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Category: Visual Effects

Headline News

NewTek Launches Live Product Demo Webcasts

NewTek Inc., manufacturer of video and 3D animation products, will offer free live demonstrations of its products at http://demo.newtek.com beginning on March 18 and 19. Produced and streamed using NewTek TriCaster portable live production systems, each session will be held every two weeks and will focus on one NewTek product line. Visit http://demo.newtek.com for session focus information, dates, start times and sign-up form.

The products to kick off the NewTek DEMOS are:

Marvel Headline News

Marvel Sets Spidey 4 Date, Adjusts Avengers Strategy

Marvel Studios confirmed Thursday that Sony Pictures Entertainment will release SPIDER-MAN 4 on May 6, 2011. Additionally, Marvel Studios has revised the release dates for THOR and CAPTAIN AMERICA as part of its release strategy for an uninterrupted road to THE AVENGERS, now debuting May 4, 2012.

A Marvel character-based film will now launch the summer box office season for three years in a row, from 2010 through 2012.

Creature Headline News

Cinesite to Provide Creature Effects for Clash of the Titans

Cinesite has been selected by Warner Bros. to provide major creature animation on CLASH OF THE TITANS. The work involves a major battle sequence, and will include 2D and 3D shots as well as a lead CG creature.

CLASH OF THE TITANS, directed by Louis Leterrier (THE INCREDIBLE HULK) with Nick Davis as visual effects supervisor, is a remake of the 1981 film. It is the myth of Perseus and his quest to battle both Medusa and the Kraken monster in order to save the Princess Andromeda.

Headline News

Gotham Options Smoking Minotaur

Mike Jones' screenplay THE MINOTAUR TAKES A CIGARETTE BREAK from Steven Sherrill's novel was optioned by The Gotham Group, reports VARIETY.

THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES producer Ellen Goldsmith-Vein and Lindsay Williams will produce. Sherrill's 2000 book is about the mythical half-man, half-bull minotaur who, instead of succumbing to Theseus 3,000 years ago, now lives in a Wichita trailer park and works as a short-order cook at a run-down diner.

Producers are looking for a director for the live-action project.

Black Headline News

Rourke, Johansson Set For Iron Man 2

Mickey Rourke and Scarlett Johansson have signed deals with Marvel to star as Russian villains (for him, Crimson Dynamo, for her, Black Widow), according to DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD DAILY.

DHD also reports that Rourke's deal was a "significant" amount compared to Marvel's original offer of $250,000, but that Johansson's was a "terrible deal" in comparison.

Million Headline News

Take-Two Reports Q1 Loss Despite Higher Sales

Take-Two Interactive Software posted a higher loss for the first quarter of the year, blaming high marketing costs, development and legal fees despite stronger sales.

Net revenue for the first quarter of 2009 was $256.8 million, compared to $240.4 million for the same quarter of fiscal 2008. First quarter sales were led by GRAND THEFT AUTO IV, CARNIVAL GAMES, NBA 2K9 and MIDNIGHT CLUB: LOS ANGELES.

Headline News

Robin Hood Gets Release Date, Merry Men

Scott Grimes, Kevin Durand and Alan Doyle have joined Universal's ROBIN HOOD from director Ridley Scott, and the film has a date: May 14, 2010, according to the trades.

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER reports that Durand will play Little John, Doyle will portray Alan a Dayle and Grimes will be Will Scarlett. Little John was Robin Hood's right-hand man according to legends, and met Robin in a quarterstaff fight while trying to cross a river. Dayle was a roving minstrel who joins the band and Scarlet was a skilled swordsman and Robin's nephew.

Autodesk Headline News

Autodesk at GDC 2009: From Technical to Creative

At the 2009 Game Developers Conference (GDC), Autodesk will showcase its latest middleware and art creation tools for building innovative game experiences. Daily presentations at the Autodesk Booth (#5716) will highlight how the company's solutions have helped artists create AAA titles, such as FIFA SOCCER 09, WARHAMMER ONLINE: AGE OF RECKONING, PRINCE OF PERSIA and JAMES BOND: QUANTUM OF SOLACE. Industry visionaries and technology experts will also host four free Autodesk MasterClasses and six free Autodesk-sponsored training sessions during the show.

Headline News

NVIDIA Looking for the Next Great GPU Computing Company

NVIDIA Corporation, inventor of the GPU, has launched the GPU Ventures Program, a new global initiative whose aim is to identify, support and invest in early stage companies leveraging the GPU for visual and other computing applications. NVIDIA is also launching the GPU Venture Zone website, a portal to publicly showcase the innovative GPU applications being developed by its ecosystem partners.

Headline News

Allegorithmic's Substance Air Entering Final Stage of Beta

Allegorithmic, an emerging 3D technology company developing advanced texturing tools for real-time 3D content creation, has announced that Substance Air is now in its final stage of beta and is scheduled to launch April 2009. A new texturing middleware for the development and distribution of online and downloadable games (MMOs, Free2Play, and XBLA/PSN), Substance Air allows game developers to dramatically reduce the size of downloadable applications while providing the ultimate solution for advanced user-generated content.

Universal Headline News

Kennedy/Marshall Headed for Sony

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON producers Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall are set to leave Universal Pictures, per VARIETY, and will have a first-look deal at Columbia Pictures that starts April 1.

