Jan 28, 2016
2
10 BRINGING BACK THE FUTURE
04 A RETURN TO THE MOON
14 MAN VS MACHINE VS MONSTER
08 SSFM 2012
20 INTERVIEW: NEILL BLOMKAMP
18 INFOGRAPHIC
23 COnTRIBUTORS
o4
Imagine that all of the movies
made in your lifetime
don’t exist. Pretty difficult, isn’t it? Now try
imagining that all of the movies that have
come out in the past century no longer exist.
You’re probably wondering to yourself, “Did
movies even exist that long ago?” Believe it
or not, they did! However, one hundred years
ago, movies were extremely different from
what we’re used to here in the 21st century.
One hundred years ago, films were meant for
the upper class, whereas today, they’re open
to anyone who can afford them and they can
even be watched at home. A century ago,
movies were mostly short films that typically
lasted no longer than twenty minutes, whereas
today, they can last up to three or four hours,
and sometimes more. Movies were more primi-
tive in their production methods, unlike today,
where we have the advantage of technology to
create sounds and visuals through editing.
109 years ago (67 years before the Apollo 11
moon landing), Georges Méliès conducted a
different mission to the moon. As writer, direc-
tor, and star, he released a 14 minute short
film titled, Le Voyage dans la lune, or better
known in the U.S. as A Trip to the Moon. It
was the first film in the science fiction genre. It
has made a lasting impression across multiple
fields in cinematic history, and has had a great
impact on the genre and its following films. It
is also known for using the earliest forms of
innovative special effects.
Georges Méliès was a famous French film-
maker during the silent era of film. Initially, his
interests began in the arts and expanded into
magic and ultimately, cinema. As part of the
audience at the Lumière Brothers’ unveiling of
the cinematography, he was inspired to learn
more about moving pictures. He was later able
to build his own projector and screen other
peoples’ movies, then eventually his own.
With filmmaking as a new tool in his arsenal
of creativity, Méliès was determined to go
beyond the visual capabilities of stage theatre
and into special effects in film. One of the
most famous special effects he discovered
is known as the “stop trick.” He accidentally
discovered this trick when he was filming a
street scene in Paris and his camera jammed.
He stopped rolling to fix the jam and resumed
rolling after. Later, when he screened the
footage, an omnibus in the street was instantly
replaced by a hearse. This was just one of the
many visual tricks he used in his films that has
been utilized throughout filmmaking history.
Others include double exposure, actors per-
forming with themselves over split screen, and
the use of dissolves and fades.
In A Trip to the Moon, Méliès films the moon
landing in two different ways: first with a
bullet-shaped rocket landing in the eye of the
moon, which has been made to look like a face
(a scene which would be remembered through-
out cinematic history). Secondly, with the
rocket landing on the flat surface. This tech-
nique would be echoed in Edwin S. Porter’s
Life of an American Fireman. Other notable
visuals and techniques in Méliès’ most famous
film include creating sets and backdrops with
simple, painted flats, having detailed costume
designs for the moon people and the moon
face, and making the moon people explode
into smoke through camera trickery. Although
these seem primitive today, we must remem-
ber that these were filmmaking innovations
started by a master of illusion and editing over
one hundred years ago.
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7
As the largest producer of fiction films in
France, Méliès had a large output of hundreds
of films which ranged from one minute to forty
minutes. Other filmmakers started to follow
his trend in lengthening their films as well.
However, his earliest films focused on camera
tricks and special effects, and some were even
devoid of plot, due to his emphasis on special
effects.
`A Trip to the Moon runs for about fourteen
minutes and has both a plot and special ef-
fects. It was inspired by Jules Verne’s From the
Earth to the Moon and H.G. Wells’ The First
Men in the Moon, two popular science fiction
novels at the time. What makes A Trip to the
Moon the first in the science fiction genre is
that it established all the elements necessary
in the genre: adventurous scientists, a futuris-
tic space voyage, special effects, and strange
aliens from a place far from earth. The rest of
the films within the science fiction genre all
have at least one of these elements in com-
mon with Georges Méliès’ most famous film.
