Feb 08

Stadia base arriving this year

Posted in: Animation

Google vice president Phil Harrison announced that the company is going to launch a free version of Stadia later in 2020 called ‘Stadia Base’.

Unlike the Stadia Pro version, Stadia Base will serve up to 1080p at 60 fps and provide stereo sound but will not get additional free games or exclusive discounts on select game purchases. “The big strategic difference is that over the next few months you will be able to experience Stadia for free,” shared Harrison. “No money down, without having to put a box in your home, you can just click and play amazing games straight from our data center,” he added

Stadia is a cloud gaming service operated by Google. It is advertised to be capable of streaming video games up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second with support for high-dynamic-range, to players via the company’s numerous data centers across the globe, provided they are using a sufficiently high-speed Internet connection. It is accessible through the Google Chrome web browser on desktop computers, or through Pixel smartphones, Chrome OS tablets and Chromecast.

Image result for stadia information

The service is planned to be integrated with YouTube, and its “state share” feature will allow viewers of a Stadia stream to launch a game on the service on the same save state as the streamer. This has been used as a selling point for the service. It is compatible with HID class USB controllers, though a proprietary controller manufactured by Google with a direct Wi-Fi link to data centers is available alongside the service. Stadia is not similar to Netflix, in that it requires users to purchase games to stream via Stadia rather than pay for access to a library of games. While the base service will be free, a Pro tier monthly subscription allows users to stream at higher rates for larger resolutions, and the offer to add free games to their library.

Stadia Pro charges players a monthly fee of $9.99 for a bunch of free games on top of the $130 Founder’s Edition. Games that are not included in the Pro package will have to be purchased individually.

Google’s game streaming service launched in November last year with Stadia Pro (part of the Founder’s Edition) for 9.99 dollars. Debuting in the cloud gaming market with heavy negative reactions, the tech juggernaut is not giving up on the idea just yet. Just recently the company announced that Stadia is due to receive more than 10 exclusive games within the next six months.

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Feb 08

Envy Gaming partners with Greyhound for 2020 esports seasons

Posted in: Animation

Envy Gaming, the esports organisation that owns the Dallas Fuel team in the Overwatch League and the Dallas Empire team in the Call of Duty League, announced a season-long partnership with Greyhound, the largest provider of intercity bus transportation in North America. The partnership is the first foray into esports for the iconic transportation operator, which carries more than 16 million passengers to 2,400 destinations across North America each year.

Greyhound will provide exclusive intercity bus transportation on board its modern fleet to Envy’s professional esports teams during the Overwatch League and Call of Duty League matches played in North Texas in 2020 and plans to launch the partnership with a gaming-themed fan lounge on a Greyhound bus at the Dallas Fuel Opening Weekend, 8 February to 9February.

“When looking at the esports industry, we realized that our brands align in many ways: modernising entertainment, utilising new technologies, and delivering a product that’s accessible and convenient to the greatest number of people. We’re proud to be partnering with Envy Gaming and excited to provide fans across North America a better, more affordable travel option to see their favourite teams this season,”  said Greyhound director of marketing Lourdes Brown.

Greyhound’s buses have free WiFi and onboard entertainment allowing passengers to stream movies and television shows or play games from their own devices. Passengers can travel in comfort with extra legroom, leather seats and convenient power outlets to stay connected.

“Partnering with Greyhound gives us a chance to work with not only a fellow category leader based in Dallas but one of the most iconic and well-known brands in travel in all of the world. Greyhound gets it–delivering modern amenities to enhance the customer experience is parallel in so many ways to the esports events we are producing in North Texas that blend the best of sports and entertainment,” said Envy Gaming president and COO  Geoff Moore.

Custom-wrapped Greyhound buses featuring team branding are expected to appear at North Texas arenas hosting esports events, and players for the Dallas Fuel, the Dallas Empire and Team Envy will appear in social media and video campaigns with Greyhound. Engine Shop consulted on terms of the partnership.

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Feb 08

Top 6 VFX effects software that dominate the industry

Posted in: Animation

Courtesy of the technological leaps in the sector of computer graphics and processing power, creating artistic imagery has become easier than ever before. With myriad applications across 3D presentations, or modelling creation or games, VFX has become a very important niche of the industry. The demand of this domain is fueled by the need of users to experience immersive 3D worlds in games, movies, etc. While major studios that work upon Hollywood projects have their own proprietary software, let us look at some of the software that leading studios make use of.

Foundry’s Nuke

The Nuke Family has a swanky toolkit for node-based compositing, editorial and review, with flexibility and collaborative workflows help you get the quality results – fast. No wonder they are the Oscar-winners too!
In fact many India studios like Fluidmask and redchillies.vfx have spoken about how they deployed the software to create groundbreaking images.


