20th Century Fox Out Of San Diego Comiccon Because Of Piracy

"20th Century Fox could turn San Diego Comic-Con, held from July 21–24, into a victory parade. Ever since October 2015, when the Golden Globe-winning The Martian was released, the studio has been on a nice roll: Bridge of Spies and The Revenant won Oscars for Best Supporting Actor (Mark Rylance) and Best Actor (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Best Director (Alejandro G. Iñárritu); Kung Fu Panda 3 made a half-billion dollars worldwide; and Deadpool is the highest grossing R-rated movie of all-time. Not even Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip can ruin the good mood...

But the Wrap reported 20th Century Fox won’t showcase any footage from its films in July, because “the studio feels it cannot prevent the piracy of custom trailers and exclusive footage routinely screened for fans in attendance.”

At last year’s Comic-Con, Suicide Squad trailer premiered for a packed Hall H crowd, and Hall H crowd only. But, naturally, it quickly appeared online, and two days later, director David Ayer released the official version before he, or Warner Bros. Pictures, probably wanted to. What’s the problem, you might be wondering. Isn’t any publicity good publicity, especially when your Comic-Con-premiering trailer is more popular than Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice‘s? Certainly, unless it’s a Fantastic Four-level disaster. But studios need to feel like they have the power, even though the opposite’s true (if fans don’t care, they won’t come, and the project dies). Announcing that the trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens is going to debut at this exact time, as opposed to what happened with Suicide Squad, when someone filmed the thing on their phone and uploaded it to YouTube, is how they can control the narrative.

20th Century Fox will still be a presence in San Diego this year, but attendees won’t get to see footage from Assassin’s Creed, Maze Runner: The Death Cure, or Wolverine 3, all of which are scheduled to be released before Comic-Con 2017. Teasers and trailers are a big reason why people are willing to essentially pay money to wait in line, and it’ll be interesting to see how the decision works for 20th Century Fox, and whether other studios follow suit out of the same piracy fears. (Disney, whose D23 Expo is bi-annual, is reportedly considering pulling out, too). If you’re of the belief that there’s no original ideas left in Hollywood, this could be bad news for Comic-Con."

Source: Uproxx  |  The Wrap  |  We Got This Covered

Nearly 6,000 Visitors For Cornwall's CAPE 2016!

Congratulations to CAPE 2016,
what an awesome show!

With over 5,800 visitors, the event (which is only at its second edition) is a huge success. CAPE 2016 was also featuring a memorable, very unusual event! Thanks to the convention organizers Carol and Randy, the volunteers, and the City of Cornwall for making CAPE possible.

See you in 2017!

Stay tuned on CAPE convention via their Facebook page.

The Death Of Freelance Illustration

Art by Noah Bradley

Totally right. I can confirm, based on my own experience, that back in 1996, I could easily be paid over 1200$ for a commissioned illustration. The same work in 2016 can't get paid over $300.

And over 20 years, studio prices went up, artist supplies went up, living costs went up... What options are left for the artist who wants to earn a living with freelance work?

The road I took personally is the comic books. As a publisher, I became my own freelance artist. I work on my own stuff that ends up published by my company, and the comics sales in conventions replaced the freelance revenues. Seems to work for me. For now.

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Here's an interesting insight from professional artist Noah Bradley.
Watch the Chris Oatley podcast below.

"Why is freelance illustration so painful?
...because we’ve never had much of a choice.
...until now.

A few months ago, epic illustrator Noah Bradley and Chris Oatley teamed up for a live podcast + Q&A called “There Are Easier Ways To Become A Professional Artist” which, fortunately, inspired many artists to question the status quo in the professional fields of freelance illustration and concept art.

In their second rant-filled mash-up, the podcast share their thoughts on the death of freelance illustration (as we knew it), how personal projects and storytelling are essential to any current creative career, health insurance for artists, taxes, spec work and why artists quit their dream jobs.

So if you want to get revved-up, riled-up and ready to rock the world with your visual stories, click below and press play..." 



Read the blog post by Chris Oatley
Chris's podcast page

Carol and Randy's Geeky Wedding!

Can't possibly get more awesome than Carol and Randy, owners of Cornwall's Fantasy Realm comic book store, and the folks behind CAPE convention.

Carol and Randy decided to tie the knot during CAPE 2016, in the purest geek tradition! Congratulations! Live long, and prosper!

CAPE Day 2!! #GreatTimes #SciFi #Comics

Day 2 at CAPE #convention! This year's show is awesome, don't miss it... See you in Cornwall! Otherwise, my Patreon is always live: http://Patreon.SvBell.com 

Titanic Sinks In Real Time - 2h40 Video

Here's a phenomenal video, showing the Titanic sinking in real time, with the exact time frame of the dramatic events.

It's beautiful, yet very disturbing at the same time. The sound design adds a lot...





