The Wyatt Family: Their Here.

 

On the 7^th of November 2013, after months of warnings that they “were coming” The WWE universe saw the debut of three indefinable men; The Wyatt family. Consisting of Bray Wyatt, and his followers Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, they are one of the most intriguing, abnormal and most importantly spiritual factions to debut in the WWE. These three unorthodox men have clearly followed the buzzards right into sports entertainment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HzXIyma3_w 

The promos leading up to the debut of this heel faction sparked only questions and suspense amongst the WWE universe. Fans were filled with high expectations over what these men could bring into the squared circle and in my opinion, we have not been let down yet. From demolishing monsters like Kane to entire tag teams like 3MB, the Wyatt's have made nothing less then a devastating impact. The frightful trail of bodies already left by these men has only begun; with new victims falling every week, it is clear that no one in the locker room, big or small, is safe from their wrath.

However the Wyatt's are more then just a tag team, these three men are symbolic of a backwoods cult, those who strive in the element of mother nature and solitude amongst themselves and those they consider 'part of the family' . At a combined weight of 865 pounds, it is without surprise that the Wyatt's have been able to easily manhandle their targets. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8Y7KepTYWA

Their potential for a push and long term storyline is extraordinary, WWE really has been given a chance to revive the tag team division through a heated rival that could go either way. The best part of this is that the foundation for it is slowly being built every week on RAW. With The Shield currently holding the tag team titles, we could be led into a back and forth rivalry where the two teams compete in six man tag team matches, normal tag matches and singles competition. This could seemingly result in a win-win situation for both the fans and the company, with both teams being prominent, dominant and overwhelming. The cries for the revival of quality tag teaming wrestling that WWE once prided itself on delivering, may soon be answered.

After less then a month on live television, this cult has created a real buzz for themselves. We have only seen a taste of what the Wyatt's are capable of, from their cryptic messages (@BrayWyatt), to unexpected assaults on superstars, the WWE audience is in for many great moments to come. What happens down the line for these three men is highly anticipated and could dramatically change the landscape of WWE in late 2013 and early 2014.  

Now You See Me: "The closer you look"

Three days after watching 'Now You See Me', I have still had thoughts of both the film and the review in my subconscious memory. Some new ideas have actually come to mind about the film as well as a second thought about the 4.7/5 rating I gave the film originally. 

'Now You See Me' unquestionable had a great cast, from already established faces, to faces you wont soon forget after the seeing the film. The calibre of acting was remarkably high throughout the film from facial reactions, body posture and tone of voice. As with any film, the best quality acting and actors are always wanted and this cast really hit the nail on the head. 

They say "the closer you look, the less you'll see". You don't have to look closely at all to sense the suspense filled, mind twisting conundrum that is the narrative of the film. The plot is an absolute puzzler where the audience is constantly wondering exactly what is going on and when they believe they have got it right, the director (Louis Leterrier), was "seven steps ahead". From cliffhanger to bewilderment, this is not an easy film to crack at all, you'll just have to take it like magic and have faith until the end when all is revealed.  

With an innovate film like this, its impossible to watch the film and not be able to appreciate its cinematography and editing, even if the audience don't really understand the concept of these. Cinematography is the beauty of a shot and how everything looks, while editing is everything from cutting scenes, to adding special effects. This is a film dedicated to magicians and illusionists, so with that in mind, you have to expect outstanding editing. This was definitely the case, whether it be the magic from Daniel, or unique abilities from Merritt, the editing team did not let down the audience. 

There is a very basic rule while making any video for any purpose that has been proven true countless times in the creative industry; you can watch something with good sound and bad quality, but you can't watch something with bad sound and good quality. This of course calls for both a high quality soundtrack and score, as well as image quality especially when targeting a mass cinema audience. Without a doubt the image quality from shot sizes, composition and framing we're excellent in 'Now You See Me', this was pre-expected of course. As for sound however, the soundtrack itself did not echo itself within my mind for days and weeks to come like films such as 'Drive' had once done. During the film I do not recall having any quarrels with the sound of the film so I believe it is safe to assume that the sound was decent to say the very least, but could have been more catchy. 

