In the Clouds!

We've had to keep a really cool thing tight under wraps at Side Effects for the past few months. And now we're allowed to talk about it!

Check out our HQueue Cloud Computing for Artists using the Amazon EC2!

Beta testing has officially begun and we're already getting tons of great input. Make sure you check out the really expansive Userguide on the link above and learn more about it!

Great Houdini 10 Event in UK

Thanks to all of you who turned out to see Jeff Wagner and Janet Fraser at the Canadian High Commission on November 17.

We had a great turn out, a great overview on new Houdini 10 Features, and a wonderful presenter, Jacob Clark from Framestore showing off some new work.

Here are a few photos from the event, kindly provided by our friend and FX artist, Alvin Yap.

Janet Fraser, Sr. Account Executive and Jeff Wagner, Snr. Technology Consultant

Jacob Clark, from Framestore London

Janet Fraser talks to local UK users.

Jeff Wagner continues to discuss Houdini 10 with presentation attendees.

Houdini 10 Review on VFX World

Not sure if you checked this out already, and sorry for the tardy post. But Dean Grubb over at Digital Domain recently wrote a review of Houdini 10 on VFX World.


Thanks for the positive review Dean !

New York Pics and event highlights

Thanks to everyone for coming out during the rain for our Houdini 10 Launch at NYU's Cantor Theater!

Spencer Lueders, FX TD, did a wonderful presentation on the Framestore NY Pepsi spot below:



Then Andy Boyd, Head of 3D at Method LA, showed us his latest commercial work and highlighted uses of Mantra's PBR.

Then Jeff showed the crowd the newest things in Houdini 10.




Later, we all enjoyed a drink at the reception down the street.

(Andy Boyd and Jeff Wagner)

(Janet Fraser and Andy Boyd)

(Spencer Lueders and David Mellor from Framestore, me from Side Effects)

NYC Houdini 10 Reception Location announced!

Hey everyone, I just wanted to make you all aware of the location we're holding our cocktail reception at for the Houdini 10 New Launch event!

After our presentaion, please join us at Bar 13's rooftop for some drinks and bites from 9pm to 11 pm.





Please note, this portion of the event is 21 and over only and you will be ID'd at the door.

See you all there!

NEW YORK EVENT: June 18th

Hey Everyone in the NYC area, we're happy to announce an event at the NYU Cantor Theater on Thursday, June 18th!


DETAILS:

Thursday, June 18, 2009
6:30pm-10:00pm

With the recent announcement of Houdini 10, Side Effects is pleased to announce a special presentation at NYU's Cantor Film Center on Thursday, June 18th. Houdini 10 is designed to make artists more productive while equipping studios with the most powerful tools in the industry.

The evening begins with two presentations by Houdini artists Spencer Lueders, Technical Director from Framestore NYC and Andy Boyd, Head of 3D from Method Studios in LA. They both have some amazing work to show you along with a look behind the scenes.

Next is an overview of Houdini 10 which will take you through new features such as Pyro FX, distributed simulations, crumpling and tearing, Progressive IPR, Motion FX and Stereoscopic 3D. This is a feature-rich release and there will be a lot of info packed into the presentation.

There will be a draw for a license of Houdini Apprentice HD followed by a cocktail reception at a soon-to-be revealed location.

Come on down and learn what Houdini can do for you!

Agenda:
6:30 - 7:00 p.m. Registration
7:00 - 8:00 p.m. Framestore/Method Presentations
8:00 - 8:45 p.m. Houdini 10 Overview
8:45 - 9:00 p.m. Houdini Apprentice HD Drawings
9:00 - 10:00 p.m. Cocktail Reception (location TBD)

Location:

Cantor Film Center
Theater 101
36 East 8th Street
NY, NY 10003

This event is by RSVP only, so please register on the event page here.

And while we're mentioning Framestore ... please check out the Fireflies Ride benefiting Leuka and their Leukaemia work. Don't forget to support our Framestore friends Dave and Kevin and donate to a great effort.

Houdini 10 Launch Event in Tokyo!

Our friends over at IndyZone (our Japanese Reseller) are throwing an event in Tokyo on April 27th.

Please check out their blog for the event details for the launch of Houdini 10 in Japan!

Houdini 10 is OUT!

Welcome our newest baby, Houdini 10 is now out for public download.



Here's a video overview of the new key features on the Houdini 10 Launch SideFx page!

Don't forget to give us any feedback on the forums or Support if you are currently on AUP.

A note from our Prez

Kim Davidson posted a great blog today about Houdini turning 10. There are some great videos there as well to check out about new H10 features!