ITV

Category: Film Production

  • Walt Disney commits $1 million to United Negro College Fund

    Walt Disney commits $1 million to United Negro College Fund

    MUMBAI: UNCF (United Negro College Fund), one of America’s leading minority scholarship organizations, announced a $1 million commitment from The Walt Disney Company to provide scholarships to outstanding African American students and give them the tools to realize their professional goals. 

     

    The Walt Disney Company UNCF Corporate Scholars Program, administered by UNCF, will offer financial assistance to high-achieving African American students in underserved communities across the country, while expanding educational and career resources for them.

     

    “UNCF works to ensure our future leaders have the opportunity to obtain the college degrees they need, and our nation needs them to have. The Walt Disney Company UNCF Corporate Scholars Program expands their academic training into practical experiences, to create a diverse pipeline of college educated professionals poised to assume fulfilling careers in the entertainment industry. The investment we are making in better futures for them now will pay dividends in years to come when they become our next generation of leaders,” said UNCF president and CEO Michael L. Lomax.

     

    “Higher education is the key to a successful future, especially in an increasingly knowledge-driven economy. Our program with UNCF will provide tools and resources to make college more accessible for promising students in historically underserved communities, so they are prepared and empowered to achieve their career dreams,” added The Walt Disney Company chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger.

     

    Paying for college is often the greatest hurdle to achieving a bachelor’s degree, especially for the students UNCF traditionally serves – low-income youth and the first in their families to go to college, with more than 50 per cent coming from families whose incomes are less than $30,000 per year. The Walt Disney Company UNCF Corporate Scholars will be selected based on a competitive application process administered by UNCF. Recommended eligibility criteria include: Underrepresented African American freshmen, enrolled full-time at a four-year college or university; Preference will be given to students attending a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to ensure 50 per cent of each group are derived from these schools; Students must have a demonstrated financial need as verified by their college or university; Students must have a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale; and Students must have an interest in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry (e.g. film, television, hospitality management, journalism, media production, digital media, etc.) as demonstrated by submission of an initial essay and participation in program components.

     

    The Corporate Scholars program also includes the creation of a Career Navigator web-based platform that will provide both career information and tools to a broad network of African American students, as well as targeted support services to scholarship recipients. The platform, to be launched this fall, will help students develop requisite skills, and navigate the transition from college to early-stage careers. Web-based and facilitated learning modules will introduce students to the variety of careers at Disney, and Scholars will also have the opportunity to apply for Disney internships.

     

    Students can find additional information at www.uncf.org/disneyscholars. The application process opens 16 March, 2015 and closes 15 May, 2015.

  • Reliance Entertainment inks 50:50 JV with Phantom Films

    Reliance Entertainment inks 50:50 JV with Phantom Films

    MUMBAI: Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Entertainment has inked a 50:50 joint venture with Phantom Films, a company which is formed by filmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena.

     

    The JV company will leverage the proven creative and production capabilities of the Phantom team, while enjoying access to the established domestic and international sales and distribution infrastructure of Reliance Entertainment. 

           

    The Reliance Entertainment and Phantom Films joint venture plans to develop and produce at least five – six films every year, apart from distribution of films in India and overseas, and syndication of rights from the over 175 films strong library. 

     

    Reliance will own 50 per cent shareholding of the combined business, while the balance 50 per cent will be equally held among the four promoters of Phantom Films. The day-to-day operations of the JV will be managed by Phantom Films.       

     

    Reliance group managing director Amitabh Jhunjhunwala said, ““We are delighted to partner with such creative and talented individuals as Anurag, Madhu, Vikas and Vikramaditya, who have an enviable track record of creating great cinema. This partnership is in line with our evolving strategy in the media and entertainment business, of aligning with like-minded people who are trailblazers in their own field, and playing the role of supportive investors on our part.”

     

    Kashyap added, “This deal opens our windows to international opportunities and talent. We hope to optimise on this opportunity, take Indian cinema international and also attract excellent talent into the country.”

