Ian Failes, VFX journalist(befores & afters) and curator of the FMX track THEN & NOW, likes to move between past and present with a historical focus. This time he will focus on the “old school” effects used in the current Prime Video series I’M A VIRGO.

Of course, great cinema will also be a guest at the 28th edition of the conference for animation, visual effects, interactive and immersive media: there will be a two-hour presentation on the superheroine feature film THE MARVELS.

VFX FOR FEATURES: Right in the middle of the VFX development for the Marvel Studios film THE MARVELS

Join us for a behind-the-scenes discussion of the feature film THE MARVELS with VFX supervisors Tara DeMarco and Sarah Eim and key partner supervisors Dominik Zimmerle, Ernest Dios (both Trixter) and Pietro Ponti(Industrial Light & Magic). They talk about development, realisation and collaborative work-sharing as they reveal the magic behind the stunning visual effects for the cat character Goose, the Saber Space Station and the dynamic elements that bring this film to life.

VIRTUAL PRODUCTION: the road to the final effects in DOCTOR WHO

British studio REALTIME has contributed groundbreaking virtual production and futuristic effects to DOCTOR WHO: Wild Blue Yonder, a special episode in honour of the series’ 60th anniversary. Featuring the return of everyone’s favourite David Tennant as the Doctor, the episode takes fans to the edge of the universe where eerie alien doppelgangers steal the show. James Coore, VFX Supervisor, and Jonathan Rawlinson, Head of Episodic, will guide through the process from the start of virtual production to the final VFX.

THEN & NOW, curated by Ian Failes, befores & aftersGoingold-school: An analysis of analogue and in-camera effects in I’M A VIRGO: Director Boots Riley’s Prime Video series made extensive use of effects that could be described as “old-school”. These include in-camera effects with perspective trickery, large and small puppets, miniatures, analogue effects and special scale equipment. VFX supervisor Todd Sheridan Perry will share the secrets of his in-camera approach, which he has supplemented with digital VFX techniques.

Filmmaking with in-camera effects with Todd Sheridan Perry: Building on his lecture, Todd Sheridan Perry will explain in dialogue with VFX journalist Ian Failes how to play with perspectives in a masterclass, directly on location in a practical demonstration for visitors.

How to programme VFX software: Mark Elendt, Senior Mathematician at SideFX, will share his 30+ years of experience programming VFX software and discuss it with Ian Failes. Houdini is a key tool for many VFX, animation and games studios. Elendt will delve into the history and features of the software with a focus on rendering and its predecessor Prisms. Visitors will be able to speak directly with Elendt in a more intimate setting to gain deeper insights into the intricacies of VFX tool design.

Forum News: The number of partners is growing – the Early Bird Discount for the Forum is valid until 18 February.

The Marketplace, the workshops, the Recruiting Hub and the School Campus are filling up all the time. Many long-standing partners as well as FMX newcomers have secured the discount benefits of the Early Bird offers, which will be available until 18 February. Our current partners include:

Marketplace: Escape Technology, Golaem, Lenovo, Qualisys, RnDeep.

Workshops: db&w, Maxon, Static VFX.

Recruiting Hub: Accenture Song, Eder, Pixomondo, RISE Visual Effects Studios.

School Campus: HFF – University of Television and Film Munich, Hochschule Darmstadt – University of Applied Sciences, Hochschule Mainz – University of Applied Sciences, Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, School of Visual Arts – MFA Computer Arts.

Silver Partner: Lenovo

Lenovo offers a comprehensive portfolio of PCs, workstations and tablets, monitors, accessories, smartphones, smart home and smart collaboration solutions, augmented and virtual reality AR/VR, Internet of Things (IoT) for businesses, software, services and data centre solutions for smart infrastructures around the world. Since 1995, Lenovo has shipped more than half a billion PCs and manufactures three devices every second. More information can be found here.

Silver Partner: MACK One

The future of entertainment: MACK One is the bridgehead of the internationally operating MACK Group and acts as a creative hub, developer and consultant for innovative theme park design, media-based entertainment and media content. Our team develops ideas for the theme park and entertainment industry of tomorrow.

Further information can be found here.

We look forward to welcoming you to FMX in April. You can find everything about the conference at www.fmx.de. And don’t forget: Press accreditations are now available in the FMX Ticketshop.

The post FMX 2024: The Marvels, Doctor Who and an early bird that will soon fly away first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The creation of the photorealistic world of Pandora for AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Wētā FX brought the photorealistic world of Pandora to life in AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER by basing their work on scientific fact. Pavani Rao Boddapati (VFX Supervisor), Sam Cole (Associate VFX Supervisor) and Stephen Clee (Animation Supervisor) will discuss Wētā’s return to Pandora from its beginnings in R&D and the development of new technology for on-set work to the final artistic touches of a shot, sharing behind-the-scenes looks, stories and exclusive moments with the FMX audience.

Stuart Adcock talks about Wētā’s “Anatomically Plausible Facial System”

Wētā FX’s new facial expression software, used on AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER, goes beyond the state of the art with a new set of controls to recreate actors’ facial expressions. Stuart Adcock, Head of Facial Motion at Wētā FX, talks about Wētā’s new Anatomically Plausible Facial System (APFS) and how it was used to create believable, emotional acting performances in James Cameron’s AVATAR sequel.

Visual effects and virtual production for ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA

Charmaine Chan (Associate VFX Supervisor) and Laurie Priest (CG Supervisor) from Industrial Light & Magic will talk about the visual effects and virtual production techniques used in Marvel’s hit film ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. In particular, they will focus on the StageCraft shoot that Chan oversaw: StageCraft technology was used to project virtual backgrounds onto giant LED walls in real time, eliminating the need for green screens and creating the film’s unique locations. The actors were placed inside the immersive LED studio, where practical sets were combined with digital extensions on the walls. StageCraft was originally developed by ILM in 2018 for the first season of Lucasfilm’s hit Disney series THE MANDALORIAN.

Industry panel on the economics of virtual production techniques

The panel “The Economics of Virtual Production – ICVFX” will focus on the extent to which in-camera visual effects (ICVX) can contribute to the economic viability of virtual production. The panellists will consider real budgets and their share of the overall budget, as well as the schedule required to realise a project and the number of crew members needed for a successful production. Focusing on these factors – budgets, schedules and personnel – can lead to greater acceptance of virtual production techniques. The panel will also provide insights into the latest developments and innovative approaches to production business models. The panellists are James Thomas, Virtual Production Executive at Amazon Studios; Chris Bannister, Executive Producer of Virtual Production at Industrial Light & Magic; Lauren Paul, VP of Sales & Marketing at Lux Machina Consulting | NEP Virtual Studios and Paolo Tamburrino, Sr. Industry Strategy Manager, Autodesk & Executive Producer.

AI panel on art, archetypes and algorithms

Artificial intelligence (AI) has opened up whole new worlds in the fields of creativity and innovation, for example through large language models (LLMs) such as the chatbot ChatGPT and image generators that can produce authentic-looking, creative text and images from any input. However, these models also reflect the subconscious patterns and archetypes that permeate the data, which come from the collective unconscious of human culture – and which have been used to train these models. In this AI panel, artist Dave McKean; Sam Hodge, founder of Kognat; Andrew Cochrane, Immersive Content Creator at The AV Club Productions, Inc; and Scott Broock, founder of Totem Networks, LLC, will talk about how these models can be used to create entirely new myths that enrich our understanding of ourselves and the world. However, they will also discuss the ethical challenges and risks of AI applications that exploit these archetypes or stereotypes because they use them in the context of fake news for opinion- and emotion-mongering.

