TikTok and Sony Pictures Entertainment Team Up on a Promotional Campaign for the Feature Film "Escape Room"

TikTok, the world's leading short form video platform, and Sony Pictures Entertainment have teamed up on a promotional campaign based on the Columbia Pictures hit psychological thriller, Escape Room, as the film continues its international rollout.

For this campaign, Sony Pictures recreated elaborate escape rooms from the film, including the "shrinking room" and the "ice room." The promotional partnership officially kicked off last week in Madrid, Spain, where Sony Pictures and TikTok co-hosted a "Creator Event" for 30 leading influencers from over 17 countries, as well as TikTok's "creators" from eight countries: UK, Brazil, Mexico, Russia, Switzerland, Thailand, Malaysia and Spain.

Sony Pictures recreated elaborate escape rooms from the film, including the "shrinking room" and the "ice room"

Both groups participated in escape room challenges and recorded their experiences generating over 75+ pieces of content. TikTok's "creators" included the exceptional magician @magicsingh, comedian Karol Konk @karolkonk and the talented makeup artist and body painter @vickybanham, who all shared their experiences with their fans and on the Official Escape Room Movie TikTok page.

The event ended with massive scavenger hunt, exploring Madrid's prominent landmarks, solving puzzles and photographing and sampling local Spanish tapas. The prize for the winning team was a special fan screening of the film in their local markets.

Sony Pictures recreated elaborate escape rooms from the film, including the "shrinking room" and the "ice room"

TikTok's collaboration with Sony Pictures is their largest, international promotional partnership with a Hollywood studio to date.

⏩ TikTok users can now follow the creators and the Escape Room official page @escaperoommovie to experience the excitement of the much-anticipated hit film. 

Escape Room

Escape Room is a psychological thriller about six strangers who find themselves in circumstances beyond their control and must use their wits to find the clues or die. Directed by Adam Robitel, the screenplay is by Bragi Schut and Maria Melnik and the story by Bragi Schut. The film is produced by Neal H. Moritz and Ori Marmur. Rebecca Rivo serves as executive producer. The film stars Taylor Russell, Logan Miller, Deborah Ann Woll, Jay Ellis, Tyler Labine, Nik Dodani and with Yorick van Wageningen.

"TikTok's community interests and demographic are perfectly in line with Escape Room's audience and we are thrilled to team up with Sony Pictures. This collaboration allows us to offer a unique experience to some of our fabulous "creators" but, most importantly, to create exciting and engaging content for our global community," said Stefan Heinrich, Head of Global Marketing at TikTok.

"An innovative and immersive thriller like Escape Room makes for a perfect collaboration with global innovators like TikTok. With Sony Pictures Spain creating the live experience in Madrid, based on the movie, the TikTok creators were able to generate their own fun and shareable UGC for their followers and spread their excitement about the film," said Sal Ladestro, Executive Vice President of International Marketing for Sony Pictures Releasing International.

⏩ Escape Room debuts in U.K. cinemas on the 1st of February and it's the latest of Sony Pictures' successful genre film releases, which also include the Insidious franchise and Searching.

SOURCE: TikTok

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UNICEF: Nearly 3,000 Children Crossed From Guatemala To Mexico Since Mid-January

Paloma Escudero, UNICEF Director of Communication, visits migrant families waiting at the Mexico-Guatemala border to apply for a humanitarian visas in Tecun Uman, Guatemala, on January 29, 2019. © UNICEF/UN0277464/Bindra (CNW Group/UNICEF Canada)

More than 12,000 people, including 3,000 children, have crossed from Tecun Uman, Guatemala, to Tapachula, Mexico, since January 17, UNICEF said today. It is critical to uphold special protection for these children, particularly those among them traveling alone, the children's agency said. 

"The Mexican government and people have been mostly welcoming towards the thousands of children and families crossing the border every day," said Paloma Escudero, UNICEF Director of Communication at the end of a two-day visit to Tapachula. "Whether these children stay in Mexico or head further up north, it is crucial that they remain with their families, that they are kept out of detention centres and that their best interests are protected throughout the journey."

