JUNE 2014
HW EXCLUSIVE:
AWARD SEASON COVERAGE
PULSE EVOLUTION: The Michael Jackson Illusion
Exclusive conversation with
Mercedes Benz Fashion Week 2014 MIAMI
JOYCE PENAS PIL ARSKY FASHION DESIGNER
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Dear Readers,
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ith our June issue of Hollywood Weekly Magazine my life has just come full circle. To explain things we need to travel back to 1985; we can use a DeLorean DMC-12 to get there – it’s been customized by Dr. Emmett Brown, better known as “Doc” to the kids at school. Of course, I’m referencing Robert Zemeckis’ classic 1985 epic blockbuster Back to the Future. I loved this movie as a teenager. It showed me how smart and funny Hollywood could be – and current...well, “relatively” speaking. Whatever time period Marty McFly was in I identified with him. The script was brilliant and I made up my mind to be a writer in Hollywood. At the time I didn’t know that legendary CGI Artist Stephen Rosenbaum worked on that film, or that he would work on so many other movies I love, from Forrest Gump to Avatar. Stephen Rosenbaum is now the Visual Effects Supervisor at Pulse Evolution, the company responsible for Michael Jackson’s recent performance at the Billboard Music Awards – an illusion which has become a global sensation. For my Feature Story on Pulse I interviewed the Executive Chairman of the Board, John Textor, and the Chief Executive Officer, Frank Patterson, and discovered that the artists working at this visual effects firm, and the movies they’ve worked on collectively, are directly responsible for my passion in this industry...starting almost 30 years ago with Back to the Future. Our Cover Story on Beauty Queen, Fashion Designer and Environmentalist Joyce Penas Pillarsky is about the best reason I know to stay in the present. Our fashion editors have followed Ms. Pillarsky’s career for some time, primarily because there aren’t many fashion designers who are truly inspired by nature, but the lush, vibrant world around us and all the spectacular colors and patterns we see every day have always found a place in her clothing designs. Originally from the Philippines and now living in Germany, Ms. Pillarsky is ready to take her sense of green fashion to our Red Carpet premieres... A visual effects firm that’s changing the world we live in, and a fashion designer who’s honoring the world we live in – this is your June issue of HWM... Enjoy! Sincerely,
Anthony Ewart Associate Editor, Hollywood Weekly Magazine
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2014 COUTURE COLLECTION
FROM FILM VISUAL EFFECTS TO THE MICHAEL JACKSON ILLUSION THAT SHOOK THE WORLD
FASHION DE
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hank you for taking the time to speak to Hollywood Weekly Magazine. We are honored to conduct this interview. In preparing for this interview, I read several articles where you have been featured including a recent article published in “Fil-Am Who’s Who” a popular Philippine magazine. In the interview, you are described as a Beauty Queen, fashion designer and environmentalist. How does beauty, fashion and the environment translate into the success that you have become today? For me, beauty, fashion and the environment are so entwined that I can’t live without the other. My inspirations come from nature, I believe that if we take care of our planet and nature, the result will always be an awesome beauty and from beauty I create my fashion. HW: Please tell our readers about your background. How did you find your talent in fashion? Ever since I was a child I have always dressed my dolls and people would give me a lot of praise saying how fabulous my works are, so I designed my own clothes and I would receive a lot of compliments. My friends would ask me to design clothes for their birthdays, special occasions and then later weddings. I’m so happy right now; I’m designing for a lot of people in different walks of life.
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Joyce Pe Pilarsk
Q& A
Written by Prather Jacks
SIGNER
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HW: I understand that your fashions have been showcased globally. Are you currently living in Germany, America or the Philippines? How did you first discover Hollywood Weekly Magazine?
HW: I understand that your fashions incorporate the Filipino flare by making use of native materials. Your fashions are full of vibrant colors. What has been the impact of your clothing designs in the Philippines and Germany?