Forum News

Below you will find the latest announcements from the forum areas. Workshops: Cudo Compute, Nickelodeon, PixStone Images, Silverdraft, vrbn studios, Wacom.

Gold Partners Wētā FX and AMCRS are the two Gold Partners of this year’s FMX.

You can find more information here.

The post Countdown to the FMX! 2 weeks! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Sustainability behind the FMX scenes

Less than four weeks before the start of the event, FMX 2023 has initiated many steps to reduce its own carbon footprint as a climate-fair certified event by the KSS Climate Protection Foundation Baden-Württemberg . The concrete changes in the area of resources include, for example, reducing decorations and material displays. Wherever possible, European speakers will travel by train to save resources, and CO2 offsetting will also help to offset the emissions generated when booking international trips. Further specific measures for energy and water supply, accommodation, catering, purchasing, event marketing and public relations can be found here.

New programme highlights!

EVOLVING panel on sustainability and energy consumption

The panel “Evolving Research & Technology for a Minimised Footprint” with Volker Helzle (Animationsinstitut der Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg), Michael McKenna (Final Pixel), Prof. Jan Adamczyk (Hochschule der Medien) and Ben Kent (Foundry) will focus on technological advances that make sustainable media productions possible and necessary – also in view of increased computing power on the one hand and rising energy costs on the other. In this context, more and more production companies have published reports on their environmental protection and sustainability plans. This raises a number of questions: How will sustainability be woven into the training of the next generation of media professionals? What requirements are placed on VFX service providers and animation studios and are these comprehensible? Is sustainability, alongside salary and equality, a criterion that should be considered when choosing an employer? The panel includes short input presentations and dialogue with the audience.

Philipp Nägelsbach on the climate change game ENDLING – EXTINCTION IS FOREVER

The award-winning game ENDLING – EXTINCTION IS FOREVER raises awareness of the social and ecological problems caused by human impact on nature. The players encounter these problems from the perspective of the last mother fox on earth, who has to find food and a safe place for her cubs. Producer Philipp Nägelsbach will talk about the game’s approach of effectively and emotionally addressing real-life problems in the game world.

Espen Nordahl (Storm Studios) on THE LAST OF US including the zombie kiss scene

Storm Studios was the creative service provider that worked the longest on the VFX for the highly acclaimed HBO series THE LAST OF US , covering all steps from early pre-production to final approval of over 150 VFX shots. Storm helped define some of the most challenging creative aspects of the series, including CG close-ups of infected, cordyceps, CG stunt doubles and the infamous zombie kiss scene. VFX supervisor Espen Nordahl will talk about the design process and working with the game’s source material. He will also discuss his passion for plate shots, which he used to work on the VFX, even when it came to scenes that were fully CG.

Carlo van de Roer (Satellite Lab) on the lighting setup for THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER

Satellite Lab’s PlateLight is a system for simultaneously filming separate lighting setups on set that can be combined in post-production to control the live-action lighting. This talk by Carlo van de Roer will discuss how PlateLight was used to control the position and movement of the sun and interactive lighting during the filming of THOR: LOVE AND THUNDER for the “Moon of Shame” and “Endgame” sequences. Satellite Lab will give FMX audiences an insight into the work that went into developing its in-camera techniques and film ideas.

Immersive literary adaptations HÖLDERLIN’S ECHO VR and SHAKESVR

Hannes Rall’s HÖLDERLIN’S ECHO VR explores the life and work of the famous poet through an animated serious game in VR, which was created in collaboration with the University of Tübingen (Prof Susanne Marschall, co-author/director), Stuttgart Media University (Prof Stefan Radicke) and the Hölderlinturm Museum in Tübingen. Rall has been working with renowned partners on animated VR literary adaptations since 2016: His previous projects have also included SHAKESVR and PERICLES with the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford-upon-Avon. Together with Prof Susanne Marschall , Hannes Rall will provide insights into the creative and technological development and production processes of the projects – and also address the specific challenges arising from the transformation of literature into animation and gaming.

Mark Edwards (DreamWorks Animation) on THE STYLED CAT: THE LAST WISH

DreamWorks Animation VFX Supervisor Mark Edwards discusses the iconic scene in THE SEDUCED CAT: THE LAST WISH, in which the Wolf character makes his first appearance. FMX audiences can immerse themselves in the realisation of this modern fairy tale – and learn, for example, what inspired the key moments of the sequence and why so-called Easter eggs and flashbacks are important to the story. From the initial modelling decisions to the compositing filters, Edwards will show exactly how the painterly world of THE SHEEPED CAT: THE LAST WISH was brought to life.

DNEG Animation creative team on the look and style of ENTERGALACTIC

DNEG Animation is the creative team behind the Netflix animated musical ENTERGALACTIC starring Kid Cudi. At FMX, they talk about how it was possible to create the stylised look of the project. Costume designer Natasha Kanolik, for example, will explain what it took to realise fashion designer Virgil Abloh’s designs in CG, while animation director Kapil Sharma will talk about how his team developed an animation style that is representative of the show.

Masterclasses by Ed Hooks and Craig Caldwell

With Ed Hooks’ masterclasses, FMX visitors can learn both the basics and the essentials: Ed Hooks‘ two-part masterclass “Acting for Animators” is aimed at professionals from the 2D and 3D sector who want to tell believable characters, and Craig Caldwell gives participants in “Breaking the Story Formula” the practical know-how to recognise the rules of a “good story” – and to break them successfully.

Forum News

Below you will find the latest commitments from the various forum areas.

Recruiting Hub: Mack Animation , Milk VFX, Wētā FX .

Marketplace: Chaos, HP, Manus, Singarajan VFX, Synk, 3D Connexion.

Workshops: Avid, Escape Technology, VFX PICK STUDIO.

The post FMX: Sustainability, The Last of Us, Thor and much more first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The FMX 2023 programme is online. With around 50 days to go, the conference is showcasing the diversity of its content, which ranges from new series productions to sustainability in the entertainment industry. The recently confirmed talks include technological highlights, including the “invisible” VFX of the recent four-time Oscar®-winning IN THE WEST NOTHING NEW, the Disney series SHE-HULK and the visual effects for the Netflix series 1899, as well as the track on diversity curated by FMX Programme Chair and Producer Jinko Gotoh and Julie Ann Crommett (Collective Moxie). Other topics include a presentation on the genesis of the animated Netflix fantasy production ONI: THE STORY OF THE THUNDER GODDESS and the risks of artificial intelligence. There’s news in the Recruiting Hub, and Rise FX is on board as a Silver Partner. The discounted Early Bird rate ends on 17 March 2023.

On site: Jan Philip Cramer (Digital Domain) with a case study on SHE-HULK: DIE ANWÄLTIN

Digital Domain will be presenting their work on the Disney series SHE-HULK: THE ADVENTURE at FMX. From day one of the project to completion, the Digital Domain team worked closely with Marvel Studios and the creative leadership team to create She-Hulk, a new kind of superhero who is also a fashion icon and the best lawyer in News York. Visual effects supervisor Jan Philip Cramer will shed light on the development of the main character, the motion studies and the final shots. Visitors can look forward to a detailed case study on facial animation, muscle and cloth simulation, as well as new groundbreaking technologies used on She-Hulk. Specifically, this means that Cramer will talk about facial animation using machine learning. In addition, Jan Philip Cramer will talk about Charlatan, Digital Domain’s neural network for “deep fakes” to exchange faces and the practical application of the network for SHE-HULK.

