Groshan Fabiola asked:


Without a doubt, Lost creator J.J. Abrams has the Midas touch when it comes to making stars out of his actors and actresses. The man behind such popular television shows like Felicity, Alias and Lost has helped catapult many of his talents to even greater stardom.

Keri Russell became the breakthrough girl-next-door with flaming red long tresses on Felicity. Jennifer Garner turned into an instant sensation as Sydney Bristow on Alias. Party of Five’s Matthew Fox got a new lease on life via Lost, while his fellow castaways on the series, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway and Naveen Andrews, became familiar faces to millions of televiewers. With Abrams’ new vehicle, Fringe, Joshua Jackson stands to become the next big thing anew from the prolific showrunner.

Of course, Jackson is no stranger to stardom. Much like Matthew Fox of Lost, Jackson has already enjoyed considerable fame in the past, both on film and in television. Prior to landing one of the leads in Abrams new sci-fi pilot Fringe, Jackson became quite the heartthrob as Pacey on Dawson ’s Creek and as Charlie Conway in the Mighty Ducks motion picture franchise.

Aside from Fringe, Jackson is also in a multi-episode story arc on the medical drama, Grey’s Anatomy. Now that the three-month long writers’ strike is over, Jackson will most likely be back in front of the camera to shoot his remaining installments for Grey’s. He is scheduled to begin filming for Abrams’ Fringe pilot this summer.

Meanwhile, prior to the conclusion of the scribes’ walkout, Lost seemed likely to film six more episodes for the current fourth season. Thus far, only eight installments were completed before the strike. This would mean a total of 14 episodes for the season, with the planned additional six installments probably ready in time to air in June.

For more resources about Lost or for the full story of Joshua Jackson Cast in J.J. Abrams’ ‘Fringe’ please review http://www.buddytv.com



PALEVIC

Tom Jackson asked:


(c) 2008 Tom Jackson

Part two of this article will follow and will contain steps 4-6.

Take time to prepare your camera for an important event, such as a wedding, or you may end up without any photos of the occasion. I have seen it happen all too often, even with professional photographers, who fail to take some important basic precautions to ensure a successful shoot. I know many professional photographers who began their careers photographing weddings. It is probably the easiest of all photography areas to get into.

A most important thing to do, does not even involve equipment. Time. If you are going to photograph an important event, you need to be sure that you allocate enough time to make sure that you have everything planned ahead. And that often means starting the process a day or two beforehand. Doing this, will make for a much more relaxed process as you take photos on the day, and a more relaxed attitude will usually mean more creativity and better photos.

Are you used to taking photos with a traditional camera and film? It can be very surprising to you when you realize how easily you can lose a whole memory card full of images due to a simple error. With a film camera, it does not matter if the battery gives out right at the time you take a photo. The only problem that might occur, is that you lose that one shot. You just rewind the film, and you are good to go. Digital is wonderful. But like anything, if you are not careful, it will come back and bite you.

Do I really need to plan? Yes! Lets take a deeper look to see how easy it really is to lose all your photos. Each of the points I cover here carry the same weight as the other. In other words, do all of the following to make sure that you have a successful day, taking wonderful photos for you and the subjects.

1. Be sure all your batteries are fully charged. If you camera does not use standard batteries like AA or AAA then you need to make sure the battery is fully charged because you will not be able to buy and then charge a new battery any time soon. If you will be taking a lot of photos on the day, then it would be wise to make sure that you have a fully charged back up battery available. A lot of the smaller compact cameras, and even the larger DSLRs, often take special built batteries. They can be quite expensive, but if you think you might be taking a large number of photos, then it will be to your benefit to purchase an extra battery. It will always come in handy in the future, so it will never be a waste of your money.

