the decrease in costuming quality over the last 20 years has been soooo precipitous & nauseating. i’m not even talking abt marvel’s cg supersuits or anything this time, look at the fabric quality, structure, layering, character, and craftsmanship of older costumes in 102 dalmations (2000) vs cruella (2021)

ever after (1998) vs cinderella (2021)

lord of the rings (2001-2003) vs the rings of power (2022)

this trend should upset you not just because it looks cheap, but because it suggests a strong anti-art and anti-labor movement in film and tv making. don’t forget costumers are unionized

ocqueen

I WORK IN COSTUMES AND CAN TALK ABOUT THIS MORE SPECIFICALLY

It's not just that we're unionized, though that absolutely plays into the financial aspect of it to a degree. There is 100% not just an anti-labor and anti-artistic sentiment, but also just an overall shift from these productions being treated as less like storytelling and performance, like they were in the past, and more like corporate investments and business endeavors. Everything is bottom line vs potential profits, marketability, and modern trends, or what will trend on tiktok, and you have to design to that constantly.

It's also that filmmaking has developed the expectation of making movies on such a short production time that there's no time to MAKE amazing beautiful pieces like this. A good gown may take weeks or months to complete and many rounds of fittings and mockups, and might be very heavy or restrictive to actors and limit how long they can shoot in a given costume. From my experience, things are decided on one day and have to be ready to shoot in a few weeks, and that's only if the writers aren't constantly having to make last second changes because the directors and producers change their visions constantly on a dime, down to the very last minute, and there's nothing we can do as the costume team except make it happen or make a REALLY good case for why we can't just find some cheap option fast that would work instead. So you might spend thousands on that beautiful dress only for them to completely cut the scene, change the context entirely in rewrites, or just decide they don't like the dress and want something else.

And because directors and producers get last say, and often they have Bad Taste and want things that are modern and marketable, and often will think things look great that are actually pretty unfitting for the character or make no sense for the design of the film, they insist on bad choices that then get pushed through to the end result of the film. Actors do this too sometimes, like what happened with Emma Watson and Belle's dress in the live action Beauty and the Beast remake, but usually only the big name actors have enough star power to swing full changes like that.

And of course, yes, there's not enough budget for high quality work. Costumers, like everyone else on film sets right now, are expected to stretch the budgets they're given to 'make it work' because so many have (in order to make the producers happy and keep their jobs). And in return, quality goes down, because in order to build a costume you need good fabric, embellishments, and labor. Good fabric costs a lot of money, embellishments cost a lot of money, hand fitting and skilled labor cost a lot of money, and costume budgets are being given none of that because the studios are incredibly strict and frugal with what they expect you to spend so they can make the most profit off of a given project, so cuts to quality end up being made somewhere in order to make up the difference and get the actors clothed.

I've rambled enough, but basically, yes, unions, but also there's a lot of deeper layers that go into why these things have been declining that are all interconnected and related to the general commodification of art and framing of art as content to consume rather than stories to tell that's happened in the past ten years or so.

marzipanandminutiae

and it results in VERY VERY GOOD costumers being hampered

Rings of Power? that was Kate Hawley. who also did Crimson Peak (2015) and produced costumes like this:

so it's not always a skill issue, to be sure

mygreatadventurehasbegun

To continue with “it’s not always a skill issue”, Jenny Beavan designed the costumes both for Ever After and Cruella.

It just shows what a talented designer can do with time and resources (and no interfering from directors, producers or actors).

#costume design #fashion #clothes #clothing #movies #movie production #movie industry #film industry #behind the scenes #anti capitalism #anti corporations #pro union #unionize

the-beacons-of-minas-tirith reblogged

I only JUST got an offer for a studio job after a year or being laid off and so many, so, so many people aren't as lucky as me. I am only guaranteed a contract to the end of the year. Support animations! Show that the medium is important.

#cartoon network #ripcartoonnetwork #rip cartoon network #animation #animation industry #film industry #tv industry #tv shows #movies #hollywood #anti capitalism #anti corporations #current events #video

the-beacons-of-minas-tirith reblogged

magnetothemagnificent

Me: Hey film studios can I have some light in these scenes?

Film studios:

Me: Hey can I have some subtitles?

Film studios:

Me: Hey can I have some actual sound?

