Training centres for digital animation, Terengganu

[nazrey]

Hollywood firm to set up training centres
Monday July 2, 2007
TheStar


KUALA TERENGGANU: Hollywood is coming to Terengganu.

World famous production house Rhythm and Hues (RH) has agreed to set up training centres for digital animation in each district, including rural areas of Setiu and Kuala Berang, making the state a pioneer in making a creative change in the nation’s multimedia industry.

RH, an American production house, is responsible for delivering digital enhancement for commercial and movie projects that we see on television and in cinemas.

The company’s recent commercial projects for mega establishments includes Coca-Cola, Listerine, Budweiser, Quaker State, Nasonex, Snuggle, Activision, Microsoft X-Box, Crayola, Miller Beer, Ubisoft, Toyota and Zicam.

It was also involved in the animation aspects for ten top-grossing films of 2006, including Night at the Museum, Superman Returns and Happy Feet, Charlotte’s Web, The Fast and The Furious 3 and Tokyo Drift.

Films currently in production by RH include Evan Almighty, The Golden Compass, Kingdom, The Incredible Hulk and Alvin & The Chipmunks.

RH also produced more than 500 live-action shots for Garfield.

The work included creating computer-generated fur, and texturing and animating the main character – Garfield.

The company used state-of-art system for some key scenes in the 50 shots it created for Around the World in 80 Days, a film staring Jackie Chan and was responsible for producing more than 130 shots for The Chronicles of Riddick.

State exco member Toh Chin Yaw told The Star yesterday that the renowned production house had agreed to train locals in producing high-end animation movies.

“The vision for the state is to set up one centre in each district so that youths here can acquire the know-how in this industry,”

“We were all excited when Mentri Besar (Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh) told us that the production house was coming to town after his return from Unites States in May,” he said.

RH is the second US company to set up such facilities here.

A couple months ago, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was inked between the state government and Rocket Fish Sdn Bhd, an MSC-status company headed by renowned US animation industry figure, Terry Thoren.