IBM IntelliStation(R) Workstations Part of Ground Breaking Animation
NEW ORLEANS, La., SIGGRAPH, July 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Threshold Digital
Research Labs (TDRL), a subsidiary of Threshold Entertainment, continues to
work with IBM for its first digitally animated feature film, "FOODFIGHT!"
IBM's IntelliStation Z Pro workstations are being used to create
groundbreaking animation for the $50 million film. Done in full digital 3D,
the animation will be the next step in the marriage of computer and the
animation arts. IBM will also supply new generation scalable rendering
hardware -- the key technology that makes a feature film of this scope
possible. TDRL is heading up the 3D digital effort using its worldwide
network of animators working from its Santa Monica headquarters.
"FOODFIGHT!" reveals the mayhem that takes place in a supermarket at night
when all the people leave. Product icons come alive in a "wild city" and head
towards the hottest club in town, the Copabanana. All's well until Brand X
moves into town. The film follows the epic adventures of hundreds of branded
characters from the familiar packages of products including Dex Detective,
Daredevil Dan, Mr. Clean, Twinkie the Kid and others as they battle for
control of the store.
"This is the most complex digitally animated film ever undertaken, with
thousands of different characters and hundreds of sets. After auditioning
dozens of workstations we've found the perfect technology partner in IBM and
are proud to be working with them to make 'FOODFIGHT,'" said George Johnsen,
Chief Technology Officer of TDRL.
The Lawrence Kasanoff/Threshold Digital Research Labs production in
association with Natural Image will be executive produced by Joshua Wexler and
George Johnsen, co-executive produced by Daniel Suh and Gregory Cascante,
produced by Larry Kasanoff and Alison Savitch and written by Brent V.
Friedman and Rebecca Swanson from a story by Kasanoff and Wexler.
"FOODFIGHT!" has the exclusive rights to use products and character icons
in the film from some of the biggest consumer products companies in the
world, including Proctor & Gamble (Mr. Clean, Mr.Pringle), Interstate Foods
(Dolly Madison, Twinkie the Kid), International Foods (Chef Boyardee), Hormel
(Hormel Chili, Dinty Moore, Spam), Chiquita (Chiquita Banana Lady), Post
Cereals (Sugar Crisp, Alphabits), Lipton Foods (Imperial Margarine, Ragu,
Cup-A-Soup), Aurora Foods (Mrs. Butterworth, Duncan Hines, Log Cabin), Kal Kan
(Pedigree, Whiskas), M&M Mars (M&Ms, Skittles), Uncle Ben's, Triarc Beverages
(Snapple, RC Cola), Mott's USA and many more.
All characters will be created using IBM's IntelliStation Z Pro
workstations. Rendering will be facilitated through a combination of IBM's
high capacity Netfinity(R) 4000R server line and the IntelliStation Z Pro and
M Pro products. This combination offers high reliability and extreme
performance that allows the highly detailed rendering for FOODFIGHT! to be
possible. Over 200 IBM IntelliStation workstations will be deployed for the
project.
"We were very excited when Threshold chose the IntelliStation as their
preferred workstation platform," said Jay Ornellas, IBM Global Segment Manager
for Digital Content Creation. "TDRL has a very demanding production
environment and we knew it would be a great testing ground for our systems.
With their input, we're constantly improving the IntelliStation to make it the
best, most reliable animation platform on the market. The material the TRDL
artists have created for "FOODFIGHT!" sets a new standard for 3D animation. I
think people will be amazed when they see the film."
Threshold Digital Research Labs (TDRL), a subsidiary of Threshold
Entertainment, creates and produces digital visual effects and animation for
movies, TV and websites. The company has created and produced digital visual
effects for movies such as "Scary Movie," "I Still Know What You Did Last
Summer," "The Faculty," and "Dogma;" for TV commercials such clients as Korbel
Wineries; and General Motors, and for TV series like "Mortal Kombat:
Conquest."
Threshold Entertainment is the leading innovator in Intellectual Property
Management specializing in Digital Media and representing some of the
best-known entertainment properties in the world. The company develops brands
for production and publication in film and television and on the Internet,
retaining ownership of the digital assets.
Larry Kasanoff is chairman and CEO of Threshold Entertainment and producer
of the $5 billion "Mortal Kombat" franchise. Formerly president and
co-founder with James Cameron of Lightstorm Entertainment, he supervised
production of "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and executive produced "True Lies."
Alison Savitch, President of TDRL, is one of the best visual effects
supervisors in the motion picture industry. Her credits include "Terminator
2," "Dracula," "The Shadow" and "The Last Action Hero." Savitch served as
Associate Producer and Visual Effects Supervisor for the movie "Mortal
Kombat," and Executive Producer of Threshold's feature films "Mortal Kombat:
Annihilation" and "Beowulf." Her skill at combining technology with
entertainment, as evidenced in Threshold's cutting edge animated video
"Mortal Kombat: The Journey Begins," is virtually unparalleled.
About IBM IntelliStation: The IBM IntelliStation series of Windows
NT-based workstations deliver high-performance to all digital media creation
applications. Combining Intel's most advanced processors with Microsoft
Windows NT 4.0, IntelliStation workstations deliver the highest levels of
productivity for nonlinear video editing, and special effects, image
processing, pre-press, Web design, and 3D modeling/animation/rendering. For
more information on IBM IntelliStation, visit
http://www.pc.ibm.com/us/intellistation.
* IntelliStation and Netfinity are trademarks of International Business
Machines, Corp. All other brand names mentioned are trademarks or registered
trademarks of their respective holders.
SOURCE Threshold Digital Research Labs
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Related links:
http://www.thethreshold.com
CONTACT:
Hanna Schmieder for Threshold Digital
Research Labs, 310-452-8899; or Laurie Friedman for IBM,
914-766-3606
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