How AI Might Make The Vatican's Amazing Archives Accessible

The Vatican Secret Archive isn’t much use to modern scholars, because it’s so inaccessible. Of those 53 miles, just a few millimeters’ worth of pages have been scanned and made available online. Even fewer pages have been transcribed into computer text and made searchable. If you want to peruse anything else, you have to apply for special access, schlep all the way to Rome, and go through every page by hand. But a new project could change all that. Known as In Codice Ratio, it uses a combination of artificial intelligence and optical-character-recognition (OCR) software to scour these neglected texts and make their transcripts available for the very first time.

Article source here:Arts Journal

At 83, Jacques d’Amboise Is Still Helping Kids To Dance

Even now, d’Amboise still comes to the Harlem building each day — that is, when he’s not traveling the country, visiting one of the 13 affiliate dance institutes (there’s also an exchange program in China) and working on fundraising. “Yes, he’s here every single day,” confirms Ellen Weinstein, NDI’s longtime artistic director, who met d’Amboise some 30 years ago as a student at SUNY Purchase, where d’Amboise was teaching “for a minute” (academics did not suit him). “And four to five times a day I get a call, ‘Ellen how about this?’ It’s always something exciting, always fabulous!” she laughs, mimicking her mentor’s enthusiasm.

Article source here:Arts Journal

What Larry Harvey Created With Burning Man

Burning Man is far, far, far from perfect. It’s still mostly hedonistic (with some awesome exceptions) and corny at times. It’s very white (The Root and The Guardian have both done great interviews with black Burners talking about why). There is always some percentage of douchebags (usually around 20-30 percent) who suck and do stupid things. And, sure, there’s plenty of sex and drugs and music, and some people can’t handle that in a mature way. But I can’t overstate how much I owe to Larry Harvey. Thanks to him, I learned what it is to be inspired by astonishingly creative people, weird people, sexy people, challenging people; to let go of the New York cynicism for a little while; to experience some of the most intense, vivid, and alive times of my life. I learned how to live.

Article source here:Arts Journal

Avengers Sets New All-Time Opening Weekend Box Office Record - $630 Million

Internationally, Infinity War dislodged Jurassic World ($316.7M) at No. 2 (that movie also had China at open). In comps that did not include China at the bow, Infinity War‘s overseas start blew past Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows – Part 2 ($314M) and Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($281M). Worldwide. Only three movies had previously topped $500M in their openings: F8, The Force Awakens and Jurassic World.

Article source here:Arts Journal

How Theatre Can Help Us See Bodies Differently

The power of theatrical visibility has the potential to create real change in society towards the acceptance of “othered” individuals, as we have seen from the power of queer characters onstage, which translated from the stage to movies and TV, and, finally, into the national vocabulary. But this progress has notably lagged when it comes to the representation of disability onstage.

Article source here:Arts Journal

Leonard Bernstein And His Struggle For A New American Music

This August will mark Leonard Bernstein’s 100th birthday. The centenary celebrations started last August and are worldwide. The Bernstein estate counts more than 2,000 events on six continents. And there is plenty to celebrate. But if Bernstein remains a figure of limitless fascination, it is also because his story is archetypal. He embodied a tangled nexus of American challenges, aspirations, and contradictions. And if he in some ways unraveled, so did the America he once courted and extolled.

Article source here:Arts Journal

Music And Character And Rethinking Prison In Georgia

Walker State Prison, home to about 400 inmates, is unique among Georgia prisons. In 2011, the facility became the testing ground for the Georgia Department of Corrections’ new Faith and Character Based program, which focuses on accountability, responsibility, integrity and faith. Inmates in the Faith and Character Based curriculum have all requested to be there and have gone through a vetting process before being allowed to participate in the two-year program.

Article source here:Arts Journal

Is Technology Going To Make Long-Imagined Utopias Real?

At the beginning of the 21st century, a new world is emerging. Not since Marx identified the manufacturing plants of Manchester as the blueprint for the new capitalist society has there been a deeper transformation of the fundamentals of our socioeconomic life. A new commons-based mode of production, enabled by information and communication technology (ICT), what we now call digitisation, redefines how we (can) produce, consume and distribute. This pathway is exemplified by interconnected collaborative initiatives that produce a wide range of artifacts, from encyclopaedias and software to agricultural machines, wind turbines, satellites and prosthetics. And much of this relates to the little pipe-seller’s attitude.

Article source here:Arts Journal

Pandora Does A Big Study, And Guess What? Listeners Hate Ads

It's a fine line, and it's very easy to get it all wrong: "Too many ads can motivate users to pay for an ad-free version, but push many more to listen less or abandon the service. The study found that the additional subscription revenue does not make up for the lost ad revenue from those who listen less or leave the service."

