Narnia Fans » Walden Media

An Interview with Micheal Flaherty

Paul Martin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:03:41 +0000

Last spring Micheal Flaherty, President of Walden Media, visited Asbury College as part of its Engaging Culture weekend. As those who have met him know, he is a truly great man–full of wisdom, enthusiasm, real joy, and deep compassion.

While he was on campus, Devin Brown had the opportunity to ask him about Walden’s mission, where its name came from, and even what his favorite scene is. His response to these and other questions can be viewed in “An Interview with Micheal Flaherty” which has been posted at: Asbury.edu

There’s also a question and answer session about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

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Walden Media uses Digital Vision on Dawn Treader

Paul Martin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:31:27 +0000

For those interested in the technology that is in use on the production of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, we now have some information on the process that they’re going through to create movie magic. This article is highly technical, intended to inform those interested in filmmaking, and the tools of the trade.

Digital Vision, manufacturers of image enhancement and mastering systems for film and television post-production, has announced that Hollywood mini-studio Anschutz Film Group/Walden Media has taken delivery of Digital Vision’s Nucoda HD system. Digital Vision has worked closely with Walden to create a streamlined color pipeline from dailies to final delivery for their international productions. The two grading and one conform systems for Walden form the cornerstone of a complete production and post production workflow on “The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” one of the industry’s first 100% digitally acquired, file-based feature projects. The Nucoda HD systems capture and utilize the American Society of Cinematographer’s CDL (color decision list) metadata, and maintain it as a basis for grading throughout the project with Digital Vision’s comprehensive toolset.

Walden Media has produced several box office blockbusters. “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” “Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “Bridge to Terabithia,” and “The Water Horse,” are a few high-profile theatrical titles in the AFG/Walden Media library.

Earlier this year, Doug Jones, Walden’s EVP of Physical Production, Sean Santiago, VP Visual Effects and Jonas Thaler, VP Post Production designed a workflow for the third chapter in the Narnia series. The Director of Photography and On-Set Colorist create a look for each scene, which is expressed and documented as ten-digit ASC CDL value. In the Walden plan, the CDL grades follow the project from set to dailies to VFX and final DI color timing.

When the Walden team was ready to discuss hardware and software solutions with which to implement the new ”Dawn Treader” workflow, they met with Simon Cuff, President and COO of Digital Vision. Digital Vision responded to the challenge and is currently developing an on-set grading solution based on the research and development that the two companies have done together. For Dawn Treader’s Australia shoot, Digital Vision provided a modified Nucoda HD System that takes in and manages color choices from the set and keeps the salient metadata available to the colorist and visual effects through final DI color grading. Walden will use systems in Australia, UK and the US on upcoming features.

Doug Jones of Walden commented that, “We and our filmmakers strive to make successful films with powerful and memorable visual content. Directors and cinematographers do their best work if they are given instant access to high resolution images and precise color and density control from day one through final delivery. After meeting in Los Angeles and London and getting to know Digital Vision’s international development group and product line, we could see that the Nucoda HD system fit the bill. The efficiency of the ASC CDL color value system and the power and depth of Digital Vision’s tools are the essence of our workflow. Our partnership with Digital Vision has evolved to the point where we’d like to keep this going on future projects.”

Simon Cuff, President and COO of Digital Vision, commented, “Walden Media has a history of telling high quality stories with beautiful imagery created by top filmmakers. To work so closely with this team and this caliber of entertainment is exciting, and we are looking forward to Nucoda being part of that creative process, from the camera to the cinema screen. Walden’s push forward in production, VFX and post production workflow has allowed us to accelerate the development and refine the functionality of our on-set and dailies solutions – ensuring this will become an essential part of the movie-making process.”

Walden Media News: Go see ‘Bandslam’

Paul Martin — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 01:46:56 +0000

I know that this is a strange departure from the usual Narnia news, and believe me when I say: more Narnia news is coming, and you’re going to love it. I just wanted to take the time to tell you all about a film from the studio that is bringing us The Chronicles of Narnia movies. It’s called Bandslam and it’s a film that I went into expecting to enjoy it, but not much more than that. I found myself really having a great time with it, and wondering where the marketing department missed the boat.

I thought they might have seen the wrong movie, by the way it was being promoted, and came out of the theater having experienced a wonderful little film whose characters captured me and captivated me as they went on their journey through the film. It’s not really about a battle of the bands competition, though that is part of it. It’s really about the character of Will, who has problems just like anyone else. In fact, everyone in the movie is more than meets the eye, and every character is brought in with a purpose. I can’t recommend this movie highly enough.

