Film graduate school take on could Disney in the race for Oscar glory

Head over heels was financed and carried out by students at the National Film and Television School. Photography: ENF

Call the Wallace Gromit effect &. An eccentric British film called head over heels could be on the verge of upsetting the natural Hollywood order and Disney broke the coveted animation Oscar.

Like A Grand Day Out, Nick Park first, beloved animation from 1989, was made at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) Head Over Heels and poised to make a similar impact foreign. It is the student film alone in vying for an Oscar for the next week.

Describing the animation and directed by Timothy Reckart by Fotla Cronin O'Reilly, as 'one of those gems stand-out that does not often come around this', said Park: 'it is a cleverly designed but simple idea. A clear history and inventiveness said, very poignant and full of heart. I'm not surprised that they win you prizes with the head over heels. Well deserved".

The stakes are suddenly exorbitant for graduates of school of young directors who have established animation 11 minutes on a small budget. So far, it is now in black and white offers his own in the category short animated against the favorite - Disney Paperman. While Disney has allegedly violated strict rules of Oscar by releasing Paperman in its entirety online, head over heels manufacturers hit back by editing their film scenes in the form of an email from viral Valentine.

O'Reilly, who is already in California for the ceremony next Sunday, said: "people really seem to it because the story itself is fairly universal. This is why the film has had an equally strong reaction. "The plot revolves, literally, autour of a house where an emotionally remote married couple living together - but apart. Their tentative attempts to communicate are stymied on several occasions that they continue to live under different rules - one on the ground; one on the ceiling.

"I had at the height of the story so often now, I struggle to remember the effect it has," said. "The meaning is very subjective, as it should be, but for me it comes to realize what you already have. A couple can certainly start taking each other for granted and it is a story of love in this regard. » O'Reilly made the film with the animator and Director Reckart as their final project at the school of cinema. The two invited a group of classmates to pitch and bring Reckart vision to life.

"The concept for the film came from Tim and we worked together," said the 26 - year - old from Co Kerry. "We were in the same year and decided to make it the traditional way, as a stop-motion with models of clay animation."

RECKART described the idea behind the story as ' simple - spouses separated by fields of gravity. However, this does not prevent the history of having a depth "really rich and emotional. "Many married people have told me that rings film true with their own experiences of marriage, and I think that everyone, married or not, can identify with this story of love, built on the sacrifice," he said. " RECKART, who is also 26, grew up in Arizona and travelled to Great Britain to study at the NFTS in Buckinghamshire. "He came here because he saw it as the home of animation." "And it was nice to think that the first film of Wallace Gromit & has been too, Nick Park here graduation film", said O'Reilly.

Park, who joined eponymous Aardman Animations, also earned an Award nomination Academy with A Grand Day Out, his film studies, higher but in fact won the Oscar this year, in 1990, for comfort. Head over Heels, earlier this month in Los Angeles won an Annie Award international for the animation. "We are funding the film ourselves, of course and so we do not have the money to spend huge sums on the PR and advertising, but we are trying our best to spread the word," said O'Reilly.

Since his departure from film school, she worked with parallel to London Films and is involved in several projects, including several animations with Reckart.

Among those who pitched in to help make the head over heels was 32 years old editing James Taylor of Plymouth, which will also attend the Sunday ceremony. "Tim came up with a simple but beautifully designed metaphor that lies at the heart of the head over heels," Taylor said.

His family and friends raised the money to finance his hotel room and airfare for the night of the Oscars. "I'm so excited to go to Hollywood to mix with people who have made films that I've been looking all my life," he says.

Head over heels is also against Adam and dog, a solo project to host Disney Minkyu Lee, fresh Guacamole, a film take a dip on edible and spin-off from The Simpsons objects, The more long-term care, in which Maggie Simpson attends a nursery of Ayn Rand-inspired. Head over heels is an outsider, but given that its powerful ending has been described as 'one of the most romantic in the cinema', perhaps the night Oscar ends similarly uplifting.

Sky Disney movies: new channel to show the first film TV UK

Brave is among Disney films to get their first British television on the new channel from BSkyB Sky movies Disney pay-TV. Photo: Pixar/Disney

Films including the Brave and Wreck-It Ralph have their first UK TV, the new Sky movies Disney Channel, a new multi-year film will be deal between BSkyB and the Hollywood studio.

Sky Movies Disney will launch March 28 as a new addition to the range of channels from Sky pay TV movie, replacing Disney Cinemagic.

Tracks animated Disney and Pixar, which Tinker Bell: Secrets of the wings and upcoming releases Oz: the great and powerful, University of monsters and The Lone Ranger, will also have their first broadcast TV UK on Sky Disney movies.

The agreement also gives Sky access to Disney films for its video on demand Sky go and now TV On Demand.

Sky declined to reveal the length of his new Disney contract. But faced with increased competition for the rights to service Hollywood film we VOD Netflix, which launched in the United Kingdom at the beginning of 2012, Sky has now renewed exclusive pay-TV deals with four of the six major studios, Disney, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros - since September.

In the case of Sky Movies channels will have the first TV UK by future versions of Lucasfilm, recently acquired by Disney, including the new Star Wars films; and Marvel titles which assemble Avengers and Iron Man 3.

Avengers Assemble also get its first UK TV on the sky movie channels. Photography: Marvel

Sky Movies Disney will also be the new home of UK pay TV for movies from the library of cartoon Disney Bambi and Pinocchio, Pixar animations such as the world of Nemo and Cars and live action films including Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.

Sky Movies Disney will also be the new home of UK pay TV for films including Bambi Disney cartoon library. Photography: Disney

Ian Lewis, Director of Sky Movies, said: "the Disney films are loved by all ages and generations, we are delighted to bring this new channel of millions of families without any additional cost. Sky Movies Disney will be the home of new and classic films by Disney and Disney/Pixar and will offer all new titles at least a year before the other channels of TV or subscription services.

Pinocchio - another Disney classic. Photography: Disney

"The combination of fantastic Disney films and innovation award-winning Sky means that customers will have the chance to enjoy the best of Disney on their own terms, so who watch on demand, on the road or in 3D. ''

The Incredible Hulk in space - is the next step for giant jade of the The Avengers?

OFF to fight some little green men... Mark Ruffalo Hulk could go interstellar. Photo: Planet pictures/Marvel

Away from the impact a myriad of Star Wars it seems we'll get in the next few years, all the talk this week in the geekosphère has focused on a possible new movie Hulk, based on the scenario of 2006 Planet Hulk comic. Latino Review suggests that once great green rage machine has done his homework in The Avengers 2, which is scheduled for may 2015, it will be sent to offshore in outer space to ensure that it cannot do any more to the poor old dirt. At first glance, this looks like a rather absurd proposal: Planet Hulk is one of these intrigues of Sci-Fi beloved bizarre style of Marvel that can translate well to film big screen live-action, where scenarios should rely on the charisma of the actors rather than the subplots nickname-mystical and mysterious aliens. But more I think, more I think the scenario could work just - with some adaptations pretty salty.

The Avengers [also known as the Avengers assemble]year of Production: 2012countries: USACert (UK): 12Runtime: 142 mnAdministration: Joss Whedoncast: Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Cobie Smulders, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., Samuel L Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Stellan Skarsgard, Tom HiddlestonMore on this film

Planet Hulk begins with the awakening of Hulk in a spaceship's shield which was sent out of the solar system, on the order of a group of superheroes called Illuminati (Iron Man and Doctor Strange among them) for the exile of their old pal for always on a planet without intelligent life (where it is proposed, it may break cheerfully local wildlife(, far from being something approaching a civilization). So far, so fair enough: However, it is a Marvel comic, the spaceship accidentally travels through a wormhole and ends up landing on the planet Sakaar where there's lots of sensitive life (not many civilized attitudes). The Incredible Hulk is captured and is forced to compete as a Gladiator for a ruthless ruler named King red, with an assortment of competitors compatriots of different planets, some which he eventually tame. I say no more, but suffice it to say that the not-so-jolly green giant will eventually be warm enough in the arena, and finally heads back to Earth for revenge on the Avengers - a spat depicted in the comics World War Hulk. Latino Review says that its sources suggest that this could be the basis of The Avengers 3.

Planet Hulk would be in many respects a splendid Hulk film, especially at this stage in the development of the broader Marvel Universe. To begin with, he launched the character into a completely new environment where he is the only individual audience is likely to know much. In a sense, it becomes almost an origins of Hulk film, because it is forced to form again in a new world. It allows marvel to avoid repeating the rather bland scenario featured in two films (pretty prosaic) two precedents on the character (in which case the military want to shoot to stop destroying stuff). And well implementing the Hulk as a potential adversary - we won't say nasty - for The Avengers 3.

On the other hand, much like his hero, Planet Hulk has problems. The comic strip is so influenced by Gladiator history would need many to expand if it were to avoid like a shallow retreading. Even more urgent is the fact that in the press, the Incredible Hulk, which appears in this story is the version of the character which does not turn into Bruce Banner (see the details of this link to find out why). Unfortunately, the Hulk without banner - even a pontoon with the ability to feel love and father half-Hulk children as it does in the comic - turns out to be a somewhat boring creation. On the other hand, the success of the character in The Avengers, which spawned the current application for a new Hulk movie, derives largely subtle magnetic performance of Mark Ruffalo as banner as the value of the comedy of his other anger half. Add in the fact that Ruffalo is contracted for at least six films and it seems likely that one of the central locations of the comic it dispense. If Planet Hulk gets made, Ruffalo should be in the picture.

Marvel President Kevin Feige has confirmed last year in an interview with MTV that Planet Hulk and World War Hulk were the two options for the next swath of superhero movies, but admitted that each was problematic. "I think that he are the pitfalls of the overload of continuity", he said. "And the mythology so dense that it collapses in on itself. It happens all the few decades or so in the bands drawn. Apart from that, I would say that everything is on the table. »

What are your thoughts on Planet Hulk as the basis for the upcoming Hulk movie? Should the jade giant head offshore in outer space adventure? Or, now that they have finally found a way to make the character work on the big screen, should Marvel keep these monstrous feet firmly on the surface of the Earth?

