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Justin on June 28th, 2010

Screenwriter John August recently blogged about the Bechdel test, a (somewhat) tongue-in-cheek way to determine a film’s level of feminism.  It consists of three questions you can ask about any film: Are there two or more female characters with names? Do they talk to each other? If they talk to each other, do they talk [...]

Continue reading about Diversity in Media: How the Web Wins

I just finished the first book I’ve devoured in more than a decade. Mark Harris’s Pictures at a Revolution details the making of the 5 Best Picture nominees at the 1968 Academy Awards, from their initial concepts through their critical and public reception.  Two of those films, In the Heat of the Night and Guess [...]

Continue reading about The Secret to Media Success: Making the Audience Care

Justin on May 31st, 2010

Last year, Barrett Garese wrote a thought-provoking essay about the future of film, TV and the web.  When I realized my response to his post was longer than a single comment ever should be, I blogged my response on my old blog.  One week later, I relocated from Blogger to WordPress and most of my [...]

Continue reading about 5 Thoughts on the Future of Media – 2010 Update

Justin on March 15th, 2010

Do yourself a favor: stop reading Copyblogger.  If you really want to learn how to blog, read Chuck Klosterman’s Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs; it’s the only writing guide you’ll ever need, because it has nothing to do with writing and everything to do with making ultra-personal, compulsively readable arguments about anything. Why This Book [...]

Continue reading about The Only Blog-Writing Guide You Need

Justin on February 8th, 2010

As you may have heard, the Mid-Atlantic US (in which I currently live) got hammered by a massive snowstorm this weekend.  Weather reports had been sensationalizing the potentially apocalyptic effects of the storm for days, warning that we could see a record snowfall and complete paralysis of city functions.  And if you doubt that people [...]

Continue reading about What Are You So Afraid Of?