Remember, way back in the day, back in the 80's, when a movie was only available for rental for the first few weeks or months of it's release?
Rental stores had to pay hundreds of dollars for each copy of the movie that they purchased, and if you wanted to see that movie the day it came out you had to get it from your local video store.
That changed around the time I was in high school I think, maybe a little earlier, when they basically made movies available to rent and buy retail at the same time.
Now, with the popularity of Redbox and Netflix rising every day, studios are apparently thinking of reversing the old system. Basically a DVD would be available only for retail purchase for the first few weeks and then to rent after that.
So here's my response to that:
Are they thick?
Did somebody smack them upside the head when they were supposed to be studying economics and business and it rattled their brain into perennial opposite mode?
This will not bolster or help the DVD sales market. The DVD sales market is dying for a few reasons, none of which are entirely the rental markets fault.
Reason #1? THE ECONOMY. It's bad. People aren't buying luxuries and one of the first luxuries to go is often entertainment like movies and books. I know it's the first thing that gets cut out of my budget and I'm a filmmaker.
Reason #2? Pricing and special editions. This is the same problem studio execs found with CDs and they still haven't woken up to the truth. If a DVD is too expensive people won't buy it. Think about this: say you make $10 profit off of a DVD sale at a $20 pricepoint.
If you lowered the price to $15, you would only make $5 profit, seeming to cut your profit margin in half. But if that price drop made twice as many people buy the DVD, then your profits would stay the same. I know that this is all fuzzy and conjecture, but with all the people talking about sales and the economy, can't somebody do the studies and show that lower priced DVDs would equal higher sales and higher profits for the company?
And while they're at it, could they show that releasing a movie twelve times with different sets of special features is irritating the consumer? Not to mention when you have exclusive content depending on what store you buy your disc at? That's just uncalled for.
There's even more stuff involved than that, but in the end, even if the studios do go and make films delayed on the rental market, all it will do is serve to cause me to purchase LESS films.
I have a very specific set of questions I ask myself before I buy a movie. Have I seen it? Did I like it? Will I want to watch it over and over again? Unless all THREE questions get a yes answer, I will not buy the movie.
I know, that isn't the typical thing you'll hear from a film major or filmmaker. Most of the people I know have overflowing stacks and shelves of DVDs. And that's great. But the thing is, those people are buying the DVDs instead of renting them anyway.
Basically all this plan is doing is setting out a sign from the film studios that says, "Hey, all you people who are budget conscious and like to live uncluttered lifestyles, who prefer to think about their purchases and give their money to only the best artists and people they truly love: we don't like you and we think you deserve to be punished."
I can't think of a single person I know who would say "I can't see this movie for two weeks unless I shell out $20??? I MUST HAVE IT!"
Heck, I don't watch new releases sometimes for months or years because my Netflix queue is so full of classics and television shows I want to catch up on from the years when I didn't have cable (I'm still eight seasons behind on CSI). The only reason I rented Transformers 2 this week was because my husband wanted to see it and asked me to. Otherwise my next disc is an anime from the 1980's that I haven't managed to see before, and after that is the Dawn of the Dead remake just in time for Halloween.
What I'm saying here is that this plan will not make an impact on DVD sales, probably not even a dent. But it WILL serve to make the studios look bad, and insult a subset of their audience. So why do something that won't help and might harm? If I can't rent the DVD in the first few weeks, I'll just throw it to the bottom of my queue and forget about it, not renting it for YEARS, which certainly helps nobody's bottom line.
Movie studios are starting to sound as stupid and out of touch with modern times as record executives.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Monday, October 12, 2009
Thoughts on Film Writing
I'll catch up with my recaps sometime this week. But the thing is that I'm snowed under with my grad school homework.
Which includes a lot of reading, which has gotten me thinking.
You see, I like film as an art form and as a storytelling device for one main reason: the way it resonates with so many people. A good film is one that crosses gender, racial, and social lines to appeal to a large number of people. Not in the same way, of course, but people of all shapes and sizes pull something from the film. It relates to my personal answer to the question "what is art."
I believe that when an artist takes something of themselves, some truth they're trying to attain, some piece of their own puzzle, something about their life or belief, and they put that into the work, then they are a "real artist." And I believe that when someone, anyone, other than that artist looks at that work and takes something from their own lives, some piece of their own truth, and they pull that FROM the work, when they see something of themselves in that piece created by a person they likely did not know, then that is art.
