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Movie News

These movie news letters are from my good friend that works at Zoic Studios. I'm simply sharing them with you.

November 2, 2008

Sony Pictures Imageworks Wins 3D Pipeline Tech Award

(hollywoodreporter.com)
A team from Sony Pictures Imageworks that developed the stereoscopic 3-D postproduction pipeline used to make "Beowulf" will be among the recipients of the Hollywood Post Alliance's Judge's Award for Creativity and Innovation in Post Production, which will be presented at the third annual HPA Awards, Nov. 6 at the Skirball Cultural Center.

Winners of the 2008 HPA Judges Awards include: Digital Film Tree, for developing a data-centric post network and workflow; CBS Paramount TV, for the use of the Digital Film Tree workflow on "Everybody Hates Chris"; and LaserPacific Media Corp., for accurateIMAGE, a color-calibrated motion-picture process that provides digital cinema quality dailies.

The Judge's Award rewards innovative thinking in the areas of new tools, workflows and ideas that enhance the postproduction process.

Sam Mendes To Helm Supernatural Graphic Novel

(scifi.com) Sam Mendes will direct a big-screen adaptation of the supernatural graphic novel Preacher for Columbia Pictures, Variety reported.

Created by writer Garth Ennis and artist Steve Dillon, the graphic novel focuses on the preacher of a Texas town, who is struggling to get by and is driven only by his strong moral sense. When the city is decimated by an otherworldly force, he embarks on a journey across the country to take on the evil.

The supernatural project is a departure for Mendes, who is best known for tackling suburban angst in such films as American Beauty

Whoa! 5 Min of "Day the Earth Stood Still": Best VFX 2008?

Take a look: http://video.yahoo.com/watch/3810106

Disney and Pixar's Full Animated Line-Up Through 2012!

(mhviraf.wordpress.com) Disney and Pixar unveiled their complete animated movie line-up from 2008 to 2012 today at a press conference in New York. Featured in their announcement is a diverse and ambitious slate of 13 new animated feature films, most of which will be featured in 3D. As has been the case recently, Disney will be releasing two major animated movies per year - one Pixar and one Disney. Starting in 2009, however, we'll be treated to 2 Pixar movies per year: 3D versions of Toy Story (in '09) and Toy Story 2 (in '10) as well as Up (in '09) and Toy Story 3 (in '10) and Newt and The Bear and the Bow (in '11). In addition, Pixar also announced a new movie - Newt - for 2011. Disney also has a promising line-up of their own, including an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick story titled King of the Elves.

The Philip K. Dick based

movie King of the Elves, which everyone seems to be interested in the most, is about a gas station attendant in Mississippi who befriends a group of elves who can hide in the trees because they're covered with leaves and foliage. He allows them to seek shelter from the rain and they thus dub him their king. Anything Philip K. Dick is usually quite interesting, and based on that alone, I'm excited. Unfortunately they're probably going to change the focus to be more family friendly, but oh well. You can read more about the film at the very bottom.

Bolt - November 26th, 2008 (In 3D)

Chris Williams and Byron Howard. For super-dog Bolt (voiced by John Travolta), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue ? at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the canine star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet ? a cross-country journey through the real world. Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and with the help of two unlikely traveling companions ? a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voiced by Susie Essman), and TV-obsessed hamster in a plastic ball named Rhino ? Bolt discovers he doesn't need superpowers to be a hero. Miley Cyrus ("Hannah Montana") brings her vocal talents to the role of Penny, Bolt's human co-star on the television series.

Pixar's Up - May 29th, 2009 (In 3D)

Directed by: Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc) and Bob Peterson. From the Academy Award-nominated team of director Pete Docter ("Monsters, Inc.") and co-director Bob Peterson comes "Up," a comedic adventure taking off (and lifting spirits) in summer 2009. Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life. "Up" takes audiences on a thrilling journey where the unlikely pair encounter wild terrain, unexpected villains and jungle creatures. When seeking adventure next summer ? look "Up."

