November 2012 Power Artist Brett Murrah creates stunning scientific vis with LightWave
Posted: Mon 19 Nov 2012
Before a new drug, medical device, or other scientific breakthrough finds its way to market, the manufacturer could spend millions, even billions, in research and development. Clinical trials, legal reviews, and FDA approvals are among the critical hurdles a new drug must clear before it can reach and help consumers in need.
Along the way, executives from healthcare companies, such as pharmaceutical giants, biotech firms, and medical device makers, must tell their story in a clear and compelling way to sell others on the efficacy and benefit of their new products. Visual storytelling in the form of 3D animations, illustrations, even iPad apps or games can be a highly effective way to describe extremely complex concepts that are not easy to see or understand. XVIVO Scientific Animation, in Rocky Hill, Connecticut, is an award-winning company that specializes in creating 3D animations, medical illustrations, and interactive media content—to educate and inform people about new medical and scientific breakthroughs in a way that is compelling and memorable. Their script-to-screen services range from painstakingly accurate, detailed animations to lighthearted cartoons, depending on the style or format that best satisfies the intended objective or application.
“Our goal is to tell a very complex story as simply and effectively as possible so that viewers can easily absorb and comprehend it,” said Brett Murrah, lead animator, XVIVO. “While our 3D animations and visualizations often involve intricate scientific or medical content, we strive to make each presentation aesthetically appealing works of art in their own right.”
Enter LightWave
Murrah depends on LightWave 3D to accomplish virtually any artistic/technical task at hand within the tight deadlines customary for this industry. The mission might be to dramatize a day in the life of a virus, how it enters the respiratory system, travels to healthy cells, and infects them in order to demonstrate how an anti-viral drug would inhibit its ability to replicate. The 3D animations might take viewers on a journey along with a drug entering the bloodstream where it delivers therapeutic benefits, or watch how a medical device is used in surgery.
“After all the research, client conferences, and consultations with medical experts and scriptwriters, I turn to LightWave to translate my creative vision for the project onto the screen,” Murrah said. He often begins by reviewing medical illustrations, storyboards, and animatics to get a clear idea of the storyline and rough timings for the animation.
“After 15 years of working with LightWave, I know the ins and outs of the software and how to get things done quickly without hurdles or bottlenecks. Compared to other 3D animation systems I’ve used, LightWave is a very stable program, with improved workflow tools and super fast rendering, so I’m never stuck pulling all-nighters to make a deadline.”
Animator and illustrator Chris O’Riley hones his craft with LightWave
Posted: Mon 07 May 2012
Artist Chris O’Riley can never predict what his next project will
be, but he is always certain of one thing: the tool he will use to
achieve it. For nearly two decades, he has been tackling various
animation and illustration assignments from major news outlets and
advertisers, growing and expanding as a digital artist, using NewTek’s
LightWave 3D.
“The very nature of magazine work is that the subjects are always
different, often wildly so,” O’Riley explains. One week, it’s a 3D
environment image depicting a military engagement for a major news
source; the next week it’s a satirically stylized product for a business
magazine story. On the advertising side, his projects have ranged from
automotive work for Porsche, sport drink images for Pepsi, and modeling
work for Harley Davidson to product shots for cosmetics companies like
Avon and Clinique.
“What stand out to me are the unique challenges and requirements that
come along with each job. It’s that constant problem-solving that has
always kept me interested,” O’Riley enthuses. In fact, he’s never backed
down from a challenge, dating all the way back to college.
Solved with software
As a graphic design student in college, O’Riley was instantly
interested in 3D modeling and animation; yet, illustrating detailed
scenes with accurate perspective by hand was always challenging. He soon
learned, and became fascinated by, what was possible with 3D
software—and he continues to be impressed with the capabilities of his
3D tool of choice to this day.
“3D software was, at the time, an amazing solution,” O’Riley recalls.
“I could build entire objects, compose scenes inside a virtual world,
and then render out images with not only accurate perspective, but
lighting, shading, and movement as well. It was quite remarkable!”
O’Riley test-drove a few 3D packages before settling on a favorite:
LightWave 3D. “I quickly took to its more Spartan user interface,” he
says. “I always enjoyed (physical) model building—using my hands,
woodworking, carving, etc.—and LightWave’s minimalistic user interface
appealed to me because it didn’t get in the way. Some programs seem try
to do too much, others not enough; LightWave strikes just the right
balance. More than any other program I used before or since, working in
LightWave feels like I’m using my hands.”
Hands-on artist
A majority of O’Riley’s magazine work, for Time and other well-known
news sources, involves presenting ideas in new, clever, humorous, or
satirical ways. “It might be a family depicted as salt and pepper
shakers, spark plugs made out of money, or an automobile with a mouth of
razor sharp teeth,” he explains. “Sometimes it’s seamlessly merging two
ideas or objects; sometimes it’s stylizing or exaggerating an idea. In
either case, it’s rare that I can begin with a base model, so for each
image, virtually everything needs to be built from scratch for each
concept.” The same is true of his advertising work, which often involves
fleshing out several different concepts for an ad agency to present to
its clients.
“Most jobs don’t lend themselves to purchasing off-the-shelf models,
so everything needs to be purpose-built for each project,” O’Riley
admits. “The speed of both LightWave’s modeler and renderer are
absolutely critical for this type of work.”
LightWave’s subdivision-surface modeling tools enable O’Riley to
quickly mock up low-resolution ideas or concepts, which can later be
refined and rendered at high resolutions without the need to rebuild or
remodel anything. “Very rarely do project deadlines measure more than a
few days, and can be just a few hours in some cases,” he says. “Without
the speed of LightWave’s modeler, that would be impossible.”
