San Francisco, Aug 1 (Ians) Tech majors like Apple, Pixar, Adobe, Autodesk and Nvidia, along with the Joint Development Foundation (Jdf) which is an affiliate of the Linux Foundation, on Tuesday announced the Alliance for OpenUSD (Aousd) to promote the standardisation, development, evolution, and growth of Pixar’s Universal Scene Description technology.
The alliance seeks to standardise the 3D ecosystem by advancing the capabilities of Open Universal Scene Description (OpenUSD).
By promoting greater interoperability of 3D tools and data, the alliance will enable developers and content creators to describe, compose, and simulate large-scale 3D projects and build an ever-widening range of 3D-enabled products and services.
“OpenUSD will help accelerate the next generation of Ar experiences, from artistic creation to content delivery, and produce an ever-widening array of spatial computing applications,” said Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vice president of the Vision Products Group.
“Apple has been an active contributor to the development of Usd,...
The alliance seeks to standardise the 3D ecosystem by advancing the capabilities of Open Universal Scene Description (OpenUSD).
By promoting greater interoperability of 3D tools and data, the alliance will enable developers and content creators to describe, compose, and simulate large-scale 3D projects and build an ever-widening range of 3D-enabled products and services.
“OpenUSD will help accelerate the next generation of Ar experiences, from artistic creation to content delivery, and produce an ever-widening array of spatial computing applications,” said Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vice president of the Vision Products Group.
“Apple has been an active contributor to the development of Usd,...
- 8/1/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
“The Boss Baby: Family Business” director Tom McGrath will be the keynote speaker at the 22nd View Conference, which will be held from Oct. 17-22 in Turin, Italy.
The DreamWorks Animation feature is the sixth film McGrath has made with the studio. He is the co-writer and co-director of the “Madagascar” movies, and he directed Dwa’s “Megamind” in 2010. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 2017 for “The Boss Baby.” His films have generated nearly $3 billion at the box office worldwide.
The View Conference gathers together some of the top professionals in the areas of animation, visual effects, computer graphics, games, interactive and immersive media, virtual production and more for a week of keynote addresses, talks, presentations and workshops. Early bird ticket prices are available now through Aug. 31 at the View Conference website.
Other speakers from the world of animation include “Wolfwalkers” director Tomm Moore; Kris Pearn, director of...
The DreamWorks Animation feature is the sixth film McGrath has made with the studio. He is the co-writer and co-director of the “Madagascar” movies, and he directed Dwa’s “Megamind” in 2010. He was nominated for an Academy Award in 2017 for “The Boss Baby.” His films have generated nearly $3 billion at the box office worldwide.
The View Conference gathers together some of the top professionals in the areas of animation, visual effects, computer graphics, games, interactive and immersive media, virtual production and more for a week of keynote addresses, talks, presentations and workshops. Early bird ticket prices are available now through Aug. 31 at the View Conference website.
Other speakers from the world of animation include “Wolfwalkers” director Tomm Moore; Kris Pearn, director of...
- 7/29/2021
- by Terry Flores
- Variety Film + TV
Stars: Craig Russell, Robert Pugh, Hannah Daniel, Sheena Bhattessa, Richard Mylan, Kai Owen, Aled Pugh, Robert Boulter, Kevin McCurdy, Steve Meo, Dominique Dauwe, Marc Rhys, Tsilala Brock, Sophie Melville, Richard Corgan | Written and Directed by Peter Stray
DJ Steve Dennis (Craig Russell) decides to return home to the small town of Cwmtwrch, Wales to hold a New Year’s Eve Party, with the hope of getting some new investors interested in his new business venture. Unfortunately for Steve and his guests, aliens have decided to invade, leaving them no choice but to defend themselves against the invaders.
Canaries has a rather complicated plot, with the various events crossing over several decades, which involves abductions, time travel, killer aliens and several bodies falling from the sky. It seems an ambitious project with the low budget, but as the events unfold the various seams of the plot come nicely together, even though...
DJ Steve Dennis (Craig Russell) decides to return home to the small town of Cwmtwrch, Wales to hold a New Year’s Eve Party, with the hope of getting some new investors interested in his new business venture. Unfortunately for Steve and his guests, aliens have decided to invade, leaving them no choice but to defend themselves against the invaders.
Canaries has a rather complicated plot, with the various events crossing over several decades, which involves abductions, time travel, killer aliens and several bodies falling from the sky. It seems an ambitious project with the low budget, but as the events unfold the various seams of the plot come nicely together, even though...
- 11/28/2017
- by Philip Rogers
- Nerdly
[Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for the ending of “Stranger Things 2,” also known by traditional TV fans as “Stranger Things” Season 2.]
Well, that was a neat and tidy ending.
After bringing in more characters, building more stories, and digging deeper than ever into the mythology of the Upside-Down, “Stranger Things 2” ended rather simply: Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) closed the gate, cutting off the Shadow Monster’s access to the real world and killing all the demodogs in the process. No one hugely significant died (sorry Bob), good triumphed over evil, and all looks quiet headed into Season 3.
Not quite.
Though technically all of that is true and the second season of “Stranger Things” ended on less of a cliffhanger than the first, its cliffhanger was bigger.
Read More:‘Stranger Things 2’ Review: Season 2 Is Nothing But a Good Time, But Bigger Isn’t Exactly Better
As The Police blasted “Every Breath You Take” over the Snow Ball, the camera crept out to a wide shot of Hawkins Middle School… and began to spin.
Well, that was a neat and tidy ending.
After bringing in more characters, building more stories, and digging deeper than ever into the mythology of the Upside-Down, “Stranger Things 2” ended rather simply: Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) closed the gate, cutting off the Shadow Monster’s access to the real world and killing all the demodogs in the process. No one hugely significant died (sorry Bob), good triumphed over evil, and all looks quiet headed into Season 3.
Not quite.
Though technically all of that is true and the second season of “Stranger Things” ended on less of a cliffhanger than the first, its cliffhanger was bigger.
Read More:‘Stranger Things 2’ Review: Season 2 Is Nothing But a Good Time, But Bigger Isn’t Exactly Better
As The Police blasted “Every Breath You Take” over the Snow Ball, the camera crept out to a wide shot of Hawkins Middle School… and began to spin.
- 10/27/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
It’s summertime on Fuller House‘s third season, and the livin’ is… complicated.
Arriving Friday on Netflix, the first nine episodes of Season 3 pack a handful of surprises for the housemates, including some much-needed resolution for star-crossed lovers D.J. and Steve.
VideosFuller House Season 3 Trailer Honors a Tanner Family Anniversary — Watch
“That’s a big arc for us this year,” series creator Jeff Franklin tells TVLine of the lingering tension between Steve (currently engaged to C.J.) and D.J. (currently dating Matt). “We get back into Steve and D.J.’s feelings for each other this season.
Arriving Friday on Netflix, the first nine episodes of Season 3 pack a handful of surprises for the housemates, including some much-needed resolution for star-crossed lovers D.J. and Steve.
VideosFuller House Season 3 Trailer Honors a Tanner Family Anniversary — Watch
“That’s a big arc for us this year,” series creator Jeff Franklin tells TVLine of the lingering tension between Steve (currently engaged to C.J.) and D.J. (currently dating Matt). “We get back into Steve and D.J.’s feelings for each other this season.
- 9/18/2017
- TVLine.com
Louisa Mellor Apr 23, 2017
Major spoilers ahead in our look at Line Of Duty series 4’s best, most eventful episode yet…
This review contains spoilers.
