Search form

Category: Visual Effects

Animation Headline News

NaturalMotion Releases endorphin 1.6

NaturalMotion Ltd. announced the worldwide release of endorphin 1.6, its award-winning 3D animation software. Customers such as The Mill, Sony Computer Ent., Namco and Konami as well as leading animation schools are already reaping the benefits of endorphins new approach to 3D character animation.

Motion Headline News

House of Moves Launches New MoCap Studio

House of Moves, a division of Vicon Motion Systems, is unveiling its top-of-the-line new facility, with stages and capabilities equipped to provide end-to-end motion capture services for clients in feature film, television, commercial, game development and interactive markets.

Headline News

USL-WOA Adds fire and smoke to VFX Arsenal

USL-WOA, the post-production and visual effects division of UTV in Mumbai, India, has added fire and smoke editing/finishing systems to its existing Discreet-based workflow. The company anticipates a workload of 200 commercials and up to 30 film projects in 2005.

Headline News

Yates Confirmed as Harry Potter 5 Director

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, January 19, 2005 at 12:00am

Warner Bros. Pictures has officially announced that British television helmer David Yates (STATE OF PLAY, THE WAY WE LIVE NOW) has been signed to direct HARRY POTTER AND THE ORDER OF THE PHOENIX. The film will be produced by David Heyman from a screenplay by Michael Goldenberg (WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE, PETER PAN). Production on the film is expected to begin in England in January 2006.

Production Headline News

Stars Lend Voices to Charlotte’s Web

By Rick DeMott | Wednesday, January 19, 2005 at 12:00am

Kerner Ent. has announced that Academy Award-winner Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, John Cleese, Steve Buscemi, Cedric The Entertainer, Reba McEntire, Kathy Bates, Thomas Haden Church and Andre Benjamin (Andre 3000) have joined the voice cast of the upcoming live-action/photo real CG animated feature adaptation of E.B. White's CHARLOTTE'S WEB. Jordan Kerner is producing with Gary Winick directing. The film is co-production with Paramount Pictures, Walden Media and Nickelodeon Movies. The feature is scheduled to begin production on Jan. 31, 2005 in Melbourne, Australia.

Headline News

Digital Musings From the Editor:

The vfx bake-off is tonight at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, as the Visual Effects Award Nominating Committee narrows the list of seven contenders down to three nominees, among them THE AVIATOR, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN, I ROBOT

Effects Headline News

Curious Pictures Signs Lewis Kofsky to Head VFX

Curious Pictures has tapped DreamWorks/PDI alum Lewis Kofsky to head its newly expanded visual effects department in New York. Kofsky recently completed the visual effects for SHREK 2 and the soon-to-be released MADAGASCAR.

Headline News

Jackson Digging Lovely Bones

Peter Jackson and partner Fran Walsh have purchased the film rights to the Alice Sebold novel, THE LOVELY BONES, reports VARIETY. FilmFour sold the rights to Jackson and Walsh and will remain a developing partner. Jackson, Walsh and Philippa Boyens plan to begin writing the screenplay next January. Distribution and financing will not be obtained until the script is finished. The move is to ensure that Jackson and Walsh do not have to work under a studio deadline. The film will be produced by Jackson along with Jan Blenkin, Caro Cunningham and Aimee Peyronnet.

Headline News

NewTek Releases LightWave 3D 8.2

NewTek Inc. has launched version 8.2 for LightWave 3D. The update includes major changes to the renderer core to implement new technologies for anti-aliasing, as well as new options for image reconstruction filters that can be applied to the final image to offer further control and enhancement of render output. The new LightWave team has also implemented a completely redesigned UV engine in the geometry core, which affects both Modeler and Layout, to make creating and editing UV maps easier and more powerful.

Headline News

Catwoman Claws its Way onto DVD

A disappointment theatrically, CATWOMAN nonetheless is tailor made for home theaters with its vision of a skin-tight, leather clad Halle Berry as the feline superhero and director Pitofs pronounced visual style. The DVD (Warner Home Video, $27.95) hits shelves Jan. 18, 2004. VFX provided by ESC Ent., Frantic Films, Tippett Studio, Pacific Title & Art Studio, Christov Effects and Design and Matte World Digital.

Bonus features include:* Alternate ending

Headline News

Free Cinema 4D Plug-In for Alienbrain Studio

Maxon kicks off 2005 with the release of a new, free plug-in that connects Cinema 4D CINEMA to Alienbrain Studio, the professional asset management system from NXN/Avid.

The plug-in allows the Cinema 4D user to work directly with an installed Alienbrain server. Automated read/write access management for scenes and textures, project history and difference checking are all available directly from within Cinema 4D, as are the Alienbrain tools for workflow and internal communication.