NUKE is a node-based digital compositing and visual effects application first developed by Digital Domain, and used for television and film post-production. NUKE is available for Microsoft Windows 7, OS X 10.9, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5, and newer versions of these operating systems. The Foundry has further developed the software since Nuke was sold in 2007.

Autodesk Maya 

Autodesk Maya 2020

Maya from Autodesk enables to create 3D animations, simulations and rendering software. This tool can be employed to create characters from the beginning. One of the most useful features of Maya is the fact that it has an integrated programming language called MEL. By using this feature you can create custom scripts or search and find already created scripts to use in your own projects.

For decades, Autodesk’s Media & Entertainment tools for artists have played a vital role in the creation of Academy Award-nominated films in the visual effects and animation categories. From galactic space adventures to photoreal locations and epic journeys to the Himalayas, Autodesk 3ds Max, Arnold, Flame, Lustre, Maya and Shotgun have helped teams around the world collaborate and create standout visuals for this year’s top VFX and animated films nominated for Oscars, BAFTAs, Golden Globes, Annies and VES Awards.

Autodesk 3DS Max 

Autodesk: 3ds Max

3DS Max from Autodesk is another tool that can be used to apply various visual effects to your project. Compared to Maya, 3DS Max is better at creating complex 3D models. One of the greatest pluses is the fact that its user interface is easier to understand, even for beginners.

The most notable difference is the fact that 3DS Max has a wider range of modeling tools is that it has rendering potential too. This feature allows you to create, apply and modify your project at any level, no matter the complexity of the model. 3DS Max is also used for architectural visualization because of its integration with CAD software.

Blender 2.79b

Image result for Blender software

Blender is a great tool to use for working up visual effects on complex projects and the best part is it is completely free to use. With Blender, you can create 3D pipeline-models, animations, simulations, rendering, etc. This program supports NURBS surfaces and polygon meshes making it a strong contender for 3DS Max. Even though this powerful software can help you create professional looking 3D projects with animations, it requires you to have some experience in using it.

Blender was at least partially used for The Man in the High Castle. Sean Kennedy who worked on Hunger Games, Xmen, Life of Pi also admitted to making use of this software to depict the imagery.

RealFlow 10.1

Image result for realflow

RealFlow is mainly a fluid simulation software. This software is a direct competitor to Houdini and also has an impressive range of features. One of the most important features of RealFlow is the ability to edit relationships between nodes and the ability to simulate graphs with the data provided. You can easily create emitters, containers, ocean surfaces and also solid bodies for your project with just a few clicks. Regarding liquids rendering, RealFlow can create both particle-based liquids and also hybrid-based liquids that are suitable for bigger scenes. The Dyverso technology that powers RealFlow is GPU accelerated and can process secondary elements like splashes, foam, mist, bubbles, etc. in real time.

VFX/CG Supervisor Timothy Hanson at Zoic Studios had also spoken about how they used RealFlow to deploy some amazing simulations for Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Houdini 17 – SideFX

Image result for Houdini 17

Last but not the least, Houdini is another potent tool that allows you to create and apply visual effects with ease. This software is a node-based software. More nodes can form a network and this feature allows you easily apply changes either to specific nodes or networks. Houdini was created to be an easy to use software that packs a wide range of features in a user-friendly user interface. Its node powered infrastructure gives you the opportunity to branch off from your initial design with customized effects and actions.

One of the best features of Houdini is the ability to create sophisticated particle and dynamic simulations – realistic fire and smoke with Pyro FX, water effects that react to surface tension, viscosity, and also dynamic particles for creating dust and debris. Houdini has been used in various feature animation productions, including Disney’s feature films Fantasia 2000, Frozen and Zootopia; the Blue Sky Studios film Rio, and DNA Productions’ Ant Bully.

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Feb 08

Android games to look for this Valentine’s Day week

Posted in: Animation

Valentine’s day is around the corner and it is always special to soak in the vibes. What do you want to do on Valentine’s Day? Love is in the air and that’s the perfect moment for Valentine’s Day games. Whether you are single or not it is always magnificent to play these games which will drive you into the love season. Valentine’s Day month has already started here are some of the android games which you can look at:

Valentine’s Day Party Game: Valentine’s Day Party Game is about the preparations of the valentine party. This valentine game includes so many romantic preparations for the valentine day. One cute couple gets an idea to celebrate upcoming valentine with lots of fun and party in this valentine couple game. The storyline of the game revolves around how the boy prepares for Valentine’s Day party. There will be so many tools to make an invitation card in this valentine day party game. The player needs to help the boy character to post the invitation card. Followed by Valentine ’s Day decorations to gift box decorations and to prepare a beautiful flower bouquet for the girl. There is also a cake making view where one needs to help the boy in valentine cake making. Then there will be a dinner date between girl and boy in this valentine date game, cake cutting and also there will be an enjoyable DJ party for them.

