Our Day of the Dead project for Oct 2010 was a great day of collaboration and our biggest production to date at the studio. The core theme of a bride and groom was enhanced by the contributions from THS108 Stylists Kathleen andCandise. The twisted fishtail braid incorporated most of the model’s hair from hairline to approx 4? into the hair. Both red and dark brown artificial hair extensions were added for length, texture and color. The braid was then pulled out of place in several sections around the head and large barrel curls were added to the crown section for height and as a background for the headpiece. The bouquet, boutoneer, and 3-piece headpiece were designed and created exclusively for the studio collective by Julie@ FaithGrows and add another dimension of morbid beauty to the brides gorgeous makeup, designed by makeup artists, Veronica Garcia (Bride) & ZeBek (Groom)Our photographer Andreanna shot amazing images of the wedding couple and members of theDanzas de Aztlan on real film! (Thank You, Anthony for bringing the crew!) The contribution to set design from science professor, Rose gave the photos an authentic look.(Thankyou, Rose!!) Stylist, Corey Tess’s work with wardrobe and set design pulled together all of the many aspects of this production to create the perfect look for this concept. The result is an exciting collection of photos that are beautiful, melancholy and romantic at the same time. We are very grateful to have been part of this day! Thankyou to everyone who shared their talent!

Check out the photos!

ROB HARTIGAN – more about him here: http://www.vimeo.com/user1323634

There is no perfect formula for events like these, but when they happen.. it’s like binary magic!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMtZfW2z9dw (the song)

or download it on itunes! http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bed-intruder-song/id386478006

How about a t-shirt: http://www.zazzle.com/hide_yo_kids_dark_husband_tshirt-235886155965211391

No one can argue that Tim Burton is the KING of Visual Stimulation and EYE POPPING if often Gothy/Emo Imagery…  and that his ability to “snap his fingers and summon”  Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter consistently results in characters that both strongly intrigue and mystify.

However, Alice In Wonderland (In Amazing 3-D) had an obvious lack of something basic…  a great story! Which is confusing because commissioning the rights to Lewis Carroll’s great work of allegorical fiction, Alice in Wonderland and seemingly also “Adventures Through The Looking Glass” it’s sequel seem to guarantee rollicking good fodder for play!

Alas this absolutely GORGEOUS film suffers from a full tilt rush toward nothing…  and I can’t image how confusing much of the references were to people who never read the second book as many of the character names, recitations and speak refer to what Carroll re-coined “Portmanteau” a practice of taking two words and sort of mashing them up and giving them a new meaning… such as Jabberwocky and FunderWhack.. The film itself rather mashes the first and second books together in an odd way – really matching the theme of neither.. the first more than the second… the first book had the structure and theme based on a card game, where as the second was based on the game of chess.. the card game is more represented in this version and yet the majority of the speak and character names come from the second novel…

I think children will enjoy the experience of this film immensely and adults will enjoy the visuals as much..  my sister said she would have enjoyed it much more with the sound OFF and in many scenes this was the case for me as well… [sthumbs=103|104|102|106|108|100|101|105,144,2,n,center,]

Johnny’s “Hatta” the Looking Glass version of “The Mad Hatter” was pleasing and yet sadly not explored or supported in a way that was really captivating.. visually, he was a banquet of tastiness but his story and his dialogue and his virtually invisible character development or arch was disappointing to say the least…  his scene with the destruction during a lawn party is supposed to supply us with a reason for his sullen and manic depressive change from the crazy fun Mad Hatter she knew in Wonderland… before…

Helena’s “Red Queen” was hysterically funny. Very well done and probably the best developed character in the film. Her need for love and to be surrounded by people with more freakish physical attributes than her own made her endearing actually… It is so much easier to develop an evil character than a good one, but if I had to choose the best character in the film..  it would be Red Queen.. she was indispensable.

Anne Hathaway.. mmmmm  I am a fan, but in this role, she just didn’t sparkle…  The White Queen was virtually an after thought.. she simply filled a void where “good” needed to be represented to off set the evil… her pantomiming elegance was broken through in only one seen with the dog and should have been explored further..  was she really a dungaree gal under her over played Disney princess mannerisms or was this her true self? You got signals that supported both and neither and rendered her character almost totally useless except to serve as the famous brunette that goes platinum blond for Tim Burton… (Wynona Rider = Edward Scissorhands, Christina Ricci=Sleepy Hollow)

Alice wh0 is played by Mia Wasikowska was solid..  her’s was the best dialog in the film and although her development was predictable and not really pleasing in any way, the story did serve to put her into a mind frame that supported the story’s ending where we find her stronger and more able to defy those in power over her… (though this was not really a strong development, as she seemed pretty defiant before hand..)

