Some are calling it the best E3 in five years – others insist it's the best of all time. But whatever hyperbole gets attached to last week's gaming conference, we can all agree on the focus: Xbox One v PS4.

Amid the chaos of the LA convention centre, Microsoft and Sony pitched their stands barely feet from each other, separated only by a sliver of carpet, a no-man's land of technological rivalry.

The two companies then spent three days hurling PR at each other, deafening attendees with their arsenals of mega hype. It was confusing, it was enraging, it was console war – and the first casualty of console war is sense.

So, what did it all mean? Who won, who lost? What do these machines actually do? Here is a quick guide to the next-generation as it currently stands, complete with hardware, services and game announcements. Next stop: release dates and a shift of the skirmish to a hundred thousand shop shelves. This fight has only just begun.

This article has been updated to include a section on second screens.

Official sites

Before you start, why not check out what the console makers want you to know about their machines? Xbox one is here; PS4 is right over there.

Hardware

Well, black is certainly back, as AC/DC once put it. For this generation we have two rather large slabs of dark plastic, one shaped like an early eighties video recorder, the other slightly slanted to give a hint of dynamism. They are monolithic, almost architectural, and they are designed to slide in under your living room TV and then command attention from everyone in the room.

Technically, they are hugely similar: eight-core processors (both reported to be running at a frequency of 1.6GHz), custom AMD graphics processors, Blu-ray drives. But there are some fundamental differences. The two GPUs employ AMD's latest Graphics Core Next architecture, which is divided into working blocks known as Compute Units. The PS4 version has 18 CUs generating 1.84 teraflops of processing power, while the Xbox one has only 12 CUs; which, in theory , gives Sony's machine a 50% advantage in terms of raw shader performance (for example, lighting and other graphics effects). It's never quite this simple because other design and technical elements of the SoC can affect performance, but it's certainly an indication that there is more graphics grunt there for PS4.

Sony's machine also uses 8GB of GDDR5 memory with a bandwidth of 176GB/sec, which should make it speedier than Xbox One with its 8GB of DDR3 RAM (though it commits Sony to a more expensive manufacturing cycle). It's worth reading detailed overview of the technologies at AnandTech, though; the exhaustive article points out that the Xbox One architecture is designed with other considerations beyond gaming – especially implementation with other MS platforms – and this shows in the tech specs.

Motion peripherals

The Xbox One ships with the updated Kinect device, which now tracks six people at once and copes much better with smaller, darker rooms. Its 3D scanner can identify much subtler movements, and it can recognise voices and faces. Microsoft is also telling journalists that the device's IR camera will detect changes in blood flow beneath the skin, thereby working out your heart rate – if you're out of breath, scared or stressed, Xbox One will know. Oh and there's a 1,080p colour camera for video chatting. Meanwhile, the PlayStation Eye will come as a separate purchase, and works with the DualShock 4 controller to track the player's movement in 3D space. Sony isn't saying much else, apart from showing off a range of compatible mini-games at E3. Clearly, while Kinect is at the very epicentre of the Xbone experience, Eye is currently barely squinting.

Controllers

With its new touchpad, the DualShock 4 is the most obviously changed of the two joypads, and Sony has also added a speaker for up-close, player-specific audio. Also important is the new Share button which will let PlayStation gamers record footage of their virtual feats with which to impress/spam their friends.

The Xbox One controller, which apparently went through over 200 prototype stages and features 40 improvements, is more subtle – it has improved triggers that boast greater analogue sensitivity as well as their own dedicated rumble packs. Meanwhile, the D-pad is now a cross shape (good for fighting games) and the sticks are more comfortable to grip. Oh and there's a headphone socket, too. Both controllers look and feel really nice, and while the DualShock has more gimmicks, the Xbox equivalent features smart ergonomics and great gaming comfort.

The cloud

As we move into an era of distributed computing power, it's no wonder that the next-gen consoles want to capitalise on the power of the cloud. Microsoft has claimed that developers will be able to harness three times the power of a single Xbox One, thereby bringing extra oomph to physics and AI processing. We're also promised vast persistent online worlds that evolve as play continues.

Forza Motorsports is even offering a Drivatar, an AI bot that learns your skills and tactics then goes off and represents you in online bouts. There are doubts about the veracity of Microsoft's claims, though, with latency and bandwidth issues likely to make things difficult.

PlayStation 4 promises cloud computing too, but the technology provided by Gaikai will also allow immediate playable access to digital titles – so as soon as you select a demo or full game on the PlayStation Store, the first chunk will be accessible. In theory. It will also be possible for players to remotely gain control of a pal's game, perhaps to help them out of a difficult puzzle or boss fight. Microsoft promises a similar remote playing feature via Xbox One utilising its Skype service.

