Stuff YOU Should Know
Let’s Hear it for the Best Boy!
Photo Credit: Comstock/Getty Images
Even if you didn’t watch the Oscars telecast this year, you were likely aware of the contenders. But how much do you know about who does what behind the scenes of a movie? In addition to screenwriters, costumers, and set designers, there is a whole army of movie industry professionals with very important jobs you may not have ever heard of. Some of these include:
- Craft Service While most sets have catered meals, there is a separate department that provides water and snacks to the cast and crew all day long. This is because most shoots can last between 10 and 18 hours, and leaving the set during that time can prove difficult.
- Grips, Gaffers, and Best Boys These crew members work closely together. A grip unloads trucks, lay out cables, and sets up equipment on a set. A gaffer is responsible for determining which lighting instruments are used to create the overall lighting effect determined by the director. The best boy works with the gaffer and is responsible for hiring the crew and ordering equipment.
- Loopers These are voice actors who record ad-libbed dialogue in a studio. They watch a scene and try to create appropriate material for crowd scenes that a director can use later to edit the movie.
Dig Deeper Choose one of the professions listed above (or do some research and find another on your own). Go to the IMDB (Internet Movie Data Base) and take a look at the some of the crew members on your favorite films.
Experts Say, Be Less Sweet
Every five years, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee publishes a report with recommendations on how we should eat. This committee, created by the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, is made up of medical and nutrition experts. The purpose of the report is provide evidence and advise the federal government when it creates the official Dietary Guidelines for Americans later this year. The highlight of the report was that people should limit their intake of added sugar to no more than ten percent of daily calories and that sugary drinks should be removed from schools.
In the 1980s, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines focused on lowering fats, especially the saturated kind found in animal foods. This lead to an influx of processed foods that replaced fat with sugar, which experts are now saying is causing obesity and chronic disease. The report also suggests dropping a restriction on dietary cholesterol like eggs because the data longer supports that it affects blood cholesterol levels. Overall, the committee recommends a “healthy dietary pattern.” This includes a wider range of natural foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fish, and nuts.
What Do You Think? Do you eat more sugar than you think you should? How about soda? If so, how likely are you to make an effort to reduce the amount of sugar you consume? Why or why not?
iCar?
Apple appears to be in the prototype phase (creating concepts, technologies, and models) for an electric vehicle. There has been no official announcement, but insiders note that Apple has been hiring a number of engineers with experience from Toyota and Tesla to specifically work on battery technology. Apple has already unveiled plans for developing enhanced car dashboards. Google is also exploring the possibilities of integrating smartphone technology with automotive manufacturing. A challenge is to find a balance between functions that can enhance a driver’s experience without distracting him or her.
Development seems to be going beyond dashboard enhancements, but plans are being kept top secret. This is likely because of “non-compete” disclosures (an agreement where an employee agrees to not share information learned at a competing company). Apple’s apparent hiring of people from the automotive industry to create a secret lab of researchers called “Project Titan” is allegedly leading to lawsuits. Regardless of its intent, it would likely be many more years before the public sees a car manufactured and sold to the public.
What Do You Think? Would you buy a car made by Apple? Why or why not? If so, what features can you imagine would be compatible with any of the devices you already have?
Families Fear the Fate of 3 Missing Schoolgirls
On February 17, three Muslim girls living in East London lied to their parents and got on a plane for Turkey. Kadiza Sultana, Shamima Begum and an unnamed friend are believed to be on their way to join a fourth friend who traveled to Syria in December. (Turkey is considered the entry point for those going to Syria and Iraq.) They are believed to be part of a growing trend of young females interested in joining the Islamic State (IS).
However, authorities believe the girls were misled and are extremely vulnerable. Spokespersons for counter-terrorism organizations say that IS employ powerful recruitment techniques. Girls are led to believe they are joining a humanitarian effort, only to be tied by strict domestic law that do not allow women out of the home. Because the girls are still believed to be in Turkey, British police are using social media as a way to persuade them from entering Syria. Once inside the country, there are few options to secure their return. This is because, once under the control of the IS, the girls are forbidden to return home.