Sony's Sci-fi  "Invertigo" Gets "I Am Number Four" Director

(Deadline)              First announced last month, Sony Pictures is developing Invertigo, an original sci-fi script from Ehren Kruger (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Transformers: Dark of the Moon) and co-writer Bradley Camp. Today, Deadline reports that D.J. Caruso (Disturbia, I Am Number Four) is making plans to direct.

To be produced by Neal Mortiz, Invertigo tells the story about a satellite that, after crashing in New York City, causes the gravitational pull of the Earth to be reversed.

Last year, Caruso became attached to Columbia Pictures' comic book adaptation, Preacher, but there has since been very little momentum on that front.



CARTOONING AWARDS: “Rango’s” Mark “Crash” McCreery Nominated

(washingtonpost.com)         

   “Rango’s” Mark “Crash” McCreery is nominated for Feature Animation in the NCS Awards. (Paramount/Nickelodeon)

AN OSCAR WINNER and an Emmy contender are among the finalists for the National Cartoonist Society’s Reubens divisional awards, announced today by the NCS.

Character designer Mark McCreery is nominated in the Feature Animation category for “Rango,” which last month won the Academy Award, beating out “Kung Fu Panda 2” — whose director, Jennifer Yuh Nelson, is also nommed for an NCS award. The third finalist for Feature Animation is “Rio" director Carlos Saldanha.



300 CG Artists Convert "Titanic" For 3-D Sailing

(au.news.yahoo.com)                  Kate Winslet and Leonardo Di Caprio in Titanic. Picture: Supplied by 20th Century Fox.

On December 18, 1997 a movie was released that would change the world of filmmaking forever and send teenage girls flocking to the cinema in droves.

James Cameron's Titanic, about the doomed ocean liner's maiden and only voyage, cost a reported $200 million to make and was the most expensive film of its time.

The story about star-crossed lovers Rose and Jack, played by Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, struck a chord with audiences and made Hollywood superstars out of its lead actors.

The scale of Cameron's over-budget production was immense. More than 100 permanent extras were hired for the 160-day shoot and a full-scale replica of the ship was built for filming - it was then sunk for the famous sinking scene.

The film went on to win 11 Academy Awards, including best director and best picture. Fast-forward 15 years and the three-hour epic is being re-released in 3-D.

Titanic producer and Oscar-winner Jon Landau worked alongside Cameron to bring the movie to life in 3-D. Cameron, who is well known for his attention to detail, looked at every shot of the film before the conversion, a process which cost $19 million and took 60 weeks.

To convert the film into high-quality digital 3-D, images were scanned from the original 35mm negative to remove any flaws or scratches. 3-D software was then used to analyse each shot of the film before the 300 artists picked specific items/actors from the shot and then changed the depth and scope of the image to make it 3-D.

With the mammoth advances in technology it seems inevitable that a movie like Titanic would be shot using CGI now, but Landau insists they wouldn't have done too much differently.

"I don't think we would have filmed it in CGI if we shot it today," he says in Melbourne promoting the film.

"I think we would strike a balance. We shot a 40ft model of the ship, for the ship sailing, that would be CGI because there is no reason to shoot the model. But what I hope we would not give up is that tactile feel of building the ship and letting the cast be on it and feel that sensation of what it was like to be on the ship.

"And let Jim find the shots in the moment because being there was part of him coming up with the shots, which worked so connectedly in the film."
Cameron's demanding nature, legendary temper and reputation as a man who knows what he wants led to reports of tension on the set. Many cast members came down with kidney infections, flu and colds because of the time they spent filming in cold water. Winslet, who chipped a bone in her elbow and also caught flu, claimed she would never work with Cameron again.



Amazing One-Texture Environment

(udk.com)               What can one developer achieve with a single texture and the power of UDK?  Talented 3D artist Tor Frick explains his crafty ways in this interview. Download the content from this cool sci-fi lab environment now!

Optimizing gorgeous 3D environments for great performance on today’s array of gaming platforms is no small feat. After working with UV, texture and shader optimization on multiple projects, Tor Frick decided to test his own skills and produce an environment requiring as little memory as possible. His task: to create a realistic scene using one 256x512 texture.