Fast and powerful
When Porsche was launching its Panamera sedan, the company called on
O’Riley to produce several eye-catching images for its debut. The artist
needed to summon his creativity and imagination for the important
project, rather than spending time wrestling with, and potentially
having his workflow bogged down by, extremely large data sets; and so,
he turned to LightWave 3D to handle the auto maker’s original CAD
(computer-aided design) files.
“The deadline didn’t allow for creating a new, clean mesh, so I had
to pare down the CAD data as much as possible quickly and render it
directly, retouching any geometry issues in post,” O’Riley recalls.
“LightWave’s ability to handle enormous data sets proved critical. The
polygon count was enormous, yet LightWave rendered it with seeming ease.
“When deadlines can be measured in mere hours, speed and efficiency
are absolutely critical,” O’Riley affirms. “Here, again, LightWave
excels, with a powerful tool set and a refined user interface that
allows me to focus all my efforts on the task at hand.”
“I’ve worked with other modeling software and it seems that I have to
go through more steps or add numerous third-party plug-ins to
accomplish the same thing I can achieve in LightWave out of the box,”
O’Riley continues. “LightWave has always allowed me to create everything
from photorealistic to stylized renders in one all-inclusive package.
LightWave has what I need built-in and, with a few tools and good
problem-solving, there’s nothing it can’t do.”
The artist also considers his 3D software package of choice to be
“comparatively light” on system requirements. “I could run it at all on
my early, modest computer systems, and now, it’s extremely fast on the
latest hardware,” O’Riley says. “That speed is essential for tight
deadline work where clients can, and will, ask for major revisions at
the last possible minute.”
Mastering modifications
Revisions are an essential part of virtually any artistic or
production work flow, and especially important in O’Riley’s high-profile
work. “The feature that singularly changed and improved my work flow
the most has been VPR interactive previews,” he says, crediting the
Viewport Preview Renderer introduced in LightWave version 10.
“The ability to see changes almost instantly allows me to refine
surfacing, lighting, and other effects to a level that just wasn’t
possible when the only preview was a full F9 render,” O’Riley explains.
“On tight deadline work, it can mean the difference between making
hundreds of small tweaks as opposed to a few tens. The result is a much
more refined image that needs little to no retouching in post.”
LightWave has always had a powerful render engine, capable of
producing amazing effects, according to O’Riley. Nonetheless, “the
addition of interactive previews drastically speeds the process of
refining texturing and lighting, which allows me to truly get the most
out of the renderer.”
The artist also relies on VPR to work with, and impress, clients
remotely from his studio. “With LightWave’s VPR previews and
screen-sharing through services like Skype, clients have near-real-time
access to exactly what’s on my screen, and I maintain ready access to
the ever-growing archive of resources and tools I’ve compiled over the
years.”
Continued evolution
A majority of O’Riley’s work is as a one-man crew. He enjoys working
in a team and the opportunity it affords him to learn from others with
different talents and experience; yet, at the same time, he takes
pleasure in the satisfaction of solving unique problems that comes with
working solo. By singularly facing and overcoming challenges with each
new and unique project, O’Riley continues to learn and to hone his
craft.
“I tend not to be satisfied with my own work for very long! On some
level, each project is a learning experience, and I usually end most
jobs with a list of ideas or techniques I think could improve the next,”
O’Riley states. “So, while I have a few pieces that I’m currently
pleased with, I know it’s just a matter of time before I’ve improved on
them and no longer regard them with as much distinction!”
The artist is particularly pleased, albeit for the time being, with a
fly image he recently produced for Digital Modeling, a new book by
William Vaughan, owner of Applehead Factory and creator of Teddy Scares
and Tofu, The Vegan Zombie. “I had modeled several insects in the past,
and this image represents the culmination of everything I learned on
those previous,” O’Riley notes.
Whereas the first insect (a wasp) was modeled in sections which were
just placed together, the second (a mosquito) was modeled as a single,
seamless mesh, O’Riley describes. “While this may have been an
improvement in form, I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the level of
detail I was able to capture. For the fly image, I was able both to
model as a single, seamless mesh and to capture far more detail than on
the previous two.”
The texturing on this latest insect image was vastly improved,
through the extensive use of weight and UV mapping. Camera effects, such
as depth of field, also greatly enhanced its realism. “That’s an image
I’m pleased with today,” O’Riley says, “but, as always, I have a list of
ideas on how to improve upon it for the next one!”
Camera compatibility
Photography plays a big part in O’Riley’s work, whether compositing
CG elements into a photographic background or capturing images for
texturing or reference. “LightWave provides all the tools necessary to
seamlessly combine CG with photography,” he says. “Alpha channels,
various buffer exports, front projection mapping, fog, and especially
interactive VPR rendering all aid in blending 3D elements with
background plates.”
The artist also often uses mapped polygons or simple shapes set to
“unseen by camera” in LightWave to cast reflections of photographic
elements on 3D elements to be combined later. As always, the particular
techniques O’Riley uses depends upon the details, requirements, and
deadlines of a project.
“It’s exceedingly rare that I run into an effect that can’t be
created using LightWave’s standard tools,” O’Riley mentions, “and the
rare times I do, a solution usually exists in the form of a plug-in or
L-Script. With the tendency today toward multiple packages, each with
its own subset of tools, it’s refreshing that NewTek still includes
everything in one single, affordable package.”
Full circle
O’Riley started his career in the 1990s producing animations for
myriad instruction videos alongside an aerial photographer, until he was
introduced to Time Magazine’s art department. What he thought, at the
time, would be little more than the odd illustration job in between
animation projects turned into 13-plus years of using LightWave for
print images in magazines and advertising.
