sábado, 8 de outubro de 2011

Pre-Ob

Na série West Wing encontro muitas influências da vida real nos seus argumentos e, ainda mais incrível, algumas influências da série na vida real. Por vezes ideias são testadas, argumentos são esgrimidos ou cenários e hipóteses são trabalhadas que porteriormente vêem a acontecer. Este é mais um desses exemplos:

According to an article in The New York Times (29 October 2008), shortly after then-Illinois state senator Barack Obama spoke at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, The West Wing writer Eli Attie had several long telephone conversations with David Axelrod, a political consultant who was then working on Obama's U.S. Senate campaign. From those conversations, Attie modeled the character of Matthew Santos after Obama's political and personal life. Like Santos, Obama eventually won his race for the presidency. Likewise, according to an article in The Guardian (6 November 2008), the character of Josh Lyman was modeled after Rep. Rahm Emanuel; on the show, Lyman became President Santos' Chief of Staff, while Obama's first staffing announcement after his 2008 election was to name Emanuel as his Chief of Staff.
...

Best Tv Shows ever

Seinfeld
1990-1998
'No hugging, no learning'. That was rule that Jerry Seinfeld himself when making his eponymous sitcom and he stuck with it. The daily goings on of jobbing stand-up Jerry and his three strange friends were always standalone incidents. There were no cliff-hangers here and no lasting inter-group romance (Jerry and Elaine got most of that out of the way before the show started). Instead they kept the audience's attention by being very, very funny.
- Best Episode
The Soup Nazi (Season 7, Episode6). George tries to buy soup but fails to obey the owner's rule. So, "No soup for you!"
- Did You Know?
Jerry Seinfeld turned down a payday of around $110 million for a tenth season.

The West Wing
1999-2006
For a long time a walk-on part in The West Wing was the pinnacle to which all jobbing TV actors aspired. Smart and funny, Aaron Sorkin's political drama showcased the writer's gift for rapid-fire dialogue and layered, politically resonant storylines, proving that television can be funny and insightful all at the same time. The series took a temporary downturn after Sorkin's departure at the end of season four but rallied soon after with a number of surprising changes to both character roles and format. It all came to a natural close at the end of President Bartlet's second term in office but The West Wing remained one of the most intelligent shows on television throughout its run and a comforting image of what a more benevolent White House could look like.
- Best Episode
Two Cathedrals (Season 2, Episode 22). The episode with Mrs Landingham's funeral and the closing scene on the podium where Bartlet decides to run for re-election.
- Did You Know?
The president was originally written as a minor character with little actual screen time. Audience reaction to Martin Sheen was so positive, however, that he soon became a leading role.

The Sopranos
1999-2007
Those who tuned into the first episode of The Sopranos in 1999 found not a documentary about opera singers but a dark, offbeat drama about a New Jersey gangster with a fixation on the ducks who visit his swimming pool. As the first season wore on, viewers became hooked on creator David Chase's uncompromising vision of an old-school criminal organisation beset by all the stresses and tensions of the modern day. A fusion of sharp, unpredictable writing and powerhouse acting ensured this show classic status, spawning a videogame, spoofs by The Simpsons and the Clintons (!) and an Artie Bucco recipe book, so you can make like Tony and feast on 'gabagool' yourself.
- Best Episode
Long Term Parking (Season 5, Episode 12), in which... well, we won't give it away. Let's just say that two of the show's best characters have an eventful car ride and leave it at that.
- Did You Know?
The Bada Bing strip club is actually a go-go bar in Lodi, NJ, called Satin Dolls.

The Simpsons
1989-Present
Could it really be anything else? You can put The Simpsons in almost any category you like and it will come out on top. Best animated show. Best sitcom. Best family show. The list goes on. It's ageless, both in the quality of the jokes and the people it appeals to. Bart was originally intended as the focus of the show, but the brilliance of the writing means the rest of the family has come to be equally beloved. People complain about a dip in quality now that it's reaching its third decade, but even sub-par Simpsons is better than 90% of TV comedy. At its greatest, it's untouchable. Best. Show. Ever.
- Best Episode
King Size Homer (Season 7, Episode 7). The family patriarch tries to eat himself to 300lb and thus qualify as disabled so he can work at home. An unimprovable mix of sharp dialogue, hilarious site gags and heart.
- Did You Know?
Bart is the only character not to be named after a member of creator Matt Groening's family.

