33 - Avengers Assemble review (no spoilers) - Film Flare

Well here it is, after several years of films creating the invidual characters and tone of the Marvel Studios universe, here is the culmination of all that effort: Avengers Assemble (so called in the UK so no fool confuses it with the very similar Avengers film).

Duuuuurrrrrrrrr!

 

I suppose the question on your lips is 'Any Good?'

The short answer is 'yes'.

 

The longer answer is 'Fuck me silly, that film was awesome!'

 

The even longer answer is:

 

Joss Whedon has created a witty, entertaining superhero that more than capably juggles different characters and threads all together into an unsubtle, but solid film.

It helps if you've seen the previous Marvel Studio films in the franchise before seeing this. I had personally seen Iron Man 1 and 2, Captain America and Thor although I had not seen The Incredible Hulk with Edward Norton and I had a good idea of the principal characters and what was going on. There is the barest bones of back-story for each of the heroes but the majority of exposition is around the character of Black Widow (Scarlett Johannson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).

 

Speaking of which, Mark Ruffalo somehow steals the show as the Hulk, utterly removing the previously uninspiring film adaptations. He is amazing, in every way. Bruce Banner gets some quality lines and Mark Ruffalo delivers in pretty much every way, it is a lot more of a subtle performance than most of his fellow actors, who are much more brazen, brash and forward.

Robert Downey Jr once again delivers as Iron Man, a character that is as rich and as interesting two films down the line as he ever was. He gets the best lines and even though it takes a little bit of time to introduce Iron Man compared to some of the other characters, he sticks in the mind and has his own standouts moments alongside the rest of the Avengers.

Captain America (Chris Evans) is also on top form as Captain America, a character I was initially concerned would not fit well into the dynamic of the group but his character fits really nicely.

As a personal favourite, it is always nice to see Loki on the screen. His 'little brother' syndrome makes his a fascinating villain in Thor and Tom Hiddleston absolutely proves he is brilliant as this twisted, powerful trickster. In Loki, once again, Marvel Studios provide a villain that is as well fleshed out and as interesting as the heroes. 

 

I've already mentioned Josh Whedon's outlandish ability to fuse together so many characters into a film well. When all the Avengers have assembled, each character and their traits clash in a....realistic way, the selfless with the arrogant etc etc. Whilst the film does try extremely hard to have as many Avenger on Avengers fights as possible and they are thrilling, seeing them work together as a team is frankly fantastic. Again, several stunning shots pan seamlessly from one character to the next, cutting through the large amounts of chaotic action to deliver what you wanted to see, superheroes beating on things.

Another key Whedon-ish (tm) is the humour. It is a pretty funny film too boot.

 

Its $220 million budget went a long way too. Apart from the actors and the not inconsiderable sums of money  they would have been paid, the CGI is almost faultless. It is awesome, and always seems to make the events feel like a comic book. Again, the standout being a very realistic, physical Hulk. The best incarnation yet, for sure. 

 

It's not without fault:

The plot is nonsense. 

The script is sometimes clunky and awkward.

It is a long film (although doesn't really feel like it)

 

However, these are mere grains of sand on a beach of AWESOMNESS.

Watch this film!

 

9/10 easy.

 

Trailer:

 

 

 

Music and What Not: Ambassadors Interview with Frontman Sam ...

This band first grabbed my attention when the title track off of their latest record, Litost, was featured on an episode of One Tree Hill. The track is fantastic, but shows only one of the many sides of the band. On Litost, Ambassadors seamlessly fuse together a number of genres and sounds, creating beautifully soulful songs with catchy percussion. 
I kid you not, this is my favorite record of 2012. I doubt that will change.


Front man, Sam Harris spent some time answering some questions for me and followed it up with an acoustic performance of the song that lead to me discovering them,"Litost." Please see the acoustic video posted below the interview. 


http://ambassadorstheband.tumblr.com
As you guys gear up for touring, what can people expect when they come out to one of your shows?

They can expect all the songs off our new record, plus a few new ones we've been toying around with that will be on our next one.  We're constantly writing stuff and we wanted to test some of it out on the road: our goal as a band is to put out as much material as possible... as long as we think it's good.