2. You need to have several memory cards with you to make sure you can cover all the photos people request during an event. Many smaller compact digital cameras can only take smaller capacity memory cards. So, if you are planning on taking photos for a special days event, then it would be wise to make sure that you have at least one or two spare memory cards. Also, be aware, that if your camera can take the larger capacity memory cards, and you think you can take all the photos on just one large card, you also need to consider that if you have problems with that card, you will lose all the images from the day. A good photographer will always have a back up for everything, a spare camera body, spare lenses, a spare flash and of course, several spare memory cards which you can use during the day, shooting some images on each card so you can never lose all images from an event shot on the one card. Some of the larger capacity cards available these days, can store hundreds and even thousands of images before you need to change to a new card. I can only imagine the pain of losing a card with hundreds of irreplaceable images.

3. Before starting the days event, make sure that you format the memory cards and get them prepared before you use them. Be sure to format the card in the camera you will be using for the days event. Industry experts all agree that the best way to format and prepare a memory card, is to do it in the camera you will be using. Do not format the card using your computer. By using the camera, it ensures that you have maximum compatibility. And if there is going to be a problem with the card, this is most often the time where the problem will show up. If the card does not format properly in the camera, then do not use that card during the event, but try and rectify the problem when you return home. If a card exhibits any sign of a problem, do not use it and do not spend time trying to fix it in the field, just use your back up card. It is just not worth the effort. You can try all kinds of things once you get home and have the time to spend and diagnose the problem.



DOEBLER

Groshan Fabiola asked:


After three months without new scripts to a slew of primetime shows, you would think that the resolution of the writers’ strike would mean great news unanimously. For the most part, it has been. However, in some isolated cases, the lengthy break has resulted in other projects for some actors that had originally been scheduled to appear in the interrupted primetime favorites.

This is precisely the case in the scheduled appearance former Dawson’s Creek and Mighty Ducks star, Joshua Jackson, was supposed to make on Grey’s Anatomy. The Mighty Ducks and Dawson’s Creek heartthrob was all set to film an extended run on the award-winning medical drama. However, while the scribes’ walkout was still in progress, Jackson landed a part in J.J. Abrams’s upcoming pilot, Fringe.

Fringe is the latest brainchild from Abrams, the man behind other hit series such as Felicity, Lost and Alias. The brand new sci-if pilot has been scheduled for production sooner than anticipated and will keep Jackson tied up with filming. Jackson was originally supposed to work on Fringe simultaneously with his installments for Grey’s Anatomy. Unfortunately, they were unable to come up with a workable schedule for him to shuttle between the two shows.

This is indeed a disappointment for both Grey’s Anatomy fans and followers of Joshua Jackson. Grey’s could have benefited from the infusion of another dreamy and possibly steamy hunk on the series. For his part, Jackson stood to regain some of his former glory as a television star. The actor hasn’t been seen regularly on the small screen since his days alongside pre-Tom Cruise Katie Holmes and James Van Der Beek in the coming-of-age Dawson’s Creek.

What would make things even worse is if Fringe goes on to misfire and fail to go beyond the pilot stage. This would have robbed Grey’s Anatomy fans of the chance to relish Jackson in the popular program.

For more resources about Grey’s Anatomy or for the full story of No ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ for Joshua Jackson please review http://www.buddytv.com



WARDER

Tom Jackson asked:


(c) 2008 Tom Jackson

Whenever you are taking photos, either for a big event, like a wedding, or just the family at the beach, you need to take notice of the surroundings. Very often, you will see photos taken by people that would have been very good, but something got in the way, like something in the background or the camera was not held straight, or some other small thing that could have been avoided, but now has lead to a picture that is less than acceptable.

Apart from making sure the camera is held straight, and that the lens cap is off, and your finger is not in front of the lens, the first thing you should look at is the background. This is where most problems occur because the photographer is looking at the subject, not the background. If you do not check the background first, you could end up with tress and other things growing out of the heads of the subjects or worse.

With the advent of digital cameras, it is an easy task to check that the photo looks good, at least on the small screen of the camera. You can tell if there are problems and make any necessary corrections on the spot. Be careful not to get caught up in the emotion, and forget to check these things. Just remember, every time you hold the camera up to take a photo, look at the background, then the subjects, then take the photo.

