Through the Lens

Through The Lens Fall 2020

Stunt Secrets Page: 10

How-To Horror Page: 22

Sci-fi vs. Fantasy Page: 20

Students for Social Justice Page: 28

Taking Gender Out of the Equation Page: 4

Meet the Editors Dear Reader, In this magazine, you will find a wide variety of topics. With articles on social justice in film, the technical aspect of movie stunts, CGI and special effects in horror movies, the process of adapting a graphic novel into a movie, and the impact of women in comedy movies, this magazine has it all.

But one thread ties it all together: film. And that?s what brought our group together as well. When we were having discussions on what our theme would be for this magazine, we found ourselves divided by our differing interests. Some of us preferred books, while others wanted to do something bolder, like action movies or horror. It was in film that we (finally) found our happy medium and crafted this magazine.

There were certainly struggles and challenges along the way, one of them being our ASF?s. It was meticulous work making each graphic and putting everything together as a whole, but it was worth it. Through collaboration and effort, we have created this magazine together and we really hope you enjoy it!

We?re particularly proud of how we fit all these stories together and made them work as a whole. We were able to take topics that, at first glance, seem very different and artfully weave them into a beautiful magazine. We each decided to report on a different genre (social justice, action, horror, fantasy, and comedy) to encompass the world of film by highlighting the parts that appealed to our unique interests.

Graphic by Anya Ruttala

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

C o m ed y Taking Gender out of the Equation

4

by Maida Acker

A ct i on Stunt Secrets

10

by Surabhi Karighattham

Sc i - f i Panel to Screen in the Sci-fi World

16

by Charlie Parks 16

10

4

H or r or How-to Horror

22

by Aryan Singh

A ct i v i sm Students for Social Justice

28

by Anya Ruttala

mor e t o see Comedy Choices Maida Acker

Word Search

Marvel Timeline Surabhi Karighattham

32

8

Meet the Editors

34

14

Sci-fi vs. Fantasy Charlie Parks

20

Visual Effects Process Aryan Singh

26

A Change in Perspective Anya Ruttala

32

Design on page 1 by Anya Ruttala Design on page 2-3 by Charlie Parks Design on page 34-35 by Anya Ruttala Design on page 36 by Surabhi Karighattam Covers by Surabhi Karighattham, Maida Acker, and Aryan Singh THROUGH THE LENS

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T

aking Gender out of the Equation

How women in comedy are standing up and demanding change

By Maida Acker

Talk to any female comedian long enough and she?ll tell a story about being introduced as, ?the next person in the lineup is a woman.? So often in the comedy scene, non-male comedians are reduced down to their gender and tokenized, but no one ever introduces a male comedian the same way. Being a woman in a comedy line up should be just as relevant as if the next comedian has red hair. It shouldn?t be relevant at all.

Throughout the decades, and especially in the early comedy movies, the women featured were heavily stereotyped and sexualized characters, often there just to be the butt of the joke. Eventually, a new generation of female comedians began to demand space for themselves in writer?s rooms, on-screen, and on stage.

Meghan Ross, a comedian, writer, and director, is very passionate and vocal about equality in both the world and the comedy scene, and has been open about her experiences as a woman and POC in the industry. ?One of the first times I did stand up,? Ross said, ?...it was a mostly all-male line-up, and I got introduced as ?now, the next comedian coming in this stage is a woman?and I was like, why does that have to be called out? Yes, I am a woman. Yes, I was the only woman in the lineup, but now that makes people think, ?Oh, I'm gonna place a stereotype on this woman comedian?. It tokenizes me in the lineup, and it's just unnecessary 'cause he wouldn't say ?the next comedian coming in the stage is a man,?or ?the next comedian coming

on the stage is nonbinary,??

Ross ran a late-night show called That Time of the Month for five years before the pandemic hit, with an all-women and non-binary lineup, and has begun to break into the film scene as well. Ross?s first short film, An Uncomfortable Woman, was a winner at the Austin Film Festival?s First Three Pages Live in 2018 and has been nominated for many other awards. ?That Time of the Month...was stand up, but now, over the last couple of years as I learn more in the film scene and have directed a couple more pieces, I'm starting to prefer that a little bit more,? Ross said, ?Just because it's a little bit more of an investment. You perform on stage,...but then it's just such a fleeting moment. Whereas film, it's kind of this prolonged thing where

Meghan Ross (left) and Robin Beltrรกn stand on the set of An Uncomfortable Woman, Ross's short film which premiered November 6, 2020. Photo by Ursula Rogers, courtesy of Meghan Ross.

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(From left to right) Meghan McCarthy, Leslie Jones, Kate McKinnon, and Kristen Wiig in the 2016 movie, Ghostbusters. The movie came under fire from people online who were mad about the all woman reboot. Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures.

you are doing pre-production for several months, and then you're shooting for a couple of days depending on how long your script is, and then you're post-production, and it's more gratifying. It feels like you can actually visualize it. You can see that labor that went into when it's something like a film.?

digestible for the audience. For this reason, many comedians take advantage of this and infuse activism into their comedy.

