Otaku Crave

DBZ fans, here is a good news or may be bad news for you

So you’ve heard rumors about a “live action DBZ movie”, eh?

Well, for a while back, it WAS a rumor, until in 2002 FUNimation confirmed that FOX had acquired the rights to make a live action Dragonball/Z motion picture.

After that, the web-community pretty much went berserk. All of the sudden, online forums started pooping up, enlightening fellow Z-Freaks with possible “rumors” (i.e. lies) about what the movie really was to be about.

After that, magazines like Beckett (not to mention the Official DBZ Site) began to write surveys and polls, asking fans—“Who would YOU like to see play Goku (Vegeta, Krillin, Gohan) in the DBZ Movie?”

Some fan sites started popping up, though very few of them had “actual” or “true” information. Official news—though a rarity—came here and there; mostly from IMDb.com and the Official Dbz Site itself.

From then on, possible directors/actors/writers/producers/etc. were thrown in and out of the picture…until in early 2004 production came to a complete halt, and plans were almost cancelled. But now it’s back….

The Story…

An epic story between good and evil, centering on the character Goku and a handful of friends who battle for the Earth against the deadly forces of the Saiyans, who are sweeping across the universe, leaving a path of destruction. Goku and friends’ best chance of survival rests with the Namekian DragonBalls, which provide them the power to summon a mighty dragon.

Live-Action-DBZ-Movie FAQ

Q. - Who is directing the movie?

A. – Roland Emmerich, the director of Independence Day, Godzilla, and Day After Tomorrow.

Q. – Who is writing the movie?

A. – Tedi Sarafian, screenwriter of Terminator 3.

Q. – When will be movie be out in theaters?

A. – 2006 (probably summer, since most action blockbusters are released then).

Q. – Does Toriyama have anything to do with it?

A. – DBZ creator Akira Toriyama was hired as the film’s consultant but wanted too much control over it so FOX made him sign a new contract, which basically gave him the boot.

Q. – So, who’s distributing it?

A. –20^th Century FOX.

Q – MPAA Rating…what’s it gonna be?

A. – Not rated yet, because the movie has to be finished before the MPAA can give it a rating. But FOX is shooting for a PG-13.

Q. – Hm, who’s doing the special effects?

A. – It was supposed to be George Lucas’s ILM company, but rumor says they’ve bailed out.

Here’s an official (or what could become unofficial when time passes) list of the cast and their pictures:

RAY PARK: “Vegeta”

CHRIS JUDGE: “Goku”

JASON BATEMAN: “Raditz”

ORLANDO BLOOM: “Tien”

BILL GOLDBERG: “Nappa”

JESSICA ALBA: “Bulma”

ELIZA DUSHKU: “Chi-Chi”

Popularity: 100% [?]

This artical might be old, bu the evangelion fan might want to know this.

“In an announcement sure to make waves in the entertainment industry, ADV Films President and CEO John Ledford today publicly confirmed industry rumors that the firm has acquired the rights to produce, and has already begun development of, a live-action feature-film based on the Japanese animated television series “Neon Genesis Evangelion,” a multi-million dollar worldwide franchise and perhaps the most influential anime title in the history of the art form. The project is a collaboration between ADV Films, Gainax and Weta Workshop, Ltd.

The Participants ADV Films is the leading producer-distributor of Japanese animation in North America. The Japanese anime and game studio Gainax Network Systems was one of the original production studios responsible for Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Weta Workshop, Ltd. is the New Zealand-based special effects studio that created the effects for Peter Jackson’s Lord Of The Rings trilogy.

"The three main players here represent something of a 'dream-team' for a project like this one," said Ledford. "Between the quality and significance of the Gainax title, Weta's industry-leading skill in the creation of special visual effects, and our expertise in the marketing and promotion of anime and anime-related content, this project is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

After that several images/concept art were released by WETA Workshop.

After a long while of no new news it was then announced by Matt Greenfield that ADV had raised half of the $120 million dollars to produce the film. It was also announced by Matt Greenfield that three “top A list directors” had been competing for the chance to direct the movie.It has again been a while since any new news has been given on the movie but one thing is sure, there are a lot of people that want to see this movie happen. This can be seen by all of the hard work that ADV, WETA, and Gainax have put into this project. The most resent evidence of this was during an interview with Richard Taylor of WETA Workshop.

Q: So King Kong was Peter's dream project since he was a child. Is there a dream project you have?

Taylor: There are many ideas that I would love to one day bring to fruition, but I respectfully put them on the back burner while we develop other people's ideas. [b]But right now probably my greatest desire is to see Neon Genesis Evangelion come to life.[/b] I’ve been working on that nearly four years with ADV, the people who own the rights to the live action film. We’ve traveled to Japan, we’ve met the original creators, we have done development work on it. I believe Evangelion, to the Asian market, could be up there with the Lord of the Rings.

