Science Fiction history book – “The Technical Delusion” (Duke University Press, 2019) – Jeffrey Sconce interview

Dr. Jeffrey Sconce specializes in radio, tv, and film studies and is an assistant professor in communications studies. He’s written many books on the subject and we discussed his latest book on electricity, paranoia and conspiracy theories.

1:04 – Jeffrey talks about he ended up writing the book.

2:55 – Jeffrey talks about the early days of electricity.

5:16 – Jeffrey talks about the explosion of ideas of being mentally controlled when televisions became commonplace.

13:13 – Jeffrey talks about paranormal tv shows which discuss haunted technology.

23:05 – Jeffrey talks about the increasing overlap between science fiction, conspiracy theories, and delusional psychosis.

31:33 – Jeffrey talks about Philip K. Dick and his writing.

41:11 – Jeffrey talks about what he used for his research including Journals on “Insanity.”

43:41 – Jeffrey talks about the truly delusional versus people pretending to be delusional.

1:04:43 – Jeffrey has a blog at ludicdespair.blogpsot.com

 

Links of interest

https://www.dukeupress.edu/the-technical-delusion

http://ludicdespair.blogspot.com/

For more of “The Art and Design of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Mystery and Horror” please follow me on Facebook at crisalvarezwlc, on youtube at Cris Alvarez and on Instagram @crisalvarezscifi

Guests: Jeffrey Sconce

Host: Cris Alvarez

Tags: science fiction, electronics, psychosis, conspiracy theories, supernatural, occult, paranormal, mediums, seance, industrial revolution, anxiety, depression, twilight zone, outer limits, haunted technology, twilight zone, x-files, brain chips, MK Ultra, ray kurzweil, Matrix, Philip K. Dick, targeted individuals

Animation history book – “Eat, Drink, Animate” (CRC Press, 2019) – Tom Sito interview

Tom Sito has been a film animator for decades and has worked on some of Disney’s biggest films. He teaches animation and is also a member of the Motion Picture Academy where he is also works in the short films and animation division. He’s written a cookbook that collects together various recipes from animators that Tom has known, met or simply admired.

2:02 – Tom talks about how he came about to write the animators’ recipes cookbook.

5:20 – Tom talks about how animators incorporated food in their animation.

8:19 – Tom talks about the history of computer animation.

11:30 – Tom talks about the theater experience versus seeing a movie on a small screen.

14:03 – Tom talks about what new computer animation techniques are being developed.

18:10 – Tom talks about animation cinematography.

24:37 – Tom talks about experimentation in short films.

27:13 – Tom talks about Japanese animation and other international animated films.

30:15 – Tom talks about computer animated film budgets.

46:29 – Tom talks about mixing live-action and animation. They’re referred to as hybrid films.

48:30 – Tom talks about stop-motion animation.

54:04 – Tom talks about the proliferation of short films. He also discusses how people can have success getting their short films seen for notice or awards.

1:00:10 – Tom talks about possible major changes in computer animation.

1:03:32 – Tom was a website at tomsito.com

 

Links of interest

https://www.crcpress.com/Eat-Drink-Animate-An-Animators-Cookbook/Sito/p/book/9780815399766

http://anim.usc.edu/faculty/tom-sito/

 

For more of “The Art and Design of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Mystery and Horror” please follow me on Facebook at crisalvarezwlc, on youtube at Cris Alvarez and on Instagram @crisalvarezscifi

 

Guests: Tom Sito

Host: Cris Alvarez

Tags: art, artist, disney, chapman, clampett, chef, chili recipe, chasons, fantasia, how to train your dragon, toy story, Ridley Scott, Bladerunner, Duellists, light, storyboard, manga, Russian animation, Chinese animation, India, samurai jack, burton, harryhausen, jurassic park, cameron, speilberg, film festivals, Simpsons

Game of Thrones actor – Ian McElhinney (Bannister Selmy) interview – Great Philadelphia Comic Con 2018 – AAD58 – youtube

My interview with Ian McElhinney (Barristan Selmy) of Game of Thrones with re-engineered sound. https://youtu.be/nvam8jQs6n4

Ian McElhinney has been a stage and screen actor for close to 40 years. He’s done a wide range of roles including acting in both the Star Wars franchise, Krypton, and in Game of Thrones as Barristan Selmy. We talked at the 2018 Great Philadelphia Comic Con about acting in general, how he got into it and how he does his work, and also about his work specifically in Star Wars and GoT.

0:46 – Ian talks about how he got into acting. He started at University trying to study something serious. He was getting a degree outside of Boston, Brandeis, and they had a theater degree. He decided he loved acting too much to not get a theater studies degree.

3:11 – He went back to the British theater and taught for a few years. Then he went back into the gaming game and had to get an equity card. At age 30, he went back to Northern Ireland to work as an actor in Belfast.

5:12 – He did a lot of screen work that reflected modern Irish politics and he was often put in a box. He had more freedom on the stage.

10:16 – Ian discusses what its like playing a character in sci-fi and fantasy including the Game of Thrones.

14:06 – Wearing a knight costume gave an Ian a different sense of movement. Wearing armor and wielding a sword gives one a new sense of weight and such. Props can give you a new sense of how you relate to others.

16:36 – Ian loves being on stage and getting the feeling of having connected with the audience. He’s also started enjoying rehearsing a lot more.

18:58 – Ian addresses how he approached his roles in Star Wars and Game of Thrones.

19:46 – Ian loves acting and will keep doing it as long as he can.

20:57 – He was in a Ken Brannaugh production and he met Jack Lemmon. He had always been a big fan of Jack and loved working with him. It was the only time he did a fan thing and he asked Jack for a favor.

24:06 – He had to give up science while in school because the system required one to choose science or the arts. But he really liked science and misses having learned it.

25:11 – He’s more of a fan of gritty dramas rather than sci-fi or fantasy. However, as a child he would have liked to be able to fly and enjoy the freedom and sensation of flight.

27:34 – Ian believes that apart from entertaining people, actors can help people think outside the box and to broaden their minds.

29:44 – Ian has a twitter account @serianmc

Links of interest

https://twitter.com/SerIanMc

For more of “The Art and Design of Sci-Fi and Fantasy, Mystery and Horror” please follow me on Facebook at crisalvarezwlc, on youtube at Cris Alvarez and on Instagram @crisalvarezscifi

Guests: Ian McElhinney

Host: Cris Alvarez

Tags: science fiction, fantasy, actor, barristan selmy, game of thrones, star wars, rogue one, General Dodonna, sci-fi, acting, props, Belfast, Ireland, Brandeis, Krypton, Superman, tv, film