Jul
20
Return of the Slimer
Posted in: Animation
How the vfx team on Ghostbusters brought back Slimer, Stay Puft and used new innovations to make the ghosts possible (like LED’s on set). A new piece for Inverse.
Jul
20
When you crave creative content
Posted in: Animation
I spend a lot of my working life looking for great visual effects, animation and CG content. There’s a lot out there. I’m of course drawn to making ofs and studio and film profiles, particularly about visual effects, but it wasn’t until last year that I discovered a new kind of VFX content.
That’s when I got to attend Trojan Horse was a Unicorn (full disclosure: they paid). It was a stunning event held in Troia, Portugal at a summer resort that mixed art, design, visual effects, 3D and filmmaking. Both professionals from the industry and artists at all levels attended. But what’s presented at Trojan Horse was not ‘making ofs’ or studio profiles. As good as those can be, Trojan Horse, or THU, is about a lot more.
OK, what is THU about?
That’s a hard thing to describe. Personally, I found just about every speaker’s story an inspiration about why the industry is great and why it’s worth being in. That’s the thing that I could rarely find in online stories or even at other conference events. THU was just…different.
Are you just telling us to go to the conference?
I would be, if you can get a ticket. The allure of Trojan Horse is as much about who is attending as how few do – it’s limited to about 500 people and that makes it particularly intimate. But last year, the organizers tried something different and suddenly I had a new way to absorb this new kind of content I had discovered at the event.
THU TV
The ‘something different’ was THU TV, essentially a live stream of parts of the event and a way of watching the talks, interviews, masterclasses and purpose-made shows from Trojan Horse. An in-house team films the content and edits the content and you get to watch it.
I’ve watched many of the videos which are aimed at making you feel like you are there at Trojan Horse. And because I was there, I can say the videos definitely made me feel like I was there all over again. One reason is that the vids are professionally one – this is not some low-fi shaky cam production. It’s the next best thing to being there, especially if taking a week off and heading to Portugal is going to be tricky (let alone getting a ticket).
So what do you get?
What you subscribe to with THU TV is access to live coverage from Trojan Horse and then these shows that will be made at THU 2016. Just check out some of the ‘Knights’, as they’re called, already announced to be talking – these are the people who will appear on the shows. You also get to interact with the ‘Tribe’ – that’s the attendees – during Trojan Horse in September. And if you are in Portugal you can actually go to the recruitment day on September 21st.
THU TV is normally €100, but until August 12th it’s €75. If you got in as one of the first 100 sign-ups it was actually €50. Those prices aren’t bad for access to what I think is something really, really different from the normal range of VFX, CG and design stuff out there. And pretty good for content cravers like me.
There’s a lore more info about THU TV here: https://trojan-unicorn.com/tv
Jul
20
While Pokemon Go refuses to take a break from contributing to the headlines all over the globe, it has not only managed to solidify its presence throughout but has kept the fans in a state of frenzy to ‘catch’em all’. Almost anyone who is a fan of the IP can be found fidgeting with their smartphone in an attempt to faintly experience the magnificent universe.
Some of the people from the Indian gaming industry indicated that the game is here to stay and might prove immensely beneficial for the developers. Niantic, the makers of the game, already have plans for some updates that are to come in the future as revealed by Niantic, CEO, John Hanke.
Pokemon Go has not only managed to win over the fans but also shine as a great revenue churner. On the day of the game’s launch in the USA, Nintendo’s shares spiked up by 10 per cent when it is not the sole stake holder. Both Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have undisclosed stakes in Niantic.
Following it up, it was recently revealed that Nintendo’s share prices in Tokyo have sky rocketed by a whopping 86 per cent which translates to around $17 billion. If that was not enough to indicate the game’s presence already, according to a research company named Slice Intelligence, on 10 July, Pokemon Go’s in-game purchases contributed to 47 per cent of the total of the entire gaming market.