On site: Frank Petzold on the creation of the “invisible” VFX for IM WESTEN NICHTS NEUES

Frank Petzold, Overall VFX Supervisor for the four-time Academy Award® winner IN THE WEST NOTHING NEW, will talk about the transition from optical special effects to the CG era: He will show how he combined all the techniques he has learnt throughout his career to create the seamlessly integrated VFX for IN THE WEST NOTHING NEW. In his talk, Frank will outline the production process from the first meeting with director Edward Berger to the final round of film correction.

On location: Christian Kaestner (Framestore) about 1899

An adventure journey of epic proportions: this is how production VFX supervisor Christian Kaestner ‘s work on the Netflix series 1899 by DARK makers Jantje Friese and Baran bo Odar can be described. Kaestner will dedicate his talk to the creative and technological tour de force that the show has travelled: from concept art, virtual scouting, virtual set walks and virtual art department to the construction and use of the innovative 360° LED Volume Stage from DARK WAYS and the final visual effects. The audience will be up close and personal when Kaestner provides an insight into the use of Framestore ‘s virtual production toolkit, but also introduces the new storytelling possibilities that come with LED technology: A technology that has the potential to put VFX artists, producers and tech experts at the centre of the creative process.

On site: FMX Programme Chair and Producer Jinko Gotoh and Julie Ann Crommett curate “Cultivating Inclusion” track

The Cultivating Inclusion track, curated by Jinko Gotoh, FMX Programme Chair and Producer, and Julie Ann Crommett, Founder and CEO of Collective Moxie, is all about how diversity, equality and inclusion are at the heart of a path towards true sustainability and growth in the global entertainment industry.

Julie Ann Crommett (USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative Women in Animation) will moderate a fireside chat on “Landscape Look: WIA/USC VFX Study & Industry Accountability”. The conversation will address the current diversity in the global VFX and animation landscape using the 2021 WIA/USC VFX Industry Gender Study as an example. One of the key demands of the study was that institutions and the industry commit to taking responsibility – FMX will focus on the steps that have already been taken as a result.

Crommett will also be part of a panel discussion with independent studios and producers, including Deepa C. Joshi (Incessant Rain Studios), Nosipho Maketo-van den Bragt (Chocolate Tribe), Christina Lee Storm (Netflix). The discussion will centre on “The Business of Inclusion”, i.e. the need to invest in diversity, equality and inclusion even in economically uncertain times. The FMX audience will be provided with concrete statistics, case studies and information.

In the third talk of the track, FMX Programme Chair Jinko Gotoh also invites Hidetaka Yosumi (Studio Nowake Canary Islands S.L.), Rob van den Bragt (Chocolate Tribe), Kiran Bhakta Joshi (Incessant Rain Studios) and Su-Jin Song (Cologne Game Lab of TH Köln) to talk about allyship based on concrete experiences under the headline “How to be an Inclusion Accomplice”. Visitors to the “Cultivating Inclusion” track can therefore look forward to taking home specific tools that can be directly applied to their organisations, technical expertise and creative work.

On site: Robert Kondo on shaping the world of ONI

Robert Kondo(Production Designs/Tonko House) will talk about the genesis of ONI: THE STORY OF THE THUNDER GODDESS, a Netflix fantasyanimation series inspired by Japanese mythology.

On location: Dave McKean talks about the discrepancy between art and artifice

Artificial intelligence is here, it’s here to stay and it will change everything – as with all technological changes, we will slowly say goodbye to some things, but also discover completely new possibilities. The English artist Dave McKean, who is at home in various media, fears that this time, however, the loss will affect the essential core of humanity: Namely, the question of why we do what we do. He believes that now is the time to define frameworks in which we allow AI to make the most of its inherent possibilities, but also set ethical and territorial boundaries to mitigate the worst collateral damage.

Forum News. Space has been made available in the fully booked Recruiting Hub for a few newcomers, and the first company suites have also been booked. Here are more new additions to the FMX Forum:

Recruiting Hub: DNEG, Jangled Nerves, Umedia.

Marketplace: Basilic Fly, Digital Production, InstaLOD, ScannedReality.

Workshops: Pixar’s RenderMan, Ranch Computing (online).

Company Suites: Foundry, Framestore, Side FX (Houdini).

Silver Partner: Rise FX !

With RISE, another multiple award-winning company is now a Silver Partner of FMX. RISE has been covering the entire spectrum of digital production design and visual effects since 2007. You can find more information here.

The post The FMX programme is online first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

FMX 2023 also combines a look at past achievements with brand-new developments: The THEN & NOW track highlights visual effects and stop motion animation, while the N.E.W.S. track focuses on future productions by deserving animated filmmakers, including animation producer Manuel Cristóbal (BUÑUEL – IM LABYRINTH DER SCHILDKRÖTEN) with the project THE GLASSWORKER, the first hand-drawn animated film from Pakistan. Series will not be neglected either: a talk on the Netflix show SANDMAN will focus on the VFX highlights of the adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s successful graphic novel. Other companies and universities have also confirmed their participation in the FMX Forum – and Foundry, Maxon and ASUS are new Silver Partners. Tickets for the entire conference and forum programme are still on sale online; however, the Early Bird discount is only valid until 13 March. As a long-standing event partner, the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) will be presenting an insight into the upcoming edition.

Programme commitmentsOnsite in Stuttgart: Manuel Cristóbal (BUÑUEL – IM LABYRINTH DER SCHILDKRÖTEN) talks about THE GLASSWORKER Alex Dowding with insights into APOLLO 10 1/2 Juan Pablo Zaramella (LUMINARIS) shows creative process With N.E.W.S., FMX 2023 presents an outstanding series of events with leading creative minds from all over the world. Award-winning animated film producer Manuel Cristóbal (WRINKLES, BUÑUEL – IN THE LABYRINTH OF THE SHIELDS, LOST IN GALICIA) will talk about his recent collaboration with director Usman Riaz on his new film THE GLASSWORKER. Amsterdam-based Studio Submarine is known for its innovative work on high-profile hybrid animation projects, notably Richard Linklater’s APOLLO 10 1/2 and the acclaimed TV series UNDONE – producer Alex Dowding will be on hand to discuss APOLLO 10 1/2. FMX is also delighted to welcome back inspirational stop-motion director Juan Pablo Zaramella from Argentina. His highly acclaimed short film LUMINARIS has won over 324 awards and is a global audience favourite. Juan Pablo is currently working on his new feature film I AM NINA. These two sessions will showcase the exciting creative possibilities that arise when you bring together talent and studios from different parts of the world to explore a wide range of animation techniques. Shelley Page, animation veteran and International Talent Scout, will introduce the N.E.W.S. Talks.

On location in Stuttgart: Georgina Hayns on puppet making for PINOCCHIO and other films Jeffrey Okun shares VFX insights

How can animation and visual effects be practically realised? Ian Failes (befores & afters) curates and moderates two THEN & NOW sessions on ground-breaking innovations in traditional film-making professions. Georgina Hayns, whose filmography includes Guillermo del Toro’s Oscar-nominated PINOCCHIO and several LAIKA films, will talk about her work as a puppet manufacturing supervisor. She will explain how puppets for stop-motion animation films are designed, built and operated using both traditional mechanical puppet mechanisms and 3D printing. Visual effects can also be created hands-on: Visual Effects Supervisor Jeffrey Okun (THE LAST STARFIGHTER, STARGATE or THE LAST SAMURAI) sits down with Ian Failes and Hugo Guerra from Hugo’s Desk for a special LIVE session of their VFX Notes podcast. Together they discuss the joys and sorrows of implementing VFX.

