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Crowdfunding a Megazone 23

Megazone 23 By Ed Sum
(The Vintage Tempest)

Before The Matrix, there was Megazone 23. This Japanese original video animation was the first to suggest that people are living in an illusion. This anime is renowned for being one of the earliest influencers not only to similar films made in later years, but it hailed the silver age of anime. Macross (aka Robotech) was released around the same time. Music was a major influence in making Megazone23 just as memorable. While the sound is distinctly 80’s, so was the career of Miyasato Kumi (宮里久美) at the height of her career. She was the voice of the virtual singing idol, EVE.

Sadly, older video releases of this excellent series are out of print. Finding any copy is through either paying through the nose through eBay for a complete edition or waiting for bigger news to release. It was remastered in high definition for Bluray but is only available in Japan. Thankfully, that’s all about to change:

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Coming Nov 12th, 2019 is Spirited Away Collector’s Edition!

Megazone 23 Studio Ghibli and GKIDS, with distribution by Shout! Factory, will issue Spirited Away in a beautiful collector’s edition release on November 12, 2019. The limited-edition set comes housed in an elegant hard slipcase, with a new 40-page book with stunning art and essays. Featured in a deluxe disc portfolio will be a Blu-ray™ of the film paired with hours of special features and the film’s soundtrack on CD, now available exclusively on disc in North America.

The set is available for pre-order now on ghiblicollection.com.

From the legendary Studio Ghibli, this wondrous fantasy film is one of the best-selling and internationally renowned films of all time, becoming the highest-grossing film in Japanese history in 2001. Winner of the Academy Award^® for Best Animated Feature, Hayao Miyazaki’s epic adventure is a dazzling masterpiece from one of the most iconic filmmakers in the history of animation.

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Kre8ing with Ezra Istiroti, An Interview

With a panache for sound design and a methodology, Ezra Istiroti is more than just another animator who teaches the craft of animation.

Megazone 23 Ezra Istiroti is more than a typical digital media/ advertising content creator. With a panache for sound design and a methodology, firms like McDonald’s and The Coca-Cola Co. in Mexico City hired him to design their ad campaigns. He’s also the type of easy going and motivational talent people want to hear from.

After graduating from the Vancouver Film School and running his own firm to develop commercials and branding for other firms operations like BC Place, he’s back with the said institution and now teaching. For people who have been to the World of Wonders event during the  Calgary Stampede early this decade will now know he’s the creative mind behind the design of that interactive installation. He’s also done the jumbotron animations for the Ottawa Fury, 67’s and RedBlacks. It’s rare to know who made that stuff, and now the opportunity exists to say hi, thanks for your amazing work in the past and also learn from him in how it’s made, and do it yourself!

Istiroti is coming to Victoria, BC to lead a workshop to teach to newcomers interested in film, theatre or arts on what they can do with digital media with a three-day intensive Stop Motion animation program starting August 12th (click link to register).

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Victoria’s Phenomacon or Vancouver’s Geektopia – Oh, the Choices, the choices!

Two new conventions have popped up and they hope to make an impression. On Vancouver Island is Phenomacon and on the mainland is Geektopia.

Pacific Northwest Conventions and Bigfoot The Canadian side of the Pacific Northwest is going to be busy with two brand-new one-day shows on July 6th. Phenomacon and Geektopia look great for what the organizers plan on to attract locals to attend than from all over the province, country or otherwise. It’s more about friends getting together to have fun and perhaps making new ones. Cosplay will be big for both because its the mainstay for many a show, and prizes are to be awarded.

When considering Anime Expo is also this weekend, even those who aren’t able to travel far to partake in some geekery can find something nearby instead and make it home the same day!

The following is a description of what to expect. Continue reading “Victoria’s Phenomacon or Vancouver’s Geektopia – Oh, the Choices, the choices!”

The NFB and National Indigenous Peoples Day

Megazone 23 — (*To Wake Up the Nakota Language* by Louise BigEagle. Photo: © Taryn Snell/NFB)

For National Indigenous Peoples Day (June 21), the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is marking the second anniversary of the launch of its Indigenous Action Plan with a slate of 40 Indigenous-led works in development, production or recent release—while delivering on a commitment to devote a minimum of 15% of its production spending on Indigenous works, one year ahead of schedule.

The NFB’s Indigenous Action Plan is a response to the TRC’s calls to action and systemic inequities in Canada’s screen sector facing Indigenous creators. The plan was drafted in collaboration with an Indigenous advisory group and contains 33 commitments in four main areas: organizational transformation, industry leadership, production, and distribution. In its plan include advances in community engagement, online accessibility, educational resources, and hiring, as well as adopting new industry protocols for working with Indigenous creators and content.

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Van Isle Comic Convention, June 9th! at Sidney by the Sea

Megazone 23 The third annual Van Isle Comic Convention is taking place June 9th and it promises to continue in the tradition of focusing on industry talents than star power.

Headliner Nick Kondo of Sony Picture’s ImageWorks will be present to talk about Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse and perhaps hint at what’s next. Celebrity power is creeping in slowly; Two former Power Rangers (Blake Foster, Turbo, and Michael Sowell, Timeforce) are going to talk about their time in their role as Blue Power Ranger. No martial arts demonstrations from them are scheduled as most fans know those sequences were put in from original Japanese footage. This franchise’s staying power has made stars out of many and they delight in meeting fans.

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