Q: What is the current status of that film?

Taylor: I don't honestly know, but that's not to say that it won't happen. Everyone's intentions is to see it happen. It's a very, very complex property to bring to the world cinema because of its incredible following. It has to be done, hopefully, with great sensitivity and aesthetically with utter perfection. That requires time and thought.

Right now there is no idea of when the production of this movie will start mainly because of the involvement that WETA Workshop will have in the Halo movie.

P.S. :
Just to give you an idea of the computer power behind Weta check this out:
Weta runs the third largest supercomputer on the planet if you count the number of processors, 3300, it can call on, says Scott Houston, chief technical officer at Weta.
The ones that beat WETA are the Japanese Earth Simulator (5120 processors) and Los Alamos National Laboratory's supercomputer (8192 processors).

Popularity: 11% [?]

 

The Digital Contents Association of Japan (DCAJ) has announced the five award-winners of the 22nd Digital Contents Grand Prix, which include Khara studio’s new Evangelion science fiction movie remake, Evangelion: 1.0 You Are [Not] Alone, and Namco Bandai and KOEI’s Dynasty Warriors: Gundam robot action game for the PlayStation 3 console. Evangelion: 1.0 won the DCAJ Chairperson Award, and Dynasty Warriors: Gundam won the Award of Excellence. The awards presentation ceremony took place during the ASIAGRAPH computer graphics conference, which started in Tokyo’s Akihabara district on October 11.

Popularity: 12% [?]

The same L.A. Times article that announced the “Transformers 2″ scribes also notes that while Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Ehren Kruger put down some ideas for a new story, director Michael Bay has already begun some digital pre-visualization robot designs that did not make it into the first film. L.A. Times has noted that “Transformers 2″ has an advantage over a regular film: if a Hollywood strike does happen, the animators will be able to continue work on the robots, which took a large part of production on the CGI-heavy “Transformers” film.

Popularity: 17% [?]

 

Bandai Visual’s Yukikaze Blu-ray Disc Box in Japan will include switchable Japanese and English subtitles, as well as both a Japanese Dolby TrueHD 5.1-channel soundtrack and an English one of the same specifications. The box will be a limited pressing that sells for 26,040 yen (about US$221.20). In addition to five episodes, the box will include a 20-page booklet, a 200-page production design collection, and a 1/200 die-cast model of the Mave prototype fighter. Japanese Blu-ray Discs can play on North American players and vice-versa.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Project Aptly Demonstrates Mix Of Talent And Technology Required To Localize Highly Anticipated Release For North American Market

Burbank, CA, October 10, 2007 – Bang Zoom! Entertainment, a leading full-service audio post production company and producer of original entertainment content, recently completed an extensive array of English ADR (Audio Dialogue Recording), editing and final mixing for Volumes 2 and 3 of the acclaimed .hack//G.U. Trilogy of video games for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system from NAMCO BANDAI Games America, Inc. Both games are currently available in retailers nationwide.

With a global market for new titles, particularly between North America and Japan, expert localization services are now a critical component of game development. Bang Zoom! Entertainment has brought to bear an arsenal of talent and services used widely in the anime arena for new RPG game titles (many based on anime and manga series) slated for domestic release.

NAMCO BANDAI Games America approached Bang Zoom! Entertainment to work on the .hack//G.U. series after hearing of the facility’s reputation for providing superior ADR and localization services for hundreds of well-known anime titles. It retained the company to develop, record and mix a new English soundtrack for the .hack//G.U. series – a sprawling project as each game possessed more than 6,500 lines of dialogue – but it was all completed in a scant six weeks.

.hack//G.U. encompasses three volumes based on a popular anime and manga series set amidst a fictional online role playing game in the future. The two new PlaySstation 2 titles have been highly anticipated following the critical acclaim of the first edition. Following the premise of the animated series, players again return to the fictitious Massive Multiplayer Online (MMO) setting called “The World” to continue protagonist Haseo’s journey as he and his friends look to escape from what has become a digital trap filled with dungeons and monsters.

NAMCO BANDAI Games America producer Masahiro Knittel flew to Los Angeles from Northern California and ensconced himself at Bang Zoom!’s studios to advise the team throughout the recording and mixing process. Bang Zoom! Co-producer Mami Okada interfaced closely with Knittel and strong rapport quickly developed that helped facilitate completion.

