Page 14 - Aruba-today-17 Sept 2020

A14 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 17 sepTember 2020
Phone flip: New Quibi series 'Wireless' empowers the viewer

NEW YORK (AP) — Most di- on the stereo. The human
rectors insist on having final in horizontal mode and the
edit approval of their films. technological on vertical
Not the creators of "Wire- are fused.
less." The filmmakers have so
The series on the mobile- seamlessly integrated the
platform Quibi employs phone-in-the-phone that
an ingenious way to tell our hero listens to his old
a story on a smartphone: voicemail messages and
You see different things looks at photos from happi-
on the screen depending er times to give context for
on whether you hold your his emotions. They've even
phone vertically or horizon- created a fake, chirpy on-
tally. line commercial for a fic-
Horizontally, a traditional tional vehicle, the Chevy
cinematic film follows a Colorado.
college student navigating Wechter said he was in-
the snowy Colorado moun- spired to create the show
tains. But flip your phone based on how much time
vertically and you see his everyone spends on their
smartphone as he scrolls This image released by Quibi shows Tye Sheridan in a scene from "Wireless" which follows a col- phone these days, and
through photos, checks the lege student navigating the snowy Colorado mountains. says we have almost an
map or calls his mom. Associated Press emotional relationship with
That means that the viewer our devices. Soderbergh
becomes the editor. And films include "Sex, Lies and less. ect is something that will in- agrees, calling them "an
each viewer sees a slightly Videotape" and "Traffic." The platform initially got spire filmmakers and artists additional appendage."
different film, depending He signed on to be an ex- fewer subscribers than to consider the possibilities "I think the ubiquity of
on at what points they ro- ecutive producer after see- hoped, despite landing of this new frontier — a new smartphones is one of the
tate the phone. ing "Pocket," a short film celebs like Chance the landscape for storytelling," most impactful parts of our
"You're never going to by Wechter and his creat- Rapper, Chrissy Teigen and Wechter said. lives nowadays," Wech-
have the same experience ing partner Jack Seidman Jennifer Lopez. Even so, it "Wireless" stars Tye Sheridan ter said. "It really just was
as somebody else watch- that experimented with the heads into the weekend as a college student with birthed out of realizing how
ing the show," said Zach two-screen technology. Emmy Awards with an im- an unhappy past and a se- essential these devices
Wechter, the director, co- "It was the first thing I'd ever pressive 10 nominations. cret habit who is driving to have become in our day-
creator and co-writer. "It re- seen that I felt was de- The technological leap a New Years Eve's party to to-day lives." Soderbergh
ally is in our viewers' hands signed to be watched and with "Wireless" means it try to rekindle a relationship laughs that filmmakers
when they're going to turn experienced on the phone waves goodbye to passive with his ex-girlfriend. these days are lamenting
the phones at any given and absolutely worked," entertainment. By letting As he drives over the moun- how putting their work on
moment." Soderbergh said. viewers rotate their phones tains, we watch what he a phone is a depreciation
The 10-episode series that The show signals a tech- and choose their perspec- does on his phone: Scrolling of their work. "This is a com-
launched this week has nological jump for Quibi, tive, Wechter is empower- through Instagram, check- plete inversion of what you
the backing of director Ste- which launched during the ing the audience, letting ing maps, firing up Tinder, typically hear a filmmaker
ven Soderbergh, an eager pandemic offering mobile- them feel like they're con- texting friends, asking Siri say: To experience it NOT
adopter of nascent tech- friendly installments of mov- trolling the story. questions and cuing up on your phone would be a
nology whose influential ies and TV in 10 minutes or "I'd like to think that our proj- the band Brockhampton diminishment."q

Gloria Estefan, Alex Rodriguez mark Latino impact on media

By LYNN ELBER light critically acclaimed, Achievements on Televi-
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Glo- groundbreaking, and cul- sion," 8 p.m. Wednesday
ria Estefan, Alex Rodriguez turally influential Hispanic on Yahoo Entertainment.
and Eva Longoria will be personalities and rising Estefan, Longoria, Edward
among the participants in stars who demonstrate the James Olmos, Jimmy Smits
a monthlong online cele- power of the community" and George Lopez are
This combination photo shows, from left, musician Gloria Estefan,
actress-producer Eva Longoria, comedian George Lopez, actor bration of Latino contribu- and its cultural impact, the among those participat-
Edward James Olmos and former New York Yankees baseball tions to television. center said in its announce- ing, with Soledad O'Brien as
player Alex Rodriguez who will take part in a month-long tribute The Paley Center for Me- ment Tuesday. moderator.q
to Hispanic achievements conducted by The Paley Center for dia's tribute to the work of Maureen J. Reidy, the cen-
Media. actors, journalists and oth- ter's president and CEO, Solution Sudoku
Associated Press er notable Latinos begins called it a "a must-see cel-
Wednesday and will be ebration for the whole fam-
held virtually because of ily that informs, educates,
the coronavirus pandem- and entertains."
ic. It's the first such event A bilingual component with
by Paley to coincide with education programs, inter-
Hispanic Heritage Month, active trivia and other ele-
which runs Sept. 15 to Oct. ments is available at paley-
15. center.org through Oct. 15.
The inaugural celebra- Among the highlights of the
tion will feature "conversa- event (all times Eastern):
tions and events that spot- — "A Tribute to Hispanic Puzzle on Page 13