Latest news with #TheSimpsons
International Business Times
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- International Business Times
AI Startup Midjourney Launches Image-to-Video Creation Model V1- Here is All You Need to Know
Right after getting into legal trouble with entertainment giant Disney, AI startup has launched its image-to-video generation model V1. The new tool allows users to convert images into short video clips and is available to the users for free. The new offering is available today via Midjourney's website, and it's available to all customers, including those who want to use a free account. Faster video rendering is limited to those users who pay for a subscription, which begins at $10 a month. The move positions the platform in competition with AI-powered video creation. V1's launch is a significant step forward for Midjourney, which has spent the majority of its time creating visually rich static images. With the new tool, the start-up is going after users who want to animate the visuals they create, offering features that strike a balance between simplicity, customization, and affordability. Despite the fact that the tool is available to all the Midjourney users free of cost at the preliminary level, one aspect of concern is the GPU usage by the tool, as the process of video generation is more resource-intensive, requiring eight times more GPU time per second of video. Hence, the users have to allocate GPU time carefully, especially when using the fast mode available under standard subscriptions. The company has also provided Relax Mode to heavy users or creative professionals, but it is accessible only to Pro-tier users and higher. This mode allows unlimited videos at no extra cost, but with longer waiting times, it can at times be up to 10 minutes for one animation. "The pricing model still gives you a massive cost advantage," the company says—reportedly being over 25 times cheaper than any of the current AI video generation tools on the market. Though the new tool is not far from controversy, like many other artificial intelligence models. Midjourney was sued for copyright infringement by major media companies, including Disney and NBCUniversal. The lawsuit claims that the platform enables unauthorized derivative works by reproducing characters and images from popular franchises. The studios said Midjourney has essentially become a "virtual vending machine" for pirated offerings, citing instances using characters from Star Wars, Toy Story, Marvel, and The Simpsons. The company has not publicly addressed the lawsuit or issued a public statement about the legal questions raised about V1. Midjourney founder David Holz has called the video model a "stepping stone" to more sophisticated applications, such as real-time, three-dimensional environments that users can interact with. As far as the actual animation process is concerned, Midjourney V1 is designed to be user-friendly as seen below: Users begin by uploading an image—either created within Midjourney or imported from another source. After the image is generated, an "Animate" button lets users transform the static image into a video. The system produces four 5-second video clips from the chosen image. These clips can be extended by four-second increments, up to a total of 21 seconds. Currently, the videos are silent, with no audio features supported. At present two animation modes are available: First, automatic mode , which applies system-suggested motion effects to the image. Second, manual mode lets users guide the animation through descriptive prompts. which applies system-suggested motion effects to the image. Second, manual mode lets users guide the animation through descriptive prompts. Users can also choose between two camera movement styles: Low Motion keeps the camera largely stationary, and High Motion introduces dynamic movement of both the subject and the camera. This new offering introduces an intuitive way to blend static visuals with motion, enhancing creative storytelling possibilities on the platform. Netizens were quick to upload the videos generated by the tool, which shows the kind of interest this tool has generated as seen above.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Arcane,' returning from a 3-year hiatus, leads early Best Animated Program Emmy odds
