Search form

Tagged With: Effects

Digital Headline News

New F/X Studio Mr. X Launches

Visual effects supervisor Dennis Berardi and Toronto-based TOPIX/Mad Dog's Chris Wallace and Sylvain Taillon have launched Mr. X, Inc., a studio providing computer generated visual effects for feature entertainment. The new partnership will combine TOPIX's artists with Berardi, former visual effects supervisor of Toybox, supplying the ideas and directing. Berardi's F/X supervising credits include THE CELL, FIGHT CLUB, EXISTENZ, KEEPING THE FAITH, SUPERSTAR, THOMAS AND THE MAGIC RAILROAD, JASON X and BRIDE OF CHUCKY.

Effects Headline News

Digital Film Tools Offer Free Plug-In

Digital Film Tools, the producer of Composite Suite, a comprehensive set of visual effects plug-ins for editors and visual effects artists, is offering a free Fast Blur plug-in for Avid editing systems and Adobe After Effects. The plug-in is a high-quality, deep focus blur plug-in that can be downloaded from Digital Film Tools Website at www.digitalfilmtools.com/html/products.html.

Million Headline News

Cast Away Sinks To Second At US Box Office

Sinking behind the debut of the new teen drama, SAVE THE LAST DANCE, CAST AWAY drifted into second place at the U.S. box office with a gross of US$17.15 million. The desert island drama, with primary visual effects by Sony Pictures Imageworks, has accumulated an impressive $165.1 million to date. Holding onto third, TRAFFIC drove in with another $11.17 million. The drug ring rage, with primary visual effects by Cinesite, has grabbed $33.08 million so far. In fifth, after its first week in wide release, THIRTEEN DAYS thrilled audiences to the tune of $10.23 million.

Effects Headline News

iXL Gains New Exec Producer & Senior F/X Artist

The iXL Digital Video Group, New York, a graphic design and visual effects company, has added Robin Horlick as executive producer and Doug Dimon as senior visual effects artist. Horlick joins iXL following four years as director of sales/executive producer at Sony Music Studios, New York. During her career in television production she has won an Emmy, Peabody and BDA awards.

Effects Headline News

Das Werk Acquires Centropolis Effects

German post-production house Das Werk has acquired Centropolis Effects, the f/x arm of Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin's Centropolis Entertainment. The deal was for stock. Centropolis Effects will still be based in Los Angeles and Centropolis Entertainment will use the F/X firm for their visual effects needs. The purchase will allow Centropolis Effects to expand into commercials and music videos. President Mark Franco, head of production Aaron Dem and CFO Amir Nasrabadi will continue on in their current posts. Emmerich and Devlin will stay on Centropolis Effects' board of directors.

Million Headline News

Third Week Atop The US BO For Cast Away

With little new flavor in the U.S. box office this past weekend, CAST AWAY remained on top for a third straight week, with a gross of US$22.22 million. The volleyball friendly film, with primary visual effects by Sony Pictures Imageworks, has collected $141.7 million thus far. Slipping only a slot, THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE palled around in sixth, grossing $7.46 million. The llama loving buddy flick has drummed up $62.4 million to date. Keeping its grip on seventh place, VERTICAL LIMIT landed another $5.01 million.

Effects Headline News

New Jobs: Animators, Digital Artists, Directors, Visual Artists And More...

New York's Curious Pictures, a commercial animation and effects studio, is looking for a LEAD AFTEREFFECTS COMPOSITOR for miniseries. . . Kirkland, Washington's KnowWonder, a digital media works company specializing in the production of computer games and "edutainment" for children and young adults, is looking for a CHARACTER ANIMATOR/MODELER. . . Den Haag, The Netherlands' LetsLook, a company providing services for 3D visualization of real estate, is looking for a MODELER/ANIMATOR. . . Rome, Italy's Mamut is looking for a 2D ANIMATOR and a LAYOUT ARTIST for a television series. . .

Million Headline News

Cast Away Floats Atop Holiday Box Office In The US

After claiming the U.S. box office crown over the Christmas weekend, CAST AWAY reclaimed the titled as BO champ for the New Year's weekend with a gross of US$31.2 million. The desert island adventure, with primary visual effects by Sony Pictures Imageworks, has floated $111.2 million in just 10-days of release. In fifth, Disney's THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE danced in with another $11.8 million. The new animated comedy has collected $47.9 million to date. Falling from fourth to sixth, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS grabbed an additional $7.8 million.

Effects Headline News

Spontaneous Shocks Circuit City With Photo-Real Santa Spots

Spontaneous Combustion, a digital studio specializing in the creation of visual effects and design for the advertising, broadcast and film industries, has created and composited a photo-realistic 3D spot for a new Circuit City campaign. "Digital Santa" opens in a world where elves act as caddies and Santa Claus spends his time golfing. The Spontaneous Combustion team needed to make the effects seamless by replacing one of the backgrounds in the first spot with a blue sky.

Effects Headline News

Interactive Effects Ships Piranha HD 3.3

High-end visual effects software developer Interactive Effects announced the release of Piranha HD version 3.3 for Silicon Graphics workstations. The new version expands on the capabilities of previous releases in the key areas of universal mastering for film and HD, workflow, EDL conforming, effects and performance. Graphics additions to the new system include Wire and Rig Removal, Quad Filter Texturing, a new Transfer Mode effect with 2D Boolean operations and several new artistic blur effects.

