Category: Visual Effects

Turbo Squid, which touts the largest collection of royalty-free 3D products available for download, announced that the 100,000th 3D product has been posted for sale.

Alias has scheduled the second annual Maya API Developers Conference for June 6-8 in Santa Barbara, California. For three days, Alias offers a unique learning opportunity for software developers in the games and film industries to network with industry peers and gain insight into the Maya API (Application Programming Interface). In-depth seminars and hands on classes provide a rare chance to hear from Alias software developers and customers working in film and games.

The Foundrys Furnace proved to be an invaluable set of tools when Mumbai-based vfx studio VCL (Visual Computing Labs, a division Tata Elxsi) recently provided the 3D elements and compositing for the forthcoming Yash Raj feature, DHOOM. Led by VCLs creative director and vfx supervisor, Pankaj Khandpur, the team consisted of around eight compositors with the remainder working in 3D who, in less than eight weeks, completed 553 vfx shots, with Furnace being used on more than100 of them, for rig and wire removal.

Pixar animator John Kahrs, who worked on THE INCREDIBLES from model testing through completion, will discuss his work at Gnomon School of Visual Effects Feb. 24 at 7:00 pm.

Kahrs refined facial articulation for Mirage and Violet, and animated Bob and Syndrome, while working on Helen, Dash and Violet as well. He reveals the thought process he undertakes when trying to give each character life from the inside out...and the ways he brings detail and subtlety (or not) to each action.

2d3 has begun shipping boujou three, the third-generation of its award-winning professional 3D camera matchmoving software. boujou three is designed for specialist tracking departments working on the most challenging shots, and complements boujou bullet, 2d3s easy-to-use volume tracking solution.

boujou three is built around a range of new technologies and features including:

As VFXWORLD turns its focus in February to commercials, music videos and IDs, Tara DiLullo recently spoke with vfx artist Joe Laffey about his attention-grabbing spec spot, X-GAMES SKATEBOARD. The clever, fast-paced, MTV-style :45 spot features the tardy professional skateboarder, Caine Gayle, defying gravity, narrow alleys and city congestion to catch up to his fellow boarders on their X-Games-bound bus in Los Angeles. Laffey TV, the St.

Discreet announced combustion 4 software, the highly anticipated upgrade to its visual effects desktop software solution. combustion software for Windows and Macintosh will feature a complete set of sophisticated tools for visual effects creation, including vector paint, particles, effects, animation and 3D compositing tools.

Will McRobb and Chris Viscardi (the ED TV series) have been brought on board to pen the feature adaptation of THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX for Universal Pictures, according to THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Sylvain Chomet (THE TRIPLETS OF BELLEVILLE) is directing, while Gary Ross is producing through his Larger Than Life Prods. with partner Allison Thomas.

The project is based on the book, THE TALE OF DESPEREAUX: BEING THE STORY OF A MOUSE, A PRINCESS, SOME SOUP, AND A SPOOL OF THREAD, by Kate DiCamillo (BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE). It won the 2004 Newbery Medal for children's literature.

BOXX Technologies Inc. has launched the Get a Bundle, Save a Bundle program to offer significant savings to customers purchasing BOXX workstations bundled with industry leading software for graphics, animation and post-production software.

Former Lucas Digital president Jim Morris wont be moving to Southern California after all to pursue a producing career in computer-animated features. After an 11-year stint as the Lucas Digital head and another 13 years as gm of Industrial Light & Magic, Morris will be producing at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California. According to a Pixar spokesperson, Morris begins at Pixar on Feb. 14, 2005, to work on an upcoming feature film project. We think Jim will be a very good fit, considering his visual effects background at ILM.