In other words, art is something that speaks. But the important thing here is that the piece itself speaks to the audience, not the creator. If a writer, artist, or filmmaker must explain their work, or they feel that the only "real" interpretation is the one they provide and anyone who doesn't see that doesn't "get it" then it no longer really inhabits the real of "art" and it's just a recitation. Art must live on it's own, and it only lives with an audience.
To me, the beauty of filmmaking is that it is so far reaching. I attribute that to the fact that filmmaking is really art by committee. I consider this a great thing, before you get upset. Filmmaking is an art where each person is taking something from their lives, from their beliefs, and they are putting it into their part of the film. Yes, the writer, director, editor, lead actors, and producers are all known to be putting their vision to film. But at the same time, so is the art director, the wardrobe designer, the extras (if they're good), and everyone else involved. When everyone really believes in a film and puts at least a part of themselves into that film, then that means there are a hundred little truths sprinkled throughout, and those truths all have the potential to reach someone in the audience. Perhaps I don't agree with or buy into the director's truth. But I might believe in the art director's vision and that might draw me in and make me think of the film in my own way, thus elevating it to art.
Which leaves me with a very unpopular opinion that is going to get me into trouble soon. I believe that one of the worst things that you can do with film is write about it in the "academic" vernacular. To take a film or set of films and create a work where you explore it in a way that is inaccessible to most people is against the very nature of the process. I have read so many essays and papers about film that could easily have proposed the same ideas, the same thoughts, the same conclusions, but in a more easily read and accessible way, but because of the strict standards of academia and "higher learning" they're written in a way that most of the American population can't begin to understand or care about.
Film is not an art form that is about being selective, exclusive, or that has anything to do with an ivory tower. Exploring film in that way is counter to what I believe, to what I feel, and I'm tired of being expected to write about it that way myself. I can't write that way because it's not true to myself and how I feel.
You can disagree with me, that's the point of this blog having the word "opinion" in the title. In fact, I think it's important to note that for some people who are steeped in academia they likely don't know any other way to write. If they are indeed scientists or philosophers, that will just be the way they express themselves. But I think that in the places where we're teaching people to think critically about film, teaching them how to really write about film in order to leave their observations for future generations, perhaps we should be teaching them a way to write that is both persuasive and understandable for a much larger segment of the population.
As they say in one of my favorite films, "an ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure."
Which includes a lot of reading, which has gotten me thinking.
You see, I like film as an art form and as a storytelling device for one main reason: the way it resonates with so many people. A good film is one that crosses gender, racial, and social lines to appeal to a large number of people. Not in the same way, of course, but people of all shapes and sizes pull something from the film. It relates to my personal answer to the question "what is art."
I believe that when an artist takes something of themselves, some truth they're trying to attain, some piece of their own puzzle, something about their life or belief, and they put that into the work, then they are a "real artist." And I believe that when someone, anyone, other than that artist looks at that work and takes something from their own lives, some piece of their own truth, and they pull that FROM the work, when they see something of themselves in that piece created by a person they likely did not know, then that is art.
In other words, art is something that speaks. But the important thing here is that the piece itself speaks to the audience, not the creator. If a writer, artist, or filmmaker must explain their work, or they feel that the only "real" interpretation is the one they provide and anyone who doesn't see that doesn't "get it" then it no longer really inhabits the real of "art" and it's just a recitation. Art must live on it's own, and it only lives with an audience.
To me, the beauty of filmmaking is that it is so far reaching. I attribute that to the fact that filmmaking is really art by committee. I consider this a great thing, before you get upset. Filmmaking is an art where each person is taking something from their lives, from their beliefs, and they are putting it into their part of the film. Yes, the writer, director, editor, lead actors, and producers are all known to be putting their vision to film. But at the same time, so is the art director, the wardrobe designer, the extras (if they're good), and everyone else involved. When everyone really believes in a film and puts at least a part of themselves into that film, then that means there are a hundred little truths sprinkled throughout, and those truths all have the potential to reach someone in the audience. Perhaps I don't agree with or buy into the director's truth. But I might believe in the art director's vision and that might draw me in and make me think of the film in my own way, thus elevating it to art.
Which leaves me with a very unpopular opinion that is going to get me into trouble soon. I believe that one of the worst things that you can do with film is write about it in the "academic" vernacular. To take a film or set of films and create a work where you explore it in a way that is inaccessible to most people is against the very nature of the process. I have read so many essays and papers about film that could easily have proposed the same ideas, the same thoughts, the same conclusions, but in a more easily read and accessible way, but because of the strict standards of academia and "higher learning" they're written in a way that most of the American population can't begin to understand or care about.
