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Sky Siege augmented reality iPhone game/app

(Phil Lelyveld comment: this game uses the iphone motion sensors to allow game play in a virtual sphere.  It does NOT display in stereoscopic 3D.)

SKY SIEGE 3D in HD – Pushing the boundaries of AR/VR Mobile Gaming! A state of the art update with Gyro, Retina HD, Stereoscopic 3D, RC mode + lots more!

Experience a full on Aerial Assault in Stereoscopic 3D as virtual helicopters come at you from all angles. Choose a spectacular 360 degree Virtual Environment or your own office! Fly a virtual RC helicopter around the room in Augmented Reality!

Feature packed Sky Siege 3D brings an amazing mix of groundbreaking stereoscopic Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality to your iPhone 4 or 3GS, iPod Touch 4 or iPad!

With ultra smooth Gyroscope support and High Definition Sky Siege 3D gives you a state of the art AR / VR experience yet also continues to support the original Magnetic based tracking algorithm for iPhone 3GS and iPads

This massive update includes all kinds of improvements and features to the original including the world’s first « Throne Mode » so you can play anywhere!

Watch the YouTube video of the game in action here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWsqKDhGVo0

Original post here: http://appiphone4.wordpress.com/2011/01/16/sky-siege-3d-v2-1/

Venture 3D Officially Launches Following Successful 3D Conversions for Hollywood Hits

Debut Projects Include The Green Hornet, Chronicles of Narnia:  The Voyage of the Dawn Trader and FIFA World Cup

LOS ANGELES – January 26, 2011 – Following years of operating in stealth mode,  Venture 3D, a leader in the burgeoning 3D conversion market, celebrated its official launch with the announcement of contributions to a variety of recent Hollywood blockbusters including the successful completion of the 3D conversion for the recently opened Sony Pictures’ The Green Hornet, directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and starring Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz. Venture 3D also worked on 20th Century Fox’s and Walden Media’s The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and the 2010 FIFA World Cup 3D trailer. Recent projects also include 3D conversion work for Warner Bros., Screen Gems and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai.

Venture 3D’s unique proprietary, worldwide patented software-based technology enables the company to deliver superior quality 3D conversion to the production and significantly reduce the time and cost involved in 3D conversion.

Established to convert new as well as library films, TV programming, documentaries and commercials, Venture 3D was founded in 2008 by three entertainment industry veterans, Marcus Englefield, George Lee and Paul Ottosson, who enjoy an in-depth knowledge and long experience in both production and post-production. Englefield has produced several films and numerous commercials and music videos. Lee has a background in co-production, financing, foreign distribution and licensing of major Hollywood studio films in Asia. Ottosson, a two time Oscar® winner as well as a BAFTA and Emmy® winner, is an established and respected entertainment industry veteran with 20 years in the business. He was a producer of the 2007 Oscars as well as a few independent films and has worked on movies, including highly popular motion pictures such as 2012, Spiderman 2, Spiderman 3 and acclaimed Iraq war thriller The Hurt Locker.

In order to cost-effectively convert large scale and technically intricate film projects such as The Green Hornet, Venture 3D also employs a highly-skilled and dedicated team of stereographers and artists in Los Angeles and Korea to convert shots into high-quality 3D. Todd Cogan, Venture 3D’s senior vice president of operations and one of the most sought-after and experienced 3D producers within the industry, is overseeing the company’s 3D stereoscopic production. His extensive experience includes such major A-list stereoscopic production A-list projects as Michael Jackson’s This Is It Concert Experience, U2 3D, Disney’s Jonas Brothers 3D Experience and Hannah Montana. Cogan worked with James Cameron for 8 years on productions including Aliens of the Deep 3D and The Ghost of The Abyss 3D, both 3D for IMAX. Prior to joining Venture 3D Cogan was the VP of business relations with PACE. Working with Cameron and PACE, Cogan developed a solid understanding of 3D through the eye of the camera that enables Venture 3D to deliver the best 3D to the movie screen.

About Venture 3D

Venture 3D is a Los Angeles-based company with a studio in Seoul, Korea, that provides high-quality, cost-effective and time-sensitive solutions for the creation of stereoscopic 3-D content, including feature films, TV shows and commercials. The company is leading the fast-growing market of 3D conversion by offering cutting-edge worldwide patented technology specially designed for 2D-to-3D conversion.

Original post here: http://www.vizworld.com/2011/01/3d-conversion-studio-block-venture-3d/

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Specification for Naming VFX Image Sequences Released

ETC’s VFX Working Group has published a specification for best practices naming image sequences such as plates and comps. File naming is an essential tool for organizing the multitude of frames that are inputs and outputs from the VFX process. Prior to the publication of this specification, each organization had its own naming scheme, requiring custom processes for each partner, which often resulted in confusion and miscommunication.

The new ETC@USC specification focuses primarily on sequences of individual images. The initial use case was VFX plates, typically delivered as OpenEXR or DPX files. However, the team soon realized that the same naming conventions can apply to virtually any image sequence. Consequently, the specification was written to handle a wide array of assets and use cases.

To ensure all requirements are represented, the working group included over 2 dozen participants representing studios, VFX houses, tool creators, creatives and others.  The ETC@USC also worked closely with MovieLabs to ensure that the specification could be integrated as part of their 2030 Vision.

A key design criteria for this specification is compatibility with existing practices.  Chair of the VFX working group, Horst Sarubin of Universal Pictures, said: “Our studio is committed to being at the forefront of designing best industry practices to modernize and simplify workflows, and we believe this white paper succeeded in building a new foundation for tools to transfer files in the most efficient manner.”

This specification is compatible with other initiatives such as the Visual Effects Society (VES) Transfer Specifications. “We wanted to make it as seamless as possible for everyone to adopt this specification,” said working group co-chair and ETC@USC’s Erik Weaver. “To ensure all perspectives were represented we created a team of industry experts familiar with the handling of these materials and collaborated with a number of industry groups.”

“Collaboration between MovieLabs and important industry groups like the ETC is critical to implementing the 2030 Vision,” said Craig Seidel, SVP of MovieLabs. “This specification is a key step in defining the foundations for better software-defined workflows. We look forward to continued partnership with the ETC on implementing other critical elements of the 2030 Vision.”

The specification is available online for anyone to use.

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