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Walking into a Movie (Literally)
For some, 3D is a difficult entertainment medium to endure. It’s completely understandable. Still, for those who do or can enjoy the three dimensional interactive movie-watching experience, what’s exciting is thinking what could be coming to a theater near you in the not so distant future…
Just contemplating how awesome seeing “Gravity” in IMAX 3D will be, it stirred up a wild and crazy idea. Though it has been done before at theme parks to some degree, imagine movie theaters that, for special screenings or major premiers of particular movies, are customized to the sounds, sights and settings of the anticipated blockbuster movie.
For example: say that for “Jurassic Park,” the theater showing this epic film in 4D would be decorated like the jungle and compound of Isla Nublar with a few surprises for the moviegoers. As opposed to strictly sitting and watching the movie, a 4D screening would provide the audience with more of an experience, while not detracting from the cinematic storytelling on-screen.
In this reality, the audience would truly transport to the world of the specific movie. Maybe a little wind, mist, ground shaking, or mysterious breathing from a prehistoric creature…
The theater set design would need to flow from the major studio for authenticity, effectiveness and creativity, but the possibilities for certain movies could redefine the power (and feel) of certain blockbusters.
If you’ve been to a theme park and gone on a ride based on a popular movie, imagine that experience but slightly toned down and/or customized for a movie theater. What’s paramount is not to disrupt or distract from the storytelling and acting, but simply to enhance and to gently play with our senses. Immersion is the key to this concept.
It’s important to note that movie theaters are already expensive, as has been mentioned in this blog previously. The cost from production studios to achieve this groundbreaking dynamic may be difficult, but if there is a way that this kind of promotion could give the movie and the studios a great return on investment (plus fan satisfaction), then surely they will quickly adopt the spirit of “why not?”
If this can be accomplished, then is there really anything holding the movie industry back in the future?
Talk about a break from the constraints of cinematic gravity.
The sky really could be the limit…and not just for Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.
Do You See What I See?
It’s astonishing.
The image is the exact same, and yet my eyes see it transform into something new every time I look at it for a few seconds. Is my mind playing tricks on me or am I seeing precisely what I should be seeing? What’s going on?
One day, it’s a wise old man. The next week it’s definitely a desert creature. “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” just popped into my head. Not one of its countless comedic moments, but the most emotional scene of the entire series between Will Smith and his Dad.
The background is now leaping into the foreground and vice versa. There it hangs in its strong black frame, with its white background and bold colored shapes of blue, green, red, yellow and black trying to define itself, but with a gentle fluidity that allows it to change upon fresh glance.
Art is frustratingly ambiguous on Monday and magically inspiring on Saturday morning. The artist clearly painted with great intent with his brush strokes. Still, a new viewer will all but certainly have a varying view of the artist’s proposed meaning when compared to someone who has looked at it before for some time. The painting has a unique story to each observer.
Anyways, I was driving by the Columbus Commons during lunch on Monday, alongside the construction of the new apartments. The apartments look like they should be a fantastic addition to a growing metropolitan area. Conversely, the opposite side of the street looks depressed, lonely and void of any hope or acknowledgement. In the past when I’ve driven past this same stretch, the sight of it has just been flat out sad with the same worn, aged, dirty store fronts. I wonder what it used to look and be like?
That is until, while driving past this area, a song that was playing in my CD player (yes, some people still buy CD’s) sparked a flurry of imaginative ideas for what this strip could look like. All of a sudden, flashes of bustling small local shops mixed with a big-name brand here and there electrified my mind with images of smiling faces, adults and children alike, proudly parading the street with a new sense of optimism and happiness. This picture lasted only a few seconds, but it was undeniably vivid.
I’m no architect (nope, I’m no Ted Mosby or George Costanza), but perhaps that’s not who those old buildings need right now. Maybe what that side of the street needs is someone to stop, pause and take a long, uninterrupted look on a Saturday morning.
Two Quarterbacks Walk onto the Field…
The Ohio State Buckeyes travel to Berkeley, California this Saturday to battle the aerial arsenal that is the Cal Bears for an early season match-up between the Big Ten and the Pac-12 conferences.
It’s the Midwest vs. the West Coast.
Before the 2013 season, nearly all the hype for the Buckeyes was dedicated to their star quarterback, Braxton Miller. However, after a nasty hit in last week’s game against San Diego State that left Miller’s helmet on the field after just nine plays, head coach Urban Meyer has yet to definitively clear him to start this weekend. Miller is considered to be a game time decision.
And yet, this is, potentially, not even the biggest headline going into the game.
The most intriguing question is how much playing time will backup sensation Kenny Guiton receive? Guiton has proven to play with a style very close to that of Miller, which could open up the offensive playbook for some very fun, unusual play calls where two quarterbacks are lined up in a spread formation.
Sound familiar Buckeye fans?
The storylines for the game in Berkeley consist of many aspects, like:
- Cal’s passing offense vs. Ohio State’s active (or reactive) nature in the secondary
- Ohio State’s diverse rushing attack
- Will Braxton Miller start? If so, how much will he play? How effective will he be?
- Does Kenny Guiton start? If not, how much time might he see?
- Will Cal’s capable rusher deflect the young “Silver Bullets?”
- Will defense, ultimately, be a factor? Or will the Bears and Buckeyes engage in an old fashioned western shootout?
- How influential is Cal’s home field advantage?
Still, beyond the suspected pregame analysis, what would the Buckeyes look like with two athletic quarterbacks lined up in a spread formation? Imagine the possibilities…
Everyone is talking about Plan A (with Miller) or Plan B (with Guiton).
I’m thinking of a more dynamic formula. How about A + B?
Playing with the starting quarterback and backup quarterback in formations would be a very liberal approach to the offense and I can think of no better place to experiment with such an endeavor than Berkeley, California.
Jimmy's Daily Planet 