To get started, download the standard definition and/or high definition assets from the links below, and then shoot your own original TV commercial that advertises one of the products! Remember, the movie is set in 1985, so TV commercials should be in 4:3 aspect ratio (so it looks like standard TV, not widescreen) and they should be either 15, 30 or 60 seconds in length. The products are all made by “Veidt Enterprises,” and you can download the product logos for your use as well.

Make your TV commercial in NTSC standard definition (720×486) or higher resolution, upload it, and then others can vote on your work. The contest ends on June 2, 2008. The 40 finalists will win signed posters from Zack Snyder. The top five finalists from user votes will win High-Definition Canon Vixia HG10 camcorders. Up to 20 of Zack’s favorite finalists will win $1000.00, and have a chance to be included in the WATCHMEN feature film itself.

Good Luck!

OFFICIAL SITE: http://youtube.com/watchmenmovie
SAMPLE TV SPOT #1: Nostalgia by Veidt
SAMPLE TV SPOT #2: Veidt Sport
DOWNLOAD ASSETS: http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com/veidtadvertisingcontest/download.html
OFFICIAL RULES: http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com/veidtadvertisingcontest/rules.html

See tie-in toys for the graphic novel-based 2009 movie. Plus: reviews of two new comics

Rorschach and Nite Owl action figures

Though Warner Bros.’ Watchmen movie (out March 6, 2009) is still very much a work in progress, DC Direct has put the finishing touches on its collector-edition tie-ins, which are modeled after the characters from director Zack Snyder’s film. The company will unveil four of these action-figure prototypes at New York Comic-Con on Friday, April 18, but EW has your exclusive peek at two of them — steadfast vigilante Rorschach and nice-guy superhero Nite Owl — which will hit stores in January 2009 at around $14.99. — Nisha Gopalan

Guardians of Ga’hoole is based on the popular children’s book series by American author Kathryn Lasky, about a young barn owl and his friends as they escape the evil clutches of a band of rogue owls and embark on a journey to reunite with their families.

Work on the film will take place at the company’s Moore Park studios and will employ approximately 300 artists.

Zack Snyder, whose work includes the movies 300 and Watchmen, will direct the film, and Animal Logic’s managing director Zareh Nalbandian will produce.

“This film is a huge win for the Australian film industry,” Nalbandian said.

“We will have another opportunity to show the world that Australia is home to world class filmmaking, and to employ and retain so many talented artists.

“With Guardians of Ga’Hoole we are aiming to reinforce the foundation for a robust animation business here in Australia.”

Premier Morris Iemma said NSW beat Victoria and Singapore to secure the contract.

“The government has been working hard with Animal Logic to ensure Guardians of Ga’hoole and a range of future productions are based here and that our economy and industry reap the benefits,” Mr Iemma said.

“Victoria and Singapore were actively pursuing the project but I’m delighted to say my government has stepped in to work with Animal Logic to secure the business in Sydney.”

The film is set for a 2010 release.

Back in November of 2007, Comic Related was introduced to an individual who works in the film industry. This individual, who called herself Cassandra Faust, has been good enough to share three six hand reports direct from the set of the Watchmen film. Ms. Faust worked as an extra during the filming and offered a great summary of what she witnessed. We’re pleased to share her unexpected seventh set report today and Ms. Faust has our sincere, continued and ongoing thanks…

When I signed off in March, fellow WATCHMEN fans, I thought that was truly the end of my brief journalistic career. The production had wrapped, the New York street set stands bare and deserted and the raw film footage had been consigned to the trials and tribulations of postproduction.

However, WATCHMEN employed so many local people working in the film industry that one is hard pressed to come across anyone in the business who did not have something to do with the film. In my continuing work as a background performer, I’ve rubbed elbows with numerous people who, like me, had the privilege to work on what has already been dubbed the “Blade Runner of the 21st Century”. And in the weeks since production shut down, I’ve learned a lot about the movie. The details, big and small, kept adding up until I found myself dusting off my keyboard and donning my reporter’s cap to bring you wonderful WATCHMEN fans yet another update. And these nuggets about the film are solid gold.

Hang on to your masks!

To start off, I’ve learned that the supplemental material at the end of the individual issues of the comic series will be included in the film in the form of newsreel-style reports. Whether these will be part of the opening credits – as has been reported elsewhere – or interspersed throughout the film, we will have to wait and see. Perhaps the Mothman scene I reported on months ago will be part of this footage.

The next little tidbit of information I’ve come across concerns the scene with Nixon and Kissinger after Dr. Manhattan has fled Earth and the situation with the Russians is reaching the boiling point. I’m told that the actors, with the aid of make-up and prosthetics, resemble their true-life counterparts to a great degree. The two important figures will indeed get reports on a doomsday scenario and the potential loss of the East Coast of the United States. My source tells me that Nixon, upon hearing this news, will quip: “Let’s see those bastards at Harvard figure a way out of that one.” Also, Kissinger will make reference to the “mad Nixon”. However, my source’s memory is sketchy on this point as the scene was shot months ago and he is unfamiliar with the novel. My source may have been referring to the “mad bomber” reference in this scene from the novel. A new wrinkle appears to be an escalation of the situation and potentially a limited nuclear strike as my source (with faulty memory, remember) made reference to reactions shots that were filmed where the generals react to some horrific cataclysm that has taken place. These shots featured the generals covering their faces and expressing concern for their families. This Nixon/Kissinger information should be filed in the ‘grain of salt’ category as the details may have gotten a bit blurred over time. I’m merely reporting what I was told.

Moving on to much more reliable information, we turn our attention to Rorschach. I’ve learned a great deal about him from someone who worked for months on the film and am pleased to pass on what I know since it sticks so closely to the novel that it may put some fans at ease.

