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Troublemaker Puts Its Thoughts on the Screen Through AMD's Technology

AMD provides the well-known studio with the tools it needs to translate thought into picture

Nov 25, 2009 14:55 GMT  ·  By
It seems Advanced Micro Devices does not just power the top performing supercomputers, but it is also making substantial contributions to the film industry
   It seems Advanced Micro Devices does not just power the top performing supercomputers, but it is also making substantial contributions to the film industry

AMD technology has been used in the movie industry for quite some time. Most recently, Robert Rodriguez, studio head, director, cinematographer and special-effect supervisor of Troublemaker Studios (quoted below) used AMD products (Six-Core AMD Opteron processors and ATI FirePro graphics accelerators) in the development and rendering of the “booger monster” from the children's film “Shorts.”

“When inspiration strikes, I have traditionally turned to pen and paper to quickly jot down my vision for a scene because in a matter of minutes the images I see in my head can become reality,” Robert Rodriguez, Troublemaker Studios, said. “With the new AMD platforms, my team is given the freedom to quickly design and animate our concepts and designs. AMD’s complete platform solutions technology helps us to keep ahead of the artistic curve by allowing us to easily and quickly manipulate images or scenes without having to wait on the technology.”

"Shorts" is just another addition to the long list of contributions the AMD technology has made to the movie industry through Troublemaker, including digital moving and special effects in several blockbusters.

“Robert Rodriguez is a director whose artistic vision constantly drives the technology,” Charlie Boswell, director of Digital Media and Entertainment at AMD, added. “Robert is an artist who uses technology almost like a performance instrument, playing it rather than working on it. This regimen demands the tech be fast, intuitive and allow the work to occur at the highest visual fidelity possible.”

Among the films for which Rodriguez employed AMD's CPUs and graphics controllers are “Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams,” “Spy Kids 3D: Game Over” and the pinnacle of special effects known as “Sin City.”

“By combining AMD’s superior ATI FirePro graphics solutions and our new Six-Core AMD Opteron processors, digital content creation customers like Rodriguez’s Troublemaker Studios can quickly create the scenarios and objects and render them in almost real-time. Not only can movies get created faster, but the creative minds at work are not stifled by the process – they’re free to create, change and innovate at the speed of thought.”

Troublemaker is already working on its next film, “Machete,” which will also be using the Opteron and FirePro in the creation of special effects. Its release is expected sometime during 2010.