From the category archives:

Special Effects

Weta and Chapman Entertainment team up on Childrens TV project

by Bradley Walker on November 29, 2007

Jane and the Dragon
Jane and the Dragon

Two of the established creative forces in family entertainment, New Zealand based Weta Productions and Chapman Entertainment, from the UK, are forming a unique partnership to develop a range of childrens’ television properties. The first venture will be an animated comedy targeted at boys between six and nine.

The two companies host impressive track records in their respective fields. Chapman Entertainment is renowned for its hit international pre-school shows Fifi and the Flowertots and Roary the Racing Car, these follow Keith Chapman’s creation of the global phenomenon Bob the Builder. Fifi, Roary and Bob currently feature in the UK’s top six selling pre-school toy licenses and have enjoyed impressive television sales to over 200 territories.

Weta, is the multi Academy and BAFTA Award winning company acknowledged as a world leader in special effects following the global success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong and The Chronicles of Narnia. Weta has also recently ventured into children’s television, through Weta Productions, with the production of the animated series, Jane and the Dragon, which has received critical acclaim.

The development project will be jointly led by Martin Baynton and Richard Taylor of Weta and Chapman Entertainment’s Creative Director, Keith Chapman. They are working on a selection of 2D and CGI animated properties which will be presented to broadcasters and the licensing community in the near future, with pre-production expected to commence in 2008.

“Weta are the world leaders in their field and we are thrilled and extremely proud to be combining our respective skills to work on this exciting development,” says Keith Chapman. “This special new partnership takes Chapman Entertainment to an important new phase in the company’s history and will add a new age group to our portfolio of shows.”

“We have been fortunate to have worked with just brilliant film makers such as Peter Jackson, Andrew Adamson, James Cameron and Steven Spielberg”, says Richard Taylor “And we are once again fortunate to work with someone as renowned as Keith Chapman and the team at Chapman Entertainment. Weta Productions is looking forward to building on the success of Jane and the Dragon with these new properties”.

{ 0 comments }

Perfect Creature Sci-Fi Thriller Feature Film in Cinemas

by Bradley Walker on October 17, 2007

Dougray Scott as Silus Perfect Creature
Dougray Scott as Silus Perfect Creature

A New World opened when history took a different path in Nuovo Zealandia …..

Home-grown sci-fi thriller PERFECT CREATURE, has sold to virtually every territory in the world and presents a unique retelling of the vampire myth. New Zealand writer/director Glenn Standring takes the origins of vampires and brings it into a unique setting presenting them as ‘superior’ beings living harmoniously with humans – until a dissenter tries to break this down and begins behaving like a vampire of legend.

PERFECT CREATURE exists in an alternate world, set in Nuovo Zealandia circa 1960 - New Zealand - but not as we know it.

The story begins 300 years ago when genetic science was discovered by alchemists eventually leading to the rise of these vampires. Initially they were bounty to be killed, but in time they became indispensable and revered for their mission is to now protect human life from viral and DNA mutations. Now known as The Brotherhood they are no longer mankind’s nemesis but the keepers of science and spirituality.

This delicate balance is about to be destroyed when a Brother, Edgar (Leo Gregory) ‘turns’. Edgar is driven by a secret he wants to divulge to the world and turns into a vampire of legend who preys on humans. A highly respected Brother, Silus (Dougray Scott), is engaged to solve the problem and joins forces with a human police detective, Lilly (Saffron Burrows), to contain the damage and stop the reign of terror.

What the Critics have said ….

“It’s the most unique vampire film I’ve ever seen, a cross between Alan Moore, Bram Stoker and Charles Dickens.” Tony Timpone, Editor in Chief, Fangoria Magazine

“The amount of detail that has been put in the design of this world is amazing , 8/10 .” Twitch, Peter Cornellisen

**** (4 Stars) “Mood to burn - a skip load of ideas. A Sci Fi vampire thriller from NZ. Go see it.” Mark Broatch, Sunday Star Times

“Perfect Creature showcases the vast imagination and ingenuity at work in (New Zealand’s) film industry with a very original twist on the vampire movie. Part horror film, part sci-fi epic and part cop thriller, it’s a genre junkie’s wet scream. Rounded out with spectacular fight scenes, reminiscent of The Matrix, and eye-candy galore for dark fantasy lovers (think of Blade Runner and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, in terms of production design), Perfect Creature packs a helluva lot into its 90 minutes running time. Standring proves that Peter Jackson isn’t the only filmmaker in his country capable of bringing to life big, detailed worlds –- and even bigger tales to fill them.” Dave Alexander, Fantasia

PERFECT CREATURE is the second feature for writer/director Glenn Standring whose debut, The Irrefutable Truth about Demons, became one of New Zealand’s most successful film exports. PERFECT CREATURE stars Dougray Scott (Desperate Housewives, Mission Impossible 2, Enigma); Saffron Burrows (Troy, Enigma, Frida); Leo Gregory (Tristan and Isolde); Stuart Wilson (The Mask of Zorro) and Scott Wills (Stickmen).

Standring teams up with BAFTA award-winning producer Tim Sanders (The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring, Whale Rider), Roc Media’s Russel Fischer and Haneet Vaswani (Bend It Like Beckham) and Spice Factory’s Michael Cowan and Jason Piette (The Merchant Of Venice, Bridge Over San Luis Rey, Plots With A View).

The production team includes some of New Zealand’s leading technical and creative talent: Director of photography Leon Narbey (Whale Rider; No. 2); production designer Phil Ivey (The Lord of the Rings; In My Father’s Den), costume designer Kirsty Cameron (Whale Rider; In My Father’s Den), editor Christopher Blunden (High Heels, Low Lives; Blackball) and Academy Award-winning composer Anne Dudley (Full Monty; Crying Game; Pushing Tin.) .

The film was funded by the New Zealand Film Production Fund, the New Zealand Film Commission, Movision, Roc Media and the Royal Bank of Scotland.

PERFECT CREATURE in Cinemas Everywhere from Thursday October 18 from Magna Pacific

{ 0 comments }