We will be seeing Kovacs’s tragic childhood faithfully brought to life: His whoring mother, the fight with the bullies (Zack Snyder’s son plays young Kovacs) and his eventual employment in the garment industry where he comes upon his mask just as described in the novel.

Rorschach will also be employing his particular interrogation techniques in the bar. Broken fingers anyone?

Kovacs’s unforgettable battle of wills with Big Figure has been reproduced in the film. However, Zack Snyder and crew have upped the ante a little. We all know how Kovacs binds Big Figure’s flunky against the cell door, which ultimately gets the man’s throat cut. Well, for the film, Figure’s other murderous henchman cuts the bound man’s arms off with a circular saw in a gruesome scene. For the record though, Kovacs affects his escape in the classic manner depicted in the novel and Big Figure also meets his demise off-camera in the rest room. This is one fan who can’t wait to see Danny Woodburn as Big Figure. Some might remember Woodburn as Kramer’s friend Mickey on Seinfeld, but he is also a great dramatic actor. What a casting coup this will turn out to be.

We’ve all seen the alterations made to Adrian Veidt’s appearance and the changes don’t end there. His domed, Antarctic retreat appears in the film but there is no green house and he does not murder his three accomplices. And poor Nite Owl and Rorschach will be walking to the retreat from Owl’s ship. No hover bikes. Nite Owl will have his winter outfit though.
Another alteration is that Dr. Manhattan will crash through the ceiling of Veidt’s retreat, not the wall, but he will be 100 feet tall.

Veidt will catch the bullet fired by Laurie but will not break Nite Owl’s nose with a plate and does not pin Rorschach to the table. I’m told that Veidt will fight Rorschach, Nite Owl and Laurie at the same time. Given Mr. Snyder’s genius with staging fight scenes, this should be something extraordinary as we see an outnumbered Veidt wipe the floor with his worthy opponents.

For those fans already starting to grind their teeth at these alterations, perhaps you will take comfort in the fact that Rorschach will meet his explosive demise at the hands of Dr. Manhattan – no alterations there.

The last nugget of information I have can best be described as the BIG ONE. It concerns the end of the film and the presence of a certain monstrous something many fans are hoping to see. Squid or no squid? That is the question on the minds of WATCHMEN fans.

Well, I’ve been given, I’m told, the definitive answer to this question and it comes from a source who worked months on the production, right up until the film wrapped.

It’s been revealed to me that the squid is definitely… IN! The hideous brainchild of Adrian Veidt will be unleashed on the city of New York (and yours truly as an extra for the filming of a portion of these scenes) to wreck havoc and destruction.
There you have it. A treasure trove of WATCHMEN gold. That’s all I have to report for now. Under the circumstances, I’d normally be closing up shop yet again, but I’ve learned to never say never with WATCHMEN.

So this is your intrepid reporter signing off for now.

See you in the funny papers.

Zack Snyder is set to direct “Guardians of Ga’Hoole,” an animated feature film based on the series of children’s books by Kathryn Lasky.

Village Roadshow is making the film and Warner Bros. will distribute.

Pic is set in the Forest of Tyto, where Barn Owls live in peace until their kingdom is threatened by an evil that could destroy their home.

Script was written by John Orloff (”A Mighty Heart”) and John Collee (”Master and Commander”). The pic will be produced by Zareh Nalbandian, with Donald DeLine, Deborah Snyder and Lionel Wigram exec producing.

The intention is to execute in Sydney, Australia, through Animal Logic, which worked with Village Roadshow and WB on “Happy Feet.” The film is on a fast track and is likely to be ready by 2009 or 2010.

It is the first animated film for Snyder, who followed the stylized hit “300″ by reteaming with WB and Legendary on “Watchmen,” an adaptation of Alan Moore’s DC Comics creation.

Watchmen Script supervisor Kimi Webber shares deep thoughts about the cast, crew and her production experience

Kimi Webber was the script supervisor for 300, The Spiderwick Chronicles, and most recently Watchmen. The following statement was given to us as an exclusive and is in Kimi’s own words…

Natural leadership skills, like natural talent, are an intangible combination of caring, experience and human nature. The thing about Shackletons and Snyders is that they don’t come along that often. But when they do, members of their expeditions, amidst laughter and good times (aka; paintball wars, touch football, obscure pop culture Google and YouTube searches and endless bouts of immature and irreverent humour which more often than naught fall on the dark side of good taste), strangely find themselves exceeding their own expectations of personal performance and dedication to craft.

Many a technician will confess to having moments of struggling with why they sacrifice countless hours of personal life and precious family time to a process generally perceived as, “…whatever, it’s just a movie.” It’s a common perception to believe that making movies, in the great scheme of the world, is not very important.

I feel that I can state with a large degree of certainty that close to 100% of the cast and crew feel differently about having been part of “Watchmen.” I attribute this fact firstly to the tremendous original source material which intimately and intelligently explores human nature in a way that remains consistent despite the two decades passed since its original publication.

Add to this the creative voices of countless actors, artists, composers, choreographers, designers and technicians on every level, all reflecting their own human-ness inspired by the material and intrepidly led by a director clear in his own heart of how the material touches him. Inevitably what you have is not “just a movie,” not “…a mortgage payment,” but a collective representation of who we all are as people. As humans.

These collective efforts and expressions of hundreds amass into a kaleidoscope of moments, which I feel strongly will resonate inside all who watch it and who may have ever felt the same.

Personally… I don’t think it gets more important than that. And I for one, am deeply gratified to have participated in the adventure.

- Kimi Webber
Script Supervisor