Working Hollywood: Creating the universe for ‘The Tree of Life’

No human can travel back in time to witness the birth of the first stars, but watching director Terrence Malick's Oscar-nominated drama “The Tree of Life” is the next best thing. In one of the film's mesmerizing outer space sequences, orange, red and blue balls of fire and dust pulsate in the primordial darkness, transporting audiences into the violent, roiling cradle of the early universe.

But the startling deep space images didn’t come from a telescope. They came from billions of numbers crunched into images by computers at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

“We call ourselves, sometimes jokingly, the Silicon Prairie out here, because we do have really big computers,” said Donna Cox, director of the Advanced Visualization Laboratory at NCSA. Oklahoma-born Cox earned her bachelor’s B.A. and M.F.A. in computer graphics arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1985, she joined the art and design faculty at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and got involved in the newly- created NCSA, where she began assembling what she calls a “renaissance team” of artists, scientists and technologists.

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NCSA has provided scientific visualizations for everything from IMAX films to educational television. But as their first feature film, “The Tree of Life” enabled Cox and her team to collaborate creatively with director Terrence Malick and visual effects supervisor Dan Glass.

“What Terry really wanted in the film was a strong sense of realism and mystery,” Cox said. “What the images convey are this birth and death in the universe and the majesty of flying through the galaxy and the emotion behind that. We were conveying in a very visceral and emotional way these large-scale events that parallel the life and death of our own families and our own lives.”

By the Numbers: To create the space sequences for “The Tree of Life,” Cox and her team started with billions of numbers that describe key characteristics of the universe, such the locations of stars and the shapes of galaxies. “All of that can be separated out from the numbers,” said Cox, whose department has spent 15 years figuring out how to do that using specialized computer software developed in house.

Video: Key scenes that made Oscar voters take notice

Snap, Crackle, Pop: One NCSA sequence in “The Tree of Life” depicts some of the first stars in the early universe. “They call them Pop III stars,” Cox said. “And from that star that goes supernova, new life is formed in the nebula. And that was important to Terry Malick because that particular scene was all about birthing and very early coming of age. All of the stars that get born out of those supernovae have evolved into what we are today, and in fact we — even our planet and our physical bodies — are all made from this original stardust.”

Getting Dark: The second NCSA sequence in “The Tree of Life” took the audience on a flight through the Milky Way. “We had used the Milky Way in other movies and other projects,” Cox said. “We definitely worked at the basic color scheme that we had developed a long time ago, which shows the brightness of the stars and the deep richness of the dust and the star birthing regions, which are these subtle reddish areas. What Terry wanted was to enrich that hue, make it darker and more mysterious. So we darkened things a lot, and we gave various options on the look of the stars and their contrast and whether they were more on the bluish side or on the goldish side.”

A Really Big Canvas: Cox and her team get to exercise their creativity when it comes to choosing the color scheme for the images, the brightness of the stars, the density and placement of space dust and the perspective of the “virtual camera.” So, that’s not really the Milky Way? “We have artistic control about how bright to make the stars or how contrast-y or how dense to make the dust in certain areas. So there were very subtle changes in the Milky Way galaxy, and we could make those subtle changes without compromising science.”

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-- By Cristy Lytal

Photo: NCSA's highly detailed Milky Way galaxy model. Credit: Fox Searchlight

Super Bowl ad mania kicks off with a commercial for a commercial

More than two weeks before the big game, buzz is beginning to build around what advertisements are going to kick off during the Super Bowl.

One prominent ad agency -- Deutsch LA, the Marina del Rey firm that does the creative work for Volkswagen -- has set a particularly high bar for clever Super Bowl spots. Last year it rolled out "The Force," a heart-warming commercial that featured a little boy dressed as Darth Vader who used his "powers" to start his parents' VW Passat. 

"The Force" immediately became a fan favorite. Over the last year, the VW Super Bowl commercial has attracted nearly 50 million views online and won several prestigious advertising awards.

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So how does the agency top that?  This week, VW and Deutsch LA took the unusual step of releasing a "teaser" ad for its upcoming Super Bowl spot. "The Bark Side" is a commercial for the upcoming VW Super Bowl commercial.  

