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Wētā FX
Wētā FX, formerly known as Weta Digital, is a New Zealand digital visual effects company based in Miramar, Wellington. It was founded by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, and Jamie Selkirk in 1993 to produce the digital special effects for ''Heavenly Creatures''. The company went on to produce some of the highest-grossing films ever made, such as the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy and ''Avatar''. Considered one of the most influential film companies of the 21st century, Wētā FX has won several Academy Awards and BAFTAs. The company is named after the New Zealand wētā, one of the world's largest insects, which was historically featured in the company logo. History The company was founded by Peter Jackson, Richard Taylor, and Jamie Selkirk in 1993 to produce the digital special effects for the film Heavenly Creatures. The company went on to produce some of the highest-grossing films ever made, such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Avatar. Considered one of the most in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy (2012–2014), both of which are adapted from the novels of the same name by J. R. R. Tolkien. Other notable films include the critically lauded drama ''Heavenly Creatures'' (1994), the horror comedy ''The Frighteners'' (1996), the epic monster remake film ''King Kong'' (2005), the World War I documentary film '' They Shall Not Grow Old'' (2018) and the documentary '' The Beatles: Get Back'' (2021). He is the third-highest-grossing film director of all-time, his films having made over $6.5 billion worldwide. Jackson began his career with the " splatstick" horror comedy ''Bad Taste'' (1987) and the black comedy ''Meet the Feebles'' (1989) before filming the zombie comedy '' Braindead'' (1992). He shared a nomination for Academy Award for B ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Academy Award For Best Visual Effects
The Academy Award for Best Visual Effects is an Academy Award given for the best achievement in visual effects. History of the award The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences first recognized the technical contributions of special effects to movies at its inaugural dinner in 1929, presenting a plaque for "Best Engineering Effects" to the first Best Picture Oscar winner, the World War I flying drama ''Wings''. Producer David O. Selznick, then production head at RKO Studios, petitioned the Academy Board of Governors to recognize the work of animator Willis O'Brien for his groundbreaking work on 1933's ''King Kong''. It was not until 1938 when a film was actually recognized for its effects work, when a "Special Achievement Award for Special Effects" was given to the Paramount film ''Spawn of the North''. The following year, "Best Special Effects" became a recognized category, although on occasion the Academy has chosen to honor a single film outright rather than nominate tw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Eileen Moran
Eileen Moran (January 23, 1952 – December 3, 2012) was an American visual effects producer and former executive producer at Weta Digital. Moran was born in Queens, New York, on January 23, 1952, was raised Lindenhurst, New York, on Long Island. She attended the State University of New York at New Paltz with the initial goal of becoming an actor. Her classmates at SUNY New Paltz included actor John Turturro. After graduating from SUNY New Paltz, Moran appeared in off-Broadway productions while living in New York City. Her career path changed when she was hired as a television commercial production assistant, which eventually led to her promotion to production manager. Moran moved from New York City to Los Angeles, California where pursued an interest in music and worked for film director, Tony Scott. She was hired by Digital Domain, a special effects firm founded and owned by film director, James Cameron. Moran received industry buzz for her digital effects work on two Budweiser ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly large-format print magazine with a revamped website. As of 2020, the day-to-day operations of the company are handled by Penske Media Corporation through a joint venture with Eldridge Industries. History Early years; 1930–1987 ''The Hollywood Reporter'' was founded in 1930 by William R. "Billy" Wilkerson (1890–1962) as Hollywood's first daily entertainment trade newspaper. The first edition appeared on September 3, 1930, and featured Wilkerson's front-page "Tradeviews" column, which became influential. The newspaper appeared Monday-to-Saturday for the first 10 years, except for a brief period, then Monday-to-Friday from 1940. Wilkerson used caustic articles and gossip to generate publicity and got noticed by the studio bosses in New York a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joe Letteri
Joseph Bruce Letteri (born 1957) is a senior American visual effects artist, winner of four Academy Awards, four BAFTA awards and four VES awards. He is the current director of the Academy Award-winning Weta Digital, having joined the company in 2001. He has received several awards and nominations as visual effects supervisor, the latest () being '' War for the Planet of the Apes''. He attended Center High School (Pennsylvania) in 1975 and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1981. He gave the keynote address at UC Berkeley's December Convocation on 19 December 2010. Filmography *'' Eternals'' (2021) (senior visual effects supervisor: Weta Digital) *'' The Suicide Squad (2021)'' (senior visual effects supervisor: Weta Digital) *'' Gemini Man'' (2019) (senior visual effects supervisor: Weta Digital) *'' Alita: Battle Angel'' (2019) *'' War for the Planet of the Apes'' (2017) *''The BFG'' (2016) *'' Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'' (2016) (senior visu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment industry worldwide. Given annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), the awards are an international recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements, as assessed by the Academy's voting membership. The various category winners are awarded a copy of a golden statuette as a trophy, officially called the "Academy Award of Merit", although more commonly referred to by its nickname, the "Oscar". The statuette, depicting a knight rendered in the Art Deco style, was originally sculpted by Los Angeles artist George Stanley from a design sketch by art director Cedric Gibbons. The 1st Academy Awards were held in 1929 at a private dinner hosted by Douglas Fairbanks in The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The Academy Awards cerem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fictional Universe Of Avatar
