A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern mythologies, and the Chinese dragon, with counterparts in Japan, Korea and other East Asian countries.

The two traditions may have evolved separately, but have influenced each to a certain extent, particularly with the cross-cultural contact of recent centuries. The English word "dragon" derives from Greek δράκων (''drákōn''), "dragon, serpent of huge size, water-snake", which probably comes from the verb δρακεῖν (''drakeîn'') "to see clearly".

Name

The word ''dragon'' entered the English language in the early 13th century from Old French ''dragon'', which in turn comes from Latin ''draconem'' (nominative ''draco'') meaning "huge serpent, dragon," from the Greek word δράκων, ''drakon'' (genitive ''drakontos'', δράκοντος) "serpent, giant seafish", which is believed to have come from an earlier stem ''drak-'', a stem of ''derkesthai'', "to see clearly," from Proto-Indo-European ''derk-'' "to see" or "the one with the (deadly) glance." The Greek and Latin term referred to any great serpent, not necessarily mythological, and this usage was also current in English up to the 18th century.

Morphology

A dragon is a mythological representation of a reptile. In antiquity, dragons were mostly envisaged as serpents, but since the Middle Ages, it has become common to depict them with legs, resembling a lizard.

Dragons are usually shown in modern times with a body like a huge lizard, or a snake with two pairs of lizard-type legs, and able to emit fire from their mouths. The European dragon has bat-type wings growing from its back. A dragon-like creature with no front legs is known as a wyvern.

Comparative mythology

The association of the serpent with a monstrous opponent overcome by a heroic deity has its roots in the mythology of the Ancient Near East, including Canaanite (Hebrew, Ugaritic), Hittite and Mesopotamian. The ''Chaoskampf'' motif entered Greek mythology and ultimately Christian mythology, although the serpent motif may already be part of prehistoric Indo-European mythology as well, based on comparative evidence of Indic and Germanic material. It has been speculated that accounts of spitting cobras may be the origin of the myths of fire-breathing dragons.

Although dragons occur in many legends around the world, different cultures have varying stories about monsters that have been grouped together under the dragon label. Some dragons are said to breathe fire or to be poisonous, such as in the Old English poem Beowulf. They are commonly portrayed as serpentine or reptilian, hatching from eggs and possessing typically scaly or feathered bodies. They are sometimes portrayed as having especially large eyes or watching treasure very diligently, a feature that is the origin of the word dragon (Greek ''drakeîn'' meaning "to see clearly"). Some myths portray them with a row of dorsal spines. European dragons are more often winged, while Chinese dragons resemble large snakes. Dragons can have a variable number of legs: none, two, four, or more when it comes to early European literature.

Dragons are often held to have major spiritual significance in various religions and cultures around the world. In many Asian cultures dragons were, and in some cultures still are, revered as representative of the primal forces of nature, religion and the universe. They are associated with wisdom—often said to be wiser than humans—and longevity. They are commonly said to possess some form of magic or other supernatural power, and are often associated with wells, rain, and rivers. In some cultures, they are also said to be capable of human speech. In some traditions dragons are said to have taught humans to talk.

Narratives about dragons often involve them being killed by a hero. This topos can be traced to the ''Chaoskampf'' of the mythology of the Ancient Near East (e.g. Hadad vs. Yam, Marduk vs. Tiamat, Teshub vs. Illuyanka, etc.; the Biblical Leviathan presumably reflects a corresponding opponent of an early version of Yahweh). The motive is continued in Greek Apollo, and the early Christian narratives about Archangel Michael and Saint George. The slaying of Vrtra by Indra in the Rigveda also belongs in this category. The theme survives into medieval legend and folklore, with dragon slayers such as Beowulf, Sigurd, Tristan, Margaret the Virgin, Heinrich von Winkelried, Dobrynya Nikitich, Skuba Dratewka/Krakus. In Biblical myth, the archetype is alluded to in the descendants of Adam crushing the head of the Serpent, and in Christian mythology, this was interpreted as corresponding to Christ as the "New Adam" crushing the Devil.

The blood of a slain dragon is depicted as either beneficient or as poisonous in medieval legend and literary fiction. In German legend, dragon blood has the power to render invincible skin or armor bathed in it, as is the case with Siegfried's skin or Ortnit's armor. In the Slavic myth, the Earth refuses it as it is so vile that Mother Earth wishes not to have it within her womb, and it remains above ground for all eternity. The blood of the dragon in ''Beowulf''has acidic qualities, allowing it to seep through iron. Heinrich von Winkelried dies after the blood of the dragon slain by him accidentially drips on him.

Near Eastern and European

Greek mythology

In Ancient Greece the first mention of a "dragon" is derived from the ''Iliad'' where Agamemnon is described as having a blue dragon motif on his sword belt and an emblem of a three-headed dragon on his breast plate. However, the Greek word used (δράκων ''drákōn'', genitive δράκοντοϛ ''drákontos'') could also mean "snake". Δράκων ''drákōn'' is a form of the aorist participle active of Greek δέρκομαι ''dérkomai'' = "I see", ''derkeîn'' = "to see", and originally likely meant "that which sees", or "that which flashes or gleams" (perhaps referring to reflective scales). This is the origin of the word "dragon". (See also Hesiod's ''Theogony'', 322.)

In 217 A.D., Flavius Philostratus () discussed dragons (δράκων, drákōn) in India in The Life of Apollonius of Tyana (II,17 and III,6–8). The Loeb Classical Library translation (by F.C. Conybeare) mentions (III,7) that “In most respects the tusks resemble the largest swine’s, but they are slighter in build and twisted, and have a point as unabraded as sharks’ teeth.”

According to a collection of books by Claudius Aelianus () called ''On Animals'', Ethiopia was inhabited by a species of dragon that hunted elephants. It could grow to a length of 180 feet and had a lifespan rivaling that of the most enduring of animals.

European

European dragons exist in folklore and mythology among the overlapping cultures of Europe. Dragons are generally depicted as living in rivers or having an underground lair or cave. They are commonly described as having hard or armoured hide, and are rarely described as flying, despite often depicted with wings.

European dragons are usually depicted as malevolent though there are exceptions (such as Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Dragon of Wales).

Slavic dragon

In Slavic mythology, the words ''“zmey”'', ''"zmiy"'' or ''"zmaj"'' are used to describe dragons. These words are masculine forms of the Slavic word for "snake", which are normally feminine (like Russian ''zmeya''). In Romania, there is a similar figure, derived from the Slavic dragon and named ''zmeu''. Exclusively in Polish and Belarusian folklore, as well as in the other Slavic folklores, a dragon is also called ''smok'' (смок, цмок, smok). In South Slavic folklores, the same thing is also called ''lamya'' (ламйа, ламjа, lamja). Although quite similar to other European dragons, Slavic dragons have their peculiarities.

Russian dragons usually have heads in multiples of three. Some have heads that grow back if every single head isn't cut off. In Ukraine and Russia, a particular dragon-like creature, ''Zmey Gorynych'', has three heads and spits fire. According to one bylina, Zmey Gorynych was killed by bogatyr Dobrynya Nikitich.

Other Russian dragons (such as Tugarin Zmeyevich) have Turkic names, probably symbolizing the Mongols and other nomadic steppe peoples. Accordingly, St George (symbolizing Christianity) killing the Dragon (symbolizing Satan) is represented on the coat of arms of Moscow. Some prehistoric structures, notably the Serpent's Wall near Kiev, have been associated with dragons.

