HOLLYWOOD
Back in the old days of Hollywood computing - say, two or three years ago - the machine of choice bore a Silicon Graphics label. But effects and postproduction houses have since swapped many of their stylish, purple SGI boxes with neutral-hued PCs running Windows NT. This beige-out operation was launched by Jim Allchin, the Microsoft senior vice president in charge of NT.
States Allchin: "There is a concerted effort at Microsoft to cater to the entertainment market." No kidding. But the Redmond giant's rise in Hollywood can be credited as much to dumb luck as to shrewd planning. The company's support of SGI's OpenGL software and its acquisition of top f/x software developer Softimage were two key decisions. Then Silicon Graphics stumbled by failing to release competitive new hardware, which allowed cheaper and faster NT boxes to invade the market.
Filmmakers migrate to machines with both performance capabilities and the right tools, says Eric Barba, CG supervisor at Digital Domain: "The more power we can put in front of our artists, the more power we can deliver. NT gets things done more cost effectively."
NT's newfound foothold appears secure for the moment, especially with a deposed SGI about to release its first batch of licensed NT machines. However, its cracking open of the market has paved the way for others to pile in as well. Digital Domain routinely uses boxes running Linux, and even Macs and Windows machines are on the rise. With plenty of others clamoring for the throne, NT's Hollywood takeover is far from a fait accompli.
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