Movies like The Thing from Another World,
2001: A Space Odyssey, the Star Wars trilo-
gies, The Terminator, The Matrix, and District
9, while having distinctive plots, all share a
common element with the very first film in
science fiction. In spite of how long ago it was
made, we can always point to A Trip to the
Moon and remember how much it resonates in
the entire genre.
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Highlighting Sacramento’s Fall events calendar for 2011 is
something we at Continuum have all been waiting for. The
Sacramento Science Fiction Film Festival kicks off on Friday,
November 11, running through the end of the weekend. Fol-
lowing the ever-popular Sacramento Sci-Fi & Horror Show,
held at the Scottish Rite Center each September, the Film Fes-
tival aims to bring some of the most beloved science fiction
movies to downtown Sacramento.
Films will be shown at three venues, all located along a 10-block strip of K
Street. The classic Crest Theatre will serve as the festival’s home base, with
satellite venues including the Downtown Esquire IMAX screen (reserved for the
special effects-driven films), as well as the Downtown Century Plaza Theatres.
With three theatres and three days worth of science fiction culture to immerse
yourselves in, the festival is on our must-attend list. Set in the heart of Sacra-
mento, there will be plenty of other activities available within walking distance
to supplement your film-viewing. Old Sacramento, situated along the city’s
beautiful riverfront district offers museums, shops, dining and various entertain-
ers. All of this is set within a fun Western-themed atmosphere which parallels
the city’s rich history as the capitol of California.
The entire downtown area is abuzz with fine
dining and bars, galleries, parks, and shop-
ping. The downtown mall will be a central
hotspot during the festival, as it is home to
one of the venues. Much of the downtown
and popular Midtown areas can be explored
just by walking. A pleasant stroll among the
large trees that cover the area will lead you to
eclectic, hole-in-the-wall eateries, scattered
throughout an interesting mix of residential
and business pockets. Sacramento’s nightlife
is also bustling. Outdoor patios are abundant,
making after-hours mingling an essential part
of your visit. Check out http://downtownsac.
org/venture-out/plan-my-visit/ or http://oldsac-
ramento.com/ for some more things to do.
Another popular Autumn destination is Apple
Hill, just up Highway 50 from Sacramento.
Comprised of over 50 ranches and orchards,
the area is open to the public with every type
of apple treat you can think of. A micro-brew-
ery, vineyards, and spas make it a fun day trip
for adults and kids alike. Directions and events
for Apple Hill can be found at http://www.
applehill.com/.
BY ZACH MCWILLIAMS
All of this rich culture surrounding Sacramento
is one reason the Crest Theatre was chosen
as the main venue for the Science Fiction Film
Festival. Since 1912, its location has been
the home to some type of theatre. Though
the names and purposes of the building
have changed several times, it remains one
of the most recognizable icons in the city.
First used as a vaudeville performance house,
it converted to a motion picture theatre in
the late 1920s. This continued for several
decades until varying factors forced the
closure of the theatre in 1979. In 1986, the
Crest was re-opened through the efforts of a
local group who wanted the historic building
to once again be enjoyed by the citizens of
Sacramento. Since then, The Crest has hosted
many events, musical performances, and films.
Booths and entertainment related to the Sci-Fi
Festival will be set up around this location all
weekend, so plan on stopping by.
Although the science fiction genre is often
seen as exclusive or too “geeky” for some
people, the Sacramento Science Fiction Film
Festival is set up to be an introduction for
those who may not know much about it. At
the same time, the festival will show plenty of
films that are near and dear to the hearts of
the hardcore fan. Georges Méliès’ 1902 film,
“A Trip to the Moon,” will show every day of
the festival. This 14-minute narrative was the
very first science fiction film created, and used
never-before-seen special effects. A wacky
adventure, this short film serves as a histori-
cal foundation for what was to come in future
years in the science fiction world.
