Category: Visual Effects

Technology ANIMATIONWorld

Autodesk Reveals New Artist Tools and Workflows at AU 2024

At this year's Autodesk Univerisity, with the help of Mikros Animation, Digital Fish, and Wonder Studio, the tech giant demonstrated a slew of program feature updates and improvements across its product lineup, all designed to increase creative productivity and lower barriers for great storytelling.

The Annies are Coming! Headline News

52nd Annual Annie Award Nominations Announced

By Dan Sarto | Friday, December 20, 2024 at 8:31am

Best Animated Feature nominees ‘Inside Out 2,’ ‘Kung Fu Panda 4,’ ‘That Christmas,’ ‘The Wild Robot,’ ‘Ultraman: Rising,’ and ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ top the expansive list of category nominations; animation’s biggest awards ceremony is scheduled to return live on Saturday, February 8 at UCLA’s Royce Hall.

No Screaming in Space Please VFXWorld

From Miniatures to Machine Learning: Crafting the VFX of ‘Alien: Romulus’

Focusing on seamless integration of cutting-edge VFX with analog craftsmanship that included stop-motion, animatronics, and models, Oscar-winning VFX supervisor Eric Barba helped director Fede Alvarez ramp up the terror and suspense in his haunting deep space saga.

The Proof is in the Great Work Headline News

Proof Shares ‘Something in the Water’ Previs Reel

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 2:12pm

The leading visualization studio’s work involved animating and editing a number of sequences, including a boat crash and shark chase, for the StudioCanal film about a group of friends who meet up for a wedding in the Caribbean and become stranded at sea after their boat sinks.

The Man of Steel Returns! Headline News

DC Studios Drops ‘Superman’ Official Trailer

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, December 19, 2024 at 9:09am

He’s finally here! After all the rumors, conjecture, peeks, teases and furtive glances, we finally get to see the new man of steel, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor… and superpup Krypto! Hitting theaters next summer.

People Headline News

Eve Chauvet and Bertrand Cabrol Join The Yard VFX

The CG supervisors bring a combined 30 years of international experience at leading studios, with credits on films such as ‘Dumbo,’ ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ ‘Deadpool 2,’ ‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew,’ ‘Fantastic Beasts,’ and more.

Oh Wilbur! VFXWorld

It’s Much More Than Horseplay for DNEG on ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ VFX

By Trevor Hogg | Wednesday, December 18, 2024 at 1:51pm

The leading creative studio delivers 500 shots across 11 sequences on the final film of the Marvel and Sony ‘Venom’ trilogy, including a Symbiote dance sequence, a battle atop an airplane, and the first non-human takeover… of a horse.

Feature Film VFX Headline News

JAMM Brings ‘Brothers’ Samuel the Orangutan to Life

Watch the breakdown reel; VFX Supervisor Andy Boyd and his team produced 202 final shots, from set supervision to delivery, via Houdini, Maya, Nuke Hiero, Shotgrid, and V-Ray.

Business Headline News

Apple TV+ Renews ‘Silo’ for 2 More Seasons

The fourth and final season of the sci-fi drama will complete the adaptation of Hugh Howey’s book trilogy; project stars and is executive produced by Rebecca Ferguson and created by Graham Yost.

On the Road to the Oscars Headline News

Academy Announces Shortlists in 10 Categories for 97th Oscars

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, December 17, 2024 at 11:38am

VFX category narrowed down to 10 films, animated shorts to 15; voting for nominations runs next month, January 8-12, with nomination announcements set for January 17, 2025.

Return to Middle-earth VFXWorld

Crafting Tolkien’s Vision: Creating Epic VFX for ‘The Rings of Power’ Season 2

VFX supervisor Jason Smith and his bevy of VFX studios, including ILM, DNEG, and Rodeo FX, delivered roughly 8,000 visual effects shots including Ents, a Balrog, Barrow-wights, Shelob, and the Elven forge, on the sophomore outing of Prime Video’s return to J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth.

Ultraman Returns ANIMATIONWorld

‘Ultraman: Rising’: Achieving the Perfect Lens Flare and Ken Sato Hairdo

ILM VFX supervisor Hayden Jones reveals how his team merged anime styling with cutting-edge visuals including hand-drawn transitions and ‘Akira’-inspired lens flares to create a love letter to classic manga.

