Khamis, 12 September 2013

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Metro: Sunday Metro


Colleagues of another race is fine

Posted:

More than nine in 10 Singaporeans accept colleagues and neighbours of a different race but fewer are willing to marry or welcome an in-law of another race.

A recent survey on race relations here has found that while Singa­poreans are generally open to other races in the public sphere, this attitude does not always extend to the private space.

For instance, among non-Malay respondents, just over three in 10 said they would be comfortable with a Malay spouse. 

The numbers were similar when non-Indian respondents were asked about marrying an Indian person, and just slightly higher – five in 10 – for a parallel question on Eurasians.

The finding was characteristic of the bigger picture on race relations painted by the study of more than 4,000 Singaporeans by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) and racial harmony advocacy group OnePeople.sg: 

The country has made good prog­ress, but there is still some way to go.

IPS director Janadas Devan said the results show "an overwhelming majority of Singaporeans are ideologically committed to the idea of Singapore being a multiracial society". But he sounded a note of caution, especially as fewer than half of the respondents said they had a close friend of another race.

And there were other gaps as well. Those born here were much less comfortable with workmates who are new citizens of a different race. While 94% of non-Chinese accept a local-born Chinese as their boss, that share falls to 74% for a boss who is a new citizen originally from China.

There was also a significant number who said that minorities are disadvantaged at work. Some 36% of respondents felt Malays had to work harder or much harder than someone of another race to reach the top spot in their company. For Indians, the figure was 31%.

The Chinese had marginally different attitudes to race relations compared to minority ethnic groups. They were, for instance, the least keen to learn from other races.

IPS research fellow Mathew Mathews, who headed the survey, said the results indicate that racial bias "has not been removed across the board".  -The Straits Times / Asia News Network

Traffic accident case highlights reckless habits of cyclists

Posted:

A motorist whose car collided with a cyclist at a traffic junction and killed him was fined S$1,000 (RM2,581) and disqualified from driving for four months in a district court last week.

But while Yap Thien Leong, 40, had pleaded guilty to the less serious charge of driving without due care, the case drew notice to the habit of errant cyclists riding on pavements and pedestrian crossings at traffic junctions, and posing grave risk to life and limb.

Yap had failed to keep a proper look­out when he knocked down S. Muneeshwaran at a traffic junction along Pasir Ris Drive 2 on Dec 17 last year.

Muneeshwaran, 24, who was cycling across the pedestrian crossing despite the green light in Yap's favour, suffered severe internal injuries. 

The Indian national was taken to Changi General Hospital where he died the next day.

Video footage showed that he was cycling on the road pavement in the same direction as Yap but on the opposite side of the same road. 

He also rode over the pedestrian crossing at a much higher speed than a pedestrian would have crossed, giving little time for Yap to react.

Yap's lawyer Selva Naidu argued that it has become "a worryingly frequent experience in Singapore to find cyclists riding on pavements meant for pedestrians and riding across a pedestrian crossing. Many seem unaware they should not be riding across the pedestrian crossing".

"The deceased should never have cycled at all on any pedestrian crossing. Pedestrian crossings are for pedestrians, not cyclists," he added.  -The Straist Times / Asia News Network

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star eCentral: Movie Buzz


The Flu: A cold killer

Posted:

What if disaster struck with just one breath? The Flu uncovers a devastating epidemic.

VARIATIONS and mutations of the flu virus still haunt mankind to this day.

What would happen if there was a new type of virus that strikes as a common cold, then infects and kills people anywhere, rendering humans completely defenceless? This terrifying idea was the genesis of South Korean disaster flick The Flu; turning the common flu into an agent of death and fear.

The Flu uses the real-life avian influenza strain H5N1 as the focal point of the story and virologists all over the world agree that such an outbreak could be fatal to the human race.

What if its transmission method became human-to-human? Those infected with the airborne virus would exhibit symptoms such as high fever, cough and rashes. The Flu plays out this what-if scenario with believable characters reacting to situations grounded in reality.

Making his comeback film after a 10-year hiatus, South Korean auteur Kim Sung-soo (Beat, City Of The Rising Sun, Musa The Warrior) wanted to transform a city and its landmarks into places where infection and death could exist in a realistic setting.

In the movie's production notes, the director described it as "a situation that you have no control over and cannot stop from happening. I wanted to portray the extremity of fear and the core of human nature, and also those who do not lose humanity in the face of adversity."

The people depicted in The Flu are civilians who are faced with a disaster when they fall prey to a deadly virus.

Not only that, their government quarantines them in a massive segregation camp that could potentially infect more people by gathering them in a tightly occupied space.

The film depicts this disaster through the eyes of the people who must endure and survive the epidemic. Director Kim threw himself the million-dollar question, "How would I deal with this situation if it happened to me?" while developing the screenplay.

The Flu begins with a group of illegal immigrants who are smuggled into South Korea inside a shipping container.

By the time it is opened in Bundang, an affluent suburb of Seoul, all of the immigrants are found dead, except for one man, who is later discovered to be a carrier of a deadly strain of H5N1 (avian influenza, or bird flu). As the man escapes, he quickly spreads the virus to nearby residents.

Fatalities rise rapidly even before the government can react properly to the airborne virus. With an outbreak rate of 2,000 new cases each hour, and death occurring within 36 hours of infection, the epidemic plunges the city into total chaos.

Without a cure, the government quarantines the infected in Bundang, out of fear that the disease could spread across the country, and possibly the world.

As the city folk desperately struggle to survive within those walls, a virologist scrambles to find a vaccine for the virus. When her only daughter is infected, a rescue worker joins her race against time to find a cure and keep the girl alive. – Seto Kit Yan

  The Flu will be infecting cinemas nationwide from Sept 12.

Related story

The Flu crew

Warm Malaysia is home to the Vikings through CGI

Posted:

Shah Alam doubling as Scandinavia? Vikings roaming in Malaysia? When it comes to CGI, nothing is impossible says Vikingdom director Yusry Abdul Halim.

EVER since his directorial debut in 2006 with Cicak Man, Yusry Abdul Halim has been pushing the envelope in terms of visual effects in local films. When everyone else had just one or two shots of computer-generated imagery (CGI) in their films, Yusry gave Cicak Man almost 2,000 shots.

