Open this photo in gallery:The Supreme Court of Canada is pictured in Ottawa in 2023.Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian PressThe Supreme Court of Canada says its moving away from the social-media platform X.In an apparent farewell post to its more than 45,000 subscribers, the top court says it will focus its communication efforts on other platforms.It invites people to follow the court on its LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube accounts for updates.The Supreme Court had no immediate response when The Canadian Press asked it why it is distancing itself from the social-media platform.According to its account profile, the court joined the platform in 2015 when it was known as Twitter.In recent years, Chief Justice Richard Wagner has stressed the importance of communicating with Canadians about the courts work.

Poopting The FingerFallout gave Ella Purnell a "poop finger", and she's worried that being cast because of it "would be one of the worst things to happen to me"To be fair, there can't be a million other roles requiring you to be a fake nine-fingered Nancy.Image credit: VG247/Amazon News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Feb. 26, 2025 Do you remember when Ella Purnell lost a finger in the first season of the Fallout TV show? Well, not her, but her character. It's fair to say Purnell definitely does, as she's keen not be be typecast going forwards as folks who end up losing digits, since it'd mean more time with a "poop finger".To be fair, it's not just Lucy the vault dweller who's lost a finger while Purnell was playing her, with the actress' role as League of Legends show Arcane's Jinx also seeing her part with an animated appendage. It's not much, but it is weird that it's happened twice. Though, hanging out with a ghoul bounty hunter can be a recipe for strange goings-on.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Well, speaking in a fairly jokey fashion at a recent IGN FanExpo, the actress very much gave the middle finger to the idea of potentially being typecast as, for lack of a better term, a finger loser."That would be one of the worst things to happen to me, purely because do you have any idea how annoying it is to have that finger painted on me every single day", she said, referring the fact that if your character loses a finger in a live-action thing or has one replaced, the makeup team naturally has to do stuff to your finger to make it look like it's in the right state to match.Watch on YouTube"This finger is the bane of my life," Purnell continued, "They paint it, right? This is the finger, I don't know if you guys know this, that you use the most, for everything, all the time. Then you have to take it off, put it back on, it's very annoying. I just have this poop finger all the time or I go to Whole Foods and I'm picking up the vegetables and people are looking at me like 'Stop touching the vegetables with your poop finger'. It's just terrible."Poop finger isn't literal by the way - as far as we know - it's just a fun term one of the Fallout series' makeup designers came up for to describe what was being done to Purnell's pointer.Would you cast Ella Purnell in a thing just so she could lose a finger and be apparently heckled while grocery shopping? Let us know below.

Meching Me CrazyMecha Break is the best PvP game I've played in ages, and a must-play during the Steam Next FestLike, I'm sitting here flabbergasted. Straight up confuddled.Image credit: VG247 Article by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published on Feb. 26, 2025 Look, there's no way of sugarcoating this. Mecha Break is phenominal. Very, very good. It's a game I played around a year ago for a little bit, and while I came away impressed back then, sitting at home and running a few games has me thoroughly locked in. There are issues, sure, but for an open beta set live during Steam Next Fest, I'm hard pressed to think of another game I'd rather be playing.Mecha Break is, for those unaware, a online mulitplayer shooter. In it, you and other players team up for one of two modes: traditional online PvP matches and extraction-shooter style PvPvE brawls called Mashmak. There are a variety of mechs available, as well as unlockable colours, pilot outfits, and so on. Not too shabby at all for a beta.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Now, Mashmak is fine. The map is huge and what fights I have had against other players have felt plenty tense. Plus, I've gotta say I love the map bosses you can occasionally take on, massive robots that are more like raid bosses than anything else I've played in a mode like this. However, I'm really in love with the tried-and-true online PvP. Six versus six action that genuinely feels like it could be my next live service addiction. I've had more fun playing this than I ever had playing Overwatch, Marvel Rivals, Rainbow Six Siege, whatever.There are two main reasons why. The first is presentation. If you're a mech head this game is phenominal eye candy. I mean really. You want small mechs with snipers? You want mechs that can turn into planes and do bombing runs? You want super heavy tanks with gatling guns? Do you long for the axe? It does have a vast spread of mecha goodness, so much so that I'd be shocked if you couldn't find at least one you don't vibe with. One small negative attached is of course that, some of these mechs require a lot of earnable currency to actually unlock, which is a slight bummer, but you can at least gather a healthy cast of each major archetype without much time investment.Secondly, the movement system is fantastic. At the start it's a game of boosting to your chosen location, then some simple air and ground movement. When you start getting the hang of things, you start zipping all over the place, managing energy and using your chosen mech to dash circles around other players. Two mechs, if they know what they're doing, conduct a wonderful dance around each other. In melee, this is especially great. A game of parries, dashes, combos, and intermittent ranged blasts. A wonderful ocean of skill expression.In this beta at least, the game seems generous in the goodies it's giving out. Though the battle pass is there, and while it's not unlockable quite yet, it does appear as though an entire mech will be locked behind it. Here's hoping free-to-players won't be too hard pressed to obtain 'em, but for now at least things seem pretty standard. In terms of player power unlocks, there certainly are super rare mods that can be crafted through combining various purple-quality pick-ups in Mashmak. Mods provide statistical bonuses to your roster of big robots, which in turn will provide slight advantages. This raises red flags of course, though it's unclear as of yet how hard it'll be to get the ideal mods for your mechs. Here's hoping things aren't too wallet unfriendly.But like, as it stands, a wonderful game that just...popped up on Steam during the Next Fest. Absolutely give it a download if you've got the time to sink into another PvP shooter. It's truly a beast in a world of its own. Jump in! Once you do, I'm sure you'll find a playstyle that captures your heart.

