Software Gets Big Push by Studios
According to TrendWatch, studio owners allocate nearly one-fourth of their new capabilities budget for software apps and add-ons.
Category: Visual Effects
Rushes Runs Maze for New Sheba Spot
Rushes was called upon by AMVBBDO to illustrate the search for "Sheba," the ultimate luxury food for cats. Produced by Lindsay Hughes and directed by Graham Fink, MAZE is a fantasy quest through a beautiful world, with a cat leading its owner to its favorite food.
In Commercials, Visual Effects, Commercials, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All
VES Offers Online Voting Tips and Reminders
For the first time, the Visual Effects Society (VES) will be offering online voting in preparation of its third annual VES Awards ceremony, to be held in Los Angeles at the Palladium on Feb. 16, 2005.
Meanwhile, the VES has offered several tips and reminders:
Avid Studio Tools Available
Avid Technology Inc. announced the worldwide availability of Avid Studio Tools, a fully integrated software package designed exclusively for customers using Media Composer Adrenaline, NewsCutter Adrenaline FX, and NewsCutter XP systems.
Video Lab Johannesburg Adds Colorist and luster 2.5
The Video Lab Johannesburg has two announcements: not only has renowned international colorist Catherine Pantazopoulos joined the group, but they have secured the latest in grading wizardry: Discreets lustre 2.5, the only one in South Africa.
Joining luminaries such as Pixar Animation Studios and Sony Pictures Imageworks, The Video Lab plans to have the lustre up and running by mid-October in a custom, designed, world-class grading room.
In People, Visual Effects, People, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Africa, Asia
eDIT | VES to Honor Cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond
European visual effects society eDIT | VES, whose upcoming festival runs in Frankfurt, Germany from Sept. 26 28, 2004, will award Academy Award winner Vilmos Zsigmond (THE DEER HUNTER, HEAVEN'S GATE, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND), aka Master of Light, the Festival Honors. The award will be handed out on Sept. 26 at the opening gala of eDIT | VES 2004. Zsigmond will discuss "The Art of Cinematography" during the festival on Sept. 27 at 7:00 pm. More information can be found at www.edit-ves.com.
Pride DVD Enhanced by Henson’s Creature Shop
Lions rule the animal kingdom in the recent DVD release, PRIDE (BBC Video, $14.98), boasting character effects and animation by Jim Hensons Creature Shop.
Alias Third Season DVD Boasts Animated Short by Noodlesoup
First THE ANIMATRIX, then VAN HELSING and THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK and now ALIAS they all boast animated DVD shorts to bolster their live action siblings.
Gnomon School Offers First ZBrush User Group Meeting and Classes
Gnomon School of Visual Effects and Pixologic will be hosting the first official Pixologic ZBrush User Group meeting, Sept. 30, 2004, at 6:00 pm at Gnomon (1015 N. Cahuenga Bl. Hollywood, CA 90038).
* Bay Raitt (Creature Facial Lead for Gollum and co-founder of Box Rocket) will discuss the strengths of ZBrush and its use in various production pipelines, i.e. Weta Digital, Valve Software.
In Education and Training, Visual Effects, Education and Training, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All
Sarnoff, Winston and Goulekas Headline Third Annual Digital Studio Summit
iHollywood Forum Inc. announced its lineup of entertainment industry luminaries at "The Digital Studio," a summit and showcase focusing on digital technology and how it is transforming the film and TV industry. The third annual summit takes place as part of the American Film Market, (AFM) on Nov. 2, from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm at the Monica Laemmle Theatre, 1332 2nd Street, Santa Monica, CA.
Industry headliners include:
Independence Day: A Battle Ground Between Worlds & Fantastic Four
Independence Day 2005 is shaping up at a toe-to-toe battle between Foxs tentpole FANTASTIC FOUR and Paramount and DreamWorks event movie of the decade WAR OF THE WORLDS. The Marvel Comics adaptation from 20th Century Fox was first to stake a claim on the lucrative holiday weekend by taking a release date of July 1. However, the Steven Spielberg-directed, Tom Cruise-starring alien invasion flick has now set its sights on June 29. With Spielberg stating that his H.G.
A52 Earns Emmy for Carnivàle Main Titles
Los Angeles visual effects and design company A52 earned an Emmy for Outstanding Main Title Design on HBO's CARNIVÀLE series. The award was presented during the 2003-2004 Creative Arts Primetime Emmys segment of the 56th Annual Emmy Awards presentation at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Sept. 12.
A52s work on this project also earned the PROMAX Gold Award in the category of Non-Promotional Animation earlier this year.
Digital Musings From the Editor:
Finally, SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW opens this Friday, after all the buzz about the vintage look and CGI wonder. As many of you are already aware, it boasts the most elaborate bluescreen compositing work ever done for a feature, containing some 2,000 shots, nearly half of which was outsourced to more than a dozen vfx studios. Will its sweet and innocent retro vibe catch on? Or will it polarize people like MOULIN ROUGE with its accent on artifice?