Monsters University: watch the new trailer - video

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Sammy's Great Escape – review

Sammy's Great EscapeProduction year: 2012Country: Rest of the worldCert (UK): URuntime: 93 minsDirectors: Ben Stassen, Vincent KestelootCast: Billy Unger, Carlos McCullers II, Cinda Adams, Isabelle Fuhrman, Pat Carroll, Wesley JohnnyMore on this film

This 3D animation from Belgium (actually a sequel to an earlier film called Sammy's Adventures) is really nothing more than a cut-rate knockoff of the 2003 Pixar-Disney classic Finding Nemo. Two leatherback turtles, Sammy and Ray, find themselves nabbed along with their cute hatchlings and sold off to be part of a huge aquarium show in Dubai. The script is flat, the storytelling is dull, and the animation is just sub-standard. There has to be some better family entertainment for the half-term holidays than this.

Wreck-It Ralph – review

Wreck-It RalphProduction year: 2012Country: USACert (UK): PGRuntime: 108 minsDirectors: Rich MooreCast: Alan Tudyk, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, John C Reilly, Sarah SilvermanMore on this film

Wreck-It Ralph is a meticulously rendered but bafflingly praised oddity with an Oscar nomination for best animated feature. For me, it never came to life. The subject is an imaginary 80s video game called Fix It Felix Jr, which has somehow survived, bleeping away in the corner of a 21st-century arcade, and naturally the faux-retro graphic is lovingly created. Players get points for joysticking a cheerfully upbeat repairman called Felix around to fix broken windows caused by a massive-forearmed brute called Wreck-It Ralph. But poor Ralph (voiced by John C Reilly) is tired of being the bad guy. So he "goes turbo", sneaks out of his game and into other game universes where he can realise his heroic destiny. It's a pale version of the recently rereleased Pixar gem Monsters Inc, and more like the Wachowskis' Speed Racer. I found the idea of teens laying down their coins to play arcade games in this present day a strange, semi-intentional archaism — nostalgic wish-fulfilment on the part of the middle-aged people creating the movie.

John C Reilly: this much I know

'I thought about becoming a priest or a lawyer': John C Reilly. Photograph: Steven Dewall/Redferns

My personality is half Willy Wonka and half Charlie Bucket, the poor little latchkey kid who wins the golden ticket. Gene Wilder, who played Willy Wonka in the film, had a huge impact on me when I was a kid. He was a sensitive person who had this twinkle in his eye and was very different from most of the macho role models being offered.

Wreck-It RalphProduction year: 2012Country: USACert (UK): PGRuntime: 108 minsDirectors: Rich MooreCast: Alan Tudyk, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, John C Reilly, Sarah SilvermanMore on this film

Most boys' first hero is their father. That was definitely true of my dad. He was a proud Irish American and he taught me a lot about ethics and responsibility. He also introduced me to a lot of wonderful folk music.

Manners are really important. Even when you want to tell someone to "bugger off" you say: "Excuse me, could you move, please?"

I considered a lot of different jobs as a kid. I thought about becoming a priest or a lawyer. My father had a big linen-supply business and I considered working for him. What dawned on me was: if I'm an actor, I get to do the fun parts of every job! Without having to go to four years of law school.

Growing up in a big family teaches you food management. I go to this Korean restaurant in Los Angeles, and you can always tell the only children, because they're sitting there with this stricken look on their face while all the food is being eaten. People like me are in there with the spoon.

If you can't live in Chicago, you can't live no place. An old blues musician told me that one time.

Hollywood is an illusion. These intense workplaces, with very close relationships, a few months at a time – and then it ends.

Don't make too many assumptions about your status in life. There are always people on film sets who are there to make your life easier as you get more well known – to get your coffee or hold your coat. But you have to push against it.

Happy families spend a lot of time together.

Every person is the star of their life story. No one goes through the world thinking: "Well, I'm just a cameo." So even if a character has just one scene, I have to do it right. I've got to come up with their whole world view.

Being unprepared makes me nervous. I'm old-fashioned showfolk.

I have a humanist attitude about the world. It's being able to have compassion and relate to other people, regardless of how well you know them.

The secret to comedy is being honest. I don't see a lot of difference between my dramatic and comedic work. You're trying to be as honest to the character as you can be, and if what they're trying to do is ridiculous, or what they're saying is stupid, then it's funny.

You've got to be careful with PG Tips. It's like rocket fuel. When I did The Hours, I was staying at the Savoy hotel and ordering tea a couple times a day. By the time I left England, I literally thought I was having a nervous breakdown.

Wreck-It Ralph is out in cinemas on 8 February

Dave Borthwick obituary

My former colleague Dave Borthwick, who has died of pneumonia after a long illness, aged 65, was one of the world's leading animation directors. He pioneered a unique style mixing stop-frame models and pixilated live actors.

Dave was born in Bristol, and graduated in graphic design from the West of England College of Art (now the University of the West of England) in 1969. He went on to design and operate light shows and multimedia lighting which made extensive use of 2D animation techniques. Six years with the Crystal Theatre, a Bristol-based experimental theatre company, were followed by a postgraduate radio film and television course in 1977 at Bristol University, during which he made Recent Fiction, a live action film.

Dave worked as a cameraman in the film and TV industry in Britain and Denmark. He directed a music video for the Korgis in 1979 and short films for the BBC and Danish TV. In the mid-1980s he founded bolexbrothers with his friend Dave Alex Riddett, and together they made animated films such as I Feel Free (1984), I Can Hear the Grass Grow (1986), Vikings Go Pumping (1987) and Igors Horn (1988).

Nursery Crimes – Tom Thumb Pilot, an eight-minute film written and directed by Dave, was screened on the BBC at Christmas in 1988. This led bolexbrothers to produce the feature film The Secret Adventures of Tom Thumb (1993) with Dave as writer, director, editor and one of the seven animators. It is a dark tale told in 61 minutes with stop-frame models and pixilated live actors. This brought high critical acclaim, winning 17 awards worldwide, including, in 1994, the best technical achievement award at the Evening Standard British film awards.

Bolexbrothers became a studio with an international reputation for innovative animation that encouraged and supported new talents. Dave also directed award-winning commercials for international clients that included Coca-Cola, Budweiser, Carlsberg, Reebok and Lego.

By 2000 Dave was running bolexbrothers alongside the producer Andy Leighton. He co-directed the CGI animated feature film The Magic Roundabout (2005) and was set to direct a feature-length stop-motion adaptation of Gilbert Shelton's underground comic The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers.

He is survived by two daughters, Nancy and Bo, a son, Tom, two grandchildren, Milo and Havanna, and his sister, Mary.

Wreck-It Ralph et Brave dans le frame d'animation Oscar

Game changer? … Wreck-It Ralph. Photography: Disney

Some will say that we now live in a new golden age of animation, one favored by the arrival of CGI over ten years ago and now moved confidently in the beginning of the middle age. While Pixar, the San Francisco Bay Area-based precursor that landed in the 1990s as a bomb to fragmentation of energy and innovation, has plunged a little qualitative since four remarkable years in which Ratatouille, Wall-E, Up and Toy Story 3 all arrived in cinemas, its rivals have raised their games dramatically.

Wreck-It Ralphyear of Production: 2012countries: USACert (UK): PGRuntime: 108 minutesAdministration: Rich Moorecast: Alan Tudyk, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, John C Reilly, Sarah SilvermanMore on this film

Competition for the price of Academy of 2013 for the best animation film must be the closest in the history of the award, which was created in 2001, after the arrival of radical of Pixar, Dreamworks Animation and others on the scene. Three of the five nominees this year are Disney movies to a greater or lesser extent, demonstrating how impressive, the mouse House has recovered from the terrible days of Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World and other villains of direct-to-video, even if it did not buy Pixar and install John Lasseter as big cheese in order to get out of jail.

Less predictable, three out of the five nominees are also the films of stop-motion, which just goes to show that the CGI revolution is not as deeply rooted thought. However, I believe that it is both generated by computer animation, Brave and Wreck - It Ralph, who have the best chance to take the top of the page gong, so we'll start there.

Courageous won Pixar the Golden Globe earlier this year and is a tale full of blood with a cast of voice cracking of the Scots originated, hearty, robust medieval fantasy fairy and a palette of beautiful colors built on pastelly blues, Greens and oranges that wonderfully evoke the Caledonian, crisp and beautiful countryside. He had the misfortune to follow Dreamworks blistering how to train your Dragon, which include heavy assistance from Scottish brogues, in cinemas and generally did not spark innovative's best work of the studio. However, it would not wonder if Pixar had to add another Oscar for their impressive collection.

Then comes Wreck-It Ralph of Disney, the story of a video game villain who aspires to prove his heroism. It is further evidence after bolt 2008 of that Disney doesn't need the stamp of Pixar on tariff animation to produce material of dazzling originality. Rich Moore cleverly designed and beautifully style film won the Annie best film last month - generally a good indicator of the success of Oscar - and should be the clear favorite. The film draws the impressive Tower of we have to worry about characters from video games just to simultaneously fun nature trope in prey of the environments they inhabit. Screenwriting is so strong that you could cut you when reading it and John C Reilly and Sarah Silverman give performances of remarkable humanity in cords - especially when you consider that it expresses a character who goes by the unfortunate moniker of Vanellope von Schweetz. Cynics might suggest it is little more than Toy Story with the characters of the game instead of toys, but Moore and his team seem to have too much love for the world of the latter to leave the slip of film on the territory of cynical exercise.

The next two candidates would have surely had a big crack at the prize in any year, but it might well have many similarities to get there in 2013. Frankenweenie is a hymn of stop-motion comic in the era of black and white horror that imagines what would happen if the famous Dr. Frankenstein was a pre-teen gothy in mourning for this beloved recently left dog. Laika ParaNorman also delves into the supernatural, imagining a vivid world of Philip Pullman-esque ghosts and ghouls. The story focuses on a young boy with the ability to see dead people, who soon realizes that it is perhaps the only hope for a lost soul murdered several centuries ago, but who still walks the Earth angry cries of purgatory. Both are excellent, but the innovative use of Laika from the effects of the stop-mo for a steamy scene of synapse in what hero Norman confronts a malicious ghost child could just move ParaNorman. There again, the Academy is probably just itching to give Burton an Oscar: it's the kind of industry insider who has the obligation to get one at some point before finally mixing off his mortal coil.

