Space Nazis Return, Catmull Gets His Utah On, & Sex Bests Skull...
The Space Nazis Return in 'Iron Sky'
(twitchfilm.net) Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I proudly present to you one of the official Best Things Ever: outer space Nazis.
We have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of some footage from upcoming Finnish sci-fi comedy Iron Sky from the day we first caught wind of it seemingly ages ago. We've hosted the very first concept art from the film, had a few chats with the director and production team and just generally been sold on the concept from the word go. And here it is: in 1945, realizing that the war was taking a turn for the worst, the Nazis sent a collection of their best and brightest to establish a secret base on the moon where they would nurse themselves back to strength and develop their powerful military technology until the were ready to return. That day will arrive in 2018.
After months of work and fine tuning to get everything just right the teaser arrived on YouTube yesterday, which seems a shameful way to treat something as visually impressive as this. Apparently the director agrees as he's just passed us a MUCH higher quality version of that same promo spot to load in to the Twitch Player. And, hot damn, the wait has been worth every second. This thing is spectacular, from the detailed CG work, to the spectacular production design, to that weirdly mournful title song - one that wouldn't be out of place in a Bond film. Everything about this thing is absolutely perfect. You'll find the teaser in the Twitch Player below the break.
Watch the VFX filled trailer: http://www.ironsky.net/
More info on this film: http://www.ironsky.net/site/?p=27
Edwin Catmull, Head Of Pixar And U Alum, To Lead U's Engineering Advisors
(webwire.com) Edwin C. Catmull, Ph.D., President Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, is the new chair of the University of Utah Engineering National Advisory Council. Catmull is a founding member of the Council which was established in 2001 to support and guide the strategic direction of the college.
A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering, Catmull earned B.S. degrees in computer science and physics and a Ph.D. in computer science from the University of Utah.
In accepting the role as chair, Catmull said, "Utah's flagship research-intensive engineering program is making fundamental contributions to the growth and strength of our economy. When I was a computer science student in 1968, two professors, David Evans and Ivan Sutherland, developed a graphics program that changed the world"
As chair of the Council, Catmull will work with the dean of engineering Richard Brown and other Council members to advance the college and achieve targets for growth as part of Utah's Engineering Initiative. Enrolled during the 2001 legislative session, the Engineering Initiative challenged the state's engineering programs to double the number of graduates. The U's College of Engineering has increased graduates more than 65%, and is committed to a goal of 100% increase.
Lucasfilm Animation Singapore presents the Jedi Master Class Tour
(highend3d.com) Artists from Academy Award-Winning Industrial Light & Magic will demonstrate how they bring robots and pirates to life in a series of presentations brought to you by Lucasfilm Animation Singapore. The presentations offer local artists and designers a rare opportunity to learn about the process used to create visual effects for Hollywood blockbusters.
Seating is limited. Register now at www.lasjedi.com/events
Dates: April 13th, 2008 - May 11th, 2008
Location: Singapore, Asia
Time: 2:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Contact: Amy Quek (amy.quek[at]lucasfilm.com), +65 6511 2409
In Section: Seminars
Seating is limited. Register now at www.lasjedi.com/events
Tour dates:
Singapore 13 April 2008 (Sunday) 2.00pm 5:30pm
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 16 April 2008 (Wednesday) 2.00pm 5:30pm
Jakarta, Indonesia 24 April 2008 (Thursday) 3.00pm 6:30pm
Hyderabad, India 11 May 2008 (Sunday) 2.00pm 5:30p
Special Effects of Outsourcing: Hollywood Heads to India
The Oscar-winning effects for The Golden Compass were put together at
the Indian headquarters of Los Angeles studio Rhythm & Hues
Rhys Blakely
As outsourcing projects go it is rather fantastic: the Oscar-winning
special effects for The Golden Compass, the Hollywood blockbuster that
took $370 million (£187.7 million) at the box office last Christmas
were put together in a thatched village hut in India.
Well, almost.
The huts in question are replicas — stylised office cubicles made to
look like rural Indian dwellings. Situated in Mind Space, a vast, grey
commercial complex on the outskirts of Bombay, they form the Indian
headquarters of Rhythm & Hues (R&H), the leading Los Angeles-based
special effects studio.
The Times visits on a national holiday, but several of R&H's 250
India-based staff are hunched over their computers, working overtime
on the visual pyrotechnics that will feature on the next outings of
the Spider Man, Mummy and Incredible Hulk film franchises. The labour
is painstaking. Each employee will struggle to produce the equivalent
of five seconds of screen time in a month.
