Thursday, 24 September 2009
Wednesday, 23 September 2009
Thursday, 17 September 2009
Great VFX work - Magadheera - Telugu Movie
Visual effects
Visual effects (commonly shortened to Visual F/X or VFX) are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects often involve the integration of live-action footage and computer generated imagery (CGI) in order to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or simply impossible to capture on film. They have become increasingly common in big-budget films, and have also recently become accessible to the amateur filmmaker with the introduction of affordable animation and compositing software.
The latest Telugu blockbuster by Director Rajamouli, ‘Magadheera’ starring Ram Charan Tej and Kajal Agarwal has over 63 minutes of enthralling VFX work done by Prasad EFX from its Hyderabad and Chennai facilities.
Produced by Allu Aravind’s Geeta Arts, ‘Magadheera’ has over 890 VFX shots that took nearly one year and 10000 man days to complete. The scope of work included animation, 3D tracking, digital matt backgrounds, complicated rope removals and compositing. The arena sequence is a must see, involving some of the most complicated amalgamation of stunts and graphics.
Majority of the shots in the film were shot against blue mattes and composited using computer generated background layers.
Most of the 3D shots done for the film involved 3D tracking. Especially the Arena/Stadium sequence, required lot of pre- viz. Lot of technical details were collected during the shoot which included tracker point distance, camera angles, lenses used, distortions if any etc. All these put together helped the technicians in the studio to get live footage perfectly matched with the CG elements.
Speaking to AnimationXpress.com Prasad EFX DI & VFX Executive Producer Hima Kumar said “The technical contribution of the Director and Cinematographer in the VFX shots was of great help in this mega project. The 3D model for a very complicated arena sequence was done by Adel Adeli, the lighting, crowd animation, and the pipeline was done by Pete Draper while Kamalakannan was the coordinator for this sequence. The excellent team work is reflected in this wonderful sequence which is a highlight of the film”.
The Helicopter sequence was entirely shot using a helicopter dummy which looked almost real but without blades. The rotor blades were modeled and animated in 3D and composited on the live footage. Work was done even on the extremely minute details like the shadows of the blades falling on the helicopter body. The dummy helicopter was moved in the air using industrial cranes and the wires and cranes were removed additionally in the post production. The background plates (arial shots) for the helicopter shots were separately shot using a real helicopter
In this sequence the water force was created in CG to show the hero getting sucked into the water pipe which was taken in a separate layer. The lighting rays were also worked upon to give the right feel. Also all the leaves and fishes were created in CG to give a natural look to the scene.The Aghora‘s Cave establishing shot was entirely CG including the fire inside.
Prasad EFX delivers VFX extravaganza for 'Magadheera'
BY ANIMATIONXPRESS.COM TEAM
The matte’s for the entire Bhairava Kona climax sequence involved blue matte shots, set extensions and effects.
The “Bangaru kodipetta” song had “Live to 3D and 3D to Live” shot in it. The hero freezes from live to a stone character and later energies out of that stone structure live. It involved replacing the live hero and background artists with 3D models, 3D tracking modeling and texturing was a challenging job.
A forward
An ingenious example of speech and politics occurred recently in the United Nations Assembly that made the world community smile.
A representative from India began: 'Before beginning my talk I want to tell you something about Rishi Kashyap of Kashmir, after whom Kashmir is named. When he struck a rock and it brought forth water, he thought, 'What a good opportunity to have a bath.' He removed his clothes, put them aside on the rock and entered the water. When he got out and wanted to dress, his clothes had vanished. A Pakistani had stolen them.'
The Pakistani representative jumped up furiously and shouted, 'What are you talking about? The Pakistanis weren't there then.'
The Indian representative smiled and said, 'And now that we have made that clear, I will begin my speech. And they say Kashmir belongs to them’.
This is one mail I recommend to be shared with 'ALL INDIANS'…including the world at large !
MeMorY TesT
Hi,
This test will determine if you’re getting enough sleep or if your mind has really lost it! The test consists of three parts:
You’ll be shown 12 photos in the first part,
You’ll be shown another 12 photos in the second part,
You’ll be shown 48 photos in the third part and asked if you saw them in the first part, the second part - or never saw them at all.
