Wednesday, April 22, 2009 -- Culver City, CA -- Studio Nouveau, a cinematic and 3D animation production studio, is pleased to announce their recent completion of the game cinematics for the highly-acclaimed video game RESIDENT EVIL 5 for Capcom, a leading game industry publisher.
Studio Nouveau is an L.A.-based visual effects and animation studio providing 3D animation for film, games and broadcast with access to the most talented Hollywood VFX artists and animators. Studio Nouveau has earned a reputation for exceptional development of motion capture technologies and methods that helps directors become quickly acclimated to working with virtual actors and sets.
Studio Nouveau founder and CEO Frank Bonniwell has worked on blockbuster Hollywood films such as POLAR EXPRESS, MONSTER HOUSE, LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS, and working in the role of Technical Director directly with James Cameron on his film project, AVATAR.
Capcom's RESIDENT EVIL 5 represents the latest installment of the series and boasts the stunning visual quality and engaging gameplay now possible on next-gen video game consoles. The RESIDENT EVIL series has generated global sales of 24 million. RESIDENT EVIL 5 released on March 13, 2009 in Japan, and March 13, 2009 in North America and Europe for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 game consoles.
Studio Nouveau's proprietary motion capture and animation production methodology and pipeline allowed live action director Jim Sonzero (Pulse) to bring traditional directing techniques to the Resident Evil 5 production. Based on Sonzero's needs, Studio Nouveau's technical team developed a pipeline for a virtual camera allowing a digital DP (Director of Photography) to use traditional cinematography methods on the RESIDENT EVIL 5 cinematics.
Bonniwell adds, "It was a great honor and privilege to work with a company of Capcom's stature and history on one of the premiere video game franchises of all time. Here at Studio Nouveau we're all playing Resident Evil 5 and are thrilled to see our work come alive in the game."
Studio Nouveau works on long and short-term projects creating full CG motion capture and hand-key framed film production for live action and animated films, game trailers and cinematics, commercial and broadcast clients and more.
About Capcom Entertainment www.capcom.com An industry leader in the video game industry for 25 years, Capcom's legacy of historic franchises in home and arcade gaming are testaments to an unparalleled commitment to excellence. Blockbuster franchises like RESIDENT EVIL, STREET FIGHTER, LOST PLANET, BREATH OF FIRE and the ever-popular MEGA MAN series set the standard in creative innovation, character development and unsurpassed gameplay. Capcom is involved in all areas of the video game industry and has offices in Tokyo, Osaka, California, England, Germany and Hong Kong.
About Studio Nouveau www.studionouveau.biz Studio Nouveau is a visual effects and 3D animation production studio created to bring a higher level of Hollywood production experience and expertise to companies inside and outside the traditional Hollywood Studio system. With the democratization of digital technology, Studio Nouveau is excited by the possibilities offered in games, new media and independent film production.Watch TV on PC - 12,000 TV Channels and Movies
Sam Mendes was recently asked whether he would be using 3D anytime soon. He replied by saying, “I’ve been doing it for years – it’s called theatre.” Aside from loving the quote and hating him for being married to Kate Winslet it appears that 3D is the way forward.
Bolt, Monsters vs Aliens and soon to be released Avatar the eagerly awaited return to film of Lord Cameron’s 3D versions is going through a renaissance.
Having seen Jaws 3D first time around I’m not surprised it’s taken so long to come back, but it appears that brands are leaping on the bandwagon. Quickly following 3D ads shown during Superbowl is Crest’s “Kiss Me in 3D” which executionally is a massive let down, and very ambitious considering you have to have the glasses to view it online.
More cooler is the new campaign from Dare for BMW Z4 which although isn’t 3D viewing per se (like Bolt) it does allow you to use your webcam to drive the car in 3D.
Similar technology is being used in the launch of Ford Ka that uses your mobile to view a 3D model of the vehicle from a hidden symbol.
