J.J. Abrams will direct sci-fi franchise Star Wars: Episode VII

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) -- J.J. Abrams calls getting assigned to direct the seventh live-action "Star Wars" film "as surreal as it is exciting."The director-producer-writer spoke with a handful of media outlets on the red carpet before darting into the Producers Guild Awards on Saturday night. Abrams was there to accept the Norman Lear Achievement Award for such television works as "Felicity" (1998-2002), "Alias" (2001-2006), "Lost" (2004-2010), "Fringe" (2008-2013) as well as the current series "Person of Interest" and "Revolution."Abrams also is proving to be a go-to director of successful new films for long-established franchises, such as "Star Trek" and "Mission: Impossible."Last week, Lucasfilm officially announced Abrams' hiring for "Star Wars: Episode VII," which has a tentative release date of 2015. "Star Wars" creator George Lucas personally endorsed Abrams in a statement: "I've consistently been impressed with J.J. as a filmmaker and storyteller. He's an ideal choice to direct the new Star Wars film and the legacy couldn't be in better hands."As for Abrams' plans for "Episode VII"?"You know, obviously, it's so early," he replied. "I can just say what I want to do: I want to do the fans proud. I want to make sure the story is something that touches people. And we're just getting started. I'm very excited."

Book of This Month

The Seventh new book this month is 3D Artist : Learn the Art of Weta Character Design issues 49. Publish by Imagine Publishing Ltd. Can obtain in the market price of RM 39.90 per copy. CD also comes with free content.

Book of This Month

The Second new book this month is 3D Artist :Photoreal 3D issues 48. Publish by Imagine Publishing Ltd. Can obtain in the market price of RM 39.90 per copy. CD also comes with free content.

  

A Song of Ice and Fire is a series of epic fantasy novels written by American novelist and screenwriter George R. R. Martin. Martin began the series in 1991 and published the first volume, A Game of Thrones, in 1996. Martin gradually extended the originally planned trilogy into four, six and eventually seven volumes. The fifth installment, A Dance with Dragons, took over five years of writing until being published in 2011. The sixth book, The Winds of Winter, is being written.

The story of A Song of Ice and Fire takes place on the fictional continents Westeros and Essos, with a history of thousands of years. The series is told in the third person by point of view characters, whose number reaches 31 by the fifth novel. Three stories become interwoven: the chronicling of a dynastic war for control of Westeros by several families; the rising threat of the dormant cold supernatural Others dwelling beyond an immense wall of ice on Westeros' northern border; and the ambition of Daenerys Targaryen, the exiled daughter of a king murdered in a civil war shortly before her birth, to return to Westeros with her fire-breathing dragons and claim her rightful throne.

Drawing inspiration from historical events such as the English period of the Wars of the Roses, Martin defied the conventions of the high fantasy genre. The series received praise for its realism; it subdues magic in favor of battles and political intrigue. Violence, sexuality and moral ambiguity are frequently displayed among a set of over a thousand named characters. Major characters are repeatedly killed off so that readers cannot rely on the supposed heroes to remain safe and sound. The multiple viewpoint structure allows characters to be explored from many sides so that the supposed villains can provide their viewpoint. A Song of Ice and Fire also received critical commentary for its diverse portrayal of women and religion.

Though initially published without great fanfare, the books in the series have now sold more than 15 million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than 20 languages. The fourth and fifth volumes reached the top of The New York Times Best Seller lists upon their releases. Among the many derived works are three prequel novellas, the HBO TV series Game of Thrones, a comic book adaptation, and several card, board and video games.

The Third new book this month is A Song of Ice & Fire Book II : A Clash of Kings. Publish by Bantam Books, by Author George R.R. Martin. Can obtain in the market price of RM 34.90 per copy.

The Forth new book this month is A Song of Ice & Fire Book III : A Storm of Swords. Publish by Bantam Books, by Author George R.R. Martin. Can obtain in the market price of RM 34.90 per copy.

The Fifth new book this month is A Song of Ice & Fire Book IV : A Feast of Crows. Publish by Bantam Books, by Author George R.R. Martin. Can obtain in the market price of RM 35.90 per copy. 

