Making Movie Magic with Dell and Pixomondo

‘Tis the season for summer blockbusters. With summer in full swing – and record heat in tow – people across the country are heading to the theatre (or their couch) to cool off and lose themselves in a good movie or TV show. But the movie and TV-watching experience is definitely not what it used to be. With advancements in high definition, 3D, and animation, the visual experience of a program alone is enough to make you say, “Wow. How did they do that?” I’m happy to say that Dell had a little something to do with it.  

Today, we announced that our customer, Pixomondo, utilized Dell solutions to quickly and reliably generate visual effects for “Game of Thrones” and “Star Trek Into Darkness.” Pixomondo relied on a complete Dell solution comprised of Dell Precision workstations, Dell PowerEdge servers, Dell PowerVault storage and Dell UltraSharp monitors to conceive larger than life animations and tackle tough design challenges for season two of Emmy-Award-winning TV series “Game of Thrones” and to work on critical scenes in J.J. Abrams’ epic “Star Trek Into Darkness.”  

As life like as they may have appeared, Daenerys Targaryen’s fire-breathing dragons on “Game of Thrones” required robust computing power, quick render times, and reliable technology in order to draw fans in every Sunday night. To tackle these demands, Pixomondo used Dell Precision T5500 and T5600 tower workstations to create complex content quickly and Dell UltraSharp U2410, U2711 and U2312HM monitors for clear and detailed display. The studio also used Dell PowerVault MD3220 and MD1220 storage and Dell PowerEdge R410, R620 and R720 servers in its render farm for quick segment turnaround, allowing for more rounds of tweaking, and ultimately a better final product before deadline.

Now try satisfying the expectations of one of entertainment’s most loyal fan bases while making sure that every last effect is as realistic, stimulating, and impressive as anticipated. For “Star Trek Into Darkness,” Pixomondo utilized Dell Precision T7600 and T5500 workstations with NVIDIA Quadro K4000 graphics cards, Dell UltraSharp U2410 monitors and Dell PowerEdge R510, R410 and R310 servers. The Dell hardware enabled Pixomondo to explore new areas inside the iconic USS Enterprise Ship such as the engine room, the lethally radioactive warp core and the labyrinth of corridors throughout the ship.  It also let Pixomondo push the limits on action-packed sequences of the film such as a high-speed pursuit above the Klingon home world of Kronos followed by an intense battle on the surface of the entirely computer graphics (CG) generated world. Here’s hoping we helped Pixomondo exceed expectations.

The next time you’re in awe at that Blackwater Bay explosion or that Starfleet Headquarters attack, remember there may be a little something more behind those special effects. So sit back, relax, and prepare to let technology take you to the next level of entertainment. And don’t forget the popcorn.

About the Author: Chad Andrews