Well it's taken a fair amount of work, but I've managed finally to put together my first website demo video. It's not much, but I rather like it for a first effort. Once I get a better handle on how to do this video editing stuff I can make improvements until I get the kind of thing I really want all together.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
On the artistic integrity of a good story...
Okay, usually I'm talking about magic, or perhaps I'm talking about my rapier studies and SCA related things.
This time I'm talking about story telling via "Heroes."
So we now have ended the story. Or have we? Now that the first season is over, let's talk a little about how it ended. I am not satisfied. A couple of months ago I heard that they were going to take the story into another season. I knew then that I was likely not going to be happy about it. And here it turns out that I am correct.
First the big continuity error: Peter Petreilli should have just flown away. He could you know. The first power he absorbed was his brother Nathan's. We know that once he absorbed a power he could use it again and again. He could fly. And if Peter loved everyone "unconditionally" then he should have been willing to fly off and blow up at a safe distance. Why did it take Nathan to do that for him? Because he's scared? Well, yes, they established his reliance on his brother throughout the season, but I'm still no so sure. He seemed ready to use other powers to protect people despite the danger to himself.
But who else should have died? DL certainly. I'm guessing that in the original story that DL probably did die. Why didn't he? We'll get to that.
Who else? Ando probably, and definitely Syler. Ando's death would have turned Hiro into the hero he is supposed to be and Syler was the villian that needed to be destroyed in the end.
So why didn't these guys actually die? (And yes, Syler is still alive. The image of the manhole cover is painfully obvious even without the "symbolic" cockroach crawling on it.) I'm guessing "Corporate Greed."
The network sees that they have a good thing going making them money. So they say "Hey, let's change the story a bit so we can keep everyone's favorite characters and milk this thing for more money." So out goes the artistic integrity of the story. You could see it. You could feel it. The ending didn't justify all that had gone on before.
Imagine how much more powerful the story would have been if Ando had bought the farm at Syler's hand in Isaac's loft? That would have been the moment that Hiro's heart would have been sacrificed to the dragon just like in his favorite story of Kensie. How much more would it have meant to Nikki to save Micha once she truly realized that he was all she had left of DL now that she knew that despite the manipulation of their lives and relationship they really did love each other?
Someone once told me that the difference between a Hero and a Champion is that a Hero is dead. Cynical, but think about that in light of little Molly looking at Parkman and hoping that he doesn't die.
I've enjoyed this series right from the beginning and I expect that I'll continue to enjoy it into it's second season. But this would have been so much better had it been a one shot thing. The artisitc integrity of the story would have been maintained. I know that it's a battle for writers to keep their visions intact in the face of corporate greed. It's sad to think that this story seems to have suffered that.
For those of you who are the "artistic story teller types," whether you be magicians or writers or whatever, think about the artisitic integrity of the story you create and tell. Think how much more it could be if you don't hold back and especially if you don't sell out. Those moments are precious and it sucks to give them up to something that might be easier to do or will be "more commercial."
Oh, and while you're thinking about that, also think about who was wearing Kensei's armor at the end there. Looked like "Hiro's dad" didn't it? *smile*
This time I'm talking about story telling via "Heroes."
So we now have ended the story. Or have we? Now that the first season is over, let's talk a little about how it ended. I am not satisfied. A couple of months ago I heard that they were going to take the story into another season. I knew then that I was likely not going to be happy about it. And here it turns out that I am correct.
First the big continuity error: Peter Petreilli should have just flown away. He could you know. The first power he absorbed was his brother Nathan's. We know that once he absorbed a power he could use it again and again. He could fly. And if Peter loved everyone "unconditionally" then he should have been willing to fly off and blow up at a safe distance. Why did it take Nathan to do that for him? Because he's scared? Well, yes, they established his reliance on his brother throughout the season, but I'm still no so sure. He seemed ready to use other powers to protect people despite the danger to himself.