See related Better Call Saul season 3 episode 2 review: Witness Better Call Saul season 3 episode 1 review: Mabel The subtle rise of good prequels
When you come at Ted Hastings, you’d best not miss, son.
Just look at the man: the demeanour of a king, the alert, piercing eyes of a hawk. From the polish on his shoes to the side parting on his neatly combed hair, everything about Ted says ‘unimpeachable’. He’s five feet eleven of rock-hard morals who acts to the letter of the law. To the letter.
Hilton doesn’t stand a chance, does he?
I pray to the TV Gods he doesn’t. In Line Of Duty’s storm of moral murk and slippery wrong-doing, Ted Hastings is our rock, a stalwart...
Major spoilers ahead in our look at Line Of Duty series 4’s best, most eventful episode yet…
This review contains spoilers.
See related Better Call Saul season 3 episode 2 review: Witness Better Call Saul season 3 episode 1 review: Mabel The subtle rise of good prequels
When you come at Ted Hastings, you’d best not miss, son.
Just look at the man: the demeanour of a king, the alert, piercing eyes of a hawk. From the polish on his shoes to the side parting on his neatly combed hair, everything about Ted says ‘unimpeachable’. He’s five feet eleven of rock-hard morals who acts to the letter of the law. To the letter.
Hilton doesn’t stand a chance, does he?
I pray to the TV Gods he doesn’t. In Line Of Duty’s storm of moral murk and slippery wrong-doing, Ted Hastings is our rock, a stalwart...
- 4/23/2017
- Den of Geek
I wrote a big preview piece about Pixar’s Finding Dory that included interviews with the directors, producers, and more, but I also wanted to highlight a couple of the more technical aspects of the new sequel’s production.
When I visited Monterey, California a few months ago, the other journalists and I spoke with a ton of people who walked us through every aspect of making the film. Steve May, Pixar’s Chief Technology Officer, explained that this film contains “an unprecedented amount of new technology,” and he broke down the production pipeline for us, showcasing how programs like Katana and a new version of RenderMan are used to bring the movie to life. There have been massive improvements in tech since the days of Finding Nemo, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the way that the production created light for the sequel.
May spoke about two...
When I visited Monterey, California a few months ago, the other journalists and I spoke with a ton of people who walked us through every aspect of making the film. Steve May, Pixar’s Chief Technology Officer, explained that this film contains “an unprecedented amount of new technology,” and he broke down the production pipeline for us, showcasing how programs like Katana and a new version of RenderMan are used to bring the movie to life. There have been massive improvements in tech since the days of Finding Nemo, and nowhere is this more apparent than in the way that the production created light for the sequel.
May spoke about two...
- 6/1/2016
- by Ben Pearson
- GeekTyrant
Each new Pixar film employs newer and better technology, but Finding Dory introduces an unprecedented amount of new software to their production pipeline. The company’s chief technology officer Steve May, who worked on Finding Nemo as the supervisor of the shark sequence, says that the process of how they make films has changed a lot since then, but “mainly computers are […]
The post How Unprecedented New Technology Made It Harder to Produce ‘Finding Dory’ appeared first on /Film.
The post How Unprecedented New Technology Made It Harder to Produce ‘Finding Dory’ appeared first on /Film.
- 4/11/2016
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
*Warning: BB17 spoilers ahead from the live feeds.*
Update 3: The twins changed their minds (collective mind?) and decided Julia should be evicted and Liz should stay. That's apparently how the vote will go on Thursday. Julia figures LIz still has a chance to win, whereas Julia would be playing for second place at best. Poor JuJu. It means Steve's Hoh plan went way out the window and now he's losing the person he could've dumped last week. But with Julia out of the game and a final five of Vanessa, Austin, Steve, Liz and Johnny Mac, it's anyone's game to win. Vanessa has the strongest arguments to make, and JMac is probably most popular with the jury, but they all have a shot. If Julia stayed, she'd be the "goat" that couldn't win in any scenario.
Who can realistically get to the end and win? Johnny Mac has a...
Update 3: The twins changed their minds (collective mind?) and decided Julia should be evicted and Liz should stay. That's apparently how the vote will go on Thursday. Julia figures LIz still has a chance to win, whereas Julia would be playing for second place at best. Poor JuJu. It means Steve's Hoh plan went way out the window and now he's losing the person he could've dumped last week. But with Julia out of the game and a final five of Vanessa, Austin, Steve, Liz and Johnny Mac, it's anyone's game to win. Vanessa has the strongest arguments to make, and JMac is probably most popular with the jury, but they all have a shot. If Julia stayed, she'd be the "goat" that couldn't win in any scenario.
Who can realistically get to the end and win? Johnny Mac has a...
- 9/4/2015
- by Gina Carbone
- Moviefone
*Warning: BB17 spoilers ahead from the live feeds.*
Update 4: On the Thursday, August 27, Week 9 live show, the vote was unanimous: John McGuire, aka Johnny Mac, the rock star dentist, was evicted by a 5-0 vote. After he was evicted, he told Julie Chen he'd target Meg (!) if he got back in the house. Not Vanessa. Not Austwins. Not even James. He'd go after Meg to try and weaken James. So that's sad news. But the good news for JMac fans is that he won his way back in the house -- only a few minutes after leaving it! He was the last juror standing in the world's shortest endurance competition. However, bad news for sanity fans followed directly after that: Vanessa won the comp, so she is the Week 10 Head of Household. Oh boy. Another Vanessa HoH. Take a deep breath, everyone.
(Endurance comp controversy: Several players were disqualified,...
Update 4: On the Thursday, August 27, Week 9 live show, the vote was unanimous: John McGuire, aka Johnny Mac, the rock star dentist, was evicted by a 5-0 vote. After he was evicted, he told Julie Chen he'd target Meg (!) if he got back in the house. Not Vanessa. Not Austwins. Not even James. He'd go after Meg to try and weaken James. So that's sad news. But the good news for JMac fans is that he won his way back in the house -- only a few minutes after leaving it! He was the last juror standing in the world's shortest endurance competition. However, bad news for sanity fans followed directly after that: Vanessa won the comp, so she is the Week 10 Head of Household. Oh boy. Another Vanessa HoH. Take a deep breath, everyone.
(Endurance comp controversy: Several players were disqualified,...
- 8/26/2015
- by Gina Carbone
- Moviefone
*Warning: BB17 spoilers ahead from the live feeds.*
Update 1: Dagnabbit. Vanessa went and won Pov. She's good. She's paranoid and hypocritical, but she's good. The feeds were down for five hours on Saturday night and when they returned, The Mad Hatter had the power. Right after she won Veto, Vanessa said she would keep the nominations the same, so John or Steve may be evicted -- unless she decides to take one down and backdoor James or Meg. That's still possible, and the answer will come during Monday's Pov Ceremony. Vanessa's alliance was initially leaning toward evicting John, but they're also worried about Steve. They believe Steve and John have been working together this whole time and Vanessa thinks Steve is two-faced. However, they also worry that James and Meg will work with whoever returns into the house from the jury. If Steve is smart, he'll spill the whole...
Update 1: Dagnabbit. Vanessa went and won Pov. She's good. She's paranoid and hypocritical, but she's good. The feeds were down for five hours on Saturday night and when they returned, The Mad Hatter had the power. Right after she won Veto, Vanessa said she would keep the nominations the same, so John or Steve may be evicted -- unless she decides to take one down and backdoor James or Meg. That's still possible, and the answer will come during Monday's Pov Ceremony. Vanessa's alliance was initially leaning toward evicting John, but they're also worried about Steve. They believe Steve and John have been working together this whole time and Vanessa thinks Steve is two-faced. However, they also worry that James and Meg will work with whoever returns into the house from the jury. If Steve is smart, he'll spill the whole...
