KIDS FIRST! Jury Blog

Sofia Vergara is the star of one of the hit TV shows, Modern Family.  At 42, she is on top of the world with everything she has going.  She earned a total of $140 million dollars from June 2013 to June 2014. It is reported that she earns $325,000 per episode but also earns income with her endorsements.  She is the face of Diet Pepsi, Cover Girl, Head & Shoulders and the co-founder of Latin World Entertainment.

Sofia was born, July 10, 1972 in Barranquilla, Colombia by her mother, Margarita and her Father Julio.  She attended a private bilingual Spanish/English school and studied dentistry.  She was discovered by a photographer and it led to many jobs in the modeling and television industry. From 1995 to 1998, Sofia co-hosted a travel show, Fuera de Serie which gave her exposure in the United States.  The exposure led to a film roles and a TV series.  She faced many hardships during her days in Colombia and even after becoming a TV star.  She divorced and became a single parent.  In addition to this, she was diagnosed with cancer but, after being treated has had a full recovery.  She has received four Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.  She has one Son, Manolo, and they reside in Los Angeles, California.

Sofia is great at what she does.  She has great comedic timing and always brings out the best in her characters. One of my favorite quotes by Sofia is “I guess at the end of the day, all women like to be appreciated and treated with respect and kindness.”

 I would like to continue this fascinating history of color in film by introducing the innovations from Technicolor. Since they’ve a lot of history as well, I will keep it brief. The following quoted material has been gleaned from: http://filmmakeriq.com/lessons/the-history-and-science-of-color-film-from-isaac-newton-to-the-coen-brothers/

“There are two ways to create color: The additive system is where primary colored lights are added together to create white light. The other system is the subtractive system where primary colors (cyan, magenta and yellow) are subtracted from white light to create black.”

“The Technicolor Company was founded in 1915 to exploit a two-color additive process. Their first film was an utter failure so they changed direction and started working on a two color subtractive process. The new process, patented in 1922, used a beam splitter in the camera to split the light onto two black and white film stocks. The resulting dyed positive images would be cemented together for a final color positive image which could be played back in standard projectors with no special equipment.”

In 1932, Technicolor perfected the three strip system. Using a beam splitter they captured light onto three pieces of film. Using this new process, they showcased the film Becky Sharp. This was Technicolor’s first feature film. Later, they completed The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind.

“In the 1990s, many filmmakers explored different lab processes such as bleach bypass to create unique film tones. Moving into the 2000s, computers became powerful enough to handle entire films. Digital intermediaries came into use – a process of scanning a film frame by frame into a computer to be digitally manipulated.” As they say, the rest is history.

There is so much information about color in film that I can’t tell you everything without making this blog boring. If you want to learn more, you can find many websites that share the whole history.

I took you on this journey to give you a reality of how far we’ve come in making films. Back in the early 1900s you were luck to get color in your film. When Technicolor stepped in with its innovative ideas, we finally had a way to film movies in color. When I look at films throughout history I’m amazed to see drastic changes in the quality of these films. People are still finding new ways to capture stories and make them into movies. Whether it’s live-action or animation, color is used to create breath-taking visuals.

Just because we now have the power of color doesn’t mean we should neglect black and white films. While I love color in film and the optics created with it, there is something about black and white that sticks in my brain. Why? Because most of the classic films were done in black and white? Or, is it that black and white formed the original faces of films? While both of these are true, I believe I have an answer. Well not me, but film critic, Roger Ebert. I’ve read his memoir, Life Itself, so many times and there is a section (Chapter 21: My New Job, Pg. 159) where he talks about color in film.

“Color is sometimes too realistic and distracting. It projects superfluous emotional cues… Black and white (or, more accurately, silver and white) creates a mysterious dream state, a world of form and gesture. Try this. If you have wedding photographs of your parents and grandparents, chances are your parents are in color and your grandparents are in black and white. Put the two side by side and consider them honestly. Your grandparents look timeless. Your parents look goofy. Go outside at dusk, when day light is diffused. Shoot some natural-light portraits of a friend in black and white. Ask yourself if this friend, who has always looked ordinary in every color photograph you’ve ever taken, does not, in black and white, take on an aura of mystery. The same happens in the movies.”

