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Category: Visual Effects

Effects Headline News

CafeFX Brings History To Life For HBO Films' John Adams

Feature film visual effects facility CafeFX produced extensive visual effects for HBO Films' epic seven-part miniseries JOHN ADAMS, which premiered on Sunday, March 16, 2008. The work is a vivid and authentic evocation of time and place, seamlessly underlying the drama that unfolds over John Adams' lifetime.

Headline News

Smoke & Mirrors New York and Tarsem Create Beer Heaven

Smoke and Mirrors New York and @radical.media's Tarsem create the beertastic world for BBH and brew masters at Miller Lite. The ever-elusive Beer Heaven is revealed to our hero, Mark, as he spots the descending stairwell into the promised land. What he finds is a bar where the taps and shelves are fully stocked with the perfect combination of taste and refreshment. Mark is the star of the bar -- everyone knows his name and the barstool reflects that notion.

Special Headline News

Version2 Partners With VFX-Animation Shop Special Branch

New York-based editorial and vfx/motion design shop Version2 will partner with CG animation and vfx shop, Special Branch, forming Special Branch@V2 (SB@V2).

The partnership expands V2's current presence, ability, and scope allowing them to deliver a wider range of services and talent depth to its clients. Special Branch is run by Partners/Artists Fran Roberts and Ed Manning. The SB@V2 deal provides an additional dimension to the growing resources available at the vfx /motion design division of V2.

Headline News

Harry Potter: The Exhibition

Becker Group, in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, will bring worldwide audiences "Harry Potter: The Exhibition," a state-of-the-art exhibition highlighting artifacts from the Warner Bros. films based on J.K. Rowling's book series. The 10,000 square foot experience will premiere in spring 2009 in a major market, and will appear in 10 or more cities around the world throughout a five-year span.

Headline News

Deathly Hallows Part One Set For November 2010 Release

Warner Bros. Pictures will release Part One of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS on November 19, 2010, per ComingSoon.net.

Part Two will follow sometime in summer 2011.

The official announcement from Warners earlier this year saying the studio was splitting up the final HARRY POTTER book did not have a firm date.

David Yates (HALF-BLOOD PRINCE and ORDER OF THE PHOENIX) will direct a Steve Kloves script with returning stars Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson.

Headline News

Fox Is Still Furious After 30 Years

Director Brian De Palma's THE FURY, a 1978 supernatural horror flick, is being revived by Fox 2000, per VARIETY.

Fox has hired Brian McGreevy and Lee Shipman to write a contemporary reimagining of the film, to be centered on a young man with heightened kinetic powers who is abducted by the government.

The original starred Kirk Douglas and John Cassavetes, was released by 20th Century Fox and was based on John Farris' 1976 novel of the same name.

Mike Weber will executive produce; Ted Field will produce via his Radar Pictures.

Films Headline News

CP Productions, Ghostrider To Partner On Horror Films

CP Productions and Mississippi-based Ghostrider Ent. will co-finance a slate of 10 horror films over the next three years, per VARIETY.

CP Prods. Principals Michael Cerenzie and Christine Peters have started a genre division for the films, which are expected to be budgeted at between $8 and $20 million.

Eric Thompson, who most recently ran Maverick Films' genre label Maverick Reds, will head the new division. He came to CP when he signed his Doomsday Twins Productions label to a first-look deal with CP.

Headline News

dvGarage Releases Greenscreen Keyer

dvGarage has released "dpMatte," a greenscreen keyer for Apple's Aperture 2.1. Based on technology used in dvGarage's existing keyer, dvMatte, the new background replacement tool is the first plug-in to be released using Aperture's brand new SDK.

dvGarage founder, Alex Lindsay said, "We view the photography industry as a massive growth market and we're glad Apple has opened Aperture to third party development."

Lights Headline News

The Syndicate's Design Works Lights Up The Night For CONSOL

Through its in-house branding and design group DesignWorks, creative design and digital production studio The Syndicate recently provided end-to-end production on LIGHTS, a spot for CONSOL Energy.

Headline News

Del Toro To Direct The Hobbit

PAN'S LABYRINTH director Guillermo del Toro has signed on to direct THE HOBBIT and its sequel for New Line-MGM.

This is a major step forward for the LORD OF THE RINGS prequels, which had been held up in litigation for several years.

The official announcement came Friday from executive producers Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh, New Line president Toby Emmerich and Mary Parent, chief of MGM's Worldwide Motion Picture Group.

Design Headline News

Golf Channel Taps Troika Design To Develop Rebrand

Troika Design Group, a strategic network branding and design agency, recently completed a total rebrand for the Golf Channel that includes a new visual identity, signature musical theme, image campaign and a deep toolkit of promotional elements. Leveraging its experience and thorough understanding of sports-related branding, Troika Design Group partnered with the Golf Channel to create a distinct and modern brand platform that is uniquely golf. The new package debuted during The Masters (April 7-13), and will continue to roll out throughout the year.

Headline News

Israeli Actress Set To Play Female Lead in Angels & Demons

VARIETY reports Israeli actress Ayelet Zurer will portray Italian scientist Vittoria Vetra in Columbia Pictures' DA VINCI CODE prequel ANGELS & DEMONS.

