HP Drives Next-generation Animation on Linux with Walt Disney Feature Animation

PALO ALTO, California: HP (NYSE:HPQ) announced that Walt DisneyFeature Animation has selected HP's Linux-based workstations andservers as components in its next-generation digital animationproduction pipeline. Walt Disney Feature Animation will employ HP'sLinux infrastructure to give artists more powerful tools to translatetheir artistry into animation while achieving significant costreductions.

The companies have been working together for the past 10 months toprovide computing solutions for award-winning visual effects and toexpand the boundaries of traditional and computer-generated animation.HP is delivering a broad range of products and services to power theproduction of Disney's visual effects and animation projects, includingIntel Xeon-powered HP x4000 workstations running Linux for animatorsand high-density HP IA-32 based servers for rendering.

HP also is delivering graphics development expertise paired with itsLeadership Graphics Program, which allows participants to partner withthe leading graphic card vendors and graphics software developers toprovide the broadest choice of graphic solutions for the entertainmentindustry.

"Animation is an iterative process," said John Carey, vice presidentof technology, Walt Disney Feature Animation. "It's simple really.Faster iteration gives rise to more innovation. Low-cost, high-powerworkstations like HP's are an integral part of that equation."

HP has long been a technology partner behind the magic of Disney. In1938, Disney became one of HP's earliest customers after purchasingeight HP Model 200B resistance-capacity oscillators from founders BillHewlett and Dave Packard. At the time, Disney was seeking a way toproduce their new movie "Fantasia" with lifelike sound by weaving worksfrom Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Stravinsky and others to produce an earlyversion of SurroundSound in exclusive theatres around the country. Morethan 60 years later, Disney is again turning to HP technology to driveinnovation in animation.

"Disney and HP have worked together at very pivotal points inhistory – at the inception of the companies and now as thedigital animation industry approaches a key turning point," said MartinFink, general manager, HP Linux Systems Division. "Linux is quicklybecoming the driving force behind the next phase of digital animation.HP is providing key technology infrastructure that will allow Disney tocontinue to create memorable animation while driving costs down andstaying on the cutting edge."