Smith Micro Software, Consumer Group have released Manga Studio Debut 4.0 and Manga Studio EX 4.0, the world's leading manga and comic art software used by professional artists and hobbyists to create professional, ready-to-publish comics and print cartoons from start to finish.
Warner Bros. will not release THE DARK KNIGHT in China, according to VARIETY.
According to a statement Tuesday, "Based on a number of pre-release conditions that are being attached to THE DARK KNIGHT as well as cultural sensitivities to some elements of the film, we have opted to forego a theatrical release of the film in China," the studio said.
LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD actress Maggie Q has joined the cast of Japanese videogame adaptation KING OF FIGHTERS, per VARIETY.
The film is currently lensing in Vancouver. Q's credits also include MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE 3.
Houdini training partner Digital-Tutors has released INTRODUCTION TO FLUIDS IN HOUDINI, the latest release for emerging digital artists learning Houdini. INTRODUCTION TO FLUIDS IN HOUDINI offers three and half hours of practical projects for effects artists and provides production-applicable techniques and general workflows to particle-based and volume-based simulations to create realistic fire, smoke, and liquid effects with Houdini.
Five films based on Arcana Studios' comics will be produced by Canadian production company Legacy Filmworks, production-finance group Bron Management and Arcana, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
First up is sci-fi thriller PARADOX, to star Kevin Sorbo and to be directed by Brenton Spencer (STARGATE: ATLANTIS). Sorbo will portray a homicide cop on a parallel-universe Earth ruled by magic. He investigates a series of murders committed by a previously-unseen force: the power of science.
DARKHORIZONS is reporting that DNA Films, Rebellion and 2000 AD will bring a new version of JUDGE DREDD to movie audiences.
No other details were available, but 2000AD CEO Jason Kingsley confirmed they were working with DNA Films on the project.
Sylvester Stallone starred as the Judge in a poorly-reviewed and received version in 1995. The new film will go into production next year.
Although Disney has yet to confirm, AIN'T IT COOL NEWS reports that TR2N will be shot entirely in 3-D. The sequel to the groundbreaking 1982 film is due out in 2011.
PNY Technologies' new ultra high-performance graphic boards, the NVIDIA Quadro FX 5800 by PNY and NVIDIA Quadro FX 4800 by PNY, are now available.
Stephen Chow has dropped out as director of THE GREEN HORNET over "creative differences," per VARIETY. He will still play Kato, however. Columbia Pictures and producer Neal Mortiz are in the process of finding a new director, hopefully before the end of the year, to keep the film on track to begin production in the spring.
AUSTRALIA director Baz Luhrmann has bought the rights to F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel THE GREAT GATSBY, the trades are reporting.
Both THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER and Nikki Finke's DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD DAILY say that Luhrmann will get this project out more quickly, with less of a delay than between his last few films.
The director has taken between four to seven years between projects STRICTLY BALLROOM (1992), ROMEO + JULIET (1996), MOULIN ROUGE! (2001) and this year's release of AUSTRALIA.
Neither a script or an attached studio has come about yet.
NVIDIA has made available version 2.1 beta of its CUDA toolkit and SDK. This is the latest version of the C-compiler and software development tools for accessing the massively parallel CUDA compute architecture of NVIDIA GPUs. In response to overwhelming demand from the developer community, this latest version of the CUDA software suite includes support for NVIDIA Tesla GPUs on Windows Vista and 32-bit debugger support for CUDA on RedHat Enterprise Linux 5.x (separate download).
As the demand for an efficient, feature-rich and cost-effective 3D toolset expands, DAZ 3D responds with the release of Carrara 7.0, the latest version of its popular all-in-one 3D modeling, animation and rendering solution. Carrara 7.0 boasts a broad set of new, easy-to-use features such as 3D paint, multi-pass rendering and assembly room vertex modeling for professionals, students and hobbyists within multiple industries including digital photography, illustration, creative design and videography.
Making It Look Great 5: Design, Production and Workflow Techniques for Adobe After Effects: provides seven hours of in-depth video training for Adobe After Effects and After Effects plug-ins from Motionworks.