Science fiction is essentially a form of fiction
that draws imaginatively on scientific knowl-
edge and speculation in its plot, settings, and
themes. It is a genre of fiction dealing with
imaginary but more or less plausible content
such as future settings, futuristic science and
technology, space travel, aliens, and para-
normal abilities. There are many sub-genres
of science fiction as well, and the goal of
this year’s film festival is to present a series
of movies that span the entire history of the
genre and encompass everything the genre is
indicative of. The specific schedule of show-
times has yet to be released, but we do know
which films will be presented:
The Andromeda Strain
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Star Trek
Ghostbusters
Children of Men
Mad Max
Soylent Green
Solaris
Century Plaza445 Downtown Plz.Sacramento, CA800.326.3264
E.T.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The Matrix
Tron
THX1138
A Clockwork Orange
Back to the Future
Esquire IMAX1211 K StreetSacramento, CA916.443.4629
A Trip to the Moon
BladeRunner
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Star Wars Saga
Alien
The Day the Earth Stood Still
The Terminator
Planet of the Apes
Crest Theatre1013 K StreetSacramento, CA916.442.5189
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FUTUREWhen Captain Picard of Star Trek: The Next
Generation wanted to do some research, all he
had to do was reach for his touch-based mini
control panel, PADD. He had an entire galaxy’s
worth of information at the tip of his fingers,
and never needed to pull out a ten pound
dictionary. So why should we? Apple manu-
factured the iPad, a device similar to Captain
Picard’s in many ways, so we can follow in the
footsteps of the hip Star Trek crew.
Remember the flying car from Blade Runner?
Or what about the flying car from the Jetsons,
Harry Potter, and Fantastic Four? The flying
car was a characteristic which lent these mov-
ies an element of fantasy. However, fiction no
more! The flying car was unveiled by Milner
Motors at the 2008 New York Auto Show. In
2011, the National Highway Traffic and Safety
Administration cleared it for the road. Any day
now, we may see a Flying Car in our rear view
mirrors.
bringing back the
Oh snap! For just five thousand smackeroos
you can own Marty McFly’s futuristic Nikes
from “Back to the Future Part 2.” No way!
Futuristic! “Back to the Future Part 2” came
out in 1989. Wouldn’t that make these Marty
McFly shoes dated? Apparently not because
on its release date consumers rushed online
and paid thousands to own a pair of these
awesome glowing sneakers.
Trinkets from the Science Fiction genre have
made a huge impact upon our imaginations. It
is no wonder that many of these once “futur-
istic” gizmos from the movies are now sitting
in our living rooms. So impressed was our
generation, that having these gadgets remain
fiction just seemed like a huge waste. Aside
from the Marty McFly shoes, here are some
items that were born on screen but have now
walked into our lives:
BY LISA LAM
11006
If you’ve watched Star Wars and wished that
R2D2 was your best friend, then look no more!
Various companies in Japan have made it
their goal to manufacture intelligent robots to
clean up after us, play with our kids, and even
challenge you to a good game of chess. The
robots Wakamaru and PaPeRo are not toys
that just swivel and turn. They are actual intel-
ligent droids that respond to the stress levels
in our voices, to decide whether or not they
will listen to our commands. R2D2 may have
been a piece of science fiction, but Wakamaru
and PaPeRo can be purchased online and in
Japanese stores.
Medical advances that were considered im-
possible in the 1970’s sci-fi TV shows The Six
Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman are
now a reality. The bionic implants that were
once a fictional stretch on both TV shows,
have found its way into the lives of selected
individuals around the world. Thanks to the
German company, Otto Bock HealthCare,
prosthesis devices controlled by the mind are
now being pioneered and prototyped. Certain
individuals like Christian Kandlbauer, who lost
his left arm in an electrical accident, regained
the ability to drive and move naturally by hav-
ing a bionic implant. Although the technology
is still currently being studied, it is predicated
to be more widely available by 2013.
Remember a time when holograms were
considered a fantastic wonder? In the original
Star Wars, R2D2 projected a hologram of Prin-
cess Leia recording a message seeking help.
At the time, the idea of having a projected
moving holographic recording of anything
was incredibly awesome, yet without a doubt
impossible. However, the technology of pro-
jecting holographic images are coming closer
to home every day. At the 2005 MTV Europe
Music Awards, the rock band Gorillaz gave the
first holographic performance ever on stage.
