What to do on a Wednesday
Workout music last evening was DJ Tiesto's Magik, Vol 5 - Heaven Beyond. Rather high energy music to accompany a run for 4.66 km in 20 mins on a treadmill, followed by a brisk walk for 1+ km in 10 mins on a steep incline. 300 kcal + 100 kcal. Running faster does not burn calories at a proportionally higher rate. I guess I am working on my cardiovascular strengths at this level. I want to earn a Silver or Gold (and the money rewards!) when I have to take IPPT eventually. And I kinda hope to run a full marathon some time in the future.
Watched 2 movies recently, just because I have some spare time.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children: Watch this film if you are a FF fan. Watch this film even if you are not, actually. This is an exciting film, loaded with visual and audio treats. The stunning fight sequences are like a roller coaster ride. You can actually see all that fast-paced actions - every punch, kick, block, etc. - clearly. I guess this is what animations have over traditional Kungfu films where certain camera angles are just impossible. The directors certainly knows how to exploit their advantage. Coupled with a equally action-packed soundtrack, the awesome fight sequences really set the audience into the "wow" mood.
To be honest, I was half expecting a disaster like that in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. "Valley of Death", I think that is the term that Jesse Schell used to describe this zone where animators try to make their human models too life-like, but not quite there yet. He argues that is why you don't see Pixar, despite its highly talented and equipped studio, ever venture into this zone. Advent Children is clearly different from TSW. I guess the character designs, like how Cloud carries an oversized sword, help to remind the audience that this is fantasy, anime. Certainly not whatever TSW is or tries to be. A delightful suprise.
I really love the character designs, especially Cloud, Tifa, Denzel, and some of the bad guys. I don't want to be a superhero; I want to be an anime character!
The Phantom of the Opera: I have always wanted to watch the musical, but never had the chance. I used to play the songs in the band, and I even have a recording of the musical in my music library. Films in this musical movie genre should never overlook the singing. Sounds a little rhetorical, but the director and ALW did not seem to bother during production. Throughout this film, the lips and audio were poorly synchronized. Whenever, the camera swung behind a singing character, you can tell that the character wasn't actually singing. He/She didn't breathe! While the singing was expressive, the acting (or more fundamentally, the body language of singing) was not. Even the best singers need to pause, take deep breaths, or occasionally contort his/her face and mouth. The cast in POTA simply opened and closed their mouth (with no expression or indication of effort), and beautiful music just spills out from them. For God's sake, you are singing, so don't pretend that you are not! Actually only Carlotta acted like she was singing. And she is the only role who was not sung by the actual person playing the role.
The singing was good, but it also destroyed the entire experience of watching the film. Because I was not only hearing it, I was seeing it. I think I am better off sticking to the audio recording until I have a chance to watch the musical.
Watched 2 movies recently, just because I have some spare time.
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children: Watch this film if you are a FF fan. Watch this film even if you are not, actually. This is an exciting film, loaded with visual and audio treats. The stunning fight sequences are like a roller coaster ride. You can actually see all that fast-paced actions - every punch, kick, block, etc. - clearly. I guess this is what animations have over traditional Kungfu films where certain camera angles are just impossible. The directors certainly knows how to exploit their advantage. Coupled with a equally action-packed soundtrack, the awesome fight sequences really set the audience into the "wow" mood.
To be honest, I was half expecting a disaster like that in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. "Valley of Death", I think that is the term that Jesse Schell used to describe this zone where animators try to make their human models too life-like, but not quite there yet. He argues that is why you don't see Pixar, despite its highly talented and equipped studio, ever venture into this zone. Advent Children is clearly different from TSW. I guess the character designs, like how Cloud carries an oversized sword, help to remind the audience that this is fantasy, anime. Certainly not whatever TSW is or tries to be. A delightful suprise.
I really love the character designs, especially Cloud, Tifa, Denzel, and some of the bad guys. I don't want to be a superhero; I want to be an anime character!
The Phantom of the Opera: I have always wanted to watch the musical, but never had the chance. I used to play the songs in the band, and I even have a recording of the musical in my music library. Films in this musical movie genre should never overlook the singing. Sounds a little rhetorical, but the director and ALW did not seem to bother during production. Throughout this film, the lips and audio were poorly synchronized. Whenever, the camera swung behind a singing character, you can tell that the character wasn't actually singing. He/She didn't breathe! While the singing was expressive, the acting (or more fundamentally, the body language of singing) was not. Even the best singers need to pause, take deep breaths, or occasionally contort his/her face and mouth. The cast in POTA simply opened and closed their mouth (with no expression or indication of effort), and beautiful music just spills out from them. For God's sake, you are singing, so don't pretend that you are not! Actually only Carlotta acted like she was singing. And she is the only role who was not sung by the actual person playing the role.
The singing was good, but it also destroyed the entire experience of watching the film. Because I was not only hearing it, I was seeing it. I think I am better off sticking to the audio recording until I have a chance to watch the musical.