It’s no secret that visual effects artists are frequently overworked and poorly compensated, which seems unfair when their work drives so many of these billion-dollar blockbusters. If you need another reason to love Brendan Fraser, you’ve come to the right place. Brendan Fraser starred in Journey to the Center of the Earth 15 years ago, but when he found out the VFX artists behind the movie weren’t being paid, he went to bat for them.
Dave Rand was the VFX lead on Journey to the Center of the Earth and took to Twitter to explain how the “righteous” Brendan Fraser helped them out.
#BrendanFraser is a righteous dude.
In November 2007 our paychecks stopped. I was the FX lead on #JourneyToTheCenterOfTheEarth for Meteor Studios in Montreal and was asked to convince my crew to stay and finish the picture with a guarantee we'd all get paid with overtime. We had…...
Dave Rand was the VFX lead on Journey to the Center of the Earth and took to Twitter to explain how the “righteous” Brendan Fraser helped them out.
#BrendanFraser is a righteous dude.
In November 2007 our paychecks stopped. I was the FX lead on #JourneyToTheCenterOfTheEarth for Meteor Studios in Montreal and was asked to convince my crew to stay and finish the picture with a guarantee we'd all get paid with overtime. We had…...
- 3/14/2023
- by Kevin Fraser
- JoBlo.com
New York, March 4 (Ians) People who share news items extensively on social media often tend to discern less over their accuracy, according to a study.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) conducted an experiment to understand a core tension between the impulse to share news and to think about whether it is true.
The results showed that even considering whether or not to share news items on social media reduces people’s ability to tell truths from falsehoods.
The study involved asking more than 3,000 people to assess whether various news headlines were accurate.
But if participants were first asked whether they would share that content, they were 35 per cent worse at telling truths from falsehoods. Participants were also 18 per cent less successful at discerning truth when asked about sharing right after evaluating them.
“Just asking people whether they want to share things makes them more likely to believe...
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) conducted an experiment to understand a core tension between the impulse to share news and to think about whether it is true.
The results showed that even considering whether or not to share news items on social media reduces people’s ability to tell truths from falsehoods.
The study involved asking more than 3,000 people to assess whether various news headlines were accurate.
But if participants were first asked whether they would share that content, they were 35 per cent worse at telling truths from falsehoods. Participants were also 18 per cent less successful at discerning truth when asked about sharing right after evaluating them.
“Just asking people whether they want to share things makes them more likely to believe...
- 3/4/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Facebook’s attempt to cut out fake or — as the social network puts it — “disputed” news has been in vain so far, according to a new study from Yale University. It shows that flagging fake news on the platform does little to convince readers of its inauthenticity. David Rand, associate professor of psychology at Yale, told TheWrap his study demonstrated little evidence the flagging feature on the social network made much of a difference. “The big take home for us, in terms of getting people to not believe fake news or to be better at telling fake news from real news,...
- 9/19/2017
- by Sean Burch
- The Wrap
Visual effects artists and film and television workers are planning to demonstrate at the Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday against production tax subsidies they argue are devastating their industry and drawing work out of California. More than 350 people have said they plan to attend on a Facebook page for the event and one of its organizers, visual effects artist Dave Rand, said he is confident that the protest will match or surpass the 500 people who rallied at a similar demonstration last year. Demonstrators will gather from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Pt at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine.
- 3/2/2014
- by Brent Lang
- The Wrap
The official DVD release of Chastity Bites is upon us, and we have a chance for your vamp-loving self to score a copy of the flick right here, right now. What are you waiting for? Drop the garlic, put away the crosses, and read on for details!
To enter for your chance to win, just send us an E-mail Here including your Full Name And Mailing Address. We’ll take care of the rest.
This contest will end at 12:01 Am, Monday, February 24, 2014.
From the Press Release
Weirdsmobile Productions wants you to prepare for the release of the horror comedy Chastity Bites, hitting DVD on February 11, 2014, from Grand Entertainment Group. The DVD will include an exclusive "Behind-the-Scenes" featurette and official trailer.