- 8/23/2015
- by Gina Carbone
- Moviefone
It's always a bit surprising when "The Amazing Race" is making its first appearance in a particular country, but Friday (April 10) night's episode will be the initial visit to Monaco for Phil Keoghan and company. [Actually, I can't say with any certainty that this is Phil Keoghan's first visit to Monaco. I just know it's his first visit with "The Amazing Race."] Check above for a HitFix exclusive clip of the couples dangling high above Monaco in a task that features both ziplining -- It feels like we've done that at least once already this season -- but also precarious wire-balancing. Do not watch if you have vertigo! Check back later tonight for my full recap of Friday's episode, which is titled "Smells Like a Million Bucks." And this seems like a fair time to check in to see your thoughts on Season 26 of CBS' Emmy-winning favorite... For me, I'm appreciating the relative parity of the season. Jelani & Jenny may have won the first two Legs, but they've been middle-of-the-pack for the past few Legs. Mike & Rochelle...
- 4/10/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
After Farrah showed up on ‘Couples Therapy’ solo and her ‘Teen Mom’ rival Jenelle Evans revealed that her boyfriend was fake, fans took to Twitter to voice their disappointment. See what they had to say!
Whether she deserves it or not, it’s no secret that Farrah Abraham is often the butt (no pun intended) of many jokes. And when Jenelle Evans revealed on Jan. 2 that Farrah staged a relationship to get on Couples Therapy, many Twitter users once again piled on with some more barbs.
Farrah Abraham Fakes A Boyfriend: The Fans React
There were several fans who actually thought the revelation of Farrah’s “pretend” boyfriend made watching Couples Therapy better:
Watching @CouplesTherapyV knowing that @F1abraham and her ‘bf’ is fake makes the whole thing a comedy. #pathetic #isfamethatimportant
— Tamara Blanton (@tamaraa41) January 4, 2014
Say what you will about @F1abraham – and I do – but I’m only watching #CouplesTherapy for her.
Whether she deserves it or not, it’s no secret that Farrah Abraham is often the butt (no pun intended) of many jokes. And when Jenelle Evans revealed on Jan. 2 that Farrah staged a relationship to get on Couples Therapy, many Twitter users once again piled on with some more barbs.
Farrah Abraham Fakes A Boyfriend: The Fans React
There were several fans who actually thought the revelation of Farrah’s “pretend” boyfriend made watching Couples Therapy better:
Watching @CouplesTherapyV knowing that @F1abraham and her ‘bf’ is fake makes the whole thing a comedy. #pathetic #isfamethatimportant
— Tamara Blanton (@tamaraa41) January 4, 2014
Say what you will about @F1abraham – and I do – but I’m only watching #CouplesTherapy for her.
- 1/4/2014
- by Andrew Gruttadaro
- HollywoodLife
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has revealed its 276-member-strong class of 2013.
The list, published by The Hollywood Reporter, includes actors, cinematographers, designers, directors, documentarians, executives, film editors, makeup artists and hairstylists, "members-at-large," musicians, producers, PR folks, short filmmakers and animators, sound technicians, visual effects artists, and writers.
Jason Bateman, Rosario Dawson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Milla Jovovich, Lucy Liu, Jennifer Lopez, Emily Mortimer, Sandra Oh, Jason Schwartzman, and Michael Peña are among the roster of actors, while "The Heat" and "Bridesmaids" helmer Paul Feig made the directors' cut.
"We did not change our criteria at all," says Academy president Hawk Koch of this year's larger-than-usual class. "Yes, this year there is a tremendous amount of women, a tremendous amount of people of color, people from all walks of life. This year, we asked the branches to look at everybody who wasn't in the Academy but who deserved to be.
The list, published by The Hollywood Reporter, includes actors, cinematographers, designers, directors, documentarians, executives, film editors, makeup artists and hairstylists, "members-at-large," musicians, producers, PR folks, short filmmakers and animators, sound technicians, visual effects artists, and writers.
Jason Bateman, Rosario Dawson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Milla Jovovich, Lucy Liu, Jennifer Lopez, Emily Mortimer, Sandra Oh, Jason Schwartzman, and Michael Peña are among the roster of actors, while "The Heat" and "Bridesmaids" helmer Paul Feig made the directors' cut.
"We did not change our criteria at all," says Academy president Hawk Koch of this year's larger-than-usual class. "Yes, this year there is a tremendous amount of women, a tremendous amount of people of color, people from all walks of life. This year, we asked the branches to look at everybody who wasn't in the Academy but who deserved to be.
- 7/4/2013
- by Laura Larson
- Moviefone
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today the 276 members of the entertainment industry invited to join organization. The list includes actors, directors, documentarians, executives, film editors, producers and more. Of those listed below, those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy's membership in 2013. "These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today," said Academy President Hawk Koch in a press release. "Their talent and creativity have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and I am proud to welcome each of them to the Academy." Koch also told Variety, "In the past eight or nine years, each branch could only bring in X amount of members. There were people each branch would have liked to get in but couldn't. We asked them to be more inclusive of the best of the best, and each branch was excited, because they got...
- 6/28/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
The Academy just added 276 Oscar voters.
That’s 100 more than last year, and part of an easing of a longstanding cap on the number of new members allowed to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences each year.
AMPAS usually adds between 130 and 180 new members, replacing those who have quit or passed away. The membership now stands around 6,000.
Jason Bateman, Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emmanuelle Riva, and Chris Tucker are among the actors who have been invited to join, the organization announced today.
Other interesting additions: the musician Prince, Girls and Tiny Furniture writer/director/actress Lena Dunham,...
That’s 100 more than last year, and part of an easing of a longstanding cap on the number of new members allowed to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences each year.
AMPAS usually adds between 130 and 180 new members, replacing those who have quit or passed away. The membership now stands around 6,000.
Jason Bateman, Jennifer Lopez, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emmanuelle Riva, and Chris Tucker are among the actors who have been invited to join, the organization announced today.
Other interesting additions: the musician Prince, Girls and Tiny Furniture writer/director/actress Lena Dunham,...
- 6/28/2013
- by Anthony Breznican
- EW - Inside Movies
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 276 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy’s membership in 2013.
“These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy President Hawk Koch. “Their talent and creativity have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and I am proud to welcome each of them to the Academy.”
The 2013 invitees are:
Actors
Jason Bateman – “Up in the Air,” “Juno”
Miriam Colon – “City of Hope,” “Scarface”
Rosario Dawson – “Rent,” “Frank Miller’s Sin City”
Kimberly Elise – “For Colored Girls,” “Beloved”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – “Lincoln,” “The Dark Knight Rises”
Charles Grodin – “Midnight Run,” “The Heartbreak Kid”
Rebecca Hall – “Iron Man 3,” “The Town”
Lance Henriksen – “Aliens,” “The Terminator”
Jack Huston – “Not Fade Away,” “Factory Girl”
Milla Jovovich – “Resident Evil,...
“These individuals are among the best filmmakers working in the industry today,” said Academy President Hawk Koch. “Their talent and creativity have captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, and I am proud to welcome each of them to the Academy.”
The 2013 invitees are:
Actors
Jason Bateman – “Up in the Air,” “Juno”
Miriam Colon – “City of Hope,” “Scarface”
Rosario Dawson – “Rent,” “Frank Miller’s Sin City”
Kimberly Elise – “For Colored Girls,” “Beloved”
Joseph Gordon-Levitt – “Lincoln,” “The Dark Knight Rises”
Charles Grodin – “Midnight Run,” “The Heartbreak Kid”
Rebecca Hall – “Iron Man 3,” “The Town”
Lance Henriksen – “Aliens,” “The Terminator”
Jack Huston – “Not Fade Away,” “Factory Girl”
Milla Jovovich – “Resident Evil,...
