Podcast Review

This week I listened to the ESPN Five Thirty Eight Podcast by Joe Sykes and Neil Payne. In this episode they discussed the failure of the English national football team and how that can be traced back to one individual called Charles Reep.

The program started like a history documentary as it travelled back in time to the 1950’s via some sound effects and old commentary from the era. The pinnacle point in question was the Match of the Century where England, the creators of football, took on Hungary, arguably the finest football team in the world.

England were built up to be complacent and they were humiliated 6-3 on home soil. The Magical Magyars went on to be known as The Golden Team while England went soul searching.

The podcast offers various explanations as to why England lost. Reep believed that a team stand the best chance of winning if they make only “3 passes” in a move. This lead to the development of the long ball tactic.

However, Reep’s logic was flawed as he looked at percentages rather than probability. Ultimately I thought the show was interesting at it explored different concepts and also offered some detailed analysis which it made compelling to listen to.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-one-mans-bad-math-helped-ruin-decades-of-english-soccer/

Youtube: Broadcast Yourself!

Do you want to be the next Steven Spielberg or Stanley Kubrick? YouTube offers everyone a platform to broadcast themselves and create videos so I decided to play around with the Youtube video editor.

You don’t even need to upload any actual movies to give it a go. There are a few creative commons clips and soundbites which anyone can use.

Below I have embedded my practice attempt.  I decided to try and create a little narrative by featuring night shots. I was particularly impressed with the depth of field shots available which changed the focus of the lens. In terms of editing it is quite quick and simple to use. You can trim clips manually  by using the razor tool and place text on top of them to create a title.

The editor also allows you to place transitions into the timeline in order to connect the clips together. There is a large selection of wipes available allowing you to emulate George Lucas and his silly style of editing.

While it was fun to use the editor ultimately it is very basic and it is nothing compared to Adobe Premier Pro which is used by a lot of Youtubers for editing their videos. However, it acts as nice introduction for beginners and people new to the experience. 

Power of a Picture

During reading week, I navigated my way up north to the Metro Radio Arena which was hosting  Film and Comic Con Newcastle.  I had a press pass for the event, so I had the opportunity to look around and talk to some of the guests.  There were large crowds, many of whom were dressed in various costumes from different pieces of cinema.

Furthermore, while I was there I managed to take a few pictures on my phone as well. For this blog post I picked out one photo in particular to explore in further detail which I have posted below.

This is a picture of Derek Lewis. He used to make models as a hobby in his spare time. However, he gave up his job to pursue his passion full time.  All of these models on display in the picture were created by Derek, and I thought it was really intriguing.

Overall pictures can be really powerful as they can illustrate a story in a visual manner. They can be used to   exhibit a large quantity of items as in this case.  They can act as a nice addition to a written piece because they can help add depth to a story.

Twitter

 Twitter is taking over. Sky News seem to be obsessed with the stuff. Every time a story breaks you can see a presenter waving their tablet around and getting all excited at the sound of some instant reaction.  The big bird has spread its wings especially with the ability for companies to gauge public opinion.

Why is Twitter so popular? Anyone can read a tweet. You don’t even need an account.  Although if you do you can join in the discussion providing you say something in 140 characters or less.

Twitter is brilliant for journalism. It allows you to enter the same space as professional people.  You can watch stories break online. For example, this week the Williams F1 team announced their new driver line up… via Twitter.

Click this link to read our full statement on our 2017 driver line up #WeAreRacing #F1 https://t.co/Gk0Jmse2ae pic.twitter.com/iWfZWXekWI

— WILLIAMS RACING (@WilliamsRacing) November 3, 2016

The ability to pin tweets is also important. You can pick your favourite quote and keep it at the top of your profile. No need to go searching.

I tried to share my Twitter profile on my Facebook and I encountered some interesting results. My profile picture had been replaced by an egg and the caption was written in Swedish for some reason.  Clearly they don’t like cross platform promotion and this shows the increasing strength of the site.