Also, you need to be aware of where the sun is when taking photos outdoors. When the sun is in front of the camera, you run the risk that the cameras light sensor will expose for the sun and not your subject. Your photos will be very dark as a result, although you will get a lovely exposure of the sun. And, be very careful if you are pointing the camera in the direction of the sun, as the sensor could be damaged if exposed to such a bright light for too long.

If you are taking photos for a bride and groom, then this information becomes even more critical. In fact, if you are taking photos for anyone who is paying you, then you need to make sure each and every photo is perfect. If you do not plan every photo, you leave yourself open to failure. That means a nice enjoyable day taking photos and making some money to boot, becomes your worst nightmare. Remember, plan to succeed and take care of the small details, and you will have fun and make some money along the way.

Whenever you take photos at a big event, wether or not you are being paid, checking the background os critical to taking good photos. Now, instead of just making sure that the background is not causing a problem, you now need to be looking at the background for photo opportunites. In the church or at the reception, you need to be constantly searching out suitable backgrounds to use for the bride and groom and the bridal party. Look for any opportuntiy to use a sunset, water fountain, garden, staircase or anything that will enhance the photo. You can check the blog in the resource box for a photo of a bride and groom, taken at the base of a staircase in an office building downtown Phoenix AZ. This is an example of spotting a suitable background, and then making sure the bride and groom follow the photographers direction, in order to take some stunning photos that will sell.

This office complex had such a beautiful wooden staircase, that it was an obvious choice for some photos of the bridal party. In this situation, and wherever you possibly can, if the groom is shorter than the bride, make sure you position the couple in such a way that the groom will look taller. Even if you have to use a phone book or a small box. Use whatever you can to make the groom look taller. It may seem silly at the time, but the photos will look much better, you will sell more photos and hence make more money. The bride and groom will also appreciate your efforts to make their photos look their best.

This will be a great advertisement for your skills. People will see the thought and care you put into every picture you take, and they will tell their friends. The best form of advertising is word of mouth. And make sure you have plenty of cards with you to promote yourself. People will not want to write down your details, they will want a business card or postcard or flyer.



DAHMS

Groshan Fabiola asked:


After Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance, another dance reality program will surface on the TV loop and it will be produced by Randy Jackson. The famous American Idol judge will be gracing yet another reality series called World Moves, which will be broadcast on NBC for its fall schedule.

World Moves, a hip-hop dance-themed program, will showcase teams with five to seven members, focusing on their dance performances, as well as the behind-the-scene drama. Like any other competitive reality show, elimination will be present and will be coming in the form of online voting, text messaging or phone voting.

Like American Idol, World Moves calls for thousands of teams to audition across the country. Teams that are selected will then go to Hollywood where competition will be fiercer and tougher by the minute. At stake on the competition is a global touring contract.

Although the new series doesn’t have an exact airing date yet, NBC is eyeing for a fall broadcast, which would in all likelihood be a replacement for an hour long cancelled show.

Aside from taking the show as a useful alternate, World Moves will actually be a challenging project for the American Idol judge given that those other reality dance series have earned great ratings and much popularity.

Prior to American Idol, Jackson has acquired numerous credits from playing with Aretha Franklin, Bob Dylan, Blue Oyster Cult and many other renowned artists. He has worked as an executive at Columbia Records and at MCA Records, after exhausting nearly all genres of music as a musician. In addition, he has also appeared on shows like The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Dr.

Vegas, Greatest American, Kevin Hill, The Oprah Winfrey Show, Hollywood Squares, and Late Night with Conan O’Brien just to name a few.

For more resources about American Idol and especially about Randy Jackson to produce Hip-Hop dance reality show for NBC please review this website http://www.buddytv.com



KROB

Tom Jackson asked:


Copyright (c) 2008 Tom Jackson

You have worked hard all year, and now it is time to take a vacation and recuperate. This is a time that many people look forward to and prepare for most of the year. It is a lot of work to prepare for properly, plane tickets, hotel accommodations, car rentals, clothes to pack, pets to take care of, making sure the other family members and friends can contact you in an emergency etc. But one of the items sometimes left to last, is photography equipment to record your vacation. Do you want to take along a lot of equipment, still cameras and lenses, accessories, plus the video camera to record all the action on your trip.