Pixar's Toy Story in 3-D - October 2nd, 2009 (In 3D)

Originally released by Walt Disney Pictures in 1995, "Toy Story" was the first feature film from Pixar Animation Studios and director John Lasseter. The film went on to receive Oscar nominations for Best Original Score, Best Original Song, and Best Original Screenplay, and earned Lasseter a Special Achievement Award (Oscar) "for the development and inspired application of techniques that have made possible the first feature-length computer-animated film." The 3-D version of this landmark film is being personally overseen by Lasseter with his acclaimed team of technical wizards handling all the necessary steps in the conversion process.

The Princess and the Frog - Christmas 2009

Directed by: John Musker (Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules) and Ron Clements (Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules). A musical set in the greatest city of them all, New Orleans, "The Princess and the Frog" marks Disney's return to the timeless art form of traditional animation. The film teams Ron Clements and John Musker, creators of "The Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin," with Oscar-winning composer Randy Newman to tell the most beautiful love story ever told … with frogs, voodoo, and a singing alligator.

Pixar's Toy Story 2 in 3-D - February 12th, 2010 (In 3D)

Originally released in 1999, "Toy Story 2? went on to become one of the most popular animated features of all time. The film picks up as Andy is heading off to Cowboy Camp and the toys are left to their own devices. When an obsessive toy collector named Al McWhiggin (owner of Al's Toy Barn) kidnaps Woody, and Woody learns that he's a highly valued collectable from a 1950s TV show called "Woody's Roundup," the stage is set for a daring rescue attempt by the gang from Andy's room. The film introduced such other memorable characters from "Woody's Roundup" as Jessie the cowgirl, Bullseye the horse, and the Prospector.

Pixar's Toy Story 3 - June 18th, 2010 (In 3D)

Directed by: Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 2, Finding Nemo). The creators of the beloved "Toy Story" films re-open the toy box and bring moviegoers back to the delightful world of Woody, Buzz and our favorite gang of toy characters in "Toy Story 3." Lee Unkrich (co-director of "Toy Story 2? and "Finding Nemo") directs this highly anticipated film, and Michael Arndt, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of "Little Miss Sunshine," brings his unique talents and comedic sensibilities to the proceedings.

Rapunzel - Christmas 2010 (In 3D)

Directed by: Glen Keane and Dean Wellins. In this new telling of the classic fairy tale, "Rapunzel," audiences will be transported to a stunning CG fantasy world complete with the iconic tower, an evil witch, a gallant hero and, of course, the mysterious girl with the long golden tresses. Expect adventure, heart, humor, and hair … lots of hair, when Rapunzel unleashes her locks in theaters for the 2010 holiday.

Pixar's Newt - Summer 2011 (In 3D)

Directed by: Gary Rydstrom (Lifted). What happens when the last remaining male and female blue-footed newts on the planet are forced together by science to save the species, and they can't stand each other? That's the problem facing Newt and Brooke, heroes of "newt," the Pixar film by seven-time Academy Award winner for sound Gary Rydstrom, and director of Pixar's Oscar-nominated short, "Lifted." Newt and Brooke embark on a perilous, unpredictable adventure and discover that finding a mate never goes as planned, even when you only have one choice. Love, it turns out, is not a science.

Pixar's The Bear and the Bow - Christmas 2011 (In 3D)

Directed by: Brenda Chapman (The Prince of Egypt). A rugged and mythic Scotland is the setting for Pixar's action-adventure "The Bear and the Bow." The impetuous, tangle-haired Merida, though a daughter of royalty, would prefer to make her mark as a great archer. A clash of wills with her mother compels Merida to make a reckless choice, which unleashes unintended peril on her father's kingdom and her mother's life. Merida struggles with the unpredictable forces of nature, magic and a dark, ancient curse to set things right. Director Brenda Chapman ("The Prince of Egypt," "The Lion King") and the storytelling wizards of Pixar conjure humor, fantasy and excitement in this rich Highland tale.

Pixar's Cars 2 - Summer 2012 (In 3D)

Directed by: Brad Lewis. All the world's a racetrack as racing superstar Lightning McQueen zooms back into action, with his best friend Mater in tow, to take on the globe's fastest and finest in this thrilling high-octane new installment of the "Cars" saga. Mater and McQueen will need their passports as they find themselves in a new world of intrigue, thrills and fast-paced comedic escapades around the globe. "Cars 2? is being directed by Brad Lewis, producer of the Oscar-winning film "Ratatouille."