Fans tired of special effects, says Pullman epic director
The results are usually worth the wait. Babe, the talking pig who won
an Academy Award and earned more than $250 million at the box office
in 1995, was an R&H creation. Alvin and the Chipmunks, the recent
surprise hit for which R&H created the eponymous rodents, has now
grossed nearly $360 million — not bad for a film with a $60 million
production budget.
For the past six years, part of the work on such projects has been
completed in these Bombay offices, the design of which Prashant Babu
Buyyala, the facility's managing director, seems especially proud. "We
wanted something creative yet functional," he says of the faux village
look. "Importantly, we didn't want to spend a lot of money."
The same maxims, it could be said, are directing Hollywood's passage to India.
Post-production movie work — everything from complex digital effects
(such as the talking armoured polar bears that appeared in The Golden
Compass, one of which sported a fur coat with seven million
individually rendered hairs) to basic colour grading (making sure
shades stay consistent throughout a film) — is steadily migrating from
traditional centres such as LA to low-cost locations on the
sub-continent.
Prime Focus, another post-production house, has grown its Indian
visual effects group to 165 people, from 40, in the past year. Pixion
Studios, a rival, is aiming to increase its workforce in India
fourfold, to 1,000 people, by 2009.
Nasscom, the Indian IT industry lobby group, estimates that the global
animation market will be worth about $80 billion by 2010, and is
targeting it as a prime source of future outsourcing revenues as more
film work is shifted to India from the US and Europe.
With emotions already running high over the loss of US jobs amid an
economic downturn, Mr Buyyala is adamant that Rhythm & Hues is not
running a cost-cutting operation in India. The Bombay office handles
work as complex as that done in the US, he says. Moreover, despite
India's size, a lack of art schools has translated into a relative
dearth of talent. "I keep on having to tell people: 'this country just
isn't that cheap any more'," he adds.
But it is hard to believe cost has no bearing. Starting salaries in
R&H's Bombay offices are as low as 40,000 rupees (£410) a month. Pay
packets rise quickly and the highest earners in Bombay pull in similar
sums to their US-based counterparts, Mr Buyyala says, but still the
early discounts offered by young Indian animators are upsetting their
American peers.
"My students will now have even a lesser chance of working in the
industry," one animation teacher in the United States recently wrote
on an industry website. "I understand why Rhythm & Hues must do what
is necessary for the bottom line. It is just sad."
That comment may not be entirely correct — R&H has sharply expanded
its US workforce while growing its Indian operations — but cost
pressures are playing an ever greater role in Hollywood.
"Cost and speed" are paramount in the world of post production, says
Simon Huhtala, of Prime Focus. "Scale and rationalization are the
major driving forces."
In response, Mr Buyyala argues that there is a compelling reason to
enter India beyond the opportunity to shave costs: the country's
potential as a market. In particular R&H is waiting for the expected
explosion in the use of special effects in Bollywood. The
possibilities, of course, are massive: the world's biggest film
industry is yet to fall for the charms of talking animals.
Lionsgate's Got Christmas "Spirit"
(Variety) Lionsgate has moved up the release of Frank Miller's The Spirit from January 16, 2009 to December 25, 2008.
Based on the Will Eisner's comic, the action-adventure romance toplines Gabriel Macht, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson and Eva Mendes. Miller (Sin City) wrote the adapted script.
Lionsgate president of theatrical films Tom Ortenberg said the decision to shift the film to Christmas Day came after the project was presented to fans at New York Comic-Con.
Also scheduled for release on Christmas Day are Disney's Adam Sandler starrer Bedtime Stories and 20th Century Fox's Jennifer Aniston/Owen Wilson starrer Marley & Me.
Games Vs. Movies: Wrath Of The Sequels
(cinemablend.com) If there's one thing about Hollywood you
can always count on, it's that a movie that racks in $100 million
dollars that's not based on a historical event or a novel, will always
spawn a sequel. In the world of gaming, it works pretty much the same
way. The only difference is that $100 million dollar movies are often
original and push for something exciting in a genre that has yet to be
done, or is highly anticipated (i.e., superhero films, remakes or
graphic novels.) $100 million dollar games happen to inflect a
specific trend for a very specific demography, sometimes bypassing
some things such as storylines or character depth. So why is it that
games can be more successful when it comes to a sequel, than a movie?
Well, first and foremost, games are a little less risk-taking when it
comes to a big budget project aimed at a big payoff. The reason for
this is that [games] cost a lot to make and require a very specific
demographic audience to invest in the product. Added to this, newer
games usually start at $50 on up (i.e., anything below $35 is ranked
as bargain-priced.,) so it's not like the average kid (or family) is
going to bother buying a new game, full price, every week. But it's
pretty much guaranteed that the same audience that just pushed the
motion picture of Iron Man over the $100 million mark, is the same
audience who will push Speed Racer over the $100 million mark, not but
a week later.
