Cinefex Diaries – The Rhythm of Captions

There’s a rhythm to life at Cinefex. No sooner do you get your teeth stuck into a new assignment than the previous one comes knocking at the door again. The new assignment in question is my article for our February issue. The movie I’m covering won’t be released until next year but my copy deadline … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – The Rhythm of Captions

Cinefex Diaries – “The Shape of Water”

Sally Hawkins in "The Shape of Water." Photo by Kerry Hayes. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved. We’re exactly a month away from the December 8 theatrical release of The Shape of Water, the latest offering from filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. Billed as an ‘adult fairy tale,’ this R-rated fantasy tells … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – “The Shape of Water”

Cinefex Diaries – A Little Homage to “Blade Runner 2049”

https://vimeo.com/239664700 Each time we publish a new issue of Cinefex, I produce a short promo video showcasing the magazine’s cover story, and share it on Facebook, Twitter and whatnot. The videos are frequently (sometimes deliberately) homespun. For issue 148, I got my daughter to paint her hand green and swipe her way through our Star Trek … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – A Little Homage to “Blade Runner 2049”

Cinefex Diaries – “The Dark Tower”

Roland (Idris Elba) in Columbia Pictures' 'The Dark Tower.' If you're a constant reader of this blog, you'll know that I’m a huge fan of Stephen King. You'll also know that his epic series of fantasy novels The Dark Tower is right up there among my favourites. So I was tickled pink to find myself … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – “The Dark Tower”

Cinefex Diaries – “Thor: Ragnarok”

Marvel Studios Thor: Ragnarok. L to R: Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Hulk (Mark Ruffalo). Photo: Film Frame. ©Marvel Studios 2017 Cinefex 155 hits the streets in just a few days, with headline coverage of Blade Runner 2049 (plus my own article on The Dark Tower). I’ll talk about that in a separate blog post very … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – “Thor: Ragnarok”

Writing “Star Trek” for Cinefex with Scrivener

I write for Cinefex, a bimonthly magazine devoted to motion picture visual effects. In 2016, one of the many films I covered was Star Trek Beyond. Want to know how I tackled it? I’ll tell you. First up, a few facts and figures. My Star Trek Beyond article was 8,300 words long, about average for the … Continue reading Writing “Star Trek” for Cinefex with Scrivener

Cinefex 153 – High Octane Aliens

Ridley Scott's 1979 sci-fi horror flick Alien is probably my favourite film of all time. So imagine how thrilled I was to get the gig covering Alien: Covenant for the new issue of Cinefex. Since the average Cinefex article runs to about 26 pages (yes, we really do dig deep with our stories), that's a big gig. As … Continue reading Cinefex 153 – High Octane Aliens

There’s a Big Ape On My Desk

However, I do know that I watched King Kong again on VHS tape not long after I’d developed an unhealthy passion for animation and visual effects – specifically, after viewing a documentary on the making of The Empire Strikes Back. As I recall, this early version of the now-familiar “Special Features” section of your average … Continue reading There’s a Big Ape On My Desk

The Dreamsmiths Unleashed by Cinefex

My Cinefex assignments usually require me to peek behind the scenes on the latest feature films. This issue, my task was a little different. Inspired by the recent boom in virtual reality, the editorial team decided it was high time we took a look at the brave new world of immersive entertainment. As a VR … Continue reading The Dreamsmiths Unleashed by Cinefex

“The Lost Realm” Cover Choice

I'm spoiled for choice. Having just received the German and Czech editions of The Lost Realm, my fantasy novel for young readers, I just can't decide which cover I prefer. Do you have a favourite? The Lost Realm is the second volume in the ongoing Crown of Three series, written under the pseudonym J.D. Rinehart. The final volume … Continue reading “The Lost Realm” Cover Choice