CGI Improving Movies, Canada Nabs VFX Gigs, & Titan's Creatures...
Pixar's Up Hoping For a Best Picture Oscar
The Best Animated Feature Category is fairly new to the Academy Awards,
being introduced only seven years ago back in 2002. Since the
development of this distinction, the opportunity for animated films to
be considered for the biggest award of the night (Best Picture), have
become slim to none. According to Reuters, Pixar\u2019s summer hit Up,
may force the Academy to take a second look at their selection process.
For the 2010 Oscars, a dramatic change will take effect for the Best Picture Category. The nominees will expand from 5 to 10, giving more movies the opportunity to fight for the night's top prize. Up was one of the best critically reviewed and commercially received films of the year, and with 5 extra slots open, it may find itself fighting against some live action fare.
The first and only time an animated film has been nominated for Best Picture was in 1991 for the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast. Up is looking to follow in those history making steps to surpass the confines of the Animated Feature category. Up director Pete Docter, told Reuters that his film should be judged in the same way as any other, regardless if it's live action or not.
"We happen to use computers to be telling the story, but it's first and foremost about the storytelling, just like anything else. " he said. "For the world to look at it that way as well, that would be great."
With there being so many Best Picture spots available for the taking this year, many are wondering if there will be enough high quality films available to fill the void. Only time will tell what will make it to the Oscar ballot.
Poll: Has CGI Improved the Movie Industry?
(movies.ie) With the advances made in computer generate imagery, the movie industry has changed greatly within the last 15 years. Each passing year sees the power and beauty of these effects grow, creating vast star systems like those of the Star Wars franchise or the destruction and chaos wracked on the planet Earth as the people try to cling to survival like that of 2012. It seems that technology has become a directors best friend in the movie business - why spend a huge chunk of your budget on creating a set when you can just green scene it and drop the effects in later!
Ask yourself though - does this take from the heart of the cinema? Transformers 2, did you even know Megan Fox was in that movie? When we spend our time staring wide-eyed at the colossal(and super shiny) robots are we missing out on decent plots? What's the point in actually writing a decent movie when a few cheap CGI effects can guarantee a few million return in the box office?
Vote today: http://www.movies.ie/features/Poll___Has_CGI_improved_the_Movie_industry
Sony Imageworks Creates New Digital Sector : Sony ColorWorks
(vizworld.com) Sony is expanding their film business by adding a new business to their collection : Sony Colorworks. A digital post arm to work with their existing Sony Pictures Imageworks, they've already completed work on a few films including "Zombieland", "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs", and "Micheal Jackson's This Is It's in relative silence.
"The idea is if you come here you can have everything done in one place," said Chris Cookson, prexy of Sony Pictures Technologies and onetime tech exec at Warner. Technicolor ran a DI facility in the Stage 6 building but ankled earlier this year. Sony seized the opportunity to set up its own third-party post facility.
The DI field is very competitive, but Sony has a leg up given the tight integration they will have with Sony ImageWorks and Sony's sound department, both already used by several companies.
"Star Trek", "Harry Potter", & "Transformers" Fuel List Of 2010 People's Choice Awards Nominees
The revival of the "Star Trek" film franchise and the runaway comedy hit "The Hangover" were among the nominees for favorite movie announced today for the 2010 People's Choice Awards.
"The Proposal," "Twilight" and "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" rounded out the category.
FAVORITE FRANCHISE (Mobile Voting Category)
-- "Harry Potter"
-- "Star Trek"
-- "Twilight"
-- "Transformers"
-- "X-Men"
FAVORITE MOVIE
-- "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"
-- "Star Trek"
-- "The Hangover"
-- "The Proposal"
-- "Twilight"
Full Press: http://cbs2.com/tv/2010.Peoples.Choice.2.1304141.html
Hobbit Director Volunteers for Q&A Night
(stuff.co.nz) Robert Pattinson 'heading to NZ' Video: Fang-tastic 'Strong cast' in Kiwi film debut Andrew's classic Kiwi tale Mel Gibson's Mad Max replacement named Taylor Lautner rises in New Moon A Prophet up for six European film awards Del Toro promises 'magic' in Hobbit Digital age new era for film Hugh Grant 'suicidal' over own films
Film director Guillermo del Toro is to take time out from making The Hobbit to help out some other little movie guys in Wellington.
