Jurassic ReParking, CGI Fainting Goats, & Monsterpalooza Grows...

(boxofficemojo.com)           Walt Disney Pictures' A Christmas Carol topped the box office with an estimated $31 million from 3,683 theaters, for an average of $8,417 per theater. Written and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the motion capture fantasy adventure featured the performances of Jim Carrey in multiple roles. The film reportedly carried a budget of about $175 million.

Joe Johnston Talks Jurassic Park 4

(Ain't It Cool News)             Ain't It Cool News got a chance to talk to The Wolfman director Joe Johnston and the interview briefly turned to the possibility of a Jurassic Park 4. Johnston directed the third film in the franchise, which was released in 2001.

"There is a great story for the fourth one that I would be interested in getting involved with and it's nothing like the first three," Johnston told the site, "It sort of takes the franchise off in a completely different direction, which is the only way I would want to get involved."

He added that it likely won't be another storyline about a group of people struggling to survive a dinosaur attack. "We've done that and it's been done three times..."

The site commented that they should stay away from an island setting this time. "Why would anybody go back to that island?" Johnston said. "It was hard enough to figure out the second and third reason for them to go, but it would take it off in a whole other trilogy basically, but when it gets to that level it's sort of about studios and Steven [Spielberg's] thing and who knows. I think we are at that point where we are due for another one if we are going to do it."

Universal Pictures has not targeted a release date for a fourth film.

Real Men Stare At CGI Goats

(blogs.wsj.com)                      The Men Who Stare At Goats,  a comedy based on Jon Ronson's non-fiction book, George Clooney stars as "warrior monk" Lyn Cassady. A former member of the U.S. military's New Earth Army, Cassady goes rogue after "killing" a goat by, yep, staring at it until it keels over.

But animals lovers, rest assured: no actual goats were harmed during the filming of the movie, thanks to the participation of animal trainer Sled Reynolds. The owner of Gentle Jungle, which has provided animal services to TV shows and films that run the gamut from "Out of Africa" and "Dances With Wolves" to "Transformers 2" and the upcoming "Avatar," Reynolds spoke with Speakeasy about working with fainting goats, CGI animation and George Clooney.

So how do you fake a fainting goat?

It's not too hard nowadays. It used to be harder, before CGI.  The crew had gone out and found some fainting goats  which is, inexplicably enough, a real breed; people like to breed them, the same sort of people who breed bulldogs who can't breathe. We would use real goats and film them standing up, then fallen on the floor; the rest is all computer generated.

How common is it to use CGI when shooting animal sequences?

Oh, it's in every movie now. For instance, we worked for two years on "Avatar" [the upcoming James Cameron sci-fi film.] A lot of the monsters in the film are actually horses, with just additional limbs later added in digitally. We were going to use a tiger at one point, but that idea went away. The exact amount of CGI versus live action depends on the film, because they're all so different. We worked two months on "Beowulf," which was all motion capture. They used real horses to capture the motion for the film, and then digitally drew the horses after.

When did you first notice the heavier shift towards CGI?

It's interesting  I'd say I first noticed it a little over 10 years ago, on the film "The Ghost and the Darkness" [the 1996 lion hunter drama starring Michael Douglas and Val Kilmer]. We had a whole green screen unit, and were afraid it was going to put us out of business. But in some ways, it's actually created more work. Personally, I think it's better to use real animals when you can, because if you see a lion that you know is not real, you're not going to be afraid of it. But like I said, every movie is different, and there are so many schools of thought on this. Some people prefer the practicality of going digital, others want the real thing. Some want both.

City Lands Digital Effects Giant

Pixel Magic could have opened another digital media studio anywhere. Locations in Pennsylvania and New Mexico were possibilities. Even a spot in Canada was up for consideration.

But in the end, Lafayette had too many strengths to pass up.