Shared my Twitter link on Facebook. For some reasons the caption came up in Swedish and picture replaced by an egg? pic.twitter.com/hgznhfAOXf

— Conner Kacperski (@ConnerKacperski) November 5, 2016

Batman V Superman Review

 “The world only makes sense if you force it to,” utters Ben Affleck’s Batman.  It’s a line pulled straight from Frank Millers’s comic The Dark Knight Returns which inspired the film and it sums up the reception upon its release.

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Batman V Superman divided critics, but having recently acquired the standard DVD release I thought I’d give it another watch.

Many people feared that Affleck would be an ineffective as the Caped Crusader, but he held the film together. His interactions with Jeremy Irons Alfred was one of the highlights. The relationship between the butler and Batman added a bit of heart and warmth to a very dark story. Alfred acts as a father figure, and it’s a shame that he does not feature more in the movie as his wit is well received.

 The fighting style employed by Batman is impressive. It is clearly inspired by the Arkham Asylum game. In the past Batman could barely turn his head, but in this film he had no problem hurling people about. The ‘World’s Greatest Detective’ actually gets to use his intuition for once as he goes in search of kryptonite rather than having it handed it to him on the plate by the plot.

The film has many problems. It is simply too long. Some people say that the ultimate edition is better, but there is no way on can justify adding more depth when it drags on in the theatrical cut. One only listen to Jesse Eisenbergs ramblings for so long.  I preferred his performance in Zombieland.

 There are some nice set pieces such as the amazing introduction scene in Metropolis. Despite the strong start the film becomes more muddled as it progresses. Too many strands have been shoved into this story. It tries to set up the Justice League, and please comic book fans. There is nothing wrong with that, but the execution is poor in some parts. The dream sequences of dystopian futures feel very out of place.  While these scenes are impressive to watch, they add nothing to the plot and maybe they should have been saved for a future film.

While this feature was billed as a sequel to Man of Steel I find it interesting how little Superman has to offer. While Henry Carvill can play a very convincing Clark Kent he is often overshadowed by his co-star.

Batman V Superman has some electrifying elements, but also moments of madness. The pace is all over the place, but there is enough good stuff in there to make it worth watching.  Although for some that is not enough for Frank Miller as when asked the about the film by Variety  his response was a rather sarcastic “Your welcome!”

Seven Deadly Sins Review

David Walsh was an influential figure in exposing Lance Armstrong’s lies.  In many sports we see rivalries between competitors, but the relationship between the Sunday Times journalist and the man stripped of his seven Tour de France Titles is fascinating. The two had many encounters and the chase played out like a game of cat and mouse.  

The title is inspired by the David Fincher film Se7en . While Armstrong is the focus, Walsh explores his own background and the events that would influence his investigative journalism. This includes his reporting of Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche, idolised by the Irish, but also tainted by allegations of doping. Furthermore, the book also includes anecdotes from other sports such as the infamous swimmer Irish  Michelle Smith who won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics

Walsh also had to overcome some personal tragedies and the book is very thought provoking. His interactions with Armstrong are challenging and at times it seems like an uphill struggle.  Walsh tried to exposure Armstrong who in turn tried to discredit and demonize him.  In the end, Walsh is vindicated in that famous Oprah interview where Armstrong finally comes clean.

The science behind the systematic doping is also explained very well by Walsh. The information is easily accessible for those who may not be too familiar with  the sport. 

This book was a fantastic find. I’ve already read it twice since I picked it up in spring.  I would recommend it to anybody who wanted to find out more about the Armstrong era of cycling.  It has also recently been adapted into a feature film called the Programme. While I haven't seen it yet I definitely want to give it a watch.

Drugs and Deception: The Armstrong Lie Review

Racing around the streets of Monaco Lance Armstrong could have been be mistaken for a machine from the Grand Prix. Like its mechanical counterpart cycling has its own formula for winning although this one contained some unwritten rules.

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The film follows Lance Armstrong’s attempt at a comeback in 2009. The 7 time Tour de France winner wanted to prove the doubters wrong once and for all. However, in his desperate bid to reclaim the yellow jersey he brought about the start of his own downfall.

Documentary director Alex Gibney was with Lance throughout the entire 2009 Tour and even he was hoodwinked by the whole affair.  While he was aware of past doping allegations Armstrong convinced him otherwise. After all he had exclusive access to the star. Gibney thought he was making a feel-good film for all the family. The film explained key cycling concepts so that it could be accessed by all.  It was only when he was exposed in 2012 did Armstrong finally sit down and set the record straight.

