JOIN THE PARTY AT THE PRODUCTION FIESTA

At The Production Show, 15-17 February, digital media training provider, Academy Class, will be announcing the launch of its first Production Fiesta.

The Production Fiesta is to be held on 5-6 May and will provide production professionals with an overview of new and alternative production tools available to them.

Production Fiesta attendees will be able to choose from a rich series of seminars provided by Academy Class experts during the two day event.   Special guest speaker, Angie Taylor, will present her Las Vegas NAB Show address including From Storyboard to Final Delivery in Adobe Production Premium. Angie Taylor is an art director, animator, illustrator and motion graphic designer.  She also works in the software industry as a product evangelist, tours with companies like Adobe and Apple and is a successfully published author.

Mark Young, director at Academy Class said:  “We are thrilled that Angie Taylor will be presenting at Production Fiesta.  With so much experience and success in the production industry, we can’t think of anyone who would be better placed to talk about the latest developments in the industry.”

Production Fiesta will take place at Academy Class’ Waterloo training facility. The mini sessions will give a flavour of courses on offer at Academy Class.  Tickets will cost £177 for 2 day pass and £127 for one day pass. For further information, please visit www.academyclass.com

WARNER BROS. LAUNCHES APP EDITIONS

WARNER BROS. DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION LAUNCHES GROUNDBREAKING “APP EDITIONS” OF FEATURE FILMS

“THE DARK KNIGHT” AND “INCEPTION”

- AVAILABLE FOR iPHONE, iPOD TOUCH AND iPAD 

Studio Leads the Way with Fully-Loaded, Connected Viewing Experience Offering Downloading, Streaming, Bonus Content, Music, Games, Soundboard and Seamless Social Media Integration  

Warner Bros. Digital Distribution (WBDD), a market leader in video-on-demand and electronic sell-through, today announced the groundbreaking launch of the “App Editions” of feature films “Inception” and “The Dark Knight,” giving consumers around the world an entirely new way to own special edition movies with the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.  The “Inception: App Edition” and “The Dark Knight: App Edition” are now available on the App Store. 

App Editions provide a fully-loaded, connected viewing experience that gives consumers the first five minutes of a feature film and a portion of bonus content that can include games, trivia, soundtracks and soundboards.  The entire feature film can be unlocked via an in-app purchase, which enables downloading and unlimited streaming, as well as access to the entire array of bonus content available within the App. 

The “Inception” and “The Dark Knight” App Editions are available in over 30 territories, including some which previously did not have access to films through iTunes including China, Brazil and the Netherlands.  They contain fully customised menus in 16 languages including Japanese, Greek and Russian and also provide consumers movie subtitles in 34 languages ranging from Arabic to Ukrainian (streamed via WiFi). While watching the film, fans can also connect with friends by sharing their favorite movie quotes through Facebook and Twitter and watch a feed of social networking chatter directly related to the movie in real-time.

“Warner Bros. is bringing more than 100 million Apple device owners a highly innovative new way to experience their favorite films,” said Thomas Gewecke, President of Warner Bros. Digital Distribution. “For many, watching a movie is a social activity and App Editions are the first mobile product to deliver this capability on a global scale. They offer a fully connected experience, allowing viewers to engage with others around the world in real-time through Facebook and Twitter.  In 2011, Warner Bros. will release a full slate of App Editions including new release and catalog films.”

“Inception: App Edition”

Nominated for eight Academy Awards® including Best Picture, Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “Inception” stars Leonardo DiCapiro as “Dom Cobb,” who’s a skilled thief in the dangerous art of extraction, stealing valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during the dream state when the mind is at its most vulnerable. Cobb's rare ability has made him a coveted player in this treacherous new world of corporate espionage, but it has also made him an international fugitive and cost him everything he has ever loved. Now Cobb is being offered a chance at redemption. One last job could give him his life back but only if he can accomplish the impossible-inception.

Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, “Inception” stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Ken Watanabe, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Ellen Page, Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy, Tom Berenger, Dileep Rao, and Michael Caine.  Nolan also produced the film with Emma Thomas. 

“Inception: App Edition” will not only allow fans to download or stream the blockbuster film, they can also enjoy exclusive bonus materials including three never-before-released tracks from the Academy Award® nominated score composed by Hans Zimmer that can be streamed via Airplay.  The App also includes concept art, productions stills, movie poster artwork, bonus video showing a behind-the-scenes look at how Christopher Nolan’s unique vision was brought to life, and copies of “The PASIV Device Instruction Manual” and “The Cobol Job” comic. 

  

The “Inception: App Edition” is available for free through the App Store on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad or at http://store.apple.com/uk/  

“The Dark Knight: App Edition”

The follow-up to “Batman Begins,” Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ “The Dark Knight” reunites director Christopher Nolan and star Christian Bale, who reprises the role of “Batman/Bruce Wayne” in his continuing war on crime. With the help of Lt. Jim Gordon and District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman sets out to destroy organised crime in Gotham for good. The triumvirate proves effective, but soon find themselves prey to a rising criminal mastermind known as The Joker, who thrusts Gotham into anarchy and forces Batman closer to crossing the fine line between hero and vigilante. 

