VES Awards: ‘The Lion King’ & ‘The Irishman’ Take Top Film Honors
Summary
VES Awards: ‘The Lion King’ & ‘The Irishman’ Take Top Film Honors
Disney’s The Lion King ruled the 18th annual VES Awards, winning a pack-leading three trophies including the marquee Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature during Wednesday night’s ceremony at the Beverly Hilton.
The Jon Favreau-directed “live action” remake of the toon classic also took the hardware for Outstanding Created Environment in a Photoreal Feature and Virtual Cinematography in a CG Project, setting it up as a front-runner for the Best Visual Effects Academy Award on February 9. More on that below.
Accepting the top prize for The Lion King, visual effects supervisor Robert Legato said: “I do feel a little guilty because the fellow nominees were so great … but I’m pretty sure I’m going to get over it. … About 1,600 of our closest personal friends were involved.”
Netflix’s The Irishman and Laika’s Missing Link were the only other multiple winners on the film side. The time-jumping, de-aging film by Martin Scorsese, who received the VES Lifetime Achievement Award tonight, took Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature and a compositing award. The stop-motion Missing Link won for Visual Effects in an Animated Feature and Animated Character in an Animated Feature.
Also picking up a pair of trophies tonight were Disney+’s rookie series The Mandalorian, HBO’s recently wrapped Game of Thrones, Netflix’s creepshow Stranger Things 3 and the Ridley Scott-helmed commercial “Hennessy: The Seven Worlds.”
The Star Wars universe was well represented Wednesday night. Along with the dual Mandalorian wins, The Last Skywalker took Effects Simulations in a Photoreal Feature and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance scored Visual Effects in a Special Venue Project.
Back to The Lion King and its Oscar chances. Since the VES Awards launched in 2002, the winner of its top film category has gone on to score the Best Visual Effects Oscar in 10 of the 17 years. (Hugo won the VES in the Feature Motion Picture category in 2011 and later won the Oscar.) But don’t shine up that mantel just yet: The Visual Effects Society and the Movie Academy have differed in each of the past two years, with 2017 VES winner War for the Planet of the Apes losing the Oscar to Blade Runner 2049 in 2017 and Avengers: Infinity War getting Thanos-ed by First Man at last year’s Academy Awards.
The Lion King and The Irishman will vie for the Visual Effects Oscar on February 9 against VES Awards nominees Avengers: Endgame, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and 1917.
Host Patton Oswalt kicked off the ceremony with a few zingers: “Good evening. Disney permalancers!” he said. He later picked a Cats fight, noting: “The Star Wars franchise ended after 50 years, and after one screening, so did the Cats franchise. Isn’t that amazing? Were you guys on strike when they made that one? What was going on there? That movie was a screensaver designed to not give me a boner.”
J.J. Abrams later got a big laugh with this line, after Rian Johnson has presented earlier: “I’m here tonight to present three awards — unless Rian Johnson wants to come back and present the second one.”
Scorsese was unable to attend the ceremony but accepted his Lifetime Achievement Award via video. “I’m really very sorry that I can’t be there in person,” he said. “Thank you for this honor, which is very special to me because my pictures — they’re just not known for their visual effects. … I’m sort of a latecomer. I think I did my first visual effects from a wheelchair.”
The Oscar winner added: “Out of silence came the idea of the de-aging to utilize in the making of The Irishman. We all realized the risk we were taking, and we knew it was the only way we could make the picture we wanted to make.”
Roland Emmerich, who VFX-heavy films include Stargate, Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, 2012 and last year’s Midway, picked up the VES Visionary Award on Wednesday.
“People ask me a lot, ‘Why do you make all these huge visual effects movies?’ and I have to say the stories that fascinate me most are stories where people face extraordinary obstacles,” he said onstage. “I really enjoy to put a character in crazy possible danger and then watch them overcome these insurmountable obstacles. … Working in this business for 40 years, I know that if you want to get great visual effects, you need a lot of people — sometimes hundreds, sometimes thousands.”