Ancient India

In the early Vedic religion, Vritra (Sanskrit: वृत्र (Devanāgarī) or (IAST)) "the enveloper", was an Asura and also a "naga" (serpent) () or possibly dragon-like creature, the personification of drought and enemy of Indra. Vritra was also known in the Vedas as Ahi ("snake") (), and he is said to have had three heads.

The ''Life of Apollonius of Tyana'' by Flavius Philostratus: contains a long detailed description of India heavily infested with dragons, but this does not correspond with modern Indian belief, and likely not with Indian belief as it was in his time, whether Apollonius invented this story, or whether he believed someone else who told him it.

Persian

Aži Dahāka is the source of the modern Persian word azhdahā or ezhdehā اژده ها (Middle Persian azdahāg) meaning "dragon", often used of a dragon depicted upon a banner of war. The Persians believed that the baby of a dragon will be the same color as the mother's eyes. In Middle Persian he is called Dahāg or Bēvar-Asp, the latter meaning "[he who has] 10,000 horses." Several other dragons and dragon-like creatures, all of them malevolent, are mentioned in Zoroastrian scripture. (See Zahhāk).

Jewish

In Jewish religious texts, the first mention of a dragon-like creature is in the Biblical works of Job (26:13), and Isaiah (27:1) where it is called ''Nachash Bare'ach'', or a "Pole Serpent". This is identified in the Midrash Rabba to Genesis 1:21 as Leviathan from the word ''Taninim'' (תנינים) "and God created the great sea-monsters." In modern Hebrew the word ''Taninim'' is used for Crocodiles but this is a 20th century usage unconnected with the original Biblical meaning.

In later Biblical texts, the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Job, and Psalm 89 refer to a sea-demon called Rahab (not to be confused with Rahab, the woman of Jericho mentioned in the Book of Joshua). equates this Rahab with a dragon or monster. "Rahab" is the English transliteration of רהב (''reb'') with the several meanings: pride, a mythical sea-monster, or Egypt (as an emblematic name). In the Douay-Rheims version, translated via Medieval Latin from the Vulgate, the word ''reb'' is rendered "the proud one" in and and "the power of the sea" in (Psalm 88 is equivalent to Psalm 89 in other versions due to different verse numbering in the Vulgate). The connection between the sea-monster and "Leviathan the serpent" is made in .

In Jewish astronomy this is also identified with the North Pole, the star Thuban which, around 4,500 years ago, was the star in the Draco constellation's "tail". However this can also have been either the celestial pole or the ecliptic pole. The ancient observers noted that Draco was at the top of the celestial pole, giving the appearance that stars were "hanging" from it, and in Hebrew it is referred to as ''Teli'', from talah (תלה) – to hang. Hebrew writers from Arabic-speaking locations identified the ''Teli'' as ''Al Jaz'har'', which is a Persian word for a "knot" or a "node" because of the intersection of the inclination of the orbit of a planet from the elliptic that forms two such nodes. In modern astronomy these are called the ascending node and the descending node, but in medieval astronomy they were referred to as "dragon's head" and "dragon's tail".

The Merthyr Synagogue features a dragon on the front gable.

East and Southeast Asian

Chinese dragon

In China, depiction of the dragon (traditional:龍;simplified:龙) can be found in artifacts from the Shang and Zhou dynasties with examples dating back to the 16th century BC. Archaeologist Zhōu Chong-Fa believes that the Chinese word for dragon is an onomatopoeia of the sound thunder makes. The Chinese name for dragon is pronounced "lóng" in Mandarin Chinese or "lùhng" in the Cantonese. Sometime after the 9th century AD, Japan adopted the Chinese dragon through the spread of Buddhism. Although the indigenous name for a dragon in Japanese is , a few of the Japanese words for dragon stem from the Chinese word for dragon, namely, or (traditional:龍;simplified:竜). The Vietnamese word for dragon is "rồng" (hán tự:龍) and the Korean word for dragon is "ryong" (hangul:용) (hanja:龍).

The Chinese dragon () is the highest-ranking animal in the Chinese animal hierarchy, strongly associated at one time with the emperor and hence power and majesty (the mythical bird fenghuang was the symbol of the Chinese empress), still recognized and revered. Its origins are vague, but its "ancestors can be found on Neolithic pottery as well as Bronze Age ritual vessels." Tradition has it composed of nine different animals, with nine sons, each with its own imagery and affiliations. It is the only mythological animal of the 12 animals that represent the Chinese calendar. 2012 is the Chinese year of the Water Dragon.

Japanese

Japanese dragon myths amalgamate native legends with imported stories about dragons from China, Korea and India. Like these other Asian dragons, most Japanese ones are water deities associated with rainfall and bodies of water, and are typically depicted as large, wingless, serpentine creatures with clawed feet. Gould writes (1896:248), the Japanese dragon is "invariably figured as possessing three claws".

Vietnam

Vietnamese dragons (Vietnamese: rồng or long 龍) are symbolic creatures in the folklore and mythology of Vietnam. According to an ancient creation myth, the Vietnamese people are descended from a dragon and a fairy. To Vietnamese people, the dragon brings rain, essential for agriculture. It represents the emperor, the prosperity and power of the nation. Like the Chinese dragon, the Vietnamese dragon is the symbol of yang, representing the universe, life, existence, and growth. Extant references to the Vietnamese Dragon are rare now, due to the fierce changes in history that accompanied the sinicization of the Nguyễn Dynasty.

Java

:''For the description in Indonesian see :id:Naga Jawa.'' :''Link to read 'id:Naga Jawa' translated into English'' The Javanese Dragon (''Naga Jawa'' in Javanese) is a creature of mythology, the world serpent of traditional Javanese mythology. It is a derivative from the Hindu Shiva with Javanese animism. In a wayang theater story a snake (Naga) god named Sanghyang Anantaboga or Antaboga is supposedly as a guardian deity in the bowels of the earth. The Javanese dragon is described as a figure of a giant magic snake without, and wearing a crown on his head. Sometimes the Javanese Dragon is depicted wearing earrings and a necklace of gold jewelry. Unlike the Chinese Dragon and European Dragon, the Javanese Dragon Java looks very unique and special because it wears a crown like a king and had no legs. Compare with the Chinese dragon which has four legs and horns on its head, and the European dragon which is like a giant long-necked lizard with wide wings.

Animals that may have inspired dragons

Nile crocodiles, today very restricted in range, were in ancient times occasionally found in Southern Europe, having swum across the Mediterranean. Such wayward crocodiles may have inspired dragon myths. Skeletons of whales, as well as dinosaur and mammalian fossils may have been occasionally mistaken for the bones of dragons and other mythological creatures; for example, a discovery in 300 BC in Wucheng, Sichuan, China, was labeled as such by Chang Qu. Adrienne Mayor has written on the subject of fossils as the inspiration for myths in her book ''The First Fossil Hunters'', and in an entry in the ''Encyclopedia of Geology'' she wrote: "Fossil remains generated a variety of geomyths speculating on the creatures' identity and cause of their destruction. Many ancient cultures, from China and India to Greece, America, and Australia, told tales of dragons, monsters, and giant heroes.." In Australia, stories of such creatures may have referred to the land crocodiles, ''Quinkana'' sp., a terrestrial crocodile which grew to 5 to possibly 7 metres long, or the 4 tonne monitor lizard ''Varanus priscus'' (formerly ''Megalania prisca'') a giant carnivorous goanna that might have grown to 7 metres, and weighed up to 1,940 kilograms, or rainbow serpents (possibly ''Wonambi naracoortensis'') that were part of the extinct megafauna of Australia. Today the Komodo monitor lizard ''Varanus komodoensis'' is known in English as the Komodo dragon.

