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SIGGRAPH 2019 BACK IN LOS ANGELES JULY 28-AUGUST 1
by Alicia Hollinger
July 26 2019 - Los Angeles
Siggraph the world wide Computer Graphic convention opens its door this year at the Los Angeles Convention Center where it returns after a year in Vancouver and Tokyo. Every two years the conference returns to LA after presenting in Asia and Canada.
As someone who has watched Siggraph blossom over the years, I remember when VR was in the special "Future Technology" section with presenters saying it would be quite a while before VR was capable of being in people's homes. Each year there seems to be new tech that takes over the main exhibit hall, from new CGI advances to mocap to 3D printing to VR and finally a whole section devoted just to VR.
This year, the SIGGRAPH 2019 Immersive Pavilion and VR Theater are debuting with the conference’s largest selection of immersive programming to date, including four world-premiere experiences. There will be both timed VR experiences in the theater and a first come, first served content available.
Debuting this year are the Undersea” experience from Magic Leap in the Immersive Pavilion, “a kite’s tale” from Walt Disney Animation Studios in the VR Theater, “Mary and the Monster: Chapter One” from Parallux and New York University’s Future Reality Lab also in the Immersive Pavilion, and “Il Divino: Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling in VR” from Epic Games.
According to the Immersive Pavilion Chair, Victoria Rege, “With this latest edition, the Immersive Pavilion cements its status as the perfect place to experience, play, and learn about technological advances across the constantly evolving mediums of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality. In addition to fun, quirky projects aimed to entertain, the content our creators will share is often thought-provoking and informative. These platforms are well-positioned as a tool to teach us more about the human experience.”
Chosen by an expert jury from more than 290 submissions, this year’s 33 Immersive Pavilion selections and 15 VR Theater selections are set to impress this year's attendees, which consist primarily of a mixture of artists, tech gurus, entertainment industry folk, educators, researchers and students looking to advance their career.
Immersive content at SIGGRAPH 2019 is available in five distinct venues across two programs. In the Immersive Pavilion, work can be experienced across three physical spaces—the Arcade, Museum, or Village—while the VR Theater offers both five-film, 1-hour screenings daily and individual viewing kiosks. Highlights for each area include:IMMERSIVE PAVILION
Project Jua [Arcade]
Contributors: Brian First, Raymond Ononiwu, Ayuba Audu, and Dunni Abiodun, Microsoft; and, Max Sacker and Ioulia Isserlis, Another World
Project Jua is an interactive VR experience that raises awareness of the impact of not having easy access to electricity, taking the player to a rural farm in Kenya to experience firsthand the challenges of living off the grid to discover an African solar power solution that is improving lives.
Heterotopias [Museum]
Contributors: Szilvia Ruszev and Noa Kaplan, University of Southern California
Heterotopias is an interactive VR experience based on Michel Foucault’s lecture, Des espaces autres. It leverages eye-tracking technology, transforming blinks into cinematic cuts. Suspended in a hanging chair, the user progresses through a series of virtual spaces resembling an abbreviated life cycle – a well, a garden, and a mausoleum.
Being Henry [Village]
Contributor: Sarah Berkovich, independent
After experiencing a stroke that left him paralyzed, Henry Evans uses cutting-edge technology to keep him connected to the things he loves. In this first-person interactive documentary, see the world through Henry’s eyes — and the eyes of his robots.
VR THEATER
Doctor Who: The Runaway [Screenings]
Creator: Mathias Chelebourg, BBC VR Hub, BBC Doctor Who, Passion Animation Studios
Step inside the TARDIS with the Doctor in this beautiful, interactive story from the “Doctor Who” team. Armed with a sonic screwdriver, it is down to you to help the Doctor as she faces the forces of evil, and teenage angst, in this animated, 13-minute VR adventure from the team behind “Doctor Who” Series 11.
MindPalace [Kiosks]
Creators: Carl Krause and Dominik Stockhausen, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
In a last desperate attempt to communicate, a man decides to lock his boyfriend inside his mind. A raging stream of consciousness unfolds, shedding light on a flawed relationship.
As cool as all the immersive experiences sound, Siggraph is also intended for learning. Multiple panels and talks take place throughout the conference.
Alongside a handful of Courses, Production Sessions, and Technical Papers, highlights for games and real-time production content include:
REAL-TIME LIVE!
Real-Time, Single Camera, Digital Human Development
Contributors: Doug Roble, Darren Hendler, Jeremy Buttell, Lonnie Iannazzo, Melissa Cell, Deer Li, Jason Briggs, Chad Reddick, Mark Williams, Lucio Moser, Cydney Wong, Dimitry Kachkovski, Jason Huang, Kai Zhang, David McLean, Rickey Cloudsdale, Dan Milling, Ron Miller, JT Lawrence, and Chinyu Chien, Digital Domain
Digital Domain Virtual Human will demonstrate our state-of-the-art, real-time, live-drive, digital human technology. We will show how photo-real digital humans with realistic facial animation can change the VR/AR experience.
“Reality vs. Illusion” Real-Time Ray Tracing
Contributors: Natalie Burke, Arisa Scott, Natalya Tatarchuk, and Sebastien Lagarde, Unity Technologies
We seamlessly transition from the filmed real-world car to the car ray traced in real-time powered by Unity, demonstrating advanced effects of real-time ray tracing technology in a live demo – dynamic global reflections and GI, multi-layer transparency with refraction, area lights, shadows, ambient occlusion, and more.
