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'Elite Squad' Blu-ray Dated[teaser]José Padilha's 2007 crime thriller also known as 'Tropa de Elite' will hit Blu-ray next Valentine's Day. [/teaser] In an early announcement to retailers, New Video Group has revealed 'elite Squad' for a high-definition release on February 14. The Golden Bear Award winner at the Berlin International Film Festival is the highest-grossing film in Brazil history and will have a U.S. theatrical release on November 11 at the AMC Empire 25 in New York City as well as November 18 at Laemmle's Sunset 5 in Los Angeles. Specs and supplements haven't been revealed yet, but suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $34.95. You can find the latest specs for 'Elite Squad' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under February 14.Posted Mon Oct 24, 2011 at 06:00 AM PDT by: -
HDD Deal of the Week: 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' Blu-ray $14.99 at Amazon[teaser]Dammit, Janet! The Blu-ray deal this week at Amazon features a sweet transvestite from T-T-T-Transylvania! [/teaser] The online retailer has just lowered the price of 'The Rocky Horror Picture Show' starring Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Meat Loaf, and Tim Curry to $14.99 (57% off suggested price). The Blu-ray digibook release features loads of new material including: Rocky-oke: Sing It!; Don't Dream It, Be It: The Search for the 35th Anniversary Shadowcast, Part I; An-tic-i-pation: The Search for the 35th Anniversary Shadowcast, Part II; Mick Rock (A Photographer); Mick Rock's Picture Show (A Gallery); Pressbook and Poster Gallery; The Midnight Experience: The Late Night, Double Feature, Picture-in-Picture Show, Vintage Callback Track (Unrated), Prop Box, Trivia Track; and BD-Live. Click here to do the Time Warp and own Jim Sharman's devilishly twisted musical on Blu-ray! This offer is in effect from now through October 29.Posted Sun Oct 23, 2011 at 08:48 AM PDT by: -
Bonus View Digest - October 21, 2011[teaser]Our TV coverage over on The Bonus View is still going strong as new shows continue to premiere throughout the month of October. However, with all the TV talk we still managed to squeeze in a lot of worthwhile articles about everything from the hard-to-solve technical problems of 3D home viewing to the true scariness of movie monsters.[/teaser] It's been a wild week, but we hope that you'll join us over on the blog for some of the latest discussion on your favorite high-def topics. Theatrical News Luke has been busy, seeing just about every film opening up this weekend. Last week he say 'The Thing ' and raved about it, while this week he saw two turds in 'Johnny English Reborn ,' and 'Paranormal Activity 3 .' Luke also talked trilogies , and how that word really doesn't mean that much in our modern theatrical world of endless sequels. Don't trust Michael Bay, he's planning on making as many 'Transformers' movies as possible. Josh took on a more somber topic to discuss this week. It's something that we don't really think about all too often, but something that happens to be happening right before our eyes. Cinema is turning the digital corner for good . Production of film-based cameras has all but stopped. What does this mean for the industry? What does this mean for movie lovers like us? Read on and find out. Home Theater News This week Josh took a good hard look at the 3D crosstalk problem and wondered if there are any solutions. It seems that it's going to be a tough problem to solve, but if you feel like you have the answers hop on over to the article and join in on the spirited discussion. Make sure to check out our weekly features about what's new on the Netflix and Vudu streams. It may help you find something to watch this weekend without having to venture out in the frigid autumn air. In Wayne's One From the Vault column, he took a look at the nerdy classic 'Wizard' starring Fred Savage and 'Mario Bros. 3.' TV Recaps We've continued to cover quite a few shows on the blog. Check out recaps of 'Fringe,' 'American Horror Story ,' 'Modern Family,' 'Psych ,' 'Terra Nova ,' and 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia .' Also check out our featured post for the season premiere of 'The Walking Dead .' Did it live up to the hype or fall a bit flat? You decide, and then come on over and join in on the heated discussion with the readers and writers. Special Features In this week's Mid-Week Poll we asked you if you are prone to collecting movie sets with extra-special packaging. The Weekend Roundtable took a look at movies that actually need to be remade. What movies would you remake? Come on over and tell us in the comments. That's it for this week. We promise another full seven days of fun this upcoming week. Until then enjoy your weekend and watch some movies.Posted Fri Oct 21, 2011 at 11:30 AM PDT by: -