The film also stars Michael Caine as “Alfred”; Heath Ledger as “The Joker”; Gary Oldman as “Jim Gordon”; Aaron Eckhart as “Harvey Dent”; Maggie Gyllenhaal as “Rachel Dawes”; and Morgan Freeman as “Lucius Fox.”  Nolan directed the film from a screenplay written by Jonathan Nolan and Christopher Nolan, story by Christopher Nolan & David S. Goyer.  The producers are Charles Roven, Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan.  

“The Dark Knight: App Edition,” protected by Widevine, allows consumers to download a permanent copy of the film to their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, or stream it through the App.  They can watch over three hours of bonus clips; explore a rich gallery of photos and trailers; test their film knowledge with interactive video trivia; listen to memorable one-liners and export them as ringtones; post Twitter and Facebook updates; and monitor relevant movie buzz in real time.

“The Dark Knight: App Edition” is available for free from the App Store on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, or at http://store.apple.com/uk/

So why do bad guys wear sunglasses?

Study reveals the appeal of shades in western popular culture

They are an enduring and ever-present image in fashion, films, music and advertising – but now we may finally have some answers as to why the use of sunglasses is so widespread in visual culture. The popular eyewear is not just a fashion accessory, but is linked to being ultra-modern and a metaphor for being able to withstand the rapid pace of both cultural and technological change, according to new research at Nottingham Trent University.

The study, carried out by an expert in design and visual culture in the university’s School of Art and Design, involved investigating the history of sunglasses and their use in western popular culture, and analysing this in relation to various theories of ‘coolness’ to see why they are so appealing.

A key finding was that sunglasses are often used in visual culture to suggest a superior level of adaptation to the cultural challenges of modern society – the eyes are deemed so significant to social rules and behaviour that covering them up conveys a strong social power, suggesting superiority and glamour. They are used to convey detachment from the mainstream and the idea of playing by the rules, based on the notion that appropriate eye contact is considered respectful and a fundamental rule of social interaction.

This idea of rebellion may suggest why shades were such a key prop for the characters of gangster movie Reservoir Dogs, or Jean Reno’s assassin Leon. Even the villainous Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies, had his eyes hidden behind a reflective mask – and this was only removed at the very end upon his redemption. 

Sunglasses are also often associated with being able to withstand technological advancements and challenges, the research found. This could be because their use shields people from exposed emotions, suggesting they are ‘composed’ in every situation, and the high-tech associations of hard man-made materials worn so close to the body imply a close and confident relationship with modern technologies.

In some cases this has developed into shades being used in visual culture to represent the notion of superhuman physical and emotional strength – think Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator or the characters Neo and Morpheus in The Matrix.

Tinted goggles worn in the earliest days of sunglasses for driving, cycling and rail travel, and adopted by fighter pilots could be responsible for the explosion of speed and technology-related examples in visual culture. This association with a fast-paced life and advanced and exclusive forms of travel and leisure – and needing money to participate – might also be why they have become so popular in celebrity culture. Rappers such as P Diddy and Kanye West, whose lifestyles are often epitomised in this way, are rarely seen without their shades, for instance.

Dr Vanessa Brown, an expert in design and visual culture in the university’s School of Art and Design, carried out the research.

Dr Brown said: “DVD covers, music videos, endless fashion images and adverts; there are thousands of examples of sunglasses being used in visual culture as a key prop. Increasingly images of shaded eyes are used to sell products by suggesting power and prestige; even if that is outside of the usual ‘mainstream’ images of success. They are perfect visual copy, suggesting mystique and self-possession as well as the glamour of being immersed in light.

“My research showed how sunglasses are capable of conveying a truly impressive array of potential meanings, with the capacity to suggest overwhelmingly desirable and admirable qualities, which, in the modern world are sometimes those associated with daring to break the rules. By shading the eyes, we can appear detached from the chaos, either frankly unbothered by, or utterly on top of, the frantic pace of technology and fashion. This relates directly to the wider struggle for a coherent identity in a life of proliferating options and constant change. Sunglasses may seem like a detail but they are as popular as they are because what they can convey strikes at the heart of our deepest concerns.”

BARBIE - A Fairy Secret

Get ready for Barbie™ A Fairy Secret, an amazing adventure with Barbie™ where she discovers there are fairies living secretly all around us! When Ken™ is suddenly whisked away by a group of fairies, Barbie’s two fashion stylist friends reveal they are actually fairies and that Ken™ has been taken to a magical secret fairy world not far away! 

Barbie™ and her rival Raquelle take off with the fairy friends on an action-packed journey to bring him back. Along the way they must stick together and learn that the real magic lies not just in the fairy world itself, but in the power of friendship.

A Fairy Secret is out on Universal DVD right now.