According to government statistics, more than 30,000 children from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador were temporarily held in detention centres in 2018.

Although Mexico is increasingly implementing measures to safeguard children's rights while in transit or seeking asylum in the country, challenges persist. At the Tapachula migration station, which holds close to 1,000 men, women and children, Escudero spoke with mothers and young women kept at the station while their asylum claims or deportation orders are processed.

"Although people staying in the centre have access to food, health and recreational services, the conditions are inadequate," Escudero said. "I saw mothers and small children sleeping on the floor in the hallways. Many told me that they were unsure what would happen to them next or when they might be allowed to leave."

The new Mexican Government has officially committed to end detention of all child migrants and is presently working to fulfill this new policy. UNICEF and other organizations are closely supporting these efforts by helping develop alternatives to detention.

"Many of these children and young people are trading the trauma of violence and poverty back home for the trauma of displacement and uncertainty while on the move," Escudero said. "The hope of a better, safer future that keeps them going is getting further and further out of reach." 

In Mexico, UNICEF continues to work with the Government and its partners to ensure that migrant children receive the support and services they need and that their rights are upheld. Through its teams in Tapachula, UNICEF is giving direct support to children arriving at the migration office in Ciudad Hidalgo, providing them with information about their migratory options. The children's agency is also providing direct technical assistance to the Social Welfare Agency and Child Protection Authorities to ensure unaccompanied children are duly processed and receive appropriate care.

UNICEF is advocating with its Government partners to build on the country's existing successful programmes for children on the move, keeping the best interests of the child above all other considerations.

"UNICEF has been working with the government to identify and implement alternative solutions, including humanitarian visas, open shelters and day centres, that can keep families and children safe and protected while their claims are being processed," Escudero said. "We look forward to seeing more of these programmes along the Mexico migration route. After all, migration is not a crime and should not be treated as such."

SOURCE: UNICEF Canada

'The Wizard of Oz' 80th Anniversary Screenings Break $1M at the Box Office

'The Wizard of Oz'

"The Wizard of Oz," the inimitable 1939 musical-fantasy, grossed over $1 million at the domestic box office on Sunday – the first day of a limited 80th anniversary re-release – setting a new record for Fathom Events as the highest-grossing single-day classic film presentation in the company's history.

"The Wizard of Oz" was No. 8 at the domestic box office on Sunday with just two showtimes in nearly 700 cinemas nationwide. The 80th anniversary presentation of "The Wizard of Oz" also had the highest per-screen average of any film in wide release that day. The Warner Bros. feature is the first film in Fathom Events' yearlong 2019 TCM Big Screen Classics series, which is presented in partnership with Turner Classic Movies.

⏩ Two encore screenings – one on Tuesday, January 29, and one on Wednesday, January 30 – were previously scheduled, and Fathom Events and TCM today announced two additional encore dates due to audience demand: Sunday, February 3, at 1:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, February 5, at 7:00 p.m. (all local times).

"There is no movie quite like 'The Wizard of Oz,' and the response to its anniversary presentation has been genuinely overwhelming," said Ray Nutt, CEO of Fathom Events. "It's the perfect way for multiple generations of fans to experience movie magic together, and also an incredible start to our 2019 TCM Big Screen Classics series."

"Audience response to the screening of 'The Wizard of Oz' is a direct reflection of why we partner with Fathom Events on the TCM Big Classics Series," said Genevieve McGillicuddy, Vice President of Enterprises and Strategic Partnerships, TCM. "This series brings film lovers of all ages together to experience the magic of the movies on the big screen and allows TCM to be the ultimate gathering point for fans of classic cinema."

'The Wizard of Oz' - Dorothy

A partnership between Fathom Events and TCM that began with a handful of films in 2012 has grown into an increasingly popular annual series. Throughout 2019, TCM Big Screen Classics will present 14 unforgettable movie milestones, including "To Kill a Mockingbird" (March), "Field of Dreams" (April), "Lawrence of Arabia" (September) and "Alien" (October), among others. 

Each film plays for just two or three days and is accompanied by insightful new commentary from TCM Primetime host Ben Mankiewicz, presented before and after the film.

