Playing with Shadows in SwiftUIabduzeedo08.28.20
This was the most recent SwiftUI experiment. Nothing fancy just trying to understand how to work with shadows. I’ve done similar effects using CSS if you remember here on the blog. But as I am learning this new language, I thought it would be fun to try to design a poster like image using typography and shadows. It was also useful to learn how things animate using states.
As usual you can download the code on GitHub
Source: Abduzeedo Tutorials
3D Rooms Project by Amrit Pal SinghAoiroStudio08.27.20
A good pal Amrit Pal Singh have shared with us his new project titled: ‘3D Rooms Project’ which is basically a series of how iconic rooms would be represented during the pandemic. It’s always rewarding and inspiring seeing what artists, designers, and entrepreneurs are putting together during these times. These playful and colorful 3D illustrations are inspired by arts, literature, and cinema. Fitted to Amrit’s beautiful style, you will surely recognize some of these and they are available as free zoom backgrounds. What a great initiative!
Series of iconic rooms illustrated in quarantine. These 3D illustrations are inspired by Arts, Literature, and Cinema. Available as free zoom backgrounds.
Source: Abduzeedo Illustration
Aesthetic, Imaginative Moments & PlacesAoiroStudio08.24.20
Dave Ordnajela is an Art Director & Illustrator based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. He shared an aesthetic series filled with imaginative scenes, concluded with a beautiful typography treatment titled: ‘Moments & Places’. I am not sure if it’s because of the pandemic but it’s a personal experiment for Dave to create after a need of taking pictures. So Dave would imagine these ‘Moments & Places’ where there would be a soundtrack to complete the piece. This series is really well crafted, it would totally remind you of ‘movie titles’ for example. I just appreciate the entire composition and the music is a nice touch. I think we all lived a moment at being to a place and somehow it’s fitted to a soundtrack in particular. Have you ever had that feeling?
Source: Abduzeedo Illustration
Colorful 3D Illustrations for Tokyo Design Academy SchoolAoiroStudio08.24.20
Ryogo Toyoda is a 3D illustrator based in Tokyo, Japan, he shared a colorful series of 3D illustrations he worked for the ‘Tokyo Design Academy School’. These illustrations that would be used for the school guide purposes and Ryogo wanted to showcase ‘how designers contribute to the society after graduation’. As you take a closer look at these playful illustrations, you can see the contribution of designers on public transportation, entertainment, retail businesses, restaurants, and more. It’s really great! Ryogo also shared some BTS on the ‘character design’ of some of these scenes, kind of reminds me of ‘Playmobil’ somehow. Props!
Source: Abduzeedo Illustration
It’s Sunday, time for a Top 10 report — only, there’s no way to provide a credible chart. For one thing, much of the list would be library titles that often don’t report grosses until later. For another, Warner Bros.’ much-promoted 10th anniversary re-release of Christopher Nolan’s “Inception” — a significant player with IMAX and 70mm dates — is absent. Warners went so far as to not only not report an estimate, but also to block grosses reported by theaters.
Warners says it’s not reporting because “Inception” is a library title, but the studio is allowing other library titles to show Comscore results (this week led by Warners’ 1985 “The Goonies,” which generated around $200,000 for two days).
“Unhinged,” the first release from Solstice Studios, reported an estimate of over $4 million in 1,823 theaters. That would be a per-theater average of around $2,200. Those figures come with fewer than half of the first-run theaters open in North America, and only drive-ins in New York and Los Angeles.
My best guess: Under normal circumstances, “Unhinged” might have grossed $15 million. Figure that the lack of multiple theaters cost it at least half of its gross. Audience resistance might have cost it 50 percent more (an estimate based on Canada’s response to “Unhinged” last week). All told, that would suggest that theatrical grosses face a COVID tax of around 75 percent. (No guesses as to the X factor of how it might have played under normally competitive circumstances.)
Solstice was gutsy in its “Unhinged” release. International play has $8 million so far; the distributor projects a potential $30 million domestic total, which would be terrific. The uptick of seven percent on Saturday is a positive sign for a new action film, and international dates have shown strong holds. (The Metacritic rating was 41).