It says a lot about this film, that on rottentomatoes.com, it has a rating of 80% positive reviews. Not to mention that the cream of the crop, the major film critics, are sitting with 90% positive reviews. I recommend that you go into this film simply expecting to walk away having had a good time for a couple of hours. You should find yourself entertained by it, if not blown away by how good the movie is. The dialog, capably written by Josh Cagan, is realistic, and reminiscent of John Hughes. In fact, the movie reminds me of a current generation John Hughes, though his films have aged rather well, for the most part.

The main character in the film is played by newcomer Gaelan Connell, and he sure does carry the film well. In fact, I won’t be surprised if this film gets him into more films very quickly. The acting in the film is really top notch by him and the rest of the cast.

This is a film that all involved should be, and are, proud to be a part of, regardless of the movie’s box office returns. It’s definitely worth the trip to the theatre. It’s the perfect film to end the summer, before the start of the school year.

Bug and Omar, two of the cast members, said to me via twitter that they’d be willing to play some LIVE shows, in their words: “cheers for the support! personally, we would love to play some live shows. ONLY if the supporters ask for it, that is-bug & omar.”

Alyson Michalka, of Aly and AJ fame (now 78violet) has been attending screenings, and announcing it via Twitter as well, to watch the film with the audience. She’s very supportive of the movie, and is showing it with awesome interaction with the fans.

This movie is much closer to School of Rock in style, than it is to High School Musical. It’s a movie with a lot of heart, and has some great character moments. Personally, I can’t wait to see it again.

Do not judge this movie based on the trailers or the poster. It exceeds both entirely. Vanessa Hudgens plays a role that is nothing like her character in High School Musical and shows her ability to play multiple character types very well. Her character doesn’t even reflect who she appears to be in the trailer. This is a movie that deserves to be cheered for, and has had many audiences of press cheering across the country. It could be one of those movies that just falls to the wayside, but that would be unfortunate.

If you’ve seen it, and enjoyed it, please comment below.

More Information: WaldenFans.com (Bandslam News) – Bandslam Official Website

Walden Media’s Website Redesigned

Paul Martin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 05:56:09 +0000

Walden Media has redesigned their website with great style. Not only that, but it confirms the Dawn Treader logo that was posted in really low quality a few months ago (though on a black background, the rest is the same).

Walden.com has been designed with usability in mind, as well as ease of use for community involvement. It’s a great site, that is definitely easier to navigate than ever before, and even includes social networking links at the bottom, as well as easier to locate teaching tools.

Walden Media has always had education in mind when creating their website, and this is no different. With a blog section, as well as educator guides to each of their films and books, Walden has gone the distance to create classroom materials that teachers can use, and they’ve done a fantastic job of bringing in some amazing new features. Go exploring at Walden.com

More ‘Dawn Treader’ Set Photos

Paul Martin — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 04:19:21 +0000

We received word from MundoNarnia about some new photos that have surfaced from the set of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader at The Spit. It seems that a lot of progress has been made in the last few days. If they’re shooting the film right now, though, the set doesn’t appear to be ready. It’s close, though. There is still no word as to who has arrived in Australia for the film shoot, aside from Skandar Keynes. All that I know is that it’s on schedule to make it’s release on December 10, 2010, as scheduled by Fox and Walden Media. It’s sure to be a good way to spend the holiday season, and to bide our time for The Hobbit a year later.

Voyage of the Dawn Treader comes to Gold Coast, Confirmed again

Paul Martin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:33:50 +0000

Many many people have written us to let us know that The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is definitely, confirmed again, to be filming on the Gold Coast in Australia. Thanks, in particular, to Brendan and Elika for the particular announcement.

QUEENSLAND has attracted one of the biggest-budget films to be shot in Australia. The multi-million dollar Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader will be filmed on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane this year, Premier Anna Bligh told state Parliament today. Ms Bligh says the Walden Media/Twentieth Century Fox feature film will employ about 2000 Queenslanders during production.

“This means more jobs for extras, wardrobe assistants, make-up artists, drivers, production staff, set designers, set builders who will gain work and valuable experience during the production,” Ms Bligh said. ”This will possibly be the highest-budget feature film ever shot in Queensland.”

