QuickTime News: November 16, 2001

Imagine a wall of hieroglyphics in an ancient Egyptian temple. It’s one thing to look at the wall in a two-dimensional photo. But what if you could look in all directions and see how it fits within the context of the whole building?

That’s the creative vision of Jon Alper, Director of Technology at Boston’s WGBH Interactive. Alper uses QuickTime VR panoramas to augment stories developed for the “NOVA” series and for the virtual remodeling tours offered at “This Old House.”

To find out more, read an interview with Alper by VRMag’s Doug DeRusha and take a spin through a sampling of various outstanding QuickTime VR panoramas from WGBH Interactive, including the mysteries of the Nile, views from Mt. Everest, and sweeping vistas from the surface of the moon.

It’s time for the holiday blockbusters to begin hitting the theaters. Which means it’s also time to get teased by sneak preview trailers of next summer’s biggest films while they’re still in production.

Tops on the list is “Attack of the Clones,” set for release in May 2002. And no, it’s not Dolly the sheep wreaking havoc on us for mucking with her DNA. It’s our old friends Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, R2-D2, and C-3PO in the sequel to the first prequel to the original “Star Wars” trilogy, which was released in 1977.

Confused? Just take a deep breath, watch the new trailer, “Forbidden Love,” and enjoy.

With his first album in six years making its debut at number one on the Billboard charts, Michael Jackson has a lot to be excited about.

To celebrate the release of “Invincible” (which hit store shelves on October 30), the normally reclusive pop star made a rare personal appearance, moonwalking into the Virgin megastore in New York’s Times Square on November 7.

If you missed seeing Michael live, you can still catch the action: the unprecedented event was captured on film, and the legend is now offering archived highlights of his appearance on michaeljackson.com.

You’ll also be able to catch fan interviews, music videos, and documentaries, so don’t miss this rare opportunity to see Michael up close and personal.

All the Fashion that’s FIT to See
What’s the rundown on the runway at the Fashion Institute of Technology? Watch FIT’s annual student fashion show to see what the designers of tomorrow have in store for you today. Check out a different QuickTime movie for each of the categories of sportswear, evening clothes, lingerie, and more.

QuickTime Pro, that is.

Because it's more than just a better kind of media player, even though that's a great benefit in and of itself. With QuickTime Pro, you'll be treated to exclusive access to full-screen versions of some of the hottest new movies on Apple's Movie Trailers web page, including the upcoming Star Wars film, "Attack of the Clones." You can also use it to resize movies right on your screen or save movies for playback later.

But that’s certainly not all: QuickTime Pro also lets you

	•	Create Internet-ready audio and video
	•	Perform simple cut, copy, and paste video editing right from your video camera
	•	Create custom Media Skins to give your movies a personalized look
	•	Make presentations and slide shows quickly and easily
	•	Export videos, sounds, and graphics to more than a dozen standard file formats
	•	Even resize graphics

You get all of this for only $29.99, complete with a 10-day money back guarantee. So isn’t it the perfect time for you to go Pro?

When one movie just isn’t enough, web publishers can turn to Sensation from Video Matrix, which lets them broadcast multiple movies simultaneously in a dynamic, interactive format.

Watch an example of a streaming music video made for id-t.com. Created with Sensation, it’s made up of four movies playing at once.¹

Using the innovative interface features, you can resize the video you want to see, or watch all four at the same time—it’s up to you. Just click inside the rectangle to launch the stream and try it out for yourself.

For more information on Video Matrix, read the story behind the technology at Blue Abuse from November 19-26. Click on the “Featured Site” section for the full story.

¹ Please note: the website is in Dutch. To watch the video, click the box with the text that reads, “Klik hier on de video matrix te starten.”

We wish you all a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.

Thank you for reading this issue of QuickTime News.
Look for your next issue on November 30.

Given its fantastic Middle-Earth landscapes and fanciful storyline, it seems logical that the big-screen version of Tolkien’s trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings,” would require a most unique and evocative soundtrack.

Enter renowned film composer Howard Shore, who composed, orchestrated, and conducted the remarkable score for the first segment in that trilogy, “The Fellowship of the Ring.”

The soundtrack for the movie includes two songs composed and performed by the ever-ethereal Enya, and we’re offered a tantalizing taste of what’s to come on Reprise Records’ “Lord of the Rings” site, where Shore’s orchestration of “Music from Middle-Earth” and Enya’s “May it Be” are now playing.

Now that’s Funny
Want to hear the latest single from Jennifer Lopez’s most recent CD, “J Lo”? Funny, so do we.

Between now and November 19, you can hear “Ain’t It Funny,” presented by Epic Records’ New Music Mondays.

Flickerstick Shines Beautifully
When the dust finally settled last summer, the Dallas band Flickerstick emerged victorious in VH-1’s combination reality TV show and battle-of-the-bands competition, “Bands on the Run.”

Flickerstick released its debut CD, “Welcoming Home the Astronauts,” on November 6, and you can hear the band’s first single, “Lift (with love we will survive),” on Flickerstick’s website.

But that’s not all. Epic Records will premiere the band’s next single, “Beautiful,” as part of its New Music Mondays series, from November 19 to 25.

A Little Bit Country
A strong new country music voice, Oklahoma’s Blake Shelton claims inspiration from legendary country greats Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Bobby Braddock, and Earl Thomas Conley.

Shelton’s hit song “Austin” from his self-titled new album marks the first time in more than four years that a new male country artist reached #1 on the charts with a debut single.

Catch the music of Blake Shelton in a special listening party through November 30.

A Nod to P.O.D.
The music of San Diego’s P.O.D. (short for “Payable On Death”) has been described as equal parts hardcore punk, metal, and rap. But what sets P.O.D. apart from other heavy metal offerings is the underlying theme of Christian spirituality found in their lyrics.

This year, the band released its second album, “Satellite.” Join P.O.D. for a listening party on the Warner Bros. website through 12/7/01.

“The Great Depression”
Artfully combining angry and passionate lyrics with archival film footage of the American Civil Rights movement and other powerful images, rapper/producer DMX (Dark Man X) expounds upon the joy and pain of the African-American experience in his new music video, “Who We Be,” from his latest CD, “The Great Depression.”

Cool Man
Their multilayered, psychedelically influenced music launched a million laser light shows. One of the most popular bands in rock music history, Pink Floyd still shines on like a crazy diamond.

Take a nostalgic trip through more than three decades of classic Pink Floyd in this 17-minute video promoting “Echoes,” a new digitally remastered CD retrospective of the 26 songs the band considers to be their best work. “Echoes: The Best of Pink Floyd” is on store shelves now.

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