Search Results

‘Pokemon: Let's Go!’ is exactly what it looks like, for better and worse

by Emily Reuben As a lifelong fan of the Pokémon series, the announcement of Pokémon Let’s Go immediately filled me with a nostalgia-filled desire to re-explore the Kanto region with my Pokémon friends frolicking behind me. I was practically throwing my money at the screen in anticipation. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vV_ox1lCixk[/embed] The moment the game was available for download I loaded up my copy of Let’s Go, Eevee and began yet another adventure in Kanto. While the Kanto region has been explored to death, these games shake things up from traditional Pokémon titles with the inclusion of a Pokémon Go inspired catch system. Though the game is a bit simplistic in terms of battling and capturing Pokémon, these games are the most fun I’ve had with the Pokémon series in a long time and are the perfect placeholders for a new main entry Pokémon title on the Switch. Let’s Go revisit Kanto, for the 6th time The story is essentially a remake of Pokémon Yellow with added elements here and there. Players who have experience with the first generation of Pokémon games will know exactly where to go and what to do, but that’s not a negative by any means. The game very clearly isn’t aiming to have a deep RPG narrative with perplexing puzzles. It’s a cute little catching simulator with relatively easy trainer battles. The game is incredibly simplified in comparison to other Pokémon games. There are no Pokémon abilities, no convoluted evolution requirements, Pokémon can easily be traded in from Pokémon Go to complete the Pokédex, you are constantly told exactly what to do, and you are given plenty of chances to heal so you will likely never faint. If you’re looking for a challenging, lore-rich experience, you may want to pass on these titles. But who looked at Pokémon Let’s Go and expected a true Pokémon title? If you look at the game for what it is, you’re probably going to have a great time, especially if you haven’t played a Pokémon title in a long time. It’s easy to jump into, but also has a lot of love packed into it. Little details like your Pokémon following you, being able to fly and catch rare species, the ease of checking and improving IVs and EVs, and so forth are all welcome additions that I really hope find their way into the next generation of games. In all honesty, I found the main story to be more of a drag than anything. Like I said, I’ve played Red, Blue, and Yellow hundreds of times; I can beat them with my eyes closed, so it may be a bit unfair for me to call the game overly easy when I’ve played the titles it’s based off of extensively. But I was bored out of my mind plodding through the story. I wanted nothing more than to beat the game so I could go complete my Pokédex. Don’t get me wrong, battling gyms and the Elite Four are still fun, but the other trainers in the game are so easy that I often opted to scroll through Reddit while mashing the A button during battles. Trainer battles trying my patience It’s fine that Let’s Go wanted to focus more on capturing Pokémon than battling them, but why dumb down the difficulty of trainers? As is, battling non-important NPCs is a waste of time. Hardly any experience points are awarded from trainer battles and money really isn’t an issue with the Elite Four being available for a rematch. I don’t want Dark Souls-esque difficulty or anything, but I don’t need every opposing foe to have a single level 20 Rattata either. The games are primarily for children, but children shouldn’t have their hands held for them. A fair challenge can be a good thing, but as a child, there was no better feeling than finally defeating a difficult trainer with my specially selected team. Did I get temporarily stuck at some spots? Yes, but figuring out a puzzle or progressing past a difficult trainer felt infinitely more rewarding. It’s a bit sad kids don’t get the opportunity to overcome these obstacles without excessive hand-holding. My favorite aspect of the game is definitely the post-game content. After defeating the Elite Four, special trainers called Master Trainers appear throughout Kanto with one highly leveled Pokémon. The only way to beat each Master Trainer is to beat their single Pokémon with a better version of that same Pokémon. There is one trainer for all 151 Pokémon, so players will have to raise Pokémon they may normally have overlooked. While I’m not too big a fan of the trainer battles throughout the game, the fun of capturing Pokémon and assembling a team makes up for it. Without handhelds holding it back… Let’s briefly reflect on the first Pokémon titles, Pokémon Red and Blue. Older players will remember having to hold our clunky Gameboy under lamplight (or using some ridiculously contrived light add-on) to see our monochrome, pixelated characters walking around capturing 8-bit monsters. While the design was certainly adequate for the time, I think it’s fair to say that a certain amount of imagination was required to construct the game’s world. What did Kanto really look like? Later returns to the Kanto region, such as in FireRed and LeafGreen on the Gameboy Advance or HeartGold and SoulSilver on the Nintendo DS, offer a visual upgrade in an attempt to modernize the game’s aesthetic, but everything in the region still felt small, and to be frank, the world felt empty in comparison to other regions. Let’s Go perfectly brings to life the Pokémon world I envisioned when I was a young child; from the expansive caves, large water areas, open fields, everything looks incredible. The 3D style certainly fits very well on the Switch, and in my opinion looks far better than the Nintendo 3DS Pokémon games. The colors are bright and varied, character models for humans and Pokémon are improved from the 3DS, and environments are bursting with life with little touches like falling leaves or waves skimming the water. Most importantly, Pokémon are now running around in the overworld. This little touch really does bring the world to life. It’s only natural that wild Pokémon would be seen, you know, in the wild, and honestly, it’s more than time for this change to have happened. Not only does this make the different routes feel livelier, but it is also far more convenient to catch Pokémon. Instead of random encounters, you can choose which Pokémon you want to capture by simply walking into them. However, while I love this feature, I do find it odd that the battling mechanic was removed for wild encounters. Obviously, this removes the need for excessive grinding, but I personally miss this strategic element from past titles. No longer do you have to plan how to properly weaken the opposing Pokémon without fainting it, you just throw a ball and hope it lands. For future Let’s Go titles I would like to see a mixture of battle mechanics and the motion controls for capturing; maybe have an option to weaken Pokémon before capturing?  Pokémon Go-find-different-mechanics It does become incredibly aggravating when Pokémon run away from battle without warning. This is lifted straight from Pokémon Go, and honestly, it annoys me in that game too, so I’m disappointed that Let’s Go adopted this from the mobile game. What’s worse in this game than in Go is that Pokémon can run when you throw a ball or even when you change an item. This is ridiculous and only serves to annoy the player. Speaking of motion controls, they’re… spotty. The game attempts to emulate the capture style of Pokémon Go where players are required to use their fingers to throw the ball at a Pokémon. Each Pokémon has a varying level of difficulty, demonstrated by the colored rings around the Pokémon; red circles mean a higher level of difficulty, yellow is average, and green is relatively easy. Additionally, you can increase your chances of capture by using stronger Poké Balls or hitting the Pokémon when the colored circle is smaller. This translates fairly well to the Nintendo Switch when they work. When the motion controls don’t work, your ball will randomly go careening to the opposite side of the screen despite your joy-con being held straight. This is especially problematic with Pokémon that like to move around to avoid capture.  While by no means game breaking, it would have been nice if more time went into making the capture mechanics more solid. Despite its flaws, it’s still Pokémon Overall, I loved Let’s Go, but it is certainly far from a perfect game. The story in the first generation games is weak. Again, experiencing it again for the millionth time with dumbed down difficulty and mechanics makes for a worse experience. Motion controls are hit-or-miss, Pokémon Go style gameplay can become old fast, and so forth. Fans wanting a more traditional battle system are going to be disappointed, but those of you looking for a fun, new way to enjoy the Pokémon series, give these games a shot. To be blunt these games had me hook, line, and sinker from the moment the trailer was released, pretty much guaranteeing I would love the game no matter what. Despite some gameplay issues, I loved the massive nostalgia trip and traversing the land with my trusty Eevee on my shoulder while riding on the back of an Arcanine. Let’s Go gave me everything I wanted as a child, and I can easily overlook many of the flaws, though it is completely understandable if others don’t have the personal connection to the original games and have difficulty getting sucked into the game. Personally, I hope the Let’s Go series expands to cover other regions and addresses some of the aforementioned issues. Images: taken from 'Pokémon Let's Go, Eevee!' Featured Image: Pokémon