On location in Stuttgart: Matt Kavanagh & Natacha Pianeti from Untold Studios: VFX for the Netflix hit SANDMAN

VFX Lead Matt Kavanagh and VFX Artist Natacha Pianeti (both Untold Studios) take the audience on a sightseeing tour through the making of some of the most memorable sequences from the Netflix hit SANDMAN. Untold Studios worked on over 360 shots, utilising an incredibly wide range of VFX techniques. From the all-consuming hell portal scene to the transformation of Stephen Fry into a meadow to hundreds of photorealistic, painterly CGI cats in the Annie-nominated bonus episode “A Dream of a Thousand Cats”, Kavanagh and Pianeti will share a behind-the-scenes look at the tools and techniques used to bring the series to life. They will also talk about the creative process, challenges and experiences.

Forum News

Numerous companies have now confirmed further workshops and Marketplace participations – and the same applies to the education sector: the School Campus is now fully booked. Forum partners and universities that have not yet been announced can be found here:

Recruiting Hub

Animal Logic, Axis Studios, Blue Zoo Animation, Cinesite, El Ranchito, Electric Theatre Collective, Flying Bark, Framestore, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Recom, RISE FX, Rising Sun Pictures, Skydance Animation, Studio Isar Animation, Trixter

Marketplace

Anchorpoint, ASUS, CG Wire, Escape Technology, Graswald, Lenovo, Move AI, Movella, Optitrack, Qualisys, RnDeep, The Captury, Vicon, Zeiss.

Workshops

El Ranchito, Esri, Foundry, Maxon, Prism Pipeline, SAE Institute, Vicon.

School Campus: Breda University of Applied Sciences, Escape Studios, Hochschule Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences, Hochschule Mainz – University of Applied Sciences, Hochschule Offenburg, ifs internationale filmschule köln, Mediadesign Hochschule, MOME Anim | Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest, Salzburg University of Applied Sciences, Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria – School of Informatics, Communications and Media.

Three new Silver Partners: Foundry, Maxon and ASUS

Three leading companies are now also Silver Partners of FMX: Foundry: Foundry offers various software solutions for the media and entertainment industry in the field of visual effects and animation. Maxon: Maxon develops software solutions for creative professionals in the fields of 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, VFX and visualisation. ASUS: ProArt by ASUS offers laptops, desktops, displays, projectors, mainboards and accessories tailored to artistic needs.

30.

International Festival of Animated Film Stuttgart (ITFS)Under the motto “Animation connects!”, the FMX partner event ITFS invites you to Stuttgart from 25 to 30 April 2023 to celebrate the 30th edition together. The focus will be on the latest competition films as well as gems from the past with various best-of programmes. With themes such as “Artificial Intelligence”, the festival will also look to the future. South Africa will also be a country focus. Industry accreditation is still available at a discounted early bird rate until 15 March.

Further information can be found here: https://www.itfs.de.

FMX is funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts Baden-Württemberg and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism Baden-Württemberg, MFG Filmförderung Baden-Württemberg and the City of Stuttgart and takes place in cooperation with ACM Siggraph. FMX is organised by the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg and hosts the Animation Production Days (APD) together with the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS).

Further information can be found at: www.fmx.de

The post The Sandman, Early Bird FMX Tickets und mehr first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

There are also announcements from the conference programme, news from the forum and the Animation Production Days are now looking for exciting project submissions.

Tickets

Two ticket options allow trade visitors to attend both on site in Stuttgart and virtually: With the Conference Pass, trade visitors can experience FMX live at the Haus der Wirtschaft in the centre of Stuttgart from 25 to 27 April, while the Online Pass allows them to immerse themselves in the virtual online event on 28 April. Much of the content will then be available to all visitors on demand until the end of May. In line with the certification as a climate-friendly event (see press release #2), visitors who purchase an FMX ticket will be able to travel at a reduced rate with Deutsche Bahn and also use the VVS public transport system in Stuttgart free of charge. Tickets are available here: Ticketshop.

Art direction and concept art for independent productions and major IPs

The art of filmmaking, art direction and concept art for independent productions and other high-profile projects will be the focus of a talk by Almu Redondo, who has worked on MY FATHER’S DRAGON, WOLFWALKERS, BELLE and animated sequences for Riot Games.Redondo will use her work to explain her creative strategies and show how storytelling can benefit from the power of images.

The VFX of KLEO

The conception and world building of believable but not necessarily historically accurate locations in 1980s Berlin, Spain and Chile will be the focus of a session by Pascal Bußmann and Matthias Backmann (LAVAlabs) on the Netflix series KLEO with Jella Haase. Together they will report on how they realised the implementation of around 450 VFX shots within a year, from pre-production to the final shot.

Virtual camera for stylised animated films

Christos Obretenov will explain how stylised rendering in animated films has expanded the creative possibilities of the virtual camera through simulated painting techniques such as brush strokes, watercolour, graphic linework and light composition. These techniques are used to set virtual light and shadow, (in)sharpness and depth of field in various animated film projects. Christos’ company Lollipop Shaders develops shading tools and workflows for stylised rendering in animated films. He is the lead developer for Pixar’s RenderMan stylised looks as well as principal shader writer on numerous feature films with Sony Pictures Imageworks using stylized & non-photoreal rendering, including THE MITCHELLS VS. THE MACHINES and the upcoming SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER VERSE.

Forum News

The FMX Forum with Recruiting Hub, Marketplace, School Campus and workshops is currently filling up with long-standing and new partners. There is still a great demand for talent, especially in the area of recruiting: the FMX Recruiting Hub is already fully booked. Below is a list of some of the confirmed Forum partners:

Recruiting Hub: benuts, Ghost VFX, One of Us, Outpost VFX, Realtime UK, Rotomaker,
Scanline VFX, Untold Studios.

Marketplace: Artineering, The Element, Golaem,
Notch, Ranch Computing, The VFX Shop.

Workshops: Binary Alchemy, Notch, vrbn studios.

School Campus: Animationsinstitut, Flinders University, Hamm-Lippstadt University of Applied Sciences, Hochschule der Medien, Howest University of Applied Sciences / Digital Arts & Entertainment, Luleå University of Technology, Merz Akademie University of
Applied Art, Design and Media Stuttgart, SAE Institute, Technische Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe
Hochschule Ostwestfalen-Lippe – University of Applied Sciences and Arts.

Animation Production Days (APD) launch Call for Projects

The 17th Animation Production Days (26-28 April 2023) have launched their Call for Projects, where freshly developed animation projects can be submitted. In 2023, the co-production and financing platform, a joint event of ITFS and FMX, will once again offer a talent programme for newcomers and a co-production programme for production companies and studios looking for animation projects to work on together. The deadline for registration and project submission is 9 February.

Further information can be found here: www.animationproductiondays.de

Further information can be found at: www.fmx.de

The post FMX tickets now! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

In nuce: On 29 June this year, the “KeyShot World” event will be taking stock of 3D rendering, animation, reality and augmented reality.

Important key data: Fiscally attractive: Participation in the event is free of charge! The “KeyShot World” starts on 29 June 2022 at 9:30 am and ends on the same day at 5 pm. The event will be organised as a hybrid event, once on site in Stuttgart at the Filharmonie Filderstadt, but also online via livestream. The organiser is “Inneo Solutions GmbH”.

What does KeyShot World offer? Interesting speakers from the industry and numerous workshops. You can expect experts from well-known companies such as “BOSCH”, “Liebherr” and “DT Swiss”. You can also look forward to industry experts from renowned design agencies – as well as professionally experienced CGI artists.