As Frick explained, “Usually in a scene like this there would be a lot of textures, with each one generally larger than this, which would take up a lot more memory. Every bit of texture memory you don’t use in the environment means more you can use on characters or elsewhere. Savings like this could be especially useful for shipping better looking content on mobile devices.”

“I wanted to minimize texture sizes and also avoid having multiple materials to decrease draw calls,” he said. “This exercise forced me to look at textures in a different way. Instead of just using textures as they are, I pushed myself to get the most out of the texture and shader, and used the UVs more to my advantage in ways I normally wouldn’t consider.”

Video - Take a look:   http://vimeo.com/35470093

Full tech article:   http://udk.com/showcase-amazing-one-texture




"Pacific Rim" Production Company Nears Raising $250 Million in Financing

(latimesblogs.latimes.com)                 Legendary Entertainment, the finance and production company behind "The Dark Knight" and this weekend's "Wrath of the Titans," is close to raising about $250 million in new financing, according to knowledgeable people unauthorized to speak publicly.

The money, split evenly between equity and debt, will be used to refinance the Burbank company's existing debt and to invest in upcoming movies and other content.

The new financing values Legendary at nearly $1.5 billion. It is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.

The deal will join a mix of previous investors -- which have included Accel Partners and Fidelity Investments -- with well-known institutions and private investors new to Legendary, which is headed by Chairman Thomas Tull.

Reached by email, a spokesman for Legendary and Tull declined to comment.

Legendary has in the past exclusively co-financed movies developed by Warner Bros., such as "Superman Returns" and "The Hangover." But it has recently begun overseeing the production of its own films, including Guillermo Del Toro's big-budget tentpole "Pacific Rim" and the historical adventure movie "The Seventh Son," both of which come out in 2013.

This year in addition to "Titans," Legendary is co-financing July's "The Dark Knight Rises." Although Tull's company usually gets a 50% stake of the films in which it invests with Warner Bros., it has a 25% stake in director Christopher Nolan's third and final "Batman" movie. "The Dark Knight Rises" was the subject of a tense negotiation between Tull and Warner film group president Jeff Robinov last year. Because it is expected to be a hugely successful blockbuster -- "The Dark Knight" grossed $1 billion in 2008 -- Robinov did not want to give away a big piece of the profit, while Tull saw participation as critical to his company's success and its public image as a maker of fanboy-oriented films.

Legendary has recently launched television and comic book production divisions.

In addition, Tull is setting up a China venture called Legendary East that will finance movies in that country intended for a global audience. However, Legendary East was unable to close a planned $220.5-million capital raise on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange last year through a shell company.

"Legendary East expects to announce its financial and distribution arrangements later this year," a Legendary East spokeswoman said in an email. "On December 31, 2011, the date pre-arranged by Legendary and its partners, Legendary East allowed its previously contemplated business structure to lapse, enabling it to explore relationships with new distribution and financial partners."




Harry Potter Film Sets Open for Touring

(worldnewz.org)                Will the Harry Potter experience be as stunning in person as it was on the big screen?

Fans of the movies will find out starting this Saturday, when Warner Bros. opens up the studios in Hertfordshire, England, where the series based on the J.K. Rowling books was filmed, for public tours.

Nearly all the original models and props are there. An 18-foot wide Aragog suspended from the ceiling? Check. The full-scale Great Hall at Hogwarts? Check. Harry’s broomstick? Hermione’s cloak? Hagrid’s motorcycle? Check, check check.

There’s plenty more, too a scores of sets, from Diagon Alley to Dumbledore’s office; the fantastically intricate model of Hogwarts Castle, built to 1:24 scale and used in the exterior shots of the films; and videos that explain the digital wizardry behind the franchise’s renowned visual effects.

The tour should prove just as popular with Potter fans as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando, which opened in 2010 and reproduces the snowcapped village of Hogsmeade with its winding cobblestone streets.

Without the amusement-park rides of Orlando, the tour of the Leavesden Studios near Watford will still set you back a pretty penny: $ 33 for children 5-15; $ 45 for adults; or $ 130 for a family of four.