Who are some bands/ artists that you guys have looked up to in terms of stage presence and live performance?

I've always been a fan of Prince.  The way that dude can move and play his instrument and sing his ass off all at once is like something from a different planet (which, to be honest, would come as no surprise to me if it literally was).  Other than him... I think we all just wish we had moves like Jagger.

How is the music scene in New York?

New Yorkers LOVE to dance.  But not in front of anybody else.  And especially not in front of a band.  Other than that, it's a hoot and a holler.

Litost just dropped recently, what would you like for listeners to take away from this album after listening to it?

Someone told me after we recorded this album that it sounded pretty "mainstream".  It was easy to get a little offended at first, but then I realized that it kind of made sense that this is what we came up with; almost all the music we grew up listening to in the late 90s and early 00s sounded as big and bombastic as we wanted our record to sound.  So in the end, I guess we wanted to make something kids our age could listen to and get a little nostalgic for their middle-school and high school years.  Even if it's a tough kind of nostalgia.  That's what we want people to walk away with.

Did you guys have a direction in mind for the record, before you began recording it?

Again, we knew we wanted to make something big; something that could transport us and the listeners somewhere else.  It was a pretty brutal winter in New York and we had all been going through some difficult personal stuff at the time, so our mentality was a bit of an escapist one.  But honestly I feel like most records are written like that anyways.

Were all of the songs written during the same period of time?

Yea, most were written right after my brother had his kidney transplant and right before myself, Noah and Adam were about to graduate from college.

Listening back to the record, can you hear any specific influences?

We were listening to a LOT of Kanye on our drives to and from the studio.  And a lot of Hot 97.1 FM (an awesome Hip-hop/R&B radio station here in New York).  You may not be able to hear it offhand, but if you listen closely... it's there.  Maybe a little Fred Astaire on the opening track, "Weight/Lightness", too.

I am completely blown away by how diverse this record is, was that done intentionally? Or is that just how it panned out?

It was never intended to be so diverse, but that's just how most of our records seem to come together.  We have so many different musical influences and we like to pay homage to them all in our songs.

I am specifically curious about how your songs "Litost" and "Bodybag" came together...

“Bodybag” is probably the oldest song on the record.  A different version of it had been released on our first EP but it didn't sound right, so we decided to do it again.  This time around we made it way more gospel-y and more organic sounding.  "Litost" was a song I wrote towards the end of a really taxing relationship.  The song kind of speaks for itself.  That one was mostly arranged by me, alone in my bedroom with the help of our friend Max Drummey (from the band Chester French) who did all the string arrangements for it.

Who did you work on the record with, outside of the group and what attracted you to working with them?

We worked with our friend Dan Stringer, who we've known since college and have worked with a few times in the past.  Dan is the coolest dude and the best engineer we've encountered so far.  He really knows our sound and is great at taking direction from all four of us, which is a difficult task in and of itself.  Plus, we all have a very similar sense of humor and have spent many nights drinking each other to sleep. 

Are you guys blown away by all of the positive reactions to the album thus far?

Yes.  We worked extremely hard on this album so it's also a big affirmation, but it's always a treat to hear how much people love the music you're making.

How important is social media/networking to you guys?

As important as it is to Kanye West.  Very important.

What kind of advice do you have for emerging independent artists? Any specific words of wisdom?

When in doubt, go with your gut.  And always surround yourself with people you trust; who are not only just as excited about what you're doing as you are, but who are also going to push you to do better.  Also, don't be afraid to make something your parents won't like.

I saw that one of your songs was featured in a recent episode of One Tree Hill. Did you get a chance to see the specific scene it was featured in?

We had a whole little screening session at Noah and Adam's apartment.  It came on within the first 6 minutes and lasted for 3 scenes: a therapy session, a guy putting his kids into their car-seats, and a scene with this girl and some dude talking in their kitchen.  Pretty unexciting stuff (laughs).

Perfect day, driving in your car with the windows down, what are you listening to?

Drake.  Or Ray Charles.

Any plans after the tour? Working on any new material yet?

World domination.  And putting out a new record every year.

