It was my original intention to review Filth and Wisdom without ever mentioning Madonna's name, but given how much the pop icon's past and present—like her sense of image—informs every frame of the film, to have done so would have been foolish. More so than Angelina Jolie, whose screen performances have become near impossible to scrutinize without also grappling with her immense superstardom, Madonna brings considerable baggage to her feature-length directorial debut, which tells the story of a close-knit group of down-and-out London artists simply trying to get by—a story that not only suggests an elaboration on the lives of Madonna's "Hung Up" dancers but a rebuke to Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
Critics have fallen hook, line and sinker for Woody Allen's trite vision of pretty people bumping uglies in fashionable Catalonia, lavishing the film with the sort of write-ups you'd expect to read in US Weekly and Travel and Leisure. (Even some of the most sensible film writers in the world have noted how shooting in Spain seems to have invigorated and liberated Allen—almost as if they were praising him for having had a bowel movement.) When jet-setting through posh European locales and seeing Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson make out is enough to give a movie a free pass, you know film culture has reached some sort of dead end. Indeed, so successful is the film's luxe patina that Allen's sexual and gender politics—like his repugnant reduction of the Mediterranean to a "lusty" type—have gone completely ignored. But Filth and Wisdom isn't interested in creating such an obnoxious show of distraction
Monday, October 13, 2008
Dreamhive Puts Images to Music for Madonna
The Dreamhive animation studio provided dynamic music video background imagery for Madonna's recent "Hard Candy" world tour, visually backing up two of the singer's latest music hits.
For Madonna's "Hard Candy" world tour and promotional appearances, The Dreamhive created striking animated background imagery for two of Madonna's most popular songs -- "4 Minutes" and "Give it 2 Me". The imagery was then played during Madonna's exciting stage performances of the songs during the Hard Candy promotional and concert tours.
For "4 Minutes," The Dreamhive created footage with a flashing countdown clock that paid homage to Madonna's music video for the song. Using reference images from the original music video, The Dreamhive created a dynamic CGI version of the practical digital countdown clock, which they then rendered using custom real-time shading code. Additionally, The Dreamhive re-created and animated the "black onyx" effect element seen in the music video, and also generated new effect passes that were then composited into live-action footage shot during the original video production.
"It was a terrific and extremely cool experience, to be adding our visual effects into footage from the set of the music video," comments Wes Grandmont III, Senior CG Supervisor at The Dreamhive. The Dreamhive's images mimicked the strong pulse and irresistible hook of the song, and as the images played behind Madonna onstage for the tour, Justin Timberlake then frequently joined the singer for the rest of the "4 Minutes" piece.
For the disco anthem "Give it 2 Me," The Dreamhive created CG laser work that had an evocative, poppy, 80's look and feel, and which combined with a live laser show to create a pulse of green and pink light beams flickering disco-style across the dancing crowd.
The Dreamhive created all of the imagery using Autodesk(R) Maya(R) software, outputting to 1080p resolution for the shows. On the laser creative work, The Dreamhive worked from storyboards of possible laser movement options, and then generated creative variations for use in the live shows.
For Madonna's "Hard Candy" world tour and promotional appearances, The Dreamhive created striking animated background imagery for two of Madonna's most popular songs -- "4 Minutes" and "Give it 2 Me". The imagery was then played during Madonna's exciting stage performances of the songs during the Hard Candy promotional and concert tours.
For "4 Minutes," The Dreamhive created footage with a flashing countdown clock that paid homage to Madonna's music video for the song. Using reference images from the original music video, The Dreamhive created a dynamic CGI version of the practical digital countdown clock, which they then rendered using custom real-time shading code. Additionally, The Dreamhive re-created and animated the "black onyx" effect element seen in the music video, and also generated new effect passes that were then composited into live-action footage shot during the original video production.
"It was a terrific and extremely cool experience, to be adding our visual effects into footage from the set of the music video," comments Wes Grandmont III, Senior CG Supervisor at The Dreamhive. The Dreamhive's images mimicked the strong pulse and irresistible hook of the song, and as the images played behind Madonna onstage for the tour, Justin Timberlake then frequently joined the singer for the rest of the "4 Minutes" piece.
For the disco anthem "Give it 2 Me," The Dreamhive created CG laser work that had an evocative, poppy, 80's look and feel, and which combined with a live laser show to create a pulse of green and pink light beams flickering disco-style across the dancing crowd.
The Dreamhive created all of the imagery using Autodesk(R) Maya(R) software, outputting to 1080p resolution for the shows. On the laser creative work, The Dreamhive worked from storyboards of possible laser movement options, and then generated creative variations for use in the live shows.
Paris Hilton wants to be Like Madonna
The socialite, 27, enjoys being in spotlight so much she would love to have a career spanning a quarter century like the Material Girl.
She says, "I love Madonna. I think she is beautiful.
"She is gorgeous and her body is incredible. I cannot believe she has been around for so long.
"I want to have a career just like hers. She always reinvents herself and I really look up to her as an artist. I am so inspired by her and her music."
She says, "I love Madonna. I think she is beautiful.
"She is gorgeous and her body is incredible. I cannot believe she has been around for so long.
"I want to have a career just like hers. She always reinvents herself and I really look up to her as an artist. I am so inspired by her and her music."
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