“Before my detour into print work, my main interest had always been
in animation. I’ve been slowly getting back into that recently, and it’s
definitely a direction I hope to continue,” O’Riley says. As magazines
transition from paper to pixels, he is increasingly asked to create
animated versions of his illustrations for the magazine’s tablet
edition. “LightWave’s extremely powerful and extensive animation tools
have me covered,” he says. “The speed and efficiency of the program and
the user interface are things that I haven’t found in any other
application and that I would find difficult to live without.
“It’s amazing to think that I’ve been able to build a successful year
career over the past 15 years using one software package,” O’Riley
enthuses. “When other companies have added features through high priced
add-on packages, NewTek has always kept LightWave a single,
all-inclusive program. I look forward to using all the new tools that’ll
be coming in LightWave 11, and beyond.”
LightWave is a software package used for rendering 3D images,
both animated and static. It includes a rendering engine that supports
such advanced features as realistic reflection and refraction, radiosity, and caustics. The 3D modeling component supports both polygon modeling and subdivision surfaces. The animation component has features such as reverse and forward kinematics for character animation, particle systems and dynamics. Programmers can expand LightWave's capabilities using an included SDK which offers LScript scripting (a proprietary scripting language) and common C language interfaces.
In 1988, Allen Hastings created a rendering and animation program
called Videoscape, and his friend Stuart Ferguson created a
complementary 3D modeling program called Modeler, both sold by Aegis
Software. NewTek planned to incorporate Videoscape and Modeler into its video editing suite, Video Toaster.
Originally intended to be called "NewTek 3D Animation System for the
Amiga", Hastings later came up with the name "LightWave 3D", inspired by
two contemporary high-end 3D packages: Intelligent Light and Wavefront.
In 1990, the Video Toaster suite was released, incorporating LightWave
3D, and running on the Commodore Amiga computer.
LightWave 3D has been available as a standalone application since
1994, and version 9.3 runs on both Mac OS X and Windows platforms.
Starting with the release of version 9.3, the Mac OS X version has been
updated to be a Universal Binary.
The last known standalone revision for the Amiga was Lightwave 5.0,
released in 1995. Shortly after the release of the first PC version,
NewTek discontinued the Amiga version, citing the platform's uncertain
future.
LightWave was used to create special effects for the Babylon 5, Star Trek: Voyager, Space: Above and Beyond and seaQuest DSV science fiction television series; the program was also utilized in the production of Titanic as well as the recent Battlestar Galactica TV series, Sin City, Star Trek, 300 and Star Wars movies. The short film 405 was produced by two artists from their homes using Lightwave. In the Finnish Star Trek parody Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning,
most of the visual effects were done in LightWave by Finnish filmmaker
Samuli Torssonen, who produced the VFX work for the feature film Iron Sky. The film Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius was made entirely in Lightwave 6 and messiah:Studio.
In 2007, the first feature film to be 3d animated completely by one
person without the typical legion of animators made its debut, Flatland the Film by Ladd Ehlinger Jr. It was animated entirely in Lightwave 3D 7.5 and 8.0.
In its ninth version, the market for LightWave ranges from hobbyists to high-end deployment in video games, television and cinema.
NewTek shipped a 64-bit version of LightWave 3D as part of the fifth
free update of LightWave 3D 8, and was featured in a keynote speech by
Bill Gates at WinHEC 2005.
On Feb 4 2009, NewTek announced "LightWave CORE" its next-generation
3D application via a streamed live presentation to 3D artists around the
world. It features a highly customizable and modernized user interface,
Python scripting integration that offers realtime code and view
previews, an updated file format based on the industry standard Collada
format, substantial revisions to its modeling technologies and a
realtime iterative viewport renderer. It will also be the first
Lightwave product to be available on the Linux operating system. CORE
was eventually cancelled as a standalone product and NewTek announced
that the CORE advancements would become part of the ongoing LightWave
platform, starting with LightWave 10.
On February 20, 2012 NewTek began shipping LightWave 11 Software, the
latest version of its professional 3D modeling, animation, and
rendering software.[1]
LightWave 11 incorporates many new features, such as instancing,
flocking and fracturing tools, flexible Bullet Dynamics, Pixologic
Zbrush support, and more. LightWave 11 is used for all genres of 3D
content creation-from film and broadcast visual effects production, to
architectural visualization, and game design.[2][3][4]
LightWave is composed of two separate programs: Modeler and Layout.
Each program is specifically designed to provide a dedicated workspace
for specific tasks. When the two programs are running simultaneously, a
third process called the Hub can be used to automatically synchronize
data.
Layout contains the animation system and the renderer which provides the user with several options including ray tracing options, multithreading,
global illumination, and output parameters. Modeler, as the name
implies, includes all of the modeling features used to create the 3d
models that are used in the animation and rendering component. This
differs from most 3D computer graphics packages which normally integrate
the renderer and the modeler. A long-standing debate in the LightWave
user community has consisted of whether or not to integrate Modeler and
Layout into a single program. In response to this, NewTek has begun an integration process by including several basic modeling tools with Layout.
There is also a command line-based network rendering engine named
Screamernet which can be used to distribute rendering tasks across a
large number of networked computers. This is used to reduce the overall
time that it takes to render a single project by having the computers
each rendering a part of the whole project in parallel. Screamernet
includes all the features of the rendering engine that is integrated in
Layout but without an interactive user interface.
Features
Dynamics
Lightwave is equipped with all the required dynamics such as hard body, soft body
and cloth. Hard body dynamics equips the user to simulate effects like
rockslides, building demolitions and sand effects, using realistic
forces like gravity and collisions. Soft body equips the user with a
tool that can simulate jelly or jiggling fat on overweight characters.
