ALL NEW PEOPLE

Zach Braff (star of TV sitcom Scrubs) transfers his self-penned debut theatrical play to the London West End after a brief run on Broadway in early Autumn of last year.  Only this time, Braff is taking the lead role of Charlie, previously performed by Justin Bartha (The Hangover).
 
When we first encounter Charlie, he is smoking a cigarette whilst standing on a chair with a noose around his neck.  Charlie is at his lowest ebb, he is about to commit suicide.  And then there is a knock at the door, and Charlie's plans to a turn for the better.
 
Emma (Eve Myles -Torchwood) is a British girl attempting to sell the beach house for the summer, the beach house Charlie says belongs to his parents.  Emma initially wants to ask Charlie why he wants to kill himself, yet he is reluctant to be close to anyone.
 
Emma calls in reinforcements, Myron (Paul Hilton) a fireman who is also the local drug dealer who joins the slowly growing party.  The third knock at the door presents a prostitute, Kim (Susannah Fielding) who is a gift to Charlie from an old friend in Manhattan.
 
Set in the bleak midwinter of Long Island, the cold and bitterness of the outside elements try to exact upon the people inside this one set play.  Braff has written a play that is at times laugh out loud funny and at times quite gripping with the emotional pull nearly the end of the conclusion.
 
Braff's play revolves around the fear of something to the central character (in the same vein of Neil Simon or Woody Allen, those other Jewish doyen writers), in this respect it is about Charlie's fear of growing older as he has hit the 35 year old milestone.  He has a stressful job as an air-traffic controller and his lapse into philosophical thinking at the desk led to the death of six people due to his mistake.


Charlie also has a fear of being alone, yet he is quick to shun away any attention he receives from his three visitors (they can be considered ghostly; the prostitute represents his past, Myron his here and now and Emma the possibility of future - a debt to Dickens perhaps).  The vigour and unexpectedness of the three guests leads to a wave of profanity in a plea for privacy, yet only once does he calm down does the comedy come out of the character's themselves, once we get over the initial set up of preventing Charlie's suicide.  The play morphs from a situation comedy to that of one driven by character.


The ending although slightly ambigious, can be deemed to be relatively happy for all concerned considering the real-time events that have taken place previously.


Braff is having fun with the format, and you can see the time he spent watching each performance in New York has paid dividends - Charlie whilst being the reason we are here, is the straight man of the piece - the best lines are reserved for Hilton and Fielding, in characters that could have been one-dimensional yet projected into something else.  Braff also delights in destroying the set - cornflakes, broken glasses, a broken art display lay strewn over the stage by the end; he also has a good ear for a joke, such as the running gag of him booby-trapping the apartment like Home Alone.  That joke works, because Braff is writing as a man who remembers how big that film was and the cultural significance of the work on the audience he is writing for.  The audience is mostly all 20-40 year old white anglo-saxons who are enjoying the fact they are seeing a famous sitcom character in the flesh.


However, if you expect anything resembling the manic frenzy of a Scrubs episode, you shall be severely disappointed.


Braff has a real presence on stage, never over-reaching for our attachment to his character; yet his work as writer is the star here. For acting plaudits, you need to look at the supporters - all have a dark secret and they all act their socks off.  Myles shows she has bones for comedy, Fielding gives her bimbo blonde a neat twist but Hilton, a RSC veteran, is amazing in his role as the cyncial Myron; he is having fun with Braff's words giving different connotations to the words on the page with real panache.


All New People is a debut theatrical work by a special talent; go see it for an engaging night out in the West End that is not a musical and is not a farce.
 
It runs at the Duke of York's Theatre on St. Martins Lane, for a strict 10 week run from 22nd February. 


http://duke-of-yorks.official-theatre.co.uk/
www.allnewpeople.co.uk

Harry Potter....

Warner Home Video Debuts Monumental Box Set

for Devoted Harry Potter Fans 

HARRY POTTER WIZARD’S COLLECTION

New Limited and Numbered Collection Is Largest Ever for Warner Bros.

