The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and The Linux Foundation today launched the Academy Software Foundation (ASWF) to provide a neutral forum for open source software developers in the motion picture and broader media industries to share resources and collaborate on technologies for image creation, visual effects, animation and sound.
“We are thrilled to partner with The Linux Foundation for this vital initiative that fosters more innovation, more collaboration, more creativity among artists and engineers in our community,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “The Academy Software Foundation is core to the mission of our Academy: promoting the arts and sciences of motion pictures.”
“Open Source Software has enabled developers and engineers to create the amazing visual effects and animation that we see every day in the movies, on television and in video games,” said Jim Zemlin, Executive Director of The Linux Foundation. “With the Academy Software Foundation, we are providing a home for this community of open source developers to collaborate and drive the next wave of innovation across the motion picture and broader media industries.”
The ASWF is the result of a two-year investigation by the Academy’s Science and Technology Council into the use of Open Source Software (OSS) across the motion picture industry. The survey found that more than 80% of the industry uses open source software, particularly for animation and visual effects. However, this widespread use of OSS has also created challenges including siloed development, managing multiple versions of OSS libraries (“versionitis”) and varying governance and licensing models that need to be addressed in order to ensure a healthy open source ecosystem.
“Developers and engineers across the industry are constantly working to find new ways to bring images to life, and open source enables them to start with a solid foundation while focusing on solving unique , creative challenges rather than reinventing the wheel,” said Rob Bredow, SVP, Executive Creative Director and Head of Industrial Light & Magic and Member of the Academy’s Science and Technology Council , Open Source Investigation Committee. “We are very excited to launch the Academy Software Foundation and provide a home for open source developers to collaborate , regardless of where they work, and share best practices which we believe will drive innovation across the industry.”
ASWF Mission: The mission of the ASWF is to increase the quality and quantity of open source contributions by developing a governance model, legal framework and community infrastructure that lowers the barrier to entry for developing and using open source software. Developers interested in learning more or contributing can sign up to join the mailing list at www.aswf.io/community.
The ASWF Goals are to:
Provide a neutral forum to coordinate cross-project efforts, establish best practices and share resources across the motion picture and broader media industries.
Develop an open continuous integration (CI) and build infrastructure to enable reference builds from the community and alleviate issues caused by siloed development.
Provide individuals and organizations with a clear path for participation and code contribution.
Streamline development for build and runtime environments through the sharing of open source build configurations, scripts and recipes.
Provide better, more consistent licensing through a shared licensing template.
“In the last 25 years, software engineers have played an increasing role in the most successful movies of our time,” said David Morin, Project Lead for the Academy Open Source Investigation. “The Academy Software Foundation is set to provide funding, structure and infrastructure for the open source community, so that engineers can continue to collaborate and accelerate software development for moviemaking and other media for the next 25 years.”
For more information about the Academy Software Foundation, visit http://www.aswf.io/.
The ASWF will have a significant presence at SIGGRAPH 2018. Interested developers and engineers can learn more about the ASWF by attending the keynote session on Monday, August 13, from 2:00 – 3:15 pm PT by Rob Bredow, SVP, Executive Creative Director and Head of ILM, or following the keynote livestream on YouTube or Facebook.
Conference attendees are also invited to participate in the Academy Software Foundation Birds of a Feather (BoF) session on Tuesday, August 14, from 9:00 – 10:00 am PT in the Vancouver Convention Centre, East Building, Room 11.
Academy Software Foundation Supporting Premier Partners
Founding members of the ASWF include: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Animal Logic, Autodesk, Blue Sky Studios, Cisco, DNEG, DreamWorks Animation, Epic Games, Google Cloud, Intel, Walt Disney Studios, and Weta Digital at the Premier level, and Foundry and SideFX at the General level.
Animal Logic
“Animal Logic is proud to be an inaugural member of this industry initiative to support foundational software on which future innovations will be developed. Combined with our open-source contribution through AL_USDMaya, this signifies our commitment to giving back to the community that has provided us with so much.”
Autodesk
“Autodesk understands and appreciates the diversity of our media and entertainment customer’s workflows and the critical role open source projects play in making them successful. We are very excited to collaborate with the Academy and The Linux Foundation to build this industry initiative to strengthen the projects and ecosystem we all rely on.”
Blue Sky Studios
“Blue Sky Studios is thrilled to be a part of the Academy Software Foundation launch. Open source technologies give filmmakers the wonderful opportunity to collaborate and give back to the community. As a studio we are committed to making entertainment that means something to the world, and are excited when other filmmakers do the same. With the ASWF we have the opportunity to help each other in this goal: to create technology for ourselves and each other, so we can craft beautiful and compelling stories that make us all proud.”