I live in Germany but the work is being done in the Philippines, so I go home as often as I can to supervise the work. I also have a shop in Makati, Philippines. I’ve traveled to the USA and I love it there. I love Hollywood! When I was small I was fascinated by Hollywood, I dreamt of becoming a star and living in Beverly Hills. Everybody would laugh at me whenever I said that; they said I’m just a big dreamer, but I didn’t care. I continued to dream and keep on praying that one day I would be able to design clothes for actresses and celebrities walking Red Carpet events. Especially some of my favorite actresses, so I always stay informed about news in Hollywood and what’s happening in the entertainment industry, and then a friend showed me your magazine.
I presented my collections in the Philippine Fashion Week in 2012, and since then I’ve been able to design clothes for movie stars, commercial models and beauty queens. Last year the legendary German actress, Miss Elke Summers, a glamourous Hollywood icon, ordered two gowns from my summer collection and we had photo shooting at her house. I was also very proud and honored that Miss World 2013, Megan Young, wore my dress on a photo shoot for FDAP Magazine - a fashion magazine in Manila. And, of course, I’m always praying for the opportunity to design clothes for more actors and actresses in Hollywood.
HW: Many people would think that fashion conscious consumers would each look differently at fashion, depending upon their country. You have built an international fan base. How do you manage to create fashions that have such a wide appeal? How do you manage to handle the interactions between the large numbers of fans on your social media? I’m very thankful that we all have different tastes. I’m always striving to be the best me I can be. I create fashion that I love to wear myself; I’m a nature lover and since there are so many people who also love nature they can appreciate my creations. I believe joining fashion shows around the globe helps me reach out to our international fans. We’re making sure that we are active in our social media (Facebook, Twitter and Instagram), to keep fans updated about my shows, latest collections and accommodate their requests. Social media has a big role in the fashion industry today because it’s so easy to stay in touch with fans in any part of the world.
HW: As I review the competitive fashion landscape, I am struck by the fact that although there are many leading designers aspiring to showcase their best work, only a few are typically selected for top fashion shows around the world. Your fashions have been showcased at major events like London and New York’s Fashion Week. What makes your fashions unique? I believe that we are all unique and that’s what makes the world interesting. As an artist I try my best to create something that, once again, I love to wear myself. As a woman designer I understand what women want. Every woman wants to look beautiful, attractive, sexy, glamorous, fabulous and stunning, but at the same time, elegant. But they want to be comfortable, as well. So I have that in my mind every time I design my collection.
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HW: I understand that you and your husband have started a charity organization; please tell us more about your charity work. I also understand that you are a published author. Tell me, what was the inspiration behind your book?
Yes, our foundation believes that education is very important in the growth and progress of any country. That is why we try our best to build schools. For six years now we’ve built schools for homeless children in Bustos, Bulacan and we’ve already built a school for the Monobo tribe in Agusan and a library in Mindanao. Apart from building schools we also help the orphanage and children who have cancer. These are only some of our projects; we still have a lot to do, like building small homes for families who lost their homes due to typhoons and earthquakes. At the moment we are building classrooms in Tagbilaran, for around 400 children in the region of Bohol devastated by an earthquake. I am so thankful for the people who are helping me with all these projects by donating money to our foundation so we can carry on with all the projects that we have. Recently the KSC, the football team of our city Karlsruhe, donated money to the victims of the typhoon and we were able to give food and shelter to a lot of families. There are still so many things we are planning to do to help but with God’s blessing I believe that we will be able to carry on more projects in the future. With regards to my inspiration for my book, YSG – Young, Sexy and Gorgeous, available at Amazon.com, a lot of people always ask me how I maintain my figure and what I do to keep my skin glowing; they ask for my advice for so many different things concerning health, beauty and fashion thought I better write this book. They can buy it and get a lot of tips to improve their health based on my own experiences, and I also did some research on other things I know would benefit the readers, too, and the proceeds of the book will go to our foundation to finance the other projects that we have.