  

The Sixth new book this month is A Song of Ice & Fire Book V : A Dance of Dragons. Publish by Bantam Books, by Author George R.R. Martin. Can obtain in the market price of RM 36.90 per copy.

The Blue Umbrella by Pixar

Disney has released a brief trailer for Pixar’s new short The Blue Umbrella, which will play in theaters with Monsters University beginning June 21, 2013. Directed by Saschka Unseld (layout artist on Toy Story 3, Cars 2 and Brave) and produced by Marc Greenberg. The official synopsis is as follows:

“It is just another evening commute until the rain starts to fall, and the city comes alive to the sound of dripping rain pipes, whistling awnings and gurgling gutters. And in the midst, two umbrellas—one blue, one not—fall eternally in love.”

According to The Wall Street Journal, the six-minute film features a score by composer Jon Brion and the voice of singer Sarah Jaffe.

“Pitching to John [Lasseter] is amazing,” Unseld  told WSJ. “When I told them the story, I could just see how they followed every word and how they imagined everything in their head how it would play out like a film.” The production took about a year and a half to produce and Lasseter gave him feedback every two to four weeks. “He’s fantastic as a test audience,” Unseld said. “He’s able to see the short as what it is at that point while forgetting all the iterations we went through.”

Unseld said he wanted the short to feel more like traditional animation from the early Disney 2D days.

“If the faces were in the umbrella in the cloth or raindrops, it would have felt weird. A stylized idea of faces with emotions made more sense.”

He said to get that look right without being distracting to viewers took awhile. The young director played with the exposure time of certain scenes, and filmed at 12 frames per second, to vary the rhythm and tone of rain strokes.

Turbo

Turbo is an upcoming American 3D computer-animated sports comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It is based on an original idea by David Soren, who is also directing the film. The film features an ordinary garden snail whose dream to become the fastest snail in the world comes true. The film is scheduled to be released on July 19, 2013.

Along with Ryan Reynolds, who stars as the titular character, the film also features: Paul Giamatti, Michael Peña, Luis Guzman, Bill Hader, Richard Jenkins, Ken Jeong, Michelle Rodriguez, Maya Rudolph, Snoop Dogg and Samuel L. Jackson.

Turbo is expected to start a new DreamWorks Animation's franchise, with a television series based on the film already in production.

Turbo is a snail who dreams of being the greatest racer in the world, just like his hero, 5-time Indianapolis 500 champ, Guy Gagne. His obsession with speed and all things fast has made him an oddity and outsider in the slow and cautious snail community, and a constant embarrassment to his careful older brother, Chet. Turbo desperately wishes he could escape the slow-paced life he's living. As luck would have it, he gets that chance one fateful day after a freak accident when he suddenly finds himself vested with the power of incredible speed.

Turbo embarks on an extraordinary journey to achieve the impossible: racing against the best that IndyCar has to offer. Turbo is the ultimate underdog who achieves the impossible by refusing to let his limitations get in the way of his dreams.

The Croods Second Trailers

The Croods is an upcoming 2013 American 3D computer-animated adventure comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by 20th Century Fox. It will star Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Catherine Keener, Emma Stone, Clark Duke, and Cloris Leachman. The film is set in the prehistoric era, when a man's position as a "Leader of the Hunt" is threatened by the arrival of a prehistoric genius who comes up with revolutionary new inventions like fire.

The Croods is being written and directed by Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders, and produced by Kristine Belson and Jane Hartwell. It is set to be released in theaters on March 22, 2013. As part of the distribution deal, this will be the first film from DreamWorks Animation to be distributed by 20th Century Fox, since the departure of Paramount Pictures in 2012.

Surviving in a volcanic world is tough enough, but caveman Grug (Nicolas Cage) gets a rude awakening when an earthquake forces him to leave behind the only world he knows. With his family in tow, he ventures out into the volatile world in search of a new home. The situation becomes even more complicated when Grug's family — in particular his oldest daughter, Eep (Emma Stone) — falls for a nomad named Guy (Ryan Reynolds) they encounter on their dangerous journey. This quirky, imaginative stranger's search for 'tomorrow' is at odds with Grug's reliance on the traditions of yesterday.