While the state's tax-incentive program for those in the film industry was a strong draw, the variety of locations and environments also made it appealing, said Ray Scalice, Pixel Magic vice president and general manager, at a Friday news conference. In addition, the Louisiana Immersive Technologies Enterprise had the kind of features and infrastructure readily available that are needed to create special effects in dozens of movies and television shows.

"LITE has a built-in technology infrastructure — high-speed Internet, high-speed rendering and this screen room," said Raymond McIntyre Jr., the company's vice president and VFX supervisor. "They also have an understanding and skill set, people who know technology and data handling. That immediate availability helped us make our decision."

Beginning next month, Pixel Magic will have a permanent home at the LITE Center and will be one of the first tenants of its business accelerator, created by the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, LITE and UL to encourage the creation of new technology businesses through start-ups, joint ventures and recruiting out-of-state technology companies.

The company plans to create 12 jobs within a year, and 40 positions in three years. It's that kind of permanent infrastructure and workforce development that will be key in enhancing and maintaining Louisiana's economic growth, Gov. Bobby Jindal said.

"Pixel Magic's decision to locate in Louisiana will send a signal to Hollywood and to other leading digital media companies that Louisiana is a major player in the digital media industry," Jindal said. "This win will help accelerate the development of Lafayette as a hub for digital media and film production, and, of course, it will help create more good jobs for our children so that they can pursue their dreams right here in Louisiana."

Full Press:         http://www.theadvertiser.com/article/20091107/NEWS01/911070306

Monster-Maker Rises to 'New Moon' Challenge

(variety.com)           Master creature-maker Phil Tippett has been hard at work on the "Twilight" franchise, especially the werewolves for the upcoming "New Moon," which have proven especially challenging.

"A lot of the stuff we're shooting is in the worst conditions possible for computer graphics," he says. "The skies are overcast, so the lighting is very flat. Unlike something like 'Transformers' or 'District 9' where you have a lot of light kicking off hard-shell candy surfaces, we have ... wolves (with) fur, and fur soaks up light."

The "Twilight" pics are being made at a breakneck pace, with post on one overlapping shooting on the next. But even scrambling with the second unit to make their daily quota, says Tippett, "We just have a blast. We call it doing the Vulcan mind-meld thing, where we're reading each others' minds because we're working so fast."

Tippett gained fame among "Star Wars" fans for his "go-motion" animation for "The Empire Strikes Back" (Remember the Imperial Walkers?), then won an Oscar for "Return of the Jedi."

In 1984, he opened his own shop, Tippett Studios. He switched to digital vfx, won a second Oscar for his digital dinosaurs on "Jurassic Park," and is still going strong as he celebrates his studio's 25th anniversary.

"I never imagined I'd be around this long," Tippett says, "but I did imagine, as a kid growing up in Southern California, that I would have my own visual effects studio in Berkeley, because that's where I was born and that's where my extended family was."

As for his work on "Twilight," Tippett can only smile. "Everybody tries to have fun," he says. "I hope that leaks out on the shots."

The Visual Effects Society Opens Call for Entries for Student Award

(cgw.com)           Los Angeles - VES is now accepting submissions for its annual Student Award, exclusively sponsored by Autodesk Inc., maker of popular entertainment software. The deadline for submissions is November 30, 2009, and the winning student will receive the award live at the 8th Annual VES Awards Show, to be held on February 28, 2010 at the Century Plaza Hotel in Beverly Hills.

The student award is to honor outstanding achievement in visual effects on any project that was created by a student or group of students while attending an accredited school. Qualified students at schools from all over the world are encouraged to send in their submissions before the November 30, 2009 deadline.

The winning student will be provided with free airfare from anywhere around the world, two night’s accommodation to attend the show, and one license of Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3ds Max, or Autodesk Softimage software, at no cost. Rules and Procedures can be found at www.vesawards.com.

