On Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital Download on September 10

THE PIRATES! IN AN

ADVENTURE WITH

SCIENTISTS




Special Features Include Games, Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes and More!Blu-ray™ and DVD Include UltraViolet™

                                               

 
It’s going to feel like a ‘plunderful life’ when Sony Pictures Home Entertainment debuts THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS on Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™, DVD and Digital Download on September 10. From the Academy Award®-winning Aardman (Chicken Run) and Sony Pictures Animation (The Smurfs), comes the all-new, swashbuckling stop-motion animated film that’s sure to entertain families from beginning to end. This critically acclaimed action-packed comedy adventure follows the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain, voiced by Hugh Grant (About A Boy), and his band of misfits (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey and Ashley Jensen) as they frolic on the high seas in a madcap quest to win the coveted “Pirate of the Year” award. Along the way they battle a diabolical queen (Imelda Staunton) and team up with a haplessly smitten young scientist (David Tennant), but never lose sight of what a pirate loves best: adventure! The film also stars Brian Blessed (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) as The Pirate King, Salma Hayek (Puss In Boots) as Cutlass Liz and Jeremy Piven (TV’s “Entourage”) as Black Bellamy.
 
THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS, Aardman’s most ambitious stop-motion film to date, is directed by Peter Lord, a founding partner of Aardman, director ofChicken Run (with Nick Park), and a two-time Academy Award^® nominee for his short films made with the company. The film is co-directed by Jeff Newitt. The screenplay is by Gideon Defoe, based upon his books. Production Designer is Norman Garwood. Producers are Peter Lord, David Sproxton, and Julie Lockhart. Executive Producer is Carla Shelley.
 
The Blu-ray and DVD boast hours of kid-friendly extras, including Filmmakers’ Commentary and two behind-the-scenes featurettes: “From Stop to Motion,” taking fans on a journey through the making of the film, and “Creating the Bath Chase Sequence,” a look at the various stages involved with shooting the bath tub scene. Exclusive to the Blu-ray is the “Pirate Disguise Dress-Up” game, in which fans can help our swashbuckling pals get past Queen Victoria by disguising them in various silly get-ups. Additionally, two short films with optional commentary from Director Peter Lord are exclusive to the Blu-ray.
 
Owners of the Blu-ray and DVD will be able to add THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS to their free cloud-based UltraViolet account, enabling them to access their film through any UltraViolet-compatible service or device – from PCs and tablets to TVs and smart phones.
 
Synopsis:
Set sail for a fun-filled voyage and hilarious pirate antics with the biggest Band of Misfits on the seven seas! When the infamous Pirate Captain (Hugh Grant) is shunned once again by his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz, he sets his sights to win the coveted Pirate of the Year Award. With his trusted dodo, Polly and rag-tag crew at his side, the Pirate Captain will need to battle a diabolical queen, save a young scientist and never lose sight of what a pirate loves best: Adventure!
 
DVD Bonus Features Include:
•        Filmmakers’ Commentary
•        Exclusive to DVD: MR. BOBO’S FLASH CARD CHALLENGE
•        “From Stop to Motion”featurette
•        “Creating the Bath Chase Sequence”featurette
•        DVD-ROM link to more fun online
 
Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray Exclusives Include:
•        Added value included on the DVD
•        Pirate Disguise Dress-Up Game
·        Peter Lord Short Films:

•   Wats Pig with optional commentary intro
•   War Story with optional commentary intro

 
THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS has a running time of approximately 88 minutes on Blu-ray and 84 minutes on DVD and is rated U.
 

 

Find The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jointhepiratecaptain

 

PRODUCT INFORMATION

 

TITLE	THE PIRATES! IN AN ADVENTURE WITH SCIENTISTS
Release Date	10 September, 2012
Format	Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™, DVD & Digital Download
RRP	DVD: £19.99 Blu-ray: £24.99 Blu-ray 3D: £29.99
Certificate	U
Genre	Animation
Running Time	DVD:  84mins Blu-ray: 88mins

 

 

NASA 3-D App Gives Public Ability to Experience Robotic Space Travel

A NASA-created application that brings some of the agency's robotic spacecraft to life in 3-D now is available for free on the iPhone and iPad. 

Called Spacecraft 3D, the app uses animation to show how spacecraft can maneuver and manipulate their outside components. Presently, the new app features two NASA missions, the Curiosity rover that will touch down on Mars on Aug. 5 at 10:31 p.m. PDT (Aug. 6 at 1:31 a.m. EDT), and the twin GRAIL spacecraft, Ebb and Flow, currently orbiting the moon. 

"With Spacecraft 3D and a mobile device, you can put high definition, three-dimensional models literally into the hands of kids of all ages," said Stephen Kulczycki, deputy director for communications and education at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. 

Spacecraft 3D is among the first of what are known as augmented-reality apps for Apple devices. Augmented reality provides users a view of a real-world environment where elements are improved by additional input. Spacecraft 3D uses the iPhone or iPad camera to overlay information on the device's main screen. The app instructs users to print an augmented-reality target on a standard sheet of paper. When the device's camera is pointed at the target, the spacecraft chosen by the user materializes on screen. 

"Let's say you want to get an idea what our Curiosity Mars rover is all about," said Kevin Hussey, manager of visualization technology at JPL. "Like Hollywood directors sizing up their next shot, you move your camera-equipped iPad or iPhone in and out, up and down, and the spacecraft perspective moves with you. It is a great way to study the 3-D nature of NASA spacecraft." 

Spacecraft 3D also has a feature where you can take your own augmented-reality picture of the rover or GRAIL spacecraft. You can even make a self-portrait with a spacecraft, putting yourself or someone else in the picture. 

"In the near future, we will incorporate the Cassini spacecraft, which is orbiting Saturn, the Dawn spacecraft, which is deep in the heart of the asteroid belt, and the Voyagers, which are right now at the very edge of our solar system," said Hussey. "Looking down the road, we've got a veritable solar system full of spacecraft to work with." 

Spacecraft 3D currently is available only for Apple formats, but should be available on other formats in the near future. 

The detailed computer models of the spacecraft used in Spacecraft 3D originally were originally generated for NASA's "Eyes on the Solar System" Web application. "Eyes on the Solar System" is a 3-D environment full of NASA mission data that allows anyone to explore the cosmos from their computer.

For information on how to download the Spacecraft 3D app, visit: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spacecraft-3d/id541089908?mt=8 . 

For more information about Eyes on the Solar System and NASA robotic missions, visit:http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/eyes/ . 

For information on the GRAIL mission, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/grail . 

For information on Curiosity, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/msl .