Digital Productions
Encyclopedia
Digital Productions was a computer animation
company in Los Angeles, California
, that produced advertisements and special effects for films in the 1980s.
The company was founded by John Whitney, Jr. and Gary Demos in 1982, following their departure from Triple-I
. They received financial support from Control Data Corporation
. Whitney and Demos felt that greater computer power was needed to produce effects such as those being made by Triple-I for Tron
; Digital Productions became famous for using a Cray X-MP
supercomputer to render their animations.
Digital Productions created 27 minutes of animation, in 300 scenes, for the film The Last Starfighter
. Each frame of the animation contained an average of 250,000 polygon
s, and had a resolution of 3000 x 5000 36-bit pixel
s; they claimed that the imagery was 50 times more complex than the graphics in previous feature films. They estimated that using computer animation required only half the time, and one half to one third the cost, that would have been required if then-traditional methods had been used.
Other work done by the company includes effects for Labyrinth
, 2010, and Mick Jagger
's Hard Woman music video.
In 1986, Digital Productions was bought out by Omnibus Computer Graphics, who also took over Robert Abel and Associates
and purchased Triple-I's Foonly
computer.
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
company in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, that produced advertisements and special effects for films in the 1980s.
The company was founded by John Whitney, Jr. and Gary Demos in 1982, following their departure from Triple-I
Information International, Inc.
Information International, Inc., commonly referred to as Triple-I or III, was an early computer technology company; Founded by Edward Fredkin in 1962 in Maynard, Massachusetts. It then moved to Santa Monica, Culver City, and Los Angeles California. Triple-I merged with Autologic, Inc. in 1996...
. They received financial support from Control Data Corporation
Control Data Corporation
Control Data Corporation was a supercomputer firm. For most of the 1960s, it built the fastest computers in the world by far, only losing that crown in the 1970s after Seymour Cray left the company to found Cray Research, Inc....
. Whitney and Demos felt that greater computer power was needed to produce effects such as those being made by Triple-I for Tron
Tron (film)
Tron is a 1982 American science fiction film written and directed by Steven Lisberger, and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It stars Jeff Bridges as the protagonist Kevin Flynn; Bruce Boxleitner in a dual role as security program Tron and Tron's "User", computer programmer Alan Bradley; Cindy...
; Digital Productions became famous for using a Cray X-MP
Cray X-MP
The Cray X-MP was a supercomputer designed, built and sold by Cray Research. It was announced in 1982 as the "cleaned up" successor to the 1975 Cray-1, and was the world's fastest computer from 1983 to 1985...
supercomputer to render their animations.
Digital Productions created 27 minutes of animation, in 300 scenes, for the film The Last Starfighter
The Last Starfighter
The Last Starfighter is a 1984 science fiction adventure film directed by Nick Castle. The film tells the story of Alex Rogan , an average teenage boy recruited by an alien defense force to fight in an interstellar war. It also featured Dan O'Herlihy, Catherine Mary Stewart, Robert Preston, Norman...
. Each frame of the animation contained an average of 250,000 polygon
Polygon (computer graphics)
Polygons are used in computer graphics to compose images that are three-dimensional in appearance. Usually triangular, polygons arise when an object's surface is modeled, vertices are selected, and the object is rendered in a wire frame model. This is quicker to display than a shaded model; thus...
s, and had a resolution of 3000 x 5000 36-bit pixel
Pixel
In digital imaging, a pixel, or pel, is a single point in a raster image, or the smallest addressable screen element in a display device; it is the smallest unit of picture that can be represented or controlled....
s; they claimed that the imagery was 50 times more complex than the graphics in previous feature films. They estimated that using computer animation required only half the time, and one half to one third the cost, that would have been required if then-traditional methods had been used.
Other work done by the company includes effects for Labyrinth
Labyrinth (film)
Labyrinth is a 1986 British/American fantasy film directed by Jim Henson, produced by George Lucas, and designed by Brian Froud. Henson collaborated on the screenwriting with children's author Dennis Lee, Terry Jones from Monty Python, and Elaine May .The film stars David Bowie as Jareth the Goblin...
, 2010, and Mick Jagger
Mick Jagger
Sir Michael Philip "Mick" Jagger is an English musician, singer and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and a founding member of The Rolling Stones....
's Hard Woman music video.
In 1986, Digital Productions was bought out by Omnibus Computer Graphics, who also took over Robert Abel and Associates
Robert Abel and Associates
Robert Abel and Associates was a pioneering production company specializing in TV commercials made with computer graphics. Robert Abel's company, RA&A was especially known for their art direction and won many Clio Awards....
and purchased Triple-I's Foonly
Foonly
Foonly was the computer company formed by Dave Poole, who was one of the principal Super Foonly designers as well as one of hackerdom's more colorful personalities....
computer.