Visual Effects
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Mary
J. Blige's "All That I Can Say." Courtesy of TOPIX/Mad
Dog.
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Topix/Mad Dog Puts Singer On Clouds. Toronto,
Canada-based TOPIX/Mad Dog has completed the visual effects for
Mary J. Blige's music video "All That I Can Say." Shot
on location in New York City, the dreamscape for the music video
integrates live-action, time lapse photography, stock footage, and
3D clouds which were modeled and rendered in 3D Studio Max. Softimage
artist Sean Montgomery created and animated orbs in which Mary and
the city are reflected. In addition, TOPIX/Mad Dog composited the
singer into scenes featuring Times Square, a white horse running
through the streets, and a waterfall at the end of a street. Toronto-based
Revolver Film Company produced the live-action, and the music video
was directed by Noble Jones.
Method Spins New York. Santa Monica, California-based effects
studio METHOD completed the visual effects for Lauryn Hill's music
video, "Everything is Everything." Supervised by senior
visual effects artist Alex Frisch, the Method team made New York
City rotate around the Empire State Building like a spinning vinyl
record, and one of the city's bridges was transformed into a giant
arm that descends from the skies. Method used CGI to create the
arm's giant shadow, and Maya software to create all the wide shots
of the spinning city. Other effects were created using 2D compositing,
miniatures, motion control, and puppeteering. Sanji directed the
music video for production company Little Minx.
Galaxy Digimation Creates Spider-Man Ride Newscast. Glendale,
California-based Galaxy Digimation has created a thirty-minute animated
newscast for Universal Studios' The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man
ride in Orlando, Florida. The Spider-Man ride integrates roller-coaster
thrills, realistic motion simulation, and stereographic 3D computer-generated
effects while immersing riders in a story that transforms them into
active photojournalists. Galaxy Digimation's newscast plays on monitors
while riders wait in line inside the newsroom of The Daily Bugle,
the publication where Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, works as a reporter.
The newscast reports a fast-breaking story: New York City is in
a dire state since the evil Doctor Octopus and his gang of villains,
known as the Sinister Syndicate, have stolen the Statue of Liberty.
Riders are briefed about the experimental news-gathering vehicles
known as Scoops that they must board in order to take photos for
The Daily Bugle. They will be on the scene to capture the action
as Spider-Man fights the Sinister Syndicate for control of the city.
This introductory segment required seamless integration of 2D and
3D animation. Galaxy Digimation used Cambridge System's Animo software
for the entire project, from line tests to compositing scenes involving
3D elements integrated with 2D animation. Galaxy Digimation is a
full-service 2D and 3D animation company that uses digital and traditional
ink-and-paint methods. The company's experience includes TV animation,
direct-to-video, feature films, interactive CD-ROMs, commercials
and promotional sequences. Galaxy Digimation has studios in Glendale,
California; Seoul, Korea; and Manila, Philippines.
Joe Szadkowski wrote about the Spider-Man ride in "Watch
Out Disney! Spider-Man is Coming to Orlando" in the May
1999 issue of Animation World Magazine.