For the first-time team-up between the Autobots and Maximals in the “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” prequel, director Steven Caple Jr. (“Creed II”) was given a lot of creative freedom in designing and animating the characters. Gone was Ilm from the previous six films, giving way to Mpc and Wētā FX. Mpc was the principal VFX studio and did all of the design work, but both had a hand in overhauling the Autobots and introducing the beast-like Maximals, which mix fur and flesh with their metal parts.
Production VFX supervisor Gary Brozenich (from Mpc) oversaw the work. After studying the previous films, he met with Caple to discuss his vision for tailoring the animation and also consulted with previous director Michael Bay (who still serves as producer). Rather than continuing to push the hyper-realism of the Bay films, Caple wanted to make them look more straightforward, with a nod toward...
Production VFX supervisor Gary Brozenich (from Mpc) oversaw the work. After studying the previous films, he met with Caple to discuss his vision for tailoring the animation and also consulted with previous director Michael Bay (who still serves as producer). Rather than continuing to push the hyper-realism of the Bay films, Caple wanted to make them look more straightforward, with a nod toward...
- 6/24/2023
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Some classic rock songs wouldn’t exist without drugs. For example, Dead or Alive’s “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” was completed with the help of expensive cocaine. A producer once the song explained how it came together.
Dead or Alive | Lynn Goldsmith / Contributor A famous trio producer Dead or Alive’s ‘You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)’
Stock Aitken Waterman was a production trio composed of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Scott Waterman. They are known for such hits as Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” and Kylie Minogue’s “I Should Be So Lucky.” During a 2023 interview with NME, Waterman was asked if he took cocaine to complete the classic record “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record).”
“I’d put my neck on the line because I knew it was a No. 1,” he replied. “This was my one shot. Then the mixing...
Dead or Alive | Lynn Goldsmith / Contributor A famous trio producer Dead or Alive’s ‘You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)’
Stock Aitken Waterman was a production trio composed of Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Scott Waterman. They are known for such hits as Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” and Kylie Minogue’s “I Should Be So Lucky.” During a 2023 interview with NME, Waterman was asked if he took cocaine to complete the classic record “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record).”
“I’d put my neck on the line because I knew it was a No. 1,” he replied. “This was my one shot. Then the mixing...
- 4/25/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Variety's Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars and Emmys ceremonies from film awards editor Clayton Davis. Following history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar and Emmy predictions are updated regularly with the current year's list of contenders in all categories. Variety's Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. The eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and is subject to change.
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Oscars Collective
Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Oscars Hub
Revisit the prediction archive of the 2021 season The Archive
Link to television awards is atTHE Emmys Hub
2022 Oscars Predictions:
Best Visual Effects
Updated: Feb 6, 2022
Awards Prediction Commentary: Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow,” “Eternals” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings...
To see all the latest predictions, of all the categories, in one place, visit The Oscars Collective
Visit each category, per the individual awards show from The Oscars Hub
Revisit the prediction archive of the 2021 season The Archive
Link to television awards is atTHE Emmys Hub
2022 Oscars Predictions:
Best Visual Effects
Updated: Feb 6, 2022
Awards Prediction Commentary: Marvel Studios’ “Black Widow,” “Eternals” and “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings...
- 2/7/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Marvel’s “Eternals” feels completely different from every other Marvel Studios release, and much of that has to do with writer-director Chloé Zhao’s unique approach to the material – largely skipping green screen sets in favor of natural locations, favoring outdoor lighting, and a generally more philosophical approach to the material and characters that is mostly missing from other Marvel Studios productions. Watch any five minutes of the movie, and you can tell how unique it is – both in the Marvel Studios ecosystem and in big budget filmmaking in general.
And this approach can be felt in the visual effects as well, which somehow have an earthier texture too. TheWrap recently spoke with Stephane Ceretti, the VFX Supervisor on “Eternals,” and Matt Aitken, Weta Digital VFX Supervisor (he previously oversaw the end battle on a little movie called “Avengers: Endgame”), about how Zhao’s approach shaped the visual effects, what...
And this approach can be felt in the visual effects as well, which somehow have an earthier texture too. TheWrap recently spoke with Stephane Ceretti, the VFX Supervisor on “Eternals,” and Matt Aitken, Weta Digital VFX Supervisor (he previously oversaw the end battle on a little movie called “Avengers: Endgame”), about how Zhao’s approach shaped the visual effects, what...
- 1/28/2022
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
“They are very demanding projects, but good fun,” reveals “Eternals” visual effects supervisor Matt Aitken. The veteran of New Zealand visual effects house Weta came aboard Chloe Zhao’s ambitious movie to help bring the director’s photographic aesthetic into the eye popping digital effects. “I think it’s a strength of the Marvel films, that they’re able to keep elements of the story alive and keep refining the story that they’re telling, late into post-production,” he explains. Watch the exclusive video interview above.
“Eternals” immediately looks different from any other film in the MCU canon thanks to Oscar winner Zhao’s focus on nature. “Chloe brought her visual style, which is naturalistic,” notes Aitken. Whereas many superhero stories are filmed in a studio, the director was insistent about filming on location. He says that one of his primary jobs was “making sure that we honored her” by matching her visual storytelling style.
“Eternals” immediately looks different from any other film in the MCU canon thanks to Oscar winner Zhao’s focus on nature. “Chloe brought her visual style, which is naturalistic,” notes Aitken. Whereas many superhero stories are filmed in a studio, the director was insistent about filming on location. He says that one of his primary jobs was “making sure that we honored her” by matching her visual storytelling style.
- 1/21/2022
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Marvel knew exactly what it was getting with director Chloé Zhao, whose naturalistic aesthetic for “Eternals” was demonstrated in her Oscar-winning “Nomadland.” Crucially, this had a significant impact on the VFX: Zhao eschewed green and blue screens for shooting on location in the Canary Islands and England, where the natural light (particularly Magic Hour) and her anthropological visual style had a direct bearing on full CG shots.
Additionally, the epic world building, the cosmic energy of the superhero Eternals, and the CG character design of the antagonistic Deviants and Celestials were influenced by manga, anime, and Marvel comics. But Zhao ultimately tied them all to the metaphysical theme of nature as the ultimate superpower.
“We went on location more than we normally do for a Marvel movie, and Chloé wanted everything to be in natural places,” said Marvel VFX production supervisor Stephane Ceretti. “She also wanted to work with Ben Davis,...
Additionally, the epic world building, the cosmic energy of the superhero Eternals, and the CG character design of the antagonistic Deviants and Celestials were influenced by manga, anime, and Marvel comics. But Zhao ultimately tied them all to the metaphysical theme of nature as the ultimate superpower.
“We went on location more than we normally do for a Marvel movie, and Chloé wanted everything to be in natural places,” said Marvel VFX production supervisor Stephane Ceretti. “She also wanted to work with Ben Davis,...
- 11/20/2021
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Avengers: Endgame was undoubtedly one of the biggest productions in the history of cinema, but it would seem that the VFX team dropped the ball on more than one occasion when working on the movie.
The final battle in Endgame was quite practically the culmination of 10 years’ worth of storytelling and 23 films all blended into an epic sequence that saw the heroes of the McU unite against the Mad Titan to decide the fate of the universe. So, it makes perfect sense that Marvel decided to go big and pull out all the stops to create an unforgettable third act. And while it only takes us 20 minutes to watch the thrilling battle, the VFX team had to spend countless hours making sure that every detail would fall seamlessly into motion, especially since most of what you see on your screen comprises of special effects with a practical fabric.
To Marvel Studios’ detriment,...
The final battle in Endgame was quite practically the culmination of 10 years’ worth of storytelling and 23 films all blended into an epic sequence that saw the heroes of the McU unite against the Mad Titan to decide the fate of the universe. So, it makes perfect sense that Marvel decided to go big and pull out all the stops to create an unforgettable third act. And while it only takes us 20 minutes to watch the thrilling battle, the VFX team had to spend countless hours making sure that every detail would fall seamlessly into motion, especially since most of what you see on your screen comprises of special effects with a practical fabric.