     

    Phantom Films will also be in a position to leverage the world-class capabilities of the recently announced Reliance MediaWorks–Prime Focus combination in digital, visual and special effects, pre and post-production, physical studio, etc., with facilities in Mumbai, London, Los Angeles, Vancouver, etc., and including Double Negative, the UK-based digital and visual effects company.

     

    Reliance’s network includes the wide reach of IM Global, a Reliance Entertainment company based in Los Angeles, with operations in North America, UK and Europe, Asia Pacific, China and Latin America. 

     

    Reliance Entertainment has produced, distributed and released films in multiple Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali.

  • DreamWorks Animation posts loss of $248 million as ‘Penguins’ flop

    DreamWorks Animation posts loss of $248 million as ‘Penguins’ flop

    MUMBAI: DreamWorks Animation posted a massive loss of $247.7 million in the fourth quarter due to the company’s recent restructuring plans, the closure of its Northern California studio and changes in its film release strategy.

     

    The company posted sales of $234.2 million for the quarter ended 31 December, 2014, which was up 14.7 per cent over the same period in 2013. The company’s adjusted operating loss came in at $37.6 million, while its net loss was $64.1 million.

     

    The company’s adjusted financial results exclude a $210.1 million pre-tax charge associated with its restructuring plan announced on 22 January, 2015. The company’s results for the quarter ended 31 December, 2014 include impairment charges of $57.1 million, or a loss of approximately $0.63 per share, primarily related to the performance of The Penguins of Madagascar and Mr. Peabody and Sherman, as well as certain other titles and investments.

     

    As part of the reorganisation, which resulted in over 500 layoffs, DreamWorks Animation also said that it is selling its Glendale, Calif., campus for $185 million and will lease back the space.

     

    Including the impact of the restructuring plan, DreamWorks Animation reported net loss of $263.2 million for the quarter ended 31 December, 2014. Of the restructuring-related charges totaling $210.1 million, $54.6 million was related to employee termination costs and other contractual obligations and $155.5 million was primarily related to write-offs of capitalized production costs of unreleased projects, including B.O.O. and Monkeys of Mumbai, as well as other charges associated with changes in the film slate.

     

    “Although 2014 was a challenging year for our company, I am confident that our recent announcement to restructure our feature film business will enable us to deliver great films and better box office results,  while improving the overall financial performance of our business. And while 2015 will be a transitional year for us, I couldn’t be more confident for the future. We have a set of strategic imperatives in place designed to ensure sustainable and profitable growth over the long term,” said DreamWorks Animation CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg

     

    For the full year, DreamWorks Animation’s 2014 revenues decreased 3.2 per cent to $684.6 million, while it posted an operating loss of $300 million. When adjusted, the loss was $90 million.

     

    Fourth Quarter Review:

     

    DreamWorks Animation’s fourth quarter revenues of $234.2 million increased 14.7 per cent due to increases in revenues across each of the company’s primary segments.

     

    Feature Film Segment

     

    Revenues for the quarter ended 31 December, 2014 from the Feature Film Segment increased to $131.3 million, while segment gross profit declined to $152.2 million, primarily due to the impact of film and other inventory write-offs of $153.8 million stemming from the company’s restructuring initiatives, as well as impairment charges of $39.7 million related to The Penguins of Madagascar and Mr. Peabody and Sherman:

     

    The Penguins of Madagascar, which was released theatrically on 26 November, 2014, has reached $358 million at the worldwide box office to date. The film contributed feature film revenue of $6.9 million in the quarter, primarily from distribution outside of Fox territories. Fox did not report any revenue to DreamWorks Animation in the quarter for the film as they had not yet recouped their marketing and distribution costs.

     

    How to Train Your Dragon 2 contributed feature film revenue of $66 million in the quarter, primarily from home entertainment. The film was released into the domestic home entertainment market on 11 November, 2014 and through the end of the fourth quarter reached an estimated 7.5 million home entertainment units sold worldwide, net of actual and estimated future returns.