The second and final season of Arcane is poised to shake up the 2025 Emmys. There are 38 submissions this year in the Best Animated Program category, which means there will again be five nominees. Leading the pack, per the Gold Derby odds, is Arcane. More from GoldDerby The 10 most Lynchian items at the David Lynch auction - and how much they sold for Best Drama Writing Emmy predictions: 'The Pitt' takes a risk by submitting 3 episodes 'Jaws' at 50: How Spielberg's movie changes 'horrified' wife of novel writer Peter Benchley Netflix's steampunk action-adventure show came on strong for its first season at the 2022 Emmys, winning Best Animated Program and three trophies for Best Individual Achievement in Animation. Three years later, it's back for Season 2, and there's no reason to think Television Academy members won't be just as enamored this time around. Arcane wrapped up major plot points in the series finale, "The Dirt Under Your Nails," in which destinies clashed in the lead-up to an all-out war. This is the episode that has been submitted for Emmy consideration. READ: The one show best positioned to beat Arcane in our odds is The Simpsons. The longest-running American scripted primetime series ever wrapped up its 36th season in May with its 790th episode. To date, The Simpsons has won 37 Emmys from 102 nominations, including 12 trophies for Best Animated Program. The comedy about the denizens of Springfield most recently prevailed in 2023 for "Treehouse of Horror XXXIII," but was beaten last year by Blue Eye Samurai, which is not currently in the running. This time around, the season premiere, "Bart's Birthday," is being entered for Emmy consideration, which serves a meta take on the show's eventual series finale. Love, Death + Robots has a near-perfect track record at the Emmys, winning 13 of its 15 nominations through the years. It won Best Short Form Animated Program for each of its first three seasons in 2019, 2021, and 2022, but is now competing against the big dogs up in the main Best Animated Program race. (There is no short form animation category this year, possibly due to a dearth of eligible submissions.) Season 4 of the anthology series streamed all 10 episodes on May 15, right at the tail end of the eligibility period. The third episode, "Spider Rose," has been submitted, and focuses on a grieving woman hellbent on revenge at the end of the galaxy. In fourth place is Bob's Burgers, a 13-time nominee in this category and two-time winner (2014 and 2017). Season 15 was split into two parts, with the first part airing at the end of 2024 and the second part airing now and through the summer. The eighth episode, "They Slug Horses, Don't They?," is being put forward for Emmy consideration, in which Tina and Louise get into an argument that escalates across several increasingly graphic "apology" cards. Invincible comes in fifth place for a nomination. Emmy voters will be judging the sixth episode of Season 3, "All I Can Say Is I'm Sorry," where a powerful new figure challenges Markus "Mark" Grayson/Invincible (voiced by Steven Yeun), and helps him to explore the concept of right vs. wrong. The superhero series streams on Prime Video, and received its first Emmy nomination last year for Sterling K. Brown for voicing Angstrom Levy. Gold Derby's Emmy odds are based on the combined forecasts of more than 4,100 people (and counting), including experts we've polled from major media outlets, editors who cover awards year-round for this website, and the mass of users who make up our biggest predictions bloc. Track the Emmy predictions by exploring all of our charts and graphs, and sound off in our TV forum. PREDICTED NOMINEES 1. Arcane — 19/10 2. The Simpsons — 71/20 3. Love, Death + Robots — 5/1 4. Bob's Burgers — 8/1 5. Invincible — 13/1 POTENTIAL SPOILERS 6. Big Mouth — 25/1 7. #1 Happy Family USA — 85/1 8. What If...? — 95/1 9. Harley Quinn — 100/1 10. Family Guy — 100/1 LONGSHOTS 11. Devil May Cry — 100/1 12. Batman: Caped Crusader — 100/1 13. Futurama — 100/1 14. Secret Level — 100/1 15. Star Trek: Lower Decks — 100/1 SIGN UP for Gold Derby's free newsletter with latest predictions Best of GoldDerby Everything to know about 'The Pitt' Season 2 Adam Brody, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actor interviews Kristen Bell, Tina Fey, Bridget Everett, and the best of our Emmy Comedy Actress interviews Click here to read the full article.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Fortnite confirms new Squid Game map for Reload mode: Release date and what we know so far
