NVIDIA SLI Technology and Intel Sandy Bridge Form the Ultimate Gaming PC

NVIDIA today announced that NVIDIA SLI technology has been licensed by the world‘s leading motherboard manufacturers – including Intel, ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI and EVGA – for use on their Intel P67 Express Chipset-based motherboards designed for the upcoming Intel Sandy Bridge processors.As a result, customers who purchase a SLI-certified P67-based motherboard and a Sandy Bridge processor can equip their PCs with any single or dual combination of NVIDIA GeForce GPUs, including the recently released GeForce GTX 580 GPU, the world‘s fastest DX11 GPU."The combined processing prowess of Sandy Bridge and NVIDIA SLI technology will provide consumers with the building blocks for the ultimate gaming PC platform,” said Joel Christensen, General Manager of Intel Client Board Division at Intel Corporation. “Both NVIDIA and Intel continue to share a combined passion for furthering the PC as the definitive platform for gaming, and this combination will surely be attractive to anyone building or purchasing a brand new PC in 2011.With today‘s announcement, NVIDIA SLI technology is now available for all consumer-based desktop and mobile PC platforms, including the Intel Core i7, Core i5, Core i3, Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Duo processors, as well as those based on the AMD Phenom II CPU.
NVIDIA DX11 GPUs are designed to deliver the world‘s fastest performance for DX11 games, and are the only consumer GPUs to feature multiple tessellation engines for advanced graphics rendering capabilities. With a certified NVIDIA SLI motherboard, gamers have the option to add a second GeForce GPU to their PC, which can result in up to 2x the overall graphics performance.NVIDIA GeForce GPUs also provide gamers with additional features not found on any other discrete graphics solutions, including NVIDIA PhysX technology for deeper gaming immersion, as well as support for NVIDIA 3D Vision technology, delivering eye-popping stereoscopic 3D on a single display or spanning across three screens for an immersive gaming environment."ASUS is excited to bring NVIDIA SLI technology to our latest P67 based motherboards for Sandy Bridge CPUs," said Joe Hsieh, Vice President of ASUSTeK Computer Inc. "SLI is the leading multi-GPU technology and is demanded by our enthusiast customers.

2010 Annual Annie Award Nods Announced

BURBANK, CA (December 6, 2010) – The International Animated Film Society, ASIFA-Hollywood, announces nominations today for the 38th Annual Annie Awards recognizing the year’s best in the field of animation including best animated feature, television production, commercials, short subjects, video games and outstanding individual achievements. The 2010 nominations for Best Animated Features are: Despicable Me (Illumination Entertainment); How to Train Your Dragon (DreamWorks Animation); Tangled (Disney); The Illusionist (Django Films); Toy Story 3 (Disney/Pixar).Nominations for this year’s Best Short Subject include “Coyote Falls” (Warner Bros. Animation), “Day & Night” (Pixar), “Enrique Wrecks the World” (House of Chai), “The Cow Who Wanted To Be A Hamburger” (Plymptoons Studio) and “The Renter” (Jason Carpenter). Best Animated Television Productions include “Futurama” (The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox), “Kung Fu Panda Holiday” (DreamWorks Animation), “Scared Shrekless” (DreamWorks Animation), “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” (Lucasfilm Animation, Ltd.) and “The Simpsons” (Gracie Films).

Nominations for Best Animated Television Production for Children are “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “Fanboy & Chum Chum.” (Nickelodeon), “Adventure Time” and “Regular Show” (Cartoon Network) and “Cloudbread” (GIMC).“This has been an unprecedented year for animation, as the high quality of work represented by our nominees will attest,” says ASIFA-Hollywood President Antran Manoogian. “On behalf of ASIFA-Hollywood, we congratulate all of the nominees and their respective studios.”For a complete listing of Annie Award nominations, tickets and event information, visit www.annieawards.org. Winners will be announced at the 38th Annual Annie Awards ceremony on Saturday, February 5, 2011, at UCLA’s Royce Hall, in Los Angeles, CA.Special juried awards honoring career achievement and exceptional contributions to animation will also be awarded: Winsor McCay Award – Brad Bird, Eric Goldberg and Matt Groening for career contributions to the art of animation; June Foray Award – Ross Iwamoto for significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation; Ub Iwerks Award – Autodesk for the development of digital entertainment creation tools that play an essential role in animated productions, films, video games and commercials worldwide; Special Achievement Annie Award – “Waking Sleeping Beauty” for the documentary about the turbulent and fruitful years of Disney Animation (1984-1994) when the studio went from outworn anachronism to Hollywood juggernaut, creating a string of influential films and ushering in a ‘second golden age’ of animation.The Annie Awards’ black-tie ceremony will feature a lively mix of animation luminaries, celebrity presenters and comedic talent to celebrate this year’s best of the best. A pre-reception begins at 5:00 pm with the awards ceremony following 7:00 pm. A post-show celebration immediately follows at UCLA’s Royce Hall. More than 1,500 entertainment industry insiders are expected to attend the annual Annie Awards.

ASIFA-Hollywood is the largest of an international network of chapters and supports a range of animation initiatives through its membership. Current projects include an animation archive, library and museum, classes and screenings, and animated film preservation efforts. The Industry’s oldest and most prestigious award, The Annie Award is considered an important industry benchmark and an annual predictor of the Academy Award for best animated feature.

2010 ANNIE AWARD NOMINATIONS BY CATEGORY

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

Best Animated Feature
Despicable Me – Illumination Entertainment
How to Train Your Dragon – DreamWorks Animation
Tangled – Disney
The Illusionist – Django Films
Toy Story 3 – Disney/Pixar

Best Animated Short Subject
Coyote Falls - Warner Bros. Animation
Day & Night – Pixar
Enrique Wrecks the World - House of Chai
The Cow Who Wanted To Be A Hamburger - Plymptoons Studio
The Renter - Jason Carpenter

Best Animated Television Production
Futurama - The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Television
Kung Fu Panda Holiday - DreamWorks Animation
Scared Shrekless - DreamWorks Animation
Star Wars: The Clone Wars “Arc Troopers” - Lucasfilm Animation, Ltd.
The Simpsons - Gracie Films

Best Animated Television Production for Children
Adventure Time - Cartoon Network Studios
Cloudbread – GIMC
Fanboy & Chum Chum - Nickelodeon, Frederator
Regular Show - Cartoon Network Studios
SpongeBob SquarePants – Nickelodeon

Best Animated Video Game
Heavy Rain - Quantic Dream
Kirby's Epic Yarn - Good-Feel & HAL Laboratory
Limbo – Playdead
Shank - Klei Entertainment Inc.
 

NVIDIA Introduces NVS Business Graphics Solutions

NVIDIA announced today the immediate availability of the NVIDIA NVS 300 Business Graphics Solution, a graphics processor designed for the enterprise that delivers exceptional visual fidelity across up to eight displays while consuming minimal power.With nearly 25 percent more efficient power utilization1, the NVS 300 graphics processor is designed for mission-critical applications ranging from command and control centers, to securities trading floors, to digital signage installations.The NVS graphics processor brand has become the standard for multi-display business computing environments because it is easy to deploy, cost-effective and power efficient.The NVS 300 graphics processor simplifies IT administration, offering the most versatile display connectivity available in a low-profile, space saving graphics card design. Regardless of the display type (LCD, DLP or plasma) or system type (standard tower PC, workstation or small form factor system), the NVS 300 delivers the best image quality, supporting VGA, DVI, DisplayPort and HDMI at resolutions as high as 2560x1600.With built-in, new NVIDIA Mosaic technology2, and NVIDIA nView Desktop Management Software that support single or multi-display environments, the NVS 300 graphics processor improves user productivity by enabling efficient management of the Windows desktop across multiple displays. NVIDIA Mosaic technology provides seamless taskbar spanning, as well as transparent scaling of any application across up to eight displays. NVIDIA Mosaic technology can be used to enable one or more NVS 300 cards to drive either many independent displays simultaneously, or one ultra-high resolution display.

