San Rafael, Calif. - Autodesk Inc.'shas announced that its 3D modeling,
animation, and rendering software was a primary tool used by Ilion
Animation Studios and Pyro Studios to help create the Planet 51 video
game and movie. The software was used throughout the pipeline of both
the game and film to help produce a
visually rich and believable alien world with the look of 1950s America. To date, Planet 51 is the biggest budget animated film produced in Europe, says a representative.
Planet 51: The Movie
The film team at Ilion Animation Studios used Autodesk 3ds Max and Autodesk
Maya software to help create the Planet 51 movie -- at the beginning of
production for pre-visualization and later for the final layout. Autodesk
software was also used to help model over 500 unique characters and over
100 different locations on the planet, as well as to help create visual
effects for the film.
Movie poster for the 2009 film Planet 51
Copyright: 2009 TriStar Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
Planet 51: The Game
Production on the Planet 51 game began approximately four years into the
development of the film. A unique level of openness existed between the
film and game studios, as they are owned by the same holding company and
both have Autodesk products at the core of their respective pipelines. Pyro
Studios had access to the entire film script and all assets of the movie
from the beginning of the game's production.
"We looked at all the elements of the Planet 51 world and one thing that
stood out was the special characteristics of the vehicles," explains Luis
Fernando Fernandez, head of development at Pyro Studios. "The alien cars
behaved very differently than earthly cars; they could float, jump and
travel at super speeds. We thought the unique cars would be a perfect focus
for the game play, and developed an open-world driving game."
A large majority of the models created by Ilion Animation Studios for the
movie were digitally transferred to the team at Pyro Studios for reuse in
the video game. As both studios were working in Autodesk software, the
transfer of assets was greatly simplified. The models were first resized
and then reanimated in Autodesk 3ds Max software for the game.
"We wanted to make something really big, with a large open environment and
a lot of variety in the game play," explains Fernandez. "Having access to
the film script and 85 percent of the digital assets was fantastic. It
allowed us to develop a rich game that complements the movie and enhances
the Planet 51 experience. Gamers can freely explore key locations from the
film, but aren't tied to the movie's plot points."