Editor

Preparations for fmx/08 are now in full progress. Our website has launched with new developments, new partners and a new look and it will be continuously updated as fmx takes shape with a growing list of committed partners. The AIAS – Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences – has climbed on board and will be presenting a full day's worth of the latest and greatest from the world of games and interactive content. This new partnership underscores our commitment to the growing world of games and the many artistic and technical realms of cross-pollination.


fmx program – putting the pieces together

Once again, fmx program is presenting visitors a wide range of opportunities. fmx/conference, fmx/forum and fmx/events form three high-quality offerings which include lectures, workshops, an expo, recruiting and much more! fmx puts main emphasis on animation, effects, games and digital media. Other focuses in the 2008 program are Digital Cinema, featuring stereoscopic films and European Postproduction, the Virtual Humans Forum, Performance Capture and especially Interactive Content Creation dealing with the mergence of mobile entertainment and the internet, as well as serious games. New media are more and more animation-driven, simultaneously creating new professions and business models.

fmx/conference is split up into:
• fmx/talks: international top speakers from leading animation, visual effects, games and postproduction companies worldwide will talk about 2D and 3D movies, vfx ethics, cult movies, new game and character ideas. A Focus on India completes this part of the program.
• fmx/technologies: features Digital Cinema, European Postproduction and workflow issues
• fmx/essentials: includes the Virtual Humans Forum on virtual characters and lectures on Performance Capture
• fmx/review: provides insight into recent trends in the realm of Interactive Content Creation and topics from the fields of production, distribution and financing.

fmx/forum offers:
• fmx/workshops and fmx/suites: tech talks, tutorials, demos and hands-on training
• fmx/expo: exhibition of the newest developments in hard- and software
• fmx/talents: Considering the fact that fmx has grown from a academic background its not surprising that the newcomers to the industry receive special attention. In fmx/recruiting they can find recruiting presentations, desks and panels and meet decision-makers from the industry. Animation schools and universities also have the chance to present themselves to interested future generations, focusing on promising student work.

fmx/events:
In collaboration with many partners, fmx/events enrich the program with special interests, regional focuses, screenings or parties. The Festival of Animated Film Stuttgart and fmx join together to present the Animation Production Day and the MFG Baden-Wuerttemberg joins fmx to host Visual Computing and Writing for Animation.


The Games Industry chugging away towards the Future

Games have overtaken films in business volume and become an important motor in the constantly advancing arena of cgi technologies. Rendering and animation workflows have been shuffled and re-shuffled by innovations in interactive content creation and digital artists now switch intuitively between film and games. fmx keeps spotting tomorrow's important tendencies and trends.

fmx can now announce yet another world-class partner: the AIAS – Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. AIAS is the largest and most influential non-commercial association of game developers and publishers. The institution also organizes the D.I.C.E. Summit (Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain) and presents the annual Interactive Achievement Awards® for the best titles and technological accomplishments in games. AIAS president Joseph Olin, member of the fmx advisory board (see below) will host a full day's worth of talks and presentations from the cutting edge of games. For more information on AIAS visit their website at www.interactive.org


A team of experts – the fmx advisory board

The quality of fmx stands and falls with its proximity to the rapidly evolving digital entertainment industry and the people who drive it forward. Once again, fmx relies on 22 leading protagonists from the front line of ”Animation, Effects, Games and Digital Media”. The advisory board reflects the full spectrum of relevant topics, from research and education to applications development and the more typically artistic disciplines of image creation. fmx/08 is proud to be able to count on the expertise of the following specialists:
• Saraswathi Balgam (Rhythm & Hues India)
• Michael Coldewey (Trixter)
• Laura Dohrmann (NVIDIA)
• George Dolbier (IBM)
• József Fülöp (Moholy-Nagy University)
• Christophe Héry (Industrial, Light & Magic)
• Stefan Herzog (VCC)
• Ed Hooks (Acting for Animators)
• Jean-Charles Hourcade (Thomson)
• John B. Birchell Hughes (XDC)
• Henry LaBounta (Electronic Arts)
• Andy Lomas (Framestore CFC)
• Terrence Masson
• Alex McDowell
• Joseph Olin (Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences)
• Shelley Page (DreamWorks Animation)
• Peter Plantec
• Danielle Plantec (Scanline VFX)
• Eric Riewer (Gobelins, l´école de l´image)
• Eric Roth (VES)
• David Sproxton (Aardman Animations)
• Neil Trevett (Khronos Group; NVIDIA).
For more information and member biographies please visit www.fmx.de/E.14.html

fmx/08 is an event by Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg in collaboration with VES - Visual Effects Society, Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (May 01-06, 2008) and AIAS - Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

fmx/08 is organized by the Institute of Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Postproduction of Filmakademie Baden-Wuerttemberg and NX Publishing.

fmx/08 is funded by Staatsministerium Baden-Wuerttemberg, Wirtschaftsministerium Baden- Wuerttemberg, MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Wuerttemberg and the FFA German Federal Film Board.

For further information check: www.fmx.de