When we first saw Alex Roman’s work in ‘Above Everything Else’, a 60″ spot for Silestone kitchen worktops, we were blown away by the 3D realism. So we got in contact with Alex to talk about what was real, what was CG and how the spot was achieved. Beside we figured 1.2 Million views on Vimeo cant be wrong.

For The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton led the creation of some 1400 shots in the third film adaptation of C.S. Lewis’ fantasy series. We highlight a number of the key effects by Framestore, MPC, Cinesite, The Senate and The Mill.

For Black Swan, director Darren Aronofsky turned to Look Effects to help bring his dark New York ballerina story to life. Look’s visual effects supervisor Dan Schrecker oversaw 220 shots for the film, from full CG swan wings to prosthetic augmentation, face replacements and other enhancements.

In ‘Ice Cream’, a DirecTV spot directed by Rupert Sanders, two battling cyborgs literally crash and burn through several rooms of an apartment as the owner manages to pause their actions. We talk to MPC in Los Angeles about their visual effects work for the commercial, with some great before and after clips.

Sony Announced today the details of the PMW – F3 Camera. A PL mount, Super 35mm sensor, 24P video camera. While not cheap at an estimated under $19,000, it is also not expensive for a S35 sensor. The camera signals a huge shift and a creative opportunity for film makers and documentarians.

Director Robert Schwentke’s Red tells the story of ex-CIA agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) recruiting his former team to help him defeat a hi-tech assassin. CIS Vancouver contributed 220 shots to the film ranging from detailed composites, CG bullets, an exploding RPG and plentiful destruction. We talk to CIS vfx supe Randy Goux.

For ‘Deliver Hope’, an epic Xbox Halo: Reach spot, Method Studios delivered visual effects for a major battle sequence involving the game’s newest characters. We talk to Method senior creative director and visual effects supervisor Dan Glass about the commercial.

For ‘Flow’, a spot promoting the 2011 MINI Countryman, SWAY Studio created hundreds of vehicles magically splitting, reforming and driving with precision through the streets of Milan. We talk to visual effects supervisor Aaron Powell about the use of SWAY’s Drive-a-Tron driving simulation tool for the commercial.

For the 2010 film Predators, director Nimrod Antal and producer Robert Rodriguez set out to maintain the appeal of the 1987 original film by employing similar designs and relying on both practical and digital effects. We take a look at the visual effects work by Troublemaker Digital and Hybride.

In The Expendables, director Sylvester Stallone harks back to the gritty and explosion-filled action films of days gone by to follow a team of mercenaries helping to overthrow a South American dictator. We talk to visual effects supervisor Wes Caefer about the practical and digital effects work in the film.

In Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, the title character woos his new girlfriend by battling her seven evil exes in Japanese Anime-style fights punctuated with video game-like on-screen graphics. Visual effects supervisor Frazer Churchill oversaw more than 1200 shots for film. We take a look at the work by Double Negative and Mr. X.

The original Magic Bullet Colorista brought the 3-way color corrector to After Effects and improved upon the one built into Final Cut Pro. With the recent release of Colorista II and the addition of secondary color correction, more flexible masking, and UI refinements the plugin has solidified its place as our go-to favorite for grading within those desktop applications.

Phillip Noyce’s SALT takes audiences on a thrill ride with title character and CIA agent Angelina Jolie, who may or may not be a Russian spy out to assassinate the U.S. President. Visual effects supervisor Robert Grasmere oversaw the work of several vendors to provide hundreds of invisible shots for the film. We take a look at the effects by Framestore and CIS Vancouver.

In Mike Newell’s Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (out soon on Blu-Ray &DVD), rogue Prince Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) safeguards a magical and sought-after dagger that can reverse time. We look at a few of the major effects sequences by Cinesite, MPC, Framestore and Double Negative, & the previs work by Nvizage. VFX supervisor : Tom Wood.

Here is our third and final report from Siggraph, but watch for fxguidetv eps and podcasts rolling out this week and next.
Today we look at Day&Night, Airbender and a summary of cool things around the show, including the mysterious Spheron HDRV camera.