Alias And Weta Digital Confirm Strategic Business Alliance

Alias, a Silicon Graphics company, announced today that it iscontinuing to foster a strategic business relationship with WetaDigital. As two-time winners of an Academy Award for Best VisualEffects, Weta Digital utilized Maya as the core 3D animation softwaretechnology throughout the process of creating digital characters andeffects for the Lord of the Rings films—Lord of theRings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Lord of the Rings: The TwoTowers, and Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

The Lord of Rings trilogy has established itself as one ofthe most exciting cinematic stories of all time. The visual depth andrichness of unique CG characters like Gollum, Shelob, and Mumakil wereachieved through extensive use of Alias' most sought after 3Dtechnology. Using 165 seats of primarily Maya Unlimited; the Mayasoftware proved invaluable as the core 3D animation software utilizedin the production of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Moviegoersagain experienced Maya's power with the release of Lord of theRings: The Return of the King on Dec. 17, 2003.

"The Lord of the Rings, film trilogy has taken the art offilmmaking to new heights," says Peter Mehlstaeubler, vice president ofproduct development, Alias. "The incredibly talented team of computeranimators, technical and artistic directors at Weta Digital has playeda pivotal role in advancing the art of film-making. We are extremelyproud to be working closely with Weta, to provide the 3D graphics andanimation technology that allows them to attain this unsurpassed levelof excellence. By continuing to push the limits of digital effectscreation, Weta also helps Alias to excel in driving the evolution ofthe 3D graphics industry forward."

"Weta Digital has strongly valued the strategic partnership it hasshared with Alias over the past several years. It has enabled ourartists to create some of the most compelling visual effects for allthree Lord of the Rings films," says Scott Houston, chieftechnology officer at Weta Digital. "Alias is an important businesspartner, and we have benefited from our relationship with them manytimes: including in the delivery of custom Maya software for animation,specifically for animation constraints for reparenting, clothingsimulation and clothing mesh constraints for The Return of the King. Welook forward to continuing to work with Alias in the future."

The next project for Weta Digital proves no less of an animation andspecial effects challenge than the Lord of the Rings trilogy.The talented group is taking on a powerful creature of a differentkind—King Kong—and they're counting on Maya to helpensure the film's success. Houston comments, "Our next project isbigger in scale still: and suitably enough, it's King Kong. Morethan ever we're going to have to rely on Alias."

Weta Digital was formed in 1993 by a group of young New Zealandfilmmakers, including Peter Jackson, director of the three Lord ofThe Rings films. The company has expanded considerably since thattime, and today it provides some of the highest quality visual effectsin the film and television industries. Using the latest hardware andsoftware has always been one of the secrets of the company'sconsiderable success. Weta Digital and Alias first formed a strategicbusiness relationship in 1999, as the Weta Digital team was beginningwork on the numerous effects shots required for Lord of the Rings:The Fellowship of the Ring.