King of the Elves - Christmas 2012 (In 3D)

Directed by: Aaron Blaise (Brother Bear) and Robert Walker (Brother Bear). Legendary storyteller Phillip K. Dick's short story (his only experiment in the fantasy genre) becomes the basis for this fantastic and imaginative tale about an average man living in the Mississippi Delta, whose reluctant actions to help a desperate band of elves leads them to name him their new king. Joining the innocent and endangered elves as they attempt to escape from an evil and menacing troll, their unlikely new leader finds himself caught on a journey filled with unimaginable dangers and a chance to bring real meaning back to his own life.

It's very interesting to see how Disney and Pixar grows its people. All of the directors have been with Pixar and Disney for at least 10 years and have been working in animation or special effects or sounds on numerous movies. It's also very interesting to see Pixar developing so many sequels when they used to say that was never in their consideration. Either way, I'm very excited for almost all of these. I'm looking forward to seeing Disney return to hand-drawn animation with The Princess and the Frog and, of course, anything Pixar does I'm always looking forward to!

"Gears Of War" Game-2-Movie Light On CG Effects

That's always a good thing to hear. Gears of War movie screenwriter Chris Morgan has commented on the direction of the movie saying it will be a dirty representation of the video with the humour being kept light:

"I can't write a joke to save my life, but I can, at the right moment, tap into that human thing that comes in when you're in a foxhole and things are raining down."

"I think you will definitely have those fun moments, those fun lines and moments between the two. But by and large, I think it will be gritty and real."

"I want to write and play it as though it happened today. Look outside at your city and imagine that the Locust started rising ? that's how I want it to feel."

Morgan also went on to say the movie will be a mix of live action and necessary CGI while trying to keep it to a minimum.

Paramount Adapting "Agnes Quill"

(variety.com) Paramount Pictures has acquired screen rights to "Agnes Quill: An Anthology of Mystery," a graphic novel by Dave Roman.

Thor Freudenthal (Hotel for Dogs) is attached to direct, and Evan Spiliotopoulos is writing the script.

The graphic novel's title character turns 16 and inherits from her grandfather an estate and an ability to see and communicate with the dead.

Disney Anim Short Not Following In Pixar's Footsteps

(news.awn.com) AWN has learned that GLAGO'S GUEST, the latest short from Walt Disney Animation Studios and helmed by BOLT co-director Chris Williams, will not play with BOLT when it opens.

The short, experimenting in smoke and hair animation and the studio's first stereoscopic 3-D CG short, had long been scheduled to play in front of BOLT, coming November 21, but Disney said Wednesday it was pulling GLAGO'S GUEST.

No certain wide release plans have been made for the short. GLAGO'S GUEST and PRESTO, the short from Disney/Pixar that premiered in front of WALL-E, both showed at Annecy this summer.

GLAGO'S GUEST did have a limited theatrical release and is qualified for the 2008 Best Animated Short Oscar.

"Outlander" Sci-Fi Franchise Heads Into Development

(variety.com) Essential Pictures has launched development of Outlander as a potential franchise based on the Diana Gabaldon series of fantasy novels.

The new company is out to directors with an adaptation from Randall Wallace (Braveheart); the goal is to start production next spring. Gabaldon's series of six novels center on an 18th century Scottish Highlander and his time-traveling wife.

Essential is also developing romantic comedy Bronwyn and Clyde, with Barry Sonnenfeld in negotiations to direct from a script by Tom Vaughan and Kristy Dobkin.

No Delay For Shooting Final 2 Potter Films

(comingsoon.net) Producer David Heyman is best known for producing the "Harry Potter" movies. We wanted to get his take on the decision for Warner Bros. to move Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince to next summer.

The move hasn't affected the shooting of the final two movies that will make up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which they'll still start shooting in February. "The way it's weird to the fans, and this is true, is that there always was going to be a two-year gap somewhere. So there was either going to be a two-year gap between HP6 and HP7 Part 1 but now there's going to a gap between HP5 and HP6. But the films HP7 Part 1 and 2 are at the moment, we are planning on coming out in November 2010 and Summer 2011."

