ESC Cuts Staff and Goes on Hiatus
ESC Ent., formed by Warner Bros. in 2001 to work on THE MATRIX RELOADED and THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS and function as an in-house vfx facility, slashed its staff on Friday the 13th and is going on hiatus.
Category: Visual Effects
Digital Musings From the Editor:
Another SIGGRAPH has come and gone, and the buzz was generally positive in Los Angeles about the mix of exhibitors, exciting new toys and comfortable size. You can read all about it in our VFXWORLD overview later in the week along with Rick Baumgartner's take next week on the Electronic Theater and Emerging Technologies exhibition, and what The Pixel Priestess observed.
In Visual Effects, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All
AWN Discussion Forums - What's New? for August 12, 2004
This week in AWN's Forums, a member is trying to find rare animated shorts from Tim Burton. Another member asks what is the best scanner for 2D animation. Another thread is looking for members' favorite animated shorts to increase their toon knowledge. Several junior members continue to ask for software and school recommendations. Additionally, members continue to discuss Craig McCracken's new series FOSTER'S HOME FOR IMAGINARY FRIENDS.
Disney Gives Date for Narnia, Add F/X House
Disney Pictures has released the date for Andrew Adamson's THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, reports the NEW ZEALAND HERALD. Fans will be able to catch the film Dec. 9, 2005. In addition, Sony Picture Imageworks has been hired to do 400 effects shoots for the film, whose main f/x house is Rhythm & Hues. New Zealand's Weta Workshop will create the makeup prosthetics for all of the creatures.
RenderMan for Maya 1.0 Unveiled
Pixar has announced RenderMan for Maya, a new rendering solution based on Pixar's award-winning rendering technology. The RenderMan for Maya plug-in, which is entering beta testing soon, will be available on computers running Mac OS X or Windows XP. It will be priced at $995.
RenderMan for Maya enjoys complete integration with Maya. Just switch your renderer to "RenderMan" and automatically render everything in your Maya scene, including Maya materials, Maya particles and Maya fur.
LightWave [8] Training Edition Announced
![LightWave [8] Training Edition Announced](https://www.awn.com/sites/default/files/styles/small_featured/public/image/featured/15639-lightwave-8-training-edition-announced.jpg?itok=0kuQb9Tn "LightWave [8] Training Edition Announced")
![LightWave [8] Training Edition Announced](https://www.awn.com/sites/default/files/styles/tiny_featured/public/image/featured/15639-lightwave-8-training-edition-announced.jpg?itok=Z3ExfYAF "LightWave [8] Training Edition Announced")
NewTek Inc. announced the LightWave [8] Training Edition, a special offer that provides more than $400 in training materials free to new LightWave 3D purchasers. By special arrangement with the publishers New Riders, Wordware Publishing and Kurv Studios, purchasers of new licenses of LightWave will be able to receive six books, four training videos and the DVD KAZE: GHOST WARRIOR, which includes extensive extras on how the independent CGI film was produced.
Framestore Picks Up Scott from ILM
Framestore CFCs thriving film department has a new senior producer. Sandra Scott joins the company from Industrial Light & Magic, where she produced vfx work for projects such as THE MUMMY, MISSION TO MARS and PLANET OF THE APES.
Spy-Hunter Producers to Tackle Psi-Ops
SPY-HUNTER producers Adrian Askarieh and Chuck Gordon have obtained the feature rights to Midway's PSI-OPS videogame, reports VARIETY. The producers hope to secure a director and pitch the project to various studios by the beginning of September. The story follows a psionic agent who has had his memory erased that must infiltrate a band of rogue agents who were in training with him.
The Matrix 10 DVD Set Coming Soon
Warner Home Video has announced that it will release a 10-disk MATRIX collection in December. THE ULTIMATE MATRIX COLLECTION will include the trilogy, THE ANIMATRIX and 35-hours of bonus material as well as a Neo bust and 80-page book.
The disks include:* THE MATRIX - containing a new digital transfer of the film with two new commentaries* THE MATRIX REVISITED
In Home Entertainment, Visual Effects, Home Entertainment, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All
J.J. Abrams To Make Directing Debut on M:I 3
Paramount Pictures and Cruise/Wagner Productions have made it official J.J. Abrams will make his theatrical directing debut onMISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3. Originally set to hit theaters next summer, the film will now start shooting in the summer of 2005. Abrams is best known as the creator and director of such hit series as FELICITY, ALIAS and his new series LOST. Previously, NARC director Joe Carnahan had long been attached to direct the film, but had "creative differences" with the studio, leading to his stepping down from the film earlier this year.
CaféFX Promotes Vicki Weimer to Exec Producer
After seven years as CaféFX's senior effects producer and supervisor, Vicki Weimer has been promoted to exec producer. Weimer, a 30-year veteran of the motion picture industry, will handle team building and oversee all CaféFX feature film projects.
"Vicki has been an incredible asset to us during her tenure here at the Café. She has actually been doing the EP role here for years. We are just making it official," said Jeff Barnes, ComputerCafé Group's president/ceo.