To Marvel Studios’ detriment,...
- 2/23/2020
- by Jonathan Wright
- We Got This Covered
Last week, the gang from Corridor Crew dove into the visual effects of Avengers: Endgame with the help of Weta Digital visual effects supervisor Matt Aitken, who worked on several key sequences from the Marvel Studios blockbuster. Now they’re all back to take a look back at a couple projects from Weta Digital’s past. Watch […]
The post Votd: VFX Artists React to ‘Avatar’, ‘King Kong’, ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Jurassic Park’ appeared first on /Film.
The post Votd: VFX Artists React to ‘Avatar’, ‘King Kong’, ‘Lord of the Rings’ and ‘Jurassic Park’ appeared first on /Film.
- 2/18/2020
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Disney’s “The Lion King” roared Wednesday night at the Ves Awards, grabbing the top VFX prize for photoreal feature along with virtual cinematography and the environment for The Pridelands. The kudos from the visual effects community (where three-time Oscar winning supervisor Rob Legato is hailed as a rock star) could tip the Oscar race in favor of “The Lion King.” That is, if Academy voters are equally impressed by the photoreal beauty of Jon Favreau’s faux live-action aesthetic (lensed by the legendary cinematographer Caleb Deschanel and animated by Mpc Film).
Indeed, it would make history, since no CG-animated movie has ever won the VFX Oscar. And that would be quite a testament to this game changer because, traditionally, the VFX branch has honored the seamless integration of live action and photoreal CG. But there is no integration in “The Lion King.” Team Favreau cleverly fooled us into thinking...
Indeed, it would make history, since no CG-animated movie has ever won the VFX Oscar. And that would be quite a testament to this game changer because, traditionally, the VFX branch has honored the seamless integration of live action and photoreal CG. But there is no integration in “The Lion King.” Team Favreau cleverly fooled us into thinking...
- 1/30/2020
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Last night the 3rd Annual Hollywood Critics Association Awards Ceremony took place in Los Angeles, and we're thrilled that Daily Dead Managing Editor Heather Wixson was on hand to present the award for Best Horror. Thrilling entertainment was well-represented at the awards ceremony, as Jordan Peele's Us, Bong Joon Ho's Parasite, and Rian Johnson's Knives Out were among the winners.
You can check out the full list of winners below, and to learn more about the Hollywood Critics Association, visit their official website.
Press Release: – The members of the Hollywood Critics Association celebrated 2019 and the end of the decade at the 3rd Annual Hollywood Critics Association Awards Ceremony on Thursday, January 9, 2020. Below is the full list of winners:
Best Picture - 1917
Best Actor - Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Best Actress - Lupita Nyong’o, Us
Best Supporting Actor - Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Best Supporting Actress - Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers...
You can check out the full list of winners below, and to learn more about the Hollywood Critics Association, visit their official website.
Press Release: – The members of the Hollywood Critics Association celebrated 2019 and the end of the decade at the 3rd Annual Hollywood Critics Association Awards Ceremony on Thursday, January 9, 2020. Below is the full list of winners:
Best Picture - 1917
Best Actor - Joaquin Phoenix, Joker
Best Actress - Lupita Nyong’o, Us
Best Supporting Actor - Joe Pesci, The Irishman
Best Supporting Actress - Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers...
- 1/10/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
The members of the Hollywood Critics Association celebrated 2019 and the end of the decade at the 3rd Annual Hollywood Critics Association Awards Ceremony on Thursday, January 9, 2020.
Sam Mendes’ “1917,” which, in a surprise move, took home the Golden Globes’ best picture award, also snagged the best picture award from the Hca. It was awarded best action/war film, best cinematography for Roger Deakins, and best editing for Lee Smith as well, giving it the most awards of the evening with four.
Olivia Wilde’s “Booksmart” took home three awards, for best female director for Wilde, best performance by an actress 23 and under for Kaitlyn Dever, and best comedy/musical, tied with “Rocketman.”
Other major winners included Joaquin Phoenix for “Joker” — again mirroring the Golden Globes — and Lupita Nyong’o for “Us.” Joe Pesci was awarded the best supporting actor trophy for “The Irishman,” while Jennifer Lopez was recognized for “Hustlers.”
Formerly known...
Sam Mendes’ “1917,” which, in a surprise move, took home the Golden Globes’ best picture award, also snagged the best picture award from the Hca. It was awarded best action/war film, best cinematography for Roger Deakins, and best editing for Lee Smith as well, giving it the most awards of the evening with four.
Olivia Wilde’s “Booksmart” took home three awards, for best female director for Wilde, best performance by an actress 23 and under for Kaitlyn Dever, and best comedy/musical, tied with “Rocketman.”
Other major winners included Joaquin Phoenix for “Joker” — again mirroring the Golden Globes — and Lupita Nyong’o for “Us.” Joe Pesci was awarded the best supporting actor trophy for “The Irishman,” while Jennifer Lopez was recognized for “Hustlers.”
Formerly known...
- 1/10/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
Already a “fan” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, visual effects supervisor Dan DeLeeuw knew that “Avengers: Endgame” “was going to be the biggest film we’d ever done.” He wasn’t wrong. The Disney release eventually became the highest box office grosser in history, so the pressure to deliver was immense. Watch our exclusive video interview with DeLeeuw and fellow VFX supervisors Matt Aitken, Russell Earl and Jen Underdahl above.
See Alan Silvestri Interview: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ composer
The final installment of this 22-film Marvel storyline picks up where “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) left off, with supervillain Thanos (Josh Brolin) having wiped out half the universe’s population with a snap of his fingers. The remaining Avengers (led by Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man) must then find a way to reverse his actions, leading to a climactic fight involving all the heroes in the McU.
That battle was “incredibly complex” to pull off,...
See Alan Silvestri Interview: ‘Avengers: Endgame’ composer
The final installment of this 22-film Marvel storyline picks up where “Avengers: Infinity War” (2018) left off, with supervillain Thanos (Josh Brolin) having wiped out half the universe’s population with a snap of his fingers. The remaining Avengers (led by Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man) must then find a way to reverse his actions, leading to a climactic fight involving all the heroes in the McU.
That battle was “incredibly complex” to pull off,...
- 1/9/2020
- by Zach Laws
- Gold Derby
Hard to believe it’s almost been a year since Tony Stark bravely gave his fictional life to save the entirety of the fictional Marvel universe in Avengers: Endgame, eh? With one snap while wearing a snazzy glove, Iron Man restored what Thanos had disintegrated, but wound up charred and barbecued to death because of it. However, instead of a mere roasting, Rdj was almost split in half by the dang thing, and Weta Digital didn’t hold back on the gruesomeness at first.
During a recent interview, VFX supervisor Matt Aitken and Marvel VFX producer Jen Underdahl told Insider about the different versions of Tony’s climactic scene they had shipped. Aitken started strong, saying the following:
“We gave the filmmakers a full range [of looks] to choose from and one of those was where the energy from the stones had acted right up into his face and popped one of...
During a recent interview, VFX supervisor Matt Aitken and Marvel VFX producer Jen Underdahl told Insider about the different versions of Tony’s climactic scene they had shipped. Aitken started strong, saying the following:
“We gave the filmmakers a full range [of looks] to choose from and one of those was where the energy from the stones had acted right up into his face and popped one of...
- 1/9/2020
- by Josh Heath
- We Got This Covered
Disney dominated the 18th annual Ves Awards with five nominations apiece for Jon Favreau’s frontrunner “The Lion King” and Robert Rodriguez’s surprising “Alita: Battle Angel” (acquired from Fox). Joining them for the top photo-real prize were the Disney-led “Avengers: Endgame” and “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker,” along with Ang Lee’s “Gemini Man”. The Ves Awards will be held January 29th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.