Titanic Honor and Glory official website.

CAPE Cornwall Pop Event Convention Is Almost Here!

I'm so looking forward to this year's edition!

April 23-24, 2016
Benson Center
Cornwall, Ontario


Next weekend, April 23-24 is the second CAPE convention, and the organizers Randy and Carol are making it BIG! Last year was a single day event, this time, it's the whole weekend!

CAPE has partnered with the City of Cornwall and the various businesses and hotels in town to accommodate all convention visitors. From free bus transportation to hotels offering special rates and free shuttles to the Benson center, everything has been taken care of. This is bound to be an awesome weekend! Last year was already awesome, and now this is a giant step forward.

Below you'll all the information you need to get to CAPE. Come and say hi, I'm located at stand 114, I'll be there with all my comics, books and stuff. Got plenty of handshakes in stock, come and get yours!

There are quite a few exhibitors, artists and vendors, that will be a very busy weekend!

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Floor plans and exhibitors list:

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Also of note: the organizers Carol and Randy are tying the knot during the convention! Want to witness and be part of a real geek wedding? CAPE is where it's all happening, don't miss it!

See you all at CAPE this weekend!

OFFICIAL WEBSITE, GUEST LIST, TICKETS AND DIRECTIONS

Toho's Godzilla: Resurgence Trailer is Here!

Toho released the first trailer for the new Japanese Godzilla: Resurgence movie!

Godzilla: Resurgence is slated to release July 29, 2016. Film is starring Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi and Satomi Ishihara, and is directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi.

Warner Brothers and Legendary Pictures also have an American sequel to the Gareth Edwards movie in the works with Godzilla Vs. King Kong.

Pure Awesomeness: Doctor Strange Teaser Trailer Is Here!!

It's here, and it will leave you beg for more!

Witness the power of the Sorcerer Supreme in the first teaser for Marvel's 'Doctor Strange.

Film will be in theaters November 4.

The Original Star Wars Return To Theaters This Summer

"Return of the Trilogy" events will screen the movies as a triple-bill across the U.S. this August.

The original Star Wars trilogy is returning to movie theaters this summer, with the announcement of the "Return of the Trilogy" road-show program, launching in August.

The movies will be shown as a triple feature in more than 20 cities across the U.S. as part of a program organized by Alamo Drafthouse, which also features additional onscreen content and what is being teased as "contests, props to bring the power of the Force to life, and other special surprises."

In a statement accompanying the announcement, Henri Mazza, Alamo Drafthouse vp, special events, said that it's "always been a dream to show the original Star Wars trilogy again — somehow, someway. Seeing the original trilogy on the big screen for the first time is a real life-altering event and just a supreme amount of fun. When the films became available to book for screenings like these, we jumped at the chance to do something big."

(For the curious, the editions being screened are not the original theater releases, but the 1997 "Special Edition" versions.)

Locations already booked for the road show include San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Dallas, Austin, Boston and Philadelphia, with additional cities to be added. Tickets for the events will, fittingly, be available online May 4 — or, as fans know it, Star Wars Day.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

Flyboard Air. Autonomous / 93mph / 10,000 ft.

Absolutely unreal!!
Want to get high?
Here's Flyboard Air.

Zapata Racing has achieved the dream of mankind and offers you the first video of Franky Zapata flying on the innovation Flyboard® Air.

The Independent Propulsion Unit represents 4 years of hard work for a result exceeding all records:
- Autonomous flight up to 10,000 feet
- Top speed of 150km/h (93,2 mph)
- 10 min autonomy

Although the UFO is still in prototype phase and won’t be on the market in 2016, it has exactly the same behavior as the WFD Flyboard® Pro Series.
Those who wants to feel the thrill, or pending the governmental approval, we invite you to discover the products ZR: Flyboard® Pro Series, Hoverboard by ZR® and Jetpack by ZR® that allow you to fly safely over the water.



The prototype is available for show, please contact site@zapata-racing.com

The Art Of Atari

Are you as excited as I am?
This amazing 350 pages book "The Art Of Atari" is expected to ship on October 25th, 2016 and you can already pre-order it on Amazon.

Atari is one of the most recognized names in the world.

Since its formation in 1972, the company pioneered hundreds of iconic titles including Asteroids, Centipede, and Missile Command. In addition to hundreds of games created for arcades, home video systems, and computers, original artwork was specially commissioned to enhance the Atari experience, further enticing children and adults to embrace and enjoy the new era of electronic entertainment.

The Art of Atari is the first official collection of such artwork. Sourced from private collections worldwide, this book spans over 40 years of the company's unique illustrations used in packaging, advertisements, catalogs, and more.

Co-written by Robert V. Conte and Tim Lapetino, The Art of Atari includes behind-the-scenes details on how dozens of games featured within were conceived of, illustrated, approved (or rejected), and brought to life!

