Monday, November 18, 2013

Amélie

AMELIE IS A ROMANTIC COMEDY ABOUT SHY WAITRESS, WHO FINALLY DECIDES TO CHANGE HER LIFE. AMELIE GREW UP LONELY AND ALONE. THE DEATH OF PRINCESS DIANA CHANGES HER LIFE COMPLETELY. WHILE WATCHING TV SHE DROPPED A BOTTLE CAP  ON THE FLOOR WHICH MADE JARS LOOSE A STONE IN A WALL OF HER FLAT, WHICH LEADS HER TO DISCOVER AN OLD DUSTY BOX IN WHICH A LONG TIME AGO LITTLE BOY HIDED HIS TREASURES. AND BY FINDING AND RETURNING THAT BOX TO ITS OWNER, AMELIE DECIDES TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY, WHILE SHE STRUGGLES WITH HER OWN LIFE. THEN SHE MEETS NINO, HE IS A MAN WHO WORKS IN A PORN SHOP AND CARES ONLY FOR HIS HOBBY, WHICH IS COLLECTING THE PHOTOGRAPHS PEOPLE DON'T WANT FROM THOSE AUTOMATED PHOTO BOOTHS AND HE TURNS THEM INTO COLLAGES. SOME OF THOSE IMAGES HE COLLECTS ARE FUNNY WITH WEIRD AND FAILED FACE EXPRESSIONS. SHE LIKES NINO SO MUCH THAT WHEN SHE SEES HIM IN HER CAFE SHE DISSOLVES. SHE REALLY WANTS THIS MAN BUT SHE DOES NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT IN A STRAIGHT FORWARD WAY. SHE WANTS TO KEEP HIM IN UNCERTAINTY UNTIL THE LAST BIT OF THE MOVIE. THIS MOVIE IS ONE OF THE MOST ROMANTIC MOVIES I EVER SEEN. MY FAVORITE ACTION IN THE FILM IS WHEN AMELIE WANT'S TO GIVE NINO HIS PHOTO ALBUM HE LOST. IT'S VERY INTRIGUING HOW  SHE PLAYS GAMES WITH HIM. HE DOES EVERYTHING SHE TELLS HIM TO DO, SHE GIVES NINO DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO GET HIS PHOTO ALBUM BACK. IT IS SURPRISING HOW HE TRUSTS HER WITH EVERYTHING SHE TELLS HIM TO DO, I THINK THAT HE WANT'S THIS ALBUM BACK SO BADLY THAT HE DOESN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THE RISKS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN TO HIM. HE DOESN'T KNOW WHO KEEPS GIVING HIM THOSE HINTS, IT MIGHT OF BEEN SOME WEIRDO BUT HE DOESN'T CARE AS HE WANT'S HIS ALBUM BACK AND HE LIKES THOSE 'GAMES' SHE PLAYS WITH HIM. 


THIS CHAPTER IS ALSO MY FAVORITE, AS IT'S THE ENDING SCENE. IT SHOWS HOW THE MAIN CHARACTERS LIFE'S HAVE PROGRESSED THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE FILM, OBVIOUSLY IN A GOOD WAY. AMELIE FINALLY FOUND HER LOVE SHE WAS ALWAYS DREAMING OF. IN MY OPINION THIS FILM SHOWS THAT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WAIT FOR SOMETHING GOOD TO HAPPEN IN YOUR LIFE, BUT OTHER TIMES YOU HAVE TO MOVE YOUR ASS AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR LIFE IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY ABOUT HOW YOUR PRESENT LIFE LOOKS LIKE. WHAT HAS HAPPEN IN AMELIE'S LIFE IT'S ONLY HER OWN INITIATIVE, IF SHE WOULDN'T DO WHAT SHE DID, MAN OF HER LIFE WOULDN'T BE LYING NEXT TO HER IN BED. 