Last but not least (and a bit of a bet outside, to true to say) is The Pirates of Great Britain! In an adventure with scientists! These wonderful people at Aardman Animations. It is a noisy happy adventure with plenty of one-liners and earthy excitement that puts it right up there with the best of the studio.

One of these films would be very dignified Academy Award-winning, especially when you consider the range of this 2012 saw the triumph of rather average Rango on rivals that included pretty lame Puss of Dreamworks in Boots. Personally, I would plump for Wreck-It Ralph. What movie do you think merit emerge victorious on Oscar night?

Wreck-It Ralph: why are all the film baddies turning into goodies?

Back in the 1980s, Bonnie Tyler was holding out for a hero. These days, she might well pine for a villain or two. From the Bible to Walt Disney, audiences have lapped up portrayals of clear-cut wretchedness. But now the divisions between good and bad are collapsing. In Disney's latest 3D animation, Wreck-It Ralph, the protagonist is the baddie in a retro-style arcade game. Ralph is a villain who lacks the villainous gene, a heavy who dreams of lightness. Inspired by attending a support group – where he learns that just because he is a Bad Guy, it doesn't mean he is a bad guy – he rebels against his fate and turns heroic. His fellow games characters are aghast. I have to confess, I sympathise. Does that make me a bad person?

Wreck-It RalphProduction year: 2012Country: USACert (UK): PGRuntime: 108 minsDirectors: Rich MooreCast: Alan Tudyk, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, John C Reilly, Sarah SilvermanMore on this film

Villains unworthy of vilification can be found in everything from the Austin Powers comedies, where the insufficiently wicked plans of Dr Evil positively drip bathos, to Skyfall, where Javier Bardem essentially played a neglected son jealous of Bond's relationship with their surrogate mother, M. Children's films have been veering this way for a while. Emperor Zurg plays catch with his long-lost son, Buzz Lightyear, in Toy Story 2. The ogre in Shrek is a big softie. The bulb-headed supervillain with low self-esteem in Megamind proves braver than his superhero adversary. And Gru, the evil genius in Despicable Me, becomes the adoptive father of three cutesy little girls. Despicable Me 2, out later this year, sees him stepping into the breach at a children's party when the entertainer cancels. Shere Khan would have eaten the whining brats.

Inevitably it comes back to childhood issues. Megamind was raised by jailbirds, Gru's mother humiliated him. The villain of Disney's Meet the Robinsons is shown in flashback as a sad-faced orphan in a children's home. The rational part of me loves this move to complex characterisation, especially in films through which young viewers receive a portion of their moral tutelage. Empathy cannot be overvalued, after all. But there is another part that craves an outlet for hissing and booing, even outside the pantomime season. If movies deny us that pleasure, there will be few places left to turn other than PMQs.

A Liar's Autobiography: The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham Chapman – review

A Liar's Autobiography: 'a hit-and-miss affair, never particularly funny but rarely conventional'.A Liar's Autobiography - The Untrue Story of Monty Python's Graham ChapmanProduction year: 2012Country: UKCert (UK): 15Runtime: 85 minsDirectors: Ben Timlett, Bill Jones, Jeff SimpsonCast: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Philip Bulcock, Terry Gilliam, Terry JonesMore on this film

This 3D celebration of the life of the gay, alcoholic, comic surrealist and doctor Graham Chapman (who died of throat cancer in 1989) is a ragbag of songs, sketches and extracts from Chapman's unreliable memoirs, illustrated in a variety of styles by 14 teams of animators. It's a hit-and-miss affair, never particularly funny, but rarely conventional, with vocal contributions from all the other Pythons except Eric Idle. The biggest laughs are raised by John Cleese during his speech at Chapman's memorial service.

The Guardian Film Show: Hitchcock, Wreck-it Ralph, I Give it a Year and No - video review

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Wreck-It Ralph – review

Wreck-It RalphProduction year: 2012Country: USACert (UK): PGRuntime: 108 minsDirectors: Rich MooreCast: Alan Tudyk, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, John C Reilly, Sarah SilvermanMore on this film

Wreck-It Ralph is a meticulously rendered but bafflingly praised oddity with an Oscar nomination for best animated feature. For me, it never came to life. The subject is an imaginary 80s video game called Fix It Felix Jr, which has somehow survived, bleeping away in the corner of a 21st-century arcade, and naturally the faux-retro graphic is lovingly created. Players get points for joysticking a cheerfully upbeat repairman called Felix around to fix broken windows caused by a massive-forearmed brute called Wreck-It Ralph. But poor Ralph (voiced by John C Reilly) is tired of being the bad guy. So he "goes turbo", sneaks out of his game and into other game universes where he can realise his heroic destiny. It's a pale version of the recently rereleased Pixar gem Monsters Inc, and more like the Wachowskis' Speed Racer. I found the idea of teens laying down their coins to play arcade games in this present day a strange, semi-intentional archaism — nostalgic wish-fulfilment on the part of the middle-aged people creating the movie.

Die Hard 5 Wreck - It Ralph on the elbows

Father and son to boot … A Good Day to Die Hard. Photograph: Frank Masi/APA Good Day to Die HardProduction year: 2013Country: USADirectors: John MooreCast: Bruce Willis, Mary Elizabeth WinsteadMore on this film

Critics may have questioned the need for a fifth Die Hard movie, but audiences signalled their sustained interest in the franchise, powering the latest instalment to an opening of £4.55m. That was enough for A Good Day to Die Hard to elbow Wreck-It Ralph aside, claiming the chart crown. On closer inspection, however, the Bruce Willis flick saw its takings inflated by Valentine's Day previews totaling £1.28m. Strip those out, and A Good Day's debut falls to £3.27m, below Wreck-It's second-weekend takings of £3.43m. It's actually doing better in the UK than the US, going by the accepted rule of thumb. The US four-day opening of $37.54m would typically yield a UK equivalent of £3.8m, but the actual achieved result is about 20% ahead of the pace.

As a comparison, Die Hard 4.0 opened in June 2007 with a similar £3.42m, plus more extensive previews adding up to £1.59m, for a total of just over £5m. Backers Fox will be pleased that the three-day figure has held up so well against Die Hard 4.0, despite a gap of five years and franchise fatigue. On the other hand, A Good Day is the first Die Hard movie to benefit from a 12A certificate. Last year, the 12A-rated Taken 2 debuted with a previews-inclusive £7.38m, a big step up from the opening salvo achieved by the 18-certificate Taken (£1.17m) in 2008.

Wreck-It Ralph fell a slim 24%, buoyed by the start of the half-term holiday in England and Wales. With a healthy cume of £10.52m, the Disney animation still has another seven days of holiday takings ahead of it, and then a more modest afterlife after kids return to school.

A Good Day to Die Hard was by no means the only film opening early to take advantage of the Valentine's Day date-movie market. This Is 40 went this route, and Feb 14 takings of £319,000 were enough to push the Judd Apatow comedy to third place, with £1.23m. Strip these previews out, however, and the Knocked Up spinoff actually falls below both Les Misérables and I Give It a Year. Apatow's previous film as director, Funny People, debuted in 2009 with just over £1m (including a negligible £2,000 in previews), so This Is 40's takings for the Friday-to-Sunday period are down. Knocked Up began its run with £1.58m, and no previews.

Les Misérables has now achieved six consecutive weekends at £1m-plus, a feat that eluded bigger-grossing titles including The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Avengers. With £35.97m, it has just overtaken The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 to become the fifth-biggest hit of the past 12 months (after Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, The Hobbit and Avengers).

Dan Mazer's I Give It a Year fell a relatively slim 30% to post a second frame in excess of £1m, but the comedy's more notable achievement is its £2.2m over the past seven days, including a robust Orange Wednesday and Valentine's Day. Its total is now £3.69m.

Beautiful Creatures, also very much in the Valentine's market, landed above I Give It a Year in the chart, but this is another film with an opening tally significantly boosted by previews. The young adult novel adaptation debuted with £1.11m, including £371,000 from Wednesday and Thursday. Pitched to fill the gap in the market left by Twilight – endorsements quoted on advertising include "Vampires are dead. This is officially the season of the witch" – the film so far does not seem to be creating equivalent buzz. The first Twilight film debuted in 2008 with £2.51m. Continuing strong book sales, R-Patz hysteria, the "Robsten" romance and clever hyping of "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" then saw New Moon open a year later with a stunning £11.68m.

Adapting Ray Cooney's 1983 West End farce Run for Your Wife was always going to be a creative challenge, if you consider that better material (notably Michael Frayn's Noises Off) made an uncomfortable transition to the big screen. Throw in a cast led by Danny Dyer, Denise Van Outen and Sarah Harding, and 80-year-old Cooney returning to directing for the first time since 1984 TV movie See How They Run, and a happy outcome seemed unlikely. So it has proved, at least according to critics who collectively awarded the comedy a 0% fresh rating at Rotten. When even the Daily Mail recoils from "outdated stereotypes that will leave you in a state of appalled amazement", you are probably in trouble.

As for commercial returns, so far the tally is dismal. Run for Your Wife achieved £602 from nine cinemas at the weekend, delivering an average of £67, plus previews of £320. In fairness, many of the sites showed it on Sunday only. Incredibly, the film will play in at least a further 65 cinemas this week, mostly Odeons, and mostly in late morning (Senior Screen) or early afternoon slots. So it's not over yet, quite.

Thanks to Argo's big Bafta wins the previous weekend, Ben Affleck's film expanded its screen count by 219% (up to 115 cinemas) and its box office by an even healthier 286%, pushing the real-life thriller through the £6m barrier. Among awards contenders, the big loser was Hitchcock, falling 71%, and achieving a site average of just £713. A drastic reduction in screens now looks likely in order to stabilise the picture.

