(26 December 2007 4:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Autodesk has announced that Sony Pictures Imageworks used Autodesk Maya and Autodesk MotionBuilder software to shape hundreds of 3D animation and visual effects shots for director Robert Zemeckis' Beowulf.

Sony Pictures Imageworks and an onsite Autodesk consulting team customised the Maya interface so that a wider range of stereoscopic controls could be manipulated through the software. This interface enabled the Beowulf team, including Zemeckis, to view and make real-time changes to the film.

Sony Pictures Imageworks senior visual effects producer Buzz Hays said, "With Maya and Autodesk's consulting team, we had an interface that let us adjust the stereo depth and layout of sequences in Beowulf. It was a critical step in delivering the best possible 3D experience to viewers."

Sony Pictures Imageworks animation supervisor Kenn McDonald said, "All of our shots were set up in Maya. We were able to create elaborate, realistic musculature for the hero, giving him as much definition and sinew as we could without making him look like a bodybuilder."