31-Disc Collection Features All Previously Released Content Plus More Than 4 Hours of Never-Before-Seen Exclusive Material

Boasts All Eight Movies in Blu-ray™ and DVD

All disc versions feature UltraVioletÔ Digital Copy

Presented in Gorgeous Giftbox Packaging with Eight Must-Have Pieces of Collectible Movie Memorabilia That Can’t be Found Anywhere Else

Available from 10^th September

Burbank, Calif., March 22, 2012 – The magical film franchise that enchanted Muggles around the world is now available in a spectacular limited-edition collectible box set. The most comprehensive Harry Potter movie collection yet, the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection, featuring all eight films, exclusive never-before-seen content and must-have memorabilia, will be available on 10^th September from Warner Home Video.

This new limited and numbered 31-disc collection contains all eight Harry Potter movies on
Blu-ray, DVD and UltraViolet Digital Copy and more than 37 hours of special features including all previously released materials and more than 10 hours of new to disc bonus content, and more than 4 hours of never-before-seen material. Witches and wizards that think they’ve seen everything will marvel at the all-new special features including the final two “Creating the World of Harry Potter” features titled “Story” and “Growing Up”. Many other, yet to be revealed, features are also included.

The Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection will also allow fans to conjure up every available version of all eight films. In addition to the theatrical release of every film, the collection also includes the extended versions of  Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets; and the 3D versions of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows –- Parts 1 and 2.

Beautifully packaged in a stunning gift box measuring 32.4cm x 26.4cm x 28.6cm and weighing 19 lbs, the Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection is the largest collection ever released by Warner Bros. and contains eight artistic and authentic film memorabilia that are essential for anyone who has ever dreamt of being accepted to Hogwarts. The collectibles are exclusive to the set, and each item along with the rest of the contents of this epic collection will be revealed to anxious fans in an online campaign on www.harrypotter.com beginning today.

Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection will be available for £259.99 RRP.

Films Included in Collection – All on Blu-ray, DVD and UltraViolet Digital Copy

·         Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone Theatrical Version and Extended Cut

·         Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Theatrical Version and Extended Cut

·         Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

·         Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

·         Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

·         Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

·         Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 2D and 3D Versions

·         Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 2D and 3D Versions

Special Features for Hours of Entertainment

·         Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection Bonus Disc

• Nearly 4 hours of features including:
• All New! “The Harry Potters You Never Met” – watch how thrilling stunts from the films were performed, and learn about the tricks behind the major stunts in the series
• Additional features to be revealed on www.harrypotter.com

·         Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 Bonus Disc

• Over 2 hours of features including:
• All New! “Creating the World of Harry Potter, Pt. 7: Story”
• And many more to be revealed on www.harrypotter.com.

·         Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 Bonus Disc

• Over 4 hours of features including:
• All New! “Creating the World of Harry Potter, Pt. 8: Growing Up”
• All New! Extended “A Conversation with JK Rowling and Dan Radcliffe” - with 15 minutes of new footage
• And many more to be revealed on www.harrypotter.com.

·         Exclusive Premiums

o   Exclusive memorabilia including a Map of Hogwarts, concept art prints, catalogs of props and posters, all designed by the graphic designers from the films will be revealed in detail onwww.harrypotter.com.

ULTRAVIOLET™ DIGITAL COPY

Warner Bros. is taking Digital Copy to a whole new level. The Harry Potter Wizard’s Collection UltraViolet Digital Copy includes a Standard Definition Digital Copy of all 8 Harry Potter main feature films. Special features not included.  Limited Time Offer. Restrictions and limitations apply.  Go to ultraviolet.flixster.com/info for details.

Zombies

Zombies set to take over the UK as Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City Game comes to life Augmented Reality Zombies coming to terrify the UK Taking over from Thursday March 22nd   -        Register: http://capcom-europe.com/reorc/

This March, a one of a kind augmented reality zombie experience is coming to the UK to celebrate the release of Capcom’s long-awaited Resident Evil:Operation Raccoon City game, with sign-ups open now.

