voice

AppWizard
May 10, 2025
Director Jared Hess' "A Minecraft Movie" is being produced with significant contributions from Wētā FX, which is responsible for creating the film's vibrant world and characters. The movie has a global box office nearing [openai_gpt model="gpt-4o-mini" prompt="Summarize the content and extract only the fact described in the text bellow. The summary shall NOT include a title, introduction and conclusion. Text: Last weekend, I provided an exclusive glimpse into the creative process behind director Jared Hess’ A Minecraft Movie, featuring insights from VFX Supervisor Sheldon Stopsack and Animation Supervisor Kevin Estey. This weekend, we delve even deeper into the collaboration with Wētā FX, the studio responsible for bringing the vibrant world and characters of Minecraft to life on the big screen. Minecraft By The Numbers In my previous article, I explored Wētā FX’s pivotal role in crafting the unique universe of Minecraft, where the game’s iconic blocky aesthetics seamlessly merged with live-action elements. With a staggering global box office nearing 0 million, A Minecraft Movie is poised to become one of the year’s most significant blockbusters, potentially surpassing summer heavyweights like Fantastic Four: First Steps and Superman as it approaches the 0 million mark. VFX character designs for "A Minecraft Movie."Source: Wētā FX Minecraft And Making Monsters The intricate world-building by Wētā FX was essential to the film's success. Stopsack elaborated, “People often ask how our environments influenced the characters. Interestingly, it was the characters that shaped the environments. For instance, Malgosha and Dennis needed to forge emotional connections with the audience, which dictated how realistic or abstract we could render their appearances and performances. This understanding guided our environmental design, ensuring that the digital characters felt integrated into the world.” The result was the creation of the expansive Overworld, which seamlessly combines 64 diverse terrains into a cohesive environment for both day and night scenes. This vast digital landscape was shared with Digital Domain for the film’s climactic battle. Stopsack noted the scale of their work, stating, “To illustrate the enormity of our task, we placed over 2 billion clumps of grass patches in the Overworld, each made up of individual grass blades.” VFX character designs for "A Minecraft Movie."Source: Wētā FX When discussing the challenges and joys of animating the film's diverse characters, Estey shared, “Every character and creature we designed has its own story and challenges, as no two are alike. We ended up with 26 unique characters, each requiring distinct personalities, behaviors, and motion styles.” VFX work for Malgosha in "A Minecraft Movie."Source: Wētā FX Focusing on Malgosha, Estey remarked on the unique challenge of introducing a character not found in the game but crucial to the film's narrative. “We had to strike a balance between creating a new character that would resonate with the gaming community while ensuring she fit seamlessly into the Minecraft universe. Jared wanted all characters in The Nether to appear realistic yet retain the iconic blocky aesthetic.” To achieve this, Malgosha was designed with a fleshy, detailed look, complete with jiggly jowls and a flowing cloak, while still embracing the distinctive Minecraft style. Estey also highlighted the comedic elements that made the animation process enjoyable. “One of the standout scenes for us was the showdown between Steve and Malgosha, particularly the triple-knife gag. The absurdity of Malgosha repeatedly attempting to stab Steve with knives she claims she doesn’t possess was both hilarious and engaging.” VFX character designs for "A Minecraft Movie."Source: Wētā FX The creation of Malgosha involved significant collaboration, with motion-capture performer Allan Henry lending his physicality and vocal inspiration to the character. His comedic chemistry with Jack Black, who voiced Steve, greatly influenced Malgosha's animation. “I’ve known Allan for almost 15 years,” Estey shared. “He’s an incredible stunt performer and actor, and his humor is unmatched. Working with him and Jack Black, both of whom I admire greatly, was an unforgettable experience.” Estey continued, “Their improvisation during the triple-knife scene added layers of humor that we had to translate into Malgosha’s digital performance. When Rachel House provided her vocal performance, we integrated it with Allan’s physicality and Jack’s comedic timing, ensuring that the humor resonated through Malgosha’s animation.” “Seeing the final scene come together and hearing audiences laugh during screenings was immensely rewarding,” Estey concluded. “That kind of connection with the audience is what makes this work so gratifying.” A Minecraft Movie is filled with a plethora of characters and creatures, from Dennis to the Piglins and Bee. I look forward to continuing my discussions with Wētā FX as I prepare to review the home entertainment release of A Minecraft Movie. Stay tuned for more insights soon!" max_tokens="3500" temperature="0.3" top_p="1.0" best_of="1" presence_penalty="0.1" frequency_penalty="frequency_penalty"] million and is expected to be a major blockbuster, potentially surpassing other films like "Fantastic Four: First Steps" and "Superman." Wētā FX's character designs and environmental work are crucial to the film's success, with over 2 billion clumps of grass patches created in the expansive Overworld. The film features 26 unique characters, including a new character named Malgosha, designed to resonate with the gaming community while fitting into the Minecraft universe. Malgosha's design incorporates a fleshy look while maintaining the game's blocky aesthetic, and her animation was influenced by motion-capture performer Allan Henry and voice actor Jack Black. The film includes comedic elements, particularly in a scene featuring a gag between Steve and Malgosha.
AppWizard
May 9, 2025
Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and X have become crucial in shaping audience interactions with films, transforming word-of-mouth marketing into a global phenomenon that can significantly influence a film's box office performance. Audience reactions on social media can enhance a film's reputation, as seen with "A Minecraft Movie," which thrived on positive buzz despite initial skepticism. Conversely, negative feedback can lead to financial underperformance, as demonstrated by Disney's "Snow White." The in-theater experience has also changed, with audience behavior influenced by social media, leading to varied opinions on the impact of chaos during screenings.
