Posts Tagged ‘Future’

CC Ventures finalist Joseph D’Anna, CamUp, on the Future of Connected Entertainment

Joseph D’Anna is the CEO of CamUp, a new entertainment app which allows users to share experiences around their favourite content. He is one of eleven entertainment startups selected for CC Ventures, the Dragon’s Den-style competition taking place at MIPTV’s Connected Creativity April 6. More info: connected-creativity.mipworld.com

Cheap Designer Sunglasses ? The Future of Facial Fashion

Perhaps, the most visible fashion statement that a celebrity makes is the pair of sunglasses he or she adorns as a routine. Chances are you’ll never see a celebrity, like Britney Spears, Rihanna, or Beyonce not wearing a designer sunshade, except for some photo ops during film fests, like Cannes. Otherwise, in public life, they always try to hide themselves behind those designer glares. No matter which brand they prefer, the celebrity fixation is enough to provoke you into buying a similar one from the nearest store, even at unimaginably high prices.

In this backdrop, it makes for an interesting reading when someone talks about cheap designer sunglasses, because the word ‘cheap’ before ‘designer sunglasses’ sounds more like an oxymoron. More often than not, you are likely to skip the topic due to several misgivings associated with cheap designer sunglasses. In fact, those who tend to exploit the people by selling fake products that disintegrate within the first few days of their use are the ones responsible for giving a bad name to cheap designer sunglasses. And when you are fixated by the celebrities, buying a cheaper option is the last thing on your mind.

So, what are these cheap designer sunglasses that have generated an intense debate? Actually, these are inspired by designer sunglasses that have the same look and feel as that of the authentic designer sunglasses. Simply put, these are the exact look-a-like of the celebrity sunglasses. The only perceptible difference is the low price tag they carry. When we are talking about the same look and feel, it implies that an onlooker cannot make out if what you are wearing is an original or cheap price sunglass. Moreover, as a wearer, you won’t be able to differentiate the feeling between the two.

Such perfection is attained by imitating all the features, without any exception, of designer sunshades. The raw material used in their manufacture is of top grade available in the market. And the UV protection is similar to that afforded by the original ones.

Going by the immense popularity of these compared to designer sunnies, the day is not far off when the designer houses would be seriously thinking about the outrageous pricing policy they have adopted. At times, when the global economy is spiraling downwards with no signs of improvement, more and more people are looking for cheaper options in terms of fashion accessories. And when the cheap designer sunglasses are offering enticing features like quality, looks, design, safety, and style, the future of facial fashion looks to be in safe hands.

Epik High – The Future (feat.MYK) @ MIDEM 2010 (Cannes-FRANCE)

©All the performance credit goes to Epik High and the Map The Soul’s crew.

My Future Home(s)

Image taken on 2009-06-10 06:32:51 by Bsivad.

Shooting stars in Berlin write the future of cinema

Shooting stars in Berlin write the future of cinema
The ten European artists selected to be a part of the promotion campaign Shooting Stars in Berlin this year were officially introduced to the press. Among them, Romanian young actor Dragos Bucur.

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Mexican Films, From Obscurity to a Bright Future (part 1)

The â??Golden Ageâ?? of Mexican cinema, was during the 1940â??s, when movie stars, such as Pedro Infante and Delores Del Rio came to prominence, captivating native audiences. Consequently, there was a high demand from an enthusiastic movie-going public and the Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE) produced a series of successful movies.

Despite the local popularity at the time, Mexican cinema was not strongly embraced by International audiences, receiving only minor recognition. This was a trend that was to continue into the latter half of the 20th Century, contributing to the gradual decline of Mexican cinema, to the point of contempt from those who once celebrated it.

Nuevo Cine Mexicano (New Mexican Cinema) were the words of the 1990â??s, that offered a ripple of hope to the fading industry. Ambitious and visionary directors, such as Alfonso Cuarón, Arturo Ripstein and Alfonso Arau, breathed new life into Mexican cinemaâ??s stale conventions with their innovative ideas and unique styles. Noteable examples of this new movement are Como agua para chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate) (1992) and Sexo, pudor y lágrimas (Sex, Shame and Tears) (1999), both of which were well received by the Latin American public. As the 20th Century came to an end, it appeared that Mexican cinema was finally on the incline again.

The arrival of the new millenium proved this was not a false dawn, as it stirred the ripple of cautious hope into a wave of excitement, that flooded Hollywood and continued, unrelenting, to Europe. The reason for the excitement was Amores Perros (Loveâ??s a Bitch) (2000), the movie which heralded the beginning of a Mexican revolution, that would prove to be far reaching in its scope.