Fortnite is all set to welcome one of its most gripping collaborations yet. A new crossover map inspired by the Netflix global hit Squid Game will soon arrive in the popular Reload mode. The news was confirmed by Fortnite's official X account, sparking excitement among fans of the battle royale and the brutal survival drama alike. In a cryptic yet thrilling teaser shared online, Fortnite wrote, 'Run, run, run. New Squid Game map in Reload. Next week!' While the post didn't give away much, it was enough to set the internet abuzz. Fortnite x Squid Game: New Reload map release date (X) Squid Game comes to Reload mode Reload, Fortnite's fast-paced mode rooted in classic battle royale mechanics, seems like an ideal match for Squid Game-style eliminations. Fans are already imagining how tense challenges such as Red Light, Green Light will be recreated within the Fortnite universe. This is not the first time Squid Game was connected to Fortnite. At the State of Unreal earlier this year, it was announced that official Squid Game creation tools would be added to the Unreal Editor for Fortnite (UEFN) on June 27, Gamerant reported. These will let players build custom experiences using licensed assets-making this crossover one of the most interactive yet. Also read: Fortnite guide: How to get the Battle Bus SUV? All you need to know Tools, timing and what to expect Although Epic Games has not confirmed an exact release date for the Reload crossover map, it is expected to launch alongside or shortly after the UEFN update on June 27. This means fans may get to experience not just pre-built maps but also community-created versions of the dystopian game's challenges. The Squid Game map is likely to feature core elements of the series-tension, competition and timed eliminations-designed to fit Fortnite's gameplay style. It's part of a broader push by Epic to blend licensed content into its creative ecosystem, with more immersive and user-generated content leading the charge. 'The Simpsons' crossover may follow In another interesting development, Khaleej Times has reported that Epic may be preparing a Fortnite x The Simpsons crossover. According to leaks, a Springfield-style island is in the works, possibly as the setting for a future limited-time event or themed mini-season. If the reports are true, it would mark the first time The Simpsons joins the Fortnite universe-opening the door to nostalgic gameplay for long-time fans of the animated series. FAQs What is the release date for the Squid Game Reload map? Fortnite has confirmed the map is coming "next week," but a precise date has not been revealed yet. What will the Squid Game content include? The content will include a new map in Reload mode and creative tools in UEFN, allowing players to build Squid Game-inspired challenges. Is a Simpsons collaboration confirmed? Not officially. But leaks suggest that Epic Games is working on a Springfield-themed map for a future Fortnite update.
The Age
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Sydney metro stations and delightfully weird homes sweep top awards
A family home inspired by The Simpsons episode where a naked Homer and Marge visit the Garden of Eden and the project to build underground stations for Sydney's $21.6 billion new metro line have won top honours at this year's state architecture awards. Announced on Friday night, the state's highest award, the NSW Architecture Medallion, and the Lloyd Rees Award for Urban Design, went to the Sydney Metro City Stations project that opened last year and linked Chatswood to Sydenham with six new stations and upgrades to two others. The winners of the 2025 NSW architecture awards range from the modest to the monumental and the delightfully weird, as well as those with ambitions such as the metro and the new city of Bradfield that are changing the city. The judges said expressions such as 'legacy project' and 'city shaping' were often empty rhetoric. But not with Sydney Metro. Delivered by dozens of architectural practices including Woods Bagot, Cox Architecture, Foster + Partners, Grimshaw, Hassell, John McAslan + Partners, and Architectus, with designers, artists, engineers, landscapers and others, the metro was ambitious and truly transformative. It had 'redefined civic experience' in Sydney. 