Alien Film Franchise Encyclopedia – Coming Soon

I'm thrilled to reveal the cover of the Alien Film Franchise Encyclopedia, a brand new in-world guide to the Alien universe, due to be published by Titan Books on 15 August, 2023. Through 2021-2022, I was part of a four-person writing team working in a top secret virtual bunker alongside my inestimable colleagues Clara Čarija, … Continue reading Alien Film Franchise Encyclopedia – Coming Soon

Godzilla vs Kong — Coming soon from The Illusion Almanac

Click below for a preview of The Illusion Almanac: Creating Godzilla vs Kong, my brand new publication delving into the making of the hit Warner Brothers film directed by Adam Wingard. https://illusion-almanac.com/2021/04/16/coming-soon-the-illusion-almanac-covers-godzilla-vs-kong/

VIEW Conference 2021

If you're interested in animation, visual effects, computer graphics, digital cinema, VR or gaming, then VIEW Conference is the place for you. Beginning with a rolling programme of free online PreVIEW events, VIEW 2021 culminates in October in a week-long conference featuring inspirational keynote speeches, illuminating panels and presentations, in-depth masterclasses, lectures, screenings, and much … Continue reading VIEW Conference 2021

VIEW 2021 – Pixar SparkShorts Directors Discuss Creativity, Storytelling and Representation

VIEW Conference is holding a live PreVIEW event focusing on Pixar’s SparkShorts programme. The free online session, which takes place on February 26, 2021 at 10:00 PST / 6:00pm UK / 19:00 CET, brings together the directors of five films from Pixar Animation Studios’ programme for a lively discussion about their work. Dan Sarto, editor … Continue reading VIEW 2021 – Pixar SparkShorts Directors Discuss Creativity, Storytelling and Representation

Cinefex 40th Anniversary Issue

I grew up reading Cinefex, the journal of cinematic illusions. As a teenager, I made regular pilgrimages to London with my movie-mad mates where I scoured the shelves of Forbidden Planet – then just a grungy little comic shop off Tottenham Court Road – in the hope of stumbling on a new issue of this … Continue reading Cinefex 40th Anniversary Issue

Animated Insanity With “Mad God (Part 3)”

If you're a fan of stop-motion animation, icky underworlds and slavering monsters, you'll want to jump on board the Mad God express. Mad God (Part 3), the third instalment in a series of nightmarish short films by legendary animator and visual effects supervisor Phil Tippett, is now looking for backers on Kickstarter. Not that it's … Continue reading Animated Insanity With “Mad God (Part 3)”

When will it ever end?

Most stories share a common structure derived from just three component parts: Premise Conflict Resolution Or, if you prefer: “Where the hell am I and what the hell’s going on?” “Aw jeez – can you make this any more difficult?” “Wow – who’d have thought we’d end up here?” Think of any story and there’s … Continue reading When will it ever end?

“Harbinger Down” Theatrical Release

A little over two year have passed since indie horror movie Harbinger Down, the brainchild of a gang of independent filmmakers led by the film's director Alec Gillis, reached its Kickstarter funding goal and went into production. This week, from 7 August 2015, the "Harbies" have reached the amazing milestone of achieving theatrical release for the finished feature. … Continue reading “Harbinger Down” Theatrical Release

Revisiting Cinefex (Almost) Illustrated

In their original form, my Revisiting Cinefex articles - on the first 40 issues of the classic visual effects magazine - were just plain text, with no images except for the cover of the issue under discussion. Once I'd concluded my retrospective odyssey, I broke the articles into headed sections (one for each movie) and set myself the task of … Continue reading Revisiting Cinefex (Almost) Illustrated

“Mad God 2” by Phil Tippett on Kickstarter

He animated the Imperial Walkers in The Empire Strikes Back. He supervised the dinosaurs of Jurassic Park. He brutally maimed one hell of a lot of Starship Troopers in, uh, Starship Troopers. He's legendary animator Phil Tippett, and he's about to descend once more into the bowels of the unconscious, as he gears up to … Continue reading “Mad God 2” by Phil Tippett on Kickstarter