The word is, timeless. I agree and disagree with Ebert. I don’t believe color is distracting. I feel like color can also create a dream state. The Grand Budapest Hotel with its vibrant colors transports you into another world. Where I do agree with Ebert is the timeless and mystery aspect of black and white films. A bit of a pet peeve of mine is when a studio decides to take a classic black and white film and add color. I feel like it looses its agelessness. While I am happy with the evolution of color in film just remember that black and white are colors too.

“Are they not the same thing?” you may ask, as you read the title of my blog. The answer is yes – and no. By literal definition, yes, they are the same thing. But in connotation, they are not. There Will be Blood is a film. Guardians of the Galaxy is a movie. A film is something with substance and has a more artful approach to its filmmaking and construction. Whereas a movie is more about pure entertainment and allows for a more (and I don’t mean this in a bad way) mindless viewing experience. There’s no thinking involved. You can sit back and just watch.

It is an everlasting debate between the movie-buff and the movie goer. The movie buff is the one who movie goers call “pretentious” and “snobby.” You know, the ones who think Pi and The Third Man are masterpieces. The movie goer is the one that movie buffs call “impatient” and “unappreciative.” They’re the people who find Transformers and Guardians of the Galaxy to be masterpieces. Demographically, it could be a battle of old (The Third Man) against the young (Guardians of the Galaxy).

It’s funny I say that because, I speak on behalf of the movie buff. I would like to begin by saying that blockbusters are essential to the cinematic cannon. They provide good fun and relief from heavy dramas or intellectual satirical comedies. The explosions, familiar plots, predicable stories and cool one-liners provide a comforting convention that we can rely on for entertainment. Yet, they are also our biggest epidemic.

We are in an age where the re-make, sequel, prequel and adaptation rule in the world of cinema. They are what the masses flock to see. They make the perfect date night movie, or Friday night reliever. Billions of dollars are made by these films and, that is fine. At least, it was. It was back in the early days of Spielberg, when the likes of Amadeus and Raging Bull could still be appreciated. That’s not the case today.

My complaint is that the films that will last are not being appreciated by mass audiences. The Best Picture winning film is no longer among the highest grossing. The masses no longer have the patience or will to sit and watch a film that has something to say and has a unique and artistic way to say it. Lawrence of Arabia, one of the greatest movies to ever grace the silver screen, was the highest grossing picture of 1962 and the Best Picture winner of the year. That film would not even be made today. A four-hour epic about T.E Lawrence’s experiences in the Arabian Peninsula during World War I starring an unknown in the lead wouldn’t get a pass in today’s producer’s office Even with a big named star attached, it probably still wouldn’t be made or would be cut down significantly.

The thing is, people in the 60s were accustomed to sitting through a motion picture that gave them an experience of something that goes beyond a couple hours of mindless entertainment. They wanted something with substance. They ALLOWED themselves to open up and take in whatever ideas the film was expressing or, to study the situations and characters that they could relate to.

I feel that movie goers fail to realize that films can change lives. A character study such as Birdman has the ability to cause self-reflection or self-realization and place a mirror to you. Is that pretentious? No, it is simply true. It is deep, it requires thinking and an open mind. Films can take society to the forefront of judgment and commentary, providing people with information and influencing debate that might even affect society itself. Is that, too, too pretentious? Again, I don’t think so. I think it is plausible and very possible. 

The Tree of Life is one of the greatest movies of all-time, quite easily in my top ten film of all-times. Many critics and movie aficionados agree with that assessment. Yet, the masses were not interested in it and still do not care for it. Yet, The Tree of Life is an exploration of life from a spiritual and chronological point of view. It is something that could change one’s perspective on life itself. Even with Brad Pitt and Sean Penn in the lead roles, this film barely made half of its budget domestically although it did well overseas. No one nowadays has the patience to sit through 140 minutes of visually stimulating and philosophically intriguing pieces of art. They want their explosions and predictable hero films.

