The Sparrow in ISSUU book format....

* Note: Contains offensive language

The inevitable HUD...

Slightly arty shot of the inevitable HUD...

What, you didn't think we'd have a POV HUD cause we're a "serious" sci fi film?

HA! I'm ALSO a geek, people!

Yeasayer goes to Mars

This is without a doubt the most realistic video of astronauts on Mars I've ever seen. I loved it - and am a bit jealous about how successfully they've recreated the red planet!


YEASAYER - 2080 - MyVideo

Thanks to Dylan of www.dylanstoreymusic.com for the heads up!

One off the wrist

I've noticed quite a few sci-fi films sport the Astronaut wrist display - including the music video in the previous post - and here is ours, courtesy of Mr Sheffield, who spent days last week agonizing over its birth.

Iphone-style touch-screen of course.

...and another Mars film.

Again, both these films differ from mine, particularly in that their's are finished.

MARS! from Joe Bichard and Jack Cunningham on Vimeo.

Another Mars film in the works!

Here's a quirkly looking independant film that's just come out in the States... Mars by Geoff Marslet (Perfect name!). More here and an interview here.

MARS - The Movie [HD Trailer] from Geoff Marslett on Vimeo.

Details, details, details....

Here's a couple of examples of the animation that's being built for the computer displays that appear in the film...

We're going with monochromatic displays - on the assumption that power is at a premium within the astronaut's spacesuit.

Also note our usage of IAL - the International Auxiliary Language of 2038. This is a language being used by the European Union in our future, and is an actual working language, created by David Parke.

Wow...

Some beautiful work by Jeremy Geddes I stumbled across. it reminded me of Last Flight.

Michael Bay is evil

Worst movie. EVER!

Well, perhaps not ever, but really awful anyway, and actually pretty offensive on a number of levels.

The movie of course is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.

Now, I’ll be honest, I’m not a fan of Transformers in general, but I am a fan of a bit of CG popcorn and I was willing to swallow my vague distaste for a movie based not on a story, but a merchandising proposition, because, hey, if Pirates of the Caribbean (1) could make a fun movie out of a theme park ride, heck, anything is possible!

This film however was so busy pandering to US military "awesomeness" that the Transformers themselves hardly got a look-in. From Predators to F22s, the US hardware got a lot more air-time than Optimus Prime. Virtually all the supporting cast are military, the US army controls the alien robots on humanity’s behalf (I mean who else can you trust?), and the soldiers are all dashing, bright and loyal – and of course all male.

But at least they're doing stuff. The girls don't do jack - and they come in some eerily familiar packages: the sex-kitten girlfriend, the nympho temptress, the ditzy mother and finally, the drones who direct technical operations back in the safety of army HQ (plain girls ...obviously).

But wait – there was one other female, and if you blink you’ll miss her – a female Transformer! It was all over very fast – because she appears in a blur of action and then is shot (Bay really doesn't like women, does he?), but unless I’m very much mistaken I think she was even... pink!

Meanwhile, Obama is gently put in his place as well. He is named, or flashed on screen on a number of occasions, but mostly sneered at in the guise of the interfering bureaucrat that he’s appointed, and also for a Presidential Order that puts our heroes in danger. I guess Bay’s a republican.

So apart from working on recruitment for the US’s trillion dollar military industry, vaguely advocating further adventurism in Iraq (the US is just plain needed there), trying to sell cars for GM, and seething with dislike for women, what exactly did this film have going for it? Well, the CG is sometimes beautiful, buuuuut if you want good CG - go to Terminator 4.

This movie is evil.

The Sea of Perdition

Looks like we're not the only ones making woman-alone-on-Mars movies! Check out this short film by Richard Stanley. Thanks to Scott Grow for the link.