“The NVS 300 is built for demanding enterprises that require high reliability, improved manageability, and tremendous value,” said Jeff Brown, general manager, Professional Solutions Group, NVIDIA. “The ability to support legacy and current display types provides an upgrade path without disrupting existing, complex installations.”The NVS 300 graphics processor is designed, built and supported by NVIDIA to ensure reliable performance and maximum uptime for the most demanding operating environments. NVIDIA also offers dedicated customer support with personalized service for enterprise customers.The NVS 300 graphics processor is EnergyStar compliant, and with its built-in power management technology, offers exceptional energy efficiency, intelligently adjusting power consumption based on the applications in use—all without sacrificing performance. Its reliable, passive thermal design provides ultra quiet operation and increases the product’s lifespan.
The NVIDIA NVS 300 ($149 MSRP, USD) is available in PCI Express x16 and x1 configurations from major business PC and workstation OEMs, and from authorized distribution partners including: PNY Technolog in the Americas and Europe, ELSA in Japan, and Leadtek in Asia Pacific.

Prime Focus awarded multi picture order worth approx INR 200 Crores

The Prime Focus group has been awarded a multi picture order worth approximately Rs 200 crores, for 2D to 3D stereoscopic conversion work from a leading Hollywood studio to be executed in the next 30-36 months. The jobs will be carried out between its facilities in the North America, UK and India. This is after successful completion of work for Avatar, Clash of the Titans, Cats & Dogs, My Soul to Take and Narnia amongst others.

View-D from Prime Focus is a proprietary system for the conversion of 2D moving images to stereo 3D images. It offers many advantages over alternative conversion methods, including superior quality of converted imagery, significantly shorter production timeframes, more iterations and control over virtually every pixel in the frame, View-D conversions are artist driven. Filmmakers can communicate their creative vision to Prime Focus artists who have the experience and talent of working in feature films, and who can guide them through the 3D workspace we create. For new productions, View-D gives filmmakers a viable alternative to shooting with twin cameras, offering the flexibility to shoot film or digital , to move the camera as they wish, and to work with Prime Focus artists between the cut and the stereo conversion to make the 3D viewing experience as rich as possible.

View-D also unlocks back catalogues, giving clients the opportunity to efficiently convert legacy films and library titles to stereo 3D, allowing faster conversions and better results than ever before. Prime Focus North America, a 100 % subsidiary of the group has filed an application for patenting its trademark technology ‘View D‘ which converts 2D images to 3D.

Tangled' is Disney's 50th animated feature film

For Walt Disney's 50th animated feature, "Tangled," the company went to the well: a Grimm fairy tale. They've long been in Disney's wheelhouse, and here, "Rapunzel" gets the modernization treatment, complete with 3-D rendering, digital animation and a slacker rogue in place of the traditional knight. Most of the dependable Disney trappings are here: crisp animation by Glen Keane, songs by Alan Menken, celebrity voice work. Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) and her flip savior Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) are flat, but as the manipulative, passive-aggressive Mother Gothel, who locks Rapunzel and her 70 feet of blonde hair away in a tower, Broadway veteran Donna Murphy is excellent.

Dan Fogelman's script gets the story out of the tower and on the road, where the wide-eyed Rapunzel takes in the world, include a tavern full of theatrical thugs and moments of budding romance. Gamely toting around her long trail of hair, she uses it inventively, like an Indiana Jones with a built-in whip. It's all an overt, sometimes grating attempt for "Disney magic." But while it's not in the league of Disney's best, it's still a sturdy, pleasant execution by the animation machine, which proves resilient yet again. The movie is rated PG and is 104 minutes long.

Gaming, animation to boost growth of Indian media

India currently gets only 10 per cent of the global animation and gaming contracts and the Indian Animation and Gaming industry, with an annual growth rate of 32 percent, stands at $739 million, according to a research report by Deloitte. MUMBAI, INDIA: The Indian media industry is likely to get a huge boost from the gaming, broadcasting and animation industry in the country, which is expecting a substantial increase in revenue in coming years from increased thrust on global outsourcing of content.India currently gets only 10 per cent of the global animation and gaming contracts and the Indian Animation and Gaming industry, with an annual growth rate of 32 percent, stands at $739 million, according to a research report by Deloitte.

The Indian Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry stood at $12.9 billion in 2009, and over the next five years is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13 percent at $24.04 billion by 2014. Additionally, the gaming segment is expected to be the fastest growing sector with a CAGR of 32 percent to reach $705.2 million by 2014, while the animation segment is expected to record a CAGR of 18.7 percent in the next five years, the report said. The industry will also benefit from an increased thrust within India on increasing budgets, superior quality movies and animation content, it added. The onset of third-generation wireless technology will help promote the gaming industry while increased digitisation will benefit the broadcasting sector, the report stated

Hydraulx Builds Innovative DI Workflow for Skyline

Digital Vision, the leading supplier of color grading, finishing, mastering and restoration solutions for the broadcast, film and commercial industries, has announced that its award winning OpenEXR/HDR work was an essential component in the innovative workflow developed at Hydraulx. Hydraulx is the uniquely designed, award-winning post-production facility based in Santa Monica, California, operated by Greg and Colin Strause, The Brothers Strause. Their innovative company has built an extensive list of blockbuster visual effects credits including Iron Man 2, Avatar and Wolverine. The Hydraulx team set out to create an end-to-end DI workflow that mimicked the image quality of a visual effects pipeline. Hydraulx relied upon Digital Vision's Nucoda Film Master throughout the post-production process for their highly anticipated Sci Fi thriller, Skyline.

To facilitate high-quality manipulation of images, the Nucoda Film Master was used in 32bit floating point processing mode, utilizing the OpenEXR "float" file format. This innovative "Half Float" pipeline, as used by the likes of Pixar, allows the intended quality envisioned by the creators to be retained and delivered. Hydraulx has built a meticulous quality control process for the pipeline they've designed by implementing custom, proprietary software that completely automates the process of tracking visual effects shots. "Our tools and process push our accuracy past our competitors and support a powerful workflow for thousands of VFX shots," explained Greg Strause

NVIDIA 3DTV Play to enable 3D gaming and viewing on TV Screens

Company NVIDIA today announced the launch of its new software NVIDIA 3DTV Play, which allows users to connect laptop and desktop computers with support for NVIDIA 3D Vision to 3D-TV with HDMI 1.4 interface and display high definition images on large screen. The new software runs on OS Microsoft Windows Vista and Windows 7, supports most models of 3D-HDTV, and compatible 3D-glasses of all the major TV manufacturers. By adding compatible playback software and audio / video receivers, users of the systems based on GPU GeForce with architecture NVIDIA Fermi get 24-bit HD multi-channel sound at a frequency of up to 192 kHz or lossless audio format DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD. This will allow playing of 3D Blu-ray discs in 1080p streaming with HD-surround sound. Owners of computers with NVIDIA 3D Vision can download NVIDIA 3DTV Play for free with the latest version of drivers GeForce 260 GPU for desktops and Verde 260 for laptops. In November, the new software will be available on the NVIDIA site as an upgrade for PCs based on NVIDIA GeForce GPU and Microsoft Windows 7.

In addition, NVIDIA 3DTV Play already comes preinstalled on certain models of computers, including home theater (HTPC) from ASRock and Zotac, and also on new Dell XPS laptops with processors NVIDIA GeForce 400M. The software will also be supplied with computers, announcement about which is expected in coming months. “3D games, video and photos on a big screen 3D HD-TV is an amazing experience,” said Phil Eisler, general manager of 3D Vision at Nvidia. “GeForce PCs with 3DTV Play software enable users to play nearly 500 games on a 3D TV. That’s far more than any other platform.”

First ever animation film on Pele to be released by mid-2012

It was back in 2008 when Goal.com had exclusively reported of an Indian animation company Compact Disc India Limited’s intention to work on an animation movie on one of the most celebrated players to grace the game of football ever – Pele.The total budget of this project including feature film, multi-platform gaming and merchandising was expected to be in the region of US$63 million.On the occasion of the legend’s 70th birthday, Goal.com asked when the movie is slated for release and how much of it has been completed since the project was first announced

“We have completed about 60% of the movie. The idea is to release the movie by mid-2012,” informed Kumar.A Brazilian company Prime Licensing, which jointly holds the world marketing and licensing of Brand Pele along with IMG, shall jointly enjoy the commercial benefits of the movie. When asked as to what was the idea behind Pele doing an animation movie, Ferreira had told Goal.com:” Pele’s story is both inspiring and unique and the idea to tell through different media is natural. “An animation film is the opportunity to tell such a story to a particular audience and naturally inspire kids and keep Pele’s legend strong and powerful, generation after generation.“Pele brand has grown considerably all over the world, and, of course Asia is a very vital territory in our plans. We definitely hope that this deal reinforces the emotional connection with consumers in India and Asia as well, opening doors to many other

Toonpur Ka Superhero' Release on Dec. 17, 2010.