And what else? Visitors to the event in Stuttgart will also have the opportunity to visit the accompanying trade exhibition throughout the event. This offers information on hardware from “Hp” and software from “Ptc” and “Inneo”. Also: test out the XR area from Imsys at the trade exhibition if you like, or immerse yourself in virtual reality – even as a group. Where to go to VR? At the so-called Powerwall from “Cmc Engineers”.

Click further: All information about the event and registration can be found at www.keyshotworld.de. The following video takes a look back at “KeyShot World 2021”.

That was the KeyShot World 2021 – review

The post Swabian metropolis with event character: the “KeyShot World 2022”! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: The 29th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS for short) ended the week before last. This was the first time that the festival was held as a hybrid event. This is according to a recent press release. After three years, the ITFS was once again able to take place on location at numerous venues – including Stuttgart’s Schlossplatz, the local city centre cinemas and the Hospitalhof.

The winners: The highlight was the grand awards ceremony, which concluded the international event after six packed days. The Grand Prix (major animated film prize of the state of Baden-Württemberg and the city of Stuttgart), the Lotte Reiniger Award for Animated Film, Young Animation, AniMovie, Trickstar Nature Award and the FANtastic Award were awarded. At the SWR OnlineFilm Audience Award, the audience voted for their favourite from all the ITFS 2022 entries.

Other winners: The winning team of the Crazy Horse Session – 48H Animation Jam was announced on Sunday afternoon. The winners of the Animated Games Award Germany, German Animation Screenplay Award and Trickstar Business Award had already been presented at the Trickstar Professional Awards on 4 May and the Tricks for Kids Award on 7 May.

The winners at a glance: If you want to get an overview of the winners, including the jury’s reasoning, we recommend clicking over to itfs.de .

The ITFS in figures: Although the number of visitors to the ITFS 2022 was lower than in 2019, this was offset by the large number of online guests. To date, the organisers have recorded around 10,000 views in the associated online media library. A total of 20,000 views are expected by the end of the online programme. Around 20,000 viewers were present in the cinemas and at the various venues.

An outlook: The next Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film will take place from 25 to 30 April 2023.

The post The 29th Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film – a mega-success? first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: Under the title “Greater commitment and new funding initiatives for German animated film for adults and artistic talent!”, the managing directors of the Film and Media Festival and the managing directors and chairwomen of the AG Animationsfilm have issued a press release which – in the form of a commentary – takes a critical look at the status of animated film in Germany and argues in favour of funding for animated short films. The four signatories are Prof Ulrich Wegenast (Artistic Director of the Film and Media Festival), Dieter Krauß (Commercial Director of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film), Annegret Richter (Managing Director of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film) and Fabian Driehorst (Chairman of the Board of AG Animationsfilm e. V.). Below is the text in full length. For better readability, we have added subtitles to the text.

The unabridged press release follows.

So why are there no feature-length films in the adult section from Germany? The way the Best Animated Film category was announced at the Academy Awards this year showed that animation for adults is still not taken seriously. And this despite the fact that “Flee”, a film explicitly aimed at an adult audience, was nominated at the 2022 Oscars! It is true that most animated films are made in the children’s film and family entertainment sector and are very successful. German animated films also regularly achieve box office success abroad, both in the cinema and on VOD platforms. But animation can do so much more. It enables innovative, artistic and creative design, different perspectives and forms of presentation that cannot be realised in real film. We believe that Germany has the potential for exciting stories in the adult sector. This is demonstrated by the international success of German short films, which are generally not children’s films. AG Animationsfilm and ITFS ask themselves: So why are there no feature-length films in the adult sector from Germany?

Animated films with adult themes – also from Germany? Animated films for adults have been celebrating great success with audiences and critics abroad for years. Films such as “Waltz with Bashir”, “Persepolis”, “Isle of Dogs”, “The Breadwinner” or “Flee”, which was recently nominated for three Oscars, show that animation can also tackle more serious themes and tell complex stories for an adult audience. Above all, the hybrid form of animated documentary film is gaining more and more audiences, as it allows socially relevant and political topics, such as war, persecution, flight or homosexuality in a homophobic environment, to be presented in an abstract, anonymised and yet captivating way. Unfortunately, German production companies only play a minor role in these productions – if at all! However, this is not due to a lack of interest or a lack of material from German production companies, as the annual submissions to the German Animation Screenplay Award of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) and the Animation Production Days show.

Film funding for Germany as a centre for animation? What is needed is a much greater willingness on the part of television broadcasters and film funding organisations to support animated material for an adult audience. For example, not placing animation exclusively in the children’s sector, but rather in the entertainment sector of public broadcasters, would open up other budgets, themes and opportunities. And German distributors would also have to show more courage for ambitious animated films. These changes would also sustainably enrich the production landscape for animation in Germany, as the portfolio of many production companies, which is usually limited to children’s series and cinema films, would be significantly diversified by other themes. This form of diversification would not only be an economic one, but of course also a cultural one in terms of content, as the variety of themes of the films mentioned above makes clear. Greater support for animated films for adults would strengthen the important social relevance of animation and would therefore also be a stabilising factor for democracy, as animated films, unlike documentaries, often reach a new audience through their unique narrative style, aesthetics and visual language and can often be used over a longer period of time. Series such as the Amazon production “Undone” by Dutch animator Hisko Hülsing – an animation artist who is a regular guest at the ITFS with his short films – show that animation for adults does not have to be a niche product, even in series. The second season of “Undone” was released on Amazon Prime in 240 countries and territories on 29 April 2022.

Is German animated film (for adults a niche existence)? Overall, it is striking that it is not only on the major platforms such as Amazon Video or Netflix, e.g. with the stop motion project “The House”, which will be presented at this year’s ITFS, that European but not German animated film for adults is very successful! At this year’s ITFS, not only the above-mentioned Danish production “Flee” will be shown in the feature film competition, but also the Czech-Slovak-French production “My Sunny Maad”. The film “The Odyssey” can also be seen at this year’s ITFS. Although there is German production involvement here, the wonderfully picturesque story about flight and displacement bears the clear signature of French director and animator Florence Miaihle in terms of content and aesthetics.

The European Film Awards – A summary: The strong presence of adult material and themes in European animated film is also reflected in the European Film Awards, which have been presented since 2009: of the 13 awards presented to date, ten prizes have gone to animated films for adults – including “L’Illusioniste”, “Chico & Rita”, “Alois Nebel”, “The Congress”, “Loving Vincent” and most recently “Josep” (2020) and “Flee” (2021). None of these were explicitly German animation productions, but only in the case of “Alois Nebel” productions with a small co-production share from Germany! How can that be?

Funding tools, initiatives & promotion of young talent – is it enough? It would be too easy to blame this disastrous result solely on the German TV stations and film funding organisations. Changes need to be made to the overall structure of the German animation production landscape and new funding tools and initiatives need to be developed. This absolutely starts with the promotion of young talent! For example, the AG Animationsfilm has been calling for years for the creation of newcomer formats on German television with adapted conditions for animated films in terms of budget and length. This also includes, for example, the establishment of medium-length formats, specials or mini-series. However, funding and broadcasters need to break new ground for this. Although festivals such as the ITFS support up-and-coming animators with the Lotte Reiniger Award – endowed with 10,000 euros – this is not nearly enough. Initiatives such as Ani:Dox from Denmark, which was involved in the development of the material for “Flee”, show that promoting young talent through prize money and programmes can certainly be successful.