All the claims are intriguing, but we've yet to see any of it in practice. Furthermore, some worry about the longevity of cloud-supported titles: i.e. what happens to a game that relies on the cloud for computational support when that online infrastructure is withdrawn? Publishers can't support every game forever. Alongside restrictive DRM, the cloud is another indication that the game disc as self-contained functioning product is history.

Launch games

Both Xbox One and PS4 will have the following titles at launch: Assassin's Creed IV, Call of Duty Ghosts, Watch Dogs, Fifa 14, Madden 14 and Lego Marvel Super Heroes. PS4 will add DriveClub, Knack and Killzone: Shadow Fall as exclusives, as well as the free-to-play MMOFPS, PlanetSide 2.

Xbox One meanwhile, will have Forza Motorsports 5, Ryse: Son of Rome, Dead Rising 3, Killer Instinct and Kinect Sports Rivals. Arguably, Microsoft just shades it there, with some heavyweight third-party support, courtesy of Crytek and Capcom. But in generational terms, this is a relatively strong opening.

Coming titles

So after the fanfare and bluster of the launches, what can gamers expect next from their chosen machine? Well, Xbox One is promising Respawn's Titanfall in 2014 as well as Crimson Dragon, Below, and Sunset Overdrive, not to mention new outings for Minecraft and Halo.

PS4 is lining up Infamous: second Son, The Order: 1866 and Deep Down, with a new Gran Turismo on the slate as well. Plus, Sony has all those indie developers that it's been courting, adding Mercenary Kings, Daylight, Don't Starve and Transistor to the line-up. And both schedules will be enlivened by multi-platform blockbusters like Star Wars Battlefront, Destiny, Final Fantasy XV, The Crew, Tom Clancy's The Division and EA's Mirror's Edge reboot. Much of the battle will be down to any timed exclusives or unique features the manufacturers can prise into the third-party offerings.

Second screens

Both the Xbox One and PS4 will offer 'second screen' interaction: the former though tablets and smartphones running SmartGlass, the latter through the Vita handheld console as well as smartphones and tablets. With both machines you'll be able to use your phone or tablet as a companion display in supporting games, perhaps showing map or inventory information, for example. But through Sony's Remote Play technology, PS4 owners will be able to access and play their games via their Vita – so if you're sitting in a cafe with a Wi-Fi connection, you can grab your handheld and play DriveClub on its lovely little 5-inch display. And unlike with PS3, Remote Play is built into the PS4 infrastructure so all games (except those requiring extra peripherals like the PS Eye) will support it. Although Vita has not sold astonishingly well so far, this is an interesting USP, and maybe a PS4/Vita bundle pack would highlight the possibilities of these intertwined systems.

Multimedia and social features

Both consoles will have varied video-on-demand support, involving multiple content partners. Xbox One looks to have the most advanced and ambitious offering, allowing owners to feed in their cable/satellite channels and then control them via the Xbone voice and gesture controls. Microsoft's machine will also allow seamless movement between TV, video content and games, while premium TV content such as live sports will be augmented with exclusive social and gaming features – which haven't yet been properly explained (or clearly rolled out beyond US-centric deals). And of course, both machines allow you to watch Blu-ray and DVD movie discs, and both support 4K output when that becomes an issue. Will that ever become an issue?

Backwards compatibility, pre-owned sales and DRM

Uh-oh, here we go. Neither machine allows straightforward backwards compatibility with previous consoles – however, it's likely that both will eventually offer retro titles via emulation and digital download. Microsoft has plans to control the sale of pre-owned titles (or at least allow publishers to charge a fee to purchasers of second-hand titles) and also wants to limit how many people you can lend your Xbox One games too. This looks to be because all Xbox One titles have to be fully installed on the hard drive before they can be played, and Microsoft doesn't want people installing the game, then giving it to all their mates.

Although the restrictions are currently unclear, it seems you'll be able to give old games to just one person, who needs to have been on your friend list for more than 30 days. However, you will be able to access your library of games from any machine you sign in on. Your console will need to authenticate itself online for every 24 hours of play; so in other words, you can only play a game without a net connection for a whole day, but then the machine has to skulk back online and explain itself to the servers. PlayStation 4, though, offers no such restrictions – games can be sold and exchanged freely and there's no daily online authentication.

The PR war

In short, Microsoft lost. The internet reacted with savage fury to the pre-owned sales limitations and authentication requirements, while analysts have criticised Microsoft's TV-focused strategy. Sony twisted the knife with a confrontational E3 press conference and a viral video lampooning the Xbox one sharing system. A recent poll by Amazon, asking readers to suggest which machine they would be buying, went overwhelmingly in PS4's direction– although there could be an element of protest voting here.