'Toonpur Ka Superhero' is action comedy flick, directed by Kireet Khurana.Produced by Krishika Lulla, TKS features Ajay Devgan, Kajol, Amev Pandya and Chinky Jaiswal as protagonists.Other thespians is this action-cum-animation flick are Mukesh Tiwari, Sanjay Mishra, Satish Sharma, Delnaz Paul and Sherveer Vakil.Besides the aforementioned actors, Tanuja and Raza Murad have performed cameos. 

Storyline of 'Toonpur Ka Superhero'
'Toonpur Ka Superhero' highlights the hardships faced by a father while trying to be children's super-dad in real life.In a nutshell, Aditya (Ajay Devgan), a film superstar, and his wife Priya (Kajol) have all they ever wanted to achieve. But their two children, Kabeer (Amev) and Raima (Chinky), want their dad to be a super hero in real life, apart from being in reel life.Suddenly, an opportunity knocks at door when Aditya finds himself in Toonpur, the land of his children's favorite cartoon show where he has to fight against Toonasurs (bad toons) to save Devtoons (god toons).

Commericial of Nissan-Juke Urban Legend that uses 2D,3D Effects

What makes an Urban Legend? Saving a city from total destruction would be enough, but only if you do it in style, like the Nissan Juke.

MAACJAIPUR SHORT FILM FESTIVAL RESULT

Indian animation sector aims $1.7 billion growth

The Indian animation industry will grow at a compounded annual rate of 30 percent to reach a market size of $1.7 billion by 2012 and add over three lakh skilled animators, an industry lobby said Monday.With over 1.5 lakh skilled animators, it is currently a $1 billion industry. According to a study conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the domestic animation industry will undertake all its production activities within India instead of spending its funds in US, Canada, Malaysia and the Phillippines for making advanced animated movies.It showed India would need skilled professionals like creative animators, conceptualiser, visualiser, 3D modellers, character designer and digital effect artists to handle multimedia softwares like 3D studio Max, Maya and Tictactoon.The study urged the government to help the industry by giving them adequate funding, guidance on manpower development and recognition of the animation courses.According to Assocham, the industry in foreign countries are growing at a high rate because of the special policies and initiaves of the governments.

By recognizing animation courses, students and youths will conveniently get the bank loans which is missing at present, it added.Assocham also suggested to the government that the corporates that intend to set up the suggested parks should be given a minimum of 10 years tax holidays with concessional rates for land allocations equipped with advanced technology to remove the competitive threats from the other countries.However, the chamber expressed concerns that the growth might be restricted due to the shortage of manpower and specialized training institutes, lack of government funding, hi-tech studios and tax incentives.The study also revealed that a huge requirement would be created in India in the field like creative animators, conceptualiser, visualiser, 3D modelers, character designer and digital effect artists to handle multimedia software like 3D studio Max, Maya and Tictactoon.The study also added that by recognizing animation courses, students and youths will conveniently get the bank loans which is still missing in 2010.

First 5 Minutes of ‘Megamind’

Indian Artists‘ massive VFX collabration with studios & artists worldwide for ‘Endhiran - The Robot‘

About 10 studios and a number of freelance artists from across the world have collaborated with Chennai based visual effects studio Indian Artists Computer Graphics Pvt. Ltd for the Rajinikanth starrer VFX magnum opus ‘Endhiran - The Robot‘ that released on October 1st, 2010 all over India. V. Srinivas M Mohan had donned the dual role of being the VFX Supervisor for the entire film supervising the work of the other studios involved and also as the VFX Head at Indian Artists, being on the main studios that did about 80% of the work.LA based Legacy Effects formerly known as Stan Winston Studio that has earlier worked on movies like ‘Terminator‘ and ‘Jurassic Park‘ has worked on the animatronics for the movie. Hong Kong based studios namely Kinomotive Studios and Menfond Electronics & Arts have attended to the supervision of their respective VFX work. Other Indian studios that were involved in the project were Hyderabad based Firefly Studios; Chennai based VenSat, Pixion, EFX Prasad Studios, Ocher Studios, Mayans Creatives and Oysterr Studios. Also some freelancers from London, Canada, Iran, Germany, France and Hong Kong were part of the project.The movie has about 2000 VFX shots that add up to around 60 scenes in the film. The majority of the VFX work has been handled by Chennai based studio Indian Artists under VFX supervisor V. Srinivas M Mohan and Frankie Chung who has worked on films like ‘Kung Fu Hustle‘ and Eddy Wong were the additional VFX Supervisors from Hong Kong studios Kinomotive studios and Menfond Electronics & Arts respectively.The trilingual movie in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu with English subtitles produced by Kalanidhi Maran and directed by Shankar has Rajinikanth and Aishwarya Rai in the lead roles. It‘s a sci-fi movie in which Rajinikanth plays a dual role of a scientist and a robot. The scientist Dr. Vaseegaran creates a robot with artificial intelligence and names it as Chitti, the film goes on to show how Chitti mingles with society.The animatronics was used in about 22 scenes in total for the movie. All the resources and technology available at Stan Winston Studio were used for the same including puppets and mannequins. About 40 mannequins of The Robot Ranjinikanth were got from Stan Winston Studio for the scenes involving number of robots.

The team has used some unique technology such as the Doom Light stage scanning for detail high resolution CGI face. Also the Indian Artists have developed a new proprietary skin shader plugin with the help of Jupiter Jazz, the developers of shake. The shader is open source and the code for it is available at https://code.google.com/p/jupiterskin/.

Srinivas shared "We have used lots of techniques which we haven‘t used before due to budget constraints such as the pre visualization which were much appreciated and welcomed by studios in the Hollywood when we approached them for their services. The concepts were all wonderful and they had liked the approach towards the film that we had. Thanks to Director Shankar sir for fresh and wild ideas with emotional sc-fi script.Pixion Chennai has worked on the complete title sequence and the scenes where in the Robot Chitti uses his hand as a gun. They also contributed around 300 shots in throughout the film. EFX Prasad has worked on the ‘Arima arima‘ song sequence, while Ocher studios worked on the animation sequence where in the antagonist Dr. Bora explains the capabilities of the robots he is creating to the dealers, Mayans Creatives worked on the baby delivery sequence and Oysterr had worked on a shot.

Raju........Film made by MaacJaipur Students Coming Soon.....

 Raju........Film made by MaacJaipur Students Participated in the 24FPS Animation Awards.The 24 FPS Awards are an initiative to bring fresh animation talent on the same platform as the experts and stalwarts from the industry. Over the last few years, these awards have gained momentous support from the animation and computer graphics fraternity. In fact, the number of participants, from a mere 35 in 2003 to over 600 this year, is in itself a testimony to the stature the awards have acquired over the years. Today, 24 FPS Awards are a key driver and promoter of fresh talent in the country.The 24 FPS Awards, instituted and organized by Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC) in 2003, have grown on to become a premier event for celebrating animation talent and high quality computer generated content from India and abroad. MaacJaipur is very excited to take a participation in  24FPS Animation Awards.

MaacJaipur Short Film Festival

MaacJaipur Short Film Festival

MaacJaipur Short Film Festival

MaacJaipur Short Film Festival

MaacJaipur Short Film Festival

MaacJaipur Short Film Festival

MaacJaipur Short Film Festival

MaacJaipur Short Film Festival

MaacJaipur Short Film Festival

Chaos Group‘s V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max to be available by Dec 2010

Chaos Group has announced V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max. Chaos Group products are distributed in India by Aditya Infotech Ltd and its nationwide network of resellers. Ranjit Bhatti, Marketing Head of the Software Division at Aditya Infotech Ltd. gives more insight on this.The next version of the V-Ray rendering engine will come not only with a number of great new and handy features but will also include V-Ray RT - the interactive rendering tool by Chaos Group and its GPU version. V-Ray 2.0 for 3ds Max will perfectly combine the V-Ray for 3ds Max production renderer, plus V-Ray RT on CPU and V-Ray RT on GPU and will become a complete rendering solution for the needs of every production pipeline. The V-Ray 2.0 is planned to be out on the market on the 6th of December 2010. Licensing of V-Ray 2.0 remains the same as it was in V-Ray 1.5. Again the license will be per machine and the users will not be charged with additional price per CPU/GPU. Also, current V-Ray users do not need new dongle in order to upgrade. We have come up with very aggressive prices for our current users who wish to upgrade. They can either contact their respective reseller or get in touch with us on response_software@adityagroup.com for more details on how to upgrade. The upcoming upgrade is per V-Ray 1.5 for 3ds Max license and NOT V-Ray RT license.For those users who have recently bought the Three in One Bundle, the V-Ray 2.0 Upgrade is free.Preorder of V-Ray 2.0 will start on 1st of November and will end on the 3rd of December 2010. There will be a special price for those users who make use of this preorder facility. After the 6th December 2010, V-Ray 2.0 will come at the full price. The GPU based rendering tool by Chaos Group is now in public beta. The GPU version of the interactive rendering engine V-Ray RT for 3ds Max allows up to 30 times faster rendering times and real time interaction with the virtual environment within the 3ds Max. After the beta period the V-Ray RT GPU will become part of V-Ray 2.0 to deliver a complete and extremely powerful rendering solution for the demanding requirements of every production pipeline. The V-Ray RT GPU Beta is open to all current users of V-Ray RT for 3ds Max.