From March 22nd, Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City zombies will be bursting out of home consoles to be found walking the streets and haunting landmarks of some of Britain’s biggest cities as part of an interactive mass-participatory game. The narrative themes of Resident Evil will come to life in the real world - a must-play for all fans of the series.

The game will feature augmented reality zombies accessible by gamers with a specially built mobile app available on iPhone and Android from the Resident Evil microsite and Capcom’s Facebook page. A number of lucky gamers will be selected to take part in missions across Bristol, Manchester and London. Outbreaks have targeted locations in each city and all traces of zombies must be tracked down and eliminated in order to prevent any further contamination. As a further twist, London players will be treated to a live event, entering the challenge to hunt around the capital’s urban environments after a mission briefing from operatives in a zombie-free location.

The Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City UK takeover will bring the narrative, characters and moments of spectacle into the real world - a fusion of real-life and digital enhanced by the interactivity of the players involved.

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is the latest game in the much-loved Resident Evil franchise and takes place during the events between the second and third instalments of the game. The action takes place in Raccoon City, where the inhabitants have been turned into zombies after an outbreak of the t-virus, a biological weapon developed by the pharmaceutical company Umbrella.

Adam Merrett, PR Manager at Capcom, has commissioned the game and explained: “We are all positive that Operation Raccoon City is going to be another successful branch to the franchise, enticing not only Resident Evil fans but also those new to the franchise.

“This real-world game is the perfect opportunity to bring the horror, drama and edge-of-the seat gaming out into the real world. Operation Raccoon City – UK Takeover promises to be one the most memorable weekend of 2012.”

Ben Mason from The Tom Sawyer Effect, who is staging the live action said: “If you've ever wanted to face the horrors of a zombie apocalypse for real Operation Raccoon City – UK Takeover is for you. The event will offer an unprecedented mix of mobile augmented reality and real world game-play... do you think you've got what it takes to survive, and win?”   

The augmented reality zombies are being built by Digicave, who said: “We are all about bringing another layer of digital information, entertainment and engagement to the real world. To do this with an all-time great gaming franchise such as a Resident Evil was a dream come true for the team here.

“The zombies are truly frightening, to see them popping up at locations around the UK – this is going to be something truly incredible, a perfect way to bring the terror of Resident Evil onto the streets and into the lives of gamers.”

Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City

There are six playable characters in the game, Vector, Spectre, Beltway, Four Eyes, Lupo and Bertha. Each have their own unique abilities;

·         Vector (real name unknown) is the team's recon expert and is equipped with a cloaking ability

·         Beltway (real name Hector Hivers) is proficient in the use of explosives

·         Bertha (real name Michaela Schneider) is the team's medic

·         Spectre (real name Vladimir Bodrovski) is the team's surveillance class and sharpshooter,

·         Four Eyes (real name Christine Yamata) is the scientist of the group with the ability to program the bio-organic weapons (BOWs)

·         Lupo (real name Karena Lesproux) who is an Assault class/Team Leader as shown in a recent trailer. Alongside the single-player mode, the game will also offer four-player co-operative gameplay, which pits the USS against the US Special Operations task force

The zombies in the game will be able to attack the player in a multitude of ways. A zombie that gets too close to the player will usually attempt to grapple the player, prompting the player to rapidly shake his analogue stick to avoid infection.

Players who are unsuccessful in doing this will be "invisible" to nearby zombies for a limited amount of time whilst they are infected before their death in game. If a player is successfully bitten and later runs out of time after becoming infected, the player will lose control of their character and begin attacking their former teammates until shot in the head, allowing the player to respawn.

The game also utilizes a bleeding mechanic, meaning characters that have been badly wounded will be deemed "bleeding out", giving their screen a blood red hue and making them a higher priority target to nearby infected than the others.

