We recently updated one of our Media & Entertainment exhibits in The Gallery at One Market in San Francisco. Senior Marketing Manager, Kimberly Whinna, provided me with some information that will appear with the exhibit. I thought I would share it with you.
Autodesk in Film and Television
Entertainment creation, on the big and small screen, is advancing at an incredible rate. Today, new digital processes from virtual moviemaking to stereoscopic 3D are transforming the way industry professionals create movie and television entertainment. For 15 consecutive years, every Oscar-winning film for Best Visual Effects was created with the help of filmmaking tools from Autodesk. From the 8-foot tall Navi of Avatar to UP’s delightful curmudgeon Carl Frederickson, Autodesk technology is helping filmmakers create a more immersive moviegoing experience. In the world of broadcast, television professionals are using the Autodesk portfolio of editing, effects, and animation solutions to create everything from children’s animated programs to high-impact commercials and effects-driven dramas such as House, Mad Men, and Entourage.
Since the inception of cinema, filmmakers have strived to tell their stories in the most compelling way possible, and technology has always played a significant role. Today, spectacular effects and animations infuse those stories, creating vibrant worlds previously only imagined. Offering one of the most comprehensive portfolios of film tools in the industry, Autodesk provides powerful solutions that range from pre-visualization and computer graphics production, to compositing, grading, and finishing.
3D Content Creation
Autodesk software has been at the forefront of computer graphics use in the film industry for well over a decade and represents a core component for many award-winning visual effects studios the world over. In fact, the last 15 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects have all used Autodesk software extensively.
Compositing
Whether the final product is a fully animated feature or a live-action film, with or without CG (computer graphics) visual effects, it’s virtually impossible to get everything needed for the final frame in a single take or render. In most cases, tens or even hundreds of layers and passes go into the final image. Autodesk compositing solutions are crunch-time standbys, enabling rapid iterations, exploration of multiple possibilities, and instant changes, from color correction and motion estimation to interactive 3D compositing.
Digital Color Grading and Finishing
Film productions reach their full potential in the color grading process. Autodesk color grading software enables colorists to shape color and lighting to establish narrative tone, realize creative intent, and help create stylized looks, enhancing creative look development in film and television projects. Autodesk color grading and finishing solutions have helped shape the look and feel of hundreds of films, such as King Kong, and many popular TV series, such as Lost.
Fully Animated Feature Film
From the endearing cartoon-style characters of UP to the hyper-real performance animation of The Dark Knight, Autodesk film solutions are well suited to the task of creating the fully animated feature. Multiple teams use Autodesk software to model characters, rough out animations, set up cameras, and experiment with lighting setups—all with the single goal of achieving the director’s creative vision.
Visual Effects
Only a decade or so ago some of the greatest stories were confined to books. Today, however, any story can be told on film. From the epic battle scenes of the Lord of the Rings trilogy to the more personal battles of 007 in Quantum of Solace, directors and visual effects teams can create anything they can imagine, and Autodesk solutions are there to help them combine live action and CG elements into one unforgettable time at the movies.
Virtual Cinematography
Interactive technology has evolved to such a degree that directors can now manipulate virtual cameras within textured and lit 3D environments, populated with highly detailed characters and props, in real time. In effect, they can see their CG elements in the camera’s “viewfinder” while working on the live-action set. This is virtual cinematography and based on the historic box office performance of Avatar, moviegoers like what they see. Pioneering filmmakers such as James Cameron can now capture actors’ performances and apply them directly to CG characters in real-time—essentially directing a CG performance as if it were live action.
Thanks, Kimberly.
The gallery is open to the public on Wednesdays from 12 pm to 5 pm, and admission is free. Visit us.
Showing how we help make movies is alive in the lab.
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