High Resolution "King Kong" Pictures

Click here to check out some really beautiful high resolution stills from the upcoming Peter Jackson's "King Kong." Apparently, Mr. Jackson has been "waiting a long time to remake this film in his own vision." Or, isn't that what they always say? Not so sure I believe the hype, but the story goes that Jackson had to agree to do a remake of "King Kong" to get the New Line Cinema people to buy off on the three part Lord of the Rings films. I guess that they didn't really have any idea what they were getting themselves into now did they? That, or pure rumour mill! I am pretty impressed by what I see here in these images, and although the backgrounds look quite "painted together" they do have a really cool "from another place or era" look and feel about them. You have to be excited about the potential for this film to make everything else at this Christmas 2005 Box Office humble in comparison!

Gettin' Getty Again!

Meg and I headed up to The Getty Museum for the second time since coming to Los Angeles to check out the current exhibit of Rembrant paintings. Such a beautiful location, I could just lounge there all day... we took some photos, had lunch, slept on the lawns near the garden. Really nice time... and such a deal. You pay $7.00 for parking, and the exhibits are all free. Positively European! I am always surprised by the simplicity of what people like to do. You give them a view worth a second or two, some sun and a terraza where you can have a beer, and suddenly, 90% of the folks are in a great mood. The Getty is like that - a lot of the people come up there to see the work on display, of course, but there is a greater portion of people who are there just to be in that environment, in that space. I just love the way that the very modern approach to architecture fuses with some very European and old ideas... down to the simplest details, the open spaces "just for sitting" and use of plants that reflect the traditions of terrazas all over Europe, etc. That is, quite apart from the fact that you always feel as though you are in a scene from an old Star Trek episode featuring some sort of utopia. I kept looking around for the doomed "mystery extra" on our tour of the galleries! Ha!

The art world's newfound appreciation for drawing!

Click here to read an article about the returning interest in drawing within the "Art World." Thank god. It is about time in my books! I have always been a great admirer of preparatory drawings, etching and engraving (that are effectively printed drawings), and all the other manifestations of drawing typically on view at major galleries. But, as this article points out this is the first time in quite a while that some of the major players in the current contemporary art world are drawing. And that the drawings are standing alone as completed works. What is strange to me though sitting from my chair in a film production studio where drawing is still such a core element (usually limited now to the preproduction, concept design, story boarding side of things) is that respect for drawings as an end in itself is such a nouveau thing! Haven't any of these art critics ever read a comic book? Surely, the continued popularity and increasing sophistication of comic book illustrations attests to drawing's vitality as a creative force? In fact, I think it is the simplicity and immediacy of drawing that is often the appeal to the current audience. In the age of Black Berries and Palm Pilots drawings somehow represent an uncluttered efficiency. A directness that is very appealing in an increasingly complicated world. Okay, enough pontificating, here's the shameless plug: if you are ever so fortune to see a show of work by Galan Akin or Ben Reeves advertised, don't miss out. Some tremendous scribblin' going on with these two!

"FRANKLY, MY DEAR, I DON'T GIVE A DAMN"

Click here to view the American Film Institute's "AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes." This year's list of lists:

Each year, AFI's 100 Years . . . series has garnered considerable attention from movie lovers around the world. Previous programs within this series have included AFI 100 Years . . . 100 Movies (1998), . . . 100 Stars (1999), . . . 100 Laughs (2000), . . . 100 Thrills (2001), . . . 100 Passions (2002), . . . 100 Heroes & Villains (2003) and . . . 100 Songs (2004).

Kinda pointless, kinda fun. I was surprised how many I didn't really recall!

The Chronicles of Narnia Film Poster

Click here to see the first "official film poster" for "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe." I am currently working on the visual effects for this film, as a Lighting Technical Director, at Rhythm and Hues Studios in Los Angeles. The poster looks quite representative of the work completed thus far at the studio and I think is a fair take on what the film "feels like." There are some lovely, dreamy shots that really do feel like "another world, similar to our own..." Although, in this poster, the lion is obviously a retouched photograph and as I am sure the majority of readers who follow the visual effects business already know, the film will feature a fully computer generated lion. He has to talk and emote for goodness sake! Some of the final shots completed thus far have people saying that this work will be the first to challenge the level of achievement on the Gollum character that WETA Digital produced for "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. In fact, a funny story from the work Rhythm and Hues did for the film trailer was that the production editor of the trailer (presumably a well qualified individual) asked the production visual effects supervisor "how'd you get the lion choreographed like that?" Har, har. We'll see how it all shakes down. There is still lots to be done before the Christmas release date! and Gollum put the bar pretty damned high on the shelf. Back to work for Donnie Walsho!

A Smoke Free World?

