Autodesk Technology Brings Magic Mirror to Life
By amoody
Created 01/22/2009 - 01:00
In the new Broadway hit SHREK THE MUSICAL, DreamWorks Animation is relying on Autodesk's 3D character animation technology. A customized system based on Autodesk MotionBuilder software is being used to generate a digital face in the Magic Mirror, which speaks to Lord Farquaad in real-time for every show.
"We've had a great, longstanding engagement with Autodesk; we rely heavily on Autodesk software and custom development for many of our projects," said Jim Mainard, head of Research and Development, DreamWorks Animation Technology. "For SHREK THE MUSICAL, the sophistication, interactivity and believability of the Magic Mirror wouldn't have been possible without Autodesk technology."
For SHREK THE MUSICAL, Autodesk designed a system that captures the facial motion of actor John Tartaglia in real-time and uses it to animate the face in the Magic Mirror. This live-to-stage performance is the first of its kind in a Broadway musical. The Magic Mirror was featured on NBC's THE TODAY SHOW on December 8, 2008 and tested by co-host Meredith Vieira.
SHREK THE MUSICAL is an new musical based on the story and characters from the book by famed New Yorker cartoonist William Steig, as well the Academy Award-winning DreamWorks film. The show celebrated Opening Night at The Broadway Theatre in New York City on December 14, 2008.