Film is not an art form that is about being selective, exclusive, or that has anything to do with an ivory tower. Exploring film in that way is counter to what I believe, to what I feel, and I'm tired of being expected to write about it that way myself. I can't write that way because it's not true to myself and how I feel.
You can disagree with me, that's the point of this blog having the word "opinion" in the title. In fact, I think it's important to note that for some people who are steeped in academia they likely don't know any other way to write. If they are indeed scientists or philosophers, that will just be the way they express themselves. But I think that in the places where we're teaching people to think critically about film, teaching them how to really write about film in order to leave their observations for future generations, perhaps we should be teaching them a way to write that is both persuasive and understandable for a much larger segment of the population.
As they say in one of my favorite films, "an ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure."
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Fit to Print
Sorry about missing last week folks. If you'd like to read my thoughts, they're posted here. And if you want to make sure you don't miss anything even when I don't post on time, there's an RSS feed over to the right and there's also a syndication of the feed on Livejournal, thanks to the lovely Domynoe.
On with the real show!
I'm so happy about this week's challenge. It's so nice to seem them really returning to the wackiness and actually challenging aspects of previous years. I hope this trend continues.
What I wasn't happy to see was all the backbiting and middle-school aged immaturity on display. But I'll get to that.
Althea
My favorite dresses of this episode were the ones that used the photos in the paper to create a pattern, and this is one of the best examples of that. I know not a lot of people have seen the effect that's made by seeing a couple hundred copies of a newspaper stacked together, or on display, but the repetition can have it's own kind of beauty and Althea took advantage of that in a brilliant way.
The dress itself was also very nice, well fitted and flattering.
Carol Hannah
If I saw this dress and only knew that it was part of a challenge to make a dress out of newspaper, I would think "well, that's a pretty fair job."
But I've seen some of Carol Hannah's other dresses this season and while I like her quite a bit at the same time, her work can get just a little sloppy. So for some reason that's all I can think about with this dress, was that it fits with everything else she's done, which means everything else looks a bit like rumpled paper.
Also, I think her goal of making a dress that doesn't look like it's made out of paper was a bit against the spirit of the challenge, but perhaps that's just me. I didn't like that she dyed the entire thing, and I didn't like the color that came out of the effort.
It's just not impressing me, overall.
Christopher
Is it just me, or did Christopher never really answer the judges question about how he made the bodice so armor-like? He said something about pattern paper, but I'm used to pattern paper being that flimsy stuff that tears if you look at it the wrong way. When I've needed to make patterns on my own I've actually just used newspaper, so I'm not sure what he was talking about. Maybe that's my lack of experience sewing that's on display.
I admit, part of the reason I'm so curious is that I know a dozen costumers that would love to find a way to cheaply make light armor for their costumes.
Anyway, I do really enjoy this dress. I like that he thought to put something matching in her hair, because I think that's part of what sells it for me. It's well done, and the judges touched on everything that was great about it.
I actually wasn't entirely sold on Irina's trenchcoat, so I would have given this the win.
Epperson
This is what I was saying when I recapped last week's show. Epperson is just so steadfast and fantastic at what he does. He let the newspaper be it's own pattern, which most of the designers weren't able or willing to do. He made a really good garment, and Matar looks great in it.
But I can't say that it really stuck out in my mind or anything either. It seemed a little typical, not as creative as it could have been.
Gordana
Sometimes, I think that when the judge's see the tabulations for the top and bottom scores, they say, "Oh, really? Well...I don't know what to do with that." Because in the end, there's no real explanation for Gordana being in the bottom three.
Saying that she was too safe and too wearable could be a fair critique, but I see several other things that went down the runway that I would say were more so. I think Carol Hannah's is the obvious choice for that.
Gordana's dress is well constructed, well thought out, and doesn't rely on the use of dye to change the paper to something else, she just used the same section over and over to create a pattern.
I'm not exactly sure why they had a problem with it, because I think that it walks perfectly down that line between "wacky challenge response" and "darn good clothes."
And isn't that what Project Runway is supposed to be about?
Irina
Let me just say that I am so happy to see Irina finally getting her due. I wish it had been for a garment that I was more in love with, but such is life. It's just that I don't like big fur collars, so her approximation wasn't up my alley either.
At the same time though, Irina did put a lot of work and thought into this. The marker "stitches" were a great idea. Side note: somebody said something about not knowing how to sew newspaper. Um, you don't. I can't figure out a way where sewing it would actually be the proper answer to the construction issue, so I'm not sure why they bothered. /side note.