Autodesk introduces Flame Premium 2011

Autodesk is introducing Autodesk Flame Premium 2011, a powerful solution for 3D visual effects creation, editorial finishing and real-time color grading. Flame Premium combines the latest 2011 extension 1 releases of Autodesk Flame, Autodesk Smoke Advanced and Autodesk Lustre software into a single offering, designed to help post-production companies expand and diversify their creative services more cost-effectively. Flame Premium is being launched at a price substantially less than the cost of purchasing licenses of these products individually. In addition, new cross-grade pricing* offers some Autodesk creative finishing customers potential savings of up to 85 percent."The industry is changing fast with HD, stereoscopic 3D and digital distribution. Companies need the flexibility to do more for less. With Flame Premium, customers can now offer a fuller range of services -- higher-quality visual effects, editorial finishing, and real-time color grading -- all with a single workstation."

"Flame Premium presents a great opportunity for customers to expand their creative services and better compete in a media industry that craves ever-more-sophisticated visual imagery," said Marc Petit, Autodesk senior vice president, Media & Entertainment. "The industry is changing fast with HD, stereoscopic 3D and digital distribution. Companies need the flexibility to do more for less. With Flame Premium, customers can now offer a fuller range of services -- higher-quality visual effects, editorial finishing, and real-time color grading -- all with a single workstation." For the last 20 years, Flame has been a leading tool in high-end post-production. Customers have used Autodesk creative finishing tools (Flame, Smoke Advanced and Lustre) to help create popular television shows ("Lost," "Bones," "House"), and blockbuster movies ("Iron Man 2," "Clash of the Titans," and "Shutter Island"), and award-winning commercials (E*Trade Super Bowl campaign, The Beatles Rock Band video game and Snickers "Game"). Flame and Lustre have each won an Academy Award for Scientific and Technical Achievement. "Many of Autodesk’s customers are the who’s who of post-production around the world," explained Marc Petit. "And, as their business continues to shift from traditional, per-hour, billing models to project-centric models, client-supervised post-production has expanded in nature, remaining a critical offering. Customers now need to deliver more integrated, high-performance, creative services that span the gamut of post-production. As a result, they are looking for more interactive, higher-quality creative solutions that can help them better meet their clients‘ requirements and timelines. Flame Premium offers them a faster, more affordable and highly creative solution, as well as more efficient workflows with its trusted, production-proven toolset all in one box."

Teachers Day.....Celebration.......

Teachers are one of the greatest people whom you can across in your life. They are not only the selfless givers but also the mentors of your life. At every step of your life, you come cross teachers who devote their entire life in the enlightenment of students like you. For sure, teachers’ definition can’t be limited to a subject teacher because anyone who guides you in your life is a teacher. Many a times in life, you feel like thanking your teacher but you do not find a proper occasion. So this teachers’ day commemorate your teachers’ efforts and thank him for being the guiding light in your life.

The festival is celebrated on different dates in different countries. In India, Teacher's Day (also called Teachers' Appreciation Day or National Teacher's Day) is celebrated on 5th of September, every year. The date was selected, because it is the birthday of a timeless teacher and the former President of India - Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. When some of his students and friends approached him and requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday, he said, "instead of celebrating my birthday separately, it would be my proud privilege, if September 5th is observed as Teacher's day". From then onwards, the 5th of September has been observed as Teachers Day, in India

Pixion delivers VFX for ‘Peepli Live‘

Pixion studios continues its streak and beam with pride as they are technically associated with another film and this one goes by the name of ‘Peepli Live‘. The much talked about movie is a clever comical satire on the issue of farmer‘s suicides and subsequent media and political response to it. Produced under the banner of Aamir Khan Productions, the movie is directed by debutant director Anusha Rizvi, who was a journalist prior to venturing into the arena of film direction. Some of the shots that Pixion worked on included creating the entire look and logos of the 2 rival channels, its complete packaging, creating tickers for the same and a few clean ups too. A total of 65 shots were done under the VFX supervision of Prasad Sutar and composting head Ranadheer Reddy and composting lead Dinesh Solanki. A team of 12 artists worked on the project which took around 20 days to be completed. The matte painter on this project was Chandrakant Shenoy who was a key element in setting up the look of the two rival channels that were shown in the film.

 

The film released in Mumbai on the 13th of August 2010 to great critical and public acclaim and commercial success too. Speaking to AnimationXpress.com, Prasad Sutar, VFX supervisor of the movie said, "We designed the look and logos of the two rival English and Hindi channels prior to the shoot itself, therefore this saved a lot of composting work. Due to this the team of the film was also able to save a lot of time in the post-production stage."ixion was involved in the movie right from the scripting stage. "Aamir Khan Productions is very clear about the fact that the studio should be given the script to read before starting any kind of work on the project and since we did work with them for the movie ‘Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane na‘ earlier, we already knew the dedication and depth they have towards their work," Prasad further adds. Speaking of their experience of working with a debutant director Anusha Rizvi, Prasad says, "It was a pleasant experience working with her. She exactly knew what she wanted from our side and therefore the communication became much easier. She saw to it that we made the two channels stand out from each other in a distinct manner. This definitely helped us to give our best towards the film."

Ramayana - The Epic’ to release for Dusshera in October

On this Dusshera in October 2010, acclaimed filmmaker Ketan Mehta unleashes mythic storytelling and the expressive depth of 3D computer animation in the form of Maya Movies Pvt Ltd‘s ‘Ramayana - The Epic‘ a timeless tale of love and valor, virtue and honour. The film will be released on a grand scale across India with versions in Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati and Marathi as well as Hindi and English..

Every time one hears about Ramayana, it‘s always been about Ram Vs Ravan, but this time around with ‘Ramayana - The Epic‘, it‘s the other way round, and the audience will get to see a Ravan vs Ram perspective story. A Maya Digital Media production wins kudos for one of the most ambitious and expensive full length 3D animation feature films made in India. Having witnessed a sneak peak of the theatrical trailer, the theme of the film is mythological adventure yet the art of story telling is very contemporary with action sequences. Maya Movies is in talks with Warner bros for the worldwide distribution of the film, Rajshri New Media and Hungama for the digital platforms. Talks are on for the rights for the nice catchy tunes targeted to kids and the mobile content rights. Looking at a 360 degree monetization they are also looking to make deals with publishers for graphic novels and also have merchandising plans along with gaming. Ketan Mehta, a world wide renowned name says, "The legend of Rama, the original Indian Superhero, is the most popular Indian story ever told. With Ramayana - The Epic Indian animation industry is scaling new heights. It is a spectacular audio visual experience far beyond any thing ever attempted in India with skills and designs matching international standards of Computer animation and Digital Visual effects. Art inspires technology, and technology inspires art." Chetan Desai the debutant director says "Ramayana-The Epic is the end result of nearly 5 years of hard work. The concept consumed me for nearly 3 years after which we worked on our computer screens day and night for over two years to come up with the final result. The film is like my first baby and will always have a special place in my career and life. Now all hopes are pinned on the audience- I hope they accept it with as much love as we have made the film with."