Tom Hanks will reprise his role as religious art scholar Robert Langdon. Vetra becomes entangled with Langdon as they attempt to sort through a mystery surrounding two groups with powerful and ancient roots: the Illuminati, the most powerful underground organization in history, and the Catholic Church.

Ron Howard will be back to direct the prequel from an Akiva Goldsman script.

Creative Headline News

RTT USA Adds Creative Director To Team

RTT USA, a leading provider of realtime 3D visualization software and services for product design and marketing, recently hired Jeffrey Bergmann as creative director at its Royal Oak, Michigan, USA location.

In his new role as creative director, Bergmann will head the Film & Print Department and will oversee all creative content produced by the Royal Oak office. Working closely with clients, Bergmann will aid in the overall development of their marketing materials using RTT's 3D product visualization technology.

Headline News

Digital-Tutors Releases Mental Ray Workflows In Maya: Caustics

Digital-Tutors released MENTAL RAY WORKFLOWS IN MAYA: CAUSTICS -- the latest release in a growing library of interactive training for emerging digital artists using Maya, the award-winning 3D modeling, animation, effects, and rendering solution.

MENTAL RAY WORKFLOWS IN MAYA: CAUSTICS contains two hours of project-based training for intermediate artists learning methods for realistically reflecting and refracting light rays in scenes and time-saving rendering techniques that can be used in numerous scenarios that require caustic effects.

Headline News

Iron Man Benefit Sneak Preview

Sneak preview IRON MAN on May 1 at the Aero Theatre (1328 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, California, 90403) with a discussion following with director Jon Favreau.

Robert Downey Jr. stars as Tony Stark, a dissolute industrialist who builds a heavily weaponized suit of armor and becomes a superhero after a near-death incident, in this big-budget Marvel Comics adaptation. With Jeff Bridges, Terrence Howard and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Proceeds go to Aero Building Fund Donation: $20 at the theatre only (no Fandango sales). Information: http://ironmanmovie.marvel.com/.

Headline News

Big Stage Hires Ent. Veteran Jonas Gray

Chuck Huebner, president and CEO, Big Stage, announced an addition to the company's executive ranks with industry vet Jonas Gray as SVP of marketing.

Gray, who has spent nearly 20 years creating synergies between brands and consumers, will help identify and implement strategic marketing partnerships for Big Stage, and drive overall branding, product marketing, and communications efforts on behalf of the company.

Digital Headline News

Digital Musings From the Editor:

This week we go deeper into a couple of recent acquisitions: Prime Focus' purchase of Frantic Films and Deluxe's purchase of Rainmaker Visual Effects in London and Vancouver. J. Paul Peszko speaks with Prime Focus Founder Namit Malhotra, Frantic Films Co-Founder Chris Bond and Frantic's new matte painting department Head Ken Nakada about how the acquisition is benefitting both companies. Meanwhile, Roma O'Connor of CIS London reports in "The Digital Eye" on the advantages and challenges of a new global presence for her company.

Headline News

Softimage - PipelineFX Sign Global Distribution Agreement

Softimage, a subsidiary of Avid Technology, announced that it has signed a global distribution agreement with PipelineFX, makers of Qube! software, the leading render farm management software for film production, game development, and digital media education around the world.

Effects Headline News

Brickyard VFX Drives Seamless Effects For Pontiac Vibe

Brickyard VFX contributed extensive visual effects to the latest commercial for the Pontiac Vibe from Leo Burnett Detroit. The music video-like spot features rap/pop star Shwayze and broke nationwide on air and online on April 21, 2008.

Headline News

CIS Taps Massive To Fill Stands For Leatherheads

Massive, the premier Artificial Intelligence -driven 3D animation software, was used by CIS Hollywood to fill football stadiums with virtual crowds for Universal Pictures' LEATHERHEADS.

Directed by George Clooney, and starring Clooney, Renee Zellweger and John Krasinski, the romantic comedy launched in the U.S. on April 4, 2008.

Headline News

Watchmen/YouTube Contest

Zack Snyder is offering you the opportunity to create "Veidt Enterprises" TV commercials that could end up in the feature film WATCHMEN, scheduled to be released in theaters on March 6, 2009.

To get started, download the standard definition and/or high definition assets from the links below, and then shoot your own original TV commercial that advertises one of the products.

Headline News

Pulling Back The Drapes: Set Decoration Revealed

The home library of an action hero, the bedroom of a mother-to-be and the office of a police chief will be among the installations celebrating the set decorator's art in "Pulling Back the Drapes: Set Decoration Revealed," a new exhibition opening on Friday, May 16, in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Fourth Floor Gallery in Beverly Hills. Admission is free.

Headline News

Casting For Female Terminator Lead Nearing Completion

Actress Moon Bloodgood is in final negotiations to play the female lead in TERMINATOR SALVATION: THE FUTURE BEGINS, per THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER.

The McG-directed action film stars Christian Bale, Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin. Bloodgood will play a battle-hardened member of the resistance in the fourth installment of the sci-fi series.

Shooting begins May 5 for a summer 2009 release from Halcyon Co. and Warner Bros.

Television Headline News

Viacom, Paramount, MGM And Lionsgate Form New Joint Venture

Viacom, its Paramount Pictures unit, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Lionsgate have formed a joint venture that creates a next- generation premium television channel and video on demand service that combines new and classic feature film output and original television series of five leading studios.

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