When I read articles like this one, I am made to recall a night in Madrid a little while back, when I had what can only be described as an "allergic attack" to a smoke filled taberna. Meg and I were out with Vicky and Pablo, our Uruguayan/New Yorker friends in Madrid and after having a lovely dinner, we sauntered over to a cafe adjacent to the restaurant (a very customary thing to do in Madrid... Share the wealth!) to have our desert and post dinner chat. When we swung open the door the place appeared as though there was a lit bonfire in the center of the room. It was incredible, I couldn't remember ever being in a cafe or restaurant in my life with that much smoke from cigarettes. I carried on pleasant conversation, and had a generally very agreeable time, aside from the fact that I kept looking around to check that the walls were not actually on fire! By the time I went home, my eyes felt like they were bleeding, and I couldn't breathe through my nose. The next day, I woke up blowing green chunks from my nose. I had such a strong "reaction" of whatever kind to that environment that I had picked up a nasal infection! I was shocked, and vowed to never enter that particular cafe ever again. Following several conversations about this incident with both foreigners and Spaniards, I struck upon an essential difference in the "logic of personal rights and freedoms" that exists between Canadians and Spaniards (for the most part). Most Canadians feel that they have "the right to clean air" and that legislation should reflect that stance. Someone else's behavior should not be "forced upon us" is the line of thinking. Whereas in Spain, people generally feel that legislating against smoking reflects an infringement on their personal rights and freedoms. They feel that a person's body is their own and they should be able to do with it as they wish. They inherently seem to be missing the entire point that when you smoke in an enclosed area, you are affecting those around you in addition to yourself and thus infringing on their personal rights and freedoms! It is a strange thing to encounter in this day and age of open acknowledgements about the harmful effects of smoking, even from the cigarette industry to find people defending their ability to slowly kill themselves and those around them! I was easily the first thing on a list of annoyances I encountered while living in Spain, short though the list may be!

What's the Weather Like?

Click here to see what the weather is like in Vancouver. The view is looking north from Spanish Banks in Point Grey towards the North Shore Mountains. The road you see is one I ride on when I am in Vancouver. Nice view from the bike huh? Maybe I am just a little homesick or something, but I found myself hitting the "refresh" button one too many times today! Yeesh...

Troubles on the Visual Effects Horizon in the United Kingdom

All the while I was working in Soho, UK, there was all this background hub-bub about the "tax incentives" and "lease buy back program" that was (depending on who you listened to!) footing the entire bill for the expansion and growth of the Soho post-production houses, or merely a helping hand along for a ride that was largely merit driven. For example, the Soho studios were doing good work, and therefore getting more work as a result of that good work. Although it seems to be true that if you look at, for example, "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" the shots completed in the United States (the Dementors at ILM) versus the shots completed in the UK (everything else at The Moving Picture Company, Double Negative, Framestore/CFC and Cinesite) there is hardly a recognizable "quality gap." Especially if considering the average cinema goers' eye for level of accomplishment. So, given this increase in level of accomplishment to match the high levels of achievement in US -based visual effects, or seeming parity amongst studios on both sides of the Atlantic, one can only really draw one conclusion... That the work was coming to the UK because the producers liked what they saw! In fact, and with the benefit of growing hindsight, these incentives were largely the motivating force behind the growth and expansion of the UK visual effects industry. Sadly, it has had little to do with the work (some of which I did!) aside from the fact that American producers knew that they "could get it done in the UK." As this recent news item points out, as the laws that allowed for the incentives come under review, the post-production work is already moving elsewhere. As always, you just have to follow the trail of money:

The uncertain future of Britain's entire film industry was triggered by a revision of Section 48 tax benefits for films with budgets of more than £15 million, which the Government found was being abused by some producers.

The situation has been worsened by the weakness of the dollar against the pound, which has meant that American film producers are finding it as much as 30 per cent more expensive to make movies at studios such as Pinewood than it was 18 months ago.

Industry executives expect a huge drop in film production because of the uncertainty. Pinewood suffered a hit this year when Paramount indefinitely postponed shooting its $120 million (£66 million) feature The Watchmen.

Concerns remain over whether the forthcoming Bond film, Casino Royale, and Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix will be shot in the studios. The producers of both are considering going to cheaper Eastern European cities, such as Prague and Budapest.

The Film Council, which represents the industry, is in talks with the Treasury to work out a framework for tax relief. It is expected within weeks to set down a timetable for rolling out a new tax regime that will allow for a fresh round of investment from Hollywood studios.

Topanga Canyon Road

My regular Saturday morning riding group veered dramatically away from the normal routine this weekend. Instead of the usual 80 kilometre "out and back" on the Pacific Coast Highway through Malibu, we ascended Topanga Canyon Road from the ocean up and over the Santa Monica Mountains to Encino in the Valley. It was probably the most challenging, but also the nicest, ride I have done yet in the Los Angeles area. The climb begins innocently enough, ascending on a gradual pace away from the ocean, and then suddenly a couple of miles into the climb you encounter the first of several "up and overs." About a half-mile of steep and winding grade with a sheer cliff on the side. Just as you begin to wonder why on earth you chose to spend your Saturday morning on this particular for of overzealousness, pretty views and the warm, dry smell of the canyon surround you, and you grind away! It is about this point that you really begin to feel that you have left the city behind as the canyon closes in around you. Although I am very much used to the drama and grandeur of the British Columbian forests, with their rich deep shadows cast by enormous trees, I am beginning to see the desert beauty in these dusty canyons north of Los Angeles. They have a kind of spare, minimal beauty. Like the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The separation from the city alone is worth the effort. Lots of twists and turns, and ups and downs later we reached the summit of Old Topanga Canyon Road and a nice view out over the valley below. The return trip featured a rocket descent and then a clockwise lazy right hand turn through Encino on Wells Drive, and then back into Santa Monica via Sepulveda Boulevard. All in all, the best Socal ride yet.