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HW: When our magazine decided to feature you on our cover, you mentioned that you were looking forward to our interview. What would you like our readers to know about Joyce Penas Pilarsky that we may not have previously discussed? I would like to take this opportunity to encourage your readers to live a life with a purpose; I strongly believe that in so doing, they will be a lot more at peace, contented, successful and happy. I know my purpose and that is to spread God’s love to the world through sharing the talent and abilities God gave me in fashion. I am able to make a lot of women happy wearing my creations. They feel more confident and proud of themselves. I am able to help our workers send their children to school and they have food to eat. Because of my concerts I am able to touch a lot of hearts through the messages of my songs and I am able to inspire young and old people alike to love classical music and jazz. It brings me a lot of happiness every time someone comes up to me after a concert to say that one day, when she grows up, she wants to be like me. Or a mother will tell me her prayer is that her daughter will grow up to be like me; and then thank me for singing to them and bringing them joy. Moments and feelings like that money can’t buy. Last December I released a CD recorded in Germany entitled I Wish You Love – it contains jazz standards sung by my Dad to my Mom over the phone while he was courting her a long time ago. The proceeds of the CD will go to the typhoon victims,
one of our projects. I use my music every time I do a fashion show, so my audience can see my collection and at the same time listen to me singing. I love that. I also would like to share with your readers to follow their dreams and don’t listen to other people who just want to discourage them. When I started my fashion a lot of people were laughing at me. They said “It’s too late to start; you’re too old to start your fashion career; you have to be young to be given a chance to succeed; the competition is too great and you will not make it.” I am happy that I followed my dream and didn’t listen to them, otherwise I would only be at home and doing my chores, instead of inspiring a lot of people out there, making them happy making a difference in their lives. I believe that we only have one life and we have to live our dreams now and put all our love and passion into whatever it is we choose to do. Then pray for it, do our best and God will take care of the rest. HW: From a consumer’s perspective, how can I buy your fashions? Do you sell in boutiques or stores? They can purchase and order online thru my website www.joycepilarsky.com, we have also an agent in Dubai and soon my collections will be available in Boston at shopemergingtrends.com.
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HW: And as a store buyer, how can I learn more about carrying your fashions? They should visit our website and get in touch with us to give them more details about our collections.
HW: What are your plans for 2014 and beyond?
I have a lot of plans for the future; I am praying that God will bless me so that I can bless others. I am planning to have more shows and more shops to showcase my collection and to be able to do more cotncerts with artist who I admire and respect. I’m planning to design more clothes for stars on the Red Carpet, and planning to publish more books about inspirations, health and fashion; books for the mind, body and soul, because I’m planning to build more schools and hopefully a hospital, as well. I am praying that I will be able to have a lot of support from other people because I can’t do all of this alone – but with a little help from my friends and other compassionate people I know I can make these all happen. It takes time, I know, and I also know that we make our plans, but it is still God who decides for us. So I pray for all of these plans and give it now to God for him to bless them and make them come true...In his time and all for his glory!
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Photographer:
Peter Prix Hair & Makeup:
Gulsen Tasch Styling:
Tina Prix June
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The London Watch Show is the only trade exhibition entirely dedicated to serving thousands of watch professionals
working in the UK. The exhibition, which takes place at the spectacular Freemasons’ Hall in the heart of London’s Covent Garden on July 6-7, is the perfect event to launch a watch brand or a new collection of watches into the UK market.The UK watch market was worth over $1.6 billion in 2013 and, with our economy growing faster than other country in Europe, we expect to see watch sales soar again in 2014. The London Watch Show is your gateway to thousands of watch retailers and agents, and it is a major event for UK watch journalists who influence sales through their magazines, web sites and newspapers.
The London Watch Show is a carefully edited show where all
exhibition stands are identical in size and style. The design of the show aims to make the watches the stars of the event, and to give all brands an equal opportunity to impress the hundreds of retailers that will attend. There will be a total of 50 stands, all measuring 9 square metres. Each stand will be supplied with custom-made furniture that is specially designed for the display of the watches. Our aim is to make exhibiting at the London Watch Show as simple and cost-effective as possible so that, in the first year of the event, watch brands are not burdened with a hugely complicated planning and build up process. The curated show will have separate halls for affordable fashion brands and high end luxury brands. The heart of the show will be the Temple of Horology, which will house a showcase of watches that are unique in their design, engineering and artistry.