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So when my friend went on holiday, she had surfing lessons from this nice surfing instructor. She and him, they surfed on the beach, in the jungle….

Anyway, we were in stitches when we saw this sticker!

Studio Live Presents Zenprov's "Cinco Delightful" at The Mary D ...

Sedona AZ (April 27, 2012) – Kick off Cinco De Mayo with Zenprov Comedy at the new Mary D. Fisher theater! The troupe promises a “fiesta of funny” with their one-night only “Cinco-De-Lightful” show this Saturday, May 5 at 7:30 PM, tickets are $10.00 in advance and $15.00 at the door.

Like the TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Zenprov performs fast-paced, improvised comedic scenes created in the moment-always based on audience suggestions.”We’re totally excited to be the first comedy group to perform at the new Mary D. Fisher theater,” said Derek Dujardin, director of the troupe. “The new space adds a lot, including comfy seats, better acoustics and cheap alcohol! We think on-site bar will just make us that much funnier!” The troupe says they are adding a lot of new games to this show, including a game called “Sound Effects” where audience members will create all the sound effects for their scene using off-stage microphones.

The Zenprov players embrace the Del Close method of improv acting, which emphasizes the “group mind” that mysteriously develops during a performance. Miraculously, the player’s minds fuse together to create a “super mind” where they practically finish each other’s sentences-and often do. Laughter ensues.

The Zenprov cast includes improv veterans Tony Carito, Derek Dujardin and Shaeri Richards (formerly from Abandoned Minds), and rising stars Mike Burdick, Bonnie Green, Betty Testa, Linda Roemer, Laura Lizak, Mary Carder, and Breanna Helfert.

Zenprov’s last two shows sold out, so get your tickets early. Doors open at 7:00 pm. Shows are rated PG-13 and run approximately 90 minutes. Visit www.ZenprovComedy.com to learn more.

For more information please contact the Sedona Performing Arts Alliance/Studio Live at (928)282-0549. Tickets are available online at www.studiolivesedona.com or at the Studio Live box office located at 215 Coffeepot Drive in West Sedona.The Sedona Performing Arts Alliance is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to advancing the Performing Arts thru Education, Live Performance and Artist Support. Studio Live is a tool for the SPAA to reach audiences and showcase their craft.

Farwell Band Director Shimmons lauded in national magazine ...

A simple blog on the internet about how Band Director Paul Shimmons is incorporating electronic instruments and his own iPad into the Farwell band program, led to a cover story and feature article in the April issue magazine School Band and Orchestra (SBO).

They wrote, “Paul Shimmons, band director at Farwell Area Schools in Central Michigan, is one such educator who has been steadily implementing innovative devices, software and instruments into his teaching methods since the dawn of the digital age.”

Shimmons, who has been Farwell’s Band Director since 1996, said he has held the position longer than anyone. “I love it here,” he said, “The community is very supportive of the schools and fine arts. The administration is wonderful to work with. I think I got lucky when I came here.”

About five years back the Band Boosters also provided three computers for the band program. “That was the real start of this unique program,” Shimmons said.

He said he started storing his music for conducting on his iPad about four years ago and it grew from there.

And two years ago the Boosters purchased several electronic instruments and now the Farwell program includes both traditional and electronic musicians.

An eight to fifteen member student group using the electronic instruments have named themselves Melodic Fusion. They perform along with the traditional acoustic band at concerts and sometimes by themselves at local community events, said Shimmons.

He credits the Boosters for helping to develop the innovative Farwell program. “There’s no way we could have done this without their financial support,” he said. “They work hard to raise money throughout the school year and the funds go to support the program above and beyond what the school district could afford. They have provided uniforms, color guard equipment, new computers, software, and instruments, both electronic and acoustic.”

The Boosters raised money and purchased two electronic wind instruments (EWIs), a couple of electric keyboards, a Mallet Kat (electronic xylophone), a digital mixer, an electronic drum set, an electronic marching drum, and an electronic drum module.

“Adding these was our big push a couple of years ago,” Shimmons said.

The group Melodic Fusion was formed to fuse together the new electronic equipment with traditional instruments and occasionally with singers.” Shimmons said he believes the electronic group is the only one in the area. “Part of my goal is to get kids involved that might not be involved with the traditional band and choir program but that still love to play and sing.”