Input 2 S5E6: And They Don't Stop Comin'

On this week's episode we are discussing the reboot of Shrek. Is this a blessing in disguise or God's way of punishing us? Why is there a Shrek reboot and what will it bring to the table for the generation that loves the Shrek series? Join us on this week's conversation over Shrek on Input 2.

Input 2 S5E5: Scream Scares in a new Meaning

Input 2 tackles another Halloween classic with the movie Scream. Through its iconic ghost face masks and authentic characters, the series has created a unique sense of style. However, what scary origins is Scream hiding? Tune in to this week’s episode of Input 2 to find out more!

Input 2 S5E4: A Walk Down Memory Lane with Scooby-Doo

smart-mag

body{ background: rgba(49,87,163,1); background: -moz-linear-gradient(top, rgba(49,87,163,1) 0%, rgba(74,109,173,1) 0%, rgba(83,129,186,1) 0%, rgba(92,153,200,1) 23%, rgba(106,195,225,1) 50%, rgba(113,206,232,1) 77%, rgba(255,255,255,1) 100%); background: -webkit-gradient(left top, left bottom, color-stop(0%, rgba(49,87,163,1)), color-stop(0%, rgba(74,109,173,1)), color-stop(0%, rgba(83,129,186,1)), color-stop(23%, rgba(92,153,200,1)), color-stop(50%, rgba(106,195,225,1)), color-stop(77%, rgba(113,206,232,1)), color-stop(100%, rgba(255,255,255,1))); background: -webkit-linear-gradient(top, rgba(49,87,163,1) 0%, rgba(74,109,173,1) 0%, rgba(83,129,186,1) 0%, rgba(92,153,200,1) 23%, rgba(106,195,225,1) 50%, rgba(113,206,232,1) 77%, rgba(255,255,255,1) 100%); background: -o-linear-gradient(top, rgba(49,87,163,1) 0%, rgba(74,109,173,1) 0%, rgba(83,129,186,1) 0%, rgba(92,153,200,1) 23%, rgba(106,195,225,1) 50%, rgba(113,206,232,1) 77%, rgba(255,255,255,1) 100%); background: -ms-linear-gradient(top, rgba(49,87,163,1) 0%, rgba(74,109,173,1) 0%, rgba(83,129,186,1) 0%, rgba(92,153,200,1) 23%, rgba(106,195,225,1) 50%, rgba(113,206,232,1) 77%, rgba(255,255,255,1) 100%); background: linear-gradient(to bottom, rgba(49,87,163,1) 0%, rgba(74,109,173,1) 0%, rgba(83,129,186,1) 0%, rgba(92,153,200,1) 23%, rgba(106,195,225,1) 50%, rgba(113,206,232,1) 77%, rgba(255,255,255,1) 100%); filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.gradient( startColorstr='#3157a3', endColorstr='#ffffff', GradientType=0 ); ; background-repeat:no-repeat; background-size:100% 346px; } .main-featured {border:0;} #main-head { padding-top: 2.5%; } .title { padding-bottom: 1.5% }

