ATI Technologies continues to innovate for the large AGP market with the new FireGL X3-256 workstation graphics accelerator, which gives users an impressive list of professional features for $1,099.
Fresh off the success of three Promax Awards, leading creative concept, design/effects and production company Sideshow Creative has added creative director Andrew Kobliska to its team. Kobliska will be heading up the west coast creative group based in Los Angeles.
"Andrew's vast experience in all realms of our industry makes him a natural fit for Sideshow," said Scott Mantel, Sideshow Creative ceo. "He brings the highest pedigree of strategic thinking and creative leadership to his new role at the company."
Side Effects Software will be hosting its Annual Houdini Meeting on Aug. 8, 2004 during SIGGRAPH in Los Angeles. This event will bring together Houdini users from around the world to network with their peers, witness the official unveiling of Houdini 7 and catch an exclusive sneak-peak into Houdini's future.
Picture Mill was the production company behind the opening and closing sequences for THE VILLAGE. Writer-director M. Night Shyamalan contacted Picture Mill soon after principal photography was done, to begin developing concepts for the titles.
Elected in a special board election was Marc Lanza (JFK, GLORY) as secretary. Newly elected to two-year terms are sound editors Harry Cheney (BOTTLE ROCKET, DRACULA), Jeremy J. Gordon (THE OC, SMALLVILLE), Robert Hargreaves (DUCK DODGERS, BATMAN BEYOND) Anne-Marie Slack (BRING IT ON, HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES), Roland Thai (L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, CITY OF GOD) and Steven D. Williams (THIRTEEN DAYS, ARMY OF DARKNESS).
Oregon3D has announced it will offer a series of classes specifically devoted to content creation for the Unreal Engine, the leading 3D technology platform pioneered by Epic Games. Scheduled during the SIGGRAPH 2004 Conference, this one-day session will run on both Aug. 9 and Aug. 10, from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm in the Los Angeles Room at The Wilshire Grand Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.
MPC (The Moving Picture Co.) will play an instrumental role in U.K. Trade and Investments (UKTI) exploratory trade mission to SIGGRAPH 2004. Partnering with the National Centre for Computer Animation at Bournemouth University and UKTI, MPC will form part of the representation from U.K. visual effects companies. MPC will be at Booth #2153.
French brothers Didier and Thierry Poiraud have returned to the U.S. commercial market after releasing their feature debut, ATOMIK CIRCUS, in Paris last week. With leading commercial production company Tool of North America, the brothers co-directed a spot for HPs Printing division, PRINTER, which has been airing in key markets in Western Europe since June. Together with François Vogel, the Poiraud brothers direct U.S.-based projects through Tool satellite company Paranoid Projects @ Tool.
The PGA New Media Council and the Visual Effects Society are hosting a mixer and discussion panel titled "Producing Magic On Time And On Budget." Attendees will be able to meet the producers and executives behind such film and television productions as SPIDERMAN 2, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS, MATRIX REVOLUTIONS, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, THE LAST SAMURAI, and POLAR EXPRESS. The event will take place on Aug. 19, 2004 at Sony Imageworks Theatre, 9050 West Washington Boulevard, Culver City, California 90232.
After original director Robert Rodriguez dropped off the project due to his resignation from the Director's Guild over directing credits on his film SIN CITY, Alphaville is in negotiations with SKY CAPTAIN helmer Kerry Coran to direct the screen adaptation of the classic sci-fi adventure, A PRINCESS OF MARS, reports HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Based on the first book in Edgar Rice Burroughs' 11-volume JOHN CARTER OF MARS series, the studio is hoping to make a franchise. Alphaville has produced THE MUMMY series.
The Media Design School, New Zealand's premiere learning institution for the digital arts, announces a slate of new faculty additions that include Tom Zuber, Patrick McNabb and Richard Hicks, going into its visit to SIGGRAPH 2004 conference at the Los Angeles Convention Center from August 10-12, 2004 at booth #1958.
New Zealand companies will be featured at a panel session as part of the SIGGRAPH conference Tech Talk series, held this year at the Los Angeles Convention Center, August 10-13. Hosted by NZTE, the session, "Middle Earth: Imagination Made More Real" provides a presentation forum for New Zealand companies and will be moderated by Dr. Steve Upstill, a founding member of Pixar Animation Studios and a recent New Zealand immigrant.
At SIGGRAPH 2004, the Gnomon Workshop and the Gnomon School of Visual Effects (booth #1113) will be showcasing its educational products with various presentations and its library of 82 DVDs. In addition, Gnomon will have books available to get them signed such as EXPOSE I, EXPOSE II, D'ARTISTE, ELEMENTAL and more from booth partners CG Networks and Ballistic Media.
