September 5, 2008 — Digital visual effects studio Weta Digital (wetadigital.com) announced on Friday it has completed building its new extreme density data center in Miramar, New Zealand. Founded in 1993 by Peter Jackson, Joe Letteri, Eileen Moran, the Wellington, New Zealand-based visual effects company is responsible for producing Hollywood blockbusters like The Lord of the Rings series and 2005’s King Kong. Designed and built to accomodate current and future technological demands, the energy efficient facility is unique in that if features frame rendering capabilities but also balancing the investment in floor space, power, cooling, and associated technology. Weta Digital will be the first in the world to use Hewlett-Packard’s (hp.com) new Double Density server blades, which uniquely combine two independent servers in a single blade. Weta Digital Builds NZ Facility
Month: September 2008
Gwen writes in: Hello TORN (one of my fave websites- love you guys!!). Northwest Children’s Theater in Portland, OR will be performing The Hobbit May 1st – 29th, 2009. Follow the link for more info. Thought the Ringers would like to know!!
Thanks for the tip, Gwen. Read More
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, there is still some discussion about whether “The Hobbit” should be one long movie (in two parts) or two self-contained movies, though there are no direct quotes on the subject. However, comments regarding the collaboration between Del Toro and Jackson seem very positive:
“We’ve had a perfectly beautiful relationship so far where we understand each other’s role – I am the director and he is the producer,” he says. “He’s been incredibly supportive. I think that he understands that with a director comes a point of view. As long as those basics are understood, I think things are going to continue to be perfect.”
You can read the entire article here: Sydney Morning Herald
While some of us worry about making plans for the weekend, Guillermo Del Toro has enough projects lined up for the next decade! A new article in Variety lists some potential post-“Hobbit” films he’d like to direct including Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Slaughterhouse-Five, and Hellboy 3. Variety article
Emory University in Atlanta will be offering a 5-week course this fall titled “J.R.R. Tolkien and the Spiritual Journey”:
This course will explore J.R.R. Tolkien’s insights for the spiritual journey. The class will briefly explore the sources of Tolkien’s vision of the quest that were influenced by his experiences of World War I, his Catholic faith, and his deep reading of ancient mythologies. Employing short readings from Lord of the Rings and clips from the movies of the same name, the class will then discuss key themes in the journey including the affirmation of creation, sacrifice and bliss, friendship, the temptations of power and pride, and the role of the key virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Come discover what Middle Earth can tell us about the possibilities for modern earth. This class is co-sponsored by the Aquinas Center of Theology at Emory University.
Class space is limited to 15 people; for more information click on the link below:
To celebrate the appearance of Alan Lee as the Guest of Honor at FaerieCon International on October 10 – 12 in Philadelphia, PA, FaerieCon is offering a special 50% Discount off any FaerieCon ticket for The One Ring Community. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to meet Alan Lee and get your favorite Tolkien book signed. To order your ticket and get your discount, please visit our special discount section of the FaerieCon website via the following link. [FaerieCon.com]