Ang Lee to Receive VES Visionary Award

The Visual Effects Society announced today that it will honor Oscar-winning filmmaker Ang Lee with the VES Visionary Award at the 11th Annual VES Awards on Tuesday, February 5, 2013 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The award honors an individual who has uniquely and consistently employed the art and science of visual effects to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention and groundbreaking work.

“Ang Lee has used the art of visual effects to masterful effect in telling stories like Life of Pi that could not have otherwise been so powerfully brought to life,” said Jeffrey A. Okun, chair of the Visual Effects Awards Committee. “With a body of work that encompasses films as distinguished and artful as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Sense and Sensibility, and Brokeback Mountain, Lee’s imagery has brought stunning and compelling images to the world of cinema – making us proud to award him our annual Visionary Award.”

Lee’s film currently in theatres, Life of Pi, has been a worldwide success. Recently, the movie was named one of AFI’s Top Ten Movies of 2012 and was nominated for three Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture, Drama and Best Director, and nine Broadcast Film Critic’s Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Ian Berry aka Denimu

Denimu (Ian Berry) is a British born artist currently based in Sweden. He creates artwork solely from denim, re-using jeans, jackets, and other denim clothing to create portraits, urbanscapes and other unique works.Berry began experimenting with denim artwork while at university and then while working at TMW as an art director.His process involves cutting, stitching, and glueing various shades of denim in order to provide contrast and shadow.His works have featured Icon's of Denim such as James Dean and Marilyn Monroe, as well as urban landscapes, including his most recent London showcase.Berry decided to focus fulltime on his artwork when he moved to Sweden from Australia and his first two shows in Sweden were near sell outs,His artwork has been featured in galleries across Sweden (Lund and Landskrona), Portugal (Calheta Madeira), United States (New Orleans, Fairmont, Asbury Park), as well as United Kingdom (London). His art has been sold across the world to private, public and corporate collections.Denimu worked with The Estate of James Dean and the James Dean Gallery to create a mural for Dean’s hometown of Fairmount, Indiana.

 The Blue Line

 Evening Shisha

 Pedley Street Gallery

 Wet Paint

 Monuments

 The Commuters

 The Blue Eye

 The Bright Lights

 The Heath

 James Dean Potrait

 Marilyn Monroe Potrait

Sun-Mate Announces New Partners for DQ’s ‘Jungle Book’

Global toy manufacturer Sun-Mate has added new partners for DQE’s new 3D, CGI animated TV series The Jungle Book. The org is expanding its network of worldwide partners with the announcement of a slate of toy distributor agreements in key global territories. Sun-Mate president Rami Ben-Moshe confirmed five new international distributor agreements with Hunter Leisure, Australia; Flash Toys in Latin America; Haka, New Zealand; Prima Toys in South Africa; and SMC Entertainment for Benelux.

“We are so excited to have these exceptional international partners who are as committed to The Jungle Book brand as we are,” said Ben-Moshe. “Sun-Mate is dedicated to building this property into a universal brand and as we head to the forthcoming 2013 Hong Kong Toy Fair, New York Toy Fair, and Nuremberg Toy Fair, we look forward, with great anticipation, to announcing additional agreements and meeting with new partners at each of these important events.”

Sun-Mate’s is also the North American master toy licensee for “The Jungle Book” brand. SMC Entertainment Group, Inc. holds the North American rights for home entertainment, licensing, merchandising and promotional rights. SMC also secured the master toy rights for The Jungle Book for Australia and New Zealand and all licensing and merchandising rights for South Africa. DQ Entertainment (DQE) is the producer and global rights owners of new animated TV series.

The Jungle Book is a new 3D, CGI animated series, which offers a new take on the Rudyard Kipling classic tale, The show is currently airing in 165 countries across the globe, and has over 100 licensees worldwide in key categories of publishing, gaming, digital, apparel, accessories, home furnishings, back-to-school, games, puzzles, HBA, confections, amusement, Halloween other seasonal products and more.

Book of This Month

The first new book this month is Fantasy Art : Fantasy Lighting issues 39.Publish by Imagine Publishing Ltd. Can obtain in the market price of RM 49.00 per copy. CD also comes with free content.