In 2019, this weekend totaled $109 million. This weekend (again, no “Inception” numbers) looks to come in under $20 million. That would make it by far the biggest total since mid-March. It’s also not bad: This weekend last year, the gross for debut films came to $40 million.
Roadside Attractions/Jacob Yakob
Other titles didn’t fare as well, though none had remotely the extensive pre-sell of “Unhinged.” Roadside Attractions’ young-adult drama “Words on Bathroom Walls” grossed only $462,000 in 925 theaters, with a PTA of $500. The LD Entertainment production received an excellent A Cinemascore. Like “Unhinged,” it could have a lengthy stay in theaters if it rebounds.
The #2 title overall is “SpongeBob: Sponge on the Run” (Paramount). In its second weekend in Canada, in 326 theaters, it grossed $C550,000 for a total of $C2 million in 10 days. With some additional theaters, that’s a drop of 36 percent from last weekend. In the U.S., this will debut in home viewing play next year.
WellGo USA released two titles in more limited runs, although possibly more than normal (and playing many theaters that normally might have not been considered). “Peninsula,” the sequel to the Korean zombie thriller “Train to Busan,” grossed $225,000 in 156 theaters, for a PTA of $1,442. “Busan” opened to $284,000 in 2016 in 27 theaters, which included heavy representation in Korean-American communities.
Director RZA’s well-reviewed New Orleans crime caper “Cut Throat City” took in $265,000 in 407 theaters (PTA $651), again badly hurt by lack of access to many prime theaters.
These new U.S. releases are all following traditional windows. All could have chosen VOD options. Rather than second guess their choices, better to credit them for helping exhibition. Reopening theaters, particularly with new safety procedures, doesn’t happen easily. Having viable films in advance of “Tenet” was critical and these companies stepped up.
Perhaps the most encouraging news since theaters started reopening comes from China. All-IMAX shot local epic “The Eight Hundred” grossed $119 million through its opening weekend. That comes with maximum 50 percent capacity, and not all theaters are open.
“Tesla”
IFC Films
“Tesla” (IFC) did play some theaters, but it scored a strong initial success on VOD platforms; it currently holds #2 spot at AppleTV.
These are the other films reporting grosses:
The Tax Collector (RJLE) – $121,800 in 121 theaters; PTA: $1,007/Cumulative: $813,336 (also VOD)
The Rental (IFC) – $108,000 in 105 theaters; PTA: $1,029/Cumulative: $1,525,000 (also VOD)
Tesla (IFC) – $42,000 in 108 theaters; PTA: $389/Cumulative: $42,000 (also VOD)
The Burnt Orange Heresy (Sony Pictures Classics); $28,521 in 139 theaters ; PTA: $205/Cumulative: $129,207
The Silencing (Saban) – $18,128 in 58 theaters; PTA: $313/Cumulative: $88,360 (also VOD)
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Source: IndieWire film
Online software platform ScriptHop has introduced an online tool for Hollywood to allow writers to share their screenplays more securely and retain more influence over the overall process of submitting a script. The Packet aims to move away from artificial intelligence and instead get actual people at agencies and studios to read scripts. Rather than relying on an in-house reader to provide coverage on a script, the writer, via The Packet, is encouraged to market the screenplay themselves, and directly to executives. And the tool also wants to make reader’s jobs a little easier.
“The Packet makes a writer’s vision resonate beyond any bland distillation, adding dimension to a process that’s tended to make both writers and decision makers suffer,” ScriptHop co-founder Scott Foster, a former UTA story department head, said in a statement shared with press. “It’s also a transposable source industry readers can transfer into their coverage, while maintaining the writer’s version of the logline and synopsis. It presents these distillations in a much more engaging form, and enables readers to focus on really reading the script and giving the writing its due when they evaluate it, rather than waste their own time abridging it.”
The growing list of partners on ScriptHop’s advisory board include Film Independent, Untitled Entertainment, and the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media.