It is set to rival the previous record breaker, Peter Pan, in 2002-03. Locations include Doug Jennings Park on The Spit at the Gold Coast and Cleveland Point in Brisbane’s bayside. Ms Bligh said more Gold Coast locations were being negotiated. ”We faced some very stiff competition for this production from NSW and New Zealand,” she said.

Asbury College: Engaging the Culture – Weekend Report

Paul Martin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:54:28 +0000

We made an attempt to get someone to this event, but sadly the one person that might have been available had to work during the event. Thankfully another Narnia fan site was able to have someone in attendance. I would have gone myself, but I had a wedding to go to during the conference. Micheal Flaherty is a great friend of mine, and I would have loved to see him again.

Here’s a highlight of the report:

The last workshop of the day was a presentation by Dr. Devin Brown, author of the Inside Narnia and Inside Prince Caspian books, called “The Spiritual and Character Lessons from the Narnia Films.” The title basically sums up the content of the workshop! At the end, Dr. Brown and Mr. Flaherty answered questions about the Narnia books and films. I did want to highlight a few things that Mr. Flaherty said about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. First, Dr. Brown asked Mr. Flaherty to answer “yes” or “no” to a series of questions about The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Dr. Brown: “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is being made?”

Mr. Flaherty: “Yes. Some things need to work out, but it is on a very good path to being in production this summer.”

Dr. Brown: “It’s going to be a great movie?”

Mr. Flaherty: “Yes.”

Dr. Brown: “It’ll be filled with great adventure like the ones we’ve already looked at?”

Mr. Flaherty: “Yes. It’ll be a great adventure—it’ll feel closer in tone and spirit to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. It has all the themes that people enjoy about the book. Eustace is one of the best realized characters we’ve had in any film—the writers and Michael Apted have nailed Eustace the same way that Andrew [Adamson] really understood Lucy. It’s incredibly bittersweet at the end when Lucy and Edmund realize that they’re not coming back to Narnia as well. Definitely very excited about that one.”

Later, he mentioned that his favorite character is Reepicheep, which bodes well for our fearless warrior. Also, he said that one of his favorite scenes from the Chronicles of Narnia is the un-dragoning of Eustace and how it emphasizes the fact that grace cannot be earned and that forgiveness is a gift. Hopefully, this means that this scene has stayed accurate!

You can read the full report here.

NarniaFans Mailbag #36: The Fourth Narnia, Narnia Exhibition, Ben Barnes and Fox

Paul Martin — Thu, 28 May 2009 05:00:47 +0000

Here we are with this week’s mailbag! It’s been pretty exciting to see the response that we’ve gotten so far, and I’ve had a great time writing them. Hopefully the e-mails keep coming in each week so that I can continue.

The first question is a short one that I somehow missed a couple of weeks ago.

Q: What is the 4th Narnia?

-Matthew

Paul: This simple question has a bit of a complex answer. It depends on what you’re talking about, first and foremost: The books or the films.

If it’s the films, then it’s The Silver Chair.

The book version is a little more complex. But I’ll give you the original answer first: The Silver Chair. It was the fourth book published in the series. Later on, in the 1970s, the books were published in the chronological order of the story, based on the Narnia timeline. This put The Silver Chair in the sixth position in the series. Oddly enough, it also puts Prince Caspian as the fourth. However, this is something that I find rather odd, personally. Especially so because of the movies out so far.

Q: Hi! Love the Mailbag! Okay, so obviously as of May 22nd, the Narnia Exhibition rides into Union Station. (My friend thanks you for this info – she lives near there!) But is there, as of yet, any knowledge that the exhibition will continue AFTER Kansas City? I know this is a silly question, but so far this hasn’t come within quite a few miles of my area, and I might as well go to Kansas if it isn’t coming near me. Thankies! Oh and by the way, isn’t there a new movie that Ben Barnes plays in that is coming out soon?

-April G.

Paul: From what I was told in New York City a year ago, the Exhibition is meant to continue for a few years, traveling all over the country and changing after each film comes out. I just don’t know where. Perhaps someone involved in the Exhibition knows. I should have done some homework, but I haven’t had time in the last week.

Also, Ben Barnes is, in fact, in a couple of movies at the moment. Easy Virtue is currently playing in a limited release in the United States, and has been opening in many foreign territories since September 2008. It will continue to open in many foreign territories through August of this year.

