151 Reply by oTom

(84 replies, posted in Episodes)

It's basically the Yale of Swarthmore, PA.

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152 Reply by oTom

(84 replies, posted in Episodes)

A class on liberal propaganda in Hollywood , no doubt.

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153 Reply by oTom

(84 replies, posted in Episodes)

Wait. Full stop. What are we talking about here? The legal maneuvering that R&H will use to stay alive and screw the artists or a larger conversation about keeping American VFX artists in the states?

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154 Reply by oTom

(84 replies, posted in Episodes)

If someone who disagrees with me (Mike, you) wants to raise specific points of discussion I'll be happy to engage them. Otherwise I could just link you to books and lectures on the topic of outsourcing, globalization, and basic market economy.

I'm sure Dave and Zarban (and it seems Trey) also have a good sense of what I'm talking about too.

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155 Reply by oTom

(32 replies, posted in Episodes)

Well I always thought it was because Grant was bad at technology. Which is why he hates it so much.

This is becoming the most layered and meaningful moment in cinema history.

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156 Reply by oTom

(84 replies, posted in Episodes)

Trey wrote:

Their official statement:

R&H is filing for Chapter 11 reorganization in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court and hope to be in front of a Bankruptcy judge in the next couple days. In the meantime, all of our offices remain open, our clients are aware of the process; we have obtained commitments for financing to complete projects in house at the quality level the studios have come to expect.

Following the filing, R+H will be seeking to secure financing for future growth. I believe that we are going to come out of this situation stronger, more efficient, and as prolific as we are now.

Now, if they don't find that future financing they may still go under, of course - but it's not their official plan yet.

To quote me:

"My bet is that Rhythm & Hues sells all of their good assets to a newly-organized LLC or other corporate entity who will then relocate the vast majority of their business to India, China, BC or some combination of the three. Maybe some other organization as well. Everything else that is not sold to the new LLC will be left in an old LLC or other entity and left to the creditors to pick over."

They can actually still do the above under chapter 11. Which is likely how they'll get a chunk of financing.

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157 Reply by oTom

(84 replies, posted in Episodes)

Dorkman wrote:
iJim wrote:

R&H is probably going to set up shop somewhere much cheaper; be it India, China, or even Canada the only business logic is to move.

They're already in all three places. Didn't help them any.

That was predicated on chapter 13 - which is how I read it through the whiskey last night. But their overseas operations don't matter if they're still paying VFX artists stateside.

You can keep clanging pots together in the hope that enough noise will change basic economic principals, but it won't. It will always be cheaper to employ outside of the west. And corporations will go in that direction. A VFX artist in India is just as talented as one here. And the training *there* is both on the job and cheap.

If we can import cars, phones, and website development, we can roto and composite overseas. Seriously, start looking for new a new line of work.

Note: it's with no joy that I say any of this. It sucks and is a bummer. But car manufacturing was a way more vital component of the American economy and we lost that too. VFX ain't nothing comparatively.

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158 Reply by oTom

(84 replies, posted in Episodes)

I don't know why there are tears for R&H.

First of all:

From a quick google of the situation, Rhythm & Hues filed for Chapter 13 bankruptcy. There are two types of bankruptcy in the corporate world: chapters 11 and 13. Chapter 11 is liquidation bankruptcy - sell off EVERYTHING and the company dies. The creditors get everything and everyone gets screwed! Yay!

Chapter 13 is reorganization bankruptcy. It allows the corporation to cancel out all sorts of debts and (union) contracts and most of their supply contracts but continue to exist.

My bet is that Rhythm & Hues sells all of their good assets to a newly-organized LLC or other corporate entity who will then relocate the vast majority of their business to India, China, BC or some combination of the three. Maybe some other organization as well. Everything else that is not sold to the new LLC will be left in an old LLC or other entity and left to the creditors to pick over.

Basically, the only people who REALLY get screwed are the current employees and the creditors. So fuck R&H.

On a grander level, I don't want to say LA's VFX artists are totally, completely, and irreversibly screwed... but they are. R&H is probably going to set up shop somewhere much cheaper; be it India, China, or even Canada the only business logic is to move. And this will be the trend across the board.

/whatever this post is.

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159 Reply by oTom

(70 replies, posted in Off Topic)

bullet3 wrote:

I think Die Hard 3 is a perfect example of how it can be done well. They didn't just rehash the first one, but kept a lot of the elements that make Die Hard great (interesting villain, cool bad guy plan that isn't what it seems, violent and hard hitting action sequences), and most importantly stayed true to the essence of the character. McClane is hung-over, suspended, seperated from Holly, and ends up forced into this crazy situation where he has to rely on his instincts to survive. There's one or two implausible action sequences, but I like to allow 1 of those per movie. Die Hard has the firehose off a sky-scraper, Die Hard 3 it's the water tunnel sequence.

The most important part for me is that McClane is still a vulnerable and relatable hero, he gets ROYALLY fucked up in Die Hard 3 by the end.

HUG! Thank you! There are days where I think Die Hard 3 is actually *better* than the first.

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160 Reply by oTom

(12 replies, posted in Off Topic)

Strong work, everyone. Well done.