And Microsoft factions are fighting back. A post on Pastebin, reported to be from an anonymous Microsoft engineer, tries to explain the DRM and pre-owned systems, telling gamers they will benefit in the long run, by cutting profit hungry retailers like Gamestop out of the loop. Game designer Cliff Bleszinski has also waded in to defend the Xbox One setup. For their own part, Microsoft execs have gone rather quiet and are no doubt planning a new public relations offensive in the run up to launch.

Launch details and prices

Microsoft has committed itself to a November launch date, Sony has said nothing else except for 2013; though the smart money has to be on November too. Retailers probably won't allow a simultaneous roll-out (imagine the chaos) so expect one to go early in the month, and the other toward the end. Xbox will retail at £429 ($499), PS4 at £350 ($399). However, as noted above, the PlayStation Eye won't be bundled with the console, unlike the Kinect with Xbox One. Both systems will charge an annual subscription for multiplayer gaming access, with PS4 requiring a paid 'PS Plus' membership.

Verdict

A winner?! Before the consoles are even launched? I don't think so. The history of the games industry is littered with consoles that should have won but didn't; where all the signs pointed in their direction, but turned out to be wildly misleading. And similarly, machines that were expected to dive, turned out to be successes. No one expected the Mega Drive to take off like it did in the States and Europe; and before anyone saw it, almost everyone wrote off the Wii after the under-performing GameCube. Then the Wii Remote was revealed and suddenly the story changed.

Right now, the signs point toward early success for PlayStation 4: on paper, the hardware is more powerful, it has popular support, Sony has said what gamers want to hear. But Xbox One has some great games and there is time for Microsoft to explain and re-spin its business models. The company wants to change the way the games industry works; that's a tough sell to gamers, who are, ironically, an extremely conservative customer base.

What's fascinating is that the whole consumer world is watching. For years, mirthless middle-aged pundits in their global financial research companies have been predicting the death of consoles. These hulking machines are no longer relevant, the kids want to play on tablets; everything is going free-to-play. But it isn't, not yet. Play The Last of Us for 20 minutes and you know why Angry Birds won't somehow replace narrative gaming – as some bean counters have tried to assert.

The first casualty of any console war is sense – everyone seems to lose theirs. No one wins until the launch titles are in the disc trays, or on the hard drives; no one is finished until the last major developer abandons the platform. But it is fun, isn't it, to watch it unfold? Let's not forget the fun part.

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

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The One Club, an ad business association for creative professionals, held its awards show for branded entertainment marketing recently, honoring agencies who create media content that isn't simply advertising.

Winners included Leo Burnett New York, which won Best of Show for "New York Writes Itself," for the Village Voice. It's an ongoing web project where people submit random stuff hesrd on the streets of New York and it gets turned into mini play scripts.

Gold Pencil winners included "Real Beauty Sketches" for Dove by Ogilvy, "The Beauty Inside, Episode 1" for Intel & Toshiba by Pereira & O'Dell, and "Hashtag Killer Case Study," in which Haitians read tweets with the hashtag #Firstworldproblems for the charity Water is Life, by DDB New York.

The One Show Entertainment awards ceremony was held at Deutsch LA,  ... and OK Go! provided the music.

OK Go! on the red carpet.

Cocktail hour before the event.

Court Crandall,  Partner and Executive Creative Director at WCDW and One Show Entertainment Judge, on the red carpet.

HBO documentary series Vice aired its most controversial episode yet on Friday, featuring former NBA star Dennis Rodman and a diplomatic trip to North Korea.

Rodman was criticized for calling North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un his "friend for life" despite the country's egregious human rights violations and nuclear threats.

The  crew that traveled to North Korea emphasized how eerie it was there — the shopping mall was completely deserted, the city's skyscrapers were well-lit despite an ongoing energy crisis, and the everything about the trip seemed staged by the North Korean government.

The trip was heavily controlled by the government, and Vice says they were told what the could and could not record on video.

You can subscribe to HBO and watch the episode or check out our highlights.

The idea behind the episode is using basketball as a common ground to start a dialogue with North Koreans and get into the country for a first-hand tour.

From hbo.vice.com.

It's long been known that North Koreans like basketball. Madeleine Albright once gave Kim Jong-Il a basketball signed by Michael Jordan.

From hbo.vice.com.

The Vice crew got a tour of North Korean capital Pyongyang, led by government handlers.

From hbo.vice.com.

HBO's "Boardwalk Empire" was spotted filming Monday in the Flatiron District with cast members around Gramercy Park.

