Avatar made on KDE?!

[Dragonbite]

Was looking through "behind the scenes" images for the studio where Avatar was made and saw that good 'ol familiar KDE Kog (main menu)! Woo Hoo!


http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/4232/avatarbehindscenes26.jpg
C|Net Australia, Avatar: behind the scenes at Weta Digital
(http://www.cnet.com.au/avatar-behind-the-scenes-at-weta-digital_p26-339307487.htm#vp)

It may be Linux, it may be Unix but either way it isn't Windows or OS X!

[kaldor]

Lots of big name movies were made on Linux, including Avatar, LoTR and Pirates of the Carribean.

Edit: Took this shot on the PotC behind the scenes stuff:

[Ric_NYC]

In its work Weta uses several different software programs to create its special effects. The company uses PCs running Linux and most animation is done using Maya. To complement this, the company created its own software including Mari, which is used to "skin" characters and monsters using scans of rubber molds taken from actors. Mari lets animators use skin like a brush to coat each of their figures.

The animators also make use of a program called Massive which is primarily used to populate large crowd scenes with creatures. During the making of Avatar, Massive was also put to work creating other complicated tasks such as modelling the many water effects.


Zdnet.au


Weta
http://www.wetafx.co.nz/features/

[LowSky]

That photo was photoshopped.

LOL

[cptrohn]

Interesting, found this article from a hollywood effects guy and he says that in that idustry it's a complete opposite, linux is the norm and windows and Mac are the niche operating systems.
http://linuxgazette.net/147/rowe.html

[smellyman]

It was made with Kubuntu actually.

Shuttleworth makes note of it in his May UDS keynote.

[woodpush]

Want to add a more obvious one... The Social Network movie

[Dustin2128]

Huh, didn't know they made maya for linux.

[I'mGeorge]

It doesn't really matters how avatar was made possible 'cause that was one crappy movie. Too bad they've invested so much money in it.

[3Miro]

I didn't know all of this, but it makes sense. Massive 3D animations require clusters and clusters have been massively dominated by Linux for many years. Basically, if you need to do some serious computing, you go with Linux.

[Spice Weasel]

I didn't know all of this, but it makes sense. Massive 3D animations require clusters and clusters have been massively dominated by Linux for many years. Basically, if you need to do some serious computing, you go with Linux.

Clusters have been dominated by UNIX and UNIX-like operating systems for many years, a fair share of them run BSD and others such as Solaris.

Linux is only just starting to dominate supercomputers/big clusters.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Operating_systems_used_on_top_500_supercomputers.s vg

[ilovelinux33467]

It looks like KDE 3.5

[nlsthzn]

Well... the title is slightly misleading (made all my Gnome senses tingle) :) - Good find btw :KS

[smellyman]

47 minutes in....

LINK Keynote (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw2w0GPWPOk)

[NightwishFan]

I heard from several sources they use Kubuntu.


It doesn't really matters how avatar was made possible 'cause that was one crappy movie. Too bad they've invested so much money in it.

I used to like it, not a fan any more however the movies purpose was to be sold, and sell it did. :)

[3Miro]

Clusters have been dominated by UNIX and UNIX-like operating systems for many years, a fair share of them run BSD and others such as Solaris.

Linux is only just starting to dominate supercomputers/big clusters.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Operating_systems_used_on_top_500_supercomputers.s vg

http://www.top500.org/stats/list/36/osfam

http://www.top500.org/overtime/list/36/osfam

91.80 percent, that is a total domination. It appears that the around 2003 Linux took over 50 percent and it has only kept on growing. Linux is the OS for clusters and it has been that some time.

[bryncoles]

But... but... but... What about the myriad of complaints I see on these forums that Linux has no decent video editing software? (Or is that why Avatar wasn't actually very good)*







*Disclaimer: I haven't actually seen Avatar. I'm just being contentions.

[3Miro]

But... but... but... What about the myriad of complaints I see on these forums that Linux has no decent video editing software? (Or is that why Avatar wasn't actually very good)*


No good video editing software that is free from the repos. The movie industry is using commercial software on top of a free open source system. This is the correct way top do it for a company.

[I'mGeorge]

No good video editing software that is free from the repos. The movie industry is using commercial software on top of a free open source system. This is the correct way top do it for a company.

That's very true, Maya it's also really expensive so it's not one of those software you would buy just for fun. Anyway at least linux offers you a whole lot of alternatives if you don't really wanna or don't have the proper money to buy software, like blender for 3d modeling, avidemux for elemental video editing or kdenlive for more complex video projects.

Avatar didn't sucked because of it's effects and stuff like that, no those were pretty fine and good looking. It sucked because the whole idea and concept of the movie it's for dumb kids who are drooling seeing only some special effects regardless the fact that the movie has no real or original concept, substance or depth. Really I saw some of it at the cinema,'cause I'm one of those guys that still likes to see a movie at the cinema than renting it, and after 20 minutes just about when that chick scientist started to speak "avatarish" I just left and changed my ticket for another one. As long as I still have at least two working neurons inside my brain I don't think I would ever like something like that. It's not for kids, it's not for adults either it's plain old stupid.

[nlsthzn]

But... but... but... What about the myriad of complaints I see on these forums that Linux has no decent video editing software? (Or is that why Avatar wasn't actually very good)*

*Disclaimer: I haven't actually seen Avatar. I'm just being contentions.

Ok, I know it isn't video editing software but check out Blender made films (Google Sintel and Elephants Dream) and see the power of Open Source Software at work ;)

[handy]

George Lucas & many other movie producers used to use Amiga's with the Lightwave card & software.

Times change.