Austin, TX

How the filmmakers brought 'Dune: Part Two' to life

Published

9 months ago

March 17, 2024

How the filmmakers brought 'Dune: Part Two' to life

AUSTIN, Texas — Author Frank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction classic “Dune” was long considered unfilmable. Much of the narrative unfolds in internal monologue. It’s notoriously complicated and explores religion, politics, ecology and technology.

What You Need To Know

“Dune: Part Two” released in March 2024 to rave reviews and a gross of nearly $380 million worldwide

A panel at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, “Dune Two, Real-Time Tech & the Implications for Storytelling,” delved into how real-time tools and processes helped to bring the blockbuster sequel to life

Film co-producer Jessica Derhammer said director Denis Villeneuve would shoot everything practically if he could but visual effects were needed

One of the tools the filmmakers used was Unreal Engine, which allowed them to pre-visualize locations and even characters

Cult filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky attempted a film adaptation in the 1970s. It was canceled because of its inflating budget.

In 1984, David Lynch’s “Dune” was released to negative reviews. It was confusing to audiences, largely because its 132-minute runtime jettisoned pivotal information.

A 2000 miniseries fared a little better. Aired on the Sci-Fi Channel, “Frank Herbert’s Dune” won two Emmy Awards and received some critical praise. Still, it was limited by budget. A sequel miniseries, “Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune,” followed in 2003.

It wasn’t until 2021’s “Dune” that Herbert’s epic was translated to the screen in a way that was satisfying to most of the novel’s fans. At the helm was director Denis Villeneuve, who also co-wrote the screenplay and co-produced.

Villeneuve – who previously directed 2015’s “Sicario,” 2016’s “Arrival” and 2017’s “Blade Runner 2049” – has stated in interviews several times that bringing “Dune” to the big screen has been his dream since childhood.

“Dune: Part Two” released in March 2024 and garnered more praise than the 2021 film, grossing nearly $380 million worldwide against a $190 million budget.

Unreal Engine helps power ‘Dune’

A South by Southwest panel this week, “Dune Two, Real-Time Tech & the Implications for Storytelling,” delved deep into how real-time tools and processes helped to bring the blockbuster sequel to life.

“Dune: Part Two” co-producer Jessica Derhammer joined filmmaker and self-described “frontier technologist” Brian Frager with Epic Games to discuss how the production balanced the practical with pre-visualization to best represent Herbert’s space epic.

According to Derhammer, Villeneuve wanted to “do everything practical and true and stay on site.” That wasn’t completely possible with a film of this magnitude, however. That’s where Unreal Engine came in.

Developed by Epic Games, Unreal Engine, a series of 3D computer graphics game engines, was created for PC first-shooters but has been adopted by other industries, most notably the film industry.

“This was a perfect, perfect situation and perfect software (with which) Deni had created his vision. (Cinematographer) Greig (Fraser) had put his touches on it, and Patrice (Vermette), our designer, had put his touches on it. And then we as a production came in and was like, ‘OK, so what do you need?’ Derhammer said.

Frager explained that the technology allowed the crew to pre-visualize sets and even characters. Drones can even be deployed to scout locations, and that data can be inputted to Unreal.

Unreal tech was combined by Villeneuve with traditional storyboards.

“As far as the creative side, very much there’s storyboards all throughout. That’s Deni’s love language – storyboards. That’s how he gets his vision out,” she said. “And then there were more problematic situations where we then brought in Unreal. Problematic means it’s a desert, we don’t know what we’re doing, or there’s an interior ornithopter that’s being built.”

“They didn’t replace each other, they kind of worked in tandem,” Derhammer explained.

VFX bolsters the practical

“Dune: Part Two” had two principal locations. The vast deserts were captured in Abu Dhabi. Rock formations were mostly shot in Jordan. Sets were constructed on massive stages.

“We all very quickly learned that there’s a lot of prep to do in the desert. We were spending two months total in the desert. We spent about one month in Jordan and one month in Abu Dhabi, but we were prepping it from Budapest,” Derhammer said.

Derhammer said Villeneuve would shoot everything practically if he could, but visual effects were needed. One example is the ornithopter, the preferred flying machine on the planet Arrakis. Unlike a helicopter, the vehicles fly like birds.

“There’s more practical than you would think because we’re in the location. Obviously all the ornithopters are visual effects,” she said. “A lot of the explosions, there are elements later placed in, but even the explosions we did real. We exploded a bunch of stuff in the desert to capture it in the light and then VFX put that into a thing. A lot of the flying stuff that you see, they’re real helicopters in the sky.”

Derhammer said that while technology like Unreal isn’t practical for all filming situations, it’s something she recommends her fellow producers familiarize themselves with.

