Latest news with #Imperium
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘There's an epic nature to this story': ‘Dune: Prophecy' star Emily Watson teases travels to Arrakis for Season 2
In its first season, Dune: Prophecy explored the Imperium and the foundations of the Sisterhood that would become the powerful Bene Gesserit 10,000 years before the birth of Paul Atreides. At the cornerstone of that foundation stands Valya Harkonnen. As played by Emily Watson on the HBO series, the Mother Superior is a powerful and uncompromising leader, doing everything she can to secure the future of her Sisterhood. More from GoldDerby Kaitlyn Dever on playing 'horrible' characters in 'Last of Us', 'Apple Cider Vinegar': 'I just don't see any other option but to give 100 percent' How the longtime 'Severance' cinematographer wound up directing Season 2's standout episode 'We could do this show forever': 'Somebody Somewhere' creators on final season, heart, and the humor of Bridget Everett By the end of the series' first season, Vayla found herself on a new planet, but one very familiar to Dune fans. Gold Derby had the opportunity to speak with Watson about playing Valya and what lies ahead for her as she ventures to Arrakis in search of the enemy who could destroy everything she holds dear. Gold Derby: What was your familiarity level with the world of coming into this project? Emily Watson: Minimal. I had seen the first Denis Villeneuve movie, but then went on a very steep learning curve. I'm glad I didn't know that when we set out on that journey, the level of fandom — not just the lore and the detail of it and mythic nature of it — but also the sense of ownership of what the interpretation should be. There's a very heartfelt, passionate voice out there, people who know and love this world. How much did the depth of this fictional world help your process? Or did you avoid knowing too much? It certainly helped up to a point. Obviously, you have to respect the material and learn as much as you can. We had a very helpful team of people helping us digest material and pointing us in the direction of pieces of research and pieces of the books that would be useful. I wasn't going to sit down and read absolutely everything. At the same time, as with any part, you have to go on your own imaginative journey with it and make it — in a very strange and alien universe — as human as you can. What were you first impression of Valya once you were able to read material from the show? Very messed-up, very tough, very damaged. Very, very driven in the sense of the ends justifying the means. The end to her is righteous. She's in the business of saving the universe and saving humankind. She basically founds a cult, and cult leaders are very charismatic, persuasive people. They pit young people in competition with each other to be the most zealous. It's a sort of recruiting tool — telling people they're special and that they're the chosen ones and that they can save the world. It's the beginning of a myth. It's the beginning of thousands of years of creating a myth. Which aspect of her character appeals to you in how you approach portraying her as an actor? I love the idea of going into the world of science fiction and superpowers and all of that. But with Valya, all of her powers are in her mind, so the actors are doing the heavy-lifting. It's about mental prowess and having to be very, very present, in-tune with people, and hyper-aware. I like the mental discipline aspect of it. How much consideration did you give Charlotte Rampling's performance from the Villeneuve films? Or did the 10,000-year gap free you up? Absolutely, that 10,000-year gap is liberating. Thank God! At the same time, I do think she's iconic. She's an incredible presence and an incredible actress and so powerful. For our job, that's a direction of travel, but at the same time, with the way that our story was structured — going back to when these character were young and how they began to travel down this path and the unformed nature of what they're doing and the vulnerabilities that they have — it's showing a different arrival point. Was there any framework for you and Jessica Barden (who plays the younger Valya) to synch up your performances? Or were you just relying on the writers? Strangely, we had visions of spending time together, but the strike meant that it was not to be. We did talk. Once I started talking to her — her sense of fierceness and rawness — I felt lucky. To have someone portray your past in such a vivid way, it does an awful lot of the work for you. To arrive at Valya in place where all that youthful wildness is being control and put to a purpose, it felt like a nice journey between the two of us. What was it like to get to see her performance finally? It was great. It was thrilling. It made me nervous. I had seen [the younger actors] around, but we didn't have any scenes together. Seeing how those youngsters created that early world was fantastic. It seems possible within the world of the show that you could eventually be in a scene together. I know! I was saying that her the other day. "I wish we could do stuff together." But there is an awful lot of scope for doing whatever you want in this universe. How does thorough world-building in the production design affect your performance? It immediately gives you a sense of place and a sense of status. Again, it does a lot of the work for you. Those costumes were very powerful, feminine, and