Sunday, April 26, 2009

Convergence in SoHo

This Friday, a friend and I had the opportunity to see one of my favorite actresses at the Apple Store in SoHo. Natalie Portman, the beautiful and talented Harvard graduate, has starred in the Star Wars Episodes I-III, Garden State, Mars Attacks, Paris Je T'aime and V for Vendetta. As part of the Tribeca Film Festival, Ms. Portman along with her colleague Christine Aylward launched a new interactive website to the audience of about 200 at the Apple Store on Prince Street.

Makingof.com was designed to be a centralized database of interviews, footage and insight that showcases and explores the "behind the scene" aspects of movie-making. Portman and Aylward, wanted to create a space where the unsung heroes--cinematographers, costume designers, camera men, screenwriters--could relate their talents and choices, both artistically and technically. According to the duet, the website is targeted toward anyone "who loves entertainment." With such specific details as what lens were used in particular scenes and the philosophy of costume design the information is accesible for students of film and viewers of film alike. The website is divided into a three categories, so that users can pursue particular artists, films of the past or what's "filming now." Aylward commented that as technology improves, she wanted to also "open things up" from behind the scenes. She commented on how the industry can be very closed off, inadvertently or not and how it's challenging to network in very much "family business."

For Ms. Portman this strikes a familiar chord. Acting on film from a very young age, the 28 year-old recently tackled directing two shorts for the upcoming "New York I love You" (a collection of small films ala Paris, Je T'aime) "I thought I knew so much," Ms. Portman conceded but as she had to communicate with the dozens of production workers, she realized she did not. Although Ms. Portman had connections from her career in the business, for the layman, struggling student or avid movie-goer this information was scattered and out-of-reach.

I couldn't help notice the overall-arching theme of convergence at this event. Obviously, convergence in the sense that the lines between movie maker and movie goer has been blurred (As Aylward noted in the "youtube generation"). Convergence in the sense that the line between mediums has been blurred- film information on a website. Personally, the most poignant point of convergence, if you will, had to do with Natalie herself. Crossing over from Actress to Director, might not be a new transition. Yet in this day and age the ability to understand both the facets of production as well as performance are as vital as ever. Through technology and websites like makingof.com, the worlds have collided.

Check out: www.makingof.com

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