There will be additional enemy types in the game besides zombies. BOWs that can be confirmed from E3 are Hunters, Lickers and Tyrants. Furthermore, the player will be able to control them under certain circumstances.

Go Inside ‘The Hunger Games’ Movie with Groundbreaking New IE9 Site

The pages of the bestselling trilogy “The Hunger Games” introduced readers to a captivating set of characters living in a post-apocalyptic world, and on Friday the movie adaptation of the first book will bring that world to life.


Thanks to a partnership between Microsoft’s Internet Explorer team and Lionsgate, fans of The Hunger Games can dive in and experience the world of Panem and its opulent and oppressive Capitol city today.


Today, Lionsgate and Microsoft launch a “game-changing” Web experience that pulls visitors into the world of The Hunger Games from the moment they step off their train in the Capitol city. Visitors can do things like tour the Capitol, visit the Avenue of Tributes, and hear an address from President Snow.


“We wanted to make a breakthrough online experience for fans. We are so excited at what we were able to create with the team at Microsoft by tapping into the power of Internet Explorer and the investments they’ve made in their product to bring Web content to life,” said David Hayes, vice president of digital marketing for movie studio Lionsgate. “We’re thrilled to show off the Capitol Tour to Hunger Games fans around the world.”


The site, powered by HTML5 and CSS3, is animated, colorful and true to the style of the movie and the book, said Ryan Gavin, general manager for Internet Explorer. Visitors will see the city’s iconic skyline, with a breathtaking level of detail down to the twinkling stars and drifting clouds. They’ll see the highly fashionable Capitol citizens out and about in the city, and even cross paths with some of the iconic characters from the books and movie.


The sheer scale and complexity of the project required a crack team of creative and technical experts, including special effects experts from Lionsgate, members of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer team, and creative experts from digital agencies Ignition Interactive and The Nerdery.




A game master works in the Control Room to prepare for the Hunger Games.
Click for larger version.
Evan Dehaven, president and executive creative director of Ignition Interactive, said his company appreciated the opportunity to work on a project that is a true breakthrough for designing in HTML5.


“It’s such a great thing that Microsoft has fostered, through Internet Explorer 9, the idea that the Web is beautiful,” said Dehaven, who is currently working on Web experiences for nearly 30 films. “They want to bring things to life and allow people to tell stories through technology rather than telling people to live within these boxes and these rules while they’re making something. Now we’re just looking forward to fans and the world seeing what we’ve created.”


Dehaven hopes the Hunger Games site’s creative use of HTML5 will be a trendsetter for movie and television experiences online.


Microsoft approached Lionsgate last year about creating a “game-changing, one-of-a-kind” website for the highly anticipated movie adaptation of the bestselling book, Gavin said.




“They loved the idea. We had the opportunity to really dig into the universe of the Hunger Games and fundamentally change how people perceive what’s possible on the Web, all of which is best experienced in Internet Explorer 9,” Gavin said. “We wanted to create something that crossed the boundaries of books and movies, and we see this type of online experience as the next evolution in how Hollywood uses the Web.”


Typical movie websites mainly exist to house associated content – movie trailers and film clips, photos and electronic press kits. If there’s anything more, it’s usually an interactive game or social media connection.


Most movie websites are also designed using Adobe Flash, which means they can’t be accessed by people using other platforms and devices, Gavin said. The team set out to design the site using HTML5 and CSS3, which means the content is more broadly available across platforms, devices and browsers without the need for plug-ins.


Though the Hunger Games site is designed to work on all major browser formats, a chic hologram tour guide offers visitors this encouragement as they arrive at the Capitol train station, “The Capitol recommends you use Internet Explorer 9 during your tour for the best experience of our city.”


