Greetings Maurizio, could you explain your position in Maga Animation ?
I support some aspects of the Maga productions making animation tools, rigs and renders using Maya MEL and internal API.
Recently, I’ve been involved in two productions, “GoGoPig” and “ChooChoo Soul”, then I shifted to “Acqua in Bocca” software design and rendering technical direction.
What about your current tasks?
Actually I’m implementing a data flow management system between the production departments to automate some processes more than before. That consists in a custom assets management software, developed strictly for Maga productions requirements.
Could you make a little short of your past experiences ?
There ’s a lot to talk here, it began with a Commodore 64 in early ’85, focusing on Basic CGI development with SimonBasic. In ’94, I met my first PC with 3D capabilities using 3D Studio 4 (Dos), later I’ve focused in the developing part switching to C and C++.
In 2002 I met Max (and Maga) and finally switched to Maya, beginning as a lighter (using Lightwave too) and focusing in Maya internal design and embedded scripting engines giving help in building a production pipeline. |
Pali e Dispari |
Could you tell us what kind of benefits have you got using Muster ?
On a previous production (Choo Choo Soul of Disney Channel) I had the requirements of a smart system that let me avoid manually submissions in Muster. We had too much jobs to render, we got them from other countries and they were not uniform, the variables of each scene changed continuously (cameras and render levels), there was a big level of mistake in the data input. After a first test, we realized that the traditional method, we were not able to do it.
I’ve searched a solution and after investigating the Muster documentation, I found it was already there. I discovered the amazing “mrtool” command line utility. Using MEL I wrote a script able to read the scene data and to produce a batch file invoking the mrtool command. After launching the Dispatcher service, mrtool was able to automatically send the jobs into the queue.
I used the same pipeline for the “Acqua in bocca” production enhancing the data input section of the tool, making the dynamic caches of Maya automatically for the entire episode using a single batch session. So, we created a single batch file for each episode able to submit tons of jobs in Muster using a single mouse click. Apart from gaining time, we reduced the chances of human errors during the data input.
The entire production has been rendered in FULL HD 1080p@25 in amazing times. |
|
Could you tell us what kind of benefits have you experienced upgrading to Muster 5?
We found a better stability on the software itself and a great flexibility in the job management using the new templates system.
Massimo, Could you make a little short of your company activities and your future plans ?
Maga Animation Studio founded in the 1996 focused to develop new experimental and creative languages for the animation in the television and the cinema willing to export in the international market an high level “Made in Italy”.
Maga focus in two primary fields, acting as a facility and production house for TV, cinema and advertising oriented animation projects and artistic research in several fields like 3D, standard 2D cut-out decoupage, flash and mixed techniques. We mix the styles to better represent the stories.
We just completed the production of “Acqua in Bocca” by Guidio Manuli ed Elena Mora, in coproduction with Rai Fiction. In will go online on 4 March 07:55 AM on RAIDUE.
In those months, we’ll be at work on a new series by Bruno Bozzetto, it will be called “PSICOVIP”. This projects will feature well know characters like Minivip and Supervip.
The Vip brothers in a renewed style made possible with the 3D technology, will bring to the screen incredibile situations signed by Bruno Bozzetto. |
|
Could you tell us how you found Muster and why you chosen it ?
Several years ago during the studio grown, we had to find a flexible system to manage the distributed rendering on our processors. Muster was suggested by our system integrator, Gruppo TNT (we work with them since 1996). After several releases, Muster has become very stable and smarter. Actually we are developing our new production pipeline optimizing the data flow and reducing time and costs, requirements to face more ambitious projects like a full length movie for the cinema.
Massimo and Maurizio, thanks for you time and best wishes for your future projects.
|
