Hasta La Motion!

Cinesite destroys Los AngelesLondon, UK, March 11, 2011 – Cinesite, one of the world’s leading film visual effects houses, has completed a series of stunning and technically challenging visual effects for the new epic disaster movie by Sony/Columbia, Battle: Los Angeles, which opens in cinemas today. Cinesite were responsible for many of the film’s standout battle sequences, including shots of smoldering downtown Los Angeles, the invasion of Santa Monica beach and an explosive battle against aliens.

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, Battle: Los Angeles is a sci-fi thriller that follows a Marine sargeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his platoon as they take a stand for mankind against an unknown enemy that’s invading and destroying Los Angeles. Working closely with Liebesman and production vfx supervisor Everett Burrel, Cinesite’s visual effects team was headed up by Ben Shepherd, visual effects supervisor, who spent 10 months working on the film, including six weeks on set in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Cinesite’s Emmy award-winning work on the HBO miniseries, Generation Kill was a key factor in Liebesman choosing them for the job. Their expertise in creating detailed military hardware, helicopters, light armored vehicles and elaborate explosions meant that a pipeline was already in place which could be built upon.

To create the scenes of epic devastation, Cinesite applied realistic smoke, dust, fire and water explosions. Physical elements shot on location were composited onto digital matte paintings. Layers of haze, smoke and dust were created in Maya Fluids and Cinesite’s proprietary software, csSmoke. The donut-shaped smoke rings seen at various stages are Cinesite’s trademark in the film and symbolize the aliens landing. Liebesman set Ben’s team the task of creating dramatic but realistic smoke rings after the director was inspired by an explosion on set. The team rose to the challenge by experimenting with proprietary software and creating photorealistic thick black smoke rings which exceeded the director’s vision.

Cinesite also built the Commander Alien which was designed to have human mannerisms so the audience wouldn’t at first identify the figure as an alien. The model was key frame animated and to make the Commander stand out from the other aliens, he was heavily textured and given a greasy, sweaty look and feel. The alien hovercraft was another element that the team generated. Based on original designs by Paul Gerrard, it features in the film as a gun platform for the aliens to fire from.

Additionally, the team produced the sequence where the Marines leave Camp Pendleton to tackle the invasion of Santa Monica airport. The plate was shot with three helicopters which Cinesite enhanced to a formation of 12 by adding CG ones. The airfield was further populated by tanks, light armored vehicles and armor, as well as atmospherics such as smoke streams and distant smoke rings.

“We really enjoyed working on this feature. It enabled us to use the full breadth of our talents from creature creation through to crafting complex elements. Jonathan was inspired to work with us after seeing our work on Generation Kill and trusted us to deliver something that would go beyond his vision. It’s everything you want from a disaster movie, and then some!” said Antony Hunt, Managing Director of Cinesite.

About Cinesite

With one of the largest and most comprehensive facilities in Europe, Cinesite’s visual effects team has the capacity and creativity to produce all manner of effects, both digital and physical, for feature films and broadcast projects of all scales. Their award-winning team of highly talented visual effects artists take filmmakers’ ideas and turn them into spectacular cinematic reality.

Cinesite is currently working on Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (Warner Bros.), John Carter of Mars (Disney/Pixar), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Disney/Bruckheimer) and X-Men: First Class (Twentieth Century Fox).

For more information please visit www.cinesite.com.

New York, NY – March 7, 2011 – Acclaimed visual effects company Method Studios recently completed work on Capsule, a new campaign from Verizon Wireless via agency mcgarrybowen and production company Believe Media promoting the MOTOROLA XOOM, a new tablet powered by the Android™ 3.0 (Honeycomb) operating system. The campaign, which consists of a teaser and two :30, focuses on a young man who discovers the tablet during a late night stroll down a boardwalk and then is instantly engulfed in a hovering capsule, illustrating the interactivity and the immersive experience the XOOM provides.

Verizon’s CG Capsule

Method was involved in the campaign from the conceptual brief. “It was a true collaborative affair with the director, creatives and conceptual artists,” commented Jay Lichtman, Method Executive Producer. “From the concept art stage, the design of the capsule was ever-evolving; changes to the design of the capsule’s interior, exterior, graphics and color palette were finessed all the way to delivery.