This can also be applied to characters for a dynamic hair effect. Cloth
can be applied to clothing for characters. This can also be used for
hair to simulate more realistic hair movement. The CORE subsystem of
Lightwave 11 includes a new rigid-body dynamics engine called Bullet.
Hypervoxels
Hypervoxels are a means to render different particle animation
effects. Different modes of operation have the ability to generate
appearances that mimic:
Blobby metaballs for things like water or mercury, including reflection or refraction surface settings
Sprites which are able to reproduce effects like fire or flocking birds
Volume shading for simulating clouds or fog type effects
Material shaders
Lightwave comes with a nodal texture editor that comes with a
collection of special-purpose material shaders. Some of the types of
surface for which these shaders have been optimized include:
With LW 9, Newtek added Node editors to the Surface Editor and Mesh
Displacement parts of LightWave. They also however release the Node SDK
with the software, so any developer can add their own Node Editors via
plug-ins, and a few have done so, notably Denis Pontonnier, who created
free to download node editors and many other utility nodes for all of
the sdk classes in LightWave. This now means users can utilise nodes for
modifying images and renders, procedural textures, modifying the shape
of hypervoxels, controlling motions of objects, driving animation
channels, and use things like particles and other meshes to drive these
functions. This has greatly enhanced the abilities of standalone
LightWave. The node areas of LightWave continue to expand, with
volumetric lights now controllable with nodes.
LScript
LScript is one of LightWave's scripting languages. It provides a
comprehensive set of prebuilt functions you can use when scripting how
LightWave behaves.
Python
With LW 11, Newtek added Python support as an option for custom scripting.
Bullet Physics
From LW 11, Newtek have added Bullet support.
Lightwave SDK
The SDK (Software Development Kit) provides a set of C classes for writing native plugins for Lightwave.
berikut adalah video-video cartoon 3D
01. Khumba
This is the first big movie project for many of the artists and animators on board
We're yet to see a trailer from this 3D movie but the all-star cast
is enough for us to get excited. Starring Liam Neeson and Steve
Buschemi, Khuma tells the story of a half-striped zebra who after being
rejected by his superstitious herd, embarks on a daring quest to earn
his stripes but finds the courage and self-acceptance to save all the
animals of the Great Karoo.
This is the first dip into the silver screen for many of the artists
on board for the film. It's so refreshing to see such a stellar cast
rubbing shoulders with 3D movie newbies. We have no doubt that they'll
impress. For more information, head to the Khumba website.
Now, unless you've been living under a rock for the past few months
we have no doubt that you've come across the hype surrounding Brad
Pitt's latest movie - World War Z. Based on the best-selling book by Max
Brooks, movie and special effects fans alike are more than eager to
feast their eyes on one of the most anticipated movies of the year.
The Moving Picture Company and Cinesite are taking care of all of the
special effects. Many of the team members have worked on the likes of
Harry Potter as well as the latest James Bond installment. We might not
be safe from the zombies but at least we're in safe animation hands. For more information, head to the World War Z website.
03. Texas Chainsaw 3D
Okay, okay, we know the plot for this film won't receive any Oscars
but that's not what we're looking at here. As creatives, it's the craft,
care and attention to detail within the special effects that we notice,
and this reboot of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre has some serious
credability when it comes to 3D animation.
Jacques Godbout worked as the visual effects supervisor on the film
and yes, he worked on the iconic 1981 release of Scanners. 3D artist
Ryan Markley worked on the delicious blockbusters The Expendables and
Drive Angry.
For more information head to the Texas Chainsaw 3D website.
04. Seventh Son
Julianne Moore and Jeff Bridges are reunited on screen in Seventh Son
Only a few teasing stills have been released for Seventh Son but
we're just excited to see Julianne Moore and Jeff Bridges reunited on
screen! What's more, Game of Thrones' very own Kit Harington will be
joining the ranks. The film is an 18th century adventure story centred
on Thomas, who is apprenticed to a Spook to learn to fight evil spirits.
Alex Burdett is working as the special effects supervisor and after
his efforts on the gruesome Saving Private Ryan as well as Tron Legacy,
we have no doubt he'll deliver on the 3D front.
For more information, head to the Seventh Son website.
05. Dorothy's Return
This cute 3D animated movie returns to the land of Oz where Dorothy
Gale decides to head back to the magical land in order to help her
friends. The mighty Patrick Stewart and Dan Aykroyd are among the ranks
when it comes to voice actors, with Lea Michele as Dorothy.
Soumitra Gokhale is working as the lead animator and has worked on a
number of Madagascar and Shrek spin-offs, so this movie should be a
breeze for her. Hopefully, this is a movie that's not just for the kids! For more information, head to the Dorothy's Return website.
06. Smurfs 2
The sequel to 2011's The Smurfs, Smurfs 2 is based on the comic book
series created by the Belgian comics artist Peyo. Whilst the storyline
is strictly family-friendly, the 3D animation work is seriously
impressive. Directed by Raja Gosnell (Scooby-Doo, Mrs. Doubtfire), Sony Pictures Imageworks are taking on most of the special effects. Rob Engle
worked as the 3D visual effects supervisor and rightly so, as he has
previously worked on the likes of The Amazing Spider-Man, Pirates of the
Carribean and The Chronicles of Narnia. The film stars Hank Azaria,
Sofia Vergara and Christina Ricci and is set for release later on this
year. For more information, head to the Smurfs 2 website.
07. 300: Rise of an Empire
After the success of 2007's 300, relatively unknown director Noam Murro
takes the reigns for the film's sequel - 300: Rise of an Empire. The
original film quickly became a cult classic when it came to special
effects so we have high hopes for film number 2. Starring Lena Heady of
Game of Thrones fame as well as Eva Green, 300: Rise of an Empire looks
set to focus on the ladies.
