John Cox's Creature Workshop

Phelps Brothers @ GCFF 2012

johncox — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 13:35:52 +0000

Harry Potter fans had fun with the Weasley Twins, Oliver and James Phelps, introducing the fan screening ‘Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows 2′ at Gold Coast Film Festival 2012. Dressing up as their favourite HP characters was all part of the fun.

Opening Night was fantastic fun with Chris Kirby, star of ‘Iron Sky’, there to launch the Australian Premiere. These GCFF Board members thought he was lovely….

More fun to come so catch you there!

Julie’s Picks GCFF 2012

johncox — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 05:14:11 +0000

Tonight is the Opening Night of 2012 Gold Coast Film Festival with the Australian Premier of ‘Iron Sky’ being a SELL OUT. There is a repeat screening Saturday 28 April so get your tickets and find out what all the buzz is about.

The full program of films, docos, masterclasses and workshops can be downloaded at www.gcfilmfestival.com.

Here are just some of the events I’ll be attending:

TONIGHT Opening Night ‘Iron Sky’ Australian Premier

20 April FRI 1pm Alan Dean Foster Screen Writing Masterclass USA

2.45pm Anime voice actor & director Masterclass w Bleach stars JAPAN

7.15pm ‘The Woman in Black’ UK

21 April SAT 8.30pm ‘Harry Potter Deadly Hallows 2′ UK introduced by the Weasley Twins

- Prize for best ‘Harry Potter’ character costume

22 April SUN 2.30pm ‘A Simple Life’ Hong Kong

23 April MON 6.30pm ‘Circumstance’ Iran/France/USA

24 April TUE 6.15pm ‘Gallipoli’ AUS

26 April THU 6.30pm ‘Blackthorn’ Spain

27 April FRI 5.15pm ‘Professional Idiot’ QLD World Premier

9.15pm ‘Cabin in the Woods’ USA Australian Premier

28 April SAT 11am Jack McCoy Surf Filmmaking Seminar FREE @ Stingray Bar SP

2.30pm ‘Silent Souls’ Russia

4.30pm ‘Inseparable’ China Comedy

7pm ‘Iron Sky’ AUS/GER/FIN

9.15pm ‘Underwater Love’ Japan – Pink Musical (strangely fascinating)!

29 April SUN 11am Future of Film Distribution Seminar FREE @ Stingray Bar SP

1pm ‘BUTA’ PG Azerbaijan – Subtitled Family Feature

3pm ‘Warmencol’ DOCO USA

4.45pm ‘Inuk’ PG Greenland “Spectacular” - Subtitled Family Feature

And more………….

Films from Norway, Director’s Cut of surf film ‘Deeper Shade of Blue’, 2 more films from Hong Kong, 5 more films from Japan, crime film ‘The Yellow Sea’ from Sth Korea and so much more…..

See you there!

Weasley Brothers @ GCFF ‘Harry Potter’ Fan Screening

johncox — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 02:53:13 +0000

Weasley Brothers @ GCFF 2012

James and Oliver Phelps ”the Weasley Brothers” will introduce Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 thanks to Supanova Pop Culture Expo, a cultural partner of the Gold Coast Film Festival, running April 21-22 at the Gold Coast Convention Centre. The film screens at Birch Carroll & Coyle Australia Fair Cinemas in Southport on Saturday 21 April at 8.30pm. Tickets are $12 and can be bought under the Australia Fair session times at www.eventcinemas.com.au

The screening is set to sell out fast, with fans encouraged to come in Harry Potter themed costumes to celebrate the film and the Harry Potter franchise. There will be a fantastic prize on the night awarded to “Best Costume”. Let all your Harry Potter Fan friends know and grab a ticket fast – see you there!! www.gcfilmfestival.com

Potter Fans Chloe Rankin, Kyra Thompson & Ethan Cox have spent the Easter break creating a Harry Potter Parody Music Clip – check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbSmqAUEIcw

Chloe & Kyra are keen young YouTube clip creators, check out their KayCeeNation YouTube library. You go girls!

John Carter of Mars

johncox — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 04:24:35 +0000

John waited thirty seven years for this film to be released and he loved it!

The film is based on the novel “A Princess of Mars” written by “Tarzan” author Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1917. John read the novel, and the entire 11 book series, when he was 15 and spent the company’s entire marketing budget for 2005 building a 15 ft Tars Tarkas thark to show the then proposed director that the proportions were not quite right, unless John Carter was going to fight with, and talk to, the thark’s groin the whole time. www.johncox.net/public-art/john-carter-of-mars

Many proposed directors and script treatments later, the writers have done a great job adapting the 95 year old story for a modern audience. The novel has inspired many filmmakers and storytellers over the years providing inspiration for many of the fantasy and sci-fi films we know so well. Multi-limbed creatures in Avatar were first described in “A Princess of Mars”, character names such as a Jeddak (Jedi) and Banth (Bantha) were borrowed for ‘Star Wars’. And the captured princess in an all too skimpy gold bikini…maybe just coincidence?

