Despicable me 2- Three amazing facts

As Despicable Me 2 just had its premiere in Colchester we thought to bring to your attention some interesting facts about this American 3D computer-animated comedy film. 

1. Al Pacino

       In February 2012, it was reported that Al Pacino had joined the cast to voice the villain, Eduardo.

      On May 3, 2013, just a month before the film's premiere, it was announced that Al Pacino had left the film over creative differences about how his character should come to life. At the time of his departure, Pacino's character had been already fully voiced and animated. Chris Renaud, co-director of the film, commented on Pacino's departure: "So we don't want an unhappy actor, and we want something that is well-realized on all sides. If you don't see eye to eye, sometimes it's easier to (part company) and move on from there." Benjamin Bratt, who had already been considered before Pacino, stepped in to voice Eduardo. 

       Chris Meledandri, producer of the film, admitted that he was not "aware of any of the major animated films of the last 15 years that has brought an actor in at such a late stage." Due to the finished animation, Bratt had to match his timing exactly to the character's mouth movement. Initially, during his five-day recording, he tried to imitate Pacino's voice, but found it impossible, saying "no one can out-Al Pacino Al Pacino." He ended up only using Pacino as an inspiration, and resolved to go with his own interpretation of the character. His work was commended by Variety, saying: "You'd never guess he wasn't the filmmakers' first choice."

2. Kristen Wiig

         Kristen Wiig, on the other hand, who voiced Miss Hattie in the original film, voices Lucy Wilde, an agent of the Anti-Villain League (AVL) who recruits Gru to track and take down a tough, Mexican villain named Eduardo.

3.Despicablimp

      A blimp disguised as a Minion, named "Despicablimp," has been touring the United States since March 2013 in its six-month tour to promote the film's release. As one of the largest airships in the world, measuring 165 feet (50 m) in length, 55 feet (17 m) in height, and weighting 8,000 pounds (3.6 t), it will cross the country three times during its 20,000 miles (32,000 km) long tour, visiting hundreds of events, including the film's premiere in Hollywood. 

      The blimp, an A-150 model of American Blimp Corporation, can be tracked in real-time via GPS at the Despicablimp Command Center website, which also allows fans to post photos of the sightings, and compete for various prizes, including for a ride with the blimp.

If you’ve been to one of our Claymation workshops before, Claymation 2 workshop which is on 12th of August will take your animation skills to the next step. In pairs or individually you’ll be given your own MacBook and camera to work on so you can create your own short film from start to finish.

You can book online through our website (www.signals.org.uk booking fee applies) or you can save the booking fee and call Signals direct on 01206 560255.

Lumiere's Arrival of the Train: Cinema's Founding Myth

         Train Pulling into a Station (L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat) is an 1895 French short black-and-white silent documentary film directed and produced by Auguste and Louis Lumière. Contrary to myth, it was not shown at the Lumières' first public film screening on 28 December 1895 in Paris, France: the programme of ten films shown that day makes no mention of it. Its first public showing took place in January 1896.

      This 50-second silent film shows the entry of a train pulled by a steam locomotive into a train station in the French coastal town of La Ciotat. Like most of the early Lumière films, L'arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat consists of a single, unedited view illustrating an aspect of everyday life. There is no apparent intentional camera movement, and the film consists of one continuous real-time shot.

 

      The film is associated with an urban legend well known in the world of cinema. The story goes that when the film was first shown, the audience was so overwhelmed by the moving image of a life-sized train coming directly at them that people screamed and ran to the back of the room. Hellmuth Karasek in the German magazine Der Spiegel wrote that the film "had a particularly lasting impact; yes, it caused fear, terror, even panic. However, some have doubted the veracity of this incident such as film scholar and historian Martin Loiperdinger (de) in his essay, "Lumiere's Arrival of the Train: Cinema's Founding Myth". Whether or not it actually happened, the film undoubtedly astonished people in the audience who were unaccustomed to the amazingly realistic illusions created by moving pictures. 

       The Lumière brothers clearly knew that the effect would be dramatic if they placed the camera on the platform very close to the arriving train. Another significant aspect of the film is that it illustrates the use of the long shot to establish the setting of the film, followed by a medium shot, and close-up. (As the camera is static for the entire film, the effect of these various "shots" is affected by the movement of the subject alone.) The train arrives from a distant point and bears down on the viewer, finally crossing the lower edge of the screen.

        If you want to gain new skills and express their creativity in a fun and friendly environment by using high quality equipment and resources come to our workshops which are made possible due to the support of Essex County Council funding.        You can book online through our website (www.signals.org.uk booking fee applies) or you can save the booking fee and call Signals direct on 01206 560255. 

The fantastic special effects used in Game of Thrones.

In just under four minutes, VFX studio Pixomondo has highlighted – with gusto – the best special effects from HBO’s second season of Game of Thrones. The reel, which Pixomondo has now made available to fans, is exceptionally impressive, not only because of the quality of the work shown but, frankly, in the actual production of the clip itself.

One of the most impressive elements of the season were Dany’s dragons, and seeing how they were layered up from bone to flesh and movement just goes to prove the lengths the VFX team went to to make them as visceral as possible for their scenes. 

To view the clip which also features key scenes like the Battle of Blackwater Bay as well as that rather memorable closing scene of the season, hit the jump.

Though many might be surprised at the extent to which Pyke, Harrenhal and some of the other castles and locations were digitally rendered, even more interesting is perhaps how much of it is not.  Many of the sets are incredibly impressive in their own right, with the green screens or layering (technology that we also use at our workshops) in post helping just to enhance the grandeur of scale. 

That is particularly true with the White Walkers, many of whom were actors with zombie-esque make up on as a base layer that was digitally enhanced to exceptionally creepy levels of decay.

The special effects do not fail to amaze when it comes to the direwolfs as well.

            In Season 1, the production team used adult dogs to stand in for the juvenile direwolf puppies. Northern Inuit Dogs from Mahlek Kennels were used.

             In interviews they have stated that this was done to allow the audience to grow attached to them, which would have been more difficult had the dogs been created by special effects. As the direwolves continue to grow, however, more special effects are going to be used.

           

            When Season 1 wrapped up, the dogs used as direwolves were offered to the young actors who played their owners in the show. Sophie Turner (Sansa) took the dog that played Lady. Sophie Turner (Sansa) wanted to take Summer, but his family already had two dogs at home.

In Season 2, real wolves were used to portray the adolescent direwolves. Using a variety of camera tricks and techniques, the shots were augmented to make the wolves appear larger, and then composited with the background and actors for the final shots. The result is that in Season 2 the direwolves are played by real-life wolves that have been super-sized in post-production.

IF WANT YOUR CHILD TO LEARN MORE ABOUT 'GREEN SCREEN' SPECIAL EFFECTS AND MAKE HIS OWN SHORT FILM OR TVNEWS BROADCAST USING PROFESSIONAL CAMERAS AND SOFTWARE BRING HIM TO OUR 'GREEN SCREEN' WORKSHOP FROM 23RD OF AUGUST 2013. A FUN AND ACTIVE WORKSHOP FOR CHILDREN THAT PUTS YOU IN THE HEART OF THE ACTION!! (AGE +7)

You can book online through our website (www.signals.org.uk booking fee applies) or you can save the booking fee and call Signals direct on 01206 560255.