MUST WATCH: New BRAVE Featurette Highlighting Merida **AND** The "ART OF BRAVE" Pre-order!!

Ok - NOW we're getting somewhere. I don't know why Pixar didn't start us off with more of this type of exposure to the world of BRAVE - because I am really liking what I am seeing now. Gorgeous!! THIS is the Pixar I know and love. Ignore the French subtitles as best you can - unless you're French of course!

I love that YouTube has embraced 3D too - though we aren't quite there yet for quality side by side stereoscopic viewing. Still if you don't mind anaglyph 3D, break out the old red and blue glasses! Definitely not for me though.

Here's the movie's storyline:
Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. In “Brave,” a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Merida (voice of Kelly Macdonald) confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts. Merida is a skilled archer and impetuous daughter of King Fergus (voice of Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voice of Emma Thompson). Determined to carve her own path in life, Merida defies an age-old custom sacred to the uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voice of Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voice of Craig Ferguson) and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voice of Robbie Coltrane). Merida’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric old Wise Woman (voice of Julie Walters) for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to discover the meaning of true bravery in order to undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.

Pixar's BRAVE opens June 22.

Check out the featurette:




**AND**

Check out this awesome new book "Art of Brave" available to pre-order right now!

Here's the description from Amazon:
Brave is Pixar's first fairy tale, a lush, animated adventure through the forests, heaths, and highlands of medieval Scotland. Featuring behind-the-scenes interviews with the film's many artists, The Art of Brave also showcases the gorgeous concept art that went into the creation of the movie, including colour scripts, storyboards, character studies, environment art, sculpts, and more.

The preface is by none other than John Lasseter.

Here are the product details:
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books (May 30, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1452101426
ISBN-13: 978-1452101422
Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.5 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,519 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#1 in Books > Arts & Photography > Photography > Cinematography
#11 in Books > Arts & Photography > Design & Decorative Arts > Graphic Design
#19 in Books > Humor & Entertainment > Movies



Can't wait for this movie now! And yes, actually I do want to see more marketing for BRAVE - sounds strange considering how studios put out too much these days, but most of what I have seen thus far for this movie has not been up to par for me. THIS was so refreshing! More please!!

Featurette via Bleeding Cool

Yours Truly Published: One Of My Interviews With James Cameron...

Thought this would be of interest to you - it certainly is to me! Late in 2010 I was approached by Brent Dunham, author (also edited Danny Boyle: Interviews) and film instructor about the possibility of him using one of my interviews with James Cameron in his upcoming book. Of course I said yes as everyone would get something by reading Cameron's insights, especially if you are a film student!

The book was completed and published by University Press of Mississippi, ISBN #978-1-61703-131-1. They sent me a couple of copies which I have proudly displayed in my office. I've scanned a few images for you which you can click to enlarge somewhat.

You can buy the book from Amazon here. The interview that is covered in the book can be found right here.

Here is the description of the book from Amazon:
James Cameron (b. 1954) is lauded as one of the most successful and innovative filmmakers of the last thirty years. His films often break records, both in their massive budgets and in their box-office earnings. They include such hits as The Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss, Titanic, and Avatar. Part scientist, part dramatist, Cameron combines these two qualities into inventive and captivating films that often push the boundaries of special effects to accommodate his imagination. James Cameron: Interviews chronicles the writer-director's rise through the Hollywood system, highlighted by his "can-do" attitude and his insatiable drive to make the best film possible.

As a young boy growing up in Canada, Cameron imagined himself an astronaut, a deep-sea explorer, a science fiction writer, or a filmmaker. Transplanted to southern California, he would go on to realize many of those boyhood fantasies.

This collection of interviews provides glimpses of the filmmaker as he advances from Roger Corman's underling to "king of the world." The interviews are drawn from a number of sources including TV appearances and conversations on blogs, which have never been published in print. Spanning more than twenty years, this collection constructs a concise and thorough examination of Cameron, a filmmaker who has almost single-handedly ushered Hollywood into the twenty-first century.

I can honestly tell you that there are only a handful of people in the industry that I have truly wanted to interview and get to know and at the top of that list was James Cameron. Since I first interviewed him back in December of 2009, I have gotten to know him a little bit, and you know what? He is just as smart and creative as you think he is - if not more so. I can assure you that the contents of the "book that is James Cameron" has NOT been oversold by the cover that you see everyday.

Further, just like all the greats of any industry or historical period, he surrounds himself with great people. Jon Landau (he gives MarketSaw a cool shout out here) acts as his producer and I can tell you that his tireless efforts are reflected in their movies. Vince Pace (I interviewed them both right here) is a technical genius and melds perfectly with Cameron. They have just officially launched the Cameron | Pace Group (CPG) this year and they focus on the gold standard of S3D production. You know that gorgeous Scorsese flick HUGO that is showing right now? Shot with the CPG's Fusion rigs using Arri Alexa Cameras (he talks about those Alexa cameras in the Cameron/Pace interview too). There is more than one reason it looks so good.

I have built a pretty solid working relationship with him. If the need should arise I can approach him personally. That means a lot to me.

Of course there are countless benefits to knowing Mr. Cameron - like when he introduced me to George Lucas who I had never met before. And when he presented his ultra cool presentation on high framerates at CinemaCon last year - I interviewed him in person, on camera that day. Knowing him gives you an enormous energy boost to your own aspirations. It's all of these cool things happening that I realize I have an awesome career.

So all of this to say it is an honor to be mentioned in the same breath as him in this book. There are some other great interviews included of course and well worth the purchase if you so desire. It makes a GREAT stocking stuffer! The paperback at least... :-)

More on Cameron soon!

Scans From "AVATAR: An Activist Survival Guide"!!

Jim here. The book is out! What was originally going to be entitled "A Field Guide To Pandora" or something similar is now making it's way to members of the press. (Not MarketSaw btw for whatever reason). It looks like it is officially "AVATAR: An Activist Survival Guide".

Here is what BlackBook had to say and some scans from it - be sure to click over to see the rest of the images!

"...based on the book, which also features a glossary of Na'Vi terminology, James Cameron is indeed nuts. Check out the best of his zoological concoctions after the jump!"

I wouldn't call him nuts... an overachiever perhaps. Or detail oriented. Can't wait to leaf through this book (which I have on order from Amazon)!

I suspect much of this is paraphrased from the forthcoming Pandorapedia...

Thanks Steven for the heads up!