MorrisonFilm

cough, cough jeeze it’s dusty in here. But where else am I...

Wed, 02 Oct 2013 13:13:00 -0400

cough, cough jeeze it’s dusty in here. But where else am I going to rant about things that don’t matter?

This Lego video is super cute and twee but I couldn’t help but notice the part where this is a terrible idea. The woman in the video says “We started looking at all the different ways people organize things. And we tried to invent something new that we could use to organize ourselves in the studio.”

Apparently what they learned from looking at all the other tools in existence was that they were all too easy to use. So they devised the worst organizational system ever created.

First of all they wasted god knows how much time (days? weeks? months?) creating this system instead of doing real work.
You can’t edit the calendar on your computer or phone. Unless they have a monkey with wires in its brain that automatically updates the Lego version when changes are made. Though I really wish they’d have shown that monkey in the video if he exists.
Every time you need to see the latest calendar online, someone in the office has to go take a picture of it. Sounds easy. Once. But then again, every. Time. It. Changes.
There is a 100% chance that the photo capture tool is not 100% perfect.
You have to remember a color code which apparently was difficult enough that they created a key that sits in a drawer.
Every month someone has to manually move the lego pieces up without making any mistakes. (Maybe they can move each panel as a whole but still, someone has to remember to do this. Every month).
The online version only presents blocks of time with the name of a project. There is seemingly no way to add, “Meeting with Client A on Friday.” How are anonymous blocks of time even valuable? Oh look, Jan has 3 hours of “Work” on Tuesday and on Wednesday Lee has 4 hours of “More Work”. We’re being productive!
Eventually they’re gonna lose some Legos and forget to order more and need a blue Lego but there won’t be any blue Legos and then what? Someone will use a post-it note instead or just won’t add it and it all crumbles to the ground.

Hey, maybe this is perfect for these guys. And if it is, awesome. But a good organizational system is one that is easy to maintain. That “just works” and doesn’t require added effort on top of simply using it. This system seems to maximize maintenance and minimize usefulness.

I’m certain there are better ways to organize that haven’t been invented yet. This is not it.

(But they got everyone to talk about them didn’t they?)

Sometimes the LA Times gets it just right.

Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:14:13 -0400

Sometimes the LA Times gets it just right.

Big ice cubes

Wed, 29 May 2013 11:42:25 -0400

Big ice cubes:

A few problems with this article. First, despite what many might claim about big ice cubes and their cooling or dilution I think the biggest appeal of big ice cubes has always been aesthetic. A big ice cube just looks better sitting in a rocks glass than a bunch of pedestrian cubes from the ice cube trays that came with your fridge. Is this important? Not to everyone, and not for every drink, but presentation in food and beverage can have a huge impact on taste and enjoyment. There’s a reason we don’t just put all our meals in a blender and drink them down.

Second, the purpose of ice in a cocktail aside from aesthetics isn’t to bring the drink from room temperature to cold. That’s what shaking and stirring do. The ice cubes are just to keep the beverage cold. And for this purpose, any ice shape will do, but one that doesn’t dilute as much could be superior for drinks where that matters (The Old Fashioned for instance).

Also, at the end of the day if your cocktails are sticking around long enough that you need the ice cubes cooling power to keep them cold, what the hell is taking you so long?

Maniacal Rage Podcast: Episode 35

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:02:14 -0400

Maniacal Rage Podcast: Episode 35:

The cool thing about taking four years off is when you take 6 weeks off it doesn’t even count as a hiatus.

maniacalrage:

Shawn has issues with his sleep behavior and pitches his next amazing Hollywood script, Garrett goes postal on the US Postal Service and worries about his kid’s future, and we flirt with the possibility of some amazing format changes. Thanks to Bill Griesau for his brief appearance.

Subscribe in iTunes or subscribe to the feed.

Maniacal Rage Podcast: Episode 34

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:01:34 -0400

Maniacal Rage Podcast: Episode 34:

I failed to mention it two weeks ago, but the podcast is back. And we just released the 2nd post-hiatus episode:

maniacalrage:

The bowl cut and awkward shampooings make for uncomfortable haircut experiences, Shawn details one of his childhood dreams that has been partially fulfilled and we discuss a rare, new disease related to candy that might one day be named after Garrett.

Subscribe in iTunes or subscribe to the feed.

A Manhattan

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 23:37:24 -0500

Dear Bartender,

A Manhattan is a delicious drink.

A Manhattan is not served on the rocks. If I wanted a Manhattan on the rocks I’d have ordered a “Manhattan on the rocks.” It is ok to ask, however.

A Manhattan is stirred, not shaken. I am not James Bond, this is not a James Bond movie. Please stir my Manhattan.