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

David 'Stickman' Higgiins

"WHEN I DRUM I WRITE, WHEN I WRITE I DRUM" 

DAVID IS AN ARTIST FROM A AFRICAN/BRITISH/CARIBBEAN CULTURE WHO WAS BORN IN LANCASHIRE. HE HAVE INVESTED YEARS RESEARCHING AND DEVELOPING THE HIDDEN VOICES OF HIS IDENTITY. HE IS A WORLD CLASS DRUMMER, POET, ACTOR, EDUCATOR AND CONCEPTUAL ARTIST. IN THE LECTURE HE SHOWED US THAT OBJECTS HE'S GOT AND HAVE BEEN COLLECTING FOR YEARS HAVE BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT TO HIM AND ALL OF THEM HAVE SOME SORT OF STORY BEHIND THEM. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT DAVID IS THAT HE HAS A LOT OF ENERGY AND DISPLAYS ALL HIS WORK IN VERY CREATIVE WAY. HE KEPT US AWAKE ALL THE WAY TROUGH THE LECTURE, HE MADE US THINK ABOUT STUFF. ALSO WHEN HE ASKED US TO THINK ABOUT A SMELL FROM OUR CHILDHOOD, THE SMELL THAT ALWAYS HAVE AND ALWAYS WILL REMIND US ABOUT OUR CHILDHOOD. FOR ME THE SMELL WOULD BE A SMELL OF RAIN. AS I WAS LITTLE I ALWAYS LOVED LO BE OUT IN RAIN WITH FRIENDS IN SUMMER TIME WHEN IT WAS HOT OUTSIDE. AND WE USED TO JUMP INTO THE PUDDLES WITHOUT ANY INHIBITIONS. HE LIKES TO PLAY WITH OBJECTS AND PUT THEM TOGETHER TO MAKE ARTWORK OR ANOTHER OBJECTS. HE BROUGHT A LOT OF OBJECTS, MEMORIES AND WORDS TO THE LECTURE WHICH MADE US ALL INTERESTED IN WHAT IS THAT OBJECT WHERE IT'S FROM AND STUFF LIKE THAT. HE IS A VERY IMAGINATIVE POET BECAUSE HE SHAPES WORDS IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND THE HE MAKES POEMS WHICH ARE INTRIGUING AND WORTH TO LISTENING TO THEM. THEY WOULD NOT SOUND THE SAME IF I READ IT MY SELF, THEY ONLY SOUND PERFECT WHEN HE READS THEM. DAVID HAVE DONE A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS WITH YOUNG PEOPLE EXPLORING AND QUESTIONING ASPECTS OF IDENTITY. 

"CULTURE IS A PRODUCT OF PEOPLE'S HISTORY. BUT ALSO REFLECTS THAT HISTORY AND EMBODIES A WHOLE SET OF VALUES BY WHICH PEOPLE VIEW THEMSELVES AND THEIR PLACE IN TIME SPACE"
- NGUGI WA THIONGE 1981

DAVID'S POEMS, AND THINGS HE SAYS MAKE'S US QUESTION, CHALLENGE, EXPLAIN WHAT DO WE SMELL, TASTE, HEAR, TOUCH AND RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENCE, SIMILARITIES, THE EXTREME NOTIONS OF TIME AND SPACE. WHERE DO WE BELONG? WHERE DO WE COME FROM? WE ALL HAVE ROOTS AND CULTURE. HE SHOWS US THAT ALL PEOPLE/OBJECTS/EVERYTHING THAT LIVES IS IMPORTANT. 

"ALL LANGUAGE IS SPOKEN RHYTHMS."

I WENT ON HIS WEBSITE TO RESEARCH SOME OF HIS WORK AND I'VE READ SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HIM AND THERE WAS ONE THING HE SAID WHICH HAVE VERY CAUGHT MY EYE, "I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OF ALL AGES, ABILITIES AND BACKGROUNDS, FACILITIES AND DIRECTING THEIR EXPRESSIVE ART ACTIVITIES. SHARING AND ENCOURAGING THE BEST IN EVERYONE THROUGH THE VARIOUS CREATIVE PROCESSES THAT I EMPLOY" - THIS SHOWS HOW MUCH HE CARES ABOUT PEOPLE AND IT IS VERY INSPIRING HOW ONE PERSON CAN DO SO MUCH FOR ALL THESE PEOPLE. HE IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT HE DOES AND ALL HIS PROJECTS. 

