Is humor ever not funny?
"The Office" takes on suicide
"The Office" has gotten a lot of attention over the past week or so for its Halloween episode, which showed boss Michael Scott in a noose, sharing a particularly poorly worded suicide prevention message. I was struck by how a similar image, also in the public sphere this past week, generated a different kind of response. Ireland's "Sunday World" newspaper published an image of a man in a noose as a way of drawing public attention to police delay in removing the man's body.
I wonder if because "The Office" is a comedy, we are prepared to laugh at whatever comes across the screen. But, in the case of the photo published in the newspaper in Ireland, the image of a man hanging was not at all humorous. Similar image, very different contexts.
Is humor ever not funny?
"The Office" takes on suicide
Friday, November 13, 2009
Psy Blog: What the lips say about how we feel and think - even deception
What the lips say about how we feel and think - even deception
What our lips reveal about us - even when lying!
When it comes to feelings and emotions, the lips can be invaluable; they can even help us to detect deception. Ever notice when people are stressed, their lips disappear or get smaller.j
Lips convey a lot of information that is often ignored or not even observed. Rich with nerves and highly vascular, the lips react in real time to the world around us. So when people receive bad news or witness a horrific event their lips begin to disappear, becoming very thin as vaso constriction takes place. Under extreme stress they disappear completely or are compressed together.
In a forensic setting you quickly realize that not all words we hear have the same weight. If you killed someone with an ice pick, you will not react to the question, "Did you kill her with a machete?" as you would if you were asked, "Did you kill her with an ice pick?" In polygraphy, this is called the "hidden key." By asking specific questions you can elicit very precise information as to what bothers an individual or, in some cases, that they have specific guilty knowledge.
What the lips say about how we feel and think - even deception
What our lips reveal about us - even when lying!
What our lips reveal about us - even when lying!
When it comes to feelings and emotions, the lips can be invaluable; they can even help us to detect deception. Ever notice when people are stressed, their lips disappear or get smaller.j
Lips convey a lot of information that is often ignored or not even observed. Rich with nerves and highly vascular, the lips react in real time to the world around us. So when people receive bad news or witness a horrific event their lips begin to disappear, becoming very thin as vaso constriction takes place. Under extreme stress they disappear completely or are compressed together.
In a forensic setting you quickly realize that not all words we hear have the same weight. If you killed someone with an ice pick, you will not react to the question, "Did you kill her with a machete?" as you would if you were asked, "Did you kill her with an ice pick?" In polygraphy, this is called the "hidden key." By asking specific questions you can elicit very precise information as to what bothers an individual or, in some cases, that they have specific guilty knowledge.
What the lips say about how we feel and think - even deception
What our lips reveal about us - even when lying!
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Viewed: GULAL
One thing about watching Anurag Kashyap film is that you are curious to know what he has done and how. Kashyap typically walks a line that is not the norm - be it the content he dabbles in or the way he portrays the life of his characters.
Gulal was the only film, whose rushes I had seen years ago, before he had made Dev-D, when he had come to pitch it to E-City Films. The movie was 70% complete as per the director and he wanted money to complete the film.
There was no color correction. We had seen some scenes (not the entire 70%) and one thing which always comes out of his films - strong performances. Piyush Mishra with his song and antics looked a captivating figure and one could see that though kind of raw it seemed quite unique.
Some friends had raved about it, some pals weren't so impressed. From what I recall the reviews were either at top or...bottom. Personally I have never been blown by his friends, though I have looked forward to his flicks. Black Friday was a good one, so was Dev-D and I even found No Smoking interesting.
I was also fortunate to see his first, Paanch, which was effective in its own way. A very niche film that was fueling with violence.
The same things hold to an extent in Gulal. It's about politics, about power, also about love and violence is a chief part of it. It is a niche film too, though it had the potential to transcend. It would be an interesting question - why it is not?
The film is a story of a timid, naive student who comes to a town in Rajasthan and gets sucked into the politics of a group of Rajputs who seek independence. The ambition for power also ensnares him in love, which eventually wrecks every thing for almost every one.
It is an interesting topic, a brave terrain to walk into, which Kashyap regularly gets into. He does a good job of representing the environment, and even completing an effective journey in terms of being with the story.
However, as he does that, he tends to spread himself thin by dabbling into too many point of views. With fast-paced editing and with lot of other 'angles', it seems there is an opportunity lost to build this into a great tale.
