Jackson Tintin's at Weta, BC Cuts VFX Labor, & American Werewolf Remake Rights Sold...

   Speculation about Peter Jackson's role in the upcoming Tintin movie, Secret of the Unicorn has been put aside by the man himself. According to Stuff, Jackson has confirmed that Steven Spielberg is the lead director on the first Tintin film in Los Angeles, while "he was helping 'beef up' some of the chase scenes and was working on post production at Weta Digital in Wellington." This contradicts many past reports which place Jackson in more of a driver's seat.

Interestingly, Jackson also hinted at the approximate start date of the second film and confirmed the third. According to Jackson, his role as lead director begins next year when the second Tintin film, Red Rackham's Treasure, gets underway. And, in spite of rampant gossip that the third film was going to be scrapped, Jackson said he and Spielberg were still open to co-directing the third and final, as yet unnamed, Tintin film.





VFX Labor Costs Cut 25% in British Columbia

(realfilmcareer.com)                     A sweetening of the film and television tax credits in the province of Quebec has yet to cause a stir in British Columbia, as the industry here will monitor the impact the move will have on this province’s fortunes.

In fact, the changes in Quebec could actually bolster one segment in B.C. — the visual effects industry.

On June 12, the Quebec government changed the tax credit for foreign production companies shooting in the province from 25 per cent of labour costs to 25 per cent of total budget expenses in the province. This means that an American studio could write off not only one-quarter of wages paid to Quebec workers, but also one-quarter of other costs incurred in the province, including studio rental, equipment acquisitions and rentals, building materials, software and catering.

“This is significant, because it could potentially double their tax credit over there,” said Peter Leitch, president of North Shore Studios and Mammoth Studios and chair of the Motion Picture Production Industry Association of B.C. “Quebec had very litte foreign production last year, so this is a way for them to compete with states that have aggressive tax credits.”

Quebec had no major U.S. productions last year, the last big Hollywood movie shot there being a partial shoot of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, in 2007.

“It’s an aggressive measure by Quebec, and we’ll just wait and see what the impacts of it are,” said Leitch. “We just want to make sure we act responsibly and don’t have a knee-jerk reaction to this particular change.”

Both B.C. and Ontario have labour tax credits of 25 per cent for foreign-based productions, as well as a higher rate for domestic productions. The provinces also have various regional tax credits to encourage production outside the major centres. B.C.’s tax credit system is in place until 2013.

However, one change in Quebec may send work west. Quebec eliminated the additional 20-per-cent labour tax credit for visual effects work done in the province, instead extending the total budget credits by another five per cent, to 30 per cent, for productions who do their visual effects in the province.

This means that film companies could shoot their live-action footage in Quebec, but take their visual effects work to B.C., where they could receive the 25-per-cent labour tax credits spent on creating the visual effects, plus the extra 15-per-cent digital animation or visual effects (DAVE) credit in B.C.

CGI and the Half-Blood Prince

(thecelebritycafe.com)                   The sixth Harry Potter movie, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," will arrive in theaters on July 15.

Production designer Stuart Craig used CGI for most of the effects, much more than he used on the first movie nine years ago.

Craig told the Los Angeles Times: "Obviously the actors would prefer a physically real set to react to and respond to as directed. The CG effects encourage you to be bigger and more ambitious and scale things up, so what we try to do is build a physical set -- which is always limited by the soundstage it's on or the corner of the soundstage you have available -- and then the CG extension becomes hugely important."

Full Press:       http://www.thecelebritycafe.com/features/29564.html






Bay Swaps Robots For Angst-Ridden Aliens In Number Four

(io9.com)                                     With Transformers fast on its way to becoming almost as big as The Dark Knight, Michael Bay and Dreamworks have already announced their next project together... and it doesn't involve robots, in disguise or otherwise.

Bay and Dreamworks have pre-emptively picked up the movie rights to unpublished novel I Am Number Four for an undisclosed sum "somewhere in the high six figures," according to the Hollywood Reporter. The book, the first of a six part series rumored to be co-written by controversial author James Frey (the identity of the authors is being kept secret at present), deals with nine teenaged aliens hiding in human society following the destruction of their home planet, only to find that the being responsible for the destruction has followed them to Earth.

The rights were offered to studios Thursday afternoon before being quickly snapped up by Bay and the studio; as with Transformers, Dreamworks exec Steven Spielberg is expected to act as co-producer on the movie.





"Low-Balling": The VFX Business Model

(animationguildblog.blogspot.com)                    Here's the way the visual effects industry goes:

    1) Big Fat Conglomerate puts most of the work on its new, $200 million effects-laden blockbuster out for bid.

    2) Effects houses from far and wide bid on the project, busily low-balling one another.

    3) BFC picks the cheapest price among the houses, gives a few high-end "money shots" to a prestigious effects studio in San Francisco, and hands off wire removal and other mundane chores to Mumbai, India (which is even cheaper!)

    4) Management of Low-Ball Effx House discovers that it is seriously in the red doing the work and will have to look for suitors with money if it wants to keep its doors open. (As an interim measure, it cuts staff salaries and benefits) ...

Versions of this scenario have been happening with metronomic regularity for years. Variety had the basic storyline just yesterday:

    Digital Domain, the Venice, Calif.-based visual effects shop ... is scheduled to be in court Wednesday for opening arguments in a wrongful termination suit by the company's former prexy, Christian Bradley "Brad" Call.

    Call alleges the company pressured him to falsify the company's financials to attract investors ...

