(screenrant.com) Update: Warner Bros. has reached out to debunk rumors of release date changes for Man of Steel and The Hobbit. Details below.
Up until this summer, Zack Snyder’s reboot of the Superman film franchise was targeting a December 2012 release date, giving Warner Bros. and DC Entertainment not one, but two tentpole superhero films next year, the other being The Dark Knight Rises in July. Then, Warner Bros. pushed Man of Steel back a full six months to the new release date of July 13, 2013.
This effectively gave the studio a nicely spaced out schedule of major franchise releases by letting The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey have winter 2012, while also giving them a DC superhero flick for 2013. According to the latest rumor however, Warner Bros. may reverse the order and bring the Man of Steel back to next winter.
Update: Warner Bros. has reached out to debunk the rumor with the following statement:
"Contrary to inaccurate reports - The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is being released on December 14, 2012" - Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.]
The scoop comes from our friends at Think McFly Think who learned that Peter Jackson’s pair of Hobbit movies are taking a lot more time and work than expected and that he’s in talks with Warner Bros. to move the December 14th, 2012 release date back a year to give his crew more time and to ensure the film’s quality is where it needs to be.
Since Man of Steel is done principal photography, with plenty of time for post-production, TMT’s sources are saying it’s very possible that Henry Cavill’s Clark Kent may show his face on the big screen next December, as originally planned, while part one of The Hobbit may move to the following December in 2013.
The Dark Knight Rises Extra Dies Of Natural Causes On Set
(cinemablend.com) The 2007 production of The Dark Knight was famously troubled, as one cameraman was killed in an on-set accident and then, not long after production wrapped, star Heath Ledger died in his New York City apartment. Thus far nothing quite so horrific has happened during the production of The Dark Knight Rises, but tragedy did strike in early November, when an extra died "of natural causes" during a break while shooting a large fight scene. Warner Bros. and the Screen Actors Guild confirmed the death to The New York Post, and sources say the male extra died of a heart attack after wandering away from the set during a break. Here are the other details the source offered:
“It was during a period when the film was shooting a huge sequence with several hundred extras in the Wall Street area. But the male extra had been rehearsing in another location away from the set. While on a break, he’d walked away and died of natural causes.”
ZBrush Interview with Rick Baker - 6 Time Academy Award Winner
VIDEO - Take a look: http://www.make-up-advice.
George Miller Will Make "Mad Max: Fury Road"
(latinoreview.com)
If there's one thing you can say about director George Miller, its that he is persistent. He has been trying to make Mad Max: Fury Road for years now. It was supposed to shoot this year, but got pushed back. Then it was scheduled for January, but apparently it rained at the location and now its too pretty.
Miller explains it to MovieHole here:
"Its Mad Max, every time we try it doesn't happen. But that's something that happens [with movies]. This time it was rain. And we were going to shoot out of Broken Hill. and what was once a flat wasteland, is now a flower garden virtually. And its beautiful, beautiful by the way. good for everybody, good for the country, not good for Mad Max. So we're headed out next year [to South Africa] to do it, middle of next year, to do it."
So there your have it. Miller is not giving up on this film, and insists it will shoot the middle of 2012. Let's just hope its worth all this turmoil in the end.
Tom Hardy is still on to replace Mel Gibson as Max and Charlize Theron is also staying on board for her part.
CG Previs Making Ground In Moviemaking
(4rfv.co.uk)The art of previsualisation (previs), which is catching on in feature film, TV and commercials is set to speed up productions, save money and put creativity back in the heart of filmmaking.
According to animators at the Previs Department of 20th Century Fox they have used Xsens’ MVN Motion Capture system to significantly speed up their movie productions.
They explained that the previs process creates detailed animation during preproduction, thus replacing traditional storyboarding and animatics. It generates preliminary versions of shots or sequences with 3D animation tools and a virtual environment, enabling film and TV directors to plan technical solutions and decide on the most efficient production methods.
The process of realising the director’s creative vision typically requires a large crew and budget, especially in action-packed films. That said the challenge is then to cut costs while maintaining the deadlines. Productions increasingly rely on the previs process for exploring creative ideas, developing narrative structure, and defining the technical layout.