Article source here:Arts Journal

Are We Really Facebook's Product?

Behind the aphorism’s sudden ubiquity lies a long and surprising history—one that yields a fresh perspective on our present technocultural moment. It suggests that Facebook’s business model is neither as novel as it might seem, nor as deterministic of its values as critics assume. The pithiness that makes “you are the product” so quotable risks obscuring the complex pact between Facebook and its users, in ways that make social media’s problems seem inevitable and insoluble. They’re not—but if we want to fix them, the first thing we need to do is redefine our relationship.

Article source here:Arts Journal

French Museum Discovers Half Its Art Is Fake

An art historian raised the alarm after noticing that paintings attributed to Etienne Terrus showed buildings that were only constructed after the artist’s death in 1922. Experts confirmed that 82 of the 140 works displayed at the Terrus museum in Elne, the artist’s birthplace in southern France, were fakes.

Article source here:Arts Journal

Lessons from casting my new film "Sins of the Son"

Last week we finished casting my new film “Sins of the Son,” which I’m directing in a few weeks in Lake George, NY (yay!).   This is my fourth time directing a short film, and every time I do it I learn more about actors, and what they need to bring to the table, as well as what matters and doesn’t matter.  After going through the casting process, I asked my friend Nicholas Baroudi (who cast the film, and is producing and starring in it), to write a special blog post for actors.  Attached is the full post, with my thoughts added in bold.  Enjoy!   You can follow the making of our film on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sins_of_the_son/ 

“WHAT I LEARNED AND WHY I'M SURE I CAN NEVER BE TOO SURE” by Nicholas Baroudi

A mandatory disclaimer right from the beginning must be, I'm not pontificating. I'm not a Casting Director (we couldn’t afford one).I'm just a guy with a script and a finite budget, doing what needs to be done to make the best work I can. If any of this is useful to you, great. If not, I get that, too. 

What I in fact am, is an actor and the writer of this particular story. And I am also, an exceedingly fortunate first time filmmaker. Right out of the gate, I got to begin this journey by collaborating with my close friend and coach, Matt Newton, who's association and reputation, lent an aura of professionalism and industry excitement to the project. There's a good probability that you won't have that good fortune in your first creation, but what you can do is make sure you're joining forces with someone you respect, admire, and want to take this journey with. In that decision, you will find fulfillment in every day of your work. It is far and away the smartest thing I've done.

And then my fortune grew; because after only targeting Manhattan via Actors Access, I was besieged with nearly 1,500 submissions from the most talented actors in the world....for one role...in a SAG Ultra Low Budget Short...shooting 4 hours away. (If you're looking to feel flattery, humility, pride, vulnerability and knee buckling fear all in the same moment, good news, it happens in an instant when you send sides to these decorated talents.).  We also put the breakdown out to agents and managers, and received hundreds of submissions there, too.  Some agents don’t even bother submitting for a small project like this.  I understand the agents make like no money on this, but I know lots of actors at those agencies who would kill to do something like this.  

*Additionally, we received a few hundred submissions for the lone supporting role.  As some agents told me, “good male actors in their 60’s to 70’s are hard to find.”   Some self taped, and some were “offer only.”  Some couldn’t even figure out how to upload their video to Eco Cast.  Times have changed!

I then settled into the work and joy of reviewing headshots, resumes, and reels; and scout's honor, I reviewed every last submission I was sent. Why? Because you deserve that much from a peer. It's my blind hope that when I send my materials out into the casting abyss, that someone will take the time to truly consider me. Regardless of my name, or agent, or who I'm related to, or how many social media followers I have. (It's not many and I couldn't care less) I'm an actor, not a marketing tsar.

But this is all a long story for another time and venue. (If you think this is long winded, you should read my script.) Here are a few of the more stark observations and realizations I absorbed.

NOTES IN YOUR SUBMISSION

• If you add a note that you know the casting director....best to actually know the casting director.
• If there is something in the breakdown that is unclear or confusing to you; a glib comment addressing it is not the most advantageous tactic. (If you're snarky in your job application, what are you going to be like in your twelfth hour of shooting?)
• If I'm casting a 30-40 year old female, I don't want to see a 40 year old man who's suggesting that I'd be better off casting him. (Yup, I remember your name, and it's not the way you want me to.)
• I intentionally stayed out of this part of the process, as I wanted Nick to choose actors who he saw as fit for the story he created in his mind a long time ago.   I knew I would come in to the callback and really work with the actors in the room. 