Well, now he may have just put himself way ahead of the race yet again with his ambitious CGI-laden project titled Vikingdom, which is out in cinemas on Sept 12. The film has consumed him for the past two years, spending at least 16 months concentrating on the post-production portion – Vikingdom has more than 3,000 complex visual effects shots integrated into it.

"The thing is, Vikingdom is about a Viking, so it's supposed to take place in a Viking land, but we shot the whole movie in Malaysia. So, we had to change the background, add soldiers, create monsters and a lot of things that have never been done before," shared Yusry who is relieved that the film is finally ready for release.

Director Yusry Abdul Halim (extreme left) with his cast of Vikingdom during the production of the film in 2011. From left: Jon Foo, Dominic Purcell, Natassia Malthe, Craig Fairbrass and Conan Stevens.

Director Yusry Abdul Halim (extreme left) with the cast of Vikingdom at the start of filming – (from left)  Jon Foo, Purcell, Natassia Malthe,Craig Fairbrass and Conan Stevens.

Produced by KRU Studios at a price tag of more than RM20mil, Vikingdom is a fantasy action-adventure based on a Viking poem and starring Australian actor Dominic Purcell (TV's Prison Break). Purcell plays a Viking king named Eirick, who must defeat one of the most powerful Roman Gods in order to ensure his people's way of life is not destroyed.

To take down Thor (the God of Thunder who owns that powerful hammer), Eirick must, literally, go through hell and face all sorts of demons and impossible challenges.

Inserted within all this action is a love story between Eirick and Brynna (half-Norwegian, half-Malaysian actress Natassia Malthe).

What's real and what's not? Eirick goes to the Underworld and faces all kinds of monsters.

What's real and what's not?: Eirick (Dominic Purcell) goes to the Underworld and faces all kinds of monsters.


Most of the film was shot in sound stages in Kuala Lumpur, with some outdoor locations including Shah Alam, where a massive battle scene was filmed.

Yusry noted that this may be the first time anyone attempted to shoot a Viking-based story in a tropical country. (The Vikings were from Scandinavia – Denmark, Norway and Sweden.)

"Everything is either rebuilt physically or on a computer," said the director.

"We can always shoot this in Australia or the United States, but a studio is still a studio. And, I thought our outdoor location was good enough as we can add-on via post-production and pass it off as Scandinavian climate.

Brynna (Natassia Malthe)confronts Eirick (Purcell) as they journey away from home.

Brynna (Malthe) confronts Eirick as they journey away from home.

"But, the overall reason we did this is to put Malaysia on the map in terms of making a film like this."

Yusry and his team didn't come to this decision without doing extensive research beforehand.

His brothers and partners at KRU Studios – Norman and Edry Abdul Halim – flew to the Scandinavian countries to recce, visit libraries to read up on Viking lore and speak to the locals.

Of course, once there, they also found that it was extremely expensive to shoot the film in places like Stockholm, compounding the fact that it just makes more sense to shoot it in Malaysia.

Having gathered all this information, Yusry and his team broke down the script, focusing on all the fanstastical elements by having hundreds of illustrations to guide both the cast and crew during the filming process as to exactly what they are seeing on the green screen.

"The studios were not a big problem as we can control the temperature... (but) the outdoor locations, especially in Shah Alam, which is a bit desert-like, was a bit tricky for the actors.

"We shot a long battle scene in the hot weather. We shot for about 10 days. That was tough. Even the horses needed to be placed in air-conditioned tent and we could only shoot for 30 minutes (per session) before they had to take a break. We didn't want any of the animals to die on us, and luckily nothing happened."

For the final battle scene, 100 extras are manipulated with CGI to appear as though thousands of soldiers are on the battlefield. Same goes for the horses and the background.

"The white sand can pass off as snow, but we can still see palm oil trees in the background so we needed to take that out," Yusry explained.

When asked if he is happy with what he has achieved in Vikingdom, he answered: "CGI is constantly evolving and there is always room for improvement. With any movies that takes two years to complete, there are things I will do differently now. But that's not always a good thing because you might be overthinking it.

"Overall, I am happy with the visual effects in Vikingdom. I am pleased with it."

For the post-production work, Yusry had a team of 50 people. While Yusry handled the visual effects on some of the more creatively-challenging scenes, he left it to his team to work on the majority of the film; he only tweaked some scenes towards the end.

"For Cicak Man, we had three people working on the visual effects, including me, so, obviously, I had more sleepless nights. Now, I have 50, I probably did about 20% myself."

While the post-production process can go on for months and requires utmost dedication, Yusry claimed he prefers working in this capacity.

"When you are in post-production, what you tell the computer, it does. (As opposed to) production, there are always things that you can't really control," he concluded.

Vikingdom opens in cinemas nationwide on Sept 12. It is set for a US release on Oct 4, and will also be distributed to Australia and New Zealand.

Related stories:

Natassia Malthe, the beautiful warrior

Vikingdom: The Blood Eclipse review

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Entertainment: TV & Radio


Michael C. Hall on Dexter

Posted:

Michael C. Hall talks candidly about:

Dexter Morgan

"Dexter is relatively lovable as far as serial killers go.

"He is obviously flawed in ways that most people don't have to contend with. But, there is something about that which seems to resonate with people. "

Why people like watching shows like Dexter

"I think people have an inherent fascination with the darker side.

"But, I don't think the series glamorises the lifestyle of a serial killer.

"It looks pretty stressful from where I am sitting."

Getting funny looks on the street

"Sometimes, people recognise me and say, "Don't put me on your table" or something like that if they're like blocking me in traffic or something."

How the character Dexter has changed

"Dexter has morphed and changed in many ways that I'm grateful for as an actor because it has allowed me to explore different things.

"I think life is heavier for Dexter now than it was when we first met him.

"At the beginning, he was much lighter, much less burdened.

"But, as he has indulged in this notion of his humanity, life has weighed much more heavily on him."

Related story

Does Dexter have a killer ending in its final season?

'Adventure Time' is so weird and wonderful

Posted:

Creator Pendleton Ward talks about Cartoon Network's award-winning series.

AS a kid, Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward remembers being obsessed over "hidden secrets" in the background of long-running cartoon series The Simpsons.

"Like the barbershop called Hairy Shearers – based on one of The Simpsons cast member Harry Shearer – all those tiny things I obsessed over as a kid," he said in an interview transcript provided by Cartoon Network.

