| Exceptional Minds | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
14144 Ventura Blvd. Suite 100 , 91423 | |
| Information | |
| School type | A non-profit vocational center and animation studio for young autistic adults |
| Established | 2011 |
| Website | exceptional-minds |
Exceptional Minds (EM) [1] is an American computer animation studio and non-profit digital arts school. Established in 2011, it is the first animation studio and digital arts school for young autistic adults. [2] It is located in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, California. [2]
The first major project for Exceptional Minds was the end title sequence for Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer. [3] In addition, EM students have also worked on post-production visual effects for films such as American Hustle (rotoscoping), [4] [5] Lawless (end credits), [4] and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (VFX roto work in stereo).[ citation needed ]
In September 2013, University of Southern California doctoral student Laura Cechanowicz released her documentary about EM titled Exceptional Minds in Transition for the USC School of Cinematic Arts video-based website, "Interacting with Autism". [6] [7] Later, in 2014, EM partnered with Sesame Street in an initiative that will spread "autism acceptance". [2]
The first class of eight students graduated in June 2014, with Ed Asner serving as commencement speaker.[ citation needed ]
The Wilhelm scream is a stock sound effect that has been used in many films and TV series, beginning in 1951 with the film Distant Drums. The scream is usually used when someone is shot, falls from a great height, or is thrown from an explosion. The sound is named after Private Wilhelm, a character in The Charge at Feather River, a 1953 Western in which the character gets shot in the thigh with an arrow. This was its first use following its inclusion in the Warner Bros. stock sound library, although The Charge at Feather River was the third film to use the effect. The scream is believed to be voiced by actor Sheb Wooley. It was featured in all of the original Star Wars films.
Rotoscoping is an animation technique that animators use to trace over motion picture footage, frame by frame, to produce realistic action. Originally, live-action movie images were projected onto a glass panel and traced onto paper. This projection equipment is referred to as a rotoscope, developed by Polish-American animator Max Fleischer. This device was eventually replaced by computers, but the process is still called rotoscoping.
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Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer is a 2011 American comedy film based on Megan McDonald's Judy Moody book series. Directed by John Schultz from a screenplay by McDonald and Kathy Waugh, it introduces Australian actress Jordana Beatty as the titular girl in a contest for the best summer with friends Amy Namey, who is off to Borneo; and Rockford "Rocky" Zang, who is going to circus camp. Since her parents are off to California, Judy is stuck with her younger brother Stink and her free-spirited aunt Opal. Her misadventures to have the best summer include a Bigfoot chase, various activities ruined by her friend Frank, and putting hats on animals with Opal.
Robert Blalack was a Panama-born American mass-media visual artist, independent filmmaker, and producer. He is one of the founders of Industrial Light & Magic. Blalack received the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1978 for his work on the first Star Wars film. He also received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects in 1984 for his work on the 1983 television film The Day After. Blalack directed experimental films and mixed-media television commercials, and he produced visual effects for theme park rides.
SilhouetteFX began as a rotoscoping tool for the visual effects industry. SilhouetteFX has been expanded to include capabilities facilitating paint, warping and morphing, 2D to 3D conversion and alternative matting methods. As of V6, SilhouetteFX retains all of the aforementioned capabilities now embedded in a node-based digital compositing application.
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Phase Three of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is a group of American superhero films produced by Marvel Studios based on characters that appear in publications by Marvel Comics. The phase began in 2016 with the release of Captain America: Civil War and concluded in 2019 with the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home. It includes the crossover films Avengers: Infinity War, released in 2018, and its sequel Avengers: Endgame, released in 2019. Kevin Feige produced every film in the phase, alongside Amy Pascal for Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Stephen Broussard for Ant-Man and the Wasp. The eleven films of the phase grossed over US$13.5 billion at the global box office and received generally positive critical and public response. Upon release, Avengers: Endgame became the highest-grossing film of all time.
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