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ILM explains how it used Stagecraft 2.0 for season two of 'The Mandalorian'
ILM made StageCraft better and easier to use.
See how VFX artists included Carrie Fisher in 'The Rise of Skywalker'
Whatever your opinion on Rise of Skywalker, we can probably all agree that its effects were pretty impressive -- not least because of the seamless inclusion of Carrie Fisher's scenes. The iconic Leia actress had only recorded a small amount of footage before she passed away. Now, the studio behind the film's VFX, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), has released a short video showcasing exactly they did it, as well as the work that went into other major scenes, such as the final space battle and Rey's jump over the TIE Silencer. Take a look below, although if you've somehow avoided seeing the movie yet, be aware that the video contains minor spoilers.
'Rogue One' is a milestone (and warning sign) for CG resurrection
Spoilers ahead for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. You probably didn't expect many surprises in Rogue One, the first Star Wars "side story" which details how, exactly, the Rebel Alliance acquired the plans for the Death Star. Indeed, the entire film seems to exist just to fill in a bit of background detail for A New Hope, our first Luke Skywalker adventure. But it turns out Rogue One is much more than an elaborate bit of fan service. It's surprisingly harrowing, genuinely moving and it'll likely go down as a milestone for digital-actor resurrection.
Watch how VFX artists crafted 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'
ILM has unveiled the official "sizzle reel," for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, showing how it did major visual effects for the movie. If this sounds familiar, an apparently unauthorized making-of video made the rounds early this year, but was quickly pulled. The franchise is the gold standard for VFX, though, so fans can once again get a look behind the curtain, seeing how shots were created at houses in San Francisco, Singapore, Vancouver and London.
'Star Wars' VR experiment comes to HTC Vive on July 18th
You don't have to wait much longer to live out you dreams of wielding a lightsaber in virtual reality. HTC and Lucasfilm have revealed that Star Wars: Trials on Tatooine, their VR gaming experiment, will be available on July 18th through Steam. And it's free as long as you have an HTC Vive, so it won't cost more to role-play a Padawan. The no-cost move isn't surprising (this isn't an in-depth game), but it's welcome if you've been hoping to find a new showcase for your headset.
Magic Leap teams with Lucasfilm for 'Star Wars' AR experiences
Magic Leap, the mysterious augmented reality company, is teaming up with Lucasfilm and its ILMxLAB to create immersive Star Wars experiences, the companies announced today at Wired's Business Conference. As part of the news, they also revealed our closest look yet at Magic Leap's technology in action with a demo video featuring everyone's favorite droids, C-3PO and R2-D2, projected in a typical office environment. It was shot on actual Magic Leap hardware, according to ILMxLAB's John Gaeta (best known for his work on the Matrix films), using a standard digital camera. One look, and you'll see why Magic Leap has amassed an astounding $1.39 billion in funding without shipping an actual product.
The 'Star Wars' holographic chess game is nearly a reality
"Let's be real: Any article you read about Magic Leap or any AR platform, the first thing they talk about is Holochess." That's Mike Levine, the former senior effects specialist at LucasArts and the current CEO of mobile game developer Happy Giant. Levine is working on a new project with Corey Rosen, the former creature-effects supervisor at Industrial Light & Magic, and legendary monster designer Phil Tippett -- the man who created Holochess for the original Star Wars: A New Hope. Together these sci-fi comrades are building HoloGrid: Monster Battle, a tactical collectible card game that takes numerous cues from the classic Holochess scene. Forty years on, Star Wars still exerts a huge influence on Tippett's life. "It's really weird," Tippett says. "It's like being in some kind of time bubble or Groundhog's Day. It keeps coming back."
Sundance's experimental New Frontier looks beyond virtual reality
Virtual reality found itself front and center of Utah's wintery celebrity village earlier this year, virtually dominating the conversation around this past Sundance Film Festival. The technology, a burgeoning new medium for artists, game developers, filmmakers, and journalists alike, had reached a cultural tipping point, with the Park City fest playing host to the announcement of a dedicated VR animation studio from Facebook-owned Oculus VR and ten VR projects that stole the headlines from Sundance's edgy, experimental New Frontier showcase."Last year was one of those historic moments where it was like the perfect storm," says Shari Frilot, chief curator of New Frontier's VR-heavy 2015 showcase. "Not only were there significant developments in the technology and a commitment by storytellers, content creators, filmmakers and journalists to grasp onto it, [but] there was also this ramping up of industry -- manufacturing, as well as kind of peaking of interest in more mainstream content creators. That all converged at the festival in a way that was really explosive. ... That's sort of the unicorn that came out of New Frontier."
