MIMPI /mobile interactive multiparametric image/ is an experiment with abstract generative image and simple multiuser interactivity. Everyone can influence the image with tilting a smartphone connected to the local network. Sound by Lazyfish is also realtime synthesized and forms a whole with the graphics. Audience’s interaction with the installation floats between game, creation or contemplation, depending on participnts’ mood and actions. Visually complex image is a metaphor of virtual structures, which one can affect intuitively easy. Participant’s mind is immersed in the process of influence and perception of emotional feedback. Graphic style hints at futurist aesthetics and has a certain irony along with intention to rethink our attitudes to technology. MIMPI v2 was presented at “The Fifth Dimension: Singularity” exhibition at MARS center, Moscow, 2015 Special thanks to the team of MARS center for the excellent production and for 3-months long exhibition.
I asked Weta Digital animation supervisor David Clayton that question for VFX Voice, in relation to his work on Rampage.
The week that was at FMX 2018
Posted in: Animation
I’m now back in Sydney but last week I had an extraordinary time at FMX in Stuttgart. There I was lucky enough to introduce several killer VFX and animation presentations, and host my own track – ‘Then & Now’ – with Chris Wedge from Blue Sky Studios and Phil Tippett. Another highlight was moderating an animation directors panel with Wedge, Shannon Tindle and David Silverman (who sang the Spider-Pig song from The Simpsons Movie; I’ll never forget it).
In addition, FMX was an incredible time to catch up with old friends and make new ones. Plus get to see what’s happening in the industry. One thing I always love at FMX, too, is that the presenters regularly get to show behind the scenes material that can’t be shown anywhere else.
The FMX team made this highlights video, below, which I think really shows off the high calibre of speakers and attendees to the conference. Can’t wait for 2019 already! Keep an eye on their website.
Portfolio Entertainment has brought Marianne Culbert on board as its new vice president of production.
An award-winning kids’ producer, Culbert, brings over 30 years of experience in animation studio service and content production to Portfolio and will directly report to Portfolio CEO and co-founder, Lisa Olfman.
Prior to joining Portfolio, Culbert served as the VP of production at major studios like Arc Productions, Mercury Filmworks and Nelvana, where she oversaw the productions of acclaimed series such as Wilbur, Toot and Puddle, Little Bear, Max & Rub, Braceface, Cybercase, Elliot Moose, Beyblade, George & Martha, and Jim Henson’s Dog City.
Culbert will oversee the production of company’s animated properties as well as manage the animation studio. She’ll also be involved at the onset of each project, working closely with Portfolio’s partners on new and upcoming projects.
The post Marianne Culbert joins Portfolio Entertainment as the new VP production appeared first on AnimationXpress.
With a successful start in 2017, the second Indie Comix Fest took place on 1 May at YMCA, Colaba in Mumbai. A perfect platform that the new comics need, comic artists gathered from various nooks and corners making the event a hit.
The event was a contemporary cultural melting pot with over 25 comic book artists, writers, illustrators and self-publishing labels displaying their works. Anthologies, serialised floppies, hand-pressed zines, fold-out comics, screen-printed comics, posters, and a ton of other self-published content was seen at the desks of the participants where aspiring artists tried their hand at the comic art.
The Indie Comix Fest is organised by a bunch of volunteers including Bharath Murthy, Aniceto Pereira, Kailash Iyer and Chaitanya Modak on a non-profit basis to bring artists and readers together to share and showcase comics as a form of expression and celebrating the success of self-published comics.
“This is an attempt to encourage free expression in comic form wherein we want to contribute to the growth of comic culture in India. With this platform, readers and artists interact face to face. We are planning to do it on a larger scale, now spreading to three cities, including Bangalore and Delhi and wish to do it in Goa soon,” expressed Murthy.
The fest saw new releases with Abhijeet Kini’s Rhyme Fighters, Ahmed Sikander’s Monky Ink Blots; Karthik Narasimhan’s Doctor Endo’s Gallery of Amusing Thoughts; Omkar Mahashabde’s Aaj Ka Tazaa Scribble; Rahul Bhandare’s Circuit Therapy: The Code of Light; Archit Vaze’s The Butterfly Effect, Amit Kaikini’s Capacious Chair (Who Ate My Eggs & The Next Morning), Shrabani Dasgupta and Manmeet Sandhu’s Wild Tales for Weird Minds and OCTA by Blue Jackal among others.
Kini shared, “We get to know what other artists are up to and get to see new content. It’s a pleasure being part of Indie Comix Fest.” With his Rhyme Fighters creating quite a stir, volume three of the same is already here. “The plan is to bring up something new every two months,” he added.
A group of kids from the Maulana Azad School, Dharavi with their mentor Chaitanya Modak were the centre of attraction at the fest. These kids in the age group of 10-12 created their own comic stories which are collected together in a book published by Won-Tolla under the title Saturday Comix.
Maulana Azad School students with their mentor Chaitanya Modak
“These kids used to wait after classes every Saturday to conceptualise their stories and create storyboards, and that’s why the name, Saturday Comix,” says Modak beaming with pride.