The technology at the time was considered ex-
pensive and not profitable; therefore, was not
used by many musicians. However in 2009 the
first ever virtual pop idol Hatsune Miku, cre-
ated by the Japanese company Crypton Future
Media, gave a first live concert utilizing the
holographic technology. Since then, Hatsune
Miku sold out concerts world wide and can be
seen regularly in the US via Toyota TV com-
mercials. And while all that sounds incredibly
cool, it is not even the most advanced form
of holograms because they still involve the
use of projection on glass. In early 2011, the
Japanese announced the development of laser
plasma emission technology which projects
holographic images in floating points of light.
Suddenly, the current hype of 3D television
sets don’t seem so impressive.
We are now just beginning to catch up. These
gadgets are ideas that were thought up by
some Science Fiction geeks, forty-some years
ago. We have now just begun transitioning
these fantastic gizmos into reality. It is hard to
imagine what type of technology Science Fic-
tion will influence, forty years later.
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Suddenly, the current hype of
3D television sets doesn’t seem
so impressive.
“Suddenly, the current hype of
3D television sets doesn’t seem
so impressive!”
15
Trending for years in science
fiction, man has been placed
in precarious situations with
monsters and robots, but
typically all of these situation
was the fault of none other
then man himself. Yet why do
we empathize with his plight?
Man is constantly in search
of new extremes in all facets
of life such as technology,
knowledge, speed, travel,
and many others. However in
search of these new extremes
he finds himself carelessly
creating new problems in
the hopes of further pushing
humanity. I set out in search
of reasoning for why man is in
this situation a lot of the time.
Lets start with monsters!
Monsters vary from the gross
disgusting type with huge
teeth, beady eyes, ravenous
claws and growths oozing
puss on their back to the
monsters resembling a human
so much that they blend in
with society. They haunt man
in his closet or under the bed
as children and they devour
man on space stations lost
in space. First, we have to
compartmentalize the main
monsters categories:
We have monsters directly
created by man. Examples
include Frankenstein, The Fly,
and the famous Mr. Hyde.
These characters were cre-
ated by human motivations
or emotions such as greed,
addiction, and arrogance. The
monster from Frankenstein
was created through curiosity
and experimentation with
human body parts. However,
the good Doctor Frankenstein
was horrified by what he
had created and ran into the
streets when the monster had
awoken. The monster became
out of control and gave birth
to the phrase, “I created a
monster.” This is typical of
science fiction in that many
times the main character
doesn’t think ahead of the
long term ramifications.
BY SEAN VOEGELI
16
Finally, rounding out our
monster categories we have
our mutated variety. Fan
favorites include Godzilla,
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,
Zombies, King Kong, Mothra,
The Toxic Avengers, and
countless others. These char-
acters were typically created
by a horrible accident or the
collision of technology and
mother nature. Of course the
most famous of the mutants
is Godzilla. His origin lies in
the Cretaceous time-period,
where his species “Gojirasau-
rus” roamed the earth in a
form similar in scale to a large
Tyrannosaurus. Unfortunately
as with most relatives of
the dinosaurs they died off
and only two eggs remained
buried deep within the South
Pacific Ocean. Around World
War II man began testing
nuclear weapons near the
Marshall Islands resulting in a
huge does of radiation for the
lone Gojirasaurus eggs. The
unborn Gojirasaurus rapidly
mutated and grew into what
popular culture know as
Godzilla
Now lets talk Robots! When
it comes to robots man has
typically created robots to
help society only to let the
technology get out of hand.
Examples include The Day the
Earth Stood Still, Terminator,
Blade Runner, A.I. Artificial
Intelligence. Typically these
movies have the human race
embracing the technology
of humanoid or the typical
metal box robots assisting
the human race only to cause
mayhem at some point. No
other movie exemplifies
man’s plight against a robot
foe better then the Termina-
tor series.
Next we have the ever-pop-
ular extraterrestrials. Stars of
the extraterrestrials include
Predator, The Thing, the
bugs from Starship Troopers,
and countless others found
in galaxies far far away from
Star Wars and Star Trek. Some
of these characters come
to planet earth, but science
fiction movies almost-always
feature man’s conquest of
other galaxies. Starship
Troopers shows man at war
with an alien race (“The
Bugs”) to gain possession of
planets and their precious
resources. Ironically the story
shares a parallel to the most
recent wars occurring in the
middle east. “The Bugs” were
served to the general popu-
lace by way of propaganda
as an enemy that the people
should unite to exterminate
as they are a threat. How-
ever underneath it all are the
interests of resources and
possession of new territory.
