The Charlottesville white supremacist rally took place as the cast and crew of “BlacKkKlansman” prepared to film. Director Spike Lee saw footage of the rally, and immediately knew he wanted to use it to end “BlacKkKlansman,” said Sean McKittrick, a UCLA alumnus and Oscar-nominated producer of the movie. Read more...
Photo: (Bridgette Baron/Daily Bruin)
“Vice” jolts its audience from a straightforward White House cabinet meeting into an animated game board showing the powerful players of Washington, D.C. Along with rolling dice, officials in the George W. Read more...
Photo: UCLA alumnus Jason George worked as a producer for “Vice” and conducted research for the film. George used personal anecdotes from people who knew Dick Cheney to connect his research to the film’s comedic digressions. (Tanmay Shankar/Daily Bruin)
Thanos’ destructive snap might have only taken a second, but creating his hands took much longer. Alumnus Kelly Port, along with a team of other visual effects specialists at Digital Domain, brought Thanos to life in “Avengers: Infinity War,” leading to an Academy Award nomination for best achievement in visual effects. Read more...
Photo: (Cody Wilson/Daily Bruin)
Addiction, fame and toxic relationships could potentially lay the foundation for an extremely problematic story. But in 2018, these issues were at the heart of a film that racked up eight Academy Award nominations, and widespread critical acclaim. Read more...
Photo: (Courtesy of © 2018 WARNER BROS. ENTERTIANMENT INC. AND METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER PICTURES INC)
If Beale Street could talk, alumnus Michael Benavente would probably know what it sounds like. Benavente, the film’s dialogue editor worked with the Formosa Group, a postproduction sound company, to remove any extraneous background noise and ensure the characters’ voices were audible. Read more...
Photo: (Courtesy of Annapurna Pictures)
The Academy shed its distaste for showy blockbuster films for the 2019 Oscars. The eight films nominated for best picture have grossed a combined total of $1.2 billion at the domestic box office – the highest-earning batch of nominees since 2011. Read more...
Photo: (Courtesy of Netflix)
The Flux screening series has been the source of creative collaborations and romantic relationships alike. Flux, an organization that curates film and art festivals, conferences and museum exhibitions, partnered with the Hammer Museum 12 years ago to create the Flux screening series. Read more...
Photo: Flux filmmaker Calmatic directed the music video for “FUN!” by rapper Vince Staples. Shot from the perspective of Google Maps. Calmatic said the video is meant to comment on the way fans may view African Americans’ lives from the outside, but never truly experience it. (Courtesy of Calmatic)