Cisco
“Cisco is joining the Academy Software Foundation to help fuel technology innovation in the creation and production of film and TV. Linux and OSS have become de facto standards across a wide number of industries, and we are realizing the distinct benefits for pre- and post-production as Hollywood and Silicon Valley continue to explore best practices for technology transfer.”
DNEG
“Open source software projects have contributed significantly to the success and growth of the Visual Effects industry. DNEG recognises the importance of these projects in the service of our key goal: participating in the telling of inspiring and innovative stories through technology. As such we are delighted to support the ASWF and are excited by the prospect of collaborating on the software that will form the basis of the future of our industry.”
DreamWorks Animation
“DreamWorks Animation is pleased to be a founding Premier member of the Academy Software Foundation. The formation of the Foundation underscores how vital open source technology is in the production industry, and how essential it is to future innovation and advancements. As an active open source contributor, and a dedicated consumer, we at DreamWorks Animation recognize the value of an oversight organization to ensure continued resources and momentum for software development.”
Epic Games
“Epic Games is committed to providing a new generation of real-time technology for the film and television industry based on standard technology and practices. We are strong supporters of open source software and open platforms, and are thrilled to be part of the new Academy Software Foundation.”
– Marc Petit, General Manager, Unreal Engine Enterprise at Epic Games
Google Cloud
“Google Cloud is excited to be a Premier member of the Academy Software Foundation and to help contribute to the open source standards for industry software. Our core belief in an open platform for cloud users echoes the sentiments of the VFX industry and we look forward to collaborating on projects that will benefit all users.”
Intel Corporation
“As a founding member of the Academy Software Foundation, Intel will join a vibrant community of studios, and software and hardware technology leaders to spur developer innovations and enable top-quality motion picture content that is better, faster and less expensive to make. Intel’s just announced Intel® Rendering Framework including software libraries Embree and OSPRay, and the new OpenImageDenoise library, can be used by ASWF members to develop compelling motion pictures and visual effects with all the benefits of open source solutions on Intel® architecture-based systems.”
The Walt Disney Studios, including Walt Disney Animation Studios, Industrial Light & Magic, Pixar Animation Studios and Marvel Studios
“The creation of the Academy Software Foundation is an important and exciting step for the motion picture industry. By increasing collaboration within our industry, it allows all of us to pool our efforts on common foundational technologies, drive new standards for interoperability and increase the pace of innovation.”
Weta Digital
“We are proud to help establish the Academy Software Foundation as a Founding member. Thoughtful curation and dedicated financial commitment to open source platforms and standards is vital for our industry as we mature. The pace of innovation in visual effects is supported by a reliable platform of technology contributions by many companies and groups. The Academy Software Foundation will provide a unique collaboration environment that marries the interests of all parties and ensures the industry’s history of experimentation and creativity will continue well into the future.”
We are now in a new season for the team, and they have started off on the wrong
foot. The team is broken up and Ted has his work cut out for him. The team goes
through a slump, and Ted is now doubting his coaching ability. Ted’s personal life
has also gotten out of control, and he discovers his ex-wife Michelle has started a relationship with their therapist. The wonderkid, Nathan Shelley, the former manager of West Ham has had a change of heart and leaves his job to be with his one true love, the waitress from his favorite restaurant.
She convinces him to return to the Richmond team he started out in and it’s quite evident that
everyone wants him back and held no hard feelings. All of Lawrence’s series he has worked on with others have just that right balance of slice-of-life drama with a little bit of ridiculous comedy that reality dishes us, normal folks, every day.
This all comes to a head in the potential series finale where Ted announced to
Rebecca that he will be returning to the States to his family after his mother tells
him that his son misses him. This puts the Richmond owner into quite a state of denial; doing everything from offering Ted the position of being the highest-paid coach in the league to selling the team after he leaves. The team is also affected by this decision as they perform a number from the musical The Sound of Music that is a more than touching farewell to this family.
This bleeds into their playing as in the final title match the first half is met with
bumbling and possible injuries to their star player Jamie.
After an energizing pep talk and a circle back to the first motivator in the
beginning, a sign Ted made up that said “BELIEVE”, the team dominate the second
half and win with a rousing closing scene that is reminiscent of any 80’s party
movie. It’s a fitting end for this pandemic darling that emotionally carried us through. It is
a must-see series even if you don’t like soccer (football).
If you were born in the ’80s, ’90s, or literally ANY decade after those, you know about Super Mario. A cultural phenomenon was brought to life on the big screen this last weekend. One that has not only stood the test of time but reinvented itself time and time again. This wasn’t even the first time it’s been made into a movie but, well, let’s be honest.. some of us choose not to acknowledge the LIVE action adaptation of the beloved game from 30 years ago.