Ross is also very passionate about infusing activism into her comedy and projects and cites it as one of her driving inspirations when creating her late night show and her short films. She created That Time of the Month to address the gender inequity she had noticed in the New York comedy scene, and after moving to Austin, realized that she could combine her activism and comedy, as they were already very intertwined.

?I think we?re definitely comedy first,? Bartlett said, ?we want to make

?So, with That Time of the Month I brought on a strong female leader segment which is an activist or a subject matter expert would speak about a different issue every month, and then I also brought on small businesses to sponsor the show, so I wanted this show to become this combination of comedy, activism, and supporting small businesses owned by women and nonbinary people,? Ross said.

Comedy has always been a medium where people can tell their stories and make a stand, in a more relatable and light hearted way that can make the message more

Kristen Bartlett, a comedy screenwriter, works as a co-host at Full Frontal, a news satire show, that puts a comedic spin on current events.

Yo u r g en d er sh o u l d n 't d ef in e yo u r c o med y, bu t it c o u l d in f l u en c e yo u r c o med y

Leslie Jones, actr ess and com edian

sure we?re funny, but at the same time we want to be truthful in what we?re saying, and we want to take hard stances when things are wrong.? ?We can treat these issues seriously, but we can also find moments of levity, and then I've enjoyed finding that balance in my comedy and activism work,? said Ross. ?I think comedy is the great uniter a lot of times, there are very many

differences when it comes to comedy, but I do feel like it becomes more digestible for people when you take a heavy issue like abortion, or just politics in general, and find ways to sort of distill it down and make it relatable and approachable to an audience.?

Leslie Jones, a comedian and actress, takes her job as a comedian seriously when it comes to making people laugh and bringing her audience moments of humor, even in darker times. ?So, in society right now, if you notice they try to shut comedy down because everybody walks around so offended, but we need comedy, we need laughter to relieve that pressure,? Jones said, ?As a comedian, it?s my responsibility to talk about the things that are uncomfortable. Do you want to laugh about what?s going on or would you rather cry about it? It?s really that and that?s what our job is.

Our job is to come in and make you feel okay about what?s going on and who you are.?

Jones has had a very diverse career in comedy, from standup, to SNL, to starring in the 2016, all-female, Ghostbusters reboot, and has always emphasized the importance of being yourself and not letting anyone else?s perception of her get in the way, especially when it comes to being a woman.

?Don?t even put woman in the f---ing equation,? Jones said. ?Start there. Because everyone already knows you?re a woman. You don?t need to prove you?re a woman. You don't have to tell people you're a woman. You can just be who you are. I never ever thought of myself as a woman as much as I thought of myself as a comic and a writer first.

I am a female, and I?m going to write feminine things because I?m a female. That?s automatic. So don?t ever let nobody tell you, that ?cause you?re a woman that you can?t do something, or that it?s different, or that it?s supposed to be different.

You're just a woman.?

Ross also commented on this and said, ?Your gender shouldn't define your comedy, but it could influence your comedy. I certainly talk about issues that women can relate to, but I do agree that you sort of have to make a separation because of the industry we're in, and the stereotypes that are placed on us, and the assumptions that those decision makers make about us.?

Offering a differing perspective, Bartlett said she did not hold the same degree of separation between being a woman and a comedian as Jones and Ross did.?I?m a comedy writer, and for me, the writing has to

be true to my experience,? Bartlett said. ?So I personally would not separate being a woman from my comedy, because so much of my writing is about my personal life and experiences. But I think stand-ups have a very different role and

I n ev er ev er t ho ught o f mysel f as a w o man as mu c h as I t h o u g h t o f mysel f as a c o mic an d a w r it er f ir st

M eghan Ross, com edian, dir ector , an w r iter

perspective, their battles are very different from mine that?s for sure.?

Though each woman in comedy has different backgrounds and stories to bring to the table, many are still united through common experiences.

Just being a comedian is hard work, and making it in the industry is even harder, but Jones said that the most

important thing is to persevere and to keep your faith up. ?What you have to realize, and this is if you want to do this, you have to know who you are as a person,? Jones said. ?You have to like yourself, I know this sounds like a cliche, ?cause if you don?t like yourself, the stuff you don?t like is actually the material. I?ll put it like this: I hated my feet, I hated how tall I am, I hated my big a-mouth, I hate how loud I am, but those are all the things that ended up making me money. Those are all the things I wrote material about, and getting in this business and this industry, if you don't know yourself, these people will show you a self you don?t want to be.?

Again emphasizing the importance of being yourself and not letting others get in your way, Jones said there shouldn't be anything different about being a woman in comedy and that no one should view that as a hindrance ?It?s just like being a woman any other place,? Jones said, ?You have to talk louder, you gotta be quicker, you gotta make sure that they don?t take your jokes, you know? It?s like anywhere you work. But I?m going to tell you now, never let that stop you.? r jokes, you know? It?s like anywhere you work. But I?m going to tell you now, never let that stop you.?

Meghan Ross during her late night show, That Time of the Month. It ran for five years at the Coldtowne theater until Covid-19 hit.

Photos by Tess Cagle, courtesy of Meghan Ross.

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y d e Co m

s e c i Ch o

Comedy Movies or TV Show s?

TV Show s:

73.5%

Graph Maida

n d TV

hics by Acker

co m ed sh o w p y m ov r ef er e ie n ces!

