Just at the beginning...
Doing research on Digital Fashion.
How to apply Digital Fashion to real life.
From sl Digital Fashion to rl Digital Fashion to wearables.
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very good blog by Professor Elaine Polvinen aka Finn1 FLintlock
http://fashiontech.wordpress.com/
How to make clothes in Secondlife
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Films viewed:
Gomorra 4*
Very realistic, human type of film making. Documentary style.
I noticed the section about the Haute Couture assistant, how he was invited by a Chinese clothing studio head, Xian, to teach 10 lessons, at 2000euros per lesson - a huge amount of money. We know, the Chinese studio has to survive, it means a lot to them. They do it by learning from someone who knows, and they call the chef d'atelier, Maestro... he was so happy with this, money, recognition and also human daily exchanges (not so common when you are in a mafio housing project always under stress from everywhere).
When the chef d'atelier enters the Chinese atelier, we see them cooking fish and drinking alcohol from plastic cups. And a soft music by Teresa Tang, story from a small town - such a huge contrast with the outside world. Here the Chinese immigrants made a little world of softness, sewing, eating. Gentle people. Never the less, they know it is very dangerous to have secret lessons from the Italian master. They put him in the trunk of the car so that nobody sees him travelling to the work shop.
The Xian guy tells him about Tai-Chi, invites him to a homecooked meals - treats him like a treasured friend. At the shop they hired a simultaneous translator, with a good large video screen. Everything prepared for serious learning, for an honoured teacher! Not some fly by night joint that people imagine what sweat shops are like in most Chinatown themed movies. This part of the film reveals something very kindly from the directors point of view. And he shows how the chef d'atelier actually loves his job in the way he touches the dresses, hangs it carefully on the hanger - all this is done without much dialogue, but we see it. Then he was attacked, lost his job and became a truck driver. He watched on tv at a lunch place off the road, Scarlett Johannsson wearing the Haute couture dress that he made. Then he jumps back into the truck and drives off. He had to change profession after they discovered his secret teachiing job. The power of this movie I think is in the treatment of the other. We have the main stream local people and the immigrant. The main stream "do good" money guys and the underdog, the black people the underage kids are called to drive the trucks around - the ruthlessness of the ones in power. You save one guy and kills a whole village, mean while lots of money in the pocket. At the end, the end credit quickly mentions the collaboration of construction in Ground Zero project by these same do good strong men. Hard film. Well made.
Maybe movie goer are stronger these days, they can stand to see the truth. They want to see documentaries, documentary like films of the world. They dont need embellished lies - tired of them when the reality is all around, clear as day.
Rhumba 2* (for the film), 3* (for the dedication to an aesthetic of the film)
A totally silly story line. How could the director waste the talented dancing opportunity? We only get to watch some arms and legs and thats it? The rest is pure silliness, fire in the house, car accident... red dress undone by some little accident... silliness thats not even funny. Amateur like the story is weak and unoriginal. However, the colors, the lighting, the set design are all in a retro 50s color theme. Very pleasant. But inspite of this, the movie really fails. Hardly watchable.
I feel like kicking the movie maker. How could you ruin this wonderful oppportunity for both stars just like this?
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