I really like how Michael Rigley has used 3D in a very creative, non-conventional visual effects project for his thesis.
Photoshop goes (even more) 3D
Fans of 3D and users of Photoshop will be delighted this week, with the announcement that 'Photoshop CS6 Extended' is on the market, it allows you to create 3D shape text using extrusions as a 3D layer... "similar to CS4 Extended" I hear you say! But alas, according to this write up, we are told that this works far more 'natively', with 'the usability you’d expect from an integrated Adobe toolset'.
Animation Ireland
And how has this happened? Well a decade of tax breaks and investment basically. Tax breaks to aid production costs and funding for development prior to production from various sources. Very interesting given the impending tax breaks around the corner in the UK. Could this be a new dawn in film and broadcast for us here?
I was amazed by how many companies are turning out real quality work in Ireland. The tax breaks have not affected the passion for excellence. In fact I would say it has merely fuelled it - the companies are competing against eachother to produce the best work. And as the industry steadily grows there are now whispers of full length animated movies being made there.
If you are curious about what has been happening in Ireland check out the Animation Ireland showreel on their website...
Here's something you may not know. Ireland has a booming animation industry. No I didn't know that either until I went to the Cartoon Finance conference in Dublin last year. In fact the animation industry is doing so well, that in the face of the downturn, it has become one of their major exports. At the conference, it was quipped that the animators are now the ones with the proper jobs.
Truly EPIC God of War trailer
We were enticed this week when we saw this epic live action trailer for Sony’s game ‘God of War: Ascension’, It was made by creative studio and production company ‘Imaginary Forces’, a firm who have worked on a huge amount of projects, spanning from commercial work to television and film,
Google Chrome, Powerade, Transformers, Minority Report, and Boardwalk Empire, are but a few of their accolades to date. Impressive stuff!
If the game is half as epic as this evocative ad, viewers will no doubt want to get playing right away!
Blown Away by Disney short 'the Paperman'?
Walt Disney shorts are always a treat for viewers. In fact I’d go as far to say that when going to the cinema to see a new Disney Pixar film, part of the excitement is the opportunity to see the preluding short that comes with the main feature
A giant robot, loud music, and plenty of explosions, what's not to like?
The office here at Escape is usually bustling with an array of different musical sounds, and it’s rare we fully agree on what radio station to keep on for more than an hour and a half.
Escape this Summer
While the days are cold, the nights are long, and we’ve seen the back of Christmas and New Year festivities, at one point or another, we all find ourselves daydreaming about the return of the summer sun. The smell of sun cream, the call of the beach, and the excuse to whack on a pair of shades, making ourselves look AT LEAST 20% cooler, is but a dream away at this, the tail end of January.
Homemade Iron Man Laser Gauntlet!
So we’re all looking forward to the arrival of Iron Man 3 this year right?
Using a Green Screen to help kick the habit!
Regardless of whether or not you’re a smoker, there’s a fair chance that you’ll be rather sick of the uninventive advertising, encouraging people to quit - that uses revolting images to repel people from indulging in the habit,
Toy Story - Remade!
Someone once told me, that life is like a marmalade sandwich; the more you put into it, the more you’ll get out of it.
Total Rigging in Total Recall: Webinar
On 7th of February 2013, Escape HQ will be welcoming Jakub Krompolc, who is head of rigging at London’s Prime Focus world.
Robin Squires VFX Course Diary: Week 12, Final week!
Having started a VFX course here at Escape Studios, I’m keeping a diary to share with you on how the course is going. Here's my update from my final week!
Robin Squires VFX Course Diary: Week 11!
Having started a VFX course here at Escape Studios, I’m keeping a diary to share with you on how the course is going. Here's my update from week 11!
17th Art Directors Guild Awards: Nominees
Last week, nominees for the 17thArt Director’s Guild awards were unveiled.
Robin Squires VFX Course Diary: Week 10!
Having started a VFX course here at Escape Studios, I’m keeping a diary to share with you on how the course is going. Here's my update from week ten!
The Coca Cola Polar Bears are back!
We are all familiar with the high octane, VFX loaded, cinematic creations of Ridley Scott - Blade Runner, Gladiator, Alien and Prometheus just skim the surface when discussing this directors back catalogue.
Ones to Watch in 2013
It goes without saying that film fans everywhere are looking forward to the release of a vast number of motion pictures in the upcoming year. Over the course of 2012, how many times have we heard the line “I can’t wait for this film to hit cinemas next year!”?
The 3rd Dimension
Many 3D fans will be aware of the power of Maya, and the influence it has on the world of VFX, from blockbuster films to major games series, Maya is one of the most incredible creative tools on the planet. But like a pack of Arctic Huskies, it demands time and attention if you wish it to take you voyaging across the vast plains of 3D.
CVMP 2012 - Reflections (and Refractions)...Part Two!
So we shall pick up from where we left off in my previous blog, Reflections (and Refractions) from CVMP 2012 part one.
Cloverfield meets Transformers - Some serious VFX action!
Just when you thought Hollywood couldn’t create VFX on a larger scale than Cloverfield or Transformers, this trailer is released, for ‘Pacific Rim’, and it really takes the biscuit!
Directed by the world renowned Guillermo del Toro, this is a tale of wait for it, giant robots made by humans, fighting giant monsters that have arrived through a time portal at the bottom of the sea - Sounds crazy right? Check out this trailer and if you plan to go to see this at the cinema, be sure to prepare yourself for some bone crushingly epic VFX sequences.