In the book ''An Instinct for Dragons'' anthropologist David E. Jones suggests a hypothesis that humans just like monkeys have inherited instinctive reactions to snakes, large cats and birds of prey. Dragons have features that are combinations of these three. An instinctive fear for these three would explain why dragons with similar features occur in stories from independent cultures on all continents. Other authors have suggested that especially under the influence of drugs or in dreams, this instinct may give rise to fantasies about dragons, snakes, spiders, etc., which would explain why these symbols are popular in drug culture.

Another explanation to the folklore dragons does however not rely on human instinct, but on the assumption that fossil remains of dinosaurs gave rise to similar speculations all over the world.

Cartography

There is a widespread belief that earlier cartographers used the Latin phrase hic sunt dracones, i.e., "the dragons are here", or "here be dragons", to denote dangerous or unexplored territories, in imitation of the infrequent medieval practice of putting sea serpents and other mythological creatures in blank areas of maps. However the only known use of this exact phrase is in the Latin form "HC SVNT DRACONES" on the Lenox Globe (ca. 1503–07).

Another map that contains dragons is the one of Bishop Olaus Magnus's. The Carta Marina map of Scandinavia (1539) has many monsters in the northern sea, as well as a winged, bipedal, predatory land animal resembling a dragon in northern Lapland.

See also

Balaur

Bat (heraldry)

Behemoth

Dinosaur

Dragonology

''Dragons: A Fantasy Made Real (TV series)''

Feilong (mythology)

Guivre

Ichneumon (medieval zoology)

Komodo Dragon

List of dragons in literature

List of dragons in mythology and folklore

Saint George and the Dragon

References

G. Elliot Smith, ''The Evolution of the Dragon''], by 1919 (online text from Project Gutenberg).

Fanfan Chen, Thomas Honegger (eds.), ''Good Dragons Are Rare: An Inquiry Into Literary Dragons East and West'', Peter Lang, 2009, ISBN 9783631582190.

External links

Chinese Dragons in the news, BBC

New York Times, April 29, 2003">From Many Imaginations, One Fearsome Creature, New York Times, April 29, 2003

Category:Cryptids Category:Heraldic beasts Category:Mythological hybrids Category:Greek loanwords

af:Draak als:Drache ang:Draca ar:تنين an:Dragón ast:Dragón az:Əjdaha bn:ড্রাগন ba:Аждаһа be-x-old:Цмок bg:Дракон bs:Zmaj (mitologija) br:Aerouant ca:Drac cs:Drak cy:Draig da:Drage (fabeldyr) de:Drache (Mythologie) et:Lohe el:Δράκοντας es:Dragón eo:Drako (mitologio) eu:Herensuge fa:اژدها fr:Dragon (mythologie) fy:Draak gl:Dragón ko:드래곤 hi:अझ़दहा hr:Zmaj id:Naga is:Dreki (goðsagnavera) it:Drago he:דרקון kn:ಡ್ರ್ಯಾಗನ್‌ kw:Dragon ku:Ejdî la:Draco lv:Pūķis lb:Draach (Mythologie) hu:Sárkány ml:വ്യാളി mzn:ایژدیها ms:Naga nl:Draak (fabeldier) ja:ドラゴン no:Drage nn:Fabeldyret drake nrm:Dragon nov:Drake oc:Dragon om:Dragon pl:Smok pt:Dragão ro:Dragon ru:Дракон sco:Draigon sq:Dragoi simple:Dragon sk:Drak sl:Zmaj sr:Змај sh:Zmaj fi:Lohikäärme sv:Drake tl:Dragon ta:டிராகன் tt:Аждаһа te:డ్రాగన్ th:มังกร tr:Ejderha uk:Змій vi:Rồng war:Dragon zh-yue:西洋龍 zh:龙 (西方)

Name	David Fincher
Birth name	David Andrew Leo Fincher
Birth date	August 28, 1962
Birth place	Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Death date
Other names	Finch, Dave Fincher
Occupation	Film director, film producer, music video director
Years active	1984–present
Spouse	Donya Fiorentino (1990–1995)
Children	Phelix Imogen (b. April 25, 1994)
Website	}}

David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film and music video director who is known for his dark and stylish thrillers, such as ''Seven'' (1995), ''The Game'' (1997), ''Fight Club'' (1999), ''Panic Room'' (2002), and ''Zodiac'' (2007). Fincher received Academy Award nominations for Best Director for his 2008 film ''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'' and his 2010 film ''The Social Network'', which also won him the Golden Globe and the BAFTA for Best Director. His most recent film is 2011's ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'', an English-language adaptation of Stieg Larsson's novel of the same name.

Early life and career

Fincher was born on August 28, 1962 in Denver, Colorado, the son of Claire Mae (née Boettcher), a mental health nurse who worked in drug addiction programs, and Howard Kelly Fincher, who worked as a bureau chief for ''Life'' under the name Jack Fincher. When Fincher was two years old, the family moved to San Anselmo in Marin County, California. Fincher moved to Ashland, Oregon in his teens, where he graduated from Ashland High School. Inspired by ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'', Fincher began making movies at age eight with an 8 mm camera. Fincher eschewed the film school route, getting a job loading cameras and doing other hands-on work for John Korty’s Korty Films. He was later hired by Industrial Light & Magic in 1983, where he worked on productions for ''Twice Upon a Time'', ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'', and ''Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom''. In 1984, he left ILM to direct a commercial for the American Cancer Society, that would show a fetus smoking a cigarette. This quickly brought Fincher to the attention of producers in Los Angeles and he was given the chance to direct the documentary ''The Beat of the Live Drum'' featuring Rick Springfield in 1985. Though he would continue to direct spots for companies like Revlon, Converse, Nike, Pepsi, Sony, and Levi's, Fincher soon discovered music videos and went on to direct many promos.

Propaganda Films

Set on a directing career, Fincher joined video-production company Propaganda Films and started off directing music videos and commercials. Like Fincher, other directors such as Michael Bay, Samuel Bayer, Meiert Avis, David Kellogg, Antoine Fuqua, Neil LaBute, Spike Jonze, Mark Romanek, Michel Gondry, Paul Rachman, Zack Snyder, Gore Verbinski, and Alex Proyas honed their talents at Propaganda Films before moving on to feature films.

Music videos

Fincher directed big budget music videos for artists such as Madonna (including "Express Yourself", "Vogue", "Oh Father" and "Bad Girl"), Billy Idol ("Cradle of Love"), Paula Abdul (including "(It's Just) The Way That You Love Me", "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl" and "Cold Hearted"), Aerosmith ("Janie's Got a Gun"), The Rolling Stones (including "Love Is Strong"), Roy Orbison ("She's a Mystery to Me"), Nine Inch Nails ("Only"), A Perfect Circle ("Judith"), Jody Watley (including "Real Love" and "Most of All"), Rick Springfield ("State Of The Heart"), Jermaine Stewart (We Don't Have to Take Our Clothes Off), Steve Winwood, Neneh Cherry ("Heart"), George Michael ("Freedom '90"), The Motels "Shame", Michael Jackson ("Who Is It"), The Wallflowers, Wire Train and The Outfield, including "All the Love (in the World)", "Every Time You Cry" and "No Surrender". His video for Don Henley's "The End of the Innocence" won Henley the MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video in 1990.

