Behind the glitz and glamour of the Academy Awards goes meticulous preparation, vital in ensuring the ceremony runs smoothly. Part of the evening’s flow is attributed to the Oscars’ music ensemble, with recorded live versions of movie soundtracks playing as background music during the nominations. Read more...
Photo: UCLA clarinet professor Gary Gray is a part of the ensemble that will provide music at the 87th annual Academy Awards this Sunday. (Eva Sidhu/Daily Bruin)
Deborah Landis’ decision to move to UCLA from New York City stemmed from her dream to be part of Hollywood. A self-proclaimed costume designer at birth, Landis said she has always understood that the key difference between costume design and fashion design is the element of make-believe and fantasy – to breathe life into characters. Read more...
Photo: (Paramount Pictures)
When the Producers Guild of America asked him to write a story with a car in it, Alvaro Ron thought of his grandfather. Ron’s grandfather drove actors and actresses in the ’50s, such as Ava Gardner and Charlton Heston, while they filmed in Spain. Read more...
Photo: UCLA alumnus Alvaro Ron created the seven-minute short film, “The Red Thunder,” for the Producers Guild of America’s Make Your Mark competition. Ron’s film was a finalist for the short film contest. (Courtesy of Alvaro Ron)
UCLA music lecturer Gloria Cheng realized she was in the midst of a legendary gathering of musicians. John Williams, Don Davis, Michael Giacchino, Randy Newman and Bruce Broughton huddled around a piano with a slew of sheet music – compositions they had written not for film, but for Cheng herself to perform. Read more...
Photo: UCLA music lecturer Gloria Cheng assembled a group of acclaimed film composers, including Randy Newman and Michael Giacchino, to score individual piano pieces for her to perform. The album, titled “Montage,” will be released Tuesday. (Jose Ubeda/Daily Bruin staff)
The last time a film as promisingly ludicrous as “Kingsman: The Secret Service” came out, it was also by the hand of director Matthew Vaughn. “Kick-Ass” was a gleefully unprofessional way to handle cinematic adaptations of comic books, and it was all the better for it. Read more...
Photo: (20th Century Fox)
“Jupiter Ascending”Directed by Andy Wachowski and Lana WachowskiWarner Bros.2.0 / 5.0 paws Ever since their peak with 1999’s “The Matrix,” a film that fits the idea of “cultural touchstone” to a T, the Wachowskis have fallen further and further down the rabbit hole. Read more...
Photo: (Warner Bros.)
Kathy Wazana left her home country of Morocco at the age of 10. Growing up in Canada, Wazana said she was taught that Morocco was a hostile place for Jewish people. Read more...
Photo: In Kathy Wazana’s documentary “They Were Promised the Sea,” Wazana explores the meaning of Muslim and Jewish identities, spurring from her own background as a Jewish person born in Morocco. On Wednesday, the UCLA Center for Jewish Studies will be screening the film followed by a discussion with Wazana. (Courtesy of Kathy Wazana)