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July
Henley Royal Regatta 2th - 6th, July, United Kingdom
Founded in 1839, Henley Royal Regatta is famous both as a great sporting occasion and as a social event; people come from all over the world to attend, either as competitors or as spectators. Winning an event at Henley has always been considered one of the greatest achievements of a rower’s career, even amongst those who have become world champions; and a rowing life is not complete if it does not include competing at Henley. Unlike all other major international regattas, racing at Henley is on a knockout basis, with crews rowing two abreast over a course which is one mile 550 yards (2,112 metres) long. Naturally the tactics in such races are different from racing six abreast; but oarsmen who row almost all their serious races six abreast over 2,000 metre courses have found that the variety of racing at Henley adds greatly to the interest and enjoyment of their regatta season. The Stewards of the Regatta hope to have the pleasure of welcoming crews from your Club at Henley this year.
Formula One British Grand Prix
4th - 6th, July, United Kingdom
When F1® drivers call a track “insanely fast”, you need to be there when they drive it. Add the thrill of the chase as the drivers battle it out and you’re set for a world-class sporting experience. Not to mention we throw a mean weekend-long party at Silverstone too.
Farnborough Air Show 14th - 20th, July, United Kingdom
Celebrating 100 years of Aviation History, witness a hearty selection of the great and the good, stemming back from WW1 and spanning through to modern day technology.
Veuve Clicquot
17th - 20th, July, United Kingdom
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Veuve Clicquot began its long association with polo in England with the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup and now in the United States with the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic. This stylish event began in New York City in 2008, marking the return of polo to Governors Island after nearly a 70 year lapse. In 2010, Veuve Clicquot brought the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic to Los Angeles for the first time, held at the Will Rogers State Historic Park. Veuve Clicquot has sponsored polo matches at renowned US polo clubs including the Greenwich Polo Club, International Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, and Santa Barbara Polo Club in California. This is the third year the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic will be held at the beautiful Liberty State Park, a stone’s throw away from Manhattan.
August
Sydney International Boat Show
1st - 5th, August, Sydney, Australia
There is a change on the horizon and the 47th Sydney International Boat Show will be like no other. While the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre undergoes a major upgrade over the next three years, the Sydney International Boat Show will move its undercover exhibits to the interim facility that has been specially built at the historic working port known as Glebe Island. The new Sydney Exhibition Centre @ Glebe Island is a fully functioning exhibition facility designed to accommodate world class exhibitions. The spectacular Cockle Bay Marina, always a show highlight, remains on its traditional site in Darling Harbour.
Locarno Film Festival 6th - 16th , August. Locarno, Switzerland
Throughout its 62 year history, the Locarno International Film Festival has occupied a unique position in the landscape of the major film festivals. Every August, around 180,000 cinema-goers, 1,100 journalists, and 3,400 professionals converge on the small Swiss-Italian town of Locarno, right in the heart of Europe, which becomes the world capital of auteur cinema for eleven days.
The Money Show
21st - 23rd, August, San Francisco Meet and hear from renowned financial gurus and learn their personal strategies for successfully navigating today’s challenging market conditions. These experts will provide in-depth knowledge about the financial markets, top-performing stocks and sectors, alternative investing solutions for greater diversification, risk reduction, and higher returns with non-traditional asset classes. Acquire the perspectives and insights you’ll need to profit, get answers to your specific financial questions face to face, and discover cutting-edge investment opportunities-all under one roof.
