DreamWorks Animation (DWA) has been witnessing several awards being showered on it lately. The latest is that DWA has received two Technical Achievement Awards by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for developing two revolutionary tools used in feature filmmaking: Foliage System and OpenVDB. These two tools were used in the making of How to Train Your Dragon 2 (HTTYD2).
Hewlett-Packard received a technical achievement award for its HP DreamColor LP2480zX Professional Display monitor, created in collaboration with DWA engineers.
“At DreamWorks Animation, engineers, technicians and artists come together to create new technology stimulated by the vision and imagination of filmmakers such as writer/director Dean DeBlois (HTTYD2),” said DWA chief technology officer Lincoln Wallen. “I want to congratulate our engineers and artists, as well as the DreamColor team at Hewlett-Packard, on their Technical Achievement Awards that recognise outstanding innovation in the development of tools and technology that enhance the industry’s creative storytelling ability.”
The Foliage System was first developed for 2001’s Shrek, where it was used to create more than 10,000 trees, the largest deployment of digital vegetation in any film at its time. Since then, DWA has continued to be the industry leader in innovating new tools and techniques that provide the greatest artistic flexibility in rendering foliage. DWA effects artists Scott Peterson, Jeff Budsberg and Jonathan Gibbs received the award for the design and implementation of the Foliage System.
OpenVDB is an open source data structure and set of tools that help manage the storage of enormous amounts of information created by complex visual effects such as water, dust, smoke and fire, found in both animated and live action films. OpenVDB’s efficiency reduces digital storage requirements and the need for long wait times when running simulations, which have resulted in it becoming a standard in the animation and VFX industry. With adoption at studios including Weta Digital, Disney Animation, and Industrial Light & Magic, the tools were used in the making of several of this year’s Academy Award nominated films for Best Visual Effects, including X-Men: Days of Future Past, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, and Guardians of the Galaxy. DreamWorks Animation engineers Ken Museth, Peter Cucka, and Mihai Alden, received the award for the creation of OpenVDB.
HP’s DreamColor monitor was jointly developed with DreamWorks Animation to provide the highest color quality level LCD monitors required for graphic intense workflows, such as those for producing feature animation and visual effects. Karl Rasche, a DreamWorks software engineer, was recognised by the Academy, along with the other award winners from Hewlett-Packard, for the joint development of the HP DreamColor LP2480zx Professional Display.