Albert Brooks is psychic. I mean, how else can your explain his first feature film, Real Life? The movie that predicted reality TV in such a biting way that you would think it was made today instead of thirty-plus years…
TV
Video: The day I chatted with Dawn Wells for The Huffington Post
I got to chat with Dawn Wells, the actress who played Mary Ann on the classic TV show Gilligan’s Island, on The Huffington Post website yesterday. Talk about a sentence I never thought I’d write… It was supposed to be…
Geek, Movies, Neglected Cinema, TV, Twin Peaks
It’s not Twin Peaks, but Storyville is a remarkable underrated film
“The past isn’t dead.” Revisiting well-remembered films in this Neglected Cinema series is like a crapshoot. Sometimes movies I loved on first viewing I find merely likeable, and other times I discover old favorites are, with the passage of time,…
My Quora answers, UX Articles
What are some best practices that can increase the usability of long (20 question+) web forms?
Well, the first thing I would do, when looking at a long web form, is question why it was long in the first place. Do you really NEED to ask all the questions that you are presenting? Is there anyway…
Geek, TV
Loyalty and passion are the only TV “ratings” that should matter
The Nielsen Rating system is having some problems. Big problems. People watch tv shows in a lot of different ways in the 21st Century. They record and “time-shift”, they download, they stream, and many have “cut the cord” and just…
Movies, My Quora answers, Technology
What are good tips on how to shoot a short film with a smartphone camera?
The main thing is, start with a good simple but solid story, and plan out as much as you possibly can. Do shot lists, number your scenes, draw storyboards… basically, create your movie on paper before you shoot it. A…
UX Articles
Lessons in #UX: It’s not about “channels”, it’s about doing things
I’ve been in lots of business meetings discussing mobile and/or tablet “strategies” lately, and I often shake my head at what I hear proposed by people who, frankly, should know better. Too many of these proposals are about features and…
Movies, My Quora answers, Twin Peaks
Will there ever be a Twin Peaks reboot/sequel? My thoughts…
I think so, but it may be a while… and a new “season” of Twin Peaks would be markedly different from what has come before if it ever does happen.The DVDs have been selling consistently well since the Gold Box…
Geek, Movies, My Quora answers
On James Bond movies and continuity…
Trying to figure out and align James Bond continuity is like making a vodka martini from Siamese vodka… it can be done, but it’s not going to result in something that is very palatable or satisfying. I remember one of…
My Quora answers
Was the concept of "Rosebud" an anticlimax to Citizen Kane?
I think that anyone who thinks the reveal of Rosebud at the end of Citizen Kane is anticlimactic are missing the primary point of the movie. Citizen Kane is not a traditional narrative. Charles Foster Kane is revealed to the…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
1970’s Scrooge is a magical take on the classic Dickens tale
We all rewatch movies. Why? To relive that initial experience? To analyze the acting, directing, or screenplay? Or are we simply creatures of habit, replaying on a favorite film like one would slip on a pair of comfortable slippers? The…
Movies, Neglected Cinema
Penn and Teller Get Killed is an odd look into the minds of the master magicians
“Don’t pout! I’ve got a goddamn knife in my stomach!” I love Penn and Teller. They are incredibly talented, witty and brilliant entertainers. That their socioeconomic and political views align almost 100% with mine makes me appreciate them all the…
My Quora answers, UX Articles
What do you need to do to manage a UX team effectively? Some advice…
Well, I've managed a few teams in my time (cue crogety old man music), and so I have some insights that can help your design team run (semi) smoothly. Some of these recommendations are applicable to ALL types of teams,…
Disney, UX Articles
#UX best practices, Disney style: Lessons from Mickey’s “10 Commandments”
I recently had the privilege of speaking at the Internet Summit technology conference in Raleigh, North Carolina about Walt Disney and how his processes and ideas could be applied in user experience design. In pulling together the presentation deck for…
Technology, UX Articles
How a lack of #UX design may have cost Romney the White House
A very interesting behind-the-scenes story about the recently completed US presidential election cropped up late this week. As we all know, President Obama was reelected, beating Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Looking at the election totals, it showed that while Obama…
Geek, Trek
Save the bridge! A behind the scenes look at the project to restore the Enterprise D bridge
Cross-post of an article I wrote for http://trekmovie.com: “Imagine being a Star Wars fan driving past Lucasfilm, and seeing the Millennium Falcon in a dumpster.” Would never happen, right? Well, it did. Only it wasn’t Star Wars, and it wasn’t that…