There is, of course, a gift shop, too. The most expensive item on sale? A gorgeous replica of Dumbledore’s robe, going for a cool $ 800.

Warner Bros. expects 5,000 people a day to visit the attraction when it opens this weekend.

Source with pics:   http://worldnewz.org/?p=10591




"Battleship" Producer Picks Up Bermuda Triangle Movie

Universal is hoping to shed some light on the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, picking up a pitch with superpowered scribe team Alfred Gough and Miles Millar on board to write.

Scott Stuber, who produced Universal's hit Safe House and also is behind the studio's summer tentpole Battleship, is attached to produce.

No details are being revealed other than it is an original idea from Stuber centered on the infamous Caribbean area traditionally cornered by the Florida Straits, Bermuda and Puerto Rico. The area has been home to a several unusual disappearances attributed to supernatural or alien origins.

Gough and Millar will now write the script.

The duo are best known for developing and showrunning Smallville but also have worked in features, working on Shanghai Noon and Spider-Man 2. They are developing an adaptation of the young-adult book Homelanders, set up at Summit, which may act as their directorial debut.





Meet John Lasseter, PIXAR Chief Creative Officer, Today

(forums.cgsociety.org)                   This Thursday at noon Pixar's Chief Creative Officer, John Lasseter will be at the National Air & Space museum in DC, and DC SIGGRAPH has 12 tickets to give away for the event.

Note: We will give priority to those who members of the chapter.

We are sorry for the late notice, but we negotiated the tickets this weekend.
Please reply to this thread if you are interested in attending.
-Roberto Ortiz
Chair DC SIGGRAPH

Source:       http://forums.cgsociety.org/showthread.php?f=59&s=c5c4bcbe77a41ebbdc957d76fd711855&t=1042950




“Empire Strikes Back” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” Visual Effects Producer Thomas Smith Donates Collection

(utexas.edu)                   Thomas Smith (b. 1938), visual effect producer for such films as Star Wars: Empire Strikes Back (1980) and E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1982), has donated his archive to the Ransom Center. Smith was hired by George Lucas as the first head of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and worked on the special effects for such films as Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983), Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984), and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989).

The Smith collection comprises 22 boxes and documents Smith’s professional work through the 1980s and 1990s. Spanning from 1979 to 2003, the collection contains special effects storyboards, screenplay drafts, scripts, pre-production research, production materials, newspaper clippings, photographs, and published materials such as fan magazines and cinematography periodicals. The papers also contain material relating to Smith’s time at ILM and Lucasfilm.

The collection will be made accessible once it is processed and cataloged.

Smith will visit The University of Texas at Austin to speak publicly on Thursday, April 19, at 7 p.m. in KLRU’s Studio 6A in the Communications Center Building B. As part of the Harry Ransom Lecture series, Smith will discuss his life and career. While on campus, Smith will also meet with students in the College of Communication’s Department of Radio-Television-Film.




Sir Ridley Scott Discusses The 3D Effects In PROMETHEUS

(comicbookmovie.com)               More often that not, 3D conversions are pretty bad. That's more than likely why many fans breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that Sir Ridley Scott would be shooting Prometheus in 3D (meaning we end up with a film which looks more like Avatar rather than Clash of the Titans). Talking to Total Film recently, the director had this to say about shooting in 3D and just how immersive an experience it will be for the audience.

"I'm kind of naturally visual anyway, that's where I come from. And you're working off superb 3D screens, which are on the floor, and are really big. It was just wonderful. I was shooting on 3D, then seeing it on the floor. It was easy, I must say. You only want to push it so far, before it becomes arrows popping out of the screen and stabbing you in the eye. You use it for visual effect."

"I'm actually decided right now how deep to make it on certain sequences. So you can literally, as it were, twiddle a knob, and the depth will increase. It's kind of bizarre, but there it is. Technologically it's absolutely staggering. I was working with MPC in London, looking after almost 1,300 big FX shots, and every night they would pipe through shots to a big screen in my office in Lexington Street; I would sit there watching a sequence that had just been graded or refined in perfect 3D. Really amazing."




