HP is once again
providing technology to another big animation studio. After recently
announcing a three-year, multi-million dollar technology strategic
alliance with DreamWorks, designed to "revolutionize animation
production," HP has announced that Walt Disney Feature Animation has
selected HP's Linux-based workstations and servers as components for
its next-generation digital animation production pipeline. Walt
Disney Feature Animation and HP have been working together for the
past 10 months to provide computing solutions for visual effects,
traditional and computer-generated animation. To this end, HP is
delivering a range of products and services to Disney's visual
effects and animation production, including Intel Xeon-powered HP
x4000 workstations running Linux for animators, and high-density HP
IA-32 based servers for rendering. "Disney and HP have worked
together at very pivotal points in history -- at the inception of the
companies and now as the digital animation industry approaches a key
turning point," said Martin Fink, general manager, HP Linux Systems
Division. "Linux is quickly becoming the driving force behind the
next phase of digital animation. HP is providing key technology
infrastructure that will allow Disney to continue to create memorable
animation while driving costs down and staying on the cutting edge."
In 1938, Disney became one of HP's earliest customers after
purchasing eight HP Model 200B resistance-capacity oscillators from
founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. At the time, the studio was
working to produce an early version of SurroundSound for the feature
film FANTASIA.