Valentine’s Day: Match & Crush: How can we miss games of making matches. Match & crush with colourful and lovely items such as hearts, gifts, flowers and cookies. In this matching game, one has to crush candies all the way! Crush candies in the city of love where the love is in the air. One can invite their best friends to come to play with them in this matching game.  One has to, match three to clear the field, but match four or more to create amazing boosters with extra power. A valentine connects game like this is the perfect game to play on Valentine’s Day week. Let’s match and crush candies and colourful objects like hearts, flowers and cookies.

Valentine Day Gift & Food Ideas Game: the game revolves around how that couple organises a valentine’s day party and sends an invitation to their friends and colleagues. The couple decided to prepare some special things for their friends and for themselves also and these are nothing but steps of the game and includes  Phone Call view, card making view, postcard view, gift making view, Food making. Apart from that, there are other minis which include Count the Numbers Game, Find The Rabbit game, Match the Shape, and Rescue the Animals.

Bingo St. Valentine’s Day: How about Bingo adventure during the love season? One can play Loteria bingo tournaments with other players around the world and have unlimited hours of fun with the classic bingo rules and many other new modalities to discover. One can enjoy a real bingo experience in the multiplayer bingo challenges, in addition to that there are  new bingo slots mix, where one will find the best of the Vegas world combined in this game

Bakery Story: Valentines Day: This bakery game revolves around how a player decorates its own bakery and share with their friends! The player has to impress their sweetheart with these fun V-Day decorations and mouth-watering sweets! It has valentine’s Day themed treats, decorations, and rewarding storylines.

Valentine Day Celebration: Date Makeover Salon:  This game will give a chance to write the player’s romantic love story and will take the players to a romantic date. This game revolves around the girl on the date where she wants to look pretty because she must keep beauty in the special love day-Valentine Day!  The task of the player is to help her to change the look by selecting beautiful outfits, gorgeous accessories and many more.  Not only that one has to select perfect clothes for her love partner as well to create a perfect combination for both the lovebirds by selecting matching dresses.

Singles Avenge: Valentine’s Day Special: Tired of watching couples dating on Valentine’s Day? It’s Revenge Time! This game is solely made for singles of this era. This is an endless runner couples game. In the game, a player has to chase and smash couples around. Run, slide and jump over obstacles and collect coins, gems and power-ups and when a player finds a couple on the way smash them and knock them down. Singles avenge takes the legendary gameplay of classic endless running race games and adds a new dimension to this genre.

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Feb 08

‘Fortnite’ Gets a Harley Quinn Skin

Posted in: Animation

Epic has introduced a new Harley Quinn skin in Fortnite’s Item Shop, just in time for the release of Birds of Prey. Here are some details about this skin were leaked by dataminers. The Item Shop has brought on the Harley Quinn bundle, which features the Harley Quinn outfit, Harley Hitter, and Punchline pickaxes.

You can also complete a bunch of new challenges to unlock another variant of the skin. The Item Shop has Suicide Squad’s Lil Monster XoXo Harley and completing the challenges will unlock Birds of Prey’s Always Fantabulous Harley. The challenges for Always Fantabulous Harley are listed below:

  • Place top 30 in Solo, Duos, or Squads, then top 20, then top 10.
  • Hit weak points and Deal damage using Pickaxes.

Fortnite is an online video game developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. It is available in three distinct game mode versions that otherwise share the same general gameplay and game engine: Fortnite: Save the World, a cooperative shooter-survival game for up to four players to fight off zombie-like creatures and defend objects with fortifications they can build; Fortnite Battle Royale, a free-to-play battle royale game where up to 100 players fight to be the last person standing; and Fortnite Creative, where players are given complete freedom to create worlds and battle arenas. The first two-game modes were released in 2017 as early access titles and Creative was released on December 6, 2018. Save the World is available only for Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, while Battle Royale and Creative released for those platforms, in addition for Nintendo Switch, iOS and Android devices.

Its possible that Epic could add some more skins as Birds of Prey features several characters including Black Canary, Huntress, Renee Montoya, and Black Mask, among others. In the latest 11.50 update, Fortnite gets a Love and War event with a community-made Search and Destroy LTM, new outfits, and Unreal Engine’s Chaos Physics system.

