John Williams: Looking forward to Episode VII
Half the experience of watching a movie is hearing it. In the case of Star Wars, much of the audio portion comes from the composer, John Williams, and the London Symphony Orchestra. Thankfully, Williams will be contributing to the next chapter. Note his enthusiasm from this interview in July 2013:
Video posted online July 27, 2013.
Hunting for Dragon Stones
Mount Pilatus, overlooking Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, has another name: Dragon Mountain. Why? Because dragons were sighted there during the 15th century. Or so it was alleged. The local hotels have capitalized on the legend, inviting visitors to see the cave where the creatures were said to dwell.
In 2011, Tobias Straker of Swissfilmmakers produced a video, “The Search for the Dragon Stone,” featuring a man who—what else?—searches for a rare and valuable Dragon Stone at the Mount Pilatus resort.
Straker reports, “We shot the aerial sequences with the RED ONE last year, the rest was shot on our EPIC (except the night timelapse, which was shot on a 5D Mark II). VFX primarily done in AE (some shots done in Smoke and other apps), Grading in Baselight.”
The video was used in an online game. Those who completed the game can download a voucher good for a discount at one of the mountain’s restaurants. Alas, the game, formerly located at http://www.pilatus-drachenstein.ch/enCH, has since been removed.
The World’s Biggest Hobbit
The Hobbit needs publicity! This December 16, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies will be released to theaters, but first, Peter Jackson and Warner Bros. wants to gather as many people as possible to see it. To this end, they’re sponsoring The Hobbit Fan Fellowship Contest on social media outlets, inviting fans to submit videos of themselves. Here’s one:
Does the World’s Biggest Hobbit stand a chance?
It’s Tough to Live on Dragon Island
How does one cope with bullies? Especially if they’re dragons? On Dragon Island, gentle Norman does his utmost to reform them, but what can he do if they don’t change their violent ways, and his own well-being is threatened?
The answer can be found in Dragon Island, the latest book by Martin Baynton, creator of the Jane and the Dragon series and co-creator of The WotWots. The story is illustrated by his daughter Terri Rose Baynton, author-illustrator of Mr. Bear Branches and the Cloud Conundrum.
So, how do the Bayntons handle the controversial issue of playground violence? With wit. Whimsy. And wonderfully charming illustrations. Like this:
The spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.
For kids, Norman’s solution is perhaps the best they can do on their own. Whereas adults need to apply adult-level measures to address the problem.
Scholastic Books New Zealand launched Dragon Island at the Auckland Storylines Festival, August 31, 2014. Check your online or brick-and-mortar retailer to get your copy.
For the latest information on Dragon Island, visit its Facebook page.
Martin Baynton:
Terri Rose Baynton:
Star Wars Omnibus 1997
In early 1997, the original Star Wars trilogy was re-released with updated special effects, new scenes and additional tweaking. A new documentary was produced in the United Kingdom, Omnibus: George Lucas–Flying Solo, presented by Jo Whiley, featuring interviews with Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, George Lucas, Anthony Daniels, Gloria Katz, Willard Huyck, Francis Ford Coppola, Irvin Kershner, John Plummer, Walter Murch, Ron Howard, and Dennis Muren.
Twenty-two years after his audition, Mark Hamill recalls the following lines, “Fear is their greatest defense. I doubt if the actual security there is any greater than it was on Aquilae or Sullust and what there is is most likely directed towards a large scale assault.”
Thanks to Cine-Mania, the documentary was posted online on August 16, 2014.
Enjoy:
http://youtu.be/F0kjSkll7Y0
