Category Archives: Articles

Cinematography That Made You Go Wow in 2022!

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Cinematography is an art form that can be as bold as a gong crashing after a moment of silence or as subtle as the tide coming in. It elevates a film to the heights of accolades or becomes frustrating when it misfires.

While at the heart of cinematography is the Director of Photography or Cinematographer, to get something from the script to the final shot takes a whole team of professionals, and it is their talent that we champion today.

So without further ado, these moments of cinematography took our breaths away in 2022. Be warned that there may be some slight spoilers for the films in question.

The Nominees Are –

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The Best Australian Cinema in 2022

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It was a fantastic year for Australian Cinema, with each film I saw knocking it out of the park. There were intimate documentaries, films that held up a mirror to society, and those that brought the action to a new level. This list will look more at the locally-made Australian productions/co-productions and not just films filmed in Australia.

So without further ado, these are the best Australian Cinema in 2022. Be warned that there will be significant spoilers for the films in question.

The Nominees Are –

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The Films from 2022 That Showed Off the Wonderful Glory of Animation

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Animation is a form of filmmaking that is often related to second-tier status, something just for kids. This is by both the organisations giving out the awards and the guilds meant to promote their members’ work. However, they are not second-tier films; in many ways, animated films push the frontiers of filmmaking and what is possible, and they should be championed for their work.     

Animated films can be hand-drawn, stop/clay motion, or computer-generated, it does not matter, but all of them show the unique techniques of hundreds of artists that bring the work to life.

So without further ado, these animated films showed us the glory of animation in 2022. Be warned that there may be slight spoilers for the movies in question. Also, click on the banners/titles to go to the full reviews of each of the films 

The Nominees Are –

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Explosions, Guns, and Punches, Oh My. The Best Action of 2022

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A good action sequence is genuinely amazing to watch, as it can be as expansive as explosions crashing across the screen or more intimate, like a duel between two people. This gives the best action scenes such a range, and in 2022 we were given some unique spectacles.

For me, the best action scenes excel in every element, whether that be live actions, special effects, digital effects, or animation and bring every facet to shine. It is also the category that looks at some of the department’s people don’t often fully understand, like stunt coordination or the 2nd unit.

2022 was also the year of action, so my usual hope to keep these entries down to 5 or 6 got thrown out the window.

So without further ado, these are the moments of action that awed us in 2022. Be warned that there may be slight spoilers for the films in question.

The Nominees Are –

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Mapping The Troll Trek in Troll – Map-It

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TL;DR – We map the route the Troll took in Troll

The destruction of a house.

Mapping Troll –

Earlier today, we watched a genuinely delightful Kaiju film from Norway about a Troll being woken from its slumber and making its way down to the capital. We enjoyed the film, and you can read our full review HERE.

One of the things the film did so well was giving you an understanding of the geography involved with the travels, and after watching, I wondered – did that work in real life? You may think that is an odd question, but as a map in the future will show, that is not always the case.  

However, everything lines up here (even topographically if interested). With that in mind, I thought I would have a little fun and map it out for you. Of course, whenever I make a map of Scandinavia, I always forget about the fjords before I start, which is probably for the best because they would probably scare me off. Also, there are some spoilers for Troll, so view it at your own risk.   

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Supanova Brisbane 2022 – Explore-It

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TL;DR – We explore the biggest pop-culture event in Brisbane.

Disclosure – I paid for my entry and everything you see purchased in this article.

the entrance and stairs to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre

Exploring Supanova Brisbane 2022  –

In the Spring of every year, a range of cultural events descends on my home city of Brisbane. You have the Brisbane Festival, Riverfire, Brisbane Film Festival, and Brisbane Supanova, to name a few. I used to go to Supanova every year, but it has been a couple of years since I last felt confident walking into a crowded space, especially a convention. However, with PAX Aus being a successful trial ruin, it was time to return to my local pop-culture event. 

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Civilization VI: Leader Pass – Features Thread

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In this thread we will be documenting all the new additions for Civilization VI in their new Leader Pass.

Civilization VI Leader Pass. Image Credit: Firaxis Games.
Civilization VI Leader Pass. Image Credit: Firaxis Games.

This Features Thread is being complied for Civfanatics, head on over to the forums for all your Civilization discussions both for Civ 6 and also for Civ games of the past and upcoming 4X titles.

You can also see all our Civilization coverage HERE.

Throughout this thread, I will put links to Wikipedia articles about the different features, if you would like to know more. If you see anything in ITALICS, this means that the information is implied enough that we feel it is safe to add it to the Features Thread, but it is not officially confirmed yet.

Leaders Pass Overview

There will be 13 new leaders and 6 updates to existing leaders released between November 21 2022 and March 2023.

For Windows PC, if you purchase Civilization VI Anthology (or purchase all of the content that’s included in it separately at any time), you’ll be eligible to receive the Leader Pass for no additional charge. For Mac App Store and iOS, the Civilization VI: Leader Pass is available for individual purchase only.

Now Available on PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch

Jump to Pack Information

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PAX Australia & Melbourne Day 1 – Explore-It

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TL;DR – We dip our toes into what Melbourne has to offer.

Disclosure – I paid for all products featured or mentioned here.

The Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre

PAX Australia & Melbourne Day 1 –

When you work in the games and pop culture space, you hear of the joy that is PAX, but I have never experienced it myself. I had set my sights on visiting it back in 2020, but you know what happened in 2021. But there was hope that 2022 was the year for me. So I booked my tickets back in March and hoped that the world would hold itself together till then and it kind of did. So in today’s and the next couple of Explore-It’s, we will take a look at our time down past the daylight savings divide to a city that has an entirely different seagull-to-pigeon ratio than I have ever seen.

Dune Messiah

However, before you can explore Melbourne, you need to get there, and since we still do not have any high-speed rail in Australia, it is time to board a plane. Given the time stuck waiting, I thought I would catch up on some reading, and when in doubt, it is Dune time.

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Mapping The California Class from Star Trek: Lower Decks – Map-It

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TL;DR – We map out every one of the starships in the California Class as they appear on a map of California.

Mapping The California Class –

When naming starships in Star Trek, well, it can be a very haphazard scenario. Sure there were many named after famous military vessels from history, like the USS Lexington and USS Hood. Some are references to crew members on the show, like the USS Bonchune.   Other still are named after famous people from history, like USS Archimedes or USS Zheng He. Or the odd fact that the USS Enterprise is named after the Enterprise, which was named after the Space Shuttle Enterprise, which was itself named after the USS Enterprise.

Usually, the names are a scattershot collection of whatever writer is taking a swing at the universe and don’t fit into a strong theme. Well, with two exceptions. The first is Deep Space Nine’s Roundabouts, like the famous USS Rio Grande, all named after rivers on Earth, and the subject of today’s map, the California Class, named after cities from California.    

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Flowers of Gladstone

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TL;DR – We explore all the beautiful flowers I came across during my recent trip to Gladstone.

Flowers of Gladstone –

Earlier this week, it was the Day of the Wattle here in Australia, and with that in mind, I thought I would share some photos of flowers I took on my recent trip to Gladstone, on the central coast of Queensland.

Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan).
Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan). Image Credit: Brian MacNamara.

We begin our tour with the humble Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan), more known for the titular legume/pea used in cooking from India to across the world. However, I adore its small yet profoundly yellow flower and its juxtaposition with the red seed pods.

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