SOURCE: Fathom Events

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Lessons From 'Spider-Man': How Video Games Could Change College Science Education

The new ‘Spider-Man’ video game isn’t just fun and games – it’s also science. (Marvel / Insomniac Games)

Like many people over the holidays, I spent some time – maybe too much – playing one of the most popular and best reviewed video games of 2018: “Spider-Man.”

While I thought I’d be taking a break from chemistry research, I found myself web-swinging through virtual research missions all over New York City. I collected samples of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in Hell’s Kitchen, studied vehicle emissions in Chinatown and determined the chemical composition of atmospheric particulate matter in Midtown.

“Spider-Man” has many of these eco-friendly research missions. But what I found most encouraging is that the game also includes tools that can potentially teach advanced concepts in chemistry and physics. These tools include adjusting the wavelength and amplitude of radio waves, rewiring circuits to meet target voltages, and what will be examined here, using absorption spectroscopy to identify unknown chemicals.

Believe it or not, the millions of people playing “Spider-Man” have been unwittingly introduced to principles of quantum mechanics. There is a lot of veiled science to this aspect of the video game. Perhaps more importantly – as a chemistry researcher and university lecturer – I believe the game represents an interesting opportunity to teach science in a fun and engaging way in higher education.

Spectroscopy and ‘Spider-Man’

To better understand the scientific technique that players simulate in “Spider-Man,” it helps to have a short primer on what absorption spectroscopy is.

The interaction of light with matter is the most powerful means scientists have to understand what matter is made of. When matter does not interact with light, we are quite literally left in the dark. This problem is made obvious in the still unknown composition of dark matter that constitutes the vast majority of matter in the universe.

Using light to study ordinary matter like atoms and molecules is a broad field of science known as spectroscopy. It is an important part of university courses in chemistry and physics. There are currently many different types of spectroscopy. However, the underlying concepts are almost entirely the same as the original version that began in the 17th century when Isaac Newton first dispersed sunlight with a prism.

As famously illustrated on Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” album cover, dispersing the white light of the sun with a prism reveals its continuous color spectrum extending from violet (higher energy, shorter wavelength) to red (lower energy, longer wavelength). However, if this is done carefully, you would find that this continuous spectrum is patterned with intermittent dark bands.

While the origin of these dark bands was not fully understood until the 20th century, scientists now know that they are due to absorption of specific wavelengths of light by atoms and molecules present in the sun. In fact, this kind of spectroscopy led to the discovery of helium in the solar spectrum before it was identified on Earth. This is why it derives its name from the Greek “helios” meaning sun.

So what causes this phenomenon? Atoms and molecules have a set of energy levels that depend on how their electrons are arranged. The absorption of light – which remember is energy – can cause the electrons to rearrange into these different levels. The catch is that the energy – or wavelength – of light must exactly match the energy difference between two electron arrangements in an atom or molecule for absorption to occur. This set of energies is unique for each chemical and leads to a distinct absorption spectrum much like a fingerprint from which it can be identified.

In “Spider-Man,” the player identifies unknown substances using simplified versions of these spectra.

Spectrum of Unknown Molecule from Research Mission.

The goal is to match the pattern in the spectrum using the fragment inventory provided to give the absorption spectrum of the unknown substance. Unfortunately for chemists everywhere, determining the chemical structure of an unknown molecule is much more complicated.

Still, there is a significant amount of science conveyed in the video game version of what a spectroscopist would call assigning this spectrum. Only slight modifications and additional explanation could make these parts of the game an excellent way to teach these concepts to undergraduate science students. But are video games ever used in higher education?

Video games in higher education

Video games for teaching more elementary skills like arithmetic or spelling are common. Similarly, colleges and universities are increasingly infusing video games into their coursework.

In a recent publication in the journal Nature Chemistry, researchers presented a modified version of the video game “Minecraft” called “PolyCraft World.” In this game, the player learns polymer chemistry by crafting materials in the game. Preliminary results showed that students learned real chemistry through the game even though they weren’t doing it for grades or getting regular classroom instruction.

