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Tag: studios

  • ‘WipEout’ Studio Back in Action as Firesprite

    Over one year ago, Sony shut down its oldest first-party studio, Studio Liverpool. The studio was over 25 years old when it closed, founded as Psygnosis before being acquired by Sony in 1993. In more recent years the studio was best known for its Formula 1, Colony Wars, and WipEout games.

    At the time, Sony pinned the studio closure on a competitive marketplace and its re-evaluation of all of its European studios. Sony also stated that “Everyone connected with Liverpool Studio, past and present, can be very proud of their achievements.” That statement may have been taken to heart by those laid off in the closing, as it has now been revealed that the studio is back in action.

    IGN this week reported that many of Studio Liverpool’s former staff have banded together to create new independent development studio Firesprite. The studio was quickly founded after the closure by a core Studio Liverpool leadership team and 15 of its original 20 employees were former Studio Liverpool developers.

    Firesprite’s first project since its founding was to co-develop the PlayStation 4-exclusive The Playroom along with Sony’s Studio Japan. The studio is now working on an unannounced game, though Firesprite did tell IGN that it is developing a new engine to run the game. The studio also revealed that it will not be a Sony-exclusive developer, and that other platforms including mobile will be in Firesprite’s future.

  • Steven Spielberg Warns of Movie Industry Meltdown

    As one of the most successful directors in Hollywood history, Steven Spielberg‘s opinions are often taken as fact by aspiring film directors. What happens, then, when Spielberg warns of impending doom in the film industry? Just that happened this week, as Spielberg warned film students of a coming “implosion” in the industry.

    According to The Independent, Spielberg was speaking at the opening of a new University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts building on Wednesday. He was joined by Star Wars director George Lucas, and the pair discussed just how hard they had found it to have their recent movies released in theaters.

    “There’s eventually going to be an implosion, or a big meltdown,” said Spielberg. He went on to predict a time when several high-budget blockbusters fail spectacularly, leading to a “paradigm” shift in the film industry. Spielberg recounted that his latest movie, Lincoln, was almost released on premium cable channel HBO. He predicts that ticket prices will skyrocket, costing around $25 by the time the next Iron Man movie is released.

    Lucas backed up Spielberg, stating that Red Tails, which he executive produced, also faced difficulty getting into theaters. Lucas pointed out how ridiculous it is for the two of them not to be able to get their movies into theaters, and predicted that theaters will become more like Broadway theaters, with high ticket prices as high as $150.

    Spielberg and Lucas are currently in the early stages of creating a new Indiana Jones movie.

    (via The Independent)

  • Movie Theaters Want to Cut Lengthy, Spoiler-Filled Trailers

    Despite the fact that I’ve seen every movie trailer online way before I see them inside the movie theater nowadays – I still kind of like watching trailers at the cinema. Maybe it’s nostalgia – it’s always been like that. The lights go dark, you watch a few trailers, and finally your movie comes on. That’s the experience.

    But there’s a problem. Are movie trailers too long and thus too revealing? It’s not uncommon to spend 20 minutes watching previews during the average theatergoing experience. And by the end of that 20 minutes, I usually have a pretty good idea about the entire plot of at least 4 or 5 movies that are set to come out in the near future.

    Spoilers. Spoilers. Spoilers.

    Apparently, theater owners aren’t too happy about this part of the moviegoing experience. They think that trailers are too long and too revealing, and they are looking to change that.

    The Hollywood Reporter says that the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) are making a push to cap trailers at 2 minutes – 30 seconds shorter than the current norm. Hollywood studios, as you might imagine, aren’t too happy about this.

    THR’s sources says that studios execs are a little sour about NATO’s proposals, which are being pushed by its executive board.

    “My trailers are 2.5 minutes because that’s what we need to send the right message. This could be a paradigm shift. Thirty seconds is a long time,” one anonymous studio exec told THR.

    Although the idea is barely in its nascent stage, studios are concerned that the voluntary guidelines proposed by NATO could lead to theaters strong-arming longer trailers out of rotation.

    What do you think? While you think, enjoy my favorite spolier-filled trailer. Want to watch the movie The Island in 2 minuteas and 20 seconds – I mean, the entire thin? Well, thankfully you can.