With the big awards films continuing to dominate the conversation for arthouse cinema fans, smaller releases have been struggling, but one picture making its voice heard is No, directed by Chile's Pablo Larraín. Boosted by toplined star Gael García Bernal, the film is proving a hit with audiences, expanding in its second weekend from 15 to 24 cinemas, and holding box-office virtually steady with a 3% drop to £48,000. In part thanks to solid returns last week at the Picturehouse chain's Discover Tuesdays slot, the film added £103,000 over the past seven days, for a total to date of £160,000. With the awards season finally climaxing at Sunday's Oscars, No looks well placed to capitalise on audiences looking for something fresh.

Not included in official reporting is the latest live transmission from the New York Met Opera, which on Saturday was Verdi's much-loved Rigoletto. Grosses are believed to be around £350,000, enough for 11th place in the official chart. Meanwhile the latest from Future Cinema is Casablanca, which played at The Troxy in London on Valentine's Day, on Friday and twice on Sunday. Grosses are not reported, but a fair estimate would be £120,000.

Thanks to the arrival of A Good Day to Die Hard and other titles, plus the inclusion of significant previews in the weekend tallies, the market overall posted an 18% rise on the previous frame, and also a 4% uplift from the equivalent period from 2012, when The Woman in Black and The Muppets both saw their scores rise, holding off a challenge from Ghost Rider 2. This week should see healthy returns for any title playing to the half-term audience, and then on Friday Jessica Chastain horror Mama, already a US hit, leads the charge. It is joined by Song for Marion, hoping to follow the Best Exotic/Quartet route to grey-pound success, and Cloud Atlas, an ambitiously starry $100m epic from the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer. Targeting arthouse audiences are Terrence Malick's To the Wonder and Cate Shortland's Lore.

1. A Good Day to Die Hard, £4,551,116 from 484 sites (New)

2. Wreck-It Ralph, £3,436,400 from 543 sites. Total: £10,516,665

3. This Is 40, £1,229,352 from 386 sites (New)

4. Les Misérables, £1,126,168 from 426 sites. Total: £35,968,027

5. Beautiful Creatures, £1,109,167 from 423 sites (New)

6. I Give It a Year, £1,014,707 from 403 sites. Total: £3,685,804

7. Django Unchained, £685,389 from 322 sites. Total: £13,707,266

8. Sammy's Great Escape, £519,049 from 380 sites (New)

9. Lincoln, £483,397 from 299 sites. Total: £6,964,023

10. Flight, £472,983 from 316 sites. Total: £4,181,690

Love Story of Singh Vs Kaur, 11 sites, £32,091

Murder 3, 9 sites, £16,787 (+ £2,890 previews)

Romantic Comedy, 3 sites, £9,551 (+ £1,138 previews)

Madame De…, 2 sites, £4,785

Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, 6 sites, £3,488 (+ £1,308 previews)

For Ellen, 4 sites, £3,458

Side by Side, 7 sites, £3,207 (+ £2,037 previews)

Heroes of Westerplatte 1939, 5 sites, £3,137

Run for your Wife, 9 sites, £602 (+ £320 previews)

How to Make 3D Characters In iClone

The program iClone is a great way to begin your 3D character animation process. It provides many resources, right in the program, to get every set of the animation process completed. It is real-time 3D animation, which provides quick design and productions tools for digital people, environment, visual effects and motion capturing. iClone has the largest collection of real-time ready 3D content. Use drag and drop for editing characters, and a physics engine that allows for smooth interactions. This tool lets you discover smart interactivity between the designer and props making the animation process fun, but also a learning experience.

iClone has endless features to help you developer the 3D character in your visions. Here is how you can build your very own animation with each of the many features provided. Whether you are a 3D animator or not, these UI features can turn a simple shape into incredible visual experience.

For developing the production environment the navigation pain is located at the top of the program. This is where a number of different content tabs are located for ease of use and short cuts. Stage is one tab where the user can access terrain atmosphere and lighting effects. Set tab contains the abilities to put in sky, water, trees, etc. The actor tab you will find all the properties for the character including, skin body parts, etc. You can manipulate the options in this tab and make hundreds of different looking characters. The head tab will do the same things, but specifically to facial expressions. The media tab contains all of the textures backgrounds and video files. You can also place your frequently used iPhone media in this tab too, for easy access. Finally the export tab is where you can export your finished product in many different formats.

Facial animation can be difficult. Here are some steps to create a detailed more realistic expressions. The easiest part of facial expression animation is finding where to begin in iClone. Anything needed for these tasks are located in the head and animation tab of the navigation bar. In these tabs you can add emotion, with a simple drag and drop. They have many different emotions to choose, from happy to sad and everything in between. The most important part is to make your character talk and the easiest way to do this is text to speech. Here, you type in whatever you want the character to say and preview it before making it final. Importing files such as CTS will show emotion and sound together. A WAV file will add sound and you can use a pre recorder file or record one live.

This only scratch's the surface of what iClone can do for any 3D character creator. There are a lot of videos that can help you make the most out of the program. Make sure to watch these videos so you can make the best 3D animations, all from one program.

The Guilty Pleasures Of Pixar Films

Most of the Pixar movies have obsolescence as a main theme. I believe this is probably because the young artists who worked on these films and certainly the older artists who came from the traditional 2D animation world thought hand drawn animation was going to be their life's work. Most people who got into animation did so because they liked to draw, not program computers. After all, the "magic" of animation, as defined by Disney, was in watching drawings come to life.

The look of computer animation is much more akin to model animation or Claymation which ironically experienced a resurgence of popularity after the rise of computer animation. One would think it would have been model animation, which computer animation so closely resembles, that would have been replaced, not hand drawn animation.

So many of the great Pixar movies are about the old giving way to the new. Among the many examples are;

Toy Story - Old, wooden toy Woody the cowboy, is threatened by the arrival of shiny, new, plastic toy, Buzz Lightyear the spaceman.

A Bug's Life - A group of down and out theater troupe bugs get a chance to play heroes and save their livelihoods and their lives.

Monsters, Inc. - The old way of collecting energy through screams is eventually replaced by collecting laughter.

Finding Nemo - Dad proves his usefulness and his love by searching for his lost son.

The Incredibles - A whole "industry" of super heroes are put out of work and fall out of fashion.

Cars - A small town bypassed by a new highway gets rediscovered for its nostalgic charm.

Ratatouille - This must have been a reaction to America's annoyance with France over the Iraq war since it tries to associate French cooking with swarms of rats. Not a good example of obsolescence and a rare WTF?! moment for Pixar.

WALL-E - The whole planet is trashed. Robots do the clean up. Obsolescence to the extreme.

Up - An old man with no reason to stay simply flies away.

Pixar films are extremely well made on all levels and they've also been noted for their heart. It is the bitter sweet knowledge that the old must make way for the new that gives these films their sentimentality and that probably stems from the subconscious guilt Pixar must have for so completely replacing the traditional and beloved animated cartoon.

Neal Warner is an artist, writer, musician, member of the multimedia band, The Tooners, founder of Director's Clip, The Music Video and Internet Video Sponsorship Site ( http://www.directorsclip.com/ ) and Rock & Roll Rehab, The Satirical Self Help Program For the Control of Rock & Roll ( http://www.rocknrollrehab.com/ ).

How To Time Action For An Animated Film Or Music Video Part 2

In timing character movements in animation at 24 frames per second, the industry standard, time is broken down into one second increments. Each second consists of three eight frame sections and each drawing is shot twice and shown for two frames therefore each one second of screen time requires twelve individual drawings for full motion.

Each of the eight frame third of a second is called a "beat" and all three can be estimated by counting "one, one hundred". The fastest, smoothest move that can be done is an eight frame beat. This is because it consists of an main or "extreme" drawing at either end of an action which represents the starting and ending position, a middle or "breakdown" drawing that links the two extremes and a "slow in" and a "slow out" drawing which shows the action smoothly getting up to speed and smoothly slowing into it's final stop position. This requires a total of five individual drawings. To omit one is to have a jerky start or jerky finished to the action. If these beats are designed as smaller units of a larger action, and breaking up a large action into beats makes for better animation, then the slow out drawings may be held until the appropriate place at the end of the total action and there are cases when a jerkiness of an action is desirable. Animation is an art, not a science.

Legendary animation director Chuck Jones once gave a talk to the students of Cal Arts and complained that some studios "over animate". He claimed if you want to pan across a forest to get to a meadow you only need a couple of drawings to do so and to have a spider crawling on its web in the foreground, a flock of geese flying through the sky in the background and a chipmunk scurrying through the underbrush in the mid-ground is completely unnecessary. Most people won't even catch these details and are a waste of time and money he argued. But it all depends on your style of animation and your style of storytelling.

In a Bugs Bunny episode which is a highly stylized comedic cartoon, such details would certainly be out of place and even a distraction but for a more realistic environment, God is in the details. Yes, you may not notice the dew drop rolling down the leaf as the camera pans but subconsciously you will be aware that there is something there that you're missing. Just as a real forest seems alive with animals, birds, insects and even other people when you really can't see beyond the first row of trees, if you animated at least some details into your scene the viewer will get the feeling that there are more dimensions to it than he or she can take in with this amount of limited time with which to see it all.

A Bugs Bunny cartoon is essentially a joke and all that needs is a setup and a punch line. Erroneous detail is detrimental to a joke. But a Disney fairy tale wants to take you to world that's lush and real so having "life" animated into every shot gives that sense of reality and that's why Disney is Disney.

Neal Warner is an artist, writer, filmmaker, member of the multimedia band, The Tooners and founder of Director's Clip, The Internet and Music Video Sponsorship Site ( http://www.directorsclip.com/ ) and Rock & Roll Rehab, For The Control of Rock & Roll ( http://www.rocknrollrehab.com/ ).

Create Animation Video Which Makes Your Business Move Ahead

With competition getting intense in promoting every kind of products and services, everyone is trying to figure out the best means to promote a product. People are making use of print media, videos and applying their own unique ways to advertise their products. Due to introduction and existence of multiple ways of promoting a product it has become difficult for few, especially the new and small budgeted businesses, to make out what is best for them, or what will truly work in their favour. And, at times they also get confused in picking the best means to promote their products. Promoting a product through videos is today the best option around. They can give the optimum result utilizing the least resources.

