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Wonder Dynamics Tracks People, Even When They're Hidden

Wonder Dynamics Tracks People, Even When They're Hidden

Twinmotion Updates, Curious Refuge Gets Acquired

March 04, 2025

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Biggest winner of the Oscars: Indie Films. Small Teams, Small Budgets, Big Impact.

Anora’s budget was about $6m. The Brutalist $10m. Both shot on film, btw.

Flow was about $4m, done on Blender (which got a shoutout in their acceptance speech).

As Sean Fennessey at The Ringer pointed out, this may be the first time all six above the line winners plus animation, international, and documentary were all produced outside the studio system.

Expect we’ll see more smaller budget films having a big impact in the future.

Joey

Wonder Dynamics Tracks Character Movement, Even When They’re Hidden

Wonder Dynamics’ Wonder Studio (now Autodesk Flow Studio, as of this morning) has launched a breakthrough AI model that solves one of motion capture's biggest challenges.

Motion Prediction technology can now accurately track actor movements even when they're partially hidden from view, while their new AI-powered markerless system reduces the need for traditional mocap suits and markers.

Key developments

The AI model maintains consistent tracking through occlusions and complex scenes, predicting natural movements when actors pass behind objects or other performers
Traditional motion capture suits and markers are no longer needed - actors can perform in regular costumes using standard camera setups
Post-production cleanup time is significantly reduced, as the system automatically generates physics-based movement predictions
The technology works across diverse shooting locations without specialized equipment, making high-end mocap more accessible

SPONSOR MESSAGE

Descript is an easy to use text based video editor for podcasts and talking head videos.

But we've been using it as part of our longer video editing process with Resolve: paper edits.

Sorting through hours of interview footage and building out a radio edit is a pain.

With Descript, I edit videos as quickly as editing a document. I import my footage, get instant transcriptions, and search through hours of content in seconds.

When I hear something I like, I highlight the text and add it to my rough-cut composition. Then I build everything out, copy and paste soundbites like I would with a text document - but the video updates too.

I can also add temp VO, scene notes, and comments. The whole team can be on the same project, working on this in real-time.

When we're done, we export an XML from Descript and bring it into our NLE of choice.

Yes, most editing apps have added some transcription support, but IMO, none of them come close to the speed and ease of use in working with text in Descript.

Try Descript today.

Promise Acquires Curious Refuge To Build AI-Focused Creative Talent Pipeline

Promise, a Gen AI-focused film and TV studio, has acquired Curious Refuge, an online school that has trained over 4,000 creators in AI-powered storytelling across 171 countries. The acquisition signals a strategic move to develop a talent pipeline that bridges the gap between innovative AI storytelling techniques and industry opportunities. This marks the first major consolidation between an AI-native studio and an established creative education platform.

The deal creates a direct pathway for emerging creators to move from education to professional production opportunities
Curious Refuge creators will gain access to Promise's network of Hollywood talent and rights-holders while maintaining their educational focus
Investment backing from Peter Chernin and Andrew Chen validates the AI-first approach to entertainment industry training
The merger signals a shift away from traditional film school models toward integrated education and production pipelines

Epic Games has released Twinmotion 2025.1, a significant update to its real-time 3D visualization software. This version introduces a range of new features and improvements aimed at enhancing the creative capabilities of professionals across various industries, including architecture, automotive design, and filmmaking.

New volumetric cloud system with precise control over coverage, density, and wind effects
Projector lights enabling texture mapping for simulated practical lighting effects
Enhanced camera controls including an Orbit cam rig for 360-degree views
Virtual Shadow Map technology for more accurate real-time shadows
Environment presets like "Golden hour" and "Sunrise glow" for quick scene setup

Team 2 Film's Kodak Lab Tour shot on 35mm film!

Stories, projects, and links that caught our attention from around the web:

^📺 Vū’s launches Media Server to power Vu Studio on your own displays

🚨 Media companies, including Condé Nast and The Guardian, are suing Cohere for allegedly using their copyrighted content without permission to train AI models, which could set a significant legal precedent for AI copyright issues.

🥽 Pico's upcoming OS update for the Pico 4 Ultra will introduce a 2D-to-3D photo conversion feature, allowing users to enhance their visual content with spatial depth.

🎬 Warner Bros. Discovery and Sony Pictures have ended their rivalry by partnering on a $2.85 billion Las Vegas studio project, Summerlin Studios, which aims to establish Nevada as a major film and TV production hub.

🍿 Netflix's focus on Arabic content is helping Arab filmmakers reach a broader audience, with titles such as "Dubai Bling" achieving millions of viewing hours globally.