Todoroki Kawaii

It was really an honor organize our first masterclass with Greg Broadmore from Weta Workshop yesterday at Akiba Hall.  180 artists, students and professional came in attendance.   Greg for four hours discussed about his work journey in concept art which led him to Weta Workshop, the amazing projects he has worked on - some of which has never been seen by the public before----- and what he has planned for the future with Magic Leap.  An additional bonus, Greg  created an on-the-spot digital painting of an outer world monster for the audience.  Japan is on the cusp of changing it's approach towards concept art.  Due to the changing landscapes of our world culture, Japan is moving towards a more "western" approach towards art education for production art and animation. Big changes are coming. It was an amazing and informative show and most of all it was fun. Big thanks Greg!

How do these movie titles make you feel?  King Kong (2005), Godzilla (2014), The Chronicles of Narnia, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Adventures of Tintin and the Academy Award nominated for Best Picture film, District 9.   If you are at all familiar with the outstanding visual effects of these films, you might know that they were all designed under Peter Jackson's award winning special effects company:   Weta Workshop .   You should also know that all these films were all designed in part or directly under the creative direction of  Greg Broadmore .   Sunday, October 17th, 2015, for ONE (1) day only next month, Greg Broadmore will be coming to Tokyo, Japan to conduct a concept design masterclass at Akiba Hall.  At the event Greg Broadmore will discuss working as a concept designer on major blockbuster films,  his experience with Weta Workshop and do a live demonstration of for all the attendees.  The event is being produced by Japan's  Born Di...

No matter what you do, some just won't be satisfied.  "Fat Godzilla"  was reaction I heard from a Japanese friend who just saw pictures of the revised Hollywood version of Godzilla.  A lot better than "Fake Godzilla".  A reference to the 1998 American attempt at Godzilla directed by Roland Emmerich.  Japanese Godzilla (or Gojira /ゴジラ in Japanese)  fans don't even acknowledge that version as it's referred to as "Zilla".    So, Hollywood must be making progress. Asking which was his favorite version of Godzilla, (there have been so many) I was surprised to hear, "The first Godzilla."  ゴジラ / Godzilla (Toho 1954).  He said that war was still fresh in the minds of Japanese in 1954, as World War II was only nine years before.  "Japanese see was war is a kind of monster. It is not controllable and it has a will of its own.  It comes unexpected wreaks havoc and then just leaves  the same way.   (Kind of like this monster) ...