Features

''Alien 3''

After directing several music videos, Fincher's feature debut was ''Alien 3'' (1992). While it received an Oscar nomination for special effects, the film was not well received by critics or moviegoers. Fincher became involved with several disputes with 20th Century Fox over script and budget issues. In "The Director’s Cut", he blames the producers for not putting the necessary trust in him. After this, Fincher retreated back into the world of commercial and music video directing, including the video for the Grammy Award winning track "Love Is Strong" (1994) by The Rolling Stones.

''Seven''

In 1995, Fincher directed ''Seven''. The film, based on a screenplay by Andrew Kevin Walker, told the story of two detectives (played in the movie by Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman) tracking down a serial killer who bases his killings on the seven deadly sins. The film grossed more than $100 million domestically (over $300 million internationally). The chairman of New Line Cinema, Arnold Kopelson, originally refused to allow filming of the shocking climactic scene. With the aid of Brad Pitt, who stated that he would not be involved with the picture if its ending were changed, Fincher was allowed to film the original scene and use it in the final cut.

''The Game''

After the success of ''Seven'', Fincher went on to film ''The Game'' (1997). The story focused on a closed-off San Francisco businessman (played by Michael Douglas) who receives an unusual gift from his younger brother (Sean Penn), in which he becomes the main player of a role-playing game that takes over his life. The film had middling box-office returns despite being well-received by critics.

''Fight Club''

''Fight Club'' was a screen adaptation of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel of the same name about an insomniac office worker who opens up a club devoted exclusively to bare knuckle fighting for men. Featuring Edward Norton, Helena Bonham Carter, and ''Seven'' collaborator Brad Pitt, the 1999 film was an early disappointment at the box-office and received mixed reviews. ''Fight Club'' was panned by several critics and alienated audiences leading to its box office failure in the United States.

However, many critics and audiences later changed their opinions and the film appeared on many 'best of the year' lists and soon developed a cult following. ''Entertainment Weekly'', which had originally given the film a D-, later ranked the DVD #1 on its list of 50 Essential DVDs. Exceptional sales have since established it as a cult film.

In 2006 the British magazine ''Total Film'' voted ''Fight Club'' number four in the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time, beaten only by ''Jaws'', ''Vertigo'' and ''Goodfellas'' at 3, 2 and 1 respectively.

''Panic Room''

In 2002, Fincher followed up with the thriller ''Panic Room''. The film earned over $92 million at the U.S. box office. The story follows a single mother (Jodie Foster) and her daughter (Kristen Stewart) as they hide in a safe room of their new house, away from criminals (Forest Whitaker, Dwight Yoakam and ''Fight Club'' collaborator Jared Leto) bent on finding a missing fortune. Fincher acknowledged ''Panic Room'' as a more mainstream thriller, describing the film, on the DVD's audio commentary, as "[basically] a date movie" and a "really good B movie" about "two people trapped in a closet".

''Zodiac''

Five years after ''Panic Room'', Fincher returned on March 2, 2007 with ''Zodiac'', an adaptation of Robert Graysmith’s books about the hunt for the Zodiac Killer that starred Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey, Jr., Anthony Edwards, and Brian Cox. The first of Fincher’s films to be shot digitally, the majority of the film was recorded on a Thompson Viper Film Stream Camera. However, high-speed film cameras were used for the Blue Rock Springs and Presidio Heights murder scenes for the slow-motion shots. It was originally to be released in the fall of 2006 but was pushed back after Fincher refused to cut 20 minutes off the film.

''Zodiac'' was one of the best-reviewed films of that year, with only two other 2007 films appearing on more top-10 lists (''No Country for Old Men'' and ''There Will Be Blood''). However, the film struggled at the box office in the U.S., earning only $33 million, but did well overseas with a foreign gross of $51.7 million. Worldwide, ''Zodiac'' was a decent success. Despite an aggressive campaign by the studio, expectations surrounding Robert Downey, Jr.’s supporting performance, Fincher’s direction and Vanderbilt’s adapted script, the film did not earn a single Academy Award nomination.

''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''

A story about life and death, ''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'' is an adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story of the same name. The film was Fincher’s third with Brad Pitt. The film started shooting in November 2006 in New Orleans, before moving on to the Virgin Islands, Montreal, and L.A.. Both ''Zodiac'' and this film are co-productions of Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. The budget for the film was estimated at $150 million, partly due to the CGI effects used to reverse the aging in Brad Pitt’s character. The film is the first PG-13 film directed by Fincher. It received 13 nominations at the 81st Academy Awards, including Fincher's first nomination for Best Director. It won three Academy Awards for Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, and Best Visual Effects.

''The Social Network''

Fincher directed the 2010 film ''The Social Network'', about the legal battles of Mark Zuckerberg and the founding of Facebook. The film features an Oscar-winning screenplay by Aaron Sorkin, adapted from the book ''The Accidental Billionaires''. Featuring a young cast ensemble, the film was produced by Scott Rudin, Kevin Spacey and Michael DeLuca. Filming started in October 2009 and was released a year later, to critical acclaim. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross created the Oscar-winning soundtrack for the film, Fincher had long been a fan of Reznor's work in Nine Inch Nails, even putting a remix of "Closer" in the beginning of ''Seven'' and directing the music video for "Only". The film went on to win many awards, including four Golden Globes (including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Original Score), three BAFTAs (including Best Direction), and three Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing.

''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo''

Fincher directed the American version of ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'', which was based on the book by Stieg Larsson, with a script written by Steven Zaillian. The film was shot in Sweden, with Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander, Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist, Robin Wright as Erika Berger, Stellan Skarsgård as Martin Vanger and Christopher Plummer as Henrik Vanger. The film was released on December 20, 2011. Along with ''Dragon Tattoo'', Fincher and Zaillian have signed a two picture deal to also adapt ''The Girl Who Played with Fire'', and ''The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest'', which will be shot back to back. In January 2012, it was announced that Sony Pictures was "moving forward" with the adaptation of ''The Girl Who Played with Fire'', with Zaillian in the early stage of scripting it for a planned release in late 2013. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross composed the soundtrack for the film (their second collaboration with Fincher). It received Five Academy Award nominations at the 84th Academy Awards including: Best Actress for Rooney Mara, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Sound Mixing and won one award for Best Film Editing.

Future projects

''House of Cards''

Fincher has agreed to direct the first Netflix original television series, starring Kevin Spacey. The show will be called ''House of Cards'' and will air in late 2012.

''20,000 Leagues Under the Sea''

For his next film project after ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'', Fincher (as of July 2010) is attached to ''20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' for Walt Disney Pictures, based on the Jules Verne's eponymous novel. Scott Z. Burns (''The Bourne Ultimatum'', ''The Informant!'', ''Contagion'') is set to write the screenplay. Originally, ''20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' had been set to be directed by McG from a screenplay by Randall Wallace (draft by Bill Marsilli, with rewrites by Justin Marks), but the $150-million project was terminated in early pre-production stage in November 2009. Fincher's vision is to direct a 'gigantic steampunk science fiction movie from 1873' and '[his] ''Empire Strikes Back''.'

''The Girl Who Played with Fire'' and ''The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest''

Despite the smaller-than-expected box office gross of ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'', David Fincher will likely return for the final two parts in the three installment trilogy by Stieg Larsson, ''The Girl Who Played with Fire'' and ''The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest''.

''The Killer''

On November 1, 2007, ''Variety'' reported that Fincher was attached to do an adaptation of a French graphic novel called ''The Killer'' by Alexis Nolent, which was optioned by Paramount Pictures and Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment, with Pitt attached to star in the film. Scripted by Allesandro Camon, the film is about a top assassin, with his conscience getting the better of him, and a cop on his tail.