Source: Slice Intelligence
The game might also be bringing in first-time payees for a mobile game as according to the report 53 per cent in-game buyers of Pokemon Go had made one of zero mobile game transactions in the last six months. The most popular purchase was the 100 Poke Coin bundle which contributed to 37 per cent of all purchases, however the company earned most of its revenues from the 1,200 Poke Coin bundles which comes at a cost of $5.
As it is being estimated that Pokemon Go has already earned around $14 million in revenues, it would be safe to say that the game would be doing better than Niantic’s previous game- Ingress. Let’s wait and watch!
The post These revenue figures of ‘Pokemon Go’ might just surprise you appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Jul
20
‘We’re the bad guys, this is what we do’. But, who is behind the bad guys? Just like there is always a supreme power who makes his pawns dance to his tunes, the bad guys of the Suicide Squad are used as ‘Puppets’ by a mean lady master.
DC’s most awaited upcoming live action movie Suicide Squad is just around the corner as Warner Bros. Pictures has released another sneak peek focusing on the mastermind behind the whole squad.
Amanda Waller played by Viola Davis aims to build a team of bad people who can do some good. But, why does she do that? What good will the bad guys do and why? All of it has a blunt answer as Waller claims, “All you need to know is that you work for me.”
The video features all the nine superheroes of the squad in various action sequences. Well, it does not miss out on the much anticipated antagonist Joker. Warner Bros. Pictures has played a smart strategy as it revealed the introduction of the characters in a gripping way with both its previous trailers.
While the first trailer introduced the characters, the second trailer spiked up the excitement for the film at an extraordinary level. With this recent video, the anticipation is given a further push as the mastermind hooks on your curiosity to know the story behind the film.
So, there is nothing new as such in this video but definitely it makes you restless to wait for 5 August, 2016 when the Suicide Squad hits theatres.
The post Anticipation and Expectations turn DC fans restless for ‘Suicide Squad’ appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Jul
20
Starting a mobile gaming ecosystem in 2000, when nobody really took mobile phone gaming seriously was something of an edge Nazara Technologies has today. Its founder and managing director Nitish Mittersain has been the brain behind the company which has now evolved to being one of the leading game developers and publishers in the large mobile consumer base in India and emerging markets including the Middle East and Africa.
Nitish comes from an entrepreneur family and the Mittersain clan has been in the textile business for long. Nitish took to gaming as a career option and seeing his drive towards technology and gaming, his father encouraged him to venture out of the family business and set up his company while he was still in his final year graduation. AnimationXpress in a candid chat with Nitish trace the Nazara origins, where it is headed currently, his views about the Indian gaming industry and much more.
Nazara Technologies founder and MD Nitish Mittersain
Tell us about how did Nazara come to be?
Although I come from a textile business family background, as a kid I was always interested in computers and gaming. I coded my first game when I was 8 years old on a ZX Spectrum my father bought me. During my school years, I tinkered with various computer related projects and also launched my own BBS (bulletin board service). Thereafter, while in college in Mumbai, I was keen to explore my passion and launched Nazara as an online gaming destination. Over the years we have evolved to focus on mobile gaming.
16 years back it wasn’t common to see an Indian gaming company, how easy/difficult was it for you to convince your parents to start a gaming company?
My parents were always supportive of my activities and encouraged me to experiment and try out new opportunities and skills.
Nazara has now been running for 16 years. Take us through the journey of making it one of the top mobile gaming companies in the country today.
We started with a vision of gaming becoming big in India. Of course, we did not realise then that we were way too early in the market but we have stayed the course and kept the faith alive in our original vision.
If you were to reflect on this period of your life, what would be your most satisfying memories? And what has been your greatest challenge?
The support and encouragement I received from veteran actor Shammi Kapoor when I started off down this path always remains very special to me and he remained a mentor till he passed away a few years ago. Signing on Sachin Tendulkar for mobile gaming in 2005 was a big win for us as well as raising our first round of funding from Westbridge capital in the same year. The biggest challenge has been to be able to persevere through many long years while keeping the faith in our vision.