“The Packet is easy to email or text,” said co-founder Brian Austin, who designed the system. “It includes the script along with documents like lookbooks and bibles, and information about the project such as the logline, synopsis, character breakdowns, attachments, writer bio, and more. It’s easy for the recipient to access and no special software is required. Users simply click a link.”
Austin added, “The need to digest content is so great that many are pursuing AI to read and choose which scripts will be successes. Seeing this trend caused us to make a major pivot from focusing on AI to focusing on empowering the creators. It’s utilizing technology in the right way, while keeping the human and artist element in place.”
For now, The Packet is available by invitation only. For more information, visit scripthop.com. (It’s also currently free.)
Source: IndieWire film
Kanye West’s presidential bid has been one of pop culture’s wildest rides in a year already filled with many. Beginning with a bombastic rally in South Carolina back in July, West has inserted himself into an already fractious political race to much controversy and many head scratches. But it’s not looking good for the outspoken artist, who was rejected from the ballot in Illinois, Montana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin on account of negligent filing. Still, he’s plunging ahead, and in the latest development, West revealed a puzzling campaign poster via Twitter, and it includes the face of Kirsten Dunst, among others. The actress, who tweeted in response, wants to know why she’s part of his promotional materials to begin with.
“What’s the message here, and why am I apart [sic] of it?” Dunst tweeted. Anna Wintour is also among the faces included on the poster, below. The photo of Dunst, it turns out, was taken by Mario Testino for a 2002 Vanity Fair shoot. Ahead of the primaries, Dunst publicly endorsed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who recently gave remarks at the 2020 Democratic National Convention. Dunst was last seen in the Showtime dark comedy series “On Becoming a God in Central Florida,” which aired in the fall and was picked up for a second season shortly thereafter. Next up, she will star in Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog,” stepping in for Elisabeth Moss, who had to withdraw from the film.
West has filed to be on the ballot in several other key states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and Virginia, but it’s unknown yet whether he will qualify for candidacy. West has been the target of scrutiny since the presidential rally, which saw him pontificating on everything from Harriet Tubman’s role in the Underground Railroad to his views on abortion, led to a significant discussion on social media about West’s state of mind; West has admitted to being bipolar. His wife, Kim Kardashian West, later came out asking for empathy as the family dealt with West’s mental health.
What’s the message here, and why am I apart of it?
— Kirsten Dunst (@kirstendunst) August 20, 2020
Source: IndieWire film
As part of Saturday’s expansive virtual DC FanDome event, Warner Bros. Pictures offered the first full glimpse yet at Matt Reeves’ upcoming “The Batman,” starring Robert Pattinson as the Dark Knight. Director Matt Reeves teased what audiences can expect from the tentpole, whose production in the UK shut down back in March due to the pandemic but will resume in September. “The Batman” is now set to open October 1, 2021. Take a look at the first footage, and photos, from the film below.
Pattinson assumes the role of Gotham’s Caped Crusader following Michael Keaton in Tim Burton’s “Batman” movies, plus Christian Bale in Nolan’s “Dark Knight” trilogy, and Ben Affleck in the DC Extended Universe films. (It was recently announced that Affleck will reprise the role in the upcoming Flash movie.) Starring opposite Pattinson is a starry ensemble cast that includes Zoe Kravitz as Catwoman, Colin Farrell as The Penguin, Paul Dano as The Riddler, Jeffrey Wright as Commissioner Gordon, Andy Serkis as Alfred Pennyworth, and John Turturro as Carmine Falcone.
Reeves assured during the panel that “The Batman” is decidedly not an origin story. “The thing I related to in the Batman story is that he isn’t a superhero in the traditional sense,” Reeves said. “If he has a superpower, it’s the ability to endure. … He’s a very alive character, and to tell a version of Batman that wasn’t about how he became Batman, but the early days of being Batman…to see it in new ways, that was a way to do something that hasn’t been done.” Reeves also cited “Chinatown,” “The French Connection,” and “Taxi Driver” as cinematic influences.