On another positive note, 'Now You See Me' does offer a very diverse range of characters (in terms of personality). This gives the audience to chance to really pick a favourite and get behind a character who they feel resembles or represents them on the big screen, cinema is a large scale form of identification and escapism, meaning any film must offer an alternative from reality. Just take a look at our four main characters, can you relate to any of them? Or do you prefer the characters played by Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman?

In conclusion, I still would have liked to see maybe one more action scene, the one we had was great and I think one more really could have gotten the audience onto the edge of their seats. Overall, I still stand by my rating of 4.7/5 for these following reasons:

• Amazing plot/storyline.
• Superb acting and cast.
• Overall quality of sound and image.
• Outstanding cinematography and special effects.
• Diverse Character variety. 
• A well blending and fitting, although not remember able sound track. 

Lights, Camera, Wrestle!

Yesterday, I was on set as a cameraman in the gritty but always welcoming East London. Filming took place in Bethnal Green, special thanks to @Vampiherif for letting me borrow his camera and tripod. Filming varied from conversations, overdosing and fight scenes. In this blog, I am going to take you through my equipment and my experiences of the day.

So first off, my equipment for the day:

I was fortunate enough to have access to a Cannon, EOS 600D camera with an 18-55MM lens. Prior to this, the majority of my experiences with cameras had only been with Sony HD hand-held cameras, so I was really stepping up to a new level using this camera. I had to learn on the job with this one in terms of focusing, white balance and how I would actually be maneuvering the camera, of course no matter the matter, this should all be second nature to any cameraman. I was also given a compact MKC3-H01 Manfrotto tripod, this was great as it gave me maximum mobility and control in what I wanted to do. 

After arriving at Bethnal Green for 11AM, I was provided with a 16GB Sandisk memory card to record the days footage on, this of course had to be returned at the end of filming. We began the morning by running through the script and everyone's roles, while I prepped with other cameramen and the director, Greg Burridge about how he wanted camera movements, shot sizes and settings to be. We started by selecting the same settings for all of the cameras being used, this was 1080P / 25FPS and is one of the most common settings to use while shooting a film. 

Our first scene of the day was a simple tracking shot, for this scene I controlled the equipment my friend had let me borrow. I had the side view of this shot and simply slowly panned right, tracking a character walking across an estate while another camera followed him from in front, this led us directly into our next shot.

The following scene involved the 180 degree rule filming a conversation, my camera was placed on the tripod from a front perspective where you could see both characters framed in a perfect two shot. At the same time, I was equipped with a Panasonic hand held camera and positioned at the left hand side to film a close up on one character on the right, while another Cannon 600D positioned at the right, filmed the person he was talking to on the left. This worked out as a great shot and captured all of the angles and facial reactions we needed to later edit this into a master shot, shot, reaction shot. 

While working in the media industry and filming a movie, there is never a day without fun on the set of course. During a break, many other members of the cast for the day began singing and auditioning for classic boy band groups, including Backstreet Boys and Blue. In particular, Will also decided my tripod would make an awesome interchangeable shot gun and sniper, although clearly, he was right.

After our break, we filmed a scene involving a drug addict, a dealer and his henchmen. This was mainly filmed by one camera in the beginning and focused on getting close ups and very tight frames of significant actions, for example putting the needle together and his worried facial expressions while our addict looks out for trouble. After this, the entire scene was shot with two more cameras coming in again, my camera was focused on filming the addict and henchman's face, the other camera on our dealer with a main camera capturing the entire shot.

For our next shot, we went on to film the continuation scene from the conversation we had filmed in the morning, this involved adding two more people to the conversation which planted heated stems to later develop into big drama. This time shot from all hand held camera work and included a master shot of all four characters, another camera filmed the two closest to me, while I recorded an over the shoulder shot of our two main characters, throughout the conversation, up until it is only once again them left in the shot and they walk out of frame. 