Film studios:

[id in alt text]

#movies #tv shows #entertainment #entertainment industry #film industry #ableism #subtitles #hard of hearing #hoh #auditory disorder #auditory processing disorder #visual impairment #vision problems

the-beacons-of-minas-tirith reblogged

fuckyeahwomenfilmdirectors

oldfilmsflicker

This is the first time EVER that more than one woman was nominated for Best Director in the same year. Four nominations for Chloé Zhao and three nominations for Emerald Fennell this morning. I wish Regina King were in there too tho.

#😊#chloé zhao #emerald fennell #female directors #women in film #women in cinema #women in media #movies #film industry #movie industry #feminism #nomadland #promising young woman

the-beacons-of-minas-tirith reblogged

quipofthetongue

John Boyega went from thinking he wouldn't have a career after fighting racism to a Golden Globe Winner

I've talked on what happened with John Boyega and Disney Lucasfilm a lot. Maybe because even for myself, I'm not over it either, but because I want to make sure everyone knows this story. They know what happened. It's why I've basically dedicated most of my Tumblr, YouTube Channel, and Twitter to talking about this.

This may be the last time though just because unless more comes out publicly, I think there's not much else I can say on this and I'd like to start covering what happening with Ray Fisher at Warner Bros

But one last time, let me explain what happened with John Boyega and how a this Golden Globe win something so earned and proof that being a good man who fights for what's right and a great actor who never stops, is what has given John the career he deserves.

Back in 2014, it was announced that John Boyega would be the male lead of the Sequel Trilogy

John Boyega had been announced as the male lead of the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy after the IP had been purchased by Disney. The casting process was a hard one for John Boyega since Disney Lucasfilm wanted to cast a white actor, but JJ Abrams had fought against Disney Lucasfilm and after 8 different auditions, John was finally cast as Finn. A big part of what got John the role, beyond his powerhouse acting chops and JJ Abrams fighting for him, was that his chemistry test with Daisy Ridley, the actress that been chosen to pay Rey, had been the only one that Daisy herself had liked. Daisy, being cast after her first audition. Meanwhile Adam Driver, who would go on to play the sequel trilogy's antagonist had been hand picked by Kathleen Kennedy.

Some time later, the marketing for the first film in the Sequel Trilogy, The Force Awakens (2015) had started and well the internet reacted as well as you'd think it would back in the mid 2010's

Despite the racial backlash and a call to boycott, The Force Awakens broke all box office records and to this day, still holds the record for highest grossing film in North America of all time.

Sadly though, Disney Lucasfilm chose to go a different direction...a direction that sidelined him.

The TLDR being he was Black and they didn't want a Black male lead.

For more detailed breakdowns, here are two different videos I made on the subject.

This one is 40 mins and its a detailed breakdown of John Boyega's experiences throughout the sequels.

But if you want a shorter breakdown that just covers why he was sidelined and how it damaged his character, here's a shorter 23 min video

From John Boyega's own words, Disney Lucasfilm based his experience in Star Wars off of his race and at the time of the second film in the ST, The Last Jedi (2017) it was a re-ordered character hierarchy that saw John now pushed into a supporting character role.

The trilogy ended, with a wet flop, as we all know. Months of re-shoots re-writes from Disney Lucasfilm had turned the final film, The Rise of Skywalker (2019) into a studio mess that saw John Boyega once again on the short end of the stick.

In the next following months, John Boyega would speak out against many of the creative choices made in the sequels, something that got him LOTS of backlash by angry Star Wars fans that were calling for his career to be over and him to be canceled. John responded with a video pushing back against them.

Then later in 2020, John Boyega went out to take a stand against Police brutality and systematic racism during the Black Lives Matter Protests

John would later in the year of 2020 go on to speak with GQ and speak out against Disney Lucasfilm's racist treatment of not just him, but of how badly they treated fellow co-stars Kelly Marie Tran, Naomi Ackie, and Oscar Isaac. Further proving that it was the lives of others, other POC like himself, that John was fighting for.

It was during all this that John Boyega had lamented that his career could likely be over after all this. He had taken a stand against racism on two fronts, Disney, who own a good deal of the entertainment industry, and police brutality. For a Black man in the film industry, this fear is honestly a real one.

