Setting the story of Nezha to music

Since its domestic debut on 29 January, Ne Zha 2 — loosely inspired by the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) novel Fengshen Yanyi (Investiture of the Gods) — has quickly shattered global box office records, becoming the fifth highest-grossing movie in global cinema history.
Born to an unfair fate, Nezha is destined to die at the age of 3 as a result of a heavenly punishment caused by a curse. However, with the help of his close friend Ao Bing — the son of a dragon king who guards thousands of imprisoned monsters in the roaring sea — he bravely defies his doom.
The movie's character theme song Ne Zha is also attracting a legion of fans. To best show the spirit of Nezha, the song's singer and songwriter Tang Hanxiao mixed the sounds of Chinese traditional instruments, especially that of suona (a traditional Chinese woodwind instrument). Watch this video to find out more.

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Geeky Gadgets

17 minutes ago

• Geeky Gadgets

New Midjourney AI Video Generator Tested : Transform Your Photos into Videos

What if your favorite still image could suddenly spring to life, telling a story through movement and emotion? With Midjourney's new video model, that vision is no longer a distant dream. This innovative tool takes static images and transforms them into short, dynamic animations, opening up a world of possibilities for creators. But here's the catch: while the technology is undeniably exciting, it's not without its growing pains. From resolution limitations to steep costs, this experimental feature is as much a challenge as it is a breakthrough. So, is it worth diving into this new frontier of image-to-video animation, or does it fall short of its ambitious promise? In this exploration, Thaeyne takes us through the core features of Midjourney's video model, from its automatic and manual animation modes to its creative potential and technical hurdles. You'll discover how this tool can bring your ideas to life, but also where it might leave you frustrated. Whether you're a professional looking to push the boundaries of visual storytelling or an enthusiast curious about the future of animation, this deep dive will help you decide if this experimental technology is the right fit for your creative ambitions. The question is: how far are you willing to go to turn stillness into motion? Midjourney Video Model Overview Core Features: How the Video Model Works Midjourney's video model focuses exclusively on image-to-video animation, deliberately excluding text-to-video capabilities for now. It offers two distinct animation modes, each catering to different user needs: Automatic Mode: This mode applies predefined motion patterns to your image, making it a quick and accessible option for generating animations without requiring advanced input. This mode applies predefined motion patterns to your image, making it a quick and accessible option for generating animations without requiring advanced input. Manual Mode: For users seeking greater control, this mode enables you to define specific movements, allowing for tailored animations that align with your creative vision. Additionally, the tool provides two motion intensity settings—low and high. The low-motion setting generates subtle, realistic animations, ideal for maintaining a natural look. In contrast, the high-motion setting creates more dynamic and dramatic effects, though it can sometimes result in exaggerated or unnatural movements. Despite these options, the model occasionally encounters motion errors, particularly when operating in high-motion mode, which can detract from the overall quality of the animation. Watch this video on YouTube. Access and Cost: What You Need to Know The video model is currently accessible only through Midjourney's web portal, with no integration into