LOS ANGELES - VFX studio Weta Digital (www.wetafx.co.nz) has partnered with media and entertainment software provider Autodesk (www.autodesk.com) to launch a new product offering that places Weta-designed tools within Autodesk Maya. WetaM productizes Weta’s proprietary VFX tools, built on Maya’s open API, and will be commercialized by the studio as a subscription-based cloud service. The launch of WetaM marks the first product launch under a newly formed Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) division within Weta Digital. This new business arm is an integral part of Weta’s expansion strategy to offer professional and prosumer tools to artists across the global entertainment industry.
Weta Digital has won 13 Academy Sci-tech Awards for tools that helped artists produce many successful film and TV series, including The Lord of the Rings, Avatar, Game of Thrones and Planet of the Apes. WetaM will roll out in private beta in Q4.
“WetaM is the first step in the democratization of VFX and animation production,” says Prem Akkaraju, CEO of Weta Digital. “Weta Digital brings together the most creative minds in the world and has been a pioneering innovator in the visual effects and entertainment industry for decades. WetaM is a transformational move that will raise the bar for global creative production, redefining the industry in the process. At its core, this partnership with Autodesk will extend the reach of the Weta magic, making it more accessible for artists in pursuit of creating amazing characters and worlds across film and television.”
“We are longtime fans of Weta’s remarkable visual effects achievements, and they are constantly breaking new ground building immersive, imaginary worlds and unbelievably real and engaging digital characters,” says Diana Colella, senior vice president, entertainment & media solutions, Autodesk. “The debut of WetaM is a gamechanger as it opens up years of Weta’s dedicated animation and VFX R&D resources to all creatives. It is exciting to be working with Weta to bring their magic to Maya artists, offering them powerful new effects tools and time-saving automation capabilities.”