But fate has a funny way of rewarding the noble and kind hearted folks of the world. Not always, we all know that's not always the case, but for once, it was. John Boyega didn't lose his career. In fact, many saw his fighting spirit and saw his bravery, saw that he wasn't going to lay down and let anyone suffer if he could fight.

The year is 2021 now and John Boyega has won the Golden Globe for his role in Small Axe, a story that ironically touches on racism and police corruption.

Its been an interesting journey for John Boyega. From a kid being able to live his dreams and be cast in Star Wars to a man fighting against racial injustice both in the world and in the entertainment industry, John's story is one for history books of our generation.

Whatever future John Boyega has in this world, I truly wish him the best and I'm thankful that someone like him exists to be a role model for so many people, regardless of where they come from or what they look like.

the-beacons-of-minas-tirith reblogged

fuckyeahwomenfilmdirectors

mmayisa

#sofia coppola #cinema #movies #women in cinema #women in film #film industry #hollywood

the-beacons-of-minas-tirith reblogged

peggycarterthough

From Ellen Page’s Facebook, posted 12:45 p.m. 11/10/2017

“You should fuck her to make her realize she’s gay.” He said this about me during a cast and crew “meet and greet” before we began filming, X Men: The Last Stand. I was eighteen years old. He looked at a woman standing next to me, ten years my senior, pointed to me and said: “You should fuck her to make her realize she’s gay.” He was the film’s director, Brett Ratner.

I was a young adult who had not yet come out to myself. I knew I was gay, but did not know, so to speak. I felt violated when this happened. I looked down at my feet, didn’t say a word and watched as no one else did either. This man, who had cast me in the film, started our months of filming at a work event with this horrific, unchallenged plea. He “outed” me with no regard for my well-being, an act we all recognize as homophobic. I proceeded to watch him on set say degrading things to women. I remember a woman walking by the monitor as he made a comment about her “flappy pussy”.

We are all entitled to come into an awareness of our sexual orientation privately and on our own terms. I was young and although already a working actor for so long I had in many ways been insulated, growing up on film sets instead of surrounded by my peers. This public, aggressive outing left me with long standing feelings of shame, one of the most destructive results of homophobia. Making someone feel ashamed of who they are is a cruel manipulation, designed to oppress and repress. I was robbed of more than autonomy over my ability to define myself. Ratner’s comment replayed in my mind many times over the years as I encountered homophobia and coped with feelings of reluctance and uncertainty about the industry and my future in it. The difference is that I can now assert myself and use my voice to to fight back against the insidious queer and transphobic attitude in Hollywood and beyond. Hopefully having the position I have, I can help people who may be struggling to be accepted and allowed to be who they are –to thrive. Vulnerable young people without my advantages are so often diminished and made to feel they have no options for living the life they were meant to joyously lead.

I got into an altercation with Brett at a certain point. He was pressuring me, in front of many people, to don a t-shirt with “Team Ratner” on it. I said no and he insisted. I responded, “I am not on your team.” Later in the day, producers of the film came to my trailer to say that I “couldn’t talk like that to him.” I was being reprimanded, yet he was not being punished nor fired for the blatantly homophobic and abusive behavior we all witnessed. I was an actor that no one knew. I was eighteen and had no tools to know how to handle the situation.

I have been a professional actor since the age of ten. I’ve had the good fortune to work with many honorable and respectful collaborators both behind and in front of the camera. But the behavior I’m describing is ubiquitous. They (abusers), want you to feel small, to make you insecure, to make you feel like you are indebted to them, or that your actions are to blame for their unwelcome advances.

When I was sixteen a director took me to dinner (a professional obligation and a very common one). He fondled my leg under the table and said, “You have to make the move, I can’t.” I did not make the move and I was fortunate to get away from that situation. It was a painful realization: my safety was not guaranteed at work. An adult authority figure for whom I worked intended to exploit me, physically. I was sexually assaulted by a grip months later. I was asked by a director to sleep with a man in his late twenties and to tell them about it. I did not. This is just what happened during my sixteenth year, a teenager in the entertainment industry.

Look at the history of what’s happened to minors who’ve described sexual abuse in Hollywood. Some of them are no longer with us, lost to substance abuse and suicide. Their victimizers? Still working. Protected even as I write this. You know who they are; they’ve been discussed behind closed doors as often as Weinstein was. If I, a person with significant privilege, remain reluctant and at such risk simply by saying a person’s name, what are the options for those who do not have what I have?