With plenty of physical game lovers resisting the shift to digital distribution, the world of boutique, limited-press publishing is booming, with multiple options for anyone desperate to have smaller-scale releases on disc or cartridge rather than a hard drive or SD card.It's a risky business, though, with even the biggest players having some major blots on their record, and companies frequently overpromising and underdelivering - if they deliver at all. COVID caused major disruption across all industries five years ago, and while the pandemic may be a distant memory for some, the after-effects are still rippling through the games industry. Pandemic-related issues aside, with small press game companies often relying on overseas production and distribution facilities not to mention developer issues and other factors it's easy to appreciate how a run of physical product can get held up by one issue, and how that issue can clog the entire pipeline.In our experience, people are usually happy to wait as long as they're kept in the loop, but although patience has its limits. Recently, an online conversation started by @arron_etchells flagging the mounting delays and dissatisfaction around Strictly Limited Games caught our attention, and we reached out to several SLG customers (two of whom wished to remain anonymous) to discover the details behind their growing frustration."In November 2022 I paid for a game that was advertised as expecting to ship in Q2 2023," @colour_thief told us. "This game featured online play and I was expecting to get to play it with my friends. But there is still no credible shipment date and of course the online is a ghost town now.""When Ive enquired in the past about expected shipping dates, they have been helpful and responded quickly but not given very much detail in response," another customer says. "I just feel that when it gets past their advertised and expected shipping dates, they arent very forthcoming with regular updates. I feel that they need to be more transparent by giving regular, situational updates of things that may be out of their control, and that may be leading to these delays. Those updates would be better understood by the customer." Time ExtensionIntroduces new trial initiative "Speedrun" and production trackerTime ExtensionThe long wait is finally over!"Their comms, in terms of [my] orders, are nearly non-existent," a third SLG customer tells us. "When they do Tweet etc, it's always about new things with no attention given to these massively delayed releases. I found their self-congratulatory 'We've had a great 2024!' New Year post to be particularly egregious."Back in October 2023, SLG announced some changes in a blog post following criticism of its customer comms and speculation that the company was facing bankruptcy, but it seems that further clarification is needed. The 'Manufacture Updates' page lists the status of its various editions, from 'Preparing Production' up to 'New in Stock', but specific progress or the reasons for timeline alterations aren't included. "Its just so frustrating to have to put down the full payment for a game in advance and have the dates continually change."In search of some specific answers, we reached out to Strictly Limited for comment on various issues, including the status of several games awaiting production."As with the entire video game industry, Strictly Limited was facing some challenges in 2023 and 2024," we were told via email when questioning the nature of the hold-ups. Given the context required, we'll reproduce several responses in their entirety below, although we have edited some for length:We are a small, dedicated team working on limited editions, not a large, publicly traded company. Rather than letting people go or ceasing operations, we decided to slow down to a minimum, develop a new strategy, and adapt to the changing circumstances. Fortunately, this approach proved successful, and by the end of 2024, the new direction was well received by shareholders, leading to additional investment in the parent company.Citing the launches of Iron Meat, Jet Kave Adventure, Tiny Thor, and Syder Reloaded as recent successes, SLG writes that "things are picking up again" and the intention is to have the backlog cleared before the year is out. "While were not yet entirely where we aim to be, we plan to have resolved all outstanding preorders by the end of 2025.""We plan to have resolved all outstanding preorders by the end of 2025" Image: Strictly Limited GamesWe asked about some specific cases to try and get some answers there. Firstly, Steel Empire Chronicles, which combines Over Horizon X Steel Empire (released on the eShop on 18th Jul 2024) and The Legend of Steel Empire (released 23rd Jan 2024, with a physical version from ININ already available).Steel Empire Chronicles was offered for pre-order and was to be published at the same time as the digital release. Unfortunately, it fell into a period that became extraordinarily difficult for Strictly Limited.While we discussed prioritising it due to the existence of the less competitive collection by our sister label, ININ, we ultimately agreed to wait until the game was released for PlayStation 4. This approach meant a delay for the Nintendo Switch version but would at least allow us to meet the release date for the second platform, maintaining some level of alignment. However, the developer faced capacity issues, and the PlayStation 4 ROM has yet to be completed.Now shipping separately, the Nintendo Switch version may be handled independently, with its physical edition finally releasing a little later this year.Next up was Ray'z Arcade Chronology, which launched digitally on 30th June 2023.The delay of Rayz Arcade Chronology was caused by the same challenges that impacted several other projects from that period. While pre-orders were initially collected in anticipation of the digital release, production was affected by limited resourcesparticularly given the scale of this collection.To better manage the workload, priority was given to the PlayStation 4 Limited Edition, which shipped in late 2024. The Nintendo Switch version is now scheduled for production, with shipping planned for this Spring, followed shortly by the larger editions.Dezatopia and Mecha Ritz: Steel Rondo were released in 2020 and 2022 respectively and SLG's page currently lists them as "Product Status - Update: Planning Production", so what's the story there?Pre-orders for Dezatopia & Mecha Ritz began on December 1, 2022. Unfortunately, this release