Village Gamer

With the opening of its new studio in Florida, Digital Domain is on the lookout for exceptional talent. Recruiters will be visiting Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver (as well as several locations across the USA). The Legend of Tembo is currently in pre-production at the brand new Tradition Studios, a state-of-the-art, 120,000 square foot facility in South Florida. Some of the job openings require immediate placement, while others need to be filled by summer and fall. On a side note, Digital Domain also has several career positions open in its Vancouver studio. Read the rest of this entry »

It has been a banner year for Vancouver’s Goldtooth Creative Agency with accolades rolling in for the studio’s creative involvement in the CG game trailers and cinematics for the upcoming PROTOTYPE® 2  by Radical Entertainment and its award-winning game trailer marketing campaign for the best-selling Deus Ex: Human Revolution™.  The studio’s VFX work and musical score for the hit web series, Mortal Kombat: Legacy™provided yet another example of the range and depth of Goldtooth’s technical expertise.   Read the rest of this entry »

Vancouver’s Gener8 Digital Media Corp., a rapidly growing company that is redefining the landscape of 3D film production, is pleased to welcome visual effects veteran and producer Art Repola to its advisory board. Repola’s insight and expertise will help shape the company’s direction and further evolve their groundbreaking G83D™ technology, which provides filmmakers with an entirely unique method for creating movies in stereoscopic 3D. Read the rest of this entry »

3D animation and visual effects developer Side Effects Software has announced a new promotion for first-time users of their Houdini software. VFX, commercial and game studios looking for a new level of flexibility and control can now save money while enjoying the benefits of Houdini’s procedural node-based workflow.

The Houdini First-Timer promo includes either a workstation or network license of Houdini Master and one year on the Annual Upgrade Plan. This promotion is for freelance artists and studios that have never owned Houdini before, is limited to 2 licenses per studio and must be purchased within the month of October. Read the rest of this entry »

Halifax studio DHX Media has appointed Universal Pictures UK as home entertainment partner for Rastamouse, the CBeebies stop-motion animated series, which is scoring high ratings on the UK channel and BBC iPlayer. Universal will release the first Rastamouse DVD on 3 October 2011. It will feature six episodes including Da Crucial Plan, Bakin’ an Breakin’, Mice Camera Action, Da Rhymin Teef, Pie Widout Cheese and Toots Re-routes alongside exclusive bonus content: three sing-along songs from Rastamouse & Da Easy Crew and fun printable activities. The Rastamouse DVD will retail at £12.99 and will be supported by a TV advertising campaign.

Jessica Horne, A & R Manager for Universal Pictures UK commented: “We’re delighted to be releasing Rastamouse on DVD. In a crowded market, this is a pre-school series with a genuine USP. Rastamouse is the coolest licensed character on the market and the show’s humour and musical content really connect with pre-schoolers and their parents.”

Josh Scherba, SVP Distribution at DHX Media added: “There is a significant demand for Rastamouse DVDs in the UK and in Universal we feel that we have the right partner on board to handle the home entertainment element of the brand. With the album available via EMI and toys set to hit the market through Character Options in the Autumn, there is a growing consumer presence for the brand in the UK which is supported by a strong performance of the series on CBeebies.”

Rastamouse, the animated series based on the critically acclaimed books by Genevieve Webster and Michael De Souza, launched on CBeebies in January 2011 and has since engaged a following of preschoolers and parents alike. The series features Rastamouse, Scratchy and Zoomer of Da Easy Crew, the mystery-solving, reggae-playing band who always make a bad ting good and live by their motto “redemption, not retribution.”

A Rastamouse Company Production for CBeebies, Rastamouse is produced by Greg Boardman and Eugenio Perez of Three Stones Media, in association with Dinamo Productions, Little Roots and DHX Media, which handles worldwide TV sales (excluding the UK) and worldwide licensing and merchandising.  The production is supported by the Wales Creative IP Fund.

All artists are observers of life, though it’s not every day you encounter an artist who has the official title of “creature supervisor.” But that is indeed the hat most often worn by Vancouver artist James Stewart, who created the lead character in The Chronicles of Narnia, and was responsible for creating the giant, prawn-like aliens in District 9.