It's this simple: movies are more convenient for making money. Despite
having a much higher budget, most studios rely on mass marketing to
promote movies enough so that multiple demographics will be attracted
to the movie. But considering that most non-budget priced games solely
rely on males between the ages of 14 through 34 years, it really does
require a certain kind of game to hit Hollywood-equivalent sales
figures. But unlike the blockbuster-budget movie or its sequel that
comes out of a big production studio, video game developers actually
have it off easier when it comes to a sequel.
If Paramount Studios want to follow-up their recent Iron Man success
with a sequel in the coming years, then they're going to have their
work cut out for them. They'll need a script that's just as good (if
not better) than the original, they'll need more and better special
effects and even more breathtaking action sequences. Otherwise, rumors
of a sub-par film (on any level) could ruin the sequel before it even
gets off the ground. This is and is not the case with a video game
sequel. Unlike the movie industry – where re-invention and consistency
plays a big part in making a successful sequel – game developers
simply have to add more to the next game than what was in the previous
one.
With the exception of feature-overhauled sequels such as Grand Theft
Auto IV or Metal Gear Solid 4, usually the changes for most sequels
aren't quite as grandiose. Often times developers will include one
really good innovative feature; a couple of gameplay enhancements,
improved visuals and a noteworthy storyline. Believe it or not, those
(seemingly) simple additions can boost a sequel up to platinum
status...if the original game hadn't been there already.
And unlike big-budget CG-based films where the crew has to recreate a
lot of the resources for a sequel that may are may not do as well as
the first film, game developers can simply re-utilize everything they
used from the first game. Designers can sometimes retouch the old
graphics without needing to re-do all the animations for every
avatar...or implement new modes while keeping the core gameplay
intact. Game engines are the perfect platform for getting a game done
and then allowing for an even more vast experience for the sequel. As
much as this falls into the category of "re-hashed resources", often
times it works wonders for getting SKUs off store shelves. Just look
at EA's Madden or FIFA series...the amount of units sold for both
franchises speak volumes (viz., although the quality for both games
may say something entirely different.)
More: http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Games-Vs-Movies-Wrath-Of-The-Sequels-10284.html
Iron Man: Armed and Animated
The
vfx work on Iron Man had to look good for Marvel's first self-financed
feature debut, and win over a CG-skeptical director. Courtesy of ILM.
All images © 2008 MVLFFLLC. ™ & © 2008 Marvel Ent. All rights
reserved.
It's never easy creating effects for a major summer blockbuster, but
the work on Iron Man (which opened May 2 through Paramount Pictures)
faced the extra burdens of putting a good face on Marvel's first
self-financed feature and winning over a director openly skeptical of
CG effects.
Created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber and artist Don Heck in 1963's Tales of Suspense #39, bringing Iron Man to life on the big screen was a big job that Ben Snow, vfx supervisor at lead studio Industrial Light & Magic, says creating a character true to both the comic book and to director Jon Favreau's vision of realism was more complicated that it appeared at first.
Snow wanted to address that issue head on when the company was approached in 2006 to do a test reel for Favreau and overall vfx supervisor John Nelson. "We wanted to make Jon comfortable with the idea of Iron Man as a CG approach," he adds. The resulting one-minute clip impressed Favreau by being realistic and bringing some toughness and real attitude to the CG version of Iron Man and won the ILM the job.
More: http://www.vfxworld.com/?atype=articles&id=3632
Crystal Skull Takes A Back Seat To Sex
(videsignline.com) Sorry "Iron Man." But moviegoers have
something else on their minds as spring gives way to summer -- like
Sex.
"Sex and the City," based on HBO's hit television comedy about single
women in New York, is the movie that fans are most excited about
heading into Hollywood's key summer season, which starts Thursday with
the debut of comic book adventure "Iron Man," according to a new poll
from online film site AOL Moviefone.
Not far behind was "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal
Skull," which opens on May 22 with Harrison Ford returning as the
adventure-seeking Jones.
In the poll of nearly 420,000 respondents, "Sex and the City," which
premieres on May 30, proved most exciting to 32 percent of the movie
fans, compared with 31 percent for "Indiana Jones."
"I think there were a lot of people curious about the series ("Sex and
the City") who didn't see it on HBO," said Scott Robson,
editor-in-chief at AOL Moviefone. "It's real fresh, and people who do
know the program love the characters and love the show."