Competing for supporting VFX were Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman”, Sam Mendes’ “1917,” (which stitched together the World War I thriller as one continuous shot and offered various enhancements), James Mangold’s “Ford v Ferrari,” Todd Phillips’ “Joker,” and “The Aeronauts.”
In animation, Disney also fared well, with Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” (which grabbed five nominations) and “Frozen 2.” They were joined by Golden Globe nominee “Missing Link” from Laika, surprise nominee “Klaus” (the innovative 2D feature from Netflix and Spanish director Sergio Pablos), and,...
Competing for supporting VFX were Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman”, Sam Mendes’ “1917,” (which stitched together the World War I thriller as one continuous shot and offered various enhancements), James Mangold’s “Ford v Ferrari,” Todd Phillips’ “Joker,” and “The Aeronauts.”
In animation, Disney also fared well, with Pixar’s “Toy Story 4” (which grabbed five nominations) and “Frozen 2.” They were joined by Golden Globe nominee “Missing Link” from Laika, surprise nominee “Klaus” (the innovative 2D feature from Netflix and Spanish director Sergio Pablos), and,...
- 1/7/2020
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The Visual Effects Society has unveiled nominations for its 18th annual Ves Awards, which honor VFX work in film, animation, TV, commercials and video games. Winners will be revealed at a ceremony January 29 at the Beverly Hilton.
Disney’s CG redo of the The Lion King and 20th Century Fox’s Alita: Battle Angel lead all film nominees with five apiece, joining the top animated nominee Toy Story 4. In TV, Disney+’s Star Wars spinoff The Mandalorian and the final season of HBO’s epic Game of Thrones lead the field with six nominations each.
Along with naming winners in 25 categories, the group’s ceremony later this month includes honoring Martin Scorsese with the Ves Lifetime Achievement Award. The Ves Visionary Award will be given to Roland Emmerich, and the Ves Award for Creative Excellence will be presented to VFX supervisor Sheena Duggal.
Here’s the list of noms:...
Disney’s CG redo of the The Lion King and 20th Century Fox’s Alita: Battle Angel lead all film nominees with five apiece, joining the top animated nominee Toy Story 4. In TV, Disney+’s Star Wars spinoff The Mandalorian and the final season of HBO’s epic Game of Thrones lead the field with six nominations each.
Along with naming winners in 25 categories, the group’s ceremony later this month includes honoring Martin Scorsese with the Ves Lifetime Achievement Award. The Ves Visionary Award will be given to Roland Emmerich, and the Ves Award for Creative Excellence will be presented to VFX supervisor Sheena Duggal.
Here’s the list of noms:...
- 1/7/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Disney is hoping to see Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame get a lot of Oscar Nominations for next year’s Academy Awards. Being the highest-grossing movie of all time isn’t enough for them, they want to bring home some awards and they are pushing for several of them!
Disney recently shared its Awards Consideration list for Avengers: Endgame showing us all the awards they think the movie should be nominated for and that includes Best Picture. Here’s the full list:
Best Picture - Kevin Feige
Best Director - Anthony and Joe Russo
Best Adapted Screenplay - Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely
Best Cinematography - Trent Opaloch
Best Film Editing - Jeffrey Ford, Matthew Schmidt
Best Production Design - Charles Wood (Production Designer), Tonja Schurmann (Set Decorator)
Best Costume Design - Judianna Makovsky
Best Makeup & Hairstyling - John Blake, Janine Thompson, Brian Sipe
Best Sound Mixing - Tom Johnson, Juan Peralta,...
Disney recently shared its Awards Consideration list for Avengers: Endgame showing us all the awards they think the movie should be nominated for and that includes Best Picture. Here’s the full list:
Best Picture - Kevin Feige
Best Director - Anthony and Joe Russo
Best Adapted Screenplay - Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely
Best Cinematography - Trent Opaloch
Best Film Editing - Jeffrey Ford, Matthew Schmidt
Best Production Design - Charles Wood (Production Designer), Tonja Schurmann (Set Decorator)
Best Costume Design - Judianna Makovsky
Best Makeup & Hairstyling - John Blake, Janine Thompson, Brian Sipe
Best Sound Mixing - Tom Johnson, Juan Peralta,...
- 10/4/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Avengers: Endgame builds to a show-stopping climactic collision between good and evil, delivering full-scale comic book action the likes of which Hollywood has never seen. Now that the film is available digitally, we took a closer look at some of the final battle’s best moments and incorporated audio from Matt Aitken, Weta Digital’s visual effects supervisor, […]
The post Watch: How the ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Final Battle Was Made appeared first on /Film.
The post Watch: How the ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Final Battle Was Made appeared first on /Film.
- 8/5/2019
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
One of the best and most exciting scenes from Avengers: Endgame was when Captain America took a hold of Thor’s hammer Mjolnir and used it to beat the living hell out of Thanos. That was such an epic beating! Sure, it didn’t finish the job, but it certainly put Thanos through some pain.
This is one of those pay-off scenes that the Marvel fans had been waiting for for a long time, and we got it! The results of which where more than what we could’ve hoped for. Watch it again below before Avengers: Endgame hits shelves next week.
Weta Digital’s visual effects supervisor, Matt Aitken, talked about this scene in an interview with /Film, saying:
“The fans, it’s almost like they were anticipating that moment. We hoped that that was going to play as well as it does, because we’re a bunch of fans as well…...
This is one of those pay-off scenes that the Marvel fans had been waiting for for a long time, and we got it! The results of which where more than what we could’ve hoped for. Watch it again below before Avengers: Endgame hits shelves next week.
Weta Digital’s visual effects supervisor, Matt Aitken, talked about this scene in an interview with /Film, saying:
“The fans, it’s almost like they were anticipating that moment. We hoped that that was going to play as well as it does, because we’re a bunch of fans as well…...
- 7/27/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
It’s incredibly tough to pick the most significant scene in Avengers: Endgame because pretty much everything that happens in the movie’s third act is key to the overall story of the franchise as it wraps up the past decade of the McU. However, if you had to, you’d probably single out the death of Iron Man. Armed with the Infinity Gauntlet, Tony Stark faces Thanos and tells him “I am Iron Man,” before wiping the Mad Titan and his goons from existence. But the blowback from using the Infinity Stones proves fatal.
As it was such an important moment, the visual effects crew who had to bring the scene to life were naturally under a lot of pressure to get it right. Weta Digital VFX supervisor Matt Aitken spoke to ComicBook.com recently and discussed how his team were under strict instructions about how to portray Stark...
As it was such an important moment, the visual effects crew who had to bring the scene to life were naturally under a lot of pressure to get it right. Weta Digital VFX supervisor Matt Aitken spoke to ComicBook.com recently and discussed how his team were under strict instructions about how to portray Stark...
- 5/20/2019
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
As you saw in Avengers: Endgame, Captain Marvel not only sported a new haircut, she was also sporting a new suit. It wasn’t always like that, though. Since Endgame was shot before Captain Marvel, the suit she originally wore while shooting the film, was the same suit that she wore in the solo Captain Marvel movie.
After her scenes were shot, the creative team decided that they needed to give her suit a different look since so much time had passed since the 90s. Weta Digital's Matt Aitken, who was a VFX supervisor on Endgame, explained when they changed up the suit design it was all done digitally, so the final suit design that was shown on screen was 100% CGI.
Aitken talked to Cb about the new suit design, explaining:
"And then she was filmed with her physical costume with a great costume from the costume department, but after her sequences were filmed,...
After her scenes were shot, the creative team decided that they needed to give her suit a different look since so much time had passed since the 90s. Weta Digital's Matt Aitken, who was a VFX supervisor on Endgame, explained when they changed up the suit design it was all done digitally, so the final suit design that was shown on screen was 100% CGI.
Aitken talked to Cb about the new suit design, explaining:
"And then she was filmed with her physical costume with a great costume from the costume department, but after her sequences were filmed,...
- 5/20/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Avengers: Endgame‘s big final battle united just about every hero introduced in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date, as the Avengers and co. assembled to take on Thanos and his forces for the sake of the universe. There was even one unlikely soldier in the conflict – Howard the Duck, as noted by eagle-eyed fans who spotted him amongst the crowd.