Heartland Film Festival: ‘Weed the People’ makes an emotional, compelling case for legal cannabis

Cancer is a devastating illness that no one should have to endure, and  this is especially true regarding children. Childhood is meant to be an  innocent, fun time in a person’s life, but sadly many children are  denied a normal childhood due to the debilitating disease. Medical  advances have greatly increased the survival rate for those afflicted,  but there is still a limit to what modern medicine can do. When all else  fails, we turn to other alternative measures. 

Heartland Film Festival: ‘Dawnland’ covers an important, interesting subject, but fails to deliver

Dawnland is a documentary that tackles an important subject  that is sadly not often discussed: the forcible removal of Native  American children from their parents by the American government in an  effort to assimilate them to white American society. In an effort to  distance Native American children from their culture, they were placed  in white households, some whom were extremely racist or abusive towards  their foster children. Schools specifically tailored to teach these  Native American children punished the use of Native languages and taught  them to be ashamed of their heritage. Effectively, these children lost a  massive part of their identity and were often subject to abuse by their  foster parents. Dawnland focuses on the first official truth  and reconciliation commission (TRC) in the United States as they travel  to the various Wabanaki tribes in Maine to collect testimonies and  conduct research on the impact of the peoples’ histories. 

Input 2 S5E3 - Michael Myers Strikes Again

Input 2 continues to explore the deep roots of the Halloween film genre. More specifically, how the original Halloween movie created many of the horror tropes today. But how does the new Halloween sequel hold up to the first one? Does Michael Myers still strike fear into the hearts of viewers? Tune in to this week’s episode of Input 2 to find out more!

Heartland Film Festival: 'Weed the People' makes an emotional, compelling case for legal cannabis

by Emily Reuben Cancer is a devastating illness that no one should have to endure, and this is especially true regarding children. Childhood is meant to be an innocent, fun time in a person’s life, but sadly many children are denied a normal childhood due to the debilitating disease. Medical advances have greatly increased the survival rate for those afflicted, but there is still a limit to what modern medicine can do. When all else fails, we turn to other alternative measures. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mnzL8nL3lE[/embed] Despite indications that cannabis has anti-cancer properties, the use of cannabis in the medical field is highly controversial. In many states, doctors are largely forbidden from prescribing cannabis, preventing families from but for those in desperate situation the law literally stands between a potential cure and sure death. Weed the People follows various families with children looking to cannabis for treatment. Admittedly, the film is very depressing. Watching these children who should be outside playing with friends or watching television are stuck in bed, visibly uncomfortable, or have been given less than favorable news can be heartbreaking but also inspiring. Despite all of the hardships, the children that the film follows are all amazingly brave and determined, and Weed the People never stops showing off the courage of them and their families. I cried multiple times through the duration of the film, both due to happiness and deep sadness. In terms of emotional impact, Weed the People is incredibly moving, beautiful, and respectful to the subject’s situations. The documentary, using much appreciated expert testimony, makes the case for the legalization of cannabis. Considering how controversial medical cannabis is, I was initially concerned that Weed the People may lean toward propaganda rather than a solid, unbiased documentary. For the most part, it doesn’t, which is a huge relief. The film is certainly slanted towards promoting medical cannabis, but it is very responsible in its advocacy. Something that I thought was very interesting and useful for those considering medical cannabis is the documentary’s assertion that unregulated cannabis can be dangerous or even deadly, further emphasizing responsible, legal usage. I found myself being swept in completely by the film, a testament to just how effective it is, and I’m going to assume many other viewers will have a similar experience. Somebody could certainly watch this film and decide against medical advisory in favor of a strict cannabis treatment after seeing this glowing endorsement. The film never promotes cannabis as a sure-fire solution to cancer, but it certainly does emphasize just how incredibly effective cannabis can be. Again, the filmmakers in no way state a person shouldn’t consult a medical professional; this is just a concern that entered my mind after viewing the film. However, ultimately the responsibility is on the viewer to weigh the pros and cons, do the appropriate research and reach their own conclusion. Despite this slight concern, Weed the People is an incredibly good documentary that I think everyone should watch. The cinematography is great, the editing choices are coherent and smooth, and many audience members will likely be moved to action. Children deserve to grow up just like everyone else, and if a little plant can help make that happen then legalization is at least worth serious consideration. Featured Image: IMDb

