Miivies, a specialist in 3D animation technology, has launched  the world's first Internet animation studio that enables the making of 3D animations in collaborative groups. Using this browser-based animation studio, consumers can make 3D animation films either alone or jointly with others. The service is free of charge.  However, if the user wants to share or download the completed animation, it is rendered into a video clip and then there is a rendering fee. The key customer segment for this new animation studio is young people in the 12-24 years bracket.

The Miivies animation studio offers a browser-based and easy-to-use toolset for the design of sets and characters, acting, filming and editing. Sound effects and music soundtracks can also be added. Users control animated characters in a manner familiar from many computer games. The characters can be moved in virtual sets and they independently carry out tasks assigned to them by the users. The characters are able to speak the dialogue written for them in a variety of languages, including English, German, French, Finnish and Swedish.

"Our research shows that the next growth area in the Internet will be consumer created content, including 3D animation films. Within a few years, the quality of the consumer created 3D animation content will improve to a level that will compete with Hollywood productions," said Erkki Heilakka, founder and CEO of Miivies.

"The Made In Internet MoviesTM technology lets anyone to express their feelings, ideas and stories in form of 3D animations. The ability to contribute and collaborate is at the core of the Internet.  An Internet with no possibilities to contribute would have died already," asserts Jari Ovaskainen, an investor in Miivies, and  the former CEO and Founder of iobox, acquired by Telefonica in 2000.

Vicon, developer of motion capture systems for the entertainment, life science and engineering industries, will introduce a future technology, "Mobile Mocap" at SIGGRAPH 2011 being held at the Vancouver Convention Center. This and other new technologies will be previewed in the Vicon booth, #694 from August 9-11 during show hours.

Moving mocap out of the lab and into the field, Vicon's mobile motion capture (Mobile Mocap) solutions tap several new technologies, many years in the making. At the heart of Mobile Mocap is a new, very small lipstick-sized camera that enables solutions applicable to automotive ergonomics testing, the medical industry, eye tracking, military surveillance, and entertainment for less obtrusive, more accurate facial animation data. The small and powerful new cameras capture 720p (1280X720) footage at 60 frames per second. In addition, a powerful processing unit synchronizes, stores, and wirelessly transmits the data, all in a tiny wearable design.