Stewart’s successful career in the film industry has taken him to over 45 countries spanning four continents. Also an accomplished photographer, he has rigorously documented his travels and the thousands of lives that have touched his. These experiences find their way into his artwork. Most recently, he has returned home to create ‘Pangea,’ a series of beautiful and life-like bronze sculptures.

Pangea is the term for Earth’s landmass before it shifted to the continents we know today. It refers to a time when everything was together and connected. Stewart’s imagination is fuelled by his interest in other cultures, and his over-arching vision with this series, which is that our common roots speak about how we all remain connected. He maintains that connection can be seen clearly, even in our diverse cultures, if our observation is close and careful enough.

Stewart’s work, which is highly realistic and traditional, is also strikingly contemporary in how it is created. He imbues his figures with the subtlety of gesture, which brings them alive. While very familiar with working from a live model, Stewart created these works by referring to the exhaustive photographic records he takes while travelling. Working in front a large video screen and using multiple images, he re-creates his experiences in oil-based clay. He has been compared to a photojournalist who is reporting in 3-D.

Using the “cire perdue,” or lost wax method, Stewart works with the finest foundry, Artworks, to fabricate the bronze. This technique dates back to ancient Greece and was used by such renowned artists as Bernini and Rodin. The completed piece is then used to make a mould, which is used in the casting of the bronze artwork. Upon completion of the edition the artist will supervise the destruction of the mould.

Stewart’s incredible eye for detail (the kind most artists dream about) allows the viewer to enter his original experience. Looking at his sculptures induces an almost voyeuristic feeling. The eye can freely linger over intimate details — knock-kneed legs, poor teeth, wrinkled clothes, etc. — in a way that in real life would constitute staring. Here, it’s just close observation, a practice the artist would like to wholeheartedly encourage.

These sculptures, which represent the best techniques of the old and the new worlds, will be on display Wednesday to Sunday, 12pm to 6pm, from September 10^th to October 2^nd at 5 West Pender Street in Vancouver.

For those of you visiting the site today and wondering where all of the great Canadian news is that I usually share with you, well, we’re at SIGGRAPH 2011 with limited internet access, so posting any news is going to be a challenge. That said, there are lots of awesome Canadian companies (or international companies with a Canadian location) at SIGGRAPH this year, so I hope you stop by to visit. I’ve listed those with booths below.  We are in Booth 1018 – please stop by for a visit and an interview.

In the meantime, we have soft-launched our new project. Right now you can only look at our announcement, because there just aren’t enough hours in the day for the two of us to work on the new project, work on Village Gamer, get ready for SIGGRAPH and put in appearances at our paying day jobs. So, without further ado, please visit Canadian Creative and sign up for email notifications (we won’t be selling, renting or giving away your addresses) so that you know when the front door is unlocked and the coffee is on.

Canadian Companies on display at SIGGRAPH 2011:

3D3 Solutions – Booth: 879

Autodesk, Inc. – Booth: 429

British Columbia Film Commission – Booth: 889

Campbell River Creative Industries Council – Booth: 580

Capilano University – Booth: 807

Centre for Digital Media – Booth: 938

cebas Visual Technology Inc. – Booth 250

Digital Domain – Booth 343

Emily Carr University of Art + Design – Booth: 947

Eos Systems Inc. – Booth: 273

iDesign Solutions Booth: 609

MPC – Booth: 463

Measurand Inc. – Booth: 252

Ministry of Tourism, Trade and Investment Booth: 890

Muuun Technologies Inc. – Booth: 690

NDI – Booth: 969

Nelvana Studio – Booth: 708

NorPix Inc. – Booth: 1017

PO-MO Inc. – Booth: 808

Peer 1 Hosting Booth: 283

Pixar Animation Studios Booth: 235

Point Grey Research Inc. Booth: 255

Rainmaker Entertainment Booth: 971

Sheridan College Booth: 813

Side Effects Software Inc. Booth: 712

Simon Fraser University School of Interactive Arts and Technology – Booth: 151

Southpaw Technology Inc. – Booth: 158

Think Tank Training Centre Booth: 944

Toon Boom Animation, Inc. – Booth: 710

Ubisoft World – Booth 955

VanArts – Vancouver Institute of Media Arts Ltd. Booth: 490

Vancouver Animation School Booth: 381

Vancouver Film School – Booth: 739

Vancouver Motion Capture: Animatrik and Alastair Macleod – Booth: 968

Waterloo Region – Canada’s Technology Triangle – Booth: 480

Note:  booth numbers are as of August 1st, hopefully they weren’t moved – let me know if I missed anyone