The 'angle' of the mad brother of the Senapati, played by Piyush Mishra, commenting on the side courtesy his rants and songs is a nice thing, and is a great window to watch the events. The other angle of people wearing masks that you keep encountering throughout the film is a stylistic device that though not intrusive doesn't seem to do much.
The bane of the film tends to be what is considered Kashyap's strength - his dialogues. At times they seem too cute for effect, which takes the effect out of the telling.
However, it has to be said, even in trying to tell a complex story, there are a lot of silent moments that tend to grip you. Over-all the film holds you but somehow one fails to care for the characters. It walks into areas where you can be empathetic but somehow it falls short - be it Dilip Singh (the protagonist,) Banaa (Kay Kay) or Kiran (Dilip's lover.)
Yet...there are enough moments when you like the guys and there are many like Ransa or Baati (Deepak Dobriyal) since their caring sides have been revealed.
Kashyap also portrays a very interesting feminine side - a woman (teacher) who is raped and lives her existence, Kiran who is an illegitimate Rajput, whose brother (Aditya Srivastava) aspires to be the Senapati / Banaa; Kiran is a power-seeker, who can sleep around for her benefit, yet..she is governed by her brother. Then there is Madhuri (Mahi Gill) the parlor girl, who is the mistress of Banaa and...Banna's wife (Jyoti Dogra.)
The acting as expected from a Kashyap film is extremely good over-all. But in attempting to tell too much, despite an editing that is on the quick-side (which is not necessarily a strength), and decent camerwork plus lighting, the story involves you but...somehow fails too connect greatly with the characters.
Though again...it's a solid line walked by Kashyap, where he colors himself in the milieu of a unique place and tries to tell a unique tale.
Writers: Raj Singh Chaudhary, Anurag Kashyap
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Rating ***
[Max Rating ****]
[Viewed on Mac courtesy a dvd on 12th Nov, 2009 at Langford Town, Bangalore]
Gulal was the only film, whose rushes I had seen years ago, before he had made Dev-D, when he had come to pitch it to E-City Films. The movie was 70% complete as per the director and he wanted money to complete the film.
There was no color correction. We had seen some scenes (not the entire 70%) and one thing which always comes out of his films - strong performances. Piyush Mishra with his song and antics looked a captivating figure and one could see that though kind of raw it seemed quite unique.
Some friends had raved about it, some pals weren't so impressed. From what I recall the reviews were either at top or...bottom. Personally I have never been blown by his friends, though I have looked forward to his flicks. Black Friday was a good one, so was Dev-D and I even found No Smoking interesting.
I was also fortunate to see his first, Paanch, which was effective in its own way. A very niche film that was fueling with violence.
The same things hold to an extent in Gulal. It's about politics, about power, also about love and violence is a chief part of it. It is a niche film too, though it had the potential to transcend. It would be an interesting question - why it is not?
The film is a story of a timid, naive student who comes to a town in Rajasthan and gets sucked into the politics of a group of Rajputs who seek independence. The ambition for power also ensnares him in love, which eventually wrecks every thing for almost every one.
It is an interesting topic, a brave terrain to walk into, which Kashyap regularly gets into. He does a good job of representing the environment, and even completing an effective journey in terms of being with the story.
However, as he does that, he tends to spread himself thin by dabbling into too many point of views. With fast-paced editing and with lot of other 'angles', it seems there is an opportunity lost to build this into a great tale.
The 'angle' of the mad brother of the Senapati, played by Piyush Mishra, commenting on the side courtesy his rants and songs is a nice thing, and is a great window to watch the events. The other angle of people wearing masks that you keep encountering throughout the film is a stylistic device that though not intrusive doesn't seem to do much.
The bane of the film tends to be what is considered Kashyap's strength - his dialogues. At times they seem too cute for effect, which takes the effect out of the telling.
However, it has to be said, even in trying to tell a complex story, there are a lot of silent moments that tend to grip you. Over-all the film holds you but somehow one fails to care for the characters. It walks into areas where you can be empathetic but somehow it falls short - be it Dilip Singh (the protagonist,) Banaa (Kay Kay) or Kiran (Dilip's lover.)
Yet...there are enough moments when you like the guys and there are many like Ransa or Baati (Deepak Dobriyal) since their caring sides have been revealed.