Visual effects supervisor Sheena Duggal, whose dozens of credits range from Jumanji and Contact to Iron Man 3 and Venom, accepted the VES Award for Creative Excellence. “One of the things I love about my job is in this industry we truly succeed if we succeed together,” she said.
To see the list of VES Awards 2020 Winners click here.
Leica Geosystems and Autodesk Announce BLK360 $16k 3D Laser Scanner
Leica Geosystems Announces Complete Imaging Solution: Leica BLK360 Imaging Laser Scanner and Autodesk ReCap 360 Pro App
Las Vegas, November 16th, 2016, Leica Geosystems announced the BLK360, a revolutionary miniaturized black 3D imaging laser scanner. The product was revealed at Autodesk University 2016 and will be bundled with Autodesk’s ReCap 360 Pro and the new ReCap 360 Pro app for iPad. Both companies will demonstrate the product for the duration of the conference at the ReCap booth #2033 and the Leica Geosystems booth #1537.
The BLK360 captures the world around you with full-color panoramic images overlaid on a high accuracy point cloud. The one-button Leica BLK360 is not only the smallest and lightest of its kind, but also offers a simple user experience. Anyone who can operate an iPad can now capture the world around them with high resolution 3D panoramic images.
The Leica BLK360 defines a new category: the imaging laser scanner. It is so small and light that it fits in a typical messenger bag and can be carried almost anywhere. It features a 60 meter measurement range for full dome scans. A complete full-dome laser scan, 3D panoramic image capture and transfer to the iPad Pro takes only 3 minutes.
Using the ReCap Pro 360 mobile app, the BLK360 streams image and point cloud data to iPad. The app filters and registers scan data in real-time. After capture, ReCap 360 Pro enables for point cloud data transfer to a number of CAD, BIM, VR and AR applications. The integration of BLK360 and Autodesk software will dramatically streamline the reality capture process thereby opening this technology to non-surveying individuals.
“When Autodesk first introduced ReCap, it was for one purpose: the democratization of reality capture,” said Aaron Morris, who oversees reality solutions at Autodesk. “We saw the tremendous power of this technology for the AEC industry, but realized that the cost and portability of scanners combined with difficult-to-use data was limiting the adoption of reality capture. Autodesk’s collaboration with Leica Geosystems helps solve these issues by giving just about anyone access to the amazing advantages of reality data.”
“As the leader in the spatial measurement arena, we recognized the gap between Leica Geosystems’ scientific-grade 3D laser scanners and emerging camera and handheld technologies, and set out to bring reality capture to everyone,” said Dr. Burkhard Boeckem, CTO of Hexagon Geosystems. “By combining and miniaturizing technologies available within Hexagon, the BLK360 defines a new category: the Imaging Laser Scanner. It is significantly smaller and lighter (1 kg) than any comparable device on the market. As we developed the ultimate sensor, we worked with Autodesk to create new software and ultimately achieved the next milestone in 3D reality capture. Together with Autodesk’s ReCap 360 Pro, the Leica BLK360 empowers every AEC professional to realize the benefits gained by incorporating high resolution 360° imagery and 3D laser scan data in their daily work.”
BLK360 & Autodesk ReCap 360 Pro Bundle will be available to order in March 2017. The anticipated bundle suggested retail price is $15,990/€15,000, which includes: BLK360 Scanner, Case, Battery, Charger and an annual subscription to ReCap 360 Pro. For customers who want to secure their spot in line to receive the first batch of BLK360 laser scanners, Autodesk and Leica Geosystems are offering a special limited promotion for a discounted three-year ReCap 360 Pro subscription with a voucher giving priority access to buy the BLK360. Go to this link to learn more.
