Alejandro Rojas: Special Effects Legend Doug Trumbull Has Passion For UFO Hunting (VIDEO)

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Special effects legend Doug Trumbull is releasing a high-tech, 10-minute movie that is a fictionalized version of his ongoing project centered on filming a UFO. The movie and the UFO project are called UFOTOG, a combination of the words UFO and photography.

Trumbull is famous for his ground-breaking special effects work in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Blade Runner, and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Like many of you, these are some of my absolute favorite movies. I mean, like the tippy top of my favorite movie mountain. They are probably the three films I watch over and over the most. He also directed Silent Running and Brainstorm, and is an inventor of film technologies.

His latest film, set to be released in August, is being shot in 4K 3D at 120 fps (frames per second), that compares to The Hobbit, filmed with 2K 3D at 48 fps, and a James Cameron test project that was filmed at 2K 3D at 60 fps. In layman's terms, the higher the numbers, the better the picture resolution. In fact, Trumbull says this movie is more like looking through a window than watching a film.

Trumbull takes his UFO hunting as serious as his movie making. He owns an ex-military hummer that is kitted out with high-tech video equipment for the express purpose of filming a UFO. UFOTOG, the movie, is about a man using this sort of equipment to film a UFO.

For more information on UFOTOG, the movie and the project, I got in touch with my friend Mark D'Antonio who works closely with Trumbull on his movie and UFO projects. D'Antonio owns a company called FX models, which works with the entertainment industry, the military, and others to build detailed technical models. Anyone who knows Trumbull's work knows he is a master at special effects using models. D'Antonio also shares Trumbull's interests in UFOs. He serves as the photo analysis expert for the Mutual UFO Network.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, this is one of two feature films Trumbull is working on; he says, "It is not the primary one that I want to make next. I'm also developing a sci-fi epic that takes place about 200 years in the future".

Trumbull's UFOTOG movie is set to be released in August. Only a limited number of theaters have the technology to project the movie, but OpenMinds.tv will keep you up to date on the details once the movie is released.

Follow Alejandro Rojas on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ATRojas_OM

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Chris Christie Vetoed Early Voting Bill Over Taxpayer Costs Similar To Frank Lautenberg Special Election

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NEWARK, NJ - JUNE 4: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie outlines plans for a special election to be held to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat of Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ), who died yesterday, on June 4, 2013 at the Statehouse in Trenton, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

A pricetag of nearly $24 million was not enough to stop Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) from calling a special election on Tuesday to fill the seat of deceased Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D).

Nearly one month ago, Christie held different feelings on similar taxpayer costs related to early voting.

Back on May 10, the Philadelphia Inquirer relayed how Christie vetoed a bill extending the pre-Election-Day window, citing concerns that it would be too costly. According to the Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger, the measure would have added two weeks of extra voting at up to seven spots within each of the state's counties.

"Taxpayers should not have to foot a more than $25 million bill to pay for a hasty, counterproductive, and less reliable system, especially when New Jersey's current early voting process is reliable and cost-effective," Christie said.

On Tuesday, costs appeared to be less of a concern. Christie stressed that the holding a primary and general election to fill Lautenberg's seat was far from counterproductive.

“This is about guaranteeing the people of New Jersey a choice and a voice in Washington," Christie said.

When it came to the early-voting bill, cost appeared to have won out. The Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger questioned Christie's choice, penning an editorial that said "what's not to like?" about the measure, while also calling the governor's answer below "a bit vague."

"I support responsible and cost-efficient election reform that increases voter participation because democracy works best when the most people vote," Christie said in his veto message.

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