BBC Post London Designs CGI Characters for Shoebox Zoo
Paul Kavanagh from BBC Post Productions 3D animation and digital team has designed CGI animated characters for the new CBBC Scotland family drama series SHOEBOX ZOO.
Category: Visual Effects
Radium Adds Three to Staff
Three new members have joined the Radium team vp/head of production Carey Crosby, producer Julie Goldberg and compositor Todd Hemsley. Crosby will be based in the San Francisco office, but will manage all producers and production in both locations.
Digital-Tutors Releases Introduction to 3D: MEL Basics Training Kit
Digital-Tutors announced the availability of the much anticipated INTRODUCTION TO 3D: MEL BASICS training kit the newest release in a library of helpful and award-winning training resources for Maya users. In more than two and a half hours of interactive training methods, INTRODUCTION TO 3D: MEL BASICS offers users the foundation to rapidly develop and enhance workflow with unsurpassed levels of productivity.
yU + co Finds Unlikely Inspiration for Last Shot Main Titles
In creating the main title sequence for the new Buena Vista Pictures release THE LAST SHOT, yU + co found inspiration in an unlikely place: amid the clutter of a movie theater floor. The design studio designed and produced a magical opener for the film that takes the audience on a looping journey along theater aisles and over seats to discover the names of the films cast and crew written on candy wrappers, woven into upholstery and tattooed to the legs of a patron. The result is a visual tour de force and the perfect set up for the offbeat crime caper that follows.
In Anime, Films, Visual Effects, Anime, Films, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All
Special Extended Return of the King DVD to Street Dec. 14
Its official: The four-disc THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING SPECIAL EXTENDED DVD EDITION (New Line Home Ent., $39.99) will hit stores on Dec. 14. As expected, it will contain more than 50 minutes of new footage, including a cameo by director Peter Jackson being quelled by an arrant arrow, and 300 new vfx shots (for a 250-minute running time). A five-disc collectors gift set, featuring a 52-minute film composing doc, will sell for $79.99.
Alias Acquisition of Kaydara Completed
In Anime, Business, Visual Effects, Anime, Business, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All
Framestore CFC Provides Layer Cake VFX
Framestore CFC provided a total of 20 vfx shots along with digital mastergrade for the new British thriller, LAYER CAKE, which opens Oct. 1 in the U.K. It stars Daniel Craig, Kenneth Cranham, Michael Gambon, Nathalie Lunghi and Sienna Miller. Based on JJ Connelly's London crime novel, LAYER CAKE marks the directorial debut of producer Matthew Vaughn (LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING GUNS).
SOFTIMAGE|XSI: A Major Sky Captain Player
According to Avid, five leading Softimage customers Hybride Technologies, Pixel Liberation Front, R!OT, Rising Sun Pictures and Stan Winston
Platinum’s Atlantis Rising to the Big Screen
Platinum Studios is teaming with producer Gale Anne Hurd to bring the graphic novel ATLANTIS RISING to the big screen. Platinum will also develop a massively multiplayer online game about on the property with Icarus Studios. Comic creator Scott Mitchell Rosenberg will be producing along with Hurd. Stephen Tao is the exec for Valhalla with the company's Stephen Emery serving as a co-producer. Aaron Severson and Jay Burns are co-producing for Platinum. The story chronicles the ramifications of a land bound civil war on the underwater kingdom of Atlantis.
ResPower Render Farm Supports E-on’s Vue 4 Professional
ResPower Inc. now supports rendering for e-on Softwares Vue 4 Professional scenery on the ResPower render farm.
In Technology, Visual Effects, Technology, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Europe
Paramount Acquires Midway’s Fear & Respect
Paramount Pictures has reached an agreement to acquire the worldwide film rights to Midway Games' FEAR & RESPECT, a videogame based in the urban environment of South Central Los Angeles. Currently being developed in collaboration with writer/director John Singleton (BOYZ N THE HOOD), the urban/action adventure game is scheduled to be available in the fourth quarter of 2005 for PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Christine Peters (HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS) will be collaborating with the game developer to produce the film.
T4 Moves Forward
TERMINATOR 4 is set to begin production in 2005, reports VARIETY. However, it is unknown whether California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will return as his most famous characters. In addition, it is unknown whether T3 stars Nick Stahl and Claire Danes would be asked to return. A script for the fourth installment has been written by RISE OF THE MACHINES scribes John Brancato and Michael Ferris. T3 director Jonathan Mostow helped develop the new idea and is top choice to direct T4.
Darabont Readies for Mist & Fahrenheit 451
While promoting the 10th anniversary of THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, director/writer Frank Darabont has said that he will direct screen adaptations of Stephen Kings MIST and Ray Bradburys FAHRENHEIT 451, reports SCI FI WIRE.