The production company's Locations Department sent this letter, distributed on the Gramercy Park Block Association's Facebook page, to local residents saying crew would be filming interior scenes on June 17.

Actors sporting backpacks and Prohibition era suits walked in the mid-80s New York heat. They entered from Irving Pl. and headed down Gramercy Park South into the National Arts Club. 

The towering man pictured below appears to be 6'7" James Cromwell, nominated for an Academy Award in 1995 for his role as the farmer in "Babe." Cromwell reprises his recurring role as Secretary of the Treasury Andrew Mellon in "Boardwalk."

Here's Cromwell on "Boardwalk":

Trailers were stationed directly in front of our offices on Park Ave.

These two trailers—labeled for the "I Love Lucy" actors—may belong to the show's leading man and lady, Steve Buscemi as Enoch "Nucky" Thompson and Kelly MacDonald as Margaret Schroeder.

Here's a look at their catering tent outside the Gramercy Park.

"Boardwalk Empire" Season 4 airs September 8. Watch the teaser below.

SEE ALSO: An Exclusive Look On Set Of 'The Amazing Spider-Man' Sequel In NYC

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No one has hyped the release of Kanye West's latest album, Yeezus, more than Kanye himself.

The interviews he's given in anticipation of its official release today read like the rantings of mad man shouting from the rooftops, throwing a tantrum and pounding his fists until everyone shuts up and listens.

The album itself is just as strenuous.

Yeezus is dark and different, but unlike smooth 808s & Heartbreak, its sound is choppy and industrial. Don't expect Rihanna hooks or sing-alongs, because you'll get none of that. Don't expect this to be a top-down-and-cruising summer album either. Here, melody is not a priority.

Yeezus is about Kanye going for your jugular, and at times it works and at times it simply doesn't.

Here's where it works:

• 'Black Skinhead', one of the songs co-produced by Daft Punk, is a rollicking punk pep rally and drum circle;
• 'New Slaves' has an irresistible beat and it's here where Kanye does his best rapping. Still, his anti-consumerist lyrics are hard to swallow given his love for all things luxe. In truth, he sounds like he's drowning in his own life.
• 'Blood On The Leaves' is the happiest union between old Kanye and new Kanye. At times, the song sounds unfinished, but that may be because Yeezus is wisely minimalist. One issue, though, is that is samples 'Strange Fruit', a Billie Holiday song meant to bring attention to the tragic lynchings of African-Americans in the Jim Crow South. It's sampled for a song about baby mamma drama with possibly the most pithy lyrics on the album.

Here's where it doesn't work:

• 'On Sight', the first song on the album (also co-produced by Daft Punk) doesn't live up to the promise of its space laser background. It ends too quickly and ends up sounding like an erratic three minute dittie; 
• 'I'm In It' is just boring and abrasive with little logic to its composition.
• 'Send It Up' is entirely too bare, and leaves the listener waiting for the lush grooves that Kanye usually serves up. But they never show, the song just clangs to a disappointing end.

Another issue with Yeezus is that these hard sounds aren't necessarily backed up by hard (or evolved) lyrics. Yes, Yeezus shows a more sexual, animalistic side of Kanye's personality, but aside from that, he is still talking about the same things — money, fame, clothes, and women he wants, lost, or can't have — in basically the same way.

The music is trying really hard to move forward, but the man stays in exactly the same place.

Because of that, there are moments in the album where what's being said sounds incredibly silly compared to the hard sounds in the background. It is hard to take Kanye seriously while he's barking out an order for a croissant.

For fans of Kanye's older sound, the last song on Yeezus, 'Bound 2' is a thank you card for sticking to the end. It has the slow, soulful wave-your-hands groove of his first three albums. Your grandma would dig it.

Kanye was going for something you've never heard before, but different doesn't necessarily mean successful. The best tracks on Yeezus are those that (try to) make peace between the Kanye that was and the Kanye that could be.

In that respect Yeezus is a lot like Kanye's fellow Chicago rapper Common's 2002 album, Electric Wire Hustle Flower— the one that left a lot of die hard Common fans scratching their heads or simply refusing to acknowledge its existence. It was a departure from what they understood as his sound, an envelope pushing hip-hop album, but like on Yeezus, the best songs are the ones that sound most effortless.

Being an 'innovator' means that Kanye constantly has to stay ahead of the curve, an exhausting job. Unfortunately for Mr. West, in the case of Yeezus he's mostly running on a treadmill, soaked in sweat, chugging on electrolite riddled sport drink as he tries to catch up to the man he wants to be. 

SEE ALSO: Kanye West Has Never Started A Trend In His Life >

SEE ALSO:  ENTERTAINMENT More: Kanye West Yeezus Music The 8 Best Lines From Kanye West's New Album 'Yeezus' >

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Showtime has released the premiere episode for its new show "Ray Donovan" online nearly two weeks before its air date at the end of the month.