“The goal for the program,” he said, “is to give kids that do play a chance to expand their options and learn something new.” He said electronic instruments are played just like a traditional instrument but can sound like anything. “It’s kind of like learning to color with crayons. You start with that little box of five, and then go on to the middle size and finally on to the large, economy box with every color you can imagine.”

He told SBO, “My goal from the start was to make sure that my band room isn’t like the band room that I experienced when I was in high school. Today’s world doesn’t look like the world that I grew up in, so I’m trying to make the musical experience that I’m giving my kids a little more meaningful and connected to their everyday life.”

One of the new programs that helps him to do that is the software SmartMusic – which he said “helps me better assess my students.” He said before using the computer program, it “was really difficult for me to be able to listen to my students on an individual basis. Now over the course of a week, I can listen to every single one of my students and give them feedback. I can sit at home with my computer – or anywhere with an internet connection — with my iPad or computer, and listen to their exercises at my convenience.”

He said the Farwell band room also has a projector connected to a computer and sound system, which is used every day for announcements, rehearsal plans and even YouTube videos to access other performing groups. “We can listen to a recording of a middle school band from Ohio and evaluate it with our students.”

He used a program called Air Sketch, connecting his iPad to the computer and projector to help with classwork. “I can use it like a white board,” he said, “I can circle things, write answers on worksheets and more.”

He also has the room set up to record and play back music sessions. “That is useful to show students how they are doing.”

Using devices, software and digital instruments in the classroom can be challenging. Shimmons said he tries out new technology often to see what “enhances” the program. “It is trial and error,” he said, “finding things that help the students understand the work they have to do.”

He said, “It’s all about doing things in the classroom that weren’t done when I was a kid – doing things in ways that make it better for my students to understand, helps them understand quicker and easier and that will stick with them longer.”

He said he hopes that students will all have iPads, which really are a small computer, in the future. “There are schools in Michigan that already have it for their students,” he said

You can hear the results of Farwell’s new direction in music. As part of Farwell’s Fine Arts Week starting today, the High School Band, Choir and Melodic Fusion will all perform Monday (April 30) in the Jaime Performing Arts Center at 6:30 p.m. On May 2, the Middle School Band will perform in the Center at 6:30 p.m.

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FizzyPop!!: Fresh Music Friday ~ The Ghosts, High Heels & Low ...

There's something about this torrential rain that makes you want to curl up inside with a nice Starbucks Hot Chocolate (which you had to go outside for, so you are saturated now. Life is cruel), a good book (Becoming Nancy by Terry Ronald is both a hoot and touching, in oh so many ways :D) and some amazing new music from promising new artists playing in the background. And i'm not talking Carly Rae Jepsen. Here are three that are getting my juices (oo-er, steady on, etc) going this very week:

The Ghosts ~ Ghosts:

There is something ethereal and otherworldly about the appropriately named band The Ghosts. Led by Alex Starling (the "secret" fourth member of Ou Est Le Swimming Pool), they have created a sound that is full of dreamy synths, pounding beats, scintillating guitar and a distinctive vocal style that deftly holds each tune together. They quite rightly created quite the buzz last year with their stunning track, Enough Time, with it's captivating chorus, bitingly insightful lyrics and fantasy-drenched video. Now they're back, previewing their new album with a track that's not quite eponymous entitled Ghosts. Set over a darkly dirty pulsating electro groove, there's a relentless energy driving the verses forward before the glorious chorus erupts in a cascade of synth sounds and impressive vocal delivery from Alex. Lyrically it's a devastating parallel to the isolation life sometimes brings that is gutwrenching in it's stark honesty ("When you were much younger you would always keep the lights on/ But now there's only darkness and loneliness and waiting for the...ghosts") Add to this the inventive video (above) and you've got a compelling pop tune that will stick with you for months. Buy it here...

