I know I've neglected this blog for quite some time, but I spent a lot of time during 2014 working on a series of cosplay-themed interstitials to air on TV, titled Jus'Cos. I shot tons of interviews at various conventions, as well as at events where cosplayers would show up, and ended up creating eight one-minute interstitials. Hopefully more will be produced later on, and they can continue to hit the airwaves in the New York City area as conventions and etc. near.
The eight interstitials can be seen for the time being, until after New York Comic Con 2014 is over, on channel 25 (22, for Cablevision), within the five boroughs of New York City, and some air signal leakage into neighboring areas like parts of Jersey City and Yonkers.
To see all the interstitials, check out the videos here!
September 19, 2014
April 25, 2014
Movie Review: The Amazing Spider-Man 2
So last night I got to attend the screening of "The Amazing Spider-Man 2." I was worried since I had read an earlier review comparing the film as the "Batman & Robin" of "The Amazing Spider-Man" series. Trthfully though, it felt more like "Batman Forever." An overall good film, with some bad moments, but overall good ones. Trying to avoid as much spoilers as possible, but some minor ones will be present, if you haven't watched any of the trailers in theaters or TV.
The beginning of the film wasn't great. Things I didn't like included Aleksei Sytsevich's (Paul Giamatti) incoherent dialogue, not to mention the character's lack-of-intellect. Granted Aleksei (aka the Rhino) isn't a scientist in the comics, but the characterization in the movie's beginning was just badly comedic.
Max Dillon (Jaime Foxx) on the other hand played the geeky scientist, who's either looked down upon or outright ignored by his peers. He's also a bit of the bumbling professor, similar to Jim Carrey's Edward Nygma (Riddler). My gripe in the film was that they made him just too pathetic, before his rebirth as Electro. It just came to the point that they stuffed every bumbling, geeky cliche they could into his character.
Another downside for me was Peter Parker's (Andrew Garfield) bad excuses to pretty much everyone in the film, not to mention the on-and-off interest he continues to have with his power's origin, as well as his father's research.
However the biggest gripe is Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan)… the character just overall lacked bad judgement and his sudden genetic ailments were just rushed for no reason other than to push the story along, when it didn't make sense. The reason it didn't make sense to me, was due to us seeing Norman Osborn surviving the same ailment for decades, while Harry suffers the effects in a matter of hours.
Once you survive the beginning of the film though, it does get better.
Electro's Times Square attack is beautifully done, as is the Spider-Man fights with Electro and "Green Goblin" (never actually called that in the film, BTW).
Wasn't a fan of Electro in the trailers, but loved him in the film. The effects for Electro and his powers were fantastic, and there's even a chase scene that looks fantastic as Spider-Man's chasing a streak of electricity.
The clock tower fight between "Green Goblin" and Spider-Man is fantastic with a lot of close-quarters fighting on gears and atop the goblin glider.
The series does continue to show Peter Parker as a scientist, as there's a wonderful scene of him trying to figure out how to protect his web shooters from Electro's powers in the garage.
Amazingly enough, there were many scenes in the various trailers that were cut from the final film, not to mention there being no scenes in the credits, although the trailer for "X-Men: Days of Future Past" has been tacked onto the end, after credits, in some countries.
Overall loved the film! Just wished some of the dialogue was better.
The beginning of the film wasn't great. Things I didn't like included Aleksei Sytsevich's (Paul Giamatti) incoherent dialogue, not to mention the character's lack-of-intellect. Granted Aleksei (aka the Rhino) isn't a scientist in the comics, but the characterization in the movie's beginning was just badly comedic.
Max Dillon (Jaime Foxx) on the other hand played the geeky scientist, who's either looked down upon or outright ignored by his peers. He's also a bit of the bumbling professor, similar to Jim Carrey's Edward Nygma (Riddler). My gripe in the film was that they made him just too pathetic, before his rebirth as Electro. It just came to the point that they stuffed every bumbling, geeky cliche they could into his character.