Mexico-born del Toro has given up his valuable time to help independent New Zealander Sam Kelly raise money to make a musical feature film. One For The Road, directed by Kelly, is due to begin filming in January, with just $60,000 of its $1.5 million budget raised so far.
In a bid to close the gap, the film's makers are hoping to sell out Wellington's Paramount Theatre tonight.
If they do, they will raise another $20,000 with An Evening with Guillermo del Toro, a question and answer event from 8pm. This will be facilitated by Jonathan King, director of the New Zealand movie Under the Mountain.
Having del Toro, who directed Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy series, on board was a massive coup, Kelly said.
"It's great that he's taking that first step in the relationship with Wellington because, you know, Peter Jackson had a really strong relationship with Wellington, and Guillermo has been great."
Del Toro will do his best to answer questions about The Hobbit and his past films, along with his intriguing personal history - including the 1997 kidnap of his father in Mexico.
One For The Road producer Bonnie Slater worked with Richard Taylor at Weta Workshop, where she met del Toro and asked for his help.
"She told him about the project, said we were making this film, and 'we need more money to make this happen, would you be interested in supporting us?', and he said he'd love to," Kelly said.
The film is billed as the story of a Palmerston North band made up of close friends and high hopes. It is adapted from the 2005 musical It's a Whanau Thing.
Canada Continues to Draw U.S. VFX Gigs
(variety.com) Although the Canadian dollar is almost at par with the U.S. dollar, federal and provincial incentives continue to attract U.S. and international productions. On the federal level, there is a 16% labor tax credit when using Canadian labor. This year both Ontario and Quebec expanded their existing 25% tax credit that previously only covered labor costs. Now qualifying local spends for goods and services are also eligible for the 25% refundable tax credit.Additionally, government-guaranteed grants offset 14%-23% of all qualified expenses; there is a 1% to 2% bump up if there is Albertan ownership or local key creative personnel. British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Manitoba all have labor tax credits.
Bonus: Post-production expenditures, even for films shot outside the country, also qualify for tax incentives. Ontario offers a 20% vfx tax credit on labor, which can be combined with the 25% Ontario spend credit and the federal labor credit. CGI and shots utilizing greenscreen qualify for an additional 5% tax credit in Quebec. British Columbia offers 15% extra tax credit on digital animation or vfx labor.
Top facilities: Pinewood Toronto Studios; North Shore Studios, Vancouver
Key contacts: Hans Fraikin, film commissioner, Quebec Film and TV Council; Susan Croome, British Columbia film commissioner; Donna Zuchlinski, manager of film, Ontario Media Development; David Carter of Canada Film Capital; Carole Vivier, CEO and film commissioner, Manitoba Film & Music; Jeff Brinton, Alberta film commissioner
Alberta Film Commission: albertafilm.ca
Quebec Film and TV Council: qftc.ca
Toronto Film Office: toronto.ca/tfto
British Columbia Film Commission: bcfilmcommission.com
Ontario Media Development: omdc.on.ca
Manitoba Film & Music: mbfilmmusic.ca/
Clash of the Titans: A Wild Assortment of Creatures
(filmschoolrejects.com) Warner Bros.
has officially unleashed the first teaser trailer for their upcoming epic Clash of the Titans, which comes from The Incredible Hulk director
Louis Leterrier. It is a remake of the 1981 Desmond Davis film of the
same name, which tells the story of Perseus (Sam Worthington), a great
warrior on a quest to save Princess Andromeda (Alexa Davalos). But before he can do that, he will encounter all kinds of wild and dangerous creature.
• The most influential cartoonist of this century, Ronald Searle Endorses CTN-X. "I am happy for my name to be used in association with the CTN-Xpo. I am very pleased to be honored like this & quite surprised that people still think of me!" ~ Ronald Searle http://www.ctnanimationexpo.com/matt-jones/
• Dreamworks Animation talent goes to CTN-X with Production Designer Kathy Altieri, Animation Supervisor Dave Burgess, 3D animator Jason Ryan and many more.