Discord. While this web-based approach may simplify navigation for some users, it limits accessibility for those accustomed to Discord-based workflows, which have been a hallmark of Midjourney's other tools. Cost is another critical consideration. Video generation is significantly more expensive than image creation, costing approximately eight times as much. For frequent users, the Pro subscription tier, priced at $60 per month, includes a 'relaxed mode' that allows for unlimited video generation. However, for casual users or those experimenting with the tool, the high costs may present a barrier to regular use, making it less accessible for non-professional projects. Midjourney Video AI Mode Watch this video on YouTube. Below are more guides on Midjourney from our extensive range of articles. Technical Specifications and Limitations The videos produced by Midjourney's model are short, typically ranging between 5 and 20 seconds in length. The resolution is capped at 480p, which may not meet the standards required for professional or high-quality projects. To achieve higher resolutions, you'll need to rely on external upscaling tools such as Cupscale or Topaz, adding additional steps to your workflow and increasing the time and effort required to finalize a project. The tool performs best when animating single-subject images, where it can effectively bring static visuals to life. However, it struggles with more complex scenarios, such as: Animating multiple faces, which often results in inaccuracies or distorted movements. Generating realistic facial expressions or achieving precise lip-syncing, which remains unreliable. These limitations underscore the experimental nature of the tool and its current inability to handle intricate visual elements effectively. As such, it is better suited for simpler projects that do not require high levels of detail or precision. User Experience: Opportunities and Challenges The video model encourages creative experimentation, allowing you to explore a variety of prompts and animation styles. This flexibility can lead to unique and visually engaging results, particularly for single-subject animations. However, the user experience is not without its challenges. For example: Downloading videos can be cumbersome due to limited resolution options and the absence of streamlined export features, which complicates the workflow. The tool's performance can be inconsistent, especially when handling complex prompts or operating in high-motion settings, leading to mixed results. Despite these hurdles, early feedback has been largely positive, particularly regarding the tool's ability to create smooth and visually appealing animations for simpler projects. This suggests that, even in its current experimental phase, the video model holds significant creative potential for users willing to navigate its complexities. Future Potential and Current Suitability Midjourney's video model represents a promising step forward in the realm of image-to-video animation, offering you a novel way to bring static images to life. Its creative possibilities are undeniable, but the tool's current limitations—such as low resolution, high costs, and technical challenges—highlight its experimental status. As the technology evolves, future updates may address these shortcomings, potentially improving resolution, reducing costs, and enhancing the tool's ability to handle complex animations. For now, the video model is best suited for users who are willing to embrace its experimental nature and explore its potential for innovative visual storytelling. Whether you are a professional seeking to push creative boundaries or an enthusiast experimenting with new tools, this feature offers a glimpse into the future of animation technology. Media Credit: Thaeyne Filed Under: AI, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.