The series features Liev Schreiber as Donovan who makes the problems of celebrities, athletes, and business mogels vanish. His father Mickey (Jon Voight) gets released from prison five years early and has a score to settle with his son.

"Ray Donovan" premieres on Showtime June 30 at 10 p.m. after the final season premiere of "Dexter."

SEE ALSO: 13 killer photos from the final season of "Dexter"

AND: "Boardwalk Empire" spotted filming in New York City

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Disney released a mini-featurette of its new film "The Lone Ranger" that shows a scare the crew had on set.

Near the halfway mark, star Johnny Depp (Tonto) is seeing falling from his horse and getting dragged alongside costar Armie Hammer before the horse tramples on the star.

Depp wasn't seriously injured showing off a a hoof mark.

The actor shrugged it off,  joking with the crew.

"I'd say the positive thing is, my coccyx didn't take it." 

Starring  Depp and Hammer ("The Social Network"), the film follows the origin story of the ex-Texas ranger and his sidekick Tonto.

"The Lone Ranger" opens in theaters July 3.

Check out the video below:

More "Lone Ranger" Check out a trailer for the film

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Microsoft, I’ve been an Xbox fan since you were still calling it the X-Box. Back when your best games still had “Madness” at the end. Back when Bill Gates was still CEO. I’m a fanboy, but I’m losing my faith and you’re not giving me much to run on. You’ve turned from the scrappy underdog to the ivory tower idealist who makes the worst possible assumptions of your potential customers.

It’s a fate I never thought I’d see, especially as Sony grew more arrogant with their consoles in the past decade, but it has come true. Your sins are all in your message and it’s full of holes; an unworthy vessel against Sony, who is now gunning to destroy you.

Here’s how you can make me believe.

1. Show Me Why Your Console Is $100 More

As I argued in a recent podcast, I can see what your long-term plans are, even if you’re not willing to explain them. Requiring persistent online communication encourages developers to make cloud-powered components for their games and the mandatory Kinect encourages Kinect adoption. Unfortunately, you didn’t explain either. Not even slightly. I need this, your customers need this.

2. Don’t Assume Xbox 360 Customers Are Going To Become Xbox One Customers

Your grand Xbox One reveal came with an unsaid message: you already bought our Xbox 360, so we’ve already got you locked up for games. Wrong. Your competition has done this multiple times to multiple failures and yet you keep making the same mistakes as them. When can anyone ever learn? Now that E3 is over, the battle is now a steeper uphill fight than ever and you can’t win on brand loyalty alone.

3. Stop The Corporate Mumbo-Jumbo

Is there any public face at Microsoft who can talk about the Xbox without needing a handler five feet away or to speak in some kind of PR-code? You’ve crafted such elaborate messages about your console that you don’t actually say anything. If I had to guess, I’d say that Don Mattrick’s aloofness has bled through the entire division, generating an army of Microsoft-ites who can’t speak candidly about why the Xbox One does the things it does. What happened to the Seamus Blackleys of the company that would speak candidly about Xbox and masturbation in the same interview? I get that the Xbox is a mature brand now, it doesn’t mean you have to kill yourself not talking about it.

4. Make Games Because They’re Fun, Not Because Of Their Technical Achievements

The goal of any first-party developer is to demonstrate the advantages of the system, so Microsoft has shown off a variety of very expensive games that glisten, shine and are cloud-powered. Unfortunately, you didn’t show off enough stuff that was fun to play or make me want to palm one of your new controllers ASAP.

5. Sony Can Win

Let’s be fair, your overseas performance is pretty middling (especially in Japan) and you and Sony pushed the same number of consoles, even if you won some other metrics. The point is that even at your best, the Xbox 360 was still decent competition, but not overwhelming competition. Sony can destroy you. This isn’t like when the Wii took off and catered to a totally different audience, Sony is gunning for your customers. You should be scared. You need to get aggressive; you need to demonstrate that fire. I don’t see it in you, Microsoft. It’s bizarre, but with each passing day, even when you didn’t want to show me any games, I feel the pangs of your defeat ringing through my brain. I don’t want it to happen. You know exactly how to prevent it (or at least, now you do), so don’t let an old Bach/Allard/Blackley man down.

Also, let’s fire Don Mattrick.

SEE ALSO: The fanboy in me screams Xbox One, but the gamer insists on PS4

AND: The New 'Batman' Video Game Looks Super Realistic

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Bonnaroo is a 4-day music festival in the middle of nowhere Tennessee, 70-miles outside Nashville.