     

    Mr. Peabody & Sherman was released into the domestic home entertainment market on 14 October, 2014 and through the end of the fourth quarter, reached an estimated 3.4 million home entertainment units sold worldwide, net of actual and estimated future returns. Fox did not report any revenue to DreamWorks Animation in the quarter for Mr. Peabody and Sherman as they had not yet recouped their marketing and distribution costs.

     

    Turbo contributed feature film revenue of $5.8 million in the quarter, primarily from home entertainment. The film was released into the domestic home entertainment market on 12 November, 2013 and through the end of the fourth quarter, reached an estimated 6.3 million home entertainment units sold worldwide, net of actual and estimated future returns. 

     

    The Croods contributed feature film revenue of $6.5 million in the quarter, primarily from home entertainment. The film was released into the domestic home entertainment market on 1 October, 2013 and through the end of the fourth quarter, reached an estimated nine million home entertainment units sold worldwide, net of actual and estimated future returns. 

     

    Library titles contributed feature film revenue of $46.1 million to the quarter.

     

    Television Series and Specials Segment

     

    Revenues for the quarter ended 31 December, 2014 from the Television Series and Specials Segment increased 7.7 per cent to $50.7 million. Segment gross profit declined from $7.3 million to $2.6 million, as the higher revenues were more than offset by write-downs of capitalized film costs totaling $13.3 million in the quarter, primarily due to revisions in estimated future revenues for certain television specials, as well as up front marketing costs related to the various television series that were delivered in the quarter.

     

    Consumer Products Segment

     

    Revenues from the Consumer Products Segment increased 77.5 per cent to $22.1 million, while segment gross profit increased to $6.1 million mostly due to increased sales in the company’s merchandise, location-based entertainment and retail development businesses.

     

    New Media Segment

     

    The company is now presenting a New Media Segment within its financials, which consists of revenues and expenses attributable to Awesomeness TV (ATV) and related businesses. Revenues and segment gross profit for the quarter ended 31 December, 2014 from the company’s New Media Segment increased to $24.9 million and $13.2 million, respectively. The New Media Segment benefitted from the production and delivery of original programming, sponsorships arrangements and content licensing fees.

     

    Also during the quarter, DreamWorks Animation entered into a joint venture agreement with Hearst Corporation under which Hearst purchased a 25 per cent ownership interest in ATV for $81.25 million. The company also entered into an agreement with the former stockholders of ATV under which the Company paid $80 million in lieu of any amounts of earn-out consideration. As a result, DreamWorks Animation recorded a gain in the quarter of $6.8 million to reflect the change in fair value of the contingent consideration liability. 

     

    All Other Segments

     

    Revenues for the quarter ended 31 December, 2014 from the All Other Segment declined to $5.2 million, primarily because the company is no longer self-producing any live performance productions. In the prior year period, the company earned revenues of $11 million attributable to the subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) release of the filmed version of Shrek the Musical. Segment gross profit decreased to $4 million, largely due to lower revenues and the write-off of capitalized costs in the amount of $5.4 million.

     

    For the quarter ended 31 December, 2014, DreamWorks Animation posted an adjusted operating loss of $37.6 million. This was primarily driven by impairment write-downs on certain film assets and investments, as well as the impact of increased investment in support of brand and new business initiatives.

  • Lionsgate invests in game developer Telltale Games

    Lionsgate invests in game developer Telltale Games

    MUMBAI: As part of the continued diversification of its content business and recent entry into the game space, Lionsgate has made a significant investment in leading game developer and publisher Telltale Games.

     

    As part of its investment, Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer will also join the Telltale Board of Directors.

     

    The investment will continue the extension of Lionsgate’s film and television brands into the game space and will bring Lionsgate’s expertise in creating and marketing premium content to Telltale’s unique narrative-driven, storytelling approach to gaming.  The collaboration will also enable the two companies to explore opportunities to co-develop existing and original IP into episodic games and television.

