Linuxelf writes: I just posted another clip on YouTube this ones an interview with Daniel Falconer (WETA Workshop), talking about the level of detail that went into the making of the armour and weapons for the LOTR triology!
Category: Production
Jason Killingsworth writes: Wayne Barlowe gets paid to make your eyes pop out of your skull. The wildly talented science fiction and fantasy artist/author designed the creatures for James Cameron’s Avatar. He’s done concept art for a number of other Hollywood blockbusters, including Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Hellboy and most recently Peter Jackson’s two-part, big-screen adaptation of The Hobbit. But even though he’s done reams of work for the film industry, it was his vivid reimagining of Dante Alighieri’s Inferno—the appropriately titled Barlowe’s Inferno—that made him the perfect candidate to work on Visceral Games’ new hack-and-slash action title, which also just so happens to be inspired by the late Italian poet’s masterpiece. We jumped at the opportunity to talk to him about his artistic journey into the underworld, his approach to creating the wildest mythical beasties imaginable and what we can expect from The Hobbit films. More..
The director used the Venture II in his 2005 remake and later sold it to a property development firm in Wellington, which kept it moored at a wharf in the city. Ownership of the vessel has now passed to Wellington Regional Council after the company went bust, and local authorities plan to scuttle the ship in the Cook Strait on Tuesday (09Feb10), reports Radio New Zealand.
The plans have proved unpopular with residents after it was revealed the sinking will cost tax payers $23,800 (£14,875), but council officials insist the ship is becoming a safety hazard and can no longer be moored at the wharf. More..
Take a look at our Scrapbook collection of ‘Venture II’ here and here
Bill Desowitz writes: Now that it’s toppled Titanic at the box office and has become a best picture Oscar contender, Avatar is the talk of the industry. Joe Letteri, senior visual effects supervisor for Weta Digital, kicks off our VFX Oscar coverage with his analysis. More..
Peter Jackson has revealed he didn’t want to direct The Hobbit, because it would be too much pressure. The Oscar-winning filmmaker, who directed the films in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, chose not to direct the two-part prequel of Tolkien’s novels but will be revising the script with wife Fran. More..
This morning the now ten nominations for “Best Picture” for the 2010 Academy Awards were announced as as expected, there are plenty of ties to the LOTR community.
“Avatar” with powerful ties to Weta Digital and “District 9,” produced by Peter Jackson and with conceptual design (not an Academy category) also from Weta, are competing in the “Best Picture” category. The two films are also nominated in “Best Visual Effects,” and “Best Editing.” Each film received other nominations as well. See inside for a full list of all nominations and talk about it in our forums. Continue reading “Strong ties in Best Picture race”