Includes a special Foreword by New York Times bestseller Ernst Cline, author of Armada and Ready Player One, soon to be a motion picture directed by Steven Spielberg.

Whether you're a fan, collector, enthusiast, or new to the world of Atari, this book offers the most complete collection of Atari artwork ever produced!

"For me, revisiting the beautiful artwork presented in this book is almost as good as taking a trip in Doc Brown's time machine back to that halcyon era at the dawn of the digital age. But be warned, viewing these images may leave you with an overwhelming desire to revisit the ancient pixelated battlefields they each depict as well." -- from the Foreword by Ernest Cline, author of READY PLAYER ONE

Pre-order NOW on Amazon!

Google Pulls The Plug On Free Fiber Service

Remember a couple of years ago, when Google was deploying fiber cable in select US cities, and promised free internet access?

This offer is now history, and now the basic package is priced at $50/month.

Of course if you want TV channels and phone, these are still available as extras. Internet, TV and phone service via Google costs $120/month. Roughly the same price as every current service provider.

Google thought they could do better than the other guys in terms of internet and fiber cable access. Sadly, they're facing the same challenges as the other companies. Doing business in the digital world is one thing, but business in the real world is another. Operating your own real world network is expensive.

Arstechnica report:

"Google Fiber is no longer offering free Internet service to any customer who wants it in Kansas City.

While Google Fiber is most famous for its $70-per-month gigabit plan, customers could also get slow Internet—5Mbps downloads and 1Mbps uploads—without paying a monthly service fee. The plan required only a $300 construction fee that could be paid up-front or in 12 monthly installments of $25 each.

But that plan is now gone in Kansas City, Re/code reported yesterday. The free offer was still online as recently as Wednesday, but the current offers now begin at $50 a month for symmetrical 100Mbps service.

The move coincides with Google expanding free Internet service for qualifying low-income customers. Instead of providing free Internet to anyone in Google's service area, the company will instead make targeted efforts to bring poor people online.

Kansas City (in both Kansas and Missouri) became the first Google Fiber metro area in 2012. Austin, Texas and Provo, Utah came next, and Google Fiber still offers the free 5Mbps Internet in those cities. There are no changes in Austin and Provo for now, Google told Ars today.

But the change in Kansas City may signal a long-term shift in pricing strategy. Newer Google Fiber cities such as Atlanta already had the $50-per-month plan as the entry-level package.

Google previously promised "up to seven years" of basic service in homes where the $300 construction fee was paid. Google told Ars that it will honor existing customers' agreements. Though the free offer is no longer listed on the website, Google also said that it is still available for new signups until May 19.

After that date, Google will continue offering free access for people in certain affordable housing developments, with no equipment or construction fees. It's not slow, either: Google's free Internet for low-income residents was recently upgraded to gigabit speeds. Google also promised to expand the free gigabit speed Internet to "select affordable housing" in all of its cities."

Arstechnica

The Steampunk Machine Wall Decor Will Blow You Away

My long-time friend Jean-Francois Mayer is an inventor, mechanical engineer and industrial designer. And a steampunk lover.

JF has combined his skills and passion and came up with this amazing steampunk machine! The huge, insane machine has been built in real life, and in a couple of months Jean-Francois will be manufacturing the parts in limited quantities.

You want to have this crazy machinery in your living room? The time is now, stay tuned on Jean-François' updates: Steampunk.SciFi.Design

"But what does this... thing do, exactly?"
Who cares? It's work of art, and by owning this unique machine, everybody will know you by name. You own a store, a bar, a cafe? Add The Steampunk Machine to your decor and become the place in town everybody talks about...


THE STEAMPUNK MACHINE PROMO-1 from The Steampunk Machine on Vimeo.

Fantastic Photo-based Animation Film By Alexey Zakharov

Here’s an amazing short film titled “The Old New World” by photographer and animator Alexey Zakharov of Moscow, Russia. Zakharov found old photos of US cities from the early 1900s and brought them to life.

The photos show New York, Boston, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore between 1900 and 1940, and were obtained from Shorpy.

It’s a “photo-based animation project” that offers a “travel back in time with a little steampunk time machine,” Zakharov says. “The main part of this video was made with camera projection based on photos.”

Source: Petapixel

Early Screenings For Fans Of Captain America: Civil War

"Early screenings of Captain America: Civil War are likely hitting a city near you next week, as announced on twitter. The movie will screen in twenty-five cities across North America (US and Canada) on Thursday, April 14, a full three weeks before the film comes out in wide release.

The early screenings are first-come, first-served for fans signing up at the "See it First" Disney screening site. Los Angeles, New York, and Washington, DC all sold out rather quickly, with screenings also being held in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver. As of press time, Las Vegas, Seattle, Phoenix, and Vancouver are the only cities with tickets still available.

