<strong>Summit</strong>-<strong>Book</strong>-<strong>2016</strong>-<strong>Final</strong>.pdf 20 10/21/16 6:06 PM EST. 1905 We Proudly Support Bundle Blues Investors Panic Over Pay TV Guy Ritchie Crying ‘U.N.C.L.E.’ Giving Back Entertainment Philanthropy 110 Nº2 EST. 1905 AUGUST YEARS BILLION DOLLAR LOCATION CZECH REPUBLIC O N E - Y E A R A N N I V E R S A R Y The Ultimate Balancing Act The heads of physical production at the studios have pressure-cooker jobs in an increasingly high-stakes business By David S. Cohen p.36 0811.Cover.Artisans.indd 1 8/10/15 10:56 AM Variety salutes the artisans behind the Visual Effects Society. Variety’s print and digital Artisans coverage is devoted to comprehensive coverage of talented artisans who work behind the scenes in the entertainment business. KEY PLAYER PROFILES UNSUNG HEROES ON SET TECH ON THE LOT PRODUCTION CHARTS LOCATIONS BEHIND-THE-SCENES PHOTOS & VIDEOS EVERY WEEK IN PRINT AND 24/7 AT VARIETY.COM JUNE 21, <strong>2016</strong> VARIETY.COM 86 By ED MEZA WHILE THE CZECH Repub- tion established by the likes of Jiri Trnka and Bretislav Pojar, Filip Posivac and Barbora Valecka’ short “Deep in Moss” premiered on Czech internet TV platform Stream.cz. It also saw limited distribution in selected domestic cinemas earlier Sunkova’s paint-on-glass this year before winning technique is labor-inten- the best Czech film prize sive: one second of film at Anifilm. Producer Pavla involves repainting a scene Janouskova Kubeckova of 24 times. In an interview production shingle Nutpro- with Monocle, Sunkova says dukce says the co labora- the technique serves her tion with Stream.cz made it Netflix’s “Marco Polo” while artistic style we l, although possible for “Deep in Moss” also continuing to work on financing remains a strug- to reach new viewers. major studio film such as gle because Czech cinemas Other emerging anima- “Gods of Egypt” and Robert do not show short films. tors include Aurel Klimt, Zemeckis’ “The Walk.” Veteran animator Jan who is currently making Sma ler vfx outfits Svankmajer, meanwhile, “Lajka,” an animated pup- include Progressive FX, is working on his latest pet sci-fi musical with Stu- which recently worked on film. His Athanor producdio Zvon, UPP and Studio Roel Reine’s Dutch histortion company has started Bystrouska that re-imagical epic “Admiral”; Daz- an Indiegogo crowdfundines the voyage of the starzle Pictures, whose credits ing campaign to raise funds crossed Soviet space dog. include Giuseppe Torna- for the 81-year-old’ surreal Jan Balej impressed critics tore’s “Best Offer,” with Geof- film “Insects,” which he says last year with “Li tle From frey Rush; and I/O Post, wi l be his final film. the Fish Shop,” a stop-mo- the country’s film incen- which focuses largely on Recent productions from tion adaptation of Hans lic’s historical architecture, tive program, which con- domestic productions. young up-and-coming ani- Christian Andersen’s “The scenic landscapes and statetinues to lure major film In animation, the Czech mators have also wowed Li tle Mermaid” from Miraof-the-art soundstages have and TV projects. “Interna- Republic’s toon tradition auds on the festival circuit, cle Film. made it a favorite location tional productions in the continues to make its mark. including “Zoo Story,” by Meanwhile, Prague-based for international filmmak- Czech Republic are very Animation company Maur Veronika Zacharova, which 3Bohemians is playing an ers, the country’s long tra- dependent on rebates and Film co-produced the exper- next screens a this year’s integral role in training dition of animation, along subsidies,” says Vit Komimental short “Superbia,” Munich Film Festival, and and ski l improvement for with its high-tech visual rzy, managing director of which unspooled at this “Happy End,” Jan Saska’s domestic and international effects and post-production Prague-based Universal Pro- year’s Cannes’ Critics’ Week, black comedy about death, animators. Working with sectors, have helped solidify duction Partners (UPP), the and Lucie Sunkova’ Sunkova’s short which unspooled this year professional mentors from the nation’s place as a cin- country’s leading post-pro- “The Tree.” in Cannes’ Director’s Fort- Pixar, DreamWorks and ematic hub in the center of duction and vfx house. Like many of the counnight and won best student BluSky, the company orga- Europe. UPP has handled vfx sertry’s animators who film a this year’s Anifilm nizes the Anomalia series As with production, the vices for such recent shows embrace the traditional in Trebon. of educational courses in Czech vfx and post indus- as the FX series “Tyrant,” craft and individuality of Building on Czech tra- the sma l Czech town of tries have benefited from BBC’s “The Musketeers,” and hand-drawn animation, ditions of puppet anima- Litomysl. CREATING WORLDS OF WHIMSY AND FANTASY Animation and visual effects thrive in an environment of intense creativity, bolstered by state subsidies Creatures Great and Sma l Clockwise from top left: Aurel Klimt works on “Lajka”; UPP handled effects for “Gods of Egypt”; Lucie Sunkova works on “The Tree.” KLIMT: COURTESY STUDIO ZVON; SUNKOVA: COURTESY MAUR FILM; GODS OF EGYPT: MOVIESTORE/SHU TERSTOCK 0621.075-090.Focus.Czech.indd 86 6/17/16 6:35 PM ‘Game of Thrones’ Visual Effects: Inside ‘Battle of the Bastards’ “Game of Thrones” has won the last four Emmys for outstanding visual effects, and “Battle of the Bastards” is the show’s biggest vfx episode yet. Vfx producer Steve Kullback and vfx supervisor Joe Bauer tell Variety’s FOLLOW US / VARIETY #ARTISANS
<strong>Summit</strong>-<strong>Book</strong>-<strong>2016</strong>-<strong>Final</strong>.pdf 21 10/21/16 6:06 PM