IMMERSIVE PAVILION
Il Divino: Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling in VR
Contributors: Christopher Evans, Epic Games
Experience Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling in virtual reality. Move around the space or take a guided tour. Users can also suspend on a virtual scaffold to see the work up close as few have seen it before. The experience will use the all-new Valve INDEX headset.
PANELS
FACS at 40
Panelists: Mike Seymour, University of Sydney and fxguide (moderator); Erika Rosenberg, Stanford University and Erika Rosenberg Consulting; Vladimir Mastilovic, 3Lateral; Mark Sagar, Soul Machines; and, John Peter Lewis, Google AI
The Ethical and Privacy Implications of Mixed Reality
Panelists: Kent Bye, Voices of VR Podcast (moderator); Diane Hosfelt, Mozilla; Matt Miesnieks, 6D.AI; Samantha Mathews Chase, Venn.Agency; and, Taylor Beck, Magic Leap.
TALKS
THRIVE – Foundational Principles & Technologies for the Metaverse
Speaker: Tim Sweeney, Epic Games
Science-fiction notions of “the metaverse” are slowly becoming a reality as products such as Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox bring immersive social experiences to hundreds of millions of people and blur the boundaries between games and social networks. This talk explores the foundational technologies, economies, and freedoms required to build this future medium as a force for good.
Siggraph is always an amazing experience where art meets tech and throws you into a future full of possibilities that previously only existed in dreams or psychedelic experiences!
More info here: Siggraph Events 2019
July 26 2019 - Los Angeles
Siggraph the world wide Computer Graphic convention opens its door this year at the Los Angeles Convention Center where it returns after a year in Vancouver and Tokyo. Every two years the conference returns to LA after presenting in Asia and Canada.
As someone who has watched Siggraph blossom over the years, I remember when VR was in the special "Future Technology" section with presenters saying it would be quite a while before VR was capable of being in people's homes. Each year there seems to be new tech that takes over the main exhibit hall, from new CGI advances to mocap to 3D printing to VR and finally a whole section devoted just to VR.
This year, the SIGGRAPH 2019 Immersive Pavilion and VR Theater are debuting with the conference’s largest selection of immersive programming to date, including four world-premiere experiences. There will be both timed VR experiences in the theater and a first come, first served content available.
Debuting this year are the Undersea” experience from Magic Leap in the Immersive Pavilion, “a kite’s tale” from Walt Disney Animation Studios in the VR Theater, “Mary and the Monster: Chapter One” from Parallux and New York University’s Future Reality Lab also in the Immersive Pavilion, and “Il Divino: Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling in VR” from Epic Games.
According to the Immersive Pavilion Chair, Victoria Rege, “With this latest edition, the Immersive Pavilion cements its status as the perfect place to experience, play, and learn about technological advances across the constantly evolving mediums of augmented, virtual, and mixed reality. In addition to fun, quirky projects aimed to entertain, the content our creators will share is often thought-provoking and informative. These platforms are well-positioned as a tool to teach us more about the human experience.”
Chosen by an expert jury from more than 290 submissions, this year’s 33 Immersive Pavilion selections and 15 VR Theater selections are set to impress this year's attendees, which consist primarily of a mixture of artists, tech gurus, entertainment industry folk, educators, researchers and students looking to advance their career.
Immersive content at SIGGRAPH 2019 is available in five distinct venues across two programs. In the Immersive Pavilion, work can be experienced across three physical spaces—the Arcade, Museum, or Village—while the VR Theater offers both five-film, 1-hour screenings daily and individual viewing kiosks. Highlights for each area include:IMMERSIVE PAVILION
Project Jua [Arcade]
Contributors: Brian First, Raymond Ononiwu, Ayuba Audu, and Dunni Abiodun, Microsoft; and, Max Sacker and Ioulia Isserlis, Another World
Project Jua is an interactive VR experience that raises awareness of the impact of not having easy access to electricity, taking the player to a rural farm in Kenya to experience firsthand the challenges of living off the grid to discover an African solar power solution that is improving lives.
Heterotopias [Museum]
Contributors: Szilvia Ruszev and Noa Kaplan, University of Southern California
Heterotopias is an interactive VR experience based on Michel Foucault’s lecture, Des espaces autres. It leverages eye-tracking technology, transforming blinks into cinematic cuts. Suspended in a hanging chair, the user progresses through a series of virtual spaces resembling an abbreviated life cycle – a well, a garden, and a mausoleum.
Being Henry [Village]
Contributor: Sarah Berkovich, independent
After experiencing a stroke that left him paralyzed, Henry Evans uses cutting-edge technology to keep him connected to the things he loves. In this first-person interactive documentary, see the world through Henry’s eyes — and the eyes of his robots.
VR THEATER
Doctor Who: The Runaway [Screenings]
Creator: Mathias Chelebourg, BBC VR Hub, BBC Doctor Who, Passion Animation Studios
Step inside the TARDIS with the Doctor in this beautiful, interactive story from the “Doctor Who” team. Armed with a sonic screwdriver, it is down to you to help the Doctor as she faces the forces of evil, and teenage angst, in this animated, 13-minute VR adventure from the team behind “Doctor Who” Series 11.
MindPalace [Kiosks]
Creators: Carl Krause and Dominik Stockhausen, Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg
In a last desperate attempt to communicate, a man decides to lock his boyfriend inside his mind. A raging stream of consciousness unfolds, shedding light on a flawed relationship.
