GenArts Expands Relationship with Lucasfilm

Companies work together to provide artists with advanced compositing tools to drive cinematic-quality effects across film, animation and game

CAMBRIDGE, MA. and SAN FRANCISCO, CA – June 8, 2009 -- GenArts Inc., the leading provider of specialized digital visual effects plug-in software for the film and television industries, announced today an agreement that broadens its long-standing relationship with Lucasfilm, the world’s leading film, visual effects and entertainment company. This relationship aims to advance the state of the art of technology for visual effects and compositing across a wide range of entertainment media.

This agreement comprises three key elements:

• First, GenArts software will be deployed across compositing host systems at Lucasfilm companies including Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm Animation, and Lucasfilm Animation Singapore, including it as a standard component of their compositing pipeline.
• Second, it provides a foundation for the two companies to explore opportunities to expand the use of GenArts software across film, television, animation, games and other media, providing audiences a consistent, premium entertainment experience.
• Third, as visual effects become ever more essential to the art of modern-day entertainment media, GenArts and Lucasfilm will exchange ideas to advance the state of the art of specialized visual effects technology across all Lucasfilm divisions.

GenArts software delivers incredible consistency for the artists' experience across a wide range of compositing systems", said Richard Kerris, CTO of Lucasfilm. "This makes it the ideal choice to help Lucasfilm achieve our goal to deliver visual continuity across feature films, television, games and future entertainment mediums".

Since the company’s founding in 1996, GenArts software has contributed to the production of dozens of Lucasfilm projects including Academy Award-nominated films such as Star Wars Episode I, II and III, Pirates of the Caribbean and Iron Man.

"Over the last 12 years, GenArts has earned our reputation as an innovative technology provider as well as an industry thought leader," said Katherine Hays, CEO of GenArts. “We’re pleased that Lucasfilm has affirmed that distinction by selecting GenArts software to be a standard component of their compositing vocabulary. We’re extremely excited about the opportunity to collaborate with some of the world’s leading compositing artists to better understand their needs as we continue to drive innovative tools into broader entertainment markets”.

ILM Academy Awards® - Best Achievement in Visual Effects

GenArts software has contributed to the production of dozens of Lucasfilm projects nominated for Academy Awards in visual effects. Here are a few.

2008 Nomination Iron Man	2007 Nomination Transformers	2007 Nomination Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End	2006 Award Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
2005 Nomination War of the Worlds	2005 Nomination The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe	2004 Nomination Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban	2003 Nomination Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
2002 Nomination Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones	2001 Nomination Pearl Harbor	2003 Nomination The Perfect Storm	1999 Nomination Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace