Wednesday 21 October 2009

Movies - Joe Johnston's 'The Wolfman'


You got to admit it; director Joe Johnston’s come a long way from ‘The Pagemaker’ or indeed, the eighties classic, ‘Honey I shrunk the Kids’. Bang in line with the trend for vampires and werewolves, zombies and other bloodsuckers, next year sees ‘The Wolfman’ hit cinemas worldwide. With none other than Benicio Del Toro in lead as Lawrence Talbot, son of Sir John Talbot, played by Anthony Hopkins, the whole things sounds off centre, but hey, I’ve seen the trailer and get this; it looks pretty damned good. So good, that Del Toro appears believable in his role as well, ‘The Wolfman’. Whatever the case, in ways this film has been a long time coming, and besides ‘American Werewolf in London’ can go holding the crown for wolf movies for any longer.

Monday 19 October 2009

Promos: DJ Hero from Warp Films and Framestore


Any man in a high top and aviators is cool with me - even if he is all about CGI. Add a little sound from the the fix up, look sharp school, by way of Justice vs. Public Enemy, turn it into a lil’ something from FreeStyleGames, and you have something fast and funky and playable. Having said that, this game, 'DJ Hero', is from the 'Guitar Hero' stable, and that’s an area, which I never really got. Well, whatever, the trailer for the Play Station, X Box game, is pretty damned slick and comes courtesy of Warp Films and Framestore. The promo moves, it swings; it ducks and dives and leaves you thinking, hey, maybe these 'Guitar Hero' games have a something-something going on... Check it out for size with the 'DJ Hero' opening if you don’t believe me…

Wednesday 14 October 2009

Ads - Packed with a Lil' Action; Ninja Kittens


So, Toyota has just launched ‘Buddy’ (see below), but fact is, I’m still reeling from last years' ‘Ninja Kittens’ commercial. This mad-ass 'Packed with Lil' Action' ad was originally aired in Australia for the Corolla hatchback – a car, which is, frankly, out-shined by the freaky-deaky Ninja Kittens featured in the commercial. The end product from Publicis Mojo and Exit Films’ Garth Davies, is leftfield and slick, kicking off the curved edge of cool - almost makes you want to go learn some moves. Almost. It's got humour, hissing, sardines, and more. It's just, well, damned near perfect.



Tuesday 13 October 2009

Ads - Häagen-Dazs and TBWA

Häagen-Dazs has launched their first ad, ‘Melt together’, in four years. Featuring the Ukrainian National Ballet, set to a Richard Hawley track, ‘Open up Your Door’, and filmed at the Kiev Opera House. The 60-second commercial comes from TBWA, and was directed by Philippe Andre, alongside creative director Graham Capp as is part of a £3.5

Cameras - XDCAM - Sony PMW EX3

Back in May 2008 the Sony PMW EX3 was launched at America’s NAB Show. Las Vegas attendees greeted the camera with interest. They appreciated the EX3’s design; its quality in terms of undercranking, not to mention time lapse and its excellent new interchangeable lens system. Over a year on and the camera remains groundbreaking, with EX3s literally flying off shelves – and that's no big surprise; for this camera is both simple and ingenious. For a hand held, HD, non-linear XDCAM it is damned near perfect. As an upgrade to the EX1, the EX3 doesn’t fail to deliver as Sony has taken the original and turned it into something bigger and bashier. Yes, this is some upgrade, and there are no two ways about it; the EX3 is undeniably more accessible than its predecessor.

There are several additions and changes to the PMW EX3. The camera has a different structure to the EX1; it’s almost as if the Canon XL has been crossed with an EX1 in regards to shape. This has something to do with the addition of a shoulder brace, which clicks out and allows users to rest the camera securely while filming. It’s a neat little extra, and one that allows for far smoother hand held work. Another change is the viewfinder. This has been moved to the centre side of the camera, and sits as a clip off, working with, and above, the LCD screen. It’s a clever design and one that makes for straightforward use. Meanwhile, Sony has added a fantastic interchangeable lens system. Now with a ½ inch adaptor, ½ inch wide angle and long lenses can be used. It’s an inspired addition, making the camera incredibly versatile, while producing footage that’s sharp and slick, just the way you’d want it to be.

Like the EX1, the PMW EX3 records to card. 16 GB, 32 GB, and 64 GB, will give one hour, two hours and three hours footage, retrospectively when compressed. Most laptops have a corresponding card reader, which means users can simply slip the card into their computer and download footage at a swift rate of about 20mins per 16 GB. And if you don’t have a laptop at hand, no problem; the EX3 can take the information from it’s A and B SxS card slots, and record between each. Of course there’s more, like the mirror image option that flips in the viewfinder, or the new up coming EX hard drive, but really, you’d be better off experiencing the wonders of the EX3 yourself, first hand.