Nazara also worked with a number of celebrities and a number of Bollywood movies to develop games based on the said personality or the movie. Notable games from the list include a cricket based game on Sachin Tendulkar, also a game on Indian cricket Test captain Virat Kohli, Bollywood movie games like Bang Bang and Bombay Velvet. The studio also has rights to children’s favourite cartoon character Chhota Bheem and has developed a number of games under the Chhota Bheem IP. The company also has game rights for Bollywood personality Hrithik Roshan and iconic Tinkle characters.
Nazara has also been ranked amongst the top 2 mobile companies in terms of deck presence and WAP revenues in India and amongst the top 3 in the UAE and has ranked 17th in Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 – India in 2010.
What is your vision for Nazara?
We have spent over 15 years following our original dream of gaming becoming big in India and Nazara being the pioneer/leader in this revolution. Our vision remains the same even now and we are working aggressively towards achieving our goals. Since we cannot achieve this single-handedly, we are keen to partner with like-minded developers and other partners in the ecosystem so that we can all collectively achieve our dreams.
What would you say is the strength of Nazara?
Without question, it is the ability to persevere and be resilient to the many macro and micro challenges that we have faced along the way. The ability to survive over such a long period has allowed us to “live to fight another day” and take advantage of opportunities as and when they arose.
Tell us your secret behind being a successful entrepreneur
Secret to success would be the ability to sustain over long periods of time and not lose hope in difficult times. Also earning the respect of my team and working closely with them as a peer is very important. Also a strong grip on finance and focus on profitability is very helpful.
Apart from Nazara, Nitish has also served as the Chairman of the Mobile Value Added Services Expert Committee (2009-2010) of the Indian Merchants Chambers, and was also on the Asia board of the MEF (Mobile Ecosystem Forum), a global association for mobile content and commerce and takes active participation on matters related to drive market growth.
You have seen the industry evolve over the years, what are the key changes that have shaped the industry?
The advent of smartphones has been the biggest game changer in India. With devices providing better experience at low costs, millions of Indians are being able to experience gaming for the first time and enjoy quality content from all over the world. I strongly believe that this is going to lead to a gaming revolution in the country and over the next 3-5 years we will have a large gaming community which never existed earlier.
What changes do you feel are still required for the industry to grow further?
Better quality localised content from a user perspective and stronger monetisation opportunities from developer perspective.
What games are you currently playing?
Currently, our latest game Chhota Bheem Toy since my 3 year old son loves it. In addition to that, Supercell’s game Clash Royale and another one called Non Stop Knight.
When not at work, Nitish plays a range of wood-winds instruments such as the clarinet, soprano saxophone, and flute to unwind. Being a jazz music aficionado, Nitish plays an alto saxophone and is a part of a jazz band called Jazzy Joe and Jazz Junkies.
Since you have been playing with a jazz band, how important it is for you to unwind? What are the other activities you like to do to unwind?
I guess it’s important for everyone to unwind… my jazz group has been a fantastic outlet for me especially learning under the great maestro Jazzy Joe. Right now, maximum time beyond work is devoted to my 3 year old son and any time spent with him instantly refreshes me.
Any anecdotes you would like to share with the budding entrepreneurs who want to venture into this industry?
One of my favourite quotes is “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” by Muhammad Ali and it’s a philosophy I have tried to follow in the business which has worked very well for us. The idea behind it is to remain fairly asset light since ours is a rapidly changing and dynamic industry and by being nimble, you can change and move with the trends quickly.
