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and Maya for creating photoreal ele- ments that get married with live action. "We're usually creating elements that are comped in. Rarely are we doing full on CG shots," notes DiTommaso. "On the graphics side, we use After Effects and Cinema 4D." The Molecule is based around Mac and Linux systems. The studio has a 100-processor renderfarm that it can share with its Los Angeles office, and can also tap into the West Coast stu- dio's mini-renderfarm if they need addi- tional processing. THE RIVER Encore (www.encorehollywood. com) provided visual effects and post services for the ABC series The River, which debuted this season. The show centers around a nature explorer/tele- vision host — Dr. Emmet Cole — Wherever you are on your creative path, start with Focal By Ray Zone $34.95 Encore's Stephan Fleet: the studio supplies VFX for ABC's The Killing. who's gone missing in the Amazon while on a shoot. Cole's wife and son, along with several crew members, set out to find him, and the rest of the missing expedition, unsure of what they might find in the unexplored region. The show is shot in Hawaii. Stephan Fleet is VFX creative director at Encore, and says the studio handled approximately 80 percent of the visual effects that appeared in the pilot. Zoic also contributed. Encore then went on to handle all the VFX for the additional seven episodes that made up the first season. While unsure as to whether a second season of The River will be pro- duced, Fleet says the storyline allows for future adventures with the existing cast. One of the show's reoccurring visual effects includes a stylistic blue-green, dragonfly-type of insect that leads the characters throughout the entire series. "There were a lot of challenges on the show, but the number one biggest challenge was that, unlike other shows on television right now that take place continued on page 50 www.postmagazine.com Post • April 2012 37 A must-have read for anyone looking to take their independently-produced film or video into the 3rd dimension. By Douglas Spotted Eagle $54.95 Go beyond the mechanics of Vegas 11 with award- winning Vegas guru Douglas Spotted Eagle as he guides you through an industry- tested professional editing workflow. By Bill Byrne $44.95 This lavishly illustrated book presents 2D artists with the essentials to building and compositing 3D elements into their 2D world of film and broadcast. Focal Press Books are available wherever fine books are sold or through your preferred online retailer. Creativity has an endless shelf life. focalpress.com