Demonstrating its commitment to OpenGL and the standardization process, NVIDIA has released fully supported drivers for OpenGL 3.0 for Windows XP, Windows Vista and Linux on its select GeForce and Quadro solutions. These drivers enable software developers to take full advantage of all OpenGL 3.0 capabilities, accelerating their delivery of cutting-edge media platforms and applications.
Online marketplace of 3D assets, TurboSquid, is now an official reseller of Craft Director Tools.
"Our objective is to change the attitude of animation by educating a wide array of users about Craft Director Tools and their ability to offer a simple, fast and effective solution for professional-quality 3D animation," said Craft Animations Founder and Head of Research, Luigi Tramontana. "There is no better way to achieve this goal than to expand the Craft audience, and we see TurboSquid's renowned marketplace and active community as the perfect venue to help us do so."
Busy director Sam Raimi will be unable to helm a new Jack Ryan film, but Paramount Pictures has hired screenwriter Hossein Amini to pen the script, which will be an original origins story, not from a Tom Clancy novel, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
Raimi was in negotiations this past spring to develop and direct a series of four films centered around the CIA analyst character, who hasn't been seen onscreen since 2002. Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck have all portrayed the Ryan character, and the new films will center around the youngest Ryan seen yet.
e-on software, maker of Vue, the leading solution for natural 3D environments announced that the Open Beta of Vue 7 Pioneer is immediately available for download, free of charge.
Users of the Free Vue 7 Pioneer Open Beta will get a full license of Vue 7 Pioneer when it is released, at no additional cost. Pre-release versions of Vue 7 Esprit, Vue 7 Pro Studio and Vue 7 Complete are also immediately available for purchase from e-on software.
Sony Electronics is teaming with FOX Sports and a roster of technology providers to deliver the first live 3-D presentation of next month's college football FedEx Bowl Championship Series (BCS) National Championship Game between the University of Florida and University of Oklahoma. The announcement was made during the Sports Video Group annual League Technology Summit.
Version 8 of SiTex Graphics' AIR production rendering software introduces shader-based procedural modeling for the efficient creation of large, complex models at render-time.
THE SPIRIT team of Frank Miller and Odd Lot Ent. are close to reuniting to make a film adaptation of sci-fi property BUCK ROGERS, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
Odd Lot's Gigi Pritzker and Deborah Del Prete are in negotiations to option the rights from Nu Image/Millennium, who obtained them earlier this year from Dille Trust. Millennium will get a credit on the finished film, but will not be involved in production.
New York-based content creation studio HUSH has teamed up with advertising agency Momentum Worldwide (NY) on a lightning-fast live action, design and animation production. The effort is part of American Express' new focused campaign showing on 20+ screens at the new LA Live outdoor space adjacent to the Los Angeles Staples Center.
New York-based design and VFX studio Click 3X recently produced title sequences for two feature films from Academy Award-winning directors, Jonathan Demme's RACHEL GETTING MARRIED, and Davis Guggenheim's IT MIGHT GET LOUD. Both projects involved heavy stylistic experimentation and hands-on collaboration with the directors to develop sequences that embody and introduce the subject, complement the film openings, and add to the overall storylines.
Image Metrics, a leading provider of facial animation solutions for the entertainment industry, has completed a $6.5 million Series B round of funding led by Saffron Hill Ventures, the company's original investor. The funds will be used to enable the development of new technologies and service offerings that will result in more cost-effective, high-quality facial animation for Image Metrics' customers. It will also be used to execute industry-focused plans for Image Metrics' recently announced video game and film divisions.
Award-winning writer-producer-director Christopher Nolan will receive the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) Board of Governors Award, which is presented annually to an individual who has made significant contributions to advancing the art of filmmaking. Nolan will be feted during the 23rd Annual ASC Outstanding Achievement Awards celebration on February 15, at the Century Plaza Hotel.
Digital-Tutors, an Autodesk Authorized Publisher and leader in video-based training, has announced the availability of INTRODUCTION TO MUDBOX 2009 -- the newest release in a library of interactive training for emerging digital artists using Mudbox, the advanced, high-resolution, brush-based digital sculpting and texture painting software.