The teaser spot continues in the "Star Wars" theme with a menagerie of canines that bark the "Imperial Death March," the ominous tones that introduce Darth Vader. The howling and barking dogs sport various outfits from the sci-fi sensation. 

The teaser has attracted more than 1 million views since going online Wednesday night.

"It's trending faster than 'The Force' did, and this isn't even a Super Bowl ad," Mike Sheldon, chief executive of Deutsch LA, said in an interview.

The stakes are incredibly high for Super Bowl commercials. This year, companies are paying an average of $3.5 million for 30 seconds of advertising time in the big game, which NBC will televise Feb. 5.  Instant polls put additional pressure on the agencies to come up with catchy ads. 

"The Super Bowl is one of the most effective advertising platforms you can have, and it has become more competitive than ever," Sheldon said. "'The Bark Side' was our way to try to stay one step ahead and trump the 70 other advertisers who will be in the Super Bowl. We wanted to get people talking about Volkswagen."

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-- Meg James

Morning Fix: 'Social Network' scores. Rupert Murdoch tilts right again. Sanchez adds to CNN's woes. Quick hook in new TV season. CAA gets an infusion.

After the coffee.  Before seeing if I had the Kansas City Chiefs going undefeated this season.

The Skinny. In Monday's roundup: Sony's "The Social Network" takes the top spot at the box office, but don't look for Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg to buy the DVD. CAA has landed a big investment from TPG, a private equity firm, that the talent agency hopes will position it for a bright future in an uncertain world. No new hits so far in the TV season. Legendary producer Stephen Cannell, who died late last week, not only created great TV, he stood up for independent producers against the networks.

Sony likes this! "The Social Network," Sony Pictures' attempt to tell the behind-the-scenes story of the creation of Facebook and the legal battles that followed its co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, finished first at the box office, taking in $23 million. That is just a little off from what industry analysts had projected, and the movie easily beat the other two major releases that opened -- "Case 39" and "Let Me In." The real challenge for "The Social Network" will be to avoid being the MySpace or Friendster of movies, starting out hot and then vanishing from the zeitgeist. Box-office analysis from the Los Angeles Times and Movie City News. 

Zuckerberg's thumb is down. Although the box office was good, Facebook and Zuckerberg are not fans of "The Social Network," which people close the company claim is a very distorted look at the history of the social-networking site. Hollywood take creative liberties? Shocking. David Kirkpatrick, who wrote a book on Facebook with the cooperation of Zuckerberg, talks about what he thinks the movie got wrong in the Daily Beast. After reading his article and seeing the movie, I was more surprised by how much Kirkpatrick said the movie got right versus what he said the movie got wrong. OK, so Zuckberberg didn't have sex in a bathroom as implied with the movie; I think he can survive that hit to his reputation.  In the meantime, Zuckerberg is trying to improve his own profile, making a big donation to public schools in Newark, N.J., and appearing on both Oprah Winfrey's show and Sunday's episode of "The Simpsons."

Disney's new new media duo. Walt Disney Co.'s digital aspirations are so big that it takes two executives to run its interactive unit. Over the weekend, the company announced that John Pleasants, chief executive of Playdom, a social gaming site that Disney bought earlier this year, and James Pitaro, who oversees Yahoo Inc.'s media operations, will be co-presidents of Disney Interactive. They replace Steve Wadsworth, who left a few weeks ago. Details from Bloomberg.

CAA's new look. On Friday, Creative Artists Agency announced TPG Group, a firm whose investments include Burger King and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, bought a 35% stake in the talent agency whose clients include Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey. The deal will also see CAA and TPG create a $500-million fund for future investments. The move comes as the movie and television industries struggle to adjust to the shifting digital landscape. Analysis from the Los Angeles Times, Wall Street Journal and Deadline Hollywood.

