Download our FREE iPhone App: itunes.apple.com Download all videos from: www.VideoVocab.TV This Business English video ESL lesson introduces English vocabulary for discussing projects and project management in English.
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Showing posts with label Project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Project. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Business English Vocabulary for ESL – Project Management 1
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Exclusive ‘Project Arbiter’ Poster, Stills & Interview with Director Michael Chance
In late March of 2010, we were introduced to a teaser trailer for a short concept film entitled Project Arbiter. The teaser got us excited to learn more, so we spoke with writer/director Michael Chance about the project.
The 20-minute concept film is designed to pique interest in a proposed feature trilogy that includes trans-media integration -- meaning video games, toys and novels. As the director of a number of short films and commercial projects, Chance is ready for the next level, talking on a potentially career-defining franchise. If a studio is as impressed as we are by the work he has done on Project Arbiter so far, expect big things in the future.
The short film is still a mystery to many, so we discussed it with Chance in detail over an hour-long phone call. All we really knew back in March was that the story twists the reality of World War II into a genre-bending action sci-fi movie. But Chance doesn’t want audiences to see this as an alternate reality like Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds -- it falls closer to an untold story based firmly in reality, according to the director:
“It is NOT an alternative reality or new history. This IS very much rooted in historical events. I would consider it more like a Saving Private Ryan or a Band of Brothers in that we are following a group of people encountering key battles and individuals within the history of World War II. I think what [Quentin] Tarantino did with Inglourious Basterds was awesome in that you just didn’t see that twist coming at the end. But at the same time I think our film strays away from that type of fantasy in that ours is very much rooted in reality. More so we’ve gone very deep into what is technologically possible and the amount of electrical hertz that can go through a body for example. Jesse Boots and our visual effects team are working hard with me to create a cloaking technology that is visually different from anything you’ve seen -- this is just one way we are taking the WWII experience in a completely new and virtually unexplored territory on film. That type of open collaboration within our team is what has allowed us to continually expand the story and its presence.”
The cloaking technology he refers to is a major aspect of Project Arbiter. While it may look like a run-and-gun action movie, it actually focuses more on the stealthiness of a soldier who finds temporary invisibility with an unprecedented chemical and the situations that ability gets him into.
“In science fiction, there has been much emphasis on weaponry as in explosives, guns, and different kinds of battle armor. I thought what would be more interesting is if a soldier has the ability to go invisible and moreover put the emphasis on the difficulties that come with that responsibility. There are personal moral decisions with such a power and there are severe consequences when using raw chemical materials that have the capability to change you forever. You are basically an invisible person that could go into virtually any room undetected and do whatever you want. The possibilities are limitless and when put in the hands of a trained soldier, it’s a lethal combination.”
Project Arbiter is as much a character study as it is an action film, if not more. Chance is proud of the emphasis on character, stating that the main character of Joseph Colburn has a “darker turmoil inside that is personified by the way the suit looks.” The engaging short film should have no problem finding a core audience, but the story always takes precedent to cool weaponry.
“The story follows Joseph Colburn [played by Lex Cassar] who is part of the O.S.S. and he is paired with his S.O.E. handler Tom Hardy [played by Jake Lyall]. At the beginning of the film they are on a mission to secure more information on a specific individual who created the German version of the suit. On this journey, they switch up the plan to potentially capture this target, which increases the risks and rewards. The Arbiter parachutes out of a prototype aircraft while they are hit by anti-aircraft flak fire from the location they are trying to infiltrate. Along the way, there is a series of battles and confrontations that the Arbiter encounters with specific individuals on the Nazi side of the story. We focused on creating a conflict that unfolds Joe through action, mystery, and personal growth.”
The future of Project Arbiter relies heavily on the reactions to the 20-minute concept short. While it has been designed as its own short film, it exists for the greater purpose of jump-starting a franchise. But as any independent filmmaker will tell you, getting the right attention is the hard part. Chance has made the rounds by attending 2010 San Diego Comic-Con, speaking with the press and simply getting the word out through social media. We noticed the work before filming even finished, so he must be doing something right.
