Category: media

Computer generated imagery has transformed the world of movie special effects. “Whereas, before, if they were making The Attack of the Killer Ants, they’d have papier mache ants chewing someone in half, now they’ll use a computer graphic ant, because it’s cheap and they can get bigger shots.” But the amazing imagery has gotten predictable, and now there’s talk of a backlash. – National Post (Canada) 03/18/00

Nine US TV stations have banned a new NBC cartoon called “God, the Devil and Bob,” in order to avoid provoking religious groups. The main concern seems to be that God bears too close a resemblance to Jerry Garcia, late singer of the Grateful Dead. “God wears dark glasses and has the amiable countenance and demeanor of Garcia (who for a sizeable number of his fans, the Deadheads, was God anyway).” – The Age (Melbourne) (The Guardian) 03/17/00

First the Academy’s ballots went missing. Now a shipment of Oscar statuettes was stolen off a shipping dock. – Variety 03/17/00

• Plan to send Russian actor to the Mir Space Station to shoot a movie has been iced for the time being for lack of funds. – BBC 03/17/00

A film festival deep in the heart of Texas aspires to be the next Sundance. – New York Times 03/16/00 

Hollywood’s top prize for directors has long been the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ D.W. Griffith Award. But when this year’s award went to director Steven Spielberg, it was stripped of its namesake, because of Griffith’s racist views. “The decision to remove Griffith’s name has churned up a maelstrom of mixed emotions in the liberal, artistic community of Hollywood that still recognizes its debt to the director’s pioneering work. Is it possible to honor the achievements of a ground-breaking artist, they ask, while still deploring that person’s political views?” – Washington Post 03/16/00

Vinylvideo is “a revolutionary system for screening short artist-made films on a television set. Each film is stored on a 12-inch vinyl record that spins at 45 rpm on a standard audio turntable. An electronic box connects the turntable to a TV and converts the audio signal for video playback.” – New York Times 03/16/00

Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch will spend $100 million to set up a film studio near Bombay and wire the metropolis with a fibre optic network. In his relentless pursuit to expanding his multi-media empire, he has already acquired a string of popular news and entertainment television channels in India. – The Age (Melbourne) (AP) 03/16/00

New research suggests that there may have been some 20 prehistoric human types that may have existed. But now only Homo sapiens remain. Did we off the other humans? Were we just stronger? What exactly did we do to all the others? New Canadian TV show explores the mystery. – The Globe and Mail (Canada) 03/15/00

Judge rules that a History Channel series “Great Minds” of history, business and science is too similar to a Teaching Company series called “Great Minds of the Western Intellectual Tradition” and will have to change its name. Both series feature intellectuals talking about their areas of expertise and are marketed in the New York Times Book Review. – Washington Post 03/15/00