Leading visual effects software developer, The Foundry (www.thefoundry.co.uk), today announced that CG animation studio, DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA) has purchased a site license of Nuke to enhance its in-house pipeline beginning in 2012.
Press Release from The Foundry
London, November 8, 2010 – Leading visual effects software developer, The Foundry (www.thefoundry.co.uk), today announced that CG animation studio, DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (Nasdaq: DWA) has purchased a site license of Nuke to enhance its in-house pipeline beginning in 2012.
DreamWorks Animation is devoted to producing high-quality family entertainment through computer-generated (CG) animation. In 2004, DreamWorks became the first animation company to produce and distribute two CG animated features in a single year, including Shrek 2, the fifth highest-grossing movie of all time on a domestic basis. This year DreamWorks Animation set another record by becoming the first studio to have released three CG animated feature films, all in stereoscopic 3D. They accomplished this feat in part by relying on state-of-the-art technologies to enable the artistic vision of their filmmakers.
Nuke will soon become an important part of DreamWorks Animation’s technological toolset. The studio plans to use Nuke beginning on its 2012 feature film release, “The Croods”.
DreamWorks Animation is in good company selecting Nuke as their compositing tool of choice. In the last eighteen months ILM, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Weta Digital, MPC, Framestore, Double Negative, Cinesite and many more world-class visual effects studios have all adopted the software. The global pool of freelance artists has increased dramatically and Nuke is quickly becoming the compositor’s tool of choice.
Bill Collis, CEO of The Foundry, commented, "DreamWorks Animation is a force to be reckoned with in the world of film. That they have selected Nuke as their compositor of choice is a testament to the hard work The Foundry team has invested in its development. We can’t wait to see the results on screen.”
“Nuke is an incredibly powerful tool that will enable our artists to more readily embrace compositing as part of our creative process,” added Darin Grant, Head of Production Technology at DreamWorks Animation, “The Foundry has impressed us with their commitment to advancing the product and we look forward to an ongoing relationship with their team."
About The FoundryThe Foundry is a world-leading innovator of visual effects and image processing technologies that boost productivity in motion picture and video post-production.
The Foundry has a well-established client base that includes leading visual effects facilities worldwide, such as Warner Bros, The Moving Picture Company, Weta Digital, Framestore, Sony Pictures Imageworks and Digital Domain. It is at the cutting edge of software development, marketing and sales for visual effects compositing.
In June 2009 The Foundry announced a management buyout for an undisclosed sum led by Advent Venture Partners. Advent backed The Foundry’s management team, led by CEO Dr Bill Collis and the original founders.
The Foundry is highly profitable and has more than doubled in size in the past two years.
The Foundry’s products support a wide range of award-winning host platforms including After Effects, Autodesk® Media and Entertainment Systems, Avid DS, , Nuke, Shake and Final Cut Pro. In 2007, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded a Sci-Tech Award® to The Foundry’s development team for the Furnace image processing suite – and the company now holds two products with AMPAS Sci-Tech Award® winning technology including high-end compositing system Nuke. The Foundry is headquartered in London, and has offices in Los Angeles. For more information please visit: www.thefoundry.co.uk.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
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