     

    Telltale has emerged as an industry leader in narrative-driven episodic games with the blockbuster hit The Walking Dead, which has sold 8.5 million copies and topped sales charts on Xbox Live, PlayStation Network and Steam, as well as the hit Game of Thrones, based on the smash television series, The Wolf Among Us, the episodic interactive graphic adventure video game based on Bill Willingham’s Fables comic book, and Tales from the Borderlands, Telltale’s adaptation of the acclaimed PC, Mac and console video game title from Gearbox Software and 2K Games.

     

    “Telltale is one of the premier storytellers in the gaming world today. Their leadership in narrative-driven episodic games, together with our investment and the potential opportunities created by our premium content expertise, will continue to strengthen their ability to offer exciting new avenues of storytelling to their next generation audiences across a broad range of platforms,” said Feltheimer.

     

    “Lionsgate is one of the most innovative, entrepreneurial and impressive content companies in the world today. I’m delighted to welcome an experienced executive like Jon, a leader who shares our unique vision, to our Board. Lionsgate has a great track record in developing and marketing feature films as well as platform-defining premium scripted television. This partnership will accelerate Telltale’s ability to create not only original games, but episodic television series based on our game properties – an area at the cutting edge of industry growth,” added Telltale CEO Kevin Bruner.

     

    “Our partnership with Kevin Bruner and his team at Telltale continues to accelerate our momentum in the game space. The convergence between premium filmed entertainment brands and original game properties is a natural direction in which to continue diversifying our content business, and Telltale is the perfect partner with whom to explore this dynamic area of growth,” said Lionsgate president of interactive ventures & games Peter Levin.

  • 21st Century Fox denies talks for tie-up with Discovery Communications

    21st Century Fox denies talks for tie-up with Discovery Communications

    NEW DELHI: 21st Century Fox has denied as “categorically untrue” that senior executives from 21st Century Fox and Discovery Communications had met to discuss a tie-up that could create a $100 billion movie, entertainment and sports giant.

     

    The story had appeared in the Australian Financial Review.

     

    Rupert Murdoch of Fox and John Malone, a major shareholder in Discovery (and a director) and chairman and CEO of Discovery Holdings, have a long history in media, sometimes fighting one another and other times co-operating.

     

    Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald on 23 February reminded readers that News Corp-backed Foxtel is already working on a 50/50 deal with Discovery to buy Australia’s Ten Network.

     

    A few months ago billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a shareholder in News Corp/21st Century Fox, following the ending of 21st Century’s bid for Time-Warner had said, “Combining both companies would have been a dream proposal because the amount of content the combined company would have had would have been tremendous.”

     

    “Knowing Mr Murdoch, I think the idea is still in his mind. But I think the time is not right now because the management of Time Warner are against it, and the shareholders of Fox were also not for it,” he had told CNN in September. 

  • Warner Bros leads $24 million investment into Machinima online video network

    Warner Bros leads $24 million investment into Machinima online video network

    MUMBAI: Warner Bros Entertainment has upped its investment in Machinima, leading a $24 million round of financing for the online video network.

     

    Machinima, the first global Many2Many programming service is focused on fandom and gamer culture.

     

    Other previous investors in Machinima, including Redpoint Ventures, MK Capital, Coffin Capital alongside Machinima chairman Allen DeBevoise.

     

    The investment builds on a year-long transformation at Machinima, during which monthly viewership is up over 70 per cent and US unique viewers have tripled. Overall, Machinima boasts a massive audience of more than 430 million subscribers worldwide, 170 million monthly unique viewers and 3.7 billion monthly video views.

     

    “In 2014, Machinima regained our leadership position in the global digital video marketplace by focusing on our Talent Network and transforming our brand into one that is reflective of our content, our audience and our community of creators. This additional funding will enable Machinima to accelerate our growth through increased investments in content and technology that better serves our audiences, advertisers, creators and distributors,” said Machinima CEO Chad Gutstein.

