My goodness, it’s only January but for games and scifi fans dare I say it, Christmas is coming early.
Animation Ireland
And how has this happened? Well a decade of tax breaks and investment basically. Tax breaks to aid production costs and funding for development prior to production from various sources. Very interesting given the impending tax breaks around the corner in the UK. Could this be a new dawn in film and broadcast for us here?
I was amazed by how many companies are turning out real quality work in Ireland. The tax breaks have not affected the passion for excellence. In fact I would say it has merely fuelled it - the companies are competing against eachother to produce the best work. And as the industry steadily grows there are now whispers of full length animated movies being made there.
If you are curious about what has been happening in Ireland check out the Animation Ireland showreel on their website...
Here's something you may not know. Ireland has a booming animation industry. No I didn't know that either until I went to the Cartoon Finance conference in Dublin last year. In fact the animation industry is doing so well, that in the face of the downturn, it has become one of their major exports. At the conference, it was quipped that the animators are now the ones with the proper jobs.
Blown Away by Disney short 'the Paperman'?
Walt Disney shorts are always a treat for viewers. In fact I’d go as far to say that when going to the cinema to see a new Disney Pixar film, part of the excitement is the opportunity to see the preluding short that comes with the main feature
Too much Apple for Ashton Kutcher?
Ashton Kutcher has unveiled that he got himself into a a real pickle, taking on a method actors approach when preparing for his latest role in a film set to hit screens in April 2013, which will follow the life and times of Steve Jobs.
A giant robot, loud music, and plenty of explosions, what's not to like?
The office here at Escape is usually bustling with an array of different musical sounds, and it’s rare we fully agree on what radio station to keep on for more than an hour and a half.
FINALLY, The Rock has come back, to the big screen!
Dwayne Johnson, known to most as wrestling icon ‘the Rock’, is to play the role of a snitch in his new movie, aptly named, ‘Snitch’, set for release February 22nd..
It's Superman, but not as you know it...
This project has amazed and dumbfounded us this morning, as a) We've had to deal with the whole concept of a Superman movie – directed by Tim Burton and starring Nicolas Cage, that never was, and b) We discovered that a documentary is set to be created, about this semi-mythical piece of film history.
Homemade Iron Man Laser Gauntlet!
So we’re all looking forward to the arrival of Iron Man 3 this year right?
Zombieland TV series in the pipeline!
It has surfaced this week that hit film Zombieland, is in the process of being developed as an original series by Amazon.
2013, the year of the special effects film?
It’s no secret, here at Escape, we love special effects. For that reason, we are especially pleased that someone (Cinefex) has taken the time to find out what VFX clad films we’re set to expect in 2013/14, and compiled them into a succinct, chronological list for our (and your) perusal.
Home-made CG Speed bump!
Joy riders are a worry in many communities, and at a time of year when the icy roads have us all thinking twice about our speed, here’s a little bit of CG that lowers the speed limit.
Toy Story - Remade!
Someone once told me, that life is like a marmalade sandwich; the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.
Total Rigging in Total Recall: Webinar
On 7th of February 2013, Escape HQ will be welcoming Jakub Krompolc, who is head of rigging at London’s Prime Focus world.
The Stunning Effects of Life of Pi
Thanks to the kind people at Rhythm and Hues, who last month gave us some very informative industry info, Ang Lee’s Life of Pi has already made an appearance on the Escape blog. But now we've all seen it, and since it’s received 11 Oscar nominations (not bad eh?) we reckon it’s worth another mention!
London's VFX Artists become Superheroes!
VFX fans and readers of WIRED magazine will have noticed a special feature in this month’s edition, as Soho’s VFX teams are made into super heroes by, well, themselves.
The Ultimate Metal Band
Being in a band can be testing, creative differences can get in the way, varying levels musicianship can stunt progression, and of course there are some nights where it just doesn’t come together on stage.
Hansel & Gretel: The Witch Hunters
Followers of the Escape Blog may remember that last week, we wrote about a few up and coming films due to hit the screen in early 2013. One that caught our eye in particular, was the Tommy Wirkola directed adaptation of the brothers Grimm fairy tale ‘Hansel & Gretel’.
We were quite pleased this week then, as you’d imagine, when another trailer for the movie, (that, by the way, is aptly titled 'Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters') was released as part of a final promotion push by Paramount, before the film’s belated release on the 25th of January.
The film stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton, and picks up the plot 15 years after the gingerbread house-kidnap trauma, when Hansel and Gretel are fully fledged bounty hunters. Prepare yourself for an array of outrageous weapons, some serious explosions and all enhanced of course by some state of the art 3D!
17th Art Directors Guild Awards: Nominees
Last week, nominees for the 17thArt Director’s Guild awards were unveiled.
The Coca Cola Polar Bears are back!
We are all familiar with the high octane, VFX loaded, cinematic creations of Ridley Scott - Blade Runner, Gladiator, Alien and Prometheus just skim the surface when discussing this directors back catalogue.
Ones to Watch in 2013
It goes without saying that film fans everywhere are looking forward to the release of a vast number of motion pictures in the upcoming year. Over the course of 2012, how many times have we heard the line “I can’t wait for this film to hit cinemas next year!”?