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Morphing has been an important part of vfx for quite a while. Here's 10 memorable morphs that made us go wow!

The post 10 Unforgettable Morphs in Film, TV, and Music Videos appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Mark Dippé and Steve ‘Spaz’ Williams, who created groundbreaking vfx work on "Jurassic Park," "T2," and "The Abyss," talk about what's different about the vfx industry today.

The post ILM’s Rebel ‘Jurassic Park’ Artists Reflect On The State of VFX Art Today appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Early digital effects were mixed in with breakfast cereal and matzo crackers to create one of the iconic sequences in contemporary cinema.

The post Making A Nuclear Apocalypse: How The Iconic Sequence In ‘Terminator 2’ Was Created appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

What do you call a live-action film that's 90% animated?

The post ‘Jungle Book’ Filmmakers Can’t Decide If They Made An Animated Film Or Not appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Dreamworks Animation CEO recently said his company is "in the toilet," but he seems to be doing fine himself.

The post Dreamworks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg Spent $353,000 On Dinner Yesterday appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

During a special panel at New York Comic Con 2015, Dark Horse Comics in conjunction with Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products and James Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment announced that AVATAR, the highest-grossing film in history, will expand into the world of comic books in anticipation of the three upcoming film sequels. The books are said to tell […]

By Robert Kolker

“That’s that,” quoting Ace Rothstein at the end of Casino. I didn’t end the Martin Scorsese chapter on an optimistic note in the fourth edition of A Cinema of Loneliness. There is more than a hint that the Scorsese’s creative energies might be flagging.

My pessimism grew from the direction — or lack of direction — Scorsese’s films had taken over the past decade. I thought that the big productions of the 2000s — Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and The Departed — indicated some kind of flailing about for ideas. These films were not as lean and mean as the earlier gangster movies that worked at the speed of light and were deliriously comic in their basic brutality.

Copyright Paramount Pictures. Source: shutterisland.com.

Shutter Island seemed to seal the decline. An unofficial remake of Samuel Fuller’s 1963 Shock Corridor, the film could have been made, I thought, by anyone. It bore none of the hallmarks of Scorsese’s style and all of the hallmarks of an overwrought Hollywood gothic tale.

An obvious riposte to my pessimism is that I am not in a position to question an artist’s evolution. Scorsese no more than any other filmmaker is bound to repeat himself, and the great gangster and street films of his early period are a thing of the past. Artists change with time, and the results of that change may not be to everyone’s taste. At least not to mine.

With this in mind, I went to see Hugo with a lot of skepticism. Why would Scorsese make a film in 3D? The only reason I could come up with — aside from the fact that he might just wish to experiment with the old/new screen technology of the moment — is that Alfred Hitchcock made a 3D film when that format was first introduced in the 1950s: Dial M For Murder. Scorsese almost always roots his work in films of the past. His imagination is constructed of film. He is an amateur archivist, with a huge collection of movies that he watches continually. He has his cast and crew look at old movies when they are preparing a new one. His films become something of archival works themselves, full of allusions to their predecessors. But there is more to it than this.

I have resisted the recent 3D craze. I did go to see Avatar out of curiosity. James Cameron does not often repay curiosity. But something stood out in that film. The mise-en-scène of Cameron’s mythical world, with its floating vegetation in a liquid like atmosphere, reminded me of the underwater sequences of Georges Méliès’s A Trip to the Moon (Le voyage dans la lune, 1902). This magical film — Méliès was a magician as well as a filmmaker — was just one entry into his enormous filmography of fantasy filmmaking, his counter to the

All week, Beliebers have raged on about Arcade Fire, a band they’ve apparently never heard of. I’d like to introduce them to you. If you don’t have time to take a listen now, don’t worry, they’re going to make a record in the month of May. (That’s a little joke.) [Myspace]

And speaking of Justin Bieber, the young pop star’s remarks in an interview are the subject of widespread anger and controversy. [Rolling Stone]

Mr. Graham discovers the extreme fear of conducting a professional orchestra. [Morning News]

Looking for a totally normal cabinet? Then look elsewhere. [Like Cool]

So what do you do when you’re stuck in a Las Vegas room with nothing to do… [Awesome Robo]

And I thought apartments in New York were small! [GOOD]

Just makes you wanna make a big mess, huh? [Laughing Squid]

I think Finland may have a coffee drinking problem. [Charts Bin]

Some people think Lady Gaga’s new song sounds a lot like Madonna, but at least we got this out of it! [Omar Afuni]

Julian Smith interviews James Cameron in the most awkward way ever. [Crack in the Universe]

And lastly, do you want to see the best picture on the internet?

I don't get to go out and see movies very often, so when I do, it's a very exciting event. And I like to choose movies I think (or have heard) are best experienced in a theater versus DVD at home a few months later. You know, like action flicks (The Bourne Ultimatum, Inglorius Basterds) or those with killer special effects. Or, from time to time, when I just can't wait for it to come out on DVD (Juno). Well, last week I saw a movie that was so much more than a movie. It was an experience. You might already know I'm talking about James Cameron's cinematic masterpiece, Avatar.

Interestingly, I hadn't really heard much word-of-mouth feedback from this particular movie. Just some basic praise like "cool" and "really creative" plus a lukewarm"Well, the special effects were good but the story itself was kinda lame." However, from the moment I put on my stylin' 3D glasses and scooted down the crowded row with my husband and 2 oldest sons in tow, I could tell I was in for a treat.
This little flick cost more to make than any other movie to date, several hundred million bucks. Apparently, the $500 million price tag you might have heard about is a tad inflated; but rest assured, it cost a pretty penny. James Cameron (who now has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame) came up with the idea for this movie about 15 years ago and had to wait until technology and resources could catch up with the magnitude of his vision. Then, the movie took over 4 years to produce.
The quality of the film--including the sound effects, music, special effects, acting, and writing--is spell-binding. It's an epic adventure, a love story, a character study, a spiritual journey, and a war--all happening in the fiercely spectacular world of Pandora. It was the most exciting and fun three hours and $8 I've spent in a very long time. I truly felt a part of the movie, and it took me a good fifteen minutes after the credits rolled to catch my breath. Literally.
Avatar is one of my favorite movies EVER! But I also have a special place in my heart for independent films; you know, the ones that might not have $500 million behind them? And that's why I'm so excited that the Sundance Film Festival is going strong here in Utah. On Wednesday night I get to go see happythankyoumoreplease in Ogden. I can't wait!

What are some movies you recommend seeing on the big screen? Have you seen Avatar yet? Are you more of a big blockbuster movie type, or do you prefer indies?

Today's Youth Advisory Board post comes from Alyx who was among the record breaking number of eager moviegoers storming theaters (regular, IMAX and 3-D alike) for the opening weekend of James Cameron's long awaited, hyper marketed "Avatar."... Read the rest of this post

'Twilight' mania at Comic-Con (ensued as expected at the "New Moon" panel where the cast and director Chris Weintz rewarded fans with exclusive clips from the upcoming film. Meanwhile in non-Twilight Comic-Con news, studios seek to escort in a new... Read the rest of this post