Movies:

Doesn't like Comedy:

22.1%

4.4%

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S The tall man?s head swings violently as his opponent lands a particularly nasty punch. He staggers back, his eye purple and swollen while his mouth curls into a cruel sneer, blood dripping from his teeth. With a feral growl, he pounces, knocking his attacker to the ground and pummeling him with his fists. Somehow, the smaller man manages to get his bloody hands on a gun and slams the butt of it into the tall man?s face. He skids backward and before he can gather his wits, gets shot square in the chest. The person bearing the weapon melts into the shadows, barely escaping the scene before the flashing lights and blaring sirens discover the dead body. ?And cut!? The director barks and the actors emerge from their positions, all roles discarded as the hero helps the villain up. That?s what stunt acting is all about, creating the illusion of pain while in reality, no one gets hurt.

tunt ecrets The story behind the mind blowing tricks in action movies

By Surabhi K arighattam

However, the audience only gets to see the highly edited and refined movie that?s designed to leave their jaws dropping in awe at the mind-boggling stunts that were executed through the action film.

Viewers are oblivious to the punches that miss vital organs, wires that keep actors from falling, pads that cushion blows, and that every action is reined in to avoid injuries.

Fight sequences utilize many types of martial arts depending on the desired effect. The most common ones are Taekwondo, Kung Fu, and kickboxing. Taekwondo showcases the actor?s agility with pretty kicks and fancy footwork. Kung fu is a broad term that encompasses many specific styles that focus on movement. Kickboxing tends to be more to the point and is used when the desired techniques must be quick and effective. The combinations of these three martial arts are what make

up most of the fight scenes in action movies. ?In each and every one of them, you're going to up your cardio? the main thing is just to get comfortable doing these movements,? said Aaron Alexander, a stunt actor on the show Lucifer.

The key to executing complex fight and stunt scenes is training. For example, when practicing how to jump off a building, a scale model of the scene is recreated in a gym. The actor spends hours falling and landing to the point where it?s second nature.

To achieve this, constant repetition is necessary. ?The training never really stops,? said Donald Brooks, a stunt actor involved with Luke Cage. ?There?s always something to learn.?

Even during the breaks between jobs, it?s important to keep exercising to stay in shape. Some actors have no

Mike Colter and Donald Brooks film a scene for Luke Cage, an action packed TV show. Photo Courtesy of Donald Brooks

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Donald Brooks gets kicked in the chest while filming a movie. Photo Courtesy of Donald Brooks

problems with this since stunt training becomes a routine and way of life for them. Keeping up with practice ensures that the performer is ready for a job at a moment?s notice.

Especially in this line of work, there?s no telling when the call will come, so it?s best to be in fighting shape all the time. ?A friend of mine always says, ?Stay ready so you don't have to get ready,?? Alexander said.

Along with constant training and practice, a key ingredient present in every stunt scene is trust. When fighting someone, mutual communication is essential so that no one gets hurt. The person inflicting pain must refrain from going all the way and injuring their partner, while the other actor has to make the agony seem believable, despite feeling just fine. It?s a fine line and the balance must be perfect for the scene to be

executed perfectly.

Th e t r ain in g n ev er r eal l y st o ps, t h er e's al w ays so met h in g t o l ear n

Donald Brooks, Professional stunt actor

?Sometimes we call [fight partners] dance partners because fight choreography is very similar to dance with the choreography that you have to learn,? Alexander said. ?[Your partner] has to also provide the reaction, so there's always an action, and then there's a reaction.?

Outside of basic trust, while filming, the stunt world is teeming with opportunities to cultivate new friendships. Many friends are made by expressing interest in a particular skill and initiating a conversation about how to learn it during training.

These relationships with other talented actors inspire many to broaden their expertise and explore new facets of the stunt world. ?We all kind of feed off each other and share off of each other, and just help grow and change our art,? said Brooks.

In addition to friendship, there?s a lot of mutual respect within the stunt community, especially towards women. Any stunt is incredibly complicated, but ladies have to take it to the next level. ?Female stunt performers are amazing, because they got to fight in dresses, lingerie, nothing, towels, heels, all this stuff, and they can't wear pads,?

Alexander said. ?And it's just like you?re so tough.?

Stunt performance isn?t all about the actors, though. The camera crew plays a vital role in the production of the scene too.

Since the audience shouldn?t be able to tell that the punches are missing, they have to film from precise locations to ensure the cameras don?t appear in the shot while making the scene look realistic. ?That's where I like to say geometry comes in,? Alexander said. ?Because that's when you start dealing with angles and stuff.?

but pushing the boundary could result in serious injuries, and in rare cases, death.

?Fortunately, death in the stunt world isn't a high number,? said Alexander. ?Unfortunately, it is a number.?

When a death does occur, the director and producers have to ask themselves how it happened and what can be done to prevent it next time. Through this process, tons of safety precautions are in place to prevent serious injuries. Pads and cardboard boxes are used to cushion the impact of cars hitting a wall or people falling from great heights.

Wires are also used when scaling a building or something similar. For personal fight scenes, elbow pads,

knee pads, shin pads, etc. are used in abundance. ?It's like how to do the craziest thing, the safest way possible,? Brooks said.

