BioSketch_ COOLVFX

I have worked in media most of my adult life. When I was 23 I moved from Boston to Los Angeles to work in the film industry and began my career working for Nickelodeon television.

Eventually I began finding work in art departments and animation companies due to my experience and training in painting and illustration.  Ultimately I ending up at one of LA's first all digital effects studios VIFX/ Video Image. I began working on digital effects for the next 20 years.

I have always been fascinated with technology and it's fusion with art. My experience seems to be a cross reference of these two disciplines. I have been lucky to have worked with many talented people and learned from them. Actors, directors, artists, Musicians, animators, make up people. It's been a genuine privilege to work with these talented people.

My goal with this blog is to document the work of these people and analyze the changes in the various visual arts while recognizing the history at the same time.

I am not looking to act as a critic. My goal is more op/ed commentary and historical perspective. I feel this is more conducive to discussion and open dialogue.

Still learning the form...

Although I'm not new to computers (I have been using them all my life) I'm still adapting to the various outlets and modes of communication within them. It's been interesting getting acclimated to blogs and twitter so Im looking forward to the experience as I write about technology.

writing sample

Ten years after the release of the science fiction classic STARSHIP TROOPERS, writer Ed Nuemeier has returned to battle for  STARSHIP TROOPERS: MARAUDER. The origin of this popular franchise goes back to a small science fiction pulp magazine from 1959. The magazine of Fantasy and Science fiction had first serialized Robert Heinlein’s story as “Starship Soldier” before it was published as a novelization in 1959. The story concerns an interplanetary war between the earth-based federation and the arachnid aliens of Klenadthu and follows the exploits of Johnnie Rico, a young enlisted soldier through his paces in basic training and his personal experiences in off world combat.

1n 1997, Director Paul Verheoven and screenwriter Neumeier, the creative team behind Robocop, brought Heinlein’s popular book to the theatres. Considered one of the most costly and elaborate films of the last two decades, the film eventually became an international blockbuster, creating a huge cult following and ultimately initiating a successful direct to DVD sequel. Neumeier was approached by Los Angeles production company BOLD[C1]  films to continue the popular series while providing him the opportunity to direct for the first time.  STARSHIP TROOPERS: MARAUDER picks up several years after the events of the first film, following the lives of Johnny Rico (Casper Van Dien returning to the role) and his new cohorts including Dix Hauser (Boris Kodjoe) and an old flame Lola Beck (played by Star Trek Enterprise’s Jolene Blalack). Rico is now stationed on the remote base on Roku-san. After a massacre on the military base, Rico is court-martialed but secretly conscripted to be the leader of the elite Marauder units that will be used by the federation to battle the arachnids. After the assault on Roku-san, Beck escorts the Federation Sky Marshall Anoke (Played by British actor Stephen Hogan) off the planet, but en route to earth their ship is hit by bug plasma and crash lands on OM-1 where the deadliest of arachnids await them.

For the visual effects, Neumeier and Bold films turned to Robert and Dennis Skotak who are best known as the supervisors on the James Cameron classic ALIENS, a film that many fans feel has a strong connection to the Starship Troopers universe. “We got a call from Paul Salamoff, at the time one of the producers at Bold Films, at the suggestion of Alec Gilis and Tom Woodruff of Amalgamated Dynamics,” remembers Robert Skotak, “They had been involved in the first film, of course, and were having discussions about this new one. We read the script, found it smart, fun and full of challenges, and we became very interested in working on it, if possible. We then met everyone at Bold--David Lancaster and, of course, Ed Neumeier. They just all seemed to be a great group of people. I think we all felt enthusiastic about the project and each other right from the start, so it went from there.”

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Welcome!

Covering/ reporting the history and future of technology in entertainment. Film/ Computers/ Social Networking/ Gaming

welcome to my blog

Hello. This blog will be established to review trends in digital technology in entertainment (this covers video game tech, film, television, internet and social media). I am also going to review issues from an historical perspective to give the reader the scope and length of this far reaching artform