But the big question is how Chance, producer Vicki de Mey, and the rest of the Project Arbiter team will push the film to the next level. Independent filmmaking is a tough market, but short films have been picked up in greater numbers lately and Chance sees his opportunity to pounce.
“What’s been interesting is having the comparison to District 9 or The Raven, which was recently picked up by Mark Wahlberg. It is a really exciting time for independent filmmakers to get their films seen. The biggest thing that Hollywood and the industry looks for is an immediate reaction to a concept. If you can solidify your concept within two minutes, and then gather enough steam to create a concept short that’s 20-minutes, you can show beyond the concept that the group of filmmakers that created it have the ability to follow through on a feature film.”
TRON: Legacy was pitched to Disney with a concept short in the same vein as Project Arbiter and that resulted in a mega-million investment. While Project Arbiter may not have a predetermined fan base like TRON, there is enough to get excited about in just the teaser trailer from last year.
Chance says they are at the halfway point in post-production, with nearly 50% of the 220 visual effects shots finished and an original score in the works by composer Ryan Leach. If you have any doubts about the visuals in the original teaser, rest assured only a half-year has passed since production wrapped and they are already enhancing it further. Below are the first stills to be released. Chance expressed how thrilled he is with the imagery and detail that cinematographer Jason Beckwith and colorist Tashi Trieu have created.
It will be interesting to see the finished product and follow the attempt to turn this into a bankable franchise.
Original concepts are difficult to come across these days in the movie business. While it is an appealing aspect of Project Arbiter, it will also be its biggest enemy. With a few strokes of genius marketing, like the unexpected Arbiter custom LEGO mini-figure created by Amazing Armory in Hong Kong, Arbiter has a chance to mimic Neill Blomkamp’s journey from Alive in Joburg to District 9. But Michael Chance will be the first to urge you to stray away from comparison and experience Project Arbiter as its own entity.
If you haven’t seen the teaser from last year, watch it one more time and share your thoughts with us on the short film.
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Finally, check out the exclusive new Project Arbiter “CODE: Red” poster below, by concept artist Robert Simons (Click for a larger version):
You can visit the Project Arbiter website for more details and follow production updates on Twitter and Facebook.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman Planning New Project
Mind-bending, surreal, creative, unconventional, self-indulgent, weird – these are probably the most common words that’ve been used to describe the previous cinematic collaborations between director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman.
The pair are shopping around a pitch for their next project together, the details of which are being kept tightly under wrap, M. Night Shyamalan style. Whatever those madmen (Jonze and Kaufman, not Jon Hamm) are planning next, you can expect it to be… unusual.
Word from 24 Frames is that the duo are currently selling the mysterious pitch to independent financiers – not a shock, since neither of Jonze and Kaufman’s previous collaborations (Being John Malkovich and Adaptation) were what one would call mainstream fare. Kaufman already has a script for a musical satire titled Frank or Francis in the works, so he may press ahead with that project should he and Jonze be unable to attain proper funding for their new joint effort.Jonze was unable to helm Kaufman’s last script, Synecdoche: New York, so the Oscar-winning writer sat in the director’s chair himself. While that film was overall well received, it did attract criticism for being at times confusingly metaphorical and far too inaccessible – problems that some felt arose from Kaufman not having a director like Jonze or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind helmer Michel Gondry around to temper his complex mode of storytelling.
Moviegoers also got a taste of the reverse (Jonze sans Kaufman) last year with the big screen adaptation of Where the Wild Things Are – a film that may have lacked the densely-constructed narrative of Jonze’s Kaufman-penned projects, but was still able to achieve cult success thanks to those that admired it for being anything but a standard, family-friendly pic.
No one is expecting Jonze and Kaufman to deliver a movie that appeals to the masses anytime soon, but both are arguably auteurs in their own right and have developed a loyal (if limited) following in the form of moviegoers who love their breed of unorthodox cinema. Whatever their next collaborative efforts ends up being, there will definitely be an audience for it.
We’ll let you know when there’s more concrete information about this new Spike Jonze/Charlie Kaufman Project.