Animation videos, unlike general videos, have the following characteristics:

Short, crisp and convincing: General videos are not only long but also fail to generate a uniform amount of curiosity for the whole duration they are played. At one point they are convincing, while at the other their effect goes down tremendously. This doesn't happen with animated videos which are short, sharp, crisp and convincing. Being short they are able to hold the attention of viewers for the whole duration they are played. An online video maker deliberately makes them short. They do this to let the viewers get engaged to them thoroughly and to make the video attention grabbing for their whole duration.

Technology: General videos don't use animation technology, whereas animated videos are primarily known for using it. Animation technology helps to propagate a video and its message faster. They make the best use of cartoon characters, who work as real actors in a video and thus make the video move ahead.

Quick popularity: General videos lack the basic and essential element in them. That is, they can't be shared by anyone even if one likes them. A character based video has the possibility of going viral within the moment of its release.

Life wise: General videos, unlike animation videos, are made to run for a fixed period of time irrespective of whether they are popular or not. This results into a shorter life span of general videos. Animated videos on the other hand are evergreen, they can be played as many times as one wishes.

To effectively advertise products create animation video which is professionally complete in all respects. Animation video can do what other means of advertisements cannot.

To create animation video an online video maker makes the best use of animation technology. They employ all the professionals, such as animators, graphic artists, and script writer etc., under  one roof who make the work move in a professional way.

Sunny Arora
President/CEO
Video Production Company

Best 3D Animation Software Used In Rise Of The Guardians!

The best 3d animation software available has no doubt been in use for the upcoming 3d animated action-adventure comedy 'Rise Of The Guardians' which is set for release later this year! Many of us eager movie fans got our first glimpse of the film trailer over these past few weeks and that has no doubt added to the excitement!

So for those who have yet to see the trailer or have never even heard of this upcoming movie, you're probably asking yourself 'what's it all about'?

Well this movie tells the story of the Easter Bunny, Jack Frost, Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus himself, they're the guardians of all the children in the world that believe in them. When the evil Boogeyman turns up and decides to throw the entire world into total darkness and bring nothing but total fear to all the children of the world, it's up to the four guardians to join together and stop him!

The movie uses the best 3D animation software and features a star-packed cast with Isla Fisher (Wedding Crashers, Scooby-Doo) as the Tooth Fairy, Hugh Jackman (X-Men, The Prestige) as the Easter Bunny, Alec Baldwin (The Aviator, The Departed) as Santa Claus, Chris Pine (Star Trek, Unstoppable) as Jack Frost and Jude Law (Alfie, Sherlock Holmes) as the Boogeyman.

Unsurprisingly the movie has been produced by those amazing animators at DreamWorks using the best 3d animation software to date and has been directed by Peter Ramsay (Monsters Vs Aliens).

The film itself is based on William Joyce's 'The Guardians Of Childhood' book series. Joyce, who has previously created characters for Pixar's 'A Bug's Life' and 'Toy Story' co-wrote and co-created 'Rise Of The Guardians'.

2012 looks like it could be a great year for animation with Pixar also releasing an animated movie titled 'Brave' starring Emma Thompson (Love Actually, Harry Potter), Robbie Coltrane (Van Helsing, Harry Potter) and Scottish comedian Billy Connolly. Other animated titles to be released this year include Madagascar 3 and Ice Age: Continental Drift, the fourth movie in Blue Sky Studios' animated franchise.

Finally, the release date for Tim Burton's animated 'Franken weenie' is set for October. The movie starring Winona Ryder, Martin Short and Martin Landau, is Tim Burton's full-length reworking of his 1994 animated short story of the very same name.

The tale is about a boy named Victor who restores his dead dog named Sparky back to life and has been created using stop-motion animation seen in films such as King Kong (1933) and Wallace and Grommet rather than the best 3d animation software. Burton brought this process into an eerie new dimension back in 1993 when he created 'The Nightmare before Christmas' and then went on to explore it further in 'The Corpse Bride'.

You might be thinking 'what is Tim Burton trying to create here?' An animated horror film? A dark comedy? Well it's fair to say it's neither of these. It's more a heartfelt love story between a young boy and his dog. Unfortunately events go horribly wrong when Victor's friends try to repeat his experiment using their own pets with what can only be describes as hilariously creepy results! Even if Burton has decided against using the best 3d animation software available and instead opted for older techniques, I am sure this will still be a box offish smash!

Best 3D Animation Software is home to the latest animation software news, reviews and products. Visit us at http://www.ebest3danimationsoftware.com/ for the latest in 3D animation news!

Make A Statement With Video Marketing With These Tips

Translators are key to foreign language videos. If you market to others that don't speak your language, never use translators that you can find free online. You'll get their respect if they see that you put in the effort to make the video easier for them to understand.

Make sure you pump some positivity into your videos. For the most part, people prefer watching videos that make them happy about themselves. Make sure each video ends on a positive note. To help make your visitors feel better, approach them with openness and honesty.

If the same questions keep coming up from your customers, address these questions with a video. An FAQs page on your website is a smart move, but making a video is an even smarter one. Providing both video answers and a FAQ page allow your customers to choose the option they prefer.

YouTube is the most popular sharing site, and is worthwhile for its video editing features and analytics alone. For example, it's possible to add annotations onto your videos. This is also a good way to add a link to another site to your video. It can also lead them somewhere where they get a discount.

Though short videos will comprise the bulk of your video efforts, you can still do a few longer ones as a means to share additional information. Short videos ought to be broadly accessible to viewers. Videos that are longer should focus on how-to and instructional types of material.

If you saw your product for the first time, what thoughts would go through your mind? These are the answers your customers seek, too. Answer these questions in an entertaining video. The more fun people are watching your videos, the more it will be shared. This will ensure that it gets seen by quite a few people.

Keep your business relevant to today's audiences through video marketing. Have people sent in questions about your company or related topics, and then answer some of these questions in a brief video. Those who have their questions asked should get a coupon or other reward.

If you aren't good at making videos, let others do it for you. Hold a contest with prizes where people can enter their own videos. Advise people that the video that wins will be utilized to help promote your project.

Don't overlook client input regarding your videos. Your objective is to expand your audience and strengthen your brand's presence. Listen to viewers' suggestions, even if they are offering criticism. Incorporate their ideas into your new videos for better results.

Your 3d animation company videos do not have to be perfect. You don't have to have the best equipment if you want to engage in video marketing. Many times, the camera your computer has is enough. Also, a good camera phone can also come in handy. Stay professional, provide useful information, and people will watch your videos.

If you plan to adopt a traditional, commercial format for your video, do so with a sense of humor. People aren't interested in dull commercials. Funny and polemic commercials are the best eye-grabbers. Come up with something new and different. A video that is filled with interesting or funny clips will help your video marketing campaign succeed.

Video marketing is a simple way to promote your business. All that's left to do is soak up as much knowledge as possible. After doing that, you should be pretty confident your marketing campaign will be successful. Just get out there and give it a try!

Watchmen and Postmodern Memory

The comic book, Watchmen, is a very good illustration of the progress of memory. It offers itself openly in its incompleteness. That is, the reader, all unawares, walks off at the end with a fragment he thinks the whole (and to some extent, of course, this is the fate of all books). It is only upon rereading it that one realizes the story is other than one had thought, that the arrow of time has been flipped, and that the present must reconfigure the past.

We can think of the process as something like Freudian Nachtraglichkeit. A young girl is sexually abused and as yet she doesn't have the language, the categories of thought, to fully assimilate the happening. But later in life, she does, and it might well be then that the primal scene of abuse becomes traumatic. In other words, the cause is created by the effect, so as then to produce other effects (e.g. symptoms).

Watchman insists upon a rereading. The elements composing it are so multivalent that this imperative is evident upon a first run through. As one's conception of the overarching framework changes, the significance of the film in its entirety, the informing details (words, images, allusions) morph accordingly.

As the past in the form of a first reading is subverted, one begins to wonder whether that is not the point. The past, human memory, is a constant reading and rereading by which what is recollected is progressively fictionalized. My perception of my father, for instance, was quite different when I was five than when I was thirteen. Memory is the ongoing loss of the text under numberless interpretations.

Nonetheless, we remember and we seem to recall things just as they were. We detect no interpretive breaks. We seem to look back and experience the continuity of the past as the progression of facts, one of the most widespread (and destructive) illusions of personhood. The past appears all of a piece, when it is in fact composite.

Watchment is indeed a postmodern comic book. It presides over the deconstruction of the hero, and this is a very radical move. Nietzsche knew the supreme importance of a hero, and Heidegger once called freedom the ability to choose one's own hero. But, more than that, how does one get by without a conception of the highest good (rather like trying to do with the chaos attendant upon a constantly shifting value system)? How does one do without the hero, the personification of that most worth striving for?

Dr. Patrick McCarty at http://www.tutorchicagoland.com
Join me there to blog.

Join the discussion on my blog at http://www.tutorchicagoland.com/

The Rise of Nico Nico Douga Singers

Smilin' for choice

Anyone who is a frequent user of the Internet is bound to be aware of the wonderful, time-burning entity known as the video-streaming website. Whether if one prefers the powerhouse YouTube or the Anime-catered Crunchyroll, the usage of video-streaming sites has essentially become the modern day equivalent of channel surfing on television.

But like how there are lesser known gems hidden in the field of TV channels, there are also a few sites that most casual people might not be aware of. We're talking about a site that's based in Japan, where viewers are known to upload a bevy of original musical material of impressive quality, as comments from fans go whizzing by as specific instances occur. The site is Japan's Nico Nico Douga, and it's not only fast becoming a new source of entertainment, but also a platform for rising independent music acts.

A Happy alternative

Launched in December 2006 and starting off as a small site that used YouTube as a video source, Nico Nico Douga (or literally, 'Smile Videos' in Japanese) soon became a service in its own right. Boasting unique features that enable users to upload their video creations in higher quality, creators could also enhance their videos with polls and quizzes. Nico Nico Douga also encouraged greater community involvement with its unique commenting system that allows viewers to have their comments scroll by the video at a specific point in the timeline.

Cheerful tunes

Whether if it's due to the quirky, yet inviting nature of Nico Nico Douga's interface and videos, or the zany spontaneity of its community, the site for many years, has become a new outlet for indie singers to shine!