It ended yesterday after 90,000 people enjoyed music performances by Billy Idol, Tom Petty, Paul McCartney, The Lumineers, R. Kelly and more.

If you've never attended Bonnaroo, then the attire worn by attendees may surprise you. Judgement-free hippies wear next to nothing to stay cool during the 95-degree days and camp in tents at night.

How strange were the outfits, exactly? We took lots of pictures. Prepare to be startled.

The moment you step onto the 700 acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, you notice an array of unusual people.

90,000 people piled in for the 4-day festival in 95-degree heat. So many people were wearing as little clothing as possible and running through fountains to stay cool.

If you wore too much, you could have passed out like this guy. We found him dressed like a Teletubby at the banana stand.

How can a showy magic act known as the Four Horsemen (Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Dave Franco) convince a Las Vegas crowd—let alone the FBI and Interpol—that they just teleported a random audience member to a bank in Paris and promptly stole three million Euros? To pull off an illusion that could fool a packed house—plus millions of moviegoers—the producers of "Now You See Me" turned to head magic consultant David Kwong.

Kwong, who left a job in the DreamWorks animation department to bring his unique skills directly to movie sets, had worked on films before. When a CGI-averse director needed to make a little girl levitate off a bed in Paranormal Activity 4, he got the call. (That bit of handiwork can be seen at the 1:24 mark in the below clip.) But Kwong was never so involved in a movie as in "Now You See Me," developing the film from its infancy with the screenwriters and director Louis Leterrier to make a world of magic come to life.

Making four novices look, act and perform like world-class magicians posed its own challenge, but Kwong’s initial task was even more daunting: adapt the ancient principles of magic into spellbinding capers worthy of a 21st-century summer blockbuster.

“We had the idea of all of these heists that we wanted our characters to pull off,” Kwong explains. “I had to fill in the blanks and come up with the engineering and the methods that they would use in order to do these robberies.” By leaning on magic’s rich history—in one scene, an enormous safe is disappeared in the same way a magician would make a rabbit vanish from a box—Kwong is able to keep the audience—not to mention the agents in pursuit of the Horsemen (Mark Ruffalo, Melanie Laurent)—guessing.

Still, no caper would be convincing without actors who could carry themselves like actual magicians, and Kwong was there to guide them every step of the way. “Basically, what a magic consultant often does is rig up self-working gimmicks for the actors,” Kwong explains. “But if they show interest and have the time and energy, we’ll let them learn the sleights themselves.”

While Harrelson, who plays a mentalist, studied with his own expert, the other three cast members threw themselves into their characters through months of preparation. Isla Fisher needed a trick deck of cards when she started, but she eventually learned how to palm and vanish objects. Likewise, not only does Jesse Eisenberg’s street magician character open the film by pulling off a riffling selection trick right to the camera, but he also learned to quick change one card for another after countless hours of practice. (His jaw-dropping trick shuffling, however, was actually the superimposed hands of master card manipulators Dan and Dave Buck.)

Still, the highlight for Kwong is a relatively understated moment when Dave Franco’s character, while in the midst of duking it out with Ruffalo’s FBI agent, produces two hands of cards from empty palms and fires them at his attacker. “David exhibits such agility and skill in the fight sequence,” says Kwong. “He worked on that for months. And he throws cards better than anyone I know. I can barely do it.” (You can watch Franco’s skill in the below video at 0:37 into the clip)

Jonathan Levit, a magician who snuck off the set of The Incredible Burt Wonderstone to consult for a few days in pre-production, agrees that Franco possessed an almost eerie natural ability to throw cards. And like Kwong, Levit observed in the cast a willingness to put in the work to make their parts believable. “The actors saw magic as a challenge,” says Levit. “They just threw themselves into it and wanted more and more session time.”

For Levit, much of that time focused on teaching them the physicality of being a magician—how to gesture onstage without looking goofy, the psychological calculation that goes behind every subtle movement of an object or flick of a wrist. “What I try to get across is the understanding of how a magician thinks,” says Levit. “It’s about being deliberate, focused and confident. If they can get that, they can totally embody the character.”

One look at the finished product proves that the actors of "Now You See Me" took these lessons to heart. Well, most of the lessons anyway. “Jesse in particular took this role to step out of his comfort zone,” says head magic consultant Kwong. “He always joked with me that he’s just really uncomfortable lying to people, so for him to engage in deception was fun and awkward at the same time. I would teach him a trick and he would immediately turn right to the person next to him and say, ‘Here’s how I did it!’”

SEE ALSO: Morgan Freeman falls asleep in live TV interview for 'Now You See Me'

AND: Why 'Man of Steel' is killing it at the box office

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After the conclusion of this week's "Mad Men," AMC sent journalists an unexpected treat: a press release regarding the newly minted Sterling Cooper & Partners logo.

