BFC Berliner Film Companie GmbH has entered into a software license and custom development and support agreement with mental images GmbH to use its rendering and 3D modeling software on BFC's upcoming major 3D feature film, HAPPILY N'EVER AFTER. Michael Hefferon, head of production for BFC’s in-house production service arm, is supervising the feature-length 3D CG-animated motion picture planned for delivery in the third quarter of 2005.
HAPPILY N'EVER AFTER, termed a humorous action/adventure reinterpretation of classic Grimm Brothers Fairy Tales, is intended for all audiences and features the voice talents of Sigourney Weaver, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr., George Carlin, Andy Dick, Wallace Shawn and Patrick Warburton. Paul Bolger will direct from an original script by Robert Moreland. Rainer Soehnlein is exec producer while SHREK 1 & 2 producer and Vanguard Films principal John H. Williams will produce.
Films that have utilized mental images software include SHARK TALE, THE MATRIX RELOADED, STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES, THE HULK and TERMINATOR 3: RISE OF THE MACHINES. mental ray software supports powerful 64-bit computer processors as well as the most recent dedicated graphics processors for maximum rendering speed, according to mental images. It is the first rendering software that combines the physically correct simulation of the behavior of light with full programmability for the creation of any imaginable visual phenomenon.
“We are delighted to witness – and contribute to – the creation in Berlin of one of the world’s few full-scale facilities for the production of 3D feature animation movies,” said Rolf Herken, president/ceo/cto of mental images. “BFC’s selection of our technology for the implementation of its rendering pipeline is a clear endorsement of mental ray as the industry’s de-facto standard solution for highest image quality rendering that is also the seamlessly integrated rendering component of the world-leading 3D content creation tools.”
"I am excited about the tremendous potential represented by this venture and our partnership with mental images," said Rainer Soehnlein, president/ceo of BFC. "We are confident that we will be able to attract major filmmaking talent from all over the world to our new facility, as it will be on the forefront of technical innovation."
BFC Berliner Film (
www.bfc.net ) was formed in 2002 to develop and produce television and feature film animation. Working with America’s top creators, producers and directors, BFC has established a unique American-style production company in the heart of Berlin along with an office in Los Angeles in order to maintain a constant presence in the heart of the U.S. entertainment industry. BFC is affiliated with Dresdner Allianz Group, one of the leading financial powerhouses in the world.
mental images GmbH (
www.mentalimages.com ) is a privately held company based in Berlin, Germany, with a wholly owned subsidiary mental images Inc. in San Francisco, California, and an office in Stockholm, Sweden. mental images has a multinational staff of top qualified engineers exclusively dedicated to basic research and development in the area of 3D graphics technologies.