The primary source of most of Nico Nico Douga's unique musical material comes from fans who make use of 'Vocaloids' - a series of virtual diva computer programs that can be made to sing any words programmed for them. So well received was this very concept, that many popular Nico Nico Douga song creations soon became mega-popular in other non-Japanese platforms, additionally shooting Vocaloids like Hatsune Miku into stardom.

With a whole bevy of Vocaloid-based songs having been made popular on the site, a wave of budding singers soon began attempting to cover these popular tunes - with amazing results!

Known as utaite, a variation on the regular Japanese word for a singer, these aspiring artistes soon began carving their own loyal fan bases. Covering various popular Vocaloid tunes, many utaite have progressed onto doing collaborations with other artistes over the Internet, producing original material, releasing commercial albums, and even travelling to other countries for live performances!

Who are these hidden sirens of song? Stay tuned next time as anibee will introduce some of the most popular utaite on Nico Nico Douga, as well as a taste of their hit material!

Posted by Akiko Kondou from http://www.anibee.tv/, your source for anime, J-culture related news.

It seems that Disney is ready to master its thumbprint

Control of the Internet and online media is a case sensitive, and for a conglomerate of traditional media such as Walt Disney Co., is a series of challenges. The animation giant is without doubt reigns supreme when it comes to blockbusters famous theme parks and world Animation. But the same is not true for the company on the side of the new media. Specifically, in games, mobiles and the Internet the company divisions suffered consecutive losses. However, given the recent developments, including the important official announcements lately, it seems that Disney is desperate turning around its initiatives digital as never before. In addition, the launch of a new website of Disney last year, followed by the official disclosures of the next Disney NextGen project experience-"MyMagic +" and the announcement of the latest and most unique initiative-'Disney Infinity' game showed how serious the company is in the improvement of his fingerprints.

Belonging to the new initiative of game all the Disney Infinity» Disney studio Avalanche Software', which should enter in June 2013 is a revolution in the history of the game. Game cross-ownership experience, cross-platform is a true reflection of Disney - ambitious on the mastery of new media through the web, online media and mobile. The concept of friendly game (using action toys concrete to help fuel game progression) is already successfully executed by the Skylanders. And now Disney comes with its own version of Skylanders, that will blend several franchises of Disney characters, allowing fans customize their own settings and stories. Another good thing to the 'Infinite' subject is - it will be available on all platforms, including consoles, web and mobile.

Once again the experience Disney NextGen - project ' MyMagic + ', which was disclosed before 'Disney Infinity', is an another great budget stride against innovation and technology by Disney. "MyMagic +" is seen as a tool of the future theme park. It is supposed to revolutionize the way we experience parks theme today. Elements of ' MyMagic + ' are revealed as vacation planning site (my Disney experience) and a mobile application, the advance of the FastPass system-"FastPass +» and a magical bracelet called 'MagicBand. The highly innovative project promises many experiences of great vacation to Disney invited. Imagine a small wrist band on your hand, which works as your keys from the hotel, the credit card and the entrances to the Park. Also invited may be able to book their travel time while sitting at home or can choose to have a more personalized Disney trip and more. You may also be able to change plans to vacation on the fly and alerts from journey through their smart phones.

Ambitious Digital drive of the company is also reflected at the launch of the new Web site last year. There was a major overhaul with the site dot com - 'Disney.com. The new version of the Web site is intended to be a cleaner, simpler and more dynamic predecessor interpretation. Unlike the old version, the new site is designed to give a robust entertainment experience. Also, more importantly the new Web site is designed to be accessible from multiple devices, be it a phone mobile, Tablet, or PC.

Discounts on Disney tickets and other attractions of theme park Orlando, including Universal Studios and SeaWorld Orlando tickets you can consult authorized ticket a Ticket Centre official reseller

25 Years of Pixar

Two and a half decades of imaginative story-telling have passed since Pixar opened our eyes to computer animation. Ever since the release of Toy Story in 1995, people have been entertained by the timeless classics that churn out of Disney's sister studio. We've seen robots fall in love, a family of superheroes battle villains, a man floating his house to South America and a world of monsters working for a power company to scare children. Pixar has become a household name across the world and is considered the benchmark to great story-telling.

It's been an eventful 25 years for Pixar and the studio is celebrating by putting on an exhibition of their work which will tour the globe. However, the first few years after Pixar's birth was not as smooth sailing as it is today. In 1986, Ed Catmull, Alvy Ray Smith, Lucasfilm vice president Doug Johnson and Steve Jobs were mulling over paper work in a law firm that would give Jobs the keys to Lucasfilm's computer graphics group. Jobs had recently been ousted from Apple and saw an opportunity with Lucasfilm.

Pixar started its early years trying to sell computer hardware, in particular, the Pixar Image Computer. It was a complete failure and Jobs was trying to offload the company as the losses piled up to the millions. It would take a small group of ex-Disney animators to promote the company and test its software.

This is the introduction of John Lasseter to Pixar, who harnessed the power and potential of computer animation, beginning his new career with Tin Toy in the late 1980's. This had created enough of a stir to prompt the release of Toy Story, which is undoubtedly the turning point of animation as we see it today.

Rather than becoming a software company that could rival Apple or Microsoft, Pixar stumbled upon a different niche altogether as an animation studio. John Lasseter has become a huge contributor to the world of animation and essentially created the Pixar logo himself with 'Luxo Jr', the iconic lamp we see at the start of all Pixar movies.

Is it any coincidence that Pixar should see huge success as Disney's Renaissance comes to an end? This is no wonder why Disney took an interest in the Studio and saw a great opportunity.

The next Pixar movie, Brave, will be released in 2012 and is the studios thirteenth feature film to hit the big screen. Will this latest creation uphold the unique storytelling and visuals that we have all grown to love?

Richard Skidmore FloridaTix - Online Marketing Manager

Since 1996 FloridaTix has been the UK's leading supplier for Disney tickets, Universal Studios tickets and many more Florida park tickets. We are an authorised broker of all attractions, theme parks, shows and sightseeing tours offered on this site so we can guarantee you the best possible holiday experience at the best possible price.

My Favorite Animation Dinosaurs

Ironically, the two aspects of working in an animation studio that I liked the best, outside of the paycheck, are now both gone. Animation cell setups hold a fascination for me, even today. I started a collection of animation cells from the many studios where I worked long before the animation cell collector's frenzy of the 1980s. Before then the studios would throw out their old art. Years later I read about a man who was arrested for taking some animation cells out of the trash behind an animation studio for "art theft".

Right at the beginning of the animation art boom I walked into an art gallery located in a mall and saw a framed cell of Mickey Mouse from the film Steamboat Willie (1927) on sale for several hundred dollars. "What's this?" I asked the sales lady.

"It's an animation cell from Steamboat Willie, the first animated talkie," she replied.

"I know it's suppose to be from Steamboat Willie," I said, "but how was it made? It's not a production cell."

"Yes, it is," she lied.

"No, it's not," I insisted. "Steamboat Willie was made in 1927. I have animation cells ten years old that are more yellowed than this. Disney used to wipe the paint from his cells in order to use them again and this one looks like the paint is still fresh."

"Well," she said, "it's an official collector's cell, made especially for the animation collectors market."

I realized my animation cell collection, being of real animated film production cells, suddenly just jumped up in value, from nothing. But with these "limited edition collector's cells" being mass produced, the whole idea of collecting a piece of animation history was being polluted and flooded with pirated bootlegs.

Years before anyone took animation art seriously as collectible art, although I had already started my collection, a producer in a studio where I worked had an original animation cell of Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs thumb tacked to his office bulletin board. It was a 16 field (extra long) cell of the wicked witch holding the apple dripping with poison and was in remarkably good shape for its age.

One day I told him he'd better take it home or someone would steal it. He laughingly insisted that no one would steal it but stopped laughing when I again told him that if he didn't take better care of it, it would disappear. I was going to take it. I didn't say that part but he understood and he took it home with him that night. Many years later I rode an elevator with him at Disney and told him I had recently read a newspaper story about a cell described exactly like his going at auction for thirty thousand dollars and asked it was his.

"No," he said, "I always keep mine in a safe deposit box."

"You're welcome."

The other thing I've always loved about animation and has now gone the way of the dinosaur is the pencil test. When the first stages of animation are complete the drawings on paper are shot so the animator can see how the scene will look before it's painted. Pencil tests are eerie and ghostlike as the pencil drawings seem to come to life on the paper. It's the most magical aspect of animation but now that the actual drawing is done by artists overseas, we in the US don't see the product until it's finished. Once colored it becomes just another cartoon. I miss the magic.

Neal Warner is an artist, writer, filmmaker, member of the multimedia band, The Tooners and founder of Director's Clip, The Internet and Music Video Sponsorship Site (http://www.directorsclip.com/)

Implications of Motion Graphics in Online Animation

Motion graphics is simply graphics in motion. That is, graphics which are not static but otherwise. It's the graphics only by which a video is known, hence the better the quality of graphics the better would be their effect on viewers. The idea and purpose behind putting graphics in motion is to make viewers feel the same movement of things in a video as they would feel in a video shot from a real camera in real surroundings.

Online animation uses the concept of characters, which could be of an animal or a person. These characters are made to act and behave in a way similar to real actors. This is done to make the video look as real as possible. The major advantage with such videos is that though they look and give the feel similar to that of a real video, they are animated. This makes them most sought after videos these days as they have several advantages associated with them. Some of which are:

1. They can be used in all the sectors such as in entertainment, gaming, training, educational or commercial sectors.

2. They can very well advertise a new as well as old product. They can also demonstrate the use of a product.

3. They are quick to gain attention of even the people with the shortest attention span.

4. Their cost of production remains low as they are produced from a single location with the help of special software.

5. They can easily break the large, complex data to diffuse them into smaller packs, each one simplifying the message. This is done to present information in parts, thus finally presenting a large piece of information in an attractive way.

6. They can target an audience of any kind and type. For instance, characters can be made of several kinds and types to cater to the tastes and preferences of a specific audience.

7. They can be given the shape of an imaginative as well as real story to make the information as dynamic and real as possible.

