NAB Show ‘17 Animation Highlights

The NAB confab (www.nabshow.com) is underway in Las Vegas this week. Amid all the crazy new broadcasting tech on display, there’s always a few animation & VFX gems to catch the savvy eye. Like…

+      The Motion Picture Sound Editors gathered VFX and sound artists from Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound on Wednesday for The Force Returns: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Super Session. John Knoll (VFX Supervisor, ILM), Hal Hickel (Animation Supervisor, ILM) and Matthew Wood (Supervising Sound Editor, Skywalker Sound) discussed just a few of the film’s 1,700 effects, including new starships, digital Gran Moff Tarkin and third-act battle with Hollywood Reporter’s Carolyn Giardina.

+      Autodesk (www.autodesk.com) is showcasing its latest VFX and 3D animation software releases: Flame 2018 update 1, Maya 2017 update 3, Arnold 5.0, Shotgun, and 3ds Max 2018. A range of these new products can be seen in action at booths for partners Dell (SL6210), Google (SU218), Oracle (SU2202) and Quantum (SL5810).

+      Cinema 4D by MAXON has been live-streaming its jam-packed presentation schedule. Professional presenters from Artifex, Brograph, Eyedesyn, Grayscalegorilla, Noseman, Perception and more detailed a range of topics, from character tools, motion-tracking and 3D design to workflow techniques and project management tips.

+      Epic Games presented its first press conference at NAB, showcasing how its Unreal Engine is helping break new ground in episodic entertainment production and delivery. Epic will also be at FMX next week, where CTO Kim Librari will co-host a making-of session on real-time rendered short The Human Race (watch).

+      Noitom is demoing its Perception Neuron (neuronmocap.com) live animation motion-capture tool — recently used for the blockbuster flick Logan. Attendees can check out the head-to-toe mo-cap system for live or recorded games, VFX, film and digital platform animation in use with Reallusion’s iClone and Kigurumi Live Animaton (KiLA) at booth #SU7012.

+      BOXX (booth #SL10930) is showcasing its high-performance APEXX workstations, demonstrating how the machines smoothly handle professional 3D design and motion media workflow through Adobe Premiere Pro and Cinema 4D.

+      Shark 3D is at the show to display the live VFX, CGI, VR & virtual production applications of its software — learn more here.

+      The top creatives and technologists across the broadcasting sphere have been announce as the StudioDaily 50 honorees for 2017. Meet them here: www.studiodaily.com/studio-50.