The Beijing International Book Fair 27th - 31st, August, Bejing, China
Largest publishing industry event in the Asian Market, and considering China is the most populous country in the world, that’s a pretty huge market, with a huge opportunity. Much like the Arab Market, the Chinese and Asian markets are starved for content to not only translate into their local language, but also to purchase the rights to distribute English Language content. Over 200 thousand visitors made up of members of the trade and members of the public come to the show annually to see books from 56 different countries. 2013 marked the second year in the new venue by the airport in Beijing, which recorded a number of issues in the 2012 debut. Happily those issues were worked out in 2013, so 2014 is expected to continue its upward momentum!
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The 2014 Open Championship will be the 143rd Open Championship, held 17–20 July at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Merseyside, England. It will be the twelfth Open Championship played
wat Royal Liverpool.
156 competitors will play 36 holes
of stroke play on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 July. The leading 70 players and ties will play a further 36 holes on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 July. The Champion will be the player with the lowest 72 hole aggregate. In the event of a tie, the players will play a four hole playoff. The Champion will be the player with the lowest four hole aggregate. If there is still a tie, play will continue over the 18th until a winner emerges. The presentation ceremony will be held immediately after the conclusion of play.
GATE OPENING TIMES Approximate daily opening times: Sunday 13 July — 9.00am Monday 14 July — 7.00am Tuesday 15 July — 7.00am Wednesday 16 July — 7.00am Thursday 17 July — 6.00am Friday 18 July — 6.00am Saturday 19 July — 7.00am Sunday 20 July — 7.00am
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Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week SWIM 2014 MIAMI
Twice a year, the world’s fashion luminaries descend upon New York for an eight-day, eight-night, fourrunway event: Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Since 2007, Mercedes-Benz has been the title sponsor of New York’s fashion week because of a belief shared with the fashion industry that standards are set by those who innovate and show leadership in their respective fields. Great designers and great automakers alike know that innovation isn’t simply a matter of coming up with the latest gimmick, nor is leadership simply a matter of heading in a given direction. True innovation has immediate impact and lasting value, true leadership opens minds to possibilities, and one finds just as much on a Mercedes-Benz showroom floor as one does on a Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week runway.
Every July, swimsuit and resort wear designers gather at The Raleigh in Miami Beach, Florida for MercedesBenz Fashion Week Swim, the global swimwear industry´s main event. And as much as New York represents the formal side of both fashion and Mercedes-Benz, Miami is where both go to loosen up a bit. Between skillfully mixed mojitos and fresh ceviche mixotâ, people gather around The Raleigh´s pool, transformed for five days into a white-hot runway. There, they take in the best in poolside fashion, while just outside, they take in the sportiest of the Mercedes-Benz fleet. It´s informal, it´s untucked, it´s South Beach.
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TIEY YOUNG T
iey Young is an actor of diverse capabilities, just as he is an actor who elicits diverse reactions as to who he physically resembles. The comparisons vary from Don Johnson, to a young Mickey Rourke, to even Robert Downey, Jr. One thing anyone who’s worked on a film or television production with Tiey agree on is his amazing work ethic. Whether he’s acting in front of the camera or involved behind the scenes – most recently he helped build a space station for “The Big Bang Theory – Tiey view all productions as a team project. In fact, the one quote most repeated about Tiey is “He does whatever he can to benefit the production.” Tiey moved to Los Angeles from Ohio just over six years ago. His reputation as an actor there spread to Los Angeles, prompting Hollywood Producers to contact him about a job hosting a new show on a cable music channel. Within no time Tiey was in L.A., and this new, larger market gave Tiey the opportunity to showcase his many talents, which also include stunt work – one of the benefits of always keeping himself physically fit. The big difference between Tiey and most actors is he’s not afraid of hard work – yes, he’s worked as a model, but he’s also done rigging jobs and fabrication jobs in the entertainment industry, but the one component that links everything together is Tiey’s artistic background. He approaches all aspects of work with an eye for aesthetics, utilizing knowledge, skill and his immense artistic aptitude. Forever humble, Tiey credits growing up in the Midwest for his strong work ethic and integrity. Regardless of the success he’s experienced in Hollywood Tiey remains loyal to his family and friends, those who helped mold him into the artist he’s become. His goal is to one day help other actors from the Midwest who are looking for a way to break into Hollywood. These aren’t usually the sentiments you hear from an actor on the rise in Los Angeles, but Tiey Young has never been your ordinary actor. Instead of only focusing on big budget film and television projects, which he has access to, he’s more concerned with growing as an actor and an artist.
