Thompson on Hollywood

Immersed in Movies: VFX Retrofitting for Abrams' Hybrid Vision of Old and New in 'Star Trek Into Darkness'

Features

Like "Skyfall," "Star Trek Into Darkness" is a hybrid of the old and the new in completing its rite of passage reboot. Except 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 break the rules of the beloved sci-fi franchise for the 21st century while still honoring its iconic spirit.

By Bill Desowitz
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May 17, 2013 2:36 PM
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Obit: VFX Master Ray Harryhausen Dies at 92

News

Stop-motion and VFX pioneer Ray Harryhausen passed away in London today at the age of 92, according to an announcement on the official Facebook page of The Ray and Diana Harryhausen Foundation. The multi-award winner best-known for "The 7th Voyage of Sinbad," "Jason and the Argonauts," "The Golden Voyage of Sinbad," and "Clash of the Titans," became a cultural legend and an inspiration to every filmmaker that has worked in animation and live-action VFX movies from the ’70s to the present. Among his accolytes are Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Peter Jackson, James Cameron, Tim Burton, Phil Tippett, Nick Park, and John Lasseter.

By Bill Desowitz
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May 7, 2013 3:26 PM
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Immersed in Movies: 'Oblivion' Director Kosinski Talks Creating Original Sci-Fi Landscape Starring Cruise

Features

With a looming summer season packed with post-apocalyptic sci-fi--from "After Earth" (June 7) and "World War Z" (June 21) to "Elysium" (August. 9)--it's a good thing that director Joseph Kosinski's "Oblivion" is first out of the gate. This Tom Cruise-starrer about a blue collar drone repairman haunted by dreams of a woman he's never met stands apart from the competition, mainly because architect and video game designer Kosinski's follow-up to "Tron: Legacy" is a passion project he's been developing for eight years that allows him to strut his visual stuff.

By Bill Desowitz
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April 19, 2013 2:25 PM
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Prana Studios Buys Bankrupt 'Life of Pi' VFX House Rhythm & Hues

News

It's official. A Los Angeles bankruptcy court judge has approved the acquisition of visual effects and animation studio Rhythm & Hues, which did the VFX for Oscar-winning "Life of Pi," by a wholly-owned affiliate of LA-based Prana Studios, Inc. Many VFX houses these days are beleaguered by price-gauging studios and overseas competition as layoffs are rampant and VFX practitioners talk about starting a union.

By Anne Thompson
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March 29, 2013 7:27 PM
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Immersed in Movies: Stepping Up the VFX for 'G.I. Joe: Retaliation'

Features

After viewing the bang-bang antics of "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," it made perfect sense that Jon Chu became the director. His dance experience with "Step Up 2: The Streets" and "Step Up 3D" provided the perfect training for the choreographed action he devised for the "G.I. Joe" sequel starring newcomers Dwayne Johnson as Roadblock and Bruce Willis as the original Joe. The stealthy overthrow of Cobra after the Joes have been decimated and disgraced involves a series of escapades that are as remarkable for their balletic brilliance as their explosive firepower.

By Bill Desowitz
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March 29, 2013 2:55 PM
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Watch: 'Oz the Great and Powerful' Opening Credit Sequence, Where All the World's a Stage

Video

As Sam Raimi's "Oz the Great and Powerful" makes its way towards $200 million at the domestic box office (and $400 million worldwide), check out the film's inventive opening credit sequence, which features CG pop-up cutouts that progressively become trippier and trippier.

By Beth Hanna
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March 25, 2013 12:32 PM
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Finally: Union Talk at VFX Town Hall

News

Not surprisingly, talk of unionization and a trade association dominated the international Pi Day VFX town hall meetings on Thursday in LA, the San Francisco Bay Area, Austin, Vancouver, and Wellington. Everyone agrees that the VFX industry has reached a tipping point and that the business model with the studios must change.

By Bill Desowitz
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March 16, 2013 6:10 PM
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Seeing VFX Is Believing, From Original 'Star Wars' and 'Superman' Franchises to Woody Allen's 'Zelig'

Features

“You’ll believe a man can fly.” That was the promise made to potential ticket-buyers during the fall and winter of 1978, when Richard Donner’s take on the Superman legend was being readied to soar across Christmastime movie screens all over America. We certainly never believed (nor were we asked to believe) that George Reeves, the Superman known to viewers of the popular TV series which ran from 1952 until 1958, could really fly.

By Dennis Cozzalio
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March 11, 2013 10:30 AM
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Immersed in Movies: Puppet Cams, China Girl and VFX Wizardry in 'Oz the Great and Powerful'

Features

Bryan Singer and Sam Raimi both embraced lighter, kid-friendlier fables with "Jack the Giant Slayer" and "Oz the Great and Powerful," tapping into their inner child while pushing virtual production and 3-D with theatrical flair. While the results have been mixed (it's hard to pull off innocence after the post-modern "Shreking" of our culture), Disney placed serious pressure on Raimi, whose return to "Oz" was a bumpy ride.

By Bill Desowitz
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March 8, 2013 2:23 PM
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VFX Winner Rhythm & Hues Files for Bankruptcy, Underscores Sector's Economic Woes

News

The fragile economics of the visual effects industry was front and center at last week's Visual Effects Society awards. And even the well-respected company, Rhythm & Hues, that spearheaded and supervised the extraordinary visual effects in Ang Lee's "Life of Pi" --which won best live action feature effects at the VES and BAFTA awards and is favored to win the VFX Oscar-- is in danger.