I'm going to take a second to comment about how a particular designer who I won't address until later stated that Irina didn't belong in the competition. I have no idea what competition HE'S been in, but from where I sit, Irina is one of the strongest contenders for either winning the show or having a fabulous and successful career after the show.
Think about it. Episode one she makes a fan favorite gown that is creamy and gorgeous. It shows off the model, it's classy, and most people agree should have been in the top.
Episode two she makes a completely beautiful light blue maternity dress that I would want to own in every color. The worst critique I've seen of it was that it was a little boring, but I can't say I agree. I think the sheer craftsmanship and fit of it saves it from boring.
Episode three she's paired with Johnny, so it's a misstep, sure. But the surf look is cute and casual, and the avant guarde look...well. The less I say about it the better. But they're still a top team, don't forget.
Episode four again saw Irina not make it to the top for a well designed, well made, really good looking dress. One that didn't look a bit like what other people were making, and flattered her model beautifully.
Saying that she doesn't belong in the competition is just ludicrous and I can't imagine where it came from other than either bad taste or insecurity.
Johnny
*sigh* It's time to talk about Johnny isn't it? Hasn't all of it already been said? This is a poor showing, it's a poor effort, and he should be ashamed.
His ridiculous story about the steamer was summed up best on Models of the Runway when one of the models incredulously asked, "he was steaming newspaper?" Johnny, if you're going to make things up, make up something plausible. You accidentally tore it straight up the side, and you didn't want to tape it all shut because that would show. You spilled dye on it. You knocked it over and your cranes were crushed. Heck, even, "I did a spit take when Epperson started imitating Shirin and it ruined the dress, oops."
I'm amazed, all the time, about the way the designers behave on the runway. Sometimes I think that the best thing about this show is that it might make people start thinking about how to think and speak to superiors. Doesn't anybody teach professionalism anymore? Listen, I'm in a creative field, and I'm in grad school. Defending your work without being argumentative, accepting criticism graciously while still standing behind your art, and generally not telling everything are all things you have to master.
There was no reason for Johnny to even bring up the first dress, because he should have known that the judge's wouldn't care. For him to say it was ruined wouldn't win him any brownie points, really. For him to say he scrapped it and started over, they still would have said, "you should have known better and made it work."
Johnny deserved to go home, and he deserves to be called out for his lie. He couldn't take a criticism and he couldn't defend his original design so he trashed it in a fit of childish tantrum. Absolutely. And his original design was pretty bad too, and it certainly wasn't "Dior."
However, I'm about to attack a sacred cow here. Tim's behavior after Johnny's exit was just as unprofessional and I'm just as annoyed by it. Tim has made a name for himself as a gentleman and a mentor. Speaking kindly to somebody's face and only waiting for the second the door shuts to badmouth them is not gentlemanly and it certainly doesn't make people want to open themselves up to your mentoring either. This isn't the first time that Tim's comments about contestants have sat wrongly with me, because I think of anybody on the show he should be living by the phrase, "if you don't have anything nice to say..."
A professor shouldn't speak ill of their students in front of other students. Tim, in his role as mentor, qualifies for that rule in my mind.
Listen, if Tim had couched it as a cautionary statement to the effect of, "I hope that you remaining designers can see that making up a story on the runway will not do you any favors, and I hope to never see that again" I wouldn't be so upset. And that was very likely his intention. But that's not what he said, what he said took on a gossipy tone and the timing of it bothered me because it made Tim seem two-faced, and that's the last thing I want to think about a man I admire.
I will point out that it's possible that an editing trick caused the timing thing (seconds after Johnny had left the room). I would have to watch it again to be sure, but I don't remember a cut at that point, it seemed to be a continuous shot. I'll check when Lifetime posts the episode.* Please see edit at bottom of post
I'm moving on to better things now.
Logan
For some reason (likely that they hate me) my cable company decided that the second after Heidi said "let's start the show" was the perfect time for a mandatory weekly test of the emergency broadcast system.
So while this design walked the runway, I was yelling at a green screen and annoying tone.
I really hate that I missed it. I absolutely love the way he played with the color, and I love the color itself. The dress fits fabulously, and if it was made of cloth I think that a lot of women would love it. It's not as ambitious as some of the others this week, but I like it quite a bit.
But having not seen it walk the runway, I haven't had a lot of time to form more opinion about it than that.
Does Louise just not like Fatma's neck? Also, there are a finite number of women above the age of 15 who can pull off the "mouse ears" hairdo, and Fatma isn't one of them.