'Mission Impossible' IMAX Showings Include a 6 Minute 'Dark Knight Rises' Prologue[teaser]The question is - will you be seeing 'Mission Impossible' just for Batman? [/teaser] Hey, we get it. The newest Batman films have been absolutely amazing - it's not even up for debate. But will you see a movie you otherwise might not have just to get a glimpse of Nolan's latest installment? That's what Warner Bros is hoping. Before every IMAX showing of 'Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol,' theaters will be screening a six minute long prelude to 'Dark Knight Rises.' It sounds like that means the footage will be something outside of what's in the movie, which would be all sorts of cool. It's not the first time that theaters have banked on this kind of cross promotion. A few mintues of 'The Dark Knight,' of course, were shown before 'I am Legend,' and 'Wing Commander' certainly gained some sales thanks to a trailer for 'The Phantom Menace.' So the big question is whether you're planning to go see 'Mission Impossible' just for the 'Dark Knight Rises' prologue. Or maybe whether you're going to step up your viewing plans to IMAX for the exclusive content. Source: Slash FilmPosted Fri Oct 21, 2011 at 11:16 AM PDT by: -
Amazon Adds PBS to Prime Streaming[teaser]Ready to get your Antiques Roadshow on? [/teaser] The streaming selection at Amazon keeps looking better and better. They're not to the point where Netflix has anything to worry about, but when it comes to television shows - this seems to be their main focus in recent months - it's starting to look pretty appealing. If the service were available Today they've added 1,000 new television episodes from PBS, including 'NOVA', 'Frontline' and 'Antiques Roadshow'. You'll also find the Ken Burns documentaries 'Civil War,' 'Jazz,' and 'Baseball.' Amazon says that, of course, this isn't it for them. More Fox shows are coming to the lineup including 'Malcolm in the Middle' and 'King of the Hill,' as well as the Julia Child cooking show 'The French Chef.' All this, plus free two-day shipping for $79 a year. Source: AmazonPosted Fri Oct 21, 2011 at 11:00 AM PDT by: -
'Tucker and Dale vs. Evil' Blu-ray Detailed[teaser]The sleeper hit dark comedy coming to Blu-ray in November has now been fully detailed! [/teaser] As previously reported, Magnolia will release 'Tucker and Dale vs. Evil' on Blu-ray on November 29. The film stars Alan Tudyk and Tyler Labine as a pair of mountain folk who are trying to enjoy their vacation when they are attacked by preppy college kids. The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a lossless 5.1 soundtrack, and supplements will include: Making of Tucker & Dale vs. Evil featurette and commentary with Alan Tudyk, Tyler Labine, and director Eli Craig. Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $29.98. You can find the latest specs for 'Tucker and Dale vs. Evil' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 29.Posted Fri Oct 21, 2011 at 10:45 AM PDT by: -
HDD's Exclusive Interview with 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' Writer/Director Sean Durkinby Luke Hickman Rising director Sean Durkin is quickly gaining momentum. He first grabbed our attention with Sundance 2010 short 'Mary Last Seen,' only to come back one year later with a feature film expounding on that same idea, 'Martha Marcy May Marlene,' that earned him the Directing Award. Both 'Mary' and 'Martha' explore the ideas of cults that steal young woman away. While 'Mary' shows how these girls end up there, 'Martha' shows what happens when they get there – the brainwashing and abuse – and what happens to a young woman who escapes. 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' begins with a woman, played by the Olsen Twins' younger sister Elizabeth escaping the farm compound. As she awkwardly tries to re-enter society, her thoughts are turned back to the trauma she just escaped from, so we see both the beginning and the end of her story there. [teaser]After appearing at Sundance, 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' was picked up by Fox Searchlight and will now open in limited release on October 21. To promote his film, which also played at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival, writer and director Sean Durkin has taken the time to talk to High-Def Digest about Sundance, 'Mary,' 'Martha,' and writing.