In the popular game “Kerbal Space Program,” the player builds their own space program by successfully launching rockets into orbit. The game was not originally intended for educational purposes but implements rigorous orbital mechanics in its physics calculations. It is so accurate that NASA joined the game’s developers to create new missions, and it now has a teaching-ready standalone game that could be used directly in university physics courses.

A unique approach has been taken with the biochemistry-based game “FoldIt.” This game serves as both an educational as well as a citizen science platform. In the game, players manipulate the structures of real proteins to search for the “best” or lowest energy structures. Results published in the journal Nature showed that the player’s search methods can be successfully combined with computer-based algorithms to solve actual scientific problems.

The use of video games in higher education is a real possibility and could even have a promising future in higher education given the advantages of delivering educational content through a video game format. These advantages include things such as remote access, personalized student progress and immediate feedback. However, creating an engaging video game from scratch is challenging, costly and time-consuming. As indicated by the creators of “PolyCraft World,” finding existing games to modify for educational purposes – like the research missions in “Spider-Man” – could be the best way forward.

About Today's Contributor:

Aaron W. Harrison, Teaching and Research Fellow, Chapman University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. 

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New Mary Tyler Moore Biography Published to Coincide with Second Anniversary of Her Passing

New biography on Mary Tyler Moore

Two years ago – January 25, 2017 – the world lost Mary Tyler Moore at age 80. Unknown by many today, Moore was one of the most celebrated actresses of her day, receiving over a dozen major awards, and an equal amount of additional award nominations. Among these, Moore won two Emmys and a Golden Globe Award for her role as Laura Petrie in the 1960s sitcom The Dick Van Dyke Show, and three Emmys, plus a second Golden Globe, as Mary Richards in her 1970s series The Mary Tyler Moore Show. 

In 1980, Moore surprised many critics and fans by turning away from comedy and challenging herself with a stark dramatic role in the Robert Redford-directed drama, Ordinary People. For her performance, she won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for an Oscar. Moore also won an Emmy for another dramatic turn, in the 1993 TV movie Stolen Babies. 

However, of greater importance than the awards Moore received are the two iconic characters she played on television, which have had a lasting impression on millions of people.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show, premiering in September 1970, made Moore a symbol and role model for the Women's Movement. Her portrayal of an independent working single woman challenged traditional female roles in television. 

Former First Lady Michelle Obama said about the character, "She wasn't married; she wasn't looking to get married; at no point did the series end in a happy ending with her finding a husband – which seemed to be the course you had to take as a woman."

A decade before, Moore's role as Laura Petrie in The Dick Van Dyke Show confronted conventional wives and moms as seen on television with the warm chemistry between her and Van Dyke. 

Moore said, "We brought romance to [TV] comedy, and, yes, Rob and Laura had sex!"

While celebrating Moore's life and career, noted author Herbie J Pilota explores in great depth Moore's personal and professional struggles. Pilato narrates the many TV and film productions, stage plays, and personal appearances that spanned the actresses 50-plus-year-career, but equally delineates as never before Moore's issues with childhood sexual abuse; alcoholism; diabetes; cosmetic surgery; and her near-obsessive fight for animal rights. Also examined in candid detail are Moore's troubled personal relationships with parents and spouses, as well as the tragic deaths of her son, her brother, and sister; and difficulties with a few of her co-stars, such as Rose Marie (from The Dick Van Dyke Show).

In covering the gamut of Moore's personal and professional life, Pilato's new biography features exclusive interviews with many of the actress's co-stars, including Ed Asner, Gavin MacLeod, Larry Matthews, and the late Carol Channing, plus recollections from several writer/producers who worked on many of Moore's television productions. Among these is television journalist and breast-cancer survivor Betty Rollin, whom Moore portrayed in the groundbreaking 1978 TV biopic, First You Cry.

Despite the many personal challenges throughout her life, MARY: THE MARY TYLER MOORE STORY documents how the multiple award-winning actress achieved a level of stardom and lasting admiration experienced by few – a fitting reminder of how Moore's Mary Richards could "turn the world on with her smile."

SOURCE: Jacobs/Brown Press