As cool as all the immersive experiences sound, Siggraph is also intended for learning. Multiple panels and talks take place throughout the conference.
Alongside a handful of Courses, Production Sessions, and Technical Papers, highlights for games and real-time production content include:
REAL-TIME LIVE!
Real-Time, Single Camera, Digital Human Development
Contributors: Doug Roble, Darren Hendler, Jeremy Buttell, Lonnie Iannazzo, Melissa Cell, Deer Li, Jason Briggs, Chad Reddick, Mark Williams, Lucio Moser, Cydney Wong, Dimitry Kachkovski, Jason Huang, Kai Zhang, David McLean, Rickey Cloudsdale, Dan Milling, Ron Miller, JT Lawrence, and Chinyu Chien, Digital Domain
Digital Domain Virtual Human will demonstrate our state-of-the-art, real-time, live-drive, digital human technology. We will show how photo-real digital humans with realistic facial animation can change the VR/AR experience.
“Reality vs. Illusion” Real-Time Ray Tracing
Contributors: Natalie Burke, Arisa Scott, Natalya Tatarchuk, and Sebastien Lagarde, Unity Technologies
We seamlessly transition from the filmed real-world car to the car ray traced in real-time powered by Unity, demonstrating advanced effects of real-time ray tracing technology in a live demo – dynamic global reflections and GI, multi-layer transparency with refraction, area lights, shadows, ambient occlusion, and more.
IMMERSIVE PAVILION
Il Divino: Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling in VR
Contributors: Christopher Evans, Epic Games
Experience Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling in virtual reality. Move around the space or take a guided tour. Users can also suspend on a virtual scaffold to see the work up close as few have seen it before. The experience will use the all-new Valve INDEX headset.
PANELS
FACS at 40
Panelists: Mike Seymour, University of Sydney and fxguide (moderator); Erika Rosenberg, Stanford University and Erika Rosenberg Consulting; Vladimir Mastilovic, 3Lateral; Mark Sagar, Soul Machines; and, John Peter Lewis, Google AI
The Ethical and Privacy Implications of Mixed Reality
Panelists: Kent Bye, Voices of VR Podcast (moderator); Diane Hosfelt, Mozilla; Matt Miesnieks, 6D.AI; Samantha Mathews Chase, Venn.Agency; and, Taylor Beck, Magic Leap.
TALKS
THRIVE – Foundational Principles & Technologies for the Metaverse
Speaker: Tim Sweeney, Epic Games
Science-fiction notions of “the metaverse” are slowly becoming a reality as products such as Fortnite, Minecraft, and Roblox bring immersive social experiences to hundreds of millions of people and blur the boundaries between games and social networks. This talk explores the foundational technologies, economies, and freedoms required to build this future medium as a force for good.
Siggraph is always an amazing experience where art meets tech and throws you into a future full of possibilities that previously only existed in dreams or psychedelic experiences!
More info here: Siggraph Events 2019
MAGIC LEAP DEMOS AT SIGGRAPH 2019
by Alicia Hollinger
July 26, 2019 - Los Angeles
Magic Leap offers a "spatial computing experience" at this year's Siggraph and as geeky as that may sound, it will most likely be a breathtaking experience that those who don't know a hard drive from a motherboard can enjoy.
The company will present “Undersea," a room-scale, Spatial Computing experience through which users can relax and observe underwater life in a dynamically generated, coral reef biome. Distinct vistas and sea creatures presented in a photo-real art style, will allow viewers an opportunity to experience a magical under water world as never seen before.
"Undersea" brings a room to life with breathtaking underwater landscapes in an interactive reef experience, and allows us to focus on pushing the boundaries of graphic fidelity within Spatial Computing,” said Dan Lehrich, VP of Production at Magic Leap. “With each Magic Leap Studios project on Magic Leap One, we expand the ever-evolving potential of immersive experiences. The opportunity to work at the bleeding edge of what’s possible and pioneer on a brand-new platform is what motivates us, and we hope to inspire other creatives to push the boundaries and explore alongside us.”
“Spatial Computing is increasingly becoming the norm in experiential entertainment. The quality and interactivity displayed through ‘Undersea’ is a breathtaking look at how this art form is thriving,” noted SIGGRAPH 2019 Immersive Pavilion Chair Victoria Rege.
Magic Leap Studios, where “Undersea” was first realized, is a content creation studio within Magic Leap with the aim of creating high-caliber content in the new medium of Spatial Computing. Magic Leap Studios is charged with creating unique, compelling content that would only be possible with Spatial Computing, in tandem with rapidly evolving hardware and software. View a sneak peek of the experience.
Experience Hall & Immersive Pavilion Hours
Sunday, July 28, 1:30-5:30 pm
Monday, July 29, 10 am-5:30 pm
Tuesday, July 30, 10 am-5:30 pm
Wednesday, July 31, 10 am-5:30 pm
Thursday, August 1, 10 am–3:30 pm
UnderseaDATES: Sunday, July 28 - Thursday, August 1
LOCATION: Experience Hall: Immersive Pavilion - Village
Magic Leap will also be presenting MIKA, an interactive AI character, the story of Frankenstein through the eyes of a young Mary Shelley, NITRO SANDBOX, a remote control car for a spin around a virtual obstacle course in this spatial computing game. Using motion controls and hand gestures, you can steer the car by line of sight or by switching to the car’s point of view.