'As a nation, with a few notable exceptions, we are often guilty of being under-ambitious when it comes to our built environment. It's a welcome shift. This is infrastructure that supports not just movement, but social and cultural connection as a catalyst for future development and change. It demonstrates the far-reaching impact architects can have on shaping public life and delivering tangible benefit to society and the environment.' The metro was one of 72 projects out of 284 entries that received awards and commendations after 37 jurors visited 137 sites across the state. Anthony St John Parsons won the Wilkinson award for residential architecture for New Castle, a new home at Merewether in Newcastle that was built around a massive walled garden. The judges said it was 'a rare work of architectural bravura that drew on centuries of architectural knowledge, from the monumental grandeur of Roman villas to the artistry of Mughal gardens, that thoughtfully reinterpreted these lessons in a contemporary way'. A sole practitioner who also teaches architecture, St John Parsons is now building his own home, bringing a little bit of paradise to the inner west with an extension that clusters around a garden courtyard. He said New Castle had been a 'career-making project' that began during COVID. It took four years, during which his two sons, Miro and Mathias, were born. The beachside suburb of Merewether was Newcastle's version of Bondi, and most homes left little space for a garden. When the owners of New Castle said they liked his idea of a large interior walled garden, he looked for examples of idyllic gardens in literature, art and popular culture, from the Elysian ideal to a Bosch painting about earthly delights, and his love of The Simpsons. St John Parsons became interested architecture as a boy growing up in Woy Woy when a neighbour gave him models of little homes as toys. Asked before the awards how we would feel if he won, the 38-year-old replied: 'It would feel like I've peaked. I'm happy to play Lego with my boys for the rest of my career.' After the New Castle project featured in Houses magazine, St John Parsons posted on Instagram that he was 'stoked'. He said he had bought his first copy of the architecture and design publication 'after picking up my first pay cheque from Maccas as a pimply teenager'. Another young practice, Architect George, won the Hugh and Eva Buhrich award for residential alterations and additions, for a home in Erskineville. Modest in size at 95 square metres before the project began, the home was increased to 110 square metres with the addition of a minimalist double-height polycarbonate 'lightbox'. Other major awards Aaron Bulot Award for multi-residential architecture went to Bates Smart for Wentworth Quarter. The practice won five awards, including for its new build-to-rent project above Gadigal metro station. Sir Arthur G. Stephenson Award for commercial architecture – 39 Martin Place by Tzannes Sulman Medal for public architecture – Yarrila Place | BVN Milo Dunphy Award for sustainable architecture – Boot Factory and Mill Hill Centre Precinct by Archer Office with Matt Devine. It also won an award for public architecture. Greenway Award for heritage – White Bay Power Station, Design 5 – Architects with Placemaking NSW The Blacket Prize for regional architecture – Cobar Ward Oval Pavilion by DunnHillamArchitecture + Urban Design William E. Kemp Award for educational architecture – St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Rosebery by Neeson Murcutt Neille Award for enduring architecture – Moore Park Gardens, AJC Architects Sulman Medal for public architecture – Yarrila Place by BVN John Verge Award for interior architecture – Babylon House, by Casey Brown Architecture Robert Woodward Award for small project architecture – Love Shack by Second Edition EmAGN Project Award – Green Heart – the urban garden by Studio Oulala Architects An adaptable curtain system enabled flexible occupancy and different uses of the spaces. Sydney architect Phillip Arnold wrote that the home for five was 'delightfully weird, and could simultaneously be described as both a two-bedroom house and four-bedroom house … It is one of the ways this house makes no sense. Not meeting a conventional logic is one of the ways this house is very special and quite magical.' Loading Annabel Lahz, the jury chair, said the awarded projects highlighted the impact of architecture on everyday life. The NSW chapter president of the Institute of Architects, Elizabeth Carpenter, said they were a powerful reminder that architecture was both art and a responsibility. Chris Minns gave the Premier's Prize to the First Building by Hassell at Bradfield City Centre. It also won awards for sustainable architecture and commercial architecture. Minns said: 'Every new city requires a big dream ... it's incredibly exciting to see that dream taking shape here in Bradfield.'