The Simpsons is one of Ward's main inspirations for his award-winning cartoon, Adventure Time. Set in the post-apocalyptic Land of Ooo, the series revolves around the lives of Finn the human boy and his best friend Jake, the dog with magical stretchy powers.

"I based Jake on Bill Murray's character from the movie Meatballs. The kid (in the movie) is going through a really hard time so Bill's character Tripper Harrison gets real and gives him some heart-to-heart advice."

He added: "That scene represents Jake's character pretty well. He's a goofball but he'll get real with you if you need a heart-to-heart."

As for Finn, Ward said he's just a "maniacally noble knight".

"He never fails to jump into the fray as long as the fight is for justice. I, for one, am stoked that Finn got a Bill Murray-style super-powered dog pal to help him out."

Kid at heart: Despite his self-confessed simple approach, Adventure Time creator Pendleton Ward says he tries to create characters that inspire real emotions.

Pendleton Ward, creator of Adventure Time, voices the character Lumpy Space Princess.

 

Together, Finn and Jake go on quests like helping the ruler of Candy Kingdom Princess Bubblegum fight zombies and travel to Lumpy Space to find a cure for ... lumpiness.

Oh, Finn and Jake also go on old school-style quests to rescue princesses from the notorious yet sometimes clueless Ice King (voiced by Mr SpongeBob SquarePants himself, Tom Kenny).

Since its debut on Cartoon Network in 2008, Adventure Time has spawned four seasons and even picked up various awards. At the 2013 Primetime Emmy, the series won an award for Outstanding Individual Achievement In Animation. Adventure Time comic books have also picked up a nod for Best Publication for Kids at the 2013 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards.

The series has a cult following among older viewers for its unique retro element, too.

"The show's music and sound effects are inspired partly by low-fi 8-bit videogame noises. You'll see a lot of old, trashed 1980s-style computers stacked around Finn and Jake's tree house, which they use as light source."

Now in its fifth season, Ward said there's just more things to look forward to in the ever-expanding Adventure Time universe.

"I'm definitely going to be plugging in loads and loads of secrets and little things. In every episode there's going to be this little waving snail, you can search for it in every episode. There are also secret codes and things written in the background."

Just like The Simpsons, Adventure Time also boasts an impressive number of celebrity guest voices. Actor Andy Samberg voiced Party Pat (a zen hipster party-loving bear) while Scrubs' Daniel Faison had a stint as mentally unstable cookie named Baby Snaps.

Even Star Trek's George Takei had a go at voicing Ricardio (Ice King's smooth-talking heart).

In the latest season, viewers can look forward to Hellboy's Ron Perlman as Finn and Jake's long-time nemesis Lich (a powerful undead wizard) and Community's Donald Glover as Marshall Lee (a vampire boy).

Another stellar addition to the list of notable guest voices is How I Met Your Mother's Neil Patrick Harris. He'll be voicing Prince Bubblegum, a male version of Princess Bubblegum as imagined by Ice King in his fanfiction.

Ward himself voices Lumpy Space Princess, a self-absorbed teenage character whose trademark lines include "whatever" and "don't lumpin' yell at me".

There is no telling for sure on what is going to happen next in Adventure Time. Ward said that that's his secret for keeping viewers entertained.

"There's no significance to anything I do. I could be totally and unintentionally putting in all sorts of meaning that people interpret, but I just try to make it really simple to watch. Characters can be thinking one thought and then go in a totally different direction the next minute."

Despite his self-confessed simple approach, Ward said ultimately he is trying to create "stuff that goes straight to kids' heart".

"The early seasons of The Simpsons had a great deal of heart. That's what I'm trying to create, to make characters feel so real that they inspire real emotion; you can feel attached to them and relate to what they're going through."

New episodes of Adventure Time air at 2pm every Monday to Saturday, while repeats are at 7pm (every Monday to Thursday) and 3pm/8pm (every Sunday) on Cartoon Network (Astro Ch 616).

Win some Adventure Time goodies!

Answer two simple questions based on the article above to win exclusive premiums from Cartoon Network!

1. Which Adventure Time episode does comedy actor Neil Patrick Harris star in?

2. Name three characters from the latest season of Adventure Time.

Also, complete the following slogan not more than 20 words:

"Buckle up as Finn and Jake are ............................................................................"

E-mail your entries to sharani.shanmugam@text100.com.my by 5pm on Sept 15, 2013 and don't forget to include your full name, MyKad or passport number, valid contact details and mailing address.

Prizes

1. The first winner with all-correct answers will receive an Adventure Time goodie bag inclusive of a backpack, watch, hat and plush toy.

2. Ten lucky winners will also receive an exclusive Cartoon Network goodie bag with exciting premiums.

Terms & Conditions

1. This contest is open to any living persons who are legal residents of Malaysia

2. Judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entertained

3. Prizes are not exchangeable for cash

4. One winner will receive one prize only

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star eCentral: Movie Reviews


The Flu: A cold killer

Posted:

What if disaster struck with just one breath? The Flu uncovers a devastating epidemic.

VARIATIONS and mutations of the flu virus still haunt mankind to this day.

What would happen if there was a new type of virus that strikes as a common cold, then infects and kills people anywhere, rendering humans completely defenceless? This terrifying idea was the genesis of South Korean disaster flick The Flu; turning the common flu into an agent of death and fear.

The Flu uses the real-life avian influenza strain H5N1 as the focal point of the story and virologists all over the world agree that such an outbreak could be fatal to the human race.

What if its transmission method became human-to-human? Those infected with the airborne virus would exhibit symptoms such as high fever, cough and rashes. The Flu plays out this what-if scenario with believable characters reacting to situations grounded in reality.

Making his comeback film after a 10-year hiatus, South Korean auteur Kim Sung-soo (Beat, City Of The Rising Sun, Musa The Warrior) wanted to transform a city and its landmarks into places where infection and death could exist in a realistic setting.

In the movie's production notes, the director described it as "a situation that you have no control over and cannot stop from happening. I wanted to portray the extremity of fear and the core of human nature, and also those who do not lose humanity in the face of adversity."

The people depicted in The Flu are civilians who are faced with a disaster when they fall prey to a deadly virus.

Not only that, their government quarantines them in a massive segregation camp that could potentially infect more people by gathering them in a tightly occupied space.

