Midnight Rambler

Had a nice time last night. Dinner at one of our favorite Indian restaurants, and home for a movie.

Owen Wilson and Marion Cotillard walking after midnight...
 ©Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.

I'm reminded how much I loved Midnight in Paris... it was just as good a second time. Over the past few years, I think Woody Allen has been making some of his best movies ever: Match Point, Vicky Christina Barcelona, and now this. All original, these have been some of the most refreshing movies to come out recently.. maybe all he needed to do was get out of New York City!

Midnight in Paris is up for an Academy Award this year for "best picture." I think it is absolutely deserving-- a perfect movie in my opinion. Great direction, cast, writing, cinematography (the "Monet" lilies were a nice touch), music, and, of course, concept. Give me a movie like this over the typical, short-attention span Hollywood fare any day-- I was thrilled that it did so well in the theaters. Like Adele is to music, this film was just as smart and thoughtful. I think moviegoers would do well to cut back on all the razzle dazzle, and learn how to breathe again.

This afternoon I took a walk during lunch. I needed to get away from the information overload from my computer, and the frustrating lack of information provided by others. There is a nice trail I sometimes take past the nearby river, and over an old walking bridge. Unfortunately, I did not end up in 1920s Paris, like Owen Wilson's character did in the movie...


Around dinner time, I did end up in downtown Troy, New York (with help from my auto). While it lacks many of the charms of "The City of Lights," the Collar City (and Home of Uncle Sam) does have its own character... not to mention, The Arts Center, where my current graphic design course is being held. In tonight's class we looked at logos. We first watched a video with the guy who created the logo for PBS back in the 1970s-- interesting to see all that went into making that (even if the "P Man" did look a little "scary" back in the day).

Then it was our turn. I decided to take a stab at creating a logo for my own independent production business. It is something I have been thinking about for awhile, in addition to websites, business cards, etc. It's called "branding," and now I can do something about it. I started by writing down some of the services I provide: videography, editing, photography, writing, and content development (emphasis on the latter). This informed what type font I will choose (did you notice that Woody Allen always uses the same font for the credits in his films? No frills). It also made me start to think of shapes... objects... perhaps turning the type into objects that could further communicate what I do. We imported into the projects into Illustrator, but I think I might be better served by jotting down some ideas on sketch paper first.

It was refreshing... I definitely felt in a different place than this afternoon... enjoying the creative process. All well and good until I tried to find my way home... eh, with its many one-way streets, Troy can be a difficult place to find your way out of! Next time I will use my GPS-- one of the better inventions to come along since the "Roaring '20s." But I do envy those who have the luxury of walking to and from work... and into creative new situations.



Related links:


"Decoding Woody Allen's 'Midnight in Paris,'" New York Times, May 27, 2011


Midnight in Paris (Music from the Motion Picture)


http://thedesigninspiration.com