After a long and colourful journey, the Town of Vulcan has finally received word, from Paramount Pictures, about its ambitious quest to host the movie premiere of Star Trek.
There is good news and bad news:
Bad news first: Unfortunately, due to timing and logistics surrounding the production and release details for the film, it will not be possible for the premiere to happen in Vulcan. This is largely due to the lead time the town required to rent and special order the equipment needed to put on the event; and the much shorter timelines the movie industry works with, surrounding film releases.
The Good news is that Paramount Pictures does want to involve Vulcan with the release of the film in Alberta. Although it is premature to know specific details, they have informed the town’s Tourism Coordinator that Vulcan will be invited to participate in the promo-screening of the film in Calgary. This screening will likely be scheduled for a day or two prior to the film’s wide release on May 8.
Although this may seem, on the surface, to be the end of a unique promotional campaign, Dayna Dickens, Vulcan’s Tourism Coordinator, is thrilled with the results of their efforts:
“The support Vulcan has received, for its lofty Hollywood goal — from both the government and our peers in the Tourism Industry has been overwhelming; the international media’s response to this campaign has been remarkable; and, the idea of Vulcan’s “Trekkie Tourism” has clearly caught the imaginations of the travelling public, as our visitor and gift shop statistics continue to hold strong, even through the current economic slow-down”.
Despite not being granted the premiere of the new Star Trek movie, Dickens is looking forward to seeing what Paramount Pictures has in mind to include Vulcan in its plans surrounding Star Trek’s release in May. She is confident that 2009 will be another excellent year for tourism in this little Trekkie Town on the Prairies.
For more information contact:
Dayna Dickens
Tourism Coordinator
Town of Vulcan/Vulcan Tourism
Box 1161, Vulcan, AB, T0L 2B0
Tel: 403-485-2994 Fax: 403-485-2878 dayna@vulcantourism.com
Website: vulcantourism.com
Cyber Controller statues are now shipping World Wide. This impressive and dynamic piece has now reached all our warehouses and will reach eager pre-orderers shortly.
But wait! There’s more!
Lord President Borusa’s Headdress has started shipping in New Zealand and is not far off the rest of the world. This means the last remaining piece is the Cyberman Leader Helmet, which we’re expecting in the second quarter this year.
The Streamy Awards Nominees were announced today, and we are pleased to announce that The Guild received 11 nominations!
We were nominated in the categories:
Best Comedy Web Series (The whole cast and crew and every one of our viewers)
Best Male Actor in a Comedy Web Series (Sandeep Parikh)
Best Female Actor in a Comedy Web Series (Felicia Day)
Best Ensemble Cast in a Web Series
Best Guest Star in a Web Series (Fernando Chien)
Best Directing for a Comedy Web Series (Sean Becker)
Best Editing for a Comedy Web Series (Sean Becker)
Best Writing for a Comedy Web Series (Felicia Day)
Best Art Direction in a Web Series (Leah Mann)
Best Visual Effects in a Web Series (Doug Luberts)
Best Original Music in a Web Series (Eanan Patterson, Don Schiff)
Whew! What a great day for our show!
Thank you so much to the hard work of all our cast and crew, as well as to all of you, our viewers, each of you who have made the show a success. We’re excited to be in such auspicious company and look forward to the awards on March 28th. They will be live streamed, so we hope you can join us there!
The following are the official nominees for the 1st Annual Streamy Awards, honoring the best in web television from 2008, announced on March 14, 2009. The live Awards Ceremony will be live broadcast online on March 28, 2009 at 7:30 PM. Head to streamys.org to watch.
Unskippable makes fun of bad game cinematics so you don’t have to. Created by the minds behind LoadingReadyRun.com. Watch a new Unskippable every Monday only at The Escapist.
All right… even though I need to join another social networking site like I need another orifice in my cranium, I’ve decided to wake up and smell 2009… and join Facebook.
My page is at facebook.com/weirdal. If you’re my MySpace friend, why not be my Facebook friend too? Come on now — don’t make me go out and get a whole new set of friends.
Besides the argument that “that’s just what sentient organisms do now,” I got on Facebook partly for the same reason that I originally got on MySpace — there are people out there pretending to be (or at least represent) me. I assume that these people are just enthusiastic, well-meaning fans, so no harm done… but just for the record, anybody on Facebook who ISN’T facebook.com/weirdal … definitely isn’t me.
And you know what else? I just signed up for Twitter too. Yeah, I know. I figured I’d better hurry up, because somebody already snagged twitter.com/weirdal… so I’m at twitter.com/alyankovic. Feel free to “follow” me if you like, but for what it’s worth, I really don’t intend on documenting every single one of my bowel movements — and truthfully, there’s probably only 40 or 50 people that would be interested in that kind of thing anyway.
So what have I been up to other than Facebook-ing and Twitter-ing? Outside of the usual “enjoying my life” and “spending quality time with my family” stuff, I’ve been writing new songs and working on Al’s Brain.