Robson said respondents also seemed curious to see what Ford and
director Steven Spielberg had cooked up to rejuvenate the "Indiana
Jones" franchise, which has not been in movie theaters in nearly 20
years.
Perhaps not coincidentally, Ford and "Sex" actress Sarah Jessica
Parker were the male and female stars fans most wanted to see. The
late actor Heath Ledger, playing the villainous Joker in the Batman
movie "The Dark Knight," which opens on July 18, came in second behind
Ford. Angelina Jolie, who appears in the action flick "Wanted,"
trailed Parker.
The summer movie season runs four months from May 1 through the end of
August and can account for nearly 40 percent of annual ticket sales in
the United States and Canada, so the period's movies are hugely
important to Hollywood.
Ledger died last year at his home in New York of an accidental
overdose of prescription medication.
Robson said Ledger's death would likely draw curiosity seekers to the
new "Dark Knight."
"Iron Man" did not perform too poorly with about 7 percent excited to
see it, and 22 percent said he was the superhero they were "most
psyched" to see.
Two other big action films, "Speed Racer" (May 9) and "Hellboy 2,"
(July 11) appear to be getting a rough time from moviegoers before
even reaching movie screens.
Only 2 percent of fans said there were most excited to see "Speed
Racer," which is based on the popular cartoon of a boy race car
driver. Worse, it topped the list of films moviegoers thought would be
the biggest disappointment, with "Hellboy 2" close behind.
Among comedies, "Get Smart" (June 20) with Steve Carell proved to be
the biggest drawing card, and in the family film category the top slot
belonged to Disney/Pixar movie "Wall-E" (June 27). (Editing by Dan
Whitcomb and Eric Beech)
George Lucas honored by Scatola del Tempo
(jckindia.com) The presentation was made on behalf of
Italian watch winder company at the recent annual ShoWest convention
in Las Vegas.
Star Wars director and producer George Lucas, recently was given a
Scatola del Tempo watch holder/rotator to honor his "artistic
credits."
The presentation was made on behalf of Italian watch winder company at
the recent annual ShoWest convention in Las Vegas.
The annual convention brings together the operators of today's
international cinema and took place at the Theatre Des Artes of the
hotel de Paris in Las Vegas this year. If its public enthusiastically
welcomed all the most exciting novelties of American cinema, they
reserved an ecstatic reception for George Lucas.
Fantasy Epic "Ranger's Apprentice" Scribe Sees No Reason For CGI
(smh.com.au) What began as a story for John Flanagan's son became a bestselling series of novels and is being adapted for film, writes Laura Parker.
The children's author John Flanagan was atSydney Airport, trying to stop himself buying a doughnut, when he got the call from his agent, Rick Raftos.
Raftos told Flanagan a Hollywood studio wanted to buy the rights to his fantasy series Ranger's Apprentice and was prepared to pay big money.
"He didn't have details at thatstage, so I didn't know just how glorious it was," Flanagan says. "But it looked good. I didn't get my hopes up too much - we'd had film offers before but I always felt compelled to hold out for the right one."
When he returned to his home in Manly, Flanagan discovered that the studio, United Artists, was offering him a seven-figure deal and that Paul Haggis - the Oscar-winning writer and director of Crash and writer of Million Dollar Baby - would make the first movie.
He was still in a state of mild shock when he got another phone call a week later, this time from Haggis. "I felt an instant connection," Flanagan says. "I knew he wouldn't lead my work astray and that he'd let me have as much control of the project as I wanted. The real clincher was that he wanted to get cracking on the script right away; he didn't just throw it into a drawer for later."
The United Artists deal stipulates that Flanagan will have no creative control over the movies but his relationship with Haggis means he will still be involved.
"I know my baby is in good hands," Flanagan says. "I've spoken to Paul and I'm confident he's not going to screw it up too much. Besides, I know how this whole thing works in Hollywood. I know that the director doesn't want anything to do with the author. But I didn't want to lose Paul on the deal, because I trust him. I'm scared shitless, yeah, butI'm confident he's not going toring me up one day and propose the animals start talking or something similar. He didn't have to call me to talk to me about this stuff, but he did, and it's a good sign."
But sometimes scepticism rears its head; Flanagan is wary of computer-generated imagery. "I think the most crucial elements will be the casting and use of CGI. There's no need for that stuff because there are no big battle scenes. There aren't 10,000 Orcs charging to the centre of Middle-earth. I simply want this to be character-driven, with as few special effects as possible. And I hope nobody ever, ever shoots a bow horizontally!"
John Flanagan is writing the eighth book in the Ranger's Apprentice series and planning the ninth.
