Archive for November 2009

• 5 Comments
• November 30, 2009

WordPress Developer Cookbook

If I am totally honest there aren't many computer books that I actually find useful, they're generally for beginners or full of information you can get online for the low-cost of a Google search or two. That's why I like developers cookbooks. Cookbooks are full of simple, easy to digest, recipes that help make your life that bit easier. Thankfully the WordPress 2.7 Cookbook is no exception. It starts off covering the basics you can read anywhere, but once they're [...]

• 0 Comments
• November 22, 2009

Optimising Social Media Activity

Being rather introverted I'm quite quiet on social networking sites, however recently I have made some changes that mean I am easily able to take part without leaving my comfort zone. There are actually a few reasons I don't take part. The big one is that the social sites often need you to visit their site to join in. The best way to get me to take part is to make participation fit in with my life and the way [...]

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• November 21, 2009

Public Enemies

I always think of Michael Mann as making understated action movies. There's action and there's violence, but it never gets in the way of the story. Public Enemies is his latest offering with Johnny Depp playing the famous mobster John Dillinger. This role is quite unlike Depps normal quirky/ arty/ exaggerated characters. Like the action his performance is understated and realistic - and the change of character works really well for him. Christian Bale on the other hand plays the [...]

• 17 Comments
• November 11, 2009

Art Direction

I have recently published my first 'Art Directed' posts on Binary Moon - namely my reviews for the movies Coraline and Up. Ever since I saw Jason Santa Marias art directed site the idea has brewed in my head that I would do something similar, so when I redesigned I kept that wish in the back of my mind so that new designs could be slotted in easily. What is 'Art Direction'? To be perfectly honest I have no idea [...]

• 4 Comments
• November 7, 2009

Coraline

Coraline is a stop motion animated movie directed by the same Director as The Nightmare Before Christmas, which meant I instantly assumed that the Director was Tim Burton, and after watching the movie my opinion hadn't changed. Coraline is a very atmospheric, dark film, and it wouldn't have surprised me at all if Tim Burton had directed it - but it turns out he hasn't. The Director of Coraline is a man called Henry Selick, and the story was written [...]

• 7 Comments
• November 1, 2009

UP

Pixar have a habit of creating stories and worlds that transcend the age gap. Despite the fact they are animations the stories tap into your emotions, and in many ways are more real than anything filmed with live actors. Being digitally animated means that you can ignore who the (voice) actors in Pixars films are, and concentrate on the performance and story. It is often easier to project your emotions on to something that isn't real - your own imagination [...]