"You have to agree the ampersand is funky," SC&P partner Jim Cutler says in the statement, which is credited to Peggy Olson.

The Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce logo looked like this:

After painful debates on the show, here's the new name and logo:

Here's the full press release:

SEE ALSO: A Quirky Ad Listing 'Dumb Ways To Die' Is On Its Way To Being Crowned Best Ad Of The Year

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Kanye West has gone his whole career saying and doing whatever he wants.

Most recently, Kanye compared himself to Steve Jobs in an incredible interview with The New York Times. He also went on an epic rant at the Art Basel Fair blasting, among other things, YouTube and the paparazzi. 

This, of course, is because his new album, Yeezus, drops today.

Kanye's method of having no filter when he speaks has worked out for him so far, and it's turned him into the most entertaining person on the planet (at least in the opinion of this writer).

See for yourself how Kanye West became the most entertaining man in the world below:

SEE ALSO: Kanye West's New Album 'Yeezus' Is Trying Really, Really Hard

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Why does Hollywood insist on portraying Wall Street as a place of villainy? The late Larry Ribstein, a law professor seriously interested in how Hollywood portrayed business, crafted the best explanation I've come across: resentment. From his paper "Imagining Wall Street":

[F]ilms' portrayal of business reflects the tension between filmmakers and the capitalists who finance them. The artists resent that the capitalists, on whom they depend to finance their productions, demand business rather than artistic success, forcing them sometimes to compromise their art. Filmmakers are more prone to this resentment than other artists, such as novelists, who may need to earn a living in a profit-obsessed world, but at least can create their works without having to deal with the capitalists.

In other words, Hollywood hates Wall Street at a deep, personal level. Ironically, Wall Street doesn't mind this very much. Each of those movies I named above—"Wall Street," "Boiler Room," "American Psycho"—are loved by many who work on Wall Street. No doubt "The Wolf of Wall Street" aims at entering the pantheon.

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Kim Taylor first popped up on our radar with the premiere of Randi Zuckerberg's "Start-ups: Silicon Valley" reality TV show. 

Taylor shocked the show's producers when she decided to quit her job mid-season at marketing startup Ampush to start her own fashion company called Shonova. 

Shonova never launched, and it doesn't seem like it will. 

Instead, Taylor has her eyes set on the education tech market with a new startup called Ranku.

Today, Taylor announced that she joined TechStars's first-ever education accelerator in partnership with Kaplan. Technically, it's called the Kaplan EdTech Accelerator, powered by TechStars.

"After careful consideration I decided to pursue a bigger idea in the education space I've been sitting on since 2009," Taylor wrote in an email.

Taylor and her co-founder, Cecilia Retelle, are "focused on helping non-profit universities with full online degree programs compete with the University of Phoenix and tying them back to job outcome."

SEE ALSO: Bravo 'Start-Ups' Star: Some Of The Cast Members 'May Be Insane'

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Justin Bieber reportedly struck a pedestrian with his Ferrari but won't be charged with a crime.

TMZ reports the 19-year-old singer was leaving the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood Monday evening when he appeared to pin a photographer between his car and a parked vehicle.

Video captured by TMZ shows footage of Bieber's Ferrari surrounded by paparazzi and after motioning for them to clear the way it appears he pinned one of the people between his car and a parked vehicle momentarily.

Bieber proceeded to drive off.

CBS News reports the Los Angeles Police Department police confirmed Bieber struck a pedestrian with his car, but that there was no crime committed.

The AFP reports the paparazzo was hit in the knee and treated with unspecified injuries.

A Los Angeles Police Department spokesman told AFP the situation is "an ongoing investigation for a traffic collision."

According to TMZ, police fault the photographer as a pedestrian blocking the roadway.

Here's video of the footage. The incident happens around the 1:50 mark.

SEE ALSO: Justin Bieber's most ridiculous outfits of all time

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Russell Brand is a pretty polarizing comedian, but no matter your opinion on this eloquent Englishman, you'll want to see him in action on the set of the MSNBC program "Morning Joe."

Brand appeared yesterday as a guest on the show to promote his new comedy tour, Messiah Complex. After commenting on his attire early on, the anchors strangely turn on him during the interview. They discuss the comedian as if he weren't there, even ribbing him about his accent.

But Brand's a seasoned comedy professional who has no doubt dealt with his share of hostile audiences. 

Near the end of the interview he asks the anchors if this is what they do for a living, and even has something of a soapbox moment to talk about the state of the media.

"That's the problem about current affairs." he said. "You forget about what's important. You allow the agenda to be decided by superficial information. What am I saying? What am I talking about? Don't think about what I'm wearing. These things are superficial."

