Quickshots: ‘Valerian’s’ multi-world oner

Valerian_BTS_Pic#05

Weta Digital’s Valerian visual effects supervisor Martin Hill discusses that insane ‘oner’ of Valerian (Dane DeHaan) dashing through multiple worlds.

Martin Hill: What’s happening in that sequence is, Valerian’s trying to get from one place to another as quickly as possible – that being a straight line. He’s just travelling in a straight line as fast as he humanly can with his exoskeleton power suit, or armour.

Essentially, anything that we could get in camera we would. There was a particular sense of movement that Luc wanted through the shots where the gravity was a bit different, he had his power suit on and so he wanted a particular gait we knew we couldn’t really get.

We did shoot Dane bounding against a blue screen for that shot. We shot him running towards the wall, and then we decided, on the day, at what point we would take over and go digital for performance reasons only. Then, halfway through the sequence, there’s a big orbit around his head where it’s back on Dane and then we’re just filling in the rest of the uniform and his body.

One of the big challenges was, we needed to create all these different worlds and they all needed to be distinct and they all needed to be their own things. What was very important was making sure that they all looked like they were still part of the same cinematic universe. That really boiled down to working with the art department, working with the set designers, costume designers and Luc and making sure that we didn’t have the same themes running through all the environments. The same is true for the characters. A lot of it comes down to colour pallet and composition.

‘We’re making a movie about emojis’ – so how do you animate those things?

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One of the appeals of being an animator must be new character challenges – finding the right movement, finding the personality, finding the ‘voice’, even when the characters appear to be quite simple. That challenge was awaiting Sony Pictures Imageworks for The Emoji Movie, and I talked to anim supe Sacha Kapijimpanga for Spark CG Society about finding a solution.

Jellyfish Pictures launches VFX and animation technology business ‘RenderWise’

BAFTA and multi-award-winning production studio, Jellyfish Pictures today announced that it has launched a subsidiary business called ‘RenderWise’. Responding to the obstacles faced when met with time sensitive demands, RenderWise offers cloud hybrid rendering and virtual studio solutions for VFX and animation applications. RenderWise officially launches at SIGGRAPH 2017, taking place in Los Angeles from 30 July to 3 August and will be available for demonstrations on the Microsoft stand (923).

Already trialed on a number of Jellyfish’s projects, RenderWise’s cloud hybrid rendering solution dramatically improves and streamlines VFX and animation studios’ workflows. The new solution enables studios to take on a more flexible approach to how they work, delivering a true hybrid rendering solution, fully integrated into an existing render farm and pipeline management.

Offering both consultancy services and setup, the new solution utilises Microsoft Azure, harnessing the cloud to create an adaptable environment allowing VFX studios to work remotely and on demand. The solution drastically increases speed of provisioning, hyper-scaling and seamless burst rendering to the cloud.

RenderWise can help reduce time consuming tech and infrastructure overheads traditionally associated with setting up of a new studio by helping set up virtual offices. The new model has already been implemented by Jellyfish Pictures at two new studios in the Oval, South London.

These solutions will radically save costs across the board, preventing studios from over provisioning, enabling them to ramp up and down as production requires. Studios migrating to the hybrid cloud solution, can adopt an Opex pricing structure rather than Capex, with all system administration costs being outsourced to Microsoft Azure, further saving studios money on cooling outlay and running on-premises hardware.

Jellyfish CTO Jeremy Smith, who helped to develop and spearhead the new business stream and solution, said, “RenderWise was born from an acknowledgement that the VFX industry needs to change. It promotes global collaborative working. This thing is no doubt essential in an industry such as ours. The most important thing for  all of us is to ensure that creativity is never stilted – using the cloud, opens up a whole new realm of possibilities to how we work, breaking down the four walls of our studios, and expanding progress.”