If our society were to fall and, all our successors had to learn about our life, our past, our ideas, and intellect, would you rather us be represented by Two Women or Spider-Man? If people allow themselves to, they could be affected by these films. Then they wouldn’t complain about the Academy being “pretentious” or “stuck up,” they’d see where the Academy and movie buffs are coming from. Even the old black and white films are better than a lot of the modern movies. Give me Duck Soup over Pineapple Express. Why? Because Duck Soup is smart, witty and funny. Pineapple Express is funny in its own right, but it’s not nearly as smart as Duck Soup. Intelligence is something to appreciate more than brash comedies. The old films were intelligent. They presented themes like sex, prejudice and injustice with class and brains. That’s why most older films are considered…films.

I can respect modern films that approach these things with explicit examination if they have artistic intent like Shame or Blue Valentine. But films like Fast and Furious 7 with random shots of skin and butts, that use sex and things like that for commerciality, aren’t going to last. There will be another one just like it next year or next month. But there will never be another 8 1/, or Ladri di Biciclette.

Our transition to this period of cinema is one brought about us by more industrialization, technology and an increased appeal in popular culture. Spielberg began it with Jaw  and Lucas cemented it with Star Wars. Now that’s all we see.

My wish and desire is to see films like The Last Emperor become popular again. I’d like to be able to say that our current place in cinematic history is a good one, but it isn’t. Movie goers who think of us as “pretentious.” “old-fashioned,” and “boring” will continue to have a closed mind. They won’t care because they don’t take cinema seriously and only see it as mindless entertainment. But cinema is much more than that. Like Salvatore in Cinema Paradiso, an evening in a theater can be life changing. It can open one’s eyes or change an opinion or teach a lesson or incite an exploration of society or self. It is a powerful medium that is now being taken less and less seriously. That is why I believe artistic filmmakers make films more for their contemporaries than for the masses. And that’s a theory I will talk about more in my next blog.

Thank you for reading. Willie Jones

There’s cause for celebration because most of us are entering the final few weeks of the school year! And you know what that means – barbecues by the pool, lying on the beach, hanging out with friends and of course, summer blockbusters!

Summer is one of the biggest times of year for the movie industry. However, it isn’t always as successful as we hope. 2014 had the worst summer movie record in eight years with box office receipts down 30%. But there is still hope! Earlier this year, the market began picking back up in preparation for the 87th annual Oscars, with moviegoers everywhere hitting the theaters to catch up on the latest nominees for the awards.

With summer right around the corner, buzz surrounding upcoming films is visible all over social media. Pitch Perfect 2 is rolling into theaters on May 15th and I personally cannot wait to catch all the hilarity and breath-taking musical numbers that this film has in store. In 2012, Pitch Perfect slowly grossed $113m worldwide and had strong DVD sales, earning $135M in physical and digital sales. Forbes predicts that the sequel to this beloved film will earn even more revenue since it has gained such a large following over the years.

Spy, starring the hilarious Melissa McCarthy is set to hit theaters on June 5th – another comedy that I am very much looking forward to. This is the third movie that Melissa and Paul Feig have done together since Bridesmaids and received outstanding reviews after it was screened at South by Southwest a few months ago.

Jurassic World follows close behind Spy with a release date of June 12th. Starring Chris Pratt and directed by Colin Trevorrow, this story takes place 22 years after Jurassic Park and features a luxury resort and theme park that has been built on the island. It will be interesting to see how this film works out since Steven Spielberg, Jurassic Park’s original mastermind and director, will not be behind this project. Rumors of the movie have been going on for the past 14 years and the anticipation is sure to result in a very successful turnout for the film.

We are entering a busy time in the industry and many of the films set to hit the big screen make for a very promising summer. There are over 30 features film making their debut this summer, so make sure to check out as many as you can!

The evolution of film is a vast subject. Whether it’s the development of technology, writing or performance by actors its growth continues to this day. I want to focus on a aspect of film that we take for granted but is a defining step in today’s modern film. That is the addition of color!

Today, color in films is nothing special but, back in the early 1900s it was revolutionary. Since the history of color in motion pictures has a long but fascinating timeline, I’m going to split this blog into two parts. In this blog I will be tackling the early stages of adding color.