dark. Wearing a veil, in fact, I found thrilling. It's like wearing a mask. It's liberating because you can project a different kind of power from behind a veil. I love that. But also, the sets were breathtaking. Every time we went onto a new set, it was really shocking how big and powerful they were. It was awe-inspiring. There's an epic nature to this story. It's a vast universe, spanning many worlds. You don't have to work to reach for that. Valya's sister, Tula (played as an adult by Olivia Williams), is the closest relationship she has, but the two character spend most of the season apart. What was it like trying to bridge that gap and sell the familiarity? We have enough time together to establish that. Olivia and I are different kinds of actors, but we very much come from the same stable — theater and Shakespeare — with an understanding that you are taking a particular part of the story and serving that. Knowing that they were connected in their mission and what they were trying to achieve, although very far apart from each other, and trusting Olivia as an actor to be running the show back at the school brilliantly while I was off doing what I was doing. That sense of betrayal at the end, that nothing has been what I thought, feels powerful. Valya ends the season on Arrakis. A personal question: How do you feel about sand? I'm not particularly good with heat, so it's going to be interesting. I don't think we can be in the same location because of world events, but judging by the Villeneuve films, they shot everything in the desert at dawn and dusk. Wherever we are, I hope it's the nicest light, but obviously not too hot. Best of GoldDerby Chloë Sevigny on Kitty Menendez and 'Monsters' fascination: 'People are endlessly curious about those who have privilege and abuse it' Jason Isaacs relives filming 'The White Lotus' piña colada scene: 'It was one of the reasons I was worried about taking the job' Kaitlyn Dever on playing 'horrible' characters in 'Last of Us', 'Apple Cider Vinegar': 'I just don't see any other option but to give 100 percent' Click here to read the full article.
Time Business News
24-04-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
How Baptist Health Leveraged AI to Improve Help Desk Management
In the healthcare industry, efficiency and responsiveness are key. When the help desk at Baptist Health—one of the country's leading healthcare networks—became overburdened with routine support requests, the organization knew it was time for a change. Baptist Health partnered with Imperium Dynamics to introduce an AI-powered solution that transformed their help desk into a streamlined, 24/7 support hub, reducing response time and enhancing staff productivity across departments. The Challenge: Manual Overload on IT Teams Like many healthcare organizations, Baptist Health's help desk was handling hundreds of tickets daily. From simple password resets to software access issues, IT staff were constantly firefighting rather than focusing on strategic improvements. The backlog affected every level of the organization—delays in support meant slower operations, which ultimately impacted patient services. Furthermore, many of these tasks were repetitive and didn't require human decision-making. The team realized the need for automation but wanted to do it smartly, using AI that could grow with their needs. The Imperium Dynamics Solution Imperium Dynamics designed and deployed an AI-driven help desk chatbot built using Microsoft Power Platform, Azure AI, and CoPilot Studio. The solution was designed to: Automate routine queries such as password resets and access requests such as password resets and access requests Provide self-service articles directly through the chat interface directly through the chat interface Escalate complex tickets to IT staff with all contextual information included to IT staff with all contextual information included Operate 24/7, providing consistent support across all shifts The chatbot was integrated into Baptist Health's internal systems and made available through platforms like Microsoft Teams and the company's employee portal. Phased Implementation To ensure a seamless rollout, the project followed a 3-phase approach: Assessment & Planning: Imperium evaluated the existing ticketing systems and identified the most common pain points and ticket types. Pilot Launch: A limited version of the chatbot was deployed to a select group of users. Feedback was collected and used to fine-tune responses. Full Deployment: After successful testing, the chatbot was rolled out organization-wide, backed by training resources and change adoption workshops. Results That Speak Volumes In the first six months following the deployment, Baptist Health saw remarkable improvements: Ticket volume reduced by 45% for live IT staff for live IT staff 60% faster average response times 35% boost in employee satisfaction scores related to internal support related to internal support Full after-hours support, minimizing disruptions for night shift personnel Moreover, IT staff now had the bandwidth to focus on proactive projects like cybersecurity enhancements and system optimization. AI with Empathy and Context What set Imperium's solution apart was the chatbot's human-like interaction and contextual awareness. Built with natural language processing (NLP), the bot could understand different ways users asked the same question and provide accurate, conversational responses. It also preserved the full chat history for escalated tickets, reducing back-and-forth. Looking Ahead Encouraged by early success, Baptist Health is now exploring further AI-driven enhancements, including predictive maintenance alerts and AI-assisted knowledge base creation. The ultimate goal? To create a digital-first support ecosystem that empowers employees and drives better patient outcomes. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Morocco World