I'm going to be merging the "On The Screen" column into the Morning Read on Fridays from now on. It just seemed to make more sense to us, and while today's may be a little weird while I figure out the format, I think in the long run, it'll make for a better Friday read for you guys.
Let's see what's going on out there first, before we get into this weekend's movies. Traditionally speaking, this is the weekend where the studios just plain give up, dumping whatever they don't mind seeing crushed by the arrival of summer's first big movies next week. So it's good we're trying the new format on an off week, so we can be ready for the onslaught of May.
Great interview with Bret Easton Ellis about his feelings on watching his work get adapted into films. Guy sounds ridiculously well-adjusted about it, even when the end result takes the sort of critical pounding that "The Informers" is.
Also thanks to the fine folks at the A/V Club, there's a new Michael McKean interview that's worth a look. I can't believe how many years its been since "Spinal Tap," and yet I'm still fascinated, and these stories about how the songs were written are absolute gold.
Call me crazy, but a TV series based on "Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown" isn't the worst idea I've ever heard. If it manages to capture any of the flavor of what Almodovar does on film, it could be a really welcome antidote to 99.9% of what my wife watches on TV right now, but in a way that would actually keep her watching.
Turns out I do want what I haven't got. I'm not sure when this latest trend of high-value reissues of older CDs caught fire, but lately, it seems like everyone's putting out old albums with new bonus material included. And I know it's a cash grab, of course, but in some cases, I'll shell out, and based on Pitchfork's write-up of the live version of "Troy" that's included in this new edition of "I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got," Sinead O'Connor's biggest album, I think it's going to have to be the next thing I pick up. And if you don't know "Troy" at all, here's a live version that was linked from that article that I hadn't seen before. Pretty great.
I wish I were going to France for Cannes this year, but not just for the festival. I also wish I could go check out all the weird and wonderful tributes to Jacques Tati that appear to be going up all over the city right now. This one in particular just slays me:
If you don't know Tati's work, he's a sublime silent comedy filmmaker who just didn't happen to work in the silent era. His humor is gentle and silly, and even when it is socially pointed, it does it with a sly smile. He didn't leave a giant body of work, but every single one of his films is ripe for rediscovery by new audiences.
I'm sorry I hadn't mentioned this yet, but cinematographer Jack Cardiff passed away earlier this week. Cardiff was, simply put, one of the greats. His work on movies like "A Matter Of Life And Death" or "The Red Shoes" or "The African Queen" or even "Rambo: First Blood Part II" marked him as a remarkable visual artist, painting in bright primary colors in some cases, capable of sculpting with shadow in other cases, but always working to help sell not only the look of a film but the feel of a film. He was one of the great emotional cinematographers, and I can only hope that his work continues to influence young photographers coming up in the business.
The guys over at MarketSaw are completely insane about 3D in general and "Avatar" specifically, so how many copies of the new Empire do you think they've stuck together so far? Specifically, there's a layout of new photos from the production of the film and some interview material that has him geeking out.
I didn't hate the trailer for Rob Zombie's "H2," the sequel to his remake of "Halloween," and that shocks me. I thought his remake was terrible, but I'm actually sort of intrigued by the idea that he's playing with some radical reinventions this time. That's the only way the idea has any value, if you ask me, and this seems like Zombie's figured out that the closer he stays to what Carpenter did, the less scary it's going to be, and the less interesting it is. I may end up hating this movie, too, but at least he's bringing something new to the table.
So it just occurred to me... once the "Ghostbusters" video game comes out and I drop off the map completely, who will post this column? Oh, you think I'm kidding? Well, then, you haven't seen this opening animation from the game, which sets off every nostalgic nerve ending in my body.
It makes me realize that even if "Ghostbusters II" wasn't great, I still wanted them to continue the series. I think it's hard to overstate my love for the entire "Ghostbusters" vibe, and this game looks like they nailed it. And I love that there's a written by credit at the start of the game. Very cool.
Finally, to kick you into the weekend, let's look at what's playing out there right now.