When you have finished the third part, you’ll get your results.
Here is the link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/tmt/instructions_1.shtml
This test will determine if you’re getting enough sleep or if your mind has really lost it! The test consists of three parts:
You’ll be shown 12 photos in the first part,
You’ll be shown another 12 photos in the second part,
You’ll be shown 48 photos in the third part and asked if you saw them in the first part, the second part - or never saw them at all.
When you have finished the third part, you’ll get your results.
Here is the link
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/tmt/instructions_1.shtml
Wednesday, 16 September 2009
Why Does My Body Do That
Why Does My Body Do That?
Learn the common causes behind your body's little quirks
Whether uncomfortable, embarrassing or just plain weird, there are some pretty funky things that our bodies do. Curious about the causes of such reactions as hiccups, goose bumps and eye twitches.... Read on to discover the common reasons for 14 peculiar bodily functions.
Yawns
Eye Twitches
Serious eye twitches can be a symptom of neurological disorders, but often there is a more mundane explanation. Common causes for eye twitches include stress, lack of sleep, extended staring or eye strain. Before you get frantic, try reducing your stress level, cutting back on caffeine and catching up on sleep.
Itches
According to Dr. Plasker, our skin most often gets itchy because of dryness associated with the environment or over-washing water and soap can strip skin of its natural oils, thus sapping moisture. Face or body lotion should be able to keep these types of itches under control; also look for body washes and soaps labeled moisturizing. If you still have itchy patches, you may be experiencing an allergic reaction to a chemical, plant, food, animal or drug. See an allergist if the itching is persistent.
Hiccups
If you've frequently got a case of the hiccups, try slowing down when you eat and drink, suggests Dr. Plasker. Doing either too quickly causes your stomach to swell; this irritates your diaphragm, which contracts and causes hiccups. You may also get hiccups in emotional situations or if your body experiences a sudden temperature change. In both of these cases, the hiccups are a result of a glitch in your nerve pathways, which is why a sudden scare which might shake up and reset your nerves can sometimes end an episode.
Goose Bumps
Those tiny bumps that cover your skin when you're cold or scared are actually a defense mechanism. Goose bumps occur when the arrector pili, a tiny muscle that connects the hair follicle with skin, contracts and makes the hair stand on end. If you had more hair like cavemen did the upright hair would trap air to keep you warm or make you look bushier and therefore more threatening to predators.
Sneezes
Sneezes happen when your body is trying to expel an irritant from the nasal cavity. If you have allergies, pollen or pet dander is usually to blame. If you have a cold, your body makes mucus to trap the virus, and sneezing helps force it (and the sickness) out of your body. An over-the-counter allergy or cold medicine helps suppress your reaction to allergens or reduce mucus production, which should prevent sneezing fits.
Coughs
A cough is another mechanism your body uses to get rid of irritants. There are special cells along your air passage, says Dr. Plasker, that recognize irritants and force them out. Common colds, sinus infections and pneumonia all increase your body's mucus production, which triggers coughing. Smoking and asthma also tend to irritate the cells. To help cut down on chronic coughing, exercise regularly and practice good posture to keep your air passage open.
Charley Horses
These sudden, super-painful muscle spasms can be blamed on several things, including dehydration or electrolyte imbalances often from strenuous exercise. After a demanding workout or an extra-long run, sip a sports drink to keep your system running smoothly. If you experience this type of cramping, walk around to help relieve the pain.
Shivers
Shivering, says Dr. Plasker, is full-body muscle twitching. When your temperature drops too low, your body shakes all over in an attempt to generate heat. The only way to cure these kind of shivers is to get your temperature back to 98.6 F.
Ear Ringing
Ear ringing, or tinnitus, can happen for two reasons. If you have fluid or an infection in your middle ear, you may hear a constant buzz. However, the more common cause is damage to the microscopic ends of your hearing nerves, which often happens when you're exposed to loud noises. To prevent permanent damage (and preserve your hearing), wear earplugs at concerts and sporting events or even when you mow the lawn.
