Links of the Day [2.23.12]

broderic on February 23, 2012

Should there be a Best Animated Film category in the Academy Awards? I've think I've read many blog posts about this subject. Does a separate category devoted to a different medium detract from the concept of "best film?" The expanded field of films for Best Picture works fine in bringing in a nomination for an animated film as Toy Story 3 received one last year. Plus, the Academy got rid of the Best Black & White Cinematography and collapsed this particular tradecraft into one category for all films so there is a precedent.A look at this year's nominees highlight a weak bunch of films. Without Pixar, the category shows its weakness. After all, to be nominated for an Academy Award is to be recognized for some level of greatness that transcends time and place, and these nominees don't do that. It's like they are good relative to each other, but not great relative to the medium as a whole.So, should the Academy give up on the animated films category hoping that a reward of a best picture nod in the expanded field is good enough. Are there instances of animated films that can win against live action?

http://www.grantland.com/blog/hollywood-prospectus/post/_/id/43506/oscarmetrics-the-case-for-eliminating-the-best-animated-feature-awardhttp://www.avclub.com/articles/soft-cels-how-the-academys-animation-rules-fight-t,69793/

Link of the Day [2.13.12]

broderic on February 13, 2012

We are living in a time of transition from analog to digital. We have only just begun, and it is going to take awhile before we get there. What it's going to look like is anyone's guess. I believe we're still another 15 years before we're fully there, so there's still a lot of growth and pain to go through.So what happens to our old, analog stuff? And what will happen to our new, digital stuff? Again, it's anyone's guess, but there will be unintended consequences. We will have to relearn old tricks. We will have to redo our processes. We will have to re-imagine new ways.Today's link begins to discuss the digital transition for the film industry. Will our future be as rough as it is for the film industry? Who knows?http://www.davidbordwell.net/blog/index.php?s=pandora

Link of the Day [1.31.12]

broderic on February 1, 2012

The National Pinball Museum has opened up in Baltimore. Who’s up for a couple of games? I think we can take the metro. I’m looking forward to the Addams Family, Whirlwind, or Earthshaker — the games of my youth. I’m also looking forward to the Black Knight or that Alien pinball game. I wonder if they’ll have the latest and greatest. Who knows? Let’s find out.

http://www.nationalpinballmuseum.org/museum/index.html