At Booth 15, SIGGRAPH Garage, Hall H Northeast Corner you can see some of the ways spatial computing is transforming the world of business, with spatial building construction, photorealistic floor plan and aircraft visualization, true-to-life spatial product rendering and an industrial drill press operation tutorial. OK, sometimes it gets a little geeky...
July 26, 2019 - Los Angeles
Magic Leap offers a "spatial computing experience" at this year's Siggraph and as geeky as that may sound, it will most likely be a breathtaking experience that those who don't know a hard drive from a motherboard can enjoy.
The company will present “Undersea," a room-scale, Spatial Computing experience through which users can relax and observe underwater life in a dynamically generated, coral reef biome. Distinct vistas and sea creatures presented in a photo-real art style, will allow viewers an opportunity to experience a magical under water world as never seen before.
"Undersea" brings a room to life with breathtaking underwater landscapes in an interactive reef experience, and allows us to focus on pushing the boundaries of graphic fidelity within Spatial Computing,” said Dan Lehrich, VP of Production at Magic Leap. “With each Magic Leap Studios project on Magic Leap One, we expand the ever-evolving potential of immersive experiences. The opportunity to work at the bleeding edge of what’s possible and pioneer on a brand-new platform is what motivates us, and we hope to inspire other creatives to push the boundaries and explore alongside us.”
“Spatial Computing is increasingly becoming the norm in experiential entertainment. The quality and interactivity displayed through ‘Undersea’ is a breathtaking look at how this art form is thriving,” noted SIGGRAPH 2019 Immersive Pavilion Chair Victoria Rege.
Magic Leap Studios, where “Undersea” was first realized, is a content creation studio within Magic Leap with the aim of creating high-caliber content in the new medium of Spatial Computing. Magic Leap Studios is charged with creating unique, compelling content that would only be possible with Spatial Computing, in tandem with rapidly evolving hardware and software. View a sneak peek of the experience.
Experience Hall & Immersive Pavilion Hours
Sunday, July 28, 1:30-5:30 pm
Monday, July 29, 10 am-5:30 pm
Tuesday, July 30, 10 am-5:30 pm
Wednesday, July 31, 10 am-5:30 pm
Thursday, August 1, 10 am–3:30 pm
UnderseaDATES: Sunday, July 28 - Thursday, August 1
LOCATION: Experience Hall: Immersive Pavilion - Village
Magic Leap will also be presenting MIKA, an interactive AI character, the story of Frankenstein through the eyes of a young Mary Shelley, NITRO SANDBOX, a remote control car for a spin around a virtual obstacle course in this spatial computing game. Using motion controls and hand gestures, you can steer the car by line of sight or by switching to the car’s point of view.
At Booth 15, SIGGRAPH Garage, Hall H Northeast Corner you can see some of the ways spatial computing is transforming the world of business, with spatial building construction, photorealistic floor plan and aircraft visualization, true-to-life spatial product rendering and an industrial drill press operation tutorial. OK, sometimes it gets a little geeky...
VR NEWS & EVENTS
SIGGRAPH 2017 BLASTS OFF IN DOWNTOWN LA
by Alicia Hollinger
July 31 2017- Los Angeles - SIGGRAPH 2017 starts out this year with parties and announcements from the Foundry "All Stars" at the theater at the Ace Hotel and AMD Capsaicin at the NOVO.
The Foundry hosted its "All Stars event" with talent from Industrial Light & Magic, Weta Digital, Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures Animation, Animal Logic, Double Negative, Blur, Spin VFX and id Software discussing their work on some of their biggest projects of the year. The Foundry will be showcasing its software at its booth #309 and Dr. Jon Starck, Head of Research, will present in a VR panel "Video for Virtual Reality" at the SIGGRAPH LACC room with other industry experts. Starck and Senior Product Manager, Christy Anzelmo will host an evening at a CARA VR Meet up on Wednesday August 2 at the JW Marriott with the help of the rest of the Foundry team to discuss Cara's latest features and their vision of the future of VR and 360 video.
The AMD Capsaicin event started with a rather long but impressive presentation of their newest products for gamers and pros, bringing rendering speeds to new unprecedented heights. The evening ended in a fun catered party with open bar, much deserved after the two hour and 18 minute presentation! The full presentation can be seen here, maybe grab a drink and a snack first...
July 31 2017- Los Angeles - SIGGRAPH 2017 starts out this year with parties and announcements from the Foundry "All Stars" at the theater at the Ace Hotel and AMD Capsaicin at the NOVO.
The Foundry hosted its "All Stars event" with talent from Industrial Light & Magic, Weta Digital, Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures Animation, Animal Logic, Double Negative, Blur, Spin VFX and id Software discussing their work on some of their biggest projects of the year. The Foundry will be showcasing its software at its booth #309 and Dr. Jon Starck, Head of Research, will present in a VR panel "Video for Virtual Reality" at the SIGGRAPH LACC room with other industry experts. Starck and Senior Product Manager, Christy Anzelmo will host an evening at a CARA VR Meet up on Wednesday August 2 at the JW Marriott with the help of the rest of the Foundry team to discuss Cara's latest features and their vision of the future of VR and 360 video.
The AMD Capsaicin event started with a rather long but impressive presentation of their newest products for gamers and pros, bringing rendering speeds to new unprecedented heights. The evening ended in a fun catered party with open bar, much deserved after the two hour and 18 minute presentation! The full presentation can be seen here, maybe grab a drink and a snack first...
