Peter Jackson has already carved himself a niche as a game-changing director - after all, with Lord Of The Rings he was responsible for an epic wizarding trilogy that was brilliantly watchable rather than insufferably geeky. And last week, his blog about his new Tolkein adaptation, The Hobbit, broke fresh ground. Judging by Jackson's track record, it wouldn't have been a surprise to learn of a whizzy new motion-capture technique for Gollum, or to find him excitedly talking about the possibilities inherent in 3D moviemaking. But he had his eyes on a bigger prize: the chance to change the template for the way in which films are made.
Frame rates might sound like the kind of conversation-starter that only real cineastes could possibly get excited about, but the news that Jackson is shooting The Hobbit in 48 frames per second resulted in shockwaves throughout the film industry. Currently, films are shot in 24 frames per second, and have been since the 1920s. But the advent of 3D has made the slower rate a problem - we've all watched films in which the image has appeared to judder or strain the eyes. Jackson wrote on his blog that 48fps is "more lifelike and much easier to watch… the image has hugely enhanced clarity and smoothness." He likened it to the "moment when vinyl records were supplanted by digital CDs".
There is a slight issue with 48fps though - someone has to pay for it.
Shooting at 48fps is expensive - and it has to be screened at the same speed, too. Jackson's remark that most cinemas would simply need to download some firmware for their digital projectors (if indeed they have them) was somewhat throwaway. Even he admitted, "while it's predicted that there may be over 10,000 screens capable of projecting The Hobbit at 48 fps by our release date in December 2012, we don't yet know what the reality will be. It is a situation we will all be monitoring carefully."
As will everyone else, because, where cinema is concerned, making predictions is always notoriously difficult.
Take 3D itself. James Cameron's Avatar wasn't a spectacular success because of the emotional connection fostered with the put-upon Na'vi people. Fans went to see it again and again because of the way it looked in three dimensions. When the acclaimed German indie director Wim Wenders admits that he saw Avatar four times (which encouraged him to use 3D in his latest documentary, on choreographer Pina Bausch), you can probably conclude that 3D is no longer a gimmick. And yet the technology still leaves a lot to be desired. As soon as the specs go on, the image is darkened - sometimes fatally so. The colourful Toy Story 3 is far better in 2D than 3D for this very reason. Ticket sales for 3D movies are down this year.
Still, despite what the purists might think, 3D has a foothold. Which is more than can be said for Smell-O-Vision. It sounds like an urban myth, but back in the 1960s, Mike Todd Jr did indeed secure the widespread release of his film Scent Of Mystery, in which smells such as tobacco or baked bread were released into the cinema at the suitable moments in the plot. Except, unfortunately, they were accompanied by a hissing sound and took too long to reach the noses of the audience… by which time the action had moved on. As had the film industry.
Smell-O-Vision became the butt of many jokes - the famous line from comedian Henny Youngman, was: "I didn't understand the picture. I had a cold." Nevertheless, it did at least gain some notoriety. In 2000 it was named as one of Time magazine's 100 worst ideas of the previous century.
One of the best cinematic ideas since, well, the invention of "talkies" with The Jazz Singer in 1927 (and even then some doubted whether the technology would overtake silent movies) is undoubtedly IMAX cinema. Here is the massive, immersive experience we all want from the movies. With IMAX, 3D films often look incredible. And yet, there are only 445 screens in the world. The prohibitive cost of filming movies specifically for IMAX - not discounting the expense of constructing the buildings to house these giant screens - has resulted in it becoming something of an evolutionary dead end for cinema.
So it'll be interesting to see if Jackson's move to 48fps will be a 3D or a Smell-O-Vision moment for cinema.
What's crucial, though, is that such gimmicks don't distract the director from producing a good, coherent story. Because, in the end, that's what we go to the cinema for - not a seat that vibrates during an exciting scene. And yes, they've tried that one, too.
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Mia Man’s tips for fermentation
- Start with a simple recipe such as yogurt or sauerkraut
- Keep your hands and kitchen tools clean. Sanitize knives, cutting boards, tongs and storage jars with boiling water before you start.
- Mold is bad: the colour pink is a sign of mold. If yogurt turns pink as it ferments, you need to discard it and start again. For kraut, if you remove the top leaves and see any sign of mold, you should discard the batch.
- Always use clean, closed, airtight lids and containers such as mason jars when fermenting yogurt and kraut. Keep the lid closed to prevent insects and contaminants from getting in.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
- Will artificial intelligence outsmart us?
- How do we shape the future?
The Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include:
- Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
- Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
- Follow Me, Akhi: The Online World of British Muslims by Hussein Kesvani
- Guest House for Young Widows: Among the Women of ISIS by Azadeh Moaveni
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League quarter-final, second leg (first-leg score):
Manchester City (0) v Tottenham Hotspur (1), Wednesday, 11pm UAE
Match is on BeIN Sports
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
Company profile
Company name: Suraasa
Started: 2018
Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker
Based: India, UAE and the UK
Industry: EdTech
Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding
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