The Guardian

4 hours ago

• The Guardian

From Elio to Diana Ross: your complete entertainment guide to the week ahead

ElioOut now In this new Pixar animation, the eponymous Elio, a young orphan, is accidentally mistaken for ambassador for Earth to the universe by some aliens. Hell, after Musk and Trump, he couldn't do worse, right? With voicework from Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldaña and Shirley Henderson. 28 Years LaterOut now Just in case the title alone has given you a jumpscare, no, the original fast zombie hit 28 Days Later is not yet 28 years old; don't panic, you haven't aged quite that much (it came out in 2002). But this horror sequel is indeed set 28 years after the Rage virus leaked out of a medical research laboratory and, surprise, surprise, things are not too peachy. Queer 70sBarbican, London, to 16 JulyLooking at LGBTQ+ cinema in the decade following the Stonewall riots, this new Pride Month season is curated by Alex Davidson and includes the bisexual love triangle melodrama Badnam Basti (Neighbourhood of Ill Repute), AKA India's first queer film, by Prem Kapoor. The Last JourneyOut now Who's for a family road trip? This documentary follows a father and son's journey through the south of France as the son attempts to inject some joie de vivre back into his ageing father's worldview. From the humorous Swedish film-making and TV-hosting duo Filip Hammar and Fredrik Wikingsson. Catherine Bray Faye Webster26 June to 2 July; tour starts Bristol On the US singer-songwriter's 2024 album Underdressed at the Symphony, songs were built from freewheeling jam sessions, with its breakup theme softened by meandering string arrangements and soft instrumental passages. Her voice is still a thing of beauty, as this run of gigs should showcase. Michael Cragg Diana Ross22 June to 2 July; tour starts Birmingham Backed by her band plus, for the first time, the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, the revered Diana Ross arrives in UK arenas with her decades of hits in tow. Expect sequin-encrusted reworkings of Motown favourites, plus Upside Down, I'm Coming Out and Chain Reaction. MC Penarth chamber music festivalVarious venues, Penarth, 21 & 22 JuneThe long weekend of the Penarth festival regularly pushes the definition of the definition of 'chamber music' to its limits. The closing two days of this year's programme squeeze in a Mahler symphony and a concert through the town, before ending with Enescu's rarely heard Octet for strings. Andrew Clements Brad Mehldau TrioSaffron Walden, 22 June; Bristol, 23 June; London, 24 June; Dublin, 25 June The great contemporary pianist has collaborated with stars including Joshua Redman and Pat Metheny, plus classical and electronica luminaries. But uncannily intuitive jazz trios, such as this one with bassist Felix Moseholm and drummer Jorge Rossy, have always stretch Mehldau's unique gifts the furthest. John Fordham Liliane LijnTate St Ives, to 2 November There's nothing like modern art to complete a day at St Ives between surfing, swimming, pasties and ale. Liliane Lijn has her own style of kinetic art that sculpts light and space and casts shadows of confusion on the mind. Her luminous work should resonate with this museum's abstract paintings. Mike NelsonFruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, 27 June to 5 October Don't look now, as the entire Fruitmarket Gallery becomes the stage for one of Nelson's unsettling, many-layered installations that tell unfinished stories and give off peculiar atmospheric vibes. His starting point is a series of photographs of urban spaces in Britain and Turkey. Picture a Borges fiction in three dimensions. Abstract EroticCourtauld Gallery, London, to 14 September Louise Bourgeois and Eva Hesse are famous for their richly organic sculptures that inject sexuality and the carnal into dry modern artistic styles. Alice Adams is less well known, but in the 1960s these three artists were grouped together by critic and curator Lucy Lippard, who called their work 'abstract erotic'. Mumbai + LondonBritish Museum, London, to 11 January Mysterious and fascinating parallels in the art of the ancient world, from Greece to India, are held up for contemplation in this small show that makes a nice chaser to the BM's Ancient India blockbuster. How does the classical Greek wine god Dionysus compare with India's Vishnu? Are they related? Jonathan Jones Wanda SykesManchester, 26 June; London, 27 June; Brighton, 29 June; Dublin, 30 June In the US, Sykes has been a big deal for a long time. In 2004, Entertainment Weekly crowned her one of the 25 funniest people in America and during her career she has racked up 17 Emmy nominations. Now, the standup's gutsy comic stylings finally get a proper airing this side of the pond on her first ever UK tour. Rachel Aroesti ShowmanismHampstead theatre, London, to 12 July A kaleidoscopic journey though the history of