Paramount and Dreamworks have decided to finally release "The Soloist," which was set to be one of the big fall Oscar-contender releases until... you know... they saw it. I'll give them this much... the reaction has been better than I think they expected. There have been some harsh reviews, but our own Greg Ellwood actually enjoyed it and thought it was a solid effort. Robert Downey Jr. and Jamie Foxx star in a story based on a truel-life situation where a reporter for the LA Times met, befriended, and wrote about a schizophrenic street musician. Joe Wright, so heavily hyped after "Atonement" and "Pride and Prejudice," directs.
Disney's doing everything they can to launch their new Disney Nature label, an extension of what they used to do with the True-Life Adventures, which my kid adores on DVD. The first release from the new imprint, "earth," is largely made up of footage from the BBC series "Planet Earth," which is a great BluRay. I'm not sure why they're building the launch of this new film series around material that's basically just repurposed from TV, but I'll bet it looks amazing on the bigscreen.
Gee, I wonder what "Fighting" is about. And more than anything, I wish there was some way for me to find out if there's any fighting in it. I was talking to Devin Faraci about this one the other day, and I think the truth is that Dito Montiel (the writer/director) just annoys me. There's this mannered, swaggering, faux-tough guy thing that certain young filmmakers love to indulge that just plain drives me up a tree. It feels thoroughly inauthentic to me. And Montiel's first film, "A Guide To Recognizing Your Saints," absolutely felt like that to me. As a result, I backed out of my "Fighting" screening at the last moment. It may be someone else's cup of tea, and if you want to see a shirtless Channing Tatum make his way through 86 different fights, then you're probably going to love this movie. And you're also probably my friend Jeff.
Is it just me, or does "Obsessed" look like seventeen different flavors of awesome? It looks terrible, mind you, but awesome-terrible. Ali Larter is the crazy white temp who decides she's going to come between married man Idris Elba and his wife Beyonce Knowles. It may be apocryphal, but I've heard the original title of the film was "No She Didn't," and if they had kept that title, I would be at the theater right now, openly worshipping the trashy genius.
I'm still laughing about how bad the reaction to "The Informers" was at Sundance this year. It sounds like a crazy mess of a film, indulgent and creepy, which is always a possibility when adapting Bret Easton Ellis. With a cast that includes Mickey Rourke, Kim Basinger, Amber Heard, and Billy Bob Thornton, it's going to take an IMAX screen to hold all the goddamn crazy.
James Toback's "Tyson" documentary also screened at Sundance this year, and I've managed to miss it over and over now. I'm fascinated by Mike Tyson, though, and Toback strikes me as a cautionary tale for how to squander the goodwill of the industry, so I'm dying to see what happens when you stick these two strong personalities together. Love him or hate him, Tyson was a major figure in the world of boxing for much of the '80s and '90s, and I'm curious to hear what he has to say for himself these days.
Also hitting screens this weekend, the long-delayed (for good reason) "The Mutant Chronicles," a low-budge SF film that manages to waste both Thomas Jane and Ron Perlman, "Il Divo," an Italian biopic about political corruption, "The Garden," a documentary about the battle over a community garden in South Central Los Angeles, and "Is Anybody There?," the Michael Caine film I mentioned last week, goes wider this weekend so even more people have a chance to see it.
That's it for this week for The Morning Read. I've got to run shoot an interview now for an upcoming BluRay release of a movie I've loved for a loooooooooong time, and then tonight, it's off to boldly go where no one (except for the gazillions of people who have already seen and reviewed it) has gone before.
See you guys here this weekend with some catch-up columns for the Motion/Captured Must-See Project and more.
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Warner Bros. put out a teaser to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone about a year before its release. Columbia did the same with Godzilla. One film was a hit, and the other doesn't even warrant further mention. The point is: big movies get promoted. There's no real rhyme or reason to it—if the movie is supposed to be an event, it gets promoted.
So where's the teaser to Avatar?
