good videos: keith loutit stop-motion on vimeo

These videos created by Keith Loutit accomplish something I always appreciate in art: they tweak reality in a way that forces us to pause, take a second look, and see the beauty around us. It's like putting a picture in a frame. Common moments become something magic and treasured. Though the images are removed from reality, they somehow help us appreciate reality more.

Bathtub IV from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.


Beached from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

You can see more of Keith Loutit's work by visiting http://vimeo.com/channels/keithloutitssydney

good listening: creative screenwriting podcast

I started listening to a variety of podcasts nearly a year before I bought my first iPod back in 2006 (I'm a late bloomer). I personally think podcasting is the best thing to come out of the whole Apple/iPod/iTunes phenomena.

I currently subscribe to about 20 different podcasts, but the Creative Screenwriting Podcast is my most recent find.

Each week, Creative Screenwriting Magazine Editor, Jeff Goldsmith, interviews screenwriters about the process of writing and their most recent work. You probably wouldn't recognize the names of the writers, but you would definitely know the films they've worked on - most have produced high-profile, mainstream films.

This probably sounds like something only movie-geeks would enjoy...but I think it might appeal to anyone interested in hearing about the creative process, practical writing tips and techniques, or even just "normal" movie fans. If you enjoy listening to the DVD commentary tracks on your favorite films, I think you might like this, too.

Just a few of the many, many great interviews available on the podcast:

- Danny Boyle, director of Slumdog Millionaire
- Eric Roth, writer of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
- Andrew Stanton, writer and director of Wall-E

It's fun to hear how the stories are crafted and the work that goes into bringing them to the screen. I also like hearing how these writers/directors got their start, and what motivates them to make films.

You can subscribe through iTunes, or go directly to the Creative Screenwriting site.

good tv: friday night lights

Ratings are usually all that matter in the world of TV. Shows are given only a small window to develop an audience, and if the numbers don't manifest quickly, TV execs often pull the plug, leaving a small but passionate fan base brokenhearted.

My heart was broken back in 1999 when NBC decided to cancel one of the best hour-long series of all time - Freaks and Geeks - midway through the first season. I got so mad I called the local NBC affiliate and left angry messages on their voice mail (I think I gave them a "You're Not Corky People!" thrashing). Fortunately, NBC aired the rest of the episodes in production, and now you can own the series on DVD. Check it out.

Two other similar and more recent tragedies that come to mind are the cancellations of Firefly and Arrested Development , both critically acclaimed shows that found a wider audience on DVD, post-cancellation.

So, I was shocked to hear that Friday Night Lights was recently renewed for a fourth season. There aren't many folks out there watching FNL. I'm new to the show, and have only watched season one so far, but I'm ecstatic to know that NBC is keeping it around. In my opinion, it's the best one-hour drama on TV. But in case my opinion isn't enough to motivate you to watch, this is what The New York Times wrote about the pilot episode that aired back in 2006:

"Lord, is “Friday Night Lights” good. In fact, if the season is anything like the pilot, this new drama about high school football could be great — and not just television great, but great in the way of a poem or painting, great in the way of art with a single obsessive creator who doesn’t have to consult with a committee and has months or years to go back and agonize over line breaks and the color red; it could belong in a league with art that doesn’t have to pause for commercials, or casually recap the post-commercial action, or sell viewers on the plot and characters in the first five minutes..."

In other words, the folks behind Friday Night Lights seem more concerned with artistic vision than commercial viability. That's rare on TV.

I finished the first season a few days ago and it fully lives up to the expectations and hopes of the pilot. Praise for the show has only grown since 2006, although the audience hasn't. Why aren't people watching? It's authentic and emotionally engaging, the ensemble cast is amazing, the production quality is superb (whoever picks out the music deserves a pat on the back - the first episode of season two begins with a Wilco track - Muzzle of Bees - from the album A Ghost is Born), and it is a fantastically accurate portrayal of small town life in middle America (west Texas, to be exact).

Season three just wrapped up. Now you have time to rent the DVD's from Netflix, catch up, and get ready for season four. You can also watch episodes online.

If you're not a football fan, don't worry, it actually plays a fairly minor role in each episode. Football serves as a backdrop to the lives of the characters. Their individual challenges they face (as well as the challenges faced by the community) are projected onto the game, but we see the struggle off the field, as well.

This is good TV. There isn't a lot of good TV out there...but amazingly, NBC has decided to let it live.