Let’s remember the epidemic of violence against women in our society disproportionately affects low income women, particularly women of color, trans and queer women and indigenous women, who are silenced by their economic circumstances and profound mistrust of a justice system that acquits the guilty in the face of overwhelming evidence and continues to oppress people of color. I have the means to hire security if I feel threatened. I have the wealth and insurance to receive mental health care. I have the privilege of having a platform that enables me to write this and have it published, while the most marginalized do not have access to such resources. The reality is, women of color, trans and queer and indigenous women have been leading this fight for decades (forever actually). Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Winona LaDuke, Miss Major, Audre Lorde, bell hooks, to name a few. Misty Upham fought tirelessly to end violence against indigenous women, domestic workers and undocumented women. Misty was found dead at the bottom of a cliff three years ago. Her father, Charles Upham, just made a Facebook post saying she was raped at a party by a Miramax executive. The most marginalized have been left behind. As a cis, white lesbian, I have benefited and have the privileges I have, because of these extraordinary and courageous individuals who have led the way and risked their lives while doing so. White supremacy continues to silence people of color, while I have the rights I have because of these leaders. They are who we should be listening to and learning from.

These abusers make us feel powerless and overwhelmed by their empire. Let’s not forget the sitting Supreme Court justice and President of the United States. One accused of sexual harassment by Anita Hill, whose testimony was discredited. The other proudly describing his own pattern of assault to an entertainment reporter. How many men in the media – titans of industry - need to be exposed for us to understand the gravity of the situation and to demand the fundamental safety and respect that is our right?

Bill Cosby was known to be predatory. The crimes were his, but many were complicit. Many more chose to look the other way. Harvey was known to be predatory. The crimes were his, but many were complicit. Many more chose to look the other way. We continue to celebrate filmmaker Roman Polanski, who was convicted of drugging and anally raping a young girl and who fled sentencing. A fugitive from justice. I’ve heard the industry decry Weinstein’s behavior and vow to affect meaningful change. But let’s be truthful: the list is long and still protected by the status quo. We have work to do. We cannot look the other way.

I did a Woody Allen movie and it is the biggest regret of my career. I am ashamed I did this. I had yet to find my voice and was not who I am now and felt pressured, because “of course you have to say yes to this Woody Allen film.” Ultimately, however, it is my choice what films I decide to do and I made the wrong choice. I made an awful mistake.

I want to see these men have to face what they have done. I want them to not have power anymore. I want them to sit and think about who they are without their lawyers, their millions, their fancy cars, houses upon houses, their “playboy” status and swagger.

What I want the most, is for this to result in healing for the victims. For Hollywood to wake up and start taking some responsibility for how we all have played a role in this. I want us to reflect on this endemic issue and how this power dynamic of abuse leads to an enormous amount of suffering. Violence against women is an epidemic in this country and around the world. How is this cascade of immorality and injustice shaping our society? One of the greatest risks to a pregnant woman’s health in the United States is murder. Trans women of color in this country have a life expectancy of thirty-five. Why are we not addressing this as a society? We must remember the consequences of such actions. Mental health issues, suicide, eating disorders, substance abuse, to name a few.

What are we afraid to say and why can’t we say it? Women, particularly the most marginalized, are silenced, while powerful abusers can scream as loudly as they want, lie as much as they want and continue to profit through it all.

This is a long awaited reckoning. It must be. It’s sad that“codes of conduct” have to be enforced to ensure we experience fundamental human decency and respect. Inclusion and representation are the answer. We’ve learned that the status quo perpetuates unfair, victimizing behavior to protect and perpetuate itself. Don’t allow this behavior to be normalized. Don’t compare wrongs or criminal acts by their degrees of severity. Don’t allow yourselves to be numb to the voices of victims coming forward. Don’t stop demanding our civil rights. I am grateful to anyone and everyone who speaks out against abuse and trauma they have suffered. You are breaking the silence. You are revolution.

#elliot page #lgbtq #lgbtqa #feminism #sexual harassment #sexual assault #rape culture #sexism in film #sexism in media #misogyny in film #misogyny in media #racism in film #racism in media #movies #tv shows #film industry