The film depicts this disaster through the eyes of the people who must endure and survive the epidemic. Director Kim threw himself the million-dollar question, "How would I deal with this situation if it happened to me?" while developing the screenplay.

The Flu begins with a group of illegal immigrants who are smuggled into South Korea inside a shipping container.

By the time it is opened in Bundang, an affluent suburb of Seoul, all of the immigrants are found dead, except for one man, who is later discovered to be a carrier of a deadly strain of H5N1 (avian influenza, or bird flu). As the man escapes, he quickly spreads the virus to nearby residents.

Fatalities rise rapidly even before the government can react properly to the airborne virus. With an outbreak rate of 2,000 new cases each hour, and death occurring within 36 hours of infection, the epidemic plunges the city into total chaos.

Without a cure, the government quarantines the infected in Bundang, out of fear that the disease could spread across the country, and possibly the world.

As the city folk desperately struggle to survive within those walls, a virologist scrambles to find a vaccine for the virus. When her only daughter is infected, a rescue worker joins her race against time to find a cure and keep the girl alive. – Seto Kit Yan

  The Flu will be infecting cinemas nationwide from Sept 12.

Related story

The Flu crew

Warm Malaysia is home to the Vikings through CGI

Posted:

Shah Alam doubling as Scandinavia? Vikings roaming in Malaysia? When it comes to CGI, nothing is impossible says Vikingdom director Yusry Abdul Halim.

EVER since his directorial debut in 2006 with Cicak Man, Yusry Abdul Halim has been pushing the envelope in terms of visual effects in local films. When everyone else had just one or two shots of computer-generated imagery (CGI) in their films, Yusry gave Cicak Man almost 2,000 shots.

Well, now he may have just put himself way ahead of the race yet again with his ambitious CGI-laden project titled Vikingdom, which is out in cinemas on Sept 12. The film has consumed him for the past two years, spending at least 16 months concentrating on the post-production portion – Vikingdom has more than 3,000 complex visual effects shots integrated into it.

"The thing is, Vikingdom is about a Viking, so it's supposed to take place in a Viking land, but we shot the whole movie in Malaysia. So, we had to change the background, add soldiers, create monsters and a lot of things that have never been done before," shared Yusry who is relieved that the film is finally ready for release.

Director Yusry Abdul Halim (extreme left) with his cast of Vikingdom during the production of the film in 2011. From left: Jon Foo, Dominic Purcell, Natassia Malthe, Craig Fairbrass and Conan Stevens.

Director Yusry Abdul Halim (extreme left) with the cast of Vikingdom at the start of filming – (from left)  Jon Foo, Purcell, Natassia Malthe,Craig Fairbrass and Conan Stevens.

Produced by KRU Studios at a price tag of more than RM20mil, Vikingdom is a fantasy action-adventure based on a Viking poem and starring Australian actor Dominic Purcell (TV's Prison Break). Purcell plays a Viking king named Eirick, who must defeat one of the most powerful Roman Gods in order to ensure his people's way of life is not destroyed.

To take down Thor (the God of Thunder who owns that powerful hammer), Eirick must, literally, go through hell and face all sorts of demons and impossible challenges.

Inserted within all this action is a love story between Eirick and Brynna (half-Norwegian, half-Malaysian actress Natassia Malthe).

What's real and what's not? Eirick goes to the Underworld and faces all kinds of monsters.

What's real and what's not?: Eirick (Dominic Purcell) goes to the Underworld and faces all kinds of monsters.


Most of the film was shot in sound stages in Kuala Lumpur, with some outdoor locations including Shah Alam, where a massive battle scene was filmed.

Yusry noted that this may be the first time anyone attempted to shoot a Viking-based story in a tropical country. (The Vikings were from Scandinavia – Denmark, Norway and Sweden.)

"Everything is either rebuilt physically or on a computer," said the director.

"We can always shoot this in Australia or the United States, but a studio is still a studio. And, I thought our outdoor location was good enough as we can add-on via post-production and pass it off as Scandinavian climate.

Brynna (Natassia Malthe)confronts Eirick (Purcell) as they journey away from home.

Brynna (Malthe) confronts Eirick as they journey away from home.

"But, the overall reason we did this is to put Malaysia on the map in terms of making a film like this."

Yusry and his team didn't come to this decision without doing extensive research beforehand.

His brothers and partners at KRU Studios – Norman and Edry Abdul Halim – flew to the Scandinavian countries to recce, visit libraries to read up on Viking lore and speak to the locals.

Of course, once there, they also found that it was extremely expensive to shoot the film in places like Stockholm, compounding the fact that it just makes more sense to shoot it in Malaysia.

Having gathered all this information, Yusry and his team broke down the script, focusing on all the fanstastical elements by having hundreds of illustrations to guide both the cast and crew during the filming process as to exactly what they are seeing on the green screen.

"The studios were not a big problem as we can control the temperature... (but) the outdoor locations, especially in Shah Alam, which is a bit desert-like, was a bit tricky for the actors.

"We shot a long battle scene in the hot weather. We shot for about 10 days. That was tough. Even the horses needed to be placed in air-conditioned tent and we could only shoot for 30 minutes (per session) before they had to take a break. We didn't want any of the animals to die on us, and luckily nothing happened."

For the final battle scene, 100 extras are manipulated with CGI to appear as though thousands of soldiers are on the battlefield. Same goes for the horses and the background.

"The white sand can pass off as snow, but we can still see palm oil trees in the background so we needed to take that out," Yusry explained.

When asked if he is happy with what he has achieved in Vikingdom, he answered: "CGI is constantly evolving and there is always room for improvement. With any movies that takes two years to complete, there are things I will do differently now. But that's not always a good thing because you might be overthinking it.

"Overall, I am happy with the visual effects in Vikingdom. I am pleased with it."

For the post-production work, Yusry had a team of 50 people. While Yusry handled the visual effects on some of the more creatively-challenging scenes, he left it to his team to work on the majority of the film; he only tweaked some scenes towards the end.

"For Cicak Man, we had three people working on the visual effects, including me, so, obviously, I had more sleepless nights. Now, I have 50, I probably did about 20% myself."

While the post-production process can go on for months and requires utmost dedication, Yusry claimed he prefers working in this capacity.

"When you are in post-production, what you tell the computer, it does. (As opposed to) production, there are always things that you can't really control," he concluded.