Our next next scene had been the most anticipated of the day and actually caught the attention of the locals on the estate to come outside and watch. After a confrontation between two drug lords, a very realistic fight scene erupted, this was again filmed from three cameras covering the same areas, one being focused on everyone while two were focused on specific groups of people. This was a great experience for me in particular as it developed my abilities of anticipating when something is going to happen now and adjusting the shot and my own position to match this.

Our final scene, well, you'll have to wait for the entire movie to see this film after what happened, when its out, I'll let you know what happened while filming ;). 

Overall the day was great, I learned even more about continuity, framing and what its like to work on set for producing an actual movie, instead of just a media project. I'm thankful for both the opportunity, knowledge and experience I gained from this and it has only assured me even more, this is a huge part of what my future will involve.

Tranquility - Poetry Breakdown

So this is a poem I wrote, clearly. Thanks to some help from www.nailaincrivel.blogspot.co.uk this was created and looks great might I add :D It is just a slight break down of what I actually meant in the difference verses, never actually tried this before so please let me know what you think from constructive feedback. Thanks :)

"Now You See Me" Review

So, after a great day out with my girlfriend which included going to the cinema, here is a review of the film we watched. You can see her review @ http://nailaincrivel.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/now-you-see-me-spoiler-alert.html

“Now you see me”, directed by Louis Leterrier, is truly a film that brings clarification to the category of “Thriller” in 2013 cinema. The plot of the film follows Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg), Merritt McKenny (Woody Harrelson), Henley Reeves (Isla Fisher) and Jack Wilder (Dave Franco) as four magicians who are brought together to form an illustrious group known as “The Four Horsemen”.

They find themselves meeting in one location, led by specific and individual cards, all planned by Arthur Tressler (Michael Caine), who owns a string of million dollar, corrupt businesses. The four horsemen are pursued throughout the film by FBI detective; Dylan Rhodes (Mark Ruffalo) and his inter-pole assigned assistant, Alma Dray (Melanie Laurent). Together, the duo are attempting to arrest the group on charges of bank robberies. We are briefly taken through the magician’s lifestyles, personalities and abilities individually to see how the four are connected and come together to prosper and develop as a team to leave their global audiences in awe.

From beginning to end, the film provides constant elements of Enigma coding, typical of the thriller genre. This makes the audience question themselves about what is actually going on and what is going to happen next, like any real thriller should. The character of Thaddeus Bradly (Morgan Freeman) and Alma Dray, only add to the mysterious element of the film as they are constantly raising questions about what their agendas are and what side they are actually on. New twists and turns are prominent throughout the entire film that make the audience feel much like the FBI, that when they believe they are one step ahead, they are actually “one, three, even seven steps behind”.

Unlike many other films released this year, “Now you see me” was remarkable as the entire film had you constantly thinking, paying close attention to detail and attempting to work in the minds of the detectives instead of physically having you at the edge of your seat. Much like magic, this is a story you simply have to “believe” at first to understand everything when the film comes full circle, this really created an emotional bond between the audience and the screen.

The cinematography of the film was just another attribute that complimented a dynamically written, well directed and composed film overall. From the camera angles chosen, to the editing and special effects that brought the magic to life, these only enhanced the experience of watching a movie solely about magic. Everything was put in place to tell the story excellently and as a result each frame was as well composed and fitting as the scene prior. It is very clear that Louis Leterrier, paid extremely close attention to both detail and composition; he truly was the “magic eye” behind the film.

Overall, I would give the film 4.7/5 stars for its very complex script that was portrayed through simplistic clues, loop holes and cliff hangers throughout the two hours. “Now You See Me” is also deserving of such a high rating because many of the films I have watched this year physically had me on the edge of my seat through sheer action and explosions, this film however demanded my full attention and focus because of the concept alone, not to mention how the narrative was played out through various techniques while following the generic conventions of a thriller. To achieve 5/5 stars, I believe the film needed a more extended action packed scene, that was able to pull the audience to the edge of their seats, had it done this, “Now you see me” would have achieved the highest rating. 

