DIGIPENDENCE - declare yours!

I am very interested in the law and legal issues as well as crime and criminology. In fact, that along with journalism is what I am currently studying in school. My media production background is in live action film/video, and When I got into machinima, and also started learning about 3D animation, I started to think about how all that could be married together (Minerva Interactive).

There are a number of companies which recreate crime scenes for court cases using graphics and animation. One of the best is Scene Systems, an innovative company with the stated goal of “Our goal is to make 3D animated reconstruction available in every case where it could be beneficial.” They recently aquired the assets of Antics 3D, including at least one senior staffer.

By now, most people are familiar with the January 15, 2009Hudson River crash of US Airways Flight 1549 piloted by Captain, Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and his First officer Jeffrey Skiles. Scene Systems has created a much-acclaimed accident reconstruction of the accident:

In replying to a YouTube comment on the video, Scene says “We plan to release these accurate reconstructions as and when major events occur.” There’s no doubt that such reconstructions are compelling, and not just to the general public. Scene says that there are six reasons why law firms should consider using animation:

1. Animation clearly and concisely represents the facts
2. Jurors remember 600% more information when presented visually
3. Animations suits the way most people assimilate information
4. Case information is organized coherently
5. Scientific accuracy puts the exhibit beyond dispute
6. Reduce costs, reduce witnesses, reduce litigation

Thanks to Phil Rice for the hat tip.

Will Wright, creator of the popular Spore™ and The Sims series will be a Keynote Speaker at SIGGRAPH 2009, the 36th International Conference and Exhibition for Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques.

Will Wright rose to prominence when he invented SimCity, the widely acclaimed, non-violent, open-ended simulation video game. Since its release 20 years ago, he has expanded his simulation realm with the introduction of The Sims series and several other follow-ups, includin SimEarth: The Living Planet, and SimAnt: The Electronic Ant Colony. In all, the franchise has sold more than 58 million games and was the best selling PC game for five consecutive years. In 2008, Wright unveiled his latest achievement: Spore™, an internet-based game that allows users to create a species of creatures and share their evolutions with other players interactively worldwide. The game was named by Time Magazine as one of the “50 Best Inventions of 2008”.

Read the detailed press release here.

Randy Thom, a pioneer in sound and a two-time Academy Award® winner, to give a keynote presentation at SIGGRAPH 2009, the 36th International Conference and Exhibition for Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques.

Since 1975, Thom has worked in a wide variety of creative capacities in more than 75 films including some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters such as “Bolt”, “Forrest Gump”, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”, “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “Ratatouille,” “War of the Worlds,” and “Wild at Heart.” Thom began working for Lucasfilm in 1979 as a sound designer and re-recording mixer and is currently the Director of Sound Design at Skywalker Sound.

“SIGGRAPH has long emphasized the world’s best visual and interactive content, and SIGGRAPH 2009 is adding a special focus on integrating audio,” stated Ronen Barzel, SIGGRAPH 2009 Conference Chair. “Randy Thom is the world’s leading advocate and practitioner in the art of integrating sound with visuals in storytelling. His vision is a perfect fit as SIGGRAPH extends its focus into this area.”

He received two Academy Awards® for Best Sound in “The Right Stuff” and Best Achievement in Sound Editing for “The Incredibles.” In all, Thom has shared 14 Academy Award® nominations, and has worked with some of today’s leading directors and producers.

greyscalegorilla: : “In this episode, I go though the basics of key-framing in After Effects including”:
* Setting multiple keyframes
* Spacial Interpolation
* Bezier Keyframes
* Roving Keyframes
* Auto Orient

original greyscalegorilla URL.

greyscalegorilla: “In this episode, I show you the basics of animating and pre-comping in After Effects.”

original greyscalegorilla URL.