Marvel Studios VFX lead Matt Aitken later explained how Howard came to make an unexpected appearance in the movie. But does the hero from Duckworld’s presence mean that there are more surprise cameos hidden in the sequence somewhere and fans just haven’t spotted them yet? For instance, should we be keeping an eye out for, say, Man-Thing or Beta Ray Bill?
According to Aitken, no, we shouldn’t get our hopes up. ComicBook.com put the question to the Weta Digital visual effects whizz and Aitken joked...
Marvel Studios VFX lead Matt Aitken later explained how Howard came to make an unexpected appearance in the movie. But does the hero from Duckworld’s presence mean that there are more surprise cameos hidden in the sequence somewhere and fans just haven’t spotted them yet? For instance, should we be keeping an eye out for, say, Man-Thing or Beta Ray Bill?
According to Aitken, no, we shouldn’t get our hopes up. ComicBook.com put the question to the Weta Digital visual effects whizz and Aitken joked...
- 5/20/2019
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
The whole battle scene in Avengers: Endgame was so epic and so massive in scope, it was really difficult to absorb the first time around. It’s been cool to hear about the Easter eggs and things I missed, because it just seems like there was so much cool stuff packed it, you really need a guide. In a recent interview with slashfilm, Matt Aitken, the visual effects supervisor for Weta Digital, the company responsible for the visual effects in Endgame‘s final battle, opened up about some of the things we saw, as well as something we could have seen.
So Thanos’s army, we see the Chitauri, we see the Outriders, I think there were some other forces that we hadn’t really seen before. Can you tell me about them, and if they had any names that the Russo brothers or the screenwriters gave to you guys?...
So Thanos’s army, we see the Chitauri, we see the Outriders, I think there were some other forces that we hadn’t really seen before. Can you tell me about them, and if they had any names that the Russo brothers or the screenwriters gave to you guys?...
- 5/18/2019
- by Jessica Fisher
- GeekTyrant
The grand final battle of Avengers: Endgame, in which every single hero from across the Marvel Cinematic Universe assembles to fight Thanos and his forces, is easily one of the most thrilling, fan-pleasing sequences in the franchise so far. Everyone’s there; the Avengers, the Guardians, Doctor Strange, Black Panther, Howard the Duck…Wait, what?
Yes, as some eagle-eyed fans have noticed, Howard is revealed to be taking part in the conflict during a few shots, making him one of the most unlikely easter eggs in the whole movie. So, how did one of Marvel’s most infamous characters, who’s previously turned up for a couple of cameos in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, find his way into Endgame?
Well, ComicBook.com got the answer from Matt Aitken, visual effects supervisor at Weta Digital, who explained that the call to add the hero from Duckworld into the scene...
Yes, as some eagle-eyed fans have noticed, Howard is revealed to be taking part in the conflict during a few shots, making him one of the most unlikely easter eggs in the whole movie. So, how did one of Marvel’s most infamous characters, who’s previously turned up for a couple of cameos in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, find his way into Endgame?
Well, ComicBook.com got the answer from Matt Aitken, visual effects supervisor at Weta Digital, who explained that the call to add the hero from Duckworld into the scene...
- 5/17/2019
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
[Editor’s note: The following post contains spoilers for “Avengers: Endgame.”]
The heart-rending death of Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man was clearly a defining moment in “Avengers: Endgame,” completing his arc with self-sacrifice, dignity, and a touch of that signature snark. And it fell to Weta Digital to pull off the CG facial burns to make it believable but not grotesque.
“It was about working to find a balance between showing that he is mortally wounded but also not distracting from his performance or denying his dignity,” said Matt Aitken, the VFX supervisor. “It couldn’t be so gory and over the top that it became a horror show. Until you go too far, you don’t know if you’ve gone far enough.”
With Marvel having enough faith in Weta to handle the concept work on its own, the iterative process was still delicately nuanced. Internally, Weta called it “Charred Tony,” as they experimented with variations on a burned look.
The heart-rending death of Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark/Iron Man was clearly a defining moment in “Avengers: Endgame,” completing his arc with self-sacrifice, dignity, and a touch of that signature snark. And it fell to Weta Digital to pull off the CG facial burns to make it believable but not grotesque.
“It was about working to find a balance between showing that he is mortally wounded but also not distracting from his performance or denying his dignity,” said Matt Aitken, the VFX supervisor. “It couldn’t be so gory and over the top that it became a horror show. Until you go too far, you don’t know if you’ve gone far enough.”
With Marvel having enough faith in Weta to handle the concept work on its own, the iterative process was still delicately nuanced. Internally, Weta called it “Charred Tony,” as they experimented with variations on a burned look.
- 5/16/2019
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
There’s a moment in the big finale of Avengers: Endgame where Captain America solely stares down Thanos’ astonishing army comprised of numerous forces from earlier Marvel films. The Chitauri, Sakaarans, Outriders, and Black Order all take to their positions, ready to rip the super soldier to shreds. It’s an incredible sight, one of the most awe-inspiring in the entire series, but originally, the filmmakers wanted to include even more villains. Specifically, the Thor series’ Dark Elves.
Despite being one of the lowest rated McU movies on Rotten Tomatoes and often overlooked by even the most diehard Marvel fans, Thor: The Dark World wound up playing a massive role in the plot of Endgame. A good chunk of the movie revolves around Rocket Raccoon and Thor going back in time to steal the Reality Stone from Asgard. There, the incredibly depressed God of Thunder runs into his mother for the last time,...
Despite being one of the lowest rated McU movies on Rotten Tomatoes and often overlooked by even the most diehard Marvel fans, Thor: The Dark World wound up playing a massive role in the plot of Endgame. A good chunk of the movie revolves around Rocket Raccoon and Thor going back in time to steal the Reality Stone from Asgard. There, the incredibly depressed God of Thunder runs into his mother for the last time,...
- 5/14/2019
- by Mike Lee
- We Got This Covered
Last night, the 17th annual Visual Effects Society Awards were held. The gala represented a moment to honor some of the types of films that don’t usually get cited during the precursor season. Mostly, it’s an opportunity to see which movie or movies are the frontrunners in the Best Visual Effects category at the Oscars. Even beyond the Academy Awards, it’s just a perfect time to honor the craftsmen and craftswomen who do the sort of work that’s too often overlooked. So, even though the Academy voters are looking at this for one specific reason, there’s multiple reasons to take interest in the Ves results from yesterday. Below you can see all of the Ves victors, though leading the way was Avengers: Infinity War and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, with four wins each. The former actually took the top honor of the night, which is...
- 2/6/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Ves Awards 2019: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ Win Top VFX Prizes
Marvel’s “Avengers: Infinity War” was the big VFX winner at the 17th annual Ves Awards Tuesday at the Beverly Hilton, grabbing four prizes, including photoreal feature. And Sony’s animated Oscar favorite, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” also scored four awards, including animated feature.
While it’s a significant momentum builder for “Infinity War” in its quest to be the first VFX Oscar winner for the McU (and first superhero winner since 2004’s “Spider-Man 2”), there still remains competition from Damien Chazelle’s “First Man,” which won the Ves supporting prize. However, “Infinity War” boasts the stronger CG wow factor in the form of the brilliantly animated Thanos (peformance-captured by Josh Brolin) from Digital Domain and Weta Digital.
“Infinity War” also took home honors for animated character (Thanos), simulations (Titan), and compositing (Titan). “Spider-Verse” additionally snagged animated character (Miles Morales), environment (Graphic New York City), and simulations.
On the TV side,...
While it’s a significant momentum builder for “Infinity War” in its quest to be the first VFX Oscar winner for the McU (and first superhero winner since 2004’s “Spider-Man 2”), there still remains competition from Damien Chazelle’s “First Man,” which won the Ves supporting prize. However, “Infinity War” boasts the stronger CG wow factor in the form of the brilliantly animated Thanos (peformance-captured by Josh Brolin) from Digital Domain and Weta Digital.