Kashyap also portrays a very interesting feminine side - a woman (teacher) who is raped and lives her existence, Kiran who is an illegitimate Rajput, whose brother (Aditya Srivastava) aspires to be the Senapati / Banaa; Kiran is a power-seeker, who can sleep around for her benefit, yet..she is governed by her brother. Then there is Madhuri (Mahi Gill) the parlor girl, who is the mistress of Banaa and...Banna's wife (Jyoti Dogra.)
The acting as expected from a Kashyap film is extremely good over-all. But in attempting to tell too much, despite an editing that is on the quick-side (which is not necessarily a strength), and decent camerwork plus lighting, the story involves you but...somehow fails too connect greatly with the characters.
Though again...it's a solid line walked by Kashyap, where he colors himself in the milieu of a unique place and tries to tell a unique tale.
Writers: Raj Singh Chaudhary, Anurag Kashyap
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Rating ***
[Max Rating ****]
[Viewed on Mac courtesy a dvd on 12th Nov, 2009 at Langford Town, Bangalore]
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Blog: Breaking In: Zen and the Art of Guerrilla Script Marketing
Staton Rabin: Breaking In: Zen and the Art of Guerrilla Script Marketing
"If you can keep your head when all about youAre losing theirs and blaming it on you; …
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same …"
--"If," by Rudyard Kipling
Maybe, when he wasn't writing classic short stories and novels like The Jungle Book, Kipling was secretly writing movie scripts. That might explain why his immortal poem, "If," is such useful advice for screenwriters. Trying to "keep your head" in this business is a never-ending challenge. But staying sane is critical to success. If you're a movie star, producer, director, even an agent -- "crazy" might even be considered part of your job description. But if you're a writer, it's a luxury you can't afford. If you want to succeed in this business, you need to be able to "keep your head when all about you are losing theirs …"
Staton Rabin: Breaking In: Zen and the Art of Guerrilla Script Marketing
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Sites: Hindi Film Songs Lyrics
Giitaayan
This site has extensive amount of content, including lyrics in Devnagari. If you are confused about the lyrics or how it's spelled then just select 'Song stats' and put information.
Like 'Kaminey Vishal', reveals this (after I have clicked on 'nagari' in devnagari on left):
http://aczoom.homeip.net:8080/cgi/tmp/it03003-7AA7F709-1/done5642.html
Another site:
Smriti - Hindi Song Lyrics
This site has extensive amount of content, including lyrics in Devnagari. If you are confused about the lyrics or how it's spelled then just select 'Song stats' and put information.
Like 'Kaminey Vishal', reveals this (after I have clicked on 'nagari' in devnagari on left):
http://aczoom.homeip.net:8080/cgi/tmp/it03003-7AA7F709-1/done5642.html
Another site:
Smriti - Hindi Song Lyrics
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Viewed: THE COUNTERFEITERS
I finally caught up with this Oscar winner (Best Foreign Film) and was blown away by its story-telling.
The Austrian film directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky depicts what it claims to be the biggest ever counterfeiting activity - led by Nazis counterfeiting British Pounds and Dollars. By the end of the operation, they had produced more Pounds than the actual mint/s of United Kingdom.
The story is about the man, Salomon Sorowitsch who is the best at this game. He was a student of art but took the easy way out, or rather worked to become master at this art.
During the Nazi occupation, as he struggles to survive in his camp, he is picked by the man who had arrested him to head the 'printing press' for money.
The film starts with Sorowitsch at a casino, post Nazi-era and establishes him as a cold, seemingly selfish person interested in blowing money and attracted to women. It then goes into a flashback to reveal the entire story on how Sorowitsch works with his team to counterfeit money and deals with the challenges and resistance within the camp.
The story is about a selfish person whose focus is on surviving but under the circumstance he risks every thing to save his people. He wants to survive and get through but his need is to help other people make it.
With a tight and gripping telling, with excellent acting the film creates a truly memorable experience. It's so much visual and with Sorowitsch being a loner, a 'no-talker', it's a flick that captivates you and takes you on a unique journey.
Based on a book by Adolf Burger
Writer: Stefan Ruzowitzky
Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky
Rating ****
[Max Rating ****]
[Viewed on UTV World Movies at Manish's in Bangalore on 30th Oct, 2009 @ 9.30 am]
The Austrian film directed by Stefan Ruzowitzky depicts what it claims to be the biggest ever counterfeiting activity - led by Nazis counterfeiting British Pounds and Dollars. By the end of the operation, they had produced more Pounds than the actual mint/s of United Kingdom.