• Over 300 years of top talent talk casually about their careers and share industry secrets. Peter de Sève, Harald Siepermann, Kent Melton, Mike Mignola, Lou Romano along with live demonstrations from top industry talent maquette artists Kent Melton and Ruben Procopio and many more all weekend long.
• Find out the other secret from "The Secret of the Kells" with creators and moderator Charles Solomon.
• The City of Burbank declares "Animation Week" for the Creative Talent Network.
• Join us in this rare opportunity when leading characters designers from around the world get together for this round table entitled "The Line Kings" sponsored by Character Design Blog. http://www.ctnanimationexpo.com/the-line-kings/
• Over 50 presenters who have contributed to some of the highest grossing films in the history of animation, 60 exhibitors, studio portfolio reviews, after hours networking, screenings and an opportunity of a lifetime to meet and greet in an intimate privileged setting with this group. http://www.ctnanimationexpo.com/schedule/the_crew/
• Special Screenings of “The Secret of the Kells” followed by round table discussions with the Producer and Director moderated by LA Film Critic Charles Solomon. “Banjo the Woodpile Cat” 30 years later with Don Bluth and Gary Goldman moderated by Cartoon Brew Founder and Animation Historian Jerry Beck.
• Recession Buster Raffle. $1000 cash plus prizes. One winner a day.
• Pixar is in the house with Art Director Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi, Animator and founder of Spline Doctors Andrew Gordon, Character Designers Derek Monster, Scott Morse, Bill Presing and more.....click here!
CTN-X takes place at the Burbank Marriott Convention Center with ample discounted parking, conveniently located near the Burbank Airport and Amtrak Station. Early bird pricing and discounted rates are available until Nov 15th for students, active military and professional industry organizations. Have over 100 conversations in one weekend at this very different event. Early bird prices extended to Nov 15th. Prices start at $25 for exhibit floor only. For more information and to register, please visit: www.ctnanimationexpo.com or call, (800) 604-2238.
Don't forget to use your code BLGSX09 for an extra 10% off on any 1-day and 3-day general pass.
"The Dark Tower" Foundation Crumbles
(darkhorizons.com) "Lost" showrunners JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof aren't going to be doing their long talked about adaptation of Stephen King's fantasy saga "The Dark Tower" after all.
Abrams tells MTV that "The 'Dark Tower' thing is tricky. It's such an important piece of writing. The truth is that Damon and I are not looking at that right now. After working six years on 'Lost,' the last thing I want to do is spend the next seven years adapting one of my favorite books of all time. I'm such a massive Stephen King fan that I'm terrified of screwing it up."
By letting it go, the "Star Trek" helmer says he's keen to see someone else's interpretation of the property - "I'd do anything to see those movies written by someone else. My guess is they will get made because they're so incredible. But not by me."
Lindelof adds that the adaptation of "Watchmen" gave him pause - "Having seen Zack [Snyder] go through what he went through on 'Watchmen' in terms of saying where can I digress from the material, I just get headaches thinking about changing anything."
French VFX Startups Buck Bearish Trend
(variety.com) PARIS -- While some of Gaul's biggest, most prestigious vfx and toon companies are feeling the pinch, a new breed of smaller companies -- offering low-cost services, including Indigenes Prods., Supamonks and Wip Studios -- has bucked the trend.
"These companies are banking on the merging of vidgames and films, Web series, TV productions and commercials," says Ile de France Film Commission's marketing topper Yann Marchet, who's one of the organizers of Parisfx -- Creative Ile de France, the showcase of Gallic vfx, which runs Nov. 18-19.
Launched in 2003, Indigenes Prods. has been specializing in compositing, special effects, greenscreen filming and post-production for TV docudramas and toons. Shingle notably co-produced TV hit "Trafalgar," a historical docudrama featuring CGI settings and greenscreen background shooting.
Supamonks was created in 2006 as an animation company, but it quickly diversified and started piling up work on vidgame trailers (notably Ubisoft's), websites and TV commercials to feed the pipeline. Founded by five young filmmakers who previously worked for major French studios, including Mac Guff and Mikros, Supamonks also is actively pursuing animation work. The studio is developing "Les Metiers," a short-format GGI-animated skein, and it has been tapped by the up-and-coming shingle TeamTO to work on "Oasis," a CGI toon co-produced by France's TF1 and Nickelodeon.