High Heels and Low Lifes ~ L.O.V.E:

Score one for High Heels and Low Lifes because at least they can spell (L.U.V Madonna?!) The appeal doesn't end there because they have managed to successfully fuse together elements of indie, pop and rap in a way that feels both fresh and engaging. L.O.V.E. is set over a percolating, bouncy hip-pop instrumental with a genuinely exciting vocal trade-off between rapidfire female sung lyrics (bringing a sickening Neneh Cherry But Now vibe to the proceedings) and the cool as fuck, cheeky chappy charm male rap (loving that howl by the way!). The blistering verses are a nice juxtaposition with the sweetly sung chorus that just seems to fly each time I hear it. What I really like is that the musical chemistry of the duo means that the fusion of styles works so very well and their enthusiasm radiates from the song. Absolute earworm, this is one song that will set up camp in your brain, leaving you singing L.O.V.E. incessantly for days. And ain't nuffin' wrong with that. Buy it here...

Lilygreen and Maguire ~ Come On Get Higher:

Currently busking their way across Wales (in this weather?!), the Lilygreen and Maguire boys have not only undertaken some major support slots (uh, the Westlife farewell tour, Olly Murs, etc) but are busy preparing for their next single (Ain't Love Crazy, out in June, pre-order here) and debut album. To get you all up to date in anticipation of nationwide adoration of the fellas, check out their most recent single, Come On Get Higher. It's all strumming guitars, exquisite melodies, deliciously romantic, hopeful lyrics and some very sweet vocals, particularly when the lads gently harmonise together on the chorus. It's like an aural work of art. Instantly accessible as a pop song, there's also something very likeable about the boys that's more than evident in their collection of you tube videos. It's incredibly important these days not to come across as too aloof and be appropriately engaging with fans - something label mates The Overtones have all but perfected. Fascinated to see how L&M do over the next few months. Rooting for big things :)

Security Cameras PLUS » Blog Archive » Security surveillance gets ...

The days of the stereotypical ‘doughnut eating’ security guard blankly watching fuzzy images on a black and white TV screen are gone. New networked digital cameras combined with intelligent video analytics software are changing the nature of surveillance from reactive human-based monitoring and replays of past events, to sophisticated automated threat detention and rapid responses to more quickly identify and act on potential issues. As a result today’s CSO and CIO must work closely together, says Scott Basham, Unisys’ Asia-Pacific Program Manager for Location, Perimeter and Surveillance Security.

Australia has come a long way since the first closed circuit television (CCTV) security camera was installed in Melbourne in 1981 to help support a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. In the 20 years since, those humble analogue installations have transformed into modern high resolution, networked-enabled, digital systems.

As the technology has improved, and adoption rates have increased, the costs for modern CCTV systems have been significantly reduced, leading many organisations to deploy more and more cameras. However, adding more cameras is only effective if you can accurately and effectively monitor the images they generate. Just hoping that a security guard will happen to notice a change when an image cycles through a bank of monitors leaves too much to chance.

The advent of digital video cameras has allowed large numbers of high resolution cameras to be networked over existing Ethernet networks (rather than expensive coaxial cable networks). When combined with powerful video management systems that incorporate video analytics software, it is possible to automatically detect potential threats in real time, so that security personnel can take appropriate action as events occur. This transforms security surveillance from being a reactive tool for finding out what happened post an incident, into a dynamic and proactive capability for live and real time threat detection using the surveillance camera feeds.

One of the most interesting outcomes of this transformation is how the increasingly sophisticated security surveillance infrastructure is blurring the line between what was once strictly the domain of physical protection specialist, but now is now also squarely in the realm of IT department. As a result, today’s IT and Security departments must effectively combine their unique skills and abilities to deliver the security outcomes the organisation seeks to achieve.

An analytical look at today’s security requirements and tools

For the last two decades, governments and commercial organisations in Australia, and around the world, have used video surveillance as the cornerstone of physical security capabilities.

Whether it was for national security, critical infrastructure protection, securing assets within the finance and banking sector or to protect private property, video surveillance has been universally accepted as the foundation layer upon which an organisation’s ability to protect its people, assets and facilities has been based. And it was solely the domain of physical security experts.

Even though the cost of new cameras has decreased, organisations have faced continued pressure to further reduce operating costs. CCTV provides a convenient and efficient solution to manage and protect large areas at all hours, so many organisations have increased the number of cameras deployed but not the number of people monitoring them.