Monday, November 11, 2013

John Rankin Waddell - "The Seven Photohraphs That Changed Fashion"

FIRSTLY I WILL SAY SOME FACTS ABOUT RANKIN, THEN I AM GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE DOCUMENTARY THAT'S FEATURED IN MY POST TITLE. JOHN RANKIN WADDELL IS ALSO KNOWN UNDER HIS WORKING NAME RANKIN. HE IS AND ENGLISH PORTRAIT AND FASHION PHOTOGRAPHER. RANKIN MADE HIS NAME IN PUBLISHING MONTHLY MAGAZINE DAZED & CONFUSED WITH JEFFERSON HACK WHO IS JOURNALIST AND MAGAZINE EDITOR, AND THIS HAPPENED IN 1992. HE HAS PUBLISHED OVER 30 BOOKS, HE IS REGULARLY EXHIBITED IN GALLERIES AROUND THE WORLD. IN LAST FEW YEARS HE HAS BEEN PRESENTING HIS PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIES THROUGH TV WORKING WITH BBC AND HAS FEATURED IN NUMBERS OF DOCUMENTARIES INCLUDING; 'THE SEVEN PHOTOGRAPHS THAT CHANGED FASHION'. RANKIN HAS BEEN INTO PHOTOGRAPHY FOR OVER 20 YEARS. IN THIS DOCUMENTARY RANKIN RE-CREATES SEVEN OF HIS FAVORITE IMAGES AND HE TAKES A JOURNEY THROUGH A HISTORY OF THE FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY. HE RE-CREATES IMAGES BY CECIL BEATON, ERWIN BLUMENFELD, RICHARD AVEDON, HELMUT NEWTON, HERB RITTS, DAVID BAILEY AND GUY BOURDIN. RANKIN EXPOSES THE WAYS IN WHICH FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY USES FANTASY AND BEAUTY TO COMMUNICATE SOMETHING ABUT REALITY. THERE ARE 8 MODELS THAT WILL HELP RANKIN RE-CREATE THESE IMAGES INCLUDING HEIDI KLUM, ERIN O'CONNOR, JADE PARFITT, SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR, TUULI SHIPSTER, MOLLIE GONDHI, DAPHNE GUINNESS AND DAVID GANDY. THERE ARE ALSO TWO PHOTOGRAPHERS THAT WILL HELP HIM ASWELL AND THEY ARE; DAVID BAILEY AND LILIAN BASSMAN.

"WHITE PANAMA HAT" - VOGUE 1934 
PHOTOGRAPHER: CECIL BEATON.
THIS AN ICONIC IMAGE THAT CECIL HAS TAKEN FOR VOGUE TO SHOW A NEW HAT DESIGN, BUT CECIL HAS BROUGHT TO IT ELEGANCE AND PLAYFULNESS. THE CREATIVITY OF THIS IMAGE IS AMAZING. THE FRAMING IS PERFECT AS IT SHOWS A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND AND HER FACE MAKE YOU WANT TO LOOK AT HER NOT ON THE HAT OR A BORING BACKGROUND AND IN MY OPINION THIS IS WHAT MAKES THE PHOTOGRAPH GOOD BECAUSE YOU NOT ONLY SEE THE HAT AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE IMAGE BUT ALSO A MODEL WHO FITS PERFECTLY WITH THIS ALL. 







THIS IS THE RE-CREATION BY RANKIN. TO MAKE THIS PHOTOGRAPH, HE USED SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR AS HIS MODEL BECAUSE HE THINKS THAT SHE FITS PERFECTLY IN 30'S. RANKIN WAS TAKING THIS PHOTOGRAPH ON BLACK AND WHITE 10x8 FILM CAMERA BUT ALSO HE TRIED TO TAKE IT DIGITALLY, AND AS HE EXPLAINS SOPHIE HAD DEFINITELY AN ENIGMATIC LOOK ON THE FILM IMAGE THAT'S NOT THERE ON HIS DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPH. THE ONE THAT I POSTED HERE IS DIGITAL AS I COULD NOT FIND THE ONE THAT HE TOOK ON FILM CAMERA. 