"Since we're a small structure, we're cheaper and more flexible than larger groups in France," says Supamonks co-founder Pierre de Cabissole.
Wip Studios, which has hired 10 staffers and roughly 10 freelancers, focuses on visual effects and post-production for TV series and is now starting to work on features. So far this year the company has worked on 88 projects, including commercials, TV dramas and six features.
Wip's co-creator, Damien Maric, says the studio handles between 30 and 200 shots per film and offers highly competitive rates. "There's currently a revival of ambitious French fiction, and more and more TV producers are looking for affordable visual effects," Maric says. "It's a growing market."
"2012" Shows That the End of CGI Marvel Is Over
(browardpalmbeach.com) Completing his multifilm vendetta against the world's tourist trade, German-born director Roland Emmerich sends the mother of all storms to level the Washington Monument, the Eiffel Tower, and a priest-filled Vatican City in his newest end-times thriller, 2012. From Independence Day (1996) to The Day After Tomorrow (2004), taking down famous landmarks has become Emmerich's cinematic signature, but ever since summer audiences cheered the White House being blown to bits by space aliens in the former, demolished historic sites aren't what they used to be.
2012 is alien-free, but there are tidal waves galore, as well as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and blinding dust clouds, all due to a sudden, radical heating of the Earth's core. A planetary realignment and an overstimulated sun are the villains in a scenario that a real-life seventh-century Mayan prophet is said to have predicted. So take note, humans: Life on Earth will end on December 12, 2012. Plan your Christmas shopping accordingly.
"It's kind of galling when you realize the nutbags with the cardboard signs had it right all along," declares Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt), chief of staff to the president (Danny Glover), as he watches news reports of panicked plebeians running from a shaking ground and thundering sky. Anheuser has been planning for the final day since 2009, when Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a midlevel government scientist, thrusts a red-alert report into his hands at a fancy Washington party. Helmsley's dire warnings lead the world's superpowers to band together and secretly build six giant "arks" designed to save the rich, the powerful, and the mostly white from Armageddon. Launch site: China!
As if made by the gods to suffer for its moviemaking sins, Los Angeles is the first city to split apart and slide (literally) into the sea. In a ridiculous but bravura sequence, Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), a failed sci-fi novelist/limo driver, begins his long, convoluted journey to China and those precious arks by dodging crumbling L.A. freeways and falling skyscrapers while his two kids, ex-wife (Amanda Peet), and her new husband (Tom McCarthy) scream in the limousine's back seat. The two-hour-and-40-minute 2012 is overstuffed with special-effects set-pieces, but the Curtis family's mad dash out of town is the closest the movie gets to actually being fun, if only because it's easier to relate to a man navigating bad traffic than one trying to outrun a newly formed volcano.
"How did they do that?" is the question Hollywood always wants moviegoers to ask, but in watching 2012, I couldn't help but wonder if today's audiences, especially the very young, ask that question as often as those of the past. When the ill-fated cruise ship of The Poseidon Adventure (1972) was capsized by a tidal wave, my 10-year-old self may have understood that flesh-and-blood stuntmen, not actors, were hanging off those upside-down cocktail tables, but I still feared for them and, by extension, for the film's characters. Today's CGI effects are undoubtedly more impressive but also more soul-numbing. Millions of people die in this movie, among them a few we've come to know but not one of those deaths is affecting or memorable, even in an overly sentimental, B-movie way. Where is Shelley Winters when we need her?
As with Emmerich's other films, what's likely to linger in the public memory is a singular scene of iconic destruction that has been the centerpiece of the 2012 ad campaign: The aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy, after being swept up by a gigantic tidal wave, flips over and comes crashing down " brief pause for irony " onto the White House. Goodbye, Rose Garden. One wonders: Is the disaster king suddenly getting political? Probably not. So for the widest audience possible, we suggest that Columbia Pictures release an alternate take, with the democracy-crushing aircraft carrier this time being the USS Ronald Reagan.
For the 2010 Oscars, a dramatic change will take effect for the Best Picture Category. The nominees will expand from 5 to 10, giving more movies the opportunity to fight for the night's top prize. Up was one of the best critically reviewed and commercially received films of the year, and with 5 extra slots open, it may find itself fighting against some live action fare.