I just don't even know what the curlers on the front of the dress are supposed to be. What are they supposed to be doing? Because as it is, they just look wrong and like they were put in the wrong place. With the color of them, they remind me of little bits of hot dog or something.
I do like the skirt, but I think overall it's just not a very creative effort, and I'm actually glad to hear that Louise didn't feel so either. The fact that she recognized it means that she'll go further.
Nicolas
Oh. Now we're here. Nicolas. I know the recapper from Television Without Pity really loves Nicolas, but I haven't really liked him from the beginning. I don't think he's really shown a great garment yet (with the exception of the surfer one where Gordana made the top) and he's done nothing to earn his ego. As much as I disliked Christian, and didn't like half of what he made, at the same time he at least had some skills and talent, and I could admit sometimes that he just wasn't my style since I think skinny jeans need to drop off the face of the planet.
But Nicolas? He rips on Irina when she's outclassed his offerings in every challenge, and then he acts like a five year old tattletale on the runway. It wasn't just that he rolled his eyes, it wasn't that he made a comment. It was that he was practically bouncing up and down with glee as he got to report to Heidi that the first dress was a "red mess" and that Tim said the birds were attacking the dress. Which, for the record, was NOT exactly what Tim said, but whatever. Nicolas behaved badly, and he looked like a spoiled bratling. Also, isn't he supposed to be the feather prince? Why has he given us two boring black dresses, loose pants, a space prostitute uniform, a white shell, and then this? What kind of poorly thought out nickname was that?
As much as I might have wanted Nicolas to go home last night so I wouldn't have to hear him sound so smug as he insults others (really, his tone of voice drives me up the wall, he's so condescending), I have to admit that Johnny's dress was much much worse. This at least showed some attempt at imagination.
It's a mess though, sorry Nicolas. It's not very well made, and it doesn't really say or do anything. It's blah. It's less punk than Avril Lavigne.
I'm rooting for Nicolas to be kicked off next week. As he said, they're starting to weed out the weaker designers so it's his turn, because of the remaining pack, he's certainly the weakest contender based on his history on the show.
Ra'Mon
I actually really love this dress. I think Ra'Mon did some fascinating things with the colors, and the pattern. I actually could see it on a traditional runway as part of a larger show. If it was made of real fabric, I might think about getting it.
As for Ra'Mon's model...I was interested in the comment he made under his breath at Models of the Runway, that he didn't want to keep Vanessa. I wonder why that is. I know she's been the source of tension in the house, but I think in her original argument with Fatma she was in the right. I also don't think Fatma was really remorseful when she apologized, but I think Vanessa's insistence in not accepting the apology was kind of dumb. Just say "okay, fine" and move on, and don't be her friend.
As for their dream team, well, that's just clique-y and stupid, and so very reality TV. Yay Models, for dragging PR down to the level of the rest of the shows in it's genre.
Anyway, for the most part I thought Vanessa did a good job modeling for Ra'Mon, but this week I didn't really like her efforts. This picture is just kind of awkward and strange. I know, she wasn't posing for a photo. But runway shows are heavily photographed, so shouldn't they look poised and good whenever they pause?
I'm glad they're forcing the designers to all change models next week, so that Ra'Mon is free to chose as he wants to. I don't think anybody would have thought less of him for switching this week, but it's nice that he's concerned with being a good person.
Shirin
I can't say that I like Shirin's dress, really. But I can say that I think she really took a chance, and that I'd rather designers take risks than be boring. She decided to do something that she couldn't necessarily do with fabric (unless she's Leanne Marshall, but anywho). It had a great movement to it too, that some of the other dresses lacked.
As for the montage of Shirin being too talkative and all the designers hating her for it, I can't say it annoyed me because I really identified with that moment. I won't get into it more than that, but I'll just say that Shirin probably isn't trying to be anything other than herself, and if the other designers are irritated or want her to be quiet, there's a polite way to say so.
That episode as just too much after the blah that has been this season so far. I can't believe it took this long for it to get more fun again!
*Edited to add: I have watched the scene over again on Lifetime and I will have to admit that I was wrong. There is a slight cut point at that moment in time where a time compression easily could have occurred. While all the designers and Tim seem to be placed in the same positions that they were when Johnny left the room, the fact is we will never know how much time passed between his exit and Tim's comment.
This does not fully change my opinion of the situation, however. I still feel that Tim's comment was delivered in an inappropriate way, especially when coupled with my knowledge of some of the things he has said about previous designers in interviews in the past. Because of those statements and this one, I would have a lot of trouble trusting him as a mentor and teacher. While his taste is impeccable, there is a certain vulnerability involved in opening up your creative works for critique and the purpose of a good mentor is to give you a safe place to explore that work and create something better. The feeling that your mentor might talk about you or insult your work behind your back to your colleagues and peers is not a good one to have, and I have experienced it personally. There are few times I've felt as betrayed as that moment, or as disheartened and discouraged about my own work.
