Louisa Mellor Jul 13, 2016
Blue Sky Studios’ CGI work on Alien: Resurrection began a long and fruitful relationship with 20th Century Fox…
When Blue Sky Studios was tasked with creating swimming CGI Xenomorphs for the fourth film in the Alien franchise, its animators looked to inspiration from the natural world. Aptly for Hr Giger’s demonic creations, said inspiration was found in a Galapagos Island creature nicknamed by Charles Darwin the “imp of darkness”.
“We patterned [the Xenomorphs’] movements on reference footage of sea iguanas” Blue Sky’s Digital Effects Supervisor for Alien: Resurrection Mitch Kopelman told American Cinematographer magazine in November 1997. “They have this crazy little swim where they tuck their legs under their bodies and use this really long tail to propel themselves.” After much work, the end result was the CGI swimming aliens that pursued Ellen Ripley and co. through the flooded kitchens of the Usm Auriga in the 1997 sequel.
Blue Sky Studios’ CGI work on Alien: Resurrection began a long and fruitful relationship with 20th Century Fox…
When Blue Sky Studios was tasked with creating swimming CGI Xenomorphs for the fourth film in the Alien franchise, its animators looked to inspiration from the natural world. Aptly for Hr Giger’s demonic creations, said inspiration was found in a Galapagos Island creature nicknamed by Charles Darwin the “imp of darkness”.
“We patterned [the Xenomorphs’] movements on reference footage of sea iguanas” Blue Sky’s Digital Effects Supervisor for Alien: Resurrection Mitch Kopelman told American Cinematographer magazine in November 1997. “They have this crazy little swim where they tuck their legs under their bodies and use this really long tail to propel themselves.” After much work, the end result was the CGI swimming aliens that pursued Ellen Ripley and co. through the flooded kitchens of the Usm Auriga in the 1997 sequel.
- 7/12/2016
- Den of Geek
This is another edition of Short Starts, where we present a weekly short film(s) from the start of a filmmaker or actor’s career. The new animated feature Epic doesn’t seem to be high on a lot of lists of anticipated summer movies, but it is sure to draw in the kids. While Fox’s Blue Sky Studios may only be the third most significant company making animated features in the U.S., that’s still very lucrative business (mostly for the Ice Age series). And director Chris Wedge, a founding member of Blue Sky who hasn’t taken the helm of a movie since 2005′s Robots, is a name you should know in the world of animation. Even if Wedge wasn’t such a big wig, though (and even if we didn’t share a birthday, which I take very seriously), I always like devoting a Short Starts post to directors of animated works...
- 5/19/2013
- by Christopher Campbell
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Usual Suspects: McDonagh Gives Us a Light Killer Comedy With Latest
Written before his hit film In Bruges (2008), Martin McDonagh has landed with another tongue-in-cheek comedy, though perhaps not of the same caliber as his first film, with Seven Psychopaths. Featuring a deliriously exciting cast of characters for his newest band of misfits, the mostly winning film employs us with dueling dynamics, both as a film about the filmmaking process and having its characters actually live the film they’re writing. While it perhaps doesn’t have quite the sarcastic edge as it may be trying to employ, it has as many flashes of comedic excellence as it does brutal violence.
Marty (Colin Farrell) is a struggling, alcoholic screenwriter trying to pen his latest idea concerning seven psychopaths…only he’s anti-violence and wants to make the film about peace and turning the other cheek. Marty’s best friend, Billy Bickle,...
Written before his hit film In Bruges (2008), Martin McDonagh has landed with another tongue-in-cheek comedy, though perhaps not of the same caliber as his first film, with Seven Psychopaths. Featuring a deliriously exciting cast of characters for his newest band of misfits, the mostly winning film employs us with dueling dynamics, both as a film about the filmmaking process and having its characters actually live the film they’re writing. While it perhaps doesn’t have quite the sarcastic edge as it may be trying to employ, it has as many flashes of comedic excellence as it does brutal violence.
