What do you think?
I was on Sparknotes.com for summer school when I came across this: http://community.sparknotes.com/2011...s-yes-mermaids it is an article by a girl who is the president of the "mermaid fan club"I thought this article was slightly ridiculous but I wanted to know what others thought. I like the idea of having more mermaid movies but I also think that it might draw too much attention to mermaiding (and I like that this is a small community as it is
). I'd love to hear your thoughts
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My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold,
There is nothing that can console me but my jolly sailor bold.~ETSY: Trove by the Sea~Google +~FACEBOOK~
mermaidmarissa.studios@gmail.com
"Imagine a life of wonder"
I disagree, I actually think it would be awesome. What's wrong with drawing attention to mermaiding? Mermaiding is awesome and the more people know about the less people will sneer at it. Plus I would also love to see more quality mermaid movies. Besides....isn't this whole forum pretty much a mermaid fan club?
Well it is interesting now when you type in google "How do I become a..." Mermaid is the top hit. It seems like mermaids are slowly becoming the new "vampire". Not that I have a huge problem with it... It would make it seem more normal to people I guess..
I totally agree with her! There should be more (and better) merfolk movies out. Maybe as the subculture of mermaiding grows.. there will be more movies made and mermaids will be like the new "vampire" addiction that has spread over the media in the last decade! However, I'm worried that this may mainstream the topic of mermaids and Hollywood will produce movies that are too predictable and have no substance, with only mermaids in them. Much like what they have been doing for the vampire *cough*twilight*cough franchise. Notice I said Merfolk, not just mermaids, and even if this does get big... maybe some independent film-makers will want to make some good movies too... We shall see. (Plus it will open the door to more merfolk jobs, that could really help the Professional mermaids/mermen and open the door to more and new opportunities). Only good can come from that!
Last edited by spottedcatfish; 08-07-2012 at 03:11 AM.
I actually saw an article the other day about a movie that's coming out with Merfolk! It's being made in China buts its collaborating with US producers too. Apparently its the biggest film coming from China since like... 40 years ago, when a movie called Red Cliff came out with a famous kung fu guy (name is escaping me atm) in it. Maybe it will be a spark? Then also there is this book called Mermaid that's out right now, I've been meaning to get it but I've been swimming around like a parrot fish with its head cut off. (hur hur that's a mermaid joke, get it?)
So, maybe thoughs two will be the spark for more? Either way, I wouldn't worry about it becoming a huge hype like the vampire thing, cause you know what? We'll still all be around when it dies out and the next "big thing" comes rolling in! I'm sure there will be fans of mermaiding that stick around as a result of it but fads are fads, some people stick with it for a lifetime (like us... or me with the love of all things 80's, minus the bad hair and drugs) and some people just go where the rest of the sheep are going.
Do you know what the title of the movie is? I like how you say "We'll still all be around when it dies out and the next "big thing" comes rolling in!". I'm sure I will still be here, and probably a lot of others who love mermaiding, and have made it their lifestyle or work.Originally Posted by SilverSiren
I Think that getting more merfolk recognition would be great.An better movies an maybe some job openings as well. But when I read her article she seems a little overly obsessed with merfolk about being mean and killing an stealing souls. As we all know for something like that was only in movies and in folk lure. But as getting more recognition out there for merfolk promote, promote promote. Then other people can see it is not a fad but as a way of life.
I think it was called Empires of the Deep, originally Mermaid Island. You can find some awesome concept art and set pics. The mermaids and mermen look AWESOME, though seem to be lacking the all loved tail, though they may add this in with CGI later? Apparently its taking forever to finish, if they do at all, due to the director or producer being a big d**k to the actors and a lot of other people working on the film. I think even if this does come out, its not going to be in US theaters, we may have to wait for dvd's.
Merfolk recognition would be great as long as places don't ban mermaiding...but since she's talking about more mermaid movies and books, that's not as much of an issue.
I had two issues with the article:
1) As mentioned by vallee, she seems quite pushing the darker side of mermaids (I admit when most people think of mermaids they think of the Disney or Aquamarine version, but there are lots of movies where the mer is a seductress or murderer or some such).
