"John Carter" Presentation Showcases Huge VFX Sequences
(comingsoon.net) Walt Disney Pictures is kicking off a busy year of blockbusters with the March 9th release of John Carter, previewed this morning at Anaheim's D23 Expo.
"I assumed that live-action would move faster than animation," joked director Andrew Stanton backstage to ComingSoon.net, "and was used to being on films that could last up to four years. This is just a few months shy of that by the end of my time with it. It's actually way more familiar than I thought it would be."
SPOILERS:
The first scene showcased had John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) waking up on Mars and wandering, bewildered, up a hill. He finds a large rock that looks like it has a symbol on it. He clears off some of the dust and finds it filled with eggs, which start to hatch. Out pop what seem like hundreds of baby Thark aliens. In the distance, Carter sees Thark riders coming out to meet him, and doesn't notice Willem Dafoe's character (Tars Tarkas) coming up alongside him. Not sharing a common language, Carter instinctively jumps away, not realizing that Mars' lesser gravity gives him seemingly super-powered abilities.
The riders arrive, shooting at where Carter hid. Tars manages to talk them down, and he says he will deal with the strange being. He puts down all his weapons and puts up all four of his hands to approach Carter. Carter sees that the weapons are gone, and slowly comes out. Carter and the Tharks bumble their way through first contact, with Jeddak successfully introducing himself and Tars thinking that Carter's name is Virginia.
Tars asks if Carter could jump for him again. Carter sees this as an opportunity and leaps over Tars to his pile of weapons. Tars is horrified as his comrades-at-arms pull out their guns and runs to try to stop the violence. Despite Carter holding his own gun at him, Tars throws himself around him. The screen cuts to black, there are gunshots, and Tars screams.
Dafoe, Kitsch and Collins were then brought out to talk about their characters. Dafoe had to wear three foot tall stilts every single day of shooting to help create the realism of the nine-foot tall Tharks.
Full article: http://www.comingsoon.net/
Opinions Emerge On VES Open Letter
(shootonline.com) LOS ANGELES, A SHOOT Staff Report --- Back in May, the Visual Effects Society (VES) announced its intent to take a proactive role on various issues and concerns that are top of mind in the VFX business. The initiative was made public in an open letter from VES executive director Eric Roth to the entertainment industry at large.
The letter heralded the introduction of VES 2.0, a moniker reflecting the association's maturation into a more encompassing advocate for the VFX community. "As an honorary society, VES has led the way in promoting the incredible work of VFX artists but so far no one has stood up to lead the way on the business side of our business. No one has been able to speak out for unrepresented artists and facilities—or the craft as a whole—in any meaningful way," wrote Roth.
"It should not come as a surprise to anyone that the state of the visual effects industry is unsettled," he continued. "Artists and visual effects companies are working longer hours for less income, delivering more amazing VFX under ever diminishing schedules, carrying larger financial burdens while others are profiting greatly from our work. As a result, there has been a lot of discussion recently about visual effects and its role in the entertainment industry. Many feel VFX artists are being taken advantage of and many others feel that VFX facilities are operating under unsustainable competitive restraints and profit margins…As globalization intensifies, the process of creating visual effects is becoming more and more commoditized. Many wonder if the current business model for our in industry is sustainable over the long term."
The VES letter cited a number of ways in which the level of respect for VFX artists is not commensurate with what visual effects help to bring to the bottom line. The VES list included:
• "Credits—we are frequently listed incompletely and below where we should be in the crawl.
• "Benefits—in the U.S., you likely do not have ready access to health care. Or a vision plan. Or a pension plan. Outside the U.S., unless you're a citizen of a country with national health care, you likely do not have health coverage either. Or have the ability to build hours for your pension. Or are eligible to receive residuals. On a UNION show, we are the ONLY department that is not union and therefore not receiving the same benefits as everyone else on the set.
With membership of some 2,400 artists in 23 countries, the VES seeks to be a voice for the VFX community on pivotal issues. When SHOOT sought out feedback on that prospect, the response was generally supportive. However, the majority of those canvassed declined to respond for attribution.
Several VFX studio executives felt that the labor/management issues involved were too sensitive to comment on for the record. One VFX house requesting anonymity sent a statement to SHOOT which read, "As a prominent industry animation and VFX company, we believe we currently take good care of our employees but are certainly open to the views of others."
