For 50 years James Bond has been known for may things; martinis, dames, gadgets, cars, and fantastic action sequences. The James Bond franchise is also famously known for the stunning title sequences they've had throughout the years. Many studios have clamored to get the chance to work on these amazing intros, and for the 23rd James Bond movie Skyfall, the UK's own Framestore got their 5th go around on the James Bond title sequence which coincidentally also marked the 50th anniversary of the british spy saga.
Delving into the Imaginarium that is... Life of Pi
For those of you who have read this novel you have probably already conjured up your own vibrant images from deep within your own imagination - for those who haven't I would recommend reading it. However by the sound of things in a review I found, it sounds as though the legendary Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain) has taken the hard work out of it - painting an incredible living, breathing picture.
Adam Gascoyne: Among London’s 1000 Most Influential People 2012
Earlier this month the Evening Standard compiled a list celebrating some of the top most influential creative figures in London. Inspired by the opening ceremony for this year’s London Olympics, which brought together an incredible pool of talent for a spectacular event, the Evening Standard took this opportunity to acknowledge the “fantastic cauldron of creativity” that exists in England's capital.
Second dose of Sin City on the way!
So aside from the other movie news that can, for the next couple of hours at least, remain in a galaxy far far away, there is an excellent cinematic prospect around the corner, as it surfaced online this week that the Sin City sequel has started shooting. It appears there is still some casting to be done though…
The Hobbit ‘lands’ in ‘Orcland’ - New Zealand!
We’ve all been on-board an aeroplane watching with little interest, the safety demonstration given by the air stewardesses. Or if you have a sense of humour like mine, you try and make them laugh during their demonstrations by any means necessary.
Over the Top Shots (revisited)
We all know the importance good VFX play in films. They can turn scenes of total disbelief into ones leaving you asking how on earth did they do that?
Escape on BBC Breakfast!
It’s been quite a busy morning here at Escape! Our CEO Dom Davenport was interviewed alongside Framestore’s Sir William Sargent at their motion capture studio by BBC Breakfast. The lovely Steph McGovern who presents the breakfast slot conducted the interviews dressed fully in motion-capture gear and Irish danced as the famous Harry Potter animated character Dobby!
Prime Focus World launch new web series 'Close Up'
Here at Escape Studios, we know how you all enjoy getting to the heart of what makes up a stunning VFX shot. So imagine our delight when hearing that Prime Focus World have just released the first of a new behind-the-scenes web series, ‘Close Up’. And let me tell you, these nuggets of geekiness will not disappoint.
An even better glimpse of Iron Man 3!
Some of you may have been feeding off the trickle of teaser footage in circulation for the Iron Man triquel, coming to a cinema screen near us soon! And if you are one such person, you’ll be delighted to learn that a ‘full’ teaser trailer is now doing the rounds, showing off the abundance of action in store for us upon its release in April 2013.
Glowfrog At The VFX Festival
As you probably know Escape Studios organised and hosted the UK’s first VFX Festival last week with events, seminars and master classes taking place across London. The VFX Festival went down an absolute storm and was a fantastic platform to demonstrate the success of the UK’s ever-expanding visual effects industry.
Keeping it real – kudos to Peter Jackson
It seems that for the last decade, a whole plethora of films have been remade when the original should never have been touched. Classic cult offerings such as Assault on Precinct 13, Cape Fear, Death Race 2000 and even Clash of the Titans have all undergone a reworking, which some might say was wholly unneeded.
We'll have a Heineken; shaken, not stirred
Riding on the excitement of the new Bond film, Skyfall, Heineken has a James Bond themed ad, featuring Daniel Craig. The VFX for the ad were done by none other than our good friends at The Mill, and the global TV and digital campaign will be activated across 32 markets and involves the participation of the film's stars, Daniel Craig and the latest Bond girl, Bérénice Marlohe.
Prime Focus World – Dredd 3D
Prime Focus World is the VFX house behind another big box office success, delivering 650 stereo VFX shots for “Dredd” in 3D. To put that into perspective for you, that’s 90% of the VFX for the entire movie. What’s more, this was achieved over a 24-week production period. A massive achievement on an epic scale!
Looper – the next Matrix flick?
Described as ‘this decades The Matrix’, the phrase alone has already set very high standards for it’s audience. Possibly a bold statement to make, The Matrix was pretty groundbreaking for it’s time. At first glance, the statement seems a cheap marketing gimmick, and one with little to support it. But if ever a marketing gimmick was doing it’s job right, it is now… because it definitely grabbed my attention and intrigued me enough to find out more about the film.
Honorary Academy Award goes to DreamWorks' Jeffrey Katzenberg
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced that Jeffrey Katzenberg, the 'K' of DreamWorks Animation SKG, is to be given an honorary Oscar at the Governors awards ceremony this November.
The Economic Impact of the UK Film Industry
Following a lot of doom and gloom surrounding the UK economy, it’s always nice to read something positive about an industry contributing towards economic growth. The BBC posted an article this week discussing an independent report examining the impact of the film industry on the UK economy. And we feel this report is just the thing we need to restore faith in the creative talent that exists this side of the pond, so it can be nurtured allowing the industry to flourish even further.
A guide to CG animations from 1964
We often take CG for granted in modern films—everything from sci-fi flicks to action-heavy blockbusters include plenty of computer generated visuals. But in 1964 the process wasn't quite so widespread.
Right up our street!
Good day film fans! Here’s something we saw online that is sure to tickle your pickle!
The VFX Festival 2012 - Get your tickets now!
Step into the mind-blowing world of VFX with The VFX Festival! Escape Studios has created the first ever four-day festival exploring the breathtaking world of visual effects, held in London on 10th-13th October.
Celebrating a decade of UK visual effects, the festival will be packed with the most respected VFX talent, visionaries and companies who have helped shape the industry. Offering inspirational insight behind the clever trickery in this booming VFX industry, with an exciting four-day programme packed with insider knowledge and information, showreel demos, hands-on workshops and exclusive premieres, it's perfect for those with a creative talent or thirst to develop their VFX Career.
VFX Union
A subject that started off as an online murmur, has gathered a considerable amount of momentum over the last few weeks, as many VFX artists and industry professionals have begun to campaign, (or at least talk about campaigning) for the unionisation of VFX artists.