''The Reincarnation of Peter Proud''

An announcement was made on November 9, 2009 that Andrew Kevin Walker and David Fincher will re-team for the remake of the 1975 film ''The Reincarnation of Peter Proud''. This marks the fifth time Andrew Kevin Walker and Fincher will work together. Walker wrote Fincher's 1995 thriller ''Seven'', did uncredited rewrites for ''Fight Club'' and ''The Game'' and made a cameo appearance in ''Panic Room''.

''Ness''

On September 5, 2008, Firstshowing.net reported that Matt Damon is in talks to play Eliot Ness in ''Ness'' with Fincher lined up to direct an adaptation of the graphic novel ''Torso'' by Brian Michael Bendis and Marc Andreyko, and that the producers were looking for locations in Cleveland, Ohio. During a Social Network Q&A; Fincher confirmed that production on "Ness" is dead.

''Heavy Metal''

''Variety'' reported that Paramount Pictures will make another animated film with David Fincher, based on the ''Heavy Metal'' comics. Fincher is set to direct one of the film’s eight or nine segments, which will also feature other directors such as animator Tim Miller and magazine owner and publisher Kevin Eastman directing another. The film is envisioned as being an animated, adult-themed R-rated film. On July 14, 2008 Paramount Pictures announced the movie is put on hold. On September 4, 2008, it was announced the film was to be made by Columbia Pictures, and a few of the directors attached to make a segment each includes Zack Snyder, Gore Verbinski and Guillermo del Toro, as well as James Cameron.

''Rendezvous with Rama''

Fincher has been attempting to make a film based on the science fiction novel of the same name written by Arthur C. Clarke with Morgan Freeman cast in the lead. In 2008, Fincher announced he was no longer making the film due to Freeman's health, but Freeman said in late 2010 that Fincher is "still part of the conversation."

Collaborators

Acting

Fincher often casts certain actors more than once in his films. Fincher has consistently worked with Richmond Arquette, Bob Stephenson, Christopher John Fields, Brad Pitt and Joel Bissonnette.

! Actor	! class="collapsible" >''Alien 3'' (1992)	! class="collapsible"	! class="collapsible"	! class="collapsible" >''Fight Club'' (1999)	! ''Panic Room'' (2002)	! ''Zodiac (film)>Zodiac'' (2007)	! ''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film)>The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'' (2008)	! ''The Social Network'' (2010)	! ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011 film)>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'' (2011)
! Richmond Arquette	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Joel Bissonnette	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! John Cassini	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Christopher John Fields	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Rachel Flanagan	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Duffy Gaver	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! John Getz	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Zach Grenier	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Mark Boone Junior	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Elias Koteas	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Jared Leto	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Barry Livingston	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! George Maguire	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Rooney Mara	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Michael Massee	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Owen Masterson	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Angelina McCoy	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Holt McCallany	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Evan Mirand	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Brad Pitt	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Paul Schulze	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! David Lee Smith	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
Bob Stephenson (actor)>Bob Stephenson	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Matt Winston	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>

Other

Fincher also frequently works with the same crew across many films, notably Jeff Cronenweth, cinematographer, Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter, editing, Ren Klyce, sound designer, and more recently Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, composers. ''Alien 3'' is unlisted, as there are no collaborations on that film.

! Collaborator, Role	! class="collapsible"	! class="collapsible"	! class="collapsible" >''Fight Club'' (1999)	! ''Panic Room'' (2002)	! ''Zodiac (film)>Zodiac'' (2007)	! ''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film)>The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'' (2008)	! ''The Social Network'' (2010)	! ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011 film)>The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'' (2011)
! Kirk Baxter, Editor	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Donald Graham Burt, Production Designer	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Jeff Cronenweth, Cinematographer	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! James Haygood, Editor	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Darius Khondji, Cinematographer	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Ren Klyce, Sound Designer	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Laray Mayfield, Casting Director	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Trent Reznor, Composer	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Atticus Ross, Composer	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Scott Rudin, Producer	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Harris Savides, Cinematographer	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Howard Shore, Composer	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
! Andrew Kevin Walker, Screenwriter	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>
!Angus Wall, Editor	>	>	>	>	>	>	>	>

Filmography

Feature films

''Alien 3'' (1992)

''Seven'' (1995)

''The Game'' (1997)

''Fight Club'' (1999)

''Panic Room'' (2002)

''Zodiac'' (2007)

''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'' (2008)

''The Social Network'' (2010)

''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'' (2011)

''20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' (2012)

''The Killer'' (2012)

''The Reincarnation of Peter Proud'' (2013)

''The Girl Who Played with Fire'' (2013)

''The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest'' (2014)

''Heavy Metal'' - One segment - (2015)

Television

''House of Cards'' (2013)

Music videos

"Dance This World Away", Rick Springfield (1984)

"Celebrate Youth", Rick Springfield (1984)

"Bop Til You Drop", Rick Springfield (1984)

"Shame", The Motels (1985)

"Shock", The Motels (1985)

"Celebrate Youth", Rick Springfield (1985)

"All The Love", The Outfield (1986)

"Every Time You Cry", The Outfield (1986)

"One Simple Thing", Stabilizers (1986)

"She Comes On", Wire Train (1987)

"Should She Cry", Wire Train (1987)

"Endless Nights", Eddie Money (1987)

"Downtown Train", Patty Smyth (1987)

"I Don't Mind At All", Bourgeois Tagg (1987)

"Notorious", Loverboy (1987)

"Love Will Rise Again", Loverboy (1987)

"Johnny B", The Hooters (1987)

"Storybook Story", Mark Knopfler (1987)

"Can I Hold You", Colin Hay (1987)

"No Surrender", The Outfield (1987)

"Say You Will", Foreigner (1987)

"Don't Tell Me The Time", The Motels (1987)

"Tell It To the Moon", The Motels (1988)

"Heart of Gold", Johnny Hates Jazz (1988)

"Englishman in New York", Sting (1988)

"Shattered Dreams" (second version),Johnny Hates Jazz (1988)

"Get Rhythm", Ry Cooder (1988)

"Most of All", Jody Watley (1988)

"Roll With It", Steve Winwood (1988)

"(It's Just) The Way That You Love Me" (version 1988), Paula Abdul (1988)

"Holding On", Steve Winwood (1988)

"Heart", Neneh Cherry (1989)

"Bamboleo" (second version), Gypsy Kings (1989)

"Straight Up", Paula Abdul (1989)

"Most Of All", Jody Watley (1989)

"Real Love", Jody Watley (1989)

"Bamboleo" (third version), Gypsy Kings (1989)

"She's a Mystery to Me", Roy Orbison (1989)

"Forever Your Girl", Paula Abdul (1989)

"Express Yourself", Madonna (1989)

"The End of the Innocence", Don Henley (1989)

"Cold Hearted", Paula Abdul (1989)

"(It's Just) The Way That You Love Me" (version 1989), Paula Abdul (1988)

"Oh Father", Madonna (1989)

"Janie's Got a Gun", Aerosmith (1989)

"Vogue", Madonna (1990)

"Cradle of Love", Billy Idol (1990)

"L.A. Woman", Billy Idol (1990)

"Freedom '90", George Michael (1990)

"Bad Girl", Madonna (1993)

"Who Is It?", Michael Jackson (1993)

"Love Is Strong", The Rolling Stones (1994)

"6th Avenue Heartache", The Wallflowers (1996)