I’ve mentioned Al’s Brain here before — it will be a pavilion and interactive exhibit at the Orange County Fair this year, the centerpiece of which will be a 10-minute 3-D movie written by, directed by and starring me. It will premiere on July 10 (the first day of the fair) and run though August 9. And then hopefully it will travel to various other places around the world after that. It looks like it’s going to be pretty cool, so if you’re going to be in Southern California this summer, try to check it out.
And I’ve been writing a few original songs — we’re looking at being in the studio in late April / early May to cut some tracks. And then my plan is to release 3 or 4 of those tracks digitally (hopefully with accompanying videos of some sort) over the course of the summer. I have no idea when the next album is coming out… but at least you’ll get to hear parts of it in the not-too-distant future.
And I’m involved with developing a few other things too, but I’m being told that I can’t spill the beans about them quite yet. I’ll keep you posted.
Trenton Lepp and team have posted a second trailer and behind-the-scenes production video for the upcoming web series condition:human, premiering April 1. Join the Facebook Group and subscribe to their YouTube Channel for the latest updates.
The Art of Kung Fu Panda by Tracey Miller-Zarnecke, with a foreword by Jack Black, draws readers into the world of the DreamWorks Animation movie that was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of Animated Feature Film and kicked cartoon butt at the Annie Awards, defeating presumed front-runner WALL-E to become the surprise Chosen One of the evening.
Kung Fu Panda pulled out all its martial arts moves Friday night at the 36th annual Annie Awards, where it was named best animated feature.
Winning the top prize over such other nominees as the critical favorites WALL-E and Waltz with Bashir, Panda swept the feature film categories as it picked up 10 trophies, bettering Pixar’s Ratatouille run last year when it earned nine Annies, including best feature.
If there was an honour awarded for film tie-ins, then Kung Fu Panda would surely get the nod for The Art of Kung Fu Panda, as well.
Unlike many movie art books, which rarely warrant more than a single once-over, The Art of Kung Fu Panda is a treasure that begs to be admired over and over again. The dustjacket, a thick paper sleeve whose red, yellow, and black cover art reflects the traditional Chinese colour palette, glimmers with red foil dragons that undulate along the top and bottom margins. Hidden underneath, the red hardcover is covered in a delicate wave pattern and embossed with a large, glossy black dragon. Stunning gatefold pages are tucked at random intervals throughout the book, and even the endpapers are works of art, richly patterned with red and golden-yellow dragons and flowers in a style that emulates Chinese silk. A sealed envelope attached to the back endpaper, mysteriously marked “Prepare for Awesomeness”, contains the bonus gift of a small, folded replica of Kung Fu Panda’s film poster.
As an official companion book, The Art of Kung Fu Panda takes adventurous readers behind the scenes of the legendary movie with a team of master filmmakers as their guide. It traces the journey of the production from its first stages of development through to completed animation, accompanied by the candid, insider commentary that’s come to be expected from an “art of” book. Since Kung Fu Panda’s stylized look is so important to the film, the book spends considerable time covering its visual development, especially the use of colour and groundbreaking CG effects. The digitally rendered artwork is so polished and highly detailed that each piece of art, even the roughest of character sketches and conceptual designs, looks like a completed illustration from a children’s picture book. Character designs are thoroughly documented, with every nuance — name origins, clothing styles, related symbols, animal-associated mannerisms, choice of voice actors — explained, lending the animal heroes richer personalities and back-stories. The most interesting revelations in The Art of Kung Fu Panda, though, involve the changes that occurred during the film’s story development. Multiple screenplay and storyboard revisions are explored, showing what might have happened on the paths untaken, and thoughtful reasons are given for the choices which ultimately resulted in the version of Kung Fu Panda that made it to theatre screens.
Over the past two years, ten million people have come to recognize Jeff Lewis as Vork, the quirky leader of The Knights of Good on Felicia Day‘s hit web series The Guild. After spending years doing stand-up and improv comedy with such troupes as The Groundlings and The Second City, he’s also turned his talents towards writing. His first film screenplay, For Christ’s Sake, is in post-production, and his other writing credits include episodes of Nickelodeon‘s Catscratch and Dreamworks Animation‘s Toonsylvania. While he’s made numerous web and television production appearances, very little information is available online to provide insight into the man behind the Guildmaster (though he did just receive a bit of “exposure” by appearing in nothing but a blue Speedo in a CareerBuilder.com commercial), so Jeff graciously took time recently to answer some questions for us.
ÜberSciFiGeek (ÜSFG) I love your CareerBuilder commercial! What kind of feedback are you getting from it so far, and how do you feel about your picture being sent as a gift all over Facebook?
Jeff Lewis (JL) The feedback from the commercial has been great. I love being sent as a gift. I think they stopped it and that makes me sad.
(ÜSFG) Did you have an active imagination when you were a kid?
(JL) Yes, I did. I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction books and after I would read a passage, I would close my eyes and play it out in my head. And I spent a lot of time with toy soldiers, having battles where I killed several Nazis. I love killing Nazis. To this day, I will buy any WW2 video game that involves killing Nazis. I will continue killing Nazis even when the game tells me I am done with a certain area or level. And when the opportunity arises to actually play a Nazi, I will kill myself immediately and laugh about it. I hate Nazis. I cannot overstate it.