     

    “Under Chad’s leadership, Machinima continues to grow as a key entertainment destination for millennials. With its enormous fan base, Machinima is an important exhibition partner, providing content creators, including Warner Bros., multiple platforms for distributing and monetizing digital content and programming brands,” said Warner Bros. Television Group president, business and strategy Craig Hunegs.

     

    Warner Bros.’ participation in this funding continues the longstanding relationship between the two companies, which has resulted in live-action web series including two seasons of “Mortal Kombat: Legacy.” Later this year, Machinima will release “Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles,” an animated limited series from DC Comics and Blue Ribbon Content, and executive produced by Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett.

     

    In 2014, the company revamped its executive team first with the hiring of former Ovation TV COO Chad Gutstein as CEO. Throughout the year, Gutstein unveiled key appointments to all areas of Machinima’s business, including most recently chief content officer Daniel Tibbets.

     

    The new team capped off 2014 by executing a comprehensive brand repositioning of the company. Placing a renewed focus on Machinima’s vast and gifted talent network, and original programming capabilities, the rebrand featured a new tagline “Heroes Rise” along with a completely revamped talent program, which was supported by the launch of Console, a state-of-the-art technology platform. Additionally, the Machinima.com website was overhauled into a valuable resource for creators and advertisers and the Machinima Legion viewer panel was unveiled.

     

    With more than 30 million monthly unique viewers, Machinima currently ranks ninth in total US audience for Online Video Entertainment Properties and fourth for US males 18-49. The company is making a concerted effort to supplement its explosive YouTube presence with additional distribution platforms. Recently, Machinima announced distribution partnerships with Samsung and Vessel.

  • Q3-2015: Eros International q-o-q PAT, revenues more than double

    Q3-2015: Eros International q-o-q PAT, revenues more than double

    BENGALURU: The Sunil  Lulla led Indian motion picture production and distribution company Eros International Media Limited (Eros) reported more than double (up 2.18 times) PAT at Rs 109.34 crore (22.3 per cent of net Total Income from Operations or TIO or revenue) versus the Rs 50.14 crore (20.9 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2015 and 18.9 per cent more than the Rs 91.99 crore (21.3 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2014. In 9M-2015, PAT grew 23.4 per cent to Rs 195.32 crore (20.1 per cent of TIO) from Rs 158.30 crore (19.3 per cent of TIO) in 9M-2014.

     

    Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore

     

    The company has also reported more than double q-o-q TIO (up 2.05 times) in Q3-2015 at Rs 490.73 crore as compared to the Rs 239.90 crore in the preceding quarter and 13.4 per cent more than the Rs 43.268 crore in Q3-2014. Revenue (TIO) for 9M-2015 grew by 18.5 per cent to Rs 972.12 crore from Rs 820.05 crore in 9M-2014.

     

    Eros released 42 films – 28 Hindi and 14 Tamil/Telugu regional films in 9M-2015 as compared to the 41 films (15 Hindi, 25 Tamil/Telugu and one other regional language film) in 9M-2014. Eros says that five of the films were high budget, seven were medium budget and 30 were low budget films in 9M-2015 as against two high budget, 18 medium budget and 21 low budget films in the corresponding nine month period of the last financial year.

     

    The company informs that of the 12 films released in Q3-2015, three films were high budget while nine were medium and low budget films versus the two high budget films and 13 medium and low budget films in the corresponding year ago quarter.

     

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by Eros for Q3-2015 and 9M-2015

     

    Eros Total Expenditure (TE) in Q3-2015 at Rs 354.34 crore (70.4 per cent of TIO) was also more than double (up 2.05 times) the Rs 168.19 crore (70.1 per cent of TIO) in the immediate trailing quarter and 15.7 per cent more than the Rs 298.40 crore (69 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2014. TE in 9M-2015 at Rs 696.77 crore (71.7 per cent of TIO) was 16.6 per cent more than the Rs 597/64 crore (72.9 per cent of TIO) in 9M-2014.