[/teaser] High-Def Digest – Luke Hickman: Hello! How are you today? Sean Durkin: Good, how are you doing? HDD: Great! Are you tired of doing so much press today? Isn't this the second round for you, considering the film opened at Sundance in January? Sean Durkin: Oh, yeah. HDD: I couldn't find the whole thing online, but I found a preview for the previous short film you had at Sundance - Sean Durkin: 'Mary Last Seen.' HDD: Is 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' an expanded version of that idea? Sean Durkin: No. I had a pretty good drop to the script structurally in 2009, and as we thought about making a [feature-length] film, it just wasn't ready. So I decided to make a short because I wanted to have something to go out with the script. I had my film from NYU – I liked some of it, but I didn't want it to go out with the script. So I decided to make a short and I wanted it to be related to the subject, but not the same film or anything from ['Marth Marcy May Marlene']. In the research I had done, I obviously decided to focus on what happens after a girl leaves a cult, but then had all this research that I was really interest in about how someone gets there, so I wanted to make a short that sort of represented those steps of how someone gets to a cult. I knew that Brady Corbet was going to be in 'Martha' playing Watts … so I wanted to do a short where he brings a girl to the farm. HDD: From the little bit you see at the end of the 'Mary Last Seen' trailer, it looks exactly the same. Was it shot on the exact same farm? Sean Durkin: Yes, it was. … At that point we basically had Brady and the farm. We sort of made the short around that. Again, I wanted it to relate to ['Martha']. It's the same world, the same character – for [Brady] – but I didn't want it to be something from the script or from the film because I didn't want to … make any choices that early. HDD: Is there anywhere that we can see 'Mary Last Seen' online? Sean Durkin: I don't know exactly what the plan is, but … it will come out [on a collection DVD] just a few weeks before the release [of 'Martha'] ... and then [Fox] Searchlight will include it on DVD. HDD: Where did you film both movies? Sean Durkin: In the Catskills – in New York. HDD: And how long was the shoot? Sean Durkin: 24 days. HDD: That's a fast shoot! And you can't even tell, the film looks so good. Sean Durkin: (laughs) Yeah. We sort of developed a structure around that – a 24 day structure. We've done it three times now. HDD: Where did the idea for 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' come from? I ask because it's dark. And you don't seem like a dark person. Sean Durkin: Well, I'm pretty light. A light happy guy. I originally wanted to make a film about a cult that was contemporary. It just went from there. I started to read about people in these really … interesting people before and after they were in groups, how their souls had been sucked out of them and how they changed physically. I wanted to explore what that is. It eventually came to trying to understand what happens right after. So I started to speak to people who had been through it. I found people. They would share their stories with me. I just sort of became focused on the first couple of weeks, try to capture the emotion of that and the fall it and how difficult it can be for someone to wrap their head around. HDD: Without spoiling the end, the end is very ambiguous. Do you have an actual ending or intention? I don't want to know what it is if you do. Was there a reason for the ambiguity? Sean Durkin:Yeah, there's a reason. My goal was to make a film that focused on those first couple of weeks and take the audience into the mindset of Martha. It was really important to me that it stayed true to that, not try to do anything more. I feel like the film had to end there because that's exactly where she is at at that specific point of time. Trying to do anything more might be unrealistic emotionally. Basically, there are questions that you have and hopefully they are the exact same questions that Martha has at the end of the film. HDD: It makes sense. And I like it even more with your explanation. This was a great year for films at Sundance. Being there, on your side, how it? Sean Durkin: It was great! I think there was a great energy this year. It felt very positive and I think there were some very great films. … It sort of felt like – I don't know. Very positive and exciting time. HDD: What are you working on next? Sean Durkin: I'm writing a new script. HDD: Are you going to direct it also? Sean Durkin: Yep. HDD: Do you intend to write everything you direct for the rest of your career? Sean Durkin: Not at all. I'm open to lots of things. I would jump at a great script if it comes my way. I'm also interested in adapting books. HDD: Well, it looks like our time is up. Sean Durkin: Thank you. HDD: Thank you for taking the time to talk to me today. I really appreciate it. Sean Durkin: The same to you.Posted Fri Oct 21, 2011 at 10:30 AM PDT by: -