theatre, from Greek tragedy to nightclub drag queens – with Dickie Beau lip-syncing a cacophony of voices and all but summoning a series of stage and screen legends back into the theatre. Miriam Gillinson Through It All TogetherLeeds Playhouse, to 19 July A Yorkshire couple with a passion for Leeds United are living with dementia – can new manager Marcelo Bielsa help them through? Written by Leeds playwright Chris O'Connor and developed with members of Leeds's Dementia Engagement and Empowerment project. MG Estuary festivalVarious venues, Essex and Kent, to 29 June Who knew the Thames estuary was the place for cutting-edge arts? This week-long festival features eclectic performances, installations and events including two unusual dance-theatre shows: Salt, taking place in a tidal pool on Canvey Island, and aerial show Anchored, performed on a ship at the Historic Dockyard Chatham. Lyndsey Winship Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Squid Game Netflix, 27 June After a three-year gap between seasons one and two, the South Korean late-stage capitalism satire returns a mere six months later to wrap things up entirely. Teased horrors from this final instalment include a deadly skipping rope wielded by two giant dolls – but who will win the contest's ultimate 45.6bn Won (£25m) prize? SmokeApple TV+, 27 June In 2021, true-crime podcast Firebug retold the bizarre and horrifying story of the serial arsonist who plagued southern California in the 1980s. Now that series has been loosely adapted into an atmospheric new drama. Taron Egerton, Rafe Spall and Greg Kinnear lead the cast. TransactionITVX, 24 June Once trans shelf-stacker Liv finds out she's merely a diversity hire, she realises she's essentially unsackable – and begins to push the boundaries of workplace etiquette to their very limits. Garlanded standup Jordan Gray writes and stars, alongside Doon Mackichan and Nick Frost, who plays the supermarket's boss. The Kim Kardashian Diamond Heist iPlayer/BBC Three, Wed, 9pm It would have been a shocking crime regardless of the victim, but when thieves stole millions of pounds' worth of jewellery from a Paris apartment in 2016, they held one of the world's most famous women hostage. Now, following last month's criminal trial, this documentary can finally tell the full story. RA RematchOut now; PC, PS5, Xbox A colourful and futuristic 5v5 football game whose creators have clearly played a lot of Rocket League. Restores the fun and arcade feel that EA Sports FC's realism has left behind. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Out June 26; PS5 The star-studded latest game from auteur director Hideo Kojima is, as always, indescribable. But here's an attempt: you play a post-apocalyptic delivery man searching for human connection through Mexico and into the Australian outback. Keza MacDonald Haim – I QuitOut now Haim return with their first album in five years. Co-produced by Danielle Haim and erstwhile Vampire Weekender Rostam, it touches on hip-hop-accented bops about confusing men (first single Relationships) and cathartic introspection, as on the 90s rock of Everybody's Trying to Figure Me Out. Loyle Carner – Hopefully!Out now Three years after his Mercury-nominated third album, Hugo, south London rapper and singer Loyle Carner strips things back, exploring alternative music on a personal record that digs into ideas around fatherhood, self-doubt and trying to find simple pleasures in life. Matmos – Metallic Life ReviewOut now Having previously utilised the sounds of freshly cut hair and 'the amplified neural activity of crayfish' to create their experimental electronic opuses, US duo Matmos turn their attentions to metal objects on this 15th album, with single The Rust Belt making eerie soundscapes with pots and pans. Yungblud – IdolsOut now After gradually scaling back the cartoonish pop-punk of 2020's Weird! over the last few years, Doncaster's finest Dominic Harrison goes full Serious Musician mode on Idols. If that wasn't apparent from the topless black-and-white cover art, epic lead single Hello Heaven, Hello, is a nine-minute rock opera. MC TherapyPodcast DJs Logic1000 and Heléna Star host this insightful series talking to artists balancing parenthood with their musical careers. Wide-ranging guests include Little Dragon frontwoman Yukimi Nagano, BBC Radio 6 Music DJ Jamz Supernova and the broadcaster Raji Rags. Feed MeSubstack Writer Emily Sundberg's daily newsletter on US business might seem like a staid topic but her incisive reporting uncovers the lasting impact of everything from beauty industry takeovers to the growing popularity of 'hustle podcasts'. Grenfell: UncoveredNetflix, out now Seven years on from the tragic tower block fire, this emotive and often enraging film speaks to survivors and firefighters to analyse how early interventions could have led to proper construction practices and ultimately saved lives. Ammar Kalia