Armstrong could stare straight into the camera and defiantly say that he did not use drugs.  He claimed to use science and natural methods supplied by the controversial Dr Michele Ferrari, nicknamed Schumi after F1 driver Michael Schumacher. If you can convince yourself then you can convince anyone.  It’s ironic how when Armstrong eventually admits the drug taking truth in the aftermath he looks even more uncomfortable.  Rather than lifting the weight off his shoulders you can see it crashing down as his illusion is smashed and reality kicks in.

While Armstrong finished 3^rd in the 2009 Tour it came at a cost as the results of a doping test in that race would ultimately come back to
destroy his legacy.  The all smiling Ferrari was hidden in plain sight although it turns out that he was “personification of the dark side of cycling” in the words of writer Daniel Coyle.  

The editing employed is quite clever when combined with the emotional score. Gibney is very good at presenting both sides of the argument and the film is well organised. The ability to ride clean as opposed to actually being able to compete is openly explored.  

Overall the film is very good introduction to the Armstrong era. It asks questions and explores the consequences of Armstrong’s unethical actions.  While Armstrong is the antihero with name recognition he is overshadowed by Michele Ferrari who is the real puppet master. A Coyle quote sums him up well as “He is a scientist and that’s one of the bits that gets lost in all of this.”

Facebook Live: Different Dimensions

This Gareth Southgate press conferences shows how Facebook Live is used by the media for journalism.

I had a go at Facebook Live for the first time. The actual application was very easy to load up as it can be accessed via the Facebook app.

The software also included the ability to switch between the front and rear cameras at the touch of a button. This can add a different dimension as you can change perspective which increases the versatility

My attempt at recording with Facebook live

Comments can be seen in real time so people are reacting to the events as they unfold. Furthermore, the like buttons can also be seen streaming down the side as the video progresses. 

Facebook live is utilised heavily by journalists and the mass media. For example the England national football team use it to stream their press conferences. The ability to play back the videos is also key as some people may not be watching as it is recorded.

However, in terms of wide spread use it is not that commonly employed . It can be a bit of a hassle to steady the camera and mistakes can’t be edited out while recording although changes can be made afterwards when it is reposted.

Facebook Live is an interesting piece of technology that can help journalists reach a wide audience via social media, however most people tend to watch the videos rather than stream live themselves.

Who Controls Your Newsfeed?

Recently I downloaded the Amazon Kindle app onto my Android phone. For this post I will be reviewing the app and a social media article from the Slate site.

The article was accessed via the web and transferred to the Kindle via the chrome extension software.  This is useful as it allows it to be read on the go and without Wi-Fi.

Kindle tries to emulate a book by making you swipe right to flick between different pages.  It took me a while to get used to this, as on a portrait phone I am used to scrolling down.

The actual article was an interesting read ,as it explores how Facebook developed their newsfeed. A series of algorithms are used to display important items that are relevant to that person. Facebook are essentially using people’s data to work out what news they want to see.

However, Facebook have encountered a few problems with their formulaic approach.  Five percent of users choose to hide all the items on their feed even though they like what they see.  The developers have had to manually input a safeguard for this phenomenon.

Overall it’s interesting to see how computers can predict a person’s behavior yet sometimes the human element can catch them out and they have to evolve their systems to adapt.

http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/cover_story/2016/01/how_facebook_s_news_feed_algorithm_works.html

My first few weeks at Uni

A step into the unknown. I found myself in a new town not knowing a single person, but full of optimism. My computer also died on day one. That finally gave me the excuse to upgrade from XP to Windows 10.

Despite only being here for a few weeks I’ve been busy. For my first assignment I had to complete a radio match report and I decided to attend a football fixture. This lead me on an interesting endeavour up to Hartlepool. I had never been to Victoria Park before, nor had I ever been in a press box so I was excited.  

A pre match picture of the sprinkler system. Final score was Hartlepool United 1 Crawley Town 1. 