Computing is truly at a new level with the right RAID configuration!
by Alicia Hollinger
July 28 2017- Los Angeles
Unity comes to Los Angeles for the upcoming SIGGRAPH 2017 Conference and Exhibition, July 31 to Aug 3, announcing its presence at the show with talks at the Unity booth where you can learn from their Unity devs, experts and partners, view presentations and get demos on how Unity can empower you to create great games and interactive content. Full schedule and more info here.
You can go Unity Central (room 503) to hear Unity developers, partners, and experts present advanced techniques, get a peek behind the scenes at cutting-edge 2D, 3D, and VR projects, and be inspired by avant-garde digital creation.
New Global Research Fellowship Program for Machine Learning: Diana Ford, Global External Research Lead discusses how the new initiative addresses deep learning in the next generation of game development workflows. Learn how you can get involved with the Unity Machine Learning Group and Unity Labs to work on some of the related problems and solutions. Learn about the new program. 10% discount on Unity for first booth visitors
The first 1,000 visitors to the Unity booth at SIGGRAPH will get a 10% discount code off of Unity Plus or Pro. The coupon code is good for one seat only. Offer expires August 31, 2017.
July 28 2017- Los Angeles
Unity comes to Los Angeles for the upcoming SIGGRAPH 2017 Conference and Exhibition, July 31 to Aug 3, announcing its presence at the show with talks at the Unity booth where you can learn from their Unity devs, experts and partners, view presentations and get demos on how Unity can empower you to create great games and interactive content. Full schedule and more info here.
You can go Unity Central (room 503) to hear Unity developers, partners, and experts present advanced techniques, get a peek behind the scenes at cutting-edge 2D, 3D, and VR projects, and be inspired by avant-garde digital creation.
New Global Research Fellowship Program for Machine Learning: Diana Ford, Global External Research Lead discusses how the new initiative addresses deep learning in the next generation of game development workflows. Learn how you can get involved with the Unity Machine Learning Group and Unity Labs to work on some of the related problems and solutions. Learn about the new program. 10% discount on Unity for first booth visitors
The first 1,000 visitors to the Unity booth at SIGGRAPH will get a 10% discount code off of Unity Plus or Pro. The coupon code is good for one seat only. Offer expires August 31, 2017.
VR AT COMIC-CON 2017
by Alicia Hollinger
July 19 2017 - San Diego
The biggest comic book convention in the world, San Diego Comic-Con, has been expanding every year, almost into another universe. No longer just about comic books, the mega-con explodes with blockbuster movies, TV, and now VR with a whole "VR Con" that has expanded into the Futurism & Tech Pavilion July 19-23 at the Omni Hotel, across from the Convention Center.
A hot spot for a wide range of VR and AR experiences, VR Con brought attractions and demos from major studios including Paramount Pictures and NBC Universal, as well as a variety of demos, and art exhibits with immersive VR. The Black Eyed Peas showed off their new AR experience based on the graphic novel “Masters of the Sun – The Zombie Chronicles” (Marvel). VR spread throughout the con this year. Deadpool, Netflix's Stranger Things and a Blade Runner Los Angeles’ future in 2049 could also be experienced in VR. Marvel and Oculus debuted their big-budget VR game that allows you to control iconic characters with Marvel Powers United VR as comic books expand into the newest hottest media.
The 2017 VR Con doubled in size from last year's inaugural event to over 10,000 square feet.
Blade Runner 2049 and Netflix's Stranger Things trailers
by Alicia Hollinger
August 5th 2016 - Los Angeles
The VRLA Expo is bigger than ever this year, a two day event filled with panels, speakers, education and of course, the best part, the demos!
Story here: VRLA
August 5th 2016 - Los Angeles
The VRLA Expo is bigger than ever this year, a two day event filled with panels, speakers, education and of course, the best part, the demos!
Story here: VRLA
INSIDE "KNIGHT OF CUPS" STARRING CHRISTIAN BALE, CATE BLANCHETT AND NATALIE PORTMAN
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WHAT WAS HOT AT SIGGRAPH? VR (VIRTUAL REALITY,) 3D PRINTING AND MOTION CAPTURE, OH MY!
VICON SHOWS OFF THEIR VR TECHNOLOGY THAT IMMERSES YOU IN AN EGYPTIAN TOMB AS A LIVE AVATAR - THE HOLODECK IS HERE!
ARE WE ALONE? WEEK MAKES CONTACT
THIS MARCH ON THE SCIENCE CHANNEL
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BATTLESTAR GALACTICA'S TRICIA HELFER HONORED AT KITTY BUNGALOW CATBARET
Tricia Helfer talks about her love of cats and the importance of rescuing strays
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THE 2013 SATURN AWARDS FOR SCIENCE FICTION, FANTASY & HORROR
Noah Wyle & Joss Whedon on the Red Carpet Saturn Awards 2013
WB TV GETS ITS GEEK ON AT COMIC-CON 2013 WITH THE BIG BANG THEORY, SUPERNATURAL, KEVIN WILLIAMSON, 17 SHOWS TOTAL
Catch the Big Bang Theory Panel at Comic-Con!
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ADULT SWIM ERECTS FUNHOUSE OUTSIDE OF CONVENTION CENTER FOR COMIC-CON 2013 PANELS & EVENTS
Adult Swim Promises Fun Times in FunHouse Outside Comic-Con 2013 Convention Center Chaos
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DOWNLOADED--WHAT REALLY HAPPENED TO NAPSTER
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JOHN GOODMAN & BILLY CRYSTAL GET TO BE YOUNG AGAIN AS STUDENTS AT MONSTERS UNIVERSITY
John Goodman & Billy Crystal talk about working on Monsters University
WHAT REALLY HAPPENS ON THE CARPET AT PREMIERES
Click image, then scroll down to the bottom on the page for inside the blue carpet video!