American actor Taylor Kitsch in the lead role is yummy in 3D so an enjoyable evening for our $15 per person investment. We hope Disney feels the same way about their $300 million investment. Catch it now, whilst it’s on the big screen.

2 Day Workshop @ JCCW

johncox — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 00:34:25 +0000

You are the first to find out about our 2 Day Weekend Workshop being held Saturday 31 March & Sunday 1 April. The 2010 Workshops sold out within days so don’t miss out!

You’ll make flexible moulds, learn about new products, discover sculpting in the digital age and get valuable portfolio feedback during one on one time with Australia’s leading visual effects guru – John! More info will soon go up on our website at www.johncox.net. Email julie@johncox.net or call +61 (0)7 5564 9992 to book your place.

Monsters @ Waikato Museum NZ

johncox — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 07:44:16 +0000

How to Make a Monster has opened at Waikato Museum in Hamilton, New Zealand. John and Steve ventured to the North Island for the unveiling and were frighteningly impressed with the monsters dreamed up by the kids of NZ on display in the gallery. Looks like they will all be having lots of fun. Tell all your kiwi pals not to miss it!

John Cox explains monster making at Waikato Museum

Bleach Festival finishes this weekend

johncox — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:42:06 +0000

Pop Up Art Galleries, Music, Vintage Surfboard Swap Meet and Neverland Beach Party are all on this weekend at Currumbin & Coolangatta. Most events are free so log on and check them out. www.bleachfestival.com.au

There is significant girl power amongst the organisers of this event, as shown at the ‘Gold Spaces’ project Opening we attended last weekend. This is a creative and dynamic way of breathing energy into unused spaces. Find out more at www.goldspaces.org.au

Cool Japan

johncox — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 01:40:33 +0000

2011 Gold Coast Film Festival saw the Australian premiere of the Japanese Anime ‘Children who Chase Voices from Deep Below’. Here to introduce the film on the opening night and to deliver a free public seminar was the films producer Mr Noritaka Kawaguchi.

It was great to catch up again with Noritaka, we gave him a tour of JCCW last year. Nominated for an APSA award, he was presented with a replacement for his 2007 APSA award which was smashed during the 2011 earthquake and Tsunami in Japan.

Gold Coast Film Festival 2012 will be here soon as the date has moved to April, to coincide with our Supernova cultural partnership. More free seminars, as well as Mater classes, Anime, Foreign films, Australian premieres and free outdoor Kids films are in store so log on and become a subscriber for all the latest updates. www.gcfilmfestival.com

Queensland Museum’s 150th Birthday!

johncox — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 06:12:09 +0000

John & Julie helped celebrate the Queensland Museum’s 150th Birthday at a grand re-opening on Friday evening. The Museum was affected by floods which inundated the basement and reeked all sorts of havoc. It proved a good excuse to give the old girl an overhaul and now she is looking better than ever. The Museum was established just 2 years after Queensland became a State so it has been documenting, profiling and educating us right from the start. I will never forget when I was in grade 5 gasping when seeing a mummified child’s hand wearing a gold ring on display at the Old Museum on Wickham Terrace.

Our exhibition ‘How to Make a Monster – the art and technology of animatronics’ remains number 2 most visited travelling exhibition ever staged at the Queensland Museum and was a smash hit at the Townsville campus (Museum of Tropical Queensland) so it was nice to be invited to join in the birthday celebrations.

Julie & John celebrate with Queensland Museums CEO Dr Ian Galloway

Sculpture 2012 Sydney

johncox — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:51:13 +0000

2 Danks Street, Surry Hills, Sydney was a hive of artistic expression Wednesday evening as the 8 galleries opened their latest exhibitions. Friends and family joined us, and fellow art lovers, to take in the array of work on display.

Julie Anderson, John Cox, ‘Rising Tide’, Brit & Dan Carlisle and Arthur Spink @ Sculpture 2012 Brenda May Gallery

Kerrie Guinane, John Cox & Ethan Cox @ Sculpture 2012 Brenda May Gallery

Art teacher Rebecca Chapman (right foreground) and driftnet artist Carmel Wallace (middle left) @ Sculpture 2012 Brenda May Gallery