Ewoks Is Good Eatin'

Today a friend and I went to Armstrong State Park, which played the part of the Forest Moon of Endor in Star Wars. After that we had a little bubbly at the Korbel tasting tour and Deli.

Wicked fun.

Theme Park Update

Lots of news in the theme park industry as of late, here's a quick overview:

• Maximum RPM, at the newly opened Hard Rock Park, is poised to open very soon. What's cool about this coaster is that its the first to utilize a "ferris wheel" style lift. Instead of a normal lift hill, the car pulls out of the station, engages a bay in a ferris wheel, climbs to the top, and then engages the ride track. Pictures, Video


• Disney is going to begin outsourcing their animatronics production. Its more symbolic than important. OC Register Article


• In the "ain't it cool" department Gerstlauer, a German flat ride manufacturer, introduced a really neat new ride called the "Sky Roller" the spinning attraction allows you "fly" with your own wings, even discovering how to maintain a flat level or spinning 360 degrees constantly for 3 minutes. Photos, Video (the video is really cool!)


• InBev, a foreign brewing company, has made a hostile take-over bid for Anheuser-Busch. This is probably bad news for the theme parks. Hostile take-overs drain cash, because either party has to spend a ton of money to either make the purchase or remain independent. This CNN Article has a really good examination of it, taking the position that the Busch Gardens and SeaWorld park franchises will likely be sold. Unfortunately however, Six Flags and many other theoretical suitors are strapped for cash. This could get bumpy.

Not Gonna Happen

Review of M. Night Shyamalan's The Happening

So I won't ruin the surprise ending. That would be hard... the big surprise is that there isn't one (oops). Nope, you leave after 90 minutes thinking there MUST be a PS after the credits-- inner monologue time... "because, well, I mean, what?, WHAT?"

This time around your $10.25 gets you what normally is the first and second act of a three act film.

I was really excited the first half hour or so, I was thinking to myself that all the previews for this movie were actually exposition, that the movie began before we ever got to the theater. Well, not so much, nothing really happens after that half hour, so that's all the trailers had to squeeze content out of.

I will say the movie did provide two shocking jaw dropping moments. One should grav just about anyone, so I'll leave it a mystery for those that get stuck watching this crapfest. The other however, about 10 minutes a 15-year old "too cool for school" character in Mark Wahlberg's class comes into frame. It's Bob Lenzi. Yep. After the initial shock of recognizing him, all I could think was something along the lines of, "didn't I lit you naked a couple of months ago?" Surreal. (this surely makes no sense to anyone outside of CMU, which also gets a shout out in the film).

Some interesting sound work, and its interesting that movies are now using people watching youtube on the iPhone as an expository device, but otherwise SKIP IT.

Pixar Trivia

Anyone care to guess the resolution that Toy Story, the world's first computer-animated film, was rendered at?

For a sense of comparison, HDTV is 1920x1080 pixels.

And then there was one

Barco acquires HES, leaving Martin as the only stand-alone moving lights manufacturer of what was once the big 3 (with Vari*Lite now a Genlyte/Philips company).
http://livedesignonline.com/news/barco_buys_high_end_0610/

The Wedding party, from left to right, HES Chairman "Just along for the ride", next to Barco front-man "Maybe now my kids will think I'm cool", to the side of HES Co-founder "... or Ozzy wouldn't go on stage", and of course who could forget the other HES Co-founder "that guy".

Now I know what you all are thinking, please God please, don't let this be the end of ridiculous Richard Belliveau viral videos. But somehow, somehow, we'll find a way to get through this together.

So does anyone out there really NOT think that this is simply so Barco can solidify its place at the top of the digital lights/ projection kingdom? Probably dumping the rest of HES's non-IP-based assets?

I'm sure Strong's marketing department is already working on creative new slogans...
The Original Studio Color, Now By Strong!

Red Letter Day

My computer is currently posting files to an FTP server.

These files contain Lightswitch's bid for a theme park 'RFP' (request for proposal).

It is a bid for not just a single ride or attraction, but for an entire park being designed by one of the most creative companies there is.

But as cool as that would be for me all on its own, it gets better...

You see, under the section headed "Design Team" you can find the name Jason Read.

It feels pretty good.

Handicapping

Just for kicks, if I were taking bets for where I would be 12 months from now, here's what the payout chart in the casino would look like:

1001 San Francisco 3:2
1002 Los Angeles   3:2
1003 New York      8:1
1004 Las Vegas     10:1
1005 Orlando       20:1
1006 Other         20:1

Time to spare

A new blog has been added to my morning routine:
http://photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com/

Some Favorites:


Which hand is this?

Apparently the GTA designers have a thing for chicks with 6 fingers:

Finally, Jake Degroot can get an iPhone, it now runs Windows (look closely):

Jeremy Bentham, AKA Sequences

1. Ok, so the LOST finale was signifigantly better on the second viewing. (I think I'm just irritated with how the promos for the episodes are so misleading)
2. I am peeling like a mother fucker after spending all that time in Vegas by the pool and going to the beach yesterday.
3. Today was immensely productive for a project I'm thinking of working on next semester.
4. I hate facebook's new IM feature.
5. New pics of Cali, including my bike commute are on facebook. Please ignore the really fat-looking pictures of me from Vegas.
6. The movie Once is great, I highly reccommend it. Just don't cry like Leah did. It's completely un-cry-worthy.
7. Im gonna try really hard to give a complete report of my time in Vegas really soon.
8. Clever Theme Park Article of the Day -- Going Through a Phase(s)

Fire at Universal Studios

A fire at Universal Studios has destroyed a set from "Back to the Future," the King Kong exhibit and a video vault containing more than 40,000 videos and reels.

Los Angeles County fire Captain Frank Reynoso says the blaze broke out just before dawn Sunday on a backlot stage at the 400-acre property. The fire has been contained.

Officials say the iconic courthouse square from "Back to the Future," has been destroyed, and the famous clocktower that enabled star Michael J. Fox's character to time travel has been damaged.

NBC Universal President and Chief Operating Officer Ron Meyer says 40,000 to 50,000 videos and reels were damaged in the video vault, but there are duplicates in a different location.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080601/ap_on_re_us/studio_fire_17