NCIS, CSI: NY, House, True Blood, The Good Wife: Autodesk Software Fills the Air

Many of This Season`s Most-Watched Programs Feature Autodesk Technology
SAN RAFAEL, Calif.--(Business Wire)--
Post-production houses regularly turn to digital entertainment creation software
from Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), to help bring movie-like visual effects into
millions of homes in this season`s most-watched television programs. Highlights
include a 3D video game universe in "House," the evocative color finishing of
"Mad Men" and the UEFA Europa League rebrand.

Ascent Media, which provides creative and technical services through its
worldwide network of media facilities, including Encore Hollywood, RIOT and
Level 3, uses a combination of Autodesk Flame and Autodesk Inferno visual
effects software, Autodesk Lustre color grading software, Autodesk Smoke
editorial finishing software and Autodesk 3ds Max 3D animation, modeling and
rendering software on more than 25 shows this season, including "NCIS," "CSI:
NY" and "House" (comprehensive list below). "The Autodesk family of software
helps facilitate interoperability between our companies to maximize workflow
efficiency and put our best work forward for our clients. The tools are
efficient, and the cross-platform compatibility allows our talented artists to
focus on creativity," said Bill Romeo, Ascent senior vice president,
Entertainment Television.

Los Angeles and Vancouver-based Zoic Studios contributed to a variety of shows
kicking off the fall season, including "Flash Forward" and "Fringe." For the
sci-fi drama "Flash Forward," Zoic created urban destruction with Autodesk Maya
software for modeling, texturing, fluid dynamics, solid body and particle
effects, as well as Flame for timing, retiming, rotoscoping and element
placement. Zoic also used its Maya and Flame pipeline on "True Blood" and "V" as
well as for digital prosthetics, character creation and animation on "Fringe."
In addition, Zoic used Maya on "Mad Men," "Drop Dead Diva," "Californication,"
"Human Target" and "Ben 10-Alien Swarm."

Entity FX,with atoolset that includes Maya, Flame and Inferno, worked on three
visual effects-intensive shows this season: "The Vampire Diaries," "Smallville"
and "Eastwick" (along with two feature films, "This is It" and "Law Abiding
Citizen"). "Eastwick" features photorealistic effects infused with magical
flourishes, and in the premiere episode, an animated army of hostile digital
ants was created using a custom script in Maya and composited in Flame. Dan
Rucinski, executive producer, Entity FX, said, "This year alone, our artists
used our Autodesk bag of tricks on four feature films and eight television
projects, most recently to create - in a very short time frame - 2D and stereo
3D effects for the Michael Jackson movie."

The effects work created by CBS Digital (CBSD) this season spans the gamut from
straightforward green screen on the new hit show "Modern Family" - where artists
used Flame to help composite exterior views - to the complex opening shot for
the acclaimed bio-pic "Georgia O`Keeffe," where artists re-created 1920s New
York. CBSD transformed footage of a city block in New Mexico using Maya to
authentically model the buildings and Inferno to combine multiple 3D layers,
green screen extras and period cars.

Six-time Emmy-winning post house LaserPacific looked to the Lustre digital color
grading system to shape shows such as "Mad Men," "The Good Wife" and "Eastbound
& Down" as well as two made-for-television movies, "Wizards of Waverly Place --
The Movie" and "Georgia O`Keeffe," for which Maya was also used.

The London-branch of Prime Focus was commissioned by design agency Ingredient to
create opening and closing credits and bumpers for the rebrand of Europe`s
soccer championship, the new UEFA Europa League (previously UEFA Cup). The
sequences feature a dusk-lit sky as the camera moves through rural locations
while giant projected images of Europe`s top players serve as the backdrop. With
RED camera-captured football source footage, Prime Focus modeled 3D architecture
in Maya and used Flame to help map the 3D camera moves. Flame was also used for
compositing, color correction, sky replacements and realistic finishing touches
of moving clouds and city traffic. Derek Moore, Prime Focus creative director,
said, "Maya and Flame allowed us to overcome many complex challenges and create
the exact look we wanted."

Studios that worked with Autodesk software to help create content for this TV
season are:

* NY and LA-based LOOK Effects usedMaya and Flame for its work on "Bones."
* The Toronto location of Spin VFX used Flame and Maya to create the eclectic
combination of live-action and animation for the Canadian tween hit "Majority
Rules."
* Ascent`s Encore and RIOT used Lustre to help create the look of "Lost,"
"90210," "Medium," "CSI: NY," "Hung," "Big Love," "Heroes," "How to Make It in
America," "Fire in the Hole," "Lie to Me," "Terriers" and "In Treatment."
* Ascent`s Encore and Level 3 Post used Smoke, Inferno and 3ds Max on "House,"
"NCIS," "NCIS LA," "90210," "CSI: NY," "Medium," "Monk," "Weeds," "United States
of Tara," "Hung," "Entourage," "Big Love," "Past Life," "The Closer," "Castle,"
"Drop Dead Diva," "Melrose Place," "Flash Forward," "Bones" and "24."

About Autodesk

Autodesk, Inc., is a world leader in 2D and 3D design, engineering and
entertainment software for the manufacturing, building and construction, and
media and entertainment markets. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in
1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art
software to help customers experience their ideas digitally before they are
built. Fortune 100 companies -- as well as the last 14 Academy Award winners for
Best Visual Effects -- use Autodesk software tools to design, visualize and
simulate their ideas to save time and money, enhance quality, and foster
innovation for competitive advantage. For additional information about Autodesk,
visit www.autodesk.com.

Autodesk, AutoCAD, Flame, Inferno, Lustre, Maya, Smoke and 3ds Max are
registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc.,and/or its subsidiaries
and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Emmy is a registered
trademark of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. Academy Award
is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective
holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product offerings and
specifications at any time without notice, and is not responsible for
typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.

© 2009 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Autodesk, Inc.
Rama Dunayevich, 415-547-2472
rama.dunayevich@autodesk.com
or
Karen Raz, 310-450-1482
karen@razpr.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009