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He has his personal wish list of Directors he wants to work with, and quite a few of them work on Independent Films. It’s not hard to imagine why – some of the greatest Directors we know from mainstream cinema began making Indie Films: David Lynch, Quentin Tarantino, Danny Boyle and Christopher Nolan all began in the Indie world.
Tiey entered Hollywood from the ground up, building remote controlled helicopters and planes for Wonderworks while simultaneously establishing himself as a rising young actor.
...but how did this all start? Like most artists, Tiey began just doing things he loved as a child without any idea how useful these talents would become as an adult.
None of Tiey’s success comes as a surprise to his family, who are all equally talented and gifted in their own genre. Tiey grew up in a home of musicians, though his father also has a love of chemistry and even created a patented formula. The rest of his family are primarily into classical music and opera. Like Tiey, they’re builders, constructing many of the instruments they play. Tiey’s brother, whom he’s extremely proud of, plays multiple instruments and is also a computer programmer. Essentially, Tiey was raised by and around artists and intellectuals...his talent was destined from the very beginning.
As a young boy Tiey would take his toys apart to see how they worked: cars, trains, anything electronic. When he was older he delved into the world of remote controlled devices. He mastered the field, creating remote controlled helicopters and planes – and, remember, this was all just a hobby to him...
Academy Award winner, Sean Penn, is an actor Tiey would like to model his career on, but with all of the skills and talents Tiey possesses, I’m not Hollywood has ever seen an artist as multitalented as he is. More realistically, many of us will be modelling our careers after him.
Tiey’s love of acting, his goal of maturing into a greater artist and his passion for filmmaking, in general, only leads to one obvious conclusion: becoming a Director himself.
Tiey became friends with the keyboardist from The Doobie Brothers in his hometown of Cleveland; after seeing the amazing things Tiey was creating he called the President of Wonderworks (US), and that was all it took, and Tiey was working with one of the giants in the world of Hollywood special effects.
Laury Rhem, Manager UEM (310) 461-7049 Stephen DeCayette Commercial Talent Agent, Prestige (310) 777-7707
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In-Depth Focus:
Pulse Evolution JOHN TEXTOR Executive Chairman of the Board FRANK PATTERSON Chief Executive Officer
FROM FILM VISUAL EFFECTS TO THE MICHAEL JACKSON ILLUSION THAT SHOOK THE WORLD Written by Anthony Ewart
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eautiful words are no match for a sincere voice. We’re really not as shallow as we think we are. People do want meaningful, soulful connections. When we can’t find it in real life we turn to films. Books, notwithstanding, movies satisfy our id. Visual effects are strongest with emotions. Transformers is a fantastic movie, no doubt, but Gollum in The Two Towers reaches you deeper. His expressions challenge what we deem as human. Gollum’s heart is not on his sleeve, it’s on his face: when Frodo calls him by his real name, there’s softness, but rage and hurt fill his eyes with Frodo’s betrayal. Gollum’s performance in The Two Towers and the entire world of Middle-earth was created by a trifecta of sheer creative genius: Jim Berney (now President of Pulse), and John Feather and Scott Smith, who have also joined the Pulse revolution. The innovations that the artists of Pulse have given our world individually, and now under the focused leadership of Jim Berney, William Krueger (Executive Vice President and CFO), Frank Patterson and John Textor are too overwhelming
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to be fully taken in at this time – their combined work in visual effects have set the foundation for a future we’ve all dreamed about, where anything imagined can become possible; and decades from now Pulse will be credited with not just starting this Butterfly Effect – the changes they’ve set into motion are larger than the wings of a butterfly – they’re transforming the course of visual effects in our culture with the Wings of Dragons... Michael Jackson was the greatest performer this world has ever known because he excelled in every element needed for a compelling, mesmerizing, unforgettable performance. His singing was outstanding; his dancing and sense of rhythm crossed the threshold of genius – but most importantly, Michael Jackson shared his soul with his audience. That was the true connection. When Michael Jackson sang in concert regardless of where you sat in the audience he established an emotional connection with you. It was like Quantum Entanglement, or as Einstein described the ability of some particles to interact with each other without physically touching, “Spooky action at a distance.” How did MJ do it? It would seem the answer to this secret is now being held under tightened security by John Textor, Frank Patterson and Stephen Rosenbaum at Pulse Evolution.