Marty (Colin Farrell) is a struggling, alcoholic screenwriter trying to pen his latest idea concerning seven psychopaths…only he’s anti-violence and wants to make the film about peace and turning the other cheek. Marty’s best friend, Billy Bickle,...
- 10/12/2012
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
I’ve been a fan of John Leguizamo’s films for a long time but, until Continental Drift, had never seen an Ice Age movie before. I guess it never really struck me as a must-see.I have no kids but my nieces and nephews are always watching the first one so I feel like I get my fill whenever I visit them.
First of all I recommend this fourth one. It’s funny and lighthearted and carries with it a great message of family. I was excited to talk to John about his career and his character in this series. Having three comedians in the lead role (Leguizamo stars with Ray Ramano and Dennis Leary) means that the funny comes fast and furious but Sid the sloth remains the film’s comic relief.
In my extended interview with the intense actor we discuss his attraction to animation and what...
First of all I recommend this fourth one. It’s funny and lighthearted and carries with it a great message of family. I was excited to talk to John about his career and his character in this series. Having three comedians in the lead role (Leguizamo stars with Ray Ramano and Dennis Leary) means that the funny comes fast and furious but Sid the sloth remains the film’s comic relief.
In my extended interview with the intense actor we discuss his attraction to animation and what...
- 7/11/2012
- by Ezequiel Gutierrez
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Well, a movie calling itself "Epic" should probably kick off with an appropriately epic trailer. While we didn't quite get that with this, the first glimpse from the Fox/Blue Sky Studios' (loose) adaptation of the William Joyce book "The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs," it's still a promising-enough looking clip that draws us into a strange and magical world.
The premise of the film involves a teenage girl (played by Amanda Seyfried, who can be heard at the end of the trailer), who gets transported into the magical and miniaturized world of the leaf men. It's here that she joins a fight against some evil goblins (or something), again, the movie is very different from the children's book and we're not sure what's been retained and what's been changed or jettisoned.
"Epic" has had a really amazing production history almost as epic as anything they can put on screen.
The premise of the film involves a teenage girl (played by Amanda Seyfried, who can be heard at the end of the trailer), who gets transported into the magical and miniaturized world of the leaf men. It's here that she joins a fight against some evil goblins (or something), again, the movie is very different from the children's book and we're not sure what's been retained and what's been changed or jettisoned.
"Epic" has had a really amazing production history almost as epic as anything they can put on screen.
- 6/26/2012
- by Drew Taylor
- The Playlist
Welcome to the Animation Fascination podcast. Hosted by Marc Vibbert and Matt Quest, this podcast focuses on all the fused fun in the world of animation! Each episode will feature an animated series or film from the past or present. Traditionally hand drawn, computer generated, or stop motion/claymation, if it’s animated, its up for discussion! Entertainment Overload Radio is the official podcast network of FusedFilm.com and also includes the Film Bomb and FusedTV podcasts. Please tell us what you think in the comments below!
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News Shaun Of The Dead / Scott Pilgrim Style From Edgar Wright’s blog: It’s ‘Shaun Of The Dead’ done in 60 seconds, done in the style of the Scott Pilgrim comics. With a couple of nods to Spaced and Hot Fuzz thrown in for good measure. Pixar Fan Art Group...
Right Click Here To Download This Episode Now!
Subscribe via: RSS or iTunes
News Shaun Of The Dead / Scott Pilgrim Style From Edgar Wright’s blog: It’s ‘Shaun Of The Dead’ done in 60 seconds, done in the style of the Scott Pilgrim comics. With a couple of nods to Spaced and Hot Fuzz thrown in for good measure. Pixar Fan Art Group...
- 4/24/2011
- by Vactor
- FusedFilm
DVD Playhouse—May 2010
By
Allen Gardner
Avatar (20th Century Fox) James Cameron beat his own title as box office champ, set with Titanic over a decade ago, with this eye-popping sci-fi epic about a paraplegic Marine name Sully (Sam Worthington), who takes the form of an “avatar,” or virtual being, to go undercover on the planet Pandora, attempting to infiltrate the native Na’vi to gather intelligence that will aid a joint corporate and military operation to rape the planet of its natural resources, destroying its indigenous population in the process. When Sully suddenly “goes native,” he locks horns with the company CEO (Giovanni Ribisi) and his gung-ho commanding officer (Stephen Lang, in a wonderful, scenery-chewing turn from a long-underrated actor). Thought of by many scholars and film buffs as a “game-changer” as much as the first Star Wars film was—and they may be right. While Cameron’s politically-correct...