    ...[D]documents reveal that the company, founded in 1993 by Scott Ross, helmer James Cameron and creature wiz Stan Winston, has never turned a profit despite having a thriving commercials division for much of its existence to supplement its feature work ...

But weep not for Digital Domain. Per the article, current management strongly implies that everything is really good now. (And if you believe that, then call me quick, because I've got some prime real estate out in Lancaster I'm willing to sell you.)

There's a reason that the major entertainment companies got into the effects business and then (except for Sony) quickly got out again. The profit margins just weren't there.

Source:       http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2009/06/viz-effx-business-model.html





Stan Lee Joins "Iron Man" Sequel

(darkhorizons.com)                     Marvel Comics icon Stan Lee is tipped to play legendary interviewer Larry King in the upcoming "Iron Man" sequel reports Nuke the Fridge.

Appearing as King, Lee will apparently interview Tony Stark on Larry King Live and will question Stark on his latest innovations. Specifically this will include Stark's new "modified 'black' Iron Man suit"

The casting is a larger than usual role for Lee who only cameos in Marvel films. Lee seemed to be playing Playboy creator Hugh Hefner in the first "Iron Man" film.





Lucasfilm's Plan is About Sustainability

(marinij.com)                          IN TODAY'S terrible economic times, it is rare to hear of any employer seeking to grow his business. George Lucas' readiness to complete the final phase of the master plan for Lucasfilm, Ltd. - which was approved in 1996 - is a welcome counterpoint to the news of layoffs and businesses leaving Marin.

Lucas' desire to execute this final phase of the plan is truly a vote of confidence for Marin County's sustainability.

Instead of criticizing the design of a private complex, we should be applauding the benefits it will bring to our community.

Having Lucasfilm in Marin provides many benefits to the community. Lucasfilm creates hundreds of high-paying, high-value jobs. The large amount of property taxes help fund our overall community needs.

Lucas has permanently protected 5,000 acres through Marin Agricultural Land Trust easements that would otherwise have been developed.

And Lucas continues his quiet, consistent local contributions to nonprofits and schools throughout Marin.

But none of those benefits captures the prestige of having one of the foremost creative minds and innovators living and working in Marin, and the numerous multipliers that the Lucas companies continue to bring to this county.

Lucasfilm has been a good neighbor for 30 years, respectful of both the people and the environment.

Lucas implemented 11 miles of public trails, undergrounded utilities in front of Big Rock (the second phase of the master plan), bought

Jaws of Life life-saving equipment for the Marinwood Fire Department. His ranch's fire crew continues to act as a first responder for accidents and fires in the vicinity. He has preserved more than 125 acres of Marin dwarf flax, wetlands and more.

There has been full compliance with all of the conditions of approval set by the Board of Supervisors in the master plan, with Mr. Lucas often exceeding the requirements at his own expense.

George Lucas put his faith in Marin County 30 years ago when he built Skywalker Ranch and set the course for the other two phases of the master plan.

That Lucas chooses to stay in Marin and complete the plan - which he could have put anywhere in the world - gives Marin a great magnet for attracting jobs that match skill levels and housing costs in the county.

In these hard economic times, it is a blessing that Lucas has the fortitude and vision to continue to move forward. Grady Ranch will be the final phase of the original plan - another unobtrusive, beautiful Lucasfilm building surrounded by the 800 acres of open space that Lucas donated years ago.

North Bay Leadership Council, which represents the leading employers in Marin and Sonoma counties, applauds the vote of confidence that Lucas has given to the sustainability of Marin County.

Marin's economy will be stimulated by the Grady Ranch project and the employees who work there.

Marin's economic vitality will be strengthened by welcoming George Lucas' investment in the future of the county and his commitment to making all of his companies environmentally and socially responsible contributors to the county's quality of life.

Cynthia Murray is president and CEO of the North Bay Leadership Council, an employer-sponsored coalition involved in public-policy advocacy. She is a former Marin supervisor and a former mayor of Novato.

Source:    http://www.marinij.com/opinion/ci_12711785





The Smurfs Will be Coming at You in 3D

(ComingSoon.net)                              Columbia Pictures' CG/live-action hybrid film based on "The Smurfs" will hit theaters in 3D. Smurfs 3D is scheduled for a December 17, 2010 release.

The film will be based on the characters created in 1958 by Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford, known throughout the world as Peyo. "The Smurfs" were created for a Belgian series of comic books, first as minor characters. The villagers, known for their blue skin and small statures, spawned a line of statuettes, games, toys, theme parks and a hit TV series.

The Colin Brady-directed film was written by David Stem and David Weiss.





Pixar's Luxo Jr. Makes His Live-Action Debut

(cinematical.com)                              Disney buffs are no doubt aware of the theme park's "Living Character Initiative," where guests of Walt Disney World (and the surrounding parks, like Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot Center) are treated to a live-action experience with some of the more memorable Disney/Pixar animated characters. I believe the initiative began a couple years ago with the Muppet Mobile Lab, and it continues now with the character Remy from Ratatouille (who hangs around French restaurants at Epcot Center) and the newest edition -- Luxo Jr. (aka the hopping Pixar desk lamp), who visitors to Disney's Hollywood Studios can now see hanging out over at Pixar Place.

We posted videos of both Luxo Jr. and Remy after the jump, as well as the inflatable Up house stationed over at Downtown Disney. And now if you'll excuse me, Wall-E is about to start on cable and the thing looks absolutely smashing in HD. Enjoy your Sunday!]

Take a look:       http://www.cinematical.com/2009/06/28/watch-this-pixars-luxo-jr-makes-his-live-action-debut/