\"Big Hero 6\" has been a critical and commercial hit for Walt Disney Animation Studios, scoring an Oscar nomination and taking in more than $500 million at the box office. <\/p>\n
But the more important number may be the 39,000 hours Disney Animation spent developing the computer program that made the movie possible. <\/p>\n
The software, called Hyperion, simulates the physics of light, which can make animated films more lifelike or give them an otherworldly look. <\/p>\n
FULL COVERAGE: Oscars 2015 <\/p>\n
It's the latest salvo in a technological arms race among animation houses. One of Disney's rivals, DreamWorks Animation, had a research and development group of about 120 people as of last year among them nearly a dozen former employees of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. <\/p>\n
Disney Animation's sister company, Pixar, has long been a trailblazer, producing the first feature-length computer-animated film, 1995's \"Toy Story.\" <\/p>\n
But Hyperion could transform animation. <\/p>\n
\"It's a major step for them,\" said Dan Sarto, co-founder and publisher of Animation World Network. \"They are only as good as the tools they allow their artists to use.\" <\/p>\n
Computer-animated films are big business: In most years, a handful rank among the top 10 U.S. box-office hits. They can also generate toys, clothes and other products that will produce big profits. <\/p>\n
Disney Animation's \"Frozen\" grossed more than $1 billion and has bolstered profits for several business units of the studio's parent, Burbank-based Walt Disney Co. <\/p>\n
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Software behind 'Big Hero 6' pushes envelope on computer animation<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \"Big Hero 6\" has been a critical and commercial hit for Walt Disney Animation Studios, scoring an Oscar nomination and taking in more than $500 million at the box office. But the more important number may be the 39,000 hours Disney Animation spent developing the computer program that made the movie possible Continue reading