(ÜSFG) Lots of artistic people struggle with other things considered normal, like sports, academics, and social interaction, but then thrive when they discover the arts. Did you have a similar experience?
(JL) For the most part. I loved sports though. Basketball and football. But I always struggled with academics. Knowledge is just not my… thing. And as far as social interaction, it wasn’t great. Especially with women. Especially with women. I am repeating that sentence for dramatic effect. I came from a place of assuming immediately that any woman I met was not interested. There was a time when a woman could be naked in my bed and I still would question whether she was into me. I definitely fared better in the arts. It’s a real boost to your confidence when people laugh at you. And then, of course, social interaction improves. Although I’m still not sure that my fiancée is really into me.
(ÜSFG) How old were you when you decided you wanted to be an actor?
(JL) It took a long time. I was in a state of denial for many years. I just kind of did shows but didn’t admit that I was an actor. It just wasn’t something my parents wanted me to do or raised me to be. I think I probably knew the first time I stepped on stage. I’m going to give you a number just because I think people generally crave specificity. 28.
(ÜSFG) You just finished wrapping season 2 of The Guild. What was it like being back together with the cast and crew? How different was it to actually have a budget this time around?
(JL) It was great being with the cast and crew. Quite seriously, I like everybody and we have a great time. Sometimes too good. Especially with Felicia and Sandeep, just because I’ve known them so long and so many of my scenes are with them. I look forward to working more with Vince and Amy and Robin because I really like them too. And I love the crew. Everybody’ s just really nice and we’ve gotten into a good rhythm. If there was a way we could legally, morally and biologically have an orgy without the sex and various fluids, I would like to do that.
It was a little different having a budget. Not as much on the set because the writing and acting has always been there, regardless of budget, but more seeing the finished product. It just looks great. I take that back now about on the set. There’s more people. It takes longer for me to walk back from craft service to the set. More people to get by.
(ÜSFG) I know that Felicia Day wrote the part of Vork for you because she thinks you are one of the funniest men she’s ever known. Does that mean she borrowed heavily from your real life personality? How much are you and Vork alike?
(JL) I don’t know how much she borrowed. Vork is very exact in his words and actions. Everything’s a little calculated. I think I’m more stop and start, not exactly sure where I’m going. And dumb. I think emotionally, we might be similar. Prone to instant anger, albeit disarming. And frustration. We both have that and I hope it comes out in a funny way. Basically (and sadly), I think she just thought I looked the part of an older gamer.
(ÜSFG) What’s going on with For Christ’s Sake? There’s a great website up at forchristssakemovie.com (love the choice of Orff’s “Carmina Burana” theme). Can you tell us a little bit about the film and how you came to write it?
(JL)For Christ’s Sake is a feature about a priest who unwittingly becomes an investor in his brother’s porn movie. It’s got a great cast. Jed Reese, Will Sasso, Alex Borstein, Sarah Rue, Michael Hitchcock and John Schneider (of The Dukes of Hazzard). I wrote it several years ago in a writing workshop class and gave it to my friend Jackson Douglas, a director, and he got the funding and directed it. We’re just waiting to hear about distribution now.
(ÜSFG) You visited Kiko on the set of Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine show this season. What was it like working with Kim Evey and her crew over there?
(JL) It was great to work with Kim. She’s awesome! I had never worked with any of the actors and we just hit it off. Very fun. And Kim is great to work with on The Guild. I think of her as the script Nazi on The Guild. Maybe not Nazi but more of a “the mom that would keep you in line” and I mean that in the best way. She’s the one that would say, “No, Vork would never keep a small boy in the basement” or “Vork would never be in a hotel room with two hookers and an eight ball”. You need somebody like that. To keep you true to the characters and to maintain that ensemble feel. And by the way, Vork WOULD keep a small boy in his basement.
(ÜSFG) You’ve had a lot of success lately as a writer. Are you changing your focus from in front of to behind the scenes?
(JL) I’m not sure that I’ve had that much success, but if you say so. I will say that for about two years, I kind of gave up on acting and focused almost solely on writing and that was a mistake and will never happen again.
(ÜSFG) What other projects have you been working on?
(JL) I’ve been doing stand up for about 6 months and that’s been fun and horrifying. I’m also writing a screenplay with a new partner and trying to write my own webisode, hopefully with the help of The Guild people.
(ÜSFG) Do you get recognized in public now?
(JL) Once in a while, I do get recognized. It’s always a little awkward. I’ve gotten so used to living in obscurity. It was always a goal of mine.
(ÜSFG) Are you a Whedonite?
(JL) I’m not sure. I love everything he’s done. He’s pretty amazing. I was very jealous when I saw Dr. Horrible. I wish I could write like that. Especially the songs.
I present a generator of names and titles for those who may have temporarily misplaced their own.
Please enter your name, and select your gender, and the means by which you aquired your title. Then you will receive your own, personal Steampunk alias to do with as you see fit. Whether it comes to be famous or infamous is up to you!
Roleplayers and authors in need of authentic-sounding character names will appreciate this service provided by Brass Goggles, a blog and forum devoted to the lighter side of all things Steampunk.