“I would encourage many people in my position to explore Unreal, to explore other pre-visualization techniques that can help you support your director as much as you can,” she said. “And this was what this was all about – how we can support our director.”

Villeneuve’s dream

Derhammer said that what ultimately drove the enormous production crew and A-list cast was Villeneuve’s enthusiasm and a deep desire to give life to his vision.

“He’s so passionate. When he says, ‘I deeply love that,’ you’re like, ‘OK, we’re moving on.’ You want it for him. You want to see him succeed because this is his childhood dream. He does not hide it; he shows it,” she said.

Villeneuve has stated he’d like to make a third film, an adaptation of Herbert’s first sequel novel, “Dune Messiah.” Derhammer said she wouldn’t change the approach.

“Probably a lot of the same thing. It was a pretty well-oiled machine by the time we were done with it. Maybe a little more prep time would be nice. It honestly ended so well, and I don’t think I would have changed a thing,” she said.

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Austin, TX

The 2025 BLAST.tv Austin Major: Date, Prize Pool, Info

Published

2 hours ago

December 23, 2024

Press Room

The 2025 BLAST.tv Austin Major: Date, Prize Pool, Info

The 2025 Counter-Strike season is upon us, and BLAST.tv’s next Major is drawing closer. This year’s Major will occur in Austin, Texas, and BLAST estimates it will be “one of the biggest esports events ever in the US” with an estimated “50,000 fans, plus millions tuning in from over 150+ territories and broadcast in 28 languages.” As we look forward to the upcoming year’s Counter-Strike esports, let’s examine everything we know about the 2025 BLAST.tv Austin Major, its key dates and prize pool.

The 2025 BLAST.tv Austin major will be BLAST’s second hosted Major tournament after the Paris Major in 2023. It will be the first BLAST.tv Major since Counter-Strike 2’s 2023 release, and the first United States Counter-Strike major since 2018. The event will feature 24 of the best Counter-Strike teams worldwide and progress through three stages: Opening, Elimination and Playoffs.

Related Article: All-Women’s CS2! 2025 ESL Impact Tour Schedule, Prize Pool

The 2025 Austin Major will take place in Austin’s Moody Center. BLAST.tv’s CEO Robbie Douek commented excitedly about the event:

We are incredibly excited to bring the BLAST.tv Major to Austin, Texas. The city’s dynamic atmosphere, the cutting-edge Moody Center and track record of hosting world-leading events provide the perfect setting for what promises to be an unforgettable event. We look forward to showcasing the best of esports to a global audience and making a positive impact on the local community.
– Robbie Douek, CEO of BLAST

With the Shanghai Major finishing, the countdown to the BLAST tv Austin Major starts NOW! 🇺🇸
👉 https://t.co/39fd8ZVwxn pic.twitter.com/OqdwilT71B
— BLAST.tv (@BLASTtv) December 16, 2024

The 2025 BLAST.tv Austin major will occur in June 2025, with the summer in full swing. According to the event’s Liquipedia page, it will run from June 9 to June 22, 2025. Here’s a quick summary of each stage’s specific dates:

The 2025 BLAST.tv Austin Major has a sizeable cumulative prize pool of 1,250,000 USD. This prize pool will be split between the top eight teams in the event’s final standings. The winning team will receive a 500,000 USD grand prize, while second, third and fourth-place teams will also receive high rewards. The fifth to eighth-place teams will each score smaller shares of 45,000 USD.

Related Article: Big Esports Tournaments of 2025

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Austin, TX

Texas' goal-line wall will be tested by Arizona State

Published

10 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Texas' goal-line wall will be tested by Arizona State

AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas defense seems to have built a big burnt orange wall at the goal line.

Late-game goal-line stands have helped keep the Longhorns moving toward a possible national championship. The latest was Saturday night in Texas’ 34-28 win over Clemson in the first round of the College Football Playoff.

“We’ve got big people, and they know how to play a physical brand of football,” Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “When we get challenged like that … I think that’s part of our identity.”

So here comes Cam Scattebo, Arizona State’s 5-foot-11, 215-pound All-American wrecking ball of a running back to try to knock it down.

Texas’ win over Clemson sent the No. 5 seed Longhorns (12-2) to the quarterfinals against the Big 12 champion and No. 4 seed Sun Devils (11-2) in the Peach Bowl on New Year’s Day.

Skattebo put on a show the last time the Sun Devils were on the field. He scored three touchdowns, had 170 yards rushing and 208 all-purpose yards in Arizona State’s 45-19 win over Iowa State in the Big 12 championship game.

Skattebo bounced off tacklers, ran through others and outraced some more. He struck the Heisman Trophy pose a few times, then had a few things to say about it all afterward.

“Nobody respects the fact that I’m the best running back in the country. And I’m going to stand on that,” he said after the game. “I’m going to keep proving people wrong. And whatever NFL team takes me is going to get a gem.”