Weeds
2005-Presente
After her husband's unexpected death and subsequent financial woes, suburban mom Nancy Botwin (Parker) embraces a new profession: the neighborhood pot dealer. As it seems like everyone secretly wants what she's selling -- even city councilman Doug Wilson (Nealon) -- Nancy is faced with keeping her family life in check and her enterprise a secret from her neighbor/pseudo-friend/PTA president, Celia Hodes (Perkins).

Dexter
2006-Present
The last thing the world needed was another series about a forensic scientist but it certainly adds something to the mix when said CSI is also a recreational serial killer. Mischievously sadistic, Dexter is a darkly amusing tale of a psychopathic monster living in the heart of sunny Miami and trying to reconcile his stabbier urges with being an otherwise decent guy. Michael C Hall is flawless as the carver in question and the show sports one of the cleverest title sequences around.
- Best Episode
Born Free (Season 1, Episode 12), where Dexter finally learns the truth about the Ice Truck Killer, who brings him a very special gift.
- Did You Know?
Dexter's aliases are often taken from the novels of Brett Easton Ellis, including The Rules of Attraction's Sean Ellis and American Psycho's Patrick Bateman.

True Blood
2008-Present
The series follows Sookie Stackhouse, a barmaid living in Louisiana who can read people's minds, and how her life is turned upside down when the Vampire Bill, walks into her place of employment two years after vampires 'came out of the coffin' on national television.

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
2006–2007
A behind-the-scenes look at a fictional sketch-comedy TV show.

Heroes
2006-Present
We'd heard shows before boast about 'cinematic' production values, but Tim Kring's Heroes actually meant it. Every super-charged hour boasts lavish amounts of special effects - Hiro's time-freezing abilities are particularly cool - and a classy, noirish aesthetic partly inspired by M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable. But eye-candy alone wouldn't have won Heroes its place on this list. Kring's genius was in bolting the flashy action onto a slow-burning storyline full of shadows and mystery. And having a really cute, invincible cheerleader in the cast doesn't hurt none either.
- Best Episode
Five Years Gone (Season 1, Episode 20), which saw Hiro and Ando travel five years into the future, finding out what will happen if New York actually explodes. It climaxes with a spectacular showdown, as noble Peter and evil Sylar do battle with fire and ice.
- Did You Know?
James Kyson Lee, who plays Ando, can't speak a single word of Japanese.

South Park
1997-Present
The Guinness World Record holder for "Most swearing in an animated series", Trey Parker and Matt Stone's crudely animated monster is going strong more than ten years later after we were first introduced to Cartman and the boys. Still offending just about everybody on the planet, it has avoided jumping the shark by continuously changing its targets and, most importantly, remaining incredibly funny. While it's undeniably puerile, the secret of South Park's success lies in the fact that its intentions are essentially good. Those who challenge common sense and general decency are the ones in the firing line - anybody else who gets hit are, well, collateral damage.
- Best Episode
Make Love, Not Warcraft (Season 10, Episode 8). Merrily ripping the piss out of the sacrosanct game, this outstanding episode finds the South Park boys working around the clock to improve their character skills so they can beat an asshole online player.
- Did You Know?
Matt Stone records Kenny's dialogue by talking into his sleeve.

Monty Python's Flying Circus
1969-1974
Years before they incurred the wrath of right-wing Christians with Life Of Brian and messed about the Arthurian legend with The Holy Grail, the Monty Python team re-imagined TV comedy with the silliest and strangest sketch show ever devised. Thanks to the imagination of John Cleese, Terry Jones, Graham Chapman et al (and the bravery of the BBC), the show has somehow stood the test of time - who would have thought that a song about Spam would still be funny over 30 years later?
- Best Episode
The Spanish Inquisition (Series 2, episode 2). The Parrot Sketch, The Ministry Of Silly Walks, The Lumberjack Song None of these classic sketches feature in this episode, but what you do get is - and nobody will expect them -The Spanish Inquisition. Repeatedly crashing in on other sketches and constantly screwing up their lines, they represent the anarchic silliness that became the Pythons' stock in trade.
- Did You Know?
Other possible names for the series were Gwen Dibley's Flying Circus; Owl-Stretching Time; Bun, Whackett, Buzzard; Stubble And Boot; and A Toad Elevating Moment.