Honoring Excellence in Visual Effects Headline News

Hiroyuki Sanada, Takashi Yamazaki Receive Special VES Awards

Actor/producer Sanada is honored with the VES Award for Creative Excellence, while FX supervisor/filmmaker Yamazaki receives the VES Visionary Award; both will be presented at the 23rd Annual VES Awards on February 11, 2025.

The Increasing Need for Entertainment Content ANIMATIONWorld

Helping Artists and Studios Deliver in an Increasingly Competitive M&E Landscape

By Dan Sarto | Thursday, December 12, 2024 at 4:26pm

For Rob Hoffman, Lenovo’s Senior Worldwide Manager for Media & Entertainment Vertical, insatiable consumer appetite for new experiences across film, TV, games and interactive experiences, in greater quantity with increasing fidelity, means, the future of entertainment content development continues to look strong.  

Professional Animation Tools Even Beginners Can Master VFXWorld

VFX Studio Filmworks/FX Transforms Virtual Production with iClone & Unreal

Led by industry veteran Ken Locsmandi, the boutique visual effects company has been revolutionizing filmmaking through its virtual production pipeline that uses iClone and Unreal Engine to produce high quality, cost-effective animation.

Pioneers in Hypersonic Flight VFXWorld

Pushing to the ‘Edge of Space’ with Jean de Meuron and VFX Los Angeles

The filmmaker shares how his short film brings the historic 1961 X-15 test flights to life through the innovative use of visual effects, blending authentic details with creative cinematography to explore the spirit of innovation and human perseverance that ultimately led to the first U.S. human lunar landing in 1969.

Awards Headline News

52nd Annual Saturn Awards Nominees Announced

This year’s Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films ceremony will be held on Sunday, February 2, 2025 in Los Angeles; will stream live on ElectricNOW and The Roku Channel for free.

We Return to Piltover and Zaun ANIMATIONWorld

Christian Linke Talks Animation Secrets, Silent Characters and Last Lines of 'Arcane' Season 2

From watercolors and charcoal to hand-drawn 2D and highly stylized 3D, the award-winning series’ second and final season pushed visual and storytelling boundaries while delivering a gripping and emotionally stunning finale.

Awards Headline News

82nd Golden Globe Awards Nominations Announced

By Dan Sarto | Monday, December 9, 2024 at 10:22am

‘The Wild Robot’ scores nods in best animated motion picture, best original score, best original song, and best cinematic achievement, while ‘Flow,’ ‘Inside Out 2,’ ‘Memoir of a Snail,’ ‘Moana 2,’ and ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ are also nominated for best animated motion picture; winners will be announced at an awards ceremony January 5, 2025 live on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

We’re Suckers for Octopus Stories Headline News

Disney Releases Taika Waititi’s ‘The Boy & The Octopus’ BTS Look

Go behind-the-scenes with the director of the holiday short, now streaming on YouTube, that follows the journey of a child who discovers a curious octopus attached to his head during a family vacation.

Honoring VFX Pioneers Headline News

Dr. Jacquelyn Ford Morie to Receive VES’ Georges Méliès Award

The acclaimed virtual reality/immersive technology pioneer will be presented with the award at the 23rd Annual VES Awards on February 11, 2025, at The Beverly Hilton hotel.

Heading to Stuttgart Headline News

FMX Drops 2025 Conference Trailer

Created by Samuel Lewek and his team at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, ‘Dancing in Norms’ reflects the upcoming event’s ‘Rhythm of Change’ theme; ‘House of the Dragon’ Season 2 is first confirmed presentation.

Whistle While You Watch Headline News

Disney Drops ‘Snow White’ Trailer

By Dan Sarto | Tuesday, December 3, 2024 at 12:13pm

Hi Ho indeed! Catch the first extended look at Snow White, the Evil Queen, the famed Magic Mirror, the cursed apple, and of course, Bashful, Doc, Dopey, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, and Sneezy, in the live-action/3DCG hybrid musical reimagining of the classic 1937 film, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, hitting theaters March 21, 2025.

Awards Headline News

‘Tabby McTat,’ ‘La Vida Secreta de tu Mente’ Nab International Emmy Awards

The CG animated film, which follows a busker and his cat, won Best Kids Animation; Warner Bros. Discovery’s animated series aimed at solving the greatest mystery in the universe nabbed the Kids: Factual & Entertainment award.

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