Last Thursday, the winners of CG Whiz 2011 were announced at the much anticipated Reveal Event held at our Escape Studios headquarters in London. The room was busy with noise and champagne as Daniel Danielsson waited patiently to find out whether he had scooped first place. He needn’t have worried though as Mark Cass our General Manager and head judge Lee Danskin soon explained why Daniel deserved first place. With no professional training at all, he took it upon himself to learn all of the software that enabled him to create such a professional looking showreel. Check out the Reveal Event video, created by The Mill, to find out why Daniel was pretty much speechless when he found out.
Tweak Software Release RV 3.12.13
Tweak are working hard to develop and expand their powerful playback software, RV-image and sequence viewer. Their latest development comes in the form of RV 3.12.13. With this new version you get all the usual benefits of real time reviewing software, but now with the additional support of Python to make this version the most powerful yet. This new addition to the product has been in beta for a while now, and has benefitted from extensive feedback from customers reporting rough edges and bugs. With this valuable knowledge behind them Tweak are happy to release RV with Python, confident that the results will impress all.
A Cube Made Out of Gears
Sometimes, you just come across something which simplify defies logic and the laws of physics... Today, I did just that when I discovered this incredible piece of 3D printing. It just goes to show the magic you can create with such technology. And if you fancy trying to build something like that yourself, here is where you can find some instructions.
News Round-Up: Monday 19th Dec 2011
This will be my last Weekly Round-Up of News for this year..., hope you enjoy it. If you have suggestions for stories I missed, just drop me a line or post a comment. I'll be sure to look at your suggestion during the Xmas break.
Escapee Showcase: Alaric Holberton
It's been a while since we featured any escapee work on our blog so I wanted to show you a recent reel which has really impressed us.
December's Free Tutorial: Mastering Maya's Transfer Maps
I created this month’s free tutorial with one thing in mind: How can I help improve artists’ workflow’s? This tutorial explores Maya’s ‘Transfer maps’ tool and is designed to do just that. I’ve made sure that we cover this tool in great detail, providing valuable insight into how it works, and how you can avoid common problems. It’s a very practical, hands-on demonstration of the ‘Transfer maps’ tool and with it, you will learn how to bake a diffuse texture from multiple pieces of geometry to one individual model.
Revealed: The CG Whiz 2011 winners!
CG Whiz is over for another year, and it’s been a brilliant competition, with an incredible level of talent on show in both categories. It's now time for what you have all been waiting for, the announcement of the winners. But before I do so, I wanted to take time to give you some information on what our judges were looking for.
Arthur Christmas: A Must See at Xmas
Arthur Christmas is a must for any child wanting to get into the Christmas spirit this year. I know this as both of my children loved it and my test was to see whether or not I actually stay awake!
It's just fun. The CG is not meant to be ground-breaking - it simply is not Tintin - but that really wasn't the point. If you just want to go see a feel good children's movie then there is nothing better. It also has a great cast and some of my personal favourites actors: Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent and Bill Nighy (who continually makes me smile whatever he appears in or talks over).
Aardman have done a great job and they should be very happy with it, it has their stamp all over it.
Enjoy!
News Round-Up: Monday 12th Dec 2011
Here is my usual Weekly Round-Up of News, with stories that I have picked up over the past week. If you have suggestions for stories I missed, just drop me a line or post a comment.
The Votes Have Been Cast And The Results Are In…
The judging is done, and the votes are in – the winners for CG Whiz 2011 have been decided upon, but you’ll have to wait until the 14th December to find out who the winner are. I know, it's a bit cruel, but we like to make a big deal of our Reveal Event. It's only fair considering how much work all our entrants have put in to their reels.
A New Pricing Structure for Photoshop...
I have just seen an article entitled "Adobe Will Only Offer Photoshop CS6 Upgrade Price to CS5 Owners" in CGTalk (CG Society) about a dramatic change in pricing policy from Adobe regarding CS6.
What’s in Your TV 'Must Watch List' This Xmas?
It’s about this time of year when I actually start getting quite excited about watching TV. I know it sounds quite sad, but I don’t get that much spare time to watch the box normally. Xmas is THE time when I indulge my secret passion for children’s tales and magical stories. The child in me is reawakened every year during that time, when I barely move out of the house – or off the sofa!
Dreamworks Animation Fills Their Boots
As Puss in Boots sets Box Office records in the US, we were very keen to watch a special preview screened by Paramount Pictures at the BFI Southbank on Sunday afternoon, to judge if the film lives up to the surrounding hype, and we weren’t disappointed.
Xmas Gift Ideas for CG Geeks
We all know that the geeks will one day inherit the earth, but what do they want for Christmas?... The 'Season of Goodwill' is here, so I thought I would kick it off in style by sharing with you a bunch of sites where you might find the ideal gift for your favourite CG Geek.
News Round-Up: Monday 5th Dec 2011
Here is my usual Weekly Round-Up of News, with stories that I have picked up over the past week. If you have suggestions for stories I missed, just drop me a line or post a comment.
New Additional VFX Course Dates for January!
Due to the unprecedented demand for our 12 Week Visual Effects Production courses we have just opened up another VFX classroom for January! Having filled the two existing January dates so quickly, and while we are still receiving enquires for these courses, we wanted to give as many people as possible the opportunity to start with us in January.
MARI 1.4 Has Launched!
MARI has already gained a reputation for being a powerful compositing tool, but the team at The Foundry continue developing this software to make MARI an even faster, more flexible tool.
CG Whiz 2011 Shortlist is Announced!
The entries for CG Whiz 2011 are in and the judges are now hard at work reviewing this year’s crop of talent. We’ve had over 200 showreels entries, making 2011 the biggest CG Whiz yet!
Resonance Screening a Resounding Success
Last week we welcomed Simon Jones from SR Partners to Escape Studios London HQ to show our students his recent collaborative work entitled - Resonance.
Esri CityEngine; A New World of Possibility
I wonder how many of you have heard or Esri? Before I go on to explain why I am writting about them today, here is a quick introduction to this very interesting company.