Current circumstances are revealing new safety challenges that every field of work is navigating, and the stunt scene industry is no exception. Due to the pandemic, it?s more difficult for new performers to get jobs because directors are mostly hiring trusted actors that they?ve previously worked with. The scenes themselves will have to be adapted as well to allow for fewer people and more distance between them. ?The outcome is just gonna be more creativity,? said Alexander. ?More creativity is gonna have to be brought to the forefront, more writers are gonna have to figure out [new] ways [to do things].?

Safety ropes are important as Donald Brooks rehearses for his dangerous stunt scenes. Photo Courtesy of Donald Brooks

Although there seems to be a pattern with the camerawork and the process, all stunts can?t be the same. Repetitive tricks eventually become monotonous and will bore the audience, no matter how challenging they are. Stunt choreographers are tasked with creating these complex sequences.

According to Alexander, ?There's nothing wrong with revisiting things that have already been done, but again? what can we do to either take that special thing and kick it up a notch.?

While constantly pushing the limits to create exciting stunts seems incredible, it also poses a safety hazard. On their own, stunt scenes can be very dangerous,

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1 Cap t ai n Am er i ca: Th e Fi r st Av en ger

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You r ch r on ol ogi cal gu i d e t o t h e cr azy , t i m e ju m p i n g w or l d t h at i s t h e M CU.

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P

anel to Screen

Step into a bookstore and shelves proudly stamped and stickered with the phrase ?now a major motion picture? likely line the walls or sit displayed in the window. Each author has had the honor of their work being adapted to the screen. It isn?t just novels that are given this opportunity; comic books seek adaptations as well, and not just the well-known superhero comics. While the

in the Sci-fi World

by Charlie Parks

Marvel Cinematic Universe, for example, is packed with comic book characters taking on the big screen, other comics such as Locke and Key have made the jump to television. David F. Walker and Kelly Sue Milano are two very different comic book authors, but they are both working to get their projects adapted to film.

There are many ways to compare

and contrast comics and movies, past the obvious matter of the fact that one is a living, moving medium with countless people working on and off the screen while the other is generally drawn, written, and produced by a small team of people. ?One of the biggest differences is that when I write for comics, the biggest obstacle is finding

someone to draw it,? said David F. Walker, author of Bitter Root. The series is in the process of being adapted to a movie. Photo courtesy of Penguin Random House. Left: Bitter Root, Volume 1. The comic David Walker, the is about a family of monster hunters in 1920s Harlem. Image courtesy of Image Comics. author of Bitter Root.

As of now, HEX11, a fantasy affects how many people will see ?I can literally make a comic with comic in a world where magic has the adaptations. one other person, and most been discovered as a new creative teams in the comic ?When I?m writing a comic, I technology, is seeking an medium have very few members. know there?s a good chance it will adaptation.

By comparison, it takes a lot more get made and seen, but I can?t say people, and a lot more money to Walker?s comic, meanwhile, is that for a screenplay,? said Walker. make a film.? already on the road to being adapted. The movie is still in Bitter Root is currently in the pre-production, and the pandemic process of being adapted to the still poses uncertainties. screen. The comic follows a Yo u d o n ?t ev en family of monster hunters in ?At this point, COVID has caused r eal l y n eed Harlem in the 1920?s. many productions to hit the pause ?We have been lucky enough to have been approached by several interested people and companies? from Dreamworks to Starburns Industries to executive producers and agents,? said Kelly Sue Milano, the writer for the HEX11 series. ?Being sought out has been a wild experience considering that doesn?t happen often and the process with each is always different and lengthy.?

button,? said Walker. ?Bitter Root was still in the early phases of development when everything shut down. I know that a script is still being developed, and the search is on for a director. My guess is we?re still a long way away from a movie going into production.?

The uncertainty of the survival of theatres poses a threat to the film world in general, and this also

Opposite: A poster and comic for Iron Fist.

The recent Netflix series was based on a Marvel comic, which was at one point written

by David F. Walker. Photo courtesy of Marvel.

mu c h by w ay o f spec ial ef f ec t s.

Ju st so me per so n w h o says, ?Yeah , I?m an ext r a t er r est r ial ,? an d it ?s sc i- f i.

David F. Walker, author

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?What will the film industry look like in a few years? Will movies still be playing in theatres? It?s all very crazy to think about.?

When you think of sci-fi, large explosions, CGI spaceships, and neon-lit space cities likely come to mind. However, sci-fi doesn?t need a lot of big, fancy effects to truly be that genre. ?If a comedy script isn?t funny, then it?s not really a comedy,? said Walker. ?And if a horror story doesn?t scare you, it might not actually be horror.? ?But the possibilities of what

My h o pe is al w ays t h at t h e st o r y o f H EX11 c an g r o w t o it s f u l l est expr essio n .

Kelly Sue Milano, author

science fiction can be are pretty endless,? he said. ?You could have a story about a family eating dinner over the holidays, and one of the guests is an alien from outer space, and now you have a science fiction story. You don?t even really need much by way of special effects. Just some person who says, ?Yeah, I?m an extraterrestrial,?and it?s sci-fi.?