Amores Perros was a massive critical success on its release, being lavished with praise from one end of the globe to the other and well worthy of it. This level of impact is achieved by skilled and insightful writing from Guillermo Arriaga, magnificent performances from a talented cast, particularly Gael Garcia Bernal and by the masterful González Iñárritu, as he interweaves the disparate story lines with awe inspiring flair.

The movie went on to win 51 awards worldwide, with a further 14 nominations. These included an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language Film in 2001, a BAFTA win in the same category (2002) and the Cannes Critics Week Grand Prize in 2000. In addition, it provided a respectable profit for IMCINE, as it was produced for approximately $2 million and ultimately grossed an estimated $21 million worldwide.

Amores Perros gained Alejandro González Iñárritu recognition for his direction and served as the launch pad for his career. Its critical acclaim prompted an offer from BMW to join an assembly of reputable directors in making a series of short movies promoting their vehicles. González Iñárrituâ??s input was Powder Keg (2001), starring Clive Owen. In 2002, he was invited to direct a segment for another compilation, 11’09”01 – September 11 (2002), focusing on the aftermath of September 11th. Its subsequent success opened the doors of Hollywood to González Iñárritu, which he modestly entered. Then, in 2003, he brought in Amores Perros writer Guillermo Arriaga to pen his first US production, 21 Grams (2003).

Alejandro González Iñárritu may have been enticed away from Mexico, but Mexican cinema continued to gather momentum in his absence, through the talents of his close friend Alfonso Cuarón.

When Amores Perros was released in 2000, Alfonso Cuarón had already experienced some success. Firstly, with Sólo con tu pareja (Love in the Time of Hysteria) (1991), then he laid down his marker in Hollywood with two modest, but impressive, projects A Little Princess (1995) and Great Expectations (1998). Each of these movies showcased his distinct visual style and flair for storytelling.

In 2001, he made his contribution to the reinvigorated Mexican industry by co-writing and directing the coming of age comedy/drama Y tu mamá también (And Your Mother Too) (2001), starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna. This movie did not reach the critical heights of Amores Perros, but it proved to be a bigger commercial success than its predecessor. After Y tu mamá también, Cuarónâ??s reputation flourished and it was not long before he felt the draw of Hollywood again.

Off the back of two tremendous performances in Amores Perros and Y tu mamá también, Gael Garcia Bernal received very favourable publicity. In the former, he displayed his exceptional dramatic capabilities and in the latter, his natural charisma and talent for light comedy. His next major project was the controversial drama El Crimen del padre Amaro (The Crime of Father Amaro) (2002), a movie which presented him with an opportunity to substantiate his growing reputation as Mexicoâ??s hot new star. Garcia Bernal emerged triumphant, as the movie proved to be a big success and earned him the award for male revelation of the year at the Cannes Film Festival. Soon after completing El Crimen del padre, Gael Garcia Bernal departed Mexico to pursue other enterprises. However, he left behind a film industry that had regained its dignity after many years of obscurity.

Back in the US, González Iñárritu was given creative freedom over 21 Grams, a sign of the confidence the producers had in him. Also, he was able to secure the services of Hollywood heavyweights Sean Penn, Naomi Watts and Benicio Del Toro. The result of this collaboration is an uncompromising study of the essence of humanity, which extracts every ounce of emotion from you. Guillermo Arriaga once again displays his enormous talent for dramatic writing and should take some credit for González Iñárrituâ??s rise to prominence.

Despite its unconventional style, 21 Grams performed well at the Box Office, grossing an estimated $60 million, from a budget of around $20 million. Also, it enjoyed very favourable critical reviews, which lead to two Oscar nominations, for Del Toro and Watts, and five BAFTA nominations, including Best Original Screenplay for Arriaga.

After the success of 21 Grams, it was Alfonso Cuarónâ??s opportunity to woo the international audiences, when Warner Brothers invited him to direct the third Harry Potter movie, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004).

The fantasy elements of the Harry Potter books enabled Alfonso Cuarón to fully explore his fertile imagination and, in this movie, he expresses himself with stunning visual flamboyance that echoes the beauty of A Little Princess (1995). Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban provided Cuarón with his largest Box Office success to date, grossing an estimated $790 million worldwide.