Sheboygan Aviation Center Shows 1989 Spielberg/ILM Film 'Always'

(sheboyganpress.com) The Aviation Heritage Center of Sheboygan County will show the classic aviation movie, the 1989 film "Always," at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14.

"Always" (Rated PG) was released in 1989 and stars Richard Dreyfuss, Holly Hunter and John Goodman. The premise is based on the 1943 movie, "A Guy Named Joe." This 1989 romantic fantasy comedy-drama was directed by Steven Spielberg.

The story revolves around a group of aerial firefighters. Pete is killed in an accident while saving his friend. After his death, he is assigned to be a spiritual guide for a new pilot who falls in love with Pete's former girlfriend, which makes matters complicated.

The movie features two A-26 fire bomber aircraft.

Dan Miller, local aviation historian, will highlight interesting facts prior to the start of the movie. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and guests are asked to bring their own chairs, blankets or sleeping bags for their comfort. Folding chairs will be available.

The movie will be shown on a 36-by-16-foot screen in the climate-controlled aviation laboratory for a true aviation experience.

Admission is free. Freshly popped popcorn, candy and beverages will be available for purchase.

Movies are shown on the second Friday of each month. Check www.sheboyganaviation.com for details on upcoming events.

The Aviation Heritage Center is a not-for-profit educational facility and museum located at Sheboygan County Memorial Airport. The facility is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information, call (920) 467-2043 or go to the Aviation Heritage Center Web site at www.sheboyganaviation.com

Jon Favreau Calls James Cameron's Avatar 'The Future'

(firstshowing.net) Jon Favreau is another filmmaker who has really solidified his place in the cinematic world in directing Iron Man earlier this year. He's returning for Iron Man 2, which is a relief, but looking towards the future, the door is open for so much more. Instead of dwelling on Iron Man 2, though, Quint from Ain't It Cool News talked with Favreau in a recent interview about nearly everything else besides the sequel. And one area I was particularly interested in was his thoughts on James Cameron's Avatar, since he's one of the lucky few who has seen a few finished scenes from the film. "He's trying to present this format in a way where it is a game-changer and in seeing it I think it's the future," Favreau explains.

We've been covering Avatar very closely for the last year, publishing nearly every last interview that Cameron has done. However, we still haven't seen a single photo or anything from the film yet, but Favreau has. "I really liked the bits that I saw and I saw all the various stages of finished [footage], but he's a purist in the way he approaches things, and he's very meticulous." Favreau jumps into explaining how Cameron "likes to put on a big show" and strive for cinematic revolution. "He's really pushing the boundaries on motion capture, he's integrating live action with motion capture and CGI. It takes a painstaking technical approach to that. And he really wants to make it a very visceral, emotional experience."

"He's sort of tireless in how much he invests into it as far as his time and effort. You know, he doesn't make a lot of movies, so a lot of thought and effort goes into each one. And I think that he's trying to present this format in a way where it is a game-changer and in seeing it I think it's the future. I don't think it's a flash in the pan. I think it's going to open up a whole new door and I think more so than the glasses it becomes about how many screens could actually present it in its pristine form."

"The amount of screens is just growing at a very, very fast rate in the States and I think in Europe as well and I think Avatar is going to be the kind of movie that's an event that you have to go see and you want to see again just to understand what you're looking at. And then you still have his very effective storytelling. He really creates an adventure and draws you into it in the hero's journey sense of storytelling, the Joseph Campbell sense of storytelling."

Favreau adds that he has learned a great deal from Cameron in regards to motion capture and CGI and will be using similar techniques in Iron Man 2 because the way he made Avatar is such a technical revolution. "It is a game-changer from a production standpoint certainly in the way he's using motion capture and operating a camera within a volume the line between animation and live action is blurring in many ways." He adds that even the typical process of filmmaking is changing due to Avatar. "The way that Jim's doing it, it's a much more organic process where post-production, production, and pre-production all sort of roll into one another and you're moving back and forth between those media."

I've been saying Avatar will be the next big cinematic revolution for years now, just because I believe James Cameron has achieved something truly spectacular. I don't think any of us can really grasp what it will be like at this very moment. We'll need to see it to believe it, because we can't even comprehend what it's all about until we get our first glimpse, which is why we haven't seen any photos yet. Hearing Favreau say these kind of things only further solidifies my hope that it will be the next revolution. I just get excited thinking about how amazing Avatar could be and how big of a leap forward it will be for cinema.