Skattebo brings some gaudy numbers to Atlanta to back it up.

The AP All-American’s 19 rushing touchdowns and 22 overall are both tied for school records. He needs 75 yards to break the program’s single-season rushing record of 1,642.

He was twice the AP national player of the week. The first time was for his career-high 262 yards rushing amid his 297 all-purposed yards in Week 2 against Mississippi State. The second was for his game against Iowa State.

Texas players say they are ready for the Sun Devils’ battering ram.

“Yeah, I’m excited,” Longhorns defensive tackle Barryn Sorrell said. “My time being here, I feel like I’ve heard that a lot, that a team is going to come in here and run the ball on us, and I’d like to say there was a different result a lot of those times.

“Just looking forward to that challenge again,” Sorrell said.

Sorrell was in the middle of fourth-quarter goal line stands that helped save wins against Texas A&M and Clemson.

Texas was clinging to a 17-7 lead in College Station when the Longhorns stuffed four consecutive runs inside their own 5. The win sent Texas to the SEC championship game.

Clemson had a chance Saturday to get within a touchdown in the final 8 minutes. A touchdown could have completely swung momentum their way.

But after reaching the Texas 1, two straight runs failed to reach the goal line. Sorrell was in on the tackle that stopped Clemson’s Keith Adams Jr. just short of a touchdown on fourth down.

“We take pride in not letting guys score or get in our paint,” Texas safety Andrew Mukuba said.

Texas is not perfect at the goal line, however. Georgia won the SEC championship in overtime when Trevor Etienne bowled into the endzone from the Texas 4.

But they’ve been close enough to it to keep charging deep into the postseason.

“It’ll be an amazing challenge,” Texas All-American cornerback Jahdae Barron said of facing Skattebo. “He’s a hard downhill running back.”

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Austin, TX

Klubnik not enough to carry Clemson over Texas in homecoming playoff loss

Published

18 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Klubnik not enough to carry Clemson over Texas in homecoming playoff loss

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Cade Klubnik carved up Texas’ defense Saturday night like nobody else this season, just not enough to complete a spectacular homecoming.

What You Need To Know

Klubnik, Clemson’s junior quarterback from Austin, passed for 336 yards — the most by a Texas opponent this season — and three touchdowns

But the Tigers fell short, losing the College Football Playoff game 38-24

Texas safety Michael Taaffe and Klubnik were teammates at Westlake High School when they won the 2020 Texas state high school championship together. The quarterback they beat that day? Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers

Another Westlake teammate, Texas defensive end Ethan Burke, sacked Klubnik in the first half Saturday

Klubnik, Clemson’s junior quarterback from Austin, passed for 336 yards — the most by a Texas opponent this season — and three touchdowns. He directed a second-half comeback that gave No. 12 seeded Clemson a chance to overtake No. 5 Texas after falling behind by 18 at halftime.

But the Tigers fell short, losing the College Football Playoff game 38-24.

“I’m hurting a lot,” Klubnik said. “It was fun to come home, but it was not a vacation. It was time to come win a football game, and we didn’t do that.”

Klubnik led the Tigers (10-4) on a four-play, 55-yard touchdown drive in the third quarter, the final 25 on a pass to running back Jarvis Green that left Clemson trailing 31-17.

He directed a 64-yard touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter. His 7-yard pass to T.J. Moore, on fourth-and-6 left Texas ahead by just a touchdown, 31-24.

“We put ourselves in a position to win,” Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. “That young man (Klubnik) has grown into an amazing leader. You’re never out of a game with him.”

Texas (12-2) made Klubnik’s job a lot tougher when Jaydon Blue raced 77 yards for a touchdown on the Longhorns’ first possession after Moore scored.

Nevertheless, Klubnik led Clemson 74 yards to the Texas 1, connecting with Moore three times, including completions covering 29 and 30 yards.

But Klubnik was stopped by Texas safety Michael Taaffe on third down and Keith Adams was stuffed on fourth by Bill Norton and Barryn Sorrell.

Clemson’s comeback attempt was over when Klubnik’s pass on fourth down was broken up by Taaffe at the Longhorns’ 25 with 1:16 left.

Taaffe and Klubnik were teammates at Westlake High School when they won the 2020 Texas state high school championship together. The quarterback they beat that day? Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.

That history and rivalry added some extra spice to Klubnik’s trip home.

Another Westlake teammate, Texas defensive end Ethan Burke, sacked Klubnik in the first half Saturday.

Earlier in the week, Taaffe said Klubnik was his “best friend” on the Westlake team when they won that state championship.

“We were definitely sharing words back and forth, that was fun,” Taaffe said. “He’s a great guy. He had a great game.”

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