CNN's struggles. It is a cash cow with a brand known the world over, but Time Warner Inc.'s CNN has seen its ratings plummet in the U.S. over the last decade as Fox News has raced to the top and MSNBC has made big inroads. New York magazine looks at the unsuccessful efforts of recently ousted CNN U.S. President Jon Klein to shakeup the network and turn it around, and how its competitors have managed to steal the spotlight. CNN's headaches only got worse on Friday when one of its hosts, Rick Sanchez, was canned for calling Jon Stewart of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" a bigot and for taking some shots at CNN management as well. The Washington Post on how Sanchez imploded.

Rupert leans right. Once again, News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch has made a big donation that has people talking about the influence of his media company -- whose holdings include Fox News -- on the country's political climate. Murdoch wrote a $1-million check to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is working primarily on behalf of Republican candidates. The New York Times takes a look at Murdoch's spending and what it has people saying about his company.

Quick trigger. The TV season is only a couple of weeks old and already two shows -- Fox's "Lone Star" and ABC's "My Generation" -- have been canceled. So much for having patience when, with so many shows launching at the same time, it's hard to get the attention of viewers. Of course, some shows just are not good, and all the marketing in the world won't make a difference. Variety has a look at the quick hook of the networks.

Inside the Los Angeles Times: Scott Collins looks at the lack of success for most of the TV season's new shows. Legendary producer Stephen Cannell, who died on Friday, not only made a lot of great shows ("The Rockford Files," "Wise Guy"), he was a strong voice for independent producers.

-- Joe Flint

Follow me on Twitter because it will make Monday go by faster. Twitter.com/JBFlint

Davis Elen Advertising tackles San Diego Chargers account for SoCal media blitz

The San Diego Chargers' newly hired advertising agency is planning a Southern California media blitz.

Davis Elen Advertising, based in downtown Los Angeles, has landed the media buying account for the professional football team. With the weak economy putting a drag on season ticket sales, the agency's goal will be to make the Chargers feel like the home team for people who live in Los Angeles, Riverside and Orange counties as well as the residents of San Diego County.

"The Chargers obviously saw an opportunity here," said Jim Kelly, a Davis Elen partner and managing director. "They are San Diego's team, but they certainly would like to draw more fans from Los Angeles, the Inland Empire and Orange County."

The Los Angeles market has been without a major football team for 15 years. The Rams left Southern California in 1995, the same year the Raiders decamped and returned to their longtime home in Oakland.

Davis Elen landed the account, in part, through its existing relationship with the Chargers. Kelly also manages media buying for the San Diego County Toyota Dealers, which has been one of the sponsors of the football team for several years. San Diego-based Sexton Communications previously handled the Chargers' business.

"The team was looking to capitalize on Davis Elen's strength and leverage in Los Angeles and Orange counties," said Kelly, who has been with the firm for 24 years. He said Davis Elen would also utilize its partnership with Castells & Asociados, a Los Angeles ad agency that focuses on the Latin market.

Davis Elen plans to coordinate the Chargers' ad campaign on various platforms, including television, radio, newspapers, magazines and Internet sites. With billings of more than $150 million a year, the firm also handles media buying for the Southern California Toyota Dealers and McDonald's restaurant operators.

-- Meg James

Photo from January 2010 San Diego Chargers football game by Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times. 

The Morning Fix: Emmy loves broadcast. Disney may really have sold Miramax! ESPN-LeBron backlash

After the coffee. Before avoiding all the reviews of "Inception."

Is it really over? Walt Disney Co. has struck a deal to sell Miramax to an investor group led by construction executive Ron Tutor with backing from Colony Capital, a private equity firm, and James Robinson, chief executive of production company Morgan Creek. If this deal actually closes, it will bring to an end to months of high-stakes negotiations and a battle among three potential suitors, including Miramax founders Bob and Harvey Weinstein. Former Disney executive Richard Nanula, now with Colony, is expected to oversee operations at Miramax for its new owners. More on what may be the final chapter from the Los Angeles Times and the Wrap.

Explaining Emmy. When hundreds are nominated for awards, it can make finding a trend difficult. But try we must, and with some new shows on broadcast television -- "Glee," "Modern Family," and "The Good Wife" -- doing very well, the verdict seems to be that network television is back. Well, certainly it was a good season, but it's not like HBO, Showtime, AMC and other cable channels were overlooked by Emmy voters. I'm still wondering how the voters could snub Khandi Alexander of HBO's "Treme." And why do they keep ignoring FX's "Rescue Me." Analysis on the nominations from the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Variety and Hollywood Reporter.