Have you made Vancouver home for the next six days? If so, that must mean you’re planning to be at SIGGRAPH 2011, which opens tomorrow at the Vancouver Convention Centre and runs until Thursday evening. The Conference and Computer Animation Festival goes from August 7 right through until the 11th and the Exhibition floor with (200+ displays) is open from August 9th through 11th. It is still possible to pick up single day passes, and at just $45.00, they are too good of a deal to miss out on. If you prefer, there are passes still available for the entire week. We got a sneak peek at the expo floor last evening, and it looks awesome. Check out your options on the SIGGRAPH 2011 Registration Info page.

This is the first time the flagship conference for the ACM SIGGRAPH organization has been held in Canada, and is an incredible opportunity for the Canadian digital media and film industry sectors. There are, at my count, 37 Canadian companies – or international companies with a Canadian location – with exhibit booths on the conference floor, including ourselves in Booth 1018. This does not include the number of Canadian companies who may have a booth in the Job Fair area of the conference, nor those like Corel who will be working out of LightBox’s booth. Nor does it include the Canadian studios who will be represented in our booth with their trailers and games or those being highlighted through the DFAIT and provincial economic development booths. There is without a doubt going to be lots to see, lots to learn, and many people to meet at SIGGRAPH 2011.

SIGGRAPH 2011 highlights the full spectrum of the $67 billion annual computer graphics industry, showcasing the world’s finest technology exhibits, interactive displays, and the best in animation and visual effects. Numerous cutting-edge research and commercial products are shown to the public for the first time in interactive exhibit areas. Examples include:

• Displays: Watch attendees interacting with cutting-edge 3D displays that will change their home theaters and video game experiences.
• Robotics, Wearables, and Haptics: See people engaging with robots and stimulation devices such as a wearable pregnancy jacket that allows the user to feel a fetus’s temperature, movements, and heartbeat.
• Mobile Devices: Interact with the next wave of advancements in mobile technological devices such as a “watch” that turns your hand into a mini-keyboard.

You can get a look at the expo floor map (PDF) on the SIGGRAPH web site, it is current as of August 1st, and for those who are not aware, the expo hall is on the lower level of the new convention centre.

MPC reaffirms its commitment to long-term investment in Vancouver by building a state of the art 38,000 sq ft facility in the prestigious Yaletown district.  The building, currently in its second stage of development, is a heritage brick and timber construction situated in the heart of Downtown Vancouver, surrounded by some of the city’s best restaurants and bars.  The building is being completely rebuilt to MPC’s specifications to create Vancouver’s largest and best facility, housing more than 300 artists.

The growing Vancouver team, currently working from MPC’s Homer Street studio, will move to the new facility on completion in early 2012.  MPC Vancouver provides the same best in class VFX services to our feature film clients as provided by our London facility, using the very same tools, techniques and pipeline.

MPC Vancouver’s Head of Film, Michelle Grady said “the new building demonstrates our commitment to our customers and to our artists by offering choice of location while maintaining the level of creativity and quality that is expected from MPC.”

MPC’s status as a world-class VFX facility has been achieved through marrying some of the industry’s top creative talent with the development of industry-leading software to create stunning visual effects, and provide an infrastructure for completing multiple projects with thousands of shots simultaneously across the globe, efficiently, and with the highest quality.

At SIGGRAPH 2011 three of MPC’s experts will give a fascinating insight into the techniques and technology behind the images. The presentations will demonstrate the solutions developed to achieve the visual treats seen in effects heavy 2011 movie releases including Sucker Punch, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as well as the challenges of developing visual effects in a truly global production pipeline.

MPC Head of Pipeline, Hannes Ricklefs examines “The Need for Standardization within Global Visual Effects Productions through Open Source and Open Standards” on Monday 8^th August from 3:45 – 5:15 pm.