"We are thrilled to be working with Grand on the DVD release of Chastity Bites,” says writer and producer Lotti Pharriss Knowles. “Their enthusiasm for the movie was evident from the beginning,...
To enter for your chance to win, just send us an E-mail Here including your Full Name And Mailing Address. We’ll take care of the rest.
This contest will end at 12:01 Am, Monday, February 24, 2014.
From the Press Release
Weirdsmobile Productions wants you to prepare for the release of the horror comedy Chastity Bites, hitting DVD on February 11, 2014, from Grand Entertainment Group. The DVD will include an exclusive "Behind-the-Scenes" featurette and official trailer.
"We are thrilled to be working with Grand on the DVD release of Chastity Bites,” says writer and producer Lotti Pharriss Knowles. “Their enthusiasm for the movie was evident from the beginning,...
- 2/7/2014
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
On tap right now for you vampire lovers are two more vignettes that take you behind the scenes of the upcoming horror comedy Chastity Bites. Check 'em out and look for more on this flick soon! Until then... stay outta the sun!
From the Press Release
Weirdsmobile Productions wants you to prepare for the release of the horror comedy Chastity Bites, hitting DVD on February 11, 2014, from Grand Entertainment Group. The DVD will include an exclusive "Behind-the-Scenes" featurette and official trailer.
"We are thrilled to be working with Grand on the DVD release of Chastity Bites,” says writer and producer Lotti Pharriss Knowles. “Their enthusiasm for the movie was evident from the beginning, and their entrepreneurial spirit as a new company fits perfectly with our first indie feature."
“This horror comedy is sure to be hit with a variety of audiences," states David Rand, President of Grand Entertainment Group. "If you...
From the Press Release
Weirdsmobile Productions wants you to prepare for the release of the horror comedy Chastity Bites, hitting DVD on February 11, 2014, from Grand Entertainment Group. The DVD will include an exclusive "Behind-the-Scenes" featurette and official trailer.
"We are thrilled to be working with Grand on the DVD release of Chastity Bites,” says writer and producer Lotti Pharriss Knowles. “Their enthusiasm for the movie was evident from the beginning, and their entrepreneurial spirit as a new company fits perfectly with our first indie feature."
“This horror comedy is sure to be hit with a variety of audiences," states David Rand, President of Grand Entertainment Group. "If you...
- 2/5/2014
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
On tap right now for you vampire lovers are three vignettes that take you behind the scenes of the upcoming horror comedy Chastity Bites. Check 'em out and look for much more on this flick soon! Until then... stay outta the sun!
From the Press Release
Weirdsmobile Productions wants you to prepare for the release of the horror comedy Chastity Bites, hitting DVD on February 11, 2014, from Grand Entertainment Group. The DVD will include an exclusive "Behind-the-Scenes" featurette and official trailer.
"We are thrilled to be working with Grand on the DVD release of Chastity Bites,” says writer and producer Lotti Pharriss Knowles. “Their enthusiasm for the movie was evident from the beginning, and their entrepreneurial spirit as a new company fits perfectly with our first indie feature."
“This horror comedy is sure to be hit with a variety of audiences," states David Rand, President of Grand Entertainment Group. "If you...
From the Press Release
Weirdsmobile Productions wants you to prepare for the release of the horror comedy Chastity Bites, hitting DVD on February 11, 2014, from Grand Entertainment Group. The DVD will include an exclusive "Behind-the-Scenes" featurette and official trailer.
"We are thrilled to be working with Grand on the DVD release of Chastity Bites,” says writer and producer Lotti Pharriss Knowles. “Their enthusiasm for the movie was evident from the beginning, and their entrepreneurial spirit as a new company fits perfectly with our first indie feature."
“This horror comedy is sure to be hit with a variety of audiences," states David Rand, President of Grand Entertainment Group. "If you...
- 1/29/2014
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
The official DVD release details and artwork for Chastity Bites have arrived, and we have every single blood-soaked pixel of the goodies right here for your perusal. Drop the garlic, put away the crosses, and check it out!
From the Press Release
Weirdsmobile Productions wants you to prepare for the release of the horror comedy Chastity Bites, hitting DVD on February 11, 2014, from Grand Entertainment Group. The DVD will include an exclusive "Behind-the-Scenes" featurette and official trailer.
