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Interview: Inside the VFX of Netflix’s ‘The Umbrella Academy’ With Folks Laurent Spillemaecker
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Welcome to a new Geektown Behind The Scenes podcast. This week I’m chatting with Laurent Spillemaecker, VFX Supervisor for VFX company FOLKS about their work on the fourth and final season of the Netflix hit show ‘The Umbrella Academy’.
The final season sees our dysfunctional family of heroes, consisting of Luther (Tom Hopper), Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), Klaus (Robert Sheehan), Diego (David Castañeda), Viktor (Elliot Page) and Number Five (Aidan Gallagher), trying to avert yet another apocalypse. Warning, there are SPOILERS below, and in the interview itself, so if you haven’t seen the final season yet, go and watch!..
Still here?
Okay, so if you remember the end of Season 3, the gang were left in a new reality, but also powerless. Whilst they do find a way to get their powers back, they also discover, they are the problem… After various, very "Umbrella Academy" type things happen, Ben, and his new girlfriend Jen, end up merging into a giant blob monster which threatens to destroy the Earth… And that’s where Laurent and his team at FOLKS come in...
FOLKS have been involved with 'The Umbrella Academy' since season one, but for the final season, the team received its most significant mandate yet. They were responsible for conceptual pre-production work to establish the creatures' identities, post-viz, final elaboration of complex shots, and creation of character and environment assets, animation, simulation, and compositing.
Along with creating the monstrous version of Ben and Jen, they also enhanced the environment for a Christmas-themed sequence, adding crowd characters, vendors, snow, and more. Plus they picked up some other shots, such as Five’s “blinking”, some of the laser eyes FX, and other superpowers and background work.
Outside of ‘The Umbrella Academy’ Laurent has previously worked on a huge range of projects including Sin City, 300, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Blade Runner 2049, Thor: Ragnarok, Star Wars: The Last Jedi and lots more.
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Geektown Radio Episode 445: Wicked, Arcane, Dexter: Original Sin, Outlander Reviews, Plus TV News & UK Air Dates!
51:20|It's episode 445, and our last regular Geektown Radio podcast of 2024, as Gray (somewhat unexpectedly!) joins Dave to chat about all the latest TV & film news and reviews!Gray steps in as a last-minute replacement for Matt, who has come down with some sort of lurgy (get well soon!), and amazingly actually has a film review, as he went to see 'Wicked' this week. He also chats about catching up with some TV shows such as 'Doctor Odyssey', 'A Man on the Inside', 'The Diplomat', 'Smoggie Queens', 'Cheaters', and... 'Is It Cake?'... Meanwhile, Dave chats about catching up with the latest series of 'Outlander', along with finally stepping into the acclaimed Netflix animated series 'Arcane'. He also reviews whether the new Paramount+ prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin' manages to "kill it" with its opening episode.Over in the news updates, we have a few cancellations and a surprising number of Netflix renewals which makes a nice change from the, usually murderous, streaming service. We also chat about the dire state of Sony's Spider-man "universe", the possibility of a new ‘Prison Break’ series, Henry Cavill's Warhammer 40k series, Bryan Cranston returning to his comedy roots, and lots more! Listen below!Geektown Radio Episode 444: Black Doves, Matlock, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, MCM Birmingham Reviews, Plus TV News & UK Air Dates!
54:47|It's all the fours with episode 444 of the Geektown Radio podcast as Darryl From Hollywood North News joins Dave to chat about all the latest TV, film and games news & reviews!As always Darryl brings an interesting mix of mainstream and slightly more obscure film and TV reviews along with him! Firstly he kicks off with the movie 'Werewolves Within', which is available now on demand, and follows that with his review of the recently released Prime Video series 'Cross'. He has also picked up the first season of Netflix dramedy 'The Lincoln Lawyer', and moves on to a new legal drama which has recently dropped onto Sky Witness and NOW, 'Matlock'. Meanwhile, Dave reviews the new Netflix (and surprisingly festive!) thriller from the brilliant Joe Barton, 'Black Doves' starring Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw, along with the really fun new Disney+ series 'Star Wars: Skeleton Crew'. He also chats about what he got up to at the recent MCM Comic Con Birmingham.Over in the news updates, we have one cancellation and a surprising number of renewals for the time of year, including the Paramount hiring 'The Agency' again, more adult adventures on Disney+ from Jilly Cooper, and more murdering from the ubiquitous Ella Purnell. We also have news on a 'Scrubs' revival, whether another spin-off from 'The Rookie' is a good idea, the showrunners from ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ doing English period drama, and lots more!
The 2024 Geektown Awards Launch Podcast!