HDD's Exclusive Interview with 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' Star Elizabeth Olsenby Luke Hickman I've attended the Sundance Film Festival for the last four consecutive years. As a press member, they have special screenings set up for you and industry folks away from the general Main Street hoopla. While waiting in lines with others donning the press and industry badges, you hear a lot of inside info about films being screened – what's good, what's not so good, and what's terrible. In the last four years, I never heard so much positive buzz about anything than I did this year. In every line I stood in and every theater I sat in, I always heard people buzzing about one breakthrough actress – Elizabeth Olsen. Olsen actually appeared in two Sundance 2011 films – 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' and 'Silent House.' The buzz heard came from her performances in both films. Who knew the Olsen Twins from 'Full House' had a little sister who could break their mold and hit the ground running with her first professional gig? Opening stateside on October 21, 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' takes you through the life of a young woman who gets sucked into a cult and finally escapes. The film opens with a brainwashed version of that girl fleeing the farm compound and awkwardly returning to life as we know it. As she attempts to return to innocence, her thoughts take her back to her first weeks at the farm. [teaser]After finally seeing 'Martha Marcy May Marlene,' I can confirm that the Sundance buzz was spot on – Elizabeth Olsen is a keeper. This week she took a few minutes to chat with High-Def Digest about Sundance, her two films shown there and the bright career that lies ahead of her.[/teaser] High-Def Digest – Luke Hickman: Hello! How are you today? Elizabeth Olsen: Great! How are you? HDD: Not bad. Are you tired of doing so much press today? Isn't this the second round for you, considering the film opened at Sundance in January? Elizabeth Olsen: Yes, but it's our first time getting to do it like this, so it's exciting. HDD: But you had two films at Sundance, meaning you did double time up there. Elizabeth Olsen: Yes. HDD: I missed 'Silent House' up there and I'm dying to see it. Elizabeth Olsen: Well, we've changed the ending, so if people have seen it, they should go see it anyway. HDD: How was it doing a single-take movie? Elizabeth Olsen: It wasn't [filmed] all in one shot. [The filmmakers] feel okay talking about it now because the whole point about the one shot is to create a new experience for a viewer of real time, so they tried to create a performance that takes place over an hour and a half of real time. It was an incredible challenge. We did do really long shots – like 12-minute shots – not consistently, so it was really challenging. The endurance that you had to create was exhausting. HDD: Do you know if 'Silent House' has distribution? I know it was acquired - Elizabeth Olsen: It was picked up by Liddell Entertainment and they're pairing up with Open Road for a release in early spring. They don't have a date yet, but early spring. HDD: Were the reshoots done just for the ending? Elizabeth Olsen: No, there were a couple things. Since it is real time, you can't edit things and make it a more cohesive story. There are some things that we had to change to make it flow better in real time. All the cuts are still seamless, it's just a really new way of watching … or experiencing a movie. HDD: Did you film 'Silent House' first or 'Martha Marcy May Marlene?' Elizabeth Olsen: We filmed 'Silent House' a few weeks after 'Martha.' HDD: And how was it diving into those role? It's very dark. Elizabeth Olsen: There were a lot of different things to play around with and explore. It was somehow fun, even though you think it wouldn't have been. HDD: Was it very difficult? From looking at your IMDb page, you hadn't done anything in a very long time. Elizabeth Olsen: Those [early] credits are actually – my sisters would film these straight-to-video movies, and because there were four kids in my family at the time, my mother – after would we be picked up from school – would have my brother and I sometimes be in their videos when we were just hanging out. That wasn't an actual attempt at acting. That was kinda like – they would just put gum in my hair and call it a day. I actually started going to acting school when I was eight. I was actually acting my whole life, but not doing anything professionally. I started going to acting conservatories when I was 16 – I've gone to four different acting conservatories – I understudied when I was in college, and then I met an agent … and started auditioning for films about seven months before 'Martha.' HDD: At Sundance you came out of nowhere. You couldn't stand in line without hearing someone talking about one of your two performances there. Elizabeth Olsen: That's really cool. It's gonna sound like I come out of nowhere. My dad is so funny. … I remember when he was reading something that was written about Sundance, there was some sort of article about me that said something like, “Coming out of … left field, Elizabeth Olson, sister of blaa-blaa-blaa...” and my dad was like, “But wait. You've been doing this your whole life. Don't they know that?” And I'm like, “No, Dad, they don't because it's not in the public; therefore, it never happened.” Yeah, I've