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The events of Skynet basically
break down like this:
1. Man creates computer.
2. Computers improve
exponentially.
3. Computers are at-
tached to man’s defense
systems.
4. Man gives computer free
will (Skynet computer
system).
5. Man decides that the
freewill of a computer
may not be so safe and
decides to deactivate
Skynet.
6. Skynet decides to bite
back in the hope of
its own survival 2029
by causing a horrible
nuclear apocalypse.
Through this experience man
becomes nearly extinct and
is forced to live underground
beyond the surveillance of
Skynet much like a cockroach.
What man had created was
now deciding his own fate.
What do these categories
have in common? Man’s
plight to be ruler of the uni-
verse often times can nearly
ruin the existence of man all
together. Granted science fic-
tion movies take us away from
our day to day lives and offer
a two hour escape from our
problems. What most people
don’t realize is that often
times man is responsible for
his situation. For example if
you ask the average person
what Terminator was all about
they would probably respond
with something like, “Oh,
that’s when Arnold was a
robot trying to kill that one
lady—Sarah Connor.” Science
fiction movies need to evoke
emotion in an audience such
as anxiety, fear, and uncer-
tainty, but they also serve as
a vehicle for self examina-
tion. Self examination of us
individually, as a human race,
a world and where our future
lies. Science fiction can serve
as a warning to how we effect
our surroundings big or small.
18
Science Fiction has featured technology that has fascinated the imagination
of audiences for years. No other science fiction franchise has impacted the
technology world as much as star trek. In this infographic w e take a look at
what has actually become reality over the years thanks to Spok and friends.
TRACTOR BEAM:
In science fiction, space
ships including the Star-
ship Enterprise snatch
each other up using
tractor beams. Optical
tweezers are as close
as you’re going to get
to a legitimate tractor
beam on current-day
Earth. Scientists have
harnessed small lasers
into beams capable of
manipulating molecules
and moving them with
precision.
COMMUNICATOR:
Introduced to star trek
audiences in 1968, it
appeared to be incred-
ibly small and advanced
way to communicate
with the crew on the
Enterprise. Today flip
phone technology al-
lows the same remote
push to talk conve-
nience for connecting
with your buddies.
PHASER:
In science fiction,
spaceships including
the Starship Enterprise
snatch each other up
using tractor beams.
Optical tweezers are as
close as you’re going to
get to a legitimate trac-
tor beam on current-day
Earth. Scientists have
harnessed small lasers
into beams capable of
manipulating molecules
and moving them with
precision.
TABLET COMPUTER:
First appeared in
the original Star trek
in 1987 nicknamed
“PADD”. The iPad
from Apple arrives with
explosive popularity
in 2010. It even has an
application available
that is designed to
replicate the computer
in the Star Trek Next
Generation.
INTERVIEWER’SCUT:WITHNEILLBLOMKAMP
In the sci-fi world, the marriage between
special effects and realism has always been
a balancing act. These days, there are an
infinite amount of ways to wow the audience.
There are explosions, complicated gadgets,
tools, and futuristic weapons that can blow
your mind. In some cases, special effects can
become unrealistic and when the effects in
a movie just looks too fake, the audience
can lose interest —cue the scene of Neo vs.
the Smiths in The Matrix Reloaded. Another
factor that steps into the balancing act is the
emotional attachment. Sci-fi films are more
than just idealistic futures and action-packed
scenes, they also touch on emotional state
of the story. A good sci-fi movie captures the
essence of the humanity and animation such as
the film District 9 directed by Neill Blomkamp.
Neill became a success after District 9 became
a surprise hit in 2009. The movie not only was
successful in the box office, it was commended
for its special effects plus its emotional depth.
But who is Neill Blomkamp? Below is an inter-
view with Neill questioned by blogger Todd
Gilchrist of Moviefone.com.
INFORMATION GATHERED BY: MELISSA PASCUAL
21
Q: District 9 was a hit mostly because it had
an original storyline and wasn’t a product of a
sequel or remake.
