Realtime UK 'Stormbirds' Spotted
February 15 2009 | CGI | video game
Realtime UK is a small 3D production studio whose work I just recently stumbled across on a 3D forum. The release I saw was their CG cinematic for the unfortunately recently-cancelled game titled 'Stormbirds'. I'm certain that whatever hang-ups may have plagued the game enough to lead to its demise, this cinematic that the team put together was the furthest from fault.
realtime uk render from MotorStorm concept movie
I recommend you view the studios' demo reel and check out their 'Stormbirds' promo below to see a prime example of their excellent work as a lot of talent went into the short and it manages to top much of the big-screen action I can recall seeing in the past. The camera angles and editing in post were very nicely done. Make sure to view in HD.
Download Realtime UK Showreel (96MB) ~ via Realtime UK
Visit ~ realtime:uk site
| TAGS: CGI | Videogame |
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Sega Downsizes Its Arcades Along With Self
February 10 2009 | video game
I found the following articles this past week regarding the current world economy and how a company in Japan (that we all know and love), is being affected. Can this mean saying goodbye to good times in Japan and perhaps abroad? Sega, the videogame powerhouse of my youth, says yes. It's interesting to see some of the long honored and internal business practices of such Japanese companies and how many are making changes in their business tradition due to the times.
| TAGS: Videogame |
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The Science Behind Curious Case of Benjamin Button
February 6 2009 | film | flash | CGI
With special effects integrated so well, the average viewer cannot be rightfully blamed for not noticing them during their first, second, even third viewing. The subtle compositions of CGI, makeup and set design are just a few of the factors behind what made this an almost too-perfect portrayal of this famous short story. For those who are interested in the tale, you may read it for free online here.
The website "The Science Behind The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" continues telling you the story of what went on behind the scenes to make this film come to life. The website itself has been put together with excellent Flash-based storytelling techniques and graphics.
ALSO, be sure to check out this article via FX Guide explaining many of the shots and techniques used by Digital Domain in making this film.
| TAGS: Film | Flash | CGI |
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New Batman: Arkham Asylum Trailer
January 29 2009 | video game
Currently in development by Rocksteady Studios and being published by Eidos Interactive, this new trailer is the latest piece of press on the upcoming video game, Batman: Arkham Asylum. The game will be available for the Microsoft Windows, Playstation 3, and Xbox 360 platforms.A release date is planned for May 1st, 2009.
Official game site ~ Batman: Arkham Asylum
| TAGS: Videogame |
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T-Rip Terminator Salvation Be@rbrick 400%
January 27 2009 | pop | film | terminator | toys
The T-RIP Be@rbrick 400% is expected to be released later this year and is a fine stylized addition to the line of Terminator Salvation products sure to come. Standing approximately 11-inches high, this limited figure will be produced by Medicom Toy Corporation and is available now for preorder @ Sideshow Collectibles.
| TAGS: Pop | Film | Terminator |
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Pretty Loaded: A Museum of Loading Screens
January 15 2009 | flash | design
As websites become bigger, faster and brighter with technical achievements, they tend to grow much larger than your average HTML site, which may lead to a sluggish experience on a site. Having this preload bar appear before multimedia-intensive sites load is common to see nowadays. But what I never imagined seeing was just how creative designs I've come across to simply keep your attention. Some are minimal in their design while some are explosive on your screen, as if prepping you for the world of the website before you.
Finally there are folks out there who know what I'm talking about and can take the time and effort to make the end all website to appreciate them.
The people at Pretty Loaded have created a site showcasing preloaders submitted from websites around the globe. A true art show gallery experience that won't take up too much of your time.
...preloading humor
| TAGS: Flash | Design |
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Hot Toys Gives 'Dutch' His Day in Predator Line
December 30 2008 | pop | film | toys
From 'Sideshow Collectibles' website -
"Sideshow Collectibles is proud to bring you the Major Alan Dutch Schaefer 12-inch figure featuring the authentic likeness of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the very latest from the Hot Toys Movie Masterpiece series! Each figure features Hot Toys' fully articulated 12-inch figure body and a generous number of accessories. These are some of the finest 12-inch figures ever created, featuring incredible likenesses and amazingly detailed costumes. ."