Heartland Film Festival: ‘Dawnland’ covers an important, interesting subject, but fails to deliver

by Emily Reuben Dawnland is a documentary that tackles an important subject that is sadly not often discussed: the forcible removal of Native American children from their parents by the American government in an effort to assimilate them to white American society. In an effort to distance Native American children from their culture, they were placed in white households, some whom were extremely racist or abusive towards their foster children. Schools specifically tailored to teach these Native American children punished the use of Native languages and taught them to be ashamed of their heritage. Effectively, these children lost a massive part of their identity and were often subject to abuse by their foster parents. Dawnland focuses on the first official truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) in the United States as they travel to the various Wabanaki tribes in Maine to collect testimonies and conduct research on the impact of the peoples' histories. The subject is certainly anger-inducing and deserves to be fully explored, but that’s the problem with Dawnland: For such an interesting topic, the film doesn’t delve deep enough. There is very little historical context, limited interview subjects, no explanation on how the investigation impacted Native peoples, and far too much similar footage scattered throughout that doesn’t convey enough educational or new information. The film is mostly comprised of interviews with Wabanaki Native Americans in Maine who had been forcibly separated from their parents as children, but the film is structured in a way that these interviews are scattered all over the place in short bursts and the stories are not fully explored. We don’t get to really know any of the subjects and the stories are typically very short. What’s more problematic, however, is how these interviews are incorporated into the film. Dawnland would have benefitted from stringing these interviews closer together instead of randomly throughout the film. It’s hard to feel the emotional impact when there is a serious interview topic beginning, only to stop after just scratching the surface and then transitioning to a new topic unrelated to any interview. An aspect of the film I genuinely did enjoy was how the film tackled and showcased white privilege within the TRC. Dawnland shows the TRC, composed primarily of white individuals, has difficulty understanding how to respectfully engage with the Wabanaki people. The issue of white privilege is swiftly shut down and addressed within the film, which was honestly the best part for me. I appreciate Dawnland's honesty in showing that white people cannot fully understand the struggles of minorities and that being an ally means actually listening to the concerns of minorities.  While I genuinely want to like the film, I don’t think it’s a very effective documentary, which is a shame because the subject certainly deserves an in-depth look and exposure. I found myself asking, “Why do I not feel emotionally moved?” and it all comes down to film structure and a lack of engaging, educational content. Dawnland left me wanting to know more about the topic, but sadly I don’t think I’ll be returning to Dawnland for a refresher. Featured Image: Dawnland's Official Website

Horror films like 'Halloween' only come once a decade or so

When it comes to slasher films, no slasher villain is as important to the genre as Michael Myers. When John Carpenter’s Halloween first released in 1978, slasher films were not exactly new, but none featured nearly as much artistry and attention to detail. Filmed in just four weeks with a young cast, Halloween proved that budgets and A-list stars don’t have to be a death sentence for a horror film. The success of Halloween reinvigorated the slasher genre, paving the way for other notable slashers to hit the scene.

Horror films like 'Halloween' only come once a decade or so

by Emily Reuben

Input 2 S5E2 - Rocky Horror's Cousin

Welcome back to Input 2. On this week's episode, we will be discussing Repo the Genetic Opera. This timely discussion regarding what some might call a, cult classic, goes into the depths of this odd, rock-horror opera. Tune in to this week's episode of Input 2 to find out more.

Heartland Film Festival: ’93Queen’ showcases the determination of Hasidic women

When perusing the film line-up for Heartland Film Festival this year, the film that immediately caught my attention was 93Queen.  The documentary follows Rachel Freier or “Ruchie”, a Hasidic mother and  lawyer who shook up the male dominated Hasidic community by creating   Ezras Nashim, the first all-female ambulance corps in New York City. It  is rare for Hasidic communities, especially women in these communities,  to be highlighted through film, so the concept is certainly unique.  However, what specifically caught my interest was the concept of hearing  the voices of the women within this community. I wanted to hear about  their experience breaking boundaries and fighting to change their  community in the male-dominated Hasidic society. I am glad to say that 93Queen exceeded my expectations.

Heartland Film Festival: '93Queen' showcases the determination of Hasidic women

by Emily Reuben When perusing the film line-up for Heartland Film Festival this year, the film that immediately caught my attention was 93Queen. The documentary follows Rachel Freier or “Ruchie”, a Hasidic mother and lawyer who shook up the male dominated Hasidic community by creating  Ezras Nashim, the first all-female ambulance corps in New York City. It is rare for Hasidic communities, especially women in these communities, to be highlighted through film, so the concept is certainly unique. However, what specifically caught my interest was the concept of hearing the voices of the women within this community. I wanted to hear about their experience breaking boundaries and fighting to change their community in the male-dominated Hasidic society. I am glad to say that 93Queen exceeded my expectations. The film informs us immediately that Hasidic women are expected to be modest. This means that women doing work outside of mothering children or tending to familial tasks is frowned upon within the society. This expectation of modesty extends to physicality, as women do not have sexual relationships, kiss, or even touch men before marriage. The issue that arises from this is that many women are intimidated by calling for emergency services, specifically Hatzolah, the strictly male-run emergency care corps, for fear of being touched or looked at by men while in an immodest state. [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3m7p1r-RDg[/embed] Ezras Nashim recognizes the need for a female-run emergency care corps for women in the Hasidic community. However, Ezras Nashim faces constant bullying and intimidation from Hatzolah and members within the community.  The film constantly reminds us that while the efforts of Ezras Nashim are noble and very much needed, stubborn adherence traditional ideals can easily stunt progress and neglect the needs of members in a community. Some of the film’s most impactful moments stem from the resistance towards Ruchie’s efforts and truly emphasize just how much adversity she and Ezras Nashim faced within their own community. The documentary does an excellent job showcasing the determination of Ruchie and Ezras Nashim while simultaneously educating the audience about the traditional roles of women within the community. Film director Paula Eiselt is a Hasidic woman herself, which works to the film’s benefit. It is clear that Eiselt understands the gravity of what the women in the film are trying to accomplish and does an excellent job of introducing outsiders to Hasidic culture by allowing the women to go about their daily lives virtually uninterrupted. We are able to follow Ruchie, the film’s primary subject, as she cooks for her family, goes to work at her law practice, prays, and as she organizes Ezras Nashim. Just from watching her do these various everyday tasks, we are allowed to see an insider's perspective of her religion and tradition in an organic, respectful manner. Even more importantly, Eiselt gives Ruchie and the other volunteers at Ezras Nashim a platform to share their views, address their struggles, and showcase their success. Something that I genuinely appreciate it the clear respect for the subjects and communities being show, but what I also find admirable is that the documentary is careful to remain honest and transparent. Ruchie is a human-being, and like every human-being she has faults. I’m glad that these faults were not shied away from, as they only serve to make her more human and relatable. The film is incredibly well-done and showcases the power and dedication of women. While Ruchie may not consider herself a feminist, she has indisputably helped to pave the way for Hasidic women and other minority women to follow their chosen careers and challenge  patriarchal society, and to me that screams feminism.  Follow the film on Facebook and the film's official website. Featured image: Facebook