Stars Next In Line for Doom
With Universal recently hiring CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE director Andrzej Bartkowiak, the studio has now secured one lead with a second in negotiations to star in its DOOM adaptation. BOURNE SUPREMECY baddie Karl Urban is set to star with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in talks to join the cast. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and John Wells are producing from a script by Dave Callahan. The film will follow the zombie blasting plotline of the recently released DOOM 3 videogame. The film is set to go before cameras in mid October.
Nine Added to AMPAS Science & Technology Council
Nine new members have been appointed by Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences president Frank Pierson to the organization's year-old Science and Technology Council, bringing the number of members to 23.
The new members are Peter W. Anderson, visual effects branch; Clay M. Davis Jr., sound; David W. Gray, sound; Richard Hollander, visual effects; Brad Hunt, associates; George Joblove, visual effects; Takuo Miyagishima, members at large; Daryn Okada, cinematographers; and Richard Patterson, visual effects.
Massive Founder Regelous Nominated for 2004 World Technology Award
Massive Software founder and product manager Stephen Regelous has been nominated for a World Technology Network Award in the entertainment category. Determined by a vote of industry peers, the awards are presented by the World Technology Network (WTN) to recognize work that has a high level of innovation and lasting significance in such fields as biotechnology, space, energy, ethics, design and entertainment. Winners will be named Oct. 8 at the World Technology Awards in San Francisco.
THX 1138 Director’s Cut on DVD
While George Lucas blockbuster STAR WARS trilogy DVD set, which streets Sept. 21, 2004, is getting all the buzz both positive and negative Lucas debut from 1971, THX 1138, makes its welcome DVD bow on Sept. 14 (Warner Home Video, $26.99). This DIRECTORS CUT, like the STAR WARS films, contains extended footage with ILM-produced CGI; however, it merely adds greater scope and detail to the underground factory, where Robert Duvall and company work in a dull, depressing and dehumanized futuristic society.
In Home Entertainment, Visual Effects, Home Entertainment, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All
IMAX and Warner Bros. Embark on 3D Denizens of Deep
IMAX Corp. and Warner Bros. Pictures Inc. will jointly produce their second original IMAX 3D film, DENIZENS OF THE DEEP (working title). This is Warner Bros. Pictures' sixth film commitment to IMAX theaters in the past 18 months, and follows on the successful release of NASCAR 3D: THE IMAX EXPERIENCE, which set opening weekend box office records for an original IMAX film, and has already grossed more than $18 million.
Boris FX Introduces Boris Blue
Boris FX announced the upcoming release of Boris Blue. This standalone application renders broadcast-quality 3D compositions in realtime regardless of the complexity of the 3D scene or materials. Boris Blue allows users to create stunning looks by combining innovative "pixel shaders" to paint objects with bump maps, noise patterns or natural materials along with light reflections and 3D shadows.
In Anime, Technology, Visual Effects, Anime, Technology, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All
Weta Digital Adds Discreet's lustre to DI Pipeline
Weta Digital has purchased two Discreet lustre digital grading and color correction systems as part of a strategic collaboration between Discreet and Weta Digital that spans multiple products.
In Technology, Visual Effects, Technology, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Australia
Doom Blasts Forward with New Director
Universal Pictures has secured the services of director Andrzej Bartkowiak (CRADLE 2 THE GRAVE) for the feature adaptation of legendary videogame DOOM, reports VARIETY. Bartkowiak will be replacing Enda McCallion, who was to make his directorial debut on the film. McCallion had to leave for personal reasons. Filming is set to start in mid-October. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and John Wells are producing the film from a screenplay by Dave Callaham. The zombie hacking videogame was produced by id Software and Activision.
Sci-Fi Cosmonaut Lands Scribes
Warner Bros. Pictures has tapped scribes Robert and Michelle King (ANGELS IN THE INFIELD) to adapt the screenplay for the sci-fi thriller COSMONAUT, reports VARIETY. Mace Neufeld (LOST IN SPACE) and Teddy Tenenbaum (writer on TVs DEAD ZONE) have been developing the project for the studio and will serve as producers along with Basil Iwanyk (K-19: THE WIDOWMAKER). Warner Bros. Pictures vp of production Aditya Sood is overseeing the project.
17 Scientific Achievements in Competition for 77th Academy Awards
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Scientific and Technical Awards Committee will review 17 scientific and technical achievements for 77th Academy Awards consideration, according to committee chair Richard Edlund, but its not too late to submit entries.
Cineimage Purchases monet System
Imagineer Systems announced that London-based film post-production company Cineimage has purchased one of the first monet systems - the product was launched in the U.K. in August. In addition to the monet start-to-finish solution for replacing elements in film and video, Cineimage has also purchased a mokey licence to complete its digital compositing workflow.
Digital Musings From the Editor:
With the original STAR WARS trilogy making its monumental DVD bow on Sept. 21 in a four-disc set, Fox Home Ent. and Lucasfilm held a little sneak peek this morning at the Silent Movie Theater in Hollywood (of all places). Thanks to the fastidious work of Lowry Digital Images, who also cleaned up the INDIANA JONES trilogy and THX 1138 for DVD, the STAR WARS classics have never looked sharper and crisper, after some 10 million pieces of dirt were removed from the first film alone. Plus theyve been remixed for the first time in Dolby Digital 5.1.