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161 Reply by oTom

(23 replies, posted in Off Topic)

Well. Thriller. Duh. It's *the* music video. You can't have a conversation about music video milestones without it.

And this is a huge milestone because I say so:

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162 Reply by oTom

(36 replies, posted in Off Topic)

First of all, loading this thread almost killed my laptop.

Top Five Albums:

1) Space Jam OST
2) Space Jam OST
3) Space Jam OST
4) Space Jam OST
5) Space Jam OST


Main theme

I Believe I Can Fly

Like an Eagle

Doc Sub: NAME DROP ALERT! I totes went to school with Will Butler. If I had to choose a non-Space Jam album it would probably be an Arcade Fire album, Ghostbusters, Michael Jackson, and some John Williams.

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163 Reply by oTom

(17 replies, posted in Off Topic)

Well said, Doc Sub. You get it.

And no one said anything was off limits; though I'll happily correct anyone who found the above video tasteful or appropriate. No. What I said was that will.i.am is a terrible scumbag.

Because good people don't use tragedy to grab at cash or self-promotion.

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164 Topic by oTom

(17 replies, posted in Off Topic)

I am so offended i.cant.even.

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165 Reply by oTom

(255 replies, posted in Off Topic)

This might be the wrong crowd but I've asked everywhere else so what the hell: anyone know of a decent, NOT children's history of the US Mint? There's the one that pops up on Amazon when you search "US Mint" but it sucks. I'm kind of floored that there isn't a NYT Best Seller type of book out there.

I mean, I know the history in broad strokes. I just want a David McCullough-esque treatment.

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166 Reply by oTom

(66 replies, posted in Off Topic)

paulou wrote:

White's one of the few true cultural critics in a sea of entertainment writers crusading for that valuable ground between the vapid assessment of a work as "good" or "bad".

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Screechin' tires. Bustin' glass.

Could you make a thread and es'splain yourself? Please? I'm kinda really interested to see where you're going with that.

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167 Reply by oTom

(1,649 replies, posted in Off Topic)

I agree with everyone in that video. But award the game to S&E for not sounding like evil German scientists.

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168 Reply by oTom

(124 replies, posted in Episodes)

paulou wrote:
iJim wrote:
Dorkman wrote:

Philosophy 101ers are especially ugh.

QFTT. You're not an expert in philosophy until math becomes your primary form of expression.

Theravada Buddhism and integral calculus are almost the same thing.

I'm sure there's a proof out there somewhere.

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169 Reply by oTom

(124 replies, posted in Episodes)

Dorkman wrote:

Philosophy 101ers are especially ugh.

QFTT. You're not an expert in philosophy until math becomes your primary form of expression.

Everything else you and Trey have to say about the screenwriting jab is true enough and I agree with what you're saying... but he was aiming that jab at you guys. Which doesn't describe any of you. At all. It was a pejorative he applied to dismiss valid criticisms. It was an appeal to ridicule. That irks me. Especially since I *still* don't see the flow of his logic in making the choices he did.

But what do I know. Maybe I just read it wrong.

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170 Reply by oTom

(124 replies, posted in Episodes)

Trey wrote:

I agree that Twitter is a poor forum for that kind of thing, it's just too limiting and disjointed for any lengthy discourse.

You and Bullet make a good point about the forum of Twitter being ill suited. But no one asked him to reply on Twitter. But you're also right that no one owed anyone anything here. I'm not retracting anything but I am less angry after that reply. So... good work?

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171 Reply by oTom

(124 replies, posted in Episodes)

Hey, if it impressed you, great. But those were a lot of replies to not say much.

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172 Reply by oTom

(2,061 replies, posted in Episodes)

I think they should save Big Lebowski for the off chance that Bertocci ever visits LA.

I vote for True Lies. Again.

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173 Reply by oTom

(124 replies, posted in Episodes)

I don't know why Rian was catching feelings in the first place. Apparently none of these criticisms were new to him and no one on DiF actively dislikes Looper. Except me. So why the commentary was hard for him to listen to baffles me a tad. Is he embarrassed that someone called him on the weak points?

And what was with his "screenwriting 101 crowd" jab? What, do they teach you how to forget screenwriting 101 in screenwriting 305? How was that in any way a defense. "It would take an hour" is also not a defense. Most of what he did was not a defense. Bah. Not impressed.

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174 Reply by oTom

(255 replies, posted in Off Topic)

Dorkman wrote:
iJim wrote:

I'm reading The Hot Zone... Omg, you guys. It's horrifying. If you have a strong stomach and are interested in the Ebola virus this is the book for you. But seriously. OMG.

Oh fuck. I read the first couple chapters back when it came out and nearly gave myself psychosomatic ebola.

Mmm. I started getting actually sick this morning with either Ebola or the common cold. If the former, it was real, y'all.

Now I'm reading Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World. Kinda interesting. It's one of those your-understanding-of-X-is-all-wrong books. Normally I hate those. Not this one.

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175 Reply by oTom

(255 replies, posted in Off Topic)

I'm reading The Hot Zone... Omg, you guys. It's horrifying. If you have a strong stomach and are interested in the Ebola virus this is the book for you. But seriously. OMG.

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