Unsurprisingly, the film boasts a huge list of technical and speical
effects teams. Special effects senior technician comes in the form of
Nikolay Furtunkov, who has previously worked on The Expendables films.
We certainly can't wait to see what this sequel will bring. For more information, head to 300: Rise of an Empire on IMDB.
08. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
Another sequel here that will have fans of the Percy Jackson books
every excited indeed. The first film released back in 2010 proved
popular with special effect critics, so we can't wait to see what the
sequel comes up with. It continues the adventures of Percy Jackson and
his friends and is based on the book The Sea of Monsters.
Logan Lerman returns to play the part of Percy and will be joined by
fantasy heroes Sean Bean, Anthony Stewart Head and Nathan Fillion. Lead
3D matte artist Juan Jesús García has a heap of experience after working
on the Harry Potter films, Kingdom of Heaven and Troy. He's the perfect
choice to lead the 3D extravaganza that Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
will no doubt deliver.
For more information, head to the Percy Jackson website.
09. Planes
Planes is the sequel to Pixar's 2006 release Cars although the
renowned animation studio hasn't actually had any part of it. Instead,
it has been produced by DisneyToon Studios
and was initially set to be released as a direct-to-video film.
However, Disney seems to have changed their minds as the film is now
going to be theatrically released by Walt Disney Pictures in August.
The effects are in great hands in the form of Nickie Huai, who worked
on the award-winning Avatar as well as the Ice Age movies and Night At
The Museum 2. It might be yet another sequel but we're sure this will be
a fun-filled one.
For more information, head to the Planes website.
10. Storm Surfers 3D
Telling the story of best friends and professional surfing legends
Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones, Storm Surfers 3D is all about that
elusive rush of adrenaline and the hunt for the ultimate wave. This
looks set to be a 3D event to get excited about, as we witness these
incredible waves in the most realistic fashion.
The incredible cinematography was taken care of by Dave Maguire and
we have a feeling that he'll be working on lots of projects in the
future if Storm Surfers 3D is anything to go by. Kirstin-Marie Cetinich
worked on the special effects and proves that you don't need to be part
of a huge studio to produce great results.
For more information, head to the Storm Surfers 3D website.
11. Oz: The Great and Powerful
Have you ever wondered how the Wizard came to be in Oz? Well, wonder no more as Spiderman and Drag Me To Hell director Sam Raimi takes on the prequel to one of the most beloved stories of a generation.
The film will benefit from a star studded cast, including James
Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz and Michelle Williams. The trailer
doesn't give away too much but it's clear that the visual effects,
cinematography and costumes are going to play a key role. The colours
are simply breathtaking and it's interesting to see a new take on the
environment of Oz.
Saga holiday
3D scanning is being taken care of by Frederick George Stuhrberg, who's already worked on the hugely successful Twilight Saga as well as Avengers Assemble, Iron Man 2 and X-Men: First Class. Sony Pictutes Imageworks is in charge of the technical aspects including lighting and production and Luma Pictures
are responsible for the digital and CGI factors. Both companies are
hugely respected in the film industry, so this looks set to be a belter
of a 3D movie. For more information, visit the Oz: The Great and Powerful website.
12. Monsters University
In recent times, Pixar has been known to indulge a little too much in
the whole prequels and sequels thing. Some have faired better than
others - so once the prequel to the hugely successful Monsters Inc. was
announced, there were some yelps of joy and some groans of
disappointment.
However, when the teaser trailer was released everyone was very much
in the same boat: this looks to be one of Pixar's funniest films.
Monsters Inc. was a feat for Pixar in itself; released in 2001, it was
the first time the animators tackled fur and hair in the form of Sully
and boy, did they nail that one!
Uni freshman
It's exciting to see what the animators will bring to the table this time not to mention Dan Scanlan,
for whom Monsters University will be his first major directorial role.
Happily, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and Billy Crystal are all back to
reprise their roles. Michael Stocker is
acting as directing animator and is certainly the perfect choice if his
past successes on The Incredibles and Toy Story 3 are anything to go by.
We can't wait for this one! (In the meatime, check out the brilliant spoof website.) For more information, visit the Monsters University Facebook page.
13. Epic
A look at this trailer and you may think two things: one, it looks
like yet another reincarnation of FernGully. And two, the graphics look
incredible! Whichever one you go with, there's no denying the extensive
work that the animators and CGI teams have put into this new animation
from Twentieth Century Fox.
Starring Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson and Colin Farrell, Epic
tells the story of a teenage girl transported to a deep forest setting
where a battle between the forces of good and evil is taking place. She
bands together with a rag-tag group of characters in order to help save
their world.
Game on
Jonas Avrin is the animation
technical director and with his extensive experience in the games
(Grand Theft Auto, Assassins Creed) and movie industry (The Curious Case
of Benjamin Button, Ice Age) he seems like a fine choice.
Materials technical director Audry Bagley is a newcomer in the animation world, having only been working since 2010. For more information, visit the Epic website.
14. G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation
The G.I. Joe films may not be winning any Oscars for acting abilities
or storyline but the high quality of the CGI and 3D work is undeniable.
Although the release of G.I. Joe 2 has been pushed back a few times,
there'll be plenty of excitement once it arrives.
In this sequel, the G.I. Joes find that not only are they fighting
their mortal enemy Cobra, they're also forced to contend with threats
from within the government that jeopardise their very existence.