An effects veteran at another facility observed that the decision of many to not be vocal on the record—including himself—perhaps underscores the need for the voice that the VES aspires to provide. "We are being squeezed on a number of fronts which raises the question of how we can provide more for workers when our margins are so challenged. It's difficult for the different sectors within our business to speak out. We're at odds over a number of key issues. Maybe the VES can bring more out into the open. Maybe it can be an association that speaks out for what we cannot easily speak on individually."
Others said they simply did not feel comfortable commenting on the VES initiative or that the time wasn't right to chime in—and left it at that. Furthermore at press time, SHOOT was yet to hear back from VES' Roth for comment.
As alluded to, though, several provided feedback, expressing their support for the VES spreading its wings and trying to do some good. SHOOT posed the following series of questions:
What do you hope and/or expect will come out of the VES initiative? What issues would you like to see addressed and why? Do you think it's appropriate for the VES to take this expanded proactive role?
Sarah Dowland, executive producer of Framestore New York, and chair of VES' New York Section, responded, "My hope is that by opening up a dialogue about some of the imbalances that exist in our industry, we can develop better work practices and conditions for ourselves. It's up to us to determine our value and to work smart. I think we will see real tangible benefits for visual effects studios and artisans from this initiative, and that's due to the efforts and commitment of the VES who have taken up this challenge and are leading the way. There's no other representation for visual effects studios and artisans that has the power of nearly 2,500 members around the world.
"I would personally," continued Dowland, "like to see some standardization for work practices across our industry, especially regarding overtime. Health care is a huge issue for our artisans particularly in the U.S." Dowland further noted the importance of visual effects studios and artisans receiving credits in the appropriate place in the crawl at the end of the film, acknowledging the contribution their work reflects.
Ed Ulbrich, president of Venice, Calif.-headquartered Mothership and executive VP of its sister shop Digital Domain Productions, related, "Having served on the board of VES in the past, I know first hand that the VES faces serious challenges in aligning the needs of their members—many of whom have dramatically different job descriptions and skillsets, working in industries spanning film, games, television and advertising. I have always advocated for VES to focus more heavily on the business of visual effects and hope that this new initiative will give a voice to the needs of its constituents across multiple industries at what is a very vulnerable time in the business."
As for what issues he would like to see addressed, Ulbrich said, "A few of the biggest issues at large are labor practices, globalization, commoditization and the fact that we're in a capital-intensive business. In a climate where small and mid-sized visual effects shops are getting crushed by supply-and-demand economics, it would be great to see the VES help institute best practices to potentially avoid some of the pitfalls."
Whether he thinks it's appropriate for the VES to take on this proactive role, Ulbrich responded, "Yes, it's not only appropriate but I believe it's their responsibility to focus on solutions to these issues. They're the only voice for the industry. This is a thriving community, yet much of the foundation it was built upon is in flux. That is a big problem but there is still great opportunity—and I have faith in [VES chair] Jeff Okun, Eric Roth and the VES board to work toward taking the VES to the next level."
Mark Leiss, owner, Arsenal FX, Santa Monica, also thinks it's appropriate for the VES to expand in this manner. "I commend the VES for its efforts. However, this is certainly not a subject to be taken lightly. As the VES embarks on its expanded industry role, I think it's important that it carefully takes into consideration voices from throughout the industry, including the global marketplace.
As for what he hopes and/or expects to have come out of the VES initiative and what issues he would like to see tackled, Leiss responded, "I would hope to see the VES lay the groundwork for the creation of a trade organization that would protect the interests of both artists as well as the facilities. For instance, with the passage of the Affordable Care Act, taking widespread effect in 2014, a trade organization of this nature could provide clarity and guidance on navigating this complex issue for facilities and artists that have questions about health care."
Travis Spangler, creative director/principal, The Lifelong Friendship Society, Brooklyn, N.Y., identified the issues he would like to see the VES address. "One of the most pressing issues for me as a former freelancer, former employee and currently a production and animation studio owner is work overload and diminishing schedules versus profit margins," he said. "These tilted largely in favor of clients. It clearly is getting worse.