Jellyfish Pictures CEO Phil Dobree added, “For as long as the VFX community can remember, we have been governed by on-premises hardware and infrastructure when tackling projects. RenderWise eliminates this archaic view and liberates what is possible. In order to compete we need to start deploying solutions that enable us to work as efficiently and economically as possible. The solution we have created is the future of how VFX studios will run and I am very proud of the results.”

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KFC India and Mountain Dew co-create the country’s first Gamer’s Box and it’s finger clickin’ good!

Passionate gamers will vouch for how it is impossible to tear away from the immersive experience that is gaming! The urgency of your fingers on the controller, that rush of your score rising on the board – nothing should interrupt that – not even meal breaks!

Mountain Dew and the big-daddy of finger lickin’ food, KFC, have the perfect gaming set up that will let you refuel and get into show-down mode – without worrying about grubby screens and long breaks! KFC Mountain Dew ‘Gamer’s Box 2.0’ is a convenient, no-mess meal box with built in gaming controls. It can be called a gamer’s ultimate fantasy! The snazzy new limited-edition twist to the KFC meal box features inbuilt gaming controls and a slot for your phone. Consumers can pair their phone with the controllers on the meal box through bluetooth, for a non-stop gaming session, while they enjoy a finger lickin’ good meal and sip on some refreshing Mountain Dew. Because neither gaming nor the Colonel’s chicken should ever stop!

Commenting on the limited-edition Gamer’s Box 2.0, KFC India  chief marketing officer Lluís Ruiz Ribot said, “We are excited to partner with Mountain Dew to co-create the Gamer’s Box 2.0 as it brings the best of both worlds – gaming and finger lickin’ good chicken  to consumers! It gives gaming enthusiasts a chance to not just indulge in their favorite KFC 5-in-1 meal box but also enjoy uninterrupted gaming without worrying about messy food or grimy screens.”

Talking about their commitment to gaming and the KFC partnership, Mountain Dew and PepsiCo India associate director Naseeb Puri said, Gaming in India is gaining exponential popularity across platforms. As a brand, Mountain Dew has always been at the forefront of bringing in consumer experiences that have celebrated emerging trends. Last year, we created Dew Arena that went on to become India’s largest ever gaming championship and is into its second edition this year. The partnership with KFC is a reiteration of our commitment to gaming and e-sports in India. We are excited to partner with KFC in a bid to create the perfect accompaniment for gamers.”

The limited-edition Gamer’s Box 2.0 is available on KFC India  or  Mountain Dew Facebook, Twitter (KFC India, Mountain Dew) or Instagram page (KFC India, Mountain Dew).  Ten lucky consumers will get a chance to win this limited-edition box.

If someone is unable to get their hands on the limited-edition Gamer’s Box 2.0, the the brands have also come together to launch the KFC Mountain Dew Gamer’s meal box. It is a snazzy new twist to the KFC meal box that has been curated by gamers to be fuss-free and perfect for a quick refuel – the KFC Zinger, Chicken Popcorn, Fries, Yumfills and Mountain Dew.

The limited-edition KFC and Mountain Dew Gamer’s Box 2.0 is just the first step of their partnership. So, stay tuned! You don’t want to miss out on any of the gaming fun!

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Pogo all set to unleash magical new adventures of ‘Dorothy & the Wizard of Oz’

Sparkling ruby red slippers beckon once again! Dorothy has been called upon to unleash her farmhouse feistiness, to take care of the magical world of Oz. POGO, Turner’s only-for-India, kids’ entertainment channel is all set to launch ‘Dorothy & the Wizard of Oz’, an all-new comedic fantasy series based on L. Frank Baum’s renowned classic. This latest original content from Warner Bros. Animation, promises viewers thrilling magical adventures, as Dorothy and her friends undertake their extraordinary royal duties!