A little plot background, for those who haven’t read the bestselling trilogy: The Hunger Games is set in the future, and North America (now called Panem) consists of 12 districts that work to support Panem’s Capitol. As punishment for the districts’ past rebellions against the Capitol, every year one boy and girl from each district are selected to participate in the “Hunger Games,” in which they fight for their lives in an elaborate outdoor arena. The trilogy follows the story of Katniss Everdeen, a 16-year-old who volunteers to compete in the games to spare her little sister, whose name was chosen to participate in the Hunger Games’ annual lottery.




The Welcome Center of the Capitol greets fans arriving for the 74th annual Hunger Games.
Click for larger version.
Team members behind the website project, many of whom are huge fans of the Hunger Games trilogy, thought of themselves not just as content creators but as careful stewards of the story. Gavin recently attended the Hollywood premiere of the film, and said he was thrilled at how well the movie represented the book, and also at how well the Web experience represents both.


Along with the Capitol Tour and the other Hunger Games experiences that launch today, the team will be adding even more in the weeks to come, including a training center where visitors can see Hunger Games competitors exercising and preparing for the games, and a memorabilia center where visitors can explore artifacts and weapons used in previous Hunger Games.


The memorabilia center is not found in the book or movie, but takes elements from both and brings them to life, but the filmmakers thought the center was in keeping with the story, and liked the idea of having such an exclusive experience for fans on the Web, Gavin said.


“Visitors will be able to look at items, rotate them, and see information about how they were used and what they do. It’s what a museum of the future will look like,” Gavin said. “It’s the perfect opportunity for uber-fans of the book series to go geek out on the history of the Hunger Games.”


To receive notifications about Hunger Games content updates, users should pin the site to their Internet Explorer 9 toolbar, he said.

ANGRY BIRDS SOAR TO NICKELODEON

 EXCLUSIVE SHORT FILM, “ANGRY BIRDS SPACE,”

PREMIERING FRIDAY 23^RD MARCH AT 6 P.M.

Brand-New Characters Revealed

London, 22nd March, 2012 - An all-new exclusive Angry Birds short film, “Angry Birds Space” lands on Nickelodeon on Friday 23^rd March at 6 p.m.

“Angry Birds Space” is a global exclusive to Nickelodeon and will also reveal six brand-new birds. 

This animated short tells the story of how the Angry Birds end up in space.  It begins on a day much like any other, but suddenly a cosmic vortex appears and brings visitors from another galaxy with some unfriendly intentions.  This means the heroic birds have to slingshot themselves into a new adventure - space.

Angry Birds are the most downloaded games ever, with over 700M downloads in the two years since they launched.  The Angry Birds Space game will be available worldwide on from today.

At The Very Last Moment in 3D for the first time

Renowned extreme sports director Thierry Donard’s At The Very Last Moment to be screened in 3D

Altive Media and XDC presents Thierry Donard’s extreme sports film At The Very Last Moment in heart-stopping 3D.  On Tuesday 20^th March, the film will be shown at its finest as the extraordinary action of At The Very Last Moment is shown up on the big screen for the first time across the UK. Please see below for a full list of cinema locations.

Being screened in 3D through Altive Media and XDC, the alternative media solutions at the forefront of the evolution of entertainment, At The Very Last Moment showcases 10 years of amazing extreme sport moments from director Thierry Donard and Nuit de la Glisse.

Faced with a European winter without snow, Donard and his team braved the harsh conditions of Greenland, returning two years later with an astonishing record of their expedition. 10 years, 15 passports and 875 km of film later,At the Very Last Moment is now getting its cinematic release.

Transporting the audience from the past to the future and into a new 3D era of sport At the Very Last Moment begins with a retrospective look at footage that captures the boundaries between life and death, before moving on to showcase some of the world’s best free riders in 3D for the first time.  Alongside the Greenland shoot, the film features extreme sporting moments from some of the best locations in world, including downhill mountain biking from the Lapierre Team in Chamonix, the inspired bike skills of YouTube sensation Danny MacAskill, street skateboarding in Annecy from Joris Brichet, wingsuting and speed riding through the Mont Blanc massif and big wave surfing from Garrett McNamara in Portugal. 