E3 2013 NEWS HERE
J.J. ABRAMS ASKS ASTRONAUTS ABOUT UFOS AS NASA CONNECTS SPACE STATION AND "STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS" TALENT
LA HORROR FEST TO LAUNCH THIS WEEKEND OCT. 26TH & 27TH AT RALEIGH STUDIOS
LOS ANGELES 3D FILM FESTIVAL OPENS SEPTEMBER 20
KEVIN EASTMAN'S "WAR OF THE WORLDS: GOLIATH" OPENS AT 3D FILM FESTIVAL
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MONSTERS UNIVERSITY BEHIND THE SCENES INTERVIEWS
NATHAN FILLION THINKS HE'S A NERD? UMMM... YEAH, RIGHT.
 Nathan Fillion talks about his role in Monsters University
"I was a geek, I was pretty nerdy, but I looked mainstream," says Fillion SWEDISH AFFAIR ROCKED THE ROCKSTAR MANSION PRE-E3 2013
E3 2013 - MICROSOFT UNVEILS ITS NEWEST XBOX GAMES: GUNS, EXPLOSIONS, BLOOD, OH MY!
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COMIC-CON 2012 NEWS!
COMIC-CON 2012 IS JULY 12-15!
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TOP HEADLINES
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SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE TRAILER
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SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE RELEASE ON BLU-RAY, DVD, ULTRA VIOLET AND ON DEMAND
Award-winning comics writer Joe Kelly has crafted an engaging,
thought-provoking, action-packed thriller in adapting his 2001 Action
Comics #775 classic tale (“What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice & the
American Way”) into SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE, the latest DC Comics
Premiere Movie.
Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros.
Animation, the all-new, PG-13 rated SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE arrives
from Warner Home Video as a Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD, On Demand and for Download. Both the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD will include an UltraViolet™ Digital Copy.
In SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE, Superman's effectiveness as a super hero
comes into question when a new group of super powerful crusaders,
known as "The Elite," appear on the scene. As super heroes, the Elite
know no bounds, and are more than willing to kill, even on a massive
scale, to stop villainy -- putting them on a collision course with the
ever-ethical and decidedly non-lethal Man of Steel.
“What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way” was lauded
by Wizard Magazine as the “Greatest Superman Story of All Time,” and
the magazine ranked the epic tale at No. 21 on its list of the “Top
100 Comics of the last 30 years.” It is arguably Kelly’s masterwork
from a career of notable comics, including such titles as Deadpool,
Uncanny X-Men, Action Comics and JLA.
Today, Kelly is one-fourth of the comics-oriented quartet known as Man
of Action Studios. The group are superstars in the comic and TV
animation/action world already as the creators/producers and writers
of the megahit, Ben 10. Their Ben 10 empire has generated over three
billion dollars in sales based on their four television series and
merchandising and now Joel Silver is producing a feature film
adaptation of their creation. Ben 10, arguably the most successful
youth brand and superhero franchise of the last decade, has also
launched two live-action TV movies and is seen in more than 168
countries and 312 million households. Man of Action Studios also
created Generator Rex, write/produce Ultimate Spider-Man on Disney XD,
and they create/write/produce video games, TV shows, films, comic
books, graphic novels, stage productions, etc. Joining Kelly at Man
of Action Studios, which began in 2000, are renowned writers Duncan
Rouleau, Joe Casey and Steven T. Seagle. The quartet are now in
development/production on numerous TV and film projects including The
Great Unknown, Kafka, Disco Destroyer and, of course, Superman vs. The
Elite. They proudly have their own Man of Action imprint at Image
Comics, where they continue to flourish in the creator-owned comics
world.
Kelly spoke about the creation of the film, the transition from page
to screen, and his favorite scenes in a chat late last week. Here’s
what the wordsmith had to say …
QUESTION:
For the uninitiated, what was the genesis for the original story of this comic?
JOE KELLY:
The germ for the story really came from a very visceral reaction I had
to a comic I was reading at the time – The Authority. It was a dark
anti-hero comic. I really like the Authority and its characters, but
there was an issue in particular that felt like it had pushed the
boundaries of what makes a hero and what makes anti-hero. I found
myself getting ‘fanboy mad,’ which I don’t normally get. We had an
anniversary issue, and I asked Eddie (Berganza) if we could directly
address those characters. I wanted Superman to take those characters
on. And that became the germ for Action Comics 775.
QUESTION:
As Action Comics #775 was a single issue, how much did you need to add
to the story to make it a full-length film?
JOE KELLY:
We wrote a lot of new content for the film, and it was funny looking
back at the comic because I forgot how much is discussed rather than
shown. There’s so much going on between the panels. So it was very
exciting to get to see the action sequences that were just hinted at.
I’d always seen them in my head, now I get to see them played out in
animation.
QUESTION:
What was the purpose of adding the Atomic Skull to the story?
JOE KELLY:
We knew we needed a villain or a character that would externalize
Manchester Black’s argument against the revolving door jail policy. We
wanted that parallel to be personal and easily identifiable.