been doing it my whole life, I just haven't been working professionally. I've been training. I just started auditioning last January … and it's been a really exciting time. HDD: And there are already a couple of big films that you've already filmed, right? Elizabeth Olsen: I filmed five movies this year. HDD: Oh, my gosh! Elizabeth Olsen: Yeah, it was a great learning experience, but then I decided to take a break and go back to school to finish up my BFA at NYU. HDD: Very cool. Elizabeth Olsen: Yeah. Education is really important to me, so finishing my college education is a huge priority. I never actually knew how much work you had to do for promoting films and how much time it consumes, so I better finish school now before things get even crazier. HDD: Do you have any roles lined up for when you're through with school? Elizabeth Olsen: Yeah, I'm doing a movie called 'Very Good Girls.' Naomi Phoner is directing it. We're going to be filming that later, when I done with school. HDD: This was a great year for films at Sundance. Being there, on your side, how it? Elizabeth Olsen: It was my first festival, so everything was so exciting. I was just doe-eyed the whole time everything was going on, just enjoying the experience. HDD: And I imagine you were twice as busy promoting the two films. Elizabeth Olsen: I was. I never even got to see the full movie from beginning to end until Cannes. HDD: 'Martha' has a very ambiguous ending. Do you know what happens after the film cuts to black? Elizabeth Olsen: No, I don't know. It's not really going to help me tell the story if I know what happens in the future. … I think it's really deliberate when stories are told [this way]. … If back story helps me, then I'll focus on the back story - but I don't even think that back story is necessary most of the time. What happens before or after the movie exists isn't relevant. It isn't what the audience is supposed to be thinking about. HDD: Well, our time is up and I want to thank you for taking the time to talk with me today. Elizabeth Olsen: Thank you, too.Posted Fri Oct 21, 2011 at 10:00 AM PDT by: -
High-Def Digest Attends Virtual Roundtable with Pixar's Rob Gibbsby Tom Landy [Teaser]The director of the all-new Mater short included in the upcoming DVD and Blu-ray release of 'Cars 2' recently hosted a Q & A roundtable and High-Def Digest was there! [/Teaser] Rob Gibbs has been a director for numerous shorts found in Pixar’s 'Cars Toons: Mater’s Tall Tales' featuring the lovable rusted tow truck voiced by Larry the Cable Guy. Gibbs co-directed 'Rescue Squad Mater,' 'Mater the Greater,' 'El Materdor,' and 'Tokyo Mater' with John Lasseter and Victor Navone, and also teamed up with Lasseter again on 'Unidentified Flying Mater,' 'Monster Truck Mater,' and 'Heavy Metal Mater.' But that's not all, he also buckled up in the driver's seat for 'Moon Mater,' 'Mater Private Eye,' and 'Air Mater' -- the latest addition to the "tall tales" series that also serves as a sort of tie-in to the upcoming 'Cars' spinoff, 'Planes.' After treating us to a sneak peek of the full 'Air Mater' short, Rob spent a good two hours answering questions at the virtual roundtable (including a few submitted by High-Def Digest). We've included a full transcript of the Q & A session below for our readers. Q: Your daughter Mary is the voice of Boo in 'Monsters, Inc.' Her performance of the voice of Boo was really great, and we were so moved. What is she doing now? Rob Gibbs: She is now 15 years old and in her second year of high school. She has been doing cheerleading and gymnastics and recently started playing ice hockey. You can also hear her voice in the 'Monsters Inc.' ride at Disneyland. Q: What is your impression of John Lasseter? What is he like to work with? Rob Gibbs: Besides his nice collection of Hawaiian shirts, he has been a great mentor to me. He knows everything there is to know about animation and filmmaking, and watching him direct has helped me develop my craft. Q: What is the difference between directing short films and feature films? Rob Gibbs: The biggest difference with short films is that you have to setup the situation quickly and "pay it off" in a short amount of time. In a feature you can go a little deeper in developing the story and characters. The attention to detail and quality of work is the same as working on a feature. Q: Would you be interested in directing full length feature films? If so, what kind of feature films would you like to direct? Rob Gibbs: Yes. I've enjoyed the short format, it has been fun, but if given the opportunity, I would jump at the chance to direct a feature project. The kind of film that would interest me would be one that's awesome! Q: What is the attraction for you to create short films? Rob Gibbs: I have always loved short animated films from Popeye to Bugs Bunny. I love going to the theater and seeing a short before the movie. I have always admired the