At the Very Last Moment director, Thierry Donard commented: “I wanted to use 3D for the first time in an extreme environment, to communicate what the rider’s experience. I wanted to use 3D to make their experience meaningful to the audience, and it has.”

Craig Shurn, Managing Director of Altive Media said; “Altive Media is very excited to be able to screen the nail-biting action of At The Very Last Moment in 3D. Introducing audiences to a new form of entertainment and providing a unique experience is what we pride ourselves on – we’re pleased to be able to bring fans even closer to some of the world’s best extreme sporting and freeriding action.”

XDC Entertainment Vice President, Fabrice Testa added; “We are thrilled to be bringing free riding in 3D to the cinemas for the first time. Only in 3D is the viewer able to see what the free riders really go through, and our association with Thierry Donard goes back some years, so it is with great pride that we are bringing the adrenalin-fuelled experience of At The Very Last Moment to cinema audiences throughout the UK and Ireland.”

FALKLANDS’ MOST DARING RAID

The unbelievable story of a mission that changed the outcome of

The Falklands War….just

One hour documentary broadcasting on Channel 4, 18^th March, 8pm

Falklands’ Most Daring Raid brings alive a fast-paced, funny story of true grit and classic British derring-do to create a thrilling and uncharacteristically upbeat account from the Falklands War.

This gripping film tells the humorous yet heroic account of how a crumbling, Cold-War era Vulcan flew the then longest range bombing mission in history and how a WW2 vintage bomb changed the outcome of the Falklands War.

Astonishingly, this story of one of the RAF’s greatest modern feats has been downplayed into near obscurity by history.

On 30^th April 1982, the RAF launched a secret mission; to bomb Port Stanley’s runway, putting it out of action for invading Argentine fighter jets. The safety of the British Naval Task Force, steaming towards the islands, depended on its success.

But the RAF could only get a single Vulcan bomber 8,000 miles south to the Falklands and back again and even that was going to take a 16 hour continuous flight from Ascension Island and an aerial refuelling fleet of thirteen Handley Page Victor tankers.

At the heart of the RAF’s plan was the iconic but ageing Avro Vulcan bomber. But as Britain’s original Cold War nuclear deterrent, the ‘Tin Triangles’ were in the process of being scrapped.  Now, just months from being decommissioned, three of the surviving nuclear bombers  - one to fly the mission and two as reserve - had to be kitted out for war and retro-fitted to carry 21 x 1,000lb WW2 iron bombs. Crucial spare parts had to be scavenged from museums around the world and whilst others were found in scrap yards – one vital piece was discovered being used as an ashtray in the Officer’s Mess. 

In just three weeks, the Vulcan crews had to learn air-to-air refuelling, something the Vulcan hadn’t done for 20 years – and described by one pilot as like ‘trying to stick wet spaghetti up a cat’s backside’ –and conventional bombing, which they hadn’t done for ten. The RAF scoured the country to find just enough WW2 bombs and refuelling calculations were done the night before on a £5.00 pocket calculator.

With a plan stretched to the limit and the RAF’s hopes riding ultimately on just one Vulcan, the mission was flown on a knife-edge; fraught with mechanical failures, unreliable navigation, electrical storms and empty fuel tanks. Of the Vulcan’s 21 WW2 bombs, only one found the target. But that was enough to change the outcome of the war…

Based on Rowland White’s best-selling book, Vulcan 607, the documentary uses strong first-hand testimonies from the original Vulcan and Victor crews and stylised drama filmed in and around a surviving Vulcan Bomber.

It is the Dambusters for the 1980s generation.

Production company:              Darlow Smithson

Executive Producer:               Julian Ware

Written and Directed by:         Christopher Spencer

Producer:                                Charlotte Surtees

THE BRITISH SPACE PROGRAMME -PROJECTS CANCELLED :1962-1971

RELEASE DATE:   30th April 2012                 PRICE: £14.99

Since the dawn of time, mankind has looked to the stars and wondered what lies beyond what we can see with the naked eye.....