The Guardian

10 hours ago

• The Guardian

Ghibli's midlife crisis: as beloved Japanese studio turns 40 will the magic fade?

Disney, Pixar … Ghibli. For its legions of admirers, the Japanese studiohasn't just held its own against the American powerhouses, it has surpassed them with the impossible beauty of its hand-drawn animation and its commentary on the ambivalence of the human condition. Although he would refuse to acknowledge it, much of Studio Ghibli's success is down to one man: Hayao Miyazaki, a master animator whose presence towers over the studio's output. Making a feature-length anime the old-fashioned way may require a large and multitalented cast, but Miyazaki is the thread running through Ghibli's creative genius. Now, as the studio marks its 40th anniversary, it faces an uncertain future, amid renewed speculation that its figurehead auteur really has wielded his pencil for the last time. Roland Kelts, a visiting professor at the school of culture, media and society at Waseda University, said Ghibli had failed to anticipate a time when Miyazaki, who is 84, would no longer be at the helm, even after the succession question grew more urgent following the death in 2018 of co-founder Isao Takahata. Instead, the studio shifted its focus to commercial activities. 'The studio failed to produce heirs to Miyazaki and Takahata, and now it's a merchandising monster,' says Kelts, author of Japanamerica: How Japanese Pop Culture Has Invaded the US. In 2013, Miyazaki announced that he would no longer make feature-length films, citing the difficulty of living up to his own impossibly high standards. But four years later, Ghibli said its co-founder had had a change of heart and would make 'his final film, considering his age'. The result was The Boy and the Heron, winner of the 2024 Academy Award for best animated film. While Ghibli performs alchemy on the screen, there is nothing it can do to shapeshift itself clear of the march of mortality: Miyazaki's main colour designer, Yasuda Michiyo, whose work appeared in most of his films, died two years before Takahata, while another co-founder, producer Toshio Suzuki, is 76. As a result, the studio is finally looking ahead to a future without its leading creative light, notwithstanding persistent rumours that Miyazaki is not quite done yet. 'Miyazaki is 84 and may not have time to make another movie,' says Kelts. The studio was formally established by Miyazaki, Suzuki and Takahata in 1985 – a year after it released the post-apocalyptic Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It has since become a cultural phenomenon, winning an Oscar in 2003 for Spirited Away, and a second Oscar in 2024 for The Boy and the Heron. Told through the prism of the fantastical, and featuring characters and themes that defy the pigeonholing that underpins much of Hollywood's output, Studio Ghibli's films are widely considered masterpieces of their genre, earning two Oscars and the devotion of millions of fans across the world. Watching a Ghibli movie is like reading literature, says Miyuki Yonemura, a professor at Japan's Senshu University who studies cultural theories on animation. 'That's why some children have watched My Neighbour Totoro 40 times,' she says. 'Audiences discover something new every time.' In some ways, Ghibli shares certain values with Disney, says Susan Napier, a professor of Japanese studies at Tufts University in the US, believes. 'Both are family oriented, insist on high production standards and have distinctive worldviews. 'But what is striking about Ghibli is how for the last 40 years the studio has reflected and maintained a set of values and aesthetics that are clearly drawn from its founders and not from a corporate playbook,' adds Napier, author of Miyazakiworld: a Life in Art. Miyazaki has made no secret of his progressive politics, informed by his experience living through conflict and postwar austerity, and has publicly criticised attempts by conservative politicians to revise Japan's war-renouncing constitution. His films address the themes of war and the environment, but stop short of distilling the narrative into a simple battle of good versus evil. The Boy and the Heron, for example, opens with Mahito Maki, the 12-year-old protagonist, losing his mother in the US's aerial bombardment of Tokyo in March 1945, in which an estimated 100,000 people died. However, Ghibli's decades of independence ended in 2023 when the studio was acquired by Nippon TV – a move that the studio conceded came amid uncertainty over its future leadership. Speculation that Miyazaki's eldest son, Goro, was heir apparent has dampened since the latter voiced doubt about his ability to run the studio alone, and amid reports that artistic differences had contributed to 'strained' relations between father and son. Now it will be up to Nippon TV to develop a pool of directors to gradually replace the old guard, including those with expertise in computer animation, considered anathema to Ghibli's fierce commitment to hand-drawn frames. Ghibli has at least overcome its squeamishness towards broadening its commercial brief. The Ghibli Museum has been a huge success since it opened in western Tokyo in 2001, while visitors flock to Ghibli Park in central Japan, whose launch in 2022 was seen as an acknowledgment by the studio that it needed to build a brand that went beyond film-making. Now Ghibli merchandise is ubiquitous, from My Neighbour Totoro T-shirts and cuddly character toys to high-end leather handbags inspired by Spirited Away and Levi's branded Princess Mononoke jackets. Totoro, Miyazaki's 1988 film set in 1950s rural Japan, was turned into a play by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2022. Last year a stage adaptation of Spirited Away received a four-star review in the Guardian. While computer-generated animation and AI make the painstaking, aesthetically stunning animation that Ghibli is renowned harder than it was a generation ago, Napier is not convinced the octogenarian auteur is ready to retire. 'I can't imagine someone like Miyazaki, with his intellectual and artistic vivacity, simply being content to sit around, so who knows?' Agence France-Presse contributed reporting