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Feb 08

Starz and Lionsgate sign output deal for split theatrical streaming window in the window

Posted in: Animation

STARZPLAY, the Starz platform’s international streaming service, today announced that it has entered a theatrical output deal with global content leader Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF.A, LGF.B) for split first pay streaming rights in the UK to Lionsgate’s recently released and upcoming feature films.

Under the multi-year agreement, STARZPLAY subscribers in the UK will be able to access Lionsgate first-run movies including the blockbuster original film Knives Out, which has grossed nearly $300 million worldwide, the acclaimed Bombshell, which has earned three Academy Award® nominations, hit titles such as Angel Has Fallen and Rambo: Last Blood along with Lionsgate UK’s The Personal History of David Copperfield and Military Wives. Lionsgate’s feature film slate grossed nearly 1.3 billion dollars at the global box office in 2019.

“One of our top priorities is to supply STARZPLAY with a deep roster of exciting Lionsgate content that complements their original programming and 3rd party acquisitions as they continue to launch their service around the world,” said Lionsgate President of Worldwide Television & Digital Distribution Jim Packer. “This agreement reflects a thoughtful and flexible approach to our windowing strategies while building value through the continued combination of our IP creation and platform distribution capabilities.”

“We’re delighted to bring Lionsgate’s slate of star-driven and critically-acclaimed feature films to our UK subscribers.Offering consumers great content is key to growing our subscriber base as we continue our international rollout, and this partnership only scratches the surface of what Lionsgate and Starz can achieve together,” said International Digital Networks Starz Executive Vice President Superna Kalle.

The deal was negotiated by Lionsgate President of International Television & Digital Distribution Agapy Kapouranis, Senior Vice President and Head of Europe, Middle East and Africa Television Sales Nicky Wood, and Vice President of UK, Turkey & Greece Television Sales Nazneen Sethi.

The Lionsgate titles join the critically acclaimed and popular TV series already available on STARZPLAY including The Act, Pennyworth, Castle Rock and The Spanish Princess.

STARZPLAY, launched in 2018, has already expanded its premium streaming platform into 49 countries. It gives subscribers the opportunity to watch a highly curated portfolio of STARZ premium content, films and television series from Lionsgate’s 17,000-title library, and an exciting line-up of third-party acquisitions, with future STARZ Originals airing exclusively on STARZPLAY day-and-date with the US.

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Feb 08

MONZA X OMNIPOLLO by Brikk

Posted in: Animation
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Feb 07

Twitter backed Sharechat brings new fantasy sports app Jeet11

Posted in: Animation

The local social networking app, which in August last year raised $100 million in a financing round led by Twitter, has developed a fantasy sports app Jeet11 and has been quietly testing it for six months, two sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.

ShareChat’s fantasy sports app, called Jeet11, allows betting on cricket and football matches and has already amassed more than 120,000 registered users, the sources said. The app, or its website, does not disclose its association with ShareChat.

Since fantasy gaming apps aren’t allowed on Google Play Store, ShareChat is distributing Jeet11 via the website as Xiaomi’s GetApps app store. The app, or its website, does not disclose its association with ShareChat.

Further, considering the regulations in India, Jeet11 asks its users to confirm that they don’t live in states like Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Telangana, which have banned fantasy sports betting.

In India, too, several states, including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Telangana, have banned fantasy sports betting. Jeet11 currently requires users to confirm that they don’t live in any of the restricted states before signing up for the service.

A ShareChat spokesperson told Inc42, “This is presently at an experimentation stage. Based on the outcome of the experiment, we will decide on the future of the product.”

 The company, with a user base of 60 Mn monthly active users (MAUs) and over 100 Mn app downloads, has been gravitating towards Tier 2 and 3 markets for growth.

The company is said to be ready to join the unicorn club in 2020, however, it has been having a hard time as it puts up a strong front against heavily-funded Chinese competition such as ByteDance’s TikTok and Helo.

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Feb 07

Technicolor announces Katie Hooten as the head of pre-production studio

Posted in: Animation

Technicolor announces the appointment of Katie Hooten as head of the studio at its pre-production studio in Los Angeles.

The Technicolor pre-production studio was launched last year as a resource for filmmakers, creating a seamless pipeline for feature projects – from concept art, visualisation and real-time production, through to final VFX. This ensures that a storyteller’s vision carries through to the end exactly as intended while saving time and resources along the way for a more efficient, in-control filmmaking process.