8. They give an identity to a business and create an image into the minds of viewers.

9. They are capable enough to capture even the minutest detail which may not be possible with a video shot with a real camera.

Motion graphics with texts, photographs, sounds and images etc makes a video come alive in front of its viewers.

Online Animation is largely made up of character animation that gets played to their optimum with the use of Motion Graphics. A professional video production company helps businesses achieve their objectives through animated videos.

Communicate More About Your Business With Character Animation

The mention of the word 'cartoon' no more makes one think only of characters that are lovable to children. Today cartoons are doing much more than delighting children. They are increasingly being used to delight adults as well. Cartoons are being used in sectors ranging from entertainment to education to commercial world etc. Their use is becoming general in advertising and promoting a product.

Character animation can be of an animal or a person. A cartoon animation maker uses them in a video to advertise and popularize a product or service. The idea behind using cartoons in videos is to quickly gain the attention of viewers and make them aware of the message of the video in a delightful way. Some of the features of such cartoons are:

Traits: Cartoons are given a particular trait to make them stand out from other such videos. They are shown to have a larger than life image to add a fun element to the videos. They are deliberately made to act and behave in a particular way so that viewers can associate them with the business and remember them easily.

Audience specific: They are made keeping in mind the target audience. That's why character animation is largely made up of knowing correctly who the target audience of a business is. While making a character they can also be shown to be young or old, or behave in a way similar to the nature of target audience.

Convenient and hassle free: Such characters make the communication of large, complex data easier. Plus, they succeed in creating an image into the minds of viewers.

Are knit in a story: The most convincing part of use of characters is that they are made to sit fittingly in a story, which is the prime way to present such videos in front of viewers.

Viral effect: An experienced cartoon animation maker is capable enough to make such characters generate special feelings in viewers. Such feelings could be of happiness, shock, appreciation, horror and the like. Generation of these feelings make viewers emotionally attach with the characters, thus remembering the message of the video for a longer time. Such videos can be uploaded on networking sites to increase their chances of being shared multiple times.

Economical and time-saving: Such characters can be produced from a single location and that too without the need of expensive cameras, this makes them an economical and time-saving option in comparison to videos made with real actors.

Videos with Character Animation is a newer and more refined way to popularize a product. It is one of the fastest ways to increase your sales. For more information on Character Animation visit Cartoon Animation Maker. They can understand your requirements in the best possible way.

Sunny Arora
President/CEO
From Broadcast2world

Where to Find the Best Anime!

Think about it for a moment of how anime fans before the current generation of fans got their hands of the latest series. First generation fans watched anime on VHS from local fans all the way in Japan. Second generation fans were able to watch English dub anime right on their television sets. Then, the third generation of fans were able to watch a new episode as soon as they were released online.

With the popularity of anime higher than ever before, there are more and legal ways of watching anime on either a PC or on TV via a streaming device. Here are a few ways of finding where to watch the best anime series.

Streaming Services

Fans are making the switch to online streaming to watch their favorite shows without having to download multiple files that require various video codecs. There are streaming services such as Crunchyroll who offer recent and current season anime shows to free and paid subscribers. Paid users are offered new episodes just a few hours after airing in Japan, where free users will have to wait a week after to catch up. A bonus with streaming services like Crunchyroll is that the majority of shows offered are subtitled only, where there are a growing number of general streaming sites, such as Hulu, offering both subs and dubs.

On-Demand

On-Demand through a local cable or satellite provider is another option of finding new and popular shows. The model of on-demand offers shows on a rotational basis, meaning viewers have limited time to watch earlier or later episodes. Most episodes are free of charge to customers, but are also offered on a per-pay basis. It's a secondary option for those who are willing to find a new series on their TV by chance within a short amount of time.

Digital Rentals

Even with the cemented desire of more digital media, there will always be a demand for physical media. But when there no one desires either physical or digital versions, there are such thing as rentals. Stores such as Amazon for PC and Mac users, and respective stores for users of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 console, offer digital rentals of movies and TV shows, including a growing library of anime titles. When a movie or episode is rented, the user has limited time to watch it before it expires, usually within 48 hours. The concept is similar with most On-Demand content, as well.

Despite the options given, streaming is the best option of watching a good anime series. Of course, it makes the series more enjoyable by buying the complete series on DVD after finishing it online. Watching anime through online streaming is better as there is no money wasted buying a series that turns out to be no good.

If a particular anime series is not offered through legal means, avoid watching it on sites that offer free streaming or downloads. Not only is it illegal, but it does not benefit distributors that are working with the major services to bring the next best anime series for years to come.

Kelsey Gray is a part of the CEN.TAKU.ME anime blog. Kelsey writes opinions of the Japanese anime fandom in the West, as well as anime reviews of underrated and fan favorite series.

Top 5 Disney Sidekicks

The stories created by Disney are those of fairy tales and fantasy. Usually a hero will have to overcome insurmountable odds in order to succeed, but very rarely do they do it alone. As with superheroes in comic books, it's the same with Disney stories. The main character, be it the hero or princess gets by with a little help from their friends, the sidekicks.

Now, in the world of Disney, anything is possible, so sidekicks can take on the form of any creature, willing and loyal to the end, whether they are life-long friends or newly acquainted. So let's take a look at the top 5 Disney sidekicks.

Max, Tangled

The super-cop horse starts his journey hunting down Flynn Ryder in pursuit of the stolen crown. It takes more than brawn to evade this clever horse though as he tracks down is adversary through the forest where Rapunzel is hidden.

However, this cunning quadruped is willing to put aside his differences with Flynn so that Rapunzel can see the floating lights on her birthday. When this happens we find that Max isn't actually a ruthless horse bent on taking down criminals. He is actually quite a good friend and begins to warm to the couple, including Pascal, the little chameleon.

In the end, Max rallies together some ruffians to save Flynn from the dungeons and evade the palace guards just in time to save Rapunzel from her evil captor. What a horse!

Sebastian, The Little Mermaid

I think we can all agree that Ariel's decision to change her fins to legs for the price of her voice was a little hasty. But, hey, that's love I guess. In fact Ariel's actions almost cause Sebastian, the little crab, to have multiple heart failures and as King Neptune's advisor, he's worried about losing more than just his job.

Despite pleading with Ariel not to go through with her deal with the evil sea witch, involving a catchy 'under the sea' tune, he sticks with her until the end. In fact he even helps her win over the prince with another catchy tune and if it wasn't for the sea witch, he would have succeeded.

This is one loyal maestro I would like to have on my team any day of the week.

Mushu, Mulan

Eddie Murphy provides the voice of one of his most memorable animated appearances. I'm talking about Mushu the dragon of course!

Even under the threat of the entire Hun army, Mushu helps Mulan become a fighting warrior for the Chinese dynasty. Although his advice might be a little questionable at times he honours the family descendant's wishes by sticking with Mulan even in the face of an avalanche!

Mushu fulfils his duty by saving the Emperor and fighting off the Huns...with a little help, but still in is plucky style.

Dory, Finding Nemo

Although spending the first moments with Dory might be a little frustrating as she forgets things that happened 5 seconds ago, she manages to stay faithful throughout. Even through the face of danger, she manages to stay positive and her approach to dangerous situations encourages Marlin to plough on in the search for his missing son, Nemo.

What's heart-warming about this friendship is Dory's ability to remember things when she is with Marlin. She even memorises 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney! Her ability to speak whale is doubtful though.

Even at the end when Marlin is about to give up, Dory reunites him with his son as a result of her selective, but brilliant, memory.

Timone and Pumba, The Lion King

Hakuna Matata! If there was ever a tune that defined a childhood, it was this, first introduced by Timone the streetwise meerkat and Pumba the endearing warthog. Forming an unlikely alliance with Simba, this trio lived the carefree style in a rainforest munching on bugs and if it's one thing these guys lived by, it was to have no worries.

These chaps could have easily stayed in their cushy lifestyle and left Simba to challenge Scar on his own, but nope. They stick with it right through to the end, even when chased by a pack of ravenous hyenas. If anyone needed a true friend it would be these guys.

Richard Skidmore - FloridaTix

Since 1996 FloridaTix has been the UK's leading supplier for Disney tickets, Universal Studios tickets and many more Orlando attractions. We are an authorised broker of all attractions, theme parks, shows and sightseeing tours offered on this site so we can guarantee you the best possible holiday experience at the best possible price.

Why Cartoon Games Have Been Popular Among the People of All Age Groups

I think most of you will agree with me that cartoon games have been popular among the people of all age groups. They like playing cartoon games for the following reasons.
Now take a look at the reasons:

Escapism: Cartoon games with their jazzy and colorful looks and more endearing qualities attract people to engage in them. They help people escape from the real world of buffer competition, wariness and other difficulties. Now let me explain to make the matter more understandable for you. You may be in a somber mood either for a project failure or not getting promotion in your job. Or you may be rebuked by your senior or boos. In such a bitter mood, cartoon games can soothe your heart. What you only need to do here is just sit down on sofa in a relaxed manner and start paying games on your mobile or laptop. Besides, you may get stuck in traffic. What do you do then to be out of your boredom? I think you just switch on your mobile or laptop and start playing games to shun your dullness and monotony. Thus you look for and take the full opportunity of escapism.

Indulgence: Cartoon games cater to excessive indulgence. If you are an adult, you can go crazy with them. You can get lost in the zany world of adventurous games like Alias 2, Alien Attack, and Matrix Pandemonium. Some carton games Like Looney Toons, Tom and Jerry, Scooby Doo allow you to be nostalgic. They can be a good reminiscent of your pleasurable past. They can attract your adulthood like your child hood.

Purgation (Catharsis): As crazy things can happen in carton games with no real consequences, both adults and children like to play these games. Kids can enjoy some retro hours and get the taste of real fighting. Adults can fulfill their dark or suppressed desires (that we lull in our Id or subconscious mind) through them. As they take people off the walls around them, people can pretend and indulge in killing their real enemies. Besides adults can gratify their dark desires through some specific games. They add emotions and then pump out excessive emotions for the restoration of mental balance.

Education: Cartoon games offer people education. They aid people how to operate them and how to be ease with running various types of software. People can gain a good control over mouse and keyboards.

