Latest news with #MattBall
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Tucci in Italy' cinematographer Matt Ball on avoiding ‘food porn' and what the audience doesn't know about Stanley Tucci
For Matt Ball, receiving his first Emmy nomination for his work on National Geographic's Tucci in Italy is "a real privilege" and "amazing." As he tells Gold Derby, "It's not just for me, of course. It's for everybody who worked for that show ... it's a shared award." This collaborative spirit is fitting for a docuseries that is all about sharing cultural experiences. As for his on-screen partner, Stanley Tucci, Ball reveals that the Oscar-nominated actor for The Lovely Bones is a "very good musician" who can play both the piano and the drums, in addition to being a great chef. The cinematographer also praises Tucci's politeness and professionalism, noting that he would never admit to tasting a disgusting dish. "He would always be very polite if he didn't like it," he confesses. More from Gold Derby Spend 'Eternity' with Miles Teller and Elizabeth Olsen: Everything to know about the fantasy rom-com 'You can hear so much of his heart': Amy Berg on her years-long mission to create the definitive Jeff Buckley doc, 'It's Never Over' Ball's original vision for the series was for food to be the "spine," not the ultimate destination. "Food is what holds everything together, and the stories will come from that," he explains. The goal was to avoid so-called "food porn" and instead use the dishes to illustrate deeper truths. "You want the food to lead to the story of the people and the culture, or how the farms have worked for hundreds of years, or how this has been passed down from family to family." The Emmy-nominated episode, set in Tuscany, is a perfect representation of Ball's work. While the team filmed in Florence, they also explored more remote areas to find a connection between the old and the new. As Ball recounts, "They make lardo, the kind of cured back fat of pork, in these marble chests taken from the same mountains that Michelangelo carved his David from." As the cinematographer of Tucci in Italy, Ball faced the unique challenges of filming in busy, uncontrolled environments. To make the food look appealing, he relied on natural light, even putting the dishes near a window to make them "pop." As for working in public spaces, "You deal with it when it happens," he states. "It's very hard to walk through the center of Florence and not get stopped, but you just move on and you get what you can in the time given." Ball feels "super fortunate" to have filmed in every region of Italy, and he doesn't have a specific dream location to travel to in the next season. "Italy's a fantastic country to go to. I've got to shoot all of it pretty much," he concludes. In addition to cinematography, Tucci in Italy is also nominated at the 2025 Emmys for Best Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special. This article and video are sponsored content by National Geographic. Best of Gold Derby 'Australian Survivor vs. The World' premiere date and cast photos: 'King' George Mladenov, Cirie Fields, Parvati Shallow … 'Five new life forms from distant planets': Everything to know about 'Alien: Earth' as new trailer drops Everything to know about 'The Pitt' Season 2, including the departure of Tracy Ifeachor's Dr. Collins Click here to read the full article. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
TV cinematographers roundtable: ‘Life Below Zero,' ‘Ren Faire,' ‘The Righteous Gemstones,' ‘Tucci in Italy,' and ‘Chef's Table'
You may not necessarily think of cinematographers as "therapists," but that's exactly how five Emmy nominees in the field describe their primary responsibility to Gold Derby. They're essentially the "connective tissue" in making sure a director's vision is properly executive on camera. (Life Below Zero), (Ren Faire), (The Righteous Gemstones), (Tucci in Italy), and (Chef's Table) shine a light on the cinematography profession during our "Meet the Experts" roundtable. Watch the full group panel above. Click on each name to view that person's individual interview. More from Gold Derby 'Tucci in Italy' cinematographer Matt Ball on avoiding 'food porn' and what the audience doesn't know about Stanley Tucci 'The Righteous Gemstones' cinematographer Paul Daley on the show's visual evolution and why 'there's gotta be a Baby Billy' spin-off Gold Derby: In your opinion, what is the cinematographer's most crucial role in the storytelling process? Fowler: I guess it's collaborating with the producer and the director to make sure the vision is coming across on camera. Hurtsellers: Yeah, it's like, you're the therapist to the director in a sense, and you're their partner in crime. So, it's helping push the vision that you've collectively decided on, but also you're the person to lean on to take the hits and to turn to. It's almost like a romantic partnership. Daley: I think it's about efficient storytelling, as beautifully as possible. I've got half an hour to get the story told. Ball: It's collaboration, really. It's being a good team player. Somebody who can collaborate is probably the most important thing. And not too much ego. Bricker: I think these gentlemen all nailed it. It's that collaboration with the director and that interpretation of their vision, and then helping to develop that vision. You're the connective tissue between the director and that vision to the crew. So, collaborating with your crew and helping to translate these ideas the directors have to your camera team, your lighting team, and onward. What advice would you give to aspiring cinematographers who are out there trying to get into the business? Daley: I would suggest you shoot. Just shoot everything. Stills, motion. Watch as many films as you can. Watch films that you wouldn't normally watch. When you watch a film and you like it, figure out why you like it. When you're studying your films, watch the camera movement. Find out why it moved. See if that made sense to you. You can learn so much from what's already been done. Bricker: Piggybacking off of that, I think shooting is the most important thing. Don't be precious about what it is you're shooting, just take on the projects and make the most of them. When I was in film school, I had ambitions of shooting Jurassic Park, or for Christopher Nolan. I had no concept that I might be known for a culinary documentary — that wasn't on the radar. You take the opportunities that you're given, and make the most of them, and make them your own, and then you're off on