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Category: Visual Effects

Film Headline News

The Foundry Helps Tune The Piano with OpenFX

Leading visual effects developer, The Foundry, announced the completion of the first OpenFX project: the indie feature THE PIANO TUNER OF EARTHQUAKES, due for release in November. An open API for visual effects software, OpenFX has been used on the film in conjunction with FilmLights Baselight grading and finishing system by German vfx facility, Optical Art.

Painting Headline News

New Maxon Plug-in Connects Bodypaint 3D with Softimage|XSI

Maxon Computer announced the immediate availability of a new plug-in that connects its renowned 3D painting program, BodyPaint 3D, to SOFTIMAGE|XSI. Now the unique 3D painting features of Maxons industry proven tool are available to all users of the latest generation of SOFTIMAGE|XSI. Character animators, game developers and motion picture artists in particular appreciate the versatility of BodyPaint 3D when it comes to texturing the most complex models without distortions.

Game Headline News

Discreet Announces Support for Next Generation Xbox Platform

Discreet announced that its 3ds max software is aligned as a leading 3D animation solution to support the next generation Xbox platform. The Discreet division of Autodesk has been a close partner with Microsoft since the introduction of the first Xbox video game system from Microsoft, with the most 3ds max-created game titles for Xbox on the market above any other digital content creation (DCC) tool.

Headline News

Keanu Sets Sail on 8th Voyage of Sinbad

Columbia Pictures has hired Keanu Reeves to topline its long gestating THE 8TH VOYAGE OF SINBAD project, reports VARIETY. XXX director Rob Cohen will direct with Neal Moritz producing. Charlie Mitchell has been hired to rework the script from Cormac and Marianne Wibberly and Tedi Sarafian. The eighth-century tale will place Sinbad and his crew in China searching for the Lamp of Aladdin, while encountering a supernatural Chinese general, gorgeous empress and fantastical creatures. Director John Singleton was previously attached to this project.

Game Headline News

Naked Sky Ent., Spinoff Studios Employ modo on RoboHordes

Luxology Llc. announced that Spinoff Studios and Naked Sky Ent. used modo as the core modeling tool for ROBOHORDES, a 3D robot combat demo created to demonstrate the processing power of Intels dual-core processor during the 2005 Game Developers Conference (GDC, booth #726).

Headline News

Swiss Family Robinson Sets Sail in September

Disney-based Mandeville Films has announced that it will start production on a SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON remake in September at the Queenslands Warner Roadshow Studios, reports PRODUCTION WEEKLY. Greg Poiriers screenplay has set the story during the time period of the book -- the beginning of the 19th century. Based on a novel by Johann David Wyss, the story chronicles the adventures of the Robinson family after they are washed ashore on an uncharted tropical island following a stormy shipwreck. The original 1960s film version starred John Mills and Dorothy McGuire.

Software Headline News

Katja Reitemeyer Joins Pipelinefx

Katja Reitemeyer, formerly of Avid and NXN Software, has joined Pipelinefx as vp of worldwide sales. Reitemeyer was one of the founders of NXN Software, makers of asset management software Alienbrain, which was acquired by Avid last year for $44 million. Reitemeyer will be based in Los Angeles, where a large part of the market for the companys flagship product qube! Remote Control exists. She will coordinate the companys sales thrust into the interactive entertainment and 3D animation markets worldwide.

Headline News

MPC Has Kelly Rappin’ in the Rain for VW Golf

One of the hottest online threads, Gene Kelly break dancing in his iconic SINGIN IN THE RAIN routine over the new Volkswagen Golf GTI, was given the digital treatment by Moving Picture Co. The BMP DDB :60 spot, directed by NE-O at Stink, originally aired in the U.K. in late January.

Headline News

Australian Developers Target U.S. Talent At GDC 2005

The Game Developers Association of Australia (GDAA), the governing body for the Australian Videogame Industry, announced that Australian videogame companies are planning ahead and looking for talent at this years GDC to help fuel the booming games industry Downunder in years to come. During GDC 2005 in San Francisco, California (March 7-11, 2005), interested parties wishing to learn more are asked to stop by and visit the BigWorld Booth # 827 or Auran Booth # CP160 and talk with the GDAA executives.

Game Headline News

BioWare Unveils Recruitment Efforts For GDC & Beyond

BioWare Corp. announced its plans to continue the expansion of its development teams for its future videogame projects. The Edmonton-based company is actively recruiting for a variety of positions across numerous disciplines and will be taking those recruitment efforts across North America in the upcoming months.

Headline News

Dan Glass, Cinesite on Board for V for Vendetta

V FOR VENDETTA, the next futuristic thriller from the Wachowski Brothers and Joel Silver (THE MATRIX trilogy), began shooting today in Berlin, Germany, marking the directorial debut of James McTeigue, who was first assistant director on THE MATRIX movies and STAR WARS: EPISODE II ATTACK OF THE CLONES. Dan Glass (BATMAN BEGINS) will serve as visual effects supervisor and London-based Cinesite will provide CGI and model work.

