David A Price chronicles how writer/director Michael Crichton’s 1973 Westworld pathed the way for modern special effects by using “Pixelation” and developed by none-other-than John Whitney Jr. the son of John Whitney who introduced computers into the design of Vertigo. Nearly every studio film at the multiplexes this summer will have been created, at least partly, by a Read MoreRead More
Adweek traces the brief window of existance of web video from lonelygirl15 to the modern billion hit bohemeths. December 1995-January 1999 After seeing Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s short Spirit of Christmas, TV exec Brian Graden commissions a second video he distributes to friends on VHS. The video—and Graden—help Parker and Stone land a development Read MoreRead More
Documenting the daguerrotype process of Seattle-based photographer Dan Carrillo Via PetaPixelRead More
The next time you complain about this camera or that camera not having high frame rate capability, remember back to the first portable movie camera that had a 25 image magazine and a rifle stock. The design of the first Chronograph (this is how they called it) was made by French scientist Étienne-Jules Marey and debuted at Read MoreRead More
Peter Bart offers a slice of Gatsby history in the run up to Baz Luhrman’s latest retelling of the Fitzgerald tome. Luhrmann is a brilliant filmmaker and I’m eager to see his lavish 3D re-telling of the classic jazz age saga (it opens wide on May 10). I’m also curious to discover how Warner Bros’ Read MoreRead More
Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines traces the fascinating evolution and legacy of Wonder Woman. From the birth of the comic book superheroine in the 1940s to the blockbusters of today, Wonder Women! looks at how popular representations of powerful women often reflect society’s anxieties about women’s liberation. Trailer here: Watch this in full from PBS Read MoreRead More
In this documentary, the founders of Adobe Photoshop – John Knoll, Thomas Knoll, Russell Brown, and Steve Guttman – tell the story of how an amazing coincidence of circumstances, that came together at just the right time 20 years ago, spawned a cultural paradigm shift unparalleled in our lifetime.Read More
The filmmaking blogosphere is getting ready for the biggest convention for video and broadcasting tools of the year – the National Association Broadcasters convention. Here’s a look back at what NAB looked like 20 years ago:Read More
Margaret Hamilton pays a visit to Mister Roger’s Neighborhood to talk about her experience on set and how she approached playing the green Witch of the West in this rare clip which aired May 14, 1975.Read More
Imitation is the greatest form of flattery… Hollywood must be good at flattery. This is the story of Billy Ritchie who donned the bowler hat and the toothbrush moustache as Chaplin’s shadow. Billy Ritchie worked alongside Chaplin on the English Music Hall stage, performing as the drunk in the classic sketch, “Mumming Birds”, just as Chaplin Read MoreRead More
Devin Faraci comments on the early career of one of the greatest action filmmakers of the 20th century – Sam Peckinpah. What inspired Peckinpah’s signature style? Why was he so beloved by audiences and so hated by his financiers? What makes this director one to remember?Read More
Scott Smith biographies Clint Eastwood, the actor that carried the torch from Western stars like John Wayne and brought a new sense of masculinity to western and action films. The Old Western was taking a beating in the 1960s. American New Wave directors like Sam Peckinpahand Arthur Penn attempted to revisit the genre and demystify the Read MoreRead More