By first creating a 3D animation proxy of the movie - complete with virtual sets, actors and props - filmmakers can now design and plan their films at much lower cost, while speeding up things in the digital production pipeline
A recent example is the 20th Century Fox release X-Men: First Class. With the script calling for an action scene involving six characters fighting inside a flying plane, the Previs Department used the real time capability of the Xsens MVN Motion Capture Systems to quickly record elaborate fighting motions for all the characters involved, instantly reviewing each take as performances were developed and refined. Camera placement, camera motion, and camera lenses were then worked out virtually, resulting in a shot-by-shot breakdown of the scene.
In this case, the scene did not make it to the final cut of the film - a decision made at much lower than traditional cost, due in large part to the Xsens MVN.
"We were able to develop the scene in just two days. Traditional keyframe animation would have taken much longer and would have involved more artists", said John Griffith, Cinematic Director at 20th Century Fox."
Previs is rapidly gaining ground in the development process of moviemaking today."
Tata Elxsi Topes in US Firm for Kids Animation
(economictimes.indiatimes.com)MUMBAI: US-based global kids entertainment firm A Squared Entertainment (A2) and Tata Elxsi have announced the formation of a joint venture company to develop and distribute original brands.
The JV, A Squared Elxsi Entertainment (A2E2), will create, develop and distribute original brands, including animated entertainment, digital gaming and originally designed consumer products, a company release said today.
"Combining A2's creative development, brand management and multi-media distribution expertise with Tata's animation capabilities and technological innovation gives us an advantage in today's competitive kids' marketplace," A2 President Andy Heyward said.
Riding on Transformers Fame
(thesundaily.my)EVER find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat and getting immersed in the action on the big screen each time you watch a Transformers movie? Or, have this overwhelming urge to help Optimus Prime and Bumblebee beat up Megatron and Starscream?
Well, you now have the chance to be in the thick of action as Universal Studios Sentosa in Singapore has just unveiled its latest attraction – Transformers the Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle.
It features 12 scenes, comprising sets that blend seamlessly with hyper-realistic 3D digital media and special effects to bring tactile realism to every moment.
Licensed from Hasbro Inc and created in association with DreamWorks SKG, the 3D visual effects of Transformers the Ride were created by Industrial Lights and Magic.
Taking the ride can be, literally, a life-transforming experience.
Members of the Asian media were recently invited to Universal Studios Sentosa to try out the ride.
Given special glasses to wear before the ride, it starts with a maze where we can see the operations of NEST (Networked Elements; Supporters and Transformers).
We are then greeted as new volunteers by NEST commander General Morshower (played by movie actor Glenn Morshower).
Next, we are informed that the Decepticons have attacked the facility to get the last remaining shard of the AllSpark (powerful power source).
With some rousing parting words between Autobot leader Optimus Prime and new recruit EVAC, we get into EVAC and take off on a wild ride with the Decepticons hard on our heels trying to grab the shard and destroy us.
Fortunately, the Autobots come to the rescue.
The ride is at first jerky, then it moves into high speed, rotating at 360 degrees, with the riders all sucked in by Devastator, before it goes plummeting down highrise buildings after crashing into them. The riders even get sprayed on by Megatron.
I find the ride both thrilling and scary at the same time. The effects are stunning and there is a sense of urgency to escape, making it a heart-stopping experience.
Many riders might scream their hearts out or be reduced to stunned silence throughout the ride. Either way, it is an awesome experience.
At a press conference held before the launch of Transformers the Ride, Michael Bay – the director and executive producer of the Transformers movies and creative consultant for the ride – said he received a call three years ago to design a ride for Universal Studios.
“It brought me back to the days when I was a young director with Disney and I was taken to the Imaginarium at Disney where they create their rides. I thought it would be a great blending of movie-making and something exhilarating for the audience.”
So, Bay went to the Universal Studios park in Florida and saw some of the 3D rides such as Spider-Man, which impressed him.
“You know 3D has advanced so much and I knew that this was the right movie to do a really great ride. It has been a lot of fun.”
As for his input on the ride, Bay said: “I must say that the people at Universal Studios know how to make rides. I tried to help them with the types of shots we needed and the kind of characters we would like to do. They had some great ideas and they knew about rides, the stimulators and the photographs required.”
Bay said the initial hiccup involved Universal wanting to use a little-known special effects company to develop the visual effects. “These characters are made out of 25,000 parts, all of which move individually. It took years to create them.”
Thierry Coup, the senior vice president of Universal Creative, said by using the special effects (created by Industrial Lights and Magic) for the ride, all the details of the movie “came to life”.
On the idea of how EVAC became the central character of the ride, Coup explained: “EVAC was already part of the Transformers mythology but we reinvented EVAC for our ride’s story.