Simon Pegg Issues A VFX Update On "Paul"

(iconvsicon.com)                 Simon Pegg has issued an update on what is happening with is upcoming film Paul over on the forums of www.peggster.net. Here is what he had to say:

"Hi all,

Thought you might like to hear how things are going on the Paul front. It's been a while since we wrapped now and with the absence of Lance B's video blogs, I guess things must seem to have gone very quiet. Rest assured the good (space)ship Paul is progressing apace. Our venerable and brilliant director Greg Mottola, is currently ensconced in an edit suite in NYC with Oscar winning editor, Chris Dickens (Slumdog Millionaire and Spaced, Shaun and Fuzz), putting together the first pre f/x cut.

The next phase of the process will see Greg and Chris continue to hone and cut the movie and will of course entail the complex process of bringing Paul himself to life, combining the efforts of ace f/x wizards, Double Negative and further work with The Green Hornet himself, Mr. Seth Rogen. Rest assured all is going well and we're all very excited. More news of a kind as we encounter it.

"Moon" Sequel on Hold For Sci-fi "Source Code"

(Variety)        Jake Gyllenhaal is in negotiations to star in sci-fi thriller Source Code for Vendome Pictures and The Mark Gordon Co.

Duncan Jones (Moon) will direct and Mark Gordon will produce with Vendome's CEO Philippe Rousselet and Jordan Wynn. The Summit Entertainment release is scheduled to begin filming during the first quarter of 2010. Jones has stated that his planned follow up to Moon, the futuristic Berlin-based sci-fi film Mute, has been put on hold for him to develop this project as his next film.

Source Code centers on a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown commuter and is forced to live and relive a harrowing train bombing until he can determine who is responsible for it.

VFX Producers of the Year: The Jackson Hive

(hollywoodreporter.com)                   Five years ago, while Peter Jackson was immersed in directing his large-scale remake of "King Kong" for Universal, executive Mary Parent mentioned a project the studio was developing based on the wildly popular video game "Halo."

Jackson was intrigued. He loved to play "Halo" with his two teenage children; his special effects company, New Zealand-based WETA, seemed perfect to handle the FX; and a 15% tax rebate made a Kiwi shoot ideal for Universal and co-financier Fox. So Jackson agreed to produce, alongside his lifetime partner Fran Walsh and their colleague Carolynne Cunningham.

Jackson would not direct, but he would find a promising young helmer to work under his supervision. When Parent suggested Neill Blomkamp, based on a short film of his she'd seen, the South Africa-born filmmaker left his home in Vancouver and flew to meet the Jackson team.

"All of a sudden," Blomkamp recalls, "I went from being this lowly commercials director to doing a really high-profile film."

Then things went wrong. Five months after the producers started work on the script, doing digital previsualizations, manufacturing and designing sets, Fox and Universal pulled the plug.

"The studios were saying they had real concerns about a movie of this size in the hands of a first-time director--after they'd suggested it," says Ken Kamins, Jackson and Walsh's longtime rep. "Peter was really aggravated; he felt it was very unfair. So he and Fran said, 'Why don't we do something independent?' "

That was the beginning of "District 9," the South Africa-based sci-fi movie that is among the most acclaimed releases of the year, and a reminder of just how effective Jackson, Walsh and Cunningham are as producers. For this and their upcoming adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel "The Lovely Bones," The Hollywood Reporter has named them Producers of the Year.

Curiously, Jackson doesn't think of himself as a producer. Then again, he doesn't entirely think of himself as a director, either.

"If I have to fill out a passport form or something, in the space to list your occupation I always put 'filmmaker,' " he says by phone from New Zealand as he puts the final touches on "Bones." "I've always thought of myself making films, whether that's directing, producing or writing. It's all part of the same process."

Unlike many producers, the trio -- through Jackson and Walsh's Wellington, New Zealand-based Wingnut Films -- don't seek out projects from others. "We always develop our own," Jackson explains. "We don't regard our company or our activities as having any broader context than just making the films we want to make."

