Category: Visual Effects

The highly anticipated DVD release of CHARLIE'S ANGELS: FULL THROTTLE streets Oct. 21, 2003 in both theatrical and un-rated versions (Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment, $27.94). Directed once again by McG and starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu, the sequel capitalizes on more creative stunts, sexy costumes and a pulsating soundtrack.

Responding to the rapid growth in its visual effects and high definition divisions, R!OT Manhattan has boosted its staff through several key personnel moves. Luis Ribeiro has been promoted to the newly created post of exec producer, and Susan Giattino to business manager. Ribeiro previously held the title of sr producer; Giattino was production manager. Additionally, the company has hired Angela Botta as sales representative and Colleen Garvey as producer.

mental images has just completed a $6 million investment round led by ViewPoint Ventures and another large international private equity investor to expand its product offerings to include the 3D collaboration platform, RealityServer. The transaction was managed by ViewPoint Capital Partners. The company will also expand its U.S. operation in San Francisco.

The Emmy Award-winning TAKEN, produced by DreamWorks Television and exec produced by Steven Spielberg, was Sci Fi Channel's highest rated program ever. The 10-part miniseries comes to DVD Oct. 21, 2003 in a lavish five-disc set (DreamWorks Home Entertainment, $89.95). Spanning 50 years of habitual alien abductions among three American families, TAKEN expands on many of the themes Spielberg first introduced in CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, obviously with a stronger emphasis on family.

Whether you were mesmerized or mystified by THE MATRIX RELOADED, you get another chance to experience the Wachowski brothers second installment on this sharp and lavish DVD, available Oct. 14, 2004 (Warner Home Video, $29.95). As far as value-added features, the 30-minute doc on the impressive 12-minute freeway chase (courtesy of ESC Entertainment and Animal Logic Films) is all we get in terms of any vfx depth.

Adobe Systems Inc., a leader in network publishing, announced Adobe Atmosphere Player for Adobe Reader, a free download for viewing and interacting with Atmosphere environments embedded in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) documents. The Player allows users to navigate and interact with objects in realtime, within a 3D space, replicating the sensation of being in a specific environment, such as an art gallery, a concert venue or a storybook world.

Vfx artist Alex Brodie of Company 3 Santa Monica applied his subtle touch to BABY BOY, the new video from Beyoncé, helping to create a seductive setting for the sultry singer's duet with reggae rapper Sean Paul. Brodie enhanced virtually every scene in the video, affecting lighting and making numerous image manipulations, including adding to the "harem" that surrounds Paul in one of the video's most memorable scenes. BABY BOY, currently topping MTV's TRL Top10, is from Beyoncé's new album Dangerously In Love on Columbia.

Rhythm & Hues, the famed 15-year-old vfx house, will take part in The Australian Effects and Animation Festival (AEAF), scheduled for Dec. 7-10, 2003 at the Sydney Convention Center, Darling Harbor.

Some of the forthcoming titles Rhythm & Hues is contributing vfx include AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS and THE CAT IN THE HAT, for which it will produce 270 shots of CG animation and vfx.

R!OT Manhattan has promoted Tom McCullough to visual effects supervisor. In his new role, McCullough will design, budget and oversee visual effects work for commercials, episodic television and broadcast graphics. He will also provide on-set visual effects supervision. McCullough will retain his post as senior inferno artist and will remain involved in hands-on visual effects production. A multi-talented artist, McCullough is also skilled in 3D animation.