According to Walker, special effects aren?t as big a concern to the genre of sci-fi as a whole as one might think. ?I suppose one of the challenges could be if you worried about how much it might cost to produce a

scene with a lot of special effects, but I don?t know if it is more inherently difficult than other genres. In fact, it seems like science fiction is much easier than other genres.?

A large part of sci-fi material comes from earlier works. Just as most modern fantasy works can be traced back to the high fantasy of Lord of the Rings, sci-fi works too are influenced by their predecessors. When discussing her work and influences upon it, Milano explained what the biggest inspirations

for HEX11 were. ?We always cite Bladerunner and Harry Potter as influences, as well as comics like Neil Gaiman?s Sandman, Saga, and Watchmen,? said Milano. ?That said, we?re influenced by so many things all the time, from TV shows like Parks and Recreation to Doctor Who!?

While he didn?t list any particular shows or works as influences upon his own writing, David F. Walker mentioned the development of his diverse interests in

HEX11, issue one. The story takes place in a futuristic society where magic acts as technology. Photo courtesy of HEXCOMIX.

A portrait of Kelly Sue Milano, the author of the comic HEX11. She began writing after a friend set her up with an artist with a vision for a comic. Photo courtesy of HEXCOMIX.

will pay off.

various genres. ?[When I was younger], I loved science fiction and horror,? said Walker. ?But I?m more diverse in my tastes. The two most recent books I?ve read were a memoir and a horror book ? two very different things, but I enjoyed both quite a bit. I just started reading a book on the history of film, and I?m about to start a crime thriller.

Basically, I like to read, and it a lot can depend on my mood.? ?As far as writing goes, I really don?t have a preferred genre,? said Walker. ?I mostly write for the medium of comics and graphic novels, but I?m all over the place.

I like to write things that both entertain but also get people thinking about various subjects.?

The process of adaptation can be long and difficult, but both Milano and Walker stated that they hope it

?More than anything, I just want to see a fun, entertaining movie,? said Walker. ?All of this is still new to me, so I?m just enjoying the ride. I always remind myself that the comic is the comic, and the film will be the film, and that they can be very different animals. Some of the best films are bad adaptations of great books, and if you look at them purely as a film, they work, but as an adaptation, they fail. If the movie is entertaining, that will be enough for me.?

A previous project of his, the Power Man and Iron Fist comic, which he wrote for at one point, was recently adapted to a Netflix series. However, Walker had no input on this project. ?I didn?t have anything to do with the Iron Fist or Luke Cage shows, even though I wrote comics starring both,? he said. ?The world of comics and TV are very different, and pretty separate. I had written those comics before the shows even went into production.?

Iron Fist was not particularly well-received and was canceled by Netflix even with a cliffhanger in its last season. Meanwhile, Kelly

Sue Milano expressed her hopes for a movie or show based on HEX11. ?I would love a sweeping animated film like Into the Spiderverse,? she said. ?With animation, anything is possible, as we could really stretch our legs in that medium.? ?Seeing it made into a live-action film with a lot of emphasis on character and awesome special effects would be amazing also. It?s so hard to decide? maybe we can find a way to do both!?

Walker also looks forward to the adaptation of Bitter Root. ?Part of me is very excited about the possibilities, and really hopes that a good film is made,? he said. ?But I also know that these things can take a very long time, and that film is very different from comics or the written word. I?m trying to not have high expectations and to be patient, but it?s not easy.?

Both authors have big dreams for their own stories. ?My hope is always that the story of HEX11 can grow to its fullest expression,? Milano said. ?I believe in this story so much ... finding ways for it to be seen and experienced by as many people as possible is the main goal.?

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Sci-f i

vs.

Graphic by Charlie Parks Information from writersdigest.com

- Generally characterized by futuristic settings and elements.

- I f you see spaceships, holograms, and robots, chances are the genre you're looking at is sci-fi.

- Typically rooted in the rules of reality.

- Stuff might get weird with time travel and bizarre physics, but no matter how futuristic and far off the material is,

Fantasy - Pushes past the laws of physics and into the, well, fantastical - M ay include elements such as magic, prophecies, and other signs of the supernatural - Contains things outside the laws of nature and logic

Of course...

This isn't to say that flying saucers and unicorns are totally mutually exclusive.

Plenty of pieces of media traditionally though of as sci-fi contain very fantastical elements ? take the Force from the Star Wars franchise, for example.

A nd of course, there's the flipside ? many fantasy works contain elements of sci-fi.

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H A low moan permeates the air, the foul odor of rotten flesh following closely behind. A grotesque zombie, an undead abomination, staggers into an I-Hop, looking for food that?s not served on any menu. A bleary-eyed man turns around, but it?s too late. He?s dragged away, kicking and screaming, another tally for the death count. ?And CUT!? yells the director from the background. ?Take 5, but more screaming next time.?

ow-to orror A look into the world behind the camera.

By Aryan Singh

Making horror films is getting increasingly harder each year, as each movie fights to outdo the last, according to owner of Wonder Wheel Productions John Adams. Crowds no longer want just plain bloodshed. Some want terrifying monsters, some want captivating puzzles, and some want gore, all wrapped up in an intricate and twisted plot. Yet there?s another question out there.

