Category: Visual Effects

NaturalMotion Ltd., developers of the highly-acclaimed Dynamic Motion Synthesis (DMS) technology, announced its new Academic Partner Program, which offers leading colleges, universities and 3D animation schools subsidized fast-track access to endorphin and select upcoming 3D technology from NaturalMotion. The new Academic Partner Program is NaturalMotions first step in a sustained effort to establish a growing network of students who are skilled in next-generation animation technologies.

The 9th edition of the Future Film Festival, the first and most important Italian event dedicated to the latest digital technologies applied to cinema, television and the Net, will take place in Bologna from Jan. 17-21, 2007. The program includes homages, premieres and meetings with special effects production companies from all over the world. Amongst the Italian premieres: ARTHUR & THE MINIMOYS by Luc Besson, ORIGIN -- SPIRITS OF THE PAST by Keiichi Sugiyama; FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST by Seiji Mizushima, PRINCESS by Anders Morgenthaler and SILK by Chao-Bin Su.

From sizzling dramas to science fiction adventures, Autodesk Inc. Media & Ent. solutions are shaping more than 40 new and returning TV shows. Numerous post-production facilities are relying on Autodesk visual effects, editing and finishing, and 3D animation, modeling and rendering software to create captivating, future-proofed TV content.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the seven films are in contention for achievement in Visual Effects for the 79th Academy Awards.

The films are listed below in alphabetical order:

* CASINO ROYALE * ERAGON * NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM* PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MANS CHEST * POSEIDON* SUPERMAN RETURNS* X-MEN: THE LAST STAND

eyeon Software Inc. announced that Fusion 5.1 is now available. The node-based compositor combines the benefits of an integrated 2D and 3D multi-processor architecture with an advanced collaborative workflow management system.

Fusion 5.1 boasts an impressive growth in features to streamline the workflow and push production capabilities. Some of the numerous features include:

The #1 DVD of the holiday season and the #1 movie of the year, Walt Disney Pictures' PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST, is now firmly in place to become the #1 live-action DVD of all time and the #1 DVD of the year, selling 10.5 million units on DVD in North America in its first week of release, the highest initial week for any title this year, it was announced by Bob Chapek, president of Buena Vista Worldwide Home Ent. (BVWHE).

We close the year with 3D acting and environments as our topics of discussion, and Jenny Fulle of Sony Pictures Imageworks discusses the studio's approach in the latest "Digital Eye" column. Meanwhile, there are plenty of year-end movies to cover. Alain Bielik reports on the challenges of creating a compelling CG dragon in Fox's ERAGON, opening Friday. J. Paul Peszko finds out the secret to re-imagining CHARLOTTE'S WEB as a live-action feature with lots of CGI, also opening Friday through Paramount.