A Manhattan is not made with sugar syrup. If I were a nine year old child I could order a “Sweet Manhattan” but when a grown adult orders a Manhattan the only thing sweet about it should be the vermouth.

I’m not going to even give you shit over the garnish, honestly, I don’t care about the garnish. Put a cherry there, an orange peel or no garnish at all. You can even put one of those neon Maraschino cherries as long as you rinse it off first. Get the above right and you can garnish it however you damn well please.

Thanks for listening.

love,
Shawn

Read 30 2012 Oscar Hopeful Screenplays

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 13:22:42 -0500

Read 30 2012 Oscar Hopeful Screenplays:

For aspiring screenwriters, this is a goldmine.

Pointless Rant: Automagically

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:24:35 -0500

Please stop using the annoyingly cute word “automagically”. I have no problem with made up words but this one makes zero sense. When you say “automagically” what you really mean is just “automatically”. There is no case where using “automagically” adds more meaning than simply using “automatically.” You’re just being cute. And stop being cute.

Only if you are literally referring to magic may you use “automagically.” If you invent a machine that turns farts into gold bricks you may say, “And it automagically turns farts into gold bricks!” Cause yes, that’s magic.

Everything else is just “automatic”. Thank you.

It's not a TV

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 19:00:25 -0500

The biggest mistake people are making when writing about the supposed upcoming Apple television set is thinking about it as Apple improving the television. This is not what Apple does. When Apple made the iPhone they didn’t make a better phone, they made a computer that fit in your pocket that happened to make phone calls. The reason that first iPhone keynote in 2007 was so mind-blowing was because they managed to run OS X on a phone that ran great mobile apps. But we were all screaming “Look what they made a phone do!” The phone part was just one app.

So the Apple television set won’t be a better TV it will be a great living room computer. (I’m going to assume Apple won’t release it unless it’s actually great). The “TV” will just be one app. FaceTime will be an app. Weather will be an app. Similar to the iPhone or iPad app ecosystem but tailored for the living room.

There’s been speculation that Siri will be the primary interface for the new TV and I think this makes a lot of sense. Siri on a TV means more than voice controlled channel changing. It brings the assistant functionality to the living room. Instead of needing to take out your phone and long-press the home button Siri will be there for everyone to use at any time. I suspect it will be possible to activate Siri without touching a button. (Perhaps something akin to Star Trek’s “Computer, how long until we arrive at Rigel IV?”). It could do everything from play video content to show your upcoming calendar week on the display to executing home automation tasks. “Siri, dim the lights and play Parks and Rec.”

The imagination is really the limit. Especially when you think about how it will integrate not with today’s useful but limited Siri but to the Siri two or three generations down the road.

The interesting debate to me isn’t how Apple can improve the TV experience. That seems really obvious. The part I care about is what else this thing will do and how we will interact with it.

Forever’s Not So Long If you’re going to watch (or...

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 19:01:44 -0500

Forever’s Not So Long

If you’re going to watch (or re-watch) one short film about the end of the world on the day the world ends, make it this one.

A-Rod

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 17:17:17 -0400

(via)

162

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 11:28:00 -0400

On the last day of the MLB regular season there are four interesting things:

1) If the Yankees lose and the Orioles win they will play a one game playoff for the AL East, the loser of which will play another one game playoff against the 2nd wild card.

2) The A’s and Rangers are tied for the AL West and they happen to be playing each other in the last game. Whoever wins, wins the West, the loser plays the first wildcard (see #1)

3) Detroit won the AL Central with the 7th best record in the AL. So the Rays and Angels will finish with better records than the Tigers but they go home tomorrow.

4) If Josh Hamilton doesn’t hit any home runs, Miguel Cabrera will be the first triple crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1967. That’s a really long time.

Second year in a row we don’t know the final post season match-ups heading into game 162. Should be a fun day.

Edit: Added a fourth! Because I thought of a fourth.

Using Technology to Make Life Harder: iCache Geode

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 14:41:54 -0400

The iCache Geode sounds like a neat idea until you think about it for more than a second. Then it sounds like a neat idea with horrible usability problems. I’ve got to believe the creators of this were so excited by the concept they failed to consider the pretty obvious problems.

Speed

Every time you use the thing you have to unlock your phone, perhaps type in a passcode if you use one, navigate to and launch the app if it’s not already open, let the device scan your finger print so it knows it’s you, then do whatever nonsense is required to imprint the magic card. Then you take out your card and apparently have to slap it hard to activate it. Then you can finally swipe it.

Compare that to the steps I take when I pay for something:

Take out card.
There is no step 2.

I used the Starbucks app for a while to pay for my daily tea. After a while I learned that it actually takes a long time to get an app up and running while waiting in line. Using a card is actually super simple and convenient, especially if you always keep your cards in the same places in your wallet.

