Legend of Arad - Looking for Matte painters and Environment artists

Hello everybody,

Arad is a live action epic short film in style of 300 with a lot of visual effects and room for creative work. We are currently looking for matte painters and environment artists.

Arad's official website:
http://film.cgtal.com

Please contact me via the form if you are interested in joining us:
http://film.cgtal.com/blog/index.php?disp=msgform&recipient_id=1

Thank you,
Sep

Arad - looking for Animators, Matte Painteres and Modelers

Hello,

We are resuming recruiting for the following positions for Arad, a.k.a The Legend of Arad project:


-Modeler (Zbrush/Maya or similar)
-Animator (Maya)
-Matte Painter


Please check our website:

http://film.cgtal.com

and contact us on the website for more information!

Thanks,

Sep

Arad - Matte painter - Lighter - Modeler - Compositor positions

Hello,

We are again looking for the following positions:
-Matte painter
-Lighter (Renderman or Mental Ray)
-Modeler (Zbrus or Mudbox)
-Compositor (Nuke)

Here is the link to project website:
http://film.cgtal.com

Cheers,
Sepehr

Hello,

We are still recruiting for the following positions in the Legend of Arad.

Environment artist
Matte painter
Compositor
Lighter

http://film.cgtal.com

Thanks,
Sepehr

Legend of Arad - join us in post production

Hello,

We just postponed the picture lock deadline.
We are looking for more modelers, animators, texture artists, matte painters, match movers and compositors to join us.

::Legend of Arad:: Short film
http://film.cgtal.com

The team consists of 62 highly talented people and it is getting into very interesting shape!
Cheers,
Sepehr

Legend of Arad short film - looking for VFX artists, Concept Designers and Matte painters!

Hello,

I have started working on post-production on Legend of Arad. It is a Master's thesis short film. Arad is an epic film that takes place 4500 years ago in the lands of Sumeria. It is the time that people of Sumer and Akkad have forgotten about their past.

http://film.cgtal.com

We are looking for Concept designers, Matte painters and Visual Effects artists. From Terrain modeling to rendering and compositing!

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Cheers,
Sepehr

endorphin is the industry's first Dynamic Motion Synthesis software.At the heart of endorphin are its Adaptive Behaviours, which - unlike animation data - are completely interactive. With Adaptive Behaviours, 3D characters essentially animate themselves. Move two Football players close to each other and one will automatically tackle the other one, realistically trying to grab hold of his legs and bringing him down .
Or not. It really is up to you. endorphin allows animators to direct scenes in real-time in a way they have never been able to do before. You can change parameters or change behaviours and see the results instantly on the screen in front of you. When you're done, export animation data in one of the many formats, ready for use in your game or VFX shot.

See the demo here:
http://www.naturalmotion.com/endorphin.htm

It is a very expensive product at this time. Something like 10k for commercial license. I hope they will soon imlement something like this in Motion Builder. Overall, I have not understood what this software has that Massive does not have.

9 Laws of Physics that DON'T apply in Hollywood

http://www.neatorama.com/2007/03/06/9-laws-of-physics-that-dont-apply-in-hollywood/

Computer Scientist Reveals the Math and Science behind Blockbuster Movies

http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2007/april4/fed-040407.html

"The simulation of gases, liquids and combustion for scientific reasons quickly translates into the ability to make animations of smoke, water and fire," Fedkiw said. "Similar statements hold for soft biological tissues, muscles, fractures and other solid material problems. Once the scientific numerical simulations are worked out, interesting animations can be made shortly thereafter."
-Ron Fedkiw

Associate Professor Ron Fedkiw uses computational physics to model the human face for virtual surgery applications. Fedkiw received a Packard Foundation Fellowship for simulations of humans.

Science Lessons from Hollywood flunk out

http://blogs.earthsky.org/lindsaypatterson/bizarre/082063/science-lessons-from-hollywood-flunk-out/

Phil Plait's website (I think I posted this in an earlier blog, but here it is again)

http://www.badastronomy.com/

Visual Communication in Dentistry

http://www.adobe.com/digitalimag/pdfs/DrMartinez.pdf
from 2005

“Thanks to digital imaging and Adobe Photoshop, patient planning and treatment are more advanced and precise than ever,” says Dr. Martinez. “Instead of relying solely on X-rays, plaster casts, and written notes, I can communicate visually with dental labs and patients. The result is more precise treatments, and more satisfied patients.”

Hollywood Math and Science Film Consulting

http://www.hollywoodmath.com/

Hollywood Math and Science Film Consulting will ensure that the technical details and jargon in your script sound believable, whether they be mathematical, scientific, or medical. We will ensure that the backdrops in your scenes—the writing on the blackboards, the equipment in the labs—look realistic; that your universities look like universities and your academics act like academics. We have mathematicians, scientists, and physicians to serve you, and we have contacts in academia all over the world to assist us.We at Hollywood Math and Science Film Consulting don't want to destroy the fantasy of films. We can enhance your film's production design by guaranteeing the authenticity of its setting and that of your props. We can also provide the research relevant to and required by your project to ensure a credible and compelling storyline.In short, we will see that your script sounds right without affecting or undermining your story.