German short film funding – a model for the future: This once again clearly shows that the promotion of animated films for adults begins with support for short films. For example, 90% of the animated short films produced at German film schools are aimed at an adult audience. However, this ratio is completely reversed after graduation, as – in contrast to France and other European countries – there is simply no comprehensive funding programme for (animated) short films. Such short film funding would be cost-effective and sustainable! If every German regional film funding programme were to provide an amount of one million euros per year for around ten short films, the animation landscape in Germany, as far as animated films for adults are concerned, could flourish and grow permanently in a short space of time. A significant increase in short film funding from the federal government, which currently provides a maximum of 30,000 euros per film, would also have an effect on the German animation landscape.

Artists in residence – funding for artists: In addition to quick and easy short film funding in the field of animation, “animators in residence” programmes, as we know them from the visual arts, would also be particularly helpful. Such programmes exist in France at the production company Folimage or at the Animation Workshop Viborg in Denmark and are extremely successful! Such programmes would also be a great opportunity to create stronger links between art foundations and film funding organisations, which usually operate completely separately, and to create new synergies.

An outlook: These examples alone show that, with just a few changes, it would be possible to establish an internationally relevant animation scene that grows sustainably. The talent and the material for a new animation awakening are available, as the programme of this year’s ITFS impressively demonstrates.

Click further: We last reported on the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) on 8 April 2022, when it was advertised with film and workshop offers for the little ones (and their adult followers) – including film premieres, open-air cinema and other offers at the “Tricks for Kids”.

The post ITFS decision-makers comment on Germany as a centre for animation first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: A current press release informs about the children’s film festival “Tricks for Kids”, which will take place as part of the 29th “Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film” (ITFS). The ITFS will take place from 3 to 8 May 2022.

What can you expect at “Tricks for Kids”? The programme features international short films, animated films and animation series. The films will be screened on site in Stuttgart, and some will also be shown in the media library at OnlineFestival.ITFS.de. There will also be many workshops and hands-on activities for children.

Daily open-air cinema: The open-air cinema on Stuttgart’s Schlossplatz invites you to enjoy a cosy picnic in front of the large LED screen. A short film programme from the Tricks for Kids competitions of recent festival years will be shown daily at the open-air cinema from 12 noon. In addition, a family-friendly animated feature film will always be shown (for example “Latte Igel und der magische Wasserstein”, “Der kleine Rabe Socke”, or “Gregs Tagebuch”). The Open Air programme will be streamed live worldwide every day from 2 p.m. on the ITFS.

World premiere in the open air: the short film “Hidden Heroes” by animation studio monströös and director Anna Levinson is celebrating its premiere at the Open Air cinema this year. The film was created for “Mach dich stark – Initiative für Kinder im Südwesten”. An initiative that tackles the challenge of child poverty. The film will be shown on Wednesday 4 May at 19:45 on the open-air stage.

Further information & click on: Tickets for the ITFS are available at itfs.de . Interested parties can find out more about the film programme for “Tricks for Kids” at itfs.de. A corresponding flyer summarises the festival offer for the little ones. Daycare groups, school classes and teachers can find out more about the “School Programme”, “Dwarf Show” and “Teachers Day”.

The post Festival offers suitable for children at the ITFS! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

For this special occasion, the FMX team is preparing a birthday present for the audience – packed with talks, presentations, workshops and forum partners presenting the latest projects from the fields of animation, effects, games and immersive media. Volker Engel (CEO Uncharted Territory), Regina Pessoa (animation filmmaker) and Steven Appleby (artist and author) can be announced for FMX 2020. The FMX ticket shop at www.fmx.de will also open on 10 January 2020.

FMX 2020 theme Imagine Tomorrow

For its 25th anniversary, FMX has adopted the theme Imagine Tomorrow. Based on this, it will present innovative workflows and tools and invite speakers to share their visions for the future of the media and entertainment industry – from abstract concepts to clearly defined strategies – with the audience.

How can ideas develop into intellectual properties? How can the Uncanny Valley be overcome so that digital characters can no longer be distinguished from real people? The merging of artistic and artificial intelligence will also become a relevant topic for the future. Technical challenges such as the linking of physical and virtual production as well as business-relevant topics such as the development of new distribution channels will also be discussed.

In all its presentations, FMX will take a look at the entertainment experiences of the future – both in front of and behind the scenes. There are no longer any limits to presentation possibilities in the media sector. How can media professionals utilise this freedom for a better future?

VFX pioneers and animated filmmakers

Volker Engel (President Uncharted Territory, VFX Supervisor, Film Producer) has been involved since the first edition of FMX in 1994. After studying animation at the Film Academy, he was supervisor for the groundbreaking visual effects in the blockbuster Independence Day, for which he received an Academy Award. More recently, he worked as co-producer and visual effects supervisor on the sequel Independence Day: Resurgence. For FMX 2020, he will curate the track The Evolution of SFX:

“In the mid-90s, I attended the very first FMX and had a showreel that started with the bold sentence “If you think you can’t do Visual Effects in Germany… think again!”. A quarter of a century later, I am pleased and proud to say that this sentence has long been completely outdated. In Germany, some of the world’s best artists create visual effects to the highest standards in the industry – and at FMX they present their achievements together with their colleagues from all over the world. And true to the motto of the 25th FMX, “Imagine Tomorrow”, they will not only imagine this future, but contributeto a better futurewith their skills and inventiveness .”

Animated filmmaker Regina Pessoa (Ciclope Filmes) will give an insight into her latest film Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days, one of the most popular animated short films of 2019. She has received numerous awards for her films, including Kali the Little Vampire and Tragic Story with Happy End, the most awarded Portuguese film of all time. In all her films, Regina Pessoa uses various engraving techniques, from plaster to computer animation, or as she herself likes to say: “from stone to pixel”. When asked about her view of the future, Regina Pessoa replies: “Analogue art is considered obsolete today, but in combination with the technology of tomorrow, it can become invaluable in the future.”

FMX Forum – First confirmations

FMX is delighted to have SideFX as a main partner. The company will offer a workshop and present itself with a company suite. The SAE Institute will offer two workshops. Maxon has booked a company suite. InstaLOD and NuBoyana FX will have stands at the FMX Marketplace. BigHugFX, Boulder Media, Realtime UK, Pixomondo, Scanline VFX and Trixter will be taking part in the Recruiting Hub. The FH Upper Austria Faculty Hagenberg and the ifs international film school Cologne can be announced for the School Campus.

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased in the FMX ticket shop at www.fmx.de from 10 January 2020.

Further information: To the official website of FMX 2020

The post FMX 2020 Imagines Tomorrow first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

FMX opens its doors at the end of this month. And there are still numerous new confirmations to be announced – animated film highlights such as Spies in Disguise and Ralph Breaks the Internet, several technology presentations on Incredibles 2 and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse as well as presentations on commercials and AAA game design.

Tickets for FMX 2019 are available via the website. In addition, the FMX 2019 app for iOS and Android is now available for download.

You can register for press accreditation here.

The Art of Animation – Ralph Breaks the Internet, Spies in Disguise & Manou the Swift
In The Art of Animation track, animator Jacob Frey and crowd artist Joyce Tong (both Walt Disney Animation Studios) will talk about some of the challenges they faced when creating “Ralphzilla” for Ralph Breaks the Internet. James Williams, Head of Layout (Blue Sky Studios), will give an insight into the upcoming action-packed, buddy comedy Spies in Disguise. Andrea Block and Christian Haas (both LUXX Studios/LUXX Film) will talk about the details of their first animated CG feature film Manou the Swift.

