owners believe iPhone is better than their current phone. That's when you know your marketing and brand are strong, when your product hasn't even reached consumers and yet they're crowning it the champ.
Michel Gondry directs Natalie Portman in the video for Paul McCartney's "Dance Tonight." Maybe not as conceptually brilliant as his other videos, but he still is able to pull off his effects in camera. Here's another Michel Gondry video, for Cibo Matto's "Sugar Water," which is built around a supremely clever conceit.
Someday our kids will laugh at us for ever having been impressed with regular old HD resolution. By then they'll be watching Ultra HD, with a resolution of 7680 x 4320 (16X sharper than HDTV), shot on cameras that can capture 4000 fps.
Technorati Tags: Apple, cycling, doping, drugs, gadgets, michelgondry, movies, music, psychiatry, HD, sports, starwars, tech, theonion, video, youtube
I'm still recovering from a weekend in Vegas for Betina's wedding. Good times, though exhausting. If I ever stayed there for more than a weekend I'd surely end up like Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas. Two cruel and stone-faced blackjack dealers nearly made it a costly weekend, but I managed to fight back valiantly at a poker table and a blackjack table, finally surfacing into the black sometime around 4am on Sunday morning.
Get your order in now for the 2005 vintage of Marilyn Merlot.
A list of the world's fastest growing religions. High birthrates in countries where a religion dominates are critical for growing the religion.
SomeEcards offers e-cards for the modern, sardonic sensibility. I'll definitely be sending some of these in the near future (some are funny but borderline NSFW).
RetailMeNot collects coupons for online shopping sites. They offer a Firefox extension that notifies you when there's a coupon for the online shopping site you're visiting (there's also a Dashboard widget).
Tim Allen to star in the mixed martial arts drama Redbelt which David Mamet wrote and will direct. Huh?
Technorati Tags: desktop, film, humor, movies, coupon, religion, shopping, wallpaper, wine
David Lynch has found digital video religion.
Once you start working in that world of DV with small, lightweight equipment and automatic focus, working with film seems so cumbersome. These 35mm film cameras are starting to look like dinosaurs to me. They're huge; they weigh tons. And you've got to move them around. There are so many things that have to be done, and it's all so slow. It kills a lot of possibilities. With DV everything is lighter; you're more mobile. It's far more fluid. You can think on your feet and catch things.
Technorati Tags: cinematography, film, filmmaking, movies, DV, video
First trailer I've seen for My Blueberry Nights. You can find lots of stills from the movie if you click on the pic below and register on the forums at KFCCinema.com. I worry about the pic as it's WKW's first effort in English, and because the only time I saw Norah Jones in concert she seemed to withdraw under the gaze and attention of the crowd. But some directors you follow wherever they go.
Technorati Tags: film, movies, photo, trailer, video, wkw
Unfortunately it's restricted to ESPN Insiders, but Dan Patrick's radio interview with David Stern today about the Amare Stoudemire/Boris Diaw/Robert Horry suspensions was chilling and awe-inspiring. If Dan Patrick, Charles Barkley, Steve Kerr, and anyone else who has spoken out against the NBA suspensions turn up floating down the Hudson River, you can be sure that somewhere, David Stern is in a box watching Enrico Caruso singing an aria, an aide whispers in his ear, and a smile breaks through his tears a la Robert De Niro in The Untouchables.
Stern, clearly not happy with all the negative reaction to the ruling, employed condescension, sarcasm, exasperation, and intimidation in equal measures in bullying Patrick. Stern has always been, for better or worse, the Don Corleone of sports commissioners, both impressive and alarming in the ruthlessness of his reign.
The NBA has all but conceded that their ruling was not about doing what was right but what was "correct." As Stu Jackson, NBA EVP of basketball operations, said, "It's not a matter of fairness. It's a matter of correctness."
When you hear Stern's tone of voice to Patrick and read the Stu Jackson quotes, you can feel them digging in, the veins on their necks bulging. It's as if the more outraged commentators and fans become, the more obdurate the league becomes in its stance. They've chosen to stand firm despite losing the goodwill of fans, despite the fact that probably both the Spurs and Suns would be happy to continue that series without any suspensions, despite the fact that NBA fans would come see games even if an occasional fight broke out.
They wanted to prove a point, and now they have. Now a promising NBA playoffs have taken a back seat to the suspension story and David Stern. I think it's a terrible decision, for the same reason so many other people have (Sports Guy always does a good job speaking for the people). The NBA is an entertainment organization, this isn't a court of law, and I think a pragmatic ruling of "nothing to see, let's move on" would have maximized value for every one all around. But there's enough discussion of that. What's more fascinating to me is David Stern's personality. Someone should do an investigative bio of the man.