I still love Tim, and I am not saying that suddenly he is a bad person. Everyone does things that they regret and says things they maybe shouldn't have said. I'm just disappointed really. I had thought he was more classy than that.
On with the real show!
I'm so happy about this week's challenge. It's so nice to seem them really returning to the wackiness and actually challenging aspects of previous years. I hope this trend continues.
What I wasn't happy to see was all the backbiting and middle-school aged immaturity on display. But I'll get to that.
Althea
My favorite dresses of this episode were the ones that used the photos in the paper to create a pattern, and this is one of the best examples of that. I know not a lot of people have seen the effect that's made by seeing a couple hundred copies of a newspaper stacked together, or on display, but the repetition can have it's own kind of beauty and Althea took advantage of that in a brilliant way.
The dress itself was also very nice, well fitted and flattering.
Carol Hannah
If I saw this dress and only knew that it was part of a challenge to make a dress out of newspaper, I would think "well, that's a pretty fair job."
But I've seen some of Carol Hannah's other dresses this season and while I like her quite a bit at the same time, her work can get just a little sloppy. So for some reason that's all I can think about with this dress, was that it fits with everything else she's done, which means everything else looks a bit like rumpled paper.
Also, I think her goal of making a dress that doesn't look like it's made out of paper was a bit against the spirit of the challenge, but perhaps that's just me. I didn't like that she dyed the entire thing, and I didn't like the color that came out of the effort.
It's just not impressing me, overall.
Christopher
Is it just me, or did Christopher never really answer the judges question about how he made the bodice so armor-like? He said something about pattern paper, but I'm used to pattern paper being that flimsy stuff that tears if you look at it the wrong way. When I've needed to make patterns on my own I've actually just used newspaper, so I'm not sure what he was talking about. Maybe that's my lack of experience sewing that's on display.
I admit, part of the reason I'm so curious is that I know a dozen costumers that would love to find a way to cheaply make light armor for their costumes.
Anyway, I do really enjoy this dress. I like that he thought to put something matching in her hair, because I think that's part of what sells it for me. It's well done, and the judges touched on everything that was great about it.
I actually wasn't entirely sold on Irina's trenchcoat, so I would have given this the win.
Epperson
This is what I was saying when I recapped last week's show. Epperson is just so steadfast and fantastic at what he does. He let the newspaper be it's own pattern, which most of the designers weren't able or willing to do. He made a really good garment, and Matar looks great in it.
But I can't say that it really stuck out in my mind or anything either. It seemed a little typical, not as creative as it could have been.
Gordana
Sometimes, I think that when the judge's see the tabulations for the top and bottom scores, they say, "Oh, really? Well...I don't know what to do with that." Because in the end, there's no real explanation for Gordana being in the bottom three.
Saying that she was too safe and too wearable could be a fair critique, but I see several other things that went down the runway that I would say were more so. I think Carol Hannah's is the obvious choice for that.
Gordana's dress is well constructed, well thought out, and doesn't rely on the use of dye to change the paper to something else, she just used the same section over and over to create a pattern.
I'm not exactly sure why they had a problem with it, because I think that it walks perfectly down that line between "wacky challenge response" and "darn good clothes."
And isn't that what Project Runway is supposed to be about?
Irina
Let me just say that I am so happy to see Irina finally getting her due. I wish it had been for a garment that I was more in love with, but such is life. It's just that I don't like big fur collars, so her approximation wasn't up my alley either.
At the same time though, Irina did put a lot of work and thought into this. The marker "stitches" were a great idea. Side note: somebody said something about not knowing how to sew newspaper. Um, you don't. I can't figure out a way where sewing it would actually be the proper answer to the construction issue, so I'm not sure why they bothered. /side note.
I'm going to take a second to comment about how a particular designer who I won't address until later stated that Irina didn't belong in the competition. I have no idea what competition HE'S been in, but from where I sit, Irina is one of the strongest contenders for either winning the show or having a fabulous and successful career after the show.
Think about it. Episode one she makes a fan favorite gown that is creamy and gorgeous. It shows off the model, it's classy, and most people agree should have been in the top.
Episode two she makes a completely beautiful light blue maternity dress that I would want to own in every color. The worst critique I've seen of it was that it was a little boring, but I can't say I agree. I think the sheer craftsmanship and fit of it saves it from boring.
