Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/18322
PIPELINE EFFICIENCES Te fourth pillar of the modern produc- tion pipeline is based on pipeline efficiencies. Hoffmann noted that Autodesk tools support nonlinear workflows, where multiple artists can attack a project from multiple angles si- multaneously. “You can’t think of production in a linear fashion anymore,” Hoffmann said, “where you have to do step 1 before you can do step 2, before doing step 3. Instead, step 3 can be done at the exact same time as previsu- alization is taking place.” Hoffmann pointed to the new virtual moviemaking work that took place with the production of Avatar, where Framestore teams pulled in the actual motion-capture data and created the final scene geometry before they even created the character. About Framestore Framestore has been working in digital film and video for over 20 years, creating original work that has helped make it the largest visual effects and computer animation studio in Europe. It also has studios in Reykjavik and New York City. Movies Framestore’s movie portfolio includes work on such films as Australia, Avatar, Children of Men, The Dark Knight, The Golden Compass, all the Harry Potter films, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, A Quantum of Solace, Salt, Sherlock Holmes, Superman Returns, Wanted, and Where the Wild Things Are. Film work in the pipeline for 2010–2011 includes: Clash of the Titans Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader Gravity Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows Parts I and II Nanny McPhee & The Big Bang Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Your Highness Framestore’s projects in the commercial world involve en- gaging with numerous clients, including AT&T, Audi, Cadbury, Coca-Cola, Federal Express, General Electric, Kia Motors, Nike, Pepsi, Skittles, Smirnoff, and Sony. Awards Framestore has won numerous international awards, includ- ing the 2008 Academy Award and BAFTA double for Achieve- ment in Special Effects, two Technical Academy Awards from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, four BAFTA Craft Awards and fourteen Primetime Emmy Awards. Below is a partial list; the complete list can be found at: www.framestore.com/Awards Oscar* (The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Award) 2008 Oscar for Achievement in VFX: The Golden Compass Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Technical Achievement Awards 1996 Pioneering work in the creation of the Digital Film Compositing System 1995 Pioneering work in the field of film input scanning Recently, with the Maya software, Autodesk moved to the Nokia Qt* user interface. Tis enables increased customization of the user ex- perience, so artists in the production facilities can modify the software to best fit their pro- duction work needs. “With Maya 2011 we are taking advantage of the latest versions of Py- thon* and Qt to update our internal pipeline and internal tools,” explained Mulholland, Emmy* Awards 2006 Outstanding Animated Program: Walking With Monsters 2006 Best Commercial: Federal Express Stick 2003 Outstanding Animated Program: Chased by Dinosaurs 2002 Outstanding Animated Program: Walking With Beasts 2002 Outstanding Visual FX: Dinotopia 2001 Outstanding Animated Program: The Ballad of Big Al 2000 Outstanding Visual FX: Walking With Dinosaurs 2000 Outstanding Animated Program: Walking With Dinosaurs 2000 Outstanding Main Title Design: The 10th Kingdom 1999 Outstanding Special FX: Alice in Wonderland 1998 Outstanding Special Visual FX: Merlin 1997 Outstanding Special Visual FX: The Odyssey 1996 Outstanding Special Visual FX: Gulliver’s Travels London Effects and Animation Festival (LEAF) 2002 Commercials Animation: Xbox* Mosquito 2002 Commercials Live Action FX: Xbox Champagne 2002 TV Series: Dinotopia 2000 Commercials Live Action FX: Chrysler Golden Gate 2000 Titles, Idents & Stings: The 10th Kingdom 1999 Education and Training: Walking with Dinosaurs 1998 Titles, Idents & Stings: Tomorrow Never Dies 1994 Gold Award for Best Computer Animation Commercial: ‘West Lights’ 1994 Gold Award for Best Computer Animation: ‘Ravel’s Bolero’ Visual Effects Society (VES) Awards 2010 Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Feature Motion Picture: Sherlock Holmes 2008 VFX in a Commercial: Smirnoff Sea 2008 Animated Character: The Chemical Brothers The Salmon Dance 2007 Outstanding Animated Character: Geico Chat 2006 Outstanding VFX: Walking with Monsters 2006 Outstanding VFX: Guinness noitulovE 2005 Outstanding Performance by an Animated Character in a Live Action Motion Picture: Buckbeak, the Hippogriff in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban 2005 Outstanding: Space Odyssey: Voyage to the Planets 2004 Outstanding VFX: Johnnie Walker Fish 2003 Best VFX: Dinotopia 2003 Best Character: Dinotopia 2003 Best Compositing: Dinotopia 2003 Best Matte Painting: Dinotopia 2003 Best VFX: Xbox Mosquito ■ 40 October 2010