Hey IMPACTians!

What’s 1 hour from Toronto, 2 hours from Buffalo and 3 hours from Detroit? The IMPACTastic Waterloo Arts Festival in Waterloo, Ontario this coming weekend.

This eclectic celebration of visual and performing arts aims to expand your artistic consciousness. And hey, IMPACT author David Okum will be there and so will this guy:

Later on when you’re out and about (or oat and a-boat in Canadianspeak) in wonderful Waterloo, check out the nearby African Lion Safari park or the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. The latter’s main building looks like something straight out of Doug Chiang’s book Mechanika. Pretty slick.

After a limited opening yesterday, Star Trek is now showing in all theaters today. I was able to see it in a nearby theater last night and was surprised by the small crowd (fewer than 20 people in the theater). Where were all the trekkies?

I was a little disappointed since a large, excited crowd always makes opening night seem more fun. Despite this, Star Trek has everything you’d want in a summer blockbuster: adventure, romance and lots and lots of shiny explosions.

It’s not lacking in the plot or acting departments either. J.J. Abrams thoroughly revamps the Star Trek franchise, and the young actors bring new life to the well-loved characters. There’s still the occasional hokey line and gimmicky plot device, but don’t we expect and want at least a little of that from Star Trek?

Watch the official trailer here and go see the movie this weekend!

Want to draw your own space ships and alien life forms? Check out Mechanika by Doug Chiang and Creature Features by Randy Martinez.

BIO
Doug Chiang has worked in film and television production since 1986, earning an Academy Award, two British Academy Film Awards and a Clio Award. As a film production designer, he has worked on The Polar Express, Beowulf and the 2009 Disney film A Christmas Carol. Chiang was design director for the Star Wars prequels Episode I and Episode II. He has written and illustrated several books, including Robota, which he created and co-wrote with novelist Orson Scott Card. Chiang is Executive Vice President of ImageMovers Digital, a Walt Disney company.

Doug Chiang in his studio

Name: Doug Chiang
Latest IMPACT book: Mechanika: Creating the Art of Science Fiction With Doug Chiang
Hometown: Westland, Michigan
Current residence: San Rafael, California
Kids and/or pets? Three kids: Jake, Ryan and Audrey; two goldfish
Favorite food: Dim sum
Favorite candy bar: Butterfinger
Favorite TV show: Any science program
Favorite movies: Disney’s Pinocchio, Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights and Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey
Do you collect anything (stamps, comics)? Die cast model cars
First job ever: Paperboy
Best job ever: Current

When did you know you wanted to be a filmmaker?
When I was 15.

Give us a taste of your latest project?
A retelling of A Christmas Carol, told in a new medium that will be completely unlike any version that has come before.

Talk about a time you felt star struck in your line of work.
Never was star struck by movie stars, but meeting my two filmmaking heroes—Ralph McQuarrie (original Star Wars artist) and Ray Harryhausen (legendary stop motion filmmaker) come the closest. Ralph, because his painting originally inspired me to be an artist, and Ray because his animation inspired me to be a filmmaker.

What’s the best piece of career advice you’ve received?
Know what you want and every day, do one thing to get you closer to it.

Click here to visit Doug Chiang’s Web site: Doug Chiang Studio.

Click here to check out Mechanika: Creating the Art of Science Fiction With Doug Chiang.

Congratulations to Mirana Reveier, our grand prize winner of a signed Doug Chiang print and a copy of his book Mechanika. Mirana is a freelance artist who majored in comic books and is a fan of Doug Chiang. You can see more of Mirana’s art at her website http://hikarikat.com/mirana.

We had such a great response; we decided to draw two more names for a free copy of Mechanika, so congratulations to Mack Sztaba and Bonnie Watson as well! 

Thanks to all who entered! If you would like your art added to our gallery, e-mail us at impactbooks@fwmedia.com. Be sure to include your name, the title of the piece and your website (if you have one).

Tiefling Warrior by Mirana Reveier

Time is running out to submit your art to be included in the next IMPACT e-newsletter! 

Just send a JPEG of your latest work at 72dpi to: impactbooks@fwpubs.com. If your piece is chosen to showcase in next month’s e-newsletter, we’ll send you a signed print from Mechanika: Creating the Art of Science Fiction With Doug Chiang and a copy of the book itself. Don’t forget to include a few sentences about yourself, and let us know how to contact you. We look forward to seeing what you’ve got!

–Mona

Our very own Scott Francis had a chance to sit down with Mechanika author, visual effects director and Oscar winner Doug Chiang at Comic Con, asking him about the effect of movies on the con and the future of entertainment.

Give it a listen.

doug-chiang-interview

Then check out the book.