was among the first to be affected by the resource shortages Strictly Limited faced at the time. As a result, customers who pre-ordered have endured one of the longest wait times. That wait is finally coming to an endDezatopia & Mecha Ritz is next in line for production and is scheduled to ship in early Spring.Image: Strictly Limited GamesGiven the issues people have had with firms such as Dispatch or First Press Games, there's a perception that a constant deficit exists at SLG and some other boutique publishers - that funds from newer pre-orders are needed to get production running on older orders, and corners are cut when it comes to quality."They keep announcing new games faster than they fulfil their backlog," @colour_thief told us. "It's in very poor taste and feels like a pyramid scheme. I gave them the benefit of the doubt with COVID supply chain issues but that excuse is very stale in 2025."Asked for their take on the general state of the business and people who feel like they're getting scammed, SLG outlined the unknowns and difficulties that can impact projects and how strong pre-orders don't necessarily dictate a game's success. They also emphasised the passion and patience of their customers.Nevertheless, even the patience of the most passionate video game enthusiasts can be overstretched: If the wait becomes too long, they might feel betrayed or even scammed. To avoid this, its key to keep customers updated and communicate transparently while doing everything possible to finally release the game successfully.In 2024, Strictly Limited changed its business model, stepping away from a pre-order only model. Some new releases might be available right at the release date, aligned with the digital version of the game, and with no pre-order at all (like our Speed Runs, recently done with Iron Meat). Other new releases might have a shorter pre-order period, when production is already up and running. In any case, release dates will need to be aligned globally and become more reliable again.The change in approach feels like movement in the right direction, although it's not much comfort to people still awaiting delivery of orders they placed years ago. Some might suggest that new products shouldn't be announced until all prior orders have been fulfilled. On that point, SLG noted how they put the brakes on last year.Throughout the entire year of 2024, Strictly Limited announced only three new projectsa significant reduction compared to previous years, when we introduced 1520 new titles annually. This decision was made to focus on fulfilling outstanding pre-orders, optimising projects, balancing resources, and refining our overall strategy. Of the three titles announced, two were collaborations with ININ, aligned with their digital release schedules. The third was a Speed Run, a preview of our updated approach: it was offered only after production, and was done and shipped in time for release, just days after orders were placed.Our priority remains delivering on past commitments, and this more controlled approach ensures we can continue to do so while moving forward sustainably.The company has no plans to cancel any pre-orders and refund customers for any outstanding titles, saying that they "will continue to release open pre-orders in 2025 to ensure that everyone still waiting for a game finally receives their physical edition."Image: Strictly Limited GamesIt's a fraught and frustrating situation exacerbated by a lack of clear communication, which seems to be a common theme with boutique physical publishers looking to build a reputation and brand by highlighting successes, all the while running into problems which are underplayed or go unmentioned until they're called out. One customer we spoke to wished to highlight what separates their personal experience with Strictly Limited from other firms.I think like most people, all I want are the games."SLG were a really good place to buy physical games from. I've got at least a half dozen from them previously and I always got them decently quickly. It feels strange that they've gone from being pretty good to pretty terrible so suddenly while outwardly looking and behaving exactly the same."The change in business approach and the stated intention to clear the backlog by the end of 2025 suggests that Strictly Limited now has its hands on the wheel, at least, even if customer communication continues inexplicably to be a struggle.As we head into the third month of the year, fulfilling all outstanding orders in the next 10 months strikes us as an ambitious target, based on the evidence to date. With customers' patience wearing thin, the proof will be in the pudding come Christmastime.Image: Strictly Limited GamesOur thanks to everyone who responded for this piece. Let us know below your personal experiences with Strictly Limited Games, and if you're one of the people waiting for production to start.Share:00 Gavin first wrote for Nintendo Life in 2018 before joining the site full-time the following year, rising through the ranks to become Editor. He can currently be found squashed beneath a Switch backlog the size of Normandy. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best IncentivesNoooo, don't do it!Nintendo Highlights Four Brand New Games "Coming Soon" To SwitchMarch is going to be an exciting monthHands On: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - A Decade On, Mira's Still Got ItA Skell of a good time

Image: FangamerA new physical edition of Stardew Valley is available for purchase now via Fangamer, with both standard and deluxe editions on offer.Priced at $35, the standard edition comes with a double-sided cover and a gorgeous 18-page instruction manual, but the $59 deluxe edition is truly something special. You get everything included with the standard edition, but also a poster, art cards, a wooden pin, a mini farm deed, and even a comic book.We're particuarly keen on the art included on the front cover for both editions; it excludes the human characters from the game, instead focusing on some of the animals you'll be encountering during your time on the farm. It's really quite charming.