Thankfully, even if he can railroad Dan Patrick, he doesn't control the airwaves and Internet (though the way Hootie Johnson and Augusta control what's said during CBS's broadcast of the Masters is an example of how it can be done). I'm certain the rule will be changed this off-season, but that's little consolation to the Suns this series.
There may yet be karmic retribution for the league's stubborness. We seem to be headed towards another San Antonio/Detroit finals that no one watches.
Technorati Tags: basketball, NBA
Economist Bryan Caplan wonders whether or not he should get LASIK. As an economist, he weighs the pros and cons.
Okay, hybrid vehicles' fuel economy ratings have been downgraded to account for more typical driving conditions. I think most people, all things being equal, would swing for a hybrid because who doesn't want to help the environment. But all things are not equal yet, and people aren't willing to make the needed sacrifices. Once auto manufacturers star producing a wider selection of hybrids, in more shapes and sizes, then the hybrid movement will regain momentum. The article mentions the price premium for paying for a hybrid, but the government could neutralize that by increasing the hybrid car tax breaks to match that price premium.
About this time of year, famous people start delivering commencement speeches. It seems like the only ones people remember are the ones by funny guys (Jon Stewart, Will Ferrell, and Conan O'Brien), the fake one by Kurt Vonnegut, and the inspiring one by Steve Jobs (all linked to here in an older post). I haven't caught wind of any additions to the commencement canon this year, but here are links to two other graduation speeches, both by, yes, funny men: Conan O'Brien at Stuyvesant, and Stephen Colbert at Knox College.
Under cycling’s new testing rules, the blood of the top 600 riders will be profiled to provide a baseline to aid in evaluating future test results. A major increase in random, out-of-competition testing has begun, and riders have signed agreements to provide DNA samples in the event of doping disputes. Testing is also done daily during competition, with blood and urine samples drawn from the stage winner, overall race leader and at least one random riders.
Declining revenue is probably what it would take for players and owners in other leagues, like the NBA, MLB, or the NBA, to meet halfway on drug testing also. For all the hubaloo about fans upset with steroids and HGH and the such in baseball, owners listen to the clickety-clack of turnstiles, and they keep turning over in record numbers.
Technorati Tags: baseball, cycling, economics, environment, green, healthcare, hybrid, lasik, eye, sports, surgery
According to Stephen Cass, the internet (the digital bits that make up the 40 petabytes of information that comprise the web) weighs 0.2 millionths of an ounce, or roughly the same as the smallest grain of sand. There's poetry in that.
Technorati Tags: internet, science
My mother always told me not to give a knife as a gift because it would mean a severing of the relationship with the recipient, but adhering to that is a pain in the butt. Invariably, I find, staring back at me from some Williams-Sonoma/Crate & Barrel/etc. wedding registry, a column of unpurchased knives. Who's the selfish person who bought the all 12 napkin rings?
Technorati Tags: wedding, superstition
Mark Bittman advises readers how to assemble a well-equipped kitchen for $200 to $300 by hitting up restaurant supply houses. The low prices he quotes for many kitchen tools are impressive.
The economics of The Godfather.
The Visual Effects Society announced its list of the 50 most influential visual effects films of all time (remember, the difference between visual effects and special effects are that the latter must be done on set, e.g. blowing up a car, turning on a smoke machine). The top 10:
1. Star Wars (1977)
2. Blade Runner (1982)
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
3. The Matrix (1999)
5. Jurassic Park (1993)
6. Tron (1982)
7. King Kong (1933)
8. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
9. Alien (1979)
10. The Abyss (1989)
RIP Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Can't say it bothers me much. The show never really grabbed me.
Technorati Tags: cooking, economics, film, howto, movies, tools, tv
If Ticketmaster's fees weren't painful enough, their online captchas are out of control. The other day, I tried to buy some tickets on their site. Part of the way through their purchase pipeline, I encountered this captcha:
GHU??Y
I tried something, and it was wrong. So next I got this captcha:
I thought BEMGOAG or BEMGDAG. I'm not sure which one I tried, but it was wrong. Was I going blind? Did I need a new prescription?
One more appeared on screen:
Finally, one I could handle. I raised my arms and channeled my inner Johnny Drama, "Victory!"
Then the next screen informed me that the concert had sold out.
Ticketmaster has to be one of the least customer-friendly companies out there, but perhaps the problem is that they're not seeking to deal with human beings. I think their captchas are designed not to weed out robots but humans.
Technorati Tags: captcha, ticketmaster, web
Insound's free MP3 of the week is "The Next Untouchable" by the much-buzzed-about Cajun Dance Party.