Leica Geosystems – when it has to be right
Revolutionizing the world of measurement and survey for nearly 200 years, Leica Geosystems creates complete solutions for professionals across the planet. Known for premium products and innovative solution development, professionals in a diverse mix of industries, such as aerospace and defense, safety and security, construction, and manufacturing, trust Leica Geosystems for all their geospatial needs. With precise and accurate instruments, sophisticated software, and trusted services, Leica Geosystems delivers value every day to those shaping the future of our world.
Leica Geosystems is part of Hexagon (Nasdaq Stockholm: HEXA B; hexagon.com), a leading global provider of information technologies that drive quality and productivity improvements across geospatial and industrial enterprise applications.
Autodesk, the Autodesk logo, Autodesk ReCap 360, and Autodesk ReCap 360 Pro are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.
Zoic Amps Up Neighborly Antics for ‘Keeping Up with The Joneses’
Led by VFX supervisor Everett Burrell, Zoic Studios delivers big Hollywood explosions and high impact antics to amplify the humor of the film’s chance encounters and secret missions.
VANCOUVER, B.C. — Zoic Studios blasts mellow neighborhood envy to espionage proportions in the new action-adventure comedy Keeping Up with the Joneses from 20th Century Fox. The film follows an ordinary suburban couple (Zach Galifianakis, Isla Fisher) who finds it’s not easy keeping up with the Joneses (Jon Hamm, Gal Gadot), their impossibly gorgeous and ultra-sophisticated neighbors — especially when they discover that Mr. and Mrs. “Jones” are covert operatives. The Zoic team, led by VFX Supervisor Everett Burrell, delivered big Hollywood explosions and high impact antics to amplify the humor of the film’s chance encounters and secret missions. The film was released in theaters nationwide on October 21, 2016.Burrell worked closely with Special Effects Supervisor Michael Lantieri while on set in Atlanta, GA, to properly sync all practical effects for the augmentation executed in post-production. One heavy-hitting scene called for a fiery demolition of the Joneses’ house. The Zoic team collaborated with director Greg Mottola (Superbad, Paul) to bring his vision of an ‘80s movie-style detonation to reality. They intensified the larger-than-life eruption to leave audiences with no question of complete destruction, all while maintaining a photo-real look. Since an actual location was being utilized in lieu of a soundstage, none of the mansion blaze was captured practically, requiring the entire sequence to be created in CG.
Another scene called for Fisher and Galifianakis to spark a living room fire in a fantasy setting during a romantic moment gone wrong. The living room set was built twice, enabling the crew to practically ignite certain set elements and have Zoic Studios composite the flaming pieces into the scene in post-production.
While some practical stunt work called for VFX to bolster the action, certain moments required more comedy chops, including a scene where Galifianakis attempts a Hollywood-style jump through a glass window, only to bounce off the glass upon contact. To practically capture the moment, a stunt actor handled the brunt of the impact with Galifianakis jumping through an empty window placed in a hallway. The Zoic team seamlessly transitioned between the two performances to create a laughter-inducing moment for all.
Another sequence entailed creating the look of a 24-story vantage point from what was actually a 5-story perspective at a hotel. To implement this, the team placed a green screen on the floors between the pool, adding scale to the shots in CG to make the pool look significantly lower to the ground. Additional effects work included cleaning up shots to accelerate the action scenes, from practical stunts like removing rigs to muzzle flashes and bullet hits. The team also crafted a CG snake for a comical reptilian dining sequence between Hamm and Galifianakis.
“It was great working with director Greg Mottola to take the comedy to the next level. He has such extensive expertise in the genre and it was enjoyable to collaborate on the effects that would remain real and plausible in this comedy universe,” notes Burrell. “The comedy is so dialogue-driven, so we really worked to keep the VFX subtle and let the writing and performances speak for themselves.”