Episode three she's paired with Johnny, so it's a misstep, sure. But the surf look is cute and casual, and the avant guarde look...well. The less I say about it the better. But they're still a top team, don't forget.
Episode four again saw Irina not make it to the top for a well designed, well made, really good looking dress. One that didn't look a bit like what other people were making, and flattered her model beautifully.
Saying that she doesn't belong in the competition is just ludicrous and I can't imagine where it came from other than either bad taste or insecurity.
Johnny
*sigh* It's time to talk about Johnny isn't it? Hasn't all of it already been said? This is a poor showing, it's a poor effort, and he should be ashamed.
His ridiculous story about the steamer was summed up best on Models of the Runway when one of the models incredulously asked, "he was steaming newspaper?" Johnny, if you're going to make things up, make up something plausible. You accidentally tore it straight up the side, and you didn't want to tape it all shut because that would show. You spilled dye on it. You knocked it over and your cranes were crushed. Heck, even, "I did a spit take when Epperson started imitating Shirin and it ruined the dress, oops."
I'm amazed, all the time, about the way the designers behave on the runway. Sometimes I think that the best thing about this show is that it might make people start thinking about how to think and speak to superiors. Doesn't anybody teach professionalism anymore? Listen, I'm in a creative field, and I'm in grad school. Defending your work without being argumentative, accepting criticism graciously while still standing behind your art, and generally not telling everything are all things you have to master.
There was no reason for Johnny to even bring up the first dress, because he should have known that the judge's wouldn't care. For him to say it was ruined wouldn't win him any brownie points, really. For him to say he scrapped it and started over, they still would have said, "you should have known better and made it work."
Johnny deserved to go home, and he deserves to be called out for his lie. He couldn't take a criticism and he couldn't defend his original design so he trashed it in a fit of childish tantrum. Absolutely. And his original design was pretty bad too, and it certainly wasn't "Dior."
However, I'm about to attack a sacred cow here. Tim's behavior after Johnny's exit was just as unprofessional and I'm just as annoyed by it. Tim has made a name for himself as a gentleman and a mentor. Speaking kindly to somebody's face and only waiting for the second the door shuts to badmouth them is not gentlemanly and it certainly doesn't make people want to open themselves up to your mentoring either. This isn't the first time that Tim's comments about contestants have sat wrongly with me, because I think of anybody on the show he should be living by the phrase, "if you don't have anything nice to say..."
A professor shouldn't speak ill of their students in front of other students. Tim, in his role as mentor, qualifies for that rule in my mind.
Listen, if Tim had couched it as a cautionary statement to the effect of, "I hope that you remaining designers can see that making up a story on the runway will not do you any favors, and I hope to never see that again" I wouldn't be so upset. And that was very likely his intention. But that's not what he said, what he said took on a gossipy tone and the timing of it bothered me because it made Tim seem two-faced, and that's the last thing I want to think about a man I admire.
I will point out that it's possible that an editing trick caused the timing thing (seconds after Johnny had left the room). I would have to watch it again to be sure, but I don't remember a cut at that point, it seemed to be a continuous shot. I'll check when Lifetime posts the episode.* Please see edit at bottom of post
I'm moving on to better things now.
Logan
For some reason (likely that they hate me) my cable company decided that the second after Heidi said "let's start the show" was the perfect time for a mandatory weekly test of the emergency broadcast system.
So while this design walked the runway, I was yelling at a green screen and annoying tone.
I really hate that I missed it. I absolutely love the way he played with the color, and I love the color itself. The dress fits fabulously, and if it was made of cloth I think that a lot of women would love it. It's not as ambitious as some of the others this week, but I like it quite a bit.
But having not seen it walk the runway, I haven't had a lot of time to form more opinion about it than that.
Does Louise just not like Fatma's neck? Also, there are a finite number of women above the age of 15 who can pull off the "mouse ears" hairdo, and Fatma isn't one of them.
I just don't even know what the curlers on the front of the dress are supposed to be. What are they supposed to be doing? Because as it is, they just look wrong and like they were put in the wrong place. With the color of them, they remind me of little bits of hot dog or something.
I do like the skirt, but I think overall it's just not a very creative effort, and I'm actually glad to hear that Louise didn't feel so either. The fact that she recognized it means that she'll go further.