“I was immediately impressed with the professionalism and high quality of voice over production of Bang Zoom!, and I knew that my project was in good hands,” Knittel says. “ADR director, Tony Oliver, and I quickly developed a close producer-director relationship in the studio, which I believe really strengthened the process of recording, resulting in very convincing performances by each of the actors. I thoroughly enjoyed working with everyone at Bang Zoom!’s studio, and I doubt you’ll find a more friendly and accommodating environment to work in. I am very pleased with the results of the studio recordings. These guys are on the top of my list when considering future ADR projects.”

Work commenced as a vast collection of the original Japanese dialogue was delivered, checked for quality and organized into a cohesive format. Sound engineer Jeff Prosser explains, “A huge part included putting all the Japanese files into Pro Tools for easy reference. We would refer to these files regularly for comparison in order to get the correct emotions or intensity from the English voice actors. It became a roadmap for the entire project.”

Corresponding video elements were also delivered as Quicktime and Matroska (Kodak) files, which were then transferred into a Final Cut Pro editing suite as a single continuous video file with an all important streaming time code to be used for script timing.

Critical was that the new English dialogue sync exactly to the movements of each character’s mouth without changing the meaning or context of the original Japanese. “The key was to make it sound natural,” says project ADR Director Tony Oliver, himself a renowned voice actor best known for his portrayal of Rick Hunter on the famed Robotech anime series. “Sometimes the rhythm of the speech must be altered a little to fit, but the meaning of what is said must always remain true to the original intent. That can be challenging and often requires substituting words and altering syntax until it seems natural. Each of the voice actors also adds their own rhythm and personality.”

To convincingly achieve the key role of Haseo, Bang Zoom! brought in noted voice actor Yuri Lowenthal, who performed on the original .Hack video game as well as an array of other game and anime productions including Afro Samurai, Bleach, Final Fantasy XII, and several Naruto game titles. All of the recording was done sequentially, according to how the actual game unfolds, so each actor understood how the plot evolves and could tighten their performances in-line and understand the motivations required for each scene. Recoding used tried and true Avalon 737SP pre-mics and Neumann U87 microphones.

“The biggest challenge with this title was the sheer amount of dialogue,” recalls Oliver. “It was way more than a conventional narrative because of different outcomes possible with each scene based on moves the player makes. But convincing performances must be recorded for each outcome. The difference with video games is that the dialogue for each resolution must be performed and mixed in such a way to preserve the continuity of the entire game. It’s critical for there to be the same intensity and emotion in each of the lines spoken. I think we definitely achieved that with this project.”

Time constraints for the project were very tight and Bang Zoom! chief engineer Patrick Rodman began mixing completed tracks as ADR sessions continued to progress. All three of Bang Zoom! Entertainment’s mix/ADR rooms were used simultaneously for .hack//G.U. “I level matched each of the over 5,000 newly recorded files by ear then began processing the dialogue, which included matching the new dub with the same effects and vocal treatments present in the original. Mixing was done entirely in Pro Tools using a Digidesign Control 24 console.” Rodman also meticulously balanced and matched EQ, reverbs and pitching using various Pro Tools and Wave plug-ins. Rodman, who has been with Bang Zoom! for 8 years, was well-suited to work on the .hack//G.U. series, having worked previously at Monterey Post where he contributed to the soundtracks of several Warner Bros. animated titles including Pinky & The Brain, Batman, and The Animaniacs.

“As games become more sophisticated the players and fans demand a more convincing and compelling level of acting,” concludes Eric P. Sherman, President of Bang Zoom! Entertainment. “Likewise, because .hack//G.U. is based on a popular anime series, there must be synergy between the two and a higher quality of skill is required to do that. We are now applying our expertise gained from working on numerous anime titles to a new range of games that require localization for domestic release. .hack//G.U. was a very successful project, completed on a tight schedule, and we look forward to fans reveling in the new adventures and new English soundtrack the game presents.”

ABOUT Bang Zoom! Entertainment, INC.
Headquartered in Burbank, California, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc. is a leading full-service audio post production studio for feature films, television, interactive gaming, anime and direct to home entertainment content. Founded in 1993, the company offers a range of specialized services including a critically acclaimed staff of recognized voice talent, ADR,/Foley recording, sound design, and 2.0, 5.1 and 7.1 Dolby Digital and Pro Logic II mixing and encoding. Bang Zoom! Entertainment is also committed to developing a range of independent projects that contribute to the promotion of innovative cultural awareness internationally.

Contact Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Inc. at 1100 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank, CA 91505; Phone: (818) 295-3939; Fax: (818) 295-3999; Website:www.bangzoomentertainment.com.

Popularity: 15% [?]