“Infinity War” also took home honors for animated character (Thanos), simulations (Titan), and compositing (Titan). “Spider-Verse” additionally snagged animated character (Miles Morales), environment (Graphic New York City), and simulations.
On the TV side,...
- 2/6/2019
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
It was a great night for Marvel at the 17th annual Visual Effects Society Awards on Tuesday night. The comic book publisher’s wares led the film fields, with “Avengers: Infinity War” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” nabbing four wins apiece.
“Spider-Verse,” a dominant animated feature on the awards circuit this year, swept each of its categories. “Avengers” nearly did the same, dropping just one to Universal’s “Mortal Engines.”
“Ready Player One” received two prizes, while “First Man” picked up one. They join “Avengers: Infinity War,” along with “Christopher Robin” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” in the Academy’s Oscar lineup of visual effects nominees this year.
On the television side, Netflix’s “Lost in Space” dominated with four wins as well.
“Westworld” co-creator Jonathan Nolan received the Visual Effects Society’s Visionary Award, while “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss accepted the organization’s...
“Spider-Verse,” a dominant animated feature on the awards circuit this year, swept each of its categories. “Avengers” nearly did the same, dropping just one to Universal’s “Mortal Engines.”
“Ready Player One” received two prizes, while “First Man” picked up one. They join “Avengers: Infinity War,” along with “Christopher Robin” and “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” in the Academy’s Oscar lineup of visual effects nominees this year.
On the television side, Netflix’s “Lost in Space” dominated with four wins as well.
“Westworld” co-creator Jonathan Nolan received the Visual Effects Society’s Visionary Award, while “Game of Thrones” creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss accepted the organization’s...
- 2/6/2019
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Variety Film + TV
The 17th annual Ves Awards are being handed out tonight at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, and Deadline will be live-blogging the affair and updating the winners list live. Patton Oswalt is hosting the Visual Effects Society’s gala, which celebrates the best VFX artistry and innovation in film, animation, TV, commercials and video games across 24 categories.
The winner of the Ves Award for Photoreal Feature has gone on to win the Visual Effects Oscar 10 of the 16 times it has been presented, but it hasn’t been much of a harbinger for the past half-decade or so. Last year the Ves Award went to War for the Planet of the Apes, while the Academy Award was claimed by Blade Runner 2049, as Roger Deakins won for the first time in his 14th nominations. The Jungle Book won both in 2017, but Ves and Oscar failed to match up in either of the previous two years.
The winner of the Ves Award for Photoreal Feature has gone on to win the Visual Effects Oscar 10 of the 16 times it has been presented, but it hasn’t been much of a harbinger for the past half-decade or so. Last year the Ves Award went to War for the Planet of the Apes, while the Academy Award was claimed by Blade Runner 2049, as Roger Deakins won for the first time in his 14th nominations. The Jungle Book won both in 2017, but Ves and Oscar failed to match up in either of the previous two years.
- 2/6/2019
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
The Visual Effects Society announced nominees for the organization’s 17th annual awards on Tuesday.
Leading the way in the film and TV fields, respectively, were Marvel’s “Avengers: Infinity War” and Netflix’s “Lost in Space.” Each picked up six nominations. Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” received the most nominations among animated feature contenders with five.
“Ready Player One” also landed five nominations, while “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” and “Welcome to Marwen” each earned three. “Christopher Robin” and “First Man” picked up a pair apiece, while “Ant Man and the Wasp” landed one. Those films joined “Avengers: Infinity War” on the Academy’s list of 10 semifinalists for the category, each of which displayed their wares at the organization’s annual Visual Effects Bake-Off on Jan. 5.
Notably, Marvel’s “Black Panther” and Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” — the final two films on the Academy’s bake-off...
Leading the way in the film and TV fields, respectively, were Marvel’s “Avengers: Infinity War” and Netflix’s “Lost in Space.” Each picked up six nominations. Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” received the most nominations among animated feature contenders with five.
“Ready Player One” also landed five nominations, while “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,” “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” and “Welcome to Marwen” each earned three. “Christopher Robin” and “First Man” picked up a pair apiece, while “Ant Man and the Wasp” landed one. Those films joined “Avengers: Infinity War” on the Academy’s list of 10 semifinalists for the category, each of which displayed their wares at the organization’s annual Visual Effects Bake-Off on Jan. 5.
Notably, Marvel’s “Black Panther” and Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns” — the final two films on the Academy’s bake-off...
- 1/15/2019
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Variety Film + TV
The Visual Effects Society has revealed nominations for the 17th annual Ves Awards, which will recognize the best VFX artistry and innovation in film, animation, TV, commercials and video games.
Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity Wars and Netflix’s Lost In Space lead the film and TV categories this year with six nominations, respectively. Disney/Pixar’s Incredibles 2 tops the animation field with five noms.
Winners will be announced during a ceremony February 5 at the Beverly Hilton hosted by Patton Oswalt. Also at the gala, the annual Ves Visionary Award will be presented to Westworld‘s Jonathan Nolan, while the Ves Award for Creative Excellence will be presented to Game of Thrones masterminds David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
Here are the nominees announced Tuesday in 24 categories:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature
Avengers: Infinity War
Daniel DeLeeuw
Jen Underdahl
Kelly Port
Matt Aitken
Daniel Sudick
Christopher Robin
Chris Lawrence...
Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity Wars and Netflix’s Lost In Space lead the film and TV categories this year with six nominations, respectively. Disney/Pixar’s Incredibles 2 tops the animation field with five noms.
Winners will be announced during a ceremony February 5 at the Beverly Hilton hosted by Patton Oswalt. Also at the gala, the annual Ves Visionary Award will be presented to Westworld‘s Jonathan Nolan, while the Ves Award for Creative Excellence will be presented to Game of Thrones masterminds David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
Here are the nominees announced Tuesday in 24 categories:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature
Avengers: Infinity War
Daniel DeLeeuw
Jen Underdahl
Kelly Port
Matt Aitken
Daniel Sudick
Christopher Robin
Chris Lawrence...
- 1/15/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
While “Avengers: Infinity War” topped the 17th annual Ves Awards (to be held February 5th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel) with six nominations, “Black Panther,” Marvel’s other Oscar frontrunner, was shut out. And Damien Chazelle’s acclaimed “First Man,” another frontrunner, was included in the supporting category as a result of its invisible VFX. Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns,” meanwhile, was also snubbed.
However, joining “Infinity War” in the top VFX category were a surprising list: “Ready Player One” (with five nominations), “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” “Christopher Robin” and “Welcome to Marwen.” Joining “First Man” for supporting VFX were “12 Strong,” Bird Box,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and “Outlaw King”.
In animation, Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” was the big winner with five nominations, followed by Sony’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and Disney’s “Ralph Breaks the Internet” with four. They were joined by Illumination’s “The Grinch” and Wes Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs.
However, joining “Infinity War” in the top VFX category were a surprising list: “Ready Player One” (with five nominations), “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” “Christopher Robin” and “Welcome to Marwen.” Joining “First Man” for supporting VFX were “12 Strong,” Bird Box,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and “Outlaw King”.
In animation, Pixar’s “Incredibles 2” was the big winner with five nominations, followed by Sony’s “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” and Disney’s “Ralph Breaks the Internet” with four. They were joined by Illumination’s “The Grinch” and Wes Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs.
- 1/15/2019
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Following an unprecedented run at the ticket booth – to the tune of $2 billion-plus worldwide – Avengers: Infinity War is gearing up for a similarly epoch-making home release, but unfortunately, it looks like it’ll be without Thanos’ backstory.
Contrary to Collider’s report yesterday – which denoted that 30 minutes of additional footage revolving around the Mad Titan and his origin will be featured on the forthcoming Blu-ray release – the likelihood that we’ll be getting an extended version of Avengers: Infinity War isn’t looking too good. And the film’s VFX supervisor, Matt Aitken, might’ve just hammered home the final nail in the coffin.
