Scratching the Itch: 3D Innovation in Film and Games

Tales from the 3rd Dimension

In many ways, the seedlings of today’s eye-popping 3D visual effects were planted a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. From its formation in 1975 to fulfill George Lucas’ vision for Star Wars to its wildly successful spinoff, Pixar Animation Studios, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) has been at the forefront of digital creation and innovation for decades.

In this episode of Tales from the 3rd Dimension, ILM Chief Creative Officer Rob Bredow joins Open 3D Foundation Executive Director Royal O’Brien for an in-depth conversation about the parallels between the film and gaming industries, the convergence of modular tools and end-to-end workflows, and the impact of open source innovation. Rob and Royal discuss:

• The open source roots of the film industry and the role of open source software in advancing the state of the industry and spurring cross-company collaboration
• The convergence point that real-time rendering, most commonly associated with games, plays in expanding pre-visualization and on set to aid actors’ performances in advance of final print, fully rendered effects
• How 3D technologies will enable new interactive experiences, user-generated content and the metaverse

“When you can develop software that's close to the artists and engineers who are using it, and they can scratch their own itches, you start to see innovation happen more quickly.”

–Rob Bredow, Chief Creative Officer, ILM