- 6/28/2013
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
I couldn't help but lean in to my computer screen upon seeing the above image from Monsters University. From the detail in fur and clothing to the level of attention when it comes to the depth of focus, this picture is about as close to photo realistic as it would seem it could get. You can click the image above for the ultra hi-res version and zoom around it, but there were only a few spots I noticed where things were almost a little too perfect such as Sully's eyes, teeth and horns, but look at the shadows on the trees in the background, the soft focus is perfect as is the fact the animators haven't blown out the color of the monsters in the foreground seeing how they are in the shadows while much of the background is in the sunlight. As has already been reported, the short film...
- 4/16/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
This article originally appeared in If Magazine #149 (October-November). In February, Brave won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film.
Re-writing the rules of animation is no small task but for the team at Pixar, it is a regular occurrence. With Scottish-set animation Brave, the 80-strong team of animators immersed themselves in the Scottish way of life as part of their method-acting approach to creating authentic characters.
They even wore kilts and visited local zoos to observe the behaviour of native animals. Director Mark Andrews, in particular, was obsessed with organising bi-weekly lessons in swordplay. The regular animation reviews would often end with an invitation to pick up a sword and act out a specific shot move-for-move.
Character rigging and modeling supervisor, Bill Sheffler, says this was important because ultimately, the physical performance came from the animators. "We videotape ourselves doing activities like archery and horse-riding and then caricatured that.
Re-writing the rules of animation is no small task but for the team at Pixar, it is a regular occurrence. With Scottish-set animation Brave, the 80-strong team of animators immersed themselves in the Scottish way of life as part of their method-acting approach to creating authentic characters.
They even wore kilts and visited local zoos to observe the behaviour of native animals. Director Mark Andrews, in particular, was obsessed with organising bi-weekly lessons in swordplay. The regular animation reviews would often end with an invitation to pick up a sword and act out a specific shot move-for-move.
Character rigging and modeling supervisor, Bill Sheffler, says this was important because ultimately, the physical performance came from the animators. "We videotape ourselves doing activities like archery and horse-riding and then caricatured that.
- 3/14/2013
- by Rodney Appleyard
- IF.com.au
Life of Pi has taken the top prize at the Visual Effects Society Awards, tying with Brave and Game of Thrones with four awards in total.
Among its awards, Life of Pi was honored for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture, while director Ang Lee also received the Ves Visionary Award, presented by visual effects designer Dennis Muren. Actor Harrison Ford also presented veteran visual effects supervisor Richard Edlund with the Ves Lifetime Achievement Award.
Disney-Pixar's Brave scooped the animated film categories while HBO series Game of Thrones dominated the TV categories.
However, Australian effects company Fuel VFX lost out in both categories it was nominated in: Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture and Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture for its work on Prometheus (both categories won by Life of Pi).
The Winners
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven...
Among its awards, Life of Pi was honored for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture, while director Ang Lee also received the Ves Visionary Award, presented by visual effects designer Dennis Muren. Actor Harrison Ford also presented veteran visual effects supervisor Richard Edlund with the Ves Lifetime Achievement Award.
Disney-Pixar's Brave scooped the animated film categories while HBO series Game of Thrones dominated the TV categories.
However, Australian effects company Fuel VFX lost out in both categories it was nominated in: Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture and Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture for its work on Prometheus (both categories won by Life of Pi).
The Winners
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven...
- 2/6/2013
- by Brendan Swift
- IF.com.au
The Visual Effects Society has announced the nominees for their 11th Annual Ves Awards. From film to animation to television to commercials and video games, the Ves Awards honor the outstanding visual effects artistry.
"Life of Pi's" Ang Lee will be honored with the Visionary Award. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, February 5, at the Beverly Hilton.
Here's the complete list of nominees; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Joe Letteri
Eileen Moran
Eric Saindon
Kevin L. Sherwood
Prometheus
Paul Butterworth
Charley Henley
Allen Maris
Richard Stammers
Life of Pi
Thomas Fisher
Susan Macleod
Guillaume Rocheron
Bill Westenhofer
The Avengers
Susan Pickett
Janek Sirrs
Jeff White
Guy Williams
Battleship
Grady Cofer
Pablo Helman
Jeanie King
Glen Mcintosh
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
Rust and Bone
Béatrice Bauwens...
"Life of Pi's" Ang Lee will be honored with the Visionary Award. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, February 5, at the Beverly Hilton.
Here's the complete list of nominees; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Joe Letteri
Eileen Moran
Eric Saindon
Kevin L. Sherwood
Prometheus
Paul Butterworth
Charley Henley
Allen Maris
Richard Stammers
Life of Pi
Thomas Fisher
Susan Macleod
Guillaume Rocheron
Bill Westenhofer
The Avengers
Susan Pickett
Janek Sirrs
Jeff White
Guy Williams
Battleship
Grady Cofer
Pablo Helman
Jeanie King
Glen Mcintosh
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
Rust and Bone
Béatrice Bauwens...
- 1/8/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Fuel VFX has received two award nominations from the Visual Effects Society.
The.peer-voted accolade for the company's work on Ridley Scott.s Prometheus follows the near-collapse of the VFX house, which was saved in October 2012 when Animal Logic acquired its assets.
Fuel co-founder Paul Butterworth was nominated for .Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture. for Prometheus (alongside non-Fuel nominations Charley Henley, Allen Maris and Richard Stammers).
The Fuel team of Xavier Bourque, Sam Cole, Simone Riginell and Denis Scolan - representing the hard work of all 16 compositors who worked on the film at the company - were nominated for Prometheus (Engineers & the Orrery) in the "Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture" category.
Fuel has also provided effects on a number of Marvel films including Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. Fuel continues to run from its Newtown, Sydney-based offices where Animal Logic...
The.peer-voted accolade for the company's work on Ridley Scott.s Prometheus follows the near-collapse of the VFX house, which was saved in October 2012 when Animal Logic acquired its assets.
Fuel co-founder Paul Butterworth was nominated for .Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture. for Prometheus (alongside non-Fuel nominations Charley Henley, Allen Maris and Richard Stammers).
The Fuel team of Xavier Bourque, Sam Cole, Simone Riginell and Denis Scolan - representing the hard work of all 16 compositors who worked on the film at the company - were nominated for Prometheus (Engineers & the Orrery) in the "Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture" category.
Fuel has also provided effects on a number of Marvel films including Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. Fuel continues to run from its Newtown, Sydney-based offices where Animal Logic...
- 1/8/2013
- by Brendan Swift
- IF.com.au
Pixar has revealed a clip from their latest short film The Blue Umbrella, directed by Saschka Unseld, and the big selling point is the photorealistic nature that's intended. That is, outside of the fact all the objects in the world will be given the simplest of facial features to help bring them to life. The short will play in front of Monsters University on June 21 and is said to run six minutes long and follows a blue umbrella that takes a fancy to a red umbrella and, in trying to follow that fancy, gets weather-beaten and wind-blown during a rainstorm. The attempt at photorealism resulted in frames of film that could take anywhere from 20 to 30 hours to render. Pixar's chief technology officer Steve May discussed the process with the Wall Street Journal saying, "We try to simulate those things in computer animation, but the truth is, until just recently, we...