Input 2 S5E1- The Movie That Kills

Welcome back to the new and improved Input 2. On this week's episode, we will be discussing the newly adapted Slenderman movie. How did this all start and where has it gone since the beginning? How did the movie hold up to the legend behind the Slenderman? All of this and more on this week's episode of Input 2.

Industry veteran, Ball State professor Vanessa Ament speaks about her short film ‘ Amplified: A Conversation with Women in American Film Sound’

It would be a massive understatement to say that the creation of film takes an enormous amount of work. Camera operators, editors, light departments, producers, set designers and actors all must work together in perfect harmony if they want to craft a brilliant piece of art. Neglecting even one department can result in absolute disaster. Despite the necessity of various departments and specialists, the first thing that comes to mind for many when discussing film is often the various visual components that make up a film. Editing, staging, choreography, acting, and camera-work often the most discussed aspects of a film, but visuals are hardly the only important aspect of filmmaking.

Industry veteran, Ball State professor Vanessa Ament speaks about her short film ' Amplified: A Conversation with Women in American Film Sound'

by Emily Reuben It would be a massive understatement to say that the creation of film takes an enormous amount of work. Camera operators, editors, light departments, producers, set designers and actors all must work together in perfect harmony if they want to craft a brilliant piece of art. Neglecting even one department can result in absolute disaster. Despite the necessity of various departments and specialists, the first thing that comes to mind for many when discussing film is often the various visual components that make up a film. Editing, staging, choreography, acting, and camera-work often the most discussed aspects of a film, but visuals are hardly the only important aspect of filmmaking. And similarly to how sound is usually thought of after visuals in film, women working in film live a similar experience, usually being thought of after men in the industry are recognized (if they are thought of at all). One Ball State professor and a team of students sought to change both paradigms by recognizing the work and experiences of the women in the film and television industry who bring sound to life.  Their short film, Amplified: A Conversation with Women in American Film Sound, was created through Ball State’s Virginia Ball Center for Creative Inquiry and crewed by a total of 14 Ball State students. The film celebrates the women who work in Hollywood’s sound departments. From Foley artists to sound editors, Amplified gives a platform to 30 different women working in the male dominated film industry, allowing them to tell their unique stories. After the initial premiere on December 3rd, 2017 at Muncie’s AMC Showplace 12 theater, Amplified was nominated for best documentary at the Long Beach Indie Film Festival and has been featured in various film festivals including Heartland's Indy Shorts Film Festival 2018 and the UFVA film conference. Amplified will also be screening on October 11th at the LA Femme Film Festival. The film’s director and producer, Ball State Telecommunications Edmund F. and Virginia B. Ball  Endowed Chair Vanessa Ament, has had an extensive career as a Foley artist. Over the course of her career, she has worked on popular titles such as Beauty and the Beast, The Goofy Movie, Edward Scissorhands, and Predator just to name a few. There is a lot that went into making Amplified, and we spoke to the director wanting to learn more about her thought process as she made her film as well as to learn more about her career working in film sound. Q: How did you get into sound editing and Foley artistry? Ament: In a play I was in, I met someone who had known a Foley artist and she had been looking for someone to kind of fill in for her when she had too many jobs to do at her kind of low-end studio. And I went and interviewed, actually just replacing a voice for a film, but they liked my synch, they interviewed me, and they hired me at a reduced rate to learn Foley and replace her and take her place on other films. Because they had two men, they wanted a second woman on TV shows and films. This was in 1980; I had no idea what it was. All I knew was that it had something to do with doing these funny sounds. It turned out that I had a knack. People really liked me. I worked really well with people and I seemed to have a certain talent. Q: It’s interesting because when you think of people going into sound, I always wonder, how do you discover that interest? Ament: I got into editing because I was intellectually curious, and I wanted to learn more about how to shoot it, how to queue it, and go on the dubbing stage. Then I ended up marrying a sound editor who ended up supervising and then we ended up kind of having our own company, and we were both intellectually curious on how to expand our toolbox. So not ever being satisfied just doing one little task. It's not my nature. I would learn how to do more and more and more, and I'm still like that. I mean I'm still taking on new tasks. I’ve always wanted to learn something new and that's kind of how it happened. Q: How have your feelings changed about Foley and sound since you've actively started getting more involved with it? Ament: So now as I teach it more or demonstrate it more, articulate it more, write about it, and interview people about it and look at it from their perspective, what is changing for me is understanding how other people approach the craft. How other people approach sound design, how other people approach mixing, write about their way of doing it and understanding their different ways of doing it. The different perspectives, even from different countries, different sound aesthetics. And it’s different because they may have a different view of what sound importance is, a different way they like to do it, what their culture's like or with their sound aesthetic is and their particular city is like, or their particular culture is like, or their particular country or their technology affords something different. And you start opening up and understanding just how big the world of sound is and how your particular perspective is only one particular perspective. Q:  Amplified highlights other women who are Foley artists. You include yourself in the film for a small segment, but it is mostly about 30 other women who work in film sound. Why focus on highlighting the contributions made by women in film sound? Ament: When I was in the industry, I did better than the other women. I was promoted more. I was allowed to hire other people, train other people to side with studio, go to dubbing stages and worked with the directors and the producers. And I was allowed that freedom by men, not women. But what I noticed, was always having to be much better than the men around me. I noticed men always get so much glory, for being less gifted than the women around them. The men that get really noticed are very good, but there are some really excellent women that you never hear about. It just occurred to me that that was an injustice and I wanted to highlight them. And so when I decided to do this Virginia Ball project and try to write a grant and get to be one of the fellows to do the project and have the students learn about this, I didn't want me in it very much. I only want it to be edited enough to evoke conversation in the groups were my two interviewers, Komal and Lauren didn't feel like they knew enough about it