ILM's tools could let you direct your own 'Star Wars'
Whether you're familiar with the studio's name or not, you've definitely been touched (and likely gobsmacked) by the computer-generated imagery in one of the blockbuster films to get the Industrial Light and Magic treatment. From Jurassic Park (and its sequels) to the upcoming Disney-backed Star Wars films, the Lucasfilm-run powerhouse is one of the more visible and transformative visual effects forces in entertainment. Now, with a suite of virtual production tools, it's poised to change the way we experience not just film, but also storytelling with an iPad and a virtual reality headset.
ILM created a film-quality Star Wars VR experience
Industrial Light and Magic, George Lucas' award-winning special effects company, has created a stunning photo-realistic augmented and virtual reality that puts Star War fans in the middle of scenes inspired by the upcoming film. In a sneak peek with USA Today, ILM showcased the experience in its ILMxLab development studio.
Hyperspace Beacon: Homage to we hope this never makes it into SWTOR, but knowing our luck, it probably will
One of the best compliments you can give a creator is to make an homage to his work. The title of one of the Hyperspace Beacons was an homage to TOROCast articles. It's a way to tell the creator, "You're doing a good job. Keep up the good work." Not to mention, homages are a lot of fun. In fact, my first published work was an homage to the work of Charles Dickens. I wrote a story about what happened to the Cratchit children. But what happens when an homage goes too far? Every once in a while, the Hyperspace Beacon takes a side track and asks about ideas that should end up on the cutting room floor. We all know games have concepts that just don't work. Star Wars: The Old Republic will be no exception. This little humorous segment is called We hope this never makes it into SWTOR, but knowing our luck, it probably will -- or WHTNMIISWTORBKOLIPW, for short. Follow me after the break to see what "homageneous" ideas should never make it into the release of SWTOR, but knowing our luck, they will anyway.
PowerPhone patent approved for sending MMS messages to 911
We've seen 911 call centers that accept text messages, and now if PowerPhone gets its way you'll some day be able to use MMS messages to further pinpoint the source of your distress. Patent number 7,764,769, "Integrated Call Handler and E-Mail Systems and Methods," has just been approved by the Patent and Trademark Office, detailing the use of the company's Incident Linked Multimedia (ILM) software to receive and prioritize multimedia messages at a call center near you. There is also something there about the software integrated with "existing Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management Systems," which we imagine must be good news for someone looking to implement these features. But let's be honest: we're just looking forward to watching the inevitable "World's Most Embarrassing Drunken Videos to 911" special on Fox. PR after the break.
Heroes star Masi Oka developing MMO-themed movie: The Defenders
Massively multiplayer online games sometimes get a bad rap in mass media, but these games and the experience of playing them are slowly becoming more prevalent in TV and film. In fact, a new family adventure movie called "The Defenders" will focus on MMOs, and the film's concept is from none other than Heroes star Masi Oka, best known for his role as the time-travelling Hiro Nakamura. Oka has some serious geek cred, having worked on fluid effects for Industrial Light and Magic and being a dedicated World of Warcraft player. According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Defenders has been picked up by DreamWorks. THR.com gives a brief synopsis of the plot: "The story centers on a group of mostly teenagers from around the world who are involved in a multiplayer video game, each unaware of who they really are behind the cover of their consoles and avatars. They are forced to come together for a real adventure, becoming inadvertent heroes in the process." In some respects, this film sounds like The Goonies re-imagined for a contemporary audience that identifies with their virtual personas. [Via WoW.com]
Indiana Jones Das Spiel
This German language Indiana Jones GC 06 trailer (showcasing ILM's "Euphoria" physics) is so charmingly retro it makes me want to spend 7 years shooting a shot for shot remake of Raiders of the Lost Ark in my backyard. Oh right, some kid already did that.