- 1/7/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
"Girls Gone Wild" honcho Joe Francis just saved a Ton of money ... without even switching to Geico ... 'cause a judge slashed the amount of damages he has to pay Steve Wynn by $21 Million, TMZ has learned. Francis had previously been ordered to fork over $40 million in damages to Wynn for defaming the casino mogul ... after Francis told the media Wynn had threatened to have him killed and buried in the Vegas desert. Now, a judge...
- 11/12/2012
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
With Wo Fat in custody, Steve may have thought his arch-nemesis was out of his hair for good, but this proved to be wishful thinking on the "Hawaii Five-0" season premiere. While Wo Fat may have had a contingency plan in place, it was Frank Delano who pulled off an intricate escape that would have impressed James Bond.
Using a helicopter and a giant claw, Delano's men simply plucked the transport vehicle from the highway and flew off, before dumping it into the ocean. From there, another team was on-hand to burn through the door, dispatch the guards and bring Wo Fat to the surface, and a weighting ship. There, he learned that Delano had information to trade.
After that masterful plan, though, Delano fell short with his devious plot to remove a transport full of drugs from the police station. Instead, he became target practice for Chin Ho, who...
Using a helicopter and a giant claw, Delano's men simply plucked the transport vehicle from the highway and flew off, before dumping it into the ocean. From there, another team was on-hand to burn through the door, dispatch the guards and bring Wo Fat to the surface, and a weighting ship. There, he learned that Delano had information to trade.
After that masterful plan, though, Delano fell short with his devious plot to remove a transport full of drugs from the police station. Instead, he became target practice for Chin Ho, who...
- 9/25/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
Backfire
Directed by Vincent Sherman
Written by Larry Marcus, Ben Roberts and Ivan Goff
U.S.A., 1950
Reviewing movies with the benefit of hindsight offers ample opportunity to discover, analyze and extrapolate the several issues of the day their stories were concerned with. It puts such films into historical context, awarding them a sense of worth perhaps movie goers at the time overlooked. Film Noir is frequently cited as being specific in relating to the American post-Second World War experience, a time during which the innocence of a large and powerful country was shaken, the disillusionment created by mankind’s unhinged ferocious nature exposed during combat having deeply affected returning veterans. People fell on hard times, forced to strive to earn a living all the while reckoning with the truth of human nature. Backfire, from director Vincent Sherman, exposes the down and dirty side of people’s desperation through the...
Directed by Vincent Sherman
Written by Larry Marcus, Ben Roberts and Ivan Goff
U.S.A., 1950
Reviewing movies with the benefit of hindsight offers ample opportunity to discover, analyze and extrapolate the several issues of the day their stories were concerned with. It puts such films into historical context, awarding them a sense of worth perhaps movie goers at the time overlooked. Film Noir is frequently cited as being specific in relating to the American post-Second World War experience, a time during which the innocence of a large and powerful country was shaken, the disillusionment created by mankind’s unhinged ferocious nature exposed during combat having deeply affected returning veterans. People fell on hard times, forced to strive to earn a living all the while reckoning with the truth of human nature. Backfire, from director Vincent Sherman, exposes the down and dirty side of people’s desperation through the...
- 8/17/2012
- by Edgar Chaput
- SoundOnSight
(August 15, 2012—Waco, TX) – iVerse Media, creators of some of the world’s most popular and widely used technologies for reading and distributing digital comics, announced today that the company’s Comics Plus platform has been selected as the exclusive digital distribution platform for Contraband Comics, a new independent, creator-owned comics publishing initiative.
“We’re extremely happy and excited that Contraband Comics has decided to launch with us exclusively,” said Michael Murphey, iVerse CEO. “Their creative team is outstanding and, from the work we’ve seen so far, we know that our readers are really going to enjoy their lineup.”
“iVerse’s dedication to creator-owned projects is what we were looking for in a distribution partner,” said writer/artist and Contraband founder, Jon Goff. “Their ability to deliver content on a level that meets the high standards everyone at Contraband strives for made this a very easy choice for us. We...
“We’re extremely happy and excited that Contraband Comics has decided to launch with us exclusively,” said Michael Murphey, iVerse CEO. “Their creative team is outstanding and, from the work we’ve seen so far, we know that our readers are really going to enjoy their lineup.”
“iVerse’s dedication to creator-owned projects is what we were looking for in a distribution partner,” said writer/artist and Contraband founder, Jon Goff. “Their ability to deliver content on a level that meets the high standards everyone at Contraband strives for made this a very easy choice for us. We...
- 8/16/2012
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
On Day 2 of Boom, Belgium’s Tomorrowland Festival, a majority of the day’s 60,000 attendees sought out the Main Stage as the evening let on into night. Boom hometown stars Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike gave way to bass music king Skrillex, who put on an explosive, seizure inducing light spectacle, and even had a fireworks display that quickened in tempo with his music.
It goes without saying that with their remaining days together now numbered, a major draw for the weekend was the return of the Holy Trinity of House, Swedish House Mafia. And indeed Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello recently confirmed to MTV News UK, that they too were looking forward to their return to Boom, and a chance to play one more, likely final, time for their fans. Yes, as you’ll see in the clip below, Swedish House Mafia has nothing but love for Tomorrowland.
"The...
It goes without saying that with their remaining days together now numbered, a major draw for the weekend was the return of the Holy Trinity of House, Swedish House Mafia. And indeed Axwell, Sebastian Ingrosso and Steve Angello recently confirmed to MTV News UK, that they too were looking forward to their return to Boom, and a chance to play one more, likely final, time for their fans. Yes, as you’ll see in the clip below, Swedish House Mafia has nothing but love for Tomorrowland.
"The...
- 7/29/2012
- by MTV News
- MTV Newsroom
Comic-Con 2012 is so close we can taste it! The epically badass geek convention is set to invade San Diego from July 11th to July 15th, and we can't wait to get over there and get crazy!
Comic-Con International has released the full schedules for Wednesday July 11th and Thursday July 12th, and there's a ton of stuff going on! It's going to kick off with a great first couple of days that will give you plenty of stuff to do! Wednesday looks like it's going to be an awesome day of pilot screens and Thursday has got stuff like Twilight... (fart) and Disney will be holding their big panel, along with a ton of other great stuff to check out!
I've gone through the schedule and put a *** next to all the event's we hope to be able to cover. If there's anything on the list you would like information on please let us know,...
Comic-Con International has released the full schedules for Wednesday July 11th and Thursday July 12th, and there's a ton of stuff going on! It's going to kick off with a great first couple of days that will give you plenty of stuff to do! Wednesday looks like it's going to be an awesome day of pilot screens and Thursday has got stuff like Twilight... (fart) and Disney will be holding their big panel, along with a ton of other great stuff to check out!
I've gone through the schedule and put a *** next to all the event's we hope to be able to cover. If there's anything on the list you would like information on please let us know,...
- 6/28/2012
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Saatchi & Saatchi Sydney has released a new campaign for Lexus that targets the ‘trend-setting, technology-savvy, fast-moving, 35+ audience’.
Saatchi & Saatchi Ecd Damon Stapleton said:“Let’s face it, we drive luxury cars because of how it makes us feel, so we thought it was important to find a way to share what driving a Lexus actually feels like.”
Credits:
Saatchi & Saatchi
Executive Creative Director: Damon Stapleton
Creative Director: Steve Carlin
Creative team: Steve May/Nils Eberhardt
Executive Planning Director: Jason Lonsdale
Planning team: Jonathan Daly/Bonnie MacTavish
Group Account Director: Jasmin Barnes
Account Director: Lizzy Bourke
Lexus Australia
Peter Evans
Yolande Waldock
Others
TV Production: Radical Media
TV Director: Christian Aeby
Digital: The White Agency
Photography: John Higginson...
