Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo Arriaga, Babel
Amores Perros was a massive critical success on its release, being lavished with praise from one end of the globe to the other and well worthy of it. It is a dazzling visual display from debutant director Alejandro González Iñárritu, brimming with imagination and power that is bold and brutal, but deeply involving. The movie centres on an accident in Mexico City that reverberates through the lives of three central characters in three separate story lines, tapping into raw emotions of loss and regret, so intense that it will shake you to your core. This level of impact is achieved by skilled and insightful writing from Guillermo Arriaga, magnificent performances from a talented cast, particularly Gael Garcia Bernal and by the masterful González Iñárritu, as he interweaves the disparate story lines with awe inspiring flair.
The movie went on to win 51 awards worldwide, with a further 14 nominations. These included an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001, a BAFTA win in the same category (2002) and the Cannes Critics Week Grand Prize in 2000. In addition, it provided a respectable profit for IMCINE, as it was produced for approximately $2 million and ultimately grossed an estimated $21 million worldwide.
Amores Perros gained Alejandro González Iñárritu recognition for his direction and served as the launch pad for his career. Its critical acclaim prompted an offer from BMW to join an assembly of reputable directors in making a series of short movies promoting their vehicles. González Iñárritu’s input was Powder Keg (2001), starring Clive Owen. In 2002, he was invited to direct a segment for another compilation, 11′09”01 – September 11 (2002), focusing on the aftermath of September 11th. Its subsequent success opened the doors of Hollywood to González Iñárritu, which he modestly entered. Then, in 2003, he brought in Amores Perros writer Guillermo Arriaga to pen his first US production, 21 Grams (2003).
González Iñárritu was given creative freedom over 21 Grams, a sign of the confidence the producers had in him. Also, he was able to secure the services of Hollywood heavyweights Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Benicio Del Toro. The result of this collaboration is an uncompromising study of the essence of humanity, which extracts every ounce of emotion from you. 21 Grams is a wonderful example of dynamic storytelling from Alejandro González Iñárritu, as he disregards linear time structures and challenges you to participate in the complex emotional journey of the characters, encompassing the full spectrum, from love to hate. This type of movie is very ambitious and will only succeed if the actors involved can convey the emotions of the story to the audience. In the case of 21 Grams, the three principle actors deliver searing performances that ensures González Iñárritu’s vision is vividly realised. Finally, Guillermo Arriaga once again displays his enormous talent for dramatic writing and should take some credit for González Iñárritu’s rise to prominence.
Despite its unconventional style, 21 Grams performed well at the Box Office, grossing an estimated $60 million, from a budget of around $20 million. Also, it enjoyed very favourable critical reviews, which lead to two Oscar nominations, for Del Toro and Watts, and five BAFTA nominations, including Best Original Screenplay for Arriaga.
After the success of 21 Grams, it was Alfonso Cuarón’s opportunity to woo the international audiences, when Warner Brothers invited him to direct the third Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).
Babel was Alejandro González Iñárritu’s third feature movie and by far his most ambitious. It is a sensitive exploration of the difficulties of communication in the modern world and the sense of vulnerability that can result from it. The movie consists of four separate storylines, spanning three continents, each a deeply moving expression of human frailty, arising from the political mistrust and prejudices that plague our world. Alejandro González Iñárritu handles this expansive project with authority, as he glides through his intricately constructed web of emotion with tremendous skill, manipulating the timeline to ensure all the stories are resolved in a simultaneous climax of immense power and beauty. The movie is aided to this climax by an array of inspired visual techniques that command your attention and a captivating music score that heightens the emotional impact. The final instalment of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s trilogy of human suffering is a resounding triumph and an essential experience for any movie fan.
Babel was an international phenomenon, revered by the critics and public alike. As a result, it has grossed an estimated $100.4 million to date and has received 74 nominations worldwide, including 7 Oscar nominations in most of the major categories. So far, it has won 15 awards, most notably Best Director and Best Film at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. However, there are still many awards ceremonies to come and Babel will be a worthy challenger for the honours in 2007.
Written by Allen Munro
Complete version
For the website Trapped in Mexico´s Periferico
http://www.elperiferico.com.mx
Jose Ignacio Prieto
http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/alejandro-gonzlez-irritu-and-guillermo-arriaga-babel-112373.html
SUPREME THE BEAT MAKER PT.13 – AKAI MPC 2500 – SUPREME GO’S TO CHURCH
Go grab your samplers and get ready for more action packed beat making from Wu-Tang/Sunz of Man producer Supreme!