Transformers Dark of the Moon Nominated For 8 Razzies

(superheroauthority.com/)               There have been plenty of mixed reviews on Michael Bay's take on the popular Transformers franchise. The third, and what was previously thought of as the final, film has the most nominations from the dreaded Razzies.

"Transformers Dark of the Moon" has eight nominations including: Worst Picture, Worst Supporting Actor (times two with both Patrick Dempsey and Ken Jeong nominated), Worst Supporting Actress, Worst Screen Ensemble, Worst Screenplay, Worst Director, Worst Screen Couple.

It might not be the best of the film industry but since Transformers brings in the money, they will keep on making them.

What Bay does bring to the franchise is a lot of explosions and a ton of money. The trilogy has brought home over $1 billion in ticket sales worldwide, which is another reason he is coming back to direct a fourth installment.



American VFX in China

(animationguildblog.blogspot.com)                China Daily informs us:

    ... As a visual effects provider [who] has worked with Chinese directors including Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige and Gordan Chan, Base FX's [Christopher Bremble] has witnessed the change in the Chinese movie industry's investment in post-production.

    "The budget for visual effects is going up 30 to 40 percent each year, while the demand for it is increasing 50 percent, making it difficult to satisfy the hunger," said Bremble. ...

    "In China, the film industry is still very much a star-based film industry, and the visual effect is just a tool, playing the supporting role," said Bremble.

    "But in the West, it plays a primary role. Hollywood movies' ambitions are more global, and visual effects help to translate them to every market." ...

    "The current problem for the industry is the shortage of professionals with experience in this field," said Wu Yan, general manager of Technicolor (Beijing) Visual Technology Co Ltd. ... He added that while the gap in technology can almost be ignored as it's not difficult to overcome, finding people with the skills to operate the equipment is what matters most ...

There it is again, that "skills" thing.

Maybe it explains why so much visual effects ... and animation ... and graphics work remains in California. (I've been observing the phenomenon for twenty-plus years; VFX Soldier has cited studies about it -- that thing we're pleased to call "agglomeration.")

As I've noted before, it's not enough to be cheap. You must also have a high level of quality that translates into dollars at the box office. And because there has been a concentration of talent in Southern California for a long time, our fine, entertainment conglomerates (and large video game companies) swoop into Southern California to access the people who know how to do the work. Better to do the shot right the first time and pay a little more, than do it multiple times at an (illusory) discount.

China, per China Daily, isn't yet delivering the requisite quality.




'The Lone Ranger' Casting Agents Seek 400 Pound Woman & 8-Foot Tall Man

(huffingtonpost.com)              Casting agents for Walt Disney's upcoming movie, "The Lone Ranger," have been hanging out in the wild west looking for genuine extras.

The film isn't slated to hit theaters until May 2013 but is already kicking up some dust because it's being adapted from the popular 1950 television series by Gore Verbinski and will be starring Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer and Helena Bonham Carter.

"Lone Ranger" is the story of a masked ex-Texas ranger who fought injustice in the west with his Native American companion Tonto, and cries of "Hi-ho Silver, away!"

Casting agents spent the past few days in Colorado visiting towns like Alamosa, Colorado Springs and Durango, before moving on to Utah. Hammer (The Social Network, J. Edgar) will be cast as the Lone Ranger, and Depp (The Rum Diary, Pirates of the Caribbean) will be playing Tonto.

According to the Pueblo Chieftain, the event in Alamosa prompted hundreds to stand in line on Sunday.

Sande Alessi, whose casting company has a history of collecting extras for Verbinski films like Pirates of the Caribbean, told the paper that the men and women they were looking for had to "really be cowboys and workers."

According to the advertisement, agents have been seeking out "extreme character types" that are also stereotypical of the old west, people with: lazy eyes, "grizzled and wrinkled faces," and other notable features.

Bill Werner, the executive director of the Southern Colorado Film Commission told The Huffington Post that among some of the more interesting extras requests were a 400 pound woman and an 8-foot tall man.

"I'm excited that they'll be here. They almost filmed 'True Grit' here, but it didn't work out," Werner said.

At least one scene will be shot in Creede, Colo., a mountainous old mining town that once produced over $1 million in silver.

On April 1st the casting agency will return looking for more extras in Moab, Utah.