Refreshing Quality: Having refreshing qualities cartoon games can bring for you a refreshing mood and enthusiastic mind. When you work for hours in office or home you feel boring after a certain time. Therefore, instead of continuing it is better to leave the work for the time being, and go into some crazy activities like playing cartoon games or something like that to keep your mind refreshed. It will render you resume your work with a doubly charged mind potentiality.

Sheer Fun: Some adults as well as kids play carton games for the sake of sheer fun and spend their leisure interestingly. There are some multiplayer games like Slice HD, Mirror's Edge and Fruit Ninja HD that allow a group of people paying together and thus help in better group communication and boost skills.

Die down Mental Stress: If you have a stressful mind, you can play cartoon games as they can die down mental stress and help you get rid of such condition.

Discerning the popularity of carton games among the People of All Age Groups, Step Ahead Designs has taken cartoon and other 3D and animation games as one of its development activities. The proficient pool of content writers at Step Ahead Designs builds story and develop content on these games.

Suman Kr Jalal, an Advance Learner and Modern Writer, Writes Articles and Build Story on:
Cartoon Games
Animation Games
3D Games

Wall Graphics And Wallscapes

Today's world of business is highly competitive. It takes a lot of constant work and aggressive marketing strategies to remain completive and successful in business. Without proper advertising, it will be difficult to reach the targeted customers for your business and it will be near to impossible to be able to maintain a healthy business and become successful. There are so many different ways to market your company, products and services, that it may be difficult to decide which one(s) will work the best for your needs. Wallscapes and Wall Graphics are a great way to increase your visibility as well as provide comfort and assurance to your customers.

Wallscapes

Wallscapes are advertisements that are usually large in size and are placed on the sides of tall buildings. They can be made in most any size and shape to fit your needs and the area where you have decided to place your wallscape. Since a wallscape is usually fairly large in size, it captures the attention of virtually millions of potential customers as they walk or drive by. Depending upon the placement of the wallscape, it is possible to be seen for miles away.

A wallscape can be designed to meet your specific needs and wants for your company. You can choose to have your logo, business image, motto, sales pitch or whatever you'd like on the wallscape. The wallscape can be placed on the sides of buildings, park benches, construction site fences and buses to name a few. Consider your business and what type of customers you are looking for, and then choose the location or locations where you think the wallscapes will do you the most good for your advertising needs.

Wall Graphics

Wall graphics are usually installed inside your office. Obviously they will tend to be much smaller than a wallscape; however, they will provide your office atmosphere with a professional and eye-pleasing atmosphere that will appeal to your customers as well as help to instill confidence in your company and what you have to offer them.

Wall graphics can be made into whatever you wish. Popular choices for wall graphics usually include things such as the business logo, popular products and so on. If you do not have a graphic that you wish to have made into a wall graphics, we can help you design one especially for you and your company.

Having a comfortable and clean office is important in gaining a customer's trust. When they walk into your office, what they see will play a big part of how they will feel about using your company and/or services. If your office is dingy and looks outdated and uncared for, then you are giving the impression that your business is not too concerned about their comfort or how you do business. By sprucing up your office with wall graphics, you will be helping your customers to see your company in a good light as well as giving them a comfortable place to sit down and discuss business with you.

Wall Graphics will help create a comfortable atmosphere while increasing your customer sales and relationship

Eye Catchy Flash Web Templates - Pros and Cons

Flash web templates, a nice way of catching the attention of visitors visiting your website. They generally deal with high quality graphics generated with the help of the Adobe Shockwave player, but that not limit the scope of such templates, it is much wider than we think. The days are gone when web designers used to only deal with monotonous text content to make a website. Now is the era of "Flash" in web designing world. Embedding flash in websites allows designers to add content like photos, videos which can be streamed online, interactive flash intro pages and thank you pages for websites and mainly addition of sound in a website.

It has now more than 16 years since 1996 flash came into being existence and its popularity has been growing since its origin.

As making a website in terms with SEO and content design friendly, Flash has its own pros and cons. Let's have a look.

Pros of Flash Templates:

· As long as HTML based websites are concerned, they deal with only text and images content which are not considered as interactive as flash content is. Mainly due to introduction of animations in flash websites, flash templates have become a lot popular. Flash helps in providing a full multimedia look to your website which encourages more visitors to visit your website.

· Flash intros have become an essential part in building a website. Designers used flash content to give a brief introduction about the products and services given by the website.

· Integration of Social media in any website is the utmost need, so such templates always comes up with pre-enabled social media integration. Uploading your content on your social fan page becomes easier as the whole process is automatic unlike HTML based websites where you have to do manually by visiting to your fan page.

Cons of Flash Templates:

· Downloading Speed Issues: As more heavy contents are being embedded in flash based websites so they require more time to download on a webpage which is a serious issue if the user is using low bandwidth network which will ultimately lead to lower traffic from such category users whose numbers are in large proportion in internet users. So speed is a serious issue in such templates.

· Lower SEO Rankings: As the ultimate return needed from making a website is money and a large number of users, but flash based websites have generally low SEO rankings as it is normally seen. As search spiders of various popular search engines favours the text based content more so in that case flash content has a big disadvantage. It requires more effort in bringing higher rankings for flash content which becomes a tedious job then. As more the flash content glitters, more lower will be its SEO rankings.

Flash SDK has been made now which enables designers to extract text content from the flash included in a webpage which easily allows search spiders to crawl the content of a flash website. Flash, no doubt is a scintillating tool to go for while developing an eye catch candy website but not doing it properly in terms of SEO can bring you failure instead of success.

Anime - An Overview of the Gundam Timeline

Fans familiar with Gundam outside of Japan are likely only to be aware of the most recent series, such as Gundam Wing, and Gundam SEED. Fans of these series might not know that there is more to it. There are over 23 years worth of Gundam stories, with approximately over six timelines. That is a lot of Gundam to go around. If you're a fan of the aforementioned series, then let's took a brief overview of the Gundam timelines in order of their popularity.

Universal Century

Universal Century, or simply UC, is the first in the series of Gundam timelines in the franchise. The story of Mobile Suit Gundam, first airing in 1979, begins in the year of UC 0079 starting with the "One Year War". Two factions, the Earth Federation Force and the Principality of Zeon, don't agree with each other on the living conditions between Earth and the space colonies. The Zeon no longer want the Earth Federation in the business of the colonies, which begins years of conflict between those who remain on Earth, and those who favor the colonies.

The Universal Century is the longest and iconic Gundam timeline, with two direct sequels to Mobile Suit Gundam: Zeta Gundam and ZZ Gundam. The story of the Universal Century continues with the OVAs: 0008: War in the Pocket, 0083: Stardust Memory, The 08th MS Team, and Gundam Unicorn, including movies Gundam F91 and Char's Counterattack, which concludes the story from the One Year War featuring Amuro Ray and Char Aznable.. It is a timeline highly recommended to those with an extended interest in the series as a whole.

Future Century

Future Century is one of the first timelines to move away from the UC era, beginning with Mobile Fighter G Gundam in 1994. Taking place in FC 60, the way of life involves real-world nations sending their experienced "Gundam Fighter" towards the Gundam Tournaments, held every four years. The winner of the tournament receives full support for their nation until the next tournament. There are even rules in place similar to boxing, as if the Gundam Fights were a major sporting event.

Like in the Universal Century series, and nearly every Gundam series following the original, G Gundam includes the familiar fixture of elements such as space colonies, in addition to the unforgettable mecha designs. In G Gundam, space colonies factions are named after their original countries on Earth. For example: Japan is now Neo Japan, North America is Neo America, and so on.

After Colony

After Colony, or AC, is the timeline known well to fans of Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, airing in 1995. Wing returns to the story of war, which could be similar to the original Gundam, noting the modernization of the series with independent pilots serving their own purpose whilst helping in the war. Like the original Gundam series, Wing has had slightly more spin-offs, beginning with the Endless Waltz OVA a year later.

Further story expansions include the most recent Frozen Teardrop novelization launched in 2011. In-depth backgrounds of the pilots can be found in Episode Zero and Blind Target. Another series in the After Colony timeline is The Last Outpost, which takes place during the events of Wing, but do not feature the main characters besides cameo appearances of minor characters.

Cosmic Era

Cosmic Era is another recent Gundam timeline, covering the events of Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, and the sequel SEED Destiny, released in 2002 and 2004, respectfully. Elements in SEED nearly follows the style of the first Gundam, with enemy mobile suits resembling Zaku of the Principality of Zeon.

Gundam SEED, including SEED Destiny, have 50 episodes each, totaling 100 episodes. Most Gundam series, with the exception of the original's 42 episodes, run on an average of 49 episodes. While the first SEED series received mixed reviews due to generational differences, SEED Destiny is a series that even SEED fans agree that should not have been created, with many episodes toward the show's conclusion of questionable quality.

Anno Domini

The most recent Gundam series of the late 2000s to air outside of Japan is Mobile Suit Gundam 00, taking place in the modern era of Anno Domini, or "AD", in 2307. Gundam 00's story begins with space colonies already in the late stages of development, after the discovery of limited fossil fuels on Earth. Factions in Gundam 00 are continent-based organizations on Earth: Human Reform League (Russia, India, China, and the ASEAN: Association of Southeast Asian Nations), Union (the Americas, Australia, and Japan), and the Anti-Earth Union (Europe).

The initial reception of Gundam 00 is how much has changed in terms of world politics, compared to Gundam Wing, which might have also had similarities during its era in the mid 90s. Taking iconic series such as Wing, as well as G Gundam, featuring five pilots, Gundam 00's main pilots consist of four pilots, who are members of the anti-war organization, Celestial Being, who are sought against by the three factions.

Gundam 00, first airing in 2007, has two seasons, both at 25 episodes each compared to SEED and SEED Destiny's 50 episodes. A full-length movie, Awakening of the Trailblazer, was released in 2010, concluding the story of Gundam 00. There are two manga side-stories, Gundam 00-F, and its sequel, Gundam 00-I, both printed in Gundam Ace magazine.

For reviews and more information relating to other Gundam series, check out the CEN.TAKU.ME anime blog at http://centakume.info/.