Most vacationers will take along a still camera or a video camera, not all will want the hassle of dealing with both systems. Some will take both, and do their best to contend with the hassle of switching between cameras. Some scenes are better suited to being photographed with a video camera, obviously as with things that are moving, ,such as a parade or at the races, while others are better suited to a still camera, such as landscapes and cityscapes.

You need to think a little differently in order to take advantage of each camera systems features. Video experts and movie makers alike, will tell you that the best way to create an interesting video is to shoot a series of short clips, not one long boring continuous video. Video needs to be interesting, and we humans get bored very quickly, so make your videos short and to the point.

When you take photos with a digital still camera, you usually have a little time time to ensure you have the composition and lighting you want to create a stunning photo. Digital still cameras also offer a much higher resolution so you can make enlargements that you can hang on the wall for all to see. The digital DSLR is a very versatile system.

Following is a quick summary of the benefits a DSLR will provide for you. The first, and some believe the most important feature, is that you look through the viewfinder and you see exactly what the camera sees. In other words, the light from the subject enters the lens of the camera, and this is the image you see. At the instant you press the shutter release to take the photos, the camera re-directs the light onto the digital sensor to take the photo. In normal daylight, this happens so quickly, it is barely noticeable. In dim light conditions, you will not be able to see through the camera until the exposure is finished. With the new generation of cameras, they employ a system called live view, where the image you are photographing is shown on the rear LCD screen. So you can compose and see the image as you take the photo.

Now, in the old days, and I am talking about a few months ago (things happen so fast in this digital age), you had to compromise on taking a video or a still camera or both on your vacation. But today, you have a new choice. The major still DSLR camera manufacturers are now combining the best of both worlds into the one camera body. Now you can take high resolution still photos, and HD quality video with sound, on the newest range of DSLR cameras. This is exciting news, as now you really do have the best of both worlds, a HD video camera and a high resolution digital still camera, all in one unit.

And by using the DSLR body as a HD video recorder, you have the option of using all the accessories you would normally only be able to use on the DSLR but now also with video. All those optional lenses will enable you to take some amazing videos, and by adding filters and other accessories, this opens up a whole new genre of available effects.

With the advent of GPS tagging of your images, you will always have the exact location and time you took each image. This technology will tag every picture you take with GPS data so that you will always know exactly where you were when you took each photo. With some kinds of photography, such as bird photography, where you may have taken a photo of a particular bird, you will always be able to find your way back to the spot where you took the photo by referring to the GPS data.



BONIER

Tom Jackson asked:


(c) 2008 Tom Jackson

I will be covering the basics of manipulating your work on the computer. Every photographer needs to be able to use some kind of photo editing software in order to make each image look their best. I use Adobe Photoshop for my work, and I will explain why in this article.

If you are not fully aware of the benefits of a DSLR let me do a quick summary. The first, and some believe the most important feature, is that you look through the viewfinder and you see exactly what the camera sees. In other words, the light from the subject enters the lens of the camera, and this is the image you see. The light from the lens is diverted onto the imaging sensor when you take the photo. In normal daylight, this happens so quickly, it is barely noticeable. In dim light conditions, you will not be able to see through the camera until the exposure is finished.

As a result of being able to see the subject through the lens, just as the camera does, you can take advantage of other features if the camera manufacturer has built it into the camera body. One such feature is Depth of Field preview. When you look through the camera at the subject, you can clearly see the subject because the camera uses the maximum aperture available to see the subject, and therefore, you can see if the subject is in focus or not. It is the function of the aperture in the lens to let the light in so you can see the subject clearly. However, if the camera has a Depth of Field preview, you can invoke this function and the lens will Stop Down to the aperture that the lens will be at when the photo is taken and recorded. This will allow you to see what parts of the image are in sharp focus, both in front and behind the subject. The image may be a little more difficult to see as there will now be less light coming through the lens, but it is a great way to see what will be in focus when you take the photo.