Click on image or 'Continue Reading' to view more pictures.
| TAGS: Pop | Film |
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December 25 2008 | photography
...from Rhinebeck, NY
| TAGS: Holiday | Photography |
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Dieselpunk at a Glance
December 15 2008 | design
The term "dieselpunk" has floated around for some years now and can best be summed up as an alternative fantasy world where industrial machinery influences the societies within. Think post-apocalypto Mad Max; the industrial equivalent of 'cyberpunk'. Now while such films as Johnny Pneumonic may have helped kill off the remaining allure of cyberpunk for me, the influential visions of dieselpunk imagery resonates as something truly fantastic in my mind.
Think of it as a classical take on the foreshadowing of a mechanical + techno future we all know will soon be 'life as we know it' (if it isn't already). Needless to say, this type of vision reminds me to take a much closer look at our own industrial past. I came across this brief blog entry (link below) offering good insight into the dieselpunk ideal.
Dieselpunk: Love Affair with a Machine
~ courtesy of Dark Roasted Blend
| TAGS: Design |
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Michael Fleming: Learn the ABCs of Star Wars
November 27 2008 | pop | film | design
Michael Fleming is a digital illustrator located in California whose work generally includes the most wonderful creatures presented with a storybook-like aesthetic. His work is primarily done digitally in Photoshop + Painter. A large sample of his artwork can be found on his website, tweedlebop! One of my personal favorites that I've seen in his collection is the Star Wars ABC Flash Card collection.
Need help learning the names of some of the more distant members of the Star Wars family?Study the cuties below.
View the ABC Flash Cards
~ courtesy of Michael Fleming
| TAGS: Design | Film | Pop |
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Congrats to 'Drop The Lime' - XLR8R Artist of the Year
November 26 2008 | music
Always love to give congrats to friends where they're due...and this one's a biggie.
Congrats, Luke...
Way to make XLR8Rs 'Artist of the Year'.
| TAGS: Music |
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Sony Releases Terminator Animated Flash Poster
November 25 2008 | terminator | flash | film
While not a new concept, it's nice seeing a studio put the time in to produce more mixed media to get people excited during the wait till the May 22, 2009 release. Works for me.
Click on the image to view animation.
| TAGS: Terminator | Flash | Film |
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Terminator Salvation 'CB' Teaser Edit
November 23 2008 | terminator | film
Since it's hard to find new material to appease my excitement for the upcoming Terminator Salvation film, I've put together my own collection of material to satisfy my habit. What started out as a submission for an online contest I can now make available to all.
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Election Night 2008
November 4 2008
"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer."- Barack Obama | 11.4.08
photograph by ~ Peter Yang
| TAGS: Events |
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Red Digital Cinema: Forget What You Know About HD
November 2 2008 | film | photography
Brace yourselves for the next step in High Definition media. It seems as though it's becoming harder and harder to catch your breath between each big advance in media these days. James Jannard, founder of Oakley (yes, the eyewear company) is the man responsible for both founding and backing RED Digital Cinema. |
| TAGS: Film | Photography |
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Jon Favreau + Stan Winston Studios = Iron Man
October 15 2008 | film | design | replica
Tony Hawk recently spent the day hanging with Jon Favreau for a Dissent TV interview posted at Shred or Die, a skate video site launched by Mr. Hawk and his production company. While visiting the 'Iron Man' director at home, Tony talks to Jon a bit about the film and is given quick tour of the 'Iron Man' workshop at the legendary Stan Winston Studios, offering a glimpse at some of the models and busts created by the FX teams.
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NeoProj 2009 Showreel
October 11 2008 | design | CGI
Not many people I speak to know of this French group, but I love the technology they're utilizing and have been following their work for the past year. They create innovative video designs for mass-presentation, usually projected on large structures for all to view. It's a surreal sight to behold. The work they produce seems to almost highlite the dimensions around us and immerse the viewer in both an alien yet familiar surrounding. The video below provides you with a peek of the work they've produced over the past year.
NeoProj ~ Official Site
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NYC Based Photographer Bjorn Iooss
October 10 2008 | photography
Coming to you from New York City, photographer Bjorn Iooss demands your attention. His photography work has been captivating me since the darkroom in high school and his work is now as refined and sharp as I've ever seen. I encourage you to check out his portfolio online and keep an eye open for his work in the future.
