DOOM weapons design

A look back at DOOM weapons design:
https://bethesda.net/en/article/tf46jim4aOK0yMYEi6Q0y/the-art-of-doom-weapons

Leadership divided in 2 types of strategies

Quite interesting for those who have some leading roles in a company where they work. This linkedin.com article is about 2 general types of approaches in communication with people in their team presented at Chris Argyris seminar.
The first one is pretty much based on mis-use of power and manipulation by censoring information. Some of us could find themselfs practising this model sometimes and the research actually states that a lot of managers work in this way.
The second model shows more human tolerant and open communication learn-from-others approach and seems as an inspiration for improvement. This one by my opinion takes a bit more work, but is worth it if you want to reduce serious mistakes, have good relationships in long-term and less fluctuation of human resources.

Read more here:
http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130426144318-36052017-are-you-a-unilateral-control-freak

AirMech launches open beta on Steam | VentureBeat

Mechs never looked so pretty as AirMech launches open beta on Steam | VentureBeat:

Here is nice article about AirMech, free to play Action Strategy game for PC and Chrome browser. Some interesting background info about how Carbon Games (makers of Airmech) were founded and their view on independent game making compared to big publishers: "We are proving that the old publisher model is broken. Six people in a room can make a game played by people all over the world" (James Green, Carbon Games co-founder). Also according to the this article, AirMech has to date 420.000 beta testers. That is pretty good for an indie strategy game!

And if you are playing AirMech, you might be interested that there will be Open Beta Tournament on 27.november!
The tourney will be live-streamed by McSploosh on twitch.tv

Steve Jobs dies aged 56

An icon of the world of personal computers and technology died at age 56 years.

R.I.P.

( BBC News, Steve Jobs obituary/biography, apple.com )

Czech Koruna given AA- rating

I rarely post news on economy (this is maybe first one), but these news are connected with reliability of investments and thus media post production companies and their well-being. Standard & Poor`s company raised the rating of Czech Koruna (Czech Republic currency, as we don`t use Euro) from A to AA-. This is quite rare today when many western governments have to deal with high debt.


http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/08/24/idINIndia-58952620110824

ImageMovers Digital back in the game?

According to Hollywood Reporter, Universal Studios might go for a new deal to put Robert Zemeckis` studio ImageMovers Digital back in the business.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/robert-zemeckis-talks-launch-imagemovers-218149
In the meantime after finishing Mars Needs Moms and some tests for a cg feature (Yellow Submarine?) Zemeckis is a producer on Real Steel (DreamWorks), a robot arena fighting movie with Hugh Jackman.

Making skinny Captain America

Full article about Captain America VFX

Few people wondered how the skinny recruit was made before he became Captain America. Short version: very good compositing work.
Or the longer one here:
http://www.awn.com/articles/3d/captain-america-poor-mans-process

focus on Prime Focus

An update from Soho VFX:

http://www.primefocusworld.com/news/2010/11/prime-focus-handpicks-hottest-vfx-talent-launch-prime-focus-film

New player recently joining pool with established ones: Framestore, MPC, DNEG and Cinesite.

For job openings, go here:

http://www.primefocusworld.com/recruitment/uk

BBC News - Keeping Britain's special effects dream alive

Nice article about recent Oscar for UK`s DNEG visual effects on Inception film and a gap in education for jobs at such companies. Consequently introducing UK leading visual effects school Escape Studios:
"On our compositing course - a group finished last Friday and six of them were out for interview on the Monday."

BBC News - Keeping Britain's special effects dream alive

introducing Eallin Animation

Prague-based studio Eallin Animation currently in production of 3d animated children TV series introduced in detail and revealing its present work.


http://sourceecreative.com/news.php?ID=5550

czech animation director Oscar nominated

Czech director was nominated for Student Animation Academy Award for his short film "Graffitiger". Good luck!!
article (czech language)
Here is Oscar website where director Libor Pixa is listed.

old woman accidentally disconnects all internet to Armenia

She was dubbed "spade hacker" :)
https://eideard.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/little-old-lady-cuts-off-web-access-to-whole-country-of-armenia/


czech version:
http://www.lidovky.cz/hledala-med-do-sberu-a-odrizla-armenii-od-internetu-fw3-/ln_zahranici.asp?c=A110411_094208_ln_zahranici_mtr

U.S. lethal injection problem

It`s interesting how common problems can sometimes stop things which would otherwise hardly change. For example the dates of execution in USA prisons. These are going into longer delays as the system has a lack of the lethal drug for the injection. Now the administration is looking for an importer from Europe, but lot of countries started boycott. UK has actually legal restriction on exporting this drug.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11865881

about miserable CG VFX jobs

quite funny article, with lot of truth in it :)

http://www.cracked.com/article_18486_the-5-miserable-vfx-jobs-that-make-movies-possible.html

(note: "Production Assistant" here means a "Runner")

interview

grafika.cz asked me few questions about rigging work on Clash of Titans, czech language only (sorry ;)

http://www.grafika.cz/art/dv/krompolc-titani-1.html

part 2 is about more general rigging work:
http://www.grafika.cz/art/vse/krompolc-2.html

interview

I've just done interview for www.grafika.cz, czech language only. It has 2 parts:
PART 1
PART 2

Framestore`s Despereaux

5 page article about making of one of London`s major vfx houses first cg feature Tales Of Despereaux. It has so far earned $65 million in more than 3 weeks being shown on 3600 cinema screens according to boxofficemojo website. It`s official production budget (not final cost) was $60 million so it seems to have paid back so far at least.

Not seen it yet, but the trailer looks great and I hope it`s not the last time Framestore was running cg feature production of this high level.

This is crazy but reminds me a bit my own experience: "... the biggest delivery in one week was 335 shots, with 1,200 shots delivered during the last month of production..."

rigging hamster in Bolt movie

quite interesting article about tackling common problems with rigging walking mouse-type character. Mainly about rigging deformation of the model. Conclusion - more muscles or fat = more difficult :)

Animation Mentor Industry Report

Animation Mentor has recently released Animation Industry Report, which covers

• job satfisfaction
• carreer outlook
• and salaries

I`ve quickly checked it and it seem that the industry is getting bigger, which sounds good in recent worldwide financial crisis and that people generaly like what they do, which is great. What`s interesting it shows only 3% of participants were Technical Directors. I think too few TDs were involved in survey or they signed as Other (21%) otherwise there would be lack of TDs. I think they should have broken down types of jobs more and add lighters, fx, riggers etc. Animator is equal to lighter, but I think Animation Mentor was a bit biased as it`s focused on animators, not lighters or other jobs.

Petra Štefánková

Petra, artist/animator, originally from Slovakia, has been awarded EXPOSÉ 6 Master Award for Abstract & Design. Congratulations! :)

I like advances in abstract art in 3D and Petra`s work is one of my favorites. Here is interview with her on Cg Society.