Vikingdom opens in cinemas nationwide on Sept 12. It is set for a US release on Oct 4, and will also be distributed to Australia and New Zealand.

Related stories:

Natassia Malthe, the beautiful warrior

Vikingdom: The Blood Eclipse review

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: World Updates

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: World Updates


Thirty-seven missing after Russian psychiatric hospital fire

Posted:

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Thirty-seven people were missing after a fire raged through a psychiatric hospital in northwestern Russia early on Friday, an Emergency Situations Ministry official said.

The official, Oleg Voronov, said on Ekho Moskvy radio that some of the missing may have escaped the hospital in the Novgorod region and survived but Itar-Tass news agency cited a regional official as saying at least 14 people were killed.

Investigators say the pre-dawn blaze may have been caused by a patient setting a bed on fire, the Interfax news agency reported.

The fire destroyed a building housing male patients at the hospital in the village of Luka, state-run RIA reported. Voronov said there were about 60 people in the building, most of them patients, when it broke out.

It was the second deadly fire at a Russian psychiatric hospital this year. In April, a fire at a facility outside Moscow killed 38 people and prompted criticism of the state over care of mentally ill patients.

There have been many fires with high death tolls at state institutions such as hospitals, schools, drug treatment centres and homes for the disabled in the past decade, raising questions about safety measures, conditions and escape routes.

(Writing by Steve Gutterman; Editing by Bill Trott)

Sweet, sticky molasses spill blights Honolulu waters

Posted:

HONOLULU (Reuters) - Health officials warned swimmers, surfers and snorkelers in Hawaii to stay out of the waters near Honolulu after a leak of 1,400 tons of molasses killed hundreds of fish, potentially attracting sharks.

So many fish had died by Thursday that the Hawaii Department of Health tripled cleanup crews to three boats, which removed hundreds of fish and were expected to remove thousands more in the coming weeks, said department spokeswoman Janice Okubo.

A brown plume of sweet, sticky liquid was spotted seeping into Honolulu Harbor and Keehi Lagoon on Monday after a ship hauling molasses to the U.S. West Coast pulled out to sea.

By Tuesday, a leak was discovered in a molasses pipeline used to load the molasses onto ships operated by Matson Navigation Co, the international ocean transport company, the health department said. Matson Navigation Company is a subsidiary of Matson Inc.

Roger Smith, a dive shop owner who went underwater on Wednesday to survey the damage, said it was unlike anything he had seen in 37 years of diving, with brown-tinted water and a layer of molasses coating the sea floor.

"Everything that was underwater suffocated," Smith said. "Everything climbed out of its hole and the whole bottom was covered with fish, crabs, lobsters, worms, sea fans - anything that was down there was dead."

The health department said in a statement that while molasses was not directly harmful to people, it was "polluting the water, causing fish to die and could lead to an increase in predator species such as sharks, barracuda and eels."

Okubo said crews were monitoring molasses levels in the waters to help predict the spread and overall impact of the 223,000-gallon spill, which is roughly equivalent to one-third of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Matson acknowledged in a statement that the spill was caused by a faulty molasses-loading pipe, which it said had now been fixed. It said molasses was a sugar product "that will dissipate on its own."

Matson said it regretted the incident and was working with authorities to take steps to ensure it did not happen again.

"We take our role as an environmental steward very seriously," the statement said. "We have a long history in Honolulu Harbor and can assure all involved that this is a rare incident."

The health department said that "an unusual growth in marine algae" and harmful bacteria was another environmental danger posed by the spill. Molasses is a byproduct of the refining of sugar cane.

The department posted signs on beaches warning people to stay out of the water and not to consume any dead fish found in the area. The brown plume was expected to remain visible for weeks while natural tides and currents slowly flush the area, the health department said.

Tourism officials said they were monitoring the situation but did not believe it would hurt Hawaii's primary source of income.

"At this time, we do not foresee any immediate impact on our visitor industry," said Mike McCartney, president and chief executive of the Hawaii Tourism Authority in a statement.

(Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York, Jonathan Kaminsky in Washington state and Malia Mattoch-McManus in Honolulu; Editing by Cynthia Johnston, Grant McCool and Peter Cooney)

U.S. public-relations firm helps Putin make his case to America

Posted:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In April 2011, then-Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was asked an unusually flattering question by an American journalist: "Are you the coolest man in politics?"

The interview, which ran on the website of Outdoor Life magazine, was set up by Ketchum Inc., the U.S. public-relations firm that has worked to burnish Russia's image since 2006.

On Thursday, Ketchum scored another public-relations coup: It helped place a Putin commentary in opinion pages of The New York Times, just as representatives from Russia and the United States were beginning to meet in Geneva to negotiate a plan for Syria to give up its chemical weapons.

The article made quite a splash in Washington. Putin painted himself as a peacemaker and lectured the United States for what he said was a tendency to use "brute force" in world disputes. U.S. House Speaker John Boehner said he was "insulted" by the article, while the White House noted that Putin was taking advantage of press freedoms unavailable in Russia.

Ketchum, a division of the Omnicom Group Inc., has earned more than $25 million working for Russia, according to documents filed with the U.S. Department of Justice. It also has been paid more than $26 million since 2007 to promote Gazprom, Russia's state-owned gas company.

In 2007, Ketchum successfully lobbied Time magazine to name Putin its "Person of the Year," according to U.S. Justice Department lobbying disclosure filings that show repeated meetings between Ketchum representatives and Time staffers.

"He expanded his outsize - if not always benign - influence on global affairs," Time wrote of Putin.

Meanwhile, Ketchum staffers urged the State Department to soften its assessment of Russia's human-rights record that year, according to lobbying records. The company has also reached out to reporters who have written articles chronicling Russian human-rights abuses.

Russia's efforts to boost its image in U.S. media outlets have come as the country has cracked down on human rights at home.

Ketchum also has encouraged reporters, including those at Reuters, to write about Russian trade summits, technology companies, golf and wrestling, as well as the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

In response to questions from Reuters, Ketchum replied with a general statement, saying that its work with the Russian government has focused on "facilitating the relationship between representatives of the Russian Federation and the Western media and creating a broader dialogue."

'QUITE APPALLING'

Putin, who started his career in the KGB, was Russia's president from 2000 to 2008, returning to the office last year after four years as prime minister.

