Category Archives: Cinema

SpeedTree® Heads West for Academy Accolades

In a few days, the SpeedTree team, along with spouses, friends & family, will jet off to Southern California to pick up our Technical Achievement Academy Award®. The presentation will take place at a black tie dinner Saturday night at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, a few steps from the famed Rodeo Drive and what feels […]

SpeedTree® Use Confirmed in 13 2014 Movies, including Two VFX Nominees

We know of 13 movies released in 2014 where SpeedTree played a role, including two films nominated for Visual Effects Academy Awards® by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: Captain America: The Winter Soldier (VFX Nominee) X-Men: Days of Future Past (VFX Nominee) The Hundred-Foot Journey The Giver Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Pompeii Noah […]

SpeedTree® Receives a Scientific and Technical Academy Award®

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has honored three of our own with a Scientific and Technical Academy Award! Read the official announcement from the Academy. The actual award was presented at a ceremony in Beverly Hills, CA on February 7, 2015, to the three developers of SpeedTree®: IDV co-founders Michael Sechrest and […]

Discounts on SpeedTree Studio, Architect and Tree Models Through October 12

Until October 12, get significant savings on SpeedTree Studio, SpeedTree Architect and all the trees you can use with them! SpeedTree Studio, regularly $895, is $595 ($300 off!) SpeedTree Architect, regularly $495, is $345 ($150 off!) And all VFX trees are half off! The sale applies only to VFX trees as listed at the “Version 7” […]

ILM’s “Noah” & the Making of V7’s Animated Growth

When Industrial Light and Magic approached us about growing a small sapling into a massive forest for a key scene in the film Noah, needless to say, we were excited to help bring this vision to life. We were especially thrilled that this collaboration ultimately led to the development of the new Animated Growth feature, […]

Mr. X Cuts Out Hours Instead of Trees using SpeedTree® in “Vikings”

Toronto-based visual effects studio Mr. X has faced some distinctive challenges working on the second season of the acclaimed hit drama series Vikings.  The producers of the History Channel’s Canadian-Irish hit series required a number of complicated shots, blending on-location plates filmed in Ireland with 13th century digital assets―all on a tight TV production schedule.  […]

SpeedTree® User Profile: Jamir Blanco

Jamir Blanco, who started using SpeedTree® almost two years ago, reports that the software has impressed his colleagues, won him recognition and helped him complete projects quickly. Here’s more about Jamir and his experiences: Name: Jamir Blanco Title/Occupation: Freelance environment artist for film, game, and animation SpeedTree Product Used: SpeedTree Studio SpeedTree User Since: September […]

Southern Nevada Water Authority Ad, Featuring Growth, by Ingenuity Engine

SpeedTree®‎ Cinema’s v7 animated growth simulation has proven especially popular among our customers, with Noah and two commercials already featuring the new capabilities. Digital Domain used v7 growth to capture the progress of a South African city, and, as described below by Creative Director Grant Miller, Ingenuity Engine of Los Angeles used the feature to […]

cmiVFX Features SpeedTree® Cinema in New 3D Environments Masterclass Series

It’s always exciting for us to see how SpeedTree® users create amazing natural landscapes.  We develop these tools and then let the imagination and skills of the visual effects community do what they do best.  A member of this community sharing valuable VFX tools and training is instructor, owner and Chief Public Partner Chris Maynard […]

Ingenuity Engine Makes Fairy Tales Come True with the Help of SpeedTree®

While SpeedTree® is playing a visible role in a growing list of major feature film productions, we wouldn’t want to miss an opportunity to share how our toolkit is being artfully used in all kinds of productions, large and small—including TV commercials.  One recent example involved Ingenuity Engine, a Hollywood-based VFX studio that used SpeedTree […]