VFX Retrofitting Star Trek Into Darkness

Like Skyfall, Star Trek Into Darkness is a hybrid of the old and the new in completing its rite of passage reboot. Except that J.J. Abrams has the advantage of time travel, which he introduced in the first movie, for creating a parallel universe that allows him to

The Academy Tackles Storytelling in the Digital Age

Tech and storytelling converged during a fascinating series of discussions at the Academy on May 15 about Zero Dark Thirty, Argo, and Star Trek Into Darkness, hosted by screenwriter John August. After showing a funny collage of clips about ditching cell phones and

Chris Wedge Gets Epic

Epic is not only Blue Sky's best movie but also director Chris Wedge's most personal, too: a swashbuckling, samurai action/adventure that takes place in a lush, microscopic forest world. It beautifully translates N.C. Wyeth for Alice in Wonderland meets The Adventures

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Festivals

SIGGRAPH Previews Production Sessions

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in 3-D, Animation, Education, Events, Festivals, Movies, Oscar, Shorts, stop-motion, Tech, Trailers, VFX, Virtual Production | Leave a comment

The tech behind Pacific Rim, Frozen, Monsters University, and Oz the Great and Powerful will be on display at SIGGRAPH 2013. Held this year in Anaheim on July 21-25, the production sessions are part of the Computer Animation Festival. Read more

The Rise of Triggerfish Animation

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in 3-D, Animation, Below the Line, Blu-ray, Festivals, Home Entertainment, Movies, Tech, Trailers, VFX | Leave a comment

South-Africa-based Triggerfish Animation has come of age with its first two features, Adventures in Zambezia, about a lavish city of birds, currently available on Blu-ray and DVD (Sony Home Ent.), and Khumba, a zebra in search of its identity, which premieres at Cannes this month. Triggerfish CEO Stuart Forrest discusses the emergence of his studio as a regional force. Read more

Mysterious Mickey Mouse Short Annecy Bound

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in Animation, Festivals, Movies, Shorts, Tech | Leave a comment

Disney will unveil “a never-before-seen, hand-drawn, black-and-white Mickey Mouse short,” Get A Horse!, at the Annecy Animation Festival. Read more

World Building and the Science of Fiction

Posted on April 14, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in 3-D, Animation, Education, Events, Festivals, Movies, Tech, VFX, Virtual Production | Leave a comment

On Saturday, I participated in a very unique live and interactive festival at USC: “The Science of Fiction: World Building in Action,” sponsored by USC | 5D Institute. The brainchild of production designer and 5D co-founder Alex McDowell (Man of Steel), I collaborated with professionals and students in creating a futuristic LA 2020 and learned more about how and why we build worlds for a more immersive narrative experience. It was “a giant circus trick” creating a new world in a day. Read more

Spaltro to Direct Wake-Up in New York

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in Festivals, Movies, VFX | Leave a comment

Director David Spaltro will follow-up his acclaimed Things I Don’t Understand (2012) with Wake-Up in New York, the final film in his NYC Valentine trilogy that began with …Around (2008). Read more

A ‘Lean, Smart, and Agile’ FMX 2013

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in 3-D, Animation, Events, Festivals, Movies, previs, Shorts, stop-motion, Tech, Trailers, VFX, Videogames, Virtual Production | Leave a comment

FMX 2013 — Conference on Animation, Effects, Games, and Transmedia (April 23-26 in Stuttgart, Germany) has adopted the slogan “Lean, Smart, and Agile” and will feature smart technologies, adaptive approaches, and flexible strategies for the ongoing paradigm shift. Read more

Irish Furniture Short Takes Sundance Jury Prize

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Bill Desowitz in Animation, Clips, Festivals, Shorts, stop-motion | Leave a comment

Sundance Institute gave the jury prize for animated short to Irish Folk Furniture at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. The awards were presented Wednesday at a ceremony in Park City, Utah. Read more

CTN Animation Expo Returns to Burbank

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Bill Desowitz in 3-D, Animation, Education, Events, Festivals, Movies, Shorts, stop-motion, Tech | Leave a comment

Creative Talent Network Animation Expo (CTN EXPO) is back Nov. 16-18, highlighted by Glen Keane and Brenda Chapman offering talks along with a host of creative talent and special events for professional artists, art students and industry executives. Read more

Otomo to Get Platform Life Achievement Award

Posted on October 21, 2012 by Bill Desowitz in Animation, Events, Festivals, Movies, Shorts | Leave a comment

The Platform International Animation Festival will present renowned Japanese artist Katsuhiro Otomo with a Lifetime Achievement Award on Oct. 27 at 9:30 pm at the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT, 631 West 2nd St., Los Angeles). The evening will begin with an exclusive screening of Otomo’s new short film, Combustible, a sure Oscar contender, followed by a conversation with animation historian Jerry Beck and the award ceremony. Read more