New Horizons Flyover of Charon


Using actual New Horizons data and digital elevation models of Pluto and its largest moon Charon, mission scientists have created flyover movies that offer spectacular new perspectives of the many unusual features that were discovered and which have reshaped our views of the Pluto system – from a vantage point even closer than the spacecraft itself.

The exciting flight over Charon begins high over the hemisphere New Horizons saw on its closest approach, then descends over the deep, wide canyon of Serenity Chasma. The view moves north, passing over Dorothy Gale crater and the dark polar hood of Mordor Macula. The flight then turns south, covering the northern terrain of Oz Terra before ending over the relatively flat equatorial plains of Vulcan Planum and the “moated mountains” of Clarke Montes.

Digital mapping and rendering were performed by Paul Schenk and John Blackwell of the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston.

Star Wars Battlefront 2: Behind The Story


Pre-order now. Get early access to the beta with the Elite Trooper Deluxe Edition: http://x.ea.com/33529

Other bonuses include:

* Access to play *Star Wars* **Battlefront II on November 14—a 3-day head start
* Upgraded versions of all 4 trooper classes (Officer, Assault, Heavy, and Specialist)
* 4 epic ability upgrades—one for each trooper class
* Instant weapon unlocks and weapon modifications for each trooper class
* Exclusive Kylo Ren- and Rey-themed looks, inspired by *Star Wars™* **: *The Last Jedi™*
* Epic ability modifiers for Kylo Ren and Rey
* An epic ability modifier for the Millennium Falcon

Subscribe for upcoming Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II video’s: http://bit.ly/2oDLwKI

Star Wars™ Battlefront™ II will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC

Release Date: November 17, 2017

KINGDOM HEARTS III – D23 2017 Toy Story Trailer [multi-language subs]


“Don’t assume your dreams are just fantasy.
If you can imagine a world, believe in it…and dive in.”

Originally aired at Disney’s D23 2017, this trailer provides an in depth look at an incredible new world Sora, Donald, and Goofy will explore in KINGDOM HEARTS III.

New friends, Toy Story-themed looks, and Keyblade transformations are also revealed as KINGDOM HEARTS goes to infinity…and beyond!

KINGDOM HEARTS III is coming to Microsoft Xbox One and Sony PlayStation®4 in 2018.
www.kingdomhearts.com

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KINGDOM HEARTS III – D23 2017 Trailer Excerpt—Hercules


“Don’t assume your dreams are just fantasy. If you can imagine a world, believe in it…and dive in.”

Originally aired at Disney’s D23 2017, this trailer excerpt shows new gameplay of Sora’s move in KINGDOM HEARTS III as he returns to fan-favorite Olympus to battle the Heartless with Disney’s Hercules!

Check out the extended trailer [https://youtu.be/E4y7UK4nqnQ] with an in-depth look at Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story coming to KINGDOM HEARTS III!

KINGDOM HEARTS 3 is coming to Microsoft Xbox One and Sony PlayStation® 4 in 2018.
www.kingdomhearts.com

Be sure to follow us to keep up to date with everything Kingdom Hearts related:
Twitter – https://twitter.com/KingdomHearts
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YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/KingdomHearts

From capture to creature: Weta Digital

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For Cartoon Brew, I ran down how Weta Digital takes the on-set performance capture and pushes it through different departments to produce ape animation. It’s an incredible, artistic and technical process. Hope you enjoy the read.

Fun Union’s ‘BabyRiki’ hits 25 million views on digital platforms in China

FUN Union’s pre-school programme BabyRiki hit the main Chinese digital platforms on 8 July, 2017 and in just seven days the episodes have totalled 25 million views. Out of the 52 episodes 30 have been published on Tencent Video, iQiyi, Youku, Mango TV and Beva.

BabyRiki is an animated series with content that covers all aspects of a child’s life. From physical well-being to social-emotional well-being and soft skills, the musical stories are based around age-appropriate experiences with educational concepts introduced in familiar surroundings and context for infants. It is produced in mixed technique using 3D CGI and live-action video.

FUN Union aims to bring uplifting, entertaining and educational content to children all over China. For CEO Christine Brendle, this success is no surprise. “BabyRiki resonates with toddlers and parents due to its appealing characters and beautiful setting. The series was developed alongside child psychologists to ensure that children would learn through fun and engaging storylines. It has no violence or evil characters and focuses strongly on developing social-emotional skills.”