The view was spectacular. From where I was sat I could even see the wind turbines of Redcar and hear the sounds of seagulls from the seaside.  While I was excited about the Sports Journalism course I never expected things to happen so quickly.

I am staying at a lovely place called Snow Island. It is a 2-minute walk from the university across the canal.  It’s also close to the town centre. Huddersfield is very convenient in terms of its layout.  Geographically it’s also situated between Manchester and Leeds which makes travelling on the train a lot easier.  

So far , so good.

Alien 3 Revisited: Style over Substance

Alien 3 was David Fincher's first feature film and he had to follow in the footsteps of James Cameron and Ridley Scott. The film is often criticized by fans, but it is it as bad as the hype suggests?

A defining moment from the film  with the  Alien face to face with Sigourney Weaver's Ripley. Image 20th Century Fox. 

Roger Ebert once described Alien 3 as ‘one of the best-looking bad movies I have ever seen’. Fincher started shooting the film without a finished script as he was drafted in as a last minute replacement for Vincent Ward. This was his first time directing a feature film having being recruited due to his music video success. With sets already constructed and the film over budget  he had to work with the tools he had been given. He was also facing impossible pressure to match James Cameron and Ridley Scott. There was much anticipation as the teaser trailer promised that the film would take place on Earth, however by the time Fincher was onboard that plan had been scrapped.  It seemed as though Fincher had joined a sinking ship, but could he steer it from rock bottom? 

Killing off two of your franchises main characters in the first 5 minutes is a bold move.  I liked that.  I know a lot of people felt that it ruined the end of the Aliens as it destroyed the happily ever effect, but it’s better to try and be ambitious than imitating a past performance.  For sure it is an unusual idea, but I was willing to go along with it as I had a sense this film would be a roller coaster. Instead as Private Hudson would say “We're on an express elevator to hell, going down!” The plotting is also all over the place. Paul MgcGann appears as a pivotal plot device and then vanishes without much explanation.  In the ‘directors cut’(ironically named as Fincher had nothing to do with it) it appeared that McCann’s character had whole story arc which  was cut out. The film was heavily butchered in the editing room due to studio inference.  It is nearly impossible to relate to or understand some of the new characters due to how little we are exposed to them. In Aliens the character building was a crucial component as we cared about each and every one of the marines so when they died you felt a sense of sadness, but you don’t get that feeling here.  Apart from Newt and Hick’s there isn’t really any emotional heartbeat.  Many people believe that the Directors Cut was superior although I feel it only added depth to a dying plot. While the film tried to do something different initially in the end it resorted to half heartedly trying to imitate its predecessors and it failed in both senses.  At least those people who are annoyed can look forward to Neil Blomkamp's Alien 5 which is supposed to discount Alien 3 and 4 so Hicks and Newt are set to return.

The Weyland-Yutani Commandos were one of the few highlights of the film. Image from AVP wiki

There are many positive aspects that are often overlooked. The cinematography is superb. Fincher is able to create a real pressure cooker environment by employing tight and twisty corridors with a series of tracking shots.  The first person perspective shots work very well especially when combined with his use of filter and low key lighting as create a dark and disturbing atmosphere. The costume designs are fantastic as well. Terry English did a fantastic job creating the Weyland-Yutani commando suits which show up at the end of the film.  It’s a shame they couldn’t have appeared earlier as they really do liven up the show.  It’s sort of a case of too little to late as despite the ending of the film being okay you are sort of left wanting a bit more. The film is clearly well made and full of stylish shots, although that does not mean one should overlook its plot problems.

I think in order to analyze a films legacy you have to take a look at what it has influenced.  When a head shaven Charlize Theron appeared in Mad Max Fury Road many people compared her to look to that of Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley. There you have two strong female leads in dystopian worlds and comparisons can easily be drawn.  Alien 3 has clearly had an effect on filmmaking. In terms of cinematography when you think of the image that defines the Alien franchise then surely the one that springs to mind is Ripley being face to face with the Alien. While it would be wrong to label Alien 3 as a misunderstood masterpiece, as even Fincher has disowned the film, I ‘d like to think that it contained many ideas that helped to influence modern day popular culture. Surely that is a good enough reason to justify its existence even if it does not live up to its predecessors. 

