Blue Planet Studio Inc., a 3D animation and digital media design firm in San Diego recently launched its newly developed website featuring its most recent projects, which include 3D animation and graphics support for a wide variety of high-tech companies, both locally and nationally.
Jeff Zucker has been named ceo and Randy Falco has been named president/coo of a newly integrated NBC Universal Television Group. Beth Comstock has been appointed to the newly created position of president, NBCU Digital Media and Market Development.
Massive Software continued pioneering use of the company's AI-driven 3D animation system by Weta Digital for more than 600 visual effects shots on KING KONG. The Massive work on the film, which follows Weta's industry-leading innovation with Massive on such movies as THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy and I, ROBOT, creates a living, breathing backdrop of activity on Manhattan and Skull Island.
Peter Jacksons KING KONG captured $9.75M yesterday in its opening box office bow, ranking 21st on the all-time list of Wednesday openers. Falling well below industry expectations, the Universal Pictures release had a per-screen average of $2,735 on 3,567 screens. Overseas, however, KONG opened much stronger, pulling in $8M on 4,659 screens in 36 markets. Biggest openings were in Australia ($860,000), Germany ($664,000) and Jacksons New Zealand home ($297,000). Box office information obtained from boxofficemojo.com and VARIETY.
The Gnomon Workshop and Design Studio Press have released five new training DVDs, three from veteran Scott Robertson, and the first two from the concept designer known as Puddnhead.
Robertson offers a three-volume series on rendering matte surfaces. The titles cover shading planar, round and complex curved surfaces. While he uses analog tools, such as charcoal and pencil, the skills are vital for anyone interested in foundation lighting concepts.
Pipelinefx has launched Qube! 4.0, the latest major release of the companys flagship enterprise-class render farm management software for film production and game development.
Announced at SIGGRAPH 2005, the new version of Qube! offers some of the following sophisticated features:
* Enhanced support for applications, including Maya, Softimage, 3ds Max, Shake, NUKE, mental ray and compatibility with OSX Tiger.
* Enhanced GUI called Qubic, which allows easy configuration of the Qube! Supervisor.
In the third installment of VFXWorlds exclusive production diaries, visual effects supervisor Jim Berney of Sony Pictures Imageworks chronicles the creation of photoreal Mr. Beaver from early test through final animation for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Includes QuickTime clips!
Creators of animation are so passionate about their ideas they sometimes have blinders on and try to pitch it to just about everyone. The mistake most make is they feel their show is perfect for all networks. They know that Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Disney Channel will want it. This is a BIG mistake!
Knowing what the networks are looking for is the most important part of developing a show. I cant just develop something because I love it or think it is a good idea or even because I think the merchandising is brilliant and will generate billions of dollars, says Bill Schultz, co-ceo, MYP/Taffy Ent. Those are all important. But, one of my key questions is where am I am going to sell it in the key territories? Schultz should know. He is a veteran of development, having worked at Cartoon Network on Ed, Edd and Eddy and Courage the Cowardly Dog, along with his work at Film Roman on The Simpsons, King of the Hill and Garfield and Friends. As a partner at MYP/Taffy, he has been successful in selling the show, Pet Alien, to Cartoon Network.
Due to an overabundance of high-profile films, Sony has opted to move the screen adaptation of GHOST RIDER to President's Day weekend, Feb. 16, 2007, reports VARIETY. The $120-million Nicolas Cage vehicle was set to open July 14, 2006.
In keeping with the Museum of Modern Art
KING KONG has arrived and VFXWORLD has a two-part series exploring Wetas innovative CG characters and environments in the highly touted Peter Jackson remake thats expected to be the box office juggernaut of the holiday season. In fact, Jackson was so pleased with the animation for Kong that, in an unprecedented move, he upped Christian Rivers and Eric Leighton to animation directors. Read all about the new technology advances and aesthetic choices in re-envisioning a classic 30s romantic adventure.
Bill DesowitzEditor
The ION Animation, Games and Short Film Festival, held at the James Bridges Theater on the UCLA campus in Westwood, is only a couple of days away.
DIC Ent. has been appointed the global entertainment licensing agent for Zizzle Toys new, innovative musical icon iZ. As part of the licensing initiative, DIC will translate the toy into animated direct-to-DVD movies.
The winner of Miss Digital World 2005 is the Asian model Mi, designed by Shinichi Yoshimoto. Miss Digital World is a virtual beauty competition, open to only exceptionally beautiful models designed in 3D graphic.
VFXWorld presents a new excerpt from Building Interactive Worlds in 3D by Jean-Marc Gauthier. This month's excerpt is a tutorial on creating an interactive path.
Animation master Hayao Miyazakis son Goro Miyazaki will make his feature directing debut with an animated version of Ursula K. Le Guin's EARTHSEA fantasy novel series, reports various online outlets. The Studio Ghibli production will be titled GEDO SENKI (TALES FROM EARTHSEA) and is set to hit theaters in Japan July 2006. The film will be based on the third and fourth books in Le Guin's six-volume series, which was first published in 1968. Le Guin's series was previously adapted as LEGEND OF EARTHSEA, a live-action miniseries that aired in 2004 on the SCI FI Channel.
Bill Desowitz explores Wetas innovative work in building a CG Kong along with the dinos and other scary creatures on Skull Island. Includes QuickTime clips!
Continuing its strategic business focus on leveraging its famous brand and legendary reservoir of comedy material, National Lampoon Inc. announced a partnership with the newly-formed Half Shell Ent. Films to develop all-new feature films based on material from the classic NATIONAL LAMPOON magazine and NationalLampoon.com.
Karen Raugust looks at how animators are distributing their properties through a growing menu of alternative venues.
NVIDIA Corp. announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire ULi Electronics Inc. (ULi), one of the PC industry's most highly-regarded core logic developers. Headquartered in Taipei, ULi also has offices in Hsinchu; Shanghai; Shenzhen; and San Jose, California.
Midway Games Inc. announced that it has shipped the latest installment in the legendary franchise, GAUNTLET: SEVEN SORROWS for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.
Alan Bergman has been promoted to president, The Walt Disney Studios (TWDS). In his new role, Bergman will continue to report directly to Dick Cook, chairman, TWDS and oversee strategy and operations for all business units, including Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group, Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Buena Vista Pictures Marketing, Buena Vista International, Miramax, Buena Vista Home Entertainment worldwide, Disney Theatrical Productions, The Buena Vista Music Group, Buena Vista Television and Buena Vista Television International.
Majesco Ent. Co. announced that it has sold all of its rights and obligations related to game titles, THE DARKNESS and GHOSTRIDER, to a videogame publisher for $8 million. The assignment included all of Majesco's agreements with the licensors and developers for these titles.
The sale will help financially troubled Majesco reduces its financial obligations, improve its capital structure and added flexibility to pursue additional opportunities and execute initiatives related to its core business.
Post Logic Studios has hired well-respected colorist Frank Roman for its Hollywood-based DI team and vastly expanded motion picture services pipeline and infrastruture. Romans career includes a stint at pioneering DI facility Cinesite; he joins Post Logic from Laser Pacific Media Corp.
Roman recently collaborated with legendary cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC, on the 4K digital intermediate for the upcoming feature, THE BLACK DAHLIA. Roman also worked with cinematographer Shane Hurlbut on the digital intermediates for SOMETHING NEW and INTO THE BLUE.
Color grading for Universal Pictures' KING KONG was realized using media and entertainment technology from Autodesk Inc. Visual effects facility Weta Digital relied upon Autodesk's Discreet Lustre system to digitally color grade the entire film.