Another downside for me was Peter Parker's (Andrew Garfield) bad excuses to pretty much everyone in the film, not to mention the on-and-off interest he continues to have with his power's origin, as well as his father's research.
However the biggest gripe is Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan)… the character just overall lacked bad judgement and his sudden genetic ailments were just rushed for no reason other than to push the story along, when it didn't make sense. The reason it didn't make sense to me, was due to us seeing Norman Osborn surviving the same ailment for decades, while Harry suffers the effects in a matter of hours.
Once you survive the beginning of the film though, it does get better.
Electro's Times Square attack is beautifully done, as is the Spider-Man fights with Electro and "Green Goblin" (never actually called that in the film, BTW).
Wasn't a fan of Electro in the trailers, but loved him in the film. The effects for Electro and his powers were fantastic, and there's even a chase scene that looks fantastic as Spider-Man's chasing a streak of electricity.
The clock tower fight between "Green Goblin" and Spider-Man is fantastic with a lot of close-quarters fighting on gears and atop the goblin glider.
The series does continue to show Peter Parker as a scientist, as there's a wonderful scene of him trying to figure out how to protect his web shooters from Electro's powers in the garage.
Amazingly enough, there were many scenes in the various trailers that were cut from the final film, not to mention there being no scenes in the credits, although the trailer for "X-Men: Days of Future Past" has been tacked onto the end, after credits, in some countries.
Overall loved the film! Just wished some of the dialogue was better.
March 28, 2014
Movie Review: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier"
Got a chance to check out "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" last night, and I thoroughly enjoyed the film. The movie is billed as a spy/espionage movie, and it definitely fits the bill. Granted it's more follow the clues from A to B, but that's the situation when you cram the elements into a movie, thus having only a 2-hour time-constraint.
The movie's plot deals with an internal force within S.H.I.E.L.D. threatening to destroy the organization and the world, just as S.H.I.E.L.D. is about to unleash their newest program designed to keep humanity safe, Project: Insight.
During the movie Steve Rogers (aka Captain America; played by Chris Evans) comes into contact with the Winter Soldier, a myth circulated among the Intelligence community for decades. For long-time comic book fans, we know the identity, and it's quickly revealed in the movie, that the Winter Soldier is real, and is Roger's former childhood friend, and long-thought deceased army brother, James Buchanan Barnes (aka Bucky; played by Sebastian Stan). Unfortunately for Captain America, Bucky's memories have been wiped, for the most part.
The movie also introduces Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), a retired paratrooper, who was part of a decommissioned experimental paratrooper rescue unit utilizing rocket-propelled wing harnesses, dubbed "Falcon." Rogers and Wilson know one another from morning exercise routines around the Washington, D.C., area. Wilson quickly becomes one of the few people Rogers can trust once the shit hits the fan.
The movie is quickly about Captain America and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) going on the run, trying to uncover the truth about "Project: Insight," after a manhunt is initiated for Captain America, under the pretense of him withholding knowledge, and possible involvement, in the assassination of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). The operation is headed by Fury's long-time friend, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), intent on learning the truth about Nick Fury's assassination. I normally wouldn't reveal this, but they are mentioned it in the trailer… so yeah...
The action was great, especially the fight scenes between Batroc the Leaper vs. Captain America and Captain America/Black Widow vs. Winter Soldier. While there were some fast-cut, shaky shots, for the most part the fights were clear and discernible shots showing fight choreography and not shaky footage to pretend there's a fight going on.
Also returning to the movie are Cobie Smulders (as Maria Hill), Hayley Atwell (as Peggy Carter), Maximiliano Hernandez (as Jasper Sitwell), and Toby Jones (as Arnim Zola). Being introduced into the Marvel cinematic universe are Brock Rumlow/Crossbones (Frank Grillo), Georges Batroc/Batroc the Leaper (Georges St. Pierre), Sharon Carter/Agent 13 (Emily VanCamp), Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann), Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen).