Convention

Cashiers are constantly going to ask “What the hell is that?” every time you use it. Do you really want to have a conversation about the iCache Geode every time you pay for something? Maybe if you’re lonely? I also wouldn’t be surprised if smaller businesses became suspicious and refused to let you use it.

Security

I’d say about half the time I pay for something I’m asked for my ID. This requires showing the cashier both my card and ID so they can match the names. This is obviously impossible with the Geode so now you have to pull out your wallet anyway and if you left it behind then you’re screwed.

Great for Criminals

The iCache Geode seems to make the perfect tool to steal other people’s credit cards. A corrupt waiter could easily scan every diner’s credit card, quit the next day and go on a shopping spree. The finger print thingy protects your cards but it doesn’t protect my cards from you.

The good news is, according to Garrett, it doesn’t work well anyway. So thank god for that.

I don’t even have one, these were just my impressions from reading about the Kickstarter project. For a thoughtful hands on review, definitely read Garrett’s entire post.

There is definitely a need for a simplified payment experience. But the iCache Geode is not it.

Scratch

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:47:55 -0400

I’m really excited because today we released Scratch for iPhone and iPod touch. We’ve spent a lot of time between client projects getting Scratch off the ground so it’s exciting and terrifying to finally see it out in the world.

Scratch fills a need I had for a notetaking app that didn’t require me to manage a list of notes, or require multiple taps just to start typing. Most of my notes are of the “oh shit, don’t forget this” variety. Usually story ideas or bits of info that have no other home: phone numbers, a particular brand of tequila I want to buy, names for my future child. I wanted an app that I could open and just start typing.

So we made Scratch. I think my favorite part of using Scratch isn’t just the focus on quick-input but that it’s also a powerful editor in its own right. We tried not to water down the editing experience even though the goal of the app was simplicity. It has powerful Markdown features and a neat customizable toolbar.

Anyway, if this sounds like something you’d like, buy it on the App Store for $3.

The Blurry Edge

Sat, 14 Jul 2012 17:36:00 -0400

There is a price for being an early adopter of a Retina MacBook Pro. And that price is pixely ass text:

Final Draft says a fix is “in the works.” Until then I’ll just pretend this is the retro 8-bit version of Final Draft running in my Commodore 64 emulator.

I Used to Love Her, But I Had to Flee Her: On Leaving New York

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 10:44:36 -0400

This Gawker piece by Cord Jefferson sums up a lot of what I’ve been thinking this past year:

In perhaps the most famous Pacific Standard Time promotional video yet, Ice Cube waxes nostalgic about the architects Charles and Ray Eames, famous Angelinos, before saying, “Who are these people who got a problem with LA? Maybe they just mad they don’t live here.” I like Ice Cube, but I don’t think he’s right. I am near obsessed with LA’s mild weather, great produce, abundant vegetarian restaurants, interesting music scene, and proximity to my hometown. But I can also understand why people wouldn’t want to live here without assuming they’re jealous or stupid, which is something I found difficult to do while perched atop my building’s roof in Brooklyn, drinking beers and looking down on everything past the East River.

If my office wasn’t about to be converted into a nursery I...

Mon, 09 Jul 2012 13:29:42 -0400

"Ellen Ripley"

"Rachael"

"Leeloo Dallas"

"Trinity"

"Kara Thrace"

"River Tam"

"Sarah Connor"

If my office wasn’t about to be converted into a nursery I would get all of these. Screw it, I might do it anyway.

(via tiffehr)

Highland adds Quick Look previews

Mon, 25 Jun 2012 17:50:00 -0400

Highland adds Quick Look previews:

For whatever reason, Final Draft itself doesn’t support Quick Look. Highland does. So now you can Quick Look those files.

If I had a news magazine with a feature called “Man of the Year” I would nominate this Quick Look feature of Highland. I have wanted FDX Quick Look previews for about 90 years now, or however long OS X has had that feature (50 years?). If you work with Final Draft on a Mac, today is like Christmas and Memorial Day all rolled into one.

NOTE: I had to open an FDX file in Highland before the Quick Look plugin worked on FDX files.

GPOJIWARBMGSIT (Gratuitous Picture of Jony Ive With A Really...

Thu, 21 Jun 2012 14:35:24 -0400

GPOJIWARBMGSIT

(Gratuitous Picture of Jony Ive With A Really Bad Mustache Grabbing Something Invisible Thursday)

(from this)

Gold Rush — 2oz bourbon, 1oz honey syrup, .75oz lemon juice....

Fri, 15 Jun 2012 22:15:49 -0400

Gold Rush — 2oz bourbon, 1oz honey syrup, .75oz lemon juice. (Celebrating an exciting, hopefully-soon-to-be-released 1.0) (Taken with Instagram)