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kWatch on YouTube The new physical edition is just one of many new items included in Fangamer's Stardew Valley collection; so if you're already covered on that front, you might be interested in something else. There's a neat jigsaw, a throw blanket, a mug, a colouring book, and even a Joja Cola glass. Lots of stuff if the Stardew fan in your life has a birthday coming up, perhaps.Let's have a little closer look at that gorgeous deluxe edition though, shall we?Images: FangamerDespite an initial release in 2016, Stardew Valley has been consistently updated with new features ever since, despite developer ConcernedApe also being hard at work on a brand new project called Haunted Chocolatier.In fact, ConcernedApe noted in a recent interview that he might even be inclined to update the game further when he's 90 years old. And we'll be right here to cover it, too. "Maybe even 50 years from now, I might add something"Kicking off 2025 with some bug fixesWhat do you make of this new deluxe physical edition of Stardew Valley? Are you tempted to pick up a copy? Let us know with a comment.[source fangamer.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:02 Nintendo Lifes resident horror fanatic, when hes not knee-deep in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie likes to dive into a good horror book while nursing a lovely cup of tea. He also enjoys long walks and listens to everything from TOOL to Chuck Berry. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best IncentivesNoooo, don't do it!Nintendo Highlights Four Brand New Games "Coming Soon" To SwitchMarch is going to be an exciting monthHands On: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - A Decade On, Mira's Still Got ItA Skell of a good time

Last week, hackers stole around $1.4 billion in Ethereum cryptocurrency from crypto exchange Bybit, believed to be the largest crypto heist in history. Now, the company is offering a total of $140 million in bounties for anyone who can help trace and freeze the stolen funds.Bybits CEO and co-founder Ben Zhou announced the bounty in a post on X on Tuesday.On the official site of the bounty, Bybit explains that for every time someone traces and freezes some of the stolen funds, 5% of that amount goes to the person who found them, and 5% to the entity that froze said funds.At the time of writing, thanks to five bounty hunters, Bybit has already awarded $4.23 million in bounties, according to the site, whose logo is a knife appearing to be stabbing through the head of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.Contact UsDo you have more information about the Bybit hack, or other crypto heists? From a non-work device and network, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram and Keybase @lorenzofb, or email. You also can contact TechCrunch via SecureDrop.We will not stop until Lazarus or bad actors in the industry is eliminated. In the future we will open it up to other victims of Lazarus as well, Zhou wrote, referring to Lazarus Group, the name that the cybersecurity industry has assigned to a broad group of North Korean-backed hackers focused largely on cryptocurrency thefts.Multiple security researchers and crypto security and monitoring firms believe the hackers behind the massive Bybit heist work for the North Korean government, which over the years has become very effective at targeting crypto exchanges and web3 companies, stealing $650 million in crypto in 2024 alone, according to the governments of the United States, Japan, and South Korea.On Wednesday, Bybits Zhou published the preliminary results of the forensic investigation into the hack, led by two companies, Sygnia Labs and Verichains. Sygnia concluded that the root cause of the attack was malicious code coming from the infrastructure of SafeWallet, a crypto wallet platform. Verichains said a benign Javascript file was replaced with a malicious version specifically targeting Ethereum Multisig Cold Wallet of Bybit.The two investigating security companies concluded that hackers breached a developers device at SafeWallet, as the company itself confirmed.

ElevenLabs, an AI startup that just raised a $180 million mega funding round, has been primarily known for its audio generation prowess. The company took a step in another technological direction by launching its first standalone speech-to-text model called Scribe.The startup, valued at $3.3 billion, has aided many other companies in providing speech-to-text services through its vast library of voices. However, the company is now looking to get into speech detection and compete with the likes of Gladia, Speechmatics, AssemblyAI, Deepgram, and OpenAIs Whisper models.ElevenLabs Scribe model supports over 99 languages at launch. The company categorizes over 25 languages in excellent accuracy category for the model where the word error rate is less than 5%. This list includes English (claimed accuracy rate of 97%), French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Kannada, Malayalam, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, and Vietnamese. Other languages are ranked in different categories with high (5-10% word error rate), good (10 to 20% word error rate), and moderate (25 to 50%) word error rates.The company said that the model outperformed Google Gemini 2.0 Flash and Whisper Large V3 across multiple languages in FLEURS & Common Voice benchmark tests.ElevenLabs had developed the speech-to-text component for its AI conversational agent platform, which was released last year. However, this is the first time the company is releasing a standalone speech detection model. In a conversation with TechCrunch last month, CEO Mati Staniszewski talked about improving speech detection models.We want to understand whats being said by you in a conversation better. We are working on ways to move away from only generating content and understanding and transcribing speech, Staniszewski said at that time. Many people say that speech-to-text is a solved problem. But for many languages, it is pretty bad. We think we can build better speech detection models because we have in-house teams to annotate data and give us quick feedback.The model also has smart speaker diarization to tell you who is speaking, timestamp at word level for accurate subtitles, and auto-tagging sound events like audience laughters. The startup is providing a way for customers to directly transcribe video content to add subtitles or captions in its studio.Scribe currently only works with pre-recorded audio formats. The company said it will release a low-latency real-time version of the model soon. That means it is not yet effective for meeting transcriptions or voice note-taking.ElevenLabs is pricing Scribe at $0.40 for an hour of transcribed audio. While the rate is competitive, some of its rivals offer a lower price for audio transcriptions at the moment with some feature differentiation.