The Japanese website for the Dragon Ball Z Sparking 3D fighting game franchise has posted online two television commercials about the battle system and the characters in the latest installment, Dragon Ball Z Sparking Meteor, Tuesday. The game for the Playstation 2 and Wii shipped in Japan on October 4, and will ship in North America on November 13 under the name Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3. The Japanese website for the Kodomo no Jikan (Nymphet) anime series is streaming a commercial (500K or 1M bandwidth) announcing the DVD release, including a limited 20,000-unit-run DVD box shipped in a school backpack.

Popularity: 78% [?]

 

Here it is folks, our first podcast from the depths of Otakudon, Otaku Crave. Enjoy

Episode Synopsis: Our first podcast episode in which we discuss the status of the live-action Dragonball Z film and other Hollywood anime adaptations and remakes. We also review the first dvd volume of “Welcome To The N.H.K.”

Popularity: 54% [?]

Sony Corp. will release the “XEL-1″ 11-inch OLED TV for 200,000 yen on Dec. 1, 2007. The TV’s thinnest part is only 3 mm thick. The company is projecting output of 2,000 units per month.

Sony’s Executive Deputy President Katsumi Ihara explained the 200,000 yen “I set the price in general consideration of the TV’s image quality, design and product potential. Profitability hasn’t been taken into consideration.”

As for the thickness, Sony devised the shape of the TV and made the thinnest part 3 mm in an effort to highlight the slimness of OLED, a key feature.” Specifically, housing components including an image processing circuit, a tuner and a power supply circuit in the base unit, Sony simply combined the panel and the minimum chassis in the display unit.

The display and base units are connected via an arm. All the necessary wirings run through this arm. The panel itself is 1.4 mm thick, with two 0.7 mm-thick glass substrates bonded together.

STLCD Corp. will manufacture the panel on the same production line used for the OLED panel used for the “CLIE” PDA that Sony released in September 2004. For assembly, a new line has been built at Sony EMCS Corp.’s Inazawa TEC.

The resolution is 960 x 540, 1/4 so-called full HD resolution. As an index of display performance, its contrast ratio of more than 1,000,000:1 is “higher than any instrument at Sony can measure,” Sony said. The luminance is 600 cd/m2, the color reproduction range is 110% of the NTSC specification and the response time is only several ? seconds, according to Sony.

The life before the initial luminance halves is 30,000 hours. The power consumption is 45 W.

As future prospects, Sony said it will attempt to upgrade the screen size, but did not reveal any details. Sony, however, added, “We plan to sell this product taking the time to measure the market response over the next few years. We won’t immediately release our next OLED TV product.”

The 11-inch OLED TV will be presented at “CEATEC Japan 2007,” which is being held from Oct. 2, 2007.

Popularity: 10% [?]

TOKYO — Sony Computer Entertainment Inc said Tuesday it will cut the prices of its PlayStation 3 game consoles in Japan next week. The move follows a similar announcement from Sony on its European game operations last week as it tries to ignite demand for the PS3, which has so far trailed Nintendo’s Wii in sales.

Sony will cut the price of its model with 20 gigabytes of hard disk memory by about 10% to 44,980 yen from the current 49,980 yen, effective Oct 17, the company said in a statement. The price of its 60GB models will be reduced to about 54,980 yen from about 59,000 yen.

A new PS3 with a 40-GB hard disk drive will also be introduced in Japan on Nov 11 for 39,980 yen, Sony Computer Entertainment said in a statement.

The new version, which Sony is also launching this week in Europe, no longer plays games designed for the PlayStation 2.

“We will be focusing on the PlayStation 3 software,” said Sony Computer Entertainment spokesman Sousuke Kamai.

The new version has two high-speed USB ports instead of four and no longer has a super audio CD system.

Sony currently has no plans to launch it elsewhere in Asia or in North America, said Kamai.

The price cuts comes as rival Nintendo enjoys strong demand for its Wii game console, known for its motion-sensitive controller, outselling the PS3 several times over in its domestic market.

Even with its lower price tag, the PS3 is still much more expensive than the Wii, which retails at 25,000 yen in Japan.

Sony sold 710,000 PS3s worldwide in the three months to June, well below the Wii’s sales of 3.43 million in the same period as Nintendo cleans up with its console aimed at non-traditional gamers.

While Sony put the emphasis on chip power and ultra-realistic graphics for the latest addition to the PlayStation series, Nintendo opted to develop an easy-to-use console that would appeal to a wider audience.

The success of the PS3 is considered vital to a revival at Sony, which under its first foreign boss Howard Stringer is in the midst of major restructuring.

The iconic company, famous for the way it changed how the world listened to music with its Walkman portable music players, has struggled in recent years against innovative products like Apple’s iPod and Nintendo’s Wii.

 

 

Popularity: 16% [?]