When taking portraits though, you will usually not want the foreground or the background to be in focus, as this can result in an image where the subject is not clearly delineated from the background. Using this method, you will get a great result. Use the maximum aperture and adjust the shutter speed to get the correct exposure. If you are going to use a flash to provide fill light for the subject, then of course, the maximum shutter speed will be limited to the maximum flash synch speed, and you will have to use the required aperture to achieve a good exposure. There are many choices that need to be made when you are taking photos.

The correct resolution and file format is very important. You need to make these settings first, before you take the first photo. Most small compact cameras do not usually offer many adjustments, unless you consider the high end compacts. Most will allow you to take photos at low, medium or high resolution, but will not allow you to make little if any, other selections. On a DSLR camera, you will often have a large number of options available. I believe that you should take every photo at the maximum resolution available. This way, you will always have enough data in the file so you can crop or enlarge the image, and still have good quality photos.

Memory cards are very inexpensive these days, so it is not hard to purchase several cards, and store all the images you take. Even though the RAW format at high resolution creates the largest files, the low cost of memory cards allows you to carry several with you at all times. You will need to add some external hard drives to your computer so you can store all the pictures you take. External drives these days are getting very big, typically in the two to five hundred gigabyte sizes, for extremely low cost. Consider that today, you can buy one of these drives for less than $100. Back in 1990, I purchased a 300 Megabyte drive for $1200. If you do the comparison, a 500 Gigabyte drive today should cost around $2Million! Yikes. Thank goodness for technology.

In the next article, I will go into some more detail on why using the RAW format is so important. It really provides you with the most flexibility for manipulating the basic exposure information, once you start editing your photos. And after you take the photos and put them onto the hard drive, you will need to make some adjustments, sometimes just small ones, and for other images, you may need to make some fairly large adjustments. More in the next article.



TALLIE

Tom Jackson asked:


(c) 2008 Tom Jackson

This is part two of this article. I the first, part we covered the following points; Please see the first part for a full explanation of the 3 points.

1. Make sure that all your batteries are fully charged. This is critical, not just to make sure your camera can take photos on the day, but to also protect the photos you take and be sure the memory card does not become corrupt.

2. Make sure that you have enough memory cards to hold all of the photos you will be taking on the day. By having several memory cards available, you can shoot a number of images on each card and minimize the risk of losing all the images you take on the day.

3. Before you start the days event, make sure that you format the memory cards and get them prepared for the days event. Always format in the camera you will be using.

This is the continuation from part 1 of this article.

4. Never use a memory card in more than one kind of camera without formatting the card. You can not only damage a memory card but you may lose the images you have already taken by using the card in a camera other than a camera of the same make and model as the one you used to format the card. Most cameras will write the file a little differently, and so if you use the card in a different camera, you again run the risk of losing images. If you intend to use a card in a different camera, that make sure that you copy all the files onto your computer, and then format the card in the other camera before use.

5. Part of the reason for item 1 above (fully charged batteries), is not just to make sure you have enough power to take photos during the days event, but also to ensure that the camera will not power off during writing a file to the memory card. If the camera battery fails while writing a file, you will not only lose that image, but the rest of the images on the card may be lost forever. A memory card is just like a computer hard drive. It has a directory and file structure so that the camera and your computer know where the files are, how many files are on the card, and how big the files are. If the camera fails during writing a file to the card, it can corrupt the card, just like a hard drive crash. Also, never take a card out of the camera while the file is still being written to the card. Always make sure that if you need to remove the card after taking a photo, wait a few seconds to make sure the file has been written to the card to avoid problems.