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney metro stations and delightfully weird homes sweep top awards
A family home inspired by The Simpsons episode where a naked Homer and Marge visit the Garden of Eden and the project to build underground stations for Sydney's $21.6 billion new metro line have won top honours at this year's state architecture awards. Announced on Friday night, the state's highest award, the NSW Architecture Medallion, and the Lloyd Rees Award for Urban Design, went to the Sydney Metro City Stations project that opened last year and linked Chatswood to Sydenham with six new stations and upgrades to two others. The winners of the 2025 NSW architecture awards range from the modest to the monumental and the delightfully weird, as well as those with ambitions such as the metro and the new city of Bradfield that are changing the city. The judges said expressions such as 'legacy project' and 'city shaping' were often empty rhetoric. But not with Sydney Metro. Delivered by dozens of architectural practices including Woods Bagot, Cox Architecture, Foster + Partners, Grimshaw, Hassell, John McAslan + Partners, and Architectus, with designers, artists, engineers, landscapers and others, the metro was ambitious and truly transformative. It had 'redefined civic experience' in Sydney. 'As a nation, with a few notable exceptions, we are often guilty of being under-ambitious when it comes to our built environment. It's a welcome shift. This is infrastructure that supports not just movement, but social and cultural connection as a catalyst for future development and change. It demonstrates the far-reaching impact architects can have on shaping public life and delivering tangible benefit to society and the environment.' The metro was one of 72 projects out of 284 entries that received awards and commendations after 37 jurors visited 137 sites across the state. Anthony St John Parsons won the Wilkinson award for residential architecture for New Castle, a new home at Merewether in Newcastle that was built around a massive walled garden. The judges said it was 'a rare work of architectural bravura that drew on centuries of architectural knowledge, from the monumental grandeur of Roman villas to the artistry of Mughal gardens, that thoughtfully reinterpreted these lessons in a contemporary way'. A sole practitioner who also teaches architecture, St John Parsons is now building his own home, bringing a little bit of paradise to the inner west with an extension that clusters around a garden courtyard. He said New Castle had been a 'career-making project' that began during COVID. It took four years, during which his two sons, Miro and Mathias, were born. The beachside suburb of Merewether was Newcastle's version of Bondi, and most homes left little space for a garden. When the owners of New Castle said they liked his idea of a large interior walled garden, he looked for examples of idyllic gardens in literature, art and popular culture, from the Elysian ideal to a Bosch painting about earthly delights, and his love of The Simpsons. St John Parsons became interested architecture as a boy growing up in Woy Woy when a neighbour gave him models of little homes as toys. Asked before the awards how we would feel if he won, the 38-year-old replied: 'It would feel like I've peaked. I'm happy to play Lego with my boys for the rest of my career.' After the New Castle project featured in Houses magazine, St John Parsons posted on Instagram that he was 'stoked'. He said he had bought his first copy of the architecture and design publication 'after picking up my first pay cheque from Maccas as a pimply teenager'. Another young practice, Architect George, won the Hugh and Eva Buhrich award for residential alterations and additions, for a home in Erskineville. Modest in size at 95 square metres before the project began, the home was increased to 110 square metres with the addition of a minimalist double-height polycarbonate 'lightbox'. Other major awards Aaron Bulot Award for multi-residential architecture went to Bates Smart for Wentworth Quarter. The practice won five awards, including for its new build-to-rent project above Gadigal metro station. Sir Arthur G. Stephenson Award for commercial architecture – 39 Martin Place by Tzannes Sulman Medal for public architecture – Yarrila Place | BVN Milo Dunphy Award for sustainable architecture – Boot Factory and Mill Hill Centre Precinct by Archer Office with Matt Devine. It also won an award for public architecture. Greenway Award for heritage – White Bay Power Station, Design 5 – Architects with Placemaking NSW The Blacket Prize for regional architecture – Cobar Ward Oval Pavilion by DunnHillamArchitecture + Urban Design William E. Kemp Award for educational architecture – St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Rosebery by Neeson Murcutt Neille Award for enduring architecture – Moore Park Gardens, AJC Architects Sulman Medal for public architecture – Yarrila Place by BVN John Verge Award for interior architecture – Babylon House, by Casey Brown Architecture Robert Woodward Award for small project architecture – Love Shack by Second Edition EmAGN Project Award – Green Heart – the urban garden by Studio Oulala Architects An adaptable curtain system enabled flexible occupancy and different uses of the spaces. Sydney architect Phillip Arnold wrote that the home for five was 'delightfully weird, and could simultaneously be described as both a two-bedroom house and four-bedroom house … It is one of the ways this house makes no sense. Not meeting a conventional logic is one of the ways this house is very special and quite magical.' Loading Annabel Lahz, the jury chair, said the awarded projects highlighted the impact of architecture on everyday life. The NSW chapter president of the Institute of Architects, Elizabeth Carpenter, said they were a powerful reminder that architecture was both art and a responsibility. Chris Minns gave the Premier's Prize to the First Building by Hassell at Bradfield City Centre. It also won awards for sustainable architecture and commercial architecture. Minns said: 'Every new city requires a big dream ... it's incredibly exciting to see that dream taking shape here in Bradfield.'