Quint's fantastic interview with Favreau also touches briefly on IMAX and why Favreau doesn't think it'll really work for Iron Man 2. He primarily believes that CGI at such a high resolution isn't entirely believable yet and it's a pain to lug around enormous cameras on set. I'm not entirely sure I can take his side, only because The Dark Knight looked so amazing, but it sounds like Iron Man 2 probably won't have any scenes shot in IMAX. Either way, I'm very excited to see Favreau take on Iron Man 2 because it seems like he's really going to push his own filmmaking boundaries even further than the first one. As for Avatar, I know I'm anxiously awaiting our first glimpse at the beautiful world the Cameron has created.

"Terminator Salvation" Finishes Shooting

(geeksofdoom.com) On his production blog, director McG announced that Terminator Salvation has indeed wrapped principal photography and that it's now well into its post-production work.

This is always a good sign that things are moving forward smoothly, you know, well-oiled machine and such. Now we just need to hope that not too many re-shoots have to be done; specifically for the ending.

McG said that a cut of the film was shown to stars Christian Bale and Sam Worthington who both seem to have liked where it was going.

While McG wants this particular installment to focus much more on characters and the storyline, he hasn't forgotten what the previous films did for the world of special effects.

He explains it best:

It feels like the responsibility of any Terminator film to reinvent the wheel of effects with every outing. The first movie was a stunning achievement in animatronics and practical effects from Stan Winston. The second film brought us liquid metal, which was a true revolution in the effects world. Robert Patrick's (T-1000) head coming apart and putting itself back together again looks as good today as ever.

Charlie Gibson is aware of his responsibility as the VFX supervisor and second unit director of this film. He works with ILM and Asylum every day and makes revisions to the finest detail. We want the patina of the machines to be dirty and heavy and perfectly realistic - that's why we built so much practically with Stan Winston. But at some point the effects kick in and like any Terminator fan, Charlie wants his mind blown. There's one sequence in particular where we're trying to achieve something that's never been done before. I don't want to talk about it because we haven't been successful yet…

But we're working on it.

All in all, everything seems to be going well for the new Terminator. Hopefully we'll see a full trailer soon to get a really strong look at where it's going and maybe a hint at what the final rating will be after all that PG-13 controversy that happened what now seems like years ago!

Terminator Salvation is scheduled for release on May 22nd, 2009.

Art Directors Honor George Lucas

(variety.com) George Lucas will be honored with the Cinematic Imagery Award during the 13th annual Art Directors Guild Awards on Feb. 14 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles.

The Cinematic Imagery Award goes to an individual whose body of work has enhanced the visual aspects of the moviegoing experience.

Roger Rabbit Animation Director Richard Williams in Vancouver

(straight.com) Animators and animation fans alike will be pleased to know that the Oscar-winning director of animation for Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Richard Williams, is coming to Vancouver. Even better, the event he'll be appearing at is free!

Vancouver ACM SIGGRAPH is presenting a screening of Roger Rabbit, along with a Q&A session and book signing featuring Williams himself.

It'll all take place tonight at Vancity Theatre (doors 6:30 p.m., presentation 7:30 p.m.).

Williams created The Animator's Survival Kit, a 16-DVD boxed set all about the intricacies of sophisticated animation for film, the Web, video games, and more.

This year is the 20th anniversary of Roger Rabbit.

Super-Computer Transform Singapore Into An "Intelligent Island"

(straitstimes.com) A NEW million-dollar super-computing facility, the biggest such facility here, will allow companies to rent super-computers and high-end business software from Saturday.

Instead of paying tens of thousands of dollars to buy their own computer servers that may sit idle during lull periods, companies like animation studios or biomedical research firms which need high-end super-computers in their business will be able to 'rent' computing power when they need it, said Singapore Computer Systems executive vice-president Alvin Kok.

According to a study by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, computer servers are only in use between 10 and 35 per cent of the time.

The service, called Alatum (Latin for winged), is a joint-venture between SingTel unit Singapore Computer Systems and technology giant Hewlett-Packard, and is a key part of the Government's iN2015 infocomm masterplan to transform Singapore into an intelligent island.

