Susan's Mashup February 10, 2012

Happy Friday!

This week’s mashup comprises several articles – a big announcement from Kodak marks the end of an era, the VES Awards fétes VFX filmmakers, the Peanuts gang makes a comeback in a Superbowl spot by Psyop, we get the insight on Google’s new home entertainment system and a review of the latest “Star Wars” offering in 3d, we learn of Sony’s expansion in Vancouver and much more.
What did we miss?

Kodak Focuses Consumer Business On More Profitable Growth Opportunities
From Kodak
Eastman Kodak Company (the “Company”) (OTB: EKDKQ.PK) announced today that, as a result of its ongoing strategic review process and commitment to drive sustainable profitability through its most valuable business lines, it plans to phase out its dedicated capture devices business – comprising digital cameras, pocket video cameras and digital picture frames – in the first half of 2012. Kodak will instead expand its current brand licensing program, and seek licensees in these categories. Following this decision, Kodak’s Consumer Business will include online and retail-based photo printing, as well as desktop inkjet printing.  

VES Awards 2012: The Winners List
From Screenrant
Check out the winners at the 2012 VES Awards, which celebrate the achievements in visual effects for movies, TV shows, video games, commercials and more. The biggest winners may surprise you. 

Super Bowl XLVI Roundup: Psyop for MetLife – “Everyone”
From Motionographer
While we can’t speak for everybody, we were generally underwhelmed by the assemblage of usually impressive commercials to air during Super Bowl XLVI. Unquestionably, game day saw an onslaught of auto spots, and while we’re not here to argue the cool factor of Clint Eastwood selling us a Chrysler or Matthew Broderick dishing out another Ferris Bueller movie, what works for the slick, more agency-driven sites doesn’t always work for Motionographer. That said, we saw one spot(s) that we felt deserved a little love.

Google Is Making a Home Entertainment System, Complete with Streaming Music and Smartphone Remote Control
From LifeHacker 
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Google—usually a software creator—is putting together an entertainment system, for which they've designed both the hardware and the software.

LA Times Looking To Speak With VFX Artists
From VFX Soldier
In my last post, VFX Artist and advocate Dave Rand mentioned that Richard Verrier, an LA Times reporter who covers labor issues in the Hollywood industry, is looking to report on VFX workers who have been adversely effected by the current climate in the VFX industry.

The Last Of Us back story details
From Den of Geek
Naughty Dog’s next big thing, The Last of Us, has been revealed, to much anticipation, and now we have some story details

Vincent Van Gogh’s Starry Night Interactive by Petros Vrellis
From Creative Applications
Petros Vrellis has created an interactive visualisation and synthesizer that animates Vincent Van Goghs “Starry Night”, using openframeworks to create a simple and elegant interaction. A fluid simulation gently creates a flowing fabric from Van Goghs impressionist portrait of the Milky Way and night sky over Saint-Rémy in France using the thick paint daubs as the particles within the fluid.

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D review
From Den of Geek
The Phantom Menace makes a dramatic reappearance in cinemas, this time in 3D. Nick finds out whether time has been kind to Star Wars Episode I…

Sony Pictures Imageworks Expands Vancouver VFX and Animation Studio
From Below The Line
Sony Pictures Imageworks announced that it will expand its Vancouver, British Columbia capacity by opening an additional 16,000 square feet of space in the Yaletown area for work on the current productions Men In Black 3, The Amazing-Spider-Man, Oz The Great And Powerful and Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania now underway.

The 12 Biggest Flops Of The Past 12 Years
From Screen Rant
While it’s too early in 2012 to tell what movie is going to suck the hardest (although Big Miracle is certainly on it’s way), we can turn to the past and evaluate the missteps of Hollywood from yesteryear. Compiled below are a list of the biggest flops, one per year, spanning from 2000 to 2011. The classification was applied after careful calculations that factored in total box office gross, number of screens, per screen average and other math stuff that you’re just going to have trust. Whatever. Do you really want to be the guy defending The Adventures of Pluto Nash?