San Antonio, Texas - NewTek Inc., manufacturer of 3D animation and video products, congratulated the production team of "Battlestar Galactica" for winning the 2008 Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series.
The "Battlestar Galactica" production team includes Gary Hutzel, visual effects supervisor; Michael Gibson, visual effects producer; David Takemura, visual effects coordinator; Doug Drexler, CGI supervisor; Kyle Toucher, CG artist; Sean Jackson, CG artist; Pierre Drolet, CG modeler; Aurore de Blois, senior compositor; and Derek Ledbetter, compositor.
In the Emmy-winning episode, special visual effects ranged from Starbuck's pristine and completely CG Viper to vast and dramatic space battles with cataclysmic ship explosions. The team also used particles to drive a swirling swarm of Cylon Raiders.
NewTek LightWave 3D combines a renderer with modeling and animation tools. Version 9.5 adds new capabilities, including FiberFX, a complete hair and fur solution, a new lighting system, and many improvements to animation, rendering, and workflow. Known for its fast workflow and ease of use, LightWave also integrates well with other popular production tools for 3D and for compositing, with support for a wide range of formats.
Tools that may cost extra in other professional 3D applications are part of the product package, including unlimited render nodes, hard-and soft-body dynamics, hair, fur, cloth simulation, and more. LightWave is enjoyed worldwide as a complete 3D production tool for visual effects in television, film, broadcast graphics, games, visualization, print, and Web.
LightWave v9 is available now at the suggested retail price of $895. LightWave v9.5 is also available as a free update to registered LightWave v9 owners. Registered owners of LightWave 3D [v8 or earlier] are eligible to purchase an upgrade for $395.