BOXX Offers Softimage|XSI 4.0 Foundation and Essentials
BOXX Technologies has entered an agreement with Avid to offer Softimage|XSI Foundation and Essentials software as an optional upgrade for it series of award-winning workstations.
eDIT | VES to Honor Stanley Kubrick
European visual effects society eDIT | VES, whose upcoming festival runs in Frankfurt, Germany from Sept. 26 28, 2004, will award the legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick the Festival Honors. Kubrick pushed the boundaries of special effects with his masterpiece 2001: A SPACE ODDESSY. The award will be handed out on Sept. 26 at the opening gala of eDIT | VES 2004. The posthumous award will be accepted by Kubricks wife Christiane. More information can be found at www.edit-ves.com.
Star Wars DVD & Game Net $115M
On their initial release date Sept. 21, the STAR WARS Trilogy DVD set and LucasArts STAR WARS BATTLEFRONT videogame netted $115 million worldwide, reports VARIETY. 20th Century Fox Home Ent. did not break out the two releases, but said that 90% of the revenues came from the DVDs and a good percentage of that came from the U.S. alone. Fox and LucasFilms split home entertainment money on the original STAR WARS, but the studio only gets a distribution fee for EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI.
In Home Entertainment, Visual Effects, Home Entertainment, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All
Digital Musings From the Editor:
While Kerry Conran tells VFXWORLD about the challenges and pleasures of pulling off his immensely ambitious debut, SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, visual effects supervisor Gianluca Dentici takes us on a journey to Italy to discover some of the challenges and pleasures of working in his burgeoning vfx industry.
modo Begins Shipping
Luxology Llc. announced the immediate availability of modo, its powerful new subdivision surface and polygonal modeling platform. Combining a realtime subdivision surface modeling engine with a user-centric, highly customizable interface that includes hundreds of production-oriented tools, modo is one of the fastest and most advanced 3D modeling systems currently available. To purchase modo and obtain immediate access via download visit Luxology's online store at www.luxology.com/store/.
Lord of the Rings FX Wizard to Direct Paul Bunyan Flick
Venice, California-based Exodus Film Group has tapped three-time Oscar-winning visual effects wizard Jim Rygiel to direct the feature film, BUNYAN AND BABE, reports HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Based on the Paul Bunyan legend, the family film follows Paul Bunyan and a group of kids as they attempt to save Bunyans pet ox Babe from an evil circus owner. Eddie Griffin will provide the voice of Babe the Blue Ox. The script was written by Michael A. Nickles (THIS IS NOT A FILM) and Julia A. Wall. Exodus' animation team, ElectroAge, will be handling the CG work.
The Force of the Star Wars Trilogy Now on DVD
Finally, the wait is over for the original STAR WARS trilogy on DVD, as the impressive four-disc set arrives in stores Sept. 21 (Fox Home Ent., $69.98). Purists, of course, have been up in arms for two years after George Lucas revealed that he had no intention of making the theatrical versions of A NEW HOPE, THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and RETURN OF THE JEDI available on DVD.
21-Year-Old Scribe Starts Elysium Ent.
TYRO screenwriter Ali Russell has launched feature production banner Elysium Ent. with a pair of comicbook-based projects -- THE 10TH MUSE and an untitled Rob Liefeld film, reports VARIETY. Brooklyn Weaver of Energy Ent. will sheperd the new company. Weaver discovered 21-year-old Russell at the UCLA screenwriting program.
Weaver optioned MUSE for low-six figures and Russell is set to write and produce the film. Based on the comic by Darren Davis, the story follows the adventures of modern-day daughter of the Greek God Zeus.
Rainmaker Scarabelli Passes Away
Bob Scarabelli, Rainmaker Income Fund president/ceo, has passed away from natural causes. Scarabelli worked for Rainmaker for the past 25 years, growing it into one of North America's leading post-production facilities.
In In Passing, Visual Effects, In Passing, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, South America
Korean Researchers Anticipate New 3D Technology Boost
A group of Korean researchers from a local university have developed a new kind of high-quality MoCap technology that is so simple to use that they believe this will allow Koreans to compete internationally in vfx, reported THE CHOSUN ILBO.
Houdini 7 Released With Increased CG Pipeline Flexibility
Side Effects Software announced the release of Houdini 7, the formal launch of Houdini Escape, third party rendering support for Houdini Escape, a scripting product for rendering and free access to the Houdini Developers Kit for all Houdini customers, including Houdini Apprentice users.
NVIDIA Launches GoForce 3D 4500
NVIDIA Corp. unveiled the GoForce 3D 4500, the world's first 3D wireless media processor. The NVIDIA GoForce 3D 4500 WMP enables a whole new level of interactive content not previously possible on cell phones, PDAs or other handheld devices. For the first time, mobile content developers can harness a powerful 3D medium to create rich, dynamic, lifelike worlds and characters.
