Winter 2015 is here and animation studios from around the world have bestowed upon us a very unique set of films to start off the year. From traditional hand-drawn (Song of the Sea), to live-action CG hybrid (Paddington), and everything in between, there are lots of great animated features to enjoy this season. Here’s our preview (along with some personal opinions from yours truly). Let us know what movies you’ve seen or are planning to see in the comments below.
Lucasfilm Ltd. gave us all a surprise announcement with the unveiling of its latest animated feature film project, Strange Magic. Lucasfilm Animation Singapore and Industrial Light and Magic are doing the animation work (it’s the same animation team that created 2011’s Rango). With a story by George Lucas himself, the film is directed by Gary Rydstrom (we’ve been wondering about the specifics of what he’s been working on for quite some time).
The 15th Annual VIEW computer graphics conference is scheduled to be held October 14th-17th, 2014 in Turin, Italy. More speakers and presentations have been announced for the conference and it looks like its going to be a great event.
Beginning neural handshake…
Join Marc and guest host Jon Hueber as they head to the Pacific Rim to talk with returning guest Hal Hickel, of Industrial Light and Magic.
Hal discusses in-depth the production of the film and what it was like to work with Guillermo del Toro, who he’d co-pilot a Jaeger with, what Kaiju was his favorite, and where he’d like to see the story go in a sequel.
So sit back and enjoy, because today we are cancelling the apocalypse!
Drawing by Austin Madison
Though I can’t pinpoint my first experience with a Ray Harryhausen film, I know the one that inspired me the most. In 1981, I sat in a dark theater and watched Titans Clash. I watched men fight huge scorpions, and I saw Gorgons beheaded, and horses flew effortlessly before my eyes, and I was enthralled when the Kraken was released by the gods to cause terror and destruction upon the world. I was completely mesmerized by what I was seeing. This–this was what movie magic was all about.
In this episode Marc and Matt are joined by Oscar winner Hal Hickel (Animation Director, “Rango”) of Industrial Light & Magic to discuss his career in animation and visual effects. Plus much, much more…
Animation Fascination 