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 Real-Time 3D Animation Technique Goes from Games to TV Posted by: amigo
Source: Press Release
Date: Mon Dec 01 2003
New York (Dec 1, 2003) - Spike TV, the first network for men (a division of MTV Networks, available in 87 million homes) will be airing animation created using an unusual new 3D animation technique pioneered by New York animation studio, the ILL Clan, Inc. By modifying off-the-shelf computer game technology, the ILL Clan produces 3D animation, known as machinima, in a fraction of the time it would take using typical computer animation techniques.
The ILL Clan created twelve short animated vignettes, co-directed by David Kaplan and Dan Torop, introducing the award categories on spiketv.com for their Video Game Awards Show (VGA), eight of which will be used during the VGA's scheduled to air December 4, 2003. Each animated intro features 3D assets created by game designers and players from around the world, available for download on the internet. "By tapping the resources of the public gaming community it allowed us not only to produce animation quickly and effectively, but also to support the efforts of a lot of talented 3D designers." says Frank Dellario, president of the ILL Clan.
The vignettes were created using Fountainhead Entertainment's Machinimation toolset based on Id Software's Quake 3 game engine. Each of the roughly 10 second animations can currently be viewed on Spike TV's VGA 2003 website, at spiketv.com.
The ILL Clan's technique, known as machinima (Machine + Cinema) allows the group to accomplish what many animators would never have imagined possible: the ability to control puppet-like animated characters in real-time and record them using a virtual camera as if they were objects on an actual film studio set. All of this using off-the-shelf software and standard desktop computers.
The ILL Clan has also demonstrated the potential of machinima when combined with their comedic talent by performing animation live before an audience at the 2003 Florida Film Festival. The result of that performance is a cartoon entitled "Common Sense Cooking" which recently won best virtual performance at the 2nd annual Machinima Film Festival. Since then the group has continued to push the limits of computer animation with their latest show, "Larry & Lenny on the Campaign Trail," in which two unemployed Lumberjacks join the race for president in the hopes of landing a cushy, do-nothing job.
Audience members at the live premier of "Larry & Lenny on the Campaign Trail" in New York City were invited to participate in a question and answer session with the animated characters. Upcoming episodes of the show can be viewed on the ILL Clan's website, (http://www.illclan.com)and a schedule of live performances in New York City is currently in the works.
Although machinima itself is an emerging art-form, The ILL Clan is moving full steam ahead towards making a name for themselves based on their absurd content and unique talent. The group is currently developing a prototype for an Xbox console game featuring Larry & Lenny Lumberjack, and their agent, Circle of Confusion Management, is shopping around a new animated show concept for television distribution.
Related Links: ILL Clan website
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