This April, a new DVD from aviation specialist Strike Force Entertainment, entitled THE BRITISH SPACE PROGRAMME - PROJECTS CANCELLED : 1962-1971 reveals a fascinating insight into the achievements and exploits of the British Space Programme, which up until now has remained relatively unknown.

THE BRITISH SPACE PROGRAMME - PROJECTS CANCELLED : 1962-1971 is an archive-led documentary which celebrates the three major British rocket projects of the 1960s, each of which were cancelled, something that would later be seen as a national scandal!


THE BRITISH SPACE PROGRAMME - PROJECTS CANCELLED : 1962-1971 features the Blue Streak, which was designed and built by the De Havilland Aircraft company in the 1950s and the Black Knight, which was first designed in 1955 as a British launch vehicle to test and verify the design of the re-entry vehicle for the Blue Streak missile.  The DVD also re-lives the successful Black Arrow launch, which succeeded in orbiting the Prospero satellite, making the United Kingdom only the sixth nation in the world to successfully place its own satellite into orbit via an indigenously developed carrier rocket.

Containing over an hour’s footage, THE BRITISH SPACE PROGRAMME - PROJECTS CANCELLED : 1962-1971 includes two exciting additional bonus features.  The first feature, “The Hotol Project”, is the archive news compilation detailing the cancelled Hotol project which, at one point, was expected to claim over 90% of the market for satellite launches with its pioneering and cost-effective horizontal take-off and landing capacity.  The second bonus feature is “The Beagle-2 Project” which contains an overview of the Beagle-2 mission to Mars to search for signs of life.

THE BRITISH SPACE PROGRAMME - PROJECTS CANCELLED : 1962-1971 is available from all good retailers, priced at £14.99.  For more information visit www.strikeforcetv.com or follow Strike Force Entertainment onwww.fbook.me/SFE.

User Engagement driven by Unique Device Features

Hampshire, UK – 6^th March 2012: A new report from Juniper Research finds that growing user satisfaction with mobile TV on tablets will push average monthly viewing times to 186 minutes per month in 2014.

The Ideal Device

The report, ‘Mobile TV: Applications, Devices and Opportunities 2012-2016’ finds that as users become more accustomed to viewing content on tablets, and as a wider range of content becomes available on tablets, consumers will increase their viewing times. This increase will be most apparent in North America where there is already significant mobile TV usage, and where internet TV services such as Hulu and Netflix are extremely popular. A tablet is the ideal device on which to consume mobile TV content – their large screen sizes and intuitive user interfaces allow almost everyone to browse for and watch content.

TV Everywhere

Another driver for this growth is the continued integration of mobile services into pay-TV packages. Tablets can offer a richer viewing experience when used alongside traditional television by allowing the user to access supplementary information such as plot synopses and actor biographies. These devices also enable users to view pay-TV content or to watch catch-up services when away from home, extending the reach of traditional TV services.

According to report author Charlotte Miller, ‘Consumers are already accustomed to timeshifting thanks to DVRs such as TiVo and Sky+; what mobile TV allows them to do is placeshift. This allows users to watch their pay-TV content anytime, anywhere and on any device – the TV experience is no longer confined to the home.’

Other key findings from the report include:

• The number of users of streamed mobile TV services on smartphones will increase by 2.8x between 2011 and 2016.
• The majority of broadcast mobile TV users will be from the Far East & China.
• Subscriptions will make up the vast majority of mobile TV revenues.

The ‘Mobile TV ~ What’s On?’ whitepaper is available to download from the Juniper website together with further details of the full study, ‘Mobile TV: Applications, Devices and Opportunities 2012 – 2016’.

New Star Wars™ Books

Star Wars™: Beware The Sith

Star Wars™: The Secret Life of Droids

 Available Now                 Price: £7.99

Following the success of Star Wars: Mysteries of the Jedi and Star Wars: Battle for the Galaxy, the series introduces two new titles aimed at lovers of all things Star Wars; Star Wars: Beware the Sith and Star Wars: The Secret Life of Droids.

