Harry Potter and the never ending sequel?!

I am unsure how to feel about the latest "Harry Potter" film news. I have read a few articles and I am divided as whether I feel this is Hollywood commercialism at it's utmost, or good film making.

According to Alan Horn at Warner Bros., there are plans to divide the final book into two parts. Horn said, "Cutting the book to fit the film would have been a disservice. This way, we have an extra hour and a half, at least, to celebrate what this franchise has been and do justice to all the words and ideas that Jo [Rowling] has put in the amazing story." The films star Daniel Radcliffe pointed out, "There have been compartmentalized subplots in the other books that have made them easier to cut. The seventh book doesn't really have any subplots. It's one driving, pounding story from the word go."

I must say that the final book is very exciting and would be very difficult to pair it down to a two hour movie with out loosing the elements of the story that make it engaging. Dividing it into two parts would give more space for plot development... but where do you split it? There is also some talk that the film makers are unsure they want it to end the same as in the book.

I am a firm believer that books are books and films are films. And books based on films, should fill in where the movie can't (a script is between 100-120 pages as compared to hundreds of pages in a book) and when books are adapted for film the film must mold and adapt the story so as to allow the watcher get pulled into the story, which can be hard if the film is trying to put in too much from the novel making the story crowded and confusing. But I guarantee you that there will be an uproar if the "Harry Potter films" stray too far from the books. There are already complaints of that. I even feel in that lot with the third film... feel much of what I had loved in the third book was left out. But I have since realized that they are two incomparable mediums, each with strengths and weaknesses.

So to reel in my ramblings... I pose this question to the void... should a film try to hold strictly to the text of a book to which it is based? Should it be an interpretation of the text? And in regards to the "Harry Potter" films, is it good to split the final installment? Or do you as the viewer feel that it is just a ploy to get an extra $12 out of you? I am still undecided...

The Justice League of America Movie

So Warner Bros. is pushing its JLA Movie and the rumors are flying. One thing is quite certain that with the Batman and Superman franchises well under way, it will likely be new faces reprising those roles.

Call me a nerd, but I want to see Brandon Routh and Christian Bale together in the Justice League. I have already bought into their portrayals of my childhood heroes and I don't want to have to "get to know" someone else as my kid heroes.

I understand that the studios are wanting to ride the "Comic Hero" wave while it's high. Yet, it seems like a total lack of vision and good judgment. Superman Returns... not super popular, however, one thing no one can argue is that Routh is Superman the way Reeve was in the 80's. And the main reason for that is he was almost a perfect recreation of Reeve's Superman, which is how everyone expects Superman to be played (at least all of us who grew up with Christopher Reeve as Superman). And as for Bale, he has breathed new life in the Dark Knight and returned it to the greatness of the 1989 Batman original film. So imagine those two power houses at the helm of the JLA.

Instead we are going to get two new faces that will be conflicting with the faces of the Batman and Superman franchises, which will be releasing along side this JLA feature. Justice League of America is being treated like just another comic book movie, when it should be the culmination of the afore mentioned franchises successes. A bringing together of two of the best known and arguably greatest comic heroes ever, to make the super over the top grandiose comic movie franchise.

I have this hope and vision for a deep and epic hero film... but I am afraid that what is coming will be cornball and forget-able.

Golden Compass wins an Oscar.

Honestly I really don't care for the Oscars... They try to honor the individual when it is all the cohesive parts that make everyone look good. That is why a core group of films get all the awards each year. Very few awards are not swayed (in my opinion) by the contributions of other participants than the one receiving the award on the film. Example: Best Actor. How much of that performance is enhanced by great music, camera work, vfx, sound design, screen writing, all these things are cohesive and hard to separate for separate merit.

That being said. "Golden Compass" won the Academy Award for "Best Visual Fx". And I must say it is exciting to have been a part of the VFX team that created those effects. My hat goes off to all my co workers at R&H and those at the other studios that contributed. It is so incredible the number of man hours that are put into making films... It is an almost impossible task and yet there is the final product.

My Next Short is coming

Sheriff

This film has been a major labor of love. It started on the tail end of Der Ostwind while I was still in school. I told Kelly Loosli, my faculty adviser, that I wanted to do another visual effects film but something different from Ostwind. So we bounced some script ideas off each other. We settled on a story idea by Shane Lewis.

The premise of the story is the biggest, meanest, baddest dude in the old west comes to town to take on the cowardly sheriff, only to find himself facing something he would have never expected... a rooster with a badge!

Being that I started the film when I was in school and since then have worked on 3 different Blockbuster movies, it has morphed and changed in its look and approach since starting. Some of the elements I am kind of saddle with but in other areas there was a lot of room to maneuver. It still isn't perfect but hey... it is still born of a student film.

I have a great team of friends whom I attended school with helping me with the project and my tip my hat to BYU for allowing the project to continue to eat up resources at the University. I am hoping that for the students who help on the project will get a taste of a more real world experience of film making that many times is lacking in education.

What I am showing is a work in progress (render artifacts and all) of the new look for the rooster. He has come a long way believe you me. This is what he was:

then he was this (well not really but this was the first attempt at doing feathers and not just painted to look like he had feathers):

Needless to say, but he has improved much. He's not perfect... but then again... none of us are. I am excited as shots are beginning to be ready to render. Hopefully this film will reach even greater heights than Der Ostwind did. I would love to get to attend Sundance again. With out further adu... here he is... (right click play if necessary)



and here are just some fun posed images not really from the film but to give you an idea (not rendered... don't worry we won't have a gray rooster)

The Red Baron

Wow...



ok... Now you've seen it. For those of you who have seen my and Kohl's film, Der Ostwind... this is where we would have loved to take the visuals and one day I will! I hate budget/experience limitations.

Looks like it could be cool. Hopefully not another fly boys. While I found that film entertaining, it just wasn't unforgettable like I wanted it to be. I love aviation films and want them to be over the top incredible and there aren't many modern films that are. They always seem to loose the epic nature of the film by making it a love story and... oh yeah... I am at war flying an airplane... I want to see epic air battles. I want Saving Private Ryan of the air.

Someday I will make that film!