A while back, Bruce Shutan profiled Atomic Visual Effects of South Africa for VFXWORLD. Spurred by a letter to delve further into South Africa's thriving 3D community, Shutan recently interviewed several other vfx and animation studios and various artists to discover why Cape Town is on the verge of becoming the next Sydney, Australia.

Meanwhile, we kick off July's focus on 3D breakthroughs outside of entertainment with J. Paul Peszko's "From Sketch Pad to Mouse Pad: The Entertainment Industry Enhances Architectural Design." Find out how some of the most prestigious architectural firms are using the latest design visualization tools and techniques from movies and gaming to build a host of structures, including the newly planned Freedom Tower in New York City.

Bill Desowitz
Editor