Sited in Bedok, Alatum has 300 computer processors. Alatum, into which the two parties have invested 'tens of millions of dollars', has also signed up about 20 software partners including database provider Oracle and customer relationship software provider Salesforce.com.

These software companies will offer their software, which are generally used by larger enterprises with deeper pockets, to even smaller companies here, on a per use model.

So far, Alatum has signed up three customers: market research firm Research International, oil-and-gas industry maintenance and repair specialist K2, and wind technology company Vesatas Technlogy.

It expects to sign up 700 customers from both the public and private sector by 2011.

'Iron Man' Crew Will Be Back For Sequel And 'Avengers'

(mtv.com) The men in (and behind) "Iron Man" will be sticking together for more than just the anticipated sequel. Marvel Studios has officially announced that Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle and Jon Favreau will be teaming up for not only "Iron Man 2," but also the company's much-anticipated superhero battle royale "The Avengers."

Downey will reprise his role as Tony Stark in "Iron Man 2" and again in "The Avengers," while Cheadle will pick up the part of James "Rhodey" Rhodes previously played by Terrence Howard in "Iron Man." The latter announcement confirms earlier reports regarding Cheadle's replacement of Howard, with the additional note that Cheadle will play the character in both "The Avengers" and subsequent "Iron Man" films.

Marvel also confirmed that Favreau will not only return to the director's chair for "Iron Man 2," but will also serve as executive producer for "The Avengers."

Previously, Marvel announced that the next four films on its slate would include "Iron Man 2," "The First Avenger: Captain America," "Thor" and "The Avengers."

The Art of Iain McCaig is a Romp Through His Imagination

(bradenton.com) "Shadowline: The Art of Iain McCaig," by Iain McCaig; Insight Books, San Rafael, California (240 pages, $65.00)

About half-way through reading "Shadowline: The Art of Iain McCaig" you realize well-known "Star Wars" artist Iain McCaig is having too much fun.

That's because McCaig, who worked on the first three movies of the "Star Wars" saga as a conceptual artist as well as "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," treats his first book as a romp through his imagination rather than a traditional "art of" book.

For him the Shadowline is "a real place. It's the name of that state I get into when I start to draw. I suspect it's the same place where most of us go when we create."

In a McClatchy interview, he elaborated on the difference between Art and his experience as an artist. "Whenever anybody introduces an artist they care about - it's all about the paintbrush moving! It's all about the furrowed brow!

"Really for me it's about that quiet battle that goes on inside when you come up over the horizon line and suddenly there's this horde of deadlines coming towards you."

Born in California, where his father gave him the Scottish spelling of "Iain," he started out to be "a writer, not an artist." He studied art at Glasgow School of Art at "the old Charles Rennie Mackintosh building" and lived in Europe for 17 years, making friends with noted fantasy artists Brian Froud and Alan Lee, and doing book and record covers for Jethro Tull's "Broadsword and the Beast" and the 1984's "Irish Folk and Fairy Tales."

His subsequent work for the movie industry, included Lucasfilm, where he did many drawings including conceptualizing the demonically evil Sith for "Episode I, The Phantom Menace" for filmmaker George Lucas.

"George used to come up and say 'There's a new Sith Lord. Darth Maul.' And he'd walk away."

McCaig recalled he would sit back and think, "Right ... a Sith Lord. What's a Sith lord? Anyway, you come up with your vision of a Sith lord, your vision of something with that name."

When he presented his first idea, a "corpse-like face" with bloody rivulets of hair, Lucas slammed shut the folder "with a shudder, (and) asked me for my second worst nightmare."

He worked for Lucas for 8 years and "really enjoyed" it.

Other films he's been involved with include "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and the Columbia Pictures 2003's "Peter Pan." He's also designed for videogames and television.

He compares working for others with poetry. "Take the restrictions of what other people want as your meter and your rhyme and when you're writing the poem, you're wild and crazy within that. I never satisfy the meter and the rhyme – I try to satisfy my delight in a poem."

McCaig says "Shadowline" was an "excuse to go through the creative book process" something that he admits, in his acknowledgements, was more difficult than he expected.