The synergy at Pulse is electric because the sum of its parts are all brilliant individuals. Stephen Rosenbaum, the visual effects supervisor at Pulse who worked as a CGI Animator on groundbreaking films like Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Jurassic Park. John Textor, whose work on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button won an Oscar for Digital Domain, the company he ran before helping to form Pulse. Frank Patterson, another founding father of Pulse who was named by The Hollywood Reporter as “one of the nation’s top mentors to a generation of Hollywood filmmakers.” These artists tapped into Plato’s Thumos, which is the essence of our emotions and spirit, to give audience members of the 2014 Billboard Music Awards – at home or in person – an incredibly moving, soulful performance by the late Michael Jackson.
There have been many articles written about the painstaking mechanics and groundbreaking technology used by Pulse over an eight month period to create the illusion of Michael Jackson singing “Slave to the Rhythm,” a single from Michael’s latest album Xscape – we live in an age of posthumous albums so why not create posthumous performances? Frank Patterson and John Textor both refer to MJ’s performance at the Billboard Music Awards as an “illusion,” but I’ve worked on jobs where my coworkers had “less life” than MJ’s “illusion of living.” We come back to Plato’s Thumos... How do you make something come alive to the point that a human, emotional connection is made...and sustained?
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In The Curious Case of Benjamin Button the entire first hour of the movie Benjamin Button was completely digital. These were incredibly sensitive, poignant scenes created through visual effects, like Benjamin asking his
mother, “Mama, what’s wrong with me?” Another touching scene during this first hour is when Benjamin stares longingly at other children running and playing near his house while he sits in a wheelchair on his front porch. Finally, who can forget the first time Benjamin casts his eyes on Daisy, the love of his life. In short, all the magical moments of the film that made us weep in theaters and hold our dates close in the dark were all created through digital visual effects at the helm of John Textor. No artist painted more self-portraits than Rembrandt – what was he trying so hard to capture on canvass? The same thing Van Gogh found and achieved through his self-portraits, seen in those intense, troubled blue eyes of his: the soul.
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Pulse Evolution has one simple goal: “To be the world’s leading developer and producer of computer generated human likeness.” With Michael Jackson’s performance of “Slave to the Rhythm,” I think we can replace the word “leading” with “dominating” in their above mission statement – but a quick look at the body of work completed by the creative team of Pulse on their website will show why. As Textor and Patterson both told me: “If you’ve been the best in character animation in film you’re going to be the best in human animation, as well.”
amazing things that would pass in the days to come. Textor and Patterson agree that their technology is not only applicable in the entertainment industry. One of the more intriguing concepts I’ve heard came from my publisher, Prather Jackson, whose military experience brought up the idea of “Phantom Soldiers,” possibly utilizing the talent of Loki from Thor, who’s able to project false images of himself, giving him an incredible advantage in battle. Thor’s visual effects, you may have guessed, were completed under the leadership of John Textor.
As I stated earlier, the technological innovations achieved by the creative team of Pulse are shaping our future in a way that would be quite different without their talents. When John Textor and his team at Digital Domain – who are now all at Pulse – unveiled an illusion of Tupac Shakur rapping at the Coachella music festival in 2012 the lyrics were on the wall of the
I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I like to imagine that every office in Pulse has one copy of a Da Vinci pen and ink sketch – not his finished paintings, just his studies – because in those raw drawings with multiple versions of the same subject you see a man searching for the human soul...and I can’t think of a better home for those sketches than Pulse.