Chinese director Zijing Wu said, “This is a testament to the success of high-quality content with strong educational values in China. Following our recent announcement about our co-production with CCTV Animation, we’re very pleased with these initial results.”

BabyRiki will launch across all digital platforms in China by the end of the summer (additional 20 platforms) as a secondary round of digital distribution. Its licensing business in the region will kick off with a strong focus on premium children’s products.

The co-production deal with CCTV Animation is for a new children’s animation series Krash and Hehe which is scheduled to premiere in 2019. FUN Union has been building communities in China through its proprietary edutainment platforms. Riki’s tailor-made learning journey with its website is for parents and kids to enjoy together.

For the little ones, there are carefully designed contents such as interactive games, light-hearted songs and engaging animations that helps develop key life skills. There is also a plenty of content designed for young parents – all delivered through associated WeChat accounts.

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SBLabs release videos of complex simulations and 3D animation to train VFX artists

 

A wooden heart

One of Europe’s leading creative production agency Saddington Baynes has released a spate of VFX videos as an experiment to train artists. Entailing the complex simulations and labyrinthine details of 3D animation, this is an attempt by SBLabs, who developed the videos, to shape the technical discipline of the artists for commercial projects.

Four such videos were produced by SB’s R&D arm, ranging from celebration of London Pride with CG paint to replicating Gangnam style through motion capture. Here’s a short synopsis of each of the videos:

  • Love is Love: Depicts a centre piece of Buddha statue simulated using 3D photo scans and rendered with Arnold. It was created using FLIP fluid solver with a bit of customised color mixing.

  • InflataSean: It is a human replica generated by processing data from full-body scans. The inflation effects were then brought about through simulations and then rendered in Mantra/Android.
  • VFX Dancers: Created by meticulously entwining particle simulations and fur with shaders and attached to motion capture.

  • Gangnam style: An amalgam of motion picture and cloth simulation, created using Flipbook.

Through these experimental clips, SBLabs are providing the VFX artists with a platform to accustom themselves with various tools. Besides, the creative freedom also serves to nurture their skills with some hands-on training.

Saddington Baynes currently creates visual content for advertising industries across US, UK. and elsewhere in Europe, functioning since the last 25 years.

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GAFX Kanada Industry

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Delving into the quirky trivias of Dunkirk

One of the most awaited movies of the year is almost upon us and the tremors are already felt by the record books. Dunkirk, directed by connoisseur Christopher Nolan is slated to hit the screens on 21 July 2017 but the movie has already generated a whiff of infectious euphoria.

Set in the backdrop of World War II, Dunkirk stars Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance and also Harry Styles among others giving it a glamorous appeal. Moreover, the prospect of a Christopher Nolan direction makes it completely unmissable!

As we anxiously look forward to its release, here are a few unknown facts about the movie that you must familiarise with.

1.It’s not a war film

Yes, you read it right. Dunkirk isn’t a war film. But how can a movie set in the events of World War II not be a war film, you may ask. Well, that’s the buzz around this movie and director Christopher Nolan has tried to burst the bubble by calling it more of a “suspense film”.

He says, “It’s a survival film and first and foremost, a suspense film. It does not necessarily concern itself with the bloody aspect of the combat. We tried to take a different approach and achieve the intensity in a different way.”

Though the trailers suggest otherwise, prepare yourself to get your mind blown away.

2.Nolan’s shortest film since Following

It’s the artistry with which a story is painted on the celluloid that speaks about the credibility of a film director. And on that count, Christopher Nolan is the numero uno.

The 46-year old has inscribed his name in the annals of Hollywood with some fine works in Inception, Interstellar and the Dark Knight trilogy, though a common attribute of each of them is the length. Most of Nolan’s movies go well beyond two hours, but the upcoming film is set to be one of his shortest.

With a run time of just 106 minutes, Dunkirk will be his shortest film since Following, his directorial debut. The 1998-film ran for just 70 minutes, his shortest movie till date and it will be followed by Dunkirk in the list.

3.The film encompasses three different story points narrated simultaneously

To add more to the already developed fanfare, the movie is set to cover three different story threads during the war. Albeit all transpired in different times, Dunkirk will be a simultaneous projection of each of them.