During a sit-down with Screen Rant in May of this year, Aitken was asked about his work on the Titan scenes. While he admitted that “there had been a longer sequence, it ultimately ended up being boiled down.”
“Originally there had early on been a longer...
Contrary to Collider’s report yesterday – which denoted that 30 minutes of additional footage revolving around the Mad Titan and his origin will be featured on the forthcoming Blu-ray release – the likelihood that we’ll be getting an extended version of Avengers: Infinity War isn’t looking too good. And the film’s VFX supervisor, Matt Aitken, might’ve just hammered home the final nail in the coffin.
During a sit-down with Screen Rant in May of this year, Aitken was asked about his work on the Titan scenes. While he admitted that “there had been a longer sequence, it ultimately ended up being boiled down.”
“Originally there had early on been a longer...
- 7/4/2018
- by Joseph Falcone
- We Got This Covered
If you’ve seen Avengers: Infinity War – and, let’s face it, by this point you have or you wouldn’t be reading this – you know the moment in question. Over the film’s two hour plus runtime, we’ve watched as the Mad Titan swatted our favorite heroes aside in his quest to “balance” the universe. To do this, he attempts to kill half of its population using the power of the Infinity Stones, thus (supposedly) improving the lives of the living remainder.
As the battle of Wakanda reaches its climax, Thanos finally completes his mission – at the cost of Vision’s life, might we add. Then, despite the God of Thunder’s efforts, the warlord manages to snap his fingers and innumerable beings fade out of existence, including our many of our favorites – Rip Groot, T’Challa and Doctor Strange.
But the worst is yet to come…
Go...
As the battle of Wakanda reaches its climax, Thanos finally completes his mission – at the cost of Vision’s life, might we add. Then, despite the God of Thunder’s efforts, the warlord manages to snap his fingers and innumerable beings fade out of existence, including our many of our favorites – Rip Groot, T’Challa and Doctor Strange.
But the worst is yet to come…
Go...
- 5/25/2018
- by Matt Joseph
- We Got This Covered
When the first trailer for Avengers: Infinity War arrived, Marvel fans were ecstatic to get a glimpse of the movie they’d been waiting years for, but they were also left scratching their heads at one little detail: how come Thanos looked so different from when they’d seen him in previous films such as The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy?
Apart from not being decked out in his elaborate golden armor and helmet, the Mad Titan’s skin was a noticeably lighter shade of purple than it’d been before. His features were also much more human-looking all round, including his eyes, which initially glowed purple. So, why were these changes made?
Matt Aitken, VFX supervisor on Infinity War for Weta, spoke to Screen Rant recently and revealed that the character’s significant redesign was largely left up to his team, with Marvel Studios only encouraging them to...
Apart from not being decked out in his elaborate golden armor and helmet, the Mad Titan’s skin was a noticeably lighter shade of purple than it’d been before. His features were also much more human-looking all round, including his eyes, which initially glowed purple. So, why were these changes made?
Matt Aitken, VFX supervisor on Infinity War for Weta, spoke to Screen Rant recently and revealed that the character’s significant redesign was largely left up to his team, with Marvel Studios only encouraging them to...
- 5/8/2018
- by Christian Bone
- We Got This Covered
Now that the, ahem, dust is beginning to settle from Avengers: Infinity War, it’s fair to say that Marvel’s historic crossover ended on a rather glum note.
Having successfully obtained all six Infinity Stones, Thanos was able to carry out the universal genocide he had been blabbering on about the entire movie. And so, with one snap of his giant, purple fingers, the Mad Titan eviscerated half of all life in the cosmos, leaving only a skeleton crew of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes left for Avengers 4.
Among those to fall at the hands of Thanos was Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, paving the way for one of Infinity War‘s most gut-wrenching scenes. But it seems the Web-Head was able to resist that snap of doom for a little bit longer than his superpowered allies, as Matt Aitken, VFX supervisor at Weta Digital, tells Screen Rant.
“Spidey’s really fighting it.
Having successfully obtained all six Infinity Stones, Thanos was able to carry out the universal genocide he had been blabbering on about the entire movie. And so, with one snap of his giant, purple fingers, the Mad Titan eviscerated half of all life in the cosmos, leaving only a skeleton crew of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes left for Avengers 4.
Among those to fall at the hands of Thanos was Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, paving the way for one of Infinity War‘s most gut-wrenching scenes. But it seems the Web-Head was able to resist that snap of doom for a little bit longer than his superpowered allies, as Matt Aitken, VFX supervisor at Weta Digital, tells Screen Rant.
“Spidey’s really fighting it.
- 5/8/2018
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
Marvel has never seen a VFX game-changer like Thanos. The star of “Infinity War” and the center of its record-breaking, $1 billion success, he’s performed with great intensity and inner turmoil by Josh Brolin — and brilliantly animated by Digital Domain and Weta Digital. Thanks to Thanos, “Infinity War” now becomes a serious VFX Oscar contender.
“I think Thanos is a marvel,” said Joe Russo, who co-directed with brother Anthony. “It really reflects every level of nuance in Josh Brolin’s performance. You’re watching Josh as a giant, purple alien, and you’re seeing all of his movement, all of his facial expressions, on the most subtle level. I don’t know that we’ve seen that level of photo-real performance capture before. Maybe in the ‘Apes’ films, but this is really groundbreaking.”
It was critical for Thanos to be completely human and relatable as a CG humanoid to carry the movie.
“I think Thanos is a marvel,” said Joe Russo, who co-directed with brother Anthony. “It really reflects every level of nuance in Josh Brolin’s performance. You’re watching Josh as a giant, purple alien, and you’re seeing all of his movement, all of his facial expressions, on the most subtle level. I don’t know that we’ve seen that level of photo-real performance capture before. Maybe in the ‘Apes’ films, but this is really groundbreaking.”
It was critical for Thanos to be completely human and relatable as a CG humanoid to carry the movie.
- 5/7/2018
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Pete Waterman has said that Kylie Minogue's charisma "oozes from the television" when she is on The Voice UK.
The Stock, Aitken and Waterman songwriter who co-wrote many of the Australian star's early hits told The Guardian that Minogue was always an impressive on-screen presence.
The Voice review: Have Kylie and Ricky given the show new life?
"Kylie was always the sort of person that, when the camera was on her, it really loved her," Waterman said.
"I remember doing so many gigs in the early days where we took television cameras with us and the cameramen would turn around to us and say, 'My God, we've never seen anybody like this girl!'
"And if you watch The Voice that's what you see - someone with such amazing charisma that it just oozes from the television."
He added: "The first time we recorded Kylie I remember Matt Aitken...
The Stock, Aitken and Waterman songwriter who co-wrote many of the Australian star's early hits told The Guardian that Minogue was always an impressive on-screen presence.
The Voice review: Have Kylie and Ricky given the show new life?
"Kylie was always the sort of person that, when the camera was on her, it really loved her," Waterman said.
"I remember doing so many gigs in the early days where we took television cameras with us and the cameramen would turn around to us and say, 'My God, we've never seen anybody like this girl!'
"And if you watch The Voice that's what you see - someone with such amazing charisma that it just oozes from the television."
He added: "The first time we recorded Kylie I remember Matt Aitken...
- 1/22/2014
- Digital Spy
Youtube
If you’re not into production-line pop, you probably weren’t into Stock Aitken Waterman (aka ‘Saw’). They were the Motown of the 80s, a rebooted Holland-Dozier-Holland producing “the sound of a bright young Britain”. It’s more than twenty years since the trio initially parted company, but that sound still has a hugely loyal following.
Mike Stock, Matt Aitken & Pete Waterman were, at least nominally, the core songwriting team at Pwl Records. Between 1984 and 1993 (this was the Stock/Waterman-only period) the Pwl ‘Hit Factory’ churned out hundreds of songs for countless artists. During that time 70 singles written, produced and/or arranged by Saw reached the UK Top 10, with 13 of them going all the way to #1. They produced the 1984 Eurovision entry for Cyprus, they were the UK’s most successful writing/production team in 1989 and at least one Saw-produced single was in the UK Top 75 every single week between...