Pixar shorts and I'm glad they continue to make them. Q: You have been directing a lot of 'Mater’s Tall Tales,' would you please let us know the how you were assigned the Mater’s Tall tales projects? Rob Gibbs: It started out with developing short ideas for the 'Cars' world. I drew the storyboards and worked with an editor to create story reels. Fom there, they thought it would be a good idea for me to direct them. Q: Do you think you resemble Mater yourself? Are there any similarities or do you relate more to another character in Cars? Rob Gibbs: Sure, there's a little Mater in all of us. My teeth might not be as big, but like Mater tells his tall tales, I like to tell a few tales of my own. I'm a little rusty but all my stories have a hook. Q: What is your most favorite character in Disney animation and in Pixar animation? Rob Gibbs: In Disney animation, I have always admired Pinocchio but one of my favorite characters is Thumper from 'Bambi.' In Pixar animation, Boo from 'Monster's Inc.' shares a special place in my heart. HDD: What is your personal favorite character in the 'Cars' universe and why? Rob Gibbs: I've worked more on Mater then any of the other characters, but in the world of 'Cars,' Guido the little fork lift is always fun to have around. He even has a small part in 'Air Mater.' Q: My six year old twins who are big fans of the "Tales" wanted to know "How did they think up the idea to have them [Mater's Tales]?" Rob Gibbs: We were exploring a lot of ideas for shorts with the 'Cars' characters. One of our animators, Bobby Podesta, suggested that the shorts could be about Mater telling tall tales. That opened the door for endless possibilities. I don't think we could ever run out of situations to put Mater in. Q: What is your favorite "tall tale" and why? Rob Gibbs: 'Heavy Metal Mater' is an awesome one because of the music and how over the top it goes. 'Mater Private Eye' was a fun one to work on because of the dialogue and homage to film noir. However, the most recent one always becomes my new favorite, so, right now, that's 'Air Mater.' Q: Do you still love creating these Mater shorts or are you hoping to do something new? Rob Gibbs: I love being involved in the Mater shorts but I'm always open to exploring other possibilities. Q: What is your favourite Disney/Pixar film of all time? Rob Gibbs: 'Toy Story' blew me away when I first saw it and it remains my favorite Pixar film. Q: What do you believe is the most rewarding aspect of your job/career? Rob Gibbs: I've been drawing storyboards for Pixar and Disney films for years, and I love doing that, but when I've completed a sequence it's out of my hands. As a director I get to stay involved past the storyboard process and work with the people that make these films so beautiful. HDD: How long does it usually take to complete an animated short like 'Air Mater'? Rob Gibbs: 'Air Mater' was unique in that we were starting a new studio in Vancouver, Canada and it was to be their first project, so it took a little longer then the previous shorts. From start to finish we worked on it for about a year. Q: What was the inspiration to get Mater up in the air? Rob Gibbs: We've taken Mater so many places so to the air seemed like the next step. We loved the idea of Mater becoming a part of an elite formation flying team. One of the challenges was turning Mater into an airplane and a jet, while still keeping him Mater. In order to show Mater's progress, we designed him as an airplane keeping him rusty with a leather cap and goggles. When he becomes a Falcon Hawk, he has a shiny new paint job with awesome graphics. Q: You've cited 'Looney Tunes' as an influence on your work. How do you think it's made its way into 'Cars' and 'Air Mater?' Rob Gibbs: As with 'Looney Tunes,' we've tried to maintain that quick comedic timing for 'Mater's Tall Tales.' We also enjoy putting Mater in ridiculous situations. Q: Since you are dealing with known characters in 'Cars' is there a fine line between not introducing anything new that could interfere with the main story, but still continuing to develop their character, or do you try to just stick with their established character? Rob Gibbs: At first, we set out to create ideas using only the characters that we had from the original 'Cars.' John Lasseter pointed out, there's no reason to continue these shorts unless we expand the world of 'Cars.' So that opened up all sorts of possibilities to create new characters and fun environments. HDD: Have you ever run into a situation where you had an idea in mind for something to look a certain way in an animated feature, but just couldn't get it the way you wanted to? Rob Gibbs: With 'Air Mater,' we went through a lot of different steps. Our production designer started with sketches where Mater looked more like a jet than a tow truck. John Lasseter's input was, "don't lose Mater in the design." It was a big challenge to make it believable