In Anime, People, Visual Effects, Anime, People, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, South America
Alienbrain VFX Offers New Digital Asset Library Module
Avid Technology Inc. has introduced a new digital asset library module for its Alienbrain VFX asset management system. The Internet-based module offers unprecedented archiving and retrieval functionality to teams producing large volumes of graphics files for complex visual effects and computer-generated feature projects. The new digital asset library module was unveiled at SIGGRAPH 2004.
In Anime, Technology, Visual Effects, Anime, Technology, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All
Atari Engages Military Expert/Author Brown for ACT OF WAR: DIRECT ACTION
Atari Inc. is collaborating with best-selling author Dale Brown and Eugen Systems on ACT OF WAR: DIRECT ACTION, scheduled to be released in spring 2005. The upcoming near-future, geopolitical techno-thriller is being developed by Eugen Systems with a storyline and game universe created in cooperation with Brown, 15-time New York Times best-selling author and expert on U.S. military, global conflict and future military technology.
HP Remote Graphics Software Introduced
HP introduced groundbreaking new software at SIGGRAPH 2004 that allows customers in graphics-intensive fields such as engineering and graphic design to collaborate with teams across geographically dispersed regions in realtime.
In Technology, Visual Effects, Technology, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America
ILM Reporting for War of the Worlds VFX Duty?
It looks like the heavy vfx duties on the new WAR OF THE WORLDS feature from Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks will be done by vfx supervisor Dennis Muren and Industrial Light & Magic, according to the HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Steven Spielberg is directing the remake of H.G. Wells novel with Tom Cruise set to star in the pic stet to shoot in November 2004.
Kingsley & Loken to Vamp for BloodRayne
Ben Kingsley has been signed to play the vampire Kagan, the evil ruler of an army of bloodsuckers, in the film adaptation of the videogame BLOODRAYNE, opposite Kristanna Loken (TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES), the ASSOCIATED PRESS reported. The film chronicles the adventures of a half-vampire, half-human in 18th-century Romania who has the super strength of a monster countered by the emotions of a person.
Cruise and Spielberg to Wage War of the Worlds
Project postponements have freed up actor Tom Cruise and director Steven Spielberg to team up again in the re-make of H.G. Wells THE WAR OF THE WORLDS for a fast track investment for DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures.
Cruise had been set to work on MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3 until a delay while Spielbergs untitled project on the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Olympics has also been pushed back. Cruise and Spielberg collaborated successfully on MINORITY REPORT.
Kaydara and Alias Announce MOTIONBUILDER 6
Kaydara Inc., and Alias announced from SIGGRAPH 2004 the forthcoming release of MOTIONBUILDER 6, the newest version of the company's award-winning character animation software. This comes on the heels of the recent news that Alias has signed an agreement to acquire Kaydara.
When the purchase closes (which it is expected to within two months), then MOTIONBUILDER will be rebranded Alias MOTIONBUILDER.
In Anime, Technology, Visual Effects, Anime, Technology, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All, Europe
Digital Musings From the Editor:
VFXWorld and AWN are at the SIGGRAPH Conference in full right now. VFXWorld's editor Bill Desowitz is walking the convention floor, checking out all that is new in the world of technology and visual effects. As for new articles on VFXWorld, continuing in the SIGGRAPH mode, we have an article from Mary Ann Skweres about Dr. Paul Debevec's pioneering 3D works as well as his newest short, THE PARTHENON, which premiered at SIGGRAPH 2004's famed Electronic Theater. As well, we have an article from J.
In Visual Effects, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All
Apple Ships Motion for Motion Graphics
Apple announced at SIGGRAPH 2004 it has begun shipping Motion, the revolutionary new application that delivers high-performance, realtime motion graphics design. Motion offers the creative freedom and power for artists to deliver stunning, professional quality results, quickly and intuitively, with realtime previews, procedural behavior animation and integration with both Final Cut Pro(R) HD and DVD Studio Pro(R) 3, all at a breakthrough price of $299.
In Anime, Technology, Visual Effects, Anime, Technology, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All
Digital Domain Plans to Deliver Messiah
Digital Domain and Barnet Bain Films have acquired the film rights to Richard Bach's bestselling novel ILLUSIONS: THE ADVENTURES OF A RELUCTANT MESSIAH, according to DAILY VARIETY.
French filmmaker Yann Samuell is reportedly set to direct the adaptation, the inspirational account of an encounter with a modern-day messiah. The book has sold 15 million copies for author Bach, who also penned JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL.
TrendWatch Ranks Previs #2 Task at Studios
According to TrendWatch, previsualization is rapidly gaining acceptance among producers and directors, with 39% of all studios/facilities currently doing previs tasks along with eight out of 10 vfx studios.
This TrendWatch Fast Fact is good news in terms of shrinking budgets and shorter production cycles.
TrendWatch Inc. (www.trendwatch.com) is a market research firm located in Mill Valley, California.
Alias to Acquire Kaydara
In Anime, Business, Visual Effects, Anime, Business, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All
Avid Introduces 3-Democracy Campaign
Avid Technology announced new pricing for its SOFTIMAGE|XSI product line, ushering in 3-Democracy, the company's plan for making its comprehensive 3D content creation software accessible to all levels of CG professionals. Now a greater number of artists can purchase the award-winning 3D software in three new affordable configurations, starting with the unprecedented price of $495 for SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.4.0 Foundation.
In Technology, Visual Effects, Technology, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All
