Autodesk Flame Premium and Autodesk Flare Software Provide Integrated Solutions to Support Collaborative Workflows and Global Pipelines

AMSTERDAM — (BUSINESS WIRE) — September 8, 2011 — This year at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC), Sept. 9 to 13, Autodesk, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADSK), will demonstrate its powerful creative software tools for television, film and post-production, with particular focus on Autodesk Flame Premium software (launched last year at IBC) and Autodesk Flare software (launched here in 2009). The 2012 versions greatly provide expanded creative and technical tools, enhanced stereoscopic viewing modes, increased format support and improved performance speed.

Cutters Studios in Chicago used Autodesk Flame Premium 3D visual effects software to create "App," a hilarious commercial spot for Bud Light. Image courtesy of Cutters Studios.

“Our software continues to evolve to help Autodesk customers better adapt to the changing economics of post-production. Autodesk’s integrated solutions support their creative imaginations,” said Marc Petit, senior vice president Autodesk Media & Entertainment. “We launched Flame Premium and Flare not just to provide a wide breadth of powerful tools, but unparalleled flexibility throughout the production pipeline.”

Flame Premium, a unified solution for 3D visual effects and look development with innovative tools for interactive 3D compositing and color grading, has been adopted by a wide swath of the post-production industry — from startups to industry leaders, all the way from Michigan to Manhattan to Mumbai.

Cutters Studios and RingSide Creative (USA)

In the early 1990s, Tim McGuire, CEO of Cutters Studios in Chicago, was one of the very first Flame customers. When his company teamed up with RingSide Creative in Detroit earlier this year, both companies jumped at the chance to standardize the facilities on Flame Premium. Said McGuire, “We’re committed to giving our artists the best tools in the industry, and Autodesk tools have always been the best.”

RingSide Creative CEO Steve Wild added, “Cutters has two studios offering finishing in Santa Monica and Chicago, and a third with RingSide here in Detroit. Our 10 licenses of Flame Premium shared between the two companies, enable us to provide our clients with a fully integrated range of services, from real-time color grading and effects, through design and editorial, all the way through the finishing process. We’re winning more work, taking on bigger jobs and, with Flame Premium, our production process is faster, more efficient and most importantly, more creative.”

Light of Day (USA)

“You used to have 3D in one place, dailies in another and grading in yet another, but now as expectations grow, people are trying to get more bang for their buck,” said Charles Nordeen, managing director of NY-based post-house, Light of Day. “With Flame Premium, our business literally changed overnight. We now have an efficient and cost-effective way to keep work in-house as well as the flexibility to reconfigure our suites as a Flame suite or an editorial finishing suite. What’s more, it gives us the ability to treat our artists like the respected rock stars they are.”

With a full-time staff of 13 artists working primarily in advertising, Light of Day now has five licenses of Flame Premium, as well as Autodesk Maya software for 3D work and Autodesk Smoke for Mac software for prep. Nordeen added, “Being able to expand your shop for jobs of any size provides a level of flexibility that’s just insanely valuable.”

After (India)

Just two years ago, three successful young executives from diverse financial and marketing backgrounds decided to pursue their passion for filmmaking and open Purple Haze Motion Pictures Pvt. Ltd., a film production company. This summer, when they decided to diversify and expand by founding After, a film and advertising post-production studio, they turned to Autodesk.

“Flame Premium provides a one-stop-shop solution with a streamlined metadata workflow and integrated fast network technologies,” said Vijay Gutte, director for After. “We purchased six Flame Premium and 50 Flare licenses to enable us to offer scanning, color grading, offline and online editing, as well as visual effects. With these tools, we were able to build a comprehensive and flexible CG pipeline to work in true 3D space, and get up and running quickly. We simply couldn’t have entered the post-production market with access to so much talent and ability to create such impressive visuals in any other way.”

Autodesk Flare

Since launching at IBC, Flare, a software-only 3D node-based compositing assistant, has become an integral CG pipeline solution for industry leaders and small boutique houses alike. With the full creative toolset of Autodesk Flame software, Flare affords post-production houses an integrated solution that can be deployed throughout the production process and across global pipelines. MPC, one of the world’s most successful post-production companies, with facilities in London, Los Angeles, Vancouver, New York and Bangalore, recently purchased 20 Flare licenses and distributed them between its major studios. “We worked on a promo for a dramatic remix video of the Depeche Mode song ‘Personal Jesus,’” said Bill McNamara, Creative Head of Advertising 2D at MPC London. “It was a high-profile job with lots of editorial changes. Using Flare, we were able to distribute the work between three sites. Traditionally, that work would have been scheduled during the night, but using Flame and Flare meant we were able to integrate comments and feedback more quickly and clearly, and complete the job faster.”