Luxology Llc. announced the immediate availability of a free production evaluation version of modo, its powerful new subdivision surface and polygonal modeling platform. Fully functional and unrestricted, the production evaluation version of modo is unique to the industry where software demos and learning editions often disable features or create other limitations.
The dual AMD Opteron processor-based workstations and servers from Verari Systems were used throughout the production pipeline for maverick director Robert Rodriguez' latest all-digital feature, SIN CITY, which opened today (April 1, 2005).
Touchstone Pictures' psychological thriller, DARK WATER, will now open on July 8, 2005, one month ahead of its previously scheduled release date. The film, starring Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Connelly, and helmed by acclaimed director Walter Salles (THE MOTORCYCLE DIARIES), is produced by Bill Mechanic, Roy Lee and Doug Davison. Based on a film by the creators of the Japanese version of THE RING, DARK WATER also stars Oscar nominees John C. Reilly, Tim Roth and Pete Postelthwaite, along with Dougray Scott and Camryn Manheim. Rafael Yglesias wrote the screenplay.
Fox 2000 Pictures is in final discussions with the Warner Bros.-based director Alfonso Cuaron (HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN) to replace M. Night Night Shyamalan as the director of LIFE OF PI, reports VARIETY.
Fox is moving to Cuaron to handle the adaptation of the Booker Prize-winning bestseller by Yann Martel, because it is unwilling to wait a year and a half for Shyamalan to finish his next film LADY IN THE WATER at Warner Bros. Because Cuaron has a contract with Warner, Fox 2000 will have to hammer out a split rights deal with WB.
Paramount and Nick Movies are negotiating to buy the film rights to FIRE BREATHER, a fantasy graphic novel by Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn, according to trades. Published by Image Comics, the comic revolves around high schooler Duncan Rosenblatt, who's half-human and half-dragon. Hes always at odds with his divorced parents a sweet-natured soccer mom and a 300-foot monster.
If the deal goes through, Nick svp Julia Pistor will producer with Adrian Loudermilk of Venture Management will take an exec producing credit.
THE X-FILES star David Duchovny is set to star in the upcoming sci-fi feature PARALLEL, reports SCI FI WIRE. The film was written and will be directed by first-timer Josh Boone.
"It's a very, very interesting, very well-written sci-fi thriller, to throw a couple of genres at you," Duchovny said in an interview. "That's getting closer to becoming a reality to shoot."
Autodesk Inc. introduced Toxik, collaborative compositing software for the creation of digital visual effects. Featuring advanced creative tools as well as integrated, enterprise-level collaboration, Toxik brings new capabilities to feature film production a market that is demanding increasingly sophisticated levels of creativity, collaboration and image processing quality. Redefining the way visual effects are created, managed and shared, Toxik will be shown publicly at the National Assn. of Broadcasters Convention (NAB) in Las Vegas, April 18-21, 2005.
Kristen Bell (TV's VERONICA MARS) and newcomer Steve Talley will star in long in development remake of Japanese supernatural horror film KAIRO titled PULSE, reports THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Making his feature debut will be commercial director Jim Sonzero. The film will be produced by Neo Art & Logics Mike Leahy and Joel Soisson. Production is set to begin early this summer in Romania. The story centers on a website run by an evil force whose takes control of web surfers lives. Wes Craven was originally attached to helm the project.
Warner Bros. Pictures has bought Ron Friedman and Steve Bencichs live-action, coming-of-age adventure THE TREEHOUSE.Wes Ball will make his feature directing debut on the film, with Tapestry Films Robert Levy, Peter Abrams and Andrew Panay producing. Warners' Lionel Wigram and Lauren Craniotes, along with Warner Bros. Animation president Sander Schwartz, are shepherding the film.
The story chronicles the adventures of a lonely boy who uncovers a magical treehouse, which transports him to a fantastical forest ruled children rule and parents dont exist.
CHARMED producer Brad Kern has written and will oversee an untitled pilot for The WB! centering around a mermaid, according to SCI FI WIRE.
"The mermaid is being played by a fresh new face that we've plucked out of Sydney, Australia," Kern said in an interview. "We were casting literally around the world looking for our mermaid. We looked in London and New York and New Zealand, Hollywood, Florida, Melbourne and Sydney."
Luma Pictures has signed on as lead vfx provider for UNDERWORLD II, the sequel to Lakeshore Ent./Screen Gems 2003 hit. The sequel continues the saga of war between the Death Dealers (vampires) and the Lycans (werewolves). The film traces the beginnings of the ancient feud between the two tribes as Selene (Kate Beckinsale) and Michael (Scott Speedman), the lycan hybrid, try to discover the secrets of their bloodlines. All of this takes them into battle as the immortals must finally face their retribution. The film is currently in production with Len Wiseman again directing.