How do they make those monsters, or spill fake blood? Besides the

finished product producers put on the big screen, there?s a whole other world behind the camera, and this story will take you on a journey through the lens.

There?s generally a 10 step process, which can vary from studio to studio,called the Visual Effects Pipeline. It?s the entire process of putting together a film, from the ideas to animation to compositing, and it captures the main elements of movie-making.

The compositing stage of visual effects, where everything is put together. Photo courtesy of Trey Lindsay.

That?s where all the hard work is put in, yet the actors on the stage receive all the credit.. It was the crew members who put the explosions and fake blood in Friday the 13th,but they go largely

unrecognized. This is how they do it.

John Adams, alongside his wife Toby Poser, and daughters Lulu Adams and Zelda Adams, are the only employees of Wonder Wheel Productions.

They do all of the work, from acting to soundtracks, with occasional help from a CGI artist. Adams has said that he loves his job because he?s independent and that it combines a lot of things he loves,

like the art in special effects, or

the music in soundtracks, and, of course, his family.

He prefers to use more organic effects versus CGI, saying ?CGI can just be so tricky, and it can just take you out of the storytelling,? Adams said. ?You know, it?s really important that when it?s used, it looks honest.?

He thinks that the continuity of a story is incredibly important but still overlooked in bigger movie studios that have more resources, thinking they can edit it all together later.

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Waiting for the perfect conditions to shoot is more important than people think. Photo courtesy of John Adams.

CGI might be necessary at times, but too much can give your film a

phony feel to it, ruining it for many audiences. Trey Lindsay, a freelance movie maker, thinks CGI is good to use to hide things that aren?t supposed to be in the shot and add small things that weren?t possible to film.

?Because I grew up on movies like Halloween, and the Evil Dead stuff, which are CGI isn't always necessary. all relatively Photo courtesy of Trey Lindsay low tech sort of

movies. So in my mind, the mood of a horror film is probably the most important in terms of

sending people on edge and making something scary,? Lindsay said.

Horror movies have evolved from what they used to be, just an hour and a half of blood and guts, to have more complex plots, interesting characters, and defeatable villains. They?ve come a long way, and they will only continue to grow, says Adams. He thinks they?ll become more intellectual, something to really think about. ?I could name so many fun movies, but they're basically dramas, wrapped in blood and guts like so their dramas wrapped in horror.? said Adams. ?That's where I think it's going because I think you can only watch someone get slaughtered so many times before that.?

An image combining CGI and make-up and to make the most realistic photo.

Photo courtesy of Trey Lindsay

The world of horror will grow to

I t h in k w h at I l o v e abo u t sh o o t in g as a f amil y, an d as a smal l pr o d u c t io n u n it , is t h at w e spen d a l o t o f t ime in n at u r e, ju st sit t in g t h er e, an d w ait in g f o r t h e r ig h t el emen t s.

John Adams Owner of WonderWheel Productions

encompass what the viewers want, leaving behind the world of senseless slaughter to convoluted storylines audiences have to untangle to understand what is truly going on.

It?s safe to say that horror movies will keep getting better and better, due to movies constantly having to be better than the last one. It?s always exciting to see what producers will come up with next, whether it?s an improvement of what happened last time, or a whole new concept. Hopefully, with horror movies becoming more and more about plots and less about just gore, the horror audience will also grow and expand with the movies they watch.

talking about a future project. The audience constantly wants things that are new and fresh, and what happens behind the scenes to make that possible gets increasingly difficult. So it?s up to them to make sure that they can keep ahead of the curve, and keep the audience happy. That?s the point of every movie, not just horror movies. If the audience walks away happy, you did your job well. ?People want to see monsters that are killable, and that they are vulnerable, that maybe they want to understand,? Adams said. ?Well, why are they killing? You know, why is Michael Myers, Michael Myers??

?It's one of the hardest things they have yet to do.? said Lindsay, THROUGH THE LENS

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Vi su al Ef f ect s Pr ocess The visual effects pipeline is the process necessary to add visual effects to a movie, film , show, whatever you need. The pipeline helps organize the process and all the departments, so everyone knows their roles. If people don't work with the nest steps of the pipeline in mind, it makes room for errors and mistakes. That would cause it to be sent back, and hold up the process. It's also helpful to know that a film project is usually divided in into 3 stages. Pre-production; Production; Post-production. The majority of the visual effects happens in post-production.

2. Story-boarding 1. The Story The story is the plot of what you are making. You can't edit something very well if you don't know what you are editing it for.

Info by CG Spectrum

3. Pre-Vis Pre-vis is like fleshing out the storyboard. Artists work with the producers to make models, set up angles, and figure out complex sets.

Doing this ahead of time saves time and money.

During the story-boarding phase, an artist(or team of artists) create visual representations for all the actions in the film.

4. Concept and Design Here, artists create the look and feel of a film by drawing full images that define the aspects of the film like lighting, mood, color, etc.

5. Layout and Production Design Layout, also referred to as production design, is the visual representation of what all the final sets will look like. This helps people communicate what is possible, an what needs to be done, what needs to be digital, and so on.

6. Research and Development (R&D) R&D get more and more important the more complex film-making gets. VFX members work with directors to figure out how certain shots can be accomplished, and VFX artists do research into how things work so they can recreate them in CG programs.

