animago in Munich set to host VFX wizards behind “Pirates of the Caribbean”, “Wonder Woman”, “Atomic Blonde”, “The Dark Tower”, “Power Rangers” and more

What kind of VFX bolstered Charlize Theron’s performance in her new film “Atomic Blonde”? How was “Wonder Woman” transplanted to WWI? How were the epic water effects in “Pirates of the Caribbean 5: Salazars Rache” made; how did they create the gigantic city backdrops in “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and “Power Rangers”? And how were the visual effects in the latest Stephen King film adaptation “The Dark Tower” made? These and many other questions will be answered by leading international VFX experts speaking at the two-day animago AWARD & CONFERENCE taking place in two weeks on 7th and 8th September 2017 at the Gasteig Centre in Munich.

The animago is one of the industry’s most important international networking platforms and will be attended by roughly 1,000 participants active in the fields of 3D animation & still, visual effects (VFX), visualization and design.

Some of the highlights on this year’s programme include a presentation by Erik Smitt from Pixar Animation Studios (USA) about his work on “Piper”, the 2016 Oscar winner in the “Best Animated Short Film” category. There will also be a presentation on the VFX production of the trailer made by nhb Studios (Germany) for the hugely popular MMORPG game “League of Angels 2”. Under the title “Hollywood’s VFX Tool for Big Cities”, Esri Inc. (USA) will talk about its special 3D software CityEngine, which was used to create films such as “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”, “Independence Day: Resurgence”, “Big Hero 6” and “Zoomania”. Among the other subjects being focussed on this year are traditional and paradoxical storytelling in animation films, virtual reality, 360°,  Cinema 4D, digital lighting, VFX in advertising and much more.

The presentation of the coveted animago AWARDS is the perennial highlight of the animago each year and will take place on the evening of Thursday 7th September. In a total of 11 categories, 33 nominees representing Canada, USA, China, Taiwan, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Spain, France and Germany were chosen from out of a pool of almost 1,000 submissions received from 58 countries.

The Gasteig Cultural Centre in Munich will also play host to the animago EXHIBITION, a tradeshow open to the general public where companies active in the industry can showcase their products, technologies and services.

All events are supported by the Bavarian State Ministry for Economics and Media, Energy and Technology and by the Team of Excellence, Culture and Creative Industries, City of Munich.

animago is organised by the special-interest German-language magazine known as DIGITAL PRODUCTION, www.digitalproduction.com. DIGITAL PRODUCTION is published by DETAIL Business Information GmbH, www.detail-business.de/en/.

Sponsor partners of the 2017 animago AWARD & CONFERENCE:

Autodesk: A global leader and provider of 3D design, planning and entertainment software, www.autodesk.de.

Avid: Avid offers the most open, innovative and comprehensive media platform in the industry. The company connects the creation of high-end media content to a networked way of working and also links content protection, distribution and consumption, www.avid.com.

Blackmagic Design: Blackmagic Design has grown rapidly to become one of the world’s leading innovators and manufacturers of creative video technology.  Blackmagic Design’s founders have had a long history in post-production editing and engineering. With extensive experiences in high-end telecine, film and post, harnessed with a real passion for perfection, Blackmagic set out to change the industry forever. www.blackmagicdesign.com.

Chaos Group: Chaos Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of innovative computer graphics software. Day after day, all around the world, their physically-based rendering and simulation software is used by top design studios, architectural offices and visual effects companies. Chaos Group’s technical developments in the areas of cloud rendering, material scanning and virtual reality continue to have a decisive influence on the future of digital storytelling and media design, www.chaosgroup.com.

Dell EMC: Dell EMC forms part of the Dell corporate family and makes it possible for organisations to transform their data centres using convergent, industry-leading infrastructures, servers, storage systems and data security technologies. Companies and administrative bodies are given a reliable basis to render their IT operations more sustainable using hybrid cloud solutions. Dell EMC also enables businesses to streamline their operations using cloud-native applications and big data solutions. www.delltechnologies.com.

Esri: Esri is the world’s leading software manufacturer of geo information systems (GIS). This technology uses in large part 3D, graphic data processing, visualization, animation and other multimedia resources, www.esri.com.

Maxon Computer: Maxon is a manufacturer of high-end 3D modelling, animation and rendering software. Their Cinema 4D and BodyPaint 3D programmes have received multiple awards, www.maxon.net.

NEC Display Solutions Europe: This globally active company currently holds the leading position in the “Display Market” and offers efficient and productive “Total Display Solutions”, www.nec-display-solutions.com.

Quantum: Quantum’s workflow storage solutions give you the performance and reliability you need to meet extreme deadlines in content production and delivery, www.quantum.com.

PNY Technologies: PNY is a market-leading manufacturer of high-end IT products that provide state-of-the-art solutions from NVIDIA® QUADRO® and TESLA™ for designers, engineers and scientists, www.pny.eu.

Snell Advanced Media (SAM): SAM has the vision to deliver business-transforming solutions across the media production ecosystem. Our future-ready systems enable broadcasters, content owners and service providers to evolve their business models to succeed in the consumer-driven era. We understand that it’s not only about the future – to get there, today’s needs are also paramount; our smart, agile technology maximizes efficiency and productivity in today’s rapidly changing media landscape.  SAM delivers smart, agile technology across News and Sports Production, Color & Finishing, Playout & Delivery, Modular Infrastructure & Image Processing, all running under enterprise-wide Management & Workflow automation, www.s-a.m.com.

Vogelsänger: Photo, film, multimedia, event, consulting – five elements with five specific performance ranges. Combine freely for inspiring and synergetic results, www.vogelsaenger.de.

Wacom: Wacom is a leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays and digital interface solutions, www.wacom.com.