Stylized Lighting & Rendering – Spider-Man, Incredibles 2 and the physics and chemistry of colour
Curator Christophe Hery, Research Scientist at Facebook Reality Labs, brings together four experts for the Stylized Lighting & Rendering track, who will discuss various technical and artistic means of achieving better visual effects and explore the basis of colour as a starting point for stylisation.
Bret St. Clair (Sony Pictures Imageworks) will kick off the track by examining the look development of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Erik Smitt, Director of Photography at Pixar Animation Studios, will explain how a stylised approach inspired by live camerawork was used to create the look of Incredibles 2. Christos Obretenov, CEO and Shading Architect at Lollipop Shaders, will discuss the development of custom shading plugins that enable non-realistic shading & rendering in modern production renderers. In addition, VFX Supervisor Tarek Elaydi (Arctiq Circle) will explore the physics and chemistry of colour and how their interactions are represented in today’s path-tracing renderers.

Commercials – Football, Friendship & Love
A strong commercial draws attention to products and services by enriching its imagery with advanced design, execution and storytelling. The Commercials track at FMX 2019 presents a selection of the latest and greatest work in this field from the past year.
VFX Supervisor Adam Droy (The Mill), will give an insight into the creation of the spot Nike – Awaken the Phantom. In their presentation Wonderwoman and Chester Cheetah! Alexander Kiesl (Managing Director) and Steffen Hacker (Head of VFX, both unexpected postproduction) will show impressions of their filming in Iceland, London, Warsaw and Cairo. The creation of Penny’s Christmas Doesn’t Need Much. Only Love will be the topic of the talk by Rüdiger Kaltenhäuser (Director/Head of 3D) and Darren Macpherson (Director/VFX Supervisor & Senior 3D Artist) from Glassworks Amsterdam. Piglet Lucky, star of the VES-nominated commercial Best Friend for PETA, will take centre stage in a presentation by CG Artist/Associate VFX Supervisor Emanuel Fuchs, Animation Supervisor Bernd Nalbach and VFX Producer Francesco Faranna (all Mackevision Medien Design and alumni of the Filmakademie’s Animation Institute). Selcuk Ergen, Head of Effects at MPC Advertising, will present a behind-the-scenes look at the extensive VFX work that helped bring Ridley Scott’s otherworldly ideas to life for Hennessy’s The Seven Worlds.

AAA Game Design – exploring caves and open worlds
The AAA Game Design track – curated by Simon Jon Andreasen, Head of Animation and DADIU, The National Film School of Denmark – will highlight designers who have worked on recently released highly successful games, how they have designed them and where they see design and creativity heading in the future.
Soren Lundgaard, CEO of Ghost Ship Games, will explain how his Deep Rock Galactic team managed to create hundreds of hours of procedurally generated caves without the use of multi-million dollar budgets, keeping players engaged and challenged as they explore, scavenge and survive. Mark Estdale, founder of OM, will share how his team uses early casting to create hundreds of hours of immersive dialogue and performances for story-driven games like Horizon Zero Dawn. Curator Simon Jon Andreasen, an experienced AAA developer himself, asked friends and colleagues from the world’s leading AAA studios how they create exciting games without simply generating endless upgrades for players. In his talk Keeping it Fresh – Designing Versatile Mechanics that Never Grow Old, he will present the results of his survey.

Forum News: Epic Games, creator of Unreal Engine, is new FMX Main Partner
Epic Games, the studio behind Unreal Engine, can be announced as the new Main Partner of FMX 2019. In addition, the FMX Marketplace and the Recruiting Hub are sold out.
Epic Games/Unreal Engine, Blue Zoo, GritWorld, Nodal, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, Shotsky, SWR Wissen and ZEISS have booked stands on the Marketplace. Amazon Web Services AWS, Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure are offering workshops. Other participants in the Recruiting Hub are Electric Theatre Collective, The Mill, Topalsson and Umedia Visual Effects.

FMX 2019 Games Trailer – Kinky Kitchen
For all those who have always wondered what kitchen utensils are up to when no one is at home – the short film trilogy Kinky Kitchen brings the truth to light! Kinky Kitchen is available as a trailer and as a game, both created by students of the Animation Instituteof the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (Animation Director, Character Design: Bea Höller | Technical Directing, Compositing, Lighting/ Shading, Game Director: Daniel Schmucker | Animation-/ VFX-Producing: Laura Messner | Concept/Design: Tao Zhang | Assistant Director, Modelling: Steffen Oberle | Rigging: Mariia Prokopenko | Sound Design: Marco Dahl). Trailer Kinky Kitchen & Game Trailer Kinky Kitchen

In 2019, FMX released four different trailers for the first time. Each of the areas mentioned in the FMX subtitle – animation, effects, games and immersive media – is represented with its own trailer, which is unique in terms of technology, style and story.

Kinky Kitchen is the fourth trailer for FMX 2019, following Tiefenrausch for Immersive Media, Wonderful World, which represents the VFX area, and CatPlanets, which represents the Animation area.

Tickets for FMX 2019 are available via the FMX website.

The post FMX 2019: Incredibles 2, Spies in Disguise, Game Design und neuer Trailer Kinky Kitchen first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Earlier than ever before, FMX 2019 – Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Immersive Media (30 April to 3 May 2019) can announce the first of its trailers and initial programme highlights. Jan Pinkava, Creative Director of Google Spotlight Stories, will deliver a keynote in line with this year’s FMX theme of Bridging the Gap about his work at the intersection of art and technology, while international talent consultant Shelley Page will curate a new track called N.E.W.S., which will discuss the workflows of animation professionals from different continents.

Jan Pinkava – Bridging the Gap between Art and Technology
How can artistic expression be combined with technological innovation? Bridging the gap between technology and art can be a challenge, especially when working with new formats and new technologies. Jan Pinkava, Creative Director of Google Spotlight Stories, will share his views on this highly relevant topic in
a keynote at FMX 2019.

Jan Pinkava has worked at the intersection of art and technology throughout his career. He holds a PhD in Theoretical Robotics and won an Oscar for the Pixar short film Geri’s Game. At Pixar, he also worked on The Big Crawl, Toy Story 2 and Monsters Inc. He co-directed and created the Oscar-winning Rataouille. He is currently exploring new forms of immersive and interactive storytelling for mobile and VR at Google Spotlight Stories.

N.E.W.S. – Bridging the Gap between Continents
The creation of animated films has recently expanded from traditional production centres in Hollywood and Europe to the whole world. The N.E.W.S. track at FMX 2019 will focus on new projects currently in development in locations from Asia to Europe, from South America to Russia. Shelley Page, animation filmmaker and international talent consultant, is curating this new series of talks, highlighting the opportunities for start-ups and established studios to build bridges between animation professionals from all continents to combine their collective expertise in new ways and bring their animated stories to a global audience.

FMX 2019 Trailer #1 – Wonderful World
For the first time in 2019, FMX will release four completely different trailers. Each of the areas mentioned in the FMX subtitle – Animation, Effects, Games and Immersive Media – will be represented with its own trailer, unique in technique, style and story. The first, Wonderful World, represents the Effects category. It
was created by students of the Animation Institute of the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg (Director: Arne Hain | Animation/VFX Production: Josephine Roß | Technical Director: Denise Hoffmann) and tells the story of a bear fighting for its life. But what is the beginning of the story and what is the end? What is real and what is virtual? Can the gap between an idyllic world and a dystopian future be bridged? Watch the trailer

Animation Production Days 2019 – Deadline for submissions: 21 February 2019
German and international producers can now submit projects for the 13th Animation Production Days (APDs), for which co-production and financing partners are being sought. The Animation Production Days are the most important business platform for animation projects in Germany and will take place from 1 to 3 May 2019 in Stuttgart as part of the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film 2019 and FMX. Animation projects from the fields of film, TV series, mobile content, games, cross-media and transmedia can be submitted until 21 February 2019. Hybrid formats, a mixture of animated and live-action film, can also take part. A total of 45 projects will be selected for participation in the APDs 2019. Further information on the APDs

First partners in the FMX Forum
The first confirmations for the FMX Forum have arrived. This is where the FMX audience can find out about the latest technological trends and products as well as job and study opportunities. CGWire, Golaem, InstaLOD and Xsens have booked a stand at the FMX Marketplace. With the National Film and Television School (NFTS), the Ostwestfalen-Lippe University of Applied Sciences and the SAE Institute, the School Campus also has its first confirmed participants. The first workshops have been booked by Pixar’s Renderman and Xsens. For the Recruiting Hub, Boulder Media, RISE FX, Dassault Systems 3D Excite and Framestore have announced their participation.