that Mater could become a plane. With all the films, we get there eventually, but it's not always where we started. Q: When a new Pixar release is going to be released in both 2D and 3D, is any of the storyboarding process centered around the 3D element, or is it just handled as its own element after 2D production? Rob Gibbs: We don't make our films with the idea that it will be in stereoscopic 3D, but at the time we're working on them we may think "oh this will look awesome in 3D!" We don't intentionally do gimmicky things such as jumping out of the screen at you. We use it to add depth to our films. Q: 'Finding Nemo' is being re-released theatrically next year. Are you excited to see it on the big screen again? How do you think Pixar films have evolved since 'Finding Nemo?' Rob Gibbs: I loved 'Finding Nemo,' and can't wait to see it on the big screen. With each film, we try to build off of what we learned from the previous film and make it better. For example, what we learned in making water for 'Finding Nemo' we were able to utilize in 'Cars 2.' HDD: I love all the different styles of textures in Pixar animation. Is that a complicated process? Rob Gibbs: We have a lot of really smart people who work at Pixar that figure out a solution to our complicated requests. So when an artist goes to them with an idea like how to make a car's paint job extra reflective, they figure out a way to do it. Q: What kind of an audience did you have in mind when you make a movie like 'Cars 2?' Rob Gibbs: We try to make our films appealing to audiences of all ages. Q: Was directing this animated short any more demanding or challenging than other productions you have done? Rob Gibbs: 'Air Mater' had different challenges then any of the other shorts that I've worked on. We had to design the world of Propwash Junction, not only from the ground, but what you see in the sky. Another challenge was getting a sense of movement in the sky without it being a cloudy day. Q: Mater and Lightning McQueen's friendship came under fire in 'Cars 2.' What do you think kids can learn about the value of friendship and teamwork from these characters? Rob Gibbs: Mater and Lightning McQueen are very different from each other, but are able to look passed their differences and accept each other for who they are. Q: Will Pixar Canada ever do a full feature film? Rob Gibbs: We started the Pixar Canada studio to work on the 'Cars' and 'Toy Story Toons.' At this time there are no plans for them to do a feature. Q: I know there are a few Pixar employees with flight experience, and Mark Andrews knows an F-18 pilot. Did you pull in their knowledge to make 'Air Mater?' Rob Gibbs: Our lead story artist on 'Air Mater,' Jim Capobianco, has extensive knowledge of planes and flying. Bob Pauley, our character designer, also knows a lot about planes. So much of the attention to detail came from their knowledge of airplane design. Even the language was heavily researched. Knowing that we can't slip anything past John Lasseter keeps us on our toes to remain authentic. Q: What first inspired you to want to work in animation? Rob Gibbs: My passion for drawing as a kid and a love of cartoons inspired me but it wasn't until I discovered the animation program at Cal Arts that I learned this could actually be a career. Q: Is there a sequence in Air Mater you're particularly proud of? Why? Rob Gibbs: So many of the aerial shots that showed off Propwash Junction. Pay particular attention to all the corn! Q: Are you a big fan of cars in real life? What car do you drive yourself? Rob Gibbs: I love cars, although I'm not mechanically inclined. I can change a mean flat tire. I've had more sporty cars in the past, I currently drive an Acura MDX. In the past I've had a convertible, Volkswagen and Jeep. But my first car was my grandmother's 1964 Plymouth Valiant. Q: Rob, any final thoughts on 'Cars 2' and 'Air Mater,' as we close out this virtual roundtable? Rob Gibbs: What I enjoy so much about 'Cars 2' and 'Air Mater,' is how we've put our characters in exciting situations and brought them to new worlds.Posted Fri Oct 21, 2011 at 09:20 AM PDT by: -
Netflix Now Supports Android Tablets[teaser]The new update also gives Canadian and Latin American customers the ability to stream on Android. [/teaser] If you're one of those who went the Android route with tablets, you'll be happy to know that Netflix is finally available for your device. That is, assuming you're rocking Honeycomb. The new Netflix app is excellent news for our neighbors to the north and our neighbors to, like, the way south or something. Canada and Latin America - we assume that means everyone that can subscribe to Netflix as of the last expansion - now have access to Netflix streaming on their Android phones and tablets. Android users can download the new app now, directly from the Android Marketplace. Source: Netflix BlogPosted Fri Oct 21, 2011 at 09:00 AM PDT by:
