Building upon this are support for real world measurements as well as entry of IES data for lights and photometric intensities. Python scripting has been further enhanced, providing full integration which makes creating scripts and plugins much more effective. In addition, there are new character tools, deformers, a new render queue, and more. For more details, click through for the full press release or visit the MAXON web site.

MAXON Announces Immediate Availability of Release 12 of Acclaimed 3D Package CINEMA 4D

Friedrichsdorf, Germany, September 1, 2010 – MAXON Computer, a leading developer of professional 3D software, today announced the immediate availability of CINEMA 4D Release 12, the next generation of its highly-acclaimed professional 3D software application. The comprehensive CINEMA 4D Release 12 builds on more than two decades of 3D graphics development excellence and boasts dozens of new productivity enhancing features including improved rendering, enhanced dynamics, new deformers and superior character animation capabilities to allow digital artists to intuitively and easily create high-end 3D images and animations.

“Today’s release marks a significant milestone in the development of MAXON‘s professional 3D software and is a testament to more than two decades of programming excellence,” remarked Harald Schneider, CEO and co-founder of MAXON Computer. “Our development team made every effort to bring customer requested features that are easy to use, stable and powerful. Creative professionals from all industries will find unparalleled solutions to help them meet the challenges of today’s fast-paced production environments and create award-winning content.”

Key Highlights of CINEMA 4D Release 12
(Not all features are included in every configuration. Please see the Product Comparison Chart on the MAXON web site for more info)
Powerful New Dynamics: CINEMA 4D now includes a comprehensive and easy-to-use rigid body dynamics system based on the production-proven Bullet engine. Objects can be connected via hinges, springs and complex joints, and with a simple click, can be transformed into soft bodies.

Enhanced Rendering Features:

• Linear Workflow and Color Profiles: Adopting a linear workflow is now as simple as activating a checkbox. Colors and lighting are mixed in a more realistic way, resulting in higher-quality images with less effort. Color profiles are now integrated throughout CINEMA 4D for accurate color representation.
• IES lights: It’s now possible to apply accurate light falloffs using the IES data directly from lighting manufacturers. Photometric intensities based on Lumen and Candela are also supported.
• True Units of Measurement: CINEMA 4D now supports units, ensuring that calculations are accurate and scene scaling remains consistent. Units are automatically converted and scaling/unit information is automatically stored within each document
• Render Queue: Batch rendering has been streamlined with this augmented render task manager, complete with logging capability.
• Picture Viewer: CINEMA 4D’s breakthrough picture viewer now includes full-screen playback, a histogram display and navigator.
• New Character Tools: The Inverse Kinetics (IK) system features new dynamic properties. CINEMA 4D Studio also includes a powerful, integrated pose-mixing and morphing system.
• New Deformers: Several new deformers have been added to include options for modifying objects based on a low-poly cage or within the screen space.
• Python: Extensive support for the powerful Python language is now fully integrated allowing users greater functionality to create scripts, expressions and plugins for unlimited creative workflow.
• Others: A variety of other new features include double precision, dual transforms, OpenGL 3 support, new architectural shaders, and an parametric spline L-system

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This release also marks a widespread reorganization across the CINEMA 4D R12 product line with the introduction of four editions offering a proven workflow and feature sets targeted to professional 3D animators, motion graphics artists, architects and designers. Paul Babb, president and CEO, MAXON US adds, “The product line reorganization is a practical step that gives all customers, from hobbyist to studio professional, clear choices when deciding on the features they need to deliver high impact, creative results,” he said. “Customers will also benefit from the streamlined and condensed product structure as it allows our team to better focus on developing new, exciting functionality.”

MAXON’s New Product Line-Up

The CINEMA 4D Release 12 product line includes breakthrough new editions that cater to the creative workflow needs of professionals in specialized 3D markets, as well as an upgrade to BodyPaint 3D, MAXON’s highly acclaimed high end painting and texture application, as follows:

• CINEMA 4D Prime: Professional 3D Graphics Begin Here. The core professional 3D graphics package that includes basic modeling, animation and rendering functionality. Release 12 now additionally includes Ambient Occlusion and many deformers formerly found in the MOCCA and MoGraph modules.
• CINEMA 4D Broadcast: The 3D Motion Graphics Powerhouse. Leverages CINEMA 4D Prime functionality to deliver a powerful motion graphics toolset expressly designed to enhance the creative process for broadcast design professionals. Release 12 now includes features of the previous MoGraph module, GI rendering and an extensive library of objects, materials and presets.
• CINEMA 4D Visualize: The Professional Solution for Architects and Designers. Leverages CINEMA 4D Prime functionality to deliver a professional solution for architects and designers. CINEMA 4D Visualize includes all features of the previous Architecture and Engineering Editions,(Advanced Render, Sketch and Toon and NET Render 3 modules plus extensive object and material libraries)
• CINEMA 4D Studio: Everything You Need for High-End 3D Animation. The most comprehensive CINEMA 4D Release 12 edition includes all available features, as well as all libraries of the Broadcast and Visualize packages.
• BodyPaint 3D Release 12: 3D Painting, Texturing and UV Editing. While benefiting by all the new developments of its sister application, CINEMA 4D Prime, BodyPaint 3D Release 12 offers a full complement of 3D painting and texturing tools unmatched by any other package on the market. New features in Release 12 include color profiles, the option to render Ambient Occlusion into a texture, and the Cineman connection to RenderMan including preview renders directly inside BodyPaint 3D. It also boasts updated exchanges with 3ds Max, Maya, Softimage and LightWave 3D.

A Product Comparison Chart is available on the MAXON web site. MAXON will no longer be offering individual modules for purchase.

System Requirements

Recommended system requirements include Windows XP, Vista or 7 running on Intel or AMD CPU with SSE2-Support; Mac OS X 10.5.8 or higher running on an Intel-based Mac; 1024 MB RAM, DVD ROM drive. Standard DVD installation can take up to 2.5 GB of disk space.

Pricing, Availability and Upgrade Path

CINEMA 4D Release 12 and BodyPaint 3D Release 12 are available now from MAXON and its authorized dealers.

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2010 Creative Arts Emmy Winners

Outstanding Special Visual Effects For A Series

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation • Family Affair • CBS • A CBS Paramount Network Television production in association with Jerry Bruckheimer Television
Sabrina Arnold, VFX Producer
Rik Shorten, VFX Supervisor
Steve Meyer, 2D Lead Artist
Derek Smith, 3D Lead Artist
Christina Spring, Compositor
Joshua Cushner, Visual Effects Cameraman
Tom Bremer, 3D Artist
Mark Byers, Special Effects Supervisor
Zach Zaubi, Compositor

Outstanding Special Visual Effects For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Special

The Pacific • Part Five • HBO • Playtone and Dreamworks in association with HBO Miniseries
John E. Sullivan, Senior Visual Effects Supervisor
Joss Williams, Special Effects Supervisor
Dave Taritero, Visual Effects Producer
David Goldberg, Visual Effects Supervisor
Angelo Sahin, On Set Visual Effects Supervisor -Senior SFX Technician
Marco Recuay, Digital Visual Effects Supervisor
William Mesa, Visual Effects Supervisor
Chris Bremble, Visual Effects Supervisor
Jerry Pooler, Visual Effects Supervisor

Outstanding Commercial

The Man Your Man Could Smell Like • Old Spice Body Wash
Wieden+Kennedy, Ad Agency
MJZ, Production Company

Outstanding Main Title Design

Bored To Death • HBO • Dakota Pictures, 3 Arts Entertainment /Fair Harbor Productions in association with HBO Entertainment
Tom Barham, Designer/Director
Marci Ichimura, Lead Animator
Dean Haspiel, Illustrator/Artist
Mark Rubbo, Compositor

For a complete list of winners visit:
http://goldderby.latimes.com/awards_goldderby/2010/08/emmys-creative-arts-winners-list.html

The 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards are scheduled for August 29 at the Nokia Theatre at L.A. LIVE. Jimmy Fallon will host the show which will be broadcast on NBC.

Beverly Hills, CA — The Scientific and Technical Awards Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 15 scientific and technical achievements have been selected for further awards consideration.

The list is made public to allow individuals and companies with similar devices or claims of prior art the opportunity to submit their achievements for review. The deadline to submit additional entries is Tuesday, August 31.

The committee has selected the following methods or devices for further consideration:

OBQ/DOALL (Industrial Light & Magic)
Queue (Rhythm & Hues)
Race Render Queue System (Digital Domain)
Qube (PipelineFX)
Misterd (Pixar Animation Studios)
RQS/Depgraph Render Management System (DreamWorks Animation)
Cue3 (Sony Pictures Imageworks)
Alfred – Job Queuing and Distributing Rendering System (Pixar Animation Studios)
XGen – Arbitrary Primitive Generator (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
Expression Analysis for Facial Motion Capture (Weta Digital)
Efficient Global Illumination System for Computer Graphic Films (PDI/DreamWorks Animation)
cineSync (Rising Sun Research Pty. Ltd.)
Timecode Slate (Entertainment Technology)
NAC Servo Winches (NAC Company)
Cannon-Less Turnover System (Performance Picture Vehicles)
After thorough investigations are conducted on each of the entries, the committee will meet in early December to vote on recommendations to the Academy’s Board of Governors, which will make the final awards decisions.

The 2010 Scientific and Technical Awards will be presented at the Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills on Saturday, February 12, 2011.

More information as well as details about services can be found after the jump…

Visual EFfects Society Press Release:

The Society and computer graphics community lost a great champion this past weekend; Sande Scoredos passed away Saturday morning after a prolonged illness.

Sande, who served as Executive Director of Training and Artist Development At Sony Pictures Imageworks for the past 12-plus years, was a founding member of the VES, coming on-board within the first year of the Society’s existence. Right from the beginning, Sande was an active member of the Education Committee, serving several years as Co-Chair. During her tenure, the Committee produced many valuable events, presentations and hands-on trainings for members. She was also a guiding light in the first years of the Training and Mentoring Program, giving invaluable advice and support. Sande also served on the Board of Directors, where her input on educational matters was pragmatic and insightful.

A graduate of UCLA, Sande has been involved with education in high-end computer graphics for almost as long as there has been 3D cgi. At Wavefront Technologies she developed and taught in their training program, bringing 3D skills to artists the world over. She then went to Rhythm and Hues and crafted their remarkable training department, one of the few remaining in-house training departments.

At Sony Pictures Imageworks, she built a training and development department that boasts fifty courses, including life drawing, sculpting, acting and special lectures, as well as specialized tasked-oriented classes for every aspect of production including animation, effects, color and lighting, compositing, and various production management methods. At the same time, Sande shepherded the development of the Sony IPAX (Imageworks Professional Academic Excellence) program, which works with the leading academic institutions in the world to help them train their instructors and structure their curriculum to teach the skills needed to survive in the crazy world of digital production.

As an educator, Sande has always been a believer in the importance of foundational skills, along with specific technical training; life drawing holds as much weight as a class in effects production in Maya. She has taught at UCLA, USC and MIT.

In the almost three decades that Sande has been involved in computer graphics education she trained, mentored, guided and touched an untold number of individuals who owe much of their success to Sande’s dedication and passion. She will be greatly missed.

Memorial service on Saturday, August 21, 2010 at 4:00 pm at the:

Conejo Mountain Memorial Park,
2052 Howard Road
Camarillo, CA 93012
(805) 491 2350

There will be a gathering afterward at Sande’s Longtime residence:

The Scoredos Ranch
11451 Glenside Lane
Santa Rosa Valley 93012

Donations in lieu of flowers should be made to:

The Angeles Clinic Foundation
2001 Santa Monica Blvd Suite 560w
Santa Monica, Ca 90404

“The show must go on” has been the showbiz mantra, and the movie biz has counted on artists taking that to heart. But the patience and goodwill of vfx artists aren’t infinite. Whether the solution is market-based (i.e., artists negotiating ruthlessly and walking off immediately if a payment is missed) or a union, it’s becoming clear that the status quo will not hold. Something has to give.

Read the whole article at Variety.

There is an early-bird discount of £100 off the registration fee if you sign up before the 17th of October.

