Hollywood

Peek at the 2020 Pirelli calendar, art film by Paolo Roversi

Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Dec 4, 2019, 8:36 am

This year, there isn't just a calendar. Pirelli has also produced a short film.

Photo courtesy of Pirelli

In fair Verona, Pirelli unveiled the 2020 Pirelli Calendar. Featuring a "Looking for Juliet" theme, the calendar features many of the world's top film stars including Claire Foy, Mia Goth, Chris Lee, Indya Moore, Rosalía, Stella Roversi, Yara Shahidi, Kristen Stewart and Emma Watson.

This is the 47th edition of TheCal, as its colloquially known.

Alongside the calendar, calendar creator Paolo Roversi showed his new short film that follows the same theme as the calendar, merging photography and cinematography. The 18-minute short features Roversi playing himself as a director interviewing candidates for the role of Juliet.

Here's how Pirelli describes the film:

"The scenario unfolds in two phases. In the first, the protagonists are shown arriving at the set, without makeup or costume. They sit and talk with Roversi about the project under way, each one vying to be chosen, telling the director about their personal experiences and how they envisage Juliet. In this way, the actresses reveal their intimate, personal side. In the second phase they put on the costumes devised to transform them for their personal interpretation of Shakespeare's heroine. The idea is to portray a story in which reality and fiction dovetail and their distinctions blur, as in a hazy photograph."

"I was looking for a pure soul, someone full of innocence that combined strength, beauty, tenderness and courage," said Roversi. "I found this in the glimmer of an eye, in the gestures and words of Emma and Yara, Indya and Mia and in the smiles and tears of Kristen and Claire…in the voices and chants of Chris and Rosalía. In Stella we have the innocence. There's a Juliet in every woman ... and I will never stop looking for her."

The photo and video shoot took place in May in Verona. The 2020 calendar is the first to be created by an Italian photographer. Past calendars have been shot by masters of the craft including Annie Leibovitz, Herb Ritts, Mario Testino, and Terry Richardson.

Check out this extended look at the production of the calendar:

It is comprised of 132 pages. The monthly calendar is on the cover and then there are sections of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet" followed by 58 photos featuring a storied imagining of "Romeo and Juliet" in Verona. The scope of the project was informed by Roversi's love of opera.

The many behind-the-scenes moments during the photo-shoots and filming, along with the characters and backstage stories of the 2020 Pirelli Calendar can be found online at the dedicated site www.pirellicalendar.com, which also offers the chance to explore the over fifty-year history of The Calâ„¢ with films, interviews, photographs, and hitherto unpublished texts.

 
 

Hollywood

Lucasfilm shows off new Porsche-designed starship ahead of 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' premiere

Lucasfilm and Porsche are celebrating the premiere of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" with the design of a new starship.

Photo courtesy of Porsche

Sure, they are hard at work already designing the next-generation 911, but Porsche designers took a little time out of their schedule to work on a different type of passion project, a Star Wars starship.

Design studies in Weissach and San Francisco worked together to create initial ideas and drafts for two months before settling on the creative concept. Its name is Sri-Wing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter.

The concept will be presented in its entirety at the world premiere of "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker" in Los Angeles on December 16. The model is five feet in length.

Sri-Wing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter

Sri-Wing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter Porsche Star Wars

Photo courtesy of Porsche AG

Porsche and Star Wars designers got together to create this unique starship.

"The design of the spaceship is harmoniously integrated into the Star Wars film world while at the same time demonstrating clear analogies with the characteristic Porsche styling and proportions," said Michael Mauer, Vice President Style Porsche, Porsche AG. "The basic shape of the cabin, which tapers towards the rear, and a highly distinctive topography from the cockpit flyline to the turbines establish visual parallels with the iconic design of the 911 and the Taycan. The very compact layout conveys dynamism and agility, lending emphasis to the Porsche design features mentioned."

Though starships are usually only seen on-screen in 2D. However, that design has to give the impression that the vehicle is dynamic while being instantly recognizable. Porsche designed the Sri-Wing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter in 3D.

This Starfighter is infused with design DNA that is apparent in modern Porsche models. According to Porsche,

The front is reminiscent of the so-called "air curtains" (air inlets) that go together with the headlights to create a single formal entity in the Taycan. In addition to the four-point daytime running light typical of Porsche, the so-called "blasters" – long gun barrels at the front – are located at the tip. The rear grid with the louvres and integrated third brake light was inspired by the current 911 generation, and the rear section of the starship bears the brand's hallmark light bar. Porsche design criteria have been applied to the interior, too: the instruments in the cockpit are clearly aligned with the driver's axis, while the low seating position is reminiscent of the sporty ergonomics in the Porsche 918 Spyder.

Porsche's first all-electric car, the 2020 Taycan, will appear alongside the spacecraft on the red carpet at the premiere.

A behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the starship is available online at www.thedesigneralliance.com.

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In-Car Tech

BMW adding wireless Android Auto in 2020, ditching Apple CarPlay fee

Google recently enhanced its Android Auto interface.

Photo courtesy of Google

Better late than never. BMW has announced that they will add wireless Android Auto to their vehicles starting in July 2020. The German automaker already offers Apple CarPlay, and in 2017 because the first company to make wireless CarPlay available.

In 2018, BMW became the first automaker to charge specifically for Apple CarPlay, requiring customers to cough up $80 per year for the tech. Last week BMW let it slip to Roadshow that they would no longer charge the fee for 2019 and 2020 model year cars.

Android Auto 2019 Android Auto is able to perform many of the functions of a traditional smartphone while hooked up to your car, including give directions.Photo courtesy of Google

Android Auto will be available in the new vehicles sans special equipment fee.

Like with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto links a smartphone's functionality to a vehicle's infotainment system. When it becomes available, Android Auto will be able to fully integrate into BMW's digital cockpit meaning that the information appears in the car's head up display and instrument cluster instead of exclusively in the infotainment screen at the center of the dashboard.

"We are excited to work with BMW to bring wireless Android Auto to their customers worldwide next year," said Patrick Brady, Vice President of Engineering, Google. "The seamless connection from Android smartphones to BMW vehicles allows customers to hit the road faster while maintaining access to all of their favorite apps and services in a safer experience."

If you're wondering whether or not your phone is compatible with Android Auto, click here to see a handy guide from Google.

The public's first peek at Andorra Auto will be at the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

Android Auto will be available for all BMW customers in 20 countries with BMW Operating System 7.0 in mid 2020.

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