15-03-2025
- Business
- Morocco World
Advertising Investments During Ramadan Reach MAD 452 Million in First 10 Days
Rabat – Advertising investments in Morocco during the first 10 days of Ramadan reached nearly MAD 452 million, representing a slight increase of 0.4% compared to the same period in 2024. According to data from Imperium, television remains the dominant advertising medium, capturing 68.2% of the market share. Meanwhile, print media continues to decline, holding only 3% of the market share, a 17.5% drop from last year. Digital advertising, however, saw a significant rise of 30.7%, now representing 7.1% of the market. Outdoor advertising also grew, increasing by 13.7% and securing 12% of the market share. Meanwhile, radio advertising declined by 25.7%, accounting for 9.7% of the total market share. Among the sectors that invested the most in advertising, the food industry led with MAD 135 million, a 7.9% increase. The telecommunications sector followed with MAD 69.4 million, experiencing a slight drop of 0.8%. Other major investors included Banking and Insurance with MAD 24.9 million (+26.3%), Retail with MAD 22.8 million (+25.9%), and Beverages with MAD 21.8 million (+16.6%). The strongest growth was observed in household appliances, which saw an impressive 241.2% increase, reaching MAD 8.2 million. The clothing sector also expanded, with a 57.1% rise to reach MAD 3.8 million. In addition, the hygiene and cosmetics sector grew by 30.5%, with spending totaling MAD 21.5 million. The number of advertisers slightly increased by 2.4%, with 859 advertisers compared to 839 in 2024. Advertising spending tends to increase during Ramadan because it's a special time in many Muslim majority countries. During this period, people adjust their routines and engage more with the media. This is especially true during iftar, when families gather to share meals, and often watch TV together. This makes it an ideal time for advertisers, especially those in sectors like food and beverages. Tags: adsadvertisingramadan
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Play Warhammer 40K: Rogue Trader and More Games Soon on Xbox Game Pass
Xbox Game Pass subscribers can soon expand the Imperium of Mankind in the grimdark universe of Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader. Subscribers can also become London-based hackers or F1 drivers in these other games coming to Game Pass. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate -- a CNET Editors' Choice award pick -- offers hundreds of games you can play on your Xbox Series X, Series S, Xbox One, PC and mobile device for $20 a month. A subscription provides access to a large library of games, with new titles like Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 added every month, plus benefits such as online multiplayer and deals on non-Game Pass titles. Read more: Microsoft's Developer Direct Proved Game Pass Is Xbox's New Norm Here are all the games Microsoft is adding to Xbox Game Pass in February. You can also check out other games Microsoft added to the service recently, such as Avowed. Available: Feb. 20 The officially licensed video game of the 2024 Formula One Championship is coming to Xbox Game Pass. You can race some of the best drivers in the world, and in the refreshed Career Driver mode you can experience the careers of real drivers from the past and present. Maybe with enough practice you'll be able to dethrone Max Verstappen as champion. Available: Feb. 20 Deep in the Imperium of Mankind is the Koronus Expanse, a dangerous and mostly unexplored part of space. You're a Rogue Trader, a high-ranking noble in the Imperium with a starship, crew and the ability to trade and make war in the God Emperor's name. You can try to bring order to this galactic backwater region, or you can become a heretic and let chaos reign in this tactical, turn-based game. Available: Feb. 25 A terrorist attack has transformed London into a surveillance state where citizens have very few personal liberties, and their every move is under surveillance. You play as a hacker with the group DedSec as the group tries to liberate London through espionage and recruitment of citizens. You can recruit almost any character in the game, but your choices may influence whether or not they will join you in your fight, so act accordingly. Subscribe to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $20 a month See at Xbox While Microsoft is adding those three games to Xbox Game Pass soon, the company is also removing nine other games from the service on Feb. 28. So if you want to finish your campaign or any side quests in these games, you'd better hurry before you have to buy them separately. F1 22 Gris Maneater Paw Patrol World Space Engineers Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun Wo Long Fallen Dynasty Yakuza 3 Remastered Yakuza 4 Remastered For more on Xbox, check out other games available on Game Pass Ultimate now, read our hands-on review of the gaming service and learn which Game Pass plan is right for you.
