Weta Workshop, the New Zealand-based special effects company that gained global fame for its work on the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, has chosen the Toronto-based Nelvana animation house to collaborate on the new animated series Jane and the Dragon. Thanks to Hobbitangel for the story. [More]
Month: April 2004
Greetings!
A little article I found:
Giant green dragon comes to T.O.
Weta Workshop, the New Zealand-based special effects company that gained global fame for its work on the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, has chosen the Toronto-based Nelvana animation house to collaborate on the new animated series Jane and the Dragon.
The 26 half -hour episodes are based on the book series by Martin Baynton about a 13-year-old girl in medieval times who has a giant green dragon in her backyard. The series is targeted at the six to 11 year-old audience.
“This partnership promises to be a great experience for Nelvana’s CGI studio,” says Scott Dyer, executive vice-president of production and development at the Corus Entertainment-owned Nelvana. “We’re looking forward to working with the talented Weta team.”
Weta Workshop founder Richard Taylor says their first venture into children’s television animation will blend classic animation design and modern computerized motion-capture technology.
“We have enjoyed a wonderful opportunity to create a fantastical world around the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien,” Taylor says. “It is therefore a great treat to be able to create our own world for Jane and her Dragon.”
Thanks,
Hobbitangel
From Ringer Giuseppe: On April 8th, a cinema in Riposto (Italy) has been showing the whole Trilogy, which makes it the first LOTR Marathon in Sicily (to my knowledge), and the only one on the flanks of the largest active volcano in Europe, Mt. Etna! [Mt. Etna Cam](Of course it’s a bit dark in Italy at this posting…)
Mentioned in passing: The ABQ Correspondent looks at the way DVD technology has changed our expectations of movies, citing the LOTR films as a case where we’ve come to know far more about the behind-the-scenes team than we would have in the past, making Richard Taylor and Barrie Osborne’s faces familiar to us. [More] Fun website, intelligent people should enjoy.
Pastry Chef Kirsti Hanna created this almost completely edible cake. She writes: “The biggest challenge with this cake was the beacon. I used squares of cake to make the box, then had lots of fun icing around the sides and shaping it. Then I cut out the center. Everything, except the candles and the two figures, is edible. Even the rocks (chocolate with a candy coating) and the big rocks/hills in back (air-brushed angel-food cake).” Wow! [See Larger Photo]
Hobbit_guy writes: Millikin University is offering a class on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. The class, known as “Lord of the Rings: Myth and Culture” will study Tolkien’s work and the sources and legends that influenced it in a historical setting. Taught by Professor Erick Parker, this class promises to be a most enjoyable addition to my schedule – if I can get into it! There’re only 30 seats available, and more than half are already taken. [More]