     

    The company’s finance cost in Q3-2015 at Rs 9.74 crore (two per cent of TIO) was 10.8 per cent lower than the Q2-2015 finance cost of Rs 10.92 crore (4.6 per cent of TIO) but was 31.8 per cent more than Rs 7.39 crore (1.7 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2014. For 9M-2015, finance cost at Rs 30.03 crore (3.1 per cent of TIO) was 65 per cent more than the Rs 18.20 crore (2.2 per cent of TIO) in 9M-2014.

     

    Eros managing director Sunil Lulla said, “We are pleased to report robust results, which reflect the success of our strategy to invest in high quality film content and monetize it across existing and emerging revenue streams. In line with our core de-risking approach, we also registered strong pre-sales from our high profile Hindi and Tamil films such as Lingaa, Action Jackson and Kaththi. Our content pipeline has seen some impressive signings and we are excited to announce our entry into the Malayalam market enhancing our regional breadth.”

     

    “ErosNow, our online service showcasing movies, music, music videos and television shows, is developing as a robust offering that carries tremendous potential. Along with improving internet connectivity and forecast of smartphones user base in India expanding to over 650 million (65 crore) in the next four years, we expect the demand for on-the-go entertainment to grow exponentially. We strongly believe ErosNow is well positioned to capitalize on the growing online consumption opportunity in India,” added Lulla.

  • Amazon Studios partners with Krofft Brothers

    Amazon Studios partners with Krofft Brothers

    MUMBAI: Amazon Studios has signed a development deal with iconic television producers Sid and Marty Krofft to develop a reimagined pilot of classic ‘70s children live action series Sigmund and the Sea Monsters.

     

    “Sid and Marty are geniuses and we are honoured to be working with them to bring to the world a return of what we believe is TV’s most fabulous and funniest sea creature ever,” said Amazon Studios vice president Roy Price.

     

    “Sid found Sigmund swimming in the ocean as seaweed. Boy, are we lucky to re-create Sigmund and the Sea Monsters with Roy Price and Tara Sorensen at Amazon Studios,” said Marty Krofft.

     

    Many of the most colorful and fondly remembered children’s series of the 1970s and 1980s sprang from the imaginations of Sid and Marty Krofft. Their groundbreaking, live-action fantasy shows were mainstays of the Saturday morning airwaves, which had previously been the exclusive domain of cartoons. The Kroffts made their television debut in 1969 with NBC’s H.R. Pufnstuf, which centered on the magical adventures of a boy named Jimmy, a talking flute and a six-foot dragon.

     

    The series, which introduced the brothers’ innovative mix of live-action and puppetry, was made into a Universal Pictures feature in 1970. The show continues to be broadcast around the world. Pufnstuf was quickly followed by The Bugaloos on NBC (1970) and Lidsville on ABC (1971). Sigmund and the Sea Monsters and Land Of The Lost premiered on NBC in 1974 and in 1975, respectively.

     

    Later kids shows included Far Out Space Nuts, Lost Saucer and The Krofft Supershow, which included installments of Wonderbug, Big Foot & Wildboy, Electra Woman & Dyna Girl, Dr. Shrinker and Kaptain Kool and the Kongs. Their slate of children’s series gained notoriety with Pufnstuf ranking among TV Guide’s top cult shows ever for two years and Land of the Lost’s success in syndication leading to a remake of the series in 1991.

  • TISS & Whistling Woods International team up to offer graduate degrees

    TISS & Whistling Woods International team up to offer graduate degrees

    MUMBAI: In their endeavour to ensure proliferation of film and media education, Whistling Woods International (WWI) has partnered with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).

     

    The coming together of the academic pedagogy of TISS and the practical rigour of WWI’s education promises to form a partnership to ensure that the best film and media education is offered to students.

     

    Talking about the association, WWI founder and chairman Subhash Ghai said, “A lot of thought and meticulous planning has gone into finalizing the curriculum, faculty and the practical nature of the education at WWI. It is regularly updated keeping international standards in mind. Associating with TISS, an institution of high academic pedagogy, is a step in the same direction; to enhance the quality of programs offered at WWI.”

