-AMD64 Technology Lifts DreamWorks Animation to New Heights in
Movie-Making-
SUNNYVALE, CALIF.-June 7, 2005-AMD (NYSE:AMD) announced today that the
AMD Opteron(tm) processor played a significant role in the digital magic
behind DreamWorks Animation SKG's recent movie, "Madagascar."
"Madagascar" is the tale of four Central Park Zoo animals who, after
spending their lives in blissful captivity, are unexpectedly shipped
back to Africa and shipwrecked on the wild and exotic island of
Madagascar. The movie, which premiered in the U.S. last week as part of
the second largest Memorial Day box-office opening weekend ever, has
piqued film-critics' interest with its stylized cartoon characters and
lush environments. The AMD Opteron processor significantly improved
rendering times for "Madagascar" and enabled digital artists to create
never-before-seen images.
"AMD64-based workstations and servers give our artists ever-increasing
levels of performance. AMD's leading-edge processor technology enables
our creative talent to continue to push the limits of their
imagination," said Ed Leonard, chief technology officer, DreamWorks
Animation SKG. "Madagascar is a breath-taking glimpse of the digital
animation possibilities enabled by the power of AMD64 technology."
"The AMD64 architecture helps the broadest range of PC users break free
from creative limitations - including innovators like DreamWorks
Animation to a growing community of world-class performers and artists -
ultimately to consumers looking to use what the pros use," said John
Volkmann, corporate vice president, global corporate marketing, AMD.
"While your average consumer won't render an entire movie on their PC,
they do want to use the exact same 64-bit technology used by the world's
most creative minds."
AMD64 technology made scenes possible within "Madagascar" that up until
now would have been virtually unattainable due to processing
limitations. For example, crowds of furry creatures, which have
traditionally been considered one of "the holy grails" of animated films
due to the complexity of fur animation, were an integral part of
"Madagascar." The faster rendering times and increased memory bandwidth
enabled by AMD64 technology allowed DreamWorks Animation to render
scenes with up to 900 lemurs celebrating in a lush jungle - one of many
amazing feats displayed in the movie "Madagascar." The AMD64 technology
utilized by DreamWorks Animation to help create "Madagascar" is integral
to all AMD products, from servers and workstations to desktop and
notebook PCs. DreamWorks Animation will continue to expand its use of
AMD products as the partnership between AMD and DreamWorks Animation
matures.
HP plays a critical role in helping DreamWorks Animation achieve its
computer graphics-oriented goals through delivery of powerful and
manageable HP ProLiant servers using the AMD Opteron processor. By
collaborating with AMD, HP helps studios like DreamWorks Animation make
animators' wildest visions a reality.
"As the world's largest CG animation studio, DreamWorks
Animation requires the industry's most powerful and robust technology.
DreamWorks relied on the AMD Opteron processor-based HP ProLiant DL145
server for delivery of another amazing new film," said James Mouton,
vice president, platforms, ProLiant servers, HP. "The winning
combination of AMD and HP helps animators add effects in real-time and
render images faster than ever before. Consumers have the ability to tap
into the same technology used by DreamWorks' artists with HP's AMD
Athlon 64 processor-based mobile and desktop PCs."
AMD just launched its most recent AMD64 product with the introduction of
the AMD Athlon 64 X2 dual-core processor for desktops and performance
notebooks. This new processor is poised to deliver an experience
unmatched in the industry, targeting prosumer and digital media
enthusiasts, as well as those who run many software applications
simultaneously. These new processors, designed for desktop and
desktop-replacement notebooks, shatter the hourglass icon by delivering
performance improvements of up to 80 percent on select digital media and
productivity applications compared to single-core AMD Athlon 64
processors.
About AMD64
AMD64 evolves the industry-standard 32-bit x86 architecture to support
the demanding 64-bit environment and enables next-generation
functionality and productivity today. AMD designed the AMD64 platform to
allow end users to enjoy
reliable, best-in-class performance on the 32-bit software they own
today while preparing for a seamless transition to high-performance
64-bit applications. Designed from the ground up to support multi-core
capability, AMD64 dual-core processors amplify the elegance and power of
AMD's current single-core solutions. The AMD64 architecture is also
designed to enhance the security of your computing environment by
integrating Enhanced Virus Protection technology enabled by advanced
anti-virus features in Windows(r) XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Server
2003 Service Pack 1.
Since the introduction of the AMD64 architecture in 2003, the AMD
Opteron processor for servers and workstations and the AMD Athlon 64
processor for desktop and notebook computers have earned more than 80
awards for innovation and performance, and the support of more than
2,000 OEMs, hardware and software developers, system builders, and
distributors.