Article written by Alan Munro

Complete version

For the website Trapped in Mexico´s Periferico

http://www.elperiferico.com.mx

Mexican Films, From Obscurity to a Bright Future (part 2)

Another Mexican director residing in the US at the time was Guillermo Del Toro, a close friend of both González Iñárritu and Cuarón. This was his second spell in Hollywood; having previously worked there in the 1990’s on Mimic (1997). However, Del Toro’s first Hollywood production was an unpleasant experience, due to the demands of the big studios involved. Consequently, he returned to Mexico, where he had total control over his projects. In 2001, he wrote and directed the much lauded El Espinazo del diablo (The Devil’s Backbone) (2001), an inventive and atmospheric ghost story set in Spain, during the Franco era. After El Espinazo del diablo, Guillermo Del Toro decided to give Hollywood a second chance and his return to the US proved to be very fruitful.

The first project on his return was the comic book adventure Blade II (2002). This was a much smoother production for Del Toro and the movie became very successful, grossing an estimated $155 million worldwide. He followed Blade II with another comic book movie, the wonderfully entertaining Hellboy (2004). The success of Blade II and Hellboy sealed Guillermo Del Toro’s place in Hollywood, but he was soon to revisit his native Mexico to present us with his most accomplished movie to date.

The impact of Mexicans on the international stage was reinforced that same year, when Gael Garcia Bernal gained world wide recognition for his performance in the critically acclaimed road movie Diarios de motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries) (2004), from Argentina. He then honed his skills in Spain, with a starring role in La Mala Educación (Bad Education) (2004), working with Spanish maestro Pedro Almodóvar. Over the next couple of years, he continued his world tour with the US production The King (2005) and the surreal French comedy La Science des rêves (The Science of Sleep) (2006), enthralling audiences at each destination with his skilled performances and charming demeanour. Also, 2006 saw him reunite with his Amores Perros director Alejandro González Iñárritu. The result of their reunion was Babel (2006).

Babel was Alejandro González Iñárritu’s third feature movie and by far his most ambitious. It is a sensitive exploration of the difficulties of communication in the modern world and the sense of vulnerability that can result from it. The trilogy of human suffering is a resounding triumph and an essential experience for any movie fan.

Babel was an international phenomenon, revered by the critics and public alike. As a result, it has grossed an estimated $100.4 million to date and has received 74 nominations worldwide, including 7 Oscar nominations in most of the major categories. So far, it has won 15 awards, most notably Best Director and Best Film at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. However, there are still many awards ceremonies to come and Babel will be a worthy challenger for the honours in 2007.

Alejandro González Iñárritu will be joined in the challenge by his compatriots Alfonso Cuarón and Guillermo Del Toro, as both enjoyed success in 2006 with their respective projects Children of Men (2006) and El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) (2006).

Children of Men (2006), is a fascinating idea, exquisitely realised by Alfonso Cuarón, displaying his usual assuredness to deliver a fluent and emotional drama, enhanced by resplendent visuals.

The arrival of the amazing El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan’s Labyrinth) (2006), brought Mexico to the forefront of world cinema once more, with Guillermo Del Toro delivering his country’s finest achievement since Amores Perros.

Since its release, El Laberinto del Fauno has grossed $56 million worldwide, gaining 70 nominations along the way, including 6 Oscar nominations. So far, it has won 25 awards, most notably Best Foreign Language Film at this years BAFTA ceremony, which was graciously accepted by Guillermo Del Toro.

In addition to what has already been discussed, it is important to acknowledge the achievements of Mexicans in cinematography. Emmanuel Lubezki, Guillermo Navarro, Rodrigo Prieto and Salma Hayek have all distinguished themselves as proficient craftsmen, contributing to a multitude of hugely successful movies and gaining international recognition in the process. The obvious wealth of Mexican talent, combined with the impending homecoming of the country’s recent pioneers, should ensure a bright future for Mexican cinema, producing movies that will be celebrated by audiences all over the world.

Article written by Alan Munro

Complete version

For the website Trapped in Mexico´s Periferico

http://www.elperiferico.com.mx

The View From 2020: A Datasnap From the Near Future

The View From 2020: A Datasnap From the Near Future
I’m voice-writing this in a rented media pod on the beach in Zanzibar. Yup, I’m back in school–Microsoft U, the old alma mater, doing a Master’s, my second–this time in NGO Studies. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the marine development work, but all that hover-jetting to the North Atlantic wave farms was just too much ass-time for me. I decided to do it down here for the kiting–the thermals from …

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