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In addition to being on tour into August, Skrillex is currently working on sound design for the next Transformers movie, creating "the craziest Skrillex sounds I could ever make." He also has other film scoring projects in the offing, while he and good pal Diplo have been making some new music together as well.
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PREVIEWSworld: In putting together your story, what helped you get in the mood to draw this series? What resources or Transformers history did you draw from to help you visualize where you wanted to go with this series?
Mairghread Scott: Well, I always keep a running soundtrack for whatever I’m writing to help capture the right mood and this was no exception (MIA, Katy Perry and Franz Ferdinand got looped a lot on my iPad), but Sarah Stone, Windblade’s artist, really brought an expressiveness and vibrancy to the characters that I just kept trying to live up to. We drew on everything from Cheers to anime, to Star Trek TNG to try and give each character their own unique attitude and personality and Sarah’s art is all about both. We also tried hard to give them a level of grace and fluidity to their movements. Just because they’re robots, doesn’t mean they’re…you know, robots, and we really tried to push the envelop on both the human and alien aspects of the brand. In terms of lore, I really tried to reframe my brain to that of a newcomer with this series, to make sure I never assumed, “Oh, everyone knows this.” I also wanted to show off all the aspects of Transformers that I love so much: humor, political drama, really unique and challenging fight sequences and a total explosion of different sizes and shapes when it comes to the characters.
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PREVIEWSworld: Will you be hitting the convention scene this year? And how can people get in touch with you using social media?
Mairghread Scott: I’m currently signed up for Bot Con and San Diego, but if I end up going to more I’ll be sure to mention it on Twitter and Tumblr (http://www.tumblr.com/blog/mscottwrites).
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Auditioning with director Michael Bay for the role of Optimus Prime in 2007’s live-action movie adaptation of the beloved animated series “Transformers,” Canadian-born vocal artist Peter Cullen was aware that his previous accomplishments hardly guaranteed his place in a big-budget Hollywood movie.
“It’s kind of surreal to audition for a character that you basically created,” said Cullen, who originated the Autobot’s stentorian voice in TV performances from 1984 to ‘87. “But I didn’t expect Michael to know what I knew about ‘Transformers.’ I was ready for anything.”
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Contractually obligated to continue voicing Optimus in at least two more “Transformers” sequels, Cullen has no plans to retire his robot-in-disguise alter ego anytime soon. Moreover, having based the characterization on his older brother, a decorated Marine Corps officer who served in Vietnam, the actor feels a sense of responsibility to the franchise’s faithful.
“My brother said, ‘Peter, be a real hero. Don’t do all the bravado stuff and pretend to be tough. Be strong enough to be gentle. Be understanding — and calm,’” Cullen said. “When I began the audition, his voice came right out. I read the lines the way I could hear my brother doing it.
“Now, maintaining those characteristics — courage, trustworthiness, integrity, loyalty — you’re responsible for something to the kids who watch Optimus Prime. I want to be a positive influence rather than just fighting and sock, bang, boom!”
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- I thought it was a joke
"Transformers" films are actually based on a toy, as the grip can be transformed into different shapes, machines and devices. They have been a huge high-tech, sci-fi success, both toy and movies. And here passport ie chair from Kristiansand perfectly.
- They called on April 1 last year, at. 22.30 in the evening. We thought the it was a joke, but responded affirmatively that they could borrow and use the chair in the movie. In June last year we sent as two chairs with flights to Detroit and got them back, gently used and without a scratch, after a few months, with enthusiastic comments; Paramount guys were totally "blown away," says Frankt Robertsen.
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Before Mark Wahlberg ever attempted to test his mettle vis-a-vis giant metamorphosing robots from outer space, and before he befriended a heroic battle-bot named Optimus Prime on-screen, the actor prepared for his latest part with an unlikely foil: a talking teddy bear with an outsize taste for prostitutes and cocaine.
Which is to say that before Wahlberg signed on to appear in Paramount Pictures’ mega-budget sci-fi thriller “Transformers: Age of Extinction,” he got a first taste of acting opposite computer-generated imagery in a certain raunch-comedy that became 2012’s surprise breakout hit.
“‘Ted’ was definitely a good warmup,” Wahlberg said of the movie in which he plays a Boston bro who co-habitates with his hard-swearing, magically alive plush toy. “With ‘Ted,’ it was a more intimate setting. But this movie is much bigger and more intense. You’ve got eight Autobots talking to you at the same time. There’s nothing but a pole or a stick really there. You’ve got to believe and totally commit. The most difficult part of acting is when you look ridiculous and have to confront the risk of looking foolish. You’ve got to be on the whole time. You can’t phone it in.”
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Optimus Prime has undergone quite a few vehicular makeovers in the past 30 years of Transformers projects, yet his earnest and heroic voice has never wavered, thanks to Peter Cullen.