Million Headline News

The Grinch Finally Surrenders US Box Office Crown

Falling behind the debuts of the live-action comedies, WHAT WOMEN WANT and DUDE, WHERE'S MY CAR?, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS surrendered its U.S. box office crown, falling to third. The Who-ville fable, with primary visual effects by Digital Domain, grabbed $13.81 million, elevating its cume to an astounding $213.6 million. Disney's new animated feature THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE made a lackluster debut in fourth grossing $9.81 million. The screwball buddy film could see increased dollars over the upcoming holiday vacation, helped by good reviews across the board.

Million Headline News

Grinch Snowballs Newcomer Vertical Limit

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS snowballed all the newcomers in its fourth weekend at the U.S. box office. The Who-ville hijinks, with primary visual effects by Digital Domain, shoveled in another US$18.65 million, piling its green up to the tune of $195.6 million. Therefore, the debut of VERTICAL LIMIT landed in second. The K2 rescue flick, with primary visual effects by Centropolis Effects, dug up $15.51 million. PROOF OF LIFE's premiere had to settle for a lackluster third place finish. The kidnapping love triangle, with primary visual effects by Cinesite, garnered $10.21 million.

Effects Headline News

FX Wiz Glen Bennett Joins Click 3X

Click 3X, a digital commercial studio, has added award-winning effects veteran Glen Bennett to their Los Angeles team. Bennett, who has worked in video and digital effects since 1986, was a pioneer in the use of Discreet Logic's Flame* software, winning a Monitor Award for Best Special Effects in 1995 for the Guinness "Enigma" spot directed by Michael Hausseman. He received the 1998 MVPA Award for Best Visual FX for his work on 311's music video "Transistor" directed by Jay Papke. Click 3X VP, executive producer Phyllis Nix said, "What can I say?

Million Headline News

Grinch Grabs Top Spot For Third Week

Without any major new releases in U.S. theaters, HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS grabbed the top spot once again. The cartoon redux, with primary visual effects by Digital Domain, grossed another US$27.1 million, climbing its total take at U.S. box offices to a whopping $172 million. The rest of the top five also remained the same, with UNBREAKABLE collecting $14.44 million in second. The superhero drama, with primary visual effects by The Secret Lab and TSL, has a cume of $66.35 million thus far. 102 DALMATIANS was spotted in third, with a gross of $8.3 million.

Live-action Headline News

Rhinoceros Wins NY Lottery

Rhinoceros Visual Effects and Design has created the visual effects for a new New York State Lottery 30-second spot. In "Talking Mule," a live-action talking donkey ponders why miners bother panning for gold when all they need to do is play New York Lottery's "24K" game. Rhinoceros developed a highly efficient new system of simulating speech for "Talking Mule" that called for Inferno compositing, rather than the standard CGI work.

Effects Headline News

LEAF Awards Top Honors On Gladiator

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, November 15, 2000 at 12:00am

The London Effects and Animation Festival handed out its awards at a ceremony on November 14, 2000. DreamWork's GLADIATOR, with visual effects by Mill Film, took home the prize for best effects feature, beating out DINOSAUR and the TV miniseries ARABIAN NIGHTS. The works were judged by a panel of industry experts, media buyers and trade media. The awards kicked off the three day event, which will include screenings, panel discussions, presentations and a sneak peek at PDI and DreamWork's new 3D animated feature SHREK. Below is a complete list of this year's winners.

Effects Headline News

Cinesite Finds Fink For Senior F/X Post

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, November 15, 2000 at 12:00am

Cinesite the visual effects arm of Kodak, has named Michael Fink as their senior visual effects supervisor. Fink's visual effects supervisor credits include WAR GAMES, THE SEVENTH SIGN, BRAVEHEART, LETHAL WEAPON 4 and X-MEN. He earned an Oscar nomination for BATMAN RETURNS in 1993. Fink led a start-up venture, Warner Digital Studios, for Warner Bros., in 1995. The full service visual effects shop had a 150 staff at its peak. They created visual effects for BATMAN AND ROBIN, ERASER, MARS ATTACKS, CONSPIRACY THEORY and CONTACT.

Animation Events

London Effects and Animation Festival 2000

By Guest (not verified) | Tuesday, November 14, 2000 at 11:00am
Begins: November 14, 2000

LEAF 2000 (London Effects and Animation Festival) is a three-day event celebrating the best new work in computer-generated animation and special effects. LEAF is recognized as one of the most important events in the animation calendar, showcasing and promoting the skills and services of companies and individuals involved in the creative development of visual effects and computer-generated animation.

Software Headline News

Getting Jig-gy With It

By Mike Amron | Wednesday, October 18, 2000 at 12:00am

Steamboat Software, a Los Angeles developer of high-end computer graphics and visual effects software, has announced the release of Jig Software to the general public. Jig is a comprehensive solution for rendering traditional geometry, as well as photorealistic hair, volumes and particles. The software has been ported to SGI and NT platforms, but is primarily developed on and for the Linux operating system. Jig is designed to be scalable, performing well on modest workstations as well as large rendering clusters.

Festival Headline News

Exclusive Screening Of Shrek At The London Effects & Animation Festival

On November 14, 2000 the 7th annual London Effects & Animation Festival (LEAF), Europe's leading computer generated animation and special effects festival will award the best work from around the world in the commercial, short film, feature film, student, music video, titles, idents & stings, education & simulation and Web animation categories. Winners will receive the prestigious Golden LEAF Award. This year, the festival will once again showcase computer-generated animation and special effects, reflecting some of the best creative and technical achievements of the past year.

Pages