The frequent Steven Spielberg collaborators, who started their company in 1991, will be at Columbia for an 18-month term. Their last Universal film was THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM.

Film Headline News

Gameloft Brings Salvation to Mobile Phones

Gameloft has signed a licensing agreement with The Halcyon Company to develop, distribute and publish the official mobile game to the first film of the new TERMINATOR trilogy, TERMINATOR SALVATION. The game will be available day and date of the film release on May 22, 2009.

Universal Headline News

NBC Universal Movies, TV Now on PlayStation Network

Movies from Universal Studios Home Ent. and television programs from NBC Universal will be available for purchase on PlayStation Network, which is accessible for download via PlayStation 3 and PSP systems in the United States. Sony Computer Entertainment America now has a deal with every major motion picture studio.

Global Headline News

Philippines the Next Stop for Sci Fi's Global Domination

NBC Universal Global Networks will launch Sci Fi into the Philippines on March 13, 2009. The move is part of NBCU Global Network's continued channels expansion in the Asia Pacific region and central to the company's growth objective, led by Roma Khanna, President, Global Networks & Digital Initiatives.

NBCU Global Networks has appointed Solar Entertainment Corporation to be its channel distributor as well as its advertising sales representative for Sci Fi in the Philippines.

Films Headline News

Guerilla FX Goes on Film Rampage

Since joining Guerilla FX, Creative Director/VFX Supervisor John Bair and VFX Exec Producer Vivian Connolly have concentrated their energies primarily on creating visual effects and main title sequences for feature films including NEW YORK, I LOVE YOU and THE MESSENGER, and visual effects for DOUBT.

Headline News

Fox, New Regency Team on a New Man

New Regency and 20th Century Fox have purchased the pitch for futuristic actioner LAST MAN from David Ayer, who will write and direct, according to VARIETY.

The story will be about a captain assigned to protect an outpost on a distant planet who must lead a group of young American soldiers into battle against aliens. The pitch was sold in a seven-figure deal.

Headline News

Caustic Set to Launch World's First Massively Accelerated Raytracing Solution

Caustic Graphics, a new 3D computer graphics company, launched this week with a fundamental breakthrough in raytracing acceleration that is set to define a new era in professional 3D production and interactive consumer graphics. Raytracing, the gold-standard for creating 3D imagery, duplicates the natural physics of light, creating stunning images by meticulously tracing the path of light to and throughout any given scene.

Headline News

ABC Will Feel a Sci-Fi Impact

ABC has picked up miniseries IMPACT from Germany's Tandem Communications, according to multiple news outlets.

The sci fi series, according to VARIETY, is about humanity's efforts to survive after the moon is hit by a meteor and heads toward Earth. The Sci Fi Channel (owned by NBC Universal) took second-window rights, while Sony Pictures Home Ent. will distribute the DVD and Blu-ray.

Grading Headline News

Paul Harrison Joins MPC's Color Grading Department

MPC has signed award-winning colorist Paul Harrison to their team. Complimenting the talents of Jean-Clement Soret, Mark Gethin, George K and Kenny Gibb, Harrison joins as Senior Colorist. The team sheet includes some of the most highly respected international colorists and is lead by Jean-Clement Soret who graded Danny Boyle's multiple Oscar-winning SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE.

Soundtracks Headline News

Indy Soundtracks Get Individual Re-release

Concord Records has released the individual soundtracks to the original three INDIANA JONES films: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE.

All three feature Oscar-winning composer John Williams' soundtracks digitally remastered from the original tapes, plus unreleased music from each respective film. Previously available only as part of last year's box set release INDIANA JONES: THE SOUNDTRACKS COLLECTION, these reissued CDs will be available individually for the first time from producer Laurent Bouzereau.

Headline News

yU+co. Re-Teams with Snyder For Watchmen Main Titles

Setting the tone for Zack Snyder's WATCHMEN is a multi-layered, six-minute long title sequence conceived by Snyder that features compelling 3D typography designed by yU+co., the Hollywood-based design/animation studio that previously collaborated with Snyder on the title sequence for his 300.

Headline News

Watchmen's Haley is Now a Human Target

Jackie Earle Haley (Rorschach in WATCHMEN) will co-star in Fox's drama pilot HUMAN TARGET, alongside PUSHING DAISIES' Chi McBride, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

HUMAN TARGET, a DC Comics title, is about Christopher Chance (Mark Valley), who does freelance security by assuming the identities of the people in danger. Haley will play Chance's information guy, while McBride is set to play Chance's business partner and friend.

Headline News

Chris Columbus Welcomes Us to the Hoxford

Chris Columbus' 1492 Ent. has optioned the motion picture rights to Ben Templesmith's graphic novel WELCOME TO HOXFORD from IDW Publishing. Columbus will produce with 1492 partners Michael Barnathan and Mark Radcliffe. Michelle Miller brought the project into 1492.

Million Headline News

Watchmen Doubles 300 Thursday Gross

WATCHMEN did $4.6 million in midnight Thursday shows, according to VARIETY, almost doubling Zack Snyder's 300 same-day numbers.

The Warner Bros. film played 1,595 midnight runs, and expanded to 3,611 on Friday, the most ever for an R-rated film. IMAX sold out all of their midnight screenings, and had to add 3 a.m. showings to keep up with demand. Most of their screens are sold out for the weekend.

300 went on to gross $70.9 million in its opening March 2006 weekend, making $2.5 million on Thursday.

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