Sony Pictures Imageworks will be demonstrating its work on the upcoming BEOWULF at the 2007 Australian Effects & Animation Festival (AEAF), taking place at the Sydney Convention Centre Nov. 13-15.
CG Supervisor Theodore Bialek will reveal how Imageworks created BEOWULFs stunning imagery. Using the performance capture technique pioneered with THE POLAR EXPRESS, Imageworks created director Robert Zemeckis' version of the eighth-century epic poem.
Expected to drive the global 3-D exhibition market further ahead, BEOWULF will get the widest digital 3-D and IMAX 3-D release ever when it opens Nov. 16 in the U.S. and Nov. 29 in Australia.
Rob Moore, Paramount's president of worldwide marketing and distribution, said, "The movie is so unique and different, it's hard to get a handle on how big it will be. The 3-D visuals will blow people away."
Bialek was in charge of shot production, look development and backend pipeline development for the cutting-edge film. Prior to BEOWULF, he was CG supervisor on MONSTER HOUSE and also color and lighting lead on THE POLAR EXPRESS. Before working on performance capture films, Bialek was a lighting and compositing artist on STUART LITTLE 2, a shot set-up and pipeline development artist on HOLLOW MAN and a lighting TD on STUART LITTLE. Bialek joined Imageworks in 1998 from Rhythm & Hues, where he served as a lighting artist on BABE: PIG IN THE CITY.
Prior to his studio work, Bialek founded Red Eye Studios, a computer graphics company specializing in programming and videogame content. He has also taught Modeling and Computer Graphics courses at Gnomon School of Visual Effects throughout his career.
Other AEAF participants include:* ILM Animation Supervisor Scott Benza on TRANSFORMERS* Michael Elson, COO of The Moving Picture Co.* Duncan Brinsmead, Autodesk principal scientist and creator of Maya Paint Effects, Maya Hair and Maya Toon* Lindsay Adams, 2D TD, Animal Logic (300)* Dominique Pouliquen, CEO, co-founder REALVIZ S.A.* Rising Sun VFX Supervisor Gregory Yepes on THE SEEKER: THE DARK IS RISING* VFX Supervisor Evan Jacobs on RESIDENT EVIL: EXTINCTION* Maya Master Steven Stahlberg will show how to create convincing humans in CG, with a focus on females and how to maximize attractiveness* Imageworks Digital Effects Supervisor Peter Nofz on SPIDER-MAN 3* Imageworks Visual Effects Supervisor Rob Bredow on SURF'S UP
The full AEAF Program online can be found at www.digitalmedia.com.au/AEAFprogram
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