Nor do they have any particular vision for their company: no five-year plan, no detailed strategy for the future. They just take things on as they stumble upon them, as was the case when Walsh read "Lovely Bones."

"I was given the book by Philippa (Boyens), our co-writer," she recalls. "I read it in one day with no real expectations, and by the end of it, I thought it was incredibly visual and interesting and emotionally engaging."

Jackson and Walsh wrote their own check to control the rights. They then wrote the screenplay on spec with Boyens. A complete budget was prepared before the writer-producers sought a studio to finance and distribute the picture. There was immediate interest before DreamWorks and Paramount stepped in.

Jackson, Walsh and Cunningham worked closely with the studio throughout the production, discussing such thorny matters as the need to replace Ryan Gosling with Mark Wahlberg, when Gosling was deemed too young for the part. As Jackson, Walsh and Boyens continued rewriting throughout production, Cunningham handled logistics to keep them on time and on budget.

Paramount's Adam Goodman calls Jackson "incredibly inclusive" during production. "We visited them many times during the course of preproduction and production. From the first day, they were just very unassuming and open to the best ideas from everyone."

Full Press:        http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i8875589fada415ac073dd3a1bb55a06a

Monsterpalooza Guest List Begins Filling Up

(Facebook,Robg)                 Although it's still several months away, Monsterpalooza 2010 is already shaping up to be one of the must-hit events of the next year. Mark your calendars, the dates are April 9th-11th at the Marriott Burbank Convention Center in beautiful Burbank, California.

Appearing at the now annual event in April for the FX-laden convention will be Mr. Verne Langdon (Famous Monsters, Decca LP An Evening With Boris Karloff And His Friends), five-time Emmy Award-winning make-up artist Thomas R. Burman, FX artist Michael G. Westmore, Barney Burman of Proteus FX , Rob Burman of Sticks and Stones FX, FX artist Tony Gardner (Michael Jackson's Thriller, Seed Of Chucky), Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff of Amalgamated Dynamics Inc., Howard Berger and Greg Nicotero of KNB EFX, Allan Trautman, Beverly Randolph, Brian Peck, Thom Mathews, John Philbin and Don Calfa of Return Of The Living Dead, illustrator Bernie Wrightson, The Chiodo Brothers (Killer Klowns From Outer Space), Julie Adams (Creature From The Black Lagoon), the Chaney Family, Rondo winning artist Frank Dietz, Nightmare On Elm Street 4's Tuesday Knight and many, many more.

They're just getting started here! Check out the initial list of guests at our previous news report here.

Keep up to date on Monsterpalooza 2010 via the official Facebook page here, the official Monsterpalooza website right here and also add the My Space page at: http://www.myspace.com/monsterpalooza.

Fox Hedges James Cameron's Avatar, Pricetag Nears $500 million

(nymag.com)              James Cameron’s forthcoming Avatar is terrifying for studio executives, and not just because Cameron himself designed the thanator, the scariest monster in the film which makes the queen from Alien look like a bunny rabbit. Executives at 20th Century Fox and its parent company News Corp. are scared because the movie has no big-name stars and is becoming one of the most expensive feature films ever made. Well, at least they were scared until they hedged hard: turning over a significant part of the films production costs, which could climb as high as $500 million, to other companies and putting Cameron under a contract that holds his share of the film’s income until the studio and others have been paid back.

There’s also one “super secret” hedge:

    Taking no chances, Fox is backing up Mr. Cameron’s movie with what an executive recently called the studio’s “secret weapon.” That would be “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel,” set to open just a week after studio marketers get “Avatar” into theaters. It is the relatively safe sequel to a chipper family comedy that cost about $60 million and took in $217 million at the domestic box office when it was released two years ago.

All of these hedges will most likely just spread out the wealth because James Cameron, the man behind Titanic's $1.8 billion box office, is money in the bank. That said, the thanator is going to be really scary. It has two sets of jaws!