Ally McBeal
1997–2002
Ally McBeal and Billy Thomas were going steady throughout their childhoods. Ally even followed Billy to Harvard law school despite having no interest in law. But when Billy chose to pursue a career in law away from Ally, their relationship came to an end. In the present, an old classmate of Ally's named Richard Fish gives Ally a job at his law firm, where Billy and his new wife are also working. This puts Ally in a predicament since she still has feelings for Billy which she's laboring to get over. At the office, Ally puts up with a nosy, gossiping secretary named Elaine, and an oddball lawyer named John Cage never seems to lose a case. At home, Ally's friend and house-mate Renée regularly advises her on her love life. The series follows Ally's trials and tribulations in life through her eyes, and caricaturizes her personal thoughts and fantasies.

Family Ties
1982–1989
A couple who were ardently leftwing political activists in the sixties face the problems of raising a family with children who have strongly conservative views.

Hill Street Blues
1981–1987
The original "ensemble drama," this is the story of an overworked, under-staffed police precinct in an anonymous inner city patterned after Chicago. We follow the lives of many characters, from the lowly beat and traffic cops to the captain of the precinct himself. This is the show that blazed the trail followed later by such notable ensemble dramas as "St. Elsewhere" and "L.A. Law."

Sex and the City

1998-2004
It's developed a reputation as a silly show about shoes and cocktails, but the fashion obsession hides a series that was often extremely smartly written and incredibly brave. It's easy to forget now how groundbreaking the adventures of four Manhattan 30-somethings were not just for women on TV, but for the treatment of sex on the box. The entire vibrator industry owes Carrie and Co an enormous debt.
- Best Episode
The Agony and the Ex-tacy (Season 4, Episode 1). As Carrie turns 35, the girls reflect on being 30-something and single. It faces up to the potential sadness of the show's premise and turns it into a positive.
- Did You Know?
In the script for one episode, the nameless Mr Big was jokingly listed as Boris. His name is actually John.

Algumas das melhores séries de sempre neste momento.

quarta-feira, 5 de outubro de 2011

10 mentiras para enrolar designers e ilustradores

1) “Faça esse trabalho barato (ou de graça) e no próximo pagaremos melhor”
Nenhum profissional que se preze daria seu trabalho de mãos beijadas na esperança de cobrar mais caro mais tarde. Você consegue imaginar o que um advogado diria se você dissesse “me defenda de graça dessa vez que na próxima vez que eu precisar de um advogado eu te chamo e pago melhor”. Ele com certeza riria da sua cara.

2) “Nós nunca pagamos 1 centavo antes de ver o produto final”

Essa é uma pegadinha. A partir do momento que você foi contratado para fazer o trabalho você DEVE pedir uma entrada. O motivo é simples, você está trabalhando desde o momento que se dispõe a fazer a reunião de briefing. Talvez um cliente mais inexperiente queira pagar após ver alguns esboços. Cabe a você aceitar ou não.

3) “Esse trabalho será ótimo para seu portfolio! Depois desse você vai conseguir muitos outros”
Essa é uma das mais típicas. E costuma fazer vítimas principalmente entre jovens que ainda estão estudando. Para não cair nessa, basta pensar “quanto o seu cliente vai faturar com o seu trabalho?”. Além disso, não esqueça que, mesmo que ele indique seu trabalho para outras empresas, com certeza ele dirá quanto custou (ou se foi de graça) e imagine o que os próximos irão querer?

4) Olhando para seus estudos e rascunhos: “Veja, não temos muita certeza se queremos seu trabalho. Deixe esses estudos comigo e vou falar com meu sócio/investidor/mulher, etc e depois te dou uma resposta”
Não dou 5 minutos para ele ligar para outros designers com seus estudos e conceitos criados na mão barganhando melhores preços. Quando você ligar de novo ele dirá que seu trabalho está muito acima do mercado, blá blá blá, e que Fulano Designer vai fazer o trabalho. Mas como eles conseguiram outro designer mais barato? Lógico, você já passou o conceito todo criado! Economizou horas para o designer que vai pegar o trabalho. Então, enquanto você não entrar em acordo com seu cliente NUNCA DEIXE NADA CRIATIVO no escritório dele!