Nicolas
Oh. Now we're here. Nicolas. I know the recapper from Television Without Pity really loves Nicolas, but I haven't really liked him from the beginning. I don't think he's really shown a great garment yet (with the exception of the surfer one where Gordana made the top) and he's done nothing to earn his ego. As much as I disliked Christian, and didn't like half of what he made, at the same time he at least had some skills and talent, and I could admit sometimes that he just wasn't my style since I think skinny jeans need to drop off the face of the planet.
But Nicolas? He rips on Irina when she's outclassed his offerings in every challenge, and then he acts like a five year old tattletale on the runway. It wasn't just that he rolled his eyes, it wasn't that he made a comment. It was that he was practically bouncing up and down with glee as he got to report to Heidi that the first dress was a "red mess" and that Tim said the birds were attacking the dress. Which, for the record, was NOT exactly what Tim said, but whatever. Nicolas behaved badly, and he looked like a spoiled bratling. Also, isn't he supposed to be the feather prince? Why has he given us two boring black dresses, loose pants, a space prostitute uniform, a white shell, and then this? What kind of poorly thought out nickname was that?
As much as I might have wanted Nicolas to go home last night so I wouldn't have to hear him sound so smug as he insults others (really, his tone of voice drives me up the wall, he's so condescending), I have to admit that Johnny's dress was much much worse. This at least showed some attempt at imagination.
It's a mess though, sorry Nicolas. It's not very well made, and it doesn't really say or do anything. It's blah. It's less punk than Avril Lavigne.
I'm rooting for Nicolas to be kicked off next week. As he said, they're starting to weed out the weaker designers so it's his turn, because of the remaining pack, he's certainly the weakest contender based on his history on the show.
Ra'Mon
I actually really love this dress. I think Ra'Mon did some fascinating things with the colors, and the pattern. I actually could see it on a traditional runway as part of a larger show. If it was made of real fabric, I might think about getting it.
As for Ra'Mon's model...I was interested in the comment he made under his breath at Models of the Runway, that he didn't want to keep Vanessa. I wonder why that is. I know she's been the source of tension in the house, but I think in her original argument with Fatma she was in the right. I also don't think Fatma was really remorseful when she apologized, but I think Vanessa's insistence in not accepting the apology was kind of dumb. Just say "okay, fine" and move on, and don't be her friend.
As for their dream team, well, that's just clique-y and stupid, and so very reality TV. Yay Models, for dragging PR down to the level of the rest of the shows in it's genre.
Anyway, for the most part I thought Vanessa did a good job modeling for Ra'Mon, but this week I didn't really like her efforts. This picture is just kind of awkward and strange. I know, she wasn't posing for a photo. But runway shows are heavily photographed, so shouldn't they look poised and good whenever they pause?
I'm glad they're forcing the designers to all change models next week, so that Ra'Mon is free to chose as he wants to. I don't think anybody would have thought less of him for switching this week, but it's nice that he's concerned with being a good person.
Shirin
I can't say that I like Shirin's dress, really. But I can say that I think she really took a chance, and that I'd rather designers take risks than be boring. She decided to do something that she couldn't necessarily do with fabric (unless she's Leanne Marshall, but anywho). It had a great movement to it too, that some of the other dresses lacked.
As for the montage of Shirin being too talkative and all the designers hating her for it, I can't say it annoyed me because I really identified with that moment. I won't get into it more than that, but I'll just say that Shirin probably isn't trying to be anything other than herself, and if the other designers are irritated or want her to be quiet, there's a polite way to say so.
That episode as just too much after the blah that has been this season so far. I can't believe it took this long for it to get more fun again!
*Edited to add: I have watched the scene over again on Lifetime and I will have to admit that I was wrong. There is a slight cut point at that moment in time where a time compression easily could have occurred. While all the designers and Tim seem to be placed in the same positions that they were when Johnny left the room, the fact is we will never know how much time passed between his exit and Tim's comment.
This does not fully change my opinion of the situation, however. I still feel that Tim's comment was delivered in an inappropriate way, especially when coupled with my knowledge of some of the things he has said about previous designers in interviews in the past. Because of those statements and this one, I would have a lot of trouble trusting him as a mentor and teacher. While his taste is impeccable, there is a certain vulnerability involved in opening up your creative works for critique and the purpose of a good mentor is to give you a safe place to explore that work and create something better. The feeling that your mentor might talk about you or insult your work behind your back to your colleagues and peers is not a good one to have, and I have experienced it personally. There are few times I've felt as betrayed as that moment, or as disheartened and discouraged about my own work.
I still love Tim, and I am not saying that suddenly he is a bad person. Everyone does things that they regret and says things they maybe shouldn't have said. I'm just disappointed really. I had thought he was more classy than that.
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