BOXX Technologies announced that its APEXX W5 workstation has achieved Autodesk Flame qualification, joining an elite group of systems recommended by Autodesk to run the advanced film and television visual effects software. BOXX is a leading manufacturer of Autodesk-recommended workstations, while Flame is the preferred application of production studios and post houses throughout the world.
“At BOXX, we are committed to helping VFX artists, animators, film editors, and other post professionals work faster and more efficiently,” said Shoaib Mohammad, BOXX VP of business development and services. “If you rely on Flame or other professional applications, APEXX W5 will help you increase productivity while dramatically improving completion times.”
The most advanced BOXX workstation platform, APEXX W5 features an 18