Three of the seven films competing in the visual effects industry Bake-off on Jan. 25 at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences used Houdini from Side Effects Software. They include CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE and THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE. The Bake-off involves a 15-minute presentation to the Visual Effects Award Nominating committee, which will then create the final nomination list for the Visual Effects Oscar awarded each year by the academy.
Highly regarded in the industry, Side Effects Software provides complete solutions that address production complexities and streamline workflow while delivering high-quality vfx shots. For more than a decade, films utilizing Houdini software have earned widespread recognition at the annual Bake-offs and dominated the Oscar nomination category in Visual Effects.
With Tim Burton's adaptation of Roald Dahl's classic CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, special care was given to create the chocolate river sequences. This key effect culminated in a dramatic white-water type ride, which takes Willy Wonka and the children through a labyrinth of white porcelain tunnels in a boat made entirely of candy. The Moving Picture Co. (MPC) created more than 70 chocolate river shots using Myrtle software's Five by Five fluid solver integrated into Houdini.
Sony Pictures Imageworks and Rhythm & Hues used Houdini for a number of effects found throughout THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. Rhythm & Hues used Houdini to create hero shots such as a gryphon breaking up into pieces, a pheonix breaking into flames and the White Witch riding through a wall of fire, as well as traditional vfx such as dust and grass getting stirred up on the battlefield. Sony Pictures Imageworks used Houdini for a variety of snow and breaking ice effects in the film. IN HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE, The Orphanage used Houdini to create base elements and mattes for the memory threads in the Pensieve sequences.
"It is always great to see Houdini customers recognized by the Academy each year," said Kim Davidson, ceo, Side Effects Software. "We are extremely proud to see Houdini used to achieve such extraordinary visual effects."
The Houdini family of animation software offers digital artists an unprecedented level of power, flexibility and control based on award-winning technology. The comprehensive feature set includes modeling, rigging, animation, particle effects, dynamics, compositing, integrated rendering and more. All Houdini applications work together seamlessly and are available for the Windows and Linux operating systems. Houdini has been used to create 3D animation in blockbuster films, including THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, SPIDER-MAN AND SPIDER-MAN 2, THE POLAR EXPRESS, I, ROBOT, THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, X-MEN, X2: X-MEN UNITED, the HARRY POTTER franchise, THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, THE MATRIX trilogy and, most recently, SIN CITY, STEALTH AND VALIANT.
Established in 1987, Side Effects Software (www.sidefx.com) is a world leader in the development of advanced 3D animation and special effects software for use in film. Side Effects Software leads the field of procedural animation with its unique, award-winning, Houdini technology. Houdini is used by numerous digital content creation leaders, including C.O.R.E., Digital Domain, Disney Feature Animation, DNA Prods., Framestore-CFC, The Orphanage, Rhythm & Hues and Sony Pictures Imageworks, among others.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