Stomach Rumbles
As food, liquid and gas move through your digestive tract, your stomach muscles and intestines contract and cause rumbling noises borborygmi is the scientific name. Everyone's stomach makes noise during digestion, but if you have extra-loud rumbles, a teaspoon of olive oil or a cup of herbal tea with lemon may help ease them, says Dr. Plasker.
Limbs Falling Asleep
When there's consistent pressure on part of a limb like when you sit on your feet or rest your head on an arm the pressure squeezes your nerve pathways and scrambles messages sent to your brain. The mixed messages make you lose feeling in the squished body part because your brain has trouble telling it what to do. To prevent a case of pins and needles, avoid sitting or lying in positions that compress your nerves.
Seeing Stars
If you stand too quickly, suffer a blow to the head or are stricken by a migraine, there's a good chance you'll see stars as blood surges to different parts of your body. Generally these tiny flashes of light will fade in a few seconds. If you see stars for more than a few moments, you could have a tear or tiny clot in your retina, and you should consult a physician immediately.
Ear Popping
Etisalat, du see drop in new mobile subscribers
 The UAE telecom operators – etisalat and du – recorded big drop in new mobile subscriber growth and the new additions will continue slowing down for the second half of this year due to decline in population in the country, said a study yesterday. During the second quarter, the telecom firms added only 83,000 active mobile subscribers, 73 per cent less than last quarter's additions, investment bank EFG-Hermes said in a study on the Mena telecom sector released yesterday. The bank had estimated 185,000 new mobile subscribers for the second quarter, which is lesser by 55 per cent. | |
| Etisalat was hit badly, losing 73,000 mobile subscribers during the second quarter, while its rival du added 156,000. This gave a du a market share of 30.8 per cent versus 69.2 per cent for etisalat. "We calculate that penetration based on active subscribers reached 188.3 per cent at the end of June in the UEA. When calculated based on the total number of mobile subscribers, the penetration rate reaches 209 per cent. We continue to believe that additions will slow down significantly during second half of 2009, owing to an increasingly aggressive decline in the population," the report said. The study calculated that du's average revenue per user (Arpu) reached Dh101.5 in Q2, a marginal increase of 2.3 per cent on quarter-on-quarter, after the significant 14 per cent decline reported in the last quarter. "It seems the operator has been able to increase its usage levels despite the continuing growth of its mobile customer base. This is mainly due to the international calls revenue giving support to the Arpu," it said. Etisalat's Arpu stood at Dh179.5 in the same quarter, up from Dh175.6 in the previous quarter, an increase attributed to the shrinking of etisalat's subscriber base. During the quarter both operators continued to focus on providing offers that target international and roaming services, which EFG-Hermes believes is the most important area to focus on given the high percentage of expatriates living in the country. The UAE's mobile net additions turned negative for the first time, while negative additions in fixed-line subscribers continued for the second consecutive quarter. This is an area of concern given that the UAE operation constitutes 85.5 per cent of estimated equity value for etisalat. "We expect a further decline in the subscriber base during Q3 [after the summer]. However, strong revenue receipts suggest that the subscriber loss is mostly at the level of lower spending subscribers," it added. In Saudi Arabia, the second quarter was generally quiet with no major developments. Mobile operators continued to concentrate their efforts both on value-added services designed to sustain usage levels and on the international and roaming segment. STC expanded its roaming service for customers and introduced new fixed roaming tariffs 50 per cent lower than the original tariffs. Revenue better-than-expected in Mena EFG-Hermes said all eight operators under coverage in the Mena region reported better-than-expected revenue figures during Q2 2009, with an aggregate revenue figure of $8.1 billion (Dh30bn), four per cent better than expected $7.8bn for the quarter. At the Ebitda level, only Saudi Telecom and Zain Saudi Arabia had lower-than-expected figures, the first due to higher-than-expected access charges and the second due to its start-up nature and the volatility in its profitability indicators. Five companies had stronger-than-expected earnings figures, while three missed estimates during the quarter, partly due to one-offs. However, positive surprises outweighed the negatives ones on an aggregate basis, and total earnings for the quarter were 7.9 per cent better than expected at $1.7bn. | |
Reference: click here
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