Real world 360 turntable seal

it just keeps spinning :)

straps rig setup

I have been asked about strap rig setup many times by students and people learning rigging. So here is one made using Maya Muscle Spline and keepOut nodes (part of Maya Muscle) and rivet system rivetBaz (free download from creativecrash.com).

strap rig download link (Maya Binary 2012)
And here is step by step tutorial.

P3D - free online model viewer

this stuff looks great! very useful for asset viewing for your client or members of your team from anywhere online. And it`s free.

p3d.in - your 3D online

here is one similar:
https://sketchfab.com/

And this is how this P3D works - I have uploaded my first model which is easy to share and view in 3d:
http://p3d.in/u/syntetik

Also offers to easily embedd the model in your html code:

Look inside new DNEG building

Have a look at the brand new building of DNEG London

Star Wars production set to UK

BBC informs of what is amazing news for UK or rather London based VFX industry.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22491025

Shooting locations where confirmed to take place in studios around London. Leavesden, Shepperton, Pinewood and others are on the list.
This pretty much makes ILM setting up their new facility in London a certain thing. But it seems that maybe even more jobs will be created for live action shoot and practical effects. This is great for many UK based proffesionals who used to work on Harry Potter series before.
What is also a question, if Disney or ILM will outsource work to other vendors as well. A movie like Star Wars can have at least 1500 visual effects shots, many of them being also very challenging. This might not be with all other projects going at ILM fitting the capacity and could end up at other vendors as well...

Taken from the article comments: "Powerful, the tax break incentive is..."  :)

James Jacobs on Tissue and Weta

Here is nice article with few interview parts about James Jacobs (photo: in the middle), a character TD and developper who was recently among three CG technical directors who received Oscar for Technical Achievement in Film for their work on creature deformation system Tissue.
http://www.canada.com/entertainment/Canadian+wins+Oscar+program+that+makes+creatures+Hobbit+more/7811643/story.html

Maya new modelling tool

This is a sneak peak to a really cool Maya modelling tool coming with 2014 version. Similar ones are probably in packages like 3DCoat and MoDo. You can easily retopologize or make clean model on top of a hires scanned mesh.

ID software and Doom 4 situation

Interesting article with some insider info on recent ID software situation developping Doom 4. Unfortunately no good news:

http://kotaku.com/five-years-and-nothing-to-show-how-doom-4-got-off-trac-468097062

ILM London considered

The possibility of ILM London division has been mentioned again. This is in connection with a production of new Star Wars film sequels which will take huge amount of CG artist and facility resources. The Singapore and Vancouver offices are probably busy already. One of the reasons for considering London is obviously infamous tax subsidies, but we need to add that there is also large amount of CG artist talent pool quite easy to find. It might be a tide in of many who had to leave DNEG and Framestore and most recently Cinesite, which had large layoffs including HOD positions (head of department). And also nice breeze of employer competition as the legendary name will attract lot of talent both junior and senior.
The article also mentions that headquarters stay in San Francisco and the size of the team there will not be reduced in favour of possible London branch.
Possible location according to different sources could be Docklands, near Canary Wharf. I guess this is due to high rent prices in Soho.

http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/ilm-considering-opening-london-office-star-wars-work-exclusive-88566