01:11:06|The Geektown Radio podcast is back with our Annual special episode where we launch the 2024 Geektown Awards, and give you the chance to pick up some amazing prizes!It is that time of year again… Dave is joined by Matt from Entertainment Talk, and our "film reviewer" Gray, to go through our lists of the Best TV Shows, Films and Video Games Of 2024! You then have the chance to tell us what you think, by heading over to the Geektown Awards page and choosing your favourite entertainment of the last 12 months. By taking part and filling out the form, you will be entered into our MASSIVE GEEKTOWN AWARDS GIVEAWAY, featuring a chance to snag an enormous box of geeky goodies as the main prize. Additionally, there’s an exciting Mystery Box runner-up prize up for grabs!If you want some inspiration or want to know more about the various shows in the list, you can listen to the launch podcast below, as Matt, Gray, and Dave, all pitch the TV shows, films and games they think should be included in the voting… and also what should not… It is our 13th year running the awards and as always, it was a fun and lively discussion as we weed out what we thought were the best things to include in this year’s lists, and make our passionate pleas for inclusion!Have you got a disturbing amount of “hours played” in a video game? Did you lose a weekend binge-watching something on Netflix? Was there a film which dragged you from the comfort of your sofa to the cinema? Let us know by voting in the awards this year! Listen (and vote) below!CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE 2024 GEEKTOWN AWARDSGeektown Radio Episode 443: Man On The Inside, Nobody Wants This, Interior Chinatown, Frostpunk 2 Reviews, Plus TV News & UK Air Dates!
51:32|Episode 443 of the Geektown Radio podcast sees Dave dig Gray out from under his mountain of work to return to the show and chat TV, film and games news & reviews!It's been a number of weeks since Gray has been on due to his schedule being rather manic over the last few weeks, but he's finally back and brings with him a stack of TV reviews. We chat about a couple of recent Netflix series, 'Nobody Wants This' which stars Kristen Bell and Adam Brody, along with 'Perfect Couple', the latest series starring Nicole Kidman, alongside Liev Schreiber. He also runs through a host of other series he's been catching up with recently. Meanwhile, having finally come to the end of his Baldur's Gate 3 run, brings a review of Frostpunk 2. On the TV side, he reviews the wonderfully weird 'Interior Chinatown' on Disney+, and the new Ted Danson/Michael Schur Netflix comedy 'A Man On The Inside'.Over in the news updates, we have all of last week's cancellations and renewals, including the return of 'The Jackal', more horror in '‘From', and Apple giving out renewals before the first season of a new show even airs! We also have lots of premiere dates for things such as 'What We Do In The Shadows' and ‘Yellowjackets’, plus the return of Noah Wyle to an ER, and lots more! Listen below!Geektown Radio Episode 442: Joker: Folie à Deux, Cross, Silo, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Reviews, Plus TV News & UK Air Dates!
01:02:33|We return for episode 442 of the Geektown Radio podcast, and Matt from Entertainment Talk joins Dave (who, due to some recording issues, sounds a little like he's in a well...) as co-host to chat TV, film and games news & reviews!Matt returns to the show, with TV, film and game reviews! First up is 'Umbrella Academy' Season 4, which has been out for a while, but he has only just gotten around to watching. He also reviews 'Joker: Folie à Deux'... does he hate it as much as everyone else? Lastly, we have 'Final Fantasy VII Rebirth', the first of the FF series to actually "click" with Matt. Meanwhile, Dave has TV and game reviews, although unfortunately, there were some recording issues and his mic is a little more "echoey" than normal, so apologies for that! However, he does have reviews of 'Tracker', 'Devil’s Hour' and 'Silo', both of which returned recently for second seasons, along with new Prime Video drama 'Cross', plus some discussion about 'Baldur's Gate 3'.Over in the news updates, we bring you all of last week's cancellations (or lack of them) and renewals, plus saying goodbye to Freevee, the BBC giving Gary Lineker a red card, Robbie Williams as a CGI chimpanzee, a new drama from Dan Fogelman (This Is Us, Only Murders In The Building), plus premiere dates for ‘The Night Agent‘, 'Mythic Quest' and more! Listen below!Geektown Radio Episode 441: Paris Has Fallen, Citadel: Diana, Planet Coaster 2, Day Of The Jackal Reviews, Plus TV News & UK Air Dates!
01:05:52|We return with a packed episode 441 of the Geektown Radio podcast, as Darryl from Hollywood North News joins Dave to chat TV, film and games news & reviews!Darryl is back with his usual eclectic mix of TV shows to review. He starts off with two Prime Video shows. First 'Paris Has Fallen', the new extension to the 'Has Fallen...' movie franchise, and the first project not to star Gerard Butler. Next, he reviews 'Citadel: Diana', the first of the spin-offs set in the Russo Brothers 'Citadel' Universe. He also pops over to Apple TV+ as he takes one giant step into their excellent alt-history drama 'For All Mankind'. Meanwhile, Dave has a new video game review as Frontier Developments releases Planet Coaster 2, the latest in their theme park game franchise. He also reviews 'David Baddiel’s “The Not Trilogy”', a filmed version of Oliver-nominated shows available now on Sky, and new Eddie Redmayne drama 'Day of the Jackal'.Over on the news updates, we bring you all of last week's cancellations and renewals, including the return of Clarkson, a final trip to the Outer Banks, and more autobiographical comedy from Alan Carr. We also have a stack of news from last weekend's D23 Disney event in Brazil, including Star Wars and Marvel updates, plus UK air dates for a bunch of upcoming shows! Listen below!Geektown Radio Episode 440: Doctor Odyssey, The Diplomat, Agatha All Along, MCM/EGX Reviews, Plus TV News & UK Air Dates!
01:09:34|After last week's little break to recover from MCM/EGX, we are back ith episode 440 of the Geektown Radio podcast! Matt from Entertainment Talk joins Dave as co-host to chat TV, film and games news & reviews!Matt returns to the show, and one of his first loves, 'Hollyoaks'. We discussed a few months ago how the soap was about to go through some massive changes which included firing half the cast and a big shake-up in format and storylines. Now that has all happened, Matt updates us with his thoughts on how it has been going for the 30-year-old series. Meanwhile, Dave has stories from the MCM Comic-Con and EGX Gaming Festival and his thoughts on this combined version of the events. He also reviews the new Ryan Murphy drama 'Doctor Odyssey', which dropped onto Disney+ UK recently, 'Star Trek: Lower Decks' which returned for its final season, Netflix series 'The Diplomat', and the finales of both 'Agatha All Along' and 'Only Murders In The Building'.Over on the news updates, we bring you all of last week's cancellations and renewals, including Amazon cancelling James May's travel plans, and Apple cancelling a new show. We also have the entire Marvel release schedule for the next 12 months on Disney+ and cinema, the obscure place you can watch ‘Law & Order Toronto: Criminal Intent‘ in the UK, the return of ‘Jack Ryan’, a possible location for a new '9-1-1', news of Amazon’s Live-Action ‘God Of War’ series showrunner, and Sir Michael Parkinson returning from the dead (kinda...)! Listen below!Geektown Radio Episode 439: Rivals, Lincoln Lawyer, 9-1-1, Memoriapolis Reviews, Plus TV News & UK Air Dates!
01:00:04|We are back with episode 439 of the Geektown Radio podcast, before we take a little one-week break due to MCM/EGX at the weekend. But first, Matt from Entertainment Talk joins Dave as co-host to chat TV, film and games news & reviews!Matt returns to the show, standing in for Gray, who is swanning around New York right now, and brings with him reviews of a couple of TV shows. Firstly, 'Sweetpea', which you can watch in the UK on Sky & NOW, followed by the beloved Netflix series 'Heartstopper', which returned this week for a new season. Meanwhile, Dave has also been on Netflix catching the third season of 'The Lincoln Lawyer', before hopping over to Disney+ for the new season of '9-1-1' (and the infamous "Bee-nado"), along with their adaptation of Jilly Cooper's 'Rivals'. He also reviews the unique city-building game, 'Memoriapolis'.Over on the news updates, we bring you all of last week's cancellations and renewals, including AMC cancelling Giancarlo Esposito's new series, Apple renewing two shows, even more 'Rick and Morty', and Paramount ordering more 'Star Trek'. As it was NYCC this weekend, we have a number of announcements from that Comic Con, including some 'Star Trek' and 'The Boys' casting, air dates for the return of several superheroes, a new Netflix drama from the brilliant Joe Barton (‘The Lazarus Project’, Giri/Haji’), and a new Channel 4 zombie comedy! Listen below!Geektown Radio Episode 438: Disclaimer, Outer Banks, Sweetpea, Ludwig Reviews, Plus TV News & UK Air Dates!
01:05:06|It's a new week and time for episode 438 of the Geektown Radio podcast and Robert from Entertainment Talk joins Dave as co-host to chat TV, film and games news & reviews!It was a holiday this week in the USA, which means Robert returns to the show and has his usual eclectic mix of TV and games to chat about. He is currently on something of a cooking show binge and highlights one particular series, 'Crime Scene Kitchen', hosted by Joel McHale. We also discuss the mass of sports on US TV at the moment, particularly the state of the WMBA following the departure of star player Caitlin Clark. On the gaming front, he chats about the 'Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster'. Meanwhile, Dave has been catching a slew of season finales, including Apple's 'Bad Monkey' and 'Slow Horses', Season 2 of Prime Video's 'Rings Of Power', along with Season 1 of 'Ludwig'. He also reviews new shows 'Disclaimer' on Apple TV, Sky's 'Sweetpea', and the return of 'Outer Banks' to Netflix.Onto the news updates, and we bring you all of last week's cancellations and renewals, including more series "cancelled by Netflix" (trademark pending) and why that is becoming such a problem for them in the eyes of consumers. On the flipside, they also renewed a couple of big hitters as well. We also get some updates on some WB projects such as the return of 'Ted Lasso', and another 'Big Bang Theory' spin-off, plus a reboot of ‘Scrubs’, a follow-up (rather than a remake) to 'The Office', and casting for HBO's 'Lanterns'! Listen below!