"In close orbit to this issue is the expanded competitive pitching atmosphere. Wherein companies, and by proxy, freelancers are pitching at an ever increasing rate for smaller projects with smaller budgets. Competition is great and needed. Work for free is not sustainable.
"These two issues affect the top of the chain and dominoes on down the line to the individuals that help make and break any one project and quite often the ability of small to medium-sized companies to keep their collective heads above water."
However, Spangler views the benefits issue "in a slightly different light than the VES open letter....On one hand I think it is extremely important for individuals to be able to defend against being taken advantage of; on the other hand, freelancing by definition is a choice. Freelancers are in essence giving up being tied down to one employer in favor of running, for all intensive purposes, a roaming company of one. Freelancers can come and go as they please. I don't think its fair to hold benefits as a main tenant of freelancing rights—unless say, it's for an extended period of employ time. Not many business owners I know prefer to work with freelancers over hiring on—it's not usually cost effective. Freelancers should consider joining a studio for these rewards. From experience the shared tax burden issue occupies a quite sketchy area of the law. An agreeable solution needs to be hammered out so all parties know what is expected of them and are understanding of the nuances of these laws."
Relative to the appropriateness of VES assuming a more proactive role on major issues, Spangler observed, "Simply speaking, someone or some organization must stand up and speak, count heads and organize. VES is in as good a position as many other small organizations, websites, forums, award shows. These also should include those working in motion graphics and VFX for broadcast and advertising. I think it would behoove VES to reach out to as many of these forums as they can and to expand beyond their core members to the best of their ability. Partner up. Ultimately this issue is beyond any one organization.
"At the appropriate time," concluded Spangler, "VES should be stepping aside to make way for an explicitly not-for profit trade organization or VFX union or both."
Carey Gattyan, partner/executive producer, QuietMan, New York, noted that it's still up to individuals and individual companies to deal with issues and persevere. "I could sit here and write paragraphs about how VFX houses are mistreated," she related. "We get the footage last, have the most work, least amount of time and money (at times) is tight. In the sixteen years I have been in the business that has ALWAYS been the case.
"I, actually, think that the VFX community has evolved most in the last few years," she continued. "We are more independent then ever. Years ago it cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy machines and equipment to get VFX done. Now it is more economical then ever. Just look at the power of a desktop. I don't think that any one model to represent everyone would be sustainable. It really comes down to people's ability to adapt and change to the environment."
The Dark Knight Rises Completes Pittsburgh Filming
(SuperHeroHype) There's still Los Angeles and New York left to go, but this weekend Christopher Nolan finished filming The Dark Knight Rises scenes in Pittsburgh. Nolan and the producers used this newspaper ad (thanks to 'Yurka' and 'Dragon_316ca') to thank the city for their work with the production. Below the ad you'll find more of the videos taken by the fans this weekend of the filming - the first one features Anne Hathaway, not a stunt woman, riding the Batpod as Catwoman!
VFX Master Josh Meador and the ID Monster of 'Forbidden Planet'
(cdispatch.com)
Last month the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (the Oscar people) celebrated the innovative special effects and technology of the 1956 movie, "Forbidden Planet." In the MGM science-fiction classic, a space crew from Earth lands on a distant planet searching for survivors of a space ship that had landed there 20 years earlier. What they found were two survivors, a robot and a strange freighting Id monster.
On July 16, there was a program in Hollywood that focused on " the film's breakthrough effects sequences" including how Joshua Meador "created his animated Id monster effect" and "combined it with live-action photography." The presentation was by Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Craig Barron and Oscar-winning sound designer Ben Burtt and was held at the Linwood Dunn Theater at the Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study.
Josh Meador had been part of an special and visual effects team that also included A. Arnold Gillespie, Warren Newcombe and Irving G. Ries. The effects they used and developed for "Forbidden Planet" paved the way for "Star Trek" and the great films of science fiction that followed.
In addition to the program there was an exhibit that ran until last week in the foyer of the Pickford Center's Dunn Theater that illustrated "the complexity of the film's production methods" including Meador's Id monster. That raises the question of how in the world did Meador, an animation effects supervisor for Walt Disney, wind up doing special effects for an MGM outer space movie and what does Meador have to do with Mississippi.
