“No doubt there’s always been a divide between the Lady Gagas and Arcade Fires of the world, yet even in a year in which both can compete for a major Grammy Award the varying trajectories of the music biz seem as apparent as ever.”
Tag: 03.20.11
Movies That Engage The World Rather Than Escape From It
“We expect documentaries to engage issues in a heads-on fashion. But fiction films can afford fresh opportunities to ruminate and grapple. They offer, if not hope or certainty, deeper insights into the human saga. They are shot through with authentic feelings, relatable feelings.”
California Movie Industry Tax Credits Help Keep Projects In State
“The program, which offers a 20% to 25% tax credit on film and TV productions, has so far allocated $300 million in tax credits to 113 film and TV projects, generating 41,000 jobs and $2.2 billion in spending, including $728 million paid in wages to below-the-line film crews.”
Can Private Donors Fund UK Arts?
“Many arts organisations across the UK are feeling the squeeze as their public subsidies are cut. Can millionaire benefactors step in to fill the gap?”
Poetry In 140 Characters?
“For much of Twitter’s life, the idea that its 140-character stricture could be a crucible for a new kind of ambitious writing has been, more than anything else, a punch line. But there’s evidence that the literary flowering of Twitter may actually be taking place. The Twitter haiku movement — “twaiku” to its initiates — is well under way.”
Director Peter Brook Talks About Classics
“If a classic is something from the past, to be honored because it’s from the past, it’s like eating a canned fish or something beyond the stop date. And the only way that a classic should be staged is because you’ve discovered, or you believe, that it is still alive.”
Do-It-Yourself-Language, The Manual
“If we think of language as a technology, we could think of paper dictionaries as a kind of user’s manual. And if the language had a third-party manual, that book would be “How to Read a Word,” by Elizabeth Knowles.”
3D Printer Creates Flying Insect
“According to the research article, these advancements will help scientists understand key mechanical principles central to insect flight and control. Eventually, that knowledge could lead to the development of low-power micro air vehicles that perform functions such as mapping, surveillance and search-and-rescue operations.”
Why Isn’t Hollywood Examining East/West Stories?
“Why isn’t the United States also part of that same emerging global cinematic conversation? Why isn’t Hollywood also making movies that grapple with the issues that are provoking filmmakers elsewhere? And when Arab and Muslim characters do appear on screen, why are they presented in such simplistic and stereotyped ways?”
Rebirth Of The Toronto Symphony
“The Toronto Symphony appears to be flourishing at a time when many North American ensembles are struggling. The previous decade had been a particularly tough haul.”