Writing

  • Ocean’s 8 – Graveside Martini

    Social interactions mediated by substances: food, drinks, cigarettes, and everything in between. The preparation of food and drink slows the action of a scene down without dragging it to a halt. An over-the-shoulder shot of Sandra Bulloch’s character and her brother’s niche would have been redundant—we already recognize the location. The preparation of the cocktail…

  • Lost in Translation – A Pack of Cigarettes

    Social interactions mediated by substances: food, drinks, cigarettes, and everything in between. The visual language in Lost in Translation is direct and emotional. Cramped spaces filled with Tokyoites, looming Kyoto Towers, and the impossibly elevated view from the hotel serve to externalize our characters’ often wordless, always pensive passage through Japan. They scream what another…