fxpodcast #243: Life of Pi VFX supe Bill Westenhofer
This week we talk to Rhythm & Hues visual effects supervisor Bill Westenhofer. Bill was the overall VFX supe on Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, one of the nominees for the Best Visual Effects Oscar this year and a recent BAFTA and VES winner.
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BAFTA Film Awards winners
Winners were announced for the EE British Academy Film Awards today, Sunday February 10th, at London’s Royal Opera House.
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Back into the danger zone: Top Gun 3D
How Legend3D converted Tony Scott’s seminal 1986 film Top Gun to 3D, plus a look back at the film’s miniature plane and in-camera effects.
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16th annual D.I.C.E. Awards
The 16th annual D.I.C.E. Awards have been handed out in Las Vegas, with indie game Journey one of the major winners.
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Rendering an engine bot
Behind the scenes of Mikros’ shape-shifting robot for a Total lubricants spot. Includes a befores and afters breakdown video.
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Visual Effects Society Winners of 11th Annual VES Awards
Winners and photos from the 11th Annual VES Awards.
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VES commercials: crowds and cars by Framestore
Two of the commercials up for nomination tonight at the VES Awards are by Framestore. We take a look at Pepsi’s ‘Crowd Surfing’, featuring some unique crowd animation, and the Nissan Altima ‘Wouldn’t it be cool?’ spot which deconstructs a car.
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The best of the Super Bowl spots – part 2
Our second Super Bowl XLVII article goes Gangnam Style with Mirada’s Wonderful Pistachios VFX, Method’s Kia hotbots and more from The Mill.
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the rc #124: New gear and Lincoln DOP Janusz Kaminski
This week, Jason and Mike discuss sliders, mics, cameras, and other new gear. In the Red Room, Mike chats with Oscar-nominated Lincoln DOP Janusz Kaminski, and also DOP and fxphd prof Ben Allan about the resurgence of light meters.
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Sci-Tech Oscars: technical coolness
fxguide goes in-depth with three of this year’s SciTech winning technologies: wavelet turbulence, pose space deformation and PDI/DreamWorks’ Light tool.
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VES commercials: Nike Biomorph
We talk to Digital Domain visual effects supervisor Aladino Debert about ‘Biomorph’, a promo spot for Nike’s Flyknit tech that is nominated for a VES Award for both Outstanding Visual Effects in a Commercial and Outstanding FX and Simulation Animation in a Commercial or Broadcast Program.
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Rhythm & Hues reportedly receives $20m cash injection
Industry website The Wrap is reporting that visual effects studio Rhythm & Hues is to receive an ’emergency $20 million capital infusion from three major Hollywood studios in order to keep its doors open through April’, citing three sources with knowledge of the situation.
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The best of the Super Bowl spots – part 1
Part 1 of fxguide’s look behind the scenes of the Super Bowl ads looks at work by Method Studios, MPC and The Mill. UPDATED with the Space Babies making of.
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fxpodcast #242: VFX legend Bill Taylor
This week, we talk to visual effects supervisor, director of photography and Illusion Arts founder Bill Taylor, who has been voted the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation by the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
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Prime Focus London commercials div to go into administration
Prime Focus London’s Commercials division is to be placed into administration, according to a ‘Company Update’ regulatory story posted on the London Stock Exchange’s website, and on Prime Focus London PLC’s corporate site.
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New Silhouette v5 Released
We don’t normally publish press releases at fxguide, but the new version of Silhouette V5 deserves a callout. New features like Imagineer-licensed planar tracking, IK rotoscoping, and new shape-baed morphing make this a major release. Click through for full details…
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The inside story behind Disney’s Paperman
How 2D and 3D animation styles were merged in the wonderful Oscar-nominated short film Paperman.
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A new wave of brilliant invisible effects
A breakdown of face replacements in Chasing Mavericks, house extensions in Hyde Park on Hudson, CG traffic in Banshee and conjoined twins from Maattrraan.
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