The campaign slogan “Grab It and It Grabs You” accurately describes Method’s experience working on the project. “From the moment we received the treatment we couldn’t wait to bring the “capsule” concept to life,” offered Method 3D Visual Effects Supervisor Andy Jones. “Being asked to create a futuristic hovering pod out of nothing borders on self-indulgence; it was a true labor of love for our team.”

Method provided a host of 2D and 3D services for the campaign. On the 2D front, comprehensive rotoscopy, rig removal and beauty work was done on the live-action plates. There was also seamless integration of photorealistic CG within the live-action plates and complementary optical effects. On the 3D side, modeling, texturing, lighting and rendering were provided. A photorealistic full interior was created for the capsule along with complementary “thruster” and environmental effects. The project was composited in Nuke and finished in Flame. After Effects and Photoshop were utilized to create motion graphics throughout.

The enthusiasm for the work was evident throughout the project, as the entire team consistently delivered results above and beyond expectations in every aspect of production. “It was an absolute pleasure working with Rory Kelleher from Believe Media and the creative team at mcgarrybowen,” said Jones. “We’re tremendously grateful for the chance to collaborate with such talented individuals on the next chapter of what is quite possibly the most exhilarating ad campaign on the air today.”

CREDITS

Titles:
"Teaser"
"Software"
"Hardware"

Client: Verizon Wireless

Agency: mggarrybowen

Creatives:
Mark Koelfgen – Managing Director/Exec. Creative Director
Warren Eakins – Executive Creative Director
Mark Abellera – Group Creative Director

Tiffany Smith – Associate Creative Director/Copywriter
Michael Cannova – Associate Creative Director/Art Director

Production:
Roseanne Horn – Executive Director of TVP
Suzanne Crowe – Executive Producer
Chad Garber – Broadcast Producer

Music Production:
Jerry Krenach – Director of Music Production
Jean Scofield – Music Producer

Believe Media/Los Angeles
Rory Kelleher – Director
Liz Silver – Executive Producer
Gary Romano – Line Producer

Nomad Editorial/New York
Tom Muldoon – Editor
Ray Frech – Asst. Editor
Celest Gilbert – Executive Producer
Anne Vega – Producer

Method Studios/New York
Doug Luka – 3D Visual Effects Supervisor
Andy Jones – 3D Visual Effects Supervisor
Peter Marin – 2D Visual Effects Supervisor
Jay Lichtman – Executive Producer
Tram Le – Producer

Original Music/Q Department
Original Music by Q Department

Sound Design/Trinitite Studio
Brian Emrich – Sound Designer

Sound Mixing/Sonic Union
Michael Maranelli – Mixer
Steve Rosen – Mixer

About Method Studios
Based in Los Angeles, with locations in New York and London, Method Studios is a leading post production facility providing a full range of visual effects services including conceptual design, look development, 3D animation/CGI, matte painting, compositing and finishing. Method Studios also provides an array of services to stereoscopic film productions, including the creation of stereo 3D content. Method’s sister company, Company 3, maintains a full stereoscopic color-grading suite in the same building as Method’s Los Angeles facility, most recently used for Tim Burton’s "Alice in Wonderland." www.methodstudios.com

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Media Contact:
Jeremy Monsayac
Jeremy.monsayac@bydeluxe.com
818.260.6267

We are raising the funds we need to keep VFXtalk independent and to buy the site back from its current owners. We will probably do a funding push but to start we are selling a few domains that are a part of the vfxtalk network.

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CGnews / The VFXtalk Team

cebas Visual Technology Inc. is making the latest version of its industry leading 3D rendering software, finalRender 3.5 SE, available in a free, unlimited-use trial version for immediate download from the company website.

The trial version of finalRender 3.5 SE for 3ds Max (2009 – 2011, both 32- and 64-bit) is fully featured and includes all modules of its highest end version, as well as the industry leading non-photo-realistic rendering system, finalToon 3.5. thinkingParticles 4 is also available as a trial.

Except for the watermarked render output, all aspects of the trial version are identical to the full license, including its complete feature set, as well as the software’s blazing rendering speed.

