HP empowers 3D

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The use of HP technology to reduce render times by more than 70% on Dreamworks Animation’s new flick Monsters vs. Aliens is testimony to the increasing relevance of IT and its ability to give life to an idea on time and on budget, writes Vijaya Cherian.

As Monsters vs. Aliens comes to theatres, one thing becomes increasingly clear. It is IT technology that will empower 3D animators to take creativity and imagination to new heights while helping to keep render times down, thereby, reducing costs. Standing at the forefront of this revolution and seeking to cater to the increased demands of a new generation of 3D filmmakers is HP.

Simply speaking, the liquid-like monsters in Monsters vs. Aliens with their transparent bodies and arms and mouths that disappear would have continued to remain a figment of the artist’s imagination without the power of IT systems to help render them.

More importantly, this film has been designed for 3D viewing and this brought a whole new set of challenges to the team at Dreamworks Animation.

In the case of Monsters vs. Aliens, it meant the film required more than 40 million computing hours to make — more than eight times as many as the original Shrek and nearly double what it took to create Kung Fu Panda,” says Ed Leonard, chief technology officer, Dreamworks Animation.

“For us, this 3D revolution is about immersing the audience into the movie. Advanced technical tools that helped eliminate creative limitations allowed us to dive headfirst into the exciting storytelling capabilities of stereoscopic 3D,” says Leonard.

Yan Bergeron, area category manager for Personal System Group, HP Middle East explains: “Stereoscopic images literally double the number of images to be processed because you have to use two cameras — one representing the left eye and one representing the right eye. The processing power required to render a 3D scene, therefore, demands even more horsepower from the CPU and the graphic cards.”

This is where the HP’s workstations came into play and where, DreamWorks Animation used the largest number of moving cameras on any of its films to date.

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