So who is this Neill Blomkamp I hear you say. Well his IMDB profile doesn’t reveal too much (IMDB). But given some further inspection we can find some truly stunning pieces that he is responsible for:
A native of South Africa, Blomkamp directed the acclaimed 2005 short film, Alive in Joburg, that depicted a future in which extraterrestrials have become refugees. Last year, Blomkamp also received three Clio Awards and a Visual Effects Society Award for his television commercial Citroen-Alive with Technology. See videos below
It is plain to see this man has an eye for originality and has almost perfect execution. Now all he needs do is transfer his talents to the world of motion pictures. My only concerns are his inexperience in coaxing and enthusing the best out of actors and a possible lack of leadership skills that a make a good director legendary. Though I am sure he will do just fine and with Peter Jackson and Weta behind him I can think of no one better to guide him through this transition. If his early work is anything to go by the Halo movie WILL be perfect. Let’s all cross our fingers; another great step has been taken.
His personal biography can be found here:
http://www.spyentertainment.com/director_03.html
A new breed of director, Neill Blomkamp has harnessed the powers of technology, art and creativity to bring the world imagery never before possible. Garnering his exceptional CG skills in an intelligent and specific manner, his forte is creating pure photo-real visualizations of concepts that not only can’t be photographed, but exists only in his imagination.
Recognizing that filmmaking is as organic as it is artificial; Neill has merged the two seamlessly, making a hybrid which feels unexpectedly authentic. He enjoys creating atmosphere in a spot where the concept is not only unique, but slightly bizarre.
From our forums:
I think choosing a director like Blomkamp is an excellent decision which has given this film the best possible chance of being the first truly worthwhile video game adaptation. After watching those shorts I’m very impressed with his naturalistic directing style, the way everything seems to give off the appearance on of an almost documentary-like rawness. This roughness and mixture of the real and the fantastical I think is necessary to keep the Halo movie’s story from turning into a bloated Star Wars-esque space opera, much like Halo 2’s did. What made the original Halo’s world so fascinating to explore was the juxtaposition of the familiar within an alien environment, the way that the Halo both felt similar to Earth and at the same time completely foreign, and I’m hoping Neill can recapture this atmosphere. With him on board I’m now genuinely looking forward to watching how this film develops. — Legion
Alive in Joburg
An earlier piece of work that has made its way around the internet is this little gem:
Tetra Vaal
And for those wondering what the Citroen ad looks like, it’s the one that makes us wish Transformers will be this good. We can only hope.
Citroen ad part 2:
Here is another short by him entitled “Yellow”.
Edit: Bobby also sends me this link to another of his movies, “Tempbot”:
http://www.transbuddha.com/mediaHolder.php?id=1301
EDIT: More Adverts for you:
Nike:
Gatorade:
Music Videos
Live on Release “Let’s Go” (according to IMDB, this song is shit)
Bif Naked “Tango Shoes” (this is like a poor tank girl rip off in a song about Tango Shoes)