No Time Limitation for cenas Trials

The trial version runs without time limitation. Watermarked renderings are unsuitable for commercial use, but once a customer has purchased a full license, saved files created in the trial version can be re-rendered to create clean output, so no work is lost.


Try it, You’ll Like It!

Edwin Braun, cebas CEO and co-founder said: “Users unfamiliar with finalRender can finally try out our powerful software without cost or commitment, put its vast set of powerful features to the test, and benchmark it against other tools they may have used in the past."

CFO and co-founder Achim Smailus noted: “We are confident that the quality of finalRender will speak for itself and convince many new users of its power, reliability, and industry leading technology, once they become familiar with it.”

Free Trials of finalRender 3.5 SE, finalToon 3.5 and thinkingParticles 4

finalRender 3.5 SE Trial (including finalToon 3.5), as well as thinkingParticles 4 Trial, are all available from the online store on the cebas website and through cebas resellers worldwide. All interested users need to first register on the cebas website , after which they can download and activate the software using a special trial version code.

As the role of motion capture in virtual production expands, OptiTrack™ continues to offer game developers and animation studios optical tracking technology that is priced to meet an independent budget, but powerful enough to drive AAA development. GDC 2011 marks the release of a new advancement in accessible motion capture: the OptiTrack V120: Duo and V120:Trio tracking systems.

Designed for desktop-friendly motion capture, the Duo and Trio offer the power of multi-camera, six degrees of freedom (DOF) object tracking in a single, plug-and-play package. Each tracking system is self-contained and factory calibrated for out-of-the-box tracking that is simple to use, but still offers the leading accuracy and flexibility of optical tracking technology.

“As game developers are increasingly under pressure to create compelling content within shorter development cycles, motion capture technology offers animators a tool for rapid, realistic content creation,” said Jim Richardson, NaturalPoint® president and OptiTrack’s lead engineer. “But only OptiTrack provides that production efficiency at a price that is accessible to studios of all sizes. And with our new tracking bars, we are offering users our most affordable and convenient motion capture system to date.”

Additional Features
– Free license of Tracking Tools™ motion tracking software (a savings of $799)
– Compatibility with OptiTrack’s Insight VCS virtual camera plugins
– Simple I/O, with a single cable for power and data transmission
– Stream (VRPN, trackd, NatNet) or save (.C3D, .CSV) motion capture data
– External sync in/out via the included I/O-X sync box, for compatibility with shutter glasses and other hardware devices
– Support for OEM integration via the Tracking Tools API

Key Specifications:

V120: Duo
– Resolution: 640 × 480 × 2
– Frame Rate: 120 FPS
– Lens FOV: 56°
– Interface: USB 2.0

V120:Trio
– Resolution: 640 × 480 × 3
– Frame Rate: 120 FPS
– Lens FOV: 56°
– Interface: USB 2.0

Pricing and Availability
Live, hands-on demonstrations of the V120:Trio as part of a virtual camera pipeline will be available at the OptiTrack GDC booth (#1132) from March 2-4, 2011 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, Calif.

The V120: Duo and V120:Trio will ship in Q2 2011, and are priced at $1,499 and $1,999.

About OptiTrack
OptiTrack™ is the leading brand of affordable, high-performance motion capture technology. The OptiTrack product line includes motion capture software, high speed tracking cameras, the Insight VCS virtual camera system and the GEARS golf performance measurement system. Used by facilities worldwide in a variety of markets ranging from film and games to sports training and biomechanics, OptiTrack customers include Under Armour, Halon Entertainment, Nvizage, Electronic Arts, Microsoft Game Studios, Method Studios, Lockheed Martin, NASA, John Deere and other top studios and developers around the world.

OptiTrack products are manufactured by NaturalPoint®, one of the foremost companies specializing in optical tracking technology. For more information, visit www.optitrack.com.

About NaturalPoint
Based in Corvallis, Ore., NaturalPoint® is the creator and manufacturer of the OptiTrack™, TrackIR™ and SmartNAV™ family of brands. NaturalPoint specializes in providing innovative control solutions through optical tracking technology, and has developed tracking systems for computers, video games, military simulators and unique display systems. For more information, visit www.naturalpoint.com.