Search form

DDEG Awarded Second Epic MegaGrant

Montreal-based Digital Dimension Entertainment Group nabs new award as it continues its innovative real-time animation pipeline development and integration with Unreal Engine.

Leading entertainment company Digital Dimension Entertainment Group (DDEG) has been awarded its second Epic MegaGrant to pursue the integration of Epic Games’ Unreal Engine technology into its production studios’ animation pipelines.

“The promise of faster iterations using real-time rendering tools relies on adapting our workflow processes to take advantage of live updates during reviews and approvals,” says Martin Walker, DDEG CTO. “Ultimately, we wish to create production efficiencies so we can concentrate on higher quality deliverables within shorter timelines while using the full power of the Unreal Engine features. The objective is to implement a robust production pipeline centered on real-time rendering using advanced creative/production tools and methodologies based on proven animation workflows.”

According to Fred Faubert, DDEG CCO, “We were the first in the industry to render a series entirely using Epic Games Unreal Engine technology, beginning with the first two seasons of Zafari for NBCU, and it was a huge success! This latest Epic MegaGrant will allow us to enhance our production pipeline and help us create fantastical universes for our properties such as Chase and CATCH, and Aiko and the Masters of Time. We are so thrilled to be given this opportunity by Epic Games.”

A winner of six Emmy Awards and four Visual Effects Society Awards, Montreal-based DDEG employs over 200 people; its studios include Meduzarts Animation, Saturday Animation, and KRAKN Animation, each of which is set to release new series in the upcoming months, including several original brands currently in development. AWN recently reported on Saturday Animation’s development of the sci-fi adventure, Aiko and the Masters of Time, as well as the action adventure, Chase and CATCH, each using the studio’s proprietary, Unreal Engine-based, real-time animation pipeline.

Source: Digital Dimension Entertainment Group

Dan Sarto's picture

Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.