Originally it was the Parasite, but he’d been used in a recent
previous film, so it became the Atomic Skull. And I really thought the
Atomic Skull came out very cool. He worked well visually and for the
story. Not having Parasite meant we lost a smidgen of the thematic
approach – the Parasite really fit well in terms of his name and what
he does to the people around him. But that’s just being picky.
QUESTION:
Do you have a favorite scene in SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE?
JOE KELLY:
I’m especially proud of the quiet scenes. It’s very difficult to get
quiet emotion in animation and to let the silence actually play on
screen. But when you look at the quiet scenes in this film -- Pa Kent
and Clark on the porch, or Lois and Clark on the couch – those scenes
really give us the chance to see Superman questioning himself with the
people he trusts the most. And those scenes play beautifully in the
film.
It’s like in one of my favorite scenes – just before the Elite takes
over the airwaves and makes their grand announcement. I think it’s in
the original, but it really came to life for me in the film. Lois and
Clark are having a little debate, and he asks if she believes that
criminals deserve the Elite’s sense of justice and punishment. And she
says “Some days I think they do.” That’s just like a punch in the gut.
It’s really an awesome scene, especially because it’s one of those
moments in animation that you don’t expect. The big battle with the
Atomic Skull is pretty great, too. And the finale is awesome. But I
love the quiet moments.
QUESTION:
Whose sense of justice do you side with: the Elite or Superman?
JOE KELLY:
I’m definitely more in the Superman camp. There are plenty of people I
get angry about, and the eye-for-an-eye mentality does flash though my
head. I think it does for anybody. But at the end of the day, I do
believe we need to aspire to higher ideals. Maybe I’m being naïve, and
I may not be able to achieve those ideals myself, but we must make the
attempt. You’ve got to try. My dad was a cop and he had very strong
opinions about this stuff, but he would straddle the line. He had his
days when he’d think “kill them all and let God sort them out,” but
there were far more days where he believed that the law is the law,
even if its broken, and we live in the best country on Earth because
of those laws. So that definitely informed my weird sense of justice.
QUESTION:
Did the voices of the actors portraying these characters match the
voices in your head while writing the film?
JOE KELLY:
The voice acting is so good in this film. Robin (Atkin Downes) is such
a good Manchester. He’s got all the snark and all the personality, and
his line deliveries are so spot on for that guy. It’s funny because
everybody says the same thing: you can’t do an actual Manchester
accent and expect to be understood, but Robin’s modified Mancunian
accent is awesome. And understandable. The rest of the Elite’s voices
are perfect: Menagerie is scary and sexy; Coldcast wears his “angry
man” on his sleeve; and everyone giggles when The Hat comes on. I
can’t say enough about George (Newbern) – I had heard his acting
before, and he does such a great Superman. It’s terrific to see George
portray the range of emotion he gets to do in this story. And Pauley
(Perrette) so knocked it out of the park – I was immediately in love
with Lois. Pauley gets all the smarts of the character. The two of
them as a partnership really comes across, which is critical to the
story. Lois keeps Clark grounded, and she’s literally the only one
that can tug on Superman’s cape. Lois can bust his chops, and that
comes through in Pauley’s voice. She’s terrific in the quiet moments,
as well. Pauley sells it all so, so well.
QUESTION:
Are there other stories you’ve written as comics that you could see
adapting to animation?
JOE KELLY:
In the DC realm, I’m very proud of “Justice League Elite” because the
characters that pick up from this story are darker and very layered.
It’s all about how messy you can get before you become a monster. I
love that theme. If we could ever pull off “Justice League Obsidian,”
that would be amazing – it’s just an insane, gigantic epic, and to see
those characters animated would be incredible.
thought-provoking, action-packed thriller in adapting his 2001 Action
Comics #775 classic tale (“What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice & the
American Way”) into SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE, the latest DC Comics
Premiere Movie.
Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros.
Animation, the all-new, PG-13 rated SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE arrives
from Warner Home Video as a Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD, On Demand and for Download. Both the Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD will include an UltraViolet™ Digital Copy.
In SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE, Superman's effectiveness as a super hero
comes into question when a new group of super powerful crusaders,
known as "The Elite," appear on the scene. As super heroes, the Elite
know no bounds, and are more than willing to kill, even on a massive
scale, to stop villainy -- putting them on a collision course with the
ever-ethical and decidedly non-lethal Man of Steel.
“What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice & the American Way” was lauded
by Wizard Magazine as the “Greatest Superman Story of All Time,” and
the magazine ranked the epic tale at No. 21 on its list of the “Top
100 Comics of the last 30 years.” It is arguably Kelly’s masterwork
from a career of notable comics, including such titles as Deadpool,
Uncanny X-Men, Action Comics and JLA.
Today, Kelly is one-fourth of the comics-oriented quartet known as Man
of Action Studios. The group are superstars in the comic and TV
animation/action world already as the creators/producers and writers
of the megahit, Ben 10. Their Ben 10 empire has generated over three
billion dollars in sales based on their four television series and
merchandising and now Joel Silver is producing a feature film
adaptation of their creation. Ben 10, arguably the most successful
youth brand and superhero franchise of the last decade, has also
launched two live-action TV movies and is seen in more than 168
countries and 312 million households. Man of Action Studios also
created Generator Rex, write/produce Ultimate Spider-Man on Disney XD,
and they create/write/produce video games, TV shows, films, comic
books, graphic novels, stage productions, etc. Joining Kelly at Man
of Action Studios, which began in 2000, are renowned writers Duncan
Rouleau, Joe Casey and Steven T. Seagle. The quartet are now in
development/production on numerous TV and film projects including The
Great Unknown, Kafka, Disco Destroyer and, of course, Superman vs. The
Elite. They proudly have their own Man of Action imprint at Image
Comics, where they continue to flourish in the creator-owned comics
world.
