NewTek LightWave 3D® Brings Artificial Organs to Life in "Repo Men"
SAN ANTONIO – April 28, 2010– NewTek, manufacturer of industry-leading video and 3D animation products, today announced that the life-size mechanical organs showcased in the feature film, "Repo Men," were developed with NewTek LightWave 3D®. At the forefront of artificial organ development for "Repo Men," is Hollywood-based, Creative Character Engineering (CCE), which used the advanced 3D modeling capabilities of LightWave 3D, to bring the artificial organs from concept to reality.
The premise behind "Repo Men," is that any organ in your body can be replaced—for a price. In this sci-fi action thriller, starring Jude Law and Forrest Whittaker, failure to pay for your artificial organs brings with it a hefty price—repossession, and ultimately, death.
Specializing in practical visual effects and animatronics, Creative Character Engineering relied heavily on LightWave to create 3D models of the organs that would eventually become tangible objects. Working from 2D concept art, CCE designed the life-size 3D models of all the organs, except the spine, to easily fit together like a puzzle. To create physical 3D prototypes of the organs, LightWave OBJ files were converted into STL files, and outsourced to a 3D printer. The prototypes were then mass-produced, painted, plated, and later reassembled, to create the onscreen representations of the mechanical organs featured in the movie.
Barcoding was an effective way to identify, and inventory the mechanical organs in "Repo Men." The barcodes, which were about the size of a dime, were created using a combination of LightWave 3D and Adobe Illustrator; images were imported from an Illustrator file into LightWave, and extruded to incorporate the barcode into the model geometry.
"LightWave is extremely easy to use, has a full featured modeler, solid animation tools, and the best render engine in the industry," says Andrew Clement, owner of Creative Character Engineering. "It was an ideal way to model the artificial organs for ‘Repo Men’—creating 3D art, to part in a fast, efficient way. Using LightWave allows us to stay focused on delivering a quality product to our clients—even on a tight deadline."
See the “Repo Men” trailer at www.repomenarecoming.com
NewTek LightWave 3D combines a state-of-the-art renderer with powerful, intuitive modeling, and animation tools. Tools that may cost extra in other professional 3D applications are part of the product package, including unlimited render nodes, hard-body and soft-body dynamics, hair, fur, cloth simulation, and more. LightWave is enjoyed worldwide, as a complete 3D production solution for visual effects in film, television, broadcast graphics, games, visualization, print, and Web.
Pricing and Availability
LightWave v9 is available now, at the suggested retail price of $1299 (including GST). LightWave v9.6 is also available as a free update to registered LightWave v9 owners. Registered owners of LightWave 3D [v8 or earlier] are eligible to purchase an upgrade for $799 (including GST). For more information or to purchase, please visit www.newmagic.com.au/where2buy or call New Magic Australia Sales on (03) 9722 9700.
About NewTek
Benefiting producers and artists with cost-effective and groundbreaking technologies, NewTek is a leader in 3D animation and special effects tools, portable live production and video editing including LightWave 3D®, the TriCaster™ product line and 3PLAY™. NewTek has won numerous industry accolades, including two Emmy® Awards. In addition to "Repo Men," NewTek products have been used in blockbuster films and television shows, including "Avatar," "Angels and Demons," "Battle for Terra," "The Dark Knight," "Iron Man," "Tropic Thunder," "V," "FlashForward," "Lost," "Fringe" and more.
About New Magic Australia Pty Ltd (Australian and New Zealand NewTek LightWave 3D distributor)
New Magic Australia Pty Ltd is a recognised leader in the distribution and marketing of multimedia hardware and software, representing a carefully selected range of innovative, leading manufacturers and catering for both the professional and consumer markets. New Magic has been established for over 16 years and is the Australian distributor of Blackmagic Design, Convergent Design, NewTek LightWave 3D, Hauppauge Computer Works Inc, Matrox Video Product and Sony Creative Software products.
NewTek is privately owned and based in San Antonio, Texas. For more information, please visit: www.newtek.com.