You have a great mid-credit scene, directed by Joss Whedon, that leads into "The Avengers: Age of Ultron," plus a brief one at the end featuring Bucky. Overall I loved the film. the only thing I felt meh about were two things within the movie that if I were to reveal would be too much of a spoiler :P
The movie's plot deals with an internal force within S.H.I.E.L.D. threatening to destroy the organization and the world, just as S.H.I.E.L.D. is about to unleash their newest program designed to keep humanity safe, Project: Insight.
During the movie Steve Rogers (aka Captain America; played by Chris Evans) comes into contact with the Winter Soldier, a myth circulated among the Intelligence community for decades. For long-time comic book fans, we know the identity, and it's quickly revealed in the movie, that the Winter Soldier is real, and is Roger's former childhood friend, and long-thought deceased army brother, James Buchanan Barnes (aka Bucky; played by Sebastian Stan). Unfortunately for Captain America, Bucky's memories have been wiped, for the most part.
The movie also introduces Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie), a retired paratrooper, who was part of a decommissioned experimental paratrooper rescue unit utilizing rocket-propelled wing harnesses, dubbed "Falcon." Rogers and Wilson know one another from morning exercise routines around the Washington, D.C., area. Wilson quickly becomes one of the few people Rogers can trust once the shit hits the fan.
The movie is quickly about Captain America and Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) going on the run, trying to uncover the truth about "Project: Insight," after a manhunt is initiated for Captain America, under the pretense of him withholding knowledge, and possible involvement, in the assassination of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson). The operation is headed by Fury's long-time friend, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), intent on learning the truth about Nick Fury's assassination. I normally wouldn't reveal this, but they are mentioned it in the trailer… so yeah...
The action was great, especially the fight scenes between Batroc the Leaper vs. Captain America and Captain America/Black Widow vs. Winter Soldier. While there were some fast-cut, shaky shots, for the most part the fights were clear and discernible shots showing fight choreography and not shaky footage to pretend there's a fight going on.
Also returning to the movie are Cobie Smulders (as Maria Hill), Hayley Atwell (as Peggy Carter), Maximiliano Hernandez (as Jasper Sitwell), and Toby Jones (as Arnim Zola). Being introduced into the Marvel cinematic universe are Brock Rumlow/Crossbones (Frank Grillo), Georges Batroc/Batroc the Leaper (Georges St. Pierre), Sharon Carter/Agent 13 (Emily VanCamp), Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford), Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker (Thomas Kretschmann), Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson), and Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen).
You have a great mid-credit scene, directed by Joss Whedon, that leads into "The Avengers: Age of Ultron," plus a brief one at the end featuring Bucky. Overall I loved the film. the only thing I felt meh about were two things within the movie that if I were to reveal would be too much of a spoiler :P
March 16, 2014
SpringFest 2014
Checked out SpringFest for the first time today, at the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering in Downtown Brooklyn. I've heard stories, and wow, were they ever true! It was quite the disorganized mess in the very beginning. The lines didn't even start being let in until ALMOST two hours later!
Today was the first day I started shooting video interviews with cosplayers for my new interstitial series, slated to air for the Summer. Pretty chaotic, and it was just so noisy we took the interviews outdoors, but even outdoors it was windy despite the dead mouse on the microphone. So it's quite the experience, since right now I'm recording audio blindly thanks to being unable to listen to the audio until afterwards, due to the way the 5D Mark II is designed. I think next time I'll definitely have to get a lav mic for the Sony EX1 that we were using today as the B-roll camera. Anyways, got some great interviews with Koneko YourAverageNerd, Spectra Marvelous, Negative Stacey, Pixie Belle Cosplay, and Avalon Cosplay. It was also my camera man's first convention, and he was definitely blown away by the types of people he saw at the mini-convention.