If you asked people what the first movie filmed in color was, people would usually say, The Wizard of Oz. However, that was not the first colored film. That title goes to, Annabelle, Serpentine Dance by legendary film maker George Melies released in 1895. Melies hired people to hand paint his films, frame by frame, and this introduced the world to color. This led to people in the film industry creating different methods of adding color to their films.

Here are several techniques* that film makers have used:

Tinting: One of the earlier and widespread techniques used to apply color to film. The positive print is immersed into a variety of dye baths, scene by scene.

Toning: This is not the simple immersion of a film into a dye bath but involves a chemical reaction converting the silver image. There were two chemical recipes available for toning, either a one-bath or a two-bath process.

Stenciling: This method required manual cutting frame by frame. Usually the number of colors applied ranged from three to six. The process was highly improved by the introduction of a cutting machine. For every color, the stencil print was fed in register with the positive print into a printing machine where the acid dye was applied by a continuous velvet band. Several hundred women performed the exacting task at the Pathé workshop in Vincennes.

These methods created early colored films and worked for some time. However, these methods were done after the film was made. And, they took a lot of time, patients, and money.

How did we move on to filming movies in color? Join me in the next blog and I will tell you.

*information comes from http://zauberklang.ch/filmcolors/ 

A costume designer is responsible for designing clothes for a movie, stage or television production. They design garments that enhance the actor’s character personality and define the time period they appear from before the actor even opens his or her mouth. They have to consider the durability of the garments, the actor’s ability to comfortably move about in the costumes, the director and actor’s personal ideas for the costumes and how the lighting will affect the look of the fabric once it is filmed or appears on stage.

Both Dorothy Jeakins and Barbara Karinska shared the Oscar® Award for the film Joan of Arc in 1949.

Dorothy Jeakins, born January 11, 1914 was educated at schools in San Diego and Los Angeles. She was abandoned by her parents early in life and helped support her studies by working as a live-in servant with families. As a child, she had a talent for drawing and her love for it won her a State of California Scholarship at the Otis Art Institute. After submitting some very good illustrations to the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, she was taken on by the Southern California Arts Project. In 1936, Dorothy held a job in the colour department at the Walt Disney Studios, painting animated cells of Mickey Mouse for $16.00 a week. Her first work in fashion design was doing layouts for Magnin’s Department Store, which attracted the attention of the 20th Century Fox art director Richard Day. Mr. Day then brought her to the attention of film director, Victor Fleming. Before long, Dorothy was seconded to the studio wardrobe department as an illustrator under Ernest Dryden. Her big break came when she was hired by Mr. Fleming as sketch artist for the film Joan of Arc (1948). She was then promoted to design the costumes for the picture. This American costume designer has worked with some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including John Huston, William Wyler, Cecil B. DeMille and Robert Wise.  She was nominated for a total of 12 Academy Awards before she died on November 21, 1995.

Barbara Karinska, born Varvara Zhmoudsky, October 3, 1886 was the costumer for the New York City Ballet and the first costumer ever to win the Capezio Dance Award. She learned embroidery as a child and, as a young woman, ran a coffee house and embroidery shop in Russia. There is where she enhanced her craft and came to work and live in America, both in New York and California. She had the opportunity to work on a film project and won an Oscar® for Joan of Arc. She joined New York City Ballet in 1949 to make costumes for Mr. Balanchine’s Bourree Fantasque. Since then she was responsible for the execution of almost all the company’s costumes. She would first make them and then later design them. In 1963, the operation of the shop was taken over by the New York City Ballet and she worked exclusively for them. Her major works include designs for the Scotch Symphony, La Valse, Symphony in C and The Nutcracker. Her most lavish work was with Vienna Waltze and was produced in 1977. Barbara Karinska died in 1983 at the age of 97 but she is still known for the finest and most beautiful costumes on stage, Costumes by Karinska. Both of these incredible women have definitely left their mark on costume designs.  Their work is impeccable and will always be remembered.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Ms. Maria Ignacia Arcaya, VP and Executive Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Cisneros. She is behind the initiative to promote the elimination of violence again women and girls in Cisneros’ campaign #LasMujeresNoCallamos. I hope you find this as an important cause as I have.
KIDS FIRST! Can you please share with our KIDS FIRST! readers some of your responsibilities at Cisneros?

