Autodesk Congratulates 81st Annual Academy Award Winners and Nominees

For the 14th consecutive year, every film nominated for the Best Visual Effects Academy Award was shaped with Autodesk digital filmmaking tools.

This year's Academy Award nominees continued to push digital imagery to new heights—from intricate and complex computer-generated characters to pyrotechnical marvels to invisible effects so realistic they deceive the eye. Autodesk extends its heartfelt congratulations to the artists and technologists who enthrall audiences with spectacular visuals. We are honored that these filmmakers utilize Autodesk digital technology from planning and previsualization right down to final grade.

Autodesk technology was used to shape Oscar-winning and Academy Award nominated films in the following categories:


ACHIEVEMENT IN VISUAL EFFECTS


The Curious Case of Benjamin Button



Oscar Winner—Matte World Digital, tasked with re-creating the early 20th century through Hurricane Katrina, created 3D environments, crowd simulations, and matte paintings using Autodesk® 3ds Max® as its main tool with Autodesk® Maya® 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software complementing the work of some shots.

Asylum VFX used Maya, Autodesk® Smoke® finishing effects software, Autodesk® Inferno® visual effects software, and Autodesk® Lustre® digital color grading system for 189 shots for the photoreal tugboat adventure that included extensive water simulation, digital environments and a computer-generated (CG) submarine.

Lola VFX created 100 age reduction and 200 makeup enhancement shots using a combination of tools, including Inferno and the Autodesk® Flame® system.

Evil Eye Pictures used Maya and Autodesk® Combustion® desktop compositing software to integrate matte paintings and environmental effects set in and around New Orleans.


Iron Man



Academy Award Nominee—Industrial Light & Magic brought the superhero character and his nemesis to life using Maya for animating and modeling the CG suits, as well as Inferno visual effects software as part of its SABRE system for compositing over 400 shots.

Pixel Liberation Front worked on the film for 19 months, relying on Maya to create reference models for extensive previsualization.

The Orphanage developed the thruster look and an exploding mountainside using 3ds Max and used Maya for the Gulmira, Missile Test and Stark Jet sequences.


The Dark Knight



Academy Award Nominee—Double Negative created the majority of visual effects in this film, using a combination of proprietary tools and Maya for most of the 2D and 3D work. Maya fluid dynamics helped shape a helicopter crash sequence. Maya® nCloth and Syflex Maya plug-ins were used for cloth simulation of the Batsuit.

Academy Award Nominee—Framestore produced CG environments, CG doubles and digital prosthetic makeup using in-house proprietary tools and numerous Autodesk software applications, including Maya, Autodesk® Mudbox™ software, Autodesk® Matchmover™, Autodesk® Movimento™, and Autodesk® Softimage® 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software.


BEST ANIMATED FEATURE FILM


Kung Fu Panda



Academy Award Nominee—DreamWorks Animation SKG developed new tools and workflows for this stereoscopic 3D film, using Maya for setting and rigging stereoscopic cameras, building virtual sets, and rendering.


BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM


This Way Up



Academy Award Nominee—Nexus used a combination of 3ds Max for modeling and animation and Combustion for compositing, among other tools, for this high-definition digital animated short.


Oktapodi



Academy Award Nominee—Gobelins, l'ecole de l'image, a team of six students from the Paris-based school, created this short using Maya for animation.


BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM


Waltz with Bashir



CinePostProduction, one of Europe's largest film labs, relied on Smoke for the conform and online, Flame for visual effects, and Lustre for digital color grading.

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Terminator Salvation: Battle of the Machines

In Terminator Salvation, the Day of Reckoning has disappeared and the robots have taken the world. T-600 robots are hunting and capturing humans and robots, T-800, made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger, are pending. And a new breed of man-machine was configured with a human heart and brain of the dead man held harvested Marcus Wright.

With the film with a large number of robots, VFX for asylum has been to create and animate the T-600 and Marcus cyborgs. Since the details necessary to create a robot realistic, Houdini was used for rigging and animation. asylum chose Houdini because of its digital pipeline to allow different people to work on the same platform, while making it easier for all the pieces together for final output.

The main platform built initially started using the Auto Rig tool included with Houdini. This tour was not to meet the personalized demands of the drivers and the physics of different elements cyborgs. Using the platform of tools for self, asylum has been able to work at their own pace and not have to call each risk as soon as possible. Therefore, it is easier to manage the development of the platform and avoid overdeveloping features that are not necessary.

"We knew we were never blocked by a specific solution," said Jeff Willett, Technical Director, Asylum VFX. "Houdini digital you can experiment with different techniques and emptying into the pipe with ease and know that you can cancel or modify later. Often, it takes a temporary position on the platform, after the test that our solution has been rapid enough for the final effect. "

Using Houdini, asylum May be required to upgrade the platforms and the world was immediately able to use new features without having to think. The team was able to make many changes to all platforms and the changes went smoothly on all vaccines. This allows each shot consistent, CG supervisors and never had to worry that someone is using an old version of the platform.

Working with the Match Move Rigs
While the rigs were under development, animation and lighting is expected to start soon. Auto-platform tools to divide the platform in an animation or a game platform or chain to move and rig endoskeleton. The party equipment can be used by leaders to begin putting in place the key, without waiting for the rigs endoskeleton be "finished". Once a team has been detailed endoskeleton then be plugged into the match and move the platform. In this way, the time for design changes to the final models is minimal.

"All of the matchmovers were new brand to Houdini, most of them had never used the software before," said WILLETTE. "There are fundamental issues which have emerged, but results for the whole team for the second day. After a few weeks, they were seasoned pros, and even taught some of the users of Houdini" .

First, the matchmovers were concerned that the workflow is different from how they were used to work in other packages, but once you get used to Houdini animation tools and Features towers, which were quickly underway. If ever there is a limitation of the digital platform can be easily upgraded to meet your needs.

Nested Assets
Because the robot is made of the rigs in different parts of the body, in May each mechanism responsible for an internal component. These have been created as nested digital assets that can be inserted and updated at any time. Initially, it was not possible to determine which parts of the robot are to see on the screen to asylum matchmoving wait until the scene in his place. Then, as the film progresses, and the shots fell, the team can decide which components are really necessary and focus on specific areas.

The use of active nests, it is easy to upgrade the platforms without compromising the animation is already completed. For example, a few blows before Marco matchmoved hands were rigged. Once you have the hand of the asylum model completed, the platform has been updated with the animation controls for the hands and fingers. The weapons were lively and organizers had to add animation to the end of the scene.

"Marcus is a creative and technically difficult, but exciting, we had to sleemlessly blend live action plate, equipment, 3D flesh and soft tissue, and a 3D sub-nano fully articulated and animated 3D metal endoskeleton.” said John Fragomeni, VFX Supervisor, VFX asylum. "Our main considerations for the use of Houdini in Terminator Salvation 3D character of our work on the T600 and Marcus is the depth and quality of our artists the flexibility of hose provided. As a VFX supervisor is comforting to know that we can make improvements Last minute intuitive, with no negative impact on workflow. "

For the T-600 and Marcus asylum used a combination of Houdini and Renderman. Houdini has a strong connection with RenderMan embedded in the team, therefore, could have everything in one package. It was a great interest and has contributed to limiting the amount of interoperability required. Houdini’s digital technology, the everyone lighting to matchmoving knew they have always been to work with most current versions and new animation was published when it is immediately available, without conversions. This streamlining of the work has made life easier for everyone and that artists focus on robots as cool as possible.