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Keeping the ‘Wow’ Factor Studios that have modern production pipe- lines, regardless of whether they are in films, games, or television, must constantly balance the requirements to deliver higher volume and higher quality against tighter schedules and smaller budgets. Tose who can manage in that environment will survive—it’s that simple. Staying competitive in today’s very aggres- Framestore put a staggering amount of detail into this Pepsi Rising commercial using the full suite of Autodesk tools. who is a big fan of the new flexibility. “We’ve found that the ability to customize and extend Maya is its greatest strength,” he said. “Some very specialized artists focus only on modeling, texturing, or lighting, and now they can tailor the user interface specifically to the task at hand, increasing their efficiency.” For Framestore, the sheer number of tools its team uses is stagger- ing. “We use a wide range of software packages,” Mulholland explained, “including Maya 2011, [Pixar] PRMan*, [Foundry] Nuke*, [Apple] Shake*, [Side Effects Software] Houdini*, [Adobe] Photoshop*, [Au- todesk®] Mudbox™, [Pixologic] ZBrush*, Mari, [Autodesk®] Image- Modeler™, and MotionBuilder. We are hoping to see greater conver- gence of the 3D packages. For example, we have recently installed a new 3D motion capture suite and have begun to use MotionBuilder. Having MotionBuilder more tightly integrated with Maya will really help this process.” sive markets means studios must be running on the latest processors and architectures, have the fastest operating systems and the optimal graphics technology, use the freshest software tools, and employ the best people to pull it all together. Studios that continue to invest in their technologies will gain a competitive advantage because they’ll be able to bridge the gap between the resources they have and what they are being expected to deliver. In the past, a great film might have had 150 to 250 3D shots, tops. Today, there might be several thousand 3D shots within a film. Te level of detail has increased to the point where the eye-popping “Wow!” factor has been replaced by something completely different—audiences don’t even recognize where reality stops and computer-generated assets kick in. Autodesk’s Hoffmann explained it this way: “Basically, the big- gest compliment an artist can be paid is, ‘I never saw your work.’ In other words, the scene was so photorealistic, it passed unnoticed. Try this test the next time you’re watching television: look closely at the ads from the top automobile manufacturers. Most of the car commercials that you see today don’t have real cars in them.” ■ GET YOUR VISUAL ADRENALINE FLOWING Be sure to get your free issue of the new Intel® Visual Adrenaline magazine—certain to ignite your senses with articles on the businesses, people, technologies, software innovations, and the latest computer graphics and gaming news-you- can-use. It’s delivered directly to your email inbox by subscribing to Intel® Software Dispatch for Visual Adrenaline at: http://VA.softwaredispatch.intel.com Get more adrenaline flowing with news and information from Intel’s experts in the visual computing space at: http://visualadrenaline.intel.com Intel does not make any representations or warranties whatsoever regarding quality, reliability, functionality, or compatibility of third-party vendors and their devices. All products, dates, and plans are based on current expectations and subject to change without notice. Intel and the Intel logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries. *Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. Copyright © 2010. Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. October 2010 41