Pixar Announcements: New Versions, New Product, and More

With SIGGRAPH just around the corner, Pixar today announced some nice upgrades and new additions to their products with unlimited threading, RenderMan® Pro Server™ 15.0 and Tractor™1.0 RenderMan® Pro Server™ 15.0 and Tractor™1.0. Unlimited threading will enable users to have each license of RenderMan to utilize any number of threads on multi-core platforms, unlike the […]

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Sony Pictures Imageworks Open Source

Sony Pictures Imageworks has announced it is releasing five projects as open source. The five cover Open Shading Language, Database library manager, Voxel data storage library, Python string handling in C++ and Flexible camera guides for Maya. They are embarking on this in hopes of building small development communities around the code. We’re planning to […]

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New Red Centre Podcast

Our Digital cinematography & production podcast red centre episode #41 is live and ready for download. This week’s podcast we talk his week, the guys talk about RED Rocket, films on RED, Scarlet, and more as Mike prepares for a SMPTE panel by interviewing Jason about his opinions on Scarlet, 5D Mk II and full […]

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Final Cut Studio Updated

Apple has released the long anticipated update to Final Cut Studio which brings versions of Final Cut Pro 7, Motion 4, Soundtrack Pro 3, Color 1.5, Compressor 3.5 and DVD Studio Pro 4. Apple posted videos on their web site to show many of the new features that include new ProRes options including a 4444 […]

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Evolver goes live (3D Character generator site) + coupon code

Evolver is a web application designed to generate great looking customized 3D characters, and purchase them for export into 3ds Max, Maya, Softimage as high res models that are fully rigged for character animation for only $39. With an additional $30, it’s possible to purchase setups for facial animation as well. The site’s been in […]

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The Foundry SIGGRAPH Nuke User Group

The Foundry will be holding their Nuke User Group at SIGGRAPH on Monday, August 3rd. The event is being held at Le Petit Theater, beginning at 5pm and will include presentations by Nuke artists from Laika, Digital Domain and Blue Sky Studios. In addition, The Foundry team will be showing new developments and features in Nuke 5.2, […]

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Another Unpaid Workers update

The Montreal Gazette has an update on the workers from Meteor Studios – a Montreal facility that filed for bankruptcy after completing work on Journey to the Centre of the Earth. Last we heard Discovery Trademark Holding Co. Inc. and Evergreen Digital LLC had offered the workers 45% of the amount they were owed, then […]

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Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) launchs AICP Digital

The AICP has been a force over the years on the production side in helping with the business of the business. After the jump is a press release announcing the formation of a new chapter to work with companies that create digital content. Ed Ulbrich, President, Commercial Division, of Digital Domain will head up this […]

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eyeon Software Announces New Software Financing Option

eyeon Software has launched a new financing option aimed at helping artists and facilities get back to business. This limited time offer allows users to purchase licenses for a low cost upfront ($995) and design flexible payment plans. Full press release after the jump

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Tweak Software Launches Major Upgrade for RV Playback Software

In a facility pipeline perhaps no piece of software wants to be reliable, invisible and do exactly what you want than playback software. Tweak Software’s RV was created in a real world production environment by very senior artists and engineers who needed a refined tool for working with film resolution, high dynamic range images and […]

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GenArts announces Sapphire Rental Program

GenArts is making the Sapphire suite of plug-ins available for monthly rentals for $169 per month. The versions for After Effects and Final Cut Pro will be available and up to two months of the rental can be applied to purchase. full press release after the jump

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Weta Digital Purchases Site License Of Nuke

London, July 6th, 2009 – Leading visual effects software developer, The Foundry (www.thefoundry.co.uk), today announced that Weta Digital, New Zealand’s premier multi-award winning VFX studio, has purchased a site licence of Nuke to enhance its in-house pipeline. Weta Digital was formed in 1993 by a group of young New Zealand filmmakers including Peter Jackson to […]

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Feng Zhu + Iron Man with Dav Rauch: fxguidetv

In this week’s fxguidetv we have a designer focused special episode. We lead with world renowned Concept Designer Feng Zhu from his new Studio in Singapore and then look at the HUD (Heads Up Display) design of the Iron Man with Dav Rauch. Both men are exceptional designers. Angie and the team get in depth […]

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Digital Domain loses termination suit

David S. Cohen in Variety is reporting that the jury was unanimous on most findings and awarded Brad Call approximately $2 million in damages in his wrongful termination suit against Digital Domain. From the article: The size of the award raises questions about whether Digital Domain can survive, though in a statement, DD’s VP and […]

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Academy Invites 134 to Membership

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has announced it will invite 134 people to join as members. Included in the Visual Effects category are: Christopher Bond, Matthew Butler, Chris Corbould, Rob Engle, Scott Gordon, Hal Hickel, Van Ling, Shane Mahan, Steve Preeg, Tim Webber, Edson Williams Full press release after the read more

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Fusion 6 Now Shipping…

…in release candidate form. The just issued eyeon newsletter serves up the fact that the long awaited Fusion 6 is now available for download to “all artists and studios with a current subscription license.” The idea behind the RC release is to get the software in the hands of artists to do final bug and […]

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Mike Lecturing This Week in Singapore

fxguide is in Singapore this week for CG Overdrive and Broadcast Asia. Mike Seymour is giving two workshops (each running over 2 days) on the Benefits and Challenges of Digital Acquisition. These are being held on the 16th/17th and then repeated on the 18th/19th at Broadcast Asia – held at the Expo centre as part […]

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iPhone Color Correction App from The Mill

Yes, you read that correctly, The Mill has released a free iPhone application that allows the user to apply looks or emulate primary color grading tools found in a grading suite. The app has preset looks like “golden” and “bleached” as well as controls for lift, gain, gamma and saturation that can be applied across […]

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VES Announces Health Care for Members

When we interviewed Jeffrey Okun from the Visual Effects Society at the end of May for a podcast he broke the news that the VES was working on getting health care options for VES members. He mentioned that this has been a top request from members. Today members were emailed with information about that plan […]

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Siggraph 2009 Technical Papers Preview Video

This August the fxguide crew will be in full force to cover Siggraph 2009 in New Orleans. Siggraph is always a great place to network, see what is coming in future technology or update your skills. The last time the show was in New Orleans it was an amazing combination of work and play. If […]

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ILM Purchases Nuke Site Licence

Hot on the heels of its management buyout, The Foundry has completed a major deal with Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm Ltd’s multiple Academy Award-winning visual effects studio. ILM has purchased a site licence for Nuke. ILM’s visionary work has earned thirty-seven Academy Award® nominations for Best Visual Effects. Lucasfilm’s chief technical officer, Richard Kerris, […]

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fxpodcast: Terminator Salvation -ILM & Kerner Optical

In this week’s fxpodcast we have an amazing show – we speak in depth to both Ben Snow of ILM and Brain Gernand of Kerner Optical about Terminator Salvation. Ben discusses things such as a whole new lighting “energy conserving” renderman system at ILM and Brian discusses both miniatures and pryo – and the complex […]

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New red centre Podcast

Our Digital cinematography & production podcast red centre episode #41 is live and ready for download. This week’s podcast we talk his week, the guys talk about RED Rocket, films on RED, Scarlet, and more as Mike prepares for a SMPTE panel by interviewing Jason about his opinions on Scarlet, 5D Mk II and full […]

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Illusion Arts Sadly Closes

After 26 years Illusion Arts is closing, another victim of the global financial crisis and the severe pressure on effects houses. The loss of Illusion Arts is particularly upsetting given the history of the company; it is one of the oldest and most respected specialist facilities in the industry. Variety is reporting that co-founder Syd […]

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