The post A Fireside chat with Nazara Technologies founder Nitish Mittersain appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Jul
20
Nissan USA has launched the Nissan Diehard Fan Nations app, a virtual face paint app goes allowing sports fans to show and share their national pride for the sports teams that will be heading to Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics. The app, designed originally for college sports fans in the USA, has 2,000 designs that fans can use to paint their face via their smartphone or tablet. The DieHard Fan mobile experience lets fans virtually paint their faces and share with friends using a smartphone or tablet, with a range of 2000 designs. The result is digital face paint that moves when you move, includes real shadows and contours. Expanding the idea for the Olympics was a massive logistical challenge as they had to create 2,000 different designs for 206 non-Brazilian nations that are inspired by national flags and other symbols. The Nissan Diehard Fan Faces site connects fans to the College Athletics (NCAA), Nations (Rio Olympics), and Tricolor de Corazón (Mexico futbol) apps on iTunes and Google Play.
Nissan began the Diehard Fan Faces project in 2015 to promote Nissan’s sponsorship of collegiate sports in the USA. 100 colleges, 100 teams, and millions of sports fans. Hundreds of masks were hand-painted onto people’s faces. Critical Mass worked with Image Metrics to map over 2,000 points on the human face to digitally capture every detail and feature. The results included being the number one Sports app in Apple Store; over 10 minutes average engagement; 35M masks tried on; 40M+ impressions.
Nissan Diehard Fan Faces Credits
The Nissan Diehard Fan Face campaign was developed at Critical Mass, Calgary, by chief creative officer Conor Brady, executive creative director Steve Savic, group creative director Jordon Mowbray, creative director Masanori Benno, art directors Martine Lavoie, Andrzej Milosz, Jordan Natyshen, Darren Wood, designers Zhen Huang, Tomoki Iwamoto, Javier Olivares, Jon Temple, Victoria Williams, copy director Peter von Sass, executive Producer Alissa Hansen, experience architect Annie Tat, account director Matt Ochab, account manager Stephanie England, project managers Jason Mack and Cara Woo, strategic director Chrissie Graboski, and strategic planner Kerry Janes, with face painter Lucie Brouillard.
Development was done at Image Metrics.
Jul
19
DÉDOUBLEMENT
Posted in: Animation
Dédoublement is an experimental short film reflecting on split personalty. cast FRED STELLA JAN dir ARSENY ass JAN music JCR sound fx AVP filmed as part of the 1st round of kinokabaret ’16 in hamburg.
Jul
19
Cancer Research "Make Them Pay"
Posted in: Animation
Award-winning online advert for Cancer Research featuring spoken-word artist Suli Breaks. This animated live action short is designed to highlight the harsh truths about the tobacco industry. In the UK, the tobacco industry needs to recruit 100,000 new smokers each year to replace those who die. Worldwide, the industry makes more money than McDonalds, Coca Cola and Microsoft combined. Created in 2016, the film recently won the “Excellence in Digital Communications” category at the Communiqué Awards. DIRECTOR Ed Lilly CREATIVE Torri Stewart EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Louis Figgis AGENCY/PROD COMP Livity UK DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY Adrian Peckitt ART DIRECTOR Stefania Zissi HAIR & MUA Madonna Mcnamee EDITOR Ed Lilly COLOURIST Alex Elkins ANIMATION Bimpe Alliu CAST Suli Breaks
Jul
19
There’s never been a Galaxy S7 edge like this. See how the official, limited-edition smartphone of the 2016 Olympic Games brings you even closer to Rio.
http://www.samsung.com/galaxy/olympics
* Samsung and IOC provide Galaxy S7 edge Olympic Games Limited Edition to all athletes to help them enjoy the Olympic Games with Samsung’s innovative technology.
Jul
19
This massive burger broke the record for the largest commercially available hamburger on 29 August 2008.
It weighed 74.75 kg (164.8 lbs) and was available for US$399 (£271.55) on the menu at Mallie’s Sports Grill & Bar in Southgate, Michigan, USA.
The current record for the largest hamburger commercially available is a whopping 352.44 kg (777 lb) by Juicys Outlaw Grill in Corvallis, Oregon.
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