Category: Visual Effects

The title character of NBC's CHUCK, Zachary Levi, has joined the cast of Fox 2000's ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

Levi will play Jason Lee's character's cousin, who get caught up in the shenanigans of the CG-animated rodents, voiced again by Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler and Jesse McCartney.

Mechanism Digital accepted the design challenge to develop a memorable show open and graphics package for Animal Planet's new series BEHIND THE CLIP. The show is produced by CBS Eye Too, who in turn came to rely on Mechanism's design team to create a quirky and fresh concept for a new show featuring animals skateboarding, driving a car and other surprising activities found on YouTube clips.

Universal Studios Hollywood has named marketing exec Xiomara Wiley to the position of Senior VP, Marketing and Sales, with responsibilities for the overall brand direction of the entertainment landmark including the theme park and the CityWalk shopping and entertainment complex.

Electronic Arts and Paramount Digital Ent. have delayed the release of THE GODFATHER II videogame, now coming out April 7 in North America and April 10 in Europe.

Christopher Nolan, the director and co-writer of the critically lauded summer blockbuster THE DARK KNIGHT, will helm INCEPTION for Warner Bros. Pictures.

Nolan also wrote the original screenplay for INCEPTION, which is described as a contemporary sci-fi actioner set within the architecture of the mind. The film will be produced by Nolan and his longtime producing partner Emma Thomas, who served as a producer on THE DARK KNIGHT.

INCEPTION will go into production this summer and is being planned for release in the summer of 2010.

Visual effects company Lidar VFX has opened a new facility at Shepperton in Middlesex, the U.K., to enhance their specialized services in the field of 3D scanning and data capture. A combination of proprietary hardware and software together with highly mobile and specialized crews with a "high speed, low drag" motto enables Lidar to supply clients with an accurate, efficient, and cost effective Data Capture service.

Recent credits include THE DARK KNIGHT, HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF BLOOD PRINCE and HANCOCK.

Digital-Tutors has announced INTRODUCTION TO MENTAL RAY IN MAYA 2009 and MOTORCYCLE MODELING TECHNIQUES IN 3DS MAX, the latest additions to a collection of training for media and entertainment and developed for new and experienced artists using mental ray, a high-performance rendering engine developed by mental images that generates photorealistic images, and 3ds Max, the customizable and scalable modeling, animation, and rendering solutions for games, film, and television.

Concrete has just completed 3D post-production work for an introductory title sequence which leads into the latest BBC ONE Panorama documentary titled TAX ME IF YOU CAN, presented by Jeremy Vine. The program, which explores the hidden world of tax evasion in havens such as the Channel Islands and the Bahamas in the context of the current global crisis, was produced and directed by BBC's Howard Bradburn. The title sequence was overseen, directed and designed by Senior Creative Designer Morgan Sendall based at Concrete.

Luxology LLC, developers of modo, a modern, designer-focused 3D software application, today demonstrated a new SolidWorks importer during SolidWorks World 2009. The importer is the result of a joint engineering effort between Dassault Systemes SolidWorks and Luxology, and will be included in the upcoming release of modo 401. Compatible with Windows operating systems, the new importer supports the loading of SolidWorks files directly into modo for decoration, animation and rendering. To see Luxology's new importer working inside of modo 401, visit the company's booth, #1207.

The Cartoon Art Museum presents an advance screening of one of the most anticipated films of 2009, WATCHMEN, in a special benefit fundraiser sponsored by Warner Bros. Pictures. This is your opportunity to avoid the opening night crowds and pledge your support to the Cartoon Art Museum, which will receive 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales to this spectacular advance screening.

General Admission: $25: One ticket to the March 5 advance screening of WATCHMEN at The Metreon, plus one free pass to the Cartoon Art Museum

The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) will host their annual open house on Saturday, February 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Mole Richardson (925 North La Brea Avenue, Hollywood). The open house is held in conjunction with the ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards celebration on February 15, at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel.

CAPRICA, the prequel to BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, will premiere exclusively on DVD on April 21, 2009 from Universal Studios Home Ent. The feature-length prequel will be available on DVD as a limited-edition uncut and unrated version before the series' broadcast premiere on the Sci Fi Channel in 2010.