This is Matt Reeves’ first directorial project since he helmed “War for the Planet of the Apes,” which released in 2017. With a script from Reeves and Mattson Tomlin, “The Batman” features cinematography from Oscar-nominated DP Greig Fraser, who also shot Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming “Dune,” plus “Lion” and “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.”
Other DC projects presented at FanDome included a new trailer highlighting footage from the upcoming Zack Snyder cut of “Justice League,” coming to HBO Max next year, as well as looks at James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad,” a brand new trailer for the ’80s-tastic “Wonder Woman 1984,” and a sneak peek at concept art for the upcoming Flash movie starring Ezra Miller.
DC FanDome will continue as a two-part event on September 12.
If you’re excited about these, wait till you see what we have for you in #TheBatman panel at #DCFanDome starting at 5:30 PST. pic.twitter.com/hzSm4zV7i0
— Warner Bros. Pictures (@wbpictures) August 22, 2020
Source: IndieWire film
Just as he promised in the days leading up to the virtual DC FanDome convention, Zack Snyder dropped the official first trailer today for his much-talked-about director’s cut of “Justice League,” widely known across the internet as the Snyder Cut. Snyder has been teasing fans with quick glimpses of new footage on social media ever since WarnerMedia confirmed May 20 that it would be allowing Snyder the opportunity to complete his director’s cut for a 2021 release date on the new streaming platform HBO Max. Snyder said during the panel that his cut will unfold as four one-hour installments, and that a distribution plan is in the works for audiences who don’t have access to HBO Max.
Fan demand for the Snyder Cut has raged on social media ever since Snyder stepped down from directing “Justice League” following a personal tragedy in May 2017. The film was Snyder’s next effort in the DC Extended Universe after “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” the latter of which earned critical pans for its overtly grim tone. Warner Bros. brought in Joss Wehdon to oversee “Justice League” reshoots and complete the movie in post-production.
The exact details of what happened when Whedon joined the production remain murky. It’s common knowledge that Whedon overhauled Snyder’s darker tone, adding a lighter atmosphere and more jokes to the theatrical cut. In recent weeks, “Justice League” cyborg actor Ray Fisher has accused Whedon and producers Geoff Johns and Jon Berg of demonstrating “gross, abusive, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable” behavior during the reshoot process. WarnerMedia is currently investigating Fisher’s claims.
Whedon’s theatrical cut of “Justice League” opened in November 2017 to dismal reviews and disappointing box office numbers, prompting DCEU fans to demand the release of the Snyder Cut with greater fervor. A highlight of the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut movement arrived in summer 2019 when Snyder fans crowdfunded $20,000 to market for the movie at Comic-Con. Fan efforts paid off with the May 2020 announcement that the Snyder Cut had the greenlight.
Completing the Snyder Cut is no small endeavor as the majority of the footage Snyder shot for his version of “Justice League” was scrapped before VFX was completed. HBO Max boss Bob Greenblatt said in May that WarnerMedia was preparing to spend over $30 million to complete Snyder’s version of “Justice League.” Many of the actors, including Ben Affleck and Gal Gadot, are returning to provide any additional dialogue as needed.
The Snyder cut of “Justice League” will world-premiere in 2021 on HBO Max. Watch the first official trailer for the superhero tentpole in the video below.
Ryan Lattanzio contributed reporting.
Source: IndieWire film
Imagine a movie so sweet that you can recommend it to literally anyone.
It’s really hard to find a movie that you can watch with the whole family. You want it to be entertaining, interesting, impart a lesson, and it can’t have anything objectionable or too offensive. When I recommend films to people, I try to take all this stuff into account.
But when I saw The Peanut Butter Falcon, I finally knew a title that transcended those caveats.
I would tell anyone to watch this movie. I think watching it might make them a better person. And I’m not being hyperbolic—if you’ve seen it, then you know.
After premiering at SXSW, the Audience Award-winning The Peanut Butter Falcon is now streaming on Amazon Prime. Of course, none of that would have happened without a stellar screenplay.
Today, I want to go over the movie’s script and talk about what makes it such a wonderful story and an excellent piece of writing.
Source: NoFilmSchool