The first and only time an animated film has been nominated for Best Picture was in 1991 for the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast. Up is looking to follow in those history making steps to surpass the confines of the Animated Feature category. Up director Pete Docter, told Reuters that his film should be judged in the same way as any other, regardless if it's live action or not.
"We happen to use computers to be telling the story, but it's first and foremost about the storytelling, just like anything else. " he said. "For the world to look at it that way as well, that would be great."
With there being so many Best Picture spots available for the taking this year, many are wondering if there will be enough high quality films available to fill the void. Only time will tell what will make it to the Oscar ballot.
Poll: Has CGI Improved the Movie Industry?
(movies.ie) With the advances made in computer generate imagery, the movie industry has changed greatly within the last 15 years. Each passing year sees the power and beauty of these effects grow, creating vast star systems like those of the Star Wars franchise or the destruction and chaos wracked on the planet Earth as the people try to cling to survival like that of 2012. It seems that technology has become a directors best friend in the movie business - why spend a huge chunk of your budget on creating a set when you can just green scene it and drop the effects in later!
Ask yourself though - does this take from the heart of the cinema? Transformers 2, did you even know Megan Fox was in that movie? When we spend our time staring wide-eyed at the colossal(and super shiny) robots are we missing out on decent plots? What's the point in actually writing a decent movie when a few cheap CGI effects can guarantee a few million return in the box office?
Vote today: http://www.movies.ie/features/Poll___Has_CGI_improved_the_Movie_industry
Sony Imageworks Creates New Digital Sector : Sony ColorWorks
(vizworld.com) Sony is expanding their film business by adding a new business to their collection : Sony Colorworks. A digital post arm to work with their existing Sony Pictures Imageworks, they've already completed work on a few films including "Zombieland", "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs", and "Micheal Jackson's This Is It's in relative silence.
"The idea is if you come here you can have everything done in one place," said Chris Cookson, prexy of Sony Pictures Technologies and onetime tech exec at Warner. Technicolor ran a DI facility in the Stage 6 building but ankled earlier this year. Sony seized the opportunity to set up its own third-party post facility.
The DI field is very competitive, but Sony has a leg up given the tight integration they will have with Sony ImageWorks and Sony's sound department, both already used by several companies.
"Star Trek", "Harry Potter", & "Transformers" Fuel List Of 2010 People's Choice Awards Nominees
The revival of the "Star Trek" film franchise and the runaway comedy hit "The Hangover" were among the nominees for favorite movie announced today for the 2010 People's Choice Awards.
"The Proposal," "Twilight" and "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" rounded out the category.
FAVORITE FRANCHISE (Mobile Voting Category)
-- "Harry Potter"
-- "Star Trek"
-- "Twilight"
-- "Transformers"
-- "X-Men"
FAVORITE MOVIE
-- "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince"
-- "Star Trek"
-- "The Hangover"
-- "The Proposal"
-- "Twilight"
Full Press: http://cbs2.com/tv/2010.Peoples.Choice.2.1304141.html
Hobbit Director Volunteers for Q&A Night
(stuff.co.nz) Robert Pattinson 'heading to NZ' Video: Fang-tastic 'Strong cast' in Kiwi film debut Andrew's classic Kiwi tale Mel Gibson's Mad Max replacement named Taylor Lautner rises in New Moon A Prophet up for six European film awards Del Toro promises 'magic' in Hobbit Digital age new era for film Hugh Grant 'suicidal' over own films
Film director Guillermo del Toro is to take time out from making The Hobbit to help out some other little movie guys in Wellington.
Mexico-born del Toro has given up his valuable time to help independent New Zealander Sam Kelly raise money to make a musical feature film. One For The Road, directed by Kelly, is due to begin filming in January, with just $60,000 of its $1.5 million budget raised so far.
In a bid to close the gap, the film's makers are hoping to sell out Wellington's Paramount Theatre tonight.
If they do, they will raise another $20,000 with An Evening with Guillermo del Toro, a question and answer event from 8pm. This will be facilitated by Jonathan King, director of the New Zealand movie Under the Mountain.
Having del Toro, who directed Pan's Labyrinth and the Hellboy series, on board was a massive coup, Kelly said.
"It's great that he's taking that first step in the relationship with Wellington because, you know, Peter Jackson had a really strong relationship with Wellington, and Guillermo has been great."