A: That’s true, that does make it a bit left of
the norm. I think about this a lot—a hell of a
lot actually —and how it plays out within the
genre of sci-fi and horror. This concept of
“Where does that fiction [in its source material
form] come from?” If you look at the most
meaningful science fiction, it didn’t come from
watching other films. We seem to be in a place
now where filmmakers make films based on
other films because that’s where the stimuli
and influence comes from. But go back and
look at something like [Joe Haldeman’s 1974
novel] “The Forever War” that is very much
rooted in his experience in Vietnam, that’s
where the stimulation comes from. And that’s
my goal, really, is not to draw from other films
in terms of the overall inspiration and stimuli.
Q: Your budget to the film was relatively low
compared to most films involving special-ef-
fects and allowing you some creative freedom.
Usually, when studios have big budgets, they
tend to please audiences.
A: That’s exactly right and that’s precisely the
reason I don’t want to do high-budget films.
I’ve said no already to doing the Hollywood
movie thing with big budgets. And that is the
exact reason. I think that I’d say $25 to $45
million is kind of where I want to be. I don’t re-
ally want to make movies that cost much more.
If you’re James Cameron or Peter Jackson,
then you can. Because then they’ll give you
that much more, and you can do what you
want. But if you’re not them, then you’re not
going to get to do what you want if they give
you $150 million. You’re going to do what they
want, which I’m just not interested in.
Q: The social conflict between the humans
and aliens are essentially a metaphor between
whites and blacks in South Africa. Were you
concerned with politics being too strong in
the film?
A: No. Obviously I don’t want to make a film
that offends people, but the whole world is
so politically correct—I’m not going to not
do something because it may be politically
incorrect. At some point, the metaphors and
allegories break down. They disappear, and
you just have science fiction. So maybe that’s
where this film is a little dodgy. If you just stick
to metaphors and allegories, then you can
address them. But if at some point it becomes
just an interest in sci-fi, and, for example,
the aliens being this termite hive that have
lost their queen, then maybe you’re on shaky
ground. But I like the idea that they’re from
this society that’s lost their queen and their
leadership, and they need to reestablish that.
Q: The film reflected a lot with your experi-
ences growing up in South Africa. Do you feel
like your message came across in the film?
A: Yeah, I think so. For the most part, “District
9” is absolute popcorn. It’s absolute fluff com-
pared to how serious those real-life topics are.
The topics in the film are on my mind all the
time and they’re very interesting to me. The
bottom line is “District 9” touches on 1% of
those topics in terms of how severe they could
be portrayed, and I knew that when I made it.
But people got the messages. Xenophobia,
racism allegories—they got all of it. I don’t
think the film was misunderstood. Not every-
body loved it. Nigerians weren’t happy. They
were pissed. And I suppose that’s fair enough
because I directly named them and they don’t
come off well in the film. But that was part of
the whole satirical nature of the film. And that
conflict, well, that’s a South African thing.
Q: Was there anything about your first feature
that threw you, or surprised you?
A: Yeah. Yeah, totally. The shoot was incredibly
grueling. The shoot was tough as hell. What I
was completely unprepared for is, if you talk
about the two-and-a-half-year timeline of this
film, and a shoot being a hundred times longer
than you’re used to, all of the plotting where
you are on that curve. So on day 37, you’re
shooting a scene that occurs in the first five
minutes of the film. It’s like you have to have
this mental map in your head of this extremely
long timeline, and every component is scaled
up. I think that is what I was most unprepared
for: “Holy shit, this is a massive undertaking.”
So you’ve got to go through it to come out on
the other side.
Q: What’s next for you?
A: Well, I’ve got another sci-fi film that I’m
going to start writing when I get back to
Vancouver, which I think is my next film. Just
another kind of idea.
Q: Your first film was highly influenced by your
homeland, South Africa. For your next film,
will you be going to other locations or back to
South Africa?
A: The setting for the next film takes place
150 years from now. There are two cities
that I’m choosing between. They would play
as themselves. They are not in South Africa.
The success of District 9 as made things a
lot easier. I can get other things made. The
thing I won’t forget though is that you’re re-
ally only as good as your last film. The whole
flavor-the-week thing — that’s how Hollywood
works. If I screw up the next one it will be like
I never made District 9. I’m totally aware of
that. It can all disappear in 30 seconds.
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art director
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