Vicon has sold 16 MX40 cameras to Digital Content Studio, Digi-Guys Ltd. It will be using the Vicon cameras to shoot the motion capture scenes for the eagerly awaited PS3 videogame and Blu-ray movie, WARDEVIL --UNLEASH THE BEAST WITHIN.
Due to be released next year on the PS3, WARDEVIL is a next-generation concept, bridging the gap between videogames and Blue-ray HD movies. The game and studio technology has been in development for more than three years. The project is the first to utilize this new method of production, allowing Digi-Guys to create both a videogame and movie property from the same studio pipeline, spearheading an entirely new methodology to both mediums.
The Vicon MX40 camera has been used in the production of many blockbuster movies and videogames, as well as in the engineering and life sciences sectors.
Digi-Guys is a well established Digital Content Studio and game developer in the U.K. and has produced many excellent projects," said Nick Bolton, ceo of Oxford Metrics Group. "WARDEVIL is no exception. We're pleased to be able to help Digi-Guys meet its needs for bringing highly detailed realism to its projects."
Vijay Chadha, managing director of Ignition Ent., parent company of Digi-Guys and a major console game publisher, adds, "Ignition is focused on developing our own internal brands & high quality console products, ranging from WARDEVIL through to many other projects. Part of our focus is also the acquisition, funding and development of quality external console game projects and our recent major investment from one of India's largest Media giants, UTV, is a vote of confidence in our future development strategies. This has allowed us to go straight to key industry leaders as we expand our facilities -_ and, of course, Vicon was top of our list for Motion Capture! We look forward to harnessing the full power of the system for WARDEVIL."
Andy Whitehurst, creative director of Digi-Guys Ltd., comments, "Vicon technology is the market leader, and installing the MX40 is the next logical step for Digi-Guys pipeline. We're looking to capture larger volumes of data, with more precision and MX40 gives us exactly the productivity increase we need. It's about getting the job done _- quickly, accurately, with minimal clean-up and giving that extra flair to the WARDEVIL project. Vicon is key to the delivery of high quality capture required for both the movie & game elements of our pipeline & production."
Digi-Guys (www.digi-guys.com) is a part of the UTV Communications Group and is a next- generation, Digital Content Creation facility, based in Ealing Film Studios in the heart of the U.K. film industry, and is an expanding team of artists, technicians and production staff who all share the digital vision. The studio has grown rapidly over the last few years, expanding from its original base in Pinewood Studios to its new, purpose built 11,000 sq. ft. facility in Ealing Film Studios. Digi-Guys provides a range of CGI, videogame and broadcast content for a number of high profile clients.
Digi-Guys' objective is to push the boundaries of both next-generation Games & high end CGI. It is neither a traditional games or a movie studio, but a combination of both. This dynamic digital environment gives the ability to handle a wide range of projects and keep everything inside the digital domain. As new formats and workflows are entirely digital, the new studio can grow and accommodate innovative technologies under the existing infrastructure.
WARDEVIL is the first major project to utilize Digi-Guys new hybrid pipeline, creating a cutting edge PS3 videogame & a Blu-ray HD movie. Further project info can be found on www.wardevil.com.
UTV (www.utvnet.com) is one India's largest integrated media and entertainment companies with widespread interests in motion pictures, new media, broadcasting and television content. The company has recently been in the news for announcing a $57 million co-production with Fox for twice Oscar-nominated M. Night Shyamalan's next film entitled THE HAPPENING.
UTV is listed in the Mumbai stock exchange and also enjoys prominent shareholding from Walt Disney Inc. UTV's new media business vertical comprises of its animation division -- branded UTV Toons and is the pioneer of long format animation from India, its console gaming division under Ignition and Digi-Guys branding located in London, and its vfx division branded UTV Post based in Mumbai, India.
The company has a state of the art animation studio in Mumbai, India, housing 250 artists with an infrastructure custom designed by Hewlett Packard, a game development & production facility in Ealing, London, and an advanced vfx, film DI and post-production facility in Mumbai, India.
Oxford Metrics Group plc is a group of technology companies that produce image understanding solutions for the entertainment, defense, life science and engineering industries. Whether capturing the movements of actors (for the movie industry), sportsmen (for videogames or improving team performance), children with cerebral palsy, rehab patients and animals (for medical, life science and research industries) or virtual reality displays (for engineering and development), the group has the world's leading market position and a strong international reputation for precision instruments.
Founded in 1984, the group's headquarters are in Oxford, U.K., and has offices in California and Colorado. It has customers in more than 35 countries. Oxford Metrics' global clients in science, medicine, sports, engineering, gaming, film and broadcast include major hospitals and research facilities such as Guy's Hospital, Nuffield Orthopaedic and Loughborough University, engineering industry leaders, including Ford Motor Co., BMW, Airbus, Caterpillar and Toyota, and in the entertainment sector, Sony, Industrial Light & Magic, The Moving Picture Co. (MPC), Sega, Nintendo, UbiSoft, EA, Square Enix and many others.
For more information about Oxford Metrics and its subsidiaries, visit www.omg3d.com, www.vicon.com, or www.2d3.com.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