If you’re not into production-line pop, you probably weren’t into Stock Aitken Waterman (aka ‘Saw’). They were the Motown of the 80s, a rebooted Holland-Dozier-Holland producing “the sound of a bright young Britain”. It’s more than twenty years since the trio initially parted company, but that sound still has a hugely loyal following.
Mike Stock, Matt Aitken & Pete Waterman were, at least nominally, the core songwriting team at Pwl Records. Between 1984 and 1993 (this was the Stock/Waterman-only period) the Pwl ‘Hit Factory’ churned out hundreds of songs for countless artists. During that time 70 singles written, produced and/or arranged by Saw reached the UK Top 10, with 13 of them going all the way to #1. They produced the 1984 Eurovision entry for Cyprus, they were the UK’s most successful writing/production team in 1989 and at least one Saw-produced single was in the UK Top 75 every single week between...
- 1/16/2014
- by Matt Dunn
- Obsessed with Film
With Daft Punk’s Nile Rodgers and Pharrell collaboration, Get Lucky, on course to top music charts all over the world, I’ve been further exploring Rodger’s musical back-catalogue. To my shock, the Chic performer and producer’s musical output has become somewhat less prominent in recent years, despite producing some of the industry’s most iconic tracks and working with some of its biggest names.
This has got me thinking about several big name producers, who have sadly faded from prominence and are long overdue for a comeback. This is not really a critique on the current state of the music industry, as of course young producers keep things fresh and exciting – this is simply more of an exercise in nostalgia, looking at some of the iconic sounds and production styles that it would be wonderful to have back.
These producer’s unparalleled style would work wonders with...
This has got me thinking about several big name producers, who have sadly faded from prominence and are long overdue for a comeback. This is not really a critique on the current state of the music industry, as of course young producers keep things fresh and exciting – this is simply more of an exercise in nostalgia, looking at some of the iconic sounds and production styles that it would be wonderful to have back.
These producer’s unparalleled style would work wonders with...
- 4/27/2013
- by Andrew McArthur
- Obsessed with Film
Life of Pi has taken the top prize at the Visual Effects Society Awards, tying with Brave and Game of Thrones with four awards in total.
Among its awards, Life of Pi was honored for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture, while director Ang Lee also received the Ves Visionary Award, presented by visual effects designer Dennis Muren. Actor Harrison Ford also presented veteran visual effects supervisor Richard Edlund with the Ves Lifetime Achievement Award.
Disney-Pixar's Brave scooped the animated film categories while HBO series Game of Thrones dominated the TV categories.
However, Australian effects company Fuel VFX lost out in both categories it was nominated in: Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture and Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture for its work on Prometheus (both categories won by Life of Pi).
The Winners
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven...
Among its awards, Life of Pi was honored for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture, while director Ang Lee also received the Ves Visionary Award, presented by visual effects designer Dennis Muren. Actor Harrison Ford also presented veteran visual effects supervisor Richard Edlund with the Ves Lifetime Achievement Award.
Disney-Pixar's Brave scooped the animated film categories while HBO series Game of Thrones dominated the TV categories.
However, Australian effects company Fuel VFX lost out in both categories it was nominated in: Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture and Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture for its work on Prometheus (both categories won by Life of Pi).
The Winners
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven...
- 2/6/2013
- by Brendan Swift
- IF.com.au
The Visual Effects Society has announced the nominees for their 11th Annual Ves Awards. From film to animation to television to commercials and video games, the Ves Awards honor the outstanding visual effects artistry.
"Life of Pi's" Ang Lee will be honored with the Visionary Award. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, February 5, at the Beverly Hilton.
Here's the complete list of nominees; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Joe Letteri
Eileen Moran
Eric Saindon
Kevin L. Sherwood
Prometheus
Paul Butterworth
Charley Henley
Allen Maris
Richard Stammers
Life of Pi
Thomas Fisher
Susan Macleod
Guillaume Rocheron
Bill Westenhofer
The Avengers
Susan Pickett
Janek Sirrs
Jeff White
Guy Williams
Battleship
Grady Cofer
Pablo Helman
Jeanie King
Glen Mcintosh
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
Rust and Bone
Béatrice Bauwens...
"Life of Pi's" Ang Lee will be honored with the Visionary Award. Winners will be announced on Tuesday, February 5, at the Beverly Hilton.
Here's the complete list of nominees; for winners/nominees of other award-giving bodies, click here:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Joe Letteri
Eileen Moran
Eric Saindon
Kevin L. Sherwood
Prometheus
Paul Butterworth
Charley Henley
Allen Maris
Richard Stammers
Life of Pi
Thomas Fisher
Susan Macleod
Guillaume Rocheron
Bill Westenhofer
The Avengers
Susan Pickett
Janek Sirrs
Jeff White
Guy Williams
Battleship
Grady Cofer
Pablo Helman
Jeanie King
Glen Mcintosh
Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture
Rust and Bone
Béatrice Bauwens...
- 1/8/2013
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Fuel VFX has received two award nominations from the Visual Effects Society.
The.peer-voted accolade for the company's work on Ridley Scott.s Prometheus follows the near-collapse of the VFX house, which was saved in October 2012 when Animal Logic acquired its assets.
Fuel co-founder Paul Butterworth was nominated for .Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture. for Prometheus (alongside non-Fuel nominations Charley Henley, Allen Maris and Richard Stammers).
The Fuel team of Xavier Bourque, Sam Cole, Simone Riginell and Denis Scolan - representing the hard work of all 16 compositors who worked on the film at the company - were nominated for Prometheus (Engineers & the Orrery) in the "Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture" category.
Fuel has also provided effects on a number of Marvel films including Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. Fuel continues to run from its Newtown, Sydney-based offices where Animal Logic...
The.peer-voted accolade for the company's work on Ridley Scott.s Prometheus follows the near-collapse of the VFX house, which was saved in October 2012 when Animal Logic acquired its assets.
Fuel co-founder Paul Butterworth was nominated for .Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture. for Prometheus (alongside non-Fuel nominations Charley Henley, Allen Maris and Richard Stammers).
The Fuel team of Xavier Bourque, Sam Cole, Simone Riginell and Denis Scolan - representing the hard work of all 16 compositors who worked on the film at the company - were nominated for Prometheus (Engineers & the Orrery) in the "Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture" category.
Fuel has also provided effects on a number of Marvel films including Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. Fuel continues to run from its Newtown, Sydney-based offices where Animal Logic...
- 1/8/2013
- by Brendan Swift
- IF.com.au
The 38th Annual Saturn Award Nominations were announced earlier this week and we now have the full list of nominees. The Saturn Awards recognizing outstanding Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror releases in the last 12 months. Included in the list of nominees is multiple nominations for American Horror Story and The Walking Dead.
“Hugo and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 each received 10 nominations as the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films today announced nominations for the 38th Annual Saturn Awards, which will be presented on Wednesday, June 20.
Other leading titles in the Academy’s film categories were Super 8 (eight nominations); Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger (seven); and The Adventures of Tintin and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (six each). Rise of the Planet of the Apes breathed new life into a classic sci-fi franchise with five nominations, including a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Andy Serkis.
“Hugo and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 each received 10 nominations as the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films today announced nominations for the 38th Annual Saturn Awards, which will be presented on Wednesday, June 20.
Other leading titles in the Academy’s film categories were Super 8 (eight nominations); Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger (seven); and The Adventures of Tintin and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (six each). Rise of the Planet of the Apes breathed new life into a classic sci-fi franchise with five nominations, including a Best Supporting Actor nomination for Andy Serkis.
- 3/2/2012
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
The Academy of Science Fiction Fantasy and Horror Films has announced the list of nominations for the 38th Saturn Awards, which will be presented on June 20th. These are presented without comment, other than to say to certain TV series, “Surprise! Welcome to Sci-Fi!”