Since then, Russia has passed laws that, to many in the United States, have seemed to echo policies from the Soviet era of rigid government control of citizens' daily lives - and that have created public-relations challenges for Ketchum, Russia's promoter in America.

Putin's return has brought laws that restrict public protests, limit nongovernmental groups and make it easier for authorities to censor the Internet in Russia.

Russian media outlets have been pressured to fire editors and reporters who criticize the government, according to the U.S. State Department.

Anna Neistat, an associate director at Human Rights Watch, questioned whether it was appropriate for a U.S. company to advance the interests of a client that restricts human rights at home.

"An American company that does operate in a fairly free democratic society should probably think twice before supporting something like that," Neistat said. "From a personal perspective, I of course find it quite appalling."

Ketchum has done substantial work for the U.S. government, and came under some criticism in 2004 for producing prepackaged news stories that did not disclose that they were government-funded.

Ketchum also has faced criticism for placing pro-Russian opinion pieces by seemingly independent writers in a range of U.S. media outlets, according to ProPublica, an investigative news organisation.

Other Ketchum clients have included FedEx, Absolut, Mattel and Sony.

AN 'APPROPRIATE ACTIVITY'

Foreign governments are a substantial business for U.S. lobbying and public-relations companies, industry analysts say, and there's nothing illegal about representing countries that have less-than-stellar human-rights records as long as the companies provide detailed reports of their activities to the U.S. government.

"This is a very appropriate activity, and one that helps advance peace and justice," said Roger Bolton, president of the Arthur W. Page Society, an association of public-relations executives.

"When public relations firms advise clients, they invariably advocate for the importance of listening to and accommodating others' views," he added.

That appeared to be part of the goal of Putin's opinion piece in The New York Times.

Putin said the Syria crisis had prompted him to "speak directly to the American people and their personal leaders," but the article seemed to anger key parts of his audience.

Putin said the United States should work through the United Nations to respond to a chemical attack in Syria last month that the United States said had killed more than 1,400 people. Putin's article did not mention that Russia has blocked the United Nations from taking action against Syria, an ally of Russia.

Putin suggested that Syrian rebels, rather than the government of President Bashar al-Assad, were responsible for the chemical attack. Putin challenged President Barack Obama's assertion that the United States, as an "exceptional" nation, had a responsibility to take action against Assad for using chemical weapons.

"It is extremely dangerous to encourage people to see themselves as exceptional," Putin wrote.

That drew a sharp response from the White House.

"Russia offers a stark contrast that demonstrates why America is exceptional. Unlike Russia, the United States stands up for democratic values and human rights in our own country and around the world," White House spokesman Jay Carney said.

While, Boehner, the top Republican in Washington, said he was "insulted" by Putin's article, other U.S. lawmakers also weighed in with biting criticism.

Several foreign-policy analysts questioned whether Russia's efforts through Ketchum were worth the money.

"Russia pours lots of money into these arrangements, all aimed at dealing with an image problem in the West. But it's unclear to me if there's much return on investment," said Andrew Weiss, a Russia specialist who served under presidents Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.

(Additional reporting by Gabriel Debenedetti, David Lawder, Roberta Rampton and Caren Bohan; Editing by David Lindsey and Ken Wills)

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Business

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Business


Censof, Time Engineering slip in early trade

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: Shares of Censof Holdings Bhd and Time Engineering fell in early Friday trade as investors sold on news that Khazanah Nasional had sold its 45.03% stake in Time to Censof.

At 9.14am, Censof was down 0.5 sen to 48 sen with 4.39 million shares done but its warrants rose 0.5 sen to 21 sen with 4.25 million units traded.

Time Engineering fell 1.5 sen to 26.5 sen. There were 2.96 million shares done at prices ranging from 26.5 sen to 27.5 sen.

The FBM KLCI fell 6.89 points to 1,765.51. Turnover was 133.64 million shares done valued at RM54.41mil Losers beat gainers 123 to 79 while 137 counters were unchanged.

Censof, a low-profile information technology (IT) solutions provider, paid 20 sen per share for the Time Engineering stake, which was  a 40% discount to Time Engineering's last traded price of 28 sen.

Khazanah said the decision was made following an extensive tender process it had initiated to select a new shareholder that would be able to develop Time Engineering to its next phase of growth.

Blue chips take a breather, Narra hits limit-up again

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's key FBM KLCI fell in early Friday trade as investors decided to take profit after four straight days of gains while Narra Industries hit limit-up.

At 9.02am, the KLCI was down 3.65 points to 1,768.75. Turnover was 46.04 million shares valued at RM19.97mil. There were 72 gainers, 56 losers and 95 counters unchanged.

Reuters reported Asian shares slipped on Friday and the dollar held to overnight losses against the yen as investors fretted not whether but by how much the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut its monthly stimulus at next week's monetary meeting.

The Fed is expected to reduce its US$85 billion a month bond-buying programme at its two-day policy meeting ending on Sept 18. But recent weaker-than-expected data, including jobs growth in August and consumer spending and durable goods orders in July, intensifies uncertainty about the extent of reduction.

At Bursa Malaysia, Petronas Gas fell 34 sen to RM20.90 while MISC shed nine sen to RM5.05 and Tenaga slipped seven sen to RM8.94. Genting Malaysia lost six sen to RM4.34.

United Plantations fell the most, down 50 sen to RM26.50 while KL Kepong shed 10 sen to RM22 and FGV eight sen to RM4.21 after Dorab Mistry, director at Godrej International, said palm oil may extend its decline.

Narra Industries jumped 30 sen to RM1.30, the second time to hit limit-up after it resumed trading on Thursday. However, Hong Leong Industries lost 10 sen to RM5.60, giving back part of its gains of 30 sen from Thursday.

AmBank rose nine sen to RM7.66 and Hong Leong Bank eight sen higher at RM14.16.

JPMorgan to spend $4 bln on compliance and risk controls

Posted:

NEW YORK: JPMorgan Chase & Co plans to spend an additional $4 billion and commit 5,000 extra employees to fix risk and compliance issues after a slew of investigations by regulatory authorities, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

JPMorgan will spend $1.5 billion on managing risk and complying with regulations, and plans to add $2.5 billion to its litigation reserves in the second half of the year, the Journal reported.

The bank will also increase its risk-control staff by 30 percent, the WSJ said, citing people familiar with the matter.

