April 27th, 2010
After more than 10 months of hard work producing visual effects for Atlas 4D - and surfing on the success of the first series which garnered an Emmy and received rave reviews - Modus FX has just delivered the final episodes for the Darlow Smithson production.
Having aired on March 21st on the Discovery Channel, Episode 1 certainly made its mark on viewers and critics, who have described it as "spectacular time travel" and as "60 minutes of pure television enchantment". This episode draws surprising connections between the Great African Rift, the environment, and the animals and people who inhabit it.
“Atlas 4D uses a new approach by telling a captivating story, showcasing dynamic and breathtaking views while providing a new perspective on various parts of the globe," commented Marc Bourbonnais, president of Modus FX. "This documentary series utilizes digital effects to further explore social and territorial issues with a different view on history." Modus FX is proud to have taken part in the project, and particularly proud of its work on the 4D Timewarp, a visual effect that transports viewers through a journey of millions of years.
The next two episodes will be aired shortly with dates yet to be announced. Episode 2 (Hawaii) demystifies how an ancient ice age provided Polynesian settlers in Hawaii with breakthrough technology while Episode 3 (The Mediterranean) reveals, among other things, how the growth of Islam stirred the Italian Renaissance.
The list of professional software used on the project includes Autodesk® Softimage®, Autodesk® Maya®, Side Effects Houdini and The Foundry’s Nuke. A horde of new tools, programs and techniques were also developed in-house for the project.
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