5) “Veja, o job não foi cancelado, somente adiado. Deixe a conta aberta e continuaremos dentro de um mês ou dois”

Provavelmente não. Seria um erro você não faturar o que foi feito até o momento esperando que o trabalho continue depois. Ligue em dois meses e você verá que alguém estará trabalhando no job. E adivinhe! Eles nem ao menos sabem quem você é… e o dinheiro do início do trabalho, lógico, já era!

6) “CONTRATO?? Nós não precisamos assinar contratos! Não estamos entre amigos?”
Sim, estamos. Até que alguma coisa dê errada ou ocorra um mal-entendido, e você se transforme no meu maior inimigo e eu sou o seu “designer estúpido”, aí o contrato é essencial! Simples assim! Ao menos que você não ligue em não ser pago. Qualquer profissional usa um contrato para definir como será o trabalho e você deve fazê-lo também!

7) “Envie-me a conta depois que o material for pra gráfica”
Por que esperar por esse deadline irrelevante? Você é honesto, não? Por que você deveria ficar preso a esse deadline? Uma vez entregue o trabalho, fature! Essa desculpa possivelmente é uma tática para atrasar o pagamento. Assim o material vai pra gráfica, precisa de alterações intermináveis e, adivinhe, ele arranja outra pessoa pra fazer as alterações necessárias, o material vai pra gráfica e você nem fica sabendo!

8 ) “O último designer fez esse job por €€€ XX”
Isso é irrelevante. Se o último designer era tão bom por que ele te chamou? E quanto o outro cobrava não significa nada pra você. Pessoas que cobram muito pouco pelo seu tempo acabam fadadas ao insucesso (por auto-destruição financeira). Faça um preço justo, ofereça no máximo 5% de desconto e não abra mão disso.

9) “Nosso orçamento para esse job é de XX Euros”
Interessante, não? Um cara sai para comprar um carro e sabe exatamente quanto ele vai gastar antes mesmo de fazer uma pesquisa. Uma quantia de trabalho custa uma quantia de dinheiro. Se seu cliente tem menos dinheiro e ainda assim você quer pegar o trabalho, dedique menos horas a ele. Deixe isso bem claro ao seu cliente, que você dedicará menos tempo que o estimado para finalizar o trabalho porque ele não pode pagar por mais horas. A escolha é sua.

10) “Estamos com problemas financeiros. Passe o trabalho para nós e, quando estivermos em melhor situação, te pagamos.”

Claro, mas pode contar que, quando o dinheiro chegar, você estará bem lá no final da lista de pagamentos. Se alguém chega ao ponto de admitir que está com problemas financeiros então provavelmente o problema é bem maior do que parece. Além disso, você por acaso é um banco para fazer empréstimos? Se você quer arriscar, pelo menos peça dinheiro adicional pelo tempo de espera. Um banco faz isso, não faz? Por que provavelmente esse é o motivo deles quererem atrasar seu pagamento, ter 6 meses de dinheiro “emprestado” sem ter que pagar juros, o que não aconteceria se ele tivesse que emprestar do banco. Não jogue dinheiro fora!

Bom, o motivo de tudo isso não é deixar você paranóico ou coisa do tipo, mas sim injetar um pouco de realidade no mundo de fantasia da maioria dos designers. Você certamente vai tratar com pessoas muito diferentes de você. As motivações e atitudes certamente são diferentes. Eu infelizmente vejo, muitas vezes, exemplos de pessoas envolvidas em situações com a mais nobre das intenções e acabam literalmente se dando mal. Porque a maioria dos designers enxergam os trabalhos como uma oportunidade de fazer aquilo que mais gostam com dedicação, simplesmente porque amam o que fazem! A outra parte não tem a negociação tão idealizada ou romantizada, muito pelo contrário.

Como lidar com todas essas coisas e ainda assim fazer um trabalho criativo? Boa pergunta! É por isso que ir atrás da informação é importante. Você aprende a trabalhar com todas as técnicas do design, mas não aprende a arte da negociação. Muitos designers ignoram este aprendizado, o que é um grande erro. Sugiro que o mínimo seja incorporado assim certamente você não sentirá seu trabalho como uma grande perda de tempo e dinheiro!

Retirado daqui. Original em inglês.