Millimeter August 2003Editor's NotesRecruitmentCynthia Wisehart, Editor Every few years Siggraph turns into a job recruitment fair, and this was one of those years. The Hollywood dailies suggested in recent articles that animators could now get salaries ranging from $90K to $250K. That's not what I hear from the people I know who pay animators, so I'll call those figures unconfirmed.... FeaturesVaricam Goes PrimetimeBy Michael Goldman When producers of the new Fox sitcom, Arrested Development, went hunting for an acquisition format to fit their show's creative approach and budget, there were limited available options.... TV's Red-Headed HD StepchildBy Derek Grover Just three years ago, I was asked by studio executives at Paramount Television to conduct a side-by-side comparison between 24p HD and 35mm film on the set of their hit sitcom Frasier.... Casting Visual EffectsBy Ellen Wolff Successful directors like Robert Altman consider casting actors the most crucial decision in the filmmaking process. But what about the visual effects that now play key roles in growing numbers of films? What's behind the “casting” of the artists who create those effects?... Trompe L'oeil LightingBy S. D. Katz You may have noticed that the look of CGI commercials and movies has improved sharply in the past two years. One major factor are the new algorithms that calculate radiosity, global illumination, and subsurface scattering. These phenomena describe various manifestations of indirect light, or light that has bounced around a bit.... Step by StepPirates of the CaribbeanBy Ellen Wolff Gone are the days when digital actors merely lurked in the background, clad in easily animated armor. Now virtual characters are placed front-and-center, wearing complex costumes that flap believably in the breeze.... ClipsThe Invisible GentlemanMichael Goldman Fox's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen offers a new take in the cinematic concept of an invisible man.... Digital's DocumentaryBy Beck Finley Veteran cinematographer James Mathers personally favors shooting film. That preference, however, didn't stop him from working the better part of a year to make the half-hour, direct-to-DVD documentary, Digital Cinema Solutions.... Practical MotionBy Trevor Boyer A two-minute Honda Accord spot called “Cog” has been making waves on both sides of the Atlantic even though it's never been broadcast on American television, and only a few times in the U.K., Sweden, and Australia.... HD ConvertsBy Michael Goldman Like many broadcasters around the country, Atlanta's Turner Studios is currently in the process of switching to HD acquisition. It is specifically considering the change for a lineup of regional cable TV shows on the Turner South network.... Hot SpotsHot SpotsBy Trevor Boyer A selection of the hottest agency work submitted monthly to Millimeter.... Cool GraphicsFields and Framesfields & framesby Dan Ochiva What's in a name? In July, Alias celebrated its 20th anniversary by dropping the latter part of its name the awkward . That marketing move topped off... HotwareReviewDiscreet 3ds Max 5By S. D. Katz 3ds Max version 5.0 is a solid addition to this highly popular 3D animation system. The new features are carefully chosen and implemented to refine the already impressive tool set and improve workflow and usability.... Beta SightApproval System Speeds ProjectsBy Bootsie Battle, Space Program Anyone familiar with fast-paced commercial production today knows how tricky it can be to keep all of the people — not to mention all of the pieces of media — attached to a given project. Nowadays, your camera crew may be shooting in another country, your agency headquartered on a different coast, and your creative executives in transit between continents.... Fade to BlackFade to BlackBy Jon Silberg Incoming Directors Guild of America president Michael Apted has deftly managed to avoid a common pitfall of successful directors — he has never been pigeonholed into making just one genre of film.... |