Saatchi & Saatchi Ecd Damon Stapleton said:“Let’s face it, we drive luxury cars because of how it makes us feel, so we thought it was important to find a way to share what driving a Lexus actually feels like.”
Credits:
Saatchi & Saatchi
Executive Creative Director: Damon Stapleton
Creative Director: Steve Carlin
Creative team: Steve May/Nils Eberhardt
Executive Planning Director: Jason Lonsdale
Planning team: Jonathan Daly/Bonnie MacTavish
Group Account Director: Jasmin Barnes
Account Director: Lizzy Bourke
Lexus Australia
Peter Evans
Yolande Waldock
Others
TV Production: Radical Media
TV Director: Christian Aeby
Digital: The White Agency
Photography: John Higginson...
- 5/14/2012
- by Robin Hicks
- Encore Magazine
Ted Haggard presents "Jesus Christ Superstud"
On this week's Gcb, reformed mean girl Amanda tries to help Hot Pastor Tudor get some of his lost flock back, by putting on a Broadway-caliber show. If I said it ended with Kristin Chenoweth crashing through a stained-glass window, would you be surprised?
Hot Pastor Tudor is upset that some of his congregation have migrated to the church run by his arch-nemesis Reverend Steve (played by the adorable Michael Arden), and when Steve rubs Hpt's nose in the fact that he's going all out for this year's church musical, Amanda takes it upon herself to well, lie, and state that Hpt's church musical will be the greatest spectacle Texas has seen since Dubya did some bad blow and tried to "water the cactus" at The Alamo.*
* May not have happened.
This show has officially hit its limit of cute guys.
Now that Amanda has promised a memorable show,...
On this week's Gcb, reformed mean girl Amanda tries to help Hot Pastor Tudor get some of his lost flock back, by putting on a Broadway-caliber show. If I said it ended with Kristin Chenoweth crashing through a stained-glass window, would you be surprised?
Hot Pastor Tudor is upset that some of his congregation have migrated to the church run by his arch-nemesis Reverend Steve (played by the adorable Michael Arden), and when Steve rubs Hpt's nose in the fact that he's going all out for this year's church musical, Amanda takes it upon herself to well, lie, and state that Hpt's church musical will be the greatest spectacle Texas has seen since Dubya did some bad blow and tried to "water the cactus" at The Alamo.*
* May not have happened.
This show has officially hit its limit of cute guys.
Now that Amanda has promised a memorable show,...
- 4/16/2012
- by snicks
- The Backlot
The school year has begun in Gallagher town, and with it comes new developments.
Jimmy-Steve may be back, but Fiona isn’t ready to give in yet. She may still have feelings for the married doctor from the other side of Chicago, but her previous one-night stand with a married man still lingers. Fiona doesn’t want to be the “other girl”, especially when the man involved is the man she loves.
Fiona’s friend Jasmine has finally opened up regarding her feelings for Fiona. Jasmine made a move on Fiona when things didn’t work out with Jimmy-Steve, but Fiona politely rejected her. Later Jasmine revealed that her husband kicked her out. Now, she’s desperately in need of a place to stay. After her uncomfortable come-on, Fiona doesn’t want that place to be the Gallagher home.
Lip and Ian have finally got “squashed their beef” and...
Jimmy-Steve may be back, but Fiona isn’t ready to give in yet. She may still have feelings for the married doctor from the other side of Chicago, but her previous one-night stand with a married man still lingers. Fiona doesn’t want to be the “other girl”, especially when the man involved is the man she loves.
Fiona’s friend Jasmine has finally opened up regarding her feelings for Fiona. Jasmine made a move on Fiona when things didn’t work out with Jimmy-Steve, but Fiona politely rejected her. Later Jasmine revealed that her husband kicked her out. Now, she’s desperately in need of a place to stay. After her uncomfortable come-on, Fiona doesn’t want that place to be the Gallagher home.
Lip and Ian have finally got “squashed their beef” and...
- 2/21/2012
- by Bags Hooper
- BuzzFocus.com
There's a lot of buzz surrounding Welsh cutie -- and "The X Factor's" host -- Steve Jones . The dashing 34-year-old got his first major introduction to American audiences yesterday evening, filling a role similar to Ryan Seacrest on "American Idol", as Simon Cowell's new reality series premieres. Steve may be relatively new to the states, but he's already enjoyed quite the career as a TV personality in Britain, where he's known for his candid attitude, flirtatious interviews with celebrities, and good looks. After tuning into "The X Factor's" highly anticipated debut, which aired last night on Fox, click through PopSugar's gallery and get to know sexy Steve Jones! Read more...
- 9/22/2011
- by tooFab Staff
- TooFab
There's a lot of buzz surrounding Welsh cutie - and The X Factor's host - Steve Jones. The dashing 34 year old will get his first major introduction to American audiences this evening, filling a role similar to Ryan Seacrest on American Idol, as Simon Cowell's new reality series premieres. Steve may be relatively new to the states, but he's already enjoyed quite the career as a TV personality in Britain, where he's known for his candid attitude, flirtatious interviews with celebrities, and good looks. Before tuning into The X Factor's highly anticipated debut, which airs tonight at 8 p.m. on Fox, click through our gallery and get to know sexy Steve Jones! View Slideshow ›...
- 9/22/2011
- by PopSugar
- Popsugar.com
Steven J. McGarrett (Alex O'Loughlin) was raised on Oahu, soaking up the rich traditions and language of the Hawaiian culture despite the color of his skin. As a kid he excelled at everything, from his scholastic pursuits to sports -- particularly football -- probably in an attempt to gain attention from his workaholic father. Steve's younger sister, Mary Ann (Taryn Manning) is the polar opposite -- trading school work for parties and probably getting more of their parent's attention for simply being a trouble maker. At sixteen, we see the turning point from the Steve that could have been, to the Steve we see today, when his mother is killed by drunk drivers. In realty, his father's investigation into the Yakuza and local leader Hiro Noshimuri resulted in a car bomb that killed his wife. Heeding the message, Steve's father sent Steve and Mary to separate parts of the mainland for safety.
- 7/19/2011
- by (Melissa Bijeaux)
- PopStar
Genre: Sci-Fi | Comedy | Action
Premiere: July 11th, 2011 at 9/8c
Network: Syfy
Creators: Brent Mote and Jane Espenson
Warehouse 13 stars Eddie McClintock (Pete Lattimer), Joanne Kelly (Myka Bering), Saul Rubinek (Artie Nielsen), Allison Scagliotti (Claudia Donovan), Genelle Williams (Leena), Cch Pounder (Mrs. Frederic)and Aaron Ashmore (Steve Jinks). Jack Kenny is executive producer and showrunner. The series is produced for Syfy by Universal Cable Productions.
Summary:
Warehouse 13 follows a team of government agents who work at a massive, top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and preternatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse’s caretaker Artie Nielsen charges Pete Lattimer, young apprentice Claudia Donovan, and newcomer Steve Jinks with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache at the Warehouse, as well as helping him to control the Warehouse itself.
Premiere: July 11th, 2011 at 9/8c
Network: Syfy
Creators: Brent Mote and Jane Espenson
Warehouse 13 stars Eddie McClintock (Pete Lattimer), Joanne Kelly (Myka Bering), Saul Rubinek (Artie Nielsen), Allison Scagliotti (Claudia Donovan), Genelle Williams (Leena), Cch Pounder (Mrs. Frederic)and Aaron Ashmore (Steve Jinks). Jack Kenny is executive producer and showrunner. The series is produced for Syfy by Universal Cable Productions.
Summary:
Warehouse 13 follows a team of government agents who work at a massive, top-secret storage facility in windswept South Dakota which houses every strange artifact, mysterious relic, fantastical object and preternatural souvenir ever collected by the U.S. government. The Warehouse’s caretaker Artie Nielsen charges Pete Lattimer, young apprentice Claudia Donovan, and newcomer Steve Jinks with chasing down reports of supernatural and paranormal activity in search of new objects to cache at the Warehouse, as well as helping him to control the Warehouse itself.
- 7/9/2011
- by Erin Willard
- ScifiMafia
The Mechanic (Blu-Ray)Sony Home Entertainment2011/Rated R/95 minsList Price: $35.98 -- Now AvailableYou don't go to Jason Statham movies looking for substance. Style almost always wins out, although the actor's last few films have become more than a tad generic lately, following the same old formula: Statham gets in over his head with some bad guys who feel they can outsmart him and he ends up turning the tables and kicking more then just a few asses. The Mechanic is a bit different, with the British native attempting to give a bit of a dramatic performance as an assassin feeling the guilt of allowing the organization he works for to “retire” his longtime friend and mentor. Naturally Statham fails, because let's face it, he's not really much of an actor; playing basically the same character over and over again: himself. Still, for a remake of a one of the many...
- 6/30/2011
- LRMonline.com
Coronation Street star Simon Gregson has admitted that he wants his character Steve McDonald to avoid relationships for the foreseeable future. Earlier this week, viewers saw Steve's marriage to Becky reach the end of the line as he finally grew tired of her erratic behaviour. Pondering Steve's future, Gregson told Inside Soap: "I think he should remain celibate for a while. Steve tends to like women who are slightly deranged - though he often doesn't realise until it's too late! "It's obviously up to the writers to devise a future for him, but I reckon he really needs to concentrate on getting things back on track with his family and his work and businesses." Recent press reports have suggested that Steve may soon have a one-night stand with his scheming ex Tracy Barlow (Kate Ford). However, the rumoured plot twist remains (more)...
- 6/22/2011
- by By Daniel Kilkelly
- Digital Spy
The folks at TNT tell us in almost every promo: they know drama.
And that was evident at yesterday's Upfront in New York City, as technical difficulties befell the network's presentation of its summer and fall schedules. Still, TNT was able to announce confirm a spin-off of The Closer that will star Mary McDonnell, along with other programming notes.
TV Fanatic staff writer Christine Hinton was on the scene and filed this report...
What's the worst that can happen at an Upfront event? How about the video screens go dark as you try to show clips of your new shows to ad buyers?
Seriously, folks. The TBS/TNT Upfronts turned into a comedy of errors as it was plagued by technical difficulties and excruciating dead spaces. We're talking 10 to twenty minutes of nothing but advertisers and media chatting amongst themselves, taking bets on who was getting fired behind the scenes.
And that was evident at yesterday's Upfront in New York City, as technical difficulties befell the network's presentation of its summer and fall schedules. Still, TNT was able to announce confirm a spin-off of The Closer that will star Mary McDonnell, along with other programming notes.
TV Fanatic staff writer Christine Hinton was on the scene and filed this report...
What's the worst that can happen at an Upfront event? How about the video screens go dark as you try to show clips of your new shows to ad buyers?
Seriously, folks. The TBS/TNT Upfronts turned into a comedy of errors as it was plagued by technical difficulties and excruciating dead spaces. We're talking 10 to twenty minutes of nothing but advertisers and media chatting amongst themselves, taking bets on who was getting fired behind the scenes.
- 5/19/2011
- by christine@tvfanatic.com (C. Orlando)
- TVfanatic
The Trip boasts an unusual combination of dialogue-heavy comedy, of scenic travelogue complete with a focus on high-end food and finally a somber self-reflexive experiment. While these are occasionally at odds with each other, The Trip is hilarious from start-to-finish and ultimately insightful because of the persistent and atypical way it goes about making its point.
Some necessary background; in 2010, a six episode sitcom aired on BBC Two called “The Trip”. It starred Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as versions of themselves. Steve has recently accepted an offer from The Observer to tour a series of restaurants’ in Northern England and write an article. He mainly did this to spend some quality time with his American girlfriend Mischa (Margo Stilley). Now Steve needs to find someone else to go on the trip because Mischa has moved back to America. He asks his longtime colleague Rob Brydon to go along. Throughout...
Some necessary background; in 2010, a six episode sitcom aired on BBC Two called “The Trip”. It starred Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon as versions of themselves. Steve has recently accepted an offer from The Observer to tour a series of restaurants’ in Northern England and write an article. He mainly did this to spend some quality time with his American girlfriend Mischa (Margo Stilley). Now Steve needs to find someone else to go on the trip because Mischa has moved back to America. He asks his longtime colleague Rob Brydon to go along. Throughout...
- 5/1/2011
- by Catherine Stebbins
- CriterionCast
Steve Brookstein has hit out at X Factor boss Simon Cowell, comparing the music mogul to a mafia boss.
The former show champion won a £1 million recording contract six years ago, when he defeated male opera group G4 in the 2004 X Factor final.
However just months later, despite a number one single and album, Brookstein was dropped by Cowell’s label Syco and ever since has found it difficult to gain the recognition he craves from industry insiders.
He told The Daily Mail:
‘It’s amazing how many doors close when you part company with Cowell. It’s almost like leaving a mafia family. Simon Cowell has such an enormous ego, he believes that if he can’t make you a star, then no one will.
‘Because he’s so powerful, it’s virtually impossible to get any attention once he’s lost interest.
‘When I look back on it all,...
The former show champion won a £1 million recording contract six years ago, when he defeated male opera group G4 in the 2004 X Factor final.
However just months later, despite a number one single and album, Brookstein was dropped by Cowell’s label Syco and ever since has found it difficult to gain the recognition he craves from industry insiders.
He told The Daily Mail:
‘It’s amazing how many doors close when you part company with Cowell. It’s almost like leaving a mafia family. Simon Cowell has such an enormous ego, he believes that if he can’t make you a star, then no one will.
‘Because he’s so powerful, it’s virtually impossible to get any attention once he’s lost interest.
‘When I look back on it all,...
- 12/18/2010
- by Lisa McGarry
- Unreality
Now we're talking.
When Zap2it put together its midseason report card on the new shows a couple weeks ago, I wrote this about "Hawaii Five-0": "It's in danger of becoming the show we watch while we're doing other things around the house."
After Monday's (Dec. 13) episode, the show has my full attention again. (Spoilers ahoy for those who haven't watched yet.)
The last episode of 2010 brought back the season's original bad guy, introduced an even badder guy in Wo Fat and -- most important -- started to mine some of the back story for both McGarrett and Chin Ho. "Five-0" isn't suddenly going to turn into "Lost," but after 10 post-pilot episodes of crime-investigation-local color-banter-case closed, some hint of an ongoing story line is very much welcome.
The episode, "Hana 'a'a Makehewa," re-introduced Victor Hesse (James Marsters), who somehow survived being shot by McGarrett and falling into the water...
When Zap2it put together its midseason report card on the new shows a couple weeks ago, I wrote this about "Hawaii Five-0": "It's in danger of becoming the show we watch while we're doing other things around the house."
After Monday's (Dec. 13) episode, the show has my full attention again. (Spoilers ahoy for those who haven't watched yet.)