In the 12 years since Titanic, James Cameron has created a short-lived and forgettable TV show, produced a handful of documentaries, and even supported one archeologist's assertion that he'd found Jesus' grave. Before Titanic, Cameron had directed five feature films within the same span of time, crowning his achievement with the highest grossing film to date. He's been hard at work over the last two-and-a-half years with what writer Paula Parisi said in 1998 would be the coolest movie ever made.
You'd think Twentieth Century Fox would want to promote the hell out of this thing. The film premieres December 18th.
Supposedly, this IMAX 3D release will utilize the same technology that brought U2-3D to vivid life last year. And if so, this would be a groundbreaking release. A game changer. A James Cameron film. Would this not make great fodder for a 90-second teaser, glimpsing the film’s scope and whetting the appetites of nerds and movie-lovers everywhere?
And yet, eight months out: nothing. Not even a poster.
I recall similar frustration expressed throughout the internets regarding another semi-recent Fox release—The X-Files: I Want to Believe. Creator/director Chris Carter kept a tight lid on the film's production. Fox put out a modest trailer a few months before its July 2008 release. The entire tone of the promotion was eerily reserved. And there's a better than even chance Fox kept it that way because the movie just wasn't all that good.
On the feature front, even the weakest entry in the Cameron library (excluding his Piranha sequel) is still a pretty good flick. You'd think after mowing down the box office with his last film, there'd be a degree of fueled anticipation, but someone somewhere apparently feels otherwise. Which means Avatar may not be all that good either.
Cameron has always faced criticism for putting flair over substance, but his work occasions surprising depth of theme (I'm thinking primarily of The Abyss and Terminator 2). I imagine Avatar would aspire to the same quality. Anyone who had a chance to read the film's treatment before it was pulled off the internet knows the film has big ideas at the helm. The treatment, however, has already received criticism for pushing a heavy environmental message, a topic that’s played a big hand to a number of recent sci-fi films, and to varying results.
This is assuming, of course, the director sticks to his early treatment. Cameron wrote the outline more than a decade ago, and details inevitably get tweaked given that much time to simmer.
Besides, this is all just speculation anyway. Titanic's trailer played at ShoWest about eight months before its December 1997 premiere, if I remember right. Before then, many thought that film would earn a fate worse than its namesake. $601 million later, and the word “titanic” reclaimed its mojo.
The role a trailer plays in the success of a film can vary. Some excellent trailers build buzz for mediocre films; others can thrive with little promotion on the strength of the film alone. The absence of an Avatar trailer affords few clues as to the quality of the actual product. But a glimpse, even a small one, at a film that industry insiders claim will change the face of going to the movies, could only bode well.
Audiences like to get stoked, and getting stoked can only help the film. They say even bad publicity is good publicity, you know. No publicity, however, never worked for anyone.
It's stupendous! It's electrifying! It's amazing! It's a 3D movie (and magazine and TV) epidemic! Yes, the weirdly geeky movie gimmick from the '50s is enjoying a renaissance moment in the 21st century with its new incarnation, Digital 3D! We take a look at the past, present and future for the phenomenon.
Way back when: The jungle movie Bwana Devil(1952) enjoys the distinction of being the first full-length movie filmed in 3D, and it set up a cascade of other films using the technique, including Alfred Hitchcock's Dial M for Murder and Hondo, starring John Wayne. In a nutshell, it allowed moviemakers to take flat two-dimensional scenes and create the illusion of depth. Often, though, the 3D was more for marketing than for moviemaking. Still, it worked to great effect for Creature from the Black Lagoon, which was filmed in Wakulla Springs. The movie was considered by many to be the most memorable 3D movie from this so-called golden era of 3D. The whole craze faded out in the '60s because of the viewing complexity: awkward paper glasses (subject of a memorable Life magazine photo), double synchronized film projectors and silver screens. It just made your head hurt to view a movie that way.
Just when you thought it was safe: 3D reared its double-edged projection again in the early '70s and into the '80s with cheesetastic classics such as Jaws 3D and Friday the 13th — Part 3. Again, the clunky viewing experience proved its demise and it disappeared again.