Dorian Gray is the other film, and it doesn’t currently have a release date set in the United States, but it is scheduled to open in the UK on September 18 as well as Finland on December 25, 2009. It could be out any time in the fall, however, but there is no word on the scope of the release.

Q: What are your opinions about Fox taking over the Narnia series? Personally, I’m all for it; the only worry I have is they also adapted “Eragon”, which frankly was poor compared with the book. Anyway, thanks.

-Skulblaka_Shur’tugal

Paul: This is a difficult question to answer. It’s kind of a double edged sword. It really depends on how the film (series?) is handled by the studio. Their handling of the X-Men franchise is the only one that has me slightly worried. Apparently, there is a producer there that wanted to kill the franchise from the start, not really understanding why it’s a franchise worth doing well. (If it is true, then that producer should be removed from any type of control over the future of the series.)

Eragon isn’t worth getting concerned over. There is a different creative team than that which worked on Eragon. In fact, it is still pretty much the same team that worked on the first two films, save for the screenwriters, director and composer. It should feel like a Narnia film.

If there is one thing Fox has done really well, it’s letting outside creative teams have complete control of their franchises, such as George Lucas with Star Wars. Those were the terms of his contract with them, and I’m willing to bet that the Lewis Estate made it a big part of their contract with Fox as well.

All in all, I trust 20th Century Fox with the future of the franchise, and I think they’ll do a great job with it. Remember: Walden Media is still very much a part of this.

Alrighty, this is a little shorter than usual, but it’s all I have time for this week. Keep the e-mail coming!

Narnia Exhibit Opens Friday at Union Station Kansas City

Paul Martin — Fri, 22 May 2009 05:01:00 +0000

Union Station’s newest exhibit and summer sensation for families opens Friday, May 22. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Exhibition is produced by the Becker Group, Ltd., which recently combined operations with Exhibitgroup/Giltspur, in partnership with Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media. Based on the blockbuster film series and C.S. Lewis’ beloved fictional books, the 10,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art entertainment and educational experience offers visitors the opportunity to tour scenes from the famed literary world of Narnia. Through authentic costumes, props and set dressings from the magical Narnia films, visitors will enter a three dimensional world that combines the wonders of science with aspects of fantasy. Tickets are on sale now at unionstation.org.

Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5:30 p.m. Sunday. The exhibit is also open 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Memorial Day, Monday, May 25. Tickets are $14 for adults (13 and older); $9 for children (3-12) and $7 for Union Station Members and groups of 15 or more with advance reservation and payment. The exhibit runs through Aug. 23. Purchase an Anytime Ticket and come any day, any time.

Visitors to the exhibition will view artifacts from C.S. Lewis’ personal study and experience exciting environments such as the famous attic and wardrobe. Once inside Narnia, visitors will encounter falling snow and other interactive and instructive elements including:

A replica of the White Witch’s Throne where visitors can sit on the icy throne and feel the chill. A nearby display describes the impact of climate change on our planet and investigates whether our planet could be frozen for 100 years, like the world of Narnia.
An area featuring King Miraz’s Castle from The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian where visitors have the opportunity to build an arch, while learning about the architectural structure and strategy involved in the design.
An area highlighting the mythical creatures of Narnia, which allows visitors to create their own creatures featured in the film. Three stacks of rotating, square blocks stand in three-, four- and six-foot configurations, each level featuring different aspects of a creature. By rearranging the different levels, visitors can create well-known characters from the Narnia films or mix and match the squares to create new characters.

Opening weekend for the exhibit will feature Medieval characters from the Renaissance Festival greeting guests as they enter Union Station. Visitors can also watch the 2009 crowning of the Festival King and Queen at noon on Saturday, May 23. Visitors can watch juggling and have their face painted from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and noon to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Memorial Day Weekend at Union Station also features the grand opening for the regional headquarters of the National Archives and the annual patriotic symphony concert, Celebration at the Station featuring the Kansas City Symphony. This free outdoor concert is Sunday, May 24 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Fireworks will follow the concert.

About Union Station Kansas City
Union Station Kansas City is a historical landmark and civic asset renovated and reopened to the public in 1999. It features a science center, national traveling exhibits, the region’s only 3D giant screen movie theater, live theater, shops and restaurants. A bistate cultural sales tax, the first of its kind in the country, funded nearly half of the $250 million renovation. Union Station is a nonprofit 501c3 organization. The Station is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. Union Station Kansas City, Inc. also operates the Kansas City Museum in Kansas City’s historic northeast neighborhood. This fall, Union Station will host the world class exhibit Andy Warhol Porfolios: Life and Legends.