For the big-budget Transformers: Age of Extinction, the actor once again reprises the role he's been playing since the 1980s Transformers cartoon. Now Prime and his Autobots have a new human ally (Mark Wahlberg) but they are in conflict with the evil Decepticons as well as the U.S. government.
"He is exactly who he was from the very original concept," Cullen says of Prime. "I've always felt a hero should have the qualities that are inspiring and helpful and fatherly and at the same time (be) courageous. I don't see those character traits changing at all."
Transformers is more than a lifetime gig as a transforming big rig for Cullen. It's also a family affair: His son Clay is a stuntman on Age of Extinction, and Cullen's brother Larry, a Marine who served in the Vietnam War and died in 2011, continues to be the inspirational foundation for Optimus' steady and strong tone.
"Though Larry's gone," Peter Cullen says, "he lives on in my mind as Optimus Prime because he was my hero."
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- What inspired you to make the new Transformers out of Kreo bricks?
The inspiration to build Transformers out of bricks in general came very soon, once I started building again back in 1999. The idea of having all of my favorite childhood characters built with LEGO never really left me.
So the idea to revisit my designs and try to build them with KRE-O came through the pleasure I had working with HASBRO on a freelance level for the last two years. I developed brickbuilt model concepts for their KRE-O team from 2011. So naturally I also got introduced to their brick system, which is close to what I am used to working with LEGO. There is also another fact, which made it easier to start building the characters in a lot more detail: the dedicated elements from the KRE-O setlines, like the headmolds or the hands. This was always the more frustrating part with LEGO to get the heads to a level were you don´t cheat (cut, glue, paint) too much and just get it done with simple bricks. Another important aspect is the balljoint system, which helps to get the transformation to a smooth and easy level. Articulation is very important for the robot mode too!
Then the idea of having them all in one fitting scale to each other also was something that just had to be done. For those of you who collect the TRANSFORMERS Masterpiece line, you might recognize the scale I built all the models.
- What was your biggest challenge? Which model was the hardest and why?
The biggest challenge was not the models itself. Building the collection and see it growing was and still is the biggest, most fun factor. But to keep the focus all the way through a timeline of a couple of months, while always coming back to the same theme and make it all match is something else. Hours of taking pictures and photoshopping, and shooting the video! So, the biggest challenge sometimes really is to bring it all to an end, where the time you spent bears fruit. The hardest model to build, though, was Blitzwing. He is a triplechanger (Bot/Tank/Jet), so three models in one, really.
- How long did each model take?
It is hard to say, because each model was revisited a couple of times. In the beginning of the project, around November 2013, I had plenty of KRE-O bricks to sort out and see if the colours would work and if I have the right elements to even start on the models. It was all trial and error to start off with. I think the MENASOR combiner took me around two weeks straight. I was curious to see if I could build a real combiner, which stands over 50cm tall in combined mode.
- What motivated you to create these models? And why the fascination with Transformers in particular?
The motivation behind all of the models I build is simply creativity and the need to have an output as an designer and artist. You have a vision in your head for a long time, a project, which needs to be done. In my childhood, the 80s, when TRANSFORMERS was really big, I didn't have that many TF toys, so I actually started very early rebuilding what I saw on the Saturday Morning Cartoon show.
The fascination with TRANSFORMERS is that it is so timeless and the universe is growing every minute, with all the fans around the globe who have the same passion. There are so many great characters to enjoy! I also really like the colour schemes of the designs, like Optimus' iconic red & blue truck! TRANSFORMERS is my favourite 80s theme ever!
- What advice would you give to model makers who would like to do the same?
My advice would be to first go see a doctor and make sure they're okay with the idea of anyone building with bricks for a very long period. Then you have to talk to your boss and ask them if it is okay to not be super focused at work over the next few months and if they might be into sponsoring your brick orders for company benefits. Then you need to invest into a new coffee machine and a good amound of coffee. You can sell your bed on eBay. You don´t need it anymore. Since you will be watching endless TRANSFORMERS Generation 1 episodes, make sure to get used to scratchy voices and horrible sound effects, like sampled R2D2 screams and Tie-Fighter engines. But other than that you only need a lot of patience! And bricks! But seriously, my advice to other model makers would be to spend a lot of time on the research phase and a lot of trial and error builds, to develop a nice style and transformation for the models you want to build.
- Do you plan to sell the models? And if so how much?
Since I am only a concept idea developer, I'd only hope for a company like HASBRO or TAKARA looking into what I did and come up with a similar product on for collectors. I would be always available to work on them, of course, but these models are strictly from a fan to all you fans, to make sure we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of TRANSFORMERS in the best way! So I just want to add my talent and creations to a pool of great designers and passionate fans out there!
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