MPC Vancouver Software Lead, Ben Cole presents “Kali: High-Quality FEM Destruction in Zack Snyder’s ‘Sucker Punch’” on Wednesday 10^th August from 2:00 – 2:30 pm.

MPC’s SIGGRAPH 2011 booth (463) is located in the centre of the main exhibition hall, and MPC’s recruitment team will be on the look out for talented and creative individuals to join our expanding teams around the world. With capacity set to increase at all of our facilities in order to fulfil exciting movie projects including Prometheus, Wrath of the Titans, World War Z, 47 Ronin, Journey 2, Jack the Giant Killer and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows as well as a number of openings to join our award winning Advertising team, there really is no better time to join MPC. If you have what it takes to work at a World Leading VFX Studio make your way to our booth where our recruitment team will be happy to offer advice to prospective team members.

MPC Film VFX Supervisors Greg Butler (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, GI Joe: The Rise of the Cobra, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian), Guillaume Rocheron (Fast 5, Sucker Punch, Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief) and MPC Advertising VFX Supervisors Anthony Bloor and Carsten Keller will be revealing some of the secrets behind their most recent work at the booth. (Schedule to be announced)

This year SIGGRAPH’s Computer Animation Festival celebrates its 38th year and two of the biggest commercials that MPC completed last year will be screened, Cadbury ‘Spots V Stripes’ and Sky ’360.‘

Award-winning ‘Spots V Stripes’ features a full cast of over 60 photorealistic CG creatures. MPC worked with Director Nick Gordon, Academy and Fallon to create this spot, which has already received a Cannes Lions, VES and British Arrow award.

’360′ was created for Sky Creative to promote their film channel. Directed by Esther Wallace and Nick Tarte and produced by Sharon Kersley, the spot travels through different genres, unveiling epic landscapes including two fully CG environments.  The screening takes place on the West Building, Exhibit Hall A on Monday 8th and Wednesday 10th August.

Southpaw Technology, a Toronto-based developer of production asset management (PAM) technology for digital content creation companies, has announced that Toonbox Entertainment, also located in Toronto,  is deploying 100 seats of TACTIC to manage all of the assets and data for its first feature-length production, The Nut Job. The growing studio just completed the movie’s trailer, and is now rolling out TACTIC for the production of the stereoscopic 3D film, which is one of the largest productions happening in Canada at the moment.

Prior to its work on The Nut Job, Toonbox was using Excel to version, track and manage all of the production assets, and the tasks and notes related to those assets, on its various projects. Early on in the production of The Nut Job, Toonbox recognized that Excel simply could not keep up with the hundreds of tasks, the status of those tasks, or the location and version of the 100s of thousands of files being managed. It could not automate tasks or assist in the collaboration process with Toonbox’s Korean partner, Redrover Co., Ltd. Nor could the Production Assistants keep the Excel file updated fast enough to give management an accurate real-time understanding of how the project was going.

As the only solution capable of tying digital assets to production notes, status updates and tasks, TACTIC enables vast teams of digital artists and animators to efficiently store, track, find and move digital assets through the creation process. Whether production is spread between departments or around the globe, TACTIC’s unique web-based architecture simplifies real-time file management, task management and team collaboration during the creation process, and ensures that projects stay on track and on budget.

“We are enjoying phenomenal growth right now and are happy to be employing a solution like TACTIC to support that growth,” said Thom Chapman, director of business development and sales at Toonbox. “Having come out of the animation production environment, Southpaw Technology understands the needs of growing companies like ours, as well as the intricacies of production pipelines. Their technology and their expertise are designed to help companies manage productions today, and scale as productions grow. We now know that we have a solid production solution in place to handle all of our productions as we take on more work.”

“Toonbox Entertainment is really making waves in the animation industry and we’re happy to assist them with TACTIC,” said Gary Mundell, CEO of Southpaw Technology. “Their team is excellent, their work is superior, and now they have a solution like TACTIC to ensure that that talented team doesn’t get bogged down in finding or versioning files; but rather, can focus on creativity and quality. We really look forward to seeing what they produce with TACTIC supporting them.”

Southpaw Technology will be at SIGGRAPH 2011 in Vancouver, please visit them in Booth 158.