Ms. Arcaya: My role at Cisneros consists primarily of working hand-in-hand with upper management to identify opportunities to create social value through our business units. An important part of this process includes developing social impact goals, implementing plans and establishing strategic partnerships to optimize efforts.

KIDS FIRST! You are behind the initiative to promote the elimination of violence against women and girls in Cisneros’ brilliant campaign #LasMujeresNoCallamos. Can you please tell our readers more about this campaign?

Ms. Arcaya: The main purpose of this campaign is to raise awareness regarding the different types of behavior patterns in a relationship that are manifestations of violence and that should not be accepted or tolerated. Through their testimonies, women of all ages point out their partner’s actions or attitudes towards them, initially justifying their behaviors, such as extreme jealousy or control, as manifestations of love, and then realizing that these are not acceptable and standing up to demand their rights to live a life free of violence. Each spot shows various levels of violence, which escalate from verbal or psychological abuse to death threats, and ends with a call to action.

KIDS FIRST! What’s the backstory here? What led you to initiate this campaign?

Ms. Arcaya: Cisneros Media, the corporate division that encompasses all of the Cisneros’ media and entertainment companies, set out to develop a core CSR initiative that was transferable to all its communications platforms, identified women’s rights in general as a cause that both our businesses and audiences could relate to, and would have the greatest impact. We believe that men and women have the same rights to enjoy a productive and satisfactory life. Living without violence and free of fear are equal rights for all, and we believe that as a media company, it is our responsibility to contribute to this objective. And to ensure that our messages were aligned with international efforts and strategies, we partnered with UN Women – the United Nations organization dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women.

KIDS FIRST! I believe everyone knows a female that has been physically abused by either their partner, family member or a complete stranger. What is the outcome you hope this campaign accomplishes?

Ms. Arcaya: We hope that women of all ages will become more aware of the different characteristics of an abusive relationship to enable them to identify them and seek help. We also aim at motivating everyone, both men and women, to join us in our efforts to spread the message that all women and girls have the right to a life without violence. Our campaign has a strong social media component as key messages have been communicated through our social media accounts, reaching millions of people who in turn have shared them with others.

KIDS FIRST! This violence against women is a cruel act on females. It doesn’t matter what is your economic status, your age, your race or anything. This is a global situation. In what other countries is this campaign directed? How did you choose those countries?

Ms. Arcaya: We focused on those countries which we reach through our media platforms. The campaign has been aired on Venevision, a Cisneros TV channel and the leading broadcaster in Venezuela, as well as Cisneros’ Pay TV channels in Colombia and the Dominican Republic. We are currently inviting other channels in Spanish-speaking countries throughout Latin America to join our efforts, and we will provide them, for their own broadcast, the TV spots we have produced for the campaign. What’s more, we encourage other media platforms from around the world to develop messages in their own language based on our model.

KIDS FIRST! Violence against women definitely needs to come to an end. And, it appears to be happening more frequently to teenage girls. Do you think that is true and, if so, why do you think it is?

Ms. Arcaya: Studies have shown that abusive behaviors occur in romantic relationships as well as between family members, and it has been proven that violence can happen to anyone at any age. These abusive behaviors can be physical, sexual, verbal and emotional. Often, an abusive partner tries to have power and control over their victim, and teenage girls in particular are vulnerable to suffer this abuse due to their inexperience and lack of information, which prevents them from responding in an appropriate manner to avoid and/or not tolerate the abuse.

KIDS FIRST! What can our mothers and fathers do right now to teach young boys and girls what is acceptable so they don’t grow up to be men who are abusing women and women who allow this to happen to them?

Ms. Arcaya: Preventing violence against women begins by eliminating gender stereotypes that discriminate against women and by building relationships based on mutual respect and gender equality. Thus, parents are key role models for their children.