Del Toro will do his best to answer questions about The Hobbit and his past films, along with his intriguing personal history - including the 1997 kidnap of his father in Mexico.
One For The Road producer Bonnie Slater worked with Richard Taylor at Weta Workshop, where she met del Toro and asked for his help.
"She told him about the project, said we were making this film, and 'we need more money to make this happen, would you be interested in supporting us?', and he said he'd love to," Kelly said.
The film is billed as the story of a Palmerston North band made up of close friends and high hopes. It is adapted from the 2005 musical It's a Whanau Thing.
Canada Continues to Draw U.S. VFX Gigs
(variety.com) Although the Canadian dollar is almost at par with the U.S. dollar, federal and provincial incentives continue to attract U.S. and international productions. On the federal level, there is a 16% labor tax credit when using Canadian labor. This year both Ontario and Quebec expanded their existing 25% tax credit that previously only covered labor costs. Now qualifying local spends for goods and services are also eligible for the 25% refundable tax credit.Additionally, government-guaranteed grants offset 14%-23% of all qualified expenses; there is a 1% to 2% bump up if there is Albertan ownership or local key creative personnel. British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Manitoba all have labor tax credits.
Bonus: Post-production expenditures, even for films shot outside the country, also qualify for tax incentives. Ontario offers a 20% vfx tax credit on labor, which can be combined with the 25% Ontario spend credit and the federal labor credit. CGI and shots utilizing greenscreen qualify for an additional 5% tax credit in Quebec. British Columbia offers 15% extra tax credit on digital animation or vfx labor.
Top facilities: Pinewood Toronto Studios; North Shore Studios, Vancouver
Key contacts: Hans Fraikin, film commissioner, Quebec Film and TV Council; Susan Croome, British Columbia film commissioner; Donna Zuchlinski, manager of film, Ontario Media Development; David Carter of Canada Film Capital; Carole Vivier, CEO and film commissioner, Manitoba Film & Music; Jeff Brinton, Alberta film commissioner
Alberta Film Commission: albertafilm.ca
Quebec Film and TV Council: qftc.ca
Toronto Film Office: toronto.ca/tfto
British Columbia Film Commission: bcfilmcommission.com
Ontario Media Development: omdc.on.ca
Manitoba Film & Music: mbfilmmusic.ca/
Clash of the Titans: A Wild Assortment of Creatures
(filmschoolrejects.com) Warner Bros.
has officially unleashed the first teaser trailer for their upcoming epic Clash of the Titans, which comes from The Incredible Hulk director
Louis Leterrier. It is a remake of the 1981 Desmond Davis film of the
same name, which tells the story of Perseus (Sam Worthington), a great
warrior on a quest to save Princess Andromeda (Alexa Davalos). But before he can do that, he will encounter all kinds of wild and dangerous creature.
And that’s the hook — at least for me — in this first trailer. There are some wicked cool creatures in this movie, some whose designs appear borrowed from the likes of Lord of the Rings or Pan’s Labrynth,
but that doesn’t make them any less cool. As we saw with the first set
of leaked posters, the art design in this film looks sharp. The rest of
it is a bit unimpressive — the rock soundtrack keeps things up beat,
the action doesn’t seems stock-and-trade, and I’m still not sold on
that acting ability of Sam Worthington.
However, Louis Leterrier is a good director with an eye for big action
— and this trailer has enough energy to keep me interested.
See for yourself below, followed by some hi-res stills that I grabbed from the HD version (available at Yahoo Movies) of the trailer showing off some of the film’s various creatures. Clash of the Titans hits theaters March 26, 2010.
Creature Stills: http://www.filmschoolrejects.com/news/clash-of-the-titans-trailer-neilm.phpDreamworks, Pixar Artists Come Out For Burbank Animation Expo
• The most influential cartoonist of this century, Ronald Searle Endorses CTN-X. "I am happy for my name to be used in association with the CTN-Xpo. I am very pleased to be honored like this & quite surprised that people still think of me!" ~ Ronald Searle http://www.ctnanimationexpo.com/matt-jones/
• Dreamworks Animation talent goes to CTN-X with Production Designer Kathy Altieri, Animation Supervisor Dave Burgess, 3D animator Jason Ryan and many more.