Cheshire Cat was a bright spot in the film. He was used as sort of a Deus ex machina in some scenes.. most notably the “be-heading of the Hatta” but still the animation was amazing and the purring and classic kitty positioning and menace was appreciated.

The Blue Caterpillar was under-used really, one of my favorite characters from both novels, he represents the YODA of this story and yet only seems to serve as a rest in the pace during two scenes.. a pity because i do love Alan Rickman’s voice!

For all my complaining, I was really disappointed in only ONE aspect of this film… the screenplay… which of course effected the entire film and everything in it..

Not a MUST SEE, but a SHOULD SEE if you do 3-D, otherwise.. kind’ve a waste… (please do 3D if you see it)

and I have to say though the Funderwhack was cute.. it was anti-climatic and rather haphazardly inserted…  i think there may have been an editing fail here as well…  and through out the film..  because the pacing was erratic and often didn’t support climax moments…

WIN! The dresses and clothing they put Alice in…  great designs…

Much of the advertising we see on a daily basis does nothing to enrich our lives and provides us with little more than a temporary distraction 80% of the time. Marketers rely heavily on your need to purchase a product or service and simply work to point you in the direction of their offering, but every now and then, you get a glimpse of something more…  and that is what I went on the hunt for today… here are some of the delightful ideas I found that illustrate how Marketing can cross over into creativity and entertainment…

HOVER OVER  IMAGES FOR MY COMMENTS, CLICK IMAGES FOR A LARGER PREVIEW OR TO DO A SLIDE SHOW:

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protesting

just a bit…

being

a hole

woman -

born

empty inside

literally

a hole

a void

a vacancy

waiting to be inhabited

by baby

and baby daddy

not in that

order – of course

i active…ly

avoid

being – turned

inside – out

for

any

one

_______________

change my mind?

you can try…

till then… whoa Man….

WOE man…

i am not your woman….

I was just thinking today about how you can work very hard to get somewhere you never wanted to be… a place in life that really doesn’t suit you.. although you are successfully placed… you are not fulfilled…

Maybe this is what Mary meant when she thought about returning to her former Gothic Girl Self… I don’t know.. I often think lately about the me that would spend days at a time building sets, finding props and casting parts, writing scripts and shooting scenes.. hours on my knees with all sorts of electronics, wires and mics, cameras, vcrs, tvs hooked together into a menagerie of editing and dubbing equipment that I would use to assemble a film that perhaps only a few people would ever see.

why did i go from not understanding the word impossible.. to accepting the probable as fact? I am sure some would say this is called growing up, but when i was a kid.. well, a 13-23 year old, there was nothing but film-making.. nothing but plays, scripts, films.. writing, shooting, stomping off the set when my cast wouldn’t stop laughing during serious takes… this was life… living for the next reason to shout “Action!”

Now I get paid for creatives that help other people sell money to people who want to invest in property and have the American Dream.. it is nothing to be ashamed of… i am a home owner myself… it’s a good business and i am glad to do well at something still so fundamentally creative.. but it doesn’t fill that hole in my heart… it doesn’t feel the way the story does.. coming out of me, onto paper.. onto celluloid.. onto youtube?

There is a basic argument here. I was in an investment seminar recently.. talking stocks and bonds and 401k retirement funds… and it hit me.. i am on this road.. to a safe and plotted life.. work hard, save money, build equity, buy an investment property, get married, have kids, get old.. etc… granted, i support my family, eat very finely, drink even better and party well… a girl has to have some fun… but still… will i ever have a better shot at returning to myself… is the time coming to make the change?

the other road is un-sure.. no steady income, no guaranteed security… can you even pay your mortgage and buy way too many pairs of designer shoes (current count about 200)
and the real question.. can i have both?

I am willing to try…. i want my passion back.. i want to fall in love again… i want the thrill of the story back in my blood, i want to chase that perfect plot line and do more than dream about that Oscar…

Ok.. I talked me into it… ACTION!

RE-POSTED from TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2008