IMAGE ON THE LEFT WAS TAKEN BY ERWIN BLUMENFELD IN 1950. IT WAS A VOGUE COVER. ERWIN FOCUSED MOST ON EYES AND LIPS. THE MOST INCREDIBLE THING ABOUT HIS IMAGE IS THAT IT WAS TAKEN IN BLACK AND WHITE, SO TO MAKE IT COLOR ONE HE HAD TO PAINT IT. THE PHOTOGRAPH ON RIGHT IS TAKEN BY RANKIN IN 2008 AND HE USED HEIDI KLUM AS A MODEL. HE HAS USED 21st CENTURY TECHNIQUES TO EDIT THAT PHOTOGRAPH. RANKIN THINKS THAT BLUMENFELD CREATED AN IMAGE THAT SUMS UP ELEGANCE AND BEAUTY. WHEN YOU LOOK AT ERWINS PHOTOGRAPH YOU THINK IT SHOULD NOT MAKE SEANCE BUT YOU DON'T EVEN QUESTION THINGS LIKE 'WHY CAN'T WE SEE HER CHEEK BONE?' OR 'WHERE IS HER NOSE?' BECAUSE THE PHOTOGRAPH WORKS PERFECTLY. 


IMAGE ON THE LEFT IS TAKEN BY RICHARD AVEDON "DOVIMA WITH ELEPHANTS" - HARPERS BAZAAR 1955. THIS IMAGE IS AVEDON'S MASTERPIECE. RANKING THINKS THAT THE COMPOSITION OF RICHARD'S IMAGE IS ALMOST PERFECT BUY IT'S THE DRAMA THAT MAKES IT SO SPECIAL. RANKIN HAS NEVER BEEN WORKING WITH ELEPHANTS BEFORE SO THE SCALE OF THE SHOOT WAS MAKING HIM A BIT NERVOUS. FOR THIS SHOOT RANKIN WANTED A MODEL WITH A TOUCH OF DOVIMA SO HE HAS CHOSEN ERIN O'CONNOR WHICH IS BRITISH CATWALK LEGEND. TO RE-CREATE THIS IMAGE IT WAS A GREAT CHALLENGE FOR RANKIN AND HE WAS VERY PLEASED WITH IT. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS IMAGE IS THAT RANKIN DIDN'T REALLY COPY THE IMAGE BUT HE MADE HIS OWN VERSION OF IT AND IT LOOKS VERY ELEGANT. 






















THE IMAGE ON THE LEFT WAS TAKEN BY DAVID BAILEY FOR VOGUE IN 1963. THE MODEL FOR THIS PHOTOGRAPH WAS JEAN SHRIMPTON. ROF RANKIN DAVID WAS ONE OF HIS IDOLS THAT HAVE CREATED MOST ICONIC IMAGES. FOR RE-CREATION OF THIS IMAGE RANKIN INVITED BAILEY FOR HELPING AND WATCHING HIM. RANKIN'S GOING TO USE HIS GIRLFRIEND AS A MODEL. HER NAME IS TUULI SHIPSTER RANKIN THINKS THAT YOU CAN FEEL THE INTIMACY BETWEEN DAVID AND HIS MODEL. THE IMAGE IS A BIT IN STYLE OF AVEDON BUT IT'S MORE MODERN AND BAILEY SORT OF STYLE. THEY BOTH DID NOT USE W WIND MACHINE FOR THOSE IMAGES BECAUSE BAILEY THOUGHT IT WOULD BLOW HER HAIR MORE THAT IT SHOULD SO THEY USED WHITE CARD. RANKIN HAS SHOT HIS PHOTOGRAPH ON ROLLEI JUST LIEK DAVID BAILEY DID IN 60'S.  