Zoic Studios amps the action in an explosion sequence from ‘Keeping Up with The Joneses.’3D Scanning and LiDAR by SCANable
Source: Zoic Studios
Velodyne LiDAR Announces Puck Hi-Res™ LiDAR Sensor
Velodyne LiDAR Announces Puck Hi-Res™ LiDAR Sensor, Offering Higher Resolution to Identify Objects at Greater Distances
Industry-leading, real-time LiDAR sensor impacts autonomous vehicle, 3D mapping and surveillance industries with significantly higher resolution of 3D images
MORGAN HILL, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Velodyne LiDAR Inc., the recognized global leader in Light, Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology, today unveiled its new Puck Hi-Res™ sensor, a version of the company’s groundbreaking LiDAR Puck that provides higher resolution in captured 3D images, which allows objects to be identified at greater distances. Puck Hi-Res is the third new LiDAR sensor released by the company this year, joining the standard VLP-16 Puck™ and the Puck LITE™.
“Not only does the Puck Hi-Res provide greater detail in longer ranges, but it retains all the functions of the original VLP-16 Puck that shook up these industries when it was introduced in September 2014.”
“Introducing a high-resolution LiDAR solution is essential to advancing any industry that leverages the capture of 3D images, from autonomous navigation to mapping to surveillance,” said Mike Jellen, President and COO, Velodyne LiDAR. “The Puck Hi-Res sensor will provide the most detailed 3D views possible from LiDAR, enabling widespread adoption of this technology while increasing safety and reliability.”
Expanding on Velodyne LiDAR’s groundbreaking VLP-16 Puck, a 16-channel, real-time 3D LiDAR sensor that weighs just 830 grams, Puck Hi-Res is used in applications that require greater resolution in the captured 3D image. Puck Hi-Res retains the VLP-16 Puck’s 360° horizontal field-of-view (FoV) and 100-meter range, but delivers a 20° vertical FoV for a tighter channel distribution – 1.33° between channels instead of 2.00° – to deliver greater details in the 3D image at longer ranges. This will enable the host system to not only detect, but also better discern, objects at these greater distances.
“Building on the VLP-16 Puck and the Puck LITE, the Puck Hi-Res was an intuitive next step for us, as the evolution of the various industries that rely on LiDAR showed the need for higher resolution 3D imaging,” said Wayne Seto, product line manager, Velodyne LiDAR. “Not only does the Puck Hi-Res provide greater detail in longer ranges, but it retains all the functions of the original VLP-16 Puck that shook up these industries when it was introduced in September 2014.”
“The 3D imaging market is expected to grow from $5.71B in 2015 to $15.15B in 2020, led by the development of autonomous shuttles for large campuses, airports, and basically anywhere there’s a need to safely move people and cargo,” said Dr. Rajender Thusu, Industry Principal for Sensors & Instruments, Frost & Sullivan. “We expect Velodyne LiDAR’s line of sensors to play a key role in this surge in autonomous vehicle development, as the company leads the way in partnerships with key industry drivers, along with the fact that sensors like the new Puck Hi-Res are substantially more sophisticated than competitive offerings and increasingly accessible to all industry players.”
Velodyne LiDAR is now accepting orders for Puck Hi-Res, with a lead-time of approximately eight weeks.
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 by David S. Hall, Velodyne Acoustics Inc. first disrupted the premium audio market through Hall’s patented invention of virtually distortion-less, servo-driven subwoofers. Hall subsequently leveraged his knowledge of robotics and 3D visualization systems to invent ground breaking sensor technology for self-driving cars and 3D mapping, introducing the HDL-64 Solid-State Hybrid LiDAR sensor in 2005. Since then, Velodyne LiDAR has emerged as the leading supplier of solid-state hybrid LiDAR sensor technology used in a variety of commercial applications including advanced automotive safety systems, autonomous driving, 3D mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. The compact, lightweight HDL-32E sensor is available for applications including UAVs, while the VLP-16 LiDAR Puck is a 16-channel LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive than previous generation sensors. To read more about the technology, including white papers, visit http://www.velodynelidar.com.
Contacts
Velodyne LiDAR
Laurel Nissen
lnissen@velodyne.com
or
Porter Novelli/Voce
Andrew Hussey
Andrew.hussey@porternovelli.com
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