Headline News

NVIDIA Expands Comprehensive Toolkit for Game Developers

NVIDIA Corp. announced the immediate availability of the NVIDIA Developer Toolkit at GDC in San Francisco, a comprehensive suite of cutting-edge content creation, code integration, performance analysis and educational resources for game developers. Designed to make it easier for game developers to take advantage of the latest advancements in graphics hardware technologies, the NVIDIA Developer Toolkit can be downloaded for free at http://developer.nvidia.com.

Game Headline News

Avid to Showcase Softimage and Alienbrain at GDC 2005

Avid Technology Inc. will demonstrate its leading computer graphics technology at the 2005 Game Developers Conference (GDC), to be held in San Francisco, March 9 11 (in booth #413). Technology demos will feature SOFTIMAGE DCC tools and Alienbrain asset management software.

Headline News

Wildcat Realizm 800 GraphiWildcat Realizm 800 Graphics Accelerator Now Available

3Dlabs Inc. Ltd. has released the Wildcat Realizm 800 PCI Express-based professional graphics accelerator, which beat competitors on six SPECViewperf 8.0.1 benchmark viewsets when compared to other PCI Express solutions. This achievement follows the recent 3Dlabs announcement that the very attractively priced Wildcat Realizm 100 AGP 8x-based graphics accelerator scored highest on seven Viewperf 8.0.1 benchmark viewsets when compared to other AGP 8x solutions. The Wildcat Realizm 800 is available for purchase through 3Dlabs OEMs, worldwide network of Wildcat System Integrators, Resellers and VARs for $2,799.

3Dlabs Wildcat Realizm 800 achieves the highest performance numbers over any single professional graphics accelerator and is soon to become the defacto standard for performance in professional graphics, said Jerry Peterson, evp/gm of 3Dlabs. With dual VPU power and these Viewperf 8.0.1 benchmark scores, Wildcat Realizm 800 is the product that our OEMs, resellers and customers have been waiting to get their hands on...

Headline News

Los Angeles ACM SIGGRAPH Presents: 3D Web and Wireless

Los Angeles ACM SIGGRAPH March MeetingWestchester, California, USAMarch 8, 2005

For the March meeting, Los Angeles ACM SIGGRAPH will host a program on 3D Web and wireless. The event will look at the latest Website developments for PDA software applications, 3D and virtual worlds.

Effects Headline News

Switch VFX Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

Toronto-based Switch VFX, a visual effects studio specializing in photorealistic effects and CG character creation for feature films and television, marked its first anniversary in February. Switch VFX recently completed visual effects work on the Fox/Sci Fi Channel series pilot ANONYMOUS REX and on the GalaFilm Prods. TV movie TRIPPING THE WIRE, as well as title design for the CBC miniseries WHISKEY ECHO.

Mobile Headline News

Gameloft Secures Mobile Gaming Rights to War of the Worlds

Gameloft, a leading developer and publisher of videogames for mobile phones, has signed an exclusive agreement with Viacom Consumer Products Inc. to develop, publish and distribute the wireless game version of Steven Spielberg's WAR OF THE WORLDS starring Tom Cruise.

Production Headline News

VFX Sup Fangmeier To Helm Eragon Adaptation

LEMONY SNICKET'S A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS visual effects supervisor Stefen Fangmeier will make his directorial debut on the film adaptation of ERAGON, reports PRODUCTION WEEKLY. Production on the Fox 2000 picture will begin in July in Europe. JURASSIC PARK III scribe Peter Buchman adapted the screenplay from Christopher Paolinis bestselling fantasy novel. The story follows a farmboy who discovers a dragon egg, which leads to him becoming a Dragon Riders and battling a wicked king.

Studio Headline News

Paramount Gets Invincible with Comic-Inspired Feature

Paramount Pictures has acquired the film rights to Robert Kirkman's Image Comics title, INVINCIBLE, reports VARIETY. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Circle of Confusion partner David Alpert will produce the film for the studio. Kirkman will adapt the superhero comic, which tells the trials and tribulations of teenaged Mark Grayson, whose father is the worlds most powerful superhero. Circle's Lawrence Mattis, Jason Lust and David Engel will exec produce. Di Bonaventura's vp Erik Howsam, who brought the property to the studio, will shepherd the project.

Headline News

Peter Jackson Sues New Line Over Lord of the Rings

Like a typical Hollywood marriage, it seems that Peter Jacksons made in heaven collaboration with New Line has come upon irreconcilable differences. On Feb. 28, 2005, Jacksons Wingnut Films filled suit in Los Angeles claiming New Line and its subsidiary Katja Motion Pictures failed to properly calculate revenue from LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, reports the AP.

Headline News

Stan Lee & Robert Evans Team Up On Foreverman

Legendary producer Robert Evans and comicbook genius Stan Lee are set to produce a new superhero franchise for Paramount Pictures titled, FOREVERMAN, reports THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. HELLBOY scribe Peter Briggs will pen the screenplay in collaboration with Lee. Idiom Films will produce the feature along with Evans and Lees POW! Ent. No details have released about the characters or story.

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