Joshua Meador was born in Greenwood in 1911. When he was 7, his father the auditor for the Columbus and Greenville Railroad, moved the family to Columbus. Josh married his sweetheart from Stephen D. Lee High School, Elizabeth Alston, and always considered Columbus his home. He returned almost every year of his life to visit with family. His mother was active at First United Methodist Church and his brother, Laws, was the engineer for Columbus' first radio station WCOC and later ran a printing business.
So how does an animator known for his creative visual effects in Walt Disney productions such as "Snow White," "Pinocchio," "Fantasia," "Bambi," "Dumbo" and "Cinderella" venture over to MGM to do a live-action science fiction movie.
In 1954 the Disney effects team, headed by Meador and John Hench, won for the Studio the Academy Award for special effects for Disney's live-action feature "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." Also in 1954, MGM Studios contacted Walt Disney and asked him to lend them his "best effects man" to help with the special effects in a ground-breaking soon to be made science fiction movie, "Forbidden Planet."
Disney presented the project to Josh Meador and asked him to take it on as a challenge. Meador hesitated at first but then accepted the assignment along with his Chief Effects Assistant Dwight Carlisle. In the movie, Meador created the animated Id monster. It was a creature considered so frightening at the time that in some states its image was edited out of the film so as to not scare children.
Science-Fantasy Film Classics Magazine in a 1977 special issue "Three Decades of Film Classics" featured three movies, "Forbidden Planet," "2001 A Space Odyssey" and "Star Wars." The article on "Forbidden Planet" not only mentioned the Id monster but added; "Disney animator Joshua Meador did the fantastic matte paintings of the Krell power plant." Meador had even painted some of the color sequences with a pallet knife, a technique he used in painting landscapes. In addition to the Id monster, Meador also provided the visual effects for ray gun blasts "pressure beams," and disintegration scenes.
The movie and its special effects were nominated for an Oscar, but lost to "The Ten Commandments."
However, Forbidden Planet became the inspiration for many later science fiction programs and features from the "Star Trek" series to the movies of Lucas and Spielberg. "Forbidden Planet" has become a cult classic and in a 1996 review by Washington Post movie critic Lloyd Rose mentioned Josh Meador's work and called the movie one of "the best fantasy films ever made." As recently as February 2008, Meador's Id monster graced the cover of Classic Images Magazine.
Source with pics: http://www.cdispatch.com/lifestyles/article.asp?aid= 12589
Spy Kids 4 Effects Grinder: 1,114 VFX Shots On A Six Month VFX Prod Schedule
(btlnews.com)Once again, director Robert Rodriguez has turned to the creative minds at Montreal-based Hybride, (a division of Ubisoft Montreal), to produce visual effects for the latest installment of the Spy Kids franchise – Spy Kids 4: All the Time in The World in 4D.
The long-standing relationship between Hybride and Rodriguez began back in 1998 with the first of a series of collaborations. To date, the studio has created digital visual effects for more than 11 films by the renowned director, including VFX for all three previous Spy Kids movies.
For this latest installment, the order book listed 1,114 VFX shots, for a total of 64 minutes, which posed a significant challenge for the team of 95 artists working under a tight six-month deadline.
“Thanks to our long-standing relationship, we’ve adapted our work methods to Robert’s style. Though this made our job a little easier, we relied on the in-depth know how of our supervision team to efficiently manage the considerable workload resulting from the project’s tight deadlines”, said Daniel Leduc, VFX producer at Hybride.
In order to maximize productivity, Hybride artists developed innovative procedural tools and management practices tailored to the production’s specific needs. “Our proven technical and administrative infrastructures, combined with rigorous organizational skills, made it possible for us to adapt rapidly in order to meet the requirements of this large-scale project. The end results translate into impressive VFX shots – both from a technical and artistic point of view – that showcase our creative team’s talent and ingenuity”.
Hybride’s contribution includes the creation of 3D CG environments and integration of characters filmed on green screen in over 18 virtual settings. The Hybride team also developed cutting-edge technology to create an entirely virtual city. Each element was generated using procedural scripts to maximize production and to give the artists optimal freedom to create.
Hybride’s artists were also tasked with set extensions and particle simulation, creating CG characters, fire and explosions, holographic screens and many of the Spy Kids’ mind-blowing gadgets.
Are These the 50 Best Special Effects in Film of All-Time?
