How the magic gets made
From the crafts and tech masters
‘Star Wars’ X-Wing Fighter, Which Had Been Lost for Decades, Sells for Record $3.1…
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Movies
VFX Labor Issues Addressed at Honors Event: “Without Collective Bargaining, There Will Be No Progress”
The Visual Effects Society honorees included Tim McGovern, Brooke Breton and Bob Coleman.
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Movies
Viral Disney Clip Sparks Ridicule for Something Hollywood Has Done For Years
A scene from 'Prom Pact' shows obviously fake extras sitting next to human background actors.
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Business
Adobe Unwraps AI-Driven Tools, Promises “Accountability, Responsibility and Transparency”
"I don't think [AI] is going to displace creative professionals. ... but I think you will see disruption between the people who figure out how to adopt it well and those who don't," CTO Ely Greenfield told THR at this week's Adobe Max conference.
Hayao Miyazaki’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’ to Open Animation Is Film Festival
Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron from Studio Ghibli will open the 6th edition of the Animation is Film Festival, which will run Oct. 18-22 in Hollywood. And the closing night will mark the Los Angeles premiere of Aardman’s Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget. Presented by Netflix, Dawn of the Nugget will be […]
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The Las Vegas Sphere Is a “Mind-Boggling” Vision of the Future of Entertainment
An instantly iconic addition to Las Vegas’ skyline, Sphere is not only the world’s largest spherical structure but also a technological marvel whose innovations could offer a glimpse of entertainment’s future. The venue near The Venetian will make its long-anticipated debut Sept. 29 with a U2 residency, closely followed by the launch of the first movie […]
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How Will Editors Use AI? The Tech’s Role in Production and Post Scrutinized at IBC
With generative artificial intelligence, all traditional production workflows will be disrupted, said Marco Tempest, a director’s fellow at the MIT Media Lab, of this transformative tech and how it could be used well beyond engineering circles. “I think it’s the first time ever that we’ve been confronted with a technological wave that doesn’t require technologists […]
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Digital Domain Enters Into Partnership With PRG
Visual effects company Digital Domain has entered into a non-exclusive partnership with production tech and services provider PRG (Production Resource Group). Per the “co-brand” agreement, when required for certain projects, the two companies will offer their services as a sort of “one stop shop.” That might include areas such as virtual production, for which PRG […]
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‘Oppenheimer’ VFX House DNEG Responds to Pay Cuts
Days after the lead visual effects house behind Oppenheimer and Dune was reported to be undergoing cost-cutting measures that included pay cuts as high as 25 percent, DNEG is elaborating on those plans. “As we continue to proactively review this difficult situation, we have been consulting closely with our employees and teams across the globe,” […]
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Animated Feature Adaptation of Roald Dahl’s ‘The Twits’ Coming to Netflix in 2025
Netflix’s animated film adaptation of Roald Dahl’s book The Twits is scheduled to come to the streaming service in 2025. Phil Johnston, the Oscar-nominated helmer of Ralph Breaks the Internet, is directing the project, with Katie Shanahan and Todd Demong as co-directors. Johnston, whose writing credits include Academy Award winner Zootopia, is also penning the […]
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‘Dora the Explorer’ Short Film to Play Ahead of ‘Paw Patrol’
Dora and Boots are headed to theaters in a new short film debuting with Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie. Dora and the Fantastical Creatures marks the first time an animated iteration of Dora has hit theaters, following the live-action 2019 feature Dora and the Lost City of Gold, which starred Isabela Merced as Dora. The […]
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Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Tom Hanks Working on AI Likeness Rights With Metaphysic
Generative AI tech firm Metaphysic has finally announced its new system for what it claims could help actors and other individuals to navigate the creation and management of their personal data including their likeness and voice — while saying that early users include Anne Hathaway, Octavia Spencer, Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Paris Hilton and Maria Sharapova. […]
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Hollywood Tech Vets Michael and Peter Cioni Raise $1.9M in Pre-Seed Funding to Launch AI Production Tools Startup
Entertainment tech entrepreneurs Michael and Peter Cioni have raised $1.9 million in pre-seed funding to launch their new company Strada, which is aimed at building an AI-enabled cloud platform with tools for production and postproduction. Announced backers include filmmakers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa (Rabbit Hole, This Is Us, Crazy, Stupid, Love); Jason Fotter, a […]
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Marvel Visual Effects Workers Unanimously Vote “Yes” to Unionize
It’s official: In a unanimous vote, the visual effects employees at Marvel Studios voted to unionize with IATSE in a closely watched election held by the National Labor Relations Board. The vote marks the first time a unit of solely VFX workers has unionized with IATSE. Voting closed on Monday after the International Alliance of […]
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Visual Effects Society Responds to Complaints of Studios Downplaying VFX Work: It’s “Time to Bring VFX Into the Light”
The Visual Effects Society, which represents 4,500 members in 45 countries, asserts that VFX artists “deserve credit where credit is due.” The honorary society issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, in response to THR’s Sept. 1 story titled “VFX Pros Expose the Hidden Costs of Selling a Movie as ‘Real,’” which tackled the trend of […]
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Lost ‘Star Wars’ X-Wing Fighter Up for Auction Decades After Going Missing
A fabled piece of Star Wars history that was lost for decades has resurfaced, and is now the crown jewel of an upcoming auction. An original 20-inch model of an X-wing starfighter used in the climatic space battle in 1977’s Star Wars — believed to be the so-called “missing X-wing” — is part of the […]
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Sony Unwraps New CLED Displays Aimed at Virtual Production
Sony has unwrapped a new ‘Verona’ line of the company’s Crystal LED direct view displays designed for use in virtual production. The tech giant’s cinematic production solutions group has been developing the line (currently four models) with input and feedback from various companies and individuals including cinematographers, though the company only disclosed that Epic Games […]
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ICG to Honor Janusz Kaminski, Stephen Lighthill at Emerging Cinematographers Awards
The International Cinematographers Guild (IATSE Local 600) will honor two of its own during its 25th annual Emerging Cinematographer Awards. Cinematographer and director Janusz Kamiński — who won Oscars for lensing his longtime collaborator Steven Spielberg’s films Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan — will be honored with the Panavision-presented Distinguished Filmmaker Award; and cinematographer […]
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Annapurna Animation Expands With ‘Nimona’ Team; Announces Pair of Upcoming Features
Following the release of its first animated feature, Nimona, Annapurna Animation has brought on director Nick Bruno and producer Julie Zackary to join their creative leadership team while expanding its upcoming feature slate to include an adaptation of video game Stray, along with Foo, an original title from Ice Age helmer and Blue Sky co-founder […]
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VFX Pros Expose The Hidden Costs of Selling a Movie as “Real”
“Everything that we shot is completely practical” said Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part 1 filmmaker Christopher McQuarrie in a behind-the-scenes video about the film’s high-octane Rome-set car chase. Added star and producer Tom Cruise, “we’re doing it right.” The comments continue the trend of filmmakers and studio marketing departments emphasizing how productions do things for […]
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