Action man
The talented team at ILM are on hand to provide most of the visual effects, including Michael Balog, who's worked on the Harry Potter, Pirates of the Carribbean and Transformers franchises. Digital Domain, Luma Pictures and Method Studios Vancouver
are also all involved, which proves the extensive knowledge and talent
that will be featured within the film. Only the best for the Joes! For more information, visit the G.I. Joe: Retaliation website.
15. The Great Gatsby
Another novel turned movie, and many fans of F. Scott Fitzgerald's
classic novel will be trepidacious about this 2012 adaptation. Movie
fans, however, will be excited that arty director Baz Luhrmann
- the man behind Moulin Rouge and the Leonardo diCaprio version of
Romeo & Juliet and reboot - is the man in charge. His decision to
revive the story in 3D has caused some controversy but after seeing the
trailer, we feel showcasing 1920s New York in this way will really
resonate with cinema audiences.
The Great Gatsby tells to story of Nick Carraway (Toby Maguire), a
Midwesterner who becomes fascinated with the lavish lifestyle of his
neighbour Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). He's soon drawn into Gatsby's
circle and begins to witness the tragedy and obsession that taints
Gatsby's seemingly perfect life.
Great expectations
Arthur Spink Jr.
is one hand as the special effects supervisor, after previously working
on the Matrix trilogy and the likes of Superman returns and X-Men
Origins: Wolverine. Lawrence Andrews, who was responsible for the awesome effects in Sucker Punch, is in charge of the visual effects lay out. For more information, visit The Great Gatsby Facebook page.
16. The Croods
Hotly tipped by us back since last October,
this Dreamworks animation follows the story of a prehistoric family who
are forced to explore beyond the world of their small cave.
Voices are provided by Nicholas Cage, Ryan Reynolds and Emma Stone, with the animation in the capable hands of Jamaal Bradley and Dave Hardin,
who've worked on such movies as Puss in Boots, I Am Legend and Alice in
Wonderland. We're excited by the scintillating use of colour, and it
looks like this quirky film is set to kickstart a year to remember for
DreamWorks. For more information, visit The Croods official website.
17. Turbo
Another promising DreamWorks release, Turbo is a supercharged
animated comedy about a snail with a need for speed who dreams of
competing against the greatest Indianapolis 500 racers.
It's the first feature-length animation for director David Soren, who took charge of the short Merry Madagascar,
and he'll work alongside screenwriter Robert Siegel of The Wrestler
fame. Ryan Reynolds will voice the lead alongside a cast including
Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Giamatti and Maya Rudolph from Bridesmaids. For more information, visit the Turbo official website.
18. Star Trek: Into Darkness
It's the sci-fi event of the year: director JJ Abrams
is back with the second in a series of Star Trek movies, with Benedict
Cumberbatch as villain John Harrison joining the returning cast from the
2009 reboot.
Reports suggest this film will be more emotionally charged than its gung-ho predecessor but with Daniel Mindel back on cinematography duties we're expecting some impressive special effects once more.
Added dimension
Note, though, that the movie was not filmed in native 3D but shot in
2D and converted in post-production, so we're not altogether sure what
it's going to look like through those polarised light filters. Either
way, sci-fi fans will be watching with a careful eye as director Abrams
has been signed up for those forthcoming Star Wars sequels too. For more information, visit the Star Trek: Into Darkness website.
19. 47 Ronin
Reeves will be the only Western actor in this Japanese tale (although he himself is part-Asian)
Adapted from the classic tale of a group of samurai in 18th-century
Japan who avenge the murder of their master, this live action movie
marks a return to the multiplex for Keanu Reeves, who'll star alongside
an all Asian-born cast.
Cinematography-wise, it's expected to be in similar vein to The Matrix and with Ridley Scott's protégé Carl Erik Rinsch at the helm we're hoping it will be an epic 3D experience. For more information, visit the 47 Ronin website.
20. Man of Steel
Superhero fans will rejoice: not only is Man of Steel the return of
Superman to the big screen, it's also the return of Batman franchise
reviver Christopher Nolan.
Fans of the director know his work is characterised by a striving for
realism, and with the likes of Joe Letteri working on the movie and the
addition of a third dimension we really do expect to believe a man can
fly. For more information, visit the Man of Steel website.
21. Frozen
Based loosely around the original story of the Snow Queen, this movie
has been in Disney’s pipeline for a while. It was initially destined to
be hand-drawn along the lines of other films such as The Princess and
the Frog, but is now being created as a 3D CGI animation. With Chris
Buck as director and John Lasseter as producer we can be pretty sure
this film will features some top notch quality animation and we trust
the 3D will add an extra layer of Disney magic. For more information, visit the Frozen website.
22. Despicable Me 2
2013 sees a sequel to the quirky 2010 animated kids' comedy about
supervillain Gru. The stellar cast has been added to, with Al Pacino
playing Gru’s new nemesis and Steve Coogan in an as-yet unannounced
role. As with the first film, we're expecting this to be one with
something for both the kids and their parents to enjoy. For more information, visit the Despicable Me 2 website.
23. Justin and the Knights of Valour
It's good to see a bit of competition in the world of 3D animation.
One of the few films on our list not to coming from a big Hollywood
studio, Justin and the Knights of Valour is the creation of Kandor Graphics,
a small studio in Grenada, Spain, which has only produced one other
movie to date. Set in a magical world, it's a tale about friendship,
honour and courage that's filled with adventure and action. We're hoping
it's as good as the industry buzz suggests. For more information, visit the Justin and the Knights of Valour official website.
24. Jack the Giant Slayer
Why reboot one fairy tale when you can have two? The latest Warner
Bros 3D animation is based on a mashup of 'Jack and the Beanstalk' and
the lesser-known Cornish tale of 'Jack the Giant Killer'.