HEADSHOTS/REELS

• Again, only my personal opinion, but I have to say it was nice to realize that your headshot is not as critically vital as your skill set. I feel we've been made to feel that the key to success in this business is a majestic, all serving and astonishing headshot....It's not. Yes, it was important, but you are all professionals; your judgement won't betray you when contemplating if you need the $2,000 guy. You don't.
• Make sure you actually look like your headshot. I know vanity can play tricks on us here, and we want the best looking shot we can get, but there were multiple instances where I didn't know which actor was the applicant in their own reel.
• There were many headshots that were uploaded sideways, and we still received black and white headshots.  Um…  
• I’m a big fan of the “Slate” shot now, as that is the easiest way to see if someone a) looks like their headshot, b)  does or doesn’t have an accent and c) is or is not crazy.  You can tell a lot by a two second clip of someone saying their name. 
• Demo reels are interesting, because sometimes you can’t even tell which actor you are supposed to be looking at.  I personally would rather click on a quick clip of a self tape, where it’s well lit, sounds good, and is focused only on the actor I’m considering. 
• All actors need to have video on their profile!!

SELF-TAPES

• I know first hand how difficult it can be at times to get a fellow actor as your reader, or to secure a slot for an A+ tape at MN. No need to despair; if you're having a non actor read opposite you, my advice here is to direct them to read it as plainly/nonchalantly as possible. Many non actor readers were drawn into trying to "act" out the words. God bless them, they went full tilt, but it could be quite distracting from the actor auditioning. I want to focus 100% on you for those few minutes.  A simple lavalier mic is a good fix for this.
• I'm about as technologically advanced as an abacus. I've often taped in insecurity, knowing my friends have home studios that rival a sound stage. But here it is: Make sure you're framed well, in HD, I can hear you, and just bring it. Everything else goes away when it's you and your take on the character.  If two actors are up for the same role and are equally good, the better quality self tape always wins.  It just shows me that this actor is more serious about their career, and that’s someone I want to work with.  

THE LIVE AUDITION

• This seems so elementary and mind numbingly obvious, but I'll say it because multiple actors didn't do it. Be on time, take direction, enjoy it. It's your audition. It's your time; in the preparation and in the room. You are giving us just as much or more as we're giving you. You deserve to be there, we want you to be there. Let it rip.  We gave our actors free reign with the character in the callback.  We didn’t have a set idea in mind, and wanted the actors to “show us who the character is.”  I think that’s a general note for actors walking into any audition. Use it as a chance to “give,” not to “get.”  Play, play, play, and bring your personality to it.  When seeing a lot of actors reading the same lines, personality is what makes the tape stand out.  That’s your fingerprint on the scene.

THE MN EFFECT

• I have to acknowledge something because you are either already an MN client or considering it. These actors were in large part, the standard bearer for the complete package, professional actor.  Yup.
• Incredibly prepared with the material. Strong character choices. Great self tapes. Punctual. Spontaneous and free in the room.  Yup.
• All of the things I would have to imagine that full time CD's and Producers and Directors are dreaming of.  Word.

Thank you to everyone who shared your time, work, and talent. I am immeasurably grateful to you for making this passion project a success through your participation alone.

Finally, and I'm sure most of you know this and operate with this understanding, but for those who may have forgotten, I'll conclude by sharing this: We witnessed dozens of stellar, impossibly great auditions. We would be beyond lucky to have any one of these elite artists on the team. So please remember to trust yourself, trust your work, trust in your talent. Not getting a job is not an indictment on your work. Keep showing up. Keep putting the bat on the ball. Your time is coming.

The hardest part was having 24 girls come into the callback for the lead role, all knock it out of the park, and we can only give it to one girl.  That means 23 girls who were amazing DIDN’T get it, which is heartbreaking. How is it not “enough” to be an amazing actor?   This is one of the things that I still think about on a daily basis.  But guess what?  Each of those 23 actors will always be in the back of my mind when I work on my next project (and I plan on doing many).   They will be the first ones I bring in.   

Now let’s go make a movie!

 

Matt Newton & Nick Baroudi

 

 

 

Article source here:Matt Newton Acting Studio

The Baltimore Museum Of Art's Plan To "Correct The Historic Record" By Deaccessioning

“The decision to do this rests very strongly on my commitment to rewrite the postwar canon,” Baltimore Museum of Art director Christopher Bedford told artnet News. And while institutions sell art to fund new acquisitions every so often, the BMA’s latest deaccession stands out. While museums usually sell work to trade up, angling for major pieces by the hottest artists, the BMA is instead expanding out, redirecting the funds to correct the historical record. “To state it explicitly and act on it with discipline—there is no question that is an unusual and radical act to take,” Bedford says.

Article source here:Arts Journal

Digital Art On Your Wall By Subscription

Meural is one of the more notable startups in the digital art subscription space. For hardware that is ultimately just a high-end digital photo frame, the companies are more focused on the idea that a certain type of consumer is interested in a monthly subscription to digital art. It’s a wild idea that has been a tough one to chase.

Article source here:Arts Journal