He also shares the credit with his team of techno - artists to have been able to create some of the most complex 3D animated characters and costumes, virtual sets and landscapes. Also adding to the above, he mentions innovative techniques and processes had to be invented to give it the epic scale and bring it to life.
Producer Deepa Sahi adds "Ramayana - The Epic with its moving contemplation of mortality, human values and power of good over evil is a perfect piece of popular entertainment that will be watched and loved by all ages. Just like the classic tale it has action, emotion and vivid characters, and it always keeps moving forward." Ramayana - The Epic has Manoj Bajpayee, Juhi Chawla, and Ashutosh Rana lending their voices to the lead characters of Ram, Sita and Ravan respectively.

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Animated Terminator Project in Rights Dispute

Plans for a 3D animated movie based on the hit Terminator movie series has hit a legal snag related to ownership of certain rights to the franchise. The project was announced last week in a press release from Hannover House and Red Bear Entertainment, and was immediately met with a cease and desist letter from Pacificor, which owns the rights to franchise, reports Deadline.com. Hannover House CEO Eric Parkinson told Deadline.com that he has certain proprietary rights that allow him to make the film. Those rights are related to Parkinson’s tenure at Hemdale Home Video, which once owned the much-passed-about rights to the franchise. Parkinson told the site he received animation rights to the franchise when he left the company.

He also says he intends to show Pacificor that he has backers in place to make the $70 million movie and that it will deliver a big payday to the company. Executives from the two companies have set a meeting to discuss a way to proceed with the project, Deadline says.

Disney Pixar‘s ‘Toy Story 3‘ becomes the highest grossing animated film of all time

With record-breaking box office tallies around the world, Disney Pixar‘s Toy Story 3 has become the highest-grossing animated film of all time taking in more than $920 million at the global box office to date. This weekend, the critically acclaimed Toy Story 3 is expected to become Disney‘s second film to cross the $400 million domestic threshold and currently ranks as the 4th highest grossing film in company history globally. While Buzz, Woody and the gang delight audiences in theatres around the world, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has also announced that Toy Story 3 will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on November 2, 2010. "In 1995, the talented team at Pixar introduced a cowboy, a space ranger and their friends who have gone on to become some of the most beloved characters in the world. The success of Toy Story is due to the tremendously creative and innovative team at Pixar, led by John Lasseter and Ed Catmull, and our incredible marketing and distribution teams around the world," said Rich Ross, Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios. "In Toy Story 3, director Lee Unkrich, producer Darla Anderson and the incredible team at Pixar have given audiences a film that continued the rich storytelling and character building that have become synonymous with every Pixar release."

Toy Story 3 started its record-breaking domestic run on June 18 becoming Disney Pixar‘s highest grossing opening weekend taking in $109 million and marking the highest June opening in industry history. Toy Story 3 was the 11th Disney Pixar title to debut in the #1 position on the opening weekend of release. Toy Story 3 continues to charm audiences around the world, tallying more than $518 million to date, and is expected to become Disney‘s largest international animated release this weekend. Latin American audiences have contributed $138 million making Toy Story 3 the highest ever grossing Disney film in the region. The film has ranked as the #1 film in the UK for four consecutive weeks and is the most successful release in company history with $90 million to date. Another key driver of the film is Japan, where the film has taken in $84 million while spending five consecutive weeks as the #1 movie in the territory. Toy Story 3 is climbing the box office charts, and currently ranks as the #14 film in global box office history.

Make Bedtimes Delightful with Toy Story 3 Range

Spearmark Lighting, leading UK manufacturers of child safe lighting, has launched a range of products based on smash-hit 3d animation movie Toy Story 3.The latest instalment of one of the most successful franchises in movie history, Toy Story 3, follows the ongoing adventures of Woody, Buzz Lightyear and friends as they are mistakenly sent to a children’s nursery, where they have to fight against the sinister regime of Lots-O’-Huggin’ Bear to find their way back home. Featuring voice talents such as Tom Hanks, Whoopi Goldberg and Timothy Dalton the film has been showing to sell-out audiences across the UK since its July release. The new range from Spearmark features a wide variety of products that are sure to delight Toy Story fans, including a fantastic bright, energy saving LED lamp. This neat lamp, with its large user-friendly on/off button and can be powered by mains adapter or by batteries, making for an excellent portable light that can be taken anywhere and everywhere, perfect for encouraging children to do their homework or reading their favourite book!

Other products in the range include a Rise & Shine sleeptime routine trainer, which is in the shape of a space rocket, a battery operated nightlight, a bedside KOOL lamp, a colour changing mini glitter lamp plus, a number of ceiling shades and a fun 3D lenticular bin. Prices range from £3.99 to £25.00, ensuring that all sales channels are catered for, from discount to premium. “As expected, Toy Story 3 is proving to be a huge hit and we are very excited about the potential offered by our range. All the products look great on-shelf and are competitively priced too so, we are confident that they will perform extremely well at retail,” says Alex Bloom, commercial director at Spearmark.

The Foundry introduces two new tools for Adobe After Effects

The Foundry‘s new camera tracker analyses source sequences to extract the original camera‘s lens and motion parameters, allowing you to composite 2D or 3D correctly with reference to the camera used to film the shot. You can now match camera moves within the Adobe After Effects 2.5D environment, opening up new, robust options for the placement of composite elements. Create Fringe/Heroes style ‘in scene‘ titles, extend virtual sets, integrate motion graphics elements into a scene, and much more. This technology was previously only available in NukeX, The Foundry‘s high-end film compositing tool but you can now do all this in Adobe After Effects without exiting your application. "It‘s amazing having this ability right in the After Effects environment that so many artists are used to. Thank you The Foundry!" said Danny Princz - Motion Graphics-VFX artist and Prof at FXPHD.

"These new 64-bit plug-ins from The Foundry will help artists who use Adobe After Effects CS5 to create high-impact motion graphics and handle the trickiest compositing tasks more easily," said Michael Coleman, senior product manager for Adobe After Effects at Adobe. Kronos 5.0 is a new accelerated retimer and motion blur plug-in set based on The Foundry‘s Academy Award Winning Furnace algorithms. Kronos 5.0 is the first product to be accelerated by The Foundry‘s new ‘Blink‘ technology, dramatically speeding up render times and taking retiming to a whole new level. BlinkTM runs our software on CPUs and supported NVidia CUDA GPUs allowing the extraction of peak performance from your hardware.
Kronos 5.0 produces far superior results by creating brand new frames using optical flow information. This avoids the poor quality output usually encountered when repeating frames such as blurring and stuttering, and is much faster than other pixel flow based techniques. Clever maths is employed to look at every pixel on each frame, and see where it moves to on the next. By comparing the two it can make a very good guess at what would come in-between allowing the creation of additional frames and a super smooth slow motion result. "The results are very impressive. I slowed down a car and the result was very close to real slow motion. Nice!" said Michael Auerswald, AE User. Jack Binks, Plug-ins‘ Product Manager at The Foundry, commented "We are really excited to bring these new tools to the After Effects platform and can‘t wait to see how artists employ their power and flexibility. We look forward to seeing the results."

Cine Darbaar to organize 3-day Animation film festival ‘Anime Cine Experience

The Foundry‘s new camera tracker analyses source sequences to extract the original camera‘s lens and motion parameters, allowing you to composite 2D or 3D correctly with reference to the camera used to film the shot. You can now match camera moves within the Adobe After Effects 2.5D environment, opening up new, robust options for the placement of composite elements. Create Fringe/Heroes style ‘in scene‘ titles, extend virtual sets, integrate motion graphics elements into a scene, and much more. This technology was previously only available in NukeX, The Foundry‘s high-end film compositing tool but you can now do all this in Adobe After Effects without exiting your application. "It‘s amazing having this ability right in the After Effects environment that so many artists are used to. Thank you The Foundry!" said Danny Princz - Motion Graphics-VFX artist and Prof at FXPHD. "These new 64-bit plug-ins from The Foundry will help artists who use Adobe After Effects CS5 to create high-impact motion graphics and handle the trickiest compositing tasks more easily," said Michael Coleman, senior product manager for Adobe After Effects at Adobe. Kronos 5.0 is a new accelerated retimer and motion blur plug-in set based on The Foundry‘s Academy Award Winning Furnace algorithms. Kronos 5.0 is the first product to be accelerated by The Foundry‘s new ‘Blink‘ technology, dramatically speeding up render times and taking retiming to a whole new level. BlinkTM runs our software on CPUs and supported NVidia CUDA GPUs allowing the extraction of peak performance from your hardware.