About Exhibitgroup/Giltspur
Exhibitgroup/Giltspur (EG) is an award-winning experiential marketing agency known for creating meaningful and memorable connections between leading companies and their customers. By producing powerful brand experiences through exhibits, events, mobile marketing tours, permanent installations, and temporary retail environments, EG helps clients accelerate the sales process, deepen brand loyalty and consistently deliver superior results. The company also creates branded entertainment experiences that surprise and delight audiences worldwide. Backed by the financial strength of its parent company, Viad Corp (NYSE: VVI), EG employs nearly 600 industry professionals in 28 client care centers throughout the world. For more information about EG, please visit www.e-g.com. For more information about “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Exhibition,” please visit www.narniaexhibition.com.

Additional Narnia Programming at Union Station
May-August 2009

Science City
Demonstrations and Craft Activities
Science City educators will offer daily demonstrations and crafts inside the science center related to Narnia. Demonstrations and activities are included with regular Science City admission. Themes will rotate between the following three topics.

Always Winter and Never Christmas
Watch a spoonful of crystals magically turn into a handful of artificial snow. Learn what makes ice so slick and why sleigh and sled tracks are superior to wheels in winter. Create your own snowflake out of paper and decorate it too!

Court Life
Make your own crown or tiara. Learn about the ancient art of mapmaking while studying maps of Narnia. Discover how to say “hello” and “thank you” in many foreign languages. Design your own shield crest to represent who you are, then turn it into a shrinky-dink pendant to take home. Uncover the origins of many of Narnia’s mythological creatures.

Siege Tech
Study the art of castle defense as engineered by medieval architects by examining the fortifications as built into a model castle. Battering rams, ballistae, catapults, and trebuchets: attacking a stack of paper cups was never so exciting as it will be in Science City. Build your own catapult to take home and conquer cup-scapes of your own design.

Saturday Family Workshops
Parents and children explore science together in these workshops held at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Workshops last about 1 hour & 45 minutes. Admission to the workshops is $15.95 for members (one adult and one child), plus $5 for each additional person, or $29.95 for non-members (one adult and one child), plus $10 for each additional person. Workshops include admission to Science City.

Engineerium: Robotic Adventures in Narnia
Design, build, and program a robot to navigate through the magical world of Narnia. Pretend you are with the Pevensie’s trekking through the Great Woods, crossing the bridge of Beruna, or maneuvering through the bustling city of Tashbaan.
June 6
July 4
August 1
September 5

Turkish Delight & the Science of Obsessional Cooking
Tempt your taste buds with the irresistible flavor of Turkish Delight and scrumptious chocolate treats. Learn how to make these tasty treats while exploring the chemistry behind food cravings. See how your senses can trick you when you sample our Aslan Apple Pie made without any apples at all!
July 18

The White Witch’s Wicked Water Magic
During her reign, the White Witch forced all of Narnia into a 100-year state of ice and snow. Discover the science behind her magic as we observe water in all three states of matter: solid, liquid and gas. We’ll also create our very own water cycle to see how water reacts to changes in the weather.
August 15

Live on Stage
Theater for Young America presents The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The C.S. Lewis classic book comes to life on stage in this adaptation that will delight children and adults. Now showing through June 20, tickets are $8 per person. Buy a ticket to the Narnia exhibit and save $2 on a ticket to the show. For show times and to purchase tickets, visit www.unionstation.org.

Official Narnia Website Vanishes

Paul Martin — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 23:43:26 +0000

It looks like Disney has taken down the official Narnia website, formerly available at Narnia.com. Perhaps they’re getting ready to transfer the domain to 20th Century Fox. Get ready, then, for an all-new Narnia.com, sometime this year.

I’ve always thought that it should be in the hands of Walden Media for this very reason. Walden Media holds the license on the series. However, Disney’s hosting capacity was probably much larger, being as big a company as they are.

John Burkitt points out who the owner of the Narnia.com domain is. It’s as I figured, the Lewis Estate owns it.

The domain belongs to:

C.S. Lewis Pte Ltd
1st Floor, Unit 4, Old Generator House
Bourne Valley Road
Poole, Dorset BH12 1DZ
GB

Narnia Fans » Walden Media

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