3FX: Beyond Great Animation

We love the animation work that we do here at 3FX. However, it’s always exciting to to expand into other areas and use our creative talent to show off our client’s material. Recently, we finished up a couple magazine covers for one of our clients and we’re thrilled with how the visuals on the cover turned out. One of them was for Contemporary OB/GYN magazine and another was for Contemporary Pediatrics. Check out our links below to each magazine. Let us know what you think of our cover art. There’s also some really interesting articles throughout that you can click through.

June 2011 issue of Contemporary OB/GYN:

http://digital.healthcaregroup.advanstar.com/nxtbooks/advanstar/obgyn_201106/index.php#/0

July 2011 issues of Contemporary Pediatrics:

http://digital.healthcaregroup.advanstar.com/nxtbooks/advanstar/cntped_201107/#/0

We really enjoy working on these covers and hope that more opportunities to show our creativity open up in the future.

Another Successful 3FX Summer Picnic

One day every summer, we like to get our team away from thinking about schedules, 3D models, and rendering and instead focus on other things like sun, fun, and good food!

Yesterday was our annual 3FX Summer Picnic. It was great to get everyone out from behind their desks and soak up some of the beautiful weather we’ve been having lately. This year’s picnic took us to Norristown Farm Park and fun was had by all. We started the day off playing the “Baggo” bean bag toss game, which was a surprise hit with everyone. Before the day came to an end, everyone was able to show off their frisbee, badminton, and volleyball skills as well.

Of course, no day at the park would be complete without delicious food, and we didn’t leave there hungry. Burgers, hot dogs, salads, fresh fruit, and refreshing drinks were all on the menu.

It’s great to take a day to reward our team for all of the hard work they do. With another successful picnic in the books, we’re already looking forward to next year!

3FX Is Proud To Win a 2011 Telly Award

We’re always proud of the work we do here at 3FX. It’s always rewarding to finish up a project and deliver it to a client knowing that all of the hard work and long hours paid off. Sometime it’s especially nice to be recognized throughout our industry and even bring home a little hardare.

The Telly Awards focus on the best local, regional, and cable television programs and commercials. They also focus on the finest in film and video work created for the Web. 3FX is honored to accept the Telly Award dedicated to the best use of 3D.

Congratulations to our Art Director, Mitch Wishart, and the rest of our hard working animation team on winning the 2011 Telly Award for the Northstar Folotyn 3D MOA Video. Great job, team!

Taking Medical Animation To The Next Level Using Dome Technology

I remember when I was younger, maybe six or seven years old, my parents took me to Walt Disney World for vacation one summer. We also stopped at Epcot and they took me to see a show in a small dome theater. I remember the show was about space, and it went into great detail about the solar system. It was amazing to see the stars and the planets, which I’ve seen before in textbooks and on regular television,  in a whole new way in the dome theater format. I remember thinking how it was a much more different and interactive way to learn, that was also kind of fun. I even made my parents buy me a little plastic telescope in the gift store  to always remember the experience.

Now, I’m much older, but still impressed with dome technology. What we’re doing at 3FX is creating full immersive experience shows using the dome theater format. We actually just finished up two dome projects for two large global clients, Daiichi Sankyo and Astra Zeneca Mexico. We’re thrilled with how they turned out look forward to future dome projects.

Check out the this demo to see how a dome show looks. It’s impossible to get the real feel of it, since you’re sitting in front of a flat monitor, but try to imagine how much better the show would look on a big dome screen, with cells floating in every direction, and sounds and visuals surrounding you and practically placing you in the center of the show.

When we wrapped up our projects and watched the final shows, I couldn’t help but feel like I was in the “Fantastic Voyage” movie from the 60’s. We’ve all either seen or heard of that movie where the science team was shrunk down and placed inside a living human body. That’s the kind of effect that watching one of our medical animation dome shows had on me!

So what do you think of this technology? Have you ever had a chance to watch one of these dome shows?

3FX is Excited to Add iPad App Development to Skill Set

courtesy apple.com

We all know that technology is changing all the time. The latest technology currently in high demand is Apple’s iPad. As a young twenty-something, I always keep an eye out for the latest in technology. The world of apps is only getting more extensive. It wasn’t so long ago that apps were seen solely as a way to play a quick game or listen to music on your commute. Nowadays, people expect more from an app.

What are some of my favorite apps? I’m a big Phillies fan, so my favorite app is “MLB At Bat 2011.” The capabilities of this app are incredible. I can look up scores, stats, my favorite team’s schedule, and even watch highlights while listening to the game live on the built in radio.

Whether you want to watch the latest movie on Netflix, schedule and track a flight out of town, or learn how to speak a different language, it is essential to have an easy to access app for users to download and use at their convenience. 3FX knows that apps are being viewed as another essential learning tool and they can be very useful in the world of medical education.

We’re just a week or two away from releasing our very own iPad app. This will be a great new tool for anyone who has an interest in medical animation or our company to check out. The app will include samples of our work, details of our capabilities, and other vital information pertaining to medical education. I’ll be sure to let you know when it is officially released.

In the meantime, we’ve also begun production on an app for one of our clients. We’re excited to roll this out and looking forward to working on similar app projects in the future. Everyone is aware of Apple’s iTunes store and we believe that building iPad apps is a great opportunity to educate and inform audiences from all over about our passion, which is our work.

What are some of your favorite apps and how do they make your life easier, both in your spare time and at work?