Last night a sold out crowd piled into a local Queens theater. Now I admit that scenario is not in the least bit unusual. In fact, Saturday nights at the College Point Multiplex are almost guaranteed to feature big crowds that attribute to the big titles on the marquis. However last night, it was not the latest Hollywood blockbuster or Indie art house film that drew the most attention. The event that had people clamoring for the center seats and sitting in the isles, was a live airing of one of the biggest events in sports: The comeback of “Pretty Boy” Floyd Mayweather Jr., as he took on boxing’ number two pound for pound fighter Juan Manuel Marquez. The live screening of this fight in over 170 theaters across the country means that all boxing fans, regardless of who you were routing for, have great reason to be excited. Boxing has finally made it back to the big screen.

What most modern cinema connoisseurs don’t realize is that live sporting events, especially boxing, have a long history with the theater. The first publicly aired match to be shown on the silver screen was the Eric Boon vs. Arthur Danaher fight in February of 1939. Boxing on the big screen had its hey day in the fifties, sixties, and seventies. However much like video killed the radio star, the advent of pay-per-view, with its easy access and comfortable venue caused a rapid decline in the sales of movie theater events. The last fight we had the privilege of watching in theaters was back in the early eighties.

It is unfortunate that before yesterday’s match, eighties babies and younger fans did not have the chance to witness these events in theaters. The difference is astounding. You have the comfort of the modern theater, with its cushioned chairs, varied (and overpriced) snack options, and HD quality picture. But because of the sheer number of people the energy is comparable to seeing the event live and in person. Instead of quietly sitting in their seats, the crowd was whipped into a frenzy, at one point even leaping to their feet. Fans screamed catcalls at the fighters and smack talked with each other. The atmosphere was an intoxicating mixture of tension, excitement, and raucous fun. It was something I will not soon forget, and an experience that I hope stays available for future generations to enjoy.

Rachel

I recently discovered that there is an original Inglorious Bastards. But don’t hop up and run for joy to your nearest blockbuster ready to compare it with Tarantino’s newest film. Contrary to what you may instantly think, the newest “version” is nothing like the original. In fact, you may as well not even compare the two.

Where Tarantino’s film is a drama about a group of Jewish-American soldiers who wage bloody guerilla war against the Nazi’s, the 1978 cult classic follows a group of five escaped prisoners in search of their freedom, but get forced into a suicide mission. 

Perhaps there are a few similarities between the two films, but I fail to see them. If you think otherwise, feel free to correct me.

- Becca

Have you ever wondered how a film starts? I know that I have. I’ve often said that I wish I could have a job that just lets me come up with ideas and then passes them on to someone else. That’s how I think with the movie business too. There have been so many times that I have been sitting and talking to a friend and suddenly this brilliant idea comes up and voila I think that would make a great movie. Too bad it never actually happens. Well today I’d like to take you on a journey through the process of bringing to life an animated film.

First there is my favorite step: The Idea. 
An idea for a film is thought up by brilliant people, like myself, and then they pitch their idea to a studio. This is of course also the most challenging stage, because you really have to be a salesperson in order to get someone to catch onto your vision. In my mind it’s kind of like being a pitcher on a baseball team. You throw a lot of pitches, but only a few are actually hit.

Treatment.
This is the next step. After the idea is bought, then what is know as a treatment is written. A treatment is a short summation of the main plot of the film. Just like a book, there can be many revisions or many treatments to a film.

Storyboards.
Next we move onto the storyboards. After the completion of the treatment, artists create giant comicbooks where they show in storybook mode a rough draft of what the film will look like, how the characters will react, and all things visual. This will be shown to the film’s director.

Voices.
Next the actors come along. They begin recording the lines for their characters. Now what’s interesting to me about this, is that they record before animation takes place. They also record several different renderings of their lines. It makes a lot of sense now that I think about it. Eventually the best recordings are chosen and they are then animated.

Reels.
I can honestly say I didn’t know this before. Reels are basically the next step up from the storyboard. The voices are edited into the reel and it makes the storyboard stand alone and run without the person who pitched the storyboard originally.

Artists.
Next the artists begin creating the look of the characters, environment, and all the visual looks.

3-D.
Next those characters and models are either made into sculptures or they are built into the computer as 3-d characters.

Shots Laid Out.
Next each scene and shot is laid out. Just as in live action film, there can be many different shots, angles, etc to each scene to provide the best quality and enhance the story.

Rendering.
This is where everything that has been created is merged into one frame. So everything from your shot, to lighting, to sound, to character movement is merged together here.

Almost There.
We’re getting close to the end. The next step is where finally touches are added to the film. This is where the score is added in, sound effects are incorporated, etc.

Lights, Camera, Action.
Well, the last step is for you to go see the film in theatres!

-Becca