"Fixing our controls issues is job No. 1," the Journal quoted Chief Executive Officer James Dimon as saying in an interview. "This is a huge investment of people, time and money ... but it will make us stronger in the long run."

JPMorgan has been facing scrutiny from U.S. regulators about issues ranging from losing $6 billion on complex derivatives bets known as the "Whale" trades last year to its hiring practices in China. - Reuters

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Nation

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Nation


Syamsul vows to give up film-making

Posted:

PETALING JAYA: KL Gangster 2 director Syamsul Yusof vows to give up making films – following the movie being pirated before its release in cinemas.

He is the second director to do so after Hans Isaac did the same in mid-August. Hans was disappointed when his latest film Lemak Kampung Santan, released on Hari Raya, did not do well.

Hans is now focusing completely on theatre and his newest production, Lawak Ke Der 3, is set to be staged at Istana Budaya next month.

Syamsul's decision was revealed by his father and KL Gangster 2 producer Datuk Yusof Haslam.

"Syamsul is so emotionally disturbed, he said that he does not want to make films any more.

"He is a stubborn person, if he says he wants to do it, he will," said Yusof.

Syamsul has twice won the best director award at the Malaysian Film Festival for KL Gangster in 2011 and Evolusi KL Drift in 2010.

Yusof said that the unfortunate incident of KL Gangster 2 being uploaded on YouTube and sold in night markets in the form of pirated discs had affected his son.

Father and son are now facing a possible major loss following the piracy, as the new film had cost about RM4.5mil to produce.

During the media preview of the film at GSC One Utama two days ago, Syamsul was not with his father, the cast and crew.

Both had openly expressed their anger when over 70% of the film was uploaded on the Internet last week. A police report has been lodged.

KL Gangster 2 will be released in cinemas on Oct 3. The movie tells the story of two brothers, Malek (Aaron Aziz) and Jai (Adi Putra), who become involved in gangsterism after their father's death 10 years earlier.

Together with their mother (Ku Faridah), the three live in constant fear when a group of gangsters keeps harassing them to pay their late father's debts. Jai becomes wild, ready to go to any lengths to change his lifestyle.

School wall collapses, two cars damaged

Posted:

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Two cars were damaged when a retaining wall of SJK (C) Perkampungan Berapit in Jalan 8, Berapit, near here collapsed after a downpour.

No casualties were reported during the incident at 5pm on Tuesday.

The owner of the two cars, Ng Yang Ghim, 51, said she was inside her house when the wall collapsed. "I rushed out when I heard a loud noise and was shocked to see part of the wall collapsing onto both my cars parked just outside my house," she said.

Berapit Village JKKK chairman Ang Tun Kiat said he found erosion around the wall.

"I believe the rainwater eroded the undersoil, causing the wall to collapse," he said.

Berapit assemblyman Ong Kok Fooi, who was at the scene, said the collapsed section of the wall had been cordoned off. Part of the retaining wall, she said, was rebuilt after it first collapsed about 10 years ago.

"However, the entire wall must now be rebuilt as there are big cracks at several places," said Ong, adding that state Education Department director Datuk Ahmad Tarmizi Kamaruddin visited the school yesterday.

Policy to boost bumi participation in the economy

Posted:

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will announce a comprehensive policy on Saturday to spur bumiputra participation in the economy.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar said the Prime Minister would focus on, among others, human capital development, equity ownership and property ownership by bumiputras.

He said information had been collected from agencies and NGOs on measures to strengthen bumiputras' involvement in the nation's economic sector.

"We've compiled the feedback and have forwarded them to the Prime Minister. The policies will take into account issues that were deliberated in-depth at the Bumiputra Agenda Action Council meeting recently," he said.

Abdul Wahid said that up to 2011, the poverty rate had declined to 2.2% from 64.8% in the 1970s.

"In terms of equity ownership, the percentage has increased to 23.5% on par value in 2011 compared with only 2.4% previously," he said.

In terms of property ownership, Abdul Wahid said bumiputras only owned 5%.

"Although there are improvements, the percentage is still low and we have to step up efforts to increase their participation in the equity and property sectors," he said.

Abdul Wahid said the Government aimed for 30% equity ownership by bumiputras by 2020 in line with the objective to transform Malaysia into an advanced nation.

On human capital development, Abdul Wahid said bumiputras' involvement in the professional sector showed improvement, particularly in the legal and medical fields.

"Although there is significant progress, there are still areas where bumiputras' participation should be further increased," he said. — Bernama

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies

0 ulasan
Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info
Sumber Asal Berita :-

The Star Online: Entertainment: Movies


The Flu: A cold killer

Posted:

What if disaster struck with just one breath? The Flu uncovers a devastating epidemic.

VARIATIONS and mutations of the flu virus still haunt mankind to this day.

What would happen if there was a new type of virus that strikes as a common cold, then infects and kills people anywhere, rendering humans completely defenceless? This terrifying idea was the genesis of South Korean disaster flick The Flu; turning the common flu into an agent of death and fear.

The Flu uses the real-life avian influenza strain H5N1 as the focal point of the story and virologists all over the world agree that such an outbreak could be fatal to the human race.

What if its transmission method became human-to-human? Those infected with the airborne virus would exhibit symptoms such as high fever, cough and rashes. The Flu plays out this what-if scenario with believable characters reacting to situations grounded in reality.

Making his comeback film after a 10-year hiatus, South Korean auteur Kim Sung-soo (Beat, City Of The Rising Sun, Musa The Warrior) wanted to transform a city and its landmarks into places where infection and death could exist in a realistic setting.

In the movie's production notes, the director described it as "a situation that you have no control over and cannot stop from happening. I wanted to portray the extremity of fear and the core of human nature, and also those who do not lose humanity in the face of adversity."

The people depicted in The Flu are civilians who are faced with a disaster when they fall prey to a deadly virus.

Not only that, their government quarantines them in a massive segregation camp that could potentially infect more people by gathering them in a tightly occupied space.

The film depicts this disaster through the eyes of the people who must endure and survive the epidemic. Director Kim threw himself the million-dollar question, "How would I deal with this situation if it happened to me?" while developing the screenplay.

The Flu begins with a group of illegal immigrants who are smuggled into South Korea inside a shipping container.