He tells the story of "Shadowline" through the narrator, Byron, who is "the innocent idea. Then you take your good idea, step into the battleground - you don't realize how much work or how many unanswered problems there are. How many heroic things you're going to need to make that thing work."

Full Press: http://www.bradenton.com/701/story/990329.html

Economy Kills European CGI Productions

Because of the worldwide economic slump being felt even harder in Europe and the Far East, two of Europe's largest toon film houses, Sparx Studio and Bibo Films, have decided to stop production on two of their projects, the highly anticipated CGI animated flick "Bunyan & Babe" and "A Monster in Paris."

"Bunyan & Babe" was the biggest film of the two and, if it ever gets back into production, will feature the voices of Emmy winners Kelsey Grammer and John Goodman. Just how long the movie will be in purgatory is anyone's guess at this point. Everything depends on the state of the European economy. "Bunyan and Babe" is loosely based on the popular Paul Bunyan folklore and will feature two children exiled on their grandfather's farm in Minnestoa who discover the secret hiding place where Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox have resided since their disappearance from the Dead Forest. Originally set for a release sometime in 2009, the film could be back-lotted to late 2010 or early 2011.

"A Monster in Paris," (Un monstre à Paris) was to be released in April 2009, but is now on indefinite hold. It is a 3D-animated feature set in 1910 that chronicles a monster's attack on that famous French city known as the Jewel of Europe.

My Photo Real Old Man: The Tutorial

(ten24.info) An extensive making of article as well as giving away the model, scene and full resolution textures..

http://www.ten24.info/oldman/tutorial.htm

'The Hobbit' in 3-D? Del Toro Says Maybe

(cinematical.com)
As far as I'm concerned, all discussion about the merits and viability of 3-D technology must be put on hold until we get a look at James Cameron's Avatar. By all accounts, Cameron is genuinely trying to turn 3-D into a storytelling tool instead of the equivalent of a theme park attraction, and I think highly enough of the guy to suspect he might be able to pull it off.

Meanwhile, cinephile concerns notwithstanding, 3-D's mainstream popularity continues to surge. Guillermo del Toro now won't rule out the possibility that we'll be able to see his Hobbit films in three dimensions. "Right now what we have is, you don't have two filmmakers and two screenplay writers -- you have four screenplay writers," he says. "We'll be talking about 3-D, on IMAX -- but [not] right now."

IMAX, I think, is probably a foregone conclusion. But 3-D? The first Hobbit is slated for release in December, 2011, which is two years post-Avatar, thank goodness. My pre-Avatar brain revolts at the notion of seeing Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films in 3-D. At the moment I'm not thrilled about the prospect for The Hobbit, either -- but there I go again, breaking my own rules. James Cameron sees all, and knows all...

Pixar Dominates BAFTA's Children's Award

(news.awn.com) This year's EA British Academy Children's Awards will take place on Sunday, November 30, 2008 to celebrate excellence in all art forms of the moving image for children -- in film, television, video games and online.

The Awards are voted for by BAFTA members and industry experts but children have a voice in the BAFTA Kids' Vote. BAFTA has again partnered with CBBC on Me And My Movie, a filmmaking initiative inspiring children to tell their own stories.

FEATURE FILM
DR. SEUSS' HORTON HEARS A WHO!
Bob Gordon, Ken Dayrio, Cinco Paul
Twentieth Century Fox/Twentieth Century Fox

RATATOUILLE
Brad Lewis, Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava
Pixar/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures UK

STARDUST
Matthew Vaughn, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Michael Dreyer, Neil Elaiman
Marv/Paramount Pictures

WALL-E
Jim Morris, Andrew Stanton
Pixar/Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures UK

Fulll Press: http://news.awn.com/index.php?ltype=top&newsitem_no=25258

The Return of Xander Cage Happens in 2010

(Collider.com) Last month, it was announced that Columbia Pictures, producer Joe Roth, director Rob Cohen and Vin Diesel were reteaming for XXX: The Return of Xander Cage. Now, Collider says that Cohen has revealed target dates for shooting and the film's release:

"Yes, they're doing it with me and producer Joe Roth. We made the deal recently, it's named xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. We met the writers yesterday and we're trying to get into production by late spring, to have it out for the summer of 2010."