"Judith", A Perfect Circle (2000)

"Only", Nine Inch Nails (2005)

Reception

Critical reception

85% 71% 81% 77% 89% 72% 96% 87%

rowspan="2"	Film	Rotten Tomatoes		Metacritic
! Overall	! Top Critics
''Alien 3''	39%	57%
''Seven (film)	Seven''	|	65%	65
''The Game (film)	The Game''	|	58%	61
''Fight Club''	|	63%	66
''Panic Room''	|	71%	65
''Zodiac (film)	Zodiac''	|	82%	78
''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (film)	The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''	|	74%	70
''The Social Network''	|	100%	95
''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011 film)	The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo''	|	79%	71
! Average !! 78.2% !! 75.6% !! 71.4

Box office

rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"	Film	Release date	Revenue			Budget	Reference
United States	Outside United States		Worldwide
''Alien 3''		$55,473,545	$104,340,953	$159,814,498		$50 million
''Seven''		$100,125,643	$227,186,216	$327,311,859	$33 million
''The Game''		$48,323,648	$61,100,000	$109,423,648	$50 million
''Fight Club''		$37,030,102	$63,823,651	$100,853,753	$63 million
''Panic Room''		$96,397,334	$100,000,081	$196,397,415	$48 million
''Zodiac''		$33,080,084	$51,705,830	$84,785,914	$65 million
''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''		$127,509,326	$206,422,757	$333,932,083	$150 million
''The Social Network''		$96,962,694	$127,957,621	$224,920,315	$40 million
''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo''		$102,068,888	$124,300,000	$232,617,430	$90 million
	$592,281,774	$920,129,139	$1,512,410,913	$509 million

Awards

! Award	! Year	! Category	! Title	! Result
	2009	Best Director	''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
2011	Best Director	''The Social Network''
	1993	Best Director	''Alien 3''
1996	Best Director	''Se7en''
2009	Best Director	''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
	2009	Best Director	''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
2011	Best Director	''The Social Network''
rowspan=1	1997	Best Foreign Language Film	''Se7en''
	2011	Best American Film	''The Social Network''
2008	Best American Film	''Zodiac''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''
	2011	Best Director	''The Social Network''
2009	Best Director	''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
	2007	Palme d'Or	''Zodiac''
	2012	Best Director	''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo''
2011	Best Director	''The Social Network''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''
2008	Best Director	''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
2007	Best Director	''Zodiac''
		Best Foreign-Language Film - Audience Award	''The Social Network''
Best Foreign-Language Film	''The Social Network
	2011	Best Foreign Film	''The Social Network''
	2011	Best Foreign Film	''The Social Network''
	2001	Best DVD Audio Commentary	''Se7en''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''
2008	Best Director	''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
	2011	Best Foreign Film	''The Social Network''
	2012	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures	''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo''
2011	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures	''The Social Network''
	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures	''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
2004	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Commercials
	2011	Best Director	''The Social Network''
2008	Best Director	''Zodiac''
	1996	Best Film	''Se7en''
	2011	Best Foreign Film	''The Social Network''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''
	2011	Best Director	''The Social Network''
2009	Best Director	''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
	1996	Best Foreign Language Film	''Se7en''
	2011	Best Non-European Director	''The Social Network''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''
	2011	Director of the Year	''The Social Network''
2009	Director of the Year	''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
2008	Director of the Year	''Zodiac''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''
2008	Best Director	''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
	2011	Best Director	''The Social Network''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''
2008	Best Director	''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
	2011	Best Director	''The Social Network''
2009	Best Director	''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
2008	Best Director	''Zodiac''
2000	Best Director	''Fight Club''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''
	2011	Best American Film	''The Social Network''
	2010	Best Foreign Film	''The Social Network''
	2010	Best Director	''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''
	2011	Best Foreign Film	''The Social Network''
1997	Best Foreign Film	''Se7en''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''
	2011	Best Director	''The Social Network''
2009	Best Director	''The Curious Case of Benjamin Button''
	2010	Best Director	''The Social Network''

Further reading

.

References

External links

David Fincher Blog at fincherfanatic.blogspot.com

Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database

Music Videos & Commercials at anonymous content

;Interviews

David Fincher interview with Paul Guyot of www.dvdtalk.com

David Fincher interview with Michael Moses of www.drdrew.com

David Fincher interview with Gavin Smith of edward-norton.org

''Esquire'' magazine interview with Fincher

IndieLondon interview with Fincher

David Fincher Didn't Want To Make 'Another Serial-Killer Movie' ... Until ''Zodiac'' Came Along – Part 1 interview with MTV

David Fincher Discusses Reunion With Brad Pitt, Possible ''Fight Club'' Musical – Part 2 interview with MTV

CHUD: Exclusive Interview: David Fincher

Movieweb: David Fincher Talks Zodiac: Director's Cut

LA Weekly – David Fincher discusses Zodiac's rising star

|- ! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" | National Board of Review |- ! colspan="3" style="background: #DAA520;" | National Board of Review |-

Category:Grammy Award winners Category:American film directors Category:American music video directors Category:People from Ashland, Oregon Category:People from Denver, Colorado Category:1962 births Category:Living people

ar:ديفيد فينشر bg:Дейвид Финчър bs:David Fincher br:David Fincher ca:David Fincher cs:David Fincher cy:David Fincher da:David Fincher de:David Fincher el:Ντέιβιντ Φίντσερ es:David Fincher fa:دیوید فینچر fr:David Fincher ko:데이비드 핀처 id:David Fincher it:David Fincher he:דייוויד פינצ'ר hy:Դեյվիդ Ֆինչեր lv:Deivids Finčers hu:David Fincher nl:David Fincher ja:デヴィッド・フィンチャー no:David Fincher pl:David Fincher pt:David Fincher ro:David Fincher ru:Финчер, Дэвид sq:David Fincher simple:David Fincher sk:David Fincher sl:David Fincher sr:Дејвид Финчер fi:David Fincher sv:David Fincher th:เดวิด ฟินเชอร์ tr:David Fincher uk:Девід Фінчер vi:David Fincher zh:大卫·芬奇

name	Jake Shimabukuro The Ukulele God
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth date	November 03, 1976
instrument	Ukulele
genre	Jazz, blues, funk, rock, classical, bluegrass, folk, flamenco
years active	1998–present
associated acts	Pure Heart
website	www.jakeshimabukuro.com
notable instruments	}}

Jake Shimabukuro (born November 3, 1976 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is a ukulele virtuoso known for his complex finger work. His music combines elements of jazz and rock.

History

Shimabukuro's mother gave him an ukulele at age four and he quickly took an interest in the instrument. A fifth generation Japanese-American, Shimabukuro initially gained attention in Hawaii in 1998 as a member of Pure Heart, a trio with Lopaka Colon (percussion), and Jon Yamasato (guitar). Shimabukuro was working at a music store in Honolulu when the group released its eponymous first album, featuring a sound and style somewhat similar to the Kaau Crater Boys. Their first album won them four Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (the Hawaiian counterpart of the Grammy Awards): Island Contemporary Album of the Year, Most Promising Artist(s), Album of the Year and Favorite Entertainment of the Year, the latter determined by unrestricted public vote.

The following year, they released ''Pure Heart 2'', which earned them another Hoku award for Island Contemporary Album of the year. Yamasato informed the others that he was quitting the group via a newspaper story that ran in the ''Honolulu Advertiser ''on Thanksgiving Day, and Shimabukuro and Colon formed another group, Colon, which they named in honor of Colon's father, famed percussionist Augie Colon. The new guitarist was Guy Cruz, younger brother of the Kaau Crater Boys' Ernie Cruz, Jr., and John Cruz. Colon won the Hoku Award for Favorite Entertainer of the Year in 2001, after which Shimabukuro decided to pursue a solo career.