to get the people talking. So in the two segments where I appear, you'll notice I say very little. It's because I didn't want it to be the Vanessa show. If somebody wants to do a film about me and interview me or do a book about me, fine. I will happily talk about myself. But I didn't want to do that in this film. I wanted to hear about the other women. I wanted to hear what their experiences were. There's so many women that weren't in it either because their schedules conflicted or because I couldn't get in touch with them or because I don't know them or because I didn't think of everybody, but I wanted a sample of what that world is like for these women who just are kind of invisible or aren't heard of as much. But you hear about the men, and this isn't to disparage the men. It's just that I wanted to celebrate the women and I didn't want it to be the low hanging fruit of all of the horrible things that have happened to women. So that's what drove it for me. There are some women who have won awards that are not in this film who were supposed to be. And then they ended up working on the few days that the students and I could get to New York or LA and they're not in it and I wish they were. And I have to tell you too that in both New York and LA, never did any of our subjects were all professionals ever get a sense that they were working with students who didn't know what they were doing. Our DP, Jeff Spot, really did a fantastic job of organizing everybody. Ivie Hiller and Samantha Molenda did a great job of organizing the sound. We had research people, we had people making transcripts, we had every single job taken care of. We had somebody color coding all of the pieces, so everybody knew what equipment they were in charge of. It was a really first rate, fast, pack up and leave kind of job. And it was so impressive I would hear over and over and over again from all the women that they were so impressed by the crew. So that was very gratifying too. I didn't want a stiff talking heads thing. I wanted conversations so that the women could show who they were, because I wanted them to be special and I wanted them to be alive. And most of these women I knew beforehand. Though the ones in New York I really didn't know very well except for Joanna Fang. And I wanted them to be people who really brought their worlds to life. And there were several of been nominated for La La Land who were supposed to be in it and then ended up working. Q: Why did you feel it was important for the interviews in the film to be personal and conversational? Ament: So here's what we did. The students had to watch a lot of different kinds of documentaries about people and they had to decide to style. I had my biases, but I wanted them to kind of think about what they thought they wanted this to look like. And we went with this format. I was really glad that they wanted it to because we did talk about it being conversational. I said, if you get these women talking, you'll get all sorts of stories and it'll be really fun and interesting. So I wanted it to be just a conversation. And I knew we could get there if the crew went in and they were chatting and they got the women talking beforehand. I knew the women would be warmed up and just sit down and start chatting and that's what we did. So they've watched a bunch of different documentaries to see what style they wanted and then we discussed it in content as a team, figured out how it would look. So as a producer I wanted to evoke their ideas as well because it was also a learning situation for them. So their DNA is in there too. I don't like the idea of being the kind of producer director who tells people what to do. It's just not my style. I'm the mentor and the center. I like evoking giving some ideas and then seeing where people go with it and let them learn and evolve. And so that's the style that we use for them to kind of come up with it. So this was truly a collective authorship. It's just that I guided it. Q: A lot of the platforms that you've been given were given to you by men. You've done interviews with big names like David Letterman and Ben Mankiewicz, but you're on their male platforms. This project offers a female platform. What can we as a society do to make these platforms for women more common or accessible? [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i2xZeTXHus[/embed] Ament: I'm not sure what we can do as a society, as much as we just try to get this, these kinds of projects out there, those of us women who are willing to be the pioneers. The ones that get noticed will be the ones that make it easier for the ones that follow us. I don't necessarily know if anyone's even going to know that I'm doing this. I'm hoping that they'll know though that this work is getting done, the more that women are willing to step up and not be afraid of what people think of them, but just do the work that must be done, the more it gets easier for everyone that follows us. I think that helps. Women are trained to please, and I think that that is to our detriment. I think if women stop worrying about pleasing and just worrying about being true to themselves and doing what they think must be done, they can have a voice and not worry about whether or not it annoys other people they'll find the people that want to be in their world. That's a hard thing for women to learn, but women have to do this. There are male allies out there. In my whole life, it has been mostly men that have helped me. That's kind of a sad commentary that we still are at a place where women aren't helping women that much. They're still feeling competitive. They're still feeling like there's not enough room for all of the women to have a place. And that's probably true, but the more women help each other, the more there will be more places for women. So I think that's helped me because I was thrown into the film industry not knowing at all what I was doing and they knew that and they know that you're going to learn while you're doing it. So these are little tips I guess. I'm always saying to women, “Remember, get in there and talk, because the men are going to. And you might as well understand that there's nothing wrong with just saying, ‘I want to do it; I want to try.’” Q: Like you've been saying, so you've been giving excellent advice for women that are a little more skeptical to jump into these projects. Do you have any advice for maybe how to build that confidence or anything like that? Ament: The only thing, honestly, the only way you build confidence is to put yourself out of your comfort zone and try something that's uncomfortable. The only way that you learn something: don't be afraid to make a fool of yourself. Do it wrong and fail because the worst that's going to happen is you're going to see what you did wrong. You'll try it again and you'll do it better next time. I think what is the most just discouraging thing that we can do is not try something because we're afraid we're going to fail. Q: Where can people watch Amplified when it's available? Ament: Right now we're just doing the film festival thing. So I don't know. I'd like for it to be picked up for distribution and I will look into that. I need to figure out how that works for the university here. But right now, there’s nowhere, unless they go to the festivals. After we're done with these festivals, I will be looking for distribution. So stay tuned. Additional Sources: Amplify's Website, Amplified Film's Facebook Page Featured Image: Amplified Film's Facebook Page Images: Amplified Film's Facebook Page Graphic: Tt Shinkan You can follow the Amplified film on Twitter, Facebook or the film's official website. 