The London School Of Lucha Britannia

This is an article that I wrote on the 27/7/13 all about the student show of Lucha Britannia. It showcased some of the highest potential wrestling talent in Britain today, right from the heart of Bethnal Green where the school is located. 

Trained by Greg and Gary, the students work under professional guidance towards live shows every two months where they showcase a unique wrestling experience to a passionate British audience. The shows offer something for everyone, presented by comical commentators who pumped up the crowd and raised the adrenaline of everyone in the room, whist entertaining the crowd like only wrestling can.

The professionalism taught and the heart of the wrestlers was clearly demonstrated today in the first contest of the evening. Peace, who made his debut was left bleeding from a stiff elbow, he would however carry on the match and despite punishment and abuse, fought back to land a standing moonsault and prevail in his first victory with his partner on their respectable debuts. The referee of this match, also showed his qualities when he quickly evaluated the situation and ensured that the match was able to continue without the risk of serious injury.

From rappers to upper class gimmicks, boy bands to the undead, the student show of Lucha Britannia gave its audience a remarkable Sunday afternoon and a positive insight into the inevitable rebirth of British wrestling. Many new students debuted to a great reception from the crowd, in particular Heather, who received some of the loudest chants of the show. Lucha Britannia offered an innovative match through Heather and Fraser, who competed in one of the most dangerous matches known to mankind; boyfriend VS girlfriend. The show featured two inter-gender matches, one of which included two women vs an undead zombie and the self-proclaimed “King of the shining wizard”, Rob Cage. Both contests only when on to prove one thing: when the two genders battle, woman seemingly prevail over men.

 The everyday class struggles of London were portrayed through the Croquet playing, upper class Lavelle brothers teaming against two 'common' men who just love to wrestle, dance and entertain a crowd. The energy of those in attendance was so enthusiastic that even an unexpected glitch in the sound system could not stop the team of Disco and Rastador from entering, as the crowd replicated the beat and lyrics of Disco's theme music for the duo to enter the ring to.

After much anticipation the main event of the evening came, the Inked Up Assassins open challenge was answered by a very unexpected duo, two Norwegian vikings. The match was filled with comebacks and resiliency from all four men involved, both teams put up a fight any warrior would have been proud of. The crowds support was unanimously behind the Assassins. After an uphill battle which featured astounding feats of human strength and the heart to carry on, both sides were attacked by angered members of the locker room who wanted the Vikings place. In what summed up Lucha Britannia, the two teams worked together to clear the ring before shaking hands to the appreciation of the crowd, emphasizing the respect, passion and dedication of everyone who took part in the show.

Today's show highlighted various positives to come for British wrestling and is a clear example of why this industry will soon be revived in Britain again. The enthusiasm of the wrestlers was rewarded through the passion of the fans, while the chants and boos of the fans, were answered through the energy that went into not only the matches, but the entire show.

Black Cloud

This poem is a metaphor for my life and how I felt for a really long time. It took some real thought to use the right words and rhythm scheme to really portray my true feelings into this poem.

Black Cloud 

Lingering over my head,

Numbing each and every thought.

Feeling so brain dead..

This is what life's taught. 

Whispering in my ear;

These voices I hear.

Conflicting words strung together,

A torment lasting forever. 

Making it past the night

Directly into the light,

Leaving without all the fright 

Conquering through heroic might.

Enduring the rain,

And surviving the pain.

Fighting for our gain,

A moment of surprise came. 

Eyes suddenly become rainbows,

When the tears evaporate..

Your smile becomes the warmth,

Eyes shining like the stars. 

Yet hanging over my head,

This is no halo for angels.

A black cloud pain led,

Burning me slowly like the devils. 

The past never leaves,

Eternally in our way. 

A life that deceives,

Forever in our day. 

23:51 -9/7/13

Jake Christian 

22:54 - 11/7/13