Game Headline News

Elektra Online Game Nets Players From 163 Countries Before Film Debut

Twentieth Century Fox's action/adventure feature ELEKTRA, which opened in the U.S. Jan. 14, 2005, had already captured audiences with its online strategy game. The ELEKTRA NINJA ASSASSIN GAME (www.elektramovie.com/game/) has logged a phenomenal 30,000 hours of gameplay with users from 163 countries since its debut last November.

Headline News

Artbeats Illuminates with Lumaform & Nightmare Light Collections

NIGHTMARE LIGHT and LUMAFORM, Artbeats' Fascinating laser effects, laser flares and lens caustics make up the NIGHTMARE LIGHT collection. These unique clips of mysterious light are perfect for any project where an eerie, enigmatic mood is desired. LUMAFORM features shimmering lights, flares and lens artifacts that are an impressive backdrop. The layered movement and spectacular colors are added pluses.

Headline News

Luxology Ships modo 102

Luxology Llc. unveiled modo 102, a powerful new version of its subdivision surface and polygonal modeling platform. modo 102's superior realtime performance and artist-friendly interface, combined with hundreds of new feature enhancements, make it one of the fastest and most advanced 3D modeling systems currently available.

Studio Headline News

e-on software Ships Vue 5 Pro Studio

e-on software has announced the immediate availability of Vue 5 Pro Studio. Vue 5 Pro Studio is the latest addition to e-on software's suite of award-winning solutions for the creation and rendering of natural 3D environments. Vue 5 Pro Studio is designed for advanced digital artists seeking extended control over the creation of natural 3D.

Effects Headline News

Side Effects Taps Zerouni

Side Effects Software, developer of the award-winning Houdini family of 3D software, has appointed Craig Zerouni as production consultant. The addition of Zerouni to Side Effects Softwares production team will further establish the companys position as an essential partner for production studios. In this role, Zerouni and team will collaborate directly with production studios and technical directors to help build superior CG pipelines and create cutting-edge digital animation for feature films.

Series Headline News

Universal Nets Freaky Children’s Series

Universal has obtained the film rights to Darren Shan bestselling childrens book series, CIRQUE DU FREAK, reports VARIETY. Brian Helgeland is attached to write/ exec produce with Lauren Shuler Donner producing. Helgeland plans to base the first film on the first three books in the dozen-book series. Universal hopes this will be a new trilogy for them. The storys main character is named Darren Shan and follows him to an illegal freak show where he is lured into becoming a vampire's assistant in order to save his best friend's life.

Million Headline News

Shimizu Returns For Second Grudge

Mandate Pictures (formerly known as Senator Intl) has announced that Takashi Shimizu will return to helm THE GRUDGE 2, reports VARIETY. Ghost House Pictures, Mandate's joint genre production label with Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, will produce the film. The original American remake of the Japanese cult sensation JU-ON THE GRUDGE grossed out audiences to the tune of $110 million in the States and a global box office take of $143 million.

Effects Headline News

Tweak Films Welcomes Seth Rosenthal from ILM

Seth Rosenthal has joined Tweak as a partner and director of business development. Rosenthal wrapped up six years at Industrial Light & Magic in order to make the jump. He will contribute to Tweak's efforts to expand its visual effects business for feature films and commercials and will help launch a new division to distribute Tweak's proprietary software applications for visual effects and media production.

Headline News

Tron Reloaded for Remake

Disney has hired scribes Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal to draft a remake screenplay for the 1982 cult classic, TRON, reports VARIETY. Brigham Taylor will supervise the new film.

For the remake the computer world will be expanded with the computer programmer will get trapped in the cyberworld of the Internet. Steven Lisberger wrote and directed to original film, which utilized cutting-edge graphics.

Headline News

Sony Resurrects Sci-Fi Script

Sony has purchased Trevor Sands sci-fi script RESURRECTION, reports VARIETY. Mosaic Media's Charles Roven and Alex Gartner are producing. Shannon Gaulding will shepherd the project for Columbia, with Gloria Fan watching over for Mosaic. The studios are quiet about the flick, which is described as an imaginative sci-fi action-adventure set in the distant future.

Sands wrote the adaptation of Martin Caidins novel, THE SIX BILLION DOLLAR MAN, for Dimension. He will also write and direct THE FOUR JACKS for producer Holly Wiersma (WONDERLAND).

Services Headline News

Eyetronics Announces 2005 Slate

Eyetronics, an international provider of high resolution scanning services and animation-ready 3D models, is coming off its most successful year yet and looks to 2005 with a prestigious slate of projects, including RACING STRIPES, ELEKTRA, the much anticipated CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, BATMAN BEGINS, THE BROTHERS GRIMM, LEGEND OF ZORRO, THE ICE PRINCESS and TRANSPORTER II. Among the recent feature films employing Eyetronics scanning services are ALEXANDER, BLADE: TRINITY, MASTER AND COMMANDER, KING ARTHUR, THE LAST SAMURAI and XXX.

Pages