Cinefex Diaries – Robots and Monsters

The visual effects industry is a global affair, which means that I conduct most of my interviews over the phone, desperately trying to remember which time zone the person on the other end is in. As I set out to cover Pacific Rim Uprising for Cinefex 159, however, I sniffed an opportunity. The majority of … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – Robots and Monsters

Cinefex Diaries – Soup to Nuts

At Cinefex, we often use the term 'soup to nuts' to describe the way we cover motion picture visual effects. I must confess that, as a Brit, I hadn't come across this term until I started working for the magazine. If you're not familiar with it either, I can tell you it's a dining … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – Soup to Nuts

Cinefex Diaries – Dragons and Porgs

It's a weird feeling holding my shiny new copies of Cinefex 157. Since I joined the magazine staff over two years ago, this is the first issue that doesn't contain one of my articles. That's not because I've been slacking, I hasten to add. I spent a couple of months before Christmas researching and writing … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – Dragons and Porgs

Cinefex Diaries – Black Panther

I’m excited to report that I’ve spent the first few weeks of 2018 in Wakanda. Actually, my trip to the fabled African nation began just before Christmas, when I started interviewing for my upcoming article on Black Panther, due to be published in Cinefex 158, out April. I have a confession. Before starting work on … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – Black Panther

Cinefex Diaries – A Little Light Blogging

I'm in the process of wrapping up my next Cinefex magazine article, covering one of the first big blockbusters of 2018. I have just the director left to interview - that should happen next week, assuming the studio lets him out of the dark room he's been confined to for the past few weeks, finalising … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – A Little Light Blogging

Cinefex Diaries – Up Against the Clock

https://vimeo.com/248630302 I often find myself chatting with visual effects supervisors during the frenzied weeks just before their final delivery date for some new blockbuster movie. I always feel guilty about keeping them from their work, and I’m always grateful that they take time out of their busy schedules to do the interview. Just before Christmas, … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – Up Against the Clock

Cinefex Diaries – Issue 156 Hits the Streets

Cinefex 156 is hot off the press and due to land on newsstands this week. I've talked already on this blog about my two articles this issue - the first on Marvel's epic Thor: Ragnarok, and the second on Guillermo del Toro's exquisite The Shape of Water. Also in our winter edition, Joe Fordham writes … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – Issue 156 Hits the Streets

Cinefex Diaries – In With the New

Hurrah! Today I finished the final draft of my next Cinefex article. I won’t reveal what film I’m covering just yet, but I will say that my research steered me in a few unexpected directions and resulted in interviews not only with the usual raft of movie effects professionals, but also with an animal … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – In With the New

Cinefex Diaries – Writing for the iPad

I woke up this morning fully intending to work on my draft article for Cinefex 157. My email inbox had other ideas, containing as it did all the resources I needed to write the iPad captions for my two articles in Cinefex 156. What’s that saying about best-laid plans? With any magazine issue, writing iPad … Continue reading Cinefex Diaries – Writing for the iPad

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