Fleeing Sun Valley. Friday is when the media stalkers exit Allen & Co.'s Sun Valley mogul gathering after three days of chasing executives and being escorted by security to the bathroom. So here are the wrap-up stories from the New York Times and Wall Street Journal that, quite frankly, could have been written before the conference started. No digs at my media pals intended; I've been there and know the drill. You do the best you can with what few morsels you can get. At least the Idaho setting is beautiful and there are some good restaurants in town.

The 10% factor. The Hollywood Reporter's Matthew Belloni takes a look at the verdict against Walt Disney Co. in its battle over profits from the game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" with the show's creator, Celador Productions, and the role that agents played in the relationship between the two companies. William Morris agents were put in an awkward position throughout the trial, and the verdict may have some rethinking the way packaging fees for shows are doled out to agencies.

ESPN and LeBron: The Aftermath. ESPN's deal with LeBron James, in which the basketball superstar got to handpick his interviewer and sell the network's ad time (for charity) in return for telling the cable channel where he was signing, has been heavily criticized in the media. Here's our Thursday story and a take from Friday's New York Times. Ex-ESPN analyst Dan Patrick said on his radio show Friday that the Thursday night program was "an infomercial" and that the network covered this "like it's 'American Idol.'" Not everyone is ganging up on Disney's ESPN though. Here's a defense from the Daily Beast. Meanwhile, super-agent Ari Emanuel is taking credit for helping put together the show, which, given the reviews, may not be something to boast about.

Inside the Los Angeles Times: "Eclipse" is expected to rule the weekend again at the box office, but its pacing is trailing its predecessor, "New Moon." More bad news for Mel Gibson.

-- Joe Flint

Follow me on Twitter and I won't abandon you for Miami: Twitter.com/JBFlint

'Terminator' gets an agent

Everyone in Hollywood needs an agent, right? Now, the future of the time-bending science-fiction franchise "Terminator" rests with William Morris Endeavor Entertainment.

Santa Barbara hedge fund Pacificor, which won the rights to make future "Terminator" movies in a controversial February bankruptcy auction that pitted Pacificor against Sony Pictures and Lionsgate, has signed talent agency WME to represent the rights, the two companies confirmed in an announcement Thursday.

WME actually has been handling the rights since March, after talks Pacificor held with Sony and Lionsgate for the two studios to make future "Terminator" sequels fell apart. The agency is looking for a new studio or financier to put together a fifth movie after last year's "Terminator Salvation," the fourth in the 26-year-old series, which was was released by Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures to mixed results.

-- Ben Fritz

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"Terminator Salvation" producers file for bankruptcy protection

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Photo: Arnold Schwarzenegger in "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines." Credit: Robert Zuckerman / Warner Bros. Pictures

Fired 'Call of Duty' developers sign with CAA

Hollywood's biggest talent agency is being called to duty.

Signaling their intention to set up a new deal soon, Vince Zampella and Jason West, the recently fired heads of the studio that produced the blockbuster video games Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, have agreed to be represented by the Creative Artists Agency.

West and Zampella, the former president and chief executive, respectively, of Encino-based Infinity Ward, were fired on March 1 due to an undisclosed dispute with their bosses at Activision Blizzard, Inc..

Two days later they filed a $36-million lawsuit against the Santa Monica-based publisher, led by outspoken chief executive Bobby Kotick, claiming wrongful termination and breach of contract. They allege that Activision fired them to avoid paying royalties on their work. November's Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 was the bestselling game of 2009 in the U.S. and generated more than $1 billion worldwide.

Most video game developers are hired hands for publishers and not represented by talent agents. As such, landing the top game developers behind one of the industry's biggest franchises marks a coup for CAA.

At least one of the other top Hollywood agencies was looking to sign West and Zampella since they lost their jobs last week, according to a person familiar with the situation.