A dreamer steps in: Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive of Dreamworks, began a big hard pitch to theater and movie industry heavyweights in the past few years to move them toward digitizing more screens because he intended to shoot all of his company's animated features in 3D beginning in 2009. His spiel: 3D can increase the industry's box office take, because theaters could charge as much as $5 more per ticket for 3D films; the technology keeps viewers away from DVDs (3D films can't be seen on disc, yet); and it discourages piracy because 3D movies are harder to record. He had reason to celebrate in early October last year, when five film studios agreed to help cover costs (up to $75,000 per screen) for converting roughly 14,000 screens to digital projection in the next three years.
3D to the max: Now that the technology for showing 3D has caught up with the technology for shooting the entire movie that way, expect an explosion of 3D events headed your way that tout the effect. Among them:
• Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience opened over the first weekend of March at No. 2 with $12.7 million in box office. (But it couldn't match the Hannah Montana 3D concert movie of last year, which had an opening of $31.1 million.)
• Tiger Beat, the iconic teen idol magazine, produced its first 3D issue that hit newsstands this week to celebrate the bros' new movie. Other teen superstars who participated in the 3D photo sessions include singer/actress Demi Lovato, iCarly stars Jennette McCurdy and Nathan Kress, Wizards of Waverly Place star Jake T. Austin and Nickelodeon's musical movie Spectacular! stars Nolan Gerard Funk and Victoria Justice. The issue includes free 3D glasses, and the mag's Web site promises bonus 3D photos online.
• The movie Monsters Vs. Aliens is headed our way March 27, just one of several Digital 3D movies released this year. Also scheduled are James Cameron's Avatar (May 22) Pixar's Up (May 29)and Robert Zemeckis' Christmas Carol (Nov. 6).
Home 3D home: While today's 3D is confined to the movies and to a few special TV episodes (NBC's Chuck last month), technology is gearing up to respond to demand for it for home entertainment. In fact, a study by the Consumer Electronics Association found that 16 percent of consumers are interested in watching 3D movies or TV shows in their home, and 14 percent are interested in playing 3D video games. And those geeky glasses that come with the experience? More than half of U.S. adults said having to wear special glasses or hold their heads still while watching a 3D TV would have no impact on them purchasing a 3D set for their home.
Information from BusinessWeek, the Los Angeles Times, Sensio.com and the Miami Herald was used in this report.
Ever wonder what it was like at the meeting when a classic film was being born? If so, check out the Mystery Man on Film blog, which has posted what is says it a link to the 125-page transcript of the story conference for “Raiders of the Los Ark” that included producer George Lucas, director Steven Spielberg and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan.
Our sister blog, ArtsBeat, has a report about a Los Angeles Superior Court judge who has ruled that author Clive Cussler must pay $13.9 million in legal fees to Crusader Entertainment, which made his “Sahara” into a box-office disaster starring Matthew McConaughey. Mr. Cussler had sued the company, Crusader Entertainment, in 2004, saying it had reneged on a deal to give him script approval, but a jury ruled against the author in 2007, the Associated Press reports.
The Hollywood Reporter has a story asking whether the $55.7 million opening weekend for “Watchmen” should be considered a success or a failure, considering the high expectations for the film. Reuters takes the position that it was a disappointment.
Cinematical.com wonders about the famous names who were not present at the recent Academy Awards - including Jack Nicholson and Javier Bardem - and tells why.
Drew Barrymore confirms that she’s being considered to direct “Eclipse,” the third installment in the “Twilight” series about teenaged vampires. The second installment, “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” is due in November, directed by CHris Weitz.
And the usual casting and acquisitions news…
Variety says documentarian Asger Leth is to make his feature-film directing debut with “Cartel,” a thriller about a man trying to protect his son from Mexican drug cartels, with Sean Penn up for the lead role… DreamWorks Animation has signed a deal to make a computer-animated film out of an upcoming children’s book called “Dinotrux,” about a prehistoric world ruled by creatures that are half truck, half dinosaur… David Ayers, who wrote the film “Training Day,” will write and direct “Last Man,” about soldiers fighting aliens on a distant planet… Columbia has purchased the film rights to the upcoming Robert Goolrick novel, “The Reliable Wife,” about a Wisconsin farmer in 1908 who places a newspaper ad for a mate.
