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C G W Ja n u a r y / Fe b ru a r y 2 014 ■ 1 F E AT U R E S SEE IT IN D E PA R T M E N T S 2 EDITOR'S NOTE MY FAVORITE THINGS As we begin a new year, analyst Jon Peddie looks back at some of his favorite things from 2013, and then looks ahead with his five anticipated predictions for 2014. 4 SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTS Pixar's RenderMan Studio 18 • HP's Z1 G2 • Adobe's Creative Cloud Video Offerings 6 48 BACK PRODUCTS Recent software and hardware releases 42 STORAGE SPACE More is always better when it comes to the storage needs of visual effects studios. C O M P U T E R G R A P H I C S W O R L D 16 THAT HOBBIT HABIT For the second film in The Hobbit series, VFX artists at Weta introduce audiences to more Middle-earth locations and characters, including the dragon Smaug. 24 GIANT FOOTSTEPS Animal Logic creates realistic digital dinosaurs and composites them into live-action plates for a Walking with Dinosaurs film. 30 MOODY BLUE A photorealistic CG city comes alive in Pixar's short animated film "The Blue Umbrella." 38 DRIVE ON BMW creates an interactive virtual test-drive experience. on the C O V E R 16 GAME ON! Sony and Microsoft roll out their latest-generation consoles, while developers utilize the newly offered power of the machines to create a treasure trove of graphics never seen before in gaming. J A N / F E B 2 0 1 4 | V O L . 3 7 | N O . 1 | VFX FOR SPOTS | AUDIO FOR INDIE FILMS | RUSSELL: AMERICAN HUSTLE P O S T M A G A Z I N E . c o m 6 16 24 38