Student project continues following successful photoshoots

Student project continues following successful photoshoots

Following a successful first set of photoshoots, rising sophomore Sarah Johnson is preparing to continue her project in which she hand makes costumes and then photographs students from the theater department in them. During the spring semester, Johnson completed several shoots of various Disney characters at locations around Nashville. The characters included Alice, the Mad Hatter, Belle, Ariel, Tarzan, and Jane. “The first round went really well. Johnson said “I was blessed with actors willing to give a lot to the characters and work very well with an amateur photographer to create magic for a few moments, enough to capture and share with others.” Johnson faced several challenges along the way, including hand sewing costumes after her sewing maching broke and photographing Lacy Hartselle underwater as Ariel. Johnson purchased a waterproof camera case, which had a built in floatation device. “I had to physically push the case underwater and hold it down while trying to take pictures and not resurface. Johnson said “Each time we went under, we only had about a 7 to10 second interval to get pictures before I was pushed to the surface again. [Lacy] worked equally hard, trying to swim with her legs in a tail and keep her wig on, all while looking like a princess.” An additional challenge she faced was directing the actors about what to do and how to pose. She often gave them free reign as their characters and captured the moments as they happened. Despite the challenges involved, the end results have surpassed Johnson’s expectations. “I’ve loved every one thus far. Johnson said “Each character or set of characters...

Logan’s Home Video Update returns with summer movie options

Logan’s Home Video Update is back! With summer movie season in full swing, I have decided to revamp the series with movies to watch alongside this summer’s biggest hits. How to Train Your Dragon (PG, 98 minutes- starring the voices of Jay Baruchel and Gerard Butler) One of the best (non-Pixar) animated films of the past decade, this smash hit was loved by children, adults and critics. The sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2, is out in theaters right now, so you can make it a day with an afternoon viewing of the first movie at home and a nighttime showing of the sequel in theaters. Sleeping Beauty (G, 75 minutes- starring the voices of Mary Costa and Eleanor Audley) With the alternate take on Sleeping Beauty’s chief antagonist (Maleficent) currently in theaters, now is the perfect time to go back and visit one of Disney’s most beloved classic animated films. Transformers (PG-13, 144 minutes- starring Shia LaBeouf) Before the rebooted phase of this lucrative franchise kicks off this weekend with Transformers: Age of Extinction, go back and watch the movie that started it all. Say what you will about the sequels (I think the third movie is worth defending), but the first film filled audience members with wonder thanks to unbelievable visual effects and robot fighting action. The X-Men Film Series (X-Men, X2, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, X-Men: First Class, The Wolverine) X-Men: Days of Future Past has been the biggest hit and one of the best reviewed films of the summer season so far. Before seeing it, make sure to catch up on...

‘Maleficent’ spins unique twist on classic character

Disney always has a way of adding an interesting touch to movies as the years have gone by. Gone are the days where the princess is dependent on the prince and helpless. Recent releases like Tangled, Pixar’s Brave, and Frozen have all shown fans that heroes can come in the most surprising forms. Sleeping Beauty has a tale that almost everyone knows, but Disney flipped it upside down with Maleficent, a live-action reimagining of the classic Disney animated film. One of the most neglected parts of Sleeping Beauty was the reasons as to why Maleficent was as evil as she was. Why did she have it out so badly for the king and queen? What was her problem with Aurora? These questions were all answered swiftly in Maleficent. Viewers are introduced to the title character as a young child, where the audience is shown her growth emotionally and physically. Be prepared to relate to Maleficent on a whole different emotional scale. Angelina Jolie is spectacular as Maleficent. She portrays the infamous villain with humor, heartbreak and unconditional love. The heavy undertone of feminism throughout the film was incredibly refreshing. Also, Jolie’s makeup and outfits are absolutely flawless. Elle Fanning is gorgeous as Princess Aurora. Every outfit she wears is beautiful, but as in the original adaptation, she does not contribute much to the film as a character. Fun fact of trivia here: Princess Aurora has the least amount of lines in a film out of any Disney princess. Newcomer Brenton Thwaites is also a little underwhelming, though still breathtaking, as Prince Charming. It would have been nice to see Aurora and...