6. When it comes time to move your photos onto your computer?s hard drive, I suggest that you use a memory card reader and not the camera. Again, it is always possible that the camera?s battery could fail during the process to copy the photos over to your hard drive. This will not usually be a problem, but it could cause the card to become corrupt and therefore potentially lose your images. It is generally accepted i the industry that a memory card reader is faster than your camera when transferring files. Card readers are very inexpensive, and you have a choice of using a multi format reader or one designed just for the card type your camera uses. They are so cheap, that I always carry one with me so that if I need to, I can either copy files to a computer that happens to be at the location I am shooting, or to display some of the images onto the computer monitor for the client or subjects to see right away.

So, if you would really like to lose all those treasured photos, if you really want to have the hassle of explaining to your client, family or friends that you have lost all of the images you took, then just ignore these tips. You will lose some money, some friends and have to endure the wrath of some potentially very angry people. Good word of mouth advertising cannot be bought. So, if you do have a problem during the event, you will miss out on a lot of income that you could’ve made over the years. There are wedding photographers who consistently make well into the 6 figure income. And in the US alone, the wedding photography market is in excess of five billion dollars a year. Not a bad market to be in.

So, if you follow these simple steps, you will ensure that your images will be saved, and everyone will live happily ever after. OK, well, maybe we do not need to be that melodramatic, but I am sure you get the picture (pun intended). Your clients will be happy, you will be happy, and your wallet will be happy. Plus, you get the benefit and the pride of knowing that you did a good job and that a small part of you will live on and be enjoyed by generations of people looking at your photos. Just like an artist has people viewing their paintings. It just does not get better than that. Enjoy.



SAVINON

Tom Jackson asked:


(c) 2008 Tom Jackson

Showing sample pictures you have taken is probably the best way to get an order for a wedding event. There are of course, many ways to show your pictures, for instance, on a web page or in an album with printed images to show prospective clients.

But in this day and age of technology, there is another way to show your images. One that will allow you to have you album with you at all times. One that will show off your pictures in all their beautiful color. One that allows your potential client to see your work in glorious detail. I am referring to portable devices with high resolution color LCD screens.

Apple’s iPhone or iPod touch are just two examples that provide the ideal platform for this purpose. In this article, I will use the term iPhone to refer to both devices. The beauty of this device, is that in most cases, you need to have a cell phone with you so you can make and receive calls, especially from clients or prospective clients. But at any time, you can show images to people you meet. With the iPhone, you can create any number of digital albums to suit your needs. You can have an album of wedding images, or you can split wedding photos into multiple albums, and create albums of themes. For instance, a series of brides in outdoor locations. Or sunsets, at the church etc. The iPhone is very flexible, and you can set it up in so many different ways.

You can also have a number of albums that show off images that you take for your own enjoyment. Such as portraits, family groups or even landscapes. Again, having all these albums on one device, means that you can tailor a presentation to just about anyone you meet, for almost any occasion.

And do not forget, you can use it to promote yourself as a product or advertising photographer. Whenever you meet people, if they are in business for themselves, you may have an opportunity to promote your services for their business. They may need some shots of their building for a promotion, or the products they sell for advertising, or for marketing materials, such as flyers or postcards.

With a device such as the iPhone, you will always be ready to promote yourself and your services. Even if you have a website with your images, you may not always be near a computer with an internet connection. And sometimes, you may not be able to access your website from some computers, especially in corporate settings, where many sites are blocked if it is not within the corporate web intranet. And although you can always access the web with your iPhone wherever you are, it is always easier to use the iPhone to display your images, quickly and easily.

And of course, if you use these types of devices, you will be able to take advantage of the many other features they provide. You will always be in touch because your email service is just like being on your computer, so you can read and reply to your emails anytime. Whenever you need to send a quote, it is very easy with this device. If you need to check your calendar for upcoming appointments or events, you can easily check these items. You may even come across an interesting location for photography, and so you can take a photo and place it into your database, always able to refer back to the location at any time. As well, as being able to show the location to a prospective client as a potential place for photos on the important day. You will also have your contact database, so you can make a call to your prospective clients and follow up on any questions they may have. In short, you will always be ready for any situation.

