COURTESY OF THE ACADEMY FOR CREATIVE MEDIA This image is one of a collection of computer-animated snippets provided on a DVD by the Academy for Creative Media.

Lights! Cameras! Animation!

UH's RenderFarm adds power to student filmmaking

A computer process responsible for such animated movie hits as "Finding Nemo" is up and running at Leeward Community College.

University of Hawaii officials hope the marriage of that animation process and education at the Academy for Creative Media's RenderFarm will result in jobs.

"3-D animation is driving our culture today," academy director Chris Lee said, and "the work that will come out of this program will transform our economy."

The unassuming-looking rack of computer equipment consists of networked servers at the disposal of University of Hawaii, community college and high school students around the island.

The RenderFarm was formally introduced to the news media, legislators and university and college administrators Friday morning in a special gathering to publicly recognize the efforts of Lee and the project's financial donors.

COURTESY OF THE ACADEMY FOR CREATIVE MEDIA This scene is part of computer-animated snippets provided on a DVD by the Academy for Creative Media.

PipelineFX CEO Troy Brooks, whose company helped purchase the components of the project from Square USA (previously with an office here) and will also manage the system, said the RenderFarm's software "quickens the process of rendering computer animation (from 3-D data into 2-D imagery) with the needed horsepower at the back end." The faster processing means more students should be able to use the system, he said.

"This keeps up with the creativity of the artists," he said.

Brooks said this is the same system PipelineFX has installed for Electronic Arts, LucasArts and the New York University Digital Arts program.

Besides the acknowledged financial help from PipelineFX, the Ko 'Olina Foundation, the James and Abigail Campbell Foundation, as well as Lee's friend and Hollywood producer-director Roland Emmerich, it was also announced Friday that a gift from the Kellogg Foundation of $145,600, added on to the initial $200,000 total grant amount, will enable the RenderFarm to quadruple its server capacity.

The project, said LCC Chancellor Peter Quigley, "will be providing services throughout the community."

COURTESY OF THE ACADEMY FOR CREATIVE MEDIA This trio is featured in a computer-animated vignette created by the Academy for Creative Media.

Lee said that even though filmmaking is part of the curriculum of the Academy for Creative Media, "video games and animation has always been included as well." Noting the public school students and members of the Board of Education in the room, Lee went on to say that the RenderFarm "will be available to all levels of education through the Internet."

Lee mentioned the recent news of George Lucas' $175 million donation to the film school of his alma mater, the University of Southern California, and Nickelodeon making available on its Web site the technology to have youngsters make cartoon mash-ups from scenes of its animated programming, as two important reasons "to be part of the (Internet) pipeline."

UH President David McClain made a previously unannounced visit to the event Friday. He quipped that the RenderFarm would provide "access with success," and with the many ways of learning exemplified by the computer animation project, it was a good way for the university system to partner with the donors and the community.

Afterward, students from UH, LCC, Kapiolani Community College and Waianae High School briefly spoke to those interested about their animation work being screened on computer terminals throughout the room.

COURTESY OF THE ACADEMY FOR CREATIVE MEDIA Both of these images are part of computer-animated snippets provided on a DVD by the Academy for Creative Media.