 

 

Kronos 5.0 produces far superior results by creating brand new frames using optical flow information. This avoids the poor quality output usually encountered when repeating frames such as blurring and stuttering, and is much faster than other pixel flow based techniques. Clever maths is employed to look at every pixel on each frame, and see where it moves to on the next. By comparing the two it can make a very good guess at what would come in-between allowing the creation of additional frames and a super smooth slow motion result. "The results are very impressive. I slowed down a car and the result was very close to real slow motion. Nice!" said Michael Auerswald, AE User. Jack Binks, Plug-ins‘ Product Manager at The Foundry, commented "We are really excited to bring these new tools to the After Effects platform and can‘t wait to see how artists employ their power and flexibility. We look forward to seeing the results."

MAAC unveils Diploma in Game Design and Integration

Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC), educator in high-end 3D Animation and Visual Effects has announced the launch of Diploma in Game Design and Integration (DGDI), a one year comprehensive program which is focused to cover all the nuances of game art, design and the integration elements.DGDI spans over two semesters which covers all the aesthetics and technical details of the game development process which includes Digital Asset Creation and integration of them in the game engine. Speaking about the course, Ram Warrier, Business Head, MAAC said, "Considering the explosive growth of the gaming industry and the considerable increase in demand for a comprehensive course in game development, MAAC has introduced this impeccable course to reach out to a wide number of enthusiasts aspiring to enter this booming industry. The program will not only help students to develop their own full fledged portfolio but also give them a unique opportunity to benefit from an exhaustive curriculum, in an inspiring environment, trained by competent faculty and guided by interaction with industry experts.DGDI offers certification in game design, game art and integration and covers wide range of topics from Game Development Pipeline, Environment Modeling, Rigging, Game Concept art, texturing, sculpting, character modeling, portfolio development, Next-Gen character development, Next- Gen Vehicle modeling to name a few. On completion of the course students can pursue their career in 3D Game Design, Simulator Graphics, Web 3D Graphics, Interactive Product Demos, Interactive Architectural Walkthroughs, game Testing Jobs and 3D Game Modeler.

New NVIDIA Fermi-class Quadro Launches the Era of Computational Visualization

NVIDIA (Booth #717) today launched the era of the ‘computational visualization workstation’ for designers, engineers, researchers and animators by introducing its Quadro® graphics processing units (GPUs) based on NVIDIA® Fermi architecture, and by also introducing the new NVIDIA 3D Vision™ Pro solution. The new Quadro GPUs deliver performance that is up to five times faster for 3D applications and up to eight times faster for computational simulation1, shattering previous benchmarks.The NVIDIA Quadro Plex 7000 array, and Quadro 6000, Quadro 5000 and Quadro 4000 GPUs feature the new NVIDIA® Scalable Geometry Engines and leverage NVIDIA Application Acceleration Engines (AXE) to enable the world’s fastest performance across a broad range of CAD, DCC and visualization applications2. Rated at an unheard of 1.3 billion triangles per second in raw performance3, the Quadro 6000 enables users to interactively work with models and scenes that are five times more complex than ever before.

“For over a decade Quadro has been the choice of professionals around the world. We’ve also built Engines like AXE to enable the creation of next-gen applications,” said Jeff Brown, general manager, Professional Solutions Group, NVIDIA. “When you couple these technologies with our Fermi architecture, the result is a new Quadro family that’s exponentially better than anything the market has ever seen.Combining high performance computing capabilities with advanced visualization, the new Quadro GPU is the world’s first professional graphics solution with Error Correction Codes (ECC) memory and fast, IEEE double precision floating point performance. These are intended for applications demanding the highest accuracy, such as medical imaging, finite element analysis and computational fluid dynamics.“In high-end visual effects development, fast iteration is essential," said Olivier Maury, research and development engineer, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). "By using NVIDIA Quadro GPUs, we are seeing up to eight iterations each day of complex fire, dust and air simulations, representing speed improvements of ten to fifteen times. NVIDIA CUDA and Quadro GPUs have entirely changed the way we solve complex visual effects challenges.”The new Quadro GPUs are built on industry standards, including OpenGL 4.1, DirectX 11, DirectCompute and OpenCL. In addition, Quadro leverages technologies that are unique to NVIDIA – such as the company’s portfolio of Application Acceleration Engines (AXE) and NVIDIA CUDA™ parallel processing architecture. The result is that software developers are able to create and deliver the next-generation of professional applications that incorporate compute-intensive tasks. Among these tasks are ray tracing, physics simulation, computational fluid dynamics and real-time video effects processing.

“NVIDIA isn’t just working on building better graphics hardware, but the software tools needed to drive the needed advancements that are now changing the industry,” said Rob Enderle, principal analyst, Enderle Group. “NVIDIA was committed to building tool after tool this past decade in order to drive the market where they needed it to go, and their efforts are paying off.”
Quadro Plex 7000, with 12 GB (total) of memory and 896 CUDA cores
Quadro 6000, with 6 GB of GDDR5 memory and 448 CUDA cores
Quadro 5000, with 2.5 GB of GDDR5 memory and 352 CUDA cores
Quadro 4000, with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory and 256 CUDA cores
Quadro 5000M, mobile workstation GPU with 2 GB of GDDR5 memory and 320 CUDA cores
Additionally, all Quadro products are compatible with the new NVIDIA 3D Vision Pro active shutter-glasses solution, also announced today, for the highest-quality stereoscopic 3D immersive experience.
“As the first professional-class GPUs to integrate high performance computing with advanced visualization, NVIDIA Quadro combined with Dell Precision workstations are poised to transform workflows,” said Greg Weir, senior manager, Dell Precision Workstations Product and ISV Marketing. “With this technology, we are enabling our design, research, animation and film customers to deliver higher quality results in less time.”NVIDIA continues to push the envelope on delivering cutting-edge graphics solutions,”said Rob Herman, director of product marketing, worldwide ThinkStation Business Unit, Lenovo. We’re actively incorporating these latest graphics into our newly upgraded ThinkStation C20 and D20 workstations to deliver innovative, ‘visual supercomputers’ to our customers.”

The Quadro 4000 (INR 79,134 MSRP) and Quadro 5000 (INR 1,64,934 MSRP) are available immediately through all channels. The Quadro 6000 (INR 3,29,934 MSRP) and Quadro Plex 7000 will be available this fall. Mobile workstations based on the Quadro 5000M will be available in the third quarter of 2010 from HP and Dell.The newest Quadro solutions are being featured at SIGGRAPH 2010 in the NVIDIA booth, #717, South Hall, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, from July 27-29, 2010

Indian animation sector set to grow at 21.8%, says repor

NEW DELHI: India is the sweatshop for the global animation and gaming industry, expected to grow at an estimated 21.8%, but hurdles like dearth of quality talent and studios are issues affecting the nascent industry. According to PricewaterhouseCooper's Indian Entertainment & Media Outlook for 2010, the industry is estimated to grow at Rs 23.8 billion with an increased usage of social gaming and online gaming.According to the report, India continues to leverage its low cost advantage combined with the entreprenuerial drive of its companies to position itself on the global front but issues that are acting as hurdles include dearth of quality talent in animation and VFX, piracy affecting gaming industry, expensive hardware delaying the penetration of console gaming and lack of quality studios for high-end animation.India's entertainment and media industry is forecast to grow by 12.4% annually to reach a size of over Rs 1.04 lakh crore by 2014, on the back of recovery in advertising and consumer spending, the study said. "The industry is expected to touch Rs 1,04,000 crore, growing cumulatively at 12.4% by 2014," the report said. The industry witnessed a very slow growth at 2.2% in 2009 amid the global downturn that affected India partially.This slump was largely due to the lower-than-expected uptake in advertisement spend, which registered no growth, and therefore affected sectors like print, radio as well as internet advertising. "Many of the factors, which caused the slowdown in 2009, are not likely to persist. With confidence returning alongside a likely increase in consumer and advertisement spends, the E&M industry is looking to get back to the high-growth trajectory," PwC India entertainment & media practice leader Timmy S Kandhari said.

Television is projected to continue to be the major contributor to the overall revenue pie of India's E&M industry. TV is estimated to grow at a stable rate of 12.9% cumulatively, over the next five years, to Rs 48,800 crore by 2014 from an estimated Rs 26,550 crore in 2009, the PwC report stated.

