Leaders in Virtual Production Collaborate to Develop Next-Generation of the Technology Behind James Cameron's "Avatar" Movie
LOS ANGELES, August 7, 2012, SIGGRAPH 2012 --
Autodesk,
Inc., (NADSAQ: ADSK) has partnered with Lightstorm
Entertainment and Weta Digital to develop the next generation of
virtual production technology for the motion picture industry.
Lightstorm Entertainment is James Cameron’s production
company, responsible for the 2009 box office sensation
“Avatar.†Weta Digital, one of the world’s
premier visual effects companies, has a history of pushing the
boundaries of visual effects and computer graphics with their work
on films like “Avatar,†“Rise of the Planet of
the Apes,†“The Adventures of Tintin†and many
more.
The three companies have been working collaboratively to further
expand the virtual production workflows and technologies that were
first developed for "Avatar." Some of the tools and
enhancements resulting from the collaboration have been
incorporated into certain products in the latest Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suites . These
and more developments stemming from the technology partnership will
be used in the production of the “Avatar†sequels.
“Creating the virtual production pipeline on
‘Avatar’ was a groundbreaking process that only enabled
us to scratch the surface of what is possible. Together with
Autodesk and Weta Digital, we have used the knowledge gained from
this first experience to clearly define the ideal process and then
develop the technology needed to streamline our workflow. With the
resulting pipeline, on the ‘Avatar’ sequels, I will be
able to devote more of my energy to the creative side of the
moviemaking process, and dig deeper into all that is possible with
virtual production,†said James Cameron.
Virtual production involves applying the power of digital toolsets
to the entire movie making process. This allows the director and
other creative collaborators to see their assets in a fully
interactive world live on-set, so they can make better decisions
more quickly — enhancing the creative process and improving
productivity as a result. This interactive, nonlinear process spans
from digital worldbuilding, character development and
previsualization, to performance capture, virtual cinematography,
visual effects and all the way to final render. Pioneered under
James Cameron for the creation of “Avatar,†it has
since been adopted by renowned directors Steven Spielberg and Peter
Jackson, among others.
To develop the next generation of virtual production technology,
Weta Digital forged a particularly close relationship with Autodesk
and its development team. As the visual effects studio on
“Avatar,†and “The Adventures of Tintin,â€
as well as the upcoming “The Hobbit: An Unexpected
Journey,†Weta Digital has established expertise in the
virtual production process.
“After completing ‘Avatar,’ we had a clear
understanding of the developments needed to make the process more
creative and efficient. We knew that by bringing the whole digital
pipeline more in line with the traditional onset style of shooting
we could open up brand new ways for directors like Jim to make
their films. When we’re charting new territory like this,
it’s invaluable to have a partner like Autodesk whose tools
are the platform and the standard in the industry,†said Joe
Letteri, senior digital effects supervisor at Weta Digital.
“Lightstorm and Weta Digital were behind some of the most
visually stunning movies of the last decade. By bringing together
their talent and experience with our own expertise, we are creating
tools to help our customers take better advantage of important
developments in moviemaking and visual effects,†said Carl
Bass, Autodesk CEO.
As part of the Entertainment Creation Suites 2013, the new virtual
production enhancements will help studios of all sizes adopt this
revolutionary moviemaking process. The tools, found in Autodesk
MotionBuilder and Autodesk Maya software, will help improve
performance, workflow and image fidelity.
MotionBuilder now loads, saves and merges files together much
faster than before, and is more closely integrated to the Editorial
workflow. Motion capture and live input data can be recorded to
disk in the software’s non-linear editor so directors can
record multiple takes in rapid sequence; actors can act out their
scenes un-interrupted; and stage crew can work instantly with
Editorial to build and refine shots. Furthermore, the software now
includes HD SDI video output support, which allows MotionBuilder to
be integrated into studio video broadcast systems, designed to
introduce zero frames of lag. This gives creative visionaries and
camera operators more accurate real time feedback on their virtual
camera work.
To learn more visit Autodesk's virtual
production site (http://area.autodesk.com/fmx2012) on AREA,
Autodesk’s digital entertainment and visualization
community.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc. is a leader in
3D design, engineering and entertainment
software. Customers across the manufacturing, architecture,
building, construction, and media and entertainment industries --
including the last 17 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects
-- use Autodesk software to design, visualize and simulate their
ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD
software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest
portfolio of state-of-the-art software for global markets. For
additional information about Autodesk, visit www.autodesk.com
.
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Maya and MotionBuilder 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 and service offerings, and specifications and pricing
at any time without notice, and is not responsible for
typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this
document.
© 2012 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
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