This year’s confirmed speakers include:

• Dan Piponi of ILM’s R&D group
• Mike Romney, ZOIC studios in Los Angeles
• James G.H. Knight, motion capture project manager on Avatar
• Wolfgang Lempp, a founder and director of FilmLight Ltd
• Marcus Gross, Director of Disney Research Zurich
• David Spilsbury, Head of Commercials Technology at MPC
• Bruno Nicoletti, CTO at The Foundry
• John Fletcher of the BBC

Visit the CVMP website for more details.

If you do not have Rockets installed, r3d clips are decoded and debayered as per user configurable settings on a project or clip basis.

These new features and more including stereoscopic grading and monitoring are in the V7.0 release which is now in beta.

Resolve should run on both Apple Laptops and Towers ( – although only the 17″ laptops due to menus), and at the moment the Red Rocket cards are only really used in Tower systems. Most potential users are also expected to buy control surfaces but several third party control surfaces are planned to be supported.

We will have a full product review of Resolve in both an on set and production configuration as soon as the product is released, which should be soon.

Also the guys geek out on SLR sensors and the way Canon builds .CR2 RAW files for the Canon 5D and 7D.

Visit the red centre page for direct downloads and RSS feed links. To be notified automatically and have the episodes downloaded in iTunes, subscribe via this link.

Here are some more stills from the TVC.

The Kronos AE plugin is the first offering to be accelerated by The Foundry’s new ‘Blink’ technology. Blink runs on CPUs and supported NVidia CUDA GPUs allowing the extraction of peak performance from hardware. For the hardcore tech details about ‘Blink’, listen to our excellent fxpodcast with Bruno Nicoletti, co-founder of the Foundry.

Prices for Camera Tracker start at 170GBP/250USD and Kronos runs 70GBP/100USD. Floating licenses are also available at slightly higher prices. For the full press release, click on through….

The Foundry is delighted to introduce two brand new high tech tools for Adobe® After Effects® taking full advantage of the 64-bit capabilities offered by Adobe® Creative Suite® 5 Production Premium (CS5).

CameraTracker – matchmove, directly inside Adobe After Effects

The Foundry’s new camera tracker analyses source sequences to extract the original camera’s lens and motion parameters, allowing you to composite 2D or 3D correctly with reference to the camera used to film the shot. You can now match camera moves within the Adobe After Effects 2.5D environment, opening up new, robust options for the placement of composite elements. Create Fringe/Heroes style ‘in scene’ titles, extend virtual sets, integrate motion graphics elements into a scene, and much more…

This technology was previously only available in NukeX, The Foundry’s high-end film compositing tool but you can now do all this in Adobe After Effects without exiting your application.

“It’s amazing having this ability right in the After Effects environment that so many artists are used to. Thank you The Foundry!”
Danny Princz – Motion Graphics-VFX artist and Prof at fxphd

“These new 64-bit plug-ins from The Foundry will help artists who use Adobe After Effects CS5 to create high-impact motion graphics and handle the trickiest compositing tasks more easily,” said Michael Coleman, senior product manager for Adobe After Effects at Adobe.

Kronos 5.0 – Hollywood quality realtime retiming

Kronos 5.0 is a new accelerated retimer and motion blur plug-in set based on The Foundry’s Academy Award Winning Furnace algorithms.

Kronos 5.0 is the first product to be accelerated by The Foundry’s new ‘Blink’ technology, dramatically speeding up render times and taking retiming to a whole new level. BlinkTM runs our software on CPUs and supported NVidia CUDA GPUs allowing the extraction of peak performance from your hardware. Qualified hardware matches that are supported by Adobe Premiere Pro’s Mercury Playback Engine, including the GeForce GTX285 and the Quadro FX4800.

Kronos 5.0 produces far superior results by creating brand new frames using optical flow information. This avoids the poor quality output usually encountered when repeating frames such as blurring and stuttering, and is much faster than other pixel flow based techniques. Clever maths is employed to look at every pixel on each frame, and see where it moves to on the next. By comparing the two it can make a very good guess at what would come in-between allowing the creation of additional frames and a super smooth slow motion result.

“The results are very impressive. I slowed down a car and the result was very close to real slow motion. Nice!”
Michael Auerswald, AE User.

Jack Binks, Plug-ins’ Product Manager at The Foundry, comments:
“We are really excited to bring these new tools to the After Effects platform and can’t wait to see how artists employ their power and flexibility. We look forward to seeing the results.”