Director Bryan Singer passed up 'X-Men First Class' for this, so we
reckon it's going to be pretty special. A cast including Nicholas Hoult,
Ewan McGregor and Bill Nighy will star, with Dominic Tuohy taking charge of motion-capture. For more information, visit the Jack and the Giant Slayer website.
25. Escape from Planet Earth
This sci-fi actioner from upstart film company Rainmaker Entertainment is
based around the notion of an alien becoming trapped on Earth and
sending a SOS call to his friends. The cast will include Brendan Fraser,
Sara Jessica Parker and Jessica Alba, but the special effects team
promise to be the real stars. Apparently, they've invented a whole new system of cloud computing in the process of making this film by combining the servers of several animation companies based around rendering. For more information, visit the Escape from Planet Earth website.
26. The Wolverine
Will this be the X-Men movie to wow the arthouse crowd?
Can't get enough of the X-Men? This movie offers the chance to look
back into a chapter of the never-before-seen past of one of the
superhero series' most engaging characters. Expect a different tone to
previous X-Men outings in this prequel, which focuses on Wolverine's
past adventures in Japan, which have only been alluded to in the movies
so far.
Focusing on themes such as Wolverine's immortality, isolation and self-loathing, and with Darren Aronofsky,
director of Black Swan, at the helm, this is being described as more of
a reboot than a prequel, looks like it could turn out to be the
thinking man's superhero movie. For more information, visit the Wolverine website.
27. Iron Man 3
The hype for the third Iron Man movie has been as supercharged as
Tony Stark's suit. With the latest, extended trailer being screened
during Sunday's Super Bowl, fans of the sardonic, wisecracking superhero
have been getting super-excited at the prospect of Robert Downey Jr
taking on a new psychotic villain, the Mandarin, played by Sir Ben
Kingsley.
Directed by Shane Black, the film boasts creative production team including two-time Oscar-winning director of photography John Toll, and Marvel stalwart editors Jeffrey Ford and Peter S. Elliot - so we're expecting this threequel to more than live up to expectations. For more information, visit the Iron Man 3 website.
28. Cloudy 2: Revenge of the Leftovers
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was that rare thing; a comic
animation with a brain, and one that made parents laugh as much as their
kids. The bizarre tale, of Flint Lockwood and his machine that makes it
rain food, is developed further in this sequel which sees the machine
produce menacing food-animal hybrids.
If you’re a fan of terrible puns then get ready to meet the "apple pie thons", "tacodiles" and "shrimpanzees". For more information, visit the Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 website.
29. Mr. Peabody and Sherman
Mr. Peabody and Sherman, Rocky and Bullwinkle's time-traveling dog
and his "pet boy", are headed for the big screen in this new Dreamworks
CG movie, which has just been pushed back from a November release to
March 2014.
With Ty Burrell (Phil on Modern Family) voicing Mr. Peabody
it’s safe to assume this one's going to tickle a few funny bones, while
it'll be interesting to see what the addition of 3D CGI brings to the
classic 2D characters. For more information, visit the Mr Peabody and Sherman Wiki page.
30. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Tolkein lovers were shocked when director Peter Jackson
announced he was splitting his big screen adaptation of The Hobbit into
three parts. But last year's first instalment, An Unexpected Journey,
won over most critics with its blend of action, humour and engaging
characters.
Frame rate debate
The cinematography was more controversial, though, with the decision to up the frame rate to 48fps
dividing viewers into two camps. Some felt it made the characters too
much like cardboard cut-outs against a computer generated landscape,
while others praised the fast-cut 3D effect as more immediate and
realistic.
Whatever side of the fence you're on, there's Benedict Cumberbatch to
add spice to number two in the series as not one but two villains. For more information, visit the wiki website.
31. Upside Down
Already released in Russia, this French-Canadian romantic science
fiction movie promises something different for anyone who's overdosed on
big-budget blockbuster fare.
Written and directed by Juan Diego Solanas
and starring Jim Sturgess and Kirsten Dunst, the movie is about a man
searching an alternate universe for a long-lost love from his youth. If
you like the idea of a movie that takes the ideas behind Inception and
runs with them, then check this out - it sounds like it's going to look
amazing in 3D. For more information, visit the official website.
32. Thor: The Dark Worlds
Following the massive success of Avengers Assemble in 2012, another
Thor movie was inevitable, and sci-fi fans will be pleased to see Chris
Hemsworth joined by everyone from Star Wars' Natalie Portman to Chuck's Zachary Levi and Doctor Who's Christopher Eccleston. Alan Taylor takes over from Kenneth Branagh as director in what's expected to be a special effects-heavy epic. For more information, visit the official website.
33. Gravity
Directed by Mexican maestro Alfonso Cuarón,
who directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Gravity stars
Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as surviving astronauts in a damaged
space station. It's another movie being converted to 3D in post-prod,
but at least there'll be an Imax version for those who want to see the
two maturing sex symbols in all their enormo-vision glory.
34. Spiders 3D
If 3D movies were invented for anything, it was watching giant
spiders terrorising New York City in full steroscope. We've been told to
expect multiple large spiders and one really big spider. The running
time will be just 89 minutes, so we're definitely expecting this one to
be short on plot and big on action.
35. Pacific Rim
A sci-fi action movie by Guillermo del Toro...
and it's in 3D. What more could you want? Well, how about soldiers
piloting giant robots that battle against invading giant monsters from
under the sea? You got it. Visual effects by Industrial Light and Magic? Done. The movie, which del Toro says will be "a beautiful poem to giant monsters" will appear in both 3D and IMAX 3D versions. For more information, visit the official website.