     

    TISS director Parasuraman added, “Filmmaking, communication and media studies are as much a part of society as any other field. Over the years, TISS has always delivered progressive education in all the social sciences. We have closely observed WWI, interacted with the management team of WWI and observed that they demonstrate the same degree of quality consciousness as TISS.We at TISS felt it appropriate to partner with WWI to offer degree programs in filmmaking, communication and media studies.”

     

    The various degree programs offered under the WWI – TISS association are as follows:

     

    B.A. in Filmmaking with specialisation – Acting

    B.A. in Filmmaking with specialisation – Screenwriting

    B.Sc. / B.A. Filmmaking with specialisation – Cinematography

    B.Sc. / B.A. Filmmaking with specialisation – Direction

    B.Sc. / B.A. Filmmaking with specialisation – Editing

    B.Sc. / B.A. Filmmaking with specialisation – Producing

    B.Sc. / B.A. Filmmaking with specialisation – Sound Recording and Design

    B.Sc. / B.A. Filmmaking with specialisation – Visual Effects for Motion Pictures

    B.Sc. in The Art & Technique of Animation

    B.B.A / B.A. in Media and Communication Studies

    B.A. in Fashion Design

     

    Admissions for these courses commenced in January 2015 and classes will commence in July 2015.

  • DreamWorks Animation wins two awards from Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

    DreamWorks Animation wins two awards from Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

    MUMBAI: DreamWorks Animation has been awarded two Technical Achievement Awards by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for the development of two revolutionary tools used in feature filmmaking: Foliage System and OpenVDB.

     

    Both of these tools were most recently used in the making of How to Train Your Dragon 2, an Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature and winner of this year’s Golden Globe, six Annie Awards from ASIFA-Hollywood and named Best Animated Feature by the National Board of Review. In addition to these two awards, Hewlett-Packard also received a Technical Achievement Award for its HP DreamColor LP2480zX Professional Display monitor, created in collaboration with DreamWorks Animation engineers.

     

    “At DreamWorks Animation, engineers, technicians and artists come together to create new technology stimulated by the vision and imagination of filmmakers such as writer/director Dean DeBlois (HTTYD2). I want to congratulate our engineers and artists, as well as the DreamColor team at Hewlett-Packard, on their Technical Achievement Awards that recognize outstanding innovation in the development of tools and technology that enhance the industry’s creative storytelling ability,” said DreamWorks Animation chief technology officer Lincoln Wallen.

     

    The Foliage System was first developed for 2001’s Shrek, where it was used to create more than 10,000 trees, the largest deployment of digital vegetation in any film at its time. Since then, DreamWorks Animation has continued to be the industry leader in innovating new tools and techniques that provide the greatest artistic flexibility in rendering foliage. DreamWorks Animation effects artists Scott Peterson, Jeff Budsberg, and Jonathan Gibbs received the award for the design and implementation of the Foliage System.

     

    OpenVDB is an open source data structure and set of tools that help manage the storage of enormous amounts of information created by complex visual effects such as water, dust, smoke and fire, found in both animated and live action films. OpenVDB’s efficiency reduces digital storage requirements and the need for long wait times when running simulations, which have resulted in it becoming a standard in the animation and VFX industry. With adoption at studios including Weta Digital, Disney Animation, and ILM, the tools were used in the making of several of this year’s Academy Award nominated films for Best Visual Effects, including X-Men: Days of Future Past, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and Guardians of the Galaxy. DreamWorks Animation engineers Ken Museth, Peter Cucka, and Mihai Alden, received the award for the creation of OpenVDB. 

     

    HP’s DreamColor monitor was jointly developed with DreamWorks Animation to provide the highest color quality level LCD monitors required for graphic intense workflows, such as those for producing feature animation and visual effects. Karl Rasche, a DreamWorks software engineer, was recognized by the Academy, along with the other award winners from Hewlett-Packard, for the joint development of the HP DreamColor LP2480zx Professional Display.