Hooten – an industry veteran with 20 plus years of feature film experience in live-action, animation, VFX, and immersive entertainment – first joined Technicolor’s MPC Art Department as a creative producer after appointments at Blur Studio, The Third Floor, and Walt Disney Feature Animation. Her recent producing work includes Love, Death + Robots with director Tim Miller as well as visualisation for some of the largest franchises in the feature space. She partnered with creatives on the breakout hit Hoodwinked which challenged the model of traditionally animated filmmaking and kicked off a wave of indie animation that continues today.

In her role as head of studio, Hooten will manage the LA team at the pre-production studio, providing top talent, tools, and workflows for the art department and visualisation services, as well as real-time production and VFX.

“I’m passionate about connecting our world-class talent with prolific storytellers, providing visual language in early stages. Our suite of tools enhances the filmmaking process, serving the ultimate goal of preserving the director’s vision while providing production efficiencies that extend throughout the VFX pipeline. We’re energized by our collaborations and we’re passionate about our craft. I’m incredibly excited about the work we’re doing here,” said Hooten.

Reporting to Hooten are:

The art department, which works closely with clients to understand their vision, creating artwork – including characters, creatures, props, and environments – that reflects that vision and sets the tone for the project.

Visualization and real-time production, which also works closely with clients to digitally perfect their visions before they hit the set by leveraging the latest visualisation tools and techniques; then seamlessly transitioning to collaborative workflows that provide real-time creative control over every aspect of a project.

Also based at the LA studio are:

VFX supervisors, who offer award-calibre creative leadership across all aspects of VFX on a project, whether delivered by Technicolor’s industry-leading studios or third-party vendors.

Business Development, which partners with clients, from project budgeting to consulting on VFX methodologies, to help plan and prepare projects for a smooth transition into VFX – while supporting Technicolor’s VFX studios; MPC, Mill Film, MR. X and Mikros VFX.

Working closely with Hooten in this department is Jazz Flood, Global Business Development. Flood has been a key member of the team for nearly 10 years, recently moving from London to Los Angeles to head up business development, and instrumental in securing projects such as Blade Runner 2049, Dumbo, and Call of the Wild.

The pre-production studio is standalone from Technicolor’s industry-leading visual effects brands – MPC, Mill Film, MR. X and Technicolor VFX – yet can work cooperatively with one or any combination of them to design an individualised production plan, regardless of project size, budget, format or creative aesthetic.

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Feb 07

Cosmos-Maya appoints Priti Karandikar as New Business SVP

Posted in: Animation

India and Singapore based animation studio Cosmos-Maya has named Priti Karandikar as the senior vice president of New Business, expanding its senior team in Mumbai. In her new role, Karandikar will be reporting to Cosmos-Maya CEO Anish Mehta and will focus on the growth of licensing and merchandising, Ed-tech content creation and new digital media verticals.

Priti Karandikar

The appointment is in line with the company’s expansion plans and its focus of increasing reach and further exploitation for both its owned and acquired brands. Karandikar comes with over 15 years of sales and marketing experience and has held senior positions in the Consumer Products Divisions at The Walt Disney Company and Viacom 18. 

Commenting on this appointment, Mehta said, “It is a very exciting time to be in the kids’ audiovisual space. With the sheer increase in consumption, proliferation of platforms and new technology coming in every day, the market is robust and full of opportunity. My hearty welcome to Priti, as she joins us in a new growth phase as a business. With Priti heading up business development, we envisage a more holistic approach to brand monetization, with all divisions working in tandem to drive revenues.”

At Disney Karandikar worked for close to a decade, and was a part of the brand building efforts in India right from the start-up phase in 2004. She was a part of the core L&M team at Viacom 18 as a sales director, managing five key categories for the entire kids’ portfolio across India and servicing brands including Colgate, Kellogg’s, Perfetti and ITC for Viacom 18’s promotional licensing portfolio.

Karandikar added, “I thank the Cosmos-Maya family for making this transition so seamless. Cosmos-Maya has some of the most established kids’ brands in its portfolio, those which lend themselves beautifully to licensing and brand extensions. My immediate focus areas are L&M, Ed-tech content creation and new digital media with the aim to further strengthen the value chain right from content creation to content monetisation for the next cycle of growth.”

Cosmos-Maya’s journey from being a standalone animation production studio to creator of both fully owned domestic, and globally co-produced IP, has been momentous and has seen the studio develop a robust sales and syndication pipeline. The next phase of organic growth will see an expansion of the New Businesses division, which includes the maturing Licensing & Merchandising, EdTech Content Creation and New Digital Media areas of the business.

Cosmos-Maya Revenue and Corporate Strategy SVP Devdatta Potnis mentioned, “Karandikar is an astute salesperson with the right blend of enthusiasm, passion and diligence. She is a welcome addition to the sales force, which has now become stronger and more diversified.”

 

 

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