The new series kicks off from the Wicked Witch’s defeat, and our Kansas girl is called upon by Queen Ozma to rein in the chaos in Oz. Doe-eyed Dorothy once again lands up in the enchanting universe of witches and wizards, munchkins, flying monkeys and many more creatures, with a whole lot of responsibility. Her companions – Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Toto – help her put an end to all mischief in the fantasy world of Oz, as they bring with them dollops of pluckiness, fun and frolic.

So, hop, skip and jump along the Yellow Brick Road, and join Dorothy and her friends as they tackle mischief mongers in the wondrous world of Oz. Meet them every Saturday and Sunday at 12 noon, 29 July onwards on POGO.

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Indian Comic founders paint a nostalgic farewell: MS Paint to be ostracised from Windows 10

The long enamored digital canvas once used to scribble down your ideas, the virtual platform to draw your train of imagination is nearing its end as Microsoft Paint is being banished to the history books.

Tech giant Microsoft recently announced that the popular graphic program will be discontinued with the release of Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, triggering a cathartic reaction from all of its users (past and current).

Started as a rudimental program with Windows 1.0 in November 1985, MS Paint rose to prominence by the drop of a hat. The younger users back then were equipped with a tool which gave them a medium to sketch all their ideas and fantasies down on a virtual canvas, a technology that caught everyone’s imagination.

With the advancements that happened in the coming years, Paint’s popularity and use, plunged progressively as newer tools and softwares with more attractive features made way.

Yet, the news of MS Paint getting obsolete is met with some degree of sorrow. We spoke to some of the comic founders from Indian comic industry who poured their heart out about their nostalgia and love for MS Paint.

Chariot Comics Founder Aniruddho Chakraborty shares some of his nostalgia of Paint. He says,”MS Paint used to be a part of our computer classes. How we tried to be a Picasso within that little environment! Also more than anything else, it just taught you all the basics. For me even much later on, I preferred MS Paint for smaller editing or cropping over Photoshop. So I think it was a very handy tool and it still is.”

Chariot Comics founder Aniruddho Chakraborty

“I don’t know why they are getting rid of it. It won’t make much difference in terms of space or memory. But I do hope they replace with something better” he adds.

Shutting it down completely wouldn’t bring about any substantial change as Aniruddho further states, “They can always advance it as the modern version of paint is very different from what we use. So they could keep it advancing unless they have something completely new to introduce.”

Fenil Sherdiwala of Fenil Comics too, had his say. He states, ”Microsoft may bring in a new, more advanced technology by discarding MS Paint. Just as we witnessed the change in trends with mobile phones, Microsoft may too be planning to come up with something new. Software like Flash is now equipped with new tools which helps people finish their work within a deadline. That’s something not available in Paint.”

Certain section of the user base though, remains unperturbed with the news. MS Paint didn’t offer anything innovative despite the newer technologies and so discontinuing it wouldn’t make much of a difference. Or so they say, like Fanboy Comics creator Abhijeet Kini here. He says,”I am not overtly sad about it as we now have things which gone beyond MS Paint. Today we draw illustrations digitally on tablets, but it does hold a special place in our career as artists. I even remember I had drawn a tree for the first time that I used MS Paint! So the thrill we got about digital drawing for the very first time is memorable and will be missed.”

Fanboy Comics creator Abhijeet Kini

“However, not to the extent that people will be sad about it. They will move on within two days. In today’s date with so much technology and gadgetry, something as simple as MS Paint is already outdated. And now that it’s use has severely dropped, it’s an out of sight out of mind thing.”

Out of mind it may be, but those old, treasured memories of the fun and frolic we experienced in colouring the white on-screen canvas with a miniature paintbrush, or those aimless pencil scribbling, all of this through just a click of a mouse button, will remain etched until the cows come home.

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Green Gold launches Golden Robot Animation, a full service animation studio in Mumbai

Green Gold Animation, the multi award winning animation studio embarks upon the aggressive expansion plans, announcing the launch of its brand new studio in Mumbai. The new entity, Golden Robot Animation, will operate as a sister concern to Green Gold Animation with a common management structure.