Supreme The Beat Maker. Volume 1 offers aspiring producers the fastest route to immediately start making professional quality Hip-Hop beats and instrumentals using the Akai MPC sampler/sequencer. Known for his comedic and entertaining style, producer Supreme delivers the first installment in his long awaited series of instructional music production DVD’s.
As one of the founding members and primary producers responsible for the seminal work of Wu-Tang affiliate Sunz of Man, Supreme played a key role in the group’s identity and sound while contributing memorable tracks such as the single “No Love Without Hate”, “Natural High” and “Israeli News” on their debut release The Last Shall Be First. Being an industry insider for over 20 years, Supreme is able to tap into priceless wisdom gained from his vast experience in music production and knowledge of film direction, cinematography, and editing.
Inside you’ll find over 2 hours of exclusive, in-depth footage detailing the exact same techniques used by today’s leading professional Hip-Hop producers. Covered topics include: Sampling, sound editing, drum chopping & looping, program editing, beat composition, sequencing, song creation, and sample manipulation.
Duration : 0:9:49
Tell me some institutions in Hyderabad which teach ♥♥film direction♥♥?Only honest answers pls…..or else i
will report you!!
ramoji film institute.
hi,can anyone pl suggest best film institutes in india for Film and TV direction course in india?
i am looking for one year full time programme unlike,FTII ,film and televion institute of india,pune which is three years
hello peter,
this is antoinette from paris and my elder sisiter is married to an indian based in delhi. I have a very strong facination fro indian cinema and sinece my sister is bsed in delhi i was tinking of seriously joining film course.i was there recently to find out resonably good film school. Viste place like Asian acedemy of media arts,it is just a bogus institute having good building and big studio to show off as this person is married to sister of famous film star anil kapoor. they have pictures of anil kaporr all ove r but students are tottaly pissed.
i also tried finding places like MCRC etc but they are more to find out what you would like to do after your 2-years from this place!! i always meet students of the college and then make my opinion.as some other researcher from germany up this answer also mentioned,the one which i find quite satisfactory was this new film school
CRAFT(www.log2craft.org).they truly have vision and dedicated enough for promoting film education.i am seriously thinking of joining this place!!. do check their website
What are the best colleges that offer things like Short Film Direction?
Hi! I’m 14 and am starting to kinda think about my future and what I wanna do. I was thinking a short film director. (Commercials, music videos, that sorta thing) I’m not too familiar with colleges so I’d like to know maybe the top 10 colleges that are sorta artsy like that where I could major in directing and have a good education.
I Know I wanna be somewhere in like california or florida. I cant stand it here in wisconsin 
Berkly actually sounds perfect! Well I guess I better work my butt off to get good marks then huh.
I refuse to get an online degree!
The best film schools in the US (and in the world) are UCLA, USC and NYU. Below those three, but also very, very strong, are Florida State U, U Texas Austin, Northwestern, Syracuse, U Cal Berkeley, U Michigan Ann Arbor, and U North Carolina Chapel Hill.
All are very strong universities as well as excellent film schools. You can absolutely major in directing at these universities, although at some, you may be a film major specifically, and focus your studies on directing under that major.
what is film direction aesthetics?
Questions a little unclear. Is this the title of a class?
A film director’s aesthetics would being his/her particular concept/ design, usually referring to the cinematography and visual look of a film. Each director has there own vision of a pleasing visual scheme, pacing, and feel of the film- hence their aesthetics.
can anyone give me any ideas how to get jobs in new york? I am qualified in fitness training & film direction
First get experienced here and based on that find a sponsor/ advertisement and apply for foreign chances
How do directors shoot film sequences in movies where a car goes in the opposite direction of the traffic?
Most of the sequence seem to happen on familiar, busy and heavily trafficked highways. Do film units shut down the highway completely? Is it happening in a studio set? I wonder…
sometimes it is a closed studio set, other times they close off streets to do so. They use what is know as a boom cart and rehearse with the traffic over and over again. The cars are slowed down, but the speed of the cart makes the action seem faster.
