The Experience Is the Story, says Tim Willits
Tom Willits, Creative Director at id Software, provides insight in his talk about the gaming industry.
Category: Visual Effects
Animfx Day 1: Maori Welcome and Park Road Post
AnimfxNZ 2008 began with a song. A contingent of Maori gathered to perform a 'powhiri', or New Zealand traditional welcome. The foreign visitors and speakers lined up so the kaumatua could determine if they were friends or foes. Thankfully, there were no enemies among them, and the conference was able to proceed.
VIEW Conference Comes to a Close
One cannot help feeling that there is something very special in the way Maria Elena Gutierrez has put together this festival: her cultivation of industry figures, her contacts with other festivals, and her warmth as a hostess. Or maybe it’s the chocolate.
i3DTutorials Releases Softimage Training
i3DTutorials has a new training product for SOFTIMAGE|XSI -- RENDERING WITH SOFTIMAGE|XSI V.I: MENTAL RAY.
World War Z Gets Quantum Director
Paramount has hired QUANTUM OF SOLACE director Marc Forster to helm WORLD WAR Z, per VARIETY.
CHANGELING writer J. Michael Straczynski is penning the screenplay, based on Max Brooks' novel about a worldwide infestation of flesh-eating zombies. Brad Pitt's Plan B is producing.
Forster is unlikely to return for another James Bond film.
Disney To Adapt Graphic Pet Robots
Writer Colin Trevorrow has been hired by Disney to pen their upcoming action feature PET ROBOTS, per VARIETY.
PET ROBOTS, a graphic novel by Scott Christian Sava, is about four students who get lost on a field trip at a toy company and bond with military robots. The novel was published by Sava's Blue Dream Studios last year. Sava previously worked on SPIDER-MAN, CASPER THE FRIENDLY GHOST, ALIENS VS. PREDATORS and X-MEN as an illustrator, comic book artist, animator and videogame designer.
In Films, Games, Visual Effects, Films, Games, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All
Brickyard VFX Dials Up Design for the Launch of T-Mobile's New G1 Phone
Artist owned-and-operated bi-coastal effects boutique Brickyard VFX contributed vfx supervision, CG and graphic design work on a three-spot TV campaign for T-Mobile via ad agency Publicis in the West. Directed by Stylewar for production company Smuggler, QUESTIONS, SHARK and HOT DOG promote the new T-Mobile G1 phone with Google, which gives people the power of information, right at their fingertips. The campaign broke October 31.
Eastwood and Spielberg to Meet in the Hereafter
Clint Eastwood is in talks to direct supernatural thriller HEREAFTER at DreamWorks, per VARIETY.
The film will be in the same vein as THE SIXTH SENSE, and is produced by Kathleen Kennedy from a script by FROST/NIXON writer Peter Morgan.
DreamWorks, led by Steven Spielberg and Stacey Snider, picked up the script in March when the company was still under Paramount. DreamWorks kept the project in the divorce, and has been courting Eastwood for months.
Spielberg produced Eastwood's FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS and LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA.
Walden Media Co-Founder Granat Leaves Company
Cary Granat is leaving his post as co-CEO of Walden Media -- the company he co-founded -- but will stay as a consultant until the third CHRONICLES OF NARNIA film comes out, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
Walden will not bring in a co-CEO to work with Michael Bostick. David Weil, Bostick and Anschutz Film Group CEO, will take on Granat's responsibilities. Bostick joined Walden last March.
Fantasy Painting, Tattooing Portraits From Gnomon
This week The Gnomon Workshop has two new titles: TATTOOING PORTRAITS WITH NIKKO HURTADO and DYNAMIC FANTASY PAINTING WITH TOM BAXA.
World renowned tattooist Nikko Hurtado demonstrates in detail the secrets of tattooing realistic color portraits from start to finish. In this two hour tutorial Nikko guides you through his process with a keen eye and honed skills. He delivers a brilliant portrait with admirable creativity, while discussing his techniques.
Media 100's Version 13 Now Shipping
Media 100, a provider of advanced editing systems for the corporate, broadcast, postproduction, and new media industries, have announced that Media 100 Version 13, introduced at IBC 2008, is now shipping.
TRANSFORMATIONS: The Spore Evolves
Well, I’m torn. Shall I go to the presentation on “Hair shells and bi-quad transition rig on Shrek the Halls and Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” or to the “Humanizing virtual agents: the role of speech technology in effective human-machine interaction?” Maybe if they made a rule that titles had to be short, like “Beards and boundaries” and “Talk to me, Mac,” I would feel less anxiety about making these choices.
Sci Fi's Sanctuary Picked Up For Season 2
Sci Fi has greenlit production on a second season of SANCTUARY, the channel's groundbreaking new hit series, ordering 13 new hours. SANCTUARY is slated to begin production in Vancouver early next year for a 2009 premiere.
More than three million viewers tuned in to the premiere of SANCTUARY on October 3, 2008 making it the highest rated original series premiere since EUREKA debuted in July 2006.
