Hatchling Studios Selects 1 Beyond Workstations
1 Beyond Inc., a leading provider of digital video editing, compositing and storage systems, announced that Hatchling Studios, a growing full service digital animation company based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, has chosen 1 Beyond systems to completely revamp its armory of graphics workstations.
Marc Dole, Hatchlings founder and ceo, explained: From the moment we contacted them, even when we were only talking about one or two machines, 1 Beyond was not only very attentive to our needs but also proved to be knowledgeable about computer graphics. As we embarked on THE TOLL, our latest demanding project, 1 Beyond worked with us to custom design every single workstation to fit of each stage of the animation cycle. These 1 Beyond workstations are specifically optimized to meet the different needs of our animators, modelers and technical directors.
Hatchlings new computer armory now includes 1 Beyond HD Flex Animation Workstations and 1 Beyond 883 SPEED Animation Workstations used for 3D animation, motion graphics, visual effects and 3D visualization; a 1 Beyond Storage Server used as a shared digital image library and 1 Beyond 550 ED Workstations used as general office systems.
THE TOLL, is a computer animated mockumentary and a character study in the guise of a student project, created by fictional film student Harvey Stevens. Harvey delves into the realm of not-so-fantastic myth to interview one of the last remaining toll takers, a troll who lives under a bridge. The troll is, for lack of a better word, evil. He's aggressive, uncouth, temperamental, and has a nasty habit of eating people. His pet is a malicious cross between a dragon, a pug and a Cuisinart. Yet strangely, the troll wants acceptance from the society he preys on, and sees the young filmmaker as an opportunity to clear up the 'misunderstandings' that have always plagued him.
The entire set of characters in the movie was modeled, textured and animated on 1 Beyond workstations running a combination of software, including SOFTIMAGE|XSI and LightWave.
Visitors to the 1 Beyond booth at SIGGRAPH (booth #206) in Boston Aug. 1-3, 2006, will be able to view some of Hatchlings work on THE TOLL, which is set to officially premiere July 20 at the Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival in San Diego. Visit www.thetollmovie.com for a sneak peek and festival screenings.
Founded in 1996, 1 Beyond Inc. (www.1beyond.com) is a leading manufacturer of professional PC-based video editing, compositing and storage systems at a fraction of the cost of traditional high-end systems.
For more info on Hatchling, go to www.hatchling.com.