Disney has shared with AWN an exclusive clip from the deleted scene, Whos The Mole Rat, off the Digital and upcoming physical release of its hit animated adventure, Mufasa: The Lion King. The film is now available for purchase at digital retailers (Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV and Fandango at Home) and April 1 on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. Both the Digital and physical release are filled with a slew of bonus features, including deleted scenes, outakes, songs, and more.The film takes audiences back in time with a host of fan-favorite characters like Mufasa,Scar, Sarabi, Rafiki and Zazu before they called Pride Rock home. Exploring the unlikely rise of the beloved king of the Pride Lands,Mufasa: The Lion Kingenlists Rafiki to relay the legend of Mufasa to young lion cub Kiara, daughter of Simba and Nala, with Timon and Pumbaa lending their signature schtick. Told in flashbacks, the story introduces Mufasa as an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka - the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of an extraordinary group of misfits searching for their destiny.Mufasa: The Lion King stars Aaron Pierre (Mufasa), Kelvin Harrison Jr. (Taka/Scar), Tiffany Boone (Sarabi), Kagiso Lediga (Young Rafiki), Preston Nyman (Zazu), Mads Mikkelsen (Kiros), Thandiwe Newton (Eshe), Lennie James (Obasi), Anika Noni Rose (Afia), Keith David (Masego), John Kani (Rafiki), Seth Rogen (Pumbaa), Billy Eichner (Timon), Donald Glover (Simba), Blue Ivy Carter (Kiara), Braelyn Rankins (Young Mufasa), Theo Somolu (Young Taka), Folake Olowofoyeku, Joanna Jones, Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, Abdul Salis, Dominique Jennings, and Beyonc Knowles-Carter (Nala). It is produced byAdele Romanski & Mark Ceryak, and executive produced by Peter Tobyansen.The film blends live-action filmmaking techniques with photoreal computer-generated imagery; the production VFX supervisor is Adam Valdez, whose stellar resume includes VFX supervisor work on the huge 2019 hit,The Lion King. MPC handled the animation and VFX.Bonus FeaturesFull Length Sing-Along Sing along with your favorite songs while watching the movie with on-screen lyrics.Finding Milele: The Making ofMufasa: The Lion King Join visionary director Barry Jenkins and the cast ofMufasa: The Lion Kingon an epic journey to create a brand-new chapter in the story ofThe Lion King. Explore how the story was developed and the technology used to make Mufasa's world come to life.Songs of the Savanna Director Barry Jenkins and songwriter Lin-Manuel Miranda sit down to discuss the excitement and challenges of creating the music forMufasa: The Lion King.Ostrich Eggs with Timon & Pumbaa Timon and Pumbaa reveal fun facts and some of the hidden references in the movie.Outtakes Watch the cast having fun in the recording booth.Deleted Scenes:Who's the Mole Rat?What Do You Feel in There?Have Faith in HerTaka's DreamMusic Video: "I Always Wanted a Brother" Join Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast ofMufasa: The Lion Kingas they perform "I Always Wanted A Brother" backstage at a film shoot.Song Selections:Milele (First Rain)I Always Wanted a BrotherBye ByeWe Go TogetherTell Me Its YouBrother BetrayedProtect the Pride Learn how Disney and The Lion Recovery Fund are working to protect the pride and conserve lions in the wild.Source: Disney Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.

InterviewsNosferatu: Angela Barson (Production VFX Supervisor) & David Scott (VFX Supervisor) BlueBoltBy Vincent Frei - 26/02/2025 Back in 2019, Angela Barson gave us an inside look at BlueBolts visual effects work on Johnny English Strikes Again. Her impressive portfolio has since grown to include hits like Outlander, Peaky Blinders, The Great, and The Peripheral. Following her collaboration with director Robert Eggers on The Northman, she now discusses their latest project, Nosferatu.David Scott launched his visual effects career in 2003, gaining experience at MPC, DNEG, and Weta FX before joining BlueBolt in 2020. His impressive credits include Man of Steel, Avengers: Endgame, No Time To Die, and The Great.What was your feeling to work again with Director Robert Eggers?Angela // I never really felt like Id stopped working with Robert as the conversations about Nosferatu started before our previous collaboration The Northman had finished.The passion that Rob has for his films is very infectious. He does so much research and is so knowledgeable on his subject matter and the time period that it draws you in. He knows what he wants, but at the same time is very collaborative and open to other opinions.After many, many years working in this industry, I think Rob has reignited my passion for working in film. Working with him and his team is genuinely enjoyable!David // Having previously worked with Robert Eggers on The Northman, I was excited to collaborate with him again on Nosferatu. I knew from the start that this project was going to be something special. Robert and DOP Jarin (Blaschke) have such a distinct and atmospheric visual style, which makes working on their shots both creatively rewarding and technically challenging. It was a fantastic experience to help bring their vision to life once again.How did you organize the work with your VFX Producer?Angela // By the time we got into hard prep and the VFX Producer came on board, Id been on the project for 8 or 9 months and had already done a very detailed breakdown of the entire film. The producer took over all the financials, but I kept on top of the shoot planning. I need to know exactly what were shooting each day, what plates or elements we might need, when a greenscreen is needed, what VFX needs from makeup, costume etc. I have to be well prepared when were shooting so Im able to answer any questions thrown my way.Crystal Dowd was the VFX producer for the shoot, then Lisa Renney (who hadnt been able to cover the shoot) took over in post. Id previously worked with Lisa on The Northman and she came with an amazing team (Lilles Whitby, Sarah Buisson and VFX editor Carlo Milillo). They dealt with everything financial, tracked all shots, took notes in reviews and generally organised everything, leaving me free to deal with the creative stuff. I dont think Ive