The narrative structure does sound far from straightforward but Nolan explains how he managed to crack it: “For the soldiers who embarked in the conflict, the events took place on different temporalities. On land, some stayed one week stuck on the beach. On water, the events lasted a maximum day and if you were flying to Dunkirk, the British spitfires would carry an hour of fuel. So to mix these different versions of history, one had to mix the temporal strata. Hence it has a complicated structure even if the story is very simple.”

Simple it may be, but most of the success of the movie now relies on how he bridged the time gap in between the events.

4.Tom Hardy and Kenneth Branagh to feature in a World War II adaption which is the third of its kind

Filming a war movie can be very challenging including for the actors. However, Tom Hardy and Kenneth Branagh are well aware of the perils having featured in not one but two such movies before.

Hardy has previously worked in war movies such as Band of Brothers (2001) and Colditz (2005), whereas Kenneth has films like Conspiracy (2001) and Valkyrie (2008) to his name. So that’s a handful of aptitude being pumped into Dunkirk.

5.Dunkirk bordering on being a silent film with few dialogues

Christopher Nolan has always expressed his love for silent films. And with Dunkirk, that’s the closest he has been so far.Though most of his movies are replete with discerning dialogues and catchy screenplay, Dunkirk is a first where dialogues are at a premium. So the experience of witnessing a silent movie could be unavoidable.But fear not, the visuals take centre stage in the absence of words to keep the audience hooked. As Christopher Nolan himself quoted, “Its the kind of film where the visual aspect of the film is dominant right from the get-go.”

A unique viewing experience awaits! A Warner Bros. distribution, Dunkirk will be coming to cinemas on 21 July 2017.

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Enter into the divine world of Swastik Productions’ Shani: An interview with producer Rahul Kumar Tewary

Shanidev may be considered inauspicious but the show Karmafal Daata Shani has gained favourable response from its viewers.

Whilst the story has endeared to the viewers, the visual effects in particular has drawn several plaudits. To gain some more insight into the amazing VFX of Shani, we get in cahoots with the producer Rahul Kumar Tewary from Swastik Productions who discusses the people, work and what variants of the show can the fans expect in future.

What made you think of starting a show on Shani?

As a God, Shani is the most misinterpreted one. Because when you talk of Shani, you talk about downfall, something bad etc. But as a matter of fact, Shani is not about anything bad but about justifying what you have done in this life. You have to either reap the benefits or pay the price in this life itself. So basically your karmas are justified and that’s what Shani does to you.

Which studio does the VFX for your show?

One Life studio does all the visual effects related work.

How was your thought of collaborating with them?

We needed someone who had the right team and that’s what we figured with One Life. They have the right team, the right talent and the right kind of people who understand what we want and they have been delivering.

How has been your experience of working with them so far?

We have had a fabulous relationship with them. The senior members of their studio, the co-ordinators, everyone is just fabulous. Their visualisation is excellent, they know their job well. So we just wanted someone who understands our creative needs and One Life and its management has been able to do that.

When did your pre-production begin?

Pre-production began at least 8 months before the telecast.

What were the challenges that you encountered?

Initially, the challenge we had was to find someone to match our vision. Also, since the show itself isn’t like any normal show, it is based on the divine world we had to create a never-seen-before visuals for our viewers of the divine world. So the challenge here was to achieve that.

How much time does it take to complete one episode?

It takes a long time. Most of our episodes, which run for 20-22 minutes time slot, involve VFX content that requires 18-20 minutes of work. So it takes quite some time to get the desired quality of VFX.

Is it a costly project budgetwise?

It is not any other drama,it is  a different show altogether. It involves at least 18-20 VFX shots per episode. So it is an expensive show for sure. The VFX component is expensive.

What is new or unique about Shani in terms of VFX?

Shani gives a visual treat to our viewers like never before. With an upper world set up, and the way we present the Brahma-Vishnu-Mahesh, the Surya palace, Shani’s jungle, am sure the viewers have got a unique visual experience.

What is the size of your VFX team?

We have got around 85-90 people working for the VFX of the show.

Do you think there is a trend starting where in TV shows will be VFX-heavy?

I feel it all depends on the concept. If the concept requires people to be transported to a different world then VFX will definitely get involved. So it may not be a trend, but a mere requirement.

Do you plan to produce any animated version or game or comic on Shani?

We are working on it. But if we decide to do that, we will let you know.

We wish Rahul Kumar Tewary and his team of Shani in Swastik Productions  all the best for future. Stay updated with us for more stories related to this show.

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