Theres still one place available on the Visual and Special Effects Producing course launching at the UKs National Film and Television School in May. Aimed at future Technical Directors and VFX Supervisors/Producers, this groundbreaking 15-month course starts on May 8 and offers a unique opportunity to develop an in-depth understanding of a broad range of physical and digital effects techniques, and how to choose the best solution for any given production.
Showtime Networks has joined with IDT Ent.s New Arc Ent., Industry Ent. and Nice Guy Prods. to present a new anthology series entitled MASTERS OF HORROR. For the first time, the most prominent directors of the horror film genre have joined forces to produce a series of new original horror films that promises to shock, terrify and captivate even the most discriminating horror film fans.
Darth Vader and his candy counter-part M-Vader were in New York yesterday to unveil the new Dark Chocolate M&M's, which will be on shelves nationwide starting April 2, 2005. The product was specifically developed to celebrate the release of STAR WARS: EPISODE III REVENGE OF THE SITH.
VFXWORLD closes out March with four fascinating articles about non-entertainment 3D visualization.
fmx/05, a key event in animation, visual effects, games and other 3D content, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year (April 27-30 in Stuttgart, Germany) by continuing to offer a holistic, cinematic and integrated approach to the booming CGI industry.
The Visual Effects Society (VES) has added Area 51 supervisor Glenn Campbell (CHILDREN OF DUNE, GARDEN STATE) and supervisor/matte artist Rocco Gioffre (THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, BLADE RUNNER) to its VFX Spring Speaker Series devoted to Behind the Scenes: Problem-Solving in Visual Effects.
Topics will be free flowing and interactive, with a focus on problem solving.
Massive Software, developer of the Academy Award-winning 3D animation system for AI-driven characters and digital stunts, announced that Digital Domain is integrating Massive into its vfx pipeline. Massive, originally developed by Massive Software founder Stephen Regelous for use on THE LORD OF THE RINGS large-scale battle scenes, has been adopted by premiere creative facilities worldwide, including Rhythm & Hues, Animal Logic, WETA Digital, The Mill and many others.
Digimation has released its affordable new 2005 3D model collections and libraries.
Autodesk Inc. has begun shipping combustion 4 software for Windows, the highly anticipated upgrade to its visual effects desktop software solution.
Combustion 4 software features a complete set of sophisticated tools for visual effects creation, including vector paint, particles, effects, animation and 3D compositing. Version 4 provides motion graphics and compositing artists new creative capabilities, interface improvements, new paint tools and enhanced interoperability with third-party applications.
Key new features include:
Janine Bottazzi has been promoted to producer at the visual effects and animation studio Guava. Bottazzi, who has been with the company since its founding in 2002, will oversee visual effects and animation work for commercials, music videos and other media, and serve as a liaison between clients and Guavas artistic staff. Her current projects include commercials for Coldwell Banker and Neutrogena.
NAB is joining forces again with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and the Ent. Technology Center at USC (ETC-USC) to present the fourth annual Digital Cinema Summit. The two days of speakers, panels and new product announcements center on the now complete Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) specifications; the issues faced in implementing them through SMPTE standards; and the impact of digital cinema on entertainment, technology and theatrical exhibition worldwide. The Digital Cinema Summit will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, April 16 and 17, 2005.
While waiting for BATMAN BEGINS, you might want to check out an early serial on DVD, BATMAN AND ROBIN THE COMPLETE 1949 MOVIE SERIAL COLLECTION (Columbia TriStar Home Ent., $29.95), available March 22. Be forewarned: Its even campier than the TV series, and apparently not as good as an earlier 1943 serial, but, still, its a Dark Knight relic for those who want to explore the entire oeuvre. The 15-episode, two-disc set features capers and cliffhangers galore, as Robert Lowery and Johnny Duncan fight The Wizard, who wants to control the world with a remote control death ray.
Santa Monica, California-based Entity FX has just announced its new commercial representation, Connie Mellors and Ellen Dempsey of Connie Mellors & Co.
We want to work on commercials that push the creative envelope, said Kymber Lim, head of production for Entity FX. Someone of Connies experience and reputation will help us to attract those kinds of projects.
As a special farewell to the popular series, UPN will broadcast the final two episodes of STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE back-to-back on May 13 (8:00-10:00 PM, ET/PT).
The first episode "Terra Prime" will complete a two-part arc revealing the first steps in the foundation of the Federation. Captain Archer and the crew must stop Paxton (guest star Peter Weller), a well-armed, radical human isolationist leader, who is threatening to destroy Starfleet Command unless all aliens leave Earth immediately.