Iyer brought down the curtains on the fest with a warm note saying, “When Bharath, Ceto, Chaitanya and I were putting together the first edition of the fest last year, we had no idea whether an event like this is even sustainable. Today, when I look around the room and see all the fantastic talent gathered here, I know we took the right step. Nearly a dozen new comics have been released today, in a variety of genres – horror, comedy, autobiographical, and some fairly experimental pieces as well. I strongly believe our next edition will see even more new releases!”
The event gathered attention from the expected audience and the organisers hope to boost the craze even more at the next Indie Comix Fest coming up on 13 May at Delhi.
The post Indie Comix Fest: Where art follows passion appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Cyber Group Studios USA, an animated entertainment company, announced the launch of two new operations, Ira Singerman and Jessica Hogan for its Los Angeles office.
Jessica Hogan and Ira Singerman
Cyber Group Studios chairman and CEO Pierre Sissmann said, “We established the office in Los Angeles to continue the organic growth of our businesses and to meet our objective of being a truly global company. The new development pipeline was started out of demand for our productions in the region and the direct-to- consumer group to take advantage of new technologies, platforms and consumer preferences.”
Singerman has joined as the vice president of development. He will be responsible for a slate of new television projects and other animated content that will be developed in North America. Along with it, Singerman will use the creative resources of the company’s Paris animation studio. He previously held similar roles with Spin Master Entertainment, NBC Universal Kids and Family and Mattel.
“We are always looking for the next great series for kids, but a major focus of our new development pipeline will be well-known intellectual properties and strategic partnerships with toy companies. Ira has the perfect background to achieve our goals,” commented Cyber Group Studios USA president and CEO Richard Goldsmith.
Hogan is assigned the position of manager of direct-to- consumer. She will oversee the company’s business with platforms reaching consumers directly with video-on- demand content and print-on- demand consumer products as well as a new, branded OTT platform for kids.
“We are really excited to be able to reach kids and parents directly with our library of successful animated series, many of which have never been seen in North America,” stated Goldsmith.
The content development and direct-to- consumer operations are part of the parent company’s overall expansion plans.
The post Cyber Group Studios USA expands its Los Angeles office with new operations appeared first on AnimationXpress.
Participate in Asia’s biggest Art-Animation-Tech competition at Bengaluru GAFX 2018
Posted in: AnimationBengaluru GAFX 2018, India’s animation, visual effects, gaming and comics (AVGC) event, will take place at Hotel Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru on the 18, 19 and 20 of May this year. The event (formerly called ABAI Fest and Summit) is organised by ABAI, will be backed by the department of innovation and technology of Government of Karnataka.
The focus of the 2018 edition of GAFX is on creating more opportunities and helping the community in the AVGC sector to establish a stronger foothold.
GAFX conducts live competitions in both artistic and technical arenas, providing a platform to professionals and students to showcase their talent and get recognized. Participants can take home cash prizes up to 0.7 million and be deemed as Champion of GAFX till the next edition.
If you have what it takes to be the champion then this competition will give you an opportunity to flaunt your talent to the world.
The main competitions for this year are:
- 3D Modelling
- Clay Sculpting
- Character Animation
- 3D Game Art
- Hackathon
- Digital Painting
- Story Writing
- Traditional Painting
To give opportunities to more talented artists who wish to showcase their art, the last date for registrations has been extended to 10 May. If you are interested in being a part of GAFX competitions, you can register at https://www.gafx.in/competition-registration/
Looking forward to seeing you at GAFX 2018!
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From the pre-booking sales for the movie, one could have seen this coming. The tremors were felt when it registered more advance ticket sales than the last eight MCU movies combined. But now that Avengers: Infinity War has finally opened in cinemas, records are being shattered to smithereens.
Latest box-office reports suggests the movie has grossed $808 million worldwide, surpassing Guardian of the Galaxy‘s lifetime collections of $770 million. And it’s been only six days since the release!
Infinity War made history on the opening day when it witnessed the greatest opening weekend of all time, storming to $250 million domestically – eclipsing the $247.9 million by Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The international market grossed another $380 million, racking up a total of $630 million. Moreover, it’s yet to release in China and Russia.
The MCU blockbuster marks the culmination of 10 years of the franchise, and the fans have been all agog about watching the earth’s mightiest heroes tiff with the biggest enemy in Thanos that they’ve ever battled. Although we still have an Avengers 4 lined-up next summer, Infinity War heralds the beginning of the end of the famed Marvel Cinematic Universe, and also possibly, many of our beloved heroes.
Within a week of the release, it has soared to ninth in the table of the highest earners in the MCU, and given the pace of its collections, it’s also predicted to beat Force Awakens as the fastest movie to hit the elusive $1 billion mark.
Based on Marvel comics, Avengers: Infinity War is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, and now running in theatres.
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Motion Awards: 2017 Winners
Posted in: Animation
Come one, come all and view some of the best work made within the motion design industry this past year and see who will be taking home a 2017 Motion Award!
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