But who else should have died? DL certainly. I'm guessing that in the original story that DL probably did die. Why didn't he? We'll get to that.
Who else? Ando probably, and definitely Syler. Ando's death would have turned Hiro into the hero he is supposed to be and Syler was the villian that needed to be destroyed in the end.
So why didn't these guys actually die? (And yes, Syler is still alive. The image of the manhole cover is painfully obvious even without the "symbolic" cockroach crawling on it.) I'm guessing "Corporate Greed."
The network sees that they have a good thing going making them money. So they say "Hey, let's change the story a bit so we can keep everyone's favorite characters and milk this thing for more money." So out goes the artistic integrity of the story. You could see it. You could feel it. The ending didn't justify all that had gone on before.
Imagine how much more powerful the story would have been if Ando had bought the farm at Syler's hand in Isaac's loft? That would have been the moment that Hiro's heart would have been sacrificed to the dragon just like in his favorite story of Kensie. How much more would it have meant to Nikki to save Micha once she truly realized that he was all she had left of DL now that she knew that despite the manipulation of their lives and relationship they really did love each other?
Someone once told me that the difference between a Hero and a Champion is that a Hero is dead. Cynical, but think about that in light of little Molly looking at Parkman and hoping that he doesn't die.
I've enjoyed this series right from the beginning and I expect that I'll continue to enjoy it into it's second season. But this would have been so much better had it been a one shot thing. The artisitc integrity of the story would have been maintained. I know that it's a battle for writers to keep their visions intact in the face of corporate greed. It's sad to think that this story seems to have suffered that.
For those of you who are the "artistic story teller types," whether you be magicians or writers or whatever, think about the artisitic integrity of the story you create and tell. Think how much more it could be if you don't hold back and especially if you don't sell out. Those moments are precious and it sucks to give them up to something that might be easier to do or will be "more commercial."
Oh, and while you're thinking about that, also think about who was wearing Kensei's armor at the end there. Looked like "Hiro's dad" didn't it? *smile*
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
On aging paper
Occasionally when you are working to create your own props you find that you need to have paper that looks old. This is especially good for routines where the props are old books or maps. Nothing looks worse then when you are telling a story and you try to pass off something freshly printed from your computer as an old letter from several generations ago.
But paper is kind of delicate stuff isn't it?
Well, no, not really. Paper can take a pretty fair amount of abuse. And as such you can do some things to it which makes it look older then it actually is. Here then is a brief listing of different ways that you might use to make your paper look old.
1. For color, soak it in dark tea
2. To make sheets brittle, get them wet and then cook them in a low temp oven.
3. To yellow them just leave them out in the back of your car for about a month!
4. You can make paper look dirty by rubbing powdered chocolate on it.
(Yes, I know some people would consider that a waste of good chocolate.)
5. Use the microwave to cook ketchup or steak sauce onto the paper to get "dried blood."
6. Get sealing wax from your local art supply store and drip some on.
7. Get Violin Rosin from the music shop to rub on the paper for that "old" smell.
Sometimes it takes just a touch of creativity to make your props looks that much better, but when you do the payoff is amazing!
But paper is kind of delicate stuff isn't it?
Well, no, not really. Paper can take a pretty fair amount of abuse. And as such you can do some things to it which makes it look older then it actually is. Here then is a brief listing of different ways that you might use to make your paper look old.
1. For color, soak it in dark tea
2. To make sheets brittle, get them wet and then cook them in a low temp oven.
3. To yellow them just leave them out in the back of your car for about a month!
4. You can make paper look dirty by rubbing powdered chocolate on it.
(Yes, I know some people would consider that a waste of good chocolate.)
5. Use the microwave to cook ketchup or steak sauce onto the paper to get "dried blood."
6. Get sealing wax from your local art supply store and drip some on.
7. Get Violin Rosin from the music shop to rub on the paper for that "old" smell.
Sometimes it takes just a touch of creativity to make your props looks that much better, but when you do the payoff is amazing!
Monday, May 14, 2007
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