• Over 300 years of top talent talk casually about their careers and share industry secrets. Peter de Sève, Harald Siepermann, Kent Melton, Mike Mignola, Lou Romano along with live demonstrations from top industry talent maquette artists Kent Melton and Ruben Procopio and many more all weekend long.
• Find out the other secret from "The Secret of the Kells" with creators and moderator Charles Solomon.
• The City of Burbank declares "Animation Week" for the Creative Talent Network.
• Join us in this rare opportunity when leading characters designers from around the world get together for this round table entitled "The Line Kings" sponsored by Character Design Blog. http://www.ctnanimationexpo.com/the-line-kings/
• Over 50 presenters who have contributed to some of the highest grossing films in the history of animation, 60 exhibitors, studio portfolio reviews, after hours networking, screenings and an opportunity of a lifetime to meet and greet in an intimate privileged setting with this group. http://www.ctnanimationexpo.com/schedule/the_crew/
• Special Screenings of “The Secret of the Kells” followed by round table discussions with the Producer and Director moderated by LA Film Critic Charles Solomon. “Banjo the Woodpile Cat” 30 years later with Don Bluth and Gary Goldman moderated by Cartoon Brew Founder and Animation Historian Jerry Beck.
• Recession Buster Raffle. $1000 cash plus prizes. One winner a day.
• Pixar is in the house with Art Director Daisuke “Dice” Tsutsumi, Animator and founder of Spline Doctors Andrew Gordon, Character Designers Derek Monster, Scott Morse, Bill Presing and more.....click here!
CTN-X takes place at the Burbank Marriott Convention Center with ample discounted parking, conveniently located near the Burbank Airport and Amtrak Station. Early bird pricing and discounted rates are available until Nov 15th for students, active military and professional industry organizations. Have over 100 conversations in one weekend at this very different event. Early bird prices extended to Nov 15th. Prices start at $25 for exhibit floor only. For more information and to register, please visit: www.ctnanimationexpo.com or call, (800) 604-2238.
Don't forget to use your code BLGSX09 for an extra 10% off on any 1-day and 3-day general pass.
"The Dark Tower" Foundation Crumbles
(darkhorizons.com) "Lost" showrunners JJ Abrams and Damon Lindelof aren't going to be doing their long talked about adaptation of Stephen King's fantasy saga "The Dark Tower" after all.
Abrams tells MTV that "The 'Dark Tower' thing is tricky. It's such an important piece of writing. The truth is that Damon and I are not looking at that right now. After working six years on 'Lost,' the last thing I want to do is spend the next seven years adapting one of my favorite books of all time. I'm such a massive Stephen King fan that I'm terrified of screwing it up."
By letting it go, the "Star Trek" helmer says he's keen to see someone else's interpretation of the property - "I'd do anything to see those movies written by someone else. My guess is they will get made because they're so incredible. But not by me."
Lindelof adds that the adaptation of "Watchmen" gave him pause - "Having seen Zack [Snyder] go through what he went through on 'Watchmen' in terms of saying where can I digress from the material, I just get headaches thinking about changing anything."
French VFX Startups Buck Bearish Trend
(variety.com) PARIS -- While some of Gaul's biggest, most prestigious vfx and toon companies are feeling the pinch, a new breed of smaller companies -- offering low-cost services, including Indigenes Prods., Supamonks and Wip Studios -- has bucked the trend.
"These companies are banking on the merging of vidgames and films, Web series, TV productions and commercials," says Ile de France Film Commission's marketing topper Yann Marchet, who's one of the organizers of Parisfx -- Creative Ile de France, the showcase of Gallic vfx, which runs Nov. 18-19.
Launched in 2003, Indigenes Prods. has been specializing in compositing, special effects, greenscreen filming and post-production for TV docudramas and toons. Shingle notably co-produced TV hit "Trafalgar," a historical docudrama featuring CGI settings and greenscreen background shooting.
Supamonks was created in 2006 as an animation company, but it quickly diversified and started piling up work on vidgame trailers (notably Ubisoft's), websites and TV commercials to feed the pipeline. Founded by five young filmmakers who previously worked for major French studios, including Mac Guff and Mikros, Supamonks also is actively pursuing animation work. The studio is developing "Les Metiers," a short-format GGI-animated skein, and it has been tapped by the up-and-coming shingle TeamTO to work on "Oasis," a CGI toon co-produced by France's TF1 and Nickelodeon.