BTCC Croft Photo's

Its taken me a while, but here are a few photographs that I took from the Croft round of the British Touring Car Championship. It was quite an interesting event as I got to witness the first ever Subaru 1-2 in BTCC history. I managed to get some photos of the podium where it was all smiles for Colin Turkington who led home Jason Plato. It was also ironic to see them smiling as they ended up bumping into each other when fighting for the lead in race two. I never did get chance to get a photo of their reaction, but I guess it would have been quite a contrast. There was also action from the Renault Clio Cup and the British Formula 4 championship with Red Bull backed driver Luis Leeds taking a win. I wonder whether we will we see him in Formula One anytime soon? Below I have posted a few pics, but you can check out the rest on my website.  http://connerkacperski.webs.com/photo-gallery 

Bourne Again: Jason Bourne Review

Matt Damon is back playing Jason Bourne  in the latest installment of the super spy franchise, but is it return to form?

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Walking into the cinema last Friday night I felt a sense of anticipation. Straight  away I'll admit that I  loved  the first three Bourne films. I went out and bought the entire Bourne box set(yes Legacy included) in order to prepare myself.  As a trilogy the first three Bourne films were unique in that the quality got better as the series progressed. That in itself is quite an achievement considering how good the Bourne Identity was, but somehow the Bourne Ultimatum provided the perfect ending. Matt Damon played no part in the  Bourne Legacy spinoff which starred Jeremy Renner and that was widely regarded as underwhelming, so how would number 5 fare with Damon back at the helm. 

I wondered what would bring Bourne back from the brink of isolation. Times have changed and espionage has evolved. Snowden gets name checked a lot as the films plays on people real life fears. Social media, surveillance, and privacy all feature in this technology filled flick.  While many films try and make people forget about the real world Jason Bourne constantly reminds people of the perils and that is what makes it feel so compelling.  An anti-austerity riot in Athens acts as the first set piece as Bourne tries to evade the CIA in a cleverly crafted chase sequence. The cinematography is clever, clean and concise which  makes the film feel real and gritty which brings Bourne back to its roots.

A lot of people say that the film feels like a greatest hits album rather than offering something new and that is a fair observation. The film does draw a lot of inspiration from its predecessors especially in terms of narrative and locations, but why break from such a good format? The film takes the Bourne concept and applies it to a modern landscape. Is it as good as Ultimatum? Probably not, but only because the bar was set so high.  Damon is as good as ever despite not speaking much throughout as he lets his body language do the talking.  Tommy Lee Jones and Alicia Vilikander put on a good performance to play a pair of contrasting CIA agents although their roles and motivations are very similar to what we have seen before and one could argue that they are filling in for Brian Cox and Joan Allen.    The Asset ,a role that is  often forgettable in previous installments,   is actually  an integral part  of the movie and that is really refreshing as Vincent Cassel  puts on a great performance and makes a really good villain. 

Overall if your a fan of the Bourne franchise or just love a well crafted film then it is defiantly  worth a watch. There is something in this film for everybody.  If anything the new rendition of Moby's Extreme Ways accompanying  the final moments of the film and leading into the animated end credits is worth the admission price alone.

Tour de Yorkshire

It's took a while for me to get these uploaded but here are some photos I took from the start of stage three of the Tour de Yorkshire in Middlesbrough.  It turns out that I was actually lucky enough to to capture a photo of rider 21, Thomas Voekler,  who went on to win the stage and the overall rankings. He was riding for the Direct Energie team which had a bumblebee style yellow and black jersey(see last picture).  This victory is not his only success as  Voekler is most famous for finishing  4th in the 2011 Tour de France.

Renault RS26 F1 Car Newcastle

The other day I was in Newcastle and the city was hosting a motorshow in the town centre. I stumbled across the Infinity stand and  I managed to get a few pictures of the Renault RS16 F1 car display. So far this season the car has only scored points in one race and that was  a seventh place finish at the Russian GP courtesy of Denmarks Kevin Magnusson. The car on display was coincidentally displaying Magnessons race number 20. Jolyon Palmer is the teams other driver and he races under the number 30.  Renault are currently sitting 9th the Formula One World Championship.