FMX 2010

Conference: Topics and Highlights 2010

The many different presentations and topics pose a challenge for visitors, where the different key topics may help to chose personal favorites. The hot topics are:

The new Crossmedia section reflects the convergence of film, TV, computers, consoles and mobile devices. The 360° track includes presentations on the complex process of crossmedia production, while the flashconference returns as the only independent platform for flash in Europe. The 12th edition presents the most recent developments and trends for a format perfectly suited to working with different platforms. The 12th edition presents the most recent developments and trends for this complex medium, being the perfect format for working with different platforms. Global Production addresses the economic and creative consequences of convergence, including an ILM expert panel on Strategic Collaboration on a Global Scale, a Retrospective: 35 Years of ILM shared by their President & General Manager Lynwen Brennan as well as presentations by Tim Sarnoff, President Technicolor Digital Productions and the leading creative team of Sony Pictures Imageworks on Alice in Wonderland.

Tim Burton’s box-office hit is only one of three other works belonging to the new genre of hybrid movies, where the boundaries between live action and CG footage and characters become invisible, which are honored by FMX 2010: Roland Emmerich’s 2012, represented by Academy Award winner Volker Engel. There will be talks on Iron Man 2. In this context, “Producing the Marvel Experience” will be analyzed from within the world of superheroes by Victoria Alonso, Executive Vice President of Visual Effects & Post Production at Marvel Studios. Iron Man 2 will also have an exclusive preview at the Metropol cinema during FMX. And of course FMX will have Avatar, with talks not only by Academy Award winner Joe Letteri but effects specialists from Weta (Lord of the Rings Trilogy) and ILM.

A track on 3D Stereo in the Metropol cinema features stereoscopic presentations by Bob Whitehill (Pixar) on “Three-Dimensional Story Telling”, Sony Pictures Imageworks on “Alice in Stereoland”, Jayme Wilkinson on Ice Age 3 and Michael Coldewey (Trixter). The third dimension has long reached the games industry which will be illustrated in presentations on Stereoscopic 3D Gaming by Blitz Games, NVIDIA and Meant to be Seen. Visualization & Film will cover recent issues in virtual moviemaking and the challenges of producing movies easier, faster and more effective by integrating realtime visualization. Visualization & Design will show how other industries like architecture or automotive benefit from the same technology. 

Of course, Animation plays a major role again at FMX this year. Among others Disney will present on The Princess and the Frog and Tangled, Aardman on A Matter of Loaf and Death, Dreamworks on How to Train Your Dragon or the Ludwigsburg Studio Soi on The Gruffalo. This adaption of the popular children’s book was broadcasted by BBC on Christmas 2009. 

Education & Recruiting: Paving the way for newcomers

Founded in 1994 as a small event mostly students, FMX has never lost its academic background – it has been organized by the Institute of Animation at Filmakademie ever since. This is not only reflected in the casual atmosphere among speakers and professionals, the idea of providing professional as well as practical support for young talents remains of strong importance for the organizer of the event.

The School Campus will be packed with 22 schools and universities from Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, Switzerland and New Zealand. At their School Desks they inform on their programs.

Events: Program by partners

FMX opens a window for other events, some of which have become traditional partners.

Animation Production Day 2010 is a business platform hosted by FMX and the Stuttgart Festival of Animated Film (ITFS) and continues to get more and more awareness every year. APD brings together investors with artists in order to realize animation feature films or TV series. APD 2009 saw 60 international industry players from 11 countries discussing 28 projects, with an overall production volume of 140 million Euros, in 600 arranged one-to-one-meetings. The APD conference “Financing & Brands: Stereoscopic Strategies” will discuss the enormous economic challenges that 3D producers and investors have to face.

For the first time the Berlin games developers’ conference Quo Vadis will be present at FMX with a number of talks on browser-based games.

The MFG Games Track will focus on the Baden-Wuerttemberg games industry which cannot only boast to have Gameforge in Karlsruhe, Germany – the number one of European browser games and MMOG independents – but an extremely creative start-up environment for studios.

The exhibition Into the Pixel returns with excellent artworks by the best games artists. And last but not least FMX also means party time! Enjoy the FMX Echtzeit Party at the Club Rocker 33 where electronic music meets visual sound with DJ Hanlomo and VJ Onni Pohl, the creator of the fmx/09 trailer, on Wednesday May 5th. The FMX Closing Party will take place at the Bett Lounge on Friday, May 8th.