Keanu Reeves and Martin Scorsese contemplate the moving image in Side by Side, directed by Chris Kenneally
The movie Side by Side is opening now, and this will provide a very informative and provocative source of debate, contemplation, and reference for people interested in media arts and the state of creative platforms at this moment in time. Check out the trailer and seek out further info on this movie directed by Chris Kenneally, produced and narrated by Keanu Reeves, and featuring appearances by numerous acclaimed filmmakers including Martin Scorsese, Steven Soderbergh, Christopher Nolan, James Cameron, and David Fincher.
When creating Moving Images, one of the most challenging areas to consider was how to treat contemporary issues of cinematography and conceptions of light and its capture. As I mentioned in an earlier post focusing on the work of cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, in the years since the development of this textbook, the majority of Academy Award nominees in cinematography each year have been shot on film. No matter what the platform for cinematography, the understanding and control of light and color continue to be among the most important skills and concepts for anyone working in movies, whether through digital processes or celluloid.
I can add one personal point: I remain unconvinced by the proclaimed “reign of 3D” by Mr. Cameron and various movie execs during the past few years (and I remember a speech by a Jeffrey Katzenberg a few years ago in which he declared that “all movies will be 3D a decade from now”). I have found it interesting the degree to which young people — at least the ones I work with — scoff at 3D and time and again tell me that it is rare that they have any desire to see movies in 3D. Here is a blog from Kristin Thompson and David Bordwell about the topic; as usual, it is engrossing and quite informative.
I will have more to say about these topics in upcoming blogs.
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3D is just a gimmick that I think will phase out very soon, it just doesn’t enhance the viewing experience at all.
Bring back Smell-O-Vision! Hahaha!
I appreciate the comment! I couldn’t agree more. It has been interesting to listen to industry figures trumpeting 3D over the past few years, saying things like “all movies will be 3D within the next five years” (yes, it’s actually been said) because “it’s more like real life, and that’s what movies strive for…” Really???? (And it’s not just because people are paying an extra few dollars to see your 3D movies?) Saying “more like real life” is absurd and just plain wrong, I think, and it’s actually something that’s interesting to think about, in terms of what movies really feel like for us. I look forward to articulating my feelings more about this subject in the future, because I think it reveals quite a bit about how powerful the good old big, flat, silver screen is. Although I touch on these issues in Moving Images, particularly when talking about the concept of Short Range Apparent Motion. Okay, I guess you got me going here…. again, thanks for the comment, Lauren!
[…] who is one of my former students. On the subject of cinematography, let me remind readers of my earlier post discussing the movie Side by Side (directed by Chris Kenneally and hosted by Keanu Reeves), which is superb to use in tandem with the […]
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