A Tool for ’Toons
Nickelodeon Animation Studio artists create prize animation with LightWave
Posted: Thu 07 Jun 2012
In 1998, as Viacom opened the Nickelodeon Animation Studio in
Burbank, Calif., college student Ernest Chan was adopting NewTek’s
LightWave 3D software for the first time. No one could predict at the
time that these innovators and innovations would partner and, in doing
so, deliver some of history’s most celebrated animations, which are
beloved by millions, young and old, the world over.
“I was introduced to LightWave in college,” recalls Chan, who
received a degree in Computer and Video Imaging with a concentration in
Character Animation. “I found it very easy to generate content quickly
with LightWave--this was very instrumental to my learning process. One
of the greatest strengths of LightWave is that it’s not an intimidating
piece of software. It’s very easy for an artist to get comfortable with
the toolset, so they can go from idea to creation in a short amount of
time. As a creative person, the faster I could see what was in my head
on screen, the more fun the process became.”
Fast Forward
Thirteen years later, Chan is the CG supervisor of Nickelodeon
Animation Studios’ Post Production Department, where he continues to
employ LightWave 3D in the daily production of Nickelodeon’s popular
animated television series, called Nicktoons.
Nickelodeon Animation Studio’s 72,000-square-foot facility houses not
only hundreds of imaginative digital artists, but also an arsenal of
innovative computer graphics (CG), 3D, and motion-capture hardware and
software tools with which to create and perfect cutting-edge, digital
animation. Studio artists, such as Chan, are responsible for many
high-quality, attention-grabbing, and prized animated series, including
SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer.
Chan, as post production CG supervisor, oversees a team of four
artists who handle the CG portion of the studio’s post-production
process. “We address any fixes that a show requests as it goes through
the post process,” Chan affirms. “The type of work can range from
replacing or enhancing existing effects, to set replacement, to complete
character animation.”
Chan and his team primarily, but not exclusively, become involved
with each episode during the post stage of production. “We might be
brought in during the preproduction and production stages of an episode,
such as when it has been predetermined that my group will be
responsible for something in an episode,” Chan explains.
Artists at Nickelodeon Animation Studio have used LightWave since
2000. “LightWave is my group’s primary 3D package,” Chan enthuses.
“Everything from modeling, texturing, and animation to rendering is done
in LightWave.”
Even on those occasions that the artists need to use another 3D
software package, “we still use LightWave as the modeler and renderer,”
Chan adds. In an episode of The X’s in which the house was given a body,
artists modeled the robot in Modeler, and then rigged and animated it
in [Autodesk’s] XSI. “With LightWave’s native .mdd file format, we then
exported the animation out for final render in LightWave. LightWave’s
native .mdd file format is an incredibly reliable way of transferring
data between different packages.”
Jack (and Jill) of All Trades
Nickelodeon currently produces a wealth of animated TV series, each
unique and with its own needs, elements, challenges, and styles. “The
type of work that we do is varied,” Chan says, “so it’s very important
that an artist be a generalist. LightWave is excellent at supporting
that.
“Each artist is responsible for generating the content that they
need, ranging from visual effects (VFX) work to character animation,”
Chan continues. “LightWave’s broad range of tools lets a single person
handle all of it.” From a supervisory perspective, this LightWave
characteristic enables Chan to lead a very small team that is capable of
producing a high quantity of quality work.
It’s not uncommon for one artist in the post production department to
be working on several different shows in a single day. “LightWave’s
texturing tools are so powerful and flexible that they adapt very easily
to all our show styles,” Chan describes.
“The speed at which we can generate content in LightWave is
incredibly important to us,” Chan adds. “Not only are we dealing with
tight deadlines, but we are interacting with different directors and
creators with their own unique way of describing something, which can be
a challenge. Being able to take their idea from a description to
something visual in a short amount of time in LightWave is important in
keeping us on schedule. LightWave 10’s new Viewport Preview Renderer
(VPR) tool has made this process even faster. I can use VPR during a
review to show everyone what the final image will look like even as I
address their notes right then and there.”
Chan and his post production team particularly value the speed and
quality of LightWave’s renderer, which the supervisor rates as one of
the best available. “We have very tight deadlines and, with LightWave’s
renderer, we know we don’t have to worry about the final quality or
excessive render times,” Chan continues. “Not having to worry about it
means we can put our time and energy into the creative process.”
Movie Magic
Nickelodeon Animation Studio artists work not only on individual
episodes, but also lengthy and ambitious animated TV movies. LightWave
proved to be instrumental in the production of Nickelodeon’s three-hour
“Wishology” movie special, part of the popular The Fairly OddParents
animated series.
In the special, Timmy Turner is being pursued by an entity known as
“The Darkness,” which is a large, nebulous cloud-like planet killer. “My
group was brought in after the first hour had finished preproduction,
so we were already behind schedule,” recalls Chan. “With the use of
LightWave, one artist in my team began work on several different
versions of The Darkness for review. The speed at which she could
generate content and implement the creator and art director’s notes made
it possible for us to catch up to the production schedule.”
The feature-length special also boasted robots with several different
costume variations and other 3D assets that had to be designed and
created in LightWave. “All this work had to be done while we still
supported the other shows that were coming through post,” says Chan of
his team’s accomplishment, with help from LightWave 3D.
Will Chan continue to use LightWave personally and professionally?
“Absolutely,” Chan affirms. “LightWave has always provided incredible
value; you get a very complete set of tools all in one box. LightWave
gives me a complete package that fits within my budget.”
Visit the Nickelodeon Animation website at nickanimationcareers.com
Su Song Astronomical Clock Tower
Gregory Glezakos recreates an ancient Astronomical Clock Tower with LightWave 3D