(ropeofsilicon.com)David Fear, Joshua Rothkopf and Keith Uhlich from Time Out New York have taken the time to list their choices for the 50 "most special effects of all time" from films dating from 1902-2009.
As effects have become a larger and larger part of today's films, to the point we are now debating whether a CG-rendered character is worthy of an Oscar nomination, it's interesting to look at the number of films on the list from each decade. Here's how each decade breaks down:
* 1900-1909 – 1 film
* 1920s – 2 films
* 1930s – 4 films
* 1940s – 2 films
* 1950s – 5 films
* 1960s – 4 films
* 1970s – 8 films
* 1980s – 14 films
* 1990s – 7 films
* 2000-2009 – 3 films
Looking over the list, there are a few films I haven't seen, but of the bunch I would consider for such a list, they have pretty much covered them all. The ranking would probably be the only dispute, but then again the effect newer films have had on the world of cinema as a whole has not yet been fully realized. In ten years we'll probably see if Avatar should rank higher on such a list, but there aren't many recent films I would say necessarily deserve inclusion. Can you think of any over the last two years that you may put on this list over any that are already included?
I would bet some of you will instantly say Rise of the Planet of the Apes, but after Gollum in Lord of the Rings and the Na'vi in Avatar, did Rise really bring that much more to the landscape? Right now we can't answer that question, but in ten years we will hopefully realize the full effect.
I have listed the top 10 directly below with a clip from each followed by the complete list of 50 films on the second page.
See the list: http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/article/50-special-effects- film-all-time
Stop Motion Animation "Frankenweenie" Shoots On 35 Sets
ShockTillYouDrop.com ventured down to Anaheim, California Saturday morning for the Disney event D23 Expo where the site was treated to the Frankenweenie presentation.
Burton did not attend the expo, the audience was told, because he was still working on the film as well as Dark Shadows in London. Producers Allison Abbate and Don Hahn showed up, however, and gave the audience a sneak peek at the film. What they showed off was a collection of behind-the-scenes footage, completed footage and interviews. We also got a peek at photos of cast members Winona Ryder, Martin Short and Martin Landau recording vocal tracks for the 3D stop-motion, black and white animated film.
Stemming from the 1984 Burton-directed live-action short film of the same name, Frankenweenie tells of a misfit young boy, Victor, and his dog (equally "misfit," we're told). When the canine is hit by a car, Victor resurrects his pooch via his experiments. From there, things go awry and the locals are put into a tizzy when they come to learn the misunderstood dog has been brought back from the dead. The producers said that the feature film allowed Burton to explore themes and ideas he wasn't able to with his short.
Abbate and Hahn stated up to 35 standing sets are being used by the animators during principal photography. They also added that Danny Elfman is, in fact, going to score the film.
The video presentation embraced the legacy of classic movie monsters, teasing the film like a gothic creature feature. As for the footage itself, Burton's aesthetic is ubiquitous. Characters looked like wide-eyed, raven-haired, ashen figures, and don't be surprised to see plenty of black-striped shirts. The design of Victor himself is very much inspired by Burton's stop-motion short Vincent. As for the town Victor lives in, it was described as "Transylvania meets Burbank." Frankenweenie was terrific. A scarred mess with a giant patch of what looks like Dalmation skin grafted to his back.
A lot of the clips shown featured Victor in his lab, equipment whirling and crackling to life. Other snippets featured Frankenweenie himself roaming about. It all went by rather fast.
Solving the VFX Industry Crisis with Management, Not With a Union
(talkmgt.com) Three months ago, Eric Roth, the executive director of the visual effects society have posted on the VES website an open letter to the VFX and to the entertainment industry. The letter talked about the problems the industry is currently facing including the outsourcing of specialized work, the lack of recognition for accomplishment of VFX artists, the working conditions of some artists to meet deadlines and so on… Their solution a VFX union, but the current situation this industry is facing is not unique and has been seen in many other economic sectors of our society, so a union might not be the best solution, we think we should start by having a better management. We just need to remember the textile industry leaving the U.S. to come up north to Canada and after that, 15 years ago, they again left the Canadian soil for other countries such has Guatemala and China.