"Since we're a small structure, we're cheaper and more flexible than larger groups in France," says Supamonks co-founder Pierre de Cabissole.
Wip Studios, which has hired 10 staffers and roughly 10 freelancers, focuses on visual effects and post-production for TV series and is now starting to work on features. So far this year the company has worked on 88 projects, including commercials, TV dramas and six features.
Wip's co-creator, Damien Maric, says the studio handles between 30 and 200 shots per film and offers highly competitive rates. "There's currently a revival of ambitious French fiction, and more and more TV producers are looking for affordable visual effects," Maric says. "It's a growing market."
"2012" Shows That the End of CGI Marvel Is Over
(browardpalmbeach.com) Completing his multifilm vendetta against the world's tourist trade, German-born director Roland Emmerich sends the mother of all storms to level the Washington Monument, the Eiffel Tower, and a priest-filled Vatican City in his newest end-times thriller, 2012. From Independence Day (1996) to The Day After Tomorrow (2004), taking down famous landmarks has become Emmerich's cinematic signature, but ever since summer audiences cheered the White House being blown to bits by space aliens in the former, demolished historic sites aren't what they used to be.
2012 is alien-free, but there are tidal waves galore, as well as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and blinding dust clouds, all due to a sudden, radical heating of the Earth's core. A planetary realignment and an overstimulated sun are the villains in a scenario that a real-life seventh-century Mayan prophet is said to have predicted. So take note, humans: Life on Earth will end on December 12, 2012. Plan your Christmas shopping accordingly.
"It's kind of galling when you realize the nutbags with the cardboard signs had it right all along," declares Carl Anheuser (Oliver Platt), chief of staff to the president (Danny Glover), as he watches news reports of panicked plebeians running from a shaking ground and thundering sky. Anheuser has been planning for the final day since 2009, when Adrian Helmsley (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a midlevel government scientist, thrusts a red-alert report into his hands at a fancy Washington party. Helmsley's dire warnings lead the world's superpowers to band together and secretly build six giant "arks" designed to save the rich, the powerful, and the mostly white from Armageddon. Launch site: China!
As if made by the gods to suffer for its moviemaking sins, Los Angeles is the first city to split apart and slide (literally) into the sea. In a ridiculous but bravura sequence, Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), a failed sci-fi novelist/limo driver, begins his long, convoluted journey to China and those precious arks by dodging crumbling L.A. freeways and falling skyscrapers while his two kids, ex-wife (Amanda Peet), and her new husband (Tom McCarthy) scream in the limousine's back seat. The two-hour-and-40-minute 2012 is overstuffed with special-effects set-pieces, but the Curtis family's mad dash out of town is the closest the movie gets to actually being fun, if only because it's easier to relate to a man navigating bad traffic than one trying to outrun a newly formed volcano.
"How did they do that?" is the question Hollywood always wants moviegoers to ask, but in watching 2012, I couldn't help but wonder if today's audiences, especially the very young, ask that question as often as those of the past. When the ill-fated cruise ship of The Poseidon Adventure (1972) was capsized by a tidal wave, my 10-year-old self may have understood that flesh-and-blood stuntmen, not actors, were hanging off those upside-down cocktail tables, but I still feared for them and, by extension, for the film's characters. Today's CGI effects are undoubtedly more impressive but also more soul-numbing. Millions of people die in this movie, among them a few we've come to know but not one of those deaths is affecting or memorable, even in an overly sentimental, B-movie way. Where is Shelley Winters when we need her?
As with Emmerich's other films, what's likely to linger in the public memory is a singular scene of iconic destruction that has been the centerpiece of the 2012 ad campaign: The aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy, after being swept up by a gigantic tidal wave, flips over and comes crashing down " brief pause for irony " onto the White House. Goodbye, Rose Garden. One wonders: Is the disaster king suddenly getting political? Probably not. So for the widest audience possible, we suggest that Columbia Pictures release an alternate take, with the democracy-crushing aircraft carrier this time being the USS Ronald Reagan.