"We are thrilled to be working with Grand on the DVD release of Chastity Bites,” says writer and producer Lotti Pharriss Knowles. “Their enthusiasm for the movie was evident from the beginning, and their entrepreneurial spirit as a new company fits perfectly with our first indie feature."
“This horror comedy is sure to be hit with a variety of audiences," states David Rand, President of Grand Entertainment Group. "If you are a fan of Scream or Mean Girls,...
From the Press Release
Weirdsmobile Productions wants you to prepare for the release of the horror comedy Chastity Bites, hitting DVD on February 11, 2014, from Grand Entertainment Group. The DVD will include an exclusive "Behind-the-Scenes" featurette and official trailer.
"We are thrilled to be working with Grand on the DVD release of Chastity Bites,” says writer and producer Lotti Pharriss Knowles. “Their enthusiasm for the movie was evident from the beginning, and their entrepreneurial spirit as a new company fits perfectly with our first indie feature."
“This horror comedy is sure to be hit with a variety of audiences," states David Rand, President of Grand Entertainment Group. "If you are a fan of Scream or Mean Girls,...
- 1/21/2014
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Visual effects artists to march on Oscar night ceremony in protest at non-us subsidies they say are wrecking their industry
• Oscars protest by visual effects artists over Life of Pi
• Ang Lee under fire from visual effects artists over Life of Pi speech
Influential members of the visual effects (VFX) artists community say they are planning another protest to coincide with the Oscar ceremony on 2 March. This follows a 400-strong demonstration against the industry's treatment of VFX artists last year.
According to the Wrap, Daniel Lay, author of the VFX Soldier blog, is among those planning the new protest, which is being termed March in March. According to their Facebook page, their aim is to "bring awareness and show support for our effort to levy duties against VFX subsidies".
Last year the VFX community focussed its attention on Life of Pi, as the company that supplied its visual effects was...
• Oscars protest by visual effects artists over Life of Pi
• Ang Lee under fire from visual effects artists over Life of Pi speech
Influential members of the visual effects (VFX) artists community say they are planning another protest to coincide with the Oscar ceremony on 2 March. This follows a 400-strong demonstration against the industry's treatment of VFX artists last year.
According to the Wrap, Daniel Lay, author of the VFX Soldier blog, is among those planning the new protest, which is being termed March in March. According to their Facebook page, their aim is to "bring awareness and show support for our effort to levy duties against VFX subsidies".
Last year the VFX community focussed its attention on Life of Pi, as the company that supplied its visual effects was...
- 1/21/2014
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Fans of SyFy's super-popular program "Ghost Hunters" will be glad to hear that Season 9 of the show will be hitting DVD courtesy of Grand Entertainment Group distribution company. "Ghost Hunters: Season 9" will haunt the shelves in the second quarter of 2014.
From the Press Release
Grand Entertainment Group, an independent multi-platform content and distribution company, has obtained exclusive DVD rights from Pilgrim Studios to Season 9 of their hit Syfy original series "Ghost Hunters." Under the deal brokered by Geg President David Rand, Michael Purleski, Vice President of Legal Affairs for Pilgrim Studios and Executive Producer Alan David. Grand Entertainment Group will produce market and distribute the latest season on DVD throughout the United States.
"Ghost Hunters," the #1 paranormal reality television series and longest-running series on the Syfy network, is executive produced by Craig Piligian, Mike Nichols, Thomas Thayer and Alan David. "We are very excited to be working with Pilgrim Studios and the ‘Ghost Hunters’ franchise,...
From the Press Release
Grand Entertainment Group, an independent multi-platform content and distribution company, has obtained exclusive DVD rights from Pilgrim Studios to Season 9 of their hit Syfy original series "Ghost Hunters." Under the deal brokered by Geg President David Rand, Michael Purleski, Vice President of Legal Affairs for Pilgrim Studios and Executive Producer Alan David. Grand Entertainment Group will produce market and distribute the latest season on DVD throughout the United States.
