The nine Kiwis nominated for Oscars this year already hold nine of the coveted gold statues between them – but that won’t prevent a fresh adrenalin rush tomorrow night. “The show is just breathtaking,” says Upper Hutt sound mixer Mike Hedge. “The Americans really do those sorts of things well. Everything is taken care of.” Hedge, who has worked with Kiwi director Peter Jackson since Braindead, was making his third trip to the Oscars with wife Joanne, who will be draped in a shimmery purple gown and $20,000 worth of borrowed jewels. “It’s quite a busy time for us. A lot of work goes into meeting and greeting other potential filmmakers at the Trade NZ party. [More]
Category: Production
New Zealand’s Weta wizards compete for more Oscars in tomorrow’s 78th Academy Awards in Los Angeles. But four-time Oscar winner and Weta Workshop chief Richard Taylor, who flew to Los Angeles on Friday, says King Kong’s Naomi Watts also deserved a nomination for best actress. And he hopes that actors who play digital characters will one day be recognised in best actor categories. Watts played heroine Ann Darrow opposite the digitally-created gorilla played by actor Andy Serkis, who was Gollum in The Lord Of The Rings triology. Peter Jackson’s $US207 million ($NZ315.21 million) blockbuster of King Kong has five Oscar nominations for best achievement in makeup, art direction, achievement in sound editing, sound mixing and visual effects. [More]
The great ape King Kong has been at the centre of New Zealand’s movie industry celebrations in Beverly Hills. Oscar nominees from King Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia joined the cream of New Zealand’s film industry at the Beverly Hills Hotel to celebrate our industry’s continued success. The event has a King Kong theme, with a ballroom being converted into a virtual Skull Island. Minister of Economic Development Trevor Mallard has been mixing and mingling with the glitteratti, and says Peter Jackson has made a major contribution to making the world more aware of New Zealand. Mr mallard says that is what this event is all about: promoting New Zealand as a great place to make movies. [More]
Jonotrek writes: Decipher just released a new set of 15 cards including nine all-new WETA Collection cards (cards created by WETA specifically for the game). New companions appear from outside of the movies such as Halbarad, Grimbeorn, and Elrohir! The cards will be found in three different fixed boxes. Each box contains ten premium cards (two copies of five different cards) and four booster packs from the last three expansions. This product has been created for the popular booster draft tournament format. [More]
Old-timers in Hollywood sometimes talk about a golden age of animation, seven or eight decades ago, when cartoons were funny, beautiful, and perfect. But the truth is, toons have always been a bit of a backwater – the province of Disney kiddie flicks, Looney Tunes, maybe a rudimentary special effect. Until recently. These days, animation is everywhere. Pixar masterpieces like Toy Story and The Incredibles prove that a digitally animated movie can have more heart than a live-action film. Depictions of the fantastic – flying superheroes, ferocious velociraptors, battling starships – rely on software to maintain the audience’s suspension of disbelief. Even the most realistic movies call on animators to simulate an ungettable shot or to make a moment just a smidge more perfect. [More]
Claire writes: Meet Alan Lee at Waterstones Roman Gate Exeter Saturday 25th February at 11. At long last the local Oscar-winning illustrator is back on home ground and will be signing copies of his book, ‘The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook’ in the shop! No tickets required follow the link for more information on Waterstones. [More]
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