Mahatama Gandhi National Foundation set to release 2D animation film ‘My Dear Bapuji

The Mahatama Gandhi National Foundation is planning to release a 2D animation film on Mahatama Gandhi titled ‘My Dear Bapuji‘ on August 15th 2010. The 45 min 2D animated biography made at a budget of INR 17 lakhs is produced in Malayalam and will be dubbed in English, Hindi and other languages.The film is made by Mahatama Gandhi National Foundation, produced by Kochi based animation studio Krinsha Infotech and is part of the propaganda at the national level-Know Gandhiji- with a view to impart Gandhiji‘s ideals to the young generation. The film is set to be released for the television medium initially and later on for the home video market as well which would be made available in both CDs and DVDs.

Speaking to AnimationXpress.com Krishna Infotech CEO and Producer of the film Retheesh Pazhayaveettil said "The project of the animation film was triggered by an earnest longing to keep Gandhiji alive in the hearts of the young generation. We felt there is need that the younger generation should know about the life of Gandhiji and the best medium to tell it in an interesting manner was the animation medium. The next in the line would be a film on Subash Chandra Bose that we are working on."Produced by Retheesh Pazhayaveettil and Directed by A.K Saibar, the animation for the film is done by a small team at Krishna Infotech in about 15 months. The film is targeted towards young children, for them to know about the life of Gandhiji and the programme aims at warning the children about the evils of racism and terrorism.

The story is that three children come across a Genie who enlightens them on how to be successful in life by gaining knowledge. Children ask the Genie about Mahatma Gandhi. The Genie assumes the shape of their favorite Meena teacher and narrates Gandhiji‘s life to the children. The significant happenings throughout Gandhiji‘s life are presented in the film. Gandhiji‘s honesty, nonviolent strikes, his good heartedness and secular outlook are all briefly dealt with in this animation film aiming at creating awareness in children of the great ideals of the Father of our nation. Gandhiji‘s birth, his mother‘s devotion to God, the stories of his honesty in school years, the story of Sravanakumaran from the Puranas which enhances one‘s love for one‘s parents, the incident in which Gandhiji as a boy does penance before his father for dishonesty, the way he keeps his promise to his mother while living in London, the discrimination meted out to him during a train journey in South Africa and how this initiates him into public activities, how he becomes a leader of the struggle for freedom, the first harthal, the massacre of Jalian Wala Bag, the non-cooperation movement, the salt strike, Jinnah‘s insistence on forming Pakistan, Gandhiji‘s secularist ideals, racial revolts and Gandhiji‘s views on the mediocrity in India are the major themes covered. The narration winds up with the brutal assassination of the Mahatma by Godse. The potential viewers being children, the whole presentation has been rendered in keeping with their tastes and interests. The work is fast nearing completion at the Krishna Infotech, Vaittila, Kochi.The Foundation also has plans to produce animation films on great freedom fighters like Subash Chandra Bose, Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad, among others. Krishna Infotech was started in 2007 and was initially called Cat Animation and has produced 140X5 min episodes television series of popular Malayalam comics Bobanum Moliyum

Zapak brings leading North American toy maker - Spin Master to India

Zapak Games, the licensing & merchandising arm of Zapak Digital Entertainment Ltd has announced its association with global toy maker Spin Master Ltd., who according to NPD Data is North America‘s 3rd largest toy company. 

Zapak Games will be the exclusive distributor for many of Spin Master‘s largest brands in India. The launch of Spin Master toys in India will be divided in phases. The initial phase will be in July 2010, which will include globally recognized brands like, Air Hogs (Toy of the Year 2002), Bendaroos, GloDoodle, Liv Dolls and Moon Sand (Toy of the Year 2007).Commenting on this association, Vaibhav Odhekar, Business Head, Zapak Games said, "We are thrilled to have associated with Spin Master, Zapak Games is already amongst the top 10 licensing & merchandising brands in the country and this association will help us make a stronger footprint in the toy and merchandise business in India and at the same time help us build a strong brand in the kids segment. With Spin Master‘s toys we will look at introducing creative and innovative experience to the Indian audience.Commenting on the association, Allan Rabie, Director International Sales, Spin Master said "We at Spin Master are extremely excited to expand into this vast and diverse country with Zapak. Zapak has the credentials and experience to execute our business to become a major force in India; we couldn‘t be more thrilled about this partnership. A multi-category children‘s entertainment company since 1994, Spin Master has been designing, developing, manufacturing and marketing award winning consumer products for children around the world and is recognized as a global growth leader within the toy industry with distribution in more than 65 countries.Zapak Games is a leader in Gaming CDs and merchandise in India. With a massive distribution network of over 5000 Retail Outlets in more than 144 cities, Zapak Games has built one of the most comprehensive distribution networks in the country.

Autodesk 3ds Max Software Celebrates Its 20th Anniversary

Twenty years ago, Autodesk revolutionized the computer graphics (CG) industry with the introduction of Autodesk 3ds Max software - then known as 3D Studio DOS - one of the first affordable 3D modeling, rendering and animation systems for the PC. Since then, Autodesk has continued to introduce innovative features to empower users in pushing the boundaries of digital entertainment and design visualization.Learn more about how this award-winning software application has enabled the creation of celebrated movies, video games, television shows and commercials at area.autodesk.com/maxturns20. Initially developed by the Yost Group for Autodesk, the first version - 3D Studio DOS r1 - shipped in October 1990, priced at a fraction of the cost of the dedicated workstations then required to create professional 3D animation. The software has since been used to help create Oscar-winning movies, record-setting video games and Emmy-winning television content. Notable entertainment projects include movies "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "The Hurt Locker"; video games "The Sims", "World of Warcraft" and "Halo"; and television content from the Dancing Baby featured on "Ally McBeal" to Oceanic flight 815‘s crash onto the island in "Lost" and the Emmy award-winning opening sequences of Super Bowls XXXIII and XXXVI. The software has also been used by architects, engineers and designers to help visualize designs before they are built, enabling them to make more informed decisions, communicate the story behind their designs and win more business. Some high-profile projects visualized with 3ds Max are One World Trade Center, the Dallas Cowboys stadium and the Las Vegas Sands Macau Hotel and Casino.

"It is incredible to see how far computer graphics have come over the last two decades and thrilling to think of what will be possible in another 20 years," said Marc Petit, Autodesk senior vice president, Media & Entertainment. "Today 3ds Max - used with our other Digital Entertainment Creation and design tools - is helping hundreds of thousands of 3D artists unleash their creativity and work more productively. Our development teams will continue to look to the future, so that what is not possible today may be possible soon." Autodesk has launched a 3ds Max microsite on the AREA - its online digital entertainment and visualization community - to kick off celebrations of the 20th anniversary. The site includes an interactive historical timeline, an image gallery showcasing 3ds Max art by users from around the world, a trivia game and a forum where users can post a wish for 3ds Max. Content on the site will be updated regularly and will soon include downloadable 3ds Max screensaversVisit area.autodesk.com/maxturns20. Autodesk will continue its 3ds Max anniversary celebrations at the SIGGRAPH computer graphics and technology conference in Los Angeles. On each day of the show, Autodesk will give 3ds Max anniversary T-shirts to attendees wearing old 3ds Max apparel. On Wednesday, July 28, from 5-6 p.m. local time at the Autodesk booth (South Hall, #500), top 3ds Max artists from various industries will share their expertise in a special 3ds Max Anniversary Tips & Tricks Extravaganza. Autodesk is also sponsoring the SIGGRAPH Blur Party to celebrate with the talented artists who use 3ds Max to create incredible 3D art.

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 460 Review

NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 460 delivers revolutionary levels of price/performance. With up to 4x the DirectX 11 tessellation performance of the competition*, GeForce GTX 460 packs highly detailed visuals into your games - without sacrificing high frame rates. And with NVIDIA® 3D Vision™, PhysX®, and CUDA™ technologies, GeForce GTX 460 powers all the incredibly realistic effects that your games can throw its way.