The last episode of 2010 brought back the season's original bad guy, introduced an even badder guy in Wo Fat and -- most important -- started to mine some of the back story for both McGarrett and Chin Ho. "Five-0" isn't suddenly going to turn into "Lost," but after 10 post-pilot episodes of crime-investigation-local color-banter-case closed, some hint of an ongoing story line is very much welcome.
The episode, "Hana 'a'a Makehewa," re-introduced Victor Hesse (James Marsters), who somehow survived being shot by McGarrett and falling into the water...
- 12/14/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Magazine editors who've been playing around with Wired's iPad app this weekend might like to know that the Adobe software used to create it will soon be available for anyone wanting to develop a fabulous iPad app (memo to GQ digital department: this means you). While Steve may not be a fan of Flash, it's not stopping Adobe from making their software the go-to product for tablet-based publications.
The software, which uses Adobe's InDesign CS5, was created with Wired staff input, and Adobe is claiming that it will deliver "a new advertising paradigm"--and, maybe, make its iPad-izer, as Stephen Shankland calls it, almost as ubiquitous as the iPad is expected to be.
The big question about this is how does this new trick from Adobe work? Because as we've known for a few months, Apple's developer agreement specifically forbids apps from being written in anything other than Objective C,...
The software, which uses Adobe's InDesign CS5, was created with Wired staff input, and Adobe is claiming that it will deliver "a new advertising paradigm"--and, maybe, make its iPad-izer, as Stephen Shankland calls it, almost as ubiquitous as the iPad is expected to be.
The big question about this is how does this new trick from Adobe work? Because as we've known for a few months, Apple's developer agreement specifically forbids apps from being written in anything other than Objective C,...
- 6/1/2010
- by Addy Dugdale
- Fast Company
"Avatar," the sci-fi special effects extravaganza, received six Visual Effects Society Awards including Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Feature Motion Picture at the 8th Annual Ves Awards.
"Avatar" beat fellow Oscar nominees "District 9" and "Star Trek" as well as, "2012" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."
Disney/Pixar's "Up" won three including Oustanding Animation, Outstanding Animated Character ( 'Carl'- No Dad Scene), and Outstanding Effects Animation in an Animated Feature.
"District 9" earned one Ves Award, for outstanding compositing while "Sherlock Holmes" won for supporting Visual Effects in a feature.
The effective use of the Visual Effects technology is one of the strongest qualities of "Avatar." Watch for the film to take home all the special effects categories at the upcoming Academy Awards.
Here's the complete list of winners of the 8th Annual Visual Effects Society Awards:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Feature Motion Picture
Avatar
Joe Letteri,...
"Avatar" beat fellow Oscar nominees "District 9" and "Star Trek" as well as, "2012" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."
Disney/Pixar's "Up" won three including Oustanding Animation, Outstanding Animated Character ( 'Carl'- No Dad Scene), and Outstanding Effects Animation in an Animated Feature.
"District 9" earned one Ves Award, for outstanding compositing while "Sherlock Holmes" won for supporting Visual Effects in a feature.
The effective use of the Visual Effects technology is one of the strongest qualities of "Avatar." Watch for the film to take home all the special effects categories at the upcoming Academy Awards.
Here's the complete list of winners of the 8th Annual Visual Effects Society Awards:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects Driven Feature Motion Picture
Avatar
Joe Letteri,...
- 3/1/2010
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
"Avatar" earned six Visual Effects Society awards, including the top honor for outstanding visual effects in a VFX-driven feature, at the 8th annual Ves Awards.
Also Sunday at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Pixar Animation Studio's "Up" -- the leading contender in this year's animated feature Oscar race -- won three trophies: for outstanding animation, outstanding animated character and outstanding effects animation in an animated feature.
In addition to the top honor for outstanding visual effects, 3D scifi epic "Avatar" earned trophies for best single visual effect of the year, outstanding character animation in a live-action feature, outstanding matte paintings, outstanding models and miniatures, and outstanding created environment.
Since the Ves launched its awards in 2002, the winner of the top category has gone on to win the VFX Oscar each year but two. Those instances occurred in 2005, when "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" won the Ves trophy and...
Also Sunday at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza, Pixar Animation Studio's "Up" -- the leading contender in this year's animated feature Oscar race -- won three trophies: for outstanding animation, outstanding animated character and outstanding effects animation in an animated feature.
In addition to the top honor for outstanding visual effects, 3D scifi epic "Avatar" earned trophies for best single visual effect of the year, outstanding character animation in a live-action feature, outstanding matte paintings, outstanding models and miniatures, and outstanding created environment.
Since the Ves launched its awards in 2002, the winner of the top category has gone on to win the VFX Oscar each year but two. Those instances occurred in 2005, when "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" won the Ves trophy and...
- 3/1/2010
- by By Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
No surprise there. It goes without saying that James Cameron's sci-fi spectacle Avatar has the potential to clean house at the 8th Annual Ves Awards for its breath taking visuals by the acclaimed Weta Digital. Cameron will also be picking up a well-deserved Lifetime Achievement Award. In the outstanding animated feature category, the nominees include Up, 9, Coraline, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs.
The official press release is as followed:
3-D Films Dominate With Most Noms as Avatar grabs 11, Coraline 4, and Visual Effects Company Weta Digital Snags Most Company Noms with 9
Los Angeles, January 19, 2010 - The Visual Effects Society (Ves) today announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Ves Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding visual effects artistry in over twenty categories of film, animation, television, commercials and video games. Nominees were chosen Saturday, January 16, 2010, by numerous blue ribbon panels of Ves members who...
The official press release is as followed:
3-D Films Dominate With Most Noms as Avatar grabs 11, Coraline 4, and Visual Effects Company Weta Digital Snags Most Company Noms with 9
Los Angeles, January 19, 2010 - The Visual Effects Society (Ves) today announced the nominees for the 8th Annual Ves Awards ceremony recognizing outstanding visual effects artistry in over twenty categories of film, animation, television, commercials and video games. Nominees were chosen Saturday, January 16, 2010, by numerous blue ribbon panels of Ves members who...
- 1/22/2010
- Screen Anarchy
James Cameron's "Avatar" led the list of nominations announced Monday by the Visual Effects Society, scooping up 11.
The animated "Coraline," another movie released in 3D, followed with four nominations.
New Zealand-based Weta Digital, which worked on "Avatar," led the company noms with nine.
For visual effects in an effects-driven motion picture feature, the nominees are "2012," "Avatar," "District 9," "Star Trek" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."
Noms for supporting visual effects in a movie went to "Angels & Demons," "The Box," "Invictus," "The Road" and "Sherlock Holmes."
"9," "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," "Coraline," "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" and "Up" were nominated for outstanding animation in an animated feature.
Ves noms in 20 categories, covering film, animation, TV, commercials and video games were chosen Saturday by blue-ribbon panels of Ves members, meeting in Burbank, San Francisco and London.
The eighth annual Ves Awards will be handed out on Feb.
The animated "Coraline," another movie released in 3D, followed with four nominations.
New Zealand-based Weta Digital, which worked on "Avatar," led the company noms with nine.
For visual effects in an effects-driven motion picture feature, the nominees are "2012," "Avatar," "District 9," "Star Trek" and "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen."
Noms for supporting visual effects in a movie went to "Angels & Demons," "The Box," "Invictus," "The Road" and "Sherlock Holmes."
"9," "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs," "Coraline," "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" and "Up" were nominated for outstanding animation in an animated feature.
Ves noms in 20 categories, covering film, animation, TV, commercials and video games were chosen Saturday by blue-ribbon panels of Ves members, meeting in Burbank, San Francisco and London.
The eighth annual Ves Awards will be handed out on Feb.
- 1/18/2010
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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