A CAA spokeswoman declined to discuss what West and Zampella may be looking to do next. Given the commercial and creative pedigree of working on the original Call of Duty and the Modern Warfare spinoffs, however, as well as the attention that their recent fallout with Activision has brought them in the gamer community, they would likely have little trouble setting up shop at another video game publisher.

-- Ben Fritz and Alex Pham

Photo: A scene from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Credit: Activision.

Ryan Seacrest leaves WME for CAA

"American Idol" host and budding reality TV mogul Ryan Seacrest has signed with Creative Artists Agency after 10 years with William Morris.

The move comes only days after Seacrest signed a $45-million deal to stay with "American Idol" for three more years.

Seacrest's decision to exit the newly minted WME is not a complete shock. His long-time agent, Adam Sher, left to run Seacrest's production company last year, and his other main suit at the firm -- John Ferriter -- has only just returned after a long medical leave.

Furthermore, Seacrest kept the agency out of negotiations of his latest deal, which soured their relationship, people familiar with the situation said.

CAA will handle all of Seacrest's future television activities but not his radio work. Besides hosting "American Idol," Seacrest's Ryan Seacrest Productions produces reality shows "Denise Richards: It's Complicated" and "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" for the E! cable network and is developing a show with British chef James Oliver for ABC that will debut later this year.

For CAA, the deal with Seacrest gives it one more piece of the "American Idol" pie. It already packages the hit Fox show and counts creator Simon Fuller as a client.

-- Joe Flint

Photo: Ryan Seacrest. Credit: Alexandra Wyman/Getty Images

William Morris' Jim Wiatt contemplates next move

 

After pulling off the big William Morris Agency-Endeavor merger, Jim Wiatt is reportedly looking for a new  gig.

The William Morris chairman, who would retain the same title at the combined agency, WME Entertainment, won't leave immediately, according to one source familiar with the situation. He is, however, looking to start his next chapter.

Prior to the merger announcement, Wiatt had vigorously denied claims that he would play an emeritus role in the merged company, handing over day-to-day control to Ari Emanuel. Now with William Morris' future assured, it seems he's got his eyes fixed on the door.

Update: Get more details in the story from Saturday's Los Angeles Times.

-- Dawn C. Chmielewski

Photo: William Morris Chairman Jim Wiatt. Credit: Stephen Shugerman / Getty Images

More than 120 William Morris employees laid off ahead of Endeavor merger

The long-anticipated layoffs at William Morris in advance of its merger with Endeavor have begun.

According to several sources at the two agencies, at least 120 William Morris employees, about 40 of them agents, are being informed today that they are losing their jobs. The television and motion picture departments were both hit particularly hard.

There's no information yet on whether senior agents were included, although scripted TV chief Aaron Kaplan has already left to form his own management/production company.

Insiders said that today's cuts represent the bulk of the expected layoffs before the merger is complete, but some more are still on the way.

William Morris, which has more than 800 employees, was always expected to bear the brunt of the merger-related layoffs, particularly since two of the three CEOs at the new company come from the smaller Endeavor.

The smaller agency is expected to lay off 10 agents, some of whom have already left in recent weeks, as well as some support staff.

A spokesperson for William Morris declined to comment. An Endeavor spokesperson hasn't yet responded.

UPDATE (3:10 PM): Though William Morris' motion picture and TV departments were both hard hit, only one was eliminated entirely: video games. Cody Alexander, who founded the two-person department six years ago, was among those let go today. As Endeavor doesn't have one, that will leave William Morris Endeavor Entertainment, post-merger, without a video game department. While all five major agencies were involved in the space just a few years ago, only CAA and UTA now have full-time agents covering the video game business.

UPDATE (7:02 PM): A person insider William Morris says the layoffs have been rumored internally to be imminent for about a week. The reason? On Friday, the Federal Trade Commission gave official word that it won't stand in the way of the merger (see the official, not-too-exciting document here). That gave the William Morris a clear runway to go ahead with any merger-related cuts.

Now that the government isn't standing in the way, the two agencies are expected to close their transaction and officially form William Morris Endeavor Entertainment very soon.

-- Ben Fritz

Photo: William Morris offices in Beverly Hills.