8. Rigging and

7. 3-D M odeling Modeling teams are essential to creating things that are too impractical or expensive to bring on set. They may also be used to complement something that is already on set.

9. FX and Simulation

Animation Before something can be animated, a rigging team must build a digital skeleton of sorts for the animator(s).

This involves adding bones and skin weights, and the animator uses custom controls to move it. Now, animators might also use motion capture data as well.

An FX artist adds simulated effects to a film that have to blend in with the directors world. They can be doing things like explosions, fire, smoke, and work along side animators to make sure that the FX and animations work together naturally.

9 1/2. Lighting and Rendering

10. Compositing A compositor has to take all the elements of a film, and layer them all together, all while making sure they look like they belong that way.

Graphics by Aryan Singh

Technically, this isn't a single step since it has to be maintained throughout the process, but it is important. Lighting artists have to place lights strategically to make sure the intensity, color, etc. match up to the original scene.

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S

One day as a high school senior Kalen Bhakta was sitting in his film class scrolling through the news. He found an article about families Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and he showed it to his friends along with his teacher, who proceeded to say that nobody in her class had ever made a film about the inequities of the immigration system. Kalen and his friends immediately looked at each other, with determination sparking up in their eyes. Before they knew it, they were producing Everyday Now, a short film that sent a message while setting a precedent.

Everyday Now is a short film about ICE inching their way into the lives of a boy and his mother,

tudents for ocial Justice Youth become activists in their schools' film classes

By Anya Ruttala with a heartbreaking ending of the two being separated. Making social justice films in students? high schools improves their understanding of the issues facing the country and the harsh reality of the world that they live in. It provides a look into current issues that no history class could produce. To make an activist film, a large amount of time and effort goes into researching, writing, and producing it. A lot of thought and care has to go into the creative process to make sure that every point is made and every concern is voiced.

Film is an art form through which many messages can be conveyed.

Kalen Bhakta was the assistant director on Everyday Now and is a

former Liberal Arts and Science Academy student in Austin, Texas who believes films are a great way to shine a light on societal pitfalls. ?Social justice films are very important in our world today,?

Bhakta said. ?The world is so reliant on technology, and with that comes the reliance on film for entertainment. But through this entertainment, we can send a message. In high schools, we are fed information through our history classes, but we do not learn as much about current events.?

Bhakta decided to work on Everyday Now because he believed that he could tell the story with the delicacy and

Patrick Haney (director of photography) looks into the lens of his camera during the filming of ?Everyday Now. Photo courtesy of Dhruv Ruttala.

consideration needed. He believed that he had the right amount of education and empathy to deliver this tragic tale with the help of his film class. ?Education and social awareness is necessary to make films with social commentary,? Bhakta said. ?Film programs in high schools should focus on opening students' eyes to what's happening in the world. There are 7 billion stories out there waiting to be told, and

Sebastian Lopez (lead talent in ?Everyday Now?) stares into the mirror as Kalen Bhakta (assistant director) prepares him for the scene. Photo courtesy of Dhruv Ruttala.

the role of the film class should be to help us pick which one to tell.?

Tania Romero, Anderson High school film teacher, believes that filmmaking is a great way to tell stories and deliver messages.

Romero specializes in documentaries and activist films. ?One of the ways that I think video, and filmmaking and cinema, in general, contributes to that goal of creating a more

socially just society is that it tells people's narratives, and provides visibility for communities that may not have a platform to do so,?

Romero said. ?So I see it as a tool for not just storytelling, but empowering other people with their narratives and having a space for their narratives to fit in.?

Romero wouldn?t compel her students to make activist films, but she hopes that the ones that care about the issues in their communities are able to voice their concerns through filmmaking. ?It's hard to be a teacher and to want your students to be involved politically or socially, but the institution really puts boundaries on that,? Romero said. ?You can only basically give them choices THROUGH THE LENS

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and hope that they pursue it, and some students do, and they genuinely want to be involved in their community, and they want to create films that will advocate for a certain cause. And that's wonderful to see.?

To make an activist film, one must understand the definition of social justice. Good base knowledge is necessary to ensure that the films get the right message across and are saying what the filmmaker wants them to say. ?Social justice is the concept of fair and equal relations between people and their society,? Bhakta said. ?Film, as a form of art, benefits from a level of social commentary to bring those concepts of social justice to light. I think that film can be used as a form of activism and contribute to large causes in a way that no other art form can. Film is very visual,

problems of equity in our world.?

Th e d ef in it io n o f so c ial ju st ic e is v er y mu c h embed d ed in t h e per so n al exper ien c e, an d h o w yo u d ef in e so c ial ju st ic e an d so c ial in ju st ic e w il l d epen d o n yo u Tania Romero, high school film teacher

which means that we can show real-life depictions of real-life problems in our project. This can be used to bring attention to the

The concept of egality depends on what a person believes is right and wrong in the world, which is influenced by their environment and the people they are surrounded by. ?The definition of social justice is very much embedded in the personal experience, and how you define social justice and social injustice will depend on your own, where you come from, or what you experienced in your lifetime,?