“EVAC is this young robot who is designed to evacuate personnel and equipment. We are like him – never been in battle – so we are trying to escape together. It’s a good connection with the character.”
Asked what he thought of the ride, Bay said it is “quite fun”. “My favourite moment is when you fly and are about to hit the ground at high-speed, just like when you fall off a 30-storey building.
“I’ve taken this ride just once. There’s so much to absorb that you must go through it multiple times.
“There are so many places in the ride where the 3D screen and actual facility merge together. It puts you in the state where you feel like you are part of the 3D movie.”
Transformers the Ride in Universal Studios Sentosa is the first of its kind in the world. It is situated in the Sci-Fi City zone of the park which also houses the world’s tallest duelling roller coasters – Battlestar Galactica: Human and Battlestar Galactica: Cylon.
The second Transformers the Ride is set for an April or May 2012 opening at the Universal Studios in Hollywood.
CG Animation Takes On Mythbusters Misfire
(11alive.com) The Next Media Animation group from Taiwan, noted for their tongue in cheek web animations, have put together their take on the Mythbusters cannonball run from earlier this week.
VIDEO - Take a look: http://www.11alive.com/video/default.aspx?bctid= 1316949105001&odyssey=mod| newswell|text|FRONTPAGE| featured
MARI 3D Creative Texture-painting Tool Adds Photoshop File Compatibility
(graphics.com)The application was originally developed at Weta Digital to handle the detailed texture work demanded by Avatar.
MARI provides a creative toolset that allows artists to concentrate on painting directly on to 3D models, with the ability to immediately view the results. While that may seem reminiscent of applications such as ZBrush, MARI is said to excel when dealing with "colossal textures in vast numbers." MARI also lets users animate and paint texture channels frame by frame. Notable is a fully customizable brush engine; a Slurp brush for smearing and dragging textures; the ability to blur and sharpen, including on-surface, multiple UV patches; and an advanced healing brush for seam removal and duplication of texture detail. Also of interest is Ptex, which allows users to paint and render models without having to spend time creating complicated UV maps; the ability to accurately preview displacement detail on a model surface in real time; a texture versioning system; tiled textures; and environment mapping.
Version 1.4 adds Photoshop layered PSD import and export, as well as industry-standard color management with OpenColorIO and triplanar projection.
MARI for Windows and Linux can be purchased on The Foundry site for $1980. A trial version is also available for download.
PETA Targets Nintendo's Mario For Skinning CG Animals
(inagist.com) A tanooki is a japanese animal that is a mix between a dog and a raccoon. It's also one of Mario's fans favourite power ups. It allows Mario to both fly and turn into stone
PETA thinks Mario must have skinned it for animal fur, and is now targeting Nintendo's superhero for animal skinning.
Even though no racoons were harmed in the making of Super Mario Brothers 3, PETA believes that Mario is sending the wrong message by saying it's OK to wear animal fur.
Skinned tanooki image: http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/718341/peta-takes-a- stand-against-mario-with- super-tanooki-skin-2d-flash- game/
TINTIN's the Highest Grossing Animated Film in India
(articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com) THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN: The Secret of the Unicorn has become the highest grossing animated film in India while in its fourth week in theatres with a total gross of Rs. 25.44 crore at the box office.
It had earlier achieved the highest opening of all time for an animated film with Rs. 7.35 crore when it released on 11 November with 351 prints in both English and Hindi and in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D formats. Currently, 146 prints still continue to be in play.
Mr. Kercy Daruwala, Managing Director - Sony Pictures India said, "The film has been bolstered by strong word-of-mouth and we expect it to play for several more weeks. It is bringing in a lot of bulk bookings and repeat audiences because of the great 3D experience."
The Adventures of Tintin has made approximately $221.6m internationally in box office collections through its recent release in select territories, with several major territories such as the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Latin America yet to release.
Hobbit Stars Back as Movie Gears Up
(stuff.co.nz)The Hobbit's biggest stars have arrived in Nelson, with Hollywood actor Orlando Bloom spotted at the city's airport.
Nelson freelance cameraman Ross Wearing got a tip-off that The Hobbit crew were arriving on a chartered plane yesterday and went along to snap the stars.
Wearing said Bloom was putting a mountainbike and luggage into a vehicle and talking to other cast members.
"Orlando wanted to know who I was and where I came from. I just told him I lived here. It is not every day these sorts of guys come to town," he said.