State of the Entertainment Industry: Maturity
The evolution of an industry goes through (Introduction, Growth, Maturity & Decline) When an industry reaches the maturity, it usually faces different type of new challenges and changes as part of the evolution in the economic sector, the biggest challenges are; increase in the competition (more actors are popping out in the same market) which result in lower prices and the drop in revenues (both gross and net). To survive and prevent a decline they must now give greater importance to performance, lower cost of production and a greater efficiency, all to face the new economic context. It’s exactly what’s happening to the entertainment industry.
The seven giants film distributors who assigns the shots wants the work to be of high quality, produce quickly and at the lowest cost they can get. The increase in the number of vendors and the drop in hardware prices has driven the price down and the competition up: two big factors that are now affecting this industry.
Union for the artists
I’ve heard some people who were preaching to establish a VFX union. The problem at this current state of the industry is that the cheaper vendors (China, India, Korea, etc.) have now the skills to produce, deliver good and affordable quality work. If a union is created, it will be endorsed by the USA, Canada, UK, France, NZ and Australian workers. The work will simply slide even more into the cheaper countries because they will not endorse this new union to make sure their competitive advantage (cheap labor) is still attracting U.S. and international producers. The following countries (USA, Canada, UK, France, NZ and Australia) all have established tax credits programs and still can’t retain all of the productions on their soils.
Better management could benefit everyone
Entertainment industry is filled with various departments, processes and vendors. The business process is currently been over-seen by different type of managers with different backgrounds. Only a good manager will have the conscience to plan in advance the production process to guide everyone through each production stages. They now need to place extra padding, find creative solutions and limit the number of change orders to make sure the film vendor doesn’t lose money (and we’re not talking about making money). The problem is that expectation are high and vendors does not want to displease the client.
“We give them a very good service, we even give them more than what they ask for and we hope to catch-up on the next job.”
But sometime the next job doesn’t come quick enough or it comes, but again without any chances of making profits and sometimes it just doesn’t even come at all.
Since most managers in the entertainment industry comes from the artists based and level up to manager after getting years of experience, they may not have all the necessary resources and skills to offer great managing performances. They usually have a strong artists perspective, but they sometimes lack in term of management skills. We’re not saying they can’t become good manager, we think they can, but they need a quick access to important information to get the work line-up easily for everyone in the pipeline.
This situation is putting even more pressure on the managers. They can no longer put the problem on the artists, they cannot longer dig in the money “padding” because they have no more padding on today’s production and they can’t lower the quality they’ve promised to the clients. They need to be well trained and have the quick reflexes to request money for change orders and to flag the problems ASAP.
Bad management lead to a decrease in performance, raise of stress on the artists, lost of faith in leadership and reduced passion and enjoyment for the work.
This is why industry managers need strong project management skills, to be able to stay competitive and satisfy client’s needs, met deadline without squeezing the artists and to make sure the company generates profits; because if there is no profits or even worse if there is losses, the business will eventually put the key in the door or end up in bankruptcy, as we’ve seen lately.
To be able to accomplish his role, the managers need to be supported by a strong information, communication and business process collaborative tool. It start from the beginning of the production (script breakdown) until the end of the production (distribution). Everyone needs to be able to collaborate in the production process, including the managers, the artists and the vendors.
It could help, for example VFX studios to stay competitive when bidding for a project. The industry should start to take in consideration creative management in the bidding process, creative management is a very effective approach, having VFX studios being part of the project since the beginning will result in a high quality work well polish at a lower cost.
Solving the industry Crisis with Management, not with a Union
A union would only protect the artists working conditions, but would not guaranteed more jobs, compare to management which would in the end benefit everyone, stronger management as proven over the past his value. Artist would get workable conditions and company would stay competitive by having better performance, efficiency which would result in higher productivity and some profits. All of this while offering high quality of work to clients at a lower cost and done within deadlines. Instead of focusing on a union, look at the management structure in your company and see if there’s any change that could be done to give all the right tools to your managers.
Management is not the only solution, but it could be a big step into resolving the problem.
Disney & Pixar Reveal Two New Original Films
(darkhorizons.com)Disney and Pixar used the D23 Expo in Anaheim today to announce two untitled new films in development.
Bob Peterson is directing the first which posits the idea that the extinction-level asteroid missed the Earth 65 million years ago so dinosaurs never went extinct. That film has been scheduled for November 27th 2013.