By the time it is opened in Bundang, an affluent suburb of Seoul, all of the immigrants are found dead, except for one man, who is later discovered to be a carrier of a deadly strain of H5N1 (avian influenza, or bird flu). As the man escapes, he quickly spreads the virus to nearby residents.

Fatalities rise rapidly even before the government can react properly to the airborne virus. With an outbreak rate of 2,000 new cases each hour, and death occurring within 36 hours of infection, the epidemic plunges the city into total chaos.

Without a cure, the government quarantines the infected in Bundang, out of fear that the disease could spread across the country, and possibly the world.

As the city folk desperately struggle to survive within those walls, a virologist scrambles to find a vaccine for the virus. When her only daughter is infected, a rescue worker joins her race against time to find a cure and keep the girl alive. – Seto Kit Yan

  The Flu will be infecting cinemas nationwide from Sept 12.

Related story

The Flu crew

Warm Malaysia is home to the Vikings through CGI

Posted:

Shah Alam doubling as Scandinavia? Vikings roaming in Malaysia? When it comes to CGI, nothing is impossible says Vikingdom director Yusry Abdul Halim.

EVER since his directorial debut in 2006 with Cicak Man, Yusry Abdul Halim has been pushing the envelope in terms of visual effects in local films. When everyone else had just one or two shots of computer-generated imagery (CGI) in their films, Yusry gave Cicak Man almost 2,000 shots.

Well, now he may have just put himself way ahead of the race yet again with his ambitious CGI-laden project titled Vikingdom, which is out in cinemas on Sept 12. The film has consumed him for the past two years, spending at least 16 months concentrating on the post-production portion – Vikingdom has more than 3,000 complex visual effects shots integrated into it.

"The thing is, Vikingdom is about a Viking, so it's supposed to take place in a Viking land, but we shot the whole movie in Malaysia. So, we had to change the background, add soldiers, create monsters and a lot of things that have never been done before," shared Yusry who is relieved that the film is finally ready for release.

Director Yusry Abdul Halim (extreme left) with his cast of Vikingdom during the production of the film in 2011. From left: Jon Foo, Dominic Purcell, Natassia Malthe, Craig Fairbrass and Conan Stevens.

Director Yusry Abdul Halim (extreme left) with the cast of Vikingdom at the start of filming – (from left)  Jon Foo, Purcell, Natassia Malthe,Craig Fairbrass and Conan Stevens.

Produced by KRU Studios at a price tag of more than RM20mil, Vikingdom is a fantasy action-adventure based on a Viking poem and starring Australian actor Dominic Purcell (TV's Prison Break). Purcell plays a Viking king named Eirick, who must defeat one of the most powerful Roman Gods in order to ensure his people's way of life is not destroyed.

To take down Thor (the God of Thunder who owns that powerful hammer), Eirick must, literally, go through hell and face all sorts of demons and impossible challenges.

Inserted within all this action is a love story between Eirick and Brynna (half-Norwegian, half-Malaysian actress Natassia Malthe).

What's real and what's not? Eirick goes to the Underworld and faces all kinds of monsters.

What's real and what's not?: Eirick (Dominic Purcell) goes to the Underworld and faces all kinds of monsters.


Most of the film was shot in sound stages in Kuala Lumpur, with some outdoor locations including Shah Alam, where a massive battle scene was filmed.

Yusry noted that this may be the first time anyone attempted to shoot a Viking-based story in a tropical country. (The Vikings were from Scandinavia – Denmark, Norway and Sweden.)

"Everything is either rebuilt physically or on a computer," said the director.

"We can always shoot this in Australia or the United States, but a studio is still a studio. And, I thought our outdoor location was good enough as we can add-on via post-production and pass it off as Scandinavian climate.

Brynna (Natassia Malthe)confronts Eirick (Purcell) as they journey away from home.

Brynna (Malthe) confronts Eirick as they journey away from home.

"But, the overall reason we did this is to put Malaysia on the map in terms of making a film like this."

Yusry and his team didn't come to this decision without doing extensive research beforehand.

His brothers and partners at KRU Studios – Norman and Edry Abdul Halim – flew to the Scandinavian countries to recce, visit libraries to read up on Viking lore and speak to the locals.

Of course, once there, they also found that it was extremely expensive to shoot the film in places like Stockholm, compounding the fact that it just makes more sense to shoot it in Malaysia.

Having gathered all this information, Yusry and his team broke down the script, focusing on all the fanstastical elements by having hundreds of illustrations to guide both the cast and crew during the filming process as to exactly what they are seeing on the green screen.

"The studios were not a big problem as we can control the temperature... (but) the outdoor locations, especially in Shah Alam, which is a bit desert-like, was a bit tricky for the actors.

"We shot a long battle scene in the hot weather. We shot for about 10 days. That was tough. Even the horses needed to be placed in air-conditioned tent and we could only shoot for 30 minutes (per session) before they had to take a break. We didn't want any of the animals to die on us, and luckily nothing happened."

For the final battle scene, 100 extras are manipulated with CGI to appear as though thousands of soldiers are on the battlefield. Same goes for the horses and the background.

"The white sand can pass off as snow, but we can still see palm oil trees in the background so we needed to take that out," Yusry explained.

When asked if he is happy with what he has achieved in Vikingdom, he answered: "CGI is constantly evolving and there is always room for improvement. With any movies that takes two years to complete, there are things I will do differently now. But that's not always a good thing because you might be overthinking it.

"Overall, I am happy with the visual effects in Vikingdom. I am pleased with it."

For the post-production work, Yusry had a team of 50 people. While Yusry handled the visual effects on some of the more creatively-challenging scenes, he left it to his team to work on the majority of the film; he only tweaked some scenes towards the end.

"For Cicak Man, we had three people working on the visual effects, including me, so, obviously, I had more sleepless nights. Now, I have 50, I probably did about 20% myself."

While the post-production process can go on for months and requires utmost dedication, Yusry claimed he prefers working in this capacity.

"When you are in post-production, what you tell the computer, it does. (As opposed to) production, there are always things that you can't really control," he concluded.

Vikingdom opens in cinemas nationwide on Sept 12. It is set for a US release on Oct 4, and will also be distributed to Australia and New Zealand.

Related stories:

Natassia Malthe, the beautiful warrior

Vikingdom: The Blood Eclipse review

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my
 

The Star Online

Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved