Archive notice: This article was originally published on February 26, 2010. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Big Cinema at FMX 2010
There is currently no avoiding this film: Avatar broke every box-office record and received nine Oscar nominations; above all, however, it entered new technological and aesthetic dimensions. Senior Visual Effects Supervisor Joe Letteri, who has already won two Oscars for The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King and one for King Kong, is nominated for an Oscar. At FMX, Joe Letteri will present how he created the world of Pandora in James Cameron’s masterpiece. In the Virtual Humans series, Jeff Kleiser, CEO of Synthespian Studios, presents the combination of robotic elements with the ‘analogue’ actor Bruce Willis as recently seen in Surrogates.
This perfect fusion of live-action and entirely computer-animated characters and scenes has become the trademark of the so-called hybrid film, which also includes Roland Emmerich’s 2012, for example. James Bissell, Production Designer on 300, will discuss the challenges hybrid techniques present to designers. Visual Effects Supervisors Volker Engel and Marc Weigert will also report at FMX 2010 on their work on the effects for 2012, and the German-American company Pixomondo on
previsualisation.
Stereo 3D: From Wow Effect to Fundamental Technology
3D has been standard for animated films for years. That also applies to Bob Whitehill, Stereoscopic Supervisor for Disney/Pixar’s Up, who will report on his 3D experiences at FMX. The use of stereo 3D in numerous new Hollywood A-productions sometimes makes it easy to forget that stereoscopy is much more than merely a spectacular stylistic device for cinema films.
It is now clear: 3D has become established broadly and is preparing to become the fundamental technology for every type and genre of digital image creation. Andy Hendrickson, CTO of Disney Animation Studios, considers the relationship between technology and aesthetics at a very fundamental level. What effects do
innovations such as non-photorealistic rendering, simulation science and stereo 3D have on storytelling, but also on fine art and design in general? Josef Kluger, Managing Director of KUK Filmproduktion, outlines an initial grammar of the visual language of 3D, as well as an honest analysis of the advantages and limitations of the new technology. An impressive example of the expanded use of stereoscopy is the documentary The Eye – Life and Research on Cerro Paranal, filmed entirely in 3D.
FMX Recruiting: Global Opportunities for Young Talent
From the beginning, FMX has strongly supported young talent. For several years, this has not been limited to imparting knowledge. It has now become one of Europe’s most important job fairs for emerging CGI talent. Through presentations and direct one-to-one conversations, global companies at FMX
seek additions to their teams. The companies registered for recruiting so far are Animal Logic, Black Rock Studio, Cinesite, Double Negative, Framestore, Pixomondo, ScanlineVFX and RTT, and some will even be present for all four days of FMX.
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