By
Allen Gardner
Avatar (20th Century Fox) James Cameron beat his own title as box office champ, set with Titanic over a decade ago, with this eye-popping sci-fi epic about a paraplegic Marine name Sully (Sam Worthington), who takes the form of an “avatar,” or virtual being, to go undercover on the planet Pandora, attempting to infiltrate the native Na’vi to gather intelligence that will aid a joint corporate and military operation to rape the planet of its natural resources, destroying its indigenous population in the process. When Sully suddenly “goes native,” he locks horns with the company CEO (Giovanni Ribisi) and his gung-ho commanding officer (Stephen Lang, in a wonderful, scenery-chewing turn from a long-underrated actor). Thought of by many scholars and film buffs as a “game-changer” as much as the first Star Wars film was—and they may be right. While Cameron’s politically-correct...
- 5/18/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Monday night at AFI Dallas, Coraline director and stop-motion animator Henry Selick (The Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach) received the Tex Avery Award, given for lifetime achievement in animation. Previous winners have included Brad Bird (The Incredibles) and Chris Wedge (Ice Age), and the award is named for Tex Avery, the animation titan who designed Daffy Duck and coined Bugs Bunny's catchphrase, "What's up, Doc?" ...
- 4/1/2009
- AMC News: Film Festivals
Warmed by the success of the animated Ice Age, nominated for an Oscar as best animated feature film, 20th Century Fox has signed the film's director, Chris Wedge, to a five-year, multipicture exclusive deal. Ice Age, Wedge's feature debut following the 1998 Oscar-winning short film Bunny, has taken in more than $378 million worldwide and moved more than 25 million combined DVD/VHS units. Wedge and Blue Sky Studios -- the animation company behind Ice Age that Wedge co-founded in 1987 -- are at work on their second digitally animated film, Robots, for Fox. That project, penned by veteran comedy scribes Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, will be designed by illustrator William Joyce. Voice talent is expected to sign on to Robots in the coming weeks. In addition to Robots, Wedge will executive produce a sequel to Ice Age that writing duo Peter Gaulke and Gerry Swallow are penning.
- 2/28/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Warmed by the success of the animated Ice Age, nominated for an Oscar as best animated feature film, 20th Century Fox has signed the film's director, Chris Wedge, to a five-year, multipicture exclusive deal. Ice Age, Wedge's feature debut following the 1998 Oscar-winning short film Bunny, has taken in more than $378 million worldwide and moved more than 25 million combined DVD/VHS units. Wedge and Blue Sky Studios -- the animation company behind Ice Age that Wedge co-founded in 1987 -- are at work on their second digitally animated film, Robots, for Fox. That project, penned by veteran comedy scribes Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel, will be designed by illustrator William Joyce. Voice talent is expected to sign on to Robots in the coming weeks. In addition to Robots, Wedge will executive produce a sequel to Ice Age that writing duo Peter Gaulke and Gerry Swallow are penning.
- 2/28/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ice Age director Chris Wedge has been named ShoWest 2003's animation director of the year. Wedge will receive his award March 6 at the Las Vegas convention's closing-night banquet. Wedge is co-founder and vp creative development at Blue Sky Studios, the 20th Century Fox-owned animation studio that created Ice Age. Before directing the computer-animated Ice Age for 20th Century Fox, Wedge directed Bunny, which won an Academy Award for best animated short film. Ice Age was the highest-grossing animated movie of last year. This is the first year that ShoWest has awarded a prize for top animation director. Ice Age is nominated for an Oscar in the best animated film category this year, the second year the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has recognized animated film with a separate category.
- 2/27/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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