The response to our 3D coverage in architecture, education and forensics has been quite enthusiastic. Tomorrow Christopher Harz caps our coverage with quite an extensive overview of cutting edge 3D advances throughout various non-entertainment industries. Plus,
Those who would like to play with the pretty Halle Berry version of CATWOMAN from Warner Bros. Pictures theatrical can get their paws on the new videogame from Electronic Arts available in stores now for PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Game Boy Advance and PC CD-ROM.
Friday, July 30, 2004, is the deadline to submit scientific and technical achievements to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for 77th Academy Awards consideration.
In late May, application forms were sent to more than 850 companies and individuals within the sci-tech community both in the United States and abroad.
Mike Mignola's comic book, HELLBOY, about the world's greatest and wittiest paranormal investigator, didn't make as big a splash on the big screen as expected, but Guillermo del Toro's movie has already been wowing viewers on this special edition DVD (Columbia TriStar Home Ent., $28.96), which streets July 27, 2004.
ATI Technologies Inc. raised the performance bar with the introduction of MOBILITY RADEON 9800. Designed for the mobile gaming enthusiast, MOBILITY RADEON 9800 enables users to enjoy the latest DirectX9 games at optimal settings for the highest levels of performance.
Producers Tyra Hanshaw and Cara Buckley have joined the production department at Click 3x. Both Hanshaw, who arrives from Berwyn Editorial, and Buckley, formerly with Spontaneous, have broad experience in producing visual effects, animation and other post work. At Click 3x, they will produce both commercial and broadcast design projects.
As a way of gaining their own children's fantasy franchise, Regency Enterprises and Fox 2000 Pictures has optioned the rights to Ted Naifeh's COURTNEY CRUMRIN comicbook series, reports VARIETY. Stan Winston and Brian Gilbert are set to produce the film with Sheryl Longin (DICK) penning the screenplay. Stacy Maes and Maria Faillace will oversee the project for Regency and Fox 2000 respectively. The deal gives the studios the rights to COURTNEY CRUMRIN AND THE NIGHT THINGS, COURTNEY CRUMRIN AND THE COVEN OF MYSTICS and COURTNEY CRUMRIN IN THE TWILIGHT KINGDOM.
Continental Film has announced that LORD OF THE RINGS second-unit director Geoff Murphy has signed on to direct the screen adaptation of the fantasy novel THE LAST UNICORN. Michael Pakleppa will produce the film with Julián Doyle, who has worked on visual effects for Monty Python and Terry Gilliam films, serving as special effects unit director. The story was previously adapted as an animated film by Rankin-Bass in 1982. Continental hopes to have the film ready for release in winter 2006. For more information on the production, visit www.the-last-unicorn.net.
Paramount has confirmed that REQUIEM FOR A DREAM helmer Darren Aronofsky will direct the much-anticipated film version of Alan Moore's classic graphic novel THE WATCHMEN, reports HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. The long in-development project was originally set to be X-MEN writer David Hayter's first directing job, but he will step aside to let Aronofsky direct the film from his script.
Paramount Pictures will be previewing its forthcoming action/adventure, SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, and puppet-starring action spoof TEAM AMERICA WORLD POLICE at the 35th Annual Comic-Con International Convention. Working with convention organizers, the studio will unveil a first look at SKY CAPTAIN presented by the film's star, two-time Academy Award nominee Jude Law, along with co-stars Bai Ling and Giovanni Ribisi, writer/director Kerry Conran and producers Jon Avnet and Marsha Oglesby.
VFXWorld continues its informative coverage this month of non-entertainment 3D advancements with "3D Visualization in Education." Mary Ann Skweres uncovers the rapid rise of 3D animation as a valuable teaching tool throughout educational institutions - paving the way for all kinds of scientific and engineering breakthroughs. Then, later in the week, Bruce Shutan discovers "The Real CSI and Beyond" in his examination of vfx artists and animators specializing in the hot field of forensics and medical science.
MILLENNIUM, Chris Carter's 1996 follow-up series after THE X-FILES, bows on DVD July 20, 2004 (Fox Home Ent., $59.98). THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON arrives with all 22 episodes on six discs. This bleak thriller stars Lance Henriksen as a mind reading profiler who joins a mysterious crime busting organization that takes on the most bizarre cases. Naturally it's full of grand conspiracies and spooky supernatural subtext. VFX by Area 51.
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