Pete Docter is directing the second which is being called "inventive new film that explores a world that everyone knows, but no one has seen: inside the human mind." That has been set for a May 30th 2014 release.
Both will follow "Brave" on June 22nd 2012 and "Monsters University" on June 21st 2013.
Katzenberg to be Honored with 3D Award
(homemediamagazine.com)DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg will be honored with the 3D Visionary Award at the 4th annual 3D Entertainment Summit, Sept. 20-22 in Hollywood, Calif.
Katzenberg will address the conference via taped remarks Sept. 21 at 11:30 a.m. Visual effects veteran Phil McNally, who has collaborated with DreamWorks on Puss in Boots, Shrek Forever After, Kung Fu Panda 2 and How to Train Your Dragon, will accept the award on Katzenberg’s behalf.
“No one is more knowledgeable or passionate about the global possibilities of 3D entertainment than Jeffrey,” said Bob Dowling, the Summit’s co-producer. "As we mark our fourth anniversary with a major expansion of our programming and sponsor list, it seems a most propitious time to honor 3D’s greatest advocate and to thank him for being such a huge supporter of the Summit since its inception.”
Extensive footage from the new DreamWorks Animation 3D film Puss in Boots will be shown at the event.
Big News for American FX Artists in the UK: £30,000 'Remittance Charge' Qualifies for U.S. Foreign Tax Credit
(rothcpa.com)London may be burning, but there's one piece of good news for Americans across the pond.
The new Tax Law: http://intltax.typepad.com/intltax_blog/2011/08/uk- remittance-basis-charge-rbc- is-a-creditable-tax.html
Check Out The SPFX Rubber Zombies Of 'World War Z'
(.latinoreview.com)Check Out The Undead Of 'World War Z' It's not too often that you see a bunch of corpses with hooks right through their heads in a PG-13 feature, but come late 2012, you will have in when 'World War Z' hits theaters. After all, boundaries are being pushed these days, and with an estimated budget of $125 million -- making it the most expensive zombie film of all time -- the upcoming film doesn't need an R rating turning away some of those dreaded theater dwellers known as "teenagers."
Thanks to a loyal reader of Ain't It Cool News, posted below are a couple of photos of some artificial zombies who were just camping out in the back of a truck on the set of the film in Glasgow, Scotland. You know there are going to be a lot of zombies in a film when they have fake ones being used as background pieces. Glasgow was standing in for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The extras playing zombies in the film were presumably told to grunt in American.
Take a look: http://www.latinoreview.com/news/check-out-the-undead-of- world-war-z-14543
Tintin: CGI'S LAST GREAT ADVENTURE?
(express.co.uk)IT IS A strange state of affairs when a movie directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by Peter Jackson, two of the most successful filmmakers in the history of cinema, is considered something of a box office risk.
Yet The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn is shaping up to be one of the toughest sells of Spielberg's career, with Hollywood observers admitting they have no idea how the movie will perform when it opens in October, particularly in America.
A Spielberg film aimed at a family audience should be a shoo-in but, as box office analyst Kyle Buchanan of New York Magazine points out: “The Tintin comics are virtually unknown in the United States and the recent trailer for the movie had its doubters.
“The reason for those doubts concerns Spielberg and Jackson's decision to make the film using “motion capture” technology, a form of animation that enables a character, like Gollum in Lord Of The Rings, to be played by a real actor, with their performance “digitised” and integrated into an animated or virtual reality universe.
While the results can be astounding when the characters being created are non-human (see Serkis as Gollum or Caesar the ape in Rise Of Planet Of The Apes, or the blue Na'vi in Avatar) they are much more mixed for humans thanks to a creepy “dead-eyed” look likened to a zombie or moving doll.
It's a flaw that director Robert Zemeckis, pioneer of the technology via his trio of motion capture films ( The Polar Express, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol) never solved, and nor is he likely to.
His last movie, Mars Needs Moms, was such a op that Disney closed down his digital film studio, Image Movers Digital, killing off his plans for a 3D motion capture remake of 1968 Beatles cartoon Yellow Submarine.
Now Zemeckis, whose hits include Back To The Future and Forrest Gump, is returning to live-action film-making, much to the delight of his exasperated fans.