KIDS FIRST! There are many forms of violence against women – physical, sexual and psychological. What can we, as every day people, do to join the cause to end violence against women?

Ms. Arcaya: Just as parents are role models for their children, we can all become examples in our own relationships with others by recognizing the equal rights of men and women to lead productive lives and to enjoy nurturing relationships based on mutual respect. We can all be a part of this effort through our interactions with others, be it at home, school or in the community. And awareness amongst boys and men and their involvement as positive role models is of the upmost importance to end violence against women.

KIDS FIRST! Students are experiencing this everyday in schools around the nation and across the world. This happens to their parents at home. How are schools offering help to kids with this? What resources are available to them to do more?

Ms. Arcaya: Schools, parents and students should become familiar with such sources of information as the Convention of the Rights of the Child, the Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), as well as the national laws that are related to women’s right to have a life free of fear and violence. In addition, students should have access to such resources as law enforcement and social workers, who can advise them on how to identify and what steps to take in any case of violence and abusive behavior.

KIDS FIRST! What are the laws that protect women against violence?

Ms. Arcaya: As I mentioned, there are international agreements to protect women against violence: the Declaration of Human Rights (1948), CEDAW (1979), the World Conference on Human Rights (1993), the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women (1993) and the Convention of Belem Do Para (1994). Over the past twenty years, many countries have also established their own legal frameworks to eradicate violence against women. Nonetheless, the problem persists and there is still much to be done in terms of law enforcement and social awareness.

KIDS FIRST! To get more information on your campaign, can you please share with us contact information for this campaign?

Ms. Arcaya: Please contact Liying Chang [email protected] for more information, as well as to request a copy of our TV spots.

Romance has been in the movies ever since 1896 when the first romantic film debut called The Kiss. From then on, movies have portrayed the magic of love in films such as The Notebook, Titanic, and Ghost.

There have been debates on whether or not movies send people the wrong message about love. Let’s face it, they are good points. Films can show audiences that it’s okay to cheat as long as it is love or you can find your soul mate after one intimate night. Also, let’s not forget the magic of Disney and their love at first sight concept.

The thing about romantic films is that they embellish what it means to be in a relationship. Sadly, love is not always what the silver screen portrays it to be. Sure, there are happy moments but, it takes patience, commitment and communication. Sometimes, couples argue and show their worst side to each other. Movies usually do not show this side of love. There are the rare occasions where films can show true love like 50 First Dates or even Julie & Julia.

I am not saying I know everything about love. I am only 14 and still learning about it. My point is that love may not always be what the media says it is but that does not mean we can’t enjoy romantic films. There is a reason why we watch movies in general – to get away from reality. Romantic films offer hope that we can have the type of romance we see on-screen in our real life. Audiences watch The Princess Bride to consider the possibility that one day they can have a romance as passionate as Wesley and Buttercup. The idea of having the girl or guy of your dreams and ride off into the sunset together is a romantic one.

However, it’s good to remember to get your head out of the clouds and back to reality. I may not know much about love but I do know it is not as easy as films tend to portray it. Even though I adore romantic films they are certainly not my measure of how love truly works. But, a boy can dream.

In the late 1800s, art took a huge leap, the first films were created. Of course, compared to modern films they were very basic – no color, sound, no steady cam. It looked like a whole bunch of pictures were taken with a cardboard camera. That was the first few films which were, at the most, one minute long. This illusion of moving pictures was what the first films looked like.

In 1910, the first movie camera was made, a film camera. Today, a film camera is part of our every day life. But back then, it was revolutionary. A genius didn’t need a movie camera to make a colored film. A person manually colored the film by making adding red, blue, yellow and so on. Soon enough, sound came into play. However, this was a somewhat dangerous transition and a lot of silent movie actors were out of a job for they didn’t have very good speaking voices.

