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If there's any doubt that the future of movie technology is reaching new heights, that should be dispelled by the end of the year, when Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis' adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg's prizewinning storybook The Polar Express takes a new approach to computer animation.
Two years ago, Hanks picked up the movie rights to Chris Van Allsburg's book, which he regularly read to his kids at Christmas time. He brought the project to his frequent collaborator Robert Zemeckis, who wrote a script based on the book. The question was how they could bring Allsburg's beautiful oil painting illustrations to life. Zemeckis had animation experience from his groundbreaking work on Who Framed Roger Rabbit while Hanks provided the voice in Pixar Films' first big hit Toy Story and its sequel, and they had used computers when making Forrest Gump to transplant Tom Hanks' character into some historical footage. Making The Polar Express as a computer-animated film seemed the most logical way to go, although they were aware of the limitations of going that route.
They decided to use a new technique dubbed Performance Capture, which would allow an actor of Hanks' caliber to perform the entire movie, rather than simply supplying the voices like in regular computer animated movies. A simpler form of this technology was used to create
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What do you get when you cross the glitzy entertainment panache of Bollywood with India's prowess in information technology?
One possible answer is a thriving special effects industry in which Indian creativity, computer skills and low business costs have dealt it a preferred seat at the global animation table.
And while animation is just one niche of the entertainment industry, it is still big business -- the worldwide market for digital animation could reach $70 billion next year.
That covers more that just the animation component of blockbuster films such as Shrek, Finding Nemo and Lord of the Rings. It includes direct to home videos and DVDs, gaming, merchandising, theme parks and toys.
So far, India's share is still quite small -- a total revenue of $150 million a year for leading companies such as Crest Communications, Pentamedia Graphics, Animation Bridge, Toonz Animation and Paprikaas Animation.
But the potential is huge, particularly as the needs of the film and television industry evolve and India's capability becomes better understood.
One driver is the content itself: the emergence and commercial success of fully animated film and television series in Japan, the United States and Europe (think Princess Mononoke, Final Fantasy, Toy Story, Star Wars).
Another is the ability to use technology that
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Shaun the Sheep, the woolly star of the Wallace and Gromit short A Close Shave, is to get his own show on CBBC, the BBC's digital channel for children.
The 40-part series, commissioned from Aardman Animations, begins production at the end of the year and will be transmitted on CBBC in 2006.
The show will follow the adventures of Shaun and the rest of his flock as they join in with his madcap schemes.
Aardman are currently working on a Wallace and Gromit feature film.
Shaun made his TV debut on Christmas Eve 1996 in Nick Park's Academy Award-winning short.
Since then he has become a regular fixture in schools, appearing on lunchboxes, backpacks and items of clothing.
The new series will see him get up to all kinds of antics, including synchronised swimming in the sheep-dip and dressing up as a scarecrow.
CBBC controller Dorothy Prior describes Shaun as "an adorable character with a big following".
"This is a great opportunity to introduce him and his new friends to a wide audience of children and no doubt their parents too."
Aardman executive Miles Bullogh said he was "very happy to have secured such a strong UK platform" for what he called "a significant global property".
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Coming soon to book stores across the world at the end of October is a collection of articles and essays as written by the animation industry's top professionals, historians, and journalists. Following the history of animation, or rather "from pencil to pixel," Animation Art provides readers with some highly insightful text regarding one of the most unique international industries.
The history of animation will be in a book form on store shelves across the world when Animation Art, a three hundred eight-two page collection of articles, is officially released. What better way to chronicle the continual evolution of one of the most unique international industries than in a book as edited by renowned historian Jerry Beck as originally commissioned by Flame Tree Publishing. Mr. Beck has followed the inner workings of animation, as entertainment and as an art form, for many years. His experience has and is still aiding animation professionals as well as various fans; understand just how fascinating animation really is. Writers for Animation Art include; Fred Patton, Jim Korkis, Frank Gladstone, Rick DeMott, and many, many more, with forewards by Jeffrey Katzenberg and Bill Plympton. Animation Art will begin its release in late October.
"This large format, comprehensive, high quality encyclopedic art book covers the history of
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For those unfamiliar with the Def Jam games, the original released nearly a year ago was in fact the GameCube's best fighting game for a short period, which makes sense as EA teamed up with AKI Corp, the Developer behind arguably the best wrestling game ever made, WWF No Mercy on the N64.
However, Def Jam being a game where you play as the various rappers in the Industry and making them beat each other up without the use of Glock 9mms or their "back up" makes it sounds a little odd, however we assure you it was a good game to be sure, with great gameplay.
That was Vendetta, of course, we are now more worried with how Fight For NY is going. First off, let it be known there are over forty of your favourite rappers and celebrities to beat each other up with and the game doesn't stoop to celebrity death match levels to pull it off, thankfully. Among them are Busta Rhymes, Sean Paul, Snoop Dogg, Ghostface Killah, Method Man, Ludacris, Lil' Kim, Ice T, Redman, as well as celebrities Carmen Electra and Danny Trejo (a personal favourite of mine). However, all this would mean nothing if the gameplay was not up to much, but even with less wrestling connections, it still squares up to the challenge.
Using AKI's traditional wrestling engine, watering it down slightly from Vendetta, it is the standard fare: a grapple button, a strike button and one
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