Food, Film & Fun!
Learn something new everyday. That’s a goal of mine. Whether it’s something big or small, new pieces of knowledge or information can broaden our worldview or at the very least, give us a Jeopardy! answer. Regardless of being a small business-owner, I do not have any business background or education. But I do periodically get real-world insight into business management with one of my recurring clients, NC State’s Poole College of Management! I had two opportunities last week to work with them; a full-day of interviews on risk management and an evening covering the 30-year anniversary of their Masters of Accounting program.
Emmitt Carden on B-cam (left).
For the interviews, we kept in simple and in-guidelines with previously produced video content for the college. Two cameras, one wide as a two-shot and the other a tight single shot on our “guest.” We used two boom mics to capture full and balanced audio and just one softbox light due to space constraints. A nimble and sparse set-up, but it produced the desired results.
What I’ve Been Watching
Thanksgiving is coming soon here in the US, so a lot of what I’m watching this month will be centered around food and beverage! This past week for The Film Nut Club, we discussed Alexander Payne’s Sideways (2004) and how it develops character extremely well, as well as how wine is a metaphor for life. These monthly discussions have been a ton of fun and a way to bond over art across distances. If you’re interested in taking part, our next meeting will be on Wednesday, December 11th at 7pm EST discussing David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011). Check out this Discord link to join!
But here’s what else I’ve been watching…
Girls State (2024): A well-paced and insightful doc, the film portrays the best intentions of democracy: the desire for respectful, in-depth dialog about issues that matter. With Boys State having come out years ago, I expected this to be the same, but with girls, obviously; students forming their own governments and becoming clearly divided by the election process. Instead, it becomes significantly about the differences between Girls and Boys State, pointing out inequality in funding, treatment and standards; a reflection of our actual society and government. The character of Emily is incredibly fleshed out as the film’s main protagonist, even if I wish other characters got more screen time. But that’s the struggle with ensemble documentaries. Overall, Girls State works best as a reminder of the many ways we can try and better our world, even if we fail at first. The film is currently streaming on AppleTV+.
Challengers (2024): Every film nut I know has been raving about this movie, and while I do think it is one of the better movies to come out this year, I wasn’t quite in love. However, there is some undeniable chemistry between all three leads and stylized cinematography that will be a big plus for a lot of folks. I haven’t seen a lot of movies featuring tennis, but this may be one of the most exciting ones to exist. The film is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.
The Penguin (2024): I’m not a comic book movie diehard, and I tend to like more Marvel films and shows than DC. That being said, this show f*cking rules! Taking place after Matt Reeves’ The Batman (2022), The Penguin is grounded, gritty, dark and nuanced. There are complex characters everywhere you turn, leaving the viewer swaying back and forth between loving and hating them. Every actor is on another level, flawlessly portraying depth and emotion every time they’re on screen. Exquisitely crafted and well-written, this might end up being my favorite show of the year. The Penguin is exclusively available on Max.
Follow me on Letterboxd to keep up!
I’ll be operating B-camera on a golf product shoot this week as well as researching grants to make a fun food and beverage project come to fruition. A busy one ahead, but I’m looking forward to it!