From a conversation between Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg:
Scorsese: And even off the floor while you're directing sometime you can still be writing the script while you're shooting. Again, I want to ask you about the visuals. Steven is a picture maker and people wonder what a picture maker is. I once asked you about a shot in Empire of the Sun, and I'm going to ask you to tell the story. I think that kind of defines it. There's this extraordinary shot of the sun in the morning. A great big sun coming up and the last three kamikaze pilots are doing ritual sake and they are silhouetted against the sun.
Spielberg: Sometimes it pays to get to the set before your crew, which I try to do on almost every picture. I like to get there first. I walk around, and figure out what I'm going to do that day. I got to the set while it was still dark and then I saw, as it got lighter, where the sun was going to rise. It was going to rise on the very flat area, and I suddenly had this idea. Luckily, thank God, the camera truck had arrived and there was one assistant and he was taking boxes out of the truck. I had the driver and the assistant take an 800mm lens out and stick it up on an Arri, and we ran with five sandbags. I ran into the makeup hut and grabbed these four Japanese who spoke no English. I gave them swords and put hats over their heads, and dragged them out to the field, and basically said, "Do what we did yesterday. Do. Rehearse." I took a sake cup: "And do this [Spielberg mimicked the sake ritual] and bow." I ran back to the camera, which was about an eighth of a mile away. It was awful — this was before we had little motorcycles and golf carts — you just had to run. They were having trouble getting the magazine loaded because the guy who took the camera off the truck was not a loader, so we were both together loading the camera. I had never loaded an Arri before and you have to load it properly. By this time, the sun is five feet off the ground, and we're not going to make it in time. Finally, we closed the gate. I do an eye focus, turn on the camera, and scream as loud as I can, "DO IT LIKE YESTERDAY." It was like kismet, like magic, just where the sun needed to be. We filled the entire frame with the 800mm long lens. We were able to get that moment.
Also from the same interview:
Spielberg: Well, when I was about 15 years old, I was living in Phoenix, Arizona. My second cousin had a friend who had a friend who was the creator of Hogan's Heroes. [Through this connection, Spielberg visited the man at his office.] This guy said, "Well, do you want to be a picture maker?" and I said, "Yes," and he said, "I'm in television. You want to talk to the guy next door. That's the guy you should talk to. It's John Ford." I said, "You have John Ford next door?" He said, "Yeah, his secretary's really nice." So I went next door, and the secretary said, "Well, Mr. Ford's at lunch, but he'll be back any minute now, so why don't you have a seat and wait." So we waited and we talked, and I told her about my little 8mm movies I was making back in Phoenix, Arizona, and all of a sudden the door opens and a man in a complete safari outfit, with a patch over his eye, with a cigar between his fingers comes walking into the room. She says, "Mr. Ford will see you for a couple of minutes." So I walk into the room and he is sitting there with his big cowboy boots on his desk. It reminded me of the scene in It's a Wonderful Life when Jimmy Stewart sits across from Mr. Potter. Mr. Potter purposely has the chair across from him so Jimmy Stewart looked like one of the Little Rascals once he sat in the seat, and shrank down. I did the same thing. Ford said to me, "So you want to be a picture maker?" And I said, "Yes." "What have you done so far?" I said I was 15 years old, and I said, "I've made some films in 8mm and I go to school in Phoenix, Arizona." "Well, what do you know about picture making?" "What do you know about pictures?" "What do you know about art?" "You've got to know about art." I guess I was quiet. "Well, get up and look around the room. What do you see on the walls there?" I said, "Art." "Go to the first painting." And, by the way, these were all Western paintings, probably Russells, Remingtons, but I didn't know those names then.
Director John Ford (center) with actors Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne on the set of "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" - click image for larger view and details.
He said, "Tell me what you see?" I said, "Well, there's a cowboy sitting on a horse—" He said, "No, no, no, no, where is the horizon?" I said, "Well, the horizon is just a couple of inches above the bottom of the picture." He said, "OK. Go to the next painting, what do you see in that painting?" I said, "There's a lot of Indians on horseback—" "No, no, where's the horizon?" "Well, the horizon's at the very top of the painting?" "Go to the next painting. What do you see there?" I said, "There's no horizon at all." He said, "No, no, what objects are in the painting?" I said, "There's an Indian and a cowboy." And then, still sitting in his chair, he turns around, he said, "Look, kid, when the day comes in your life when you can tell that a shot is great when the horizon is at the very bottom of the frame with all that sky, or the horizon is at the very top of the frame with all that ground, and when you can recognize the fact when the horizon goes directly in the center of the frame, it's a lousy painting, when you recognize that, you might have a future in the picture business."
Technorati Tags: film, filmmaking, movies, scorsese, spielberg