In the 2009 science-fiction film ''Avatar'', director James Cameron conceived a fictional universe in which humans seek to mine unobtanium on the fictional exoplanetary moon Pandora. The Earth-like moon is inhabited by a sapient indigenous humanoid species called the Na'vi, as well as varied fauna and flora. Resources Development Administration (RDA―which, despite the name, is a public company which evolved from a Silicon Valley startup) scientists, administrators, recruits, support, and security personnel travel to Pandora in the 22nd century to discover this beautiful, lush world, which is inhabited by many lifeforms including the human-like Na'vi. The clan with which the humans have contact in the film "ivesin a giant tree that sits on a vast store of a mineral called unobtainium, which humans want as an energy supply." Na'vi The Na'vi are humanoid creatures that inhabit Pandora along with other creatures. They use animals ranging from direhorses to even viperwolves. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James Cameron
James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability with his use of novel technologies. He first gained recognition for writing and directing '' The Terminator'' (1984) and found further success with '' Aliens'' (1986), ''The Abyss'' (1989), '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991), and the action comedy ''True Lies'' (1994). He wrote and directed ''Titanic'' (1997) and ''Avatar'' (2009), with ''Titanic'' earning him Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Film Editing. A recipient of various other industry accolades, two of his films have been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Cameron co-founded the production companies Lightstorm Entertainment, Digital Domain, and Earthship Productions. In addition to filmmaking, he is a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Intelligent Agent
In artificial intelligence, an intelligent agent (IA) is anything which perceives its environment, takes actions autonomously in order to achieve goals, and may improve its performance with learning or may use knowledge. They may be simple or complex — a thermostat is considered an example of an intelligent agent, as is a human being, as is any system that meets the definition, such as a firm, a state, or a biome. Leading AI textbooks define "artificial intelligence" as the "study and design of intelligent agents", a definition that considers goal-directed behavior to be the essence of intelligence. Goal-directed agents are also described using a term borrowed from economics, "rational agent". An agent has an "objective function" that encapsulates all the IA's goals. Such an agent is designed to create and execute whatever plan will, upon completion, maximize the expected value of the objective function. For example, a reinforcement learning agent has a "reward function ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Jungle Book (2016 Film)
''The Jungle Book'' is a 2016 American adventure drama film directed and produced by Jon Favreau, written by Justin Marks and produced by Walt Disney Pictures. Based on Rudyard Kipling's eponymous collective works, the film is a live-action/ CGI remake of Walt Disney's 1967 animated film of the same title. Neel Sethi plays Mowgli, an orphaned human boy who, guided by his animal guardians, sets out on a journey of self-discovery while evading the threatening Shere Khan. The film includes voice and motion capture performances from Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong'o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, and Christopher Walken. Favreau, Marks, and producer Brigham Taylor developed the film's story as a balance between Disney's animated adaptation and Kipling's original works, borrowing elements from both into the film. Principal photography commenced in 2014, with filming taking place entirely in Los Angeles. The film required extensive use of computer-g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King Kong (2005 Film)
''King Kong'' is a 2005 epic adventure monster film co-written, produced, and directed by Peter Jackson. It is the eighth entry in the King Kong franchise and the second remake of the 1933 film of the same title, following the 1976 film. The film stars Andy Serkis, Naomi Watts, Jack Black, and Adrien Brody. Set in 1933, it follows the story of an ambitious filmmaker who coerces his cast and hired ship crew to travel to mysterious Skull Island. There, they encounter prehistoric creatures and a legendary giant gorilla known as Kong, whom they capture and take to New York City. Development for the film began in early 1995, when Jackson was offered by Universal Pictures to direct the remake of the original 1933 film, but stalled the project in early 1997, as several ape and giant monster-related films were under production that time and Jackson planned to direct ''The Lord of the Rings'' film series. As the first two films in the trilogy became commercially successful, Un ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
