Tag Archive
Contender – Editor, Andrew Weisblum, The Wrestler
Andrew Weisblum was the perfect choice when director Darren Aronofsky needed a “hungry editor” for his reality-based film The Wrestler. After 13 years of assisting, primarily in New York, Weisblum had only edited a handful of features (including The Darjeeling Unlimited and Broken English). The pair had met when Weisblum was visual effects editor... »
Contender – Editor, Elliot Graham, Milk
Prior to working on Milk, editor Elliot Graham was familiar with the story of Harvey Milk and felt it was an important story to be told. He had also been a fan of Gus Van Sant since Drugstore Cowboy and had the director on a shortlist of people he’d like to work with. They... »
Contender – Costume Designer, Michael O’Connor, The Duchess
Georgiana Cavendish, the Duchess of Devonshire, was a controversial British late 18th century literary doyenne, political activist and fashion plate. In the biographical film The Duchess starring Keira Knightley, costume plays a signifying role. “We plotted it so that everything she wore was a key part of telling the story,” says Michael O’Connor, the... »
Contender – Cinematographer, Mandy Walker, ACS, Australia
Australia, director Baz Luhrmann’s two-hour and 40-minute epic tribute to his homeland, is a feast for the eyes. Credit for the film’s succession of visual highpoints goes to director of photography Mandy Walker, who is also Australian. Filming lasted five months. It combines panoramic location shots, numerous scenes on sets in Sydney and significant... »
Contender – Cinematographer, Roger Deakins, ASC, BSC
It’s hard to pin a signature style on prolific director of photography Roger Deakins, except to say that he captures the essence of each film he works on without ever seeming obtrusive. “I go for a simple naturalism,” says the British cinematographer who has primarily worked with U.S. directors. “It’s so much about the... »
Tom Short to Receive 2009 MPEG Fellowship and Service Award
The Motion Picture Editors Guild (MPEG) has selected International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) international president emeritus Thomas C. Short to be the recipient of the Guild’s Fellowship and Service Award for 2009. The illustrious honor will be presented to Short at the MPEG annual Board of Directors Installation Dinner on January 10,... »
Hollywood Woes
For the second year in a row, the specter of a potential strike is stalking Hollywood as the end of the year approaches and the awards season looms. This time it’s the leadership of the Screen Actors Guild that is asking its membership to vote to authorize a possible walkout that could come as... »
Darren Aronofsky Wrestles with Reality
In a departure from The Fountain, his cerebral last film, director Darren Aronofsky takes a decidedly gritty, realistic turn with The Wrestler. Relying on improvisation to garner reality-based performances from a cast composed largely of non-professional actors, Aronofsky tells the comeback story of retired professional wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson, played by Mickey Rourke... »
SonicPool’s “Superior” Service
Since opening its new Lake Superior Room earlier this year, Hollywood-based post facility, SonicPool has seen a steady stream of work ranging from independent feature films, and TV shows to commercials. The Lake Superior Room is built around an Avid DS/ Symphony Nitris Dual-Boot system with 15 terabytes of storage, which allows editors to... »
From Sunshine to Slumdog, and Sleeping with Cameras
Director Danny Boyle’s latest film, the India-set magical realist romantic fable Slumdog Millionaire, is vastly different to his previous film, the set-in-space thriller Sunshine. Both have settings that might strike western viewers as fantastical: the latter, in a spaceship headed for the sun, the most recent, in the slum, streets, alleys and more, of... »