Podcasting The Creative Process of George Lucas

(usoproject.blogspot.com) The CreativeCOW.net Podcast is targeted at media professionals in the fields of audio, video, film, design, imaging and related fields. The show is hosted by Franklin McMahon, who is joined this week by Michael Rubin, the author of the book "Droidmaker: George Lucas and the Digital Revolution".

He talks about the early days of working for George Lucas, developing the first editing tools, namely the EditDroid and the SoundDroid, which were the beginnings of the desktop tools digital revolution. He also goes over the creative process of George Lucas, how this start inspires him even today, as well as the beginnings of early editing systems and audio processing that developed into the tools we use today.

Download today: http://usoproject.blogspot.com/2008/10/inside-lucasfilm-with-michael-rubin.html

Universal Developing Villains Feature

(The Hollywood Reporter) Universal has acquired the movie rights to Viper Comics' graphic novel "Villains" and hired Matt Jennison and Brent Strickland to write the adaptation. Sean Bailey is producing via his Idealogy, says The Hollywood Reporter. The graphic novel, by Adam Cogan and Ryan Cody, puts super bad guys center stage and is described as follows:

Nick Corrigan is an aimless 20-something who discovers that his aging neighbor used to be the notorious supervillain known as "Hardliner", now retired and living in hiding for the past few decades. Rather than turn him in to the authorities, Nick decides to blackmail him in exchange for lessons in the fine art of career super-crime. But the old pro is about to teach his student some lessons he'll never forget.

Idealogy's Matt Smith is executive producing. Viper Comics' Jessie Garza will co-produce.

Idealogy is also developing Tr2n at Disney with Joe Kosinski directing. Jennison and Strickland are writing Wonder Woman for Warner Bros. and Joel Silver.

The Original Prince of Persia Motion Capture Tapes

(recomic.net) This are pretty cool. It shows where the original POP got all his moves from the creator's little brother.

Take a look: http://recomic.net/2008/10/29/the-original-prince-of-persia-motion-capture-tapes/

'Wall-E' vs. 'The Dark Knight': Who Has a Better Shot at Best Picture?

(defamer.com) This year's Oscars Best Picture race is still fluid enough to account for the presence of two films that would normally seem like longshots: the Pixar masterpiece Wall-E and the box office blockbuster The Dark Knight. One is the tale of a lonely hero who talks in a funny voice, and the other is Wall-E, but both films have one thing in common: they're huge, mainstream blockbusters, which Oscar voters don't typically reward. However, the New York Times reports that the studio behind each film is readying a big Academy Awards push, and they've got their eyes set on Best Picture. Which has the better shot, and should we expect either film to wrangle a nomination for Oscar's biggest prize?

First, let's take Wall-E. The indomitable Pixar robot has collected some of the most glowing reviews of the year and many of those critics then called it the best American film of 2008 \u2014 in fact, Wall Street Journal scribe Joe Morgenstern was already talking Wall-E up for Best Picture in July. Still, the film has several things working against it: it opened early enough in the year to have been forgotten, it made a ton of money but not as much as much as, say, Cars (thereby falling into an Oscar trap where the movie is too successful, but not so successful that it can't be ignored), and it's animated. "Younger-skewing" films like Beauty and the Beast and Babe have been nominated before, but almost offhandedly, and not in a while.

Then, there's the Bat. The Dark Knight has one big thing going for it: Heath Ledger's performance is a mortal lock for a Supporting Actor slot, which may help grease the wheels for the film to grab a Best Pic nom. Also, its box office total, second only to Oscar favorite Titanic, is so massive that The Dark Knight has remained the biggest story in the industry all year. Yes, it's still just a comic book movie (and one that had a minor Bat-lash), but what isn't in Hollywood these days?

Thus, in the race for Best Picture, we're going to give the edge to The Dark Knight. With previous contenders like Frost/Nixon and Changeling losing steam among the chattering class, The Dark Knight's chances are certainly improved, and it has the best precedent: The Fugitive, a well-reviewed action blockbuster that rode a buzzworthy supporting performance to Oscar glory. We're going to hold out hope in our hearts for Wall-E, but we fear it'll take something stronger than a laser blast from EVE to bust this robot out of the Best Animated Film ghetto.