Source: LA Times
‘Twilight’ Scribe Readies Marvel ‘Jessica Jones’ TV Project For ABC
Worried about getting your superhero serial fix once Smallville is finally put out to pasture? Don’t be. Between NBC’s The Cape, ABC’s No Ordinary Family, a possible Raven adaptation on CW and the forthcoming Hulk on ABC, comic book fans won’t be short of new shows to choose from.
ABC is currently preparing AKA Jessica Jones, a series based on Marvel super-heroine Jewel. Melissa Rosenberg, screenwriter of all five Twilight films, is set to write and executive produce.
Jessica Jones is a minor character in the Marvel universe, first appearing in her own comic series Alias (no relation to the TV show) from 2001-2004. She’s appeared alongside more mainstream Marvel properties ever since. A contemporary of Peter Parker, the comic version Jessica/Jewel possesses super-strength and flight abilities. The ABC project may differ greatly from its source material, however.
According to sources close to the creators, the TV version of Jessica Jones will operate her own detective agency after suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Her new gumshoe gig will allow her to serve the public good and will bring her in contact with other Marvel superheroes.
If you’re disheartened by the idea of a superhero project in the hands of someone best known for teenage vampires, hold your judgment for now. Rosenberg also has writing and production credits on shows like Dexter and the failed Batman spin-off Birds of Prey. Other names attached to the project include executive producers Jeph Loeb (Heroes, Smallville), Alan Fine (Iron Man 2) and Joe Quesada, who’s worked on all of Marvel’s recent animated shows. The character’s comic creator Brian Michael Bendis is a creative consultant.
ABC’s parent company Disney is clearly ready to make good on its acquisition of Marvel Comics late last year. With ABC laying claim to Marvel properties and The CW (Warner Bros.) providing DC Comics adaptations, the television landscape is starting to mirror that of the rival comic book publishers.
Assuming that Raven is greenlit for production on The CW, the two shows will be competing for a slice of viewership that’s grown surprisingly lucrative: female sci-fi fantasy fans. Both characters are self-reliant and deeply flawed, traits that might resonate with fans of the Twilight series and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Combined with the Guillermo del Toro reboot of the Hulk television series, the combination could provide a one-two punch for ABC to grab both male and female viewership.
ABC isn’t wasting any time in bringing Jewel to the small screen. Though no cast information is available at present and the network has not yet pulled the trigger on a full order, AKA Jessica Jones is tentatively planned for a fall 2011 debut.
Source: Variety
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Mysterious New Teaser for Neill Blomkamp Project ‘AGM Heartland’
Since director Neill Blomkamp blew audiences and critics away with his Academy Award-nominated science-fiction film District 9, the director’s name has been attached to several different Hollywood movies.
Last fall, Blomkamp talked about a “very violent” and “very unique” original sci-fi film that he wanted to make. Then, there were the constant rumors of Blomkamp directing The Hobbit (which have since been squashed). On top of that, we learned today about another possible Blomkamp project, except this one may not even be a film.
Working off a reader tip, /Film recently discovered a short video credited to Neill Blomkamp that appeared online with the latest digital edition of Wired Magazine on the iPad. The video, which appears to be a sort-of viral teaser, shows two young men coming across an alien-like carcass stamped with “18.12 AGM Heartland Pat Pend USA” and “US Inspected And Approved.”Check out the mysterious clip for yourself below.
Peter Sciretta at /Film did some digging into AGM Heartland online and learned that a Beverly Hills company called Sable Productions had recently filed a trademark claim for the phrase. On its trademark filing, Sable said:
“Entertainment services by way of an online website with video, audio and textual content and images featuring characters and storylines about a fictional genetic engineering company that produces genetically engineered and altered organisms.”
Per the language in the trademark filing, the assumption that the video is a teaser trailer for a possible film seems unlikely. Rather, Blomkamp looks like he’s involved with an interesting documentary style web project focused on genetically engineered livestock (and the presumably terrible company behind it).
If AGM Heartland does end up taking off as a web narrative of some kind, it would be a pleasant surprise from Neill Blomkamp. As web technology continues to evolve, the Internet should continue to grow as a viable destination for filmmakers looking to share their interesting projects on a smaller scale.
Seeing interesting projects from directors like Blomkamp only proves that the medium doesn’t matter, only the message.
Source: /Film
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