"Ghost Hunters," the #1 paranormal reality television series and longest-running series on the Syfy network, is executive produced by Craig Piligian, Mike Nichols, Thomas Thayer and Alan David. "We are very excited to be working with Pilgrim Studios and the ‘Ghost Hunters’ franchise,...
- 1/15/2014
- by Scott Hallam
- DreadCentral.com
Dave Rand, one of the visual effects artists who organized the rally that the VFX community staged Oscar Sunday on Hollywood Blvd., is sending an open letter to the Directors Guild of America, asking for help while explaining why he believes the current VFX model produces "wasted time, wasted money, and even worse, wasted creativity." Rand said that he is trying to "give back" by submitting these observations, which will be posted on several websites and which he plans to discuss on a Thursday panel at CG conference Siggraph. In the letter, he asked DGA members for their help, saying,
read more...
read more...
- 7/24/2013
- by Carolyn Giardina
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The troubled visual effects industry is facing a major shift, as three VFX shops announced major changes Friday, including the buyout of Life of Pi’s visual effects company Rhythm & Hues.
EW gave you the low-down on the struggles of the VFX industry that have been getting a bigger spotlight since Rhythm & Hues filed for bankruptcy in February. Here’s an update with the latest on three visual effects shops whose collective work includes Life of Pi, the Twilight Saga, and Doctor Who.
Rhythm & Hues, the VFX company behind the Oscar-winning effects in Life of Pi, started its bankruptcy auction...
EW gave you the low-down on the struggles of the VFX industry that have been getting a bigger spotlight since Rhythm & Hues filed for bankruptcy in February. Here’s an update with the latest on three visual effects shops whose collective work includes Life of Pi, the Twilight Saga, and Doctor Who.
Rhythm & Hues, the VFX company behind the Oscar-winning effects in Life of Pi, started its bankruptcy auction...
- 3/30/2013
- by Emily Rome
- EW - Inside Movies
The buzz around the state of the visual effects industry reached a fever pitch this winter when prominent effects house Rhythm & Hues filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in mid-February. Further attention was pointed at the men and women who create whole worlds from a blank green canvas during the Oscars, when VFX artists held a protest near the ceremony, which honored Life of Pi – a movie with effects by Rhythm & Hues – with an Academy Award in the visual effects category. The complaint? Movies like The Avengers, The Hunger Games, and The Lord of the Rings trilogy have scored big at the box office,...
- 3/18/2013
- by Emily Rome
- EW - Inside Movies
People who spend time with happy people are more likely to become happy themselves. That’s according to a July 2010 study that examined how emotions spread contagiously.
David Rand: The more friends you have that are content with their lives, the more likely you are to become content. And the more friends you have that are discontent, the more likely you are to become discontent.
David Rand of Harvard is one of the study’s authors. He said this study was designed to understand how changes in long-term emotional states – meaning, whether you consider yourself a happy or sad person overall – are affected by the people you know.
We found that sadness is twice as infectious as happiness.
Rand and his co-authors compared emotional states of groups of friends, families, and coworkers to models of how infectious diseases – like the flu – spread. Then they looked at the probability that...
David Rand: The more friends you have that are content with their lives, the more likely you are to become content. And the more friends you have that are discontent, the more likely you are to become discontent.
David Rand of Harvard is one of the study’s authors. He said this study was designed to understand how changes in long-term emotional states – meaning, whether you consider yourself a happy or sad person overall – are affected by the people you know.
We found that sadness is twice as infectious as happiness.
Rand and his co-authors compared emotional states of groups of friends, families, and coworkers to models of how infectious diseases – like the flu – spread. Then they looked at the probability that...
- 12/20/2010
- by EarthSky.org
- Fast Company
From the Writer/Director of Batman: Dead End
Loaded with Exclusive Extras Including Behind-the-Scenes Featurette and Commentary by Director Sandy Collora
Hunter Prey, the highly-anticipated sci-fi film from writer/director Sandy Collora (Batman: Dead End), arrives on DVD December 7 from Maya Entertainment. When their spaceship crash-lands on an unknown planet, a group of elite intergalactic commandos must capture their escaped alien prisoner and bring it in Alive.But as their mission drags on and proves more difficult then anticipated, the question soon becomes who’s hunting who? Packed with out-of-this-world bonus features, including a comprehensive behind-the-scenes featurette and commentary by director Sandy Collora,Hunter Prey will be available on DVD for $24.98 Srp.