THE PHOTOGRAPH ON THE LEFT IS TAKEN BY HELMUT NEWTON 'RUE AUBRIOT' FOR VOGUE IN 1975. HELMUT MOVED FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY FORWARD. RANKIN THINKS THAT THIS IMAGE HAS THE DODGIEST FEEL EVER . NEWTON HAS SHOT THIS IMAGE IN PARIS AND RANKIN WANTS TO DO THE SAME THING. NEWTON MODEL WAS NAMED VIBEKE KNUDSEN, IN HER OPINION ON THIS IMAGE IT WAS SOMETHING IN THE ATMOSPHERE, THERE WAS ONLY FEW PEOPLE ON THE STREET AND IT FELT LIKE THE TIME HAS STOPPED FOR A MOMENT, THERE WAS A MAGIC. JADE PARFITT WAS A PERFECT MODEL FOR RANKIN AS SHE FITTED PERFECTLY INTO THE SAME LOOK THAT VIBEKE GAVE NEWTON IN 70'S. THE IMAGE IS NEARLY THE SAME BUT STILL DIFFERENT. YOU CAN FEEL THE ATMOSPHERE ON BOTH IMAGES SO I THINK RANKIN MADE A FANTASTIC RE-CREATION BUT WITH MODER LOOK.


IMAGE AT THE TOP WAS TAKEN BY GUY BOURDIN IN 1970 FOR VOGUE. IT LOOKS LIKE AN SIMPLE IMAGE BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT IS PERFECTLY BROUGHT OUT. RANKIN RE-CREATED THAT IMAGE USING DAPHNE GUINNES. SHE IS A MODEL AND FASHION DESIGNER, SHE LOOKS SO DIFFERENT TO GUY'S MODEL BUT SHE IS PERFECT BECAUSE HE WANTED TO CREATE MODERN VERSION OF IT WITH A STRONGER LOOK IN HIS MODEL EYES. GUY'S ASSISTANT THINKS THAT THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING IT THE SAME IS MUCH BIGGER. AS HIS ASSISTANCE SAID GUY ALWAYS USE TO SAY THAT THERE WILL BE ELECTRONIC PICTURES AND IT ALL WILL BE EASIER AND RANKIN ACTUALLY MADE IT. ALSO TO GET SOME IMAGES ALL PERFECT YOU HAVE TO GET TRYING AND TRYING. GUY WAS BASICALLY CONTROLLING EVERYTHING THAT WAS HAPPENING ON IMAGES. 
THE PHOTOGRAPH ON THE LEFT WAS TAKEN BY HERB RITTS IN 1984 FOR PER LUI. THE IMAGE TITLE WAS 'FRED WITH TYRES'. IN THE 80'S IT WAS A GUYS TURN TO BE REINVENTED. HERB'S PHOTOGRAPHS WERE REALLY STRONG, CONTRAST, YOU COULD REALLY SEE THE SHADOW, LIGHT IN FANTASTIC WAY.  HE WANTED TO MAKE BEAUTIFUL IMAGES AND BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE. THIS ONE IMAGE CAME FROM SERIES OF IMAGES ORIGINALLY DESIGNED AS A SIMPLE FEATURE ABOUT WORKERS IN DENIM. FRED WITH TYRES WAS ORIGINALLY SHOT IN LA BUT RANKIN WILL TAKE HIS HOMAGE IN LONDON. DAVID GANDY WILL BE A MODEL FOR RANKIN. HE IS ONE OF THE FAMOUS MALE MODELS IN FASHION. HE IS A FACE OF DOLCE AND GABBANA. TO GET AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO ORIGINAL IMAGE RANKIN WILL SHOOT ON THE SAME CAMERA RITTS SHOT HIS IMAGE. IT WAS A FILM CAMERA. RANKIN WAS ALSO TAKING THIS IMAGE ON POLAROID AND BODY OF THE MODEL LOOKED GREAT ON POLAROID IMAGE. RANKIN THINKS THAT THEY ARE NOT EXACTLY THE SAME IMAGES BUT IT IS A VERY GOOD BRITISH VERSION OF WHAT RITTS WAS TRYING TO ACHIVE. 