2) She says right out one of the reasons the obscure movies suck is that no one can swim like a real mermaid. But there's hope, folks! This can be fixed by the use of our awesome technology! This sounds like she wants all the tails to be CGI or something and would most likely mock the tailswimming that many mers work hard to achieve (or even covet if, like me, you can't seem to quite get there). This wouldn't lead to more jobs for mers because they wouldn't need trained tailswimmers, they'd just slap a CGI tail on an existing actress (yes, I know it's harder than that, you know what I mean). Which would stink. I'd rather be awed thinking, "That's not CGI, she's really doing that!" than see another CGI tail any day.
Agreed!
Yeah, I'd rather see mermaid actresses actually swimming in a tail rather than CGI. That was one thing that majorly disappointed me about the mermaids in On Stranger Tides. However, I don't think the girl who wrote that article was necessarily saying CGI is better and slamming on actual tail swimming, I got the impression that maybe she just doesn't know about professional mermaids like Hannah and Linden et al. who actually have professional freediver training and can make a mermaid look even more realistic than any CGI ever could.
Also, I do cringe a bit at the idea of mermaids becoming "the new vampires". Maybe just because I can't stand Twilight or True Blood or any of that vampire nonsense. But if mermaids become more popular, I can only hope that means we will be seeing more mermaid movies coming out in the near future, and they can't ALL be bad :P
I think I've had more fun watching the clips from Splash than I did with the entire Pirates of the
Caribbean mermaid scene. Thalassa is right, there's something more exciting when it's an actor
wearing a tail, also it's something more to respect since you know she had to practice swimming
in it, practice holding her breath, etc.
I would like to see more mermaids in movies as well, but I REALLY dislike the whole "human on
land, mermaid underwater" concept. It just sort of butchers mermaids for me. It's synymous with
those stupid vampires on True Blood that can withdraw their fangs, and walk in sunlight, etc. I
mean, cmon.. The whole point of being a vampire is you have strengths AND limitations, and taking
those away is just childish. Same thing with mermaids.
But if mermaids ever DO become the next new fad (which I sort of doubt since they had their major
spotlights with Lady Gaga, Katy Parry, and POTC and nothing happened), they will probably just
make a series EXACTLY like H2O, but they'll add some adult drama and sex in there.
Kanti, I totally agree with you. The way the POTC mermaids were designed did look pretty cool, but the way they swam just looked really fake to me. I almost always have that issue with CGI...I always think it would look better with just well-made prosthetics and makeup. CGI can be really well done but it still looks like CGI to me, with a few exceptions (Gollum, and Avatar). But most of the stuff in the Star Wars prequels....argh.
Oh gaaawwwwddd don't even get me started on how Lucas destroys my childhood one CGI insert at a time.
Errmagerrd, don't get ME started....
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qJlbPXZEpRE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I'm not sure the cgi versions of mermaids deserve the bad rep described here... I LOVED LOVED LOVED the mermaids/naiads/sea people in Walden Media's Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe and The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.
I think it's cool to watch CGI mermaids swim every so often and wish I had the fluidity of movement, but I also hate it when people so used to CGI mermaids look down on trained mers because they can see knees or ankles. Those mers trained hard, and before the advent of good CGI (i.e.: looking fairly realistic to the untrained eye) they would have invoked amazement from many for their realistic tail and movement...now they're mocked because they have a human skeletal structure. *argh* I've seen on youtube videos so many times a version of: "Why don't they just (CGI/greenscreen/etc) the (tail/mermaid)? It would look better."
Not saying all people feel that way, or that all CGI is bad...it's just frustrating. *steps off CGI soapbox now*
I just wanted to be clear that I don't think that this persons point of view was wrong in any way I just think that this community right here is nice.
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My heart is pierced by Cupid, I disdain all glittering gold,
There is nothing that can console me but my jolly sailor bold.~ETSY: Trove by the Sea~Google +~FACEBOOK~
mermaidmarissa.studios@gmail.com
"Imagine a life of wonder"
Quoted for emphasis because I feel the same. I was just saying both these things to my mom earlier. She'd seen a feature about a mer fan club- for all I know she was watching a story on Merpalooza- and was telling me about how they swim with tails and la la la and I realized she doesn't know everything about me. lol And I said these same things to her.
I just don't want it to get too popular because of the homogenization effect. But there is not a lot one can do about it.
Ermahgerd that's so awesome. Saved to favorites!
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