At the Engage! Expo, Yogurt is showing off the engine for its upcoming virtual world, Yogurtistan, with three interesting hooks that may help to set it apart in the increasingly crowded market: Yogurtistan runs in Flash 10 with no other plugins required, but in full 3D with good looking cartoonish characters and customization options; it is partnering with real-world vendors to allow users to spend their virtual currency on physical products; and every time a user spends a virtual Kayme, they gain stock in the company.
"We essentially do the IPO on the first day and sell our company on day one," explained CEO Cemil Türün. "The way to sell our company is to let people buy and spend our currency. If you just keep it, you don’t get anything, so there’s an incentive to spend. That’s a difference from the current economy where there’s an incentive to put it in the bank."
Türün put Yogurtistan's approach in contrast to social services like Twitter or Facebook, where heavy users add value to the service, but, as has been much bemoaned, don't necessarily receive any extra reward.
"It's very Internet," Türün said of the company's plans.
Yogurt is currently working with the SEC of Turkey, where it plans to launch a private beta in early April, but Türün is confident that the ability will come through. The company is aiming for a full launch in December, around the same time as James Cameron's "Avatar," and to take Yogurtistan international once its concept and technology are proven at home.
Alongside the stock options, users may be persuaded to spend their Kaymes simply because of the options available. Yogurtistan is also negotiating deals with banks to let users deposit their money and cash out more easily, something Türün says will come when the world gains traction, but at first it's simply partnering with vendors to accept virtual payments for at least certain items.
So far "10 key vendors" have signed on for Turkey, including its top bank, Gap of Turkey, Diesel of Turkey, and AMC of Turkey.
"If you go and earn free popcorn in the virtual world, you can go to the movie theatre and claim it. You can actually eat your virtual popcorn. And if you watch the movie you’re supposed to, you get 2 tickets for 1," explained Türün.
The company is also negotiating with other partners, like clubs, to offer special access or discounts to Kayme users or Yogurtistan members. For smaller vendors than Gap, the platform includes an API for adding a shop to Yogurtistan or adding its trading system. One perk, says Türün, is that you don't have to walk to every shop across one large virtual world, but each will be included in an easily searchable directory.
For now, though, Yogurt is most excited about its engine. The company has been working on 3D in the browser for some time. It previously was using Flash 9 in combination with Papervision, but wasn't satisified with the results.
Now it runs on Flash 10 and is compatible with OpenGL, which Türün says means it could also eventual work with the iPhone via OpenGL ES. Until then, it also maes it easier for developers to translate their OpenGL games via Yogurt's engine to Flash and for the company to include services like P2P voice and media in its world.
For a browser-based world, it looks like Yogurtistan will also offer a fair amount of customization options. Users will be able to purchase virtual currency, but also earn it by trading or selling with other users. The platform could support anything from a tip jar for VirtualWorldsNews.com, said Türün, to importing animations and virtual good designs from traditional development tools and selling them in-world.
Yogurt is targeting a slightly older demographic than has really been pulled into most worlds (15 or 16 and up), but the lack of a download, appeal of real-world purchases, and custom development options may bring them in. Also, as Türün points out, launching in Turkey may be especially helpful.
"Social spaces are very popular in Turkey. They’re very high in usage, but we don’t have our local examples like this," he said. "I expect to have a lot of use in Turkey first, and once we’re done with the proof of concept and technology, we’ll come to Russia, the U.S., and so on."
Yogurt previously worked as an agency for clients like Coca Cola, but took "more than a million" in funding in 2007 to develop its world. Türün says the company will likely look for more before it finishes development, but that it's on the right track with the original concept still well in place.
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