Were you honestly expecting ‘Slender Man’ to be any good? If so, why?

I guess it’s 2009 and I’m back in middle school, because Slender Man  is a thing again… kind of. Remember Marble Hornets? Yeah, they were  pretty cool. I watched each upload religiously and blabbered to my  friends about Slender Man during each lunch period because, yes, we were  the weird kids.

Were you honestly expecting ‘Slender Man’ to be any good? If so, why?

by Emily Reuben I guess it’s 2009 and I’m back in middle school, because Slender Man is a thing again… kind of. Remember Marble Hornets? Yeah, they were pretty cool. I watched each upload religiously and blabbered to my friends about Slender Man during each lunch period because, yes, we were the weird kids. What about that Slender game? It was basically Five Nights at Freddy’s in terms of popularity and spooky factor. That was always fun to make an unsuspecting, skittish friend play at night. Man, wasn’t Slender Man the coolest guys? We should totally bring that myth back. Oh, but not through witty Creepypastas or some cool online video made by actual fans. No, no, Hollywood will get it right…right? Who asked for this movie? Considering that Slender Man’s popularity has largely passed and many kids probably don’t know who he is, who was this made for? Old fans? New fans? Are the kids these days still talking about Slender Man? Were there mobs in the street demanding a new Slender Man movie? The last time I saw the myth in the mainstream was in 2014 after two 12 year old girls randomly stabbed their friend as a “sacrifice to Slender Man”.  Now, anything I see about Slender Man usually relates to that case, or the documentary made about it, Beware the Slender Man, which by the way, is a much better movie and one you should definitely watch. My point is that the time to capitalize on this faceless fiend has long since passed. How to make a supernatural stalker boring Immediately when I walked into a theater of about 10 people on opening night, I knew that these people were either here as a nostalgic joke or were too young to have been very active online when the myth was aggressively circulating the internet and just came to see a random scary movie. However, I think the latter were disappointed at just how not scary this movie was, and the former were just left underwhelmed. Why do I say this? The theater was dead silent. Every jump scare, Slender Man encounter, or instance of dumb teenage hijinks were met with total indifference. What is this movie about? Well Slender Man…kind of? I mean he’s there kidnapping teenagers and whatever, but…it’s all very strange. In this iteration of the myth you have to actively summon Slender Man by watching some viral video with random illuminati symbols and forest imagery. It’s basically a rip-off of The Ring. However, don’t think the film has enough self-awareness to realize it’s less The Ring and more of a Rings experience. Anyways, a group of teenage girls decide to watch the video because it sounds creepy, and that’s what teenagers do. Afterwards, they all start having nightmares and experiencing some paranoia which culminates in one of the girls going missing. Eventually they piece together that the weird video may just be behind the disappearance and that the Slender Man is the culprit. How do they find this all out? Some random person on messenger tells them. I’m dead serious. Well whatever, they sound legit! Next step, do what this random chick says, walk around alone in the woods wearing a blindfold, and offer up something you love as sacrifice. Apparently Slender Man is some sort of demon now. Really from here the rest of the film is the friend group trying to get their missing friend back while also warding off Slender Man from taking the rest of them. There’s some spooks, some dumb drama, and an unimpressive twist. It’s not exciting; I promise. That’s the worst type of horror movie: the boring ones. This film is a complete drag to sit through. Yeah, there is some unintentionally funny things to laugh at here and there, but the entire middle of the film is just…nothing. There is no real plan of action and no indication of where the story will go.  It’s like the writers spent all of the time working on the beginning of the film and didn’t think about what the outcome would be once Slender Man starts to become a real threat. It’s all very sloppy. I wanted Slender Man to kill these people so I could leave the theater The plot is uninteresting and poorly executed, but do the characters save the show? No. They actively make it worse, actually. The mannerisms of some of these characters are just so odd. Once their friend Katie goes missing they all walk around at night, go into the woods, conceal evidence from the police… you know everything that wouldn’t actually aid in finding Katie at all. The character’s say they are concerned, but I just don’t really feel it. It feels more like a game to uncover the supernatural rather than an actual quest to find a friend. Individually the characters are just terrible. They have no real defining characteristics. Honestly, they are so bland and forgettable I’m having a hard time even writing