ever worked on such a well organised, unstressed and fun show in post. It was a joy to work with them and the wider post crew.What is your role on set and how do you work with other departments?Angela // Im the head of department for VFX, so I need to work closely with all the other department heads. Its a constant discussion between VFX and all the other departments to find the sweet spot between what will be practical and what will be VFX.I worked especially closely with the Production Designer, Craig Lathrop, to work out which sets would be locations or builds and where VFX would take over. Wed been talking about it for months before we even got into prep, so had a very good idea of where the split would be to utilise CG in the most effective way possible.Robert Eggers and the DOP Jarin Blaschke storyboarded the entire movie, which really helped with planning. I had a lot of discussion with Jarin about all aspects of the film. Jarin is fully involved in the VFX aspect of the film and makes sure all plates and elements we need are framed, lit and captured as theyre needed to give the best possible final result. Its refreshing to work with a DOP who is so interested and invested in the VFX.My job in prep is to plan as much as possible so we know what will be CG, what elements need to be shot and what data we need to gather. BlueBolt provided some pre-vis for a few of the bigger CG shots to help design the shots and inform everyone of what we needed to shoot to create the final result.Once were into the shoot my job is to be there to answer questions, make sure we are getting all the photography and data we need, but most importantly to problem solve if something unexpected happens. VFX is often used as the solution when unforeseen problems arise and its very important to know that we can deliver exactly whats required once we get into post, without breaking the budget.Wisburg feels like a character in its own right. How did you approach designing this fictional German town to make it both believable and unsettling for the audience?Angela // Wisburg was created by the Production Designer, Craig. He did a huge amount of research and scouting before I was involved. We then had many conversations about the styles of buildings that he wanted and how the city would be laid out. We went to scout several towns in Germany in early prep which was very informative.The VFX team later went back to photograph and lidar scan all the suitable buildings in Germany so BlueBolt could create a library of CG buildings. BlueBolt created a full CG city which included recreating the practical backlot builds. We placed virtual cameras at all the main story locations so we could make sure the layout would work for all key views. The visual relationship between the Manor House, Hutters House, the canal and Wisburgs main street needed to work across the movie.David // To bring this fictional German town to life, we drew inspiration from real-world locations like Lbeck, Stade, and Gda?sk. These cities informed the layout of the winding streets, the architecture, and the estuary, grounding Wisburg in a tangible, historical reality. We were fortunate to work with some fantastic concept art from Craig, whose work really captured the unsettling and atmospheric tone that Robert Eggers envisioned for the city. His designs helped set the look and feel of Wisburg, balancing the eeriness with a sense of authenticity.What techniques or visual effects were used to balance the historic authenticity of Wisburg with the eerie atmosphere required for Nosferatu?Angela // The eerie atmosphere came from the blend of production design and Jarins cinematography. We shot with old Dagor and Baltar lenses which had a very specific vintage look. Scotopic filters were used for the night work so there was almost no red in the plates, unless there was fire. The night work, interior and exterior, was hard moonlight. A lot of the frame was in shadow helping to create the eerie atmosphere. The entire movie was shot on film giving detail in the blacks with a lot of grain.David // To balance Wisburgs historic authenticity with the eerie atmosphere, we used a range of visual effects techniques that enhanced the unsettling tone while staying grounded in realism. A great example is the iconic hand shadow traveling over the city. For this shot, we collaborated closely with Jarin Blaschke, the DOP, to ensure the lighting aligned seamlessly with his practical setups. Jarin envisioned the scene as moonlit, with hard, dramatic shadows cast across the city. The sky needed to be clear yet ominous, with striking backlit clouds. To bring the city to lifeor rather, to underscore its eerie stillnesswe added subtle atmosphere, chimney smoke rising from a few houses, debris scattered across the streets, and empty boats drifting in the canals. The streets themselves were completely devoid of people, amplifying the unease. As this was night time, we also matched Jarins technique of using a Stoptic Filter to remove red light, which added to the shots haunting monochromatic feel. All these elements combined to create a balance of historic realism and an unsettling, otherworldly mood.Count Orloks castle exudes decay and dread. Can you share how the team conceptualized and built this haunting environmentwas it primarily digital, practical, or a mix of both?Angela // Orloks castle was based on Corvin Castle, a Gothic-Renaissance castle in Hunedoara, Romania. We scouted the castle early on with the idea of filming there, but it was being renovated and was becoming too pristine. All of it would have needed to be changed by the art department and VFX, so in the end the interiors were all built as practical sets on the stages, the courtyards were locations and the exteriors were fully CG.We scanned and photographed Corvin Castle to use as a base, then aged and weathered it to give the level of decay that was desired. The surrounding environment, including the river at its base, was fully CG. When we created the fully CG castle shots, Jarin was integral in the framing and lighting of the shots. The lenses had of course been profiled so we could recreate the look precisely.What challenges did you face when blending the digital and practical elements of Orloks castle, especially given its role