I hope to join in pune film institute in india for direction .any idea wat wil b da questions like ?
i heard there will be entrance exam for candidates .any idea wat will be the criteria for selection ?
There is an film related education workshop event in Mumbai – http://www.jantareview.com/events.php?event_category=5&event_type=&city=Mumbai&locality=&pg=Education%2FWorkshop+Events
Anatomy of a Camcorder
Camcorders are ingenious tools that allow us to record images of the events that make up our lives or to get creative and produce unique and interesting films that previously only professional videographers could craft. For beginners, it is important to understand a little bit about the basic anatomy of a camcorder in order to be better equipped to make a selection when shopping.
Although every camcorder model is a bit different and may offer unique features there are basic components that are common to them all.
The Image Sensor:
A camcorder uses either a CCD, charge-coupled device, or CMOS, complimentary metal-oxide semiconductor, to convert light into electrical signals and record the resulting images. They basically perform the same function as film in a traditional camera or camcorder.
A CCD consumes much more power than a CMOS chip but tends to produce a higher quality image. Images produced via a camcorder with CMOS tend to have more “noise” due to lower resolution and less light sensitivity. As with most technologies however, CMOS as the newer development is gradually gaining ground. The primary advantage of CMOS at this time is it’s affordability versus the more expensive CCD sensors.
The Lens:
The lens of a camcorder provides the opening for light to pass through onto the CCD/CMOS and focuses it so that the image is sharp. By adjusting the lens users can alter what items within a scene are in focus as well as how much light is entering to control the look and quality of the resulting images. Lens controllers are sometimes purchased to allow a user to adjust the lens from the handle of the tripod.
Add on lenses and filters can be used. For instance a telephoto lens allows subjects at a distance to be magnified, a wide angle lens broadens the horizontal field, and a fisheye lens allows for an extreme wide-angle view. Common filters include polarizing filters to reduce glare and UV filters to protect the lens from harmful rays.
An important feature with camcorder lenses is optical zoom which allows the lens to magnify images; a function that allows users to obtain better pictures of subjects at a distance. Optical image stabilizers help to detect and reduce unwanted movement of the camcorder to produce a smoother, more stable film. Digital versions of zoom and stabilization are available on camcorders but do tend to produce a somewhat lower quality image. Digital stabilization however is sometimes preferred by some consumers as camcorders with optical stabilization are often larger.
The Microphone:
The average camcorder has a built-in multi-directional microphone. These microphones tend to pick up audio from any direction; from behind, in front of, and at the sides of the camcorder. Thus many home movies end up difficult to hear due to undesired “background noise”.
A camcorder also often has a microphone jack. If the camcorder has such a jack, purchasing an external microphone to attach to it can greatly improve the audio captured. External microphones can be moved closer to the sound source in some instances and in others they can focus on the sound that is desired versus any background noise. Wireless microphones and lapel microphones are useful when recording individual speakers. Shotgun microphones pick up sound from in front of the microphone at a distance while cardioid microphones pick up sound from in front which is nearby. Each option helps to reduce the intrusion of unwanted sound that distorts the audio desired.
The View Finder and LCD Panels:
The viewfinder on a camcorder allows users to see what they are filming. They can be black and white or color. Size varies as does resolution. Some users select a larger viewfinder with higher resolution to aid their visibility but others simply use the LCD screen for this purpose. LCD screen sizes vary as well, and are selected based on personal preference. Viewfinders can often provide greater visibility when filming in sunlight while use of an LCD screen that swivels allows greater visibility if filming overhead.
Inputs and Outputs:
A camcorder will have AV sockets and ports to allow connectivity to other devices such as a television or computer. These sockets allow film to be downloaded, played back, or copied. To allow the camcorder to hook up with a TV or other device it is important that the inputs and outputs coincide. These may be composite video or S-video for analog signals or DVI/HDMI for digital signals.
Most camcorders will hook up with a PC via a USB 2 or FireWire port which allows much faster transfer than a USB 1.1 port. Again, the camcorder must be compatible with the computer to allow hook up.
Although the construction of a camcorder can be much more complex and there is variability in features from device to device, if beginners understand these basic parts they will be well on their way to being able to make a knowledgeable selection when shopping.
Christine Peppler
http://www.articlesbase.com/electronics-articles/anatomy-of-a-camcorder-127228.html