Kelly spoke about the creation of the film, the transition from page
to screen, and his favorite scenes in a chat late last week. Here’s
what the wordsmith had to say …
QUESTION:
For the uninitiated, what was the genesis for the original story of this comic?
JOE KELLY:
The germ for the story really came from a very visceral reaction I had
to a comic I was reading at the time – The Authority. It was a dark
anti-hero comic. I really like the Authority and its characters, but
there was an issue in particular that felt like it had pushed the
boundaries of what makes a hero and what makes anti-hero. I found
myself getting ‘fanboy mad,’ which I don’t normally get. We had an
anniversary issue, and I asked Eddie (Berganza) if we could directly
address those characters. I wanted Superman to take those characters
on. And that became the germ for Action Comics 775.
QUESTION:
As Action Comics #775 was a single issue, how much did you need to add
to the story to make it a full-length film?
JOE KELLY:
We wrote a lot of new content for the film, and it was funny looking
back at the comic because I forgot how much is discussed rather than
shown. There’s so much going on between the panels. So it was very
exciting to get to see the action sequences that were just hinted at.
I’d always seen them in my head, now I get to see them played out in
animation.
QUESTION:
What was the purpose of adding the Atomic Skull to the story?
JOE KELLY:
We knew we needed a villain or a character that would externalize
Manchester Black’s argument against the revolving door jail policy. We
wanted that parallel to be personal and easily identifiable.
Originally it was the Parasite, but he’d been used in a recent
previous film, so it became the Atomic Skull. And I really thought the
Atomic Skull came out very cool. He worked well visually and for the
story. Not having Parasite meant we lost a smidgen of the thematic
approach – the Parasite really fit well in terms of his name and what
he does to the people around him. But that’s just being picky.
QUESTION:
Do you have a favorite scene in SUPERMAN VS. THE ELITE?
JOE KELLY:
I’m especially proud of the quiet scenes. It’s very difficult to get
quiet emotion in animation and to let the silence actually play on
screen. But when you look at the quiet scenes in this film -- Pa Kent
and Clark on the porch, or Lois and Clark on the couch – those scenes
really give us the chance to see Superman questioning himself with the
people he trusts the most. And those scenes play beautifully in the
film.
It’s like in one of my favorite scenes – just before the Elite takes
over the airwaves and makes their grand announcement. I think it’s in
the original, but it really came to life for me in the film. Lois and
Clark are having a little debate, and he asks if she believes that
criminals deserve the Elite’s sense of justice and punishment. And she
says “Some days I think they do.” That’s just like a punch in the gut.
It’s really an awesome scene, especially because it’s one of those
moments in animation that you don’t expect. The big battle with the
Atomic Skull is pretty great, too. And the finale is awesome. But I
love the quiet moments.
QUESTION:
Whose sense of justice do you side with: the Elite or Superman?
JOE KELLY:
I’m definitely more in the Superman camp. There are plenty of people I
get angry about, and the eye-for-an-eye mentality does flash though my
head. I think it does for anybody. But at the end of the day, I do
believe we need to aspire to higher ideals. Maybe I’m being naïve, and
I may not be able to achieve those ideals myself, but we must make the
attempt. You’ve got to try. My dad was a cop and he had very strong
opinions about this stuff, but he would straddle the line. He had his
days when he’d think “kill them all and let God sort them out,” but
there were far more days where he believed that the law is the law,
even if its broken, and we live in the best country on Earth because
of those laws. So that definitely informed my weird sense of justice.
QUESTION:
Did the voices of the actors portraying these characters match the
voices in your head while writing the film?
JOE KELLY:
The voice acting is so good in this film. Robin (Atkin Downes) is such
a good Manchester. He’s got all the snark and all the personality, and
his line deliveries are so spot on for that guy. It’s funny because
everybody says the same thing: you can’t do an actual Manchester
accent and expect to be understood, but Robin’s modified Mancunian
accent is awesome. And understandable. The rest of the Elite’s voices
are perfect: Menagerie is scary and sexy; Coldcast wears his “angry
man” on his sleeve; and everyone giggles when The Hat comes on. I
can’t say enough about George (Newbern) – I had heard his acting
before, and he does such a great Superman. It’s terrific to see George
portray the range of emotion he gets to do in this story. And Pauley
(Perrette) so knocked it out of the park – I was immediately in love
with Lois. Pauley gets all the smarts of the character. The two of
them as a partnership really comes across, which is critical to the
story. Lois keeps Clark grounded, and she’s literally the only one
that can tug on Superman’s cape. Lois can bust his chops, and that
comes through in Pauley’s voice. She’s terrific in the quiet moments,
as well. Pauley sells it all so, so well.
QUESTION:
Are there other stories you’ve written as comics that you could see
adapting to animation?
JOE KELLY:
In the DC realm, I’m very proud of “Justice League Elite” because the
characters that pick up from this story are darker and very layered.
It’s all about how messy you can get before you become a monster. I
love that theme. If we could ever pull off “Justice League Obsidian,”
that would be amazing – it’s just an insane, gigantic epic, and to see
those characters animated would be incredible.
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