Bjorn Iooss ~ Portfolio Site
| TAGS: Photography |
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Something 'Sweet' In Orlando
October 8 2008 | food
I saw my friends go one by one. I resisted for a while, but it's now become an unforgivable addiction. For the longest time, I loved this tart frozen yogurt treat tht I could only find at Pinkberry. You'll find them all over California and the Big Apple, but where to go for the rest of us?
| TAGS: Food |
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Sideshow 'Scar' Predator Mask From AVP: Requiem
October 5 2008 | film | design | replica | pop | toys
Sideshow Collectibles is working directly with Amalgamated Dynamics Inc, the company that designed and produced the props for the AVP movies, to bring you a whole armada of AVP goodness with their Aliens VS Predator Prop Replica line. Whether you are a fan of the films or now ( I am not ), the pieces coming out of this collection show tremendous craftsmanship and you get accurate 1:1 scale replicas of what you see on screen. Continue reading below to see more images.You can purchase the Predator 'Scar' Mask, pictured pelow, @ Sideshow for $299
| TAGS: Design | Film | Pop | Replica |
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eFX Darth Vader Concept Helmet in the Works
August 13 2008 | film | design | replica | pop | toys
Started up by former Master Replicas employees, eFX was founded in 1997 with the goal to manufacture high quality prop replicas from various films. Immediately after forming, eFX picked up the license for Star Wars, allowing them to produce a number of replicas from the films. Fans will be able to find Studio Scale replicas of the infamous 'X-Wing' fighter as well as numerous helmets from the movies. One of the most anticipated projects that eFX has in the works is the upcoming Ralph McQuarrie Collection.
| TAGS: Design | Film | Pop | Replica |
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Species 'Sil' Maquette Coming From Sideshow
July 25 2008 | film | design | pop | toys
It had all the makings to be a great film, but not necessarily a great franchise. Released in 1995, the film tells the story of a beautiful woman created in a test tube with the help of alien DNA sent to Earth from an extra terrestrial source. True to form, the subject escapes, transforms and terrifies little earthlings around the Los Angeles area. While the film may only have garnered interest for a short period, and its sequels have fallen horribly flat, the first film has begun to acquire a small cult status. One of the key ingredients that made this film so appealing for most was the slick alien creature, created and designed by the one and only H.R. Giger. Continuing to blend his imaginings of erotic sensuality and cold machinery, Giger wound up in creating 'Sil', the alien star of the film.
| TAGS: Design | Film | Pop |
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Waltz with Bashir Animated Film Looks Incredible
June 26 2008 | film | flash
Written and directed by Ari Folman, Waltz With Bashir is an animated documentary currently being shown in theaters across Israel. The film focuses on the directors' own experience as a 19-year-old infantry soldier during the 1982 Lebanon War and the stories are told using flashback scenarios while narrated by Ari Folman. The animation was created by combining work done using Adobe Flash as well as traditional hand-drawn images. The people involved in the project really took a unique approach in telling the tales from the Lebanon War using dark and moody imagery throughout. The trailer is now available below for your viewing pleasure.
Available in HD
| TAGS: Film | Flash |
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Stan Winston Passes Away
June 8 2008 | film
Stan Winston passed away this past weekend at the age of 62 due to complications from a seven-year struggle with multiple myeloma. For those who don't know, Stan Winston was an God-like icon in the special effects industry and is most famous for his onscreen creations in such films as Aliens, Predator, Terminator, Jurassic Park, Edward Scissorhands and so many more. He had dedicated his life to sculpting icons and characters that have inspired and amazed millions around the world and I know I am not alone when I say that this is truly saddening news to hear of his passing. I grew up on films such as Aliens, Terminator and Predator and still continue to watch these movies regularly as if seeing them for the first time.
I once met Stan at the small blues club, Iridium, in downtown Manhattan. I must have been 14 at the time but recognized him immediately. I was so nervous to approach him, but with a little help from my brother, we walked up and after a long nervous pause, I thanked him; just simply thanked him. His face changed from a look of being bothered to a gratious smile. He wrote me a note that I still have framed to this day and I still regard that chance encounter as one of the most memorable I've ever had. I truly hope that Stan knew just how much joy he had have brought into peoples lives, such as my own, just by simply doing what he loved to do.
You will be truly missed, Stan.
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| TAGS: Film |
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