AppWizard
May 7, 2025
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 features a soundtrack composed by Lorien Testard, who created 154 tracks totaling over eight hours of music. The soundtrack has surpassed 1.5 million streams and was the number one selling album on Bandcamp last week. Testard was discovered by the game's director, Guillaume Broche, through Soundcloud. Lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen initially auditioned for a voice acting role after responding to a Reddit post by Broche and later transitioned to her current role. Broche credits the Covid-19 pandemic for helping him find talented individuals online, allowing the game to compete with larger-budget titles despite having a mostly junior team.
Winsage
May 7, 2025
Microsoft has introduced a suite of Windows experiences for Copilot+ PCs, featuring AI agents that help users adjust settings on their computers by interpreting user intent and automating tasks with consent. Users can communicate in natural language to receive guidance or have changes executed directly. This feature will initially be available to English-speaking Windows Insiders on Snapdragon-powered devices, with plans for broader support. Additionally, Microsoft is enhancing Windows search capabilities and expanding Click to Do actions, allowing users to schedule meetings, send messages, consult M365 Copilot, convert data in Excel, and draft documents in Word. Creative tools like Photos, Paint, and the Snipping Tool are receiving updates, including dynamic lighting controls in Photos, a sticker generator in Paint, and new capture capabilities in the Snipping Tool. Upcoming features for Windows 11 Insiders include a phone companion for the Start menu, AI-driven actions in File Explorer, and a new writing function in Notepad for generating text from prompts. Microsoft is also testing a "Draw & Hold" feature in the Snipping Tool and has introduced a text rewriting tool called "Rewrite."
Winsage
May 6, 2025
Microsoft introduced two next-generation Copilot+ PCs, the Surface Pro convertible tablet and a traditional Surface Laptop, designed to operate AI models without internet connectivity. The Surface Laptop starts at 9, while the Surface Pro starts at 9, both reflecting a 0 reduction from last year's models. They are powered by an Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus chip with eight cores and have slightly reduced screen sizes of 12 inches for the Pro and 13 inches for the Laptop. The Surface Laptop now supports up to 16 hours of web browsing, an increase from 13 hours. The new machines run on Windows 11 and feature AI-enhanced capabilities, including a Recall function and improved file search. Preorders began on Tuesday for a release on May 20, with color options of platinum, ocean, and violet. Microsoft reported a nearly 75% year-over-year increase in Windows 11 commercial deployments.
Winsage
May 6, 2025
AI has evolved into a transformative force for organizations, increasing the demand for secure and high-performance AI-ready Windows 11 PCs. Microsoft has introduced Copilot+ PCs, including the new 12-inch Surface Pro and 13-inch Surface Laptop, both powered by the Snapdragon X Plus processor with an integrated neural processing unit (NPU) capable of 45 trillion operations per second. The 13-inch Surface Laptop offers up to 23 hours of video playback and 16 hours of web browsing, with performance enhancements of up to 50% faster speeds and double the battery life compared to its predecessor. It features an AI-enhanced 1080p front camera for video conferencing and a durable design. The 12-inch Surface Pro is the thinnest and lightest Copilot+ PC, providing 50% faster performance and up to 16 hours of local video playback. Both devices are designed as Secured-core PCs with advanced security features, including Windows Hello for Business and biometric authentication options. They support enhanced productivity through AI features in Windows 11 and Microsoft 365 Copilot, enabling faster file searches and improved team efficiency. Microsoft emphasizes sustainability with the use of recycled materials and energy-efficient designs. The new devices will be available starting July 22 in select markets.
AppWizard
May 6, 2025
TeleMessage, an encrypted messaging application, has temporarily suspended its services following a security breach. The platform was used by dismissed national security adviser Mike Waltz during a Cabinet meeting, and a leaked image of his inbox showed conversations with notable figures such as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The breach, reported by 404 Media, did not access messages among Cabinet members but compromised data from Customs and Border Protection, cryptocurrency firm Coinbase, and various financial institutions. The hacker claimed the breach was easy, completing it within 15-20 minutes. Signal, the platform from which TeleMessage archives messages, stated it cannot guarantee the security of unofficial versions. TeleMessage was acquired by U.S. company Smarsh last year for archiving communications. Following controversies, including Waltz's accidental inclusion in a group chat discussing a military operation, he was removed from his position, and President Trump expressed skepticism about using Signal for government communications.
AppWizard
May 6, 2025
"A Minecraft Movie" features piglins and a new character, Malgosha, as the primary antagonists instead of the expected Ender Dragon. Director Jared Hess expressed his preference for the piglins, citing their interesting traits and the appeal of their environment in the Nether. He also voices General Chungus, one of Malgosha's henchmen. The film includes a post-credits scene with Alex, a character from the Minecraft universe, suggesting potential for a sequel where the Ender Dragon may appear. The film has been successful at the box office.
AppWizard
May 5, 2025
Jack Black's jingle 'Steve's Lava Chicken' from A Minecraft Movie has entered Billboard's Hot 100 at number 78, making it the shortest song ever to achieve this milestone at 34 seconds. Co-written by Black and director Jared Hess, the song is part of the official soundtrack and has surpassed Kid Cudi's previous record-holder, 'Beautiful Trip,' by three seconds. It has also reached the top 10 on Billboard's Hot Rock Songs chart. Black performs four tracks on the soundtrack, including 'I Feel Alive,' 'Ode to Dennis,' and 'Birthday Rap,' the latter featuring Jason Momoa.
Search