as such an iconic horror setting?Angela // There wasnt much of a challenge blending digital and practical elements with Orloks castle as it tended to be either fully CG, or requiring minimal top ups. The use of practical atmospherics, snow and smoke, does of course add a level of complexity when blending CG and practical, but also helps the final shots look photoreal. The lenses and filters used added an extra challenge to all the CG work.Lighting seems essential to Wisburgs unsettling feel and the castles ominous presence. How did the VFX and lighting teams collaborate to amplify the visual storytelling?Angela // VFX worked hand in hand with Jarin. Night shots were lit with hard moonlight, for both interior and exterior shots. Scotopic filters were used when there was no fire so there was almost no red information, emulating the way we see at night. When there were fully CG shots, Jarin worked with David (Scott) and the VFX team on the framing and lighting. This helped to ensure consistency in look throughout the entire film, regardless of the practical and CG split.David // From the very beginning, we worked closely with Jarin to ensure that the VFX lighting aligned with his vision. Jarin joined us at BlueBolt early in the process, even when we were still working with greyscale layouts, to discuss his approach to each CG shot in detail. These early discussions, combined with reviewing the shots as they turned over, gave us a clear direction for the lighting. As we progressed, we not only focused on matching the dramatic and lighting Jarin envisioned but also began layering atmospheric elements into the shots. This included fog, subtle haze, and other environmental details that blended seamlessly with the surrounding live-action plates.The ocean scenes during the voyage feel incredibly foreboding. How did you achieve this balance between realism and a sense of supernatural dread in the VFX work?David // We began by drawing from photographic and painted references provided by Robert and Jarin. These references were rich, moody and textured, capturing the dramatic and foreboding feel they wanted for these sequences.Our approach was to always backlight these shots, with the moon either in frame or just out of view at the top. This lighting setup allowed us to create dramatic skies filled with richly textured, backlit clouds that added depth and atmosphere to each scene. The skies played a significant role in storytelling as the voyage progressed. Initially, they reflected a sense of uneasy calm, with pastel hues of sunrise framing the Empusas departure. However, as the plague began to take hold of the ship and Orlok claimed his victims, the skies grew darker and more ominous.Water simulations are notoriously complex in visual effects. Can you walk us through the challenges of creating the stormy seas and how they were integrated with live-action elements?Angela // The two shots of the full ship at sea were fully CG, so no integration with live action. Creating stormy seas is always complex, but CG water is something BlueBolt have been working on for a while. Layers of water, froth, spray and rain whipping through frame all help to add the complexity and detail required.The shots of the small boat travelling up the canal in Wisburg was also a fully CG environment. The boat and people were shot on the back lot, with reflective boards on the ground to capture reflections for the CG water.David // Creating the stormy seas for Nosferatu was a complex challenge, both technically and artistically. In total for the voyage, we had three fully CG shots and one that needed to be integrated with live-action footage.The biggest challenge in the CG shots was achieving a stormy ocean that felt vast and believable. To do this, we had to layer in a high level of detailviolent waves, mist blowing off the crests, and gusting rainto capture the chaotic energy of the storm. Each element had to work together to create depth and realism.For the live-action shot, integration was particularly tricky. We had to carefully match the lighting and the intensity of the rain already present in the plate to ensure a seamless blend between the CG water and the practical elements. Balancing all these factors was key to making the ocean feel like a living, relentless force within the world of the film.Nosferatus shadow is one of the films most iconic and chilling elements. Was this effect achieved purely through traditional cinematography, or did VFX play a role in exaggerating its impact?Angela // Whenever possible, his shadow was created practically in situ by Jarins lighting and Bill Skarsgard/Orlok. This was the case in the majority of shots. For the occasions where we couldnt make it work practically, we shot shadow elements with Bill in his Orlok prosthetic makeup and used them as elements in post. It was never animated in VFX.The rats are an unsettling and symbolic presence throughout the film. How were they createdwere practical effects used alongside digital animation to make them feel authentic?Angela // The rats were a mix of live action and CG. We had one to two thousand real rats on set, some of which were trained. We tried wherever possible to have real rats in shot and ideally closest to camera so that the most clearly seen rats were real. This approach worked a lot of the time, but sometimes it was easier to remove all the real rats and replace them with CG, rather than trying to interweave CG with the real ones which would have meant a lot of roto work.It was of course always useful to have real rats somewhere in the shots so we had a reference for lighting and animation. This was achievable in almost every shot apart from when the chapel was set on fire, for obvious reasons.The chapel scene was the most challenging. The actors had to wade through a swarm of rats, using their flaming torches to keep them at bay. We created some practical moulded rat mats and had a load of model rats that we used to cover the floor. The actors had to pick their way round the mats and model rats, giving them something to react to and they also provided a very good lighting reference. It also meant if you saw through a gap in the CG rats, youd be looking at the rat mats rather than bare flooring. Lighting the swarms of CG rats to match the