about why they are so boring because I struggle to think of ways to explain them. They are all almost identical. I don’t want to pick on child actors… but I’m going to pick on child actors. Our lead, Hallie (Julia Goldani Telles), was just astoundingly boring. The best way to describe her demeanor is “mildly inconvenienced” throughout the entire movie. For example, the drunk father of her missing friend illegally enters her home to harass her, but she doesn’t think to call the police until everything has escalated to a dangerous point. Hallie just stands with an intruder in her room and has a nice conversation like it’s all normal. There is a scene when Slender Man literally crashes through a window and she just stands there with a Kristen Stewart-esque blank stare. The only real shift is towards the end of the movie, but by this point I had no connection to the character and couldn't care less what happened to her. To contrast this, Wren (Joey King), overacts way too much. She’s definitely trying her hardest to come off as paranoid, but she just kind of seems like she’s on some sort of caffeine high. It’s also implied that she has a problem with Hallie for some reason? But it’s so sporadic and random that it really just feels like a producer said, “They’re teenage girls; throw in some drama!” At least that’s better than staring blankly the whole movie. Props to her for actually emoting. While I wouldn’t necessarily call her performance good, she is definitely the best actor in the film. The other cast members are largely forgettable. Another girl in the friend group has the most hilarious scream I’ve ever heard in my life, and that’s the most interesting thing about her character. Hallie’s sister is used as a lifeless prop. The parents are there for a few scenes and then gone. Other students… exist. Everything about these characters are bland and forgettable, perfect analogies for the film overall. I guess Slender Man is a demon now Now, I’ve been perusing the internet for a long time. I was also once a teenager who actively searched for creepy stuff to keep me awake at night. I’ve played the Slender Man games, watched Marble Hornets, including the other terrible movie based on the web series, seen parodies, read the forum posts… I’m familiar with Slender Man. I’m not exactly sure the writers really understand why he’s scary in the first place. To be fair, the Slender Man myth wasn’t created by an individual; he was crafted by an entire community. This means the lore isn’t exactly concrete, but this iteration makes Slender Man some lame demon rather than a manipulative stalker. Why make him tied to some religious ceremony? There are random religious symbols scattered throughout the film for no reason. Even the video to summon Slender Man features church bells because that’s kind of creepy I guess. Everytime a shot lingered on a church or religious image I just found myself asking, “Why?” It’s never expanded on and feels largely out of place considering Slender Man isn’t a religious monster. My guess is that a demon figure seems like an easy way to play on the fears of religious movie-goers and make the monster seem more scary. Really it just seems pandering and ill-thought out. The most annoying part of making Slender Man a demon-like figure is that he is now summoned. As in, you actively have to seek Slender Man out to be in danger. Here’s an easy solution: don’t. Slender Man is scary because there is no real rhyme or reason for his appearance. One day you might suddenly dream of a faceless man and then see him in the shadows eventually driving you into insanity. Trust me, if Slender Man decided to stalk you, he wouldn’t need your stupid iMovie video to help him out.   A ritual also implies that there is some way to defeat Slender Man… but the thing is, you can’t. That’s the point. He’s a monster that is pretty much invincible. The movie implies that you can just sacrifice something and he’ll just leave. That’s cool of him. The film really doesn’t know how to make Slender Man a real threat. Even when he’s right in a character’s face it’s not really intimidating. The visions people have of Slender Man are kind of like the ones the kids in IT have when they see Pennywise but done without skill or charm. There are a few instances when a lead will answer a FaceTime call to see a first-person video of someone watching them from their window or walking through their house, but in reality,  there is no one there. This is kind of a cool concept, but really all I could think about was Slender Man standing outside a window holding his iPhone X trying to get the perfect shot. The whole thing just comes off as comical, just not comical enough to warrant paying for a movie ticket. Look, I get it. You may have some nostalgia for Slender Man. You may just be in the mood to see a scary movie. Either way, save your money. Don’t help fund this movie. Go watch Marble Hornets instead. At the very least, wait until you can watch it for free with some snarky friends. Either way, Slender Man should stay hidden in the woods so I don’t have to watch another terrible movie based off him. Featured image from DigitalSpy