Digital Effects House Turns To Columbia Professor For "Rise Of The Apes"

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Techeye

It seems that Peter Jackson’s effects studio is having fits trying to make realistic computer generated hair for the stars of Fox’s upcoming "Planet of the Apes" prequel "Rise of the Apes." In fact Weta Studios is having so much trouble trying to get it right that they have turned to Columbia University’s Eitan Grinspun, who created brand-new state of the art animation software for the Disney animated feature "Tangled", to work on two of their upcoming projects. The other being Steven Spielberg's "Tintin", where the title characters dog Snowy apparently needed a shampoo and a clip as well.

I would like to go into all the details of how Grinspun has used geometry and advanced mathematics to create a program that can simulate "real" human, or in this case, simian / canine, hair, but after reading the professor’s remarks about it, I have to admit, I know probably less now then when I started. That’s why he is a Columbia professor and I’m some dude behind a keyboard trying to write about it.

To sum it all up, the Apes were having a hair issues, Fox hired a genius to figure out how to fix it and now they will be ready to overthrow us human types in grand cinematic glory.

"Where there is fire, there is smoke. And in that smoke, from this day forward, my people will crouch, and conspire, and plot, and plan for the inevitable day of man's downfall, the day when he finally and self-destructively turns his weapons against his own kind. The day of the writing in the sky, when your cities lie buried under radioactive rubble! When the sea is a dead sea, and the land is a wasteland, out of which I will lead my people from their captivity! And we will build our own cities, in which there will be no place for humans, except to serve our ends! And we shall found our own armies, our own religion, our own dynasty! And that day is upon you...NOW!! "

See Also: The 100 Greatest Monsters From Movies And Television #21 - #30 / Harry Potter Star Felton Cast In RISE OF THE APES / Brian Cox To Be The Bad Guy In RISE OF THE APES / Andy Serkis To Play Caesar In RISE OF THE APES / James Franco Cast In The New PLANET OF THE APES film / Planet of the Apes: Caesar Set To Begin Production In July / Scott Frank Plans To Take Planet Of The Apes In A New Direction / Is Fox Planning To Re-Boot The Planet Of The Apes? / Escape From The Planet Of The Apes (1971)(20th Century Fox) / Beneath The Planet Of The Apes (1970)(20th Century Fox) / Actress Profile - Linda Harrison / Planet Of The Apes (1974)(TV) / Planet Of The Apes (1968)