This shows a remarkable amount of confidence in the movie on behalf of Marvel Studios. Letting this many fans see a film this early means they think if they see it now, for free, they'll pay to bring friends and family to it again when it hits theaters. The last comicbook film to do significant early fan screenings, Deadpool, turned out a huge hit at the box office, after all."

Source: Comicbook.com

Check tickets here!

Razorback in Fukushima?

Just stumbled across this news headline in The Independent.
I can't help but think of the classic 80s Aussie horror Razorback!


I bet a film is already being written around this...!

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«Radioactive wild boars rampaging around Fukushima nuclear site»
The animal population has been left unchecked since the disaster in 2011

Radioactive boars are running wild and breeding uncontrollably in the northern region of Japan contaminated by the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

The animals have been devastating local agriculture and eating toxic, nuclear-contaminated food from around the accident site.

Mass graves and incinerators have been unable to cope with the quantity of boar corpses, shot by local hunters.

A quarantine zone near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant where a 2011 meltdown leaked radioactive material into the surrounding countryside has been uninhabited by humans since the disaster.


However, boars remained in the area, unchecked by humans. Their precise number is unknown, but since 2014, the number of boars hunted has increased from 3,000 to 13,000, The Times reported.

The damage to local farms beyond the quarantine zone caused by the boars has correspondingly increased, amounting to ¥98 million (£620,000) since the accident.

The animals are now being killed faster than they can be buried.

Three mass graves, big enough for 600 boars each, are almost full in the city of Nihonmatsu, 35 miles from the nuclear plant. There is no more public land on which further mass graves can be dug.

Source: The Independent UK

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New Canadian Indie Distributor: United Front Entertainment

Former Anchor Bay Canada Execs Launch New Indie Distributor 
From Hollywood Reporter

Rob Herholz and Susan Curran have formed United Front Entertainment after Starz rejigged its Canadian distribution arm.

Herholz and Curran previously managed Starz's Anchor Bay operations in Canada before both entities were recently restructured. The duo will run United Front as founding partners, while teaming up with Lightbox Pictures executive producers Wilson DaSilva and Jessica Martins to develop, create and acquire film content for distribution across all Canadian platforms.

"We'll be getting into the world of development, at the script and casting stages and setting budgets, something we can now do as a Canadian-controlled company," United Front CEO Herholz told The Hollywood Reporter. For its part, Anchor Bay Canada has consolidated certain business roles in their Los Angeles-based offices, while remaining a full-service provider to the Canadian market.

That includes selling product like their Walking Dead, Spartacus and Black Sails franchises to Canadian retail outlets. The Canadian restructuring by Anchor Bay Canada follows its British subsidiary, Anchor Bay Entertainment UK, being acquired last year from Starz as part of a management buyout.

United Front will focus on development, marketing and distribution as a new local film player. "There is a definite space for a new, well-funded and united Canadian entertainment and distribution company," Herholz said.

Lightbox Pictures co-founders DaSilva and Martins have secured equity financing for North American and UK film projects, just recently executive producing the Kiefer Sutherland and Donald Sutherland-starring indie western Forsaken.

Herholz and Curran will continue tapping their retail and distribution partnerships with local Canadian players like Walmart, Best Buy, HMV, Amazon, Entertainment One, iTunes and Netflix. Herholz had been with Anchor Bay since 2003, most recently as managing director for six years.

Curran arrived at Anchor Bay in 2004, and served as executive director of marketing and acquisitions.

Kodak's New Super 8 Cameras Update

Just received this update from Kodak! Their new line of Super 8 cameras are coming, and they're already taking reservations for the first models to ship. No obligation or commitment at this time, feel free to show Kodak your interest in this exciting camera line the announced earlier this year!

"We’re still refining your KODAK Super 8 camera with the help of some of the industry’s most creative and awarded directors and designers. We’ve received lots of feedback since our launch in Las Vegas, and we’re hard at work making this analog-digital creative tool even better. 

Meanwhile, demand from people like you is higher than we could have imagined. To ensure you get your hands on one of the first new Super 8 cameras we build, we encourage you to join Kodak's Super 8 Collective now. As a Collective member, you’ll get special offers on Super 8 film and processing, as well as regular updates from us. But best of all, you’ll be one of the first people in a growing community of filmmakers and creative visionaries to get your hands on the first new Super 8 camera to be created in over 30 years."

Article in The Guardian

Article in The New Yorker

Reserve your camera today on this Kodak page.


The beauty of film! Below are a few samples of recent Super 8 footage.

Awesome Skeleton USB Flash Drive

It's time to unearth your old photos and movies, and backup them for life on this awesome skeleton USB Flash drives!

Black Flag TV loves skeletons!
Available from 4 to 32GB capacity.

The little buddy is available here.