Press Release #8

For immediate publication

 

FMX 2024
Film & Media Exchange
On Site April 23 to 26, 2024
On Demand April 27 to May 31

 

Stuttgart/Germany, April 05, 2024. Life after the apocalypse is a recurring topic in fiction. The latest narrative called FALLOUT, conceived by Jonathan Nolan (WESTWORLD), will come to the screens on April 11 - and to FMX on April 24. Less than three weeks to go until the conference starts, the FMX program is complete. And it will be offering some real treats for ticket holders.

 

KUNG FU PANDA is back and his fourth adventure is a fine example of state of the art animation. And who would have imagined Bill Murray resuming the role of a ghostbuster? The main attraction in GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE are the spectres, however.

 

FMX is about stunning imagery - and also about the social implications of working in a highly flexible industry often pioneering in current debates about topics like diversity and inclusion, the impact of AI or the four-day week.

 

If you have any questions about the FMX Program and the Speakers, please get in touch here. A Facts & Highlights Sheet is available for download.

 

Press accreditations are available at the FMX ticketshop.

 

 

Latest Conference Confirmations

 

Disastrous events, aptly staged, set the tone in FALLOUT - Copyright: Amazon Prime Video

 

VFX FOR EPISODIC: Creating the world of FALLOUT

 

Join the award winning visual effects team - Jay Worth (Overall VFX Supervisor), Andrea Knoll (Producer) and Andreas Giesen (RISE | Visual Effects Studios) - live as they explore the way physical and digital production methods were utilized to create the world of FALLOUT season 1.

 

 

The bear is back: KUNG FU PANDA 4 - Copyright: DreamWorks Animation

 

FEATURE ANIMATION: Collaborative Design in KUNG FU PANDA

 

Head of FX, Jason Mayer, will guide you through stylistic choices made across multiple departments to reinforce the design language inherent throughout the film.  From horror inspired transformations, non-traditional flashbacks, mystical portals and graphic boss fights, see how the artists and technicians from DreamWorks Animation at every step in the vfx pipeline were able to contribute and blend both 2d and 3d influences to achieve the final vision.

 

 

The GHOSTBUSTERS are back - and with them a new generation of spectres - Copyright: Sony Pictures Imageworks

 

VFX FOR FEATURES: Suit Up! Sony Pictures Imageworks
presents GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIREHE

 

Who you gonna call when the world freezes over? Sony Pictures Imageworks! Join FX supervisor, Chris Messineo, for an exclusive behind-the-scenes sneak peek at the making of Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. This presentation will focus on the artistic and technological innovations the production has developed for this highly-anticipated feature.

Directed by Gil Kenan, in GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE, the Spengler family returns to where it all started – the iconic New York City firehouse – to team up with the original Ghostbusters, who’ve developed a top-secret research lab to take busting ghosts to the next level. But when the discovery of an ancient artifact unleashes an evil force, Ghostbusters new and old must join forces to protect their home and save the world from a second Ice Age.

 

 

THE RESPONSIBLE STUDIO, curated by Ilija Brunk:
Changing impact of Bomper's innovative Four-Day Work Week

 

Dive into Bomper Studio's Journey to a Four-Day Work Week with Founder Emlyn Davies. Discover the strategic shifts and pivotal moments behind our quest for improved work-life balance. Emlyn will unveil the driving factors and challenges that propelled our transition to this innovative schedule. Gain insights into our streamlined production processes and how we effectively manage client needs within this paradigm shift.

 

„It was really scary because it’s the unknown”, says Emlyn Davies from Bomper Studio in Cardiff about the time when they started implementing the four-day week. Now that it’s been in place for almost two years, he states: “Overall we haven't seen any decline in the quality of our work” – “we've met deadlines and it's been a win-win for everybody, really.”

 

 

Forum News

 

We are very happy to have two more Premium Partners on board: Houdini as a Gold Partner and Foundry as a Silver Partner. Both are longterm FMX partners and will bring us once again days full of exciting content in their Company Suites and Workshops. Find out here, what Houdini and Foundry have lined up for you.

 

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GOLD PARTNER: Houdini

 

SideFX is pleased to bring the Houdini HIVE to FMX 2024. We have a great lineup with artists from studios such as RISE, The Marmalade, Territory, Bottleship, DoubleJump, Untold, El Ranchito, and more, who are joining us to share how they use Houdini in their work. Learn about Houdini’s Solaris for Lookdev, Layout, and Lighting, as well as VFX workflows, Creature FX, pipeline automation solutions, and even autonomous vehicle technology. Find us in Raum Mannheim all day Wednesday and Thursday.

 

Houdini is built from the ground up to be a procedural system that empowers artists to work freely, create multiple iterations, and rapidly share workflows with colleagues. Houdini lets you make creative decisions deep into production as changes made to Houdini nodes cascade through the network to create new and unique results. This direct ability is retained throughout the creative process and can be used to make last-minute decisions that would be too costly in a traditional CG pipeline.

 

More Information on Houdini here.

 

 

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Silver Partner: Foundry

 

Foundry has a 25-year heritage developing creative software for the Media and Entertainment industry and a portfolio of award-winning products. It advances the art and technology of visual experience with creative leaders around the globe, including major feature film studios and post-production houses such as ILM, DNEG, Pitch Black, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Wētā FX, Pixar, Marvel, Netflix, Framestore and Technicolor Creative Studios.

 

In partnership with these companies, Foundry solves complex visualization challenges to turn incredible ideas into reality. Its products are used to create breathtaking visual effects and animation on a wide range of feature films, episodic content and commercials. Foundry software was integral in the making of every VFX Academy Award-winning film for the past decade and has been recognized and honored at the highest level in the industry.

 

Foundry is returning to FMX along with special guests from BlueBolt, DNEG, Framestore, Pixomondo, and beyond. Join us to go behind the scenes of NIMONA, NAPOLEON, HOUSE OF THE DRAGON and GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY Vol. 3. Get expert insight from VFX and animation artists, and learn about the latest product developments from Foundry.

 

More Information on Foundry here, a showreel here.

 

SHARED PROGRAM WITH THE
STUTTGART INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF ANIMATED FILM

 

Like in previous years, FMX is staging a joint screening with the Stuttgart International Festival of Animated Film (ITFS), giving the audience a rare chance to watch on the big screen the charming shape-shifter in the animated feature NIMONA, whose making-of will be discussed at FMX.

 

The FMX tracks GLOBAL INCLUSION, COMMUNITY AND CONNECTION as well as RAW & RELEVANT, curated by Julie Ann Crommett (Women in Animation) and Andreas Hykade (Animationsinstitut) respectively, will share guests and sessions with ITFS.

 

 

More Information on FMX under www.fmx.de.

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