Wearing said he also saw actors Luke Evans and James Nesbitt.
"They all left the airport in four-wheel-drives and some of them were spotted in town last night eating out and all that," he said.
Production company 3 Foot 7 was in the region last month, filming the Sir Peter Jackson-directed movie at Canaan Downs on Takaka Hill and other venues.
They will return to Canaan Downs for more filming and have also been based at the Pelorus Bridge Campground between Nelson and Marlborough.
James Cameron Sued by Sci-fi Fan for Stealing ‘Avatar’ Storyline
(nydailynews.com)A disgruntled sci-fi fan is attempting to depose the King of the World.
James Cameron is being sued by a man who once worked with his production company, who claims he came up with the idea of an "environmentally themed 3-D epic about a corporation's colonization and plundering of a distant moon's lush and wondrous natural setting” long before “Avatar,” TMZ reported.
In his suit filed in LA County Superior Court, Eric Ryder alleges he came up with a very similar movie, called “KRZ 2068,” and pitched it to Cameron’s production company in 1999 – only to be rebuffed.
Among Ryders’ accusations is that it was his idea for a "self-contained robotic exterior suits which house a single human operator" like the one worn by Stephen Lang in “Avatar,” according to TMZ.
Of course, longtime Cameron fans could argue that the exo-skeleton has an older inspiration - the one the director designed for Weaver to kick some extraterrestrial butt with in 1986’s “Aliens.”
Cameron has said previously that he came up with the idea for the environmental parable behind “Avatar” in the early ‘90s but had to wait for the special-effects technology to catch up to be able to film it.
"I certainly feel a personal sense of responsibility because I made a movie on these issues," Cameron told the News in 2010. "Why? Because they were personally important to me. It's not like the studio said, 'Jim we want you to make a movie about the environment.' No. ...They said, 'We really like the big epic science fiction story, but is there any way we can get this tree-hugging crap out of it?'”
VFX Contract Negotiation Case Study I: Tactics
(vfxsoldier.wordpress.com)A fellow reader sent an email asking advice about contract negotiations. I’m not an expert on negotiations. However I wanted to post this as a case study of the common tactics used during negotiations. To protect the worker’s identity, let’s call him/her Jamie.
Jamie wanted to break into the VFX industry and agreed to work for a facility that offered no overtime and a 50% paycut with the promise of a promotion to a better position and original salary at a sister facility the following year.
A year passes and Jamie’s contract is up. Jamie is the go-to person when it comes to getting the job done. Jamie feels that nobody can do what Jamie is able to do. The facility looks like it’s ready to offer that promotion, but first they invite Jamie to sign an agreement to a year extension of the current contract. They state that the terms of the promotion and raise will be discussed at the performance review instead.
In my humble opinion Jamie is being royally screwed. There are a lot of old tricks being used that I’ve fallen for before:
A Verbal Contract Isn’t Worth The Paper It’s Written On
This is one of the most common tricks used in the Hollywood industry so it should be no surprise that the quote above is called Goldwyn’s Law of Contracts. It’s named after movie mogul Samuel Goldwyn.
Jamie agreed to take a paycut with the promise of a future promotion. However none of this was in writing. So if the people Jamie made the agreement with break their promise or leave the company, there are no real repercussions.
Thou Shall Not Believe Thine Own Hype
Scott Ross recently wrote a post on what he calls The Eleventh Commandment.
Jamie believed that he/she was good and irreplaceable. Now it’s probably true that Jamie is incredible, but what I’ve found is that’s not what gets the big raise or promotion.
I can tell you of so many occasions where people I consider untouchable would have to leave because and incompetent manager in charge of negotiating their deal had no idea how important that person was. It’s the same story over and over: Management decides to fuck around, the talent leaves, and production realizes we’re screwed.
No Amount Of Loyalty Goes Unpunished
This is sort of a play on the old saying no good deed goes unpunished.
This is sort of unrelated to Jamie’s situation but I’ve seen VFXers make the common mistake of thinking their loyalty to the company will be rewarded. I wrote in a post where a wage survey was done and the artist who had the most years at the company found he was the lowest paid person on the team.
I know artists who were offered much better salaries at other facilities with longer term contracts and turned them down thinking their current employer will reward them if they just stick with them for another project. It rarely happens and the next part is the reason why.
In This Town, Pull Is Everything
Leverage, your ability to pull the other side in a direction that is favorable to you is the ultimate force that will dictate your ability to win a negotiation.