the journey. Shoot whatever you can get your hands on. Fowler: In addition to shooting as much as possible, try to learn how to edit. Edit what you've shot yourself, especially coming from a documentary background. Learn if the coverage you're getting is working, or have someone else edit and get feedback on what worked and what didn't. A beautiful shot that doesn't cut together and tell a story is not very useful. Hurtsellers: I think everybody's nailed it. The biggest thing is to just go out and shoot, because you've got to make a lot of mistakes before you're even bad. Like, first you're terrible, and then you get bad, and then you're mediocre, and then someday, maybe when you're 80, you become competent. So, the quicker you can get those mistakes out, that's the best way to learn. Ball: The only thing I would add is, don't be afraid to make mistakes. Nobody knows everything about cinematography. Everybody sitting here has made huge mistakes, has messed stuff up, and that's how you learn. You only learn by making the mistakes. The Emmys for cinematography will be handed out during the Creative Arts ceremonies on Sept. 6 (scripted) and Sept. 7 (unscripted). This article and video are sponsored content by National Geographic, HBO, and Netflix. Best of Gold Derby 'Australian Survivor vs. The World' premiere date and cast photos: 'King' George Mladenov, Cirie Fields, Parvati Shallow … 'Five new life forms from distant planets': Everything to know about 'Alien: Earth' as new trailer drops Everything to know about 'The Pitt' Season 2, including the departure of Tracy Ifeachor's Dr. Collins Click here to read the full article. Solve the daily Crossword
RNZ News
11-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
IRD targets outstanding student loans in property investment crackdown
Photo: Supplied Inland Revenue is cracking down on property investors who aren't meeting tax obligations, including those with outstanding student loans. IRD estimates there was about $153 million in unpaid taxes in the property sector in the first nine months of this financial year , about the same as the amount found in the whole of the year before, including undeclared tax gains on properties subject to the bright line test, as well as upaid GST on sales. IRD has more resources to chase unpaid taxes with proactive use of other information sources such as land transfer information. Property Investment Federation's advocacy and communications manager Matt Ball said there could be some investors unaware of their obligations, but most were well informed about tax policies where property investments were concerned. "Another example that they've shared with us is around around student loan obligations, people who have student loan obligations but who also have investment properties here in New Zealand," Ball said, adding IRD's investigations included property investors living overseas. "IRD are even tracking those people down and making sure they pay their student loans and their taxes in relation to an investment property." IRD had been running a campaign to help people understand their obligations under the bright-line rules resulting in about $3.7 million in voluntary disclosures.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Rampart Communications Unveils StrataWave™ UAS: The Drone Radio Engineered to Dominate Contested Airspace
Breakthrough technology delivers mission-critical command and control—even under relentless electronic warfare attacks LINTHICUM HEIGHTS, Md., March 18, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As electronic warfare escalates, Rampart Communications today introduced the Rampart StrataWave™ UAS Radio—the industry's first drone communications radio engineered to operate without GPS, to resist jamming, and to enable virtually-undetectable transmissions in contested environments. Developed for Group 2 and 3 uncrewed systems, StrataWave™ UAS radio overcomes traditional vulnerabilities by ensuring persistent, secure connectivity even in the most hostile environments. Unlike conventional radios, which rely heavily on GPS and are highly susceptible to jamming, StrataWave™ UAS radio prioritizes stealth, resilience, and survivability—allowing UAS operators to maintain unwavering command and control (C2) even under direct electronic attack. "Electronic Warfare is disarming battlefield drones at alarming rates, creating an urgent need for next-generation connectivity," said Matt Ball, Chief Executive Officer at Rampart Communications. "StrataWave UAS is the first drone radio built to survive the most hostile electronic warfare—enabling mission-critical drones to stay connected and operational when adversaries attempt to disable them with sophisticated EW systems." Why StrataWave™ UAS radio is a technological leap forward: GPS-Independent Communication – Immune to GPS jamming attacks, ensuring uninterrupted mission connectivity. Unparalleled Electronic Warfare (EW) Resilience – Exceptional low probability of detection (LPD) and anti-jam capabilities for enhanced survivability in contested environments. Proven Core Technology – Our innovative physical layer technology is independently validated by over 10 technical and operational tests from top defense research institutions Shaping the Future of Defense and Aerospace As the U.S. military and allied nations rapidly expand their drone operations, StrataWave™ UAS radio fills a critical gap in resilient and secure battlefield communications. For defense leaders and their warfighters, it ensures uncompromised command and control (C2) in contested and/or GPS-denied environments. For drone manufacturers and system integrators, StrataWave™ UAS radio offers seamless integration and a distinct competitive advantage with its unique signature reduction capabilities, making their drones nearly impossible to fingerprint or identify. StrataWave™ UAS radio is now available for purchase by defense and intelligence partners. To schedule a demo or interview with Matt Ball, contact Megan Wenholz at mwenholz@ About Rampart Communications, Inc. Founded in 2016, Rampart Communications, Inc. is a privately held, U.S. owned and operated, wireless technology company, based in Linthicum Heights, MD. Rampart has achieved fundamental breakthroughs in the mathematical and engineering foundations of communications technology, building a robust intellectual property portfolio in wireless communications and a growing base of independent third-party validations and customers in the defense sector. View source version on Contacts mwenholz@ Sign in to access your portfolio
