Category: Visual Effects

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.

DreamWorks is in negotiations with Ewan McGregor (BIG FISH) to star in Michael Bay's next sci-fi feature, THE ISLAND, reports HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Caspian Tredwell-Owen (BEYOND BORDERS) wrote the spec screenplay, which chronicles a harvested being" who tries to escape the utopian facility he is housed in. Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (TV's ALIAS) have been hired to polish the script. Walter Parkes, Laurie MacDonald and Ian Bryce (CATCH ME IF YOU CAN) are set to produce. Marc Haines will oversee the project for the studio, which hopes to starting filming in the fall.

VAN HELSING writer-director Stephen Sommers, along with his producing partner Bob Ducsay, has landed the rights to FLASH GORDON, which the duo will develop for Universal, reports VARIETY. Sommers will write the FLASH screenplay, but has yet to decided whether he will direct. Hearst Corp.'s King Features Syndicate, who owns the rights to the character, have assigned Rick Karo to produce for the company. Overseeing the project for Universal will be vice chairman Scott Stuber and vp of production Dylan Clark.

Dosch Design is releasing the 3ds max and Maya versions of Dosch 3D: Logo Animations, each containing 25 animated logo scenes. All scenes are optimized and "ready to go" for use in 3ds max or Maya, and include all relevant textures. Because the animations are provided as fully editable scenes, the user is able to adjust output resolution and many other effects and visual parameters. Users can render for the Internet, video (PAL or NTSC), DVD, business presentations or the higher cinema resolution.

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.