The story is about the man, Salomon Sorowitsch who is the best at this game. He was a student of art but took the easy way out, or rather worked to become master at this art.
During the Nazi occupation, as he struggles to survive in his camp, he is picked by the man who had arrested him to head the 'printing press' for money.
The film starts with Sorowitsch at a casino, post Nazi-era and establishes him as a cold, seemingly selfish person interested in blowing money and attracted to women. It then goes into a flashback to reveal the entire story on how Sorowitsch works with his team to counterfeit money and deals with the challenges and resistance within the camp.
The story is about a selfish person whose focus is on surviving but under the circumstance he risks every thing to save his people. He wants to survive and get through but his need is to help other people make it.
With a tight and gripping telling, with excellent acting the film creates a truly memorable experience. It's so much visual and with Sorowitsch being a loner, a 'no-talker', it's a flick that captivates you and takes you on a unique journey.
Based on a book by Adolf Burger
Writer: Stefan Ruzowitzky
Director: Stefan Ruzowitzky
Rating ****
[Max Rating ****]
[Viewed on UTV World Movies at Manish's in Bangalore on 30th Oct, 2009 @ 9.30 am]
STORY ANALYST’S TOP TEN LIST
STORY ANALYST'S TOP TEN LIST
By Writers' Program Instructor Barney Lichtenstein
In terms of content, it is almost impossible to say, as what one reader passes on as too "small" or character driven, his colleague down the road may eagerly recommend. What another thinks is too high concept or violent, her counterpart may relish as a fresh take on a standard action vehicle. These various reactions have nothing to do with story analysts being capricious – on the contrary, good readers are extensions of the eyes of development executives, producers, and agents for whom they work.
One thing however that distinguishes professional story analysts from non-professional readers is the number of screenplays read. Through the hundreds, perhaps thousands of scripts covered, a story analyst becomes fluent in the language of film. He or she recognizes and appreciates professional methods of screenwriting – what I call "in-between details".
- Layout and pacing – Lean descriptions (doesn't describe every turn of the hand and movement of the head).
- Dialogue – generally short lines, not speeches, unless the script is a showcase for dialogue.
- Opening shots should ideally touch on theme.
- Look for predominant tone established quickly and kept consistent, balanced. "Seeds" should be planted if it is going to change significantly.
- Does the screenplay grab you by bottom of the first page, ideally the first sentence?
- Writing should make the most of a lead's entrance.
- Do secondary characters and even minor ones speak with their own distinct voices?
- Look for strong set ups, or what I call "planted seeds", and their payoffs.
- Is length appropriate for genre?
More...
STORY ANALYST'S TOP TEN LIST - IN BETWEEN STRUCTURE AND FORMATTING
By Writers' Program Instructor Barney Lichtenstein
In terms of content, it is almost impossible to say, as what one reader passes on as too "small" or character driven, his colleague down the road may eagerly recommend. What another thinks is too high concept or violent, her counterpart may relish as a fresh take on a standard action vehicle. These various reactions have nothing to do with story analysts being capricious – on the contrary, good readers are extensions of the eyes of development executives, producers, and agents for whom they work.
One thing however that distinguishes professional story analysts from non-professional readers is the number of screenplays read. Through the hundreds, perhaps thousands of scripts covered, a story analyst becomes fluent in the language of film. He or she recognizes and appreciates professional methods of screenwriting – what I call "in-between details".
- Layout and pacing – Lean descriptions (doesn't describe every turn of the hand and movement of the head).
- Dialogue – generally short lines, not speeches, unless the script is a showcase for dialogue.
- Opening shots should ideally touch on theme.
- Look for predominant tone established quickly and kept consistent, balanced. "Seeds" should be planted if it is going to change significantly.
- Does the screenplay grab you by bottom of the first page, ideally the first sentence?
- Writing should make the most of a lead's entrance.
- Do secondary characters and even minor ones speak with their own distinct voices?
- Look for strong set ups, or what I call "planted seeds", and their payoffs.
- Is length appropriate for genre?
More...
STORY ANALYST'S TOP TEN LIST - IN BETWEEN STRUCTURE AND FORMATTING
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