Get a Grip

Last night I went to see Spider Man 3 with my grandfather and brother. SM3 is one of those films that is a guaranteed blockbuster and will have no problem recouping the almost 500 million dollars in production and marketing costs (the most expensive movie ever to date). The movie is entertaining with enough action scenes to keep one on the edge of your seat and enough of a plot line that there is a point in watching. However it is the technical effects that make the movie stand out. The integration of live action and computer graphics was spectacular as exemplified by the new villains Sandman and Venom as well as the black suited Spiderman.

Story and effects aside, the element that most intrigues me about summer blockbusters is the scope and magnitude of the collaboration required to complete a film. While the directors, producers, and actors/actresses are in the spotlight, they represent only the tip of the iceberg. Over 1000 people were involved in the production of Spider Man 3 and incalculable man hours. For example, one Spiderman suit took 200 man-hour to create and over forty suits were required during filming, not including other costumes or the black spider suits. That is 8000 man-hours or the one person working equivalent of 3.85 years. (8000 man hours/40 hours per week/52 weeks per year). While I've never been on a movie set, each task is minutely delegated: grips are in charge of lighting but don't actually touch the lights...that is the responsibility of the electricians. Watch the credits at the end of the movie and it breaks down job roles in depth to the second assistant to the (). The movie paradigm may be overly specific for films as an entire studio industry has been built around this model. Nonetheless, movies like Spiderman 3 show the amazing results possible when a team of experts work together sharing their talents in a creative environment. Given the proper team and resources anything is possible. Spiderman 3 as an entertaining story reminds us that we all have the potential to be either a villain or a hero; Spiderman 3 as a case study reminds us that collaboration has more potential for success than either independence or competition. The choice is ours.

Images and information from Spider man 3 website. See Spiderman 3 production notes for more info on the film. http://flash.sonypictures.com/movies/spiderman3/site/main.php

No anatomy trivia...but I typed this while watching House MD; that's gotta count for something!