Eyetronics, an international provider of high resolution scanning services and animation-ready 3D models, is coming off its most successful year yet and looks to 2005 with a prestigious slate of projects, including RACING STRIPES, ELEKTRA, the much anticipated CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, BATMAN BEGINS, THE BROTHERS GRIMM, LEGEND OF ZORRO, THE ICE PRINCESS and TRANSPORTER II. Among the recent feature films employing Eyetronics scanning services are ALEXANDER, BLADE: TRINITY, MASTER AND COMMANDER, KING ARTHUR, THE LAST SAMURAI and XXX.
Eyetronics' powerful facial performance system recreated the faces of Churchill, Hitler and Roosevelt for Discovery Channel's VIRTUAL HISTORY: THE SECRET PLOT TO KILL HITLER, which brought to life the events of a single day from World War II and has been nominated by the VES for Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or Special.
Eyetronics also contributed to another VES nominee in the same category: the Sci Fi Channel's miniseries THE LEGEND OF EARTHSEA. Such highly rated television series as Alias, Star Trek: Enterprise, Angel and Buffy The Vampire Slayer have utilized Eyetronics scanning services, as have commercials for Honda, BT Telecom and Gatorade and computer games THE GETAWAY (Sony Interactive), WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE (Europe), RACE DRIVER 2 (Code Masters) and KING ARTHUR (Disney Interactive).
In response to new business demands Eyetronics has increased its staff by 20% and is developing innovative products and methodologies customized for the needs of the production community.
"We are looking forward to the new challenges ahead in 2005," stated Nick Tesi, vp of operations for Eyetronics in the U.S. "Our work on RACING STRIPES will demonstrate Eyetronics' unique ability to scan a wide variety of animals, in addition to our core business of high resolution scans of people, props and facial performances. We expect another growth period to be inspired and driven by the imagination and creativity of directors, producers and visual effects teams."
What distinguishes Eyetronics' ShapeSnatcher structured-light scanning system from laser scanners is the portability of the equipment, allowing quick response, on-location facial performance and full body scans of actors, animals, maquettes and props, and the fact that intelligence is embedded in software, rather than built into expensive hardware. Scan data is processed in the company's proprietary and patented software and exported as fast and accurate 3D models with 4K texture and color data, compatible with a wide range of software standards and ready for immediate integration in production pipelines.
Eyetronics was among the finalists considered for the 2004 Academy Award for Science and Technology and won a European Seal of Excellence in Multimedia in 2004.
Eyetronics (www.eyetronics.com), with corporate offices in Leuven, Belgium and Los Angeles, specializes in high-quality 3D acquisition systems and services that enable faster production of 3D models, animation and special effects. Its scanning products and services can be used for a wide range of applications, including complex visual effects for feature films, television and commercials, realistic character generation for computer games and consumer-oriented products such as low-cost sculptures of scanned people or objects.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