Hugo and Harry Potter Cast Their Spells and Lead Film Nominations for 38th Saturn Awards
Breaking Bad and American Horror Story Scare Up Most TV Nominations in Banner Year for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror; Winners to be Announced June 20
Los Angeles – February 29, 2012 – Hugo and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 each received 10 nominations as the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films today announced nominations for the 38th Annual Saturn Awards, which will be presented on Wednesday, June 20.
Other leading titles in the Academy’s film categories were Super 8 (eight nominations); Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger (seven); and The Adventures of Tintin...
Hugo and Harry Potter Cast Their Spells and Lead Film Nominations for 38th Saturn Awards
Breaking Bad and American Horror Story Scare Up Most TV Nominations in Banner Year for Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror; Winners to be Announced June 20
Los Angeles – February 29, 2012 – Hugo and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 each received 10 nominations as the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films today announced nominations for the 38th Annual Saturn Awards, which will be presented on Wednesday, June 20.
Other leading titles in the Academy’s film categories were Super 8 (eight nominations); Marvel’s Captain America: The First Avenger (seven); and The Adventures of Tintin...
- 3/1/2012
- by Erin Willard
- ScifiMafia
The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films have announced the nominations for its 38th Annual Saturn Awards. In the film categories Martin Scorsese’s Hugo and David Yates’ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 each scored 10 nominations; whilst in the TV categories AMC’s Breaking Bad scored 6 nominations, followed by American Horror Story with five. The awards ceremony will take place in June in Burbank, Calif.
The complete list of nominees is below:
Film
Best Science Fiction Film
The Adjustment Bureau (Universal)
Captain America: The First Avenger (Paramount/Marvel)
Limitless (Relativity Media)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox)
Super 8 (Paramount)
X-Men: First Class (20th Century Fox)
Best Fantasy Film
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Warner Bros.)
Hugo (Paramount)
Immortals (Relativity Media)
Midnight in Paris (Sony Pictures Classics)
The Muppets (Walt Disney Studios)
Thor (Paramount/Marvel)
Best Horror/Thriller Film
Contagion (Warner Bros.
The complete list of nominees is below:
Film
Best Science Fiction Film
The Adjustment Bureau (Universal)
Captain America: The First Avenger (Paramount/Marvel)
Limitless (Relativity Media)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (20th Century Fox)
Super 8 (Paramount)
X-Men: First Class (20th Century Fox)
Best Fantasy Film
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Warner Bros.)
Hugo (Paramount)
Immortals (Relativity Media)
Midnight in Paris (Sony Pictures Classics)
The Muppets (Walt Disney Studios)
Thor (Paramount/Marvel)
Best Horror/Thriller Film
Contagion (Warner Bros.
- 3/1/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Awards season may have come and gone, but sci-fi fans still have something to look forward to with today's announcement of the Saturn Award nominees.
The awards, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, recognize excellence in these genres, which are often underrepresented at other awards shows.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, this year's big movie contenders are "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2," "Hugo," tied with 10 nominations each.
A number of the movies scoring big have been commercial successes but have not received awards show love, including J.J. Abrams' $260-million grossing monster hit "Super 8," which nabbed eight nominations, and "Captain America: The First Avenger," which earned nearly $400 million worldwide, coming in with six.
One of the most surprising cross-genre hits is Woody Allen's romantic comedy "Midnight in Paris," which took home the award for Best Original Screenplay at Sunday's Oscars, in...
The awards, presented by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, recognize excellence in these genres, which are often underrepresented at other awards shows.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, this year's big movie contenders are "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2," "Hugo," tied with 10 nominations each.
A number of the movies scoring big have been commercial successes but have not received awards show love, including J.J. Abrams' $260-million grossing monster hit "Super 8," which nabbed eight nominations, and "Captain America: The First Avenger," which earned nearly $400 million worldwide, coming in with six.
One of the most surprising cross-genre hits is Woody Allen's romantic comedy "Midnight in Paris," which took home the award for Best Original Screenplay at Sunday's Oscars, in...
- 2/29/2012
- by Sarah Crow
- NextMovie
"The Adventures of Tintin" dominated the nominations but it was "Rango" that received the most trophies at the 10th Visual Effects Society (Ves) awards. Stan Lee received the the Lifetime Achievement Award and visual effects pioneer Douglas Trumbull received the George Melies Award. Patton Oswalt hosted the event held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Antonion Banderas, Lou Ferrigno, director Chris Miller, Marc Webb, and Jennifer Yuh Nelson presented awards. But the surprise appearance by Martin Scorsese was the highlight of the evening.
Here's the full list of winners (highlighted) and nominees of the 10th Annual Ves Awards, to visit our Awards Avenue coverage of other award-giving bodies, winners and nominees, click here:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture
Captain America: The First Avenger
Charlie Noble
Mark Soper
Christopher Townsend
Edson Williams
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Tim Burke
Emma Norton
John Richardson
David Vickery...
Here's the full list of winners (highlighted) and nominees of the 10th Annual Ves Awards, to visit our Awards Avenue coverage of other award-giving bodies, winners and nominees, click here:
Outstanding Visual Effects in a Visual Effects-Driven Feature Motion Picture
Captain America: The First Avenger
Charlie Noble
Mark Soper
Christopher Townsend
Edson Williams
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Tim Burke
Emma Norton
John Richardson
David Vickery...
- 2/9/2012
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
The visual effects that we are seeing in movies these days are absolutely mind blowing. At this point it doesn't seem like there's any excuse for a film to have bad visual effects unless the people hired lack talent, or the studio is keeping the cash in their pockets.
There's a lot of good nomination this year such as Captain America, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Out of all of these I think that Planet of the Apes might take home the top prize, those apes were incredibly freaky looking. Weta did an amazing job with this movie, and out of all the other nominations this was the movie I was most impressed by. What are your thoughts? What movie did you think have the best visual effect in 2011?
Here's the full press release with all of the nominations:
Los Angeles,...
There's a lot of good nomination this year such as Captain America, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and Transformers: Dark of the Moon. Out of all of these I think that Planet of the Apes might take home the top prize, those apes were incredibly freaky looking. Weta did an amazing job with this movie, and out of all the other nominations this was the movie I was most impressed by. What are your thoughts? What movie did you think have the best visual effect in 2011?
Here's the full press release with all of the nominations:
Los Angeles,...
- 1/9/2012
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
By Sean O’Connell
hollywoodnews.com: Over the weekend, the Visual Effects Society announced the nominees for its 10th Annual Ves Awards ceremony, recognizing summer tentpoles (“Harry Potter,” “Captain America”) and surprise hits (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “Hugo”) for their outstanding visual effects artistry in 23 categories of film, animation, television, commercials, special venues and video games.
“The standard of the creative work that is being considered this year is unbelievably high across all categories,” said Jeffrey A. Okun, Chair of the Visual Effects Society. “The judges faced a huge challenge because all of the work was so far above the norm. We’re honored to have the opportunity to focus the spotlight on the outstanding work that has contributed to some of the highest grossing films and broadcast projects of all time.”
As previously announced, Stan Lee will be honored with the Ves 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award and...
hollywoodnews.com: Over the weekend, the Visual Effects Society announced the nominees for its 10th Annual Ves Awards ceremony, recognizing summer tentpoles (“Harry Potter,” “Captain America”) and surprise hits (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “Hugo”) for their outstanding visual effects artistry in 23 categories of film, animation, television, commercials, special venues and video games.
“The standard of the creative work that is being considered this year is unbelievably high across all categories,” said Jeffrey A. Okun, Chair of the Visual Effects Society. “The judges faced a huge challenge because all of the work was so far above the norm. We’re honored to have the opportunity to focus the spotlight on the outstanding work that has contributed to some of the highest grossing films and broadcast projects of all time.”
As previously announced, Stan Lee will be honored with the Ves 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award and...
- 1/9/2012
- by Sean O'Connell
- Hollywoodnews.com
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