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WHERE TO SHOP WHERE TO EAT WHERE TO PLAY
Beverly Hills Business Listings bar 10,5 Nic’s Beverly Hills 453 N Canon Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 550-5707
haircare 11,7 Cristophe Salon 348 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 274-0851
Parisian-style bistro 11,6 Monsieur Marcel 447 N Canon Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 274-7300
Gallery & Shop 11,7 Taschen Store 354 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 274-4300
chophouse 11,6 Wolfgang’s Steakhouse 445 N Canon Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 385-0640
13,8 Bar Bouchon 235 N Canon Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 271-9910
11,6 Beverly Hills Lingual Institute 439 N Cañon Dr #207 Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 858-0717 11,6 Coupa Cafe 419 N Canon Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 385-0420
14,9 SUGARFISH by Sushi Nozawa 212 N Canon Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 276-6900 15,10 Citibank 9401 Wilshire Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 90212 (800) 627-3999
11,6 M cafe 9433 Brighton Way Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 858-8459
hotel 14,9 Montage Beverly Hills 225 N Canon Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 499-4199
12,7 Mulberry Street Pizzeria 347 N Canon Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 247-8998
13,9 Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar 252 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90212 (310) 278-8710
bar 12,8 Via Alloro 301 N Canon Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 275-2900 clothing 12,8 Levi’s Store - Beverly Hills 316 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 246-9044 sport 11,7 Lululemon athletica North Beverly 334 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 858-8339 11,7 A Pea in the Pod 352 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Gallery & Shop 11,7 Taschen Store 354 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 274-4300
38 38Hollywood Weekly - HO LL Y W O O D WE E K L Y
13,9 Pei Wei 270 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 12,10 Gersh Talent Agency: David H. 9465 Wilshire Blvd Beverly Hills, CA 90212 (310) 274-6611 12,9 Hakkasan Beverly Hills 233 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 888-8661 Cantonese cuisine 12,9 Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar 252 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90212 (310) 278-8710 11,9 208 RODEO RESTAURANT 208 Via Rodeo Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90212 (310) 275-2428 11,9 David Orgell Rodeo Drive-Beverly Hills
262 N Rodeo Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 273-6660 hotels 11,10 Rodeo Collection L 4 Rodeo Drive LLC 268 N Rodeo Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 Shopping mal 11,10 Two Rodeo 9478 Dayton Way, Los Angeles, CA 90212 90212 (310) 247-7040 Italian restaurant 11,9 Il Fornaio 301 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 550-8330 store 11,8 Williams-Sonoma 339 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 274-9127 store 10,8 Paper Source 9460 Brighton Way Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 288-9700 Jewelry store 9,8 Cartier 370 N Rodeo Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 275-4272 museum 8,5 Paley Center For Media 465 N Beverly Dr Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 786-1000 Clothing store 8,6 Brooks Brothers 468 N Rodeo Dr¬ Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 274-4003 14,9 Jewerly & Antique Store
We are open 7 days a week . Diamonds, Gold, Silver and Crystal.
CONCERTS ON CAÑON AND SUNDAY MOVIE NIGHTS SUNDAY MOVIE NIGHTS: June 1 – School of Rock June 22 – Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer July 13 – Ernest and Celestine July 27 – I Wanna Hold Your Hand August 10 – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
THURSDAY CONCERTS: June 5 – Ray and the Rhythm Beat Band (Motown) June 12 – Amanda Castro (30’s & 40’s Jazz/Pop) June 19 – Westside Jazz Ensemble (Big Band) June 26- Leslie Paula and the Latin Soul Band July 3 – The Tokens (Doo Wop) July 10 – Icy Hot Club (Gypsy Jazz) July 17 – Big Butter Jazz Band (Roots/Jazz) July 24- The Four Fabs (Beatles Tribute) July 31- Joyce Marie Quartet (Jazz/Pop Vocals) August 7 – Dakota (Acoustical Rock) HO LL Y W O O D WE E K L Y - 39