Societies

Visual Effects Society
http://www.visualeffectssociety.com/
The Visual Effects Society (VES) is a non-profit professional, honorary society, dedicated to advancing the arts, sciences, and applications of visual effects and to improving the welfare of its members by providing professional enrichment and education, fostering community, and promoting industry recognition.

Motion Capture Society
http://www.motioncapturesociety.com/
MCS intends to become the most respected and accessible global organization for creative motion capture professionals. MCS will support motion capture professionals at every level by offering a range of services to connect, inform, educate and promote, by celebrating achievement, excellence and innovation in all aspects of motion capture.

Seven Films that Might Be Bake-Off Bound

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/features/awards-season/e3i26138003c343f1a1832bc7e4df0b5cf2
By Carolyn Giardina
Nov 13, 2007

The Bourne Ultimatum (Universal)
The Golden Compass (New Line Cinema)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Warner Bros.)
I Am Legend (Warner Bros.)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (Disney)
Spider-Man 3 (Sony Pictures)
Transformers (Paramount/DreamWorks)

Battle of the Bakeoff

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/features/awards-season/e3i26138003c343f1a1afcf5375f68c9fb2

Nov. 13, 2007

The visual effects bake-off presents seven films that are up for consideration for the visual effects oscar nod, but what about the race to be one of those seven films??
This year has had a huge variety of visual effects films and the work is getting more complex: sand, goo, water, cg with live action, lighting, practical effects!! Then throw Beowulf in the mix and everything gets blurred. Should the time frame be a factor as well? If you have 8 months to do 700 shots or 1 year to do 500...should those films be balanced accordingly?

2007 Annie Award Nominations

http://annieawards.org/foryourconsideration.html

Animated Effects - Individual achievement
*Gary Bruins – “Ratatouille” – Pixar Animation Studios
*Deborah Carlson – “Surf’s Up” – Sony Pictures Animation
*Ryan Laney – “Spider-Man 3” – Sony Pictures Imageworks
*James Mansfield – “How to Hook Up Your Home Theater” – Walt Disney Feature Animation
*Jon Reisch – “Ratatouille” – Pixar Animation Studios

Academy Event

Fantastic Reality: The Magic and Mystery of Movie Matte Painting

Hosted by Academy Award Nominee and Academy Governor Craig Barron

Monday, December 10, 2007 at 8PM

Take a journey through 100 years of movie matte painting from traditional to digital with clips from King Kong (1933), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Citizen Kane (1941), and Star Wars (1977), to name a few.

There is also an exhibit in the Linwood Dunn Theater foyer to go along with the presentation:

Playing God: The Art and Artists of Matte Painting

History of Effects in Film Timeline

Nova online has an entire timeline of the history of visual effects in film:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/specialfx2/timeline.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/specialfx2/
Special Effects: Titanic and Beyond
on Nova



(clip not from Nova...just found from a search)

The Science of Superheroes

by Lois H. Gresh (Author), Robert Weinberg (Author)

From the Inside Flap:

If the planet Krypton had a gravitational field strong enough to account for Superman’s amazing strength, would it be possible to launch a rocket ship from the planet’s surface? Assuming that the Flash could actually travel at the speed of light, would any villain ever stand a chance against him? Could evolution actually produce X-Men?
The Science of Superheroes takes a light-hearted but clear-headed look at the real science that underlies some of the greatest superhero comic books of all time, including Spider-Man, Batman, the Fantastic Four, and many more. Each chapter presents the story of the origin of one or more superheroes and asks intriguing questions that lead to fascinating discussions about the limits of science, the laws of nature, and the future of technology.
If gamma rays can’t turn a 128-pound weakling into the Incredible Hulk, what could? Are Spider-Man’s powers really those of a spider? Could a person ever breathe water like a fish? From telepathy to teleportation, from cloning to cosmic rays, this vastly entertaining romp through the nexus of science and fantasy separates the possible from the plausible and the barely plausible from the utterly ridiculous.
You’ll discover the connection between black holes and green lanterns; what Galileo could have told Professor Pym about the stresses caused by shrinking and growing; and how many of Batman’s "inventions" anticipated actual technological developments such as the jet pack, unmanned aerial surveillance, and the optical laser. You’ll even learn how comic book writers use "technobabble" to create seemingly credible explanations of improbable superpowers and bizarre events.
Packed with fascinating accounts of how these characters were developed, The Science of Superheroes celebrates the ingenuity and imagination of the writers and artists who created them and offers helpful suggestions on how the origin stories of certain characters could be made more believable. It offers immensely enjoyable and informative reading for anyone who loves science, superheroes, or both.

Dinosaurs

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/dinosaurs/index.html

National Geographic Channel
"A Night of Dinosaur Discoveries"

Dino Death Trap
Sunday Dec. 9th @8pm
Imagine the dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures of the mid-Jurassic–predators and prey–locked in the daily struggle of survival. Suddenly, a volcanic cataclysm–a dinosaur Pompeii–engulfs them. Some die in an instant. Others break for the safety of the horizon as hot ash rains down on surrounding wetlands. As they plow through the forming ashy mud, they are swallowed, as though by quicksand, frozen in death for 160 million years. Until now.

It's advancing technologies that help us to visualize how the world was all those millions of years ago. They even use highly sophisticated CT machines to scan dinosaur fossils and peer within rocks to view the dinosaur formations.