You knew they were evil, but did you know of their ruthless ambition and terrifying power? Star Wars: Beware the Sith will reveal the Sith’s most sinister secrets, and by the end of it you will know what happens when you use the power of the dark side of the Force and who triumphs when a Sith duels his son. The dark side of the Force will be exposed and you will learn about Sith culture and history.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a droid? Can you tell droideka from an astromech? What would you do if C-3PO needed your droid-fixing expertise? Star Wars: The Secret Life of Droids has all the answers; you will discover in detail the droids’ technology, their functions and what makes their personalities unique.

The books are innovative in that they present the events thematically rather than chronologically, giving readers a much easier understanding of the story. Each book has a timeline at the front, for quick reference overview and chronology of the Star Wars events. The lively text and stunning graphics, as well as the interactive and dynamic content, are sure to make these books a favourite with any Star Wars enthusiast.

Bigpoint opens offices in London and Paris

·         Cédric Génin, entertainment and digital media expert, to manage the Paris office, while marketing specialist Paul Raven to head up the London location

·         Additional Bigpoint locations to open in 2012

Hamburg, 6 March 2012 – The Hamburg-based online video game company Bigpoint is significantly expanding its operations in Western Europe by opening up regional offices in the English and French capitals. Bigpoint is set to hire five to ten staff members in each of the newly-formed branches. These positions will focus on expanding the sales network, in order to promote Bigpoint’s portfolio, which currently consists of approximately 70 games.

Bigpoint banks on extensive experience

Bigpoint has already appointed managing executives at both its Paris and London locations. Overseeing the French and Italian sales networks is new Managing Director Cédric Génin, who has over 15 years of experience in the interactive entertainment industry. Mr. Génin most recently worked at SFR, where he helped to launch the world’s first on-demand games service via IPTV (Cloud Gaming). He was also responsible for SFR’s games which, because of his push to offer mobile games, led to the company becoming one the market leaders in all of Europe. Before his time at SFR, Mr. Génin worked for various game publishers (like Activision Blizzard and Infogrames, to name a few) for whom he helped to develop over 40 game titles from their inception.

Entrusted to lead operations in London is Paul Raven, who has been with Bigpoint since 2011 as head of the Product Marketing division. Before joining Bigpoint in the UK, Mr. Raven held a number of senior marketing positions including interim Head of Product Marketing for Bigpoint in Hamburg, Marketing Director of British TV network ITV’s international distribution division, head of marketing for global production company FremantleMedia, and a consultant for media companies including Shine Group (News Corp).

The Spanish and Italian offices are set to open in the second quarter of 2012.

Expanding successfully around the world

“With over 1,000 media partners from all corners of the globe, we have created a one-of-a-kind sales and distribution network for online games,” stated Bigpoint CEO Heiko Hubertz. Mr. Hubertz went on to say that efforts will be “aimed at cultivating our regional contact partners in Western Europe to expand our position as market leader.”

Bigpoint is currently represented around the world at four international locations. Company headquarters are located in Hamburg, Germany, where close to 700 staff members from over 35 countries are employed. The main areas of focus in Hamburg are development, controlling and marketing. Two years ago Bigpoint opened its second German location in Berlin directly on the Alexanderplatz. Approximately 50 developers are employed by the Berlin office, where the award-winning 3D action-adventure saga Drakensang Online is produced. Bigpoint expanded its market presence by opening its first international office in San Francisco, which employs an additional 100 staff members, making it the second largest location in the company’s growing portfolio. In 2010, Bigpoint opened offices in Sao Paolo – its first dedicated exclusively to sales operations. Bigpoint employs a team of five in the South American metropolis that effectively supports local media partners and conducts regional-based marketing activities.

Further information can be found at:

- http://www.bigpoint.net

- http://www.bigpoint.com