With plans to cater to the burgeoning global demand for animation content and with the aim to strengthen the team, an animation studio in Mumbai is a clear cut shot in the arm for Green Gold Animation, the creators and producers of Chhota Bheem and Mighty Raju.

“Green Gold is amongst the leaders in the animation industry today in India. Launching Golden Robot Animation in Mumbai is a big realisation which will help promote leading-edge expertise in the production of animated shows. This investment acknowledges the talent, creativity and quality of Mumbai’s team,” says Green Gold Animation founder and managing director Rajiv Chilaka.

Rajiv Chilaka

The senior leadership of Golden Robot comprises industry veterans with proven track records. RK Chand will head business development with Ritesh Kumar and Abhishek Chandra heading the creative and animation departments respectively.

The strong leadership and creative team at Golden Robot boasts of a cumulative rich experience of 15 years along with more than thousand minutes of animation content, which makes it a formidable entrant in the industry to network and generate business with leading production houses and broadcasters in India and across the globe.

The brand new full service studio facility set in the heart of the city comprises world class infrastructure which will be able to cater to diverse markets, wide scaled and complex projects.

The animation teams comprising of senior artists and department heads have already joined and are working towards ramping up to a strength of 200 artists.

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Shah Rukh Khan & Motu Patlu groove together in Nick promo for Jab Harry Met Sejal

That Motu and Patlu are a phenomenon is well known. Once when they trooped into Animationxpress.com’s office in the Goregaon suburb of Mumbai for a visit, all the kids in the vicinity (yes our office has some shanties beyond the wall of our industrial complex) surrounded the duo, took selfies with them and even screamed in delight.

But that they would induce even the great Shahrukh Khan (SRK ) to come and jiggle and dance with them is something we did not expect. As a part of the promotions of Jab Harry Met Sejal, the superstar has shot a video with both Motu and Patlu grooving away to the strains of Radha – a song from the film.

The sequence has been shot keeping kids channel Nick in mind. It shows

SRK trying to keep pace and step with various kids and Motu and Patlu. The cutest moment is when he can’t keep up with the movements of a toddler.  And even Motu and Patlu in one step.

Why did the duo agree to dance with him? Well, the joke is that they wanted to see if they could score over SRK. And going by their performance in the video, they did.

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The Rock x Siri Dominate the Day

Apple is promoting the latest Siri features with a commercial featuring The Rock, Dwayne Johnson. The commercial, “The Rock x Siri Dominate the Day”, has the actor, producer and professional wrestler using Siri to tick off items on his life long bucket list. In a whirlwind of activity he uses Siri’s connection with FaceTime, email, camera, weather, iTunes playlist and the the transportation network Lyft. The ego-driven character takes over the driving of a Lyft ride to the airport, commandeers the pilot’s seat of a flight scheduled to fly to Accra, Ghana and heads to Rome. He manages to contribute to the restoration of a church fresco, checks in with his new fashion line in Japan, providing the commentary for his earth, fire, water and rock fashion show, competing with French chef Ludo Lefebvre, playing a Chinese zither in concert, and taking a selfie in space. Several items from The Rock’s life goal list are achieved before dropping back into the set of his latest sci fi movie. Apple is pointing viewers to the Siri site: siri.com

The Rock x Siri commercial

The Rock’s Life Goal List

Restore a masterpiece
Conquer the fashion world
Cook like a boss
Master an instrument
Reach enlightenment
Take the world’s greatest selfie
Beat the video game version of yourself
Go quintuple platinum
and more…

The Rock x Siri poster

The Rock x Siri Credits

The Siri Rock campaign was developed at TBWAMedia Arts Lab.

Filming was shot by director Bryan Buckley via Hungry Man with director of photography Scott Henriksen.

Post production was done at The Mill.

Salvation and how 350 found objects became a film

In this post, we take a look at “Salvation” by Blinkink and just how much life can be brought to found objects through the wonderful world of stop-motion.