Ilion Animation Studios and Pyro Studios Deliver a Unified Creative Vision
with Autodesk Tools
Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), has
announced that its 3D modeling, animation and rendering software was a
primary tool used by Ilion Animation Studios and Pyro Studios to help
create the "Planet 51" video game and movie. The software was used
throughout the pipeline of both the game and film to help produce a
visually rich and believable alien world with the look of 1950s America. To
date, "Planet 51" is the biggest budget animated film produced in Europe.
Planet 51: The Movie
The film team at Ilion Animation Studios used Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk
Maya software to help create the "Planet 51" movie - at the beginning of
production for pre-visualization and later for the final layout. Autodesk
software was also used to help model over 500 unique characters and over
100 different locations on the planet, as well as to help create visual
effects for the film.
Planet 51: The Game
Production on the "Planet 51" game began approximately four years into the
development of the film. A unique level of openness existed between the
film and game studios, as they are owned by the same holding company and
both have Autodesk products at the core of their respective pipelines. Pyro
Studios had access to the entire film script and all assets of the movie
from the beginning of the game's production.
"We looked at all the elements of the Planet 51 world and one thing that
stood out was the special characteristics of the vehicles," explained Luis
Fernando Fernandez, head of development at Pyro Studios. "The alien cars
behaved very differently than earthly cars; they could float, jump and
travel at super speeds. We thought the unique cars would be a perfect focus
for the game play, and developed an open-world driving game."
A large majority of the models created by Ilion Animation Studios for the
movie were digitally transferred to the team at Pyro Studios for reuse in
the video game. As both studios were working in Autodesk software, the
transfer of assets was greatly simplified. The models were first resized
and then reanimated in Autodesk 3ds Max software for the game.
"We wanted to make something really big, with a large open environment and
a lot of variety in the game play," explained Fernandez. "Having access to
the film script and 85 percent of the digital assets was fantastic. It
allowed us to develop a rich game that complements the movie and enhances
the Planet 51 experience. Gamers can freely explore key locations from the
film, but aren't tied to the movie's plot points."
About Planet 51
Planet 51 is a galactic-sized animated alien adventure comedy revolving
around American astronaut Captain Charles "Chuck" Baker, who lands on
Planet 51 thinking he's the first person to step foot there. To his
surprise, he finds that this planet is inhabited by little green people who
are happily living in a white picket fence world reminiscent of a
cheerfully innocent 1950s America, and whose only fear is that it will be
overrun by alien invaders. With the help of his robot companion Rover and
his new friend Lem, Chuck must navigate his way through the dazzling, but
bewildering, landscape of Planet 51 in order to escape becoming a permanent
part of the Planet 51 Alien Invaders Space Museum. The film is directed by
Jorge Blanco, written by Joe Stillman, and produced by Guy Collins and
Ignacio Perez Dolcet.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and
entertainment software for the manufacturing, building and construction,
and media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD
software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of
state-of-the-art software to help customers experience their ideas
digitally before they are built. Fortune 100 companies Ø as well as the
last 14 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects Ø use Autodesk
software tools to design, visualize and simulate their ideas to save time
and money, enhance quality and foster innovation for competitive advantage.
For additional information about Autodesk, visit http://www.autodesk.com.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Maya and 3ds Max are registered trademarks or trademarks
of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA
and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product
names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves
the right to alter product offerings and specifications at any time without
notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that
may appear in this document.
© 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
Editor's Note: Be sure to check out all the valuable resources available right here on Renderosity, for all your artistic endeavors, starting with the following related links:
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