“Hunter Prey is sure to be a new sci-fi classic,” said David Rand, Executive Vice President of Home Entertainment. “Sandy Collora has been touted as a sci-fi genius and we’re excited to bring his first feature film to fans.
Loaded with Exclusive Extras Including Behind-the-Scenes Featurette and Commentary by Director Sandy Collora
Hunter Prey, the highly-anticipated sci-fi film from writer/director Sandy Collora (Batman: Dead End), arrives on DVD December 7 from Maya Entertainment. When their spaceship crash-lands on an unknown planet, a group of elite intergalactic commandos must capture their escaped alien prisoner and bring it in Alive.But as their mission drags on and proves more difficult then anticipated, the question soon becomes who’s hunting who? Packed with out-of-this-world bonus features, including a comprehensive behind-the-scenes featurette and commentary by director Sandy Collora,Hunter Prey will be available on DVD for $24.98 Srp.
“Hunter Prey is sure to be a new sci-fi classic,” said David Rand, Executive Vice President of Home Entertainment. “Sandy Collora has been touted as a sci-fi genius and we’re excited to bring his first feature film to fans.
- 11/2/2010
- by Kevin Coll
- FusedFilm
Actor Brendan Fraser is receiving desperate pleas from a group of digital-effects artists still waiting to be paid for their work on his movie Journey To The Center Of The Earth.
Crew spokesperson Dave Rand claims the artists are owed for three months of salary dating back to the autumn of 2007.
And he hopes Fraser - who starred in the $76.5 million-grossing (GBP38.25 million) summer flick - can pressure bosses at Discovery Communications to pay up.
He tells the New York Post, "(Discovery subsidiary) Meteor Studios was declared bankrupt shortly after filming. It has since reopened as a new company, Lumiere VFX, at the same location. Discovery is attempting to get away with this. Some of the employees worked over 100-hour weeks. Over $1 million is owed.
"We just want to get paid for the work we performed. We are extremely proud of our work on the film. Many of these guys are scared they will be blacklisted, so I'm speaking out on their behalf."
Spokespersons for Fraser and Discovery Communications have yet to return requests for a comment as WENN went to press.
Crew spokesperson Dave Rand claims the artists are owed for three months of salary dating back to the autumn of 2007.
And he hopes Fraser - who starred in the $76.5 million-grossing (GBP38.25 million) summer flick - can pressure bosses at Discovery Communications to pay up.
He tells the New York Post, "(Discovery subsidiary) Meteor Studios was declared bankrupt shortly after filming. It has since reopened as a new company, Lumiere VFX, at the same location. Discovery is attempting to get away with this. Some of the employees worked over 100-hour weeks. Over $1 million is owed.
"We just want to get paid for the work we performed. We are extremely proud of our work on the film. Many of these guys are scared they will be blacklisted, so I'm speaking out on their behalf."
Spokespersons for Fraser and Discovery Communications have yet to return requests for a comment as WENN went to press.
- 8/1/2008
- WENN
A Group of digital-effects artists wants Brendan Fraser's help in getting paid for the work they did on his movie, "Journey to the Center of the Earth."
The artists are hoping that as the star of the film, which has grossed $76.5 million in three weeks, Fraser can pressure Discovery Communications, which owns the Discovery Channel as well as Evergreen Films in Pacific Palisades. They're asking for back pay they're owed from Evergreen subsidiary Meteor Studios, which handled the digital work.
Dave Rand, a spokesman for the special- effects crew, says they never got...
The artists are hoping that as the star of the film, which has grossed $76.5 million in three weeks, Fraser can pressure Discovery Communications, which owns the Discovery Channel as well as Evergreen Films in Pacific Palisades. They're asking for back pay they're owed from Evergreen subsidiary Meteor Studios, which handled the digital work.
Dave Rand, a spokesman for the special- effects crew, says they never got...
- 8/1/2008
- NYPost.com
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