It was pretty bad… But this was animation. ILLUMINATION animation at that. The Universal company that brought us Gru and his Minions, showed us the Secret Life of Pets, and gave us a reason to SING! Still, I had my reservations and even some concerns, especially when the casting was announced.
Eyebrows were raised. As big of stars as they were on paper, could they really deliver on voicing characters from a staple of our childhood? They did.
Chris Pratt and Charlie Day may not be Italian, and Jack Black may not be a King or Turtle creature from the Mushroom Kingdom, but they make the characters their own all while paying homage to the lore of a video game.
From the jump, the story reintroduces us to the brothers that just want to save Brooklyn one clogged sink at a time. We feel an instant connection and relate to these “underdogs of the plumbing world”. The movie is riddled with easter eggs, each of which tugs on the heartstrings of every generation of Mario fandom. And the soundtrack was beautifully put together to not only make us feel like we’re taking a walkthrough of the game but like an experience all its own with some familiar favorites thrown in.
Every word in the movie is pure eye candy for both those that are casual fans, and those analyzing every frame to see what they’ll catch next. Bowser’s ship, the Mushroom Kingdom, Kong’s arena, and the Rainbow Road.. They’re all meant to give us just enough of a “new” look at these amazing worlds, but stay true to how we remember them.
The movie itself moves along at the perfect pace. Although, if you don’t really know ANYTHING about the Super Mario Bros, you may have gotten a little lost and felt left behind in the green tunnel. But that’s ok! It’s an adventure of the imagination and a classic story of a boy that meets a girl and tries to save the world from a monster that wants to destroy it.
What’s funny is that you could easily say this is a story about two characters who couldn’t be more opposite if they tried, battling to win the heart of a princess. Who would’ve thought that the King of the Koopas was just trying to impress his crush?
And that song? Ohhh THAT song! It’s my new ringtone and deserves the Oscar for Best Original Song.
Back to the movie.
Universal and Illumination clearly understood the assignment. Is it missing some things or could things have been done differently or even better? Absolutely! We’re the worst critics of the things we hold nearest and dearest to our hearts. But if you’re up for going on a 90-minute adventure through amazing worlds, with awesome music, and characters that’ll make you smile and laugh, then this is the perfect movie to spring you into that warm summer feeling.
Plus there’s the whole part with karts and shells, and banana peels and oh my goodness how amazing was that?? It’s enough to make you want to stand up and cheer, then go home and destroy your friends and family on your favorite track haha.
The bottom line, it pays homage in all the right ways to the little guy with the mustache, while giving us something new and exciting. Take the kids and go see Super Mario Bros. You’ll be glad you did!
Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Opening Act Saturday, March 25 at 1:30 p.m. on North 200A. Talent confirmed so far to participate in the post-screening panel is Natalie Alyn Lind (Big Sky, The Goldbergs, Gotham) as Wonder Woman/Diana Prince and longtime RWBY cast member Lindsay Jones (Camp Camp) as Ruby, Kara Eberle ( RWBY: Ice Queendom) as Weiss, Arryn Zech (Detective Now Dead) as Blake and Barbara Dunkelman (Blood Fest) as Yang – along with Jeannie Tirado (Soul, Saints Row) as Green Lantern and Tru Valentino (The Rookie, The Cuphead Show!) as a cyborg. Also attending the panel will be producer/director Kerry Shawcross (series RWBY) and writer Meghan Fitzmartin (Supernatural, Justice Society: World War II).
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023 with the big screen debut from DC Animated Films: highlights this year include the world premieres of the highly anticipated Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham and Justice League x RWBY: Superheroes & Hunters Part One the weekend of March 24-26 in Anaheim, California. Both screenings will be followed by panel discussions with actors and creators. Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham premieres at The Arena on Friday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Tati Gabrielle (Kaleidoscope, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Uncharted) as Kai Li Cain, Christopher Gorham (The Lincoln Lawyer, Insatiable) as Oliver Queen, David Dastmalchian (Dune, Suicide Squad, Ant-Man) as Grendon, producer/co-director Sam Liu (The Death and the Return of Superman), co-director Christopher Berkeley (Young Justice) and screenwriter Jase Ricci (Teen Titans Go! and DC Super Hero Girls: Mayhem Across the Multiverse).
Both films will have encore screenings in the Arena on Sunday, March 26. Justice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One will screen at 12:15pm, followed by Batman: The Doom That Came To Gotham at 2:00pm
Finally, the Cinderella story of the Richmond Greyhounds has come to an end.
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment returns to WonderCon 2023
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Crunnchyroll presents ‘BOFURI: I don’t want to get hurt so I’ll max out my defense’: You’re not twinking!
No Question Mark Box Here; Super Mario Delivers a 1-Up in Theaters
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
An Askewed View Episode 7 Jay And Silent Bob Reboot