moving firelight was especially challenging and took many painstaking rounds of lighting and compositing to make it seamless.Animating swarms of creatures like rats can be a technical and creative challenge. What tools or techniques did you use to simulate their chaotic yet natural movements?David // Animating swarms of creatures like rats is always a balance between technical precision and creative storytelling. We used Golaem to handle the large swarms of rats. To ensure their movements felt chaotic yet natural, we created around 60 different animation cycles, covering a variety of behaviors and speeds to provide plenty of variation within the swarm. Once we had the overall look and feel working, we went in and fine-tuned individual rats within the crowd. This allowed us to adjust their placement, swap out animations, or remove specific rats to refine the composition of the shot. By combining these procedural tools with manual adjustments, we were able to craft swarms that felt alive, unpredictable, and convincingly integrated into the unsettling world of the film.Angela // We did a VFX shoot of rats for movement reference and to be used as elements if possible. BlueBolt created a library of rat animations which they could blend between depending on the shot requirements. Dealing with the rats intersecting each other was a technical challenge, but BlueBolt started working on their rat pipeline early in the shoot. By the time shots were turned over they were ready to go.Were there any unexpected technical or creative challenges encountered during the production?Angela // I dont think there was anything unexpected as wed planned everything very thoroughly. There were of course unforeseen issues which we had to react to, but nothing that was out of the ordinary.The main challenge I had was testing positive for Covid and being sent straight home when we were shooting a few nights of big VFX shots. However, I was given a remote link from video assist so I could see what was being shot in real time and could hear the discussions around the directors monitor. I was on the phone to Rob, Jarin and the other onset crew whenever needed. I got to sit at home in the warmth and supervise remotely whilst the rest of the crew were in the freezing cold all night. So Covid wasnt all bad!Were there any memorable moments or scenes from the series that you found particularly rewarding or challenging to work on from a visual effects standpoint?Angela // The shot of Orloks hand shadow travelling over Wisburg was one of the more challenging shots. It was one of the few shots in the film which used a more obviously non-practical camera move. The entire Wisburg town and its surrounding environment is seen in this shot.David // As Angela says, one of the most memorable and challenging shots to work on was Orloks hand shadow travelling over Wisburg. The sheer scale of the shot was daunting, with an incredible amount of detail needed to make Wisburg feel alive and authentic. At 958 frames, the shot gave the audience plenty of time to take in every element, meaning we couldnt cut cornerseverything had to hold up to scrutiny. It also had to blend seamlessly with the real lighting and never feel CG. Achieving that level of realism while maintaining the eerie, unsettling atmosphere was a huge challenge, but ultimately one of the most rewarding aspects of the project.Looking back on the project, what aspects of the visual effects are you most proud of?Angela // Everyone has been talking about the beautiful production design, the incredible cinematography, the amazing locations, the thousands of real rats there has been little to no mention of the CG. I find it the ultimate compliment. If the VFX work doesnt stand out and everything is thought to be real, then weve done our job well.David // Looking back on the project, Im incredibly proud of all the work that went into Nosferatu. Every aspect of the visual effects was a true team effort, and everyone involved did an amazing job. From the large-scale CG environments to the intricate atmospheric details, every shot was crafted with such care and precision. It was an honor to be part of bringing Robert Eggers vision to life.How long have you worked on this show?Angela // I was involved for 2 years.David // In post, about 12 months. And about 2-3 months in pre production.Whats the VFX shot count?Around 250 shots. Although due to the shot lengths being so long, that equated to at least 1hr 30min of the film.What is your next project?Angela // Im currently working on The Thursday Murder Club with Chris Columbus. Hopefully Ill be working with Rob again soon.A big thanks for your time.I have nothing but praise for my collaboration with BlueBolt. Their trademarks are photorealism, naturalism, and subtlety not maximalism. Their attention to detail is impeccable as well as the drive to never finish until the work is as close to perfection as possible. Above all, BlueBolts commitment is to telling great stories. I look forward to working with them again on the next one. Robert EggersWANT TO KNOW MORE?BlueBolt: Dedicated page about Nosferatu on BlueBolt website. Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2025

Championing the next generation of dancers in The Netherlands, CDK Company (previously) has made a name for itself through large-scale interpretations of pop music involving numerous dancers in playful, themed outfits. For the groups latest video, director and choreographer Sergio Reis and team took on Billie Eilishs Bittersuite from her 2024 album Hit Me Hard and Soft.Set among paintings and installations in Museum Voorlinden, three dozen performers don pastel garments evocative of 1960s fashion, all wearing identical dark, bowl cut wigs.Whether moving through a gallery of paintings by Michal Borremans, stationed inside a 4-meter-high Corten steel sculpture by Richard Serra, or synchronizing around the edge of Leandro ErlichsSwimming Pool, CDK leads us on a vibrant, emotive journey through Eilishs music and the museums art collection.Find more on CDKs website and dance along to more videos on Reiss YouTube channel.Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article CDK Company Makes Moves Through a Contemporary Art Museum to Billie Eilishs Bittersuite appeared first on Colossal.