[Giveaway] Tickets To Egg Story Digital Arts School Seminar Series Two worth $480(X5) !
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2 days back I had the opportunity to visit Egg Story Digital Arts School (ESDA) and it was really cool to learn more about 3D stereoscopic film-making as well as getting a chance to see some of the students’ showcase.
I really enjoyed the chat with Chris (the Acting GM of ESDA) and I have to conclude the same thing that I’ve concluded after 3 years in Design School – Passion really keeps you going in the creative industry.
If you enjoyed movies such as Coraline, Monsters VS Aliens and Avatar…or simply because you are interested in the industry itself, this is not to be missed !
ESDA is organizing a 3-day seminar along with master classes for industry experts to share their knowledge and enhance the profile of the local media industry. This is a great networking opportunity for those who are currently students interested in film making or the whole 3D animation field.
There will be well-known speakers such as Peter Hillman from Weta Digital (he worked on Avatar!) and Jim Heji from Electronic Arts (who developed popular games such as Godfather II and Need for Speed Undercover) and John Dillion who was the animator and storyboard artist of Imagi’s Astro Boy…and many other well known names in the industry.
Pardon me if I’m already gushing ! Egg Story Digital Arts School is really generous to offer me not just one but FIVE tickets for the 3 day seminar to give out. The usual price of the ticket is $480.00 (50% discount for Singaporeans/PRs/Students). As a student, I have to admit that it is alil pricey for us, so if you’re interested, do try your luck ! (see below for instructions)
Event: Egg Story Digital Arts School Seminar Series TWO
Date: 3 to 5 March 2010
Venue: Red Dot Traffic Museum, Gallery 1 and 2
Time: 10am to 4pm (daily)
For more information, visit the official gatecrash site ! (You can purchase your own ticket here too)
How to win:
Simply drop me an email at ingridmak [at] gmail [dot] come with the title: “ Egg Story Digital Arts School Seminar Series Two Giveaway” with your name and contact information. Winners will be randomly picked and contacted via email.
Closing date : 01 March 2010, 2359.
Thank You Egg Story Digital Arts School for making this giveaway possible ! =)
Movie Buzz : Astro Boy !
Caught the premiere screening of Astro Boy with the boyfriend at Golden Village earlier on. Before I share my thoughts on Astro Boy, I think Singaporeans are really inconsiderate when it comes to such events which are free seating. I don’t see how you can’t move in - knowing that others who come in later than you will have a hard time moving to the middle seats. OR putting your bags next to you to occupy another seat. Like seriously, quite a disgrace to call myself Singaporean when you are in such situations.
Anyways, the synopsis for Astro Boy reads something like how a typical Japanese cartoon would be like – Set in futuristic Metro City, Astro Boy is a young robot with incredible powers created by a brilliant scientist. The robot then turns into a hero and save Metro City and embarks on a journey in search of his destiny. Cliché but it was not what I was expecting after the nice happy start of the film.
Without a doubt, the best thing about Astro Boy was the hard hitting and rather dark first act that sets the back story. We see the brilliant scientist Dr. Tenma (Nicholas Cage) and his really smart human son being introduced. Not having a single clue of how Astro Boy’s story is like, I would have expected some science-experiment-went-wrong which transformed the son to a heroic figure with super powers as it’s a children-friendly film. How the film went was much darker and the emotional depth was surprisingly effective in the rejection scene which followed shortly between the scientist and the recreated son. I thought this component of the film was well handled and it gave a solid foundation for the film to kick off with.
Overall, the animation was not fantastic but attractive enough from both animation and cinematography perspective. I liked how 2D and 3D animation is blended together to produce a visually appealing piece. I think Imagi (the Hong Kong Animation Studio) did a slick job for the CG and kinda bring the whole story to life. There are a number of ‘useless’ yet interesting characters that piece the film together. For instance, I really liked the 3 robots called the “Robot Revolutionary Front” who were the comical relief in the film. Although it felt as though these sidekick characters were created to take up screen time but I think their presence added the entertainment element – even if they have no positive or negative impact for the story. You can totally agree with the robots’ last line” Well, I guess we didn’t actually do anything” – quite right!
One thing I’ve never liked about animation movies is that you have all these voices of high profile actors are not necessary the best choice. Most of them were emotionless and flat when it comes to portraying their animated characters. Then again, I think guys will like Kristen Bell as Cora even if, in my opinion, Cora’s character was rather weak. I’m not sure how different the Manga is as compared to the film but I find the messages behind the story were literally in your face – like “how fitting in when you’re different from others harder to do than you thought” (somewhere along that line) or how you can never replace your loved ones etc. However, I find the music by John Ottman infused the right atmosphere and really fits the film.
Overall, the movie started off with a bang but weakens as the movie reaches the end. Especially when you were expecting the action to get more exciting – reaching “OH NO,ITS THE END OF THE WORLD” when the red core and the blue core meets…but hell no, it was a “That’s it ?!” disappointing moment for me. I didn’t quite get why the president kept repeating that he is trying to win an election, going on and on about it…like what’s the point ? (inside joke?) Isn’t evil guys suppose to destroy the world with such great power ?! That’s how the story should be like ! (I’m sadist)
It was quite a straightforward story for kids to understand with jokes that are good enough for the adults to chuckle over. I have a soft spot for this iconic figure created by Osamu Tezuka aka “God of Manga” because of his cute hairdo and spunky red boots. So I’ll say it’s a 4 out of 5 (despite my slightly negative review) for this fun family film that everyone can comes away happy for different reasons. It could have been better.
It opens in cinema this coming Thursday, 5th November !