Romero said. ?So that will become kind of a priority for you. ? But I think, if you were to kind of put it down on paper, the definition would be a socially-just society that accepts and provides access to all and the opportunity equal opportunity for everyone. And I think that that is a very difficult goal to achieve, given the circumstances. So we all have to

Sebastian Lopez lays in bed for a scene in the film ?Everyday Now? as Patrick Haney handles a large piece of camera equipment. Photo courtesy of Dhruv Ruttala.

do our part.?

A conversation about equity can only happen when one understands where they stand in the conversation. They need to know that they have some kind of an advantage. ?To be part of the conversation of social justice, and social change, you have to recognize that ? you come from a place of privilege, whether or not that is tied to your economic background, or your family financial circumstances, you have to recognize that we all come from a place of some sort of privilege,? Romero said.

Civil rights filmmaking, if used the right way, can make a real difference in communities. It can be utilized in an unlimited amount of ways to communicate and tell stories that educate both the audience and the filmmakers. ?I think that just like any art form, film is a tool. It's part of your toolkit,? Romero said. ?...The right to use the camera, if you want to get political, as a weapon, and a weapon that promotes and reveals, and perhaps even supports a cause.

So I think that the role of video, in particular, filmmaking has in this process of creating a socially just society, it's great. It's an important role and it's almost going to be the one tool that we have, is to promote it and to also provide evidence, to become witnesses with it. And I think that the more that we welcome it as a tool, the better we will be ? We have to be clear about what role video has in that movement towards social

Above: Riley Church and Owen Chance (students at Anderson High School) stand on either side of Robert Rodriguez (an established filmmaker) after winning a PSA film contest. Photo courtesy of Tania Romero Below: Riley Church and Owen Chance stand on either side of Richard Linklater (an established filmmaker) after winning a PSA film contest. Photo courtesy of Tania Romero.

justice. I perceive it as a tool, but we just have to make sure it lands in the right hands.?

Filmmaking has become a tool that can be used by many to tell infinite stories. Several students have already seized the opportunity and there will be countless more to come. ?By having the freedom to make

social justice films in our high schools, we are able to learn more about what?s happening in the world now, and we get to learn about what we want to learn about,? Bhakta said. ?We get to fight for what we want to fight for through film.?

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A CHANGE IN PERSPECTIVE five social justice movies that will alter the way you see the world

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As a freelance portrait and real estate photographer, Anya enjoys the film and photography world. She takes the Audio and Video Production elective here, as a freshman at LASA, and enjoys learning about the ins and outs of filmmaking. Anya is very in touch with the activism aspect of her community and is working with a team to start a tutoring company which assists underserved students. Anya's story is about social justice films, from the process of creating them to how they are made in high schools. She thinks that it is important for everyone, including students, to be an activist in some way, whether the effect is big or small. After high school, Anya hopes to study business and psychology to eventually open a nonprofit that helps students improve their mental health.

Aryan is a huge fan of video games, ranging from strategy games to FPSs, but mostly enjoys hanging out with his friends, no matter what form it takes. He also loves to read, because talking to new people is just mildly unbearable, and listening to music while ignoring things he should've done a while ago. His story is about the behind the scenes of horror movies, focusing on how they're made. He also enjoys the more intricate plots in horror that don't get put into many other kinds of films that focus on CGI and action to hold the viewer's attention. Aryan currently takes AP Computer Science at LASA, looking to take on a career in software and computer science in the future. He wants to travel the world later, hoping to travel to different branches of his company in order to see what the world has to offer.

As an avid linguist, Surabhi loves reading, writing, and learning new languages (she knows 8 so far). She's also passionate about music as she's a flute player in band as well as a pianist outside of school. Surabhi is an avid movie watcher that prefers stories with plenty of action and suspense. As a black belt in tae kwon do, she is fascinated by the stunt scenes found in action movies, which is what inspired her article. After high school, Surabhi hopes to become an ambassador and travel the world to meet new people, try new foods, and experience different cultures.

As an artist and aspiring writer, Maida loves spending her time drawing, reading and writing. She has been doing art for as long as she can remember, and especially enjoys working with graphite and watercolors. When it comes to movies, Maida has always preferred comedies and movies that can make her laugh.

She's also passionate about equity and representation in media, so she was inspired by the women in comedy who are calling for change, and used that as her article influence. Maida isn't quite sure what she wants to do after high school, but whatever it is, she hopes she can have new experiences and keep doing the things she loves.

An online animator and fanworks creator, Charlie spends most of her free time drawing and writing. They have lived in both California and Texas, and much of their writing is inspired by her time on the west coast. Her other hobbies include playing the ukulele and piano, writing music, and watching NOVA to stay up to date on science and technology. Their story for Through the Lens is about comic books in the film industry, and the process of creating a screen adaptation of a comic book. Her favorite comics include Lumberjanes and HEX11.

Their hope for a future career is to go into the field of genetics or microbiology.

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People Behind the Screen Word Search There are so many roles that are needed to create the stunning movies you see in theaters, can you find them all?

Word list:

makeup artist

actor

mixer

actress

producer

boom operator

prop master

cameraman

publicist

carpenter

screenwriter

cinematographer

sound crew

director

stunt double

Scan for answer key!