The FMX 2019 ticket shop will open on 10 January 2019 on the website www.fmx.de.

The post Jan Pinkava | N.E.W.S. | Release of the first trailer first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The feature film industry will be represented at this year’s FMX 2014 Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Transmedia with weighty productions: four presentations will examine the seven-time Oscar winner “Gravity” (including a trophy for best visual effects). There will also be an insight into “The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro”. Other highlights include Disney’s “Frozen”, “The LEGO Movie” and “Rio 2”.

There will also be the lectures “Focus on Ibero-America” and “Games for Change Europe”, with Google Chief Game Designer Noah Falstein, among others. Lecture series on the theory and practice of motion animation and on “Interaction in the Real World” with transmedia presentations on interactive and immersive worlds of experience, for example in Disney theme parks, round off the range of topics.

Four presentations on the Oscar-winner Gravity

FMX honours Gravity with four presentations. Alfonso Cuarón’s 3D space odyssey received seven Academy Awards at the Oscars a few weeks ago, including the coveted trophies in the “Best Director” and “Best Visual Effects” categories. The latter went to the British VFX studio Framestore, which will be presenting details at FMX. Prime Focus is responsible for the stereo conversion of all live action scenes in Gravity. Senior Vice President Matthew Bristowe and Senior Stereo Supervisor Richard Baker from PFW explain why the makers of the film decided to convert and talk about the collaboration with Framestore. They also discuss the huge footprint the blockbuster leaves behind with its pioneering use of 3D stereo. Robotic company Bot & Dolly’s programmable robotic camera systems were instrumental in realising Cuarón’s vision of weightlessness. Tobias Kinnebrew, Head of Product Strategy at Bot & Dolly, explains the company’s contribution to Gravity from previs to live action. Another challenge of the film was to adapt the lighting of the actors’ real faces to the virtual environment. Paul Debevec explains the role played by the Graphics Laboratory at the University of Southern California, which he heads.

“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” and effects-laden commercials

Shortly after its German cinema release, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro” is also coming to FMX. David Smith, Digital Effects Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks, talks about the challenge of creating new villains and extensive digital environments. The combination of real stunt interludes and computer-based character animation takes centre stage. Advertising also relies on visual effects. The two Glassworks representatives Rüdiger Kaltenhäuser (Head of 3D) and Markus Lauterbach (Senior 3D Artist) will illustrate the development of high-quality visual effects for excellent commercials using current productions.

In addition, Vince Baertsoen, Head of CG at The Mill, will take a close look at PETA’s “98% Human” advert, in which a fully computer-animated chimpanzee plays the leading role. In addition, VFX supervisor and compositor Neil Riley shows how Passion Pictures replaced the classic TV advert with new, contemporary media forms using targeted campaign work. Stefano Salvini, 3D Department Manager, will demonstrate the latest productions from MPC’s advertising sector, including the viral advert “#DancePonyDance” for the mobile phone company Three.

The Art of Animation: Frozen, The LEGO Movie and Rio 2

Since its creation, animation has gradually developed into a versatile medium for different target groups. In the track “The Art of Animation”, experts focus on the innovative and creative characteristics that define the medium. Mike Giaimo, Art Director at Walt Disney Animation Studios, takes a look behind the scenes of Frozen. He explains the artistic decisions and visual challenges that had to be overcome. In addition, Animal Logic presents the animated film “The LEGO Movie”, which topped the charts in the USA for three weeks after its cinema release. Furthermore, Chip Loterzo, Senior Animator at Blue Sky Studios, will give an inspiring talk entitled “The Rhythm of Animation” about the challenge of developing your own signature style as an artist.

Animation in the flow of movement – of emotions and bodies

In the track “Body, Face and Emotions”, curated by Prof. Dr Susanne Marschall and Dr des. des. Meike Uhrig from the University of Tübingen, academics and experts from the field will show how movement sequences and human emotions are negotiated in the medium of animation. While Dr Fabienne Liptay (LMU Munich) and Prof. Dr Susanne Marschall will present their humanities perspective on movement and the moving image, Ed Tan, Professor of Communication Sciences, will talk about animated film and its immersive effect. In addition, animator Chris Landreth (see press release no. 2) will discuss the connection between animated facial expressions and emotional storytelling. Hannes Rall will be focussing on the animated protagonist: the filmmaker and professor of film studies will explain the latest character capture technologies.

Games for Change Europe: Games with a transformative effect

The Games for Change Europe track, curated by Katharina Tillmanns (Co-President Games for Change Europe) and Björn Bartholdy (Co-Director Cologne Game Lab), will focus on the design of socially critical games. Leading experts from industry and research will discuss with visitors how emotional games can be developed that can initiate humanitarian, ecological or social change in an appealing way. Among the high-calibre speakers are Noah Falstein (Chief Game Designer at Google) and Ken Perlin (Director of the Games for Learning Institute NYC). In cooperation with Autodesk, the Games for Change Challenge presentation will provide insights into the inspiring projects of the student competition.

Focus on Ibero-America

FMX is travelling the world to showcase different regions and their talents. This year, the “Focus on Ibero-America” track, curated by Diana Arellano, R&D at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg, will be focussing on Ibero-American countries. Hernando Bahamon, President of the Bogota ACM SIGGRAPH Chapter and Chairman of the Bogota ACM SIGGRAPH, will discuss the digital upswing in Latin America and explain how even European projects can benefit from developments there. In contrast, Cristóbal León explains the vision and creative output of the Chilean stop-motion animation company Diluvio. VFX supervisor Charlie Iturriaga, who worked on the Oscar-winning film “Her” (Best Original Screenplay) and the multi-award-winning Netflix series “House of Cards”, will add a Mexican perspective to the series of lectures: he will present various current projects from his employer Ollin VFX. Independent animator Juan Pablo Zaramella will show his original concepts and techniques and explain how he was able to win over 250 awards with his animated short film “Luminaris”.

Transmedia: Interaction in the Real World

Gestures, facial expressions, voice and haptics are increasingly changing the way we interact with computers and technical devices. Doug Cooper, Visual Effects Supervisor at DreamWorks Animation, is the curator of the “Interaction in the Real World” track, which will introduce FMX attendees to the latest interactive experiences. Matt Arnold, Senior Engineer at Second Story Interactive Studios, will present the company’s approach to developing responsive environments at the intersection of physical space and digital media. In addition, Marcus Ivarsson, Creative Director at North Kingdom, describes how the Swedish creative agency for digital marketing helps companies to build an emotional connection between people and brands. Are there any exemplary experiences that reflect the interactive use of new platforms? In his presentation “Live your dreams – interactivity in Disney Parks”, Brent Strong, Creative Director at Walt Disney Imagineering, demonstrates how an immersive experience is created from a fictional world and outlines the new design possibilities that arise from such an adaptation.

Further information can be found at: www.fmx.de

The post Gravity, Spider-Man 2 and The LEGO Movie first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Mirja Fürst.