As a solo artist after the break-up of Colon he experimented with using effect pedals to make new sounds that few would associate with an ukulele. He has released an instructional DVD called ''Play Loud Ukulele'', and in 2006, composed the music to the Japanese film ''Hula Girls'', which featured hula dancing and a Hawaiian spa resort as its primary theme and setting respectively.

Shimabukuro also performed on stage with Jimmy Buffett and his group, The Coral Reefer Band and is featured on Buffett's CD/DVD release, Live in Anguilla.

In November 2009, Shimabukuro accompanied fellow Hawaiian-born Bette Midler at the Royal Variety Show. They performed a rendition of the Beatles song "In My Life" as the first of Midler's three-song set.

Jake is the key spokesman for the "Music is Good Medicine" organization, which uses community outreach programs - and visits to schools, senior centers, and hospitals - to emphasize the importance of a healthy life and mind as well as promoting music and the arts.

Jake was featured on a January 15, 2012 episode of CNN's The Next List.

Instruments

Shimabukuro plays a custom-made 4 string tenor ukulele from Kamaka Ukulele. He uses a Line 6 Pod XT Live.

References

The 1999 Hoku Award

Pure Heart member changes

Jake Shimabukuro Interview

External links

Official website

YouTube clip of live collaboration with beatboxer Jason Tom

Jake in Concert on midnight ukulele disco

Jake Shimabukuro collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive

Interview with Jake Shimabukuro 2009

2006 Shimabukuro Interview from Modern Guitars Magazine

2006 Shimabukuro Interview on NPR

2006 Shimabukuro Interview from AsiaXpress.com

A biography and listing of Shimabukuro's albums from Sony Music Entertainment Japan

- Photos from live show

Jake Shimabukuro featured at the Waikiki Shell, Hawaii Romance Festival, May 2008

Jake Shimabukuro feature by the Pacific Citizen newspaper, Oct. 2009

Category:Musicians from Hawaii Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:American people of Japanese descent Category:American people of Okinawan descent Category:American musicians of Japanese descent Category:Ukulele players

da:Jake Shimabukuro de:Jake Shimabukuro fr:Jake Shimabukuro it:Jake Shimabukuro hu:Jake Shimabukuro nl:Jake Shimabukuro ja:ジェイク・シマブクロ sv:Jake Shimabukuro zh:傑克·島袋

name	David Arkenstone
background	non_vocal_instrumentalist
birth date	July 01, 1952
Birth place	Chicago, Illinois, USA
instrument	Guitar, mandolin, drums, percussion, flutes, fretless bass, piano, keyboards, DAW
genre	New Age, Celtic folk music, Trance, Ambient
years active	1987–present
label	Narada (1987–present)
website	David Arkenstone.com }}

David Arkenstone is an American New Age musician. His music is primarily instrumental, with occasional vocalizations. He was born in Chicago, Illinois on July 1, 1952. He has three children—Quillon, Dashiell and Valinor—with his first wife, Julie. His second wife was Diane Arkenstone, also a musician.

Biography

After moving from Chicago to California at the age of ten, he was involved in various high school bands playing guitars and keyboards, playing baseball in his spare time. He studied music in college and started a progressive rock band named after himself, but he soon discovered the music of Kitaro and was heavily influenced by it. Arkenstone was influenced by writers such as J. R. R. Tolkien and Ian Fleming, and grew up listening to bands like Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Deep Purple and Yes, as well as listening to classical music.

Arkenstone went solo and found his own sound in New Age music. Arkenstone says that has been greatly aided by technology: "Technology has produced some wonderful tools for making music. The computer allows me to fully orchestrate my pieces and really fine tune them." His music is primarily instrumental. His albums, often fantasy themed, often come packaged with literature and art. He worked with fantasy novel writer Mercedes Lackey on a few of his albums. Arkenstone and his ex-wife, Diane, created their own record label called Neo Pacifica. In addition to releasing their own music on the label, they have included other bands such as Earth Trybe, Enaid, and the Marquis Ensemble.

He has also composed music for television; channels such as the History Channel, the Discovery Channel and NBC Sports include his music. He has also written music for trailers and film soundtracks, including the independent film ''PRISM'', as well as computer game soundtracks such as ''World of Warcraft'', ''Lands of Lore 2'' and ''3'', ''Blade Runner'', ''Earth and Beyond'', and ''Emperor: Battle for Dune''; he also features on ''20 Years of Narada Piano''.

Arkenstone earned three Grammy nominations for his work: ''In the Wake of the Wind'' in 1992, ''Citizen of the World'' in 2000, and ''Atlantis'' in 2004.

Arkenstone has learned to play a large variety of musical instruments including the bouzouki, mandolin, guitar, bass guitar, harp, cello, flute, electronic keyboards, piano, Turkish saz, pennywhistle, melodica and pan pipes. He also plays drums and percussion and has performed some vocalizations on his albums.

Arkenstone is also involved in the band Troika; their sound is similar to his solo work. The band members like to remain anonymous, although the compositions are credited to Arkenstone.

His theme "The Journey Begins / Kyla's Ride" was used for the FIFA World Cup France '98 broadcastings intro by the Mexican television network TV Azteca.

He signed with Domo Records and re-released the album ''Echoes of Light and Shadow'' in 2010.

Arkenstone was a member of the composing team who developed the music for Blizzard Activision's ''World of Warcraft'' videogame's''Cataclysm'' expansion. Along with Arkenstone, the team consists of Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford, and Neal Acree.

Discography

References

External links

Official Page on Domo Records

Domo Records

Narada

Category:New Age musicians Category:Living people Category:Narada Productions artists Category:1952 births Category:Windham Hill Records artists

fr:David Arkenstone it:David Arkenstone ja:デヴィッド・アーカンストーン pl:David Arkenstone pt:David Arkenstone fi:David Arkenstone

Name	Felicia Day
Birth name	Kathryn Felicia Day
Birth date	June 28, 1979
Birth place	Huntsville, Alabama, United States
Residence	Los Angeles, California
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actress/Writer/Singer
Website	http://www.feliciaday.com/
Yearsactive	2001-present }}

Kathryn Felicia Day (born on June 28, 1979) is an American actress and singer, known for her work as "Vi" on the TV series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' and for parts in movies such as ''Bring It On Again'' and ''June'', as well as the Internet musical, ''Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog''. Day is also the star, script writer and producer of the original web series ''The Guild'', a show loosely based on her life as a gamer. She also starred in the ''Dragon Age'' Web Series; ''Dragon Age: Redemption'', which she wrote. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the International Academy of Web Television.

Personal life and education

Day began her acting career at the age of 7 when she starred as Scout in a local production of ''To Kill a Mockingbird''. She studied operatic singing and ballet professionally, performing at concerts and competitions nationwide. Home-schooled throughout much of her childhood, she began college at the age of 16.

She was a National Merit Scholar (1995) and graduated as valedictorian of her class. An accomplished violinist, Day was accepted to the Juilliard School of Music but chose to attend the University of Texas at Austin on a full scholarship in violin performance. She double majored in mathematics and music performance.

Day is an avid player of a wide variety of video game genres. Much of her work on ''The Guild'' web series was based on her personal experience with video games.