However, more cameras does not necessarily equate to increased security assuredness. The only relevant measure of the organisation’s real-time enterprise-wide level of security situational awareness is the number of constantly monitored feeds. Unobserved camera feeds only provide retrospective information — which helps to identify what happened, but does nothing to help stop it when the event occurs. What’s more, even if a someone is monitoring the screens, studies show(1) that a person’s ability to constantly monitor a screen rapidly decreases after just 20 minutes.

The solution to this false economy of equating quantity of cameras with quality of security is the advent of Internet Protocol (IP) enabled digitals cameras. The video feeds from these cameras can be networked together and combined with video analytics software to automatically identify and respond to potential security threats as they happen.

Video analytics allow organisations to monitor and manage multiple video surveillance cameras by automatically recognising changes in activity on the screen to generate an alert or trigger a response from the monitoring staff observing the feed, such as automatically locking a door, sounding an alarm or notifying the nearest security officer. This may identify a potential threat before it has actually happened.

The action generated by these analytical tools can be as simple as on-screen alerts of suspicious or unwanted behaviours, or as complex as using biometric facial recognition technology to grant or deny a person access to a high security area. They can significantly increase the capabilities of what might otherwise be a very stock standard video surveillance system and turn it into a highly tuned, mission critical component of the organisation’s entire operations.

Even the simplest of video analytics implementations can increase an organisation’s security. These include motion detection (to notice when a person enters or leaves an area), virtual tripwires (to detect when someone or something enters a secure area), object recognition (which can identify when a particular object is removed or if additional objects appear), and Licence Plate Recognition software to scrutinise cars entering and leaving a facility.

Specialist CCTV analytical tools can help government bodies and commercial groups put their security systems to other uses such as identifying regular patterns in human traffic to review building plans in order to make work or public areas more efficient or safe. The possibilities are limitless.

In the future, organisations will look to further leverage the capabilities of their CCTV network to incorporate specialist functions such as biometric identification and behaviour pattern recognition. Using facial recognition and gait recognition technologies, it is already possible to match surveillance subjects against a watch list of “persons of interest”. As these biometric technologies continue to evolve, we are likely to see even greater convergence between surveillance and identification.

Combining security with IT

The IT department plays a critical role in assisting the Chief Security Officer (CSO) to economically and effectively respond to the physical threats and cover the gamut of security challenges faced by today’s businesses. Understanding the role of technology, and how to use it most effectively, is now an integral part of managing an effective security surveillance system. Complex IT skills are needed to support the surveillance systems ranging from installing new hardware and software, integrating various network components, and managing the deployment of intelligent video analytic tools, through to managing the ever-growing back end server and storage infrastructure that runs and supports all of those edge devices.

Surveillance systems continue to evolve with the advent of new and better devices that are able to be integrated into the organisations eco-system. As these capabilities grow, so too does the desire of security managers to be able to fuse together all of that data from all of those various devices into a single common operating picture that can provide them the most efficient and most effective means of monitoring and responding to security incidents and threats as they occur.

In such a mission critical environment as security, the search for innovation is constant. The advent of mobile computing devices, such as tablets and smart phones, enables security professionals to view real-time footage and other sensor information while on the move, releasing them from their desks and getting them out of their control rooms. This allows them to get closer to where the action is happening, which in turn then better allows them to understand and respond to the nature of the security threats they face as and when they occur, regardless of where they are physically located, and regardless of the time of day.

(1)Mary W. Green, The Appropriate and Effective Use of Security Technologies in U.S. Schools, A Guide for Schools and Law Enforcement Agencies, Sandia National Laboratories, September 1999, NCJ 178265 (cited: http://idg.to/2S8)

Scott Basham manages Unisys’ location, perimeter and surveillance solution offerings within Asia-Pacific. Starting as an officer in the Australian Regular Army more than 20 years ago, he has provided security and technology advice across both the public and private sectors, across a wide range of sectors including aviation, ports, critical infrastructure, border protection and defence.

Article source: http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/422863/security_surveillance_gets_smarter/