DEAD FRONTIER (Game)

We just finished helping out with the new PC zombie themed MMORPG game, Dead Frontier.

Pixelpickle games brought us in to provide finishing for the opening CG cinematic created by Robert Dowling. Work also included final grading and sound production.

Check out the game here

BONNY DOON @ ST.KILDA FILM FESTIVAL (Short)

Matthew Saville's recent short, Bonny Doon was selected to open this years St.Kilda Film Festival, having been already part of the Top 100. Probably the most compelling 4 minutes ever filmed from inside a 1989 Tarago GLX, we provided titles and grading duties.

The short was recently awarded Best Comedy from the Improvised FIlmFest

Watch the film here

THE APPLICANT: TROPFEST FINALIST (News)

Tim Dean's short 'The Applicant' has made it through as a finalist at TropFest2011.

Starring Nicolas Bell and Peter Rowsthorn and featuring music by Yuri Worontshak, the film is about a job interview with a difference.... It was a big year for TropFest, with over 700 entries from all over the world competing to get through and we are proud to see it get through to the finals.

I filled the role of co-producer alongside Tim Dean and Chris Corbert, with Chroma designing and producing the character animation and visual effects for the alien creature and the starship interior, in addition to grading duties. The short been officially selected for ShortsFest in Aspen and the 2012 St.Kilda Film Festival.

Check out the film here!

'LOVE THE FALL' (Music Video)

We just finished post production on the new Michael Paynter/Veronicas clip 'Love the Fall' for Sony.

Shot in LA on the RED ONE, the clip follows Michael's pursuit of the girls through a storybook-style forest. Aside from taking on the 2k edit and grading, we also produced several high-end VFX shots of the 'living dress' that one of the girls wears. The brief called for a high-end look but with a dirty finish, requiring advanced skin smoothing, grading and film treatments.

Check out the clip HERE!

WORLD EXPO 2010, SHANGHAI OPENS (Visuals)

After two years of production, the Australian pavilion at World Expo in Shanghai is now complete, opening to the public on the 1st of May.

Designed and produced by ThinkOTS!, the pavilion is a massive purpose built venue that dominates the Shanghai site. It has already enjoyed a lot of media attention, placed in the top 5 pavilions to visit and even received an early visit from China's President. Chroma were commissioned by ThinkOTS! to provide the overall broadcast design and create all of the animation for the projection content, producing both the 'ANZ Theatre' and 'Sisters' exhibits.

The 'ANZ Theatre' is the centrepiece exhibit of the whole pavilion experience, comprising of a massive rotating screen system situated in the centre of a 1,000 person ampitheatre. On the outside, it employs a 6k 1:1 tracked projection surface presenting the main show - on the inside, 3 huge LED arrays create animated backgrounds for the set pieces.

Using 7 Christie projectors and 3 LED arrays, the 10 minute show presents three animated children as they discuss the concept of the Expo's over-arching theme, "Better city, Better life". As the screens rotate around large practical sculptures (that change as the show progresses via a lift system), as the viewpoint of the animation changes to match the angle of each viewer's position in the room. This involved a long and complex process of prototyping and testing the optical effect created by the rotating, bi-secting canvas.

Between these animated character sections, the screen system reconfigures where it presents other animated sections and image sequences filmed exclusively for the show in 8K anamorphic on RED cameras. This footage was graded in-house to create some of the most stunning and high resolution pictures ever shot in Australia.

We also designed the content for the 'Happy Tubes' lighting system. This massive circular array of over 300 LED video tubes presents animated graphics with the appearance of a lighting rig, synchronised with the central show. This works in tandem with Phil Lethlean's main lighting design of the hero sculptures and the various video and animated content.

Our 'kids' (Blue, Tom and Kate) create the narrative for the whole show, appearing in three different sections covering various aspects of the 'Better City, Better Life' theme. The animation presented a huge challenge as not only are three separate characters performing and talking (in Mandarin no less!) in 360 degrees, but are also visible from all angles at all times with lots of interaction between the characters, props and environments.

The character designs, CG modelling and lighting were created by Harsh Borah (HarshCG) with Robert Dowling (PixelPickel) taking on the rigging and animation of the three characters for the whole show. All of the 'kids' sections were created in Maya.

'Sisters' is an hour-long, super resolution projection show presented on a large curved 'wave' screen, set into the entry ramp of the pavilion. Fed by four rear-projectors, the show features the success stories of 20 Australian and Chinese women making their mark in business, environment, finance, politics and culture. The entire program was shot in 2k on RED and sliced into 20 separate 'diamond' screens that join to form a lush, super screen show. The animation and broadcast design for Sisters was created by Stuart Elith at Chroma. The program was so well received that a shorter, 'sizzle' version was produced soon after for events and special visitors.

Both exhibits projection tracking and media delivery was handled by Florian Mosleh from Coolux. The ANZ Theatre in particular was a huge challenge, requiring complex 3D tracking and warping of the rotating, vertically travelling 'pillar' screens. The content was produced at a native 6k resolution with the projection mapping done in real time.

The project was an immense creative and technical challenge, involving the balancing of many technical and creative elements. It was delivered on time and budget, surpassing our clients expectations and receiving glowing reviews from visitors.

Shanghai 2010 is the largest World Expo in history, expecting to attract over 8 million visitors during the year.

It's an honour representing our country once again (Japan 2005) and working with the ThinkOTS! crew on such a massive project. The Expo event continues until the end of the year.

UPDATE: Well, that was quick! Expo 2010 is now closed and we are pleased to announce that the Australian pavilion placed in the top 5 overall with a 95% satisfaction rating from over 8 million visitors - bested only by China own pavillion! It was Australia's biggest presence at any Expo to date and also the most successful.

UPDATE: Won 2011 AVIA Award for Best install over $1M and Best Audio Visual Production

NEWSTOPIA SERIES THREE (TV Series)

Each series of NEWStopia gets better with what is now one of the best comedy teams in recent years. We returned to again provide visual effects and graphics support for the third season which aired late last year.

The crowning achievement, however, must be the final show of the series which took the form of a full-length INSPEKTOR HERRING episode. All of the NEWStopia cast are there and are easy to watch as always, but it's Nicolas Bell that really shines as Comrade Beluga. The entire 'film' was shot and produced in only 1 week and involved us producing over 20 VFX shots and performing grading duties to give it a strong eastern-european feel.

One of the best things about the show is the ability to hear the viewers feedback and encouragement on the NEWStopia website as the series is airing. When your slaving away in the dark recesses of post production, it's great to see comments on a shot or sequence only a few hours after broadcast.

If you missed it, you can still watch the final episode here.

Jahasra and goodnight!

CORRECTIONS (Short Film)

The directorial debut of comedian Bob Franklin, Corrections (produced by Incendia) is a short film set in a cosmetic surgery waiting room and stars Brooke Satchel, Roz Hammond and Jo Stanley. This tense little 10 minute piece was shot in HD by Marty Smith, edited by Dave Redman at Resolution Independent, with me pitching in with opening titles and grading duty.

Be sure to keep an eye out for it at a festival near you.