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Eric Hanson and Greg Downing Launch XRez.com

Visual effects luminaries Eric Hanson and Greg Downing have launched XRez.com (www.XRez.com), a new website site of gigapixel panoramas shot around the world and a service that offers greater dimensionality to visual effects companies, national parks and filmmakers.

Experience Yosemite National Park, Owens Valley, the Mojave Desert, Zion Canyon and the Norwegian Fjords, among other stunning locations. First take in the scene from a comprehensive spherical panoramic overview. Using the system's recognizable navigational tools, choose any location on the image and zoom in to only a few feet away from your subject. The massive 3.8 gigapixel, 87,000 pixel-wide images allow you to experience these locations: ranging from national parks to cityscapes, as if you were immersed in them yourselves.

Co-founder Downing says, "The exciting part is putting these images in front of an audience. When we last showed one of our 18-foot long, 75,000 pixel prints, people spent 20 minutes looking at one photograph exploring all the detail. That is not something you often see in a gallery setting, and the online experience is just as compelling."

XRez.com allows you to experience images from numerous perspectives online: zoom, pan, or even view a time-lapse image as the scene passes from day to night. The site is replete with information about the process Hanson and Downing use to capture and create their images.

In addition, the co-founders show how integrating the image into the world of 3D animation expands the possibilities even further: create cinematic camera movements, and build unique hybrid 2D/3D locations using professional visual effects 3D software. Adds Hanson, "The gigapixel images we capture are in themselves rich for visual exploration. By integrating the technical skills Greg and I gained during our feature film visual effects experience, we are able to extend conventional photography and offer a unique 3D re-creation of compelling locations. These images create a range of opportunities, from visualizing history for park visitors, to inspiring the imaginations of filmmakers."

XRez.com is a full-service photographic and visual effects studio, providing rich opportunities for parks, galleries or feature film productions wishing to display or utilize high-resolution imagery:

* Display large prints in galleries or interpretive settings that reveals a stunning degree of image detail and fidelity, allowing unprecedented interaction with the image.* Bring to life motion picture sequences from originally static images, utilizing a range of visual effects techniques to enhance storytelling.* Integrate gigapixel images with 3D modeling of terrain, allowing modification of weather, light or the character of a space. * Bring the national parks and natural wonders of the world to anyone who wants to experience them in a new and powerful way.* Allow novel online exploration of locations in tremendous detail.

Downing specializes in image-based 3D technologies. His photographic work has been displayed in some of the nation's most prestigious museums, including the American Museum of Natural History, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. Downing has worked on the development of panorama and photogrammetry software at Realviz. He has worked in film production integrating image-based technologies and as a lighting td at Rhythm & Hues and Sony Pictures Imageworks on THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA and SPIDER-MAN 3. He teaches at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects, has presented at professional conferences for both visual effects artists and photographers and has been published in numerous 3D industry magazines.

Hanson is a visual effects designer specializing in the creation of digital environments and effects for feature films. Having worked with leading effects houses such as Digital Domain, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Dream Quest Images and Walt Disney Feature Animation, his work can be seen in THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, CAST AWAY, HOLLOW MAN, MISSION TO MARS, BICENTENNIAL MAN, ATLANTIS, FANTASIA 2000 and THE FIFTH ELEMENT, as well as many special-venue films. He is also an active instructor, leading courses on effects techniques at Gnomon School of VFX and the USC School of Cinema/TV. Hanson is a member of the Visual Effects Society and attended the University of Texas at Austin.

Bill Desowitz's picture

Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.

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