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Rear Window

THIS MOVIE IS ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER NAMED L.B.JEFFRIES WHO IS TRAPPED ON A WHEELCHAIR BECAUSE OF HIS BROKEN LEG. HE NEVER LEAVES HIS APARTMENT AND HAS ONLY TWO PEOPLE COMING TO HIM REGULARLY, ONE OF THEM IS A NURSE THAT LOOKED AFTER HIM, NAMED STELLA. THE OTHER ONE IS HIS FIANCE, LISA. SHE IS AN ELEGANT MODEL AND DRESS DESIGNER. THROUGH HIS APARTMENT WINDOW YOU CAN SEE MANY OTHER WINDOWS, AND AS HE HAS NOTHING TO DO BECAUSE HE CAN'T GET OUT OF HIS HOUSE HE BEGINS TO WATCH HIS NEIGHBORS  EVERYDAY LIFE AND STARTS TO KNOW THEIR EVERYDAY ROUTINE. THROUGHOUT WATCHING THEM EVERY DAY HE GETS TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE LIKE AND WHAT THEY DO EACH HOUR OF THE DAY. THERE WAS A MAN NAMED THORVALD, A MAN WITH A WIFE. ONE DAY JEFF (THAT'S HOW HIS FIANCE CALLS HIM) NOTES THAT HE HAS NOT SEEN THIS MAN'S WIFE FOR A LONG TIME AND BY PUTTING SOME FACTS TOGETHER, HE BEGINS TO THINK THAT A MURDER HAS TAKEN PLACE. WITH EACH MINUTE EVERYONE THAT HAVE SEEN THIS MOVE BEGIN TO BE MORE AND MORE INTO IT AND I ACTUALLY STARTED TO UNDERSTAND HIS POINT OF VIEW. AFTER INVESTIGATING ON HIS OWN, HE INVOLVES HIS FRIEND DETECTIVE TO START AND TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO THORVALD'S WIFE. AT THE END WHEN ALL OF HIS SUSPICIONS CAME TRUE IT MADE ME THINK THAT ALL OF US SHOULD KNOW WHO WE LIVE BY AND WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE REALLY LIKE BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN. IN MY OPINION IN THIS MOVIE JEFF DOESN'T ACT LIKE POLICEMAN OR INVESTIGATOR, BUT HE IS A MAN WHO LIKES TO LOOK DEEP AND WITH MORE INTEREST ON STUFF WE SEE EVERYDAY WHICH IS NORMAL FOR SOMEONE THAT IS CREATIVE AND HAS WIDER IMAGINATION THAN ANY OTHER NORMAL LIVING PERSON. BUT DON'T WE ALL LIKE TO SPY ON OTHER PEOPLE?


I HAVE PICKED THIS SCENE AS IT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITES BECAUSE THIS IS WHEN JEFF TAKES CLOSER LOOK AT HIS NEIGHBOR THAT APPARENTLY KILLS HIS WIFE AND THIS IS WHERE HE BEGINS TO PUT ALL THE FACTS TOGETHER AND THE ACTIONS BEGIN TO BE MORE INTERESTING AFTER THIS SCENE. THE MOVIE GET'S MORE EXCITED AFTER THIS AS HE INVOLVES MORE PEOPLE IN THIS. ALSO MY FAVORITE SCENE IS WHEN HIS NEIGHBOR COMES TO JEFF'S APARTMENT WHEN NO ONE IS IN HIS HOUSE AND STARTS TO ASK JEFF WHAT HE WANTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT BECAUSE HE KNOWS THAT JEFF HAS DISCOVERED THE TRUTH, END AT THE EN OF THE MOVIE JEFF HAS TO LEGS IN CAST INSTEAD OF ONE WHICH IS FUNNY BECAUSE HE LET THIS HAPPEN HIMSELF.