Digital-Tutors Releases New Training Titles for Maya 2009 and RealFlow4
Digital-Tutors, an Autodesk Authorized Publisher and Next Limit Certified Training Partner, have released ANIMATION LAYERS IN MAYA and SCRIPTING IN REALFLOW4 for emerging digital artists using Maya 2009, the 3D modeling, animation, effects, and rendering solution, or RealFlow4, the physical simulation tool for creating accurate and realistic dynamic simulations and fluid effects.
Fox Lets the World Decide Who/What Will be Saved When the Earth Stands Still
Twentieth Century Fox has teamed with Moxie Interactive to create a new application that allows the world to decide who and what will be saved when the earth "stands still". It's part of a global participation campaign for Fox's upcoming movie, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, which opens in the U.K. and the U.S. on December 12.
The Gnomon Workshop Announces The Making of Worms
This week The Gnomon Workshop released a DVD set unlike any you have seen before. Sil van der Woerd, a talented music video director from the Netherlands, has reconstructed the steps he took to produce and direct a music video for the Dutch singer Lolly Jane Blue.
Image Metrics Creates Video Game and Film & TV Divisions
Image Metrics, a provider of facial animation solutions for the entertainment industry, is aligning its operations into Video Game and Film & TV divisions to address the growing demand for its services in the two industries.
Image Metrics' Kelvin Duckett has been promoted to GM of the film group. Former Havok sales exec Brian Waddle is joining Image Metrics as GM of the games organization. In these newly-created positions, Duckett and Waddle will work directly with CEO Mike Starkenburg to expand business operations in their respective markets.
In People, Visual Effects, People, Visual Effects | Headline News | Special Events: SIGGRAPH | Geographic Region: All, North America
Concrete Posts Stylish New Duffy Music Video
Concrete has just completed post production on Duffy's latest music video "Rain on your Parade" for Factory Films, produced by Rob Small and directed and edited by Sophie Muller for Polydor. The video conveys a classic scene of the leggy singer crooning under spotlights on stage, surrounded by violinists and male dancers. The video is beautifully lit creating a stylized and elegant feel.
In Commercials, Visual Effects, Commercials, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All
Digital Musings From the Editor:
In this month's issue of "The Digital Eye," Master Key, a small, local, vfx start-up, reveals its special workflow model for handling the KNIGHT RIDER TV series with synergy, efficiency and breakneck speed. Meanwhile, Tara Bennett gets into SCI FI's new SANCTUARY TV series with Anthem Visual Effects. And Peter Rizkalla tackles the new QUANTUM OF SOLACE game with Activision's lead design director.
Bill DesowitzEditor
NVIDIA Launches New Graphics Cards, 3D Accelerator
NVIDIA is releasing three new products before the end of the year: NVIDIA Quadro NVS 450 Graphics Card, NVIDIA Quadro FX 5800 and NVIDIA Quadro Plex 2200 S4.
NVIDIA Quadro NVS 450 Graphics Card
In Technology, Visual Effects, Technology, Visual Effects | Headline News | Geographic Region: All, Asia
Les Ekker Named Creative Director at Zoic Studios
Academy Award nominee Les Ekker has joined Zoic Studios as Creative Director of the commercial division. This position includes directing, on and off set visual effects supervision, visual effects design and mentoring.
Ekker, who went freelance to pursue a multi-faceted experience after his 13-year tenure at Digital Domain, was thrilled to have this ideal role specially designed for him at Zoic.
Ridley Scott Directs Effort To Monopolize Boardwalk and Park Place
Ridley Scott is officially attached to direct Hasbro-Universal's MONOPOLY adaptation, and Pamela Pettler will write the script, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
Scott has been attached as a producer for some time, and intends to give the game-turned-movie a futuristic bend, similar to his BLADE RUNNER.
Pettler wrote Tim Burton's CORPSE BRIDE, Gil Kenan's MONSTER HOUSE and the upcoming animated feature 9, produced by Burton and WANTED director Timur Bekmambetov.
Ratner Discussing Directing Conan
Nu Image/Millennium Films and Lionsgate are in final negotiations with Brett Ratner (RUSH HOUR franchise, X MEN: THE LAST STAND) to direct CONAN. Based on Robert E. Howard's classic action/adventure novels about a mythical conquering hero, CONAN is a co-production between Nu Image's Millennium Films and Lionsgate.
Joe Johnston Recruited To Direct Captain America
Marvel Studios has hired Joe Johnston to direct FIRST AVENGER: CAPTAIN AMERICA, reports THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.
The studio is hearing pitches and is expected to hire a writer soon to adapt the classic comic book character. Kevin Feige with Marvel is producing.
Starting with IRON MAN, Marvel has set in motion a film path leading to a big AVENGERS film for 2011. THOR, the IRON MAN sequel and CAPTAIN AMERICA (set for May 6, 2011) all will lay the ground work.
LEGOLAND California Brings RealD 3-D to Guests
In its first alliance with a theme park, RealD, the world's largest digital 3-D experience provider, and LEGOLAND, California have partnered to present the LEGOLAND 4D presentations SPELLBREAKER 4D and LEGO RACERS 4D, powered by RealD PRO technology at the theme park's Show Place Theater. This new partnership harnesses the most advanced digital 3-D technology and offers a unique sensory experience for LEGOLAND guests. An exciting new film will launch in early 2009.