Usually the person with the most amount of leverage is the one who can walk away. Jamie would probably be in a better negotiating position if he/she started pinging other facilities for a position. It’s very likely there would be better offers given that Jamie took a huge paycut. Jamie could then use other offers as leverage against the current employer to deal.
For the most part, in the VFX industry, if you want a significant raise, you are going to have to leave the company you are at. Negotiations are usually a game of brinkmanship that get taken over the edge. When I made that realization, I was able to get a 50% raise in my salary each year over a 4 year period.
If You’re Good At Something Never Do It For Free
The quote above is from The Joker in The Dark Knight. Like Jamie, he claims he can do something nobody else can do: Kill the Batman. The others laugh and ask if it’s so easy why hasn’t he done it? The Joker wittingly responds with a quote in the video above.
Jamie already had experience doing something well and agreed to take a paycut to prove to a new employer that he/she could do it well.
I’ve made a similar mistake. I was asked by an employer to do some important development work that would give me some unique skills that nobody else had. My negotiations were up in a couple of months and I thought it would be a nice feather in my cap.
When it was time to negotiate, management decided to not to offer a raise. I asked that I be taken off the development task since I was doing this extra work with no raise and they refused citing that because I was willing to do it for my current salary, there was no need for the raise. Again, no good deed goes unpunished.
So what did I do? I returned the favor and found a company willing to pay me 25% more and they were left holding the water for the development work. Which leads me to my final piece of advice
Some Employers Thrive On Their Employees’ Benevolence
The mistake I made in the previous situation was that I was reluctant to take advantage of the weak position my employer was in: They needed major work done now and I decided to do the work first and negotiate later. When it was their turn to reciprocate, they took advantage of me and they will take advantage of Jamie’s current situation. We love our industry and the people we work with, but you have to give tough love.
When I started this blog I pondered: Is it better to be feared or respected? What I have learned is that you should earn respect from your fellow co-workers and impose fear against those who try to take it away.
One of the biggest problems in our industry is that VFX facilities do not make a profit. That’s true but that’s not YOUR problem and from what I’ve seen, it doesn’t seem to be the owners’ problem either.
The Smothers Brothers Strause enjoy driving their Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Bentleys, flying private jets, wearing $25,000 watches, and drinking shots of Dom Perignon at Las Vegas clubs with Paris Hilton. But they don’t make a profit!
Luma’s Payam Shohadai was interviewed by the Hollywood Reporter about his new $2.045 Million home purchase in Venice:
There’s definitely a creative class of people and professionals that are making good money, but it feels very nontraditional.
But don’t ask for a raise, they don’t make a profit!
Digital Domain is losing money big time and they certainly don’t make a profit but don’t tell the executives! They are making more money and even sponsor a ballpark to boot! They’re just paper losses!
H&M Defends Using CG Generated Bodies on its Lingerie, Swimsuit Models
(foxnews.com)The budget chic department store H&M was busted for placing real-life models’ heads on computer generated bodies for its online store selling underwear, lingerie and swimsuits.
The practice was first reported by Norwegian website Bildbluffen, which noticed that the site’s underwear models’ bodies were all the same, while their faces were different.
But H&M isn’t apologizing.
“This is a technique that is not new, it is available within the industry today and we are using it for our Shop Online in combination with real life models pictures and still life pictures,” H&M rep Håcan Andersson told the English-language Swedish website The Local.
Fashion Industry Full of Predators, Especially Behind the Lens.
H&M uses the same computer generated body, in the same pose, puts a different model’s face on it, and then changes the skin color to match the face.
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“For our Shop Online we are using a combination of real life models pictures, still life pictures and virtual mannequin pictures. For all other marketing and campaigns – outdoor, TV, print and other media, H&M will continue to use real life models,” the rep said. “This is not about ideals or to show off a perfect body, we do this to demonstrate an item of clothing.”
The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, said H&M is ”creating unrealistic physical ideals.”
Ageless Supermodels: How Do They Do It?
“This illustrates very well the sky-high aesthetic demands placed on the female body,” the rep said. “The demands are so great that H&M, among the poor photo models, cannot find someone with both body and face that can sell their bikinis.”
A rep for the company’s U.S. stores said the online models were more like in-store mannequins.
“The virtual mannequins are used in the same way as we use mannequins in our stores for ladies wear and menswear,” the rep told ABCNews.com.
Full story with pics: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/12/08/ virtually-decapitation-models- in-hm-online-catalog-unites- models-feminists/
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