Oscar-winning film animation firm to use University-inspired research in future blockbusters
Wednesday 28 September 2011
One of the world’s largest visual effects firms has chosen the new technology designed by a space researcher at the University of Surrey to improve its work in big budget films.
The device is the brain-child of Dr Alexandre Pechev, who was working on ways to control space satellites when he saw a solution that could be extended to robotics and from there also to the way avatars move in computer games.
Now his company IKinema, which was spun-out from the University as a private company, has won the backing of Framestore - the animation company which was behind the effects in such films as Batman “The Dark Knight” and "The Golden Compass” (which won a BAFTA and an Academy Award for best visual effects). Current film projects include “War Horse” and “Clash of the Titans 2”.
The IKinema technology is a revolutionary new approach to computer animation which animates the whole body of any character or creature and automatically takes into account gravity and balance to produce lifelike movements.
Available as game middleware, standalone software or an online solution, IKinema’s technology is poised to radically simplify the motion capture workflows for professional production studios and bring real-time motion editing within the reach of home users.
Nicolas Scapel, head of rigging at Framestore, said: “The IKinema solver is a fantastic solution for a wide range of skeleton control issues. By using IKinema’s advanced solver settings and its extremely flexible constraint system, we have been able to iteratively improve our solving solution and accuracy. With the ability to easily reproduce this same setup script on many shots, we will be shaving days and weeks off our production time".
"On top of supporting any skeleton topology, the solver speed is really amazing. The advanced skeleton controls, such as joint limits and the flexible constraint system, make it very easy to adapt to a wide range of IK production circumstances. IKinema is really unique in what it does and how it does it – it’s like something we have always been missing without knowing it...”
Notes for Editors:
IKinema Technology
IKinema technology enables users to create and retarget data directly inside Maya, in real-time and for a fraction of the cost of alternative solutions. IKinema converts virtually any skeleton model to a full feature rig while generating fluid and life-like full-body animation for a wide range of characters. For more information and a technology video, please visit: www.ikinema.com
About Framestore
Framestore is one of the largest visual effects and computer animation studios in Europe, with more than 20 years of experience in digital film and video technology. It has won and received nominations for dozens of international accolades for work on major feature film productions. In 2008, Framestore won a BAFTA and an Academy Award for best visual effects in recognition for the polar bears and environments they created for “The Golden Compass.” In 2009, it was nominated for the same awards for their work on “The Dark Knight.” Framestore was also the only UK facility awarded shots on James Cameron's “Avatar,” a film that went on to win the 2010 Academy Award for best visual effects. In 2011, Framestore was nominated for a best visual effects Oscar again, for work completed on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1.”
Current Film projects include: “War Horse,” “Gravity,” “Johnny English Reborn,” “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Clash of the Titans 2,” “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” and “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”
About IKinema
Based in the UK, IKinema™ uses patent-pending technology for fast full-body solving and animation. With customers ranging from Framestore’s London Studio to Twentieth Century Fox’s pre-visualization department, IKinema’s technology enables animators to rig characters and stream, record and retarget motion capture data in a fraction of the time and cost of alternative solutions. Available as game middleware, standalone software or an online solution, IKinema’s technology is poised to radically simplify the motion capture workflows for professional production studios and bring real-time motion editing within the reach of home users.
Press contacts:
For the University of Surrey:
Howard Wheeler, University of Surrey press officer, Tel 01483 686141.
For IKinema:
US based Liaison Inc.
Heidi Lowell, (503) 796-9822, heidi@liaisonpr.com
IKinema Ltd.
Surrey Technology Centre
40 Occam Road,
The Surrey Research Park
Guildford
GU2 7YG, UK
Telephone: +44 (0) 2071 939 839