Today, we have digital, super HD cameras with crystal clear sound and what used to be rolls of tape the size of a head is on a small SD card. It leads us to ask what is next? Well, Cannon, Sony and others are racing to make their cameras better quality. You might ask how? Their $10,000 cameras are already producing videos that look very realistic. Well, apparently not. The D’s are getting bigger. First we had 2D, then 3D, then 4D / Smellivision. But, what about being inside the film? I mean not with 4D where you feel physical attributes but, actually playing a role in the film? I predict that by 2020, there will be such advanced cameras, that we will see our self in a film and we will be part of  the story.

Time will tell. For now – I can’t wait to see what’s next in store for my favorite industry – movie making.

It was a wonderful night for Oscar! Oscar, Oscar –  guess who won! Once again, the envelopes have been opened, the Golden and Lego statues given out, and people are already predicting the nominations for next year’s Oscars. The question is, how was this years show? Well let’s analyze it.

The Host: Let’s start by talking about the host, Neil Patrick Harris. If you remember my last blog, I talked about what makes a great host and mentioned my personal favorites. I adore Harris as a host. He has hosted the Tony Awards several times as well as other award shows and he is the best. However this was Harris’ second time hosting the Oscars and, to be honest, the first time his performance was nothing spectacular. He wasn’t bad but, he just didn’t live up to any of the past Oscar hosts. With that said Harris did a much better job his second time around. His opening number, Moving Pictures, along with Anna Kendrick and Jack Black was outstanding . He brought back the over-the-top Broadway style musical number to the Oscars. The choreographed number captured the magic of cinema and it made you fall in love with film all over again. Throughout the show, Harris’ comedy became a bit corny and, at times, edgy. His one-liners were hit and miss. For example, when he introduced Reese Witherspoon, he said “And the next presenter is so cute you could eat her up with a spoon.” (Groan) Altogether, he had more hits than misses. When he came out on stage in his underwear, strangely enough I thought it was hilarious because it went along with one of the nominated films, Birdman. Now, some of his jokes poked fun at the situation with the nominees being compiled of mostly white people. I didn’t have a problem with these comments. I thought they were funny but, I can understand if anyone thought they were inappropriate. Overall he did a phenomenal job as the host.

Performances and presenter: I can only sum up this section in three words, “Everything was Awesome.” I loved the individual performances by the artists. There was a cheerful performance by Tegan and Sara and the Lonely Island for “Everything is Awesome” and a broadening scene from Common and John Legend when they sang “Glory” which won Best Original Song. I gained a whole new respect for Lady Gaga when she performed a medley of songs from the Sound of Music for its 50th anniversary. Her performance was graceful and did justice to the music. Even Julie Andrews personally thanked her as she presented the next category. Speaking of which, I have to mention the adorable duo, John Travolta and Adele Dazeem. Sorry, Idina Menzel. Last year, Travolta mispronounced Idina Menzel’s name when he presented her. This year it was pay back and the two had fun.

The winners and their speeches: The winners this year were plentiful for each film nominated. It wasn’t one of those years where one film took all the awards. Each film got recognition for something. I am overjoyed that Julianne Moore won Best Actress for Still Alice and Alexandre Desplat won for best Original Score for The Grand Budapest Hotel. I didn’t care who won for most of the categories because, each of the nominees were equally deserving. There were so many soap box speeches from the winners, which was not a bad thing. When Patrica Arquette won for Best Supporting Actress, her acceptance speech about equal wages for women was great. Even Meryl Streep gave her a standing ovation and cheered her on. I did too. In fact, quite a few of the speeches turned political in some way. Whether it was equal wages for equal work by women, racism or just being different. What made it even more inspiring was that it was not obnoxious. They were done elegantly to a point that they were not preachy. My favorite speech came from Graham Moore who won for best adapted screenplay for The imitation Games. I adore this film and was so happy to see it receive an award for its script. His heartfelt speech brought tears to my eyes because he talked about why it’s okay to be different and that one day you will succeed. For me, Moore and the other’s speeches were the highlight of the evening.

Of course there is still so much to talk about but this was just a taste of what happened at this year’s Academy Awards. It’s funny that an award show could be the biggest event of the year, but the thing is it’s not just an award show. The Oscars honor not just last year’s films but films in general. It is a time for us to be reminded why film, or any form of self expression, is important. That’s why I look forward to it every year.