Watch Brand shred the anchors for being unprofessional.

(h/t Gawker)

SEE ALSO: Justin Bieber hits man with Ferarri

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Disney's next animated picture will feature a talking snowman.

The Mouse House released its first teaser trailer for "Frozen" the story of Elsa (Idina Menzel) whose icy powers have trapped a kingdom in winter.

Based on the story of "The Snow Queen," Kristen Bell plays Anna, trying to find her sister Elsa. Jonathan Groff voices a mountain man Kristoff who is accompanied by a reindeer who will guide her on a journey along with a snowman named Olaf. 

"Frozen" comes after Disney's previous two animated successes, "Tangled" and "Wreck-It Ralph."

Like the two films before it, "Frozen" will serve as the company's Thanksgiving holiday film hitting theaters November 27.

Note: This trailer stands out because Disney typically steers from giving inanimate objects voices unless under some sort of enchanted curse (see "Beauty and the Beast"). Instead, they stick to bringing animals to life on the big screen.

SEE ALSO: Johnny Depp gets trampled by horse on "The Lone Ranger" set

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The offspring of British royals Will and Kate is expected to give a $380 million boost to the British economy, according to a report from the Centre for Retail Research released Monday.

That's a huge amount of money to spend considering the report only covers a nine-week period in July and August (Kate's due date is July 13). The $380 million figure takes into account alcohol for celebrations, souvenirs, toys, books and baby products.

Here's some photos of Royal Baby merchandise that hit the Internet after Kate's pregnancy announcement several months ago:

Commemorative mug from British pottery maker Emma Bridgewater (not yet on sale):

A Royal Baby pacifier from Zazzle ($18.71):

"Born To Rule" pajamas for "the royal baby in your life" from Cafe Press ($44.50):

Royal Baby Christmas ornament from Zazzle ($18.95):

"The Little Duchess" cot from Dragons of Walton Street (price not disclosed):

Mask-arade is rushing to produce more Will and Kate masks for street parties after the birth. They can also be found on Amazon ($8.00):

There will certainly be more to come once the baby is born next month.

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Good morning, AdLand. Here's what you need to know today:

In spite of protests, Nickelodeon is resisting banning on ads for junk food from the network. The company released the following statement: "As an entertainment company, Nickelodeon’s primary mission is to make the highest quality entertainment content in the world for kids. That is our expertise. We believe strongly that we must leave the science of nutrition to the experts.”

The Philippines saw its first Grand Prix win at Cannes. And it was for the mobile category.

Pizza Hut is doing an agency review. The Martin Agency has been its agency of record for the last 3.5 years.

Millennial Media has new mobile video formats.

Susan Wojcicki, Google's SVP of advertising and commerce, implied that Google is going to have new ad formats during a Google Hangout celebrating AdSense's birthday.

It turns out that some ad blockers are actually helping the ad industry.

Adexchanger reports that it makes more sense to buy a web ad that plays on a streaming "Mad Men" episode than buy the TV commercial space during its actual airing.

Chrysler recalled 2.7 million Jeeps. Uh oh.

Previously on Business Insider Advertising:

• A Quirky Ad Listing 'Dumb Ways To Die' Is On Its Way To Being Crowned Best Ad Of The Year
• Facebook Has 1 Million Active Advertisers
• IBM Made These Incredible Billboards That Serve A Purpose
• Facebook Exec: We Wouldn't Exist Without Brands
• Starcom CEO's Personal Stake In IPO Shows The Ad Industry Doesn't Understand Conflicts Of Interest
• Sterling Cooper Changed Its Logo Following The Merger With Cutler Gleason Chaough
• Asked About Privacy In A Post-PRISM World, Ad Exec Says Of Google And Facebook: 'There’s No Alternative ... There’s No Choice'
• Kickstarter Inspired American Express To Launch A New Program That Gives Away Money
• REPORT: Web Ad-Blocking Company Sells User Data To Advertisers
• OK Go! Showed Up At The One Club Awards In LA, And Here's What Happened ...
• Report Says Facebook's Video Ads Will Be Delayed

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Will Ferrell, Paul Rudd, Steve Carell and Christina Applegate are reuniting after nine long years for "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues."

Kristen Wiig and Meagan Good also make appearances as love interests.

Set in 1980s New York instead of 1970s San Diego, the sequel follows Ron Burgundy and his crew as they attempt to re-charge their news careers with a new 24-hour news channel.

 Watch the first official full-length trailer below:

Another version of the trailer will play in theaters ahead of "World War Z."

SEE ALSO: Why 'Man of Steel' is soaring at theaters

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