Career

Early career

After graduation, Day moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. She landed several roles in various short and independent films, as well as commercials and guest spots on television shows, including ''Undeclared'' and ''Maybe It's Me''. These parts propelled her to larger roles: a part in the film ''Bring It On Again'', the starring role in ''June'', and a recurring guest spot as potential Slayer Vi on television's ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'', a recurring role that is still occasionally utilized in that show's eighth season comic book series.

''The Guild''

Day is the creator, writer, and star of ''The Guild'', a web series which started airing its fifth season in July 2011. The first season was primarily hosted on YouTube where it garnered millions of views. Its second season premiered on Microsoft's three major video channels Xbox Live, MSN Video and The Zune Marketplace after Microsoft made a deal with ''The Guild'', allowing Day, her cast, and her crew to be paid for their work. Day also created a song and music video called "(Do You Wanna Date My) Avatar", featuring the cast dressed up as their in-game personae. The final moments of the music video itself also detailed that the release date for the 3rd season of Day's ''The Guild'' would be August 25, 2009. A second song and video "Game On" was released prior to the premiere of the 4th season of ''The Guild''.

''The Guild'' has won multiple awards, including the Greenlight Award for Best Original Digital Series Production at the South by Southwest festivals, the YouTube Video Award for Best Series, the Yahoo! Video Award for Best Series, and 2009 Streamy Awards for Best Comedy Web Series, Best Female Actor in a Comedy Web Series, and Best Ensemble Cast in a Web Series.

Other work

In July 2008, Day starred as Penny in the three-part web-based musical ''Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog'' (created by Joss Whedon, who also created ''Firefly'' and ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' in which Day has a minor role as the potential slayer Vi during the seventh season). Day was featured as a patient in the episode "Not Cancer" of the medical drama ''House'', and had a guest starring role in the sci-fi drama ''Dollhouse''s unaired episode "Epitaph One", as well as its series finale "Epitaph Two." In 2008, Day was featured in a series of commercials for Sears. She also appeared in the first of the revitalized Cheetos commercials. In the series ''Lie to Me'', on the episode called "Tractor Man", airing December 14, 2009, Day sang a song called "White Lie" alongside Brendan Hines. Day starred in the Syfy film adaption of the saga Little Red Riding Hood, called ''Red''; it was produced by Angela Mancuso.

Day also starred in ''Guild'' co-star Sandeep Parikh's web-series ''The Legend of Neil'', in which she portrayed a Fairy. She sings in the second season musical episode, in which she obliquely references her history of internet musicals.

Day lent her voice to the character Veronica Santangelo in the video game ''Fallout: New Vegas''.

In February 2011, Day announced that she would be starring in a new web miniseries. Called ''Dragon Age: Redemption'', it is based on the ''Dragon Age'' video games made by BioWare and aired on October 10, 2011. She also voices the elf Tallis, the protagonist of the ''Dragon Age'' downloadable content "Mark of the Assassin".

In March 2012, Day announced that she would be launching a premium YouTube channel, "Geek & Sundry," on April 2.

In April 2012 it was announced that Day will host the 2012 IndieCade Awards Ceremony on October 4th, 2012.

Day played the continuing role of Dr. Holly Marten in the SyFy channel's original series, ''Eureka'', appearing for 10 episodes until episode 2 of series 5.

On April 29, 2012 she also appeared on the new YouTube show, My Music as a foreign singer called Gorgel.

Awards

In September 2008, ''TV Week'' included her in their list of Top 10 Web Video Creators.

During the inaugural Streamy Awards held in Los Angeles on March 28, 2009, Day received the award for the "Best Female Actor in a Comedy" for her work as protagonist Cyd Sherman in ''The Guild,'' and won the same award again in 2010. She was also recognized for her work on ''Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog'' in 2009.

Filmography

''They Shoot Divas, Don't They?'' ''Delusional'' ''Backslide'' ''The Mortician's Hobby'' ''Mystery Woman ''God's Waiting List'' ''Splitting Hairs'' ''Prairie Fever''Red: Werewolf Hunter ''Rock Jocks''

Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
2001	''Strings''	???
rowspan="2"	2002	|	Call Girl	TV movie/Supporting Lead
''House Blend''	Pam
2003	|	???	unknown part
2003	|	Maddie
rowspan="4"	2004	|	Tiffany
''Bring It On Again''	Penelope
''June''	June Marie Jacobs
''Final Sale''	Felicia
rowspan="3"	2005	Mystery Woman: Vision of a Murder''||	Emily	TV movie/Lead
''Warm Springs (film)	Warm Springs''	Eloise Hutchinson
''Short Story Time''	Felicia
2006	|	Trixie
2007	|	Sugar Girl
rowspan="2"	2008	|	Blue
''Dear Me''	Pipsy
2010	|	Virginia Sullivan	Lead
2011	|	Alison	Lead

TV series/internet productions

''Maybe It's Me (TV series) ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV series) ''One on One (TV series) ''Monk (TV series) ''Windfall (TV series) ''The Guild'' ''The Legend of Neil'' ''House (TV series) ''Roommates (TV series) ''The Webventures of Justin & Alden'' ''Dragon Age: Redemption'' ''Fish Hooks''

Year !! Title !! Role !! Notes
2001	Emeril (2001 TV series)>Emeril''	Cherie
2002	Maybe It's Me''||	Cookie
rowspan="3"	2003	Buffy the Vampire Slayer''||	Vi (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)>Vi	8 episodes
''For the People''	Nicole
''Century City''	Sheryl
rowspan="2"	2004	One on One''||	Sarah
''Strong Medicine''	Jesse's Friend
2005	Monk''||	Heidi Gefsky	"Mr. Monk Gets Drunk" / 1 episode
rowspan="2"	2006	Windfall''||	Danielle	2 episodes
''Love, Inc. (TV series)	Love, Inc.''	Natalie
2007-present	|	Cyd Sherman/Codex	Web series / All episodes
2008-2010	|	Fairy	Web series / 5 episodes / Musical Reference of her Career
rowspan="3"	2008	House''||	Apple	"Not Cancer" / 1 episode
''Retarded Policeman #7.5: Fish'' by MediocreFilms	Herself
''Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog''	Penny
rowspan="6"	2009	Roommates''||	Alyssa	3 episodes
''My Boys''	Heather
''Dollhouse (TV series)	Dollhouse''	Mag
''IRrelevant Astronomy''	Felicia Day
''Lie To Me''	Ms. Angela
''Three Rivers (TV series)	Three Rivers''	Jeni
rowspan="2"	2010	|	Herself
''Generator Rex''	Annie
rowspan="4"	2011	|	Tallis	Writer & Co-producer
''Generator Rex''	Annie
''The Big Chew''	Marjorie
''Eureka (TV series)	Eureka''	Dr. Holly Marten
rowspan="3"	2012	|	Angela
	''Supernatural''	Charlie
	''The Flog''	Herself

Video games

! Year	! Title	! Role	! Other notes
	''Rock of the Dead''	Mary Beth	game character voice over
''Fallout: New Vegas''	Veronica Santangelo	game character voice over
	''Guild Wars 2''	Zojja	game character voice over (Still in development as of April 2012)
	Tallis	game character voice over

References

;Further Reading

Schramm, Mike. (Aug. 24, 2009) BlizzCon 2009: WoW.com interviews Felicia Day. (part 2)

External links

Felicia Day Online - official website and blog

Category:1979 births Category:American film actors Category:American television actors Category:Web series actors Category:Living people Category:People from Huntsville, Alabama Category:Military brats Category:Actors from Alabama Category:American female singers

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