Which begs the question: have Spielberg and Jackson adopted the new technology, and 3D, just when it has finally proven to be a busted flush?
A multi-million-dollar white elephant?
Mars Needs Moms, about a young boy whose mother is abducted by Martians, cost more than $150million (£91million) and took just $20million (£12 million) in America earlier this year, movies earning criticism for the motion capture animation. It was also cited as evidence that audiences have tired of 3D thanks to the higher prices, cumbersome glasses and darker visuals.
The New York Times described the film as "a referendum for 3D ticket pricing for children".
Interestingly, Spielberg originally intended to make Tintin as a live-action movie and commissioned several such scripts in the 30 odd years since acquiring the rights to Belgian artist Herge's creation, including one by ET scribe Melissa Mathison in which the intrepid reporter battled ivory hunters.
"I just never had a script that I thought was something Herge would have approved of, " explains Spielberg, who first came across Tintin while promoting Raiders Of The Lost Ark ("I didn't know anything about Tintin until I read a French review of Raiders in 1981 and it kept comparing my movie to something called Tintin, so I got a book in French").
It was under the influence of Jackson that Spielberg saw the potential of a motion capture Tintin, allowing for a much closer approximation of Herge's universe on screen not to mention a more accurate rendering of young reporter Tintin's famous quiff.
Says Jackson: "With live action you're going to have actors pretending to be Captain Haddock and Tintin. You'd be casting people to look like them. It's not really going to feel like the Tintin Herge drew. With CGI we can bring Herge's world to life, keep the stylised, caricatured faces, but make it photo-real."
Spielberg concurs: "It just seemed that live action would be too stylized for an audience to relate to, " he says. "The costumes seem to fit better when the medium chosen is a digital one."
The director had initially contacted Jackson when he was still thinking of a live-action Tintin and wanted Jackson's special effects company, Weta, to make an animated Snowy, Tintin's trusted canine companion.
Jackson himself, dressed as Captain Haddock, performed alongside the pixellated pooch and the results were impressive but Jackson sold Spielberg on the notion of making the whole film using motion capture.
WITH A script by a trio of Britons, Doctor Who scribe Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, actors were cast including Jamie Bell as Tintin, Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock and Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as detectives the Thompson Twins and filming began in 2009.
The stars would end up unrecognisable on screen but the upside, in theory, would be much stronger performances than afforded by traditional animation.
"If Tintin makes you feel something, it's Jamie Bell's soul you're sensing, " says Spielberg.
For his part, the director loved the freedom and control afforded by working in a virtual universe. "I just adored it, it made me more like a painter than ever, " he enthuses.
Producer Jackson, who will direct the sequel if Unicorn is a success, adds: "I saw somebody who is used to traditional filmmaking and who obviously has an intuitive grasp of cinema just take control of motion capture and own it. It's been great watching Steven make this film.
We're finally getting him into the 21st century."
But is it a place today's audiences want him to go? After the lukewarm reception greeted to the film's first trailer in May Jackson and Spielberg unveiled new footage and a second trailer at Comic-Con in California, the annual showcase for new blockbuster movies in San Diego, last month. It went down reasonably well but doubts remain.
"Tintin looks simultaneously too-human and not human at all, his face weirdly fetal, his eyes glassy and vacant instead of bursting with animated life, " says Kyle Buchanan.
If Spielberg and Jackson can't save the new technology then who can?
Tintin is released nationwide on October 26.
An American Werewolf Is 30 – Celebrate With Rick Baker Winning A Special Oscar
(bleedingcool.com)John Landis‘ remarkable horror with a sense of humour, An American Werewolf in London was released 30 years ago today, on 21st August 1981.
To celebrate, I thought I’d share a video of Vincent Price and Kim Hunter giving the first ever Academy Award for Makeup to Rick Baker for his work on the film.
If you’ve seen Werewolf, you’ll know how richly he deserved it (if you haven’t…).
Indeed, if there wasn’t an award to give to Mr. Baker, they would have had to invent one so, er, good timing, Oscar.
But wait until you see what he had to beat. One of the all time most bemusing films – a really nutty flick, great makeup or not.
VIDEO - Take a look: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2011/08/21/an-american- werewolf-is-30-celebrate-with- rick-baker-winning-a-special- oscar/
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