“From Ivory Tower to Silver Screen: Visual Effects Companies Reveal How Research and Development Finds its Way Into Production” by Smolin, Hogarth, Chen, Engle, Redd, et al. …

  • ©Jill Smolin, Pam Hogarth, Jerome Chen, Rob Engle, Jay K. Redd, Bob Cook, John Gibson, Douglas (Doug) Roble, Michael Fong, Mark Henne, Bill Polson, Tony Hudson, John P. Lewis, Jonathan Gibbs, Bert Poole, and Stuart Sumida

Conference:


Type:


Entry Number: 36

Title:

    From Ivory Tower to Silver Screen: Visual Effects Companies Reveal How Research and Development Finds its Way Into Production

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Abstract:


    Prerequisites
    Some understanding of computer graphics and visual effects. Interest in visual effects production, film making, software development, research and development, and the production pipeline.

    Topics
    Production and R&D; pipelines. Use of scientific research as a function separate from and integrated into production. Fur creation and dynamics. Researching and creating feathers and flight. Human perception as it applies to 3D stereoscopic images. Photomodeling and hair combing. Tracking, volumetrics, rendering, modeling, lighting, and other visual effects techniques.

    Description
    At the local multiplex, we experience incredible images that make us cheer for the computer-generated hero, laugh when a pig converses with a dog, or cower at monsters that exist only as pixels. Those effects start in the minds of artists, scholars, programmers, and scientists who turn their work into images that manipulate space, animate extinct species, or make time stand still. In this course, presenters from six top visual effects companies discuss the many ways they used research to augment production of this year’s major feature films, including “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Shrek,” “Stuart Little 2,” and “AI.”

     


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