And lastly, but not always, least, you can play a game or two when you are waiting or perhaps enjoying a coffee at your favorite caf?And if you have not looked at some of the games and other applications available for the iPhone and iPod touch, you will be amazed at the variety of applications available, starting from free to ten dollars. But, I digress. Never let it be said that I would encourage your use of these devices for anything other than serious business (yeah, right)!



BLOODGOOD

Holly Franklin asked:


Tintin is finally being made into a movie. Tintin is being turned into movie by the dream pairing of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. Spielberg and Jackson will actually be making three Tintin movies back to back as Jackson accomplished with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.

The films will be shot back to back for logistical and financial expediency; they will come rattling off the production line in 2009. Spielberg has been a Tintin fan since he was a small boy and the upcoming filming brings an end to a 25 year mission to get a film made. Spielberg was first approached back in 1982 by Georges Remi (who initials GR were reversed to form the pen name Herge). Remi sent out emissaries and it resulted in a three year option for Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment in 1984. It was reported that after the success of ET Spielberg hired Melissa Mathison who helped write ET and was then Harrison Ford’s wife to compose a an African adventure in which Tintin overcame ivory hunters in a classic Tintin yarn.

This would be a role reversal for Tintin who had in a previous tale cheerfully blown up a rhinoceros with a stick of dynamite. It could never quite come to fruition. One of the main reasons for this was due to the fact that Spielberg never believed he had the technology to pull off his vision satisfactorily. It was also at the same time Spielberg turned to his attention to his next undertaking that of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Rumour has it that some of the story lines for The Last Crusade were taken form the Tintin movie penned by Mathison.

Spielberg has also hinted that Indiana Jones chronicles were very much influenced by Tintin’s boy-scout ethos. It has been noticed that the whole idea of creating a Tintin movie has resurfaced at the same time Spielberg has been absorbed in the fourth installment of Indiana Jones.

During those years when Amblin Entertainment had the option for the Tintin movie there were rumours about who would play Tintin. First there was obviously Henry Thomas who had starred in ET. Next there was a young Leonardo DiCaprio and then unbelievably Christopher Lambert and Jean-Claude Van Damme. As for the role of Captain Haddock the names of Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman and Richard Gere were mooted. Then for the role of Bianca Castafiore the opera dive and the only major role for a female was linked to Courtney Love. It is now known that Spielberg and his people never truly got close to making the movie back then.

Although there was a lot of rumour and speculation the only truth is that Spielberg’s interest did wane and other directors came into the equation to make the film. Claude Berri (who had produced a successful live action version of Asterix) was rumoured to be interested as was Roman Polanski. Then Warner Brothers entered the chase. The Herge Foundation declined as they Warner Brothers failed to impress due to guarantees about creative integrity. When Warner Brothers left the scene the project was back at square one.

Spielberg and Jackson then got together and went into discussions with Moulinsart who in the intervening time took over the rights to Tintin. Eventually a deal was struck after long discussions. Spielberg and Jackson are both set to direct one film each with the third to be decided at a later date.

Jackson’s special effects tam Weta Digital have been working on using 3-D animation to bring the junior reporter and his trusty dog Snowy to life. Jackson Weta effects house back in New Zealand took more than a year to knock-up a 20 minute demo that wowed backers. Jackson said “We are making the character look photorealistic; the fibres of their clothing, the pores of their skin and each individual hair. It is possible that the work, certainly the first one will start next year”.

This will be when Spielberg finishes Indiana Jones 4 and Jackson his adaptation of Alice Sebold’s The Lovely Bones. Jackson’s input with the effects made possible by Weta has invigorated Spielberg who is a lifelong Tintin fan. Spielberg said “We want Tintin’s adventures to have the reality of a live-action film, and yet Peter and I felt that shooting them in a traditional live-action format would simply not honour the distinctive look of the characters and the world Herge created.”

The deal allows them to use a back catalogue of 23 albums Herge published between 1929 and 1976. Speculation is now rife as to which album will be turned into a film first. Although we would like to speculate that it is unlikely that the film we be made from an album before 1940 because that would mean Captain Haddock would not be involved.



STRANEY