At the beginning of this evaluation, we received two reference cards from NVIDIA. We received one of each version of the GTX 460: a 1GB version and a 768MB version. Since they are both reference cards, they both come with the GPU clocked at 675MHz, the CUDA cores clocked at 1.35GHz, and the memory clocked at 3.6GHFrom the front, these video cards look identical. In fact, when we took them out of the box in which they were shipped, the only way we could tell them apart was that one of them has an NVIDIA logo sticker on the fan hub, and the other does not. In the first photo above, the GTX 460 768MB is on the bottom, and the 1GB version is on the top. On the back side, the 768MB model had significantly more stickers and looked clean and new. The 1GB version has just a few stickers, and it looks like it has been handled quite thoroughly.The GeForce GTX 460 looks like a very small version of the GTX 470. It has NVIDIA’s standard high-gloss black plastic heat-sink shroud complete with NVIDIA logos, and a large 80mm fan centered on the shroud. The video card features two 6-pin auxiliary power supply connectors and a single SLI bridge. Tri-SLI is not supported on the GTX 460, so there is some limits in place here with these more budget cards. On the business end, there are two Dual-Link DVI connectors and a single mini-HDMI port.Looking closely at the back of these video cards, there are a few small differences. First, the 1GB version says "Made in USA", while the 768MB says "PCB made in Hong Kong." This is probably just a difference in these reference cards, as we believe that the retail versions will be made in the same facility. Second the 768MB is missing some surface mount components on the back of the PCB, to the left of the GPU bracket, where the memory would be if it was a 1GB version

POGO gives kids a chance to feature as animated avatars with ‘Chhota Bheem

 POGO is offering kids a never before opportunity to be a part of their much loved show Chhota Bheem. The channel today announced ‘Bheem Ki Team‘, a nationwide contest that will give five kids a once in a lifetime opportunity to star as an animated avatar with their favourite hero Chhota Bheem and his friends in a special on-air vignette on POGO. Through an on-ground school contact programme kids will be invited to send in their reasons why ‘Bheem Ki Team needs him/her‘ and (five) kids with the wittiest answers stand to win this exclusive chance. "POGO‘s remarkable Desi Toon, Chhota Bheem is not only a rating rocker but also kids‘ favorite hero in India. Seeing the immense popularity that Chhota Bheem enjoys amongst kids, we decided to create this innovative initiative where ‘real-life‘ fans meet and star with their favourite ‘animated‘ hero. At POGO, it is our constant endeavor to provide and create multiple platforms for our viewers to interact and build a bond with characters they see on-air and the ‘Bheem Ki Team‘ contest is all about rendering this experience." said Monica Tata, Vice President and Deputy General Manager, Entertainment Networks, South Asia, Turner International India.
Besides promoting the contest on the channel, POGO teams will also be visiting around 500 schools across India to invite entries from kids aged between 4-14 years for the "Bheem Ki Team" contest. New Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Indore, Bhopal, Lucknow, Kanpur and Allahabad are the cities that are part of this initiative. The contest will start from July 19, 2010 and children can participate by calling 58888388 and completing the line ‘Bheem Ki Team needs me because…‘. The contest will run until August 31, 2010. A strategic acquisition between POGO and Hyderabad based Green Gold studios - ‘Chhota Bheem‘ captured the hearts and minds of kids in the first year of its launch in April 2006. Creating a rating hatrick, the show for three consecutive years made POGO the No.1 channel with highest shares and viewer time spent during Chhota Bheem airing (CS 4-14 All India). Inspired by the legendary Bheem from the Mahabharata, Bheem stands for his strength and integrity. This fictional take revolves around iconic Bheem, as a nine year old brave and intelligent boy from an imaginary village Dholakpur, who loves to eat and always offers a helping hand to his friends and other villagers.

PlayStation3 released with enhanced capacity

Sony had unveiled PlayStation 3 Slim in September20009 and it was a thinner version that had an improved hard drive capacity and it was the major attraction for the users. It was offered at lower prices and its sleek build immediately was a talking point. Now fresh news about the PlayStation is that the company is thinking of releasing of its new versions. According to the reports, Sony will launch version of the PS3 in Japan in 160GB and 320GB hard drives. Reports are that these two new models with enhanced capacity will be launched on July 29 in Japan. Price of the 160 GB version will be at $342 and the 320GB will be priced at $399. Like the current models, both the versions will be in the charcoal black finish and will be slim. The 160GB version will also be available in white. A release from Sony Japan’s website has said that the company will also launch PlayStation 3 Terrestrial Digital Recorder Pack that will comprise of a Torne digital video recorder as well as a 160GB charcoal black system. The Torne is a digital television receiver and video recorder that was released in Japan earlier this year.

Panchajanya Technologies working on 3D Animation Film "JOO-JOO

Panchajanya Technologies (P) Limited, Chennai an autonomous Animation Creator & Service Provider of CGI animated products for Family Infotainment, is working on their IP, a 3D animated film titled ‘JOO-JOO‘. The 90 min animation feature is scheduled for a theatrical release in May 2011.A team of 50 artists have been working in the production of 3D Animation Film "JOO-JOO" under the aegis of "ITC PANTECH" under Project Leader M.Thangavel Ramani in almost all global language, targeting both anklebiters and adults around the world.Speaking to AnimationXpress.com Panchajanya Technologies ProjectLeader M.Thangavel Ramani said "The creative and technical challenges faced during the initial visual development phase are one of the most exciting times on a project. There are lots of conversations with the Director, Production Designer about the challenges and visual goals. We come up with lots of different ideas to the most efficient solution that our combined professional skills can possibly create.The story in a nut-shell is that the false accusation over the parentless Joo-Joo, by his living village Panchayat, necessitates him to look for close relationship or connection thereby. The migration to the neighbor city with this view makes Joo-Joo to accomplish through smart experience with people from various walks of life.

‘Allen, the Little Prince‘, ‘Giraffe a tall friend‘, ‘Cockroach‘, ‘The Mischievous Crow‘ etc. are some of their upcoming animation products aligned with Joo-Joo. ‘Allen, the Little Prince‘ is a 60 min DVD movie set to release in December 2011. ‘The Mischievous Crow‘ is unique by its nature and very mischievous by birth. It takes a ride on whatever it comes across and it is taken for a ride at the end. It falls prey for whatever mischievous activities it indulged. ‘Giraffe a tall friend‘ is based on a Giraffe that escaped from zoo and its friendship with village children. Panchajanya Technologies is also planning to start animation academy soon.
AdvertisementPanchajanya has been in operation since mid 2007 with the prime objective to be a product of creativity and is a full-service studio specializing in the development and production of digital animated properties for theatrical, television, home entertainment and interactive distribution for the global entertainment industry

Dell Alienware Announced M11X Gaming Laptop

Dell Alienware M11x Gaming laptop, giving the world most powerful 11-inch gaming laptop even more muscle to please diehard enthusiasts who demand a superior gaming experience they can take anywhere. The dell Alienware M11x gaming laptop now offers latest Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processor options combine with the latest NVIDIA Optimus technology to provide the ultimate, High-Definition mobile gaming experience. Intel Turbo Boost technology can further accelerate Core i5 and Core i7 performance when demand peaks. All the Alienware M11x processors are also over-clockable beyond the standard specification to help maximize performance. The powerful NVIDIA GeForce GT 335M provides 1GB of discrete, fast HD graphics performance for more realistic gaming environments and virtual worlds playing stutter-free at high 720p HD screen resolution. Built-in NVIDIA PhysX technology propels hyper-realistic game play on the M11x that shows every dynamic cause-and-effect detail.NVIDIA Optimus technology, a breakthrough for notebook PCs that chooses the best graphics processor for running a given application and automatically routes the workload to either an NVIDIA discrete GPU or Intel integrated graphics delivering great performance while also providing great battery life.

The graphical prowess and computing power of the Alienware M11x are its outstanding features. It has either an Intel 1.3Ghz SU4100 Pentium dual core ultra-low voltage processor or an Intel 1.3Ghz SU7300 Core 2 Duo chip, both overclockable in the BIOS. Not only can the notebook use the mobile Intel 4 series express chipset based GPU, but there's also an Nvidia GeForce GT335M discrete GPU with 1GB of GDDR memory. This combination is good both for playing a decent array of games up to 30 frames per second on the GT335M and for switching over to the basic Intel graphics adaptor for less demanding tasks with prolonged battery life when needed. Gameplay was good enough on the M11x and fairly evenly mimicked Xbox 360 console gameplay using the same game, which we saw playing Bioshock 2 on both devices. Even outputting the game via HDMI to our Samsung 37-inch LCD screen produced good quality 1440x900 resolution - not 1920x1080 although it is somewhat above 720p. The Dell device could handle and play all the games we threw at it, not always on their highest features but with a reasonable medium setting as expected and only really needed when using its smaller screen.