Category: Maker

Wonder Woman

It’s late at night so I am going to be random and even less cogent than usual…

I just watched the latest Wonder Woman movie from DC and its selected film partners and have a few random thoughts.

Outfit

Hated the way the new outfit looked in Batman vs Superman, okay not really hated as I thought it was pretty sexy but is that what we really wanted to display, is that the image we should associate with a female here?[1] I felt they used it to satisfy a desire and not a need. So hated it as it just was a pander (or a Panda).

So to set this straight I don’t mind good looking people and sexy clothing I just want the association to be appropriate.

In contrast the way the camera is used here, the manner in which we linger on the lead is not in a predatory manner. Diana was sexy, the outfit was good, the camera wasn’t a voyeur for once, so well done. Pay particular attention to where the focus lingers and compare it with say Suicide Squad or Batman Vs Superman.

Script

Would give it both a 5 out of 5 and a 3 out of 5. yup it had issues, so lets settle on a 4.372 out of 5. Where it was good it was really good and the rest of the time it ticked the boxes. Not sure what happened as there was nothing specific it just didn’t have the right impact which is a shame as some bits were stand out ace.

Direction

I would have done things differently and there were points where I wanted things to be shown in a different way. It took me until near the end of the movie to realise the issue I was having. The director was clearly learning the medium and wasn’t ticking the usual boxes, so they were not the problem, maybe I was. It was fine and nicely rounded. The director knew when to emphasise and when to hold back and let the story take control. Solid and very professional.

Actors

Some didn’t have enough to do.

Some were given less than the best lines – see script

Some needed more screen time and some just seemed ensemble cast for a single arc story  (the leads had all the work to do).

However the focus on the leads was great and both of them were good, very strong and reliable performances.

Overall

Deserves its praise.

Some people will hate it and I could have long discussions why.

Yes, if you want to discuss gender narratives I think this film has something to say but I am not going to discuss that much here or say whether it is a positive or a negative, and I doubt I care to be trolled into giving a long answer as I’d need to re-watch it and think about it and my time is limited.

It is worth watching.

It is worth thinking about.

Aside from the overt hype, it is very worthy of recognition on a number of fronts.

It pisses on the rest of the recent DC films (Superman, Batman Vs Superman, Suicide Squad) .[2]

[1] No this doesn’t mean that women can’t be smart and sexy. No I don’t think that women need to be ordinary and portrayed as less than any image they choose. No I am not indicating anything other than what we are generally fed. No I don’t care to discuss this any more than what I just said in a vague hand gesturing way.

[2] However I don’t think that is that hard as I don’t rate these movies much above popcorn and low brow analysis fodder. And in parts cringing fucking awfulness. But they are very stylised, expensively so.

Brush Bot Mk I

Last Thursday Shadowcat hosted the first Maker night of the Lancaster Lab (I like to call them Lune Lab) Maker/Craft group.

I was there not just to represent the company but to try and get some more technical skills and abilities. I love making things, love tech, love toys, have no measurable skills whatsoever at the construction side of this, and little knowledge. So this is a chance for me to learn and to perhaps gain some skills so one day i can play with this stuff with ben and Elliott.

My first project is a brush bot. A relatively simple device made from a motor (pager/vibration), a battery and the head of a toothbrush. I wanted to add the extra component of a switch so the battery could be permanently attached in a holder at some point.

On the way to building this I learned about a 3 stage switch, and how to solder – I have to thank Ian Norton for patiently showing me these skills. So now I know about switches, flux, solder and sticking them together.

The first test was successful but the battery drained pretty quickly. So for next time we investigate current restricting resistors and the idea of having multiple batteries to hold the power for longer.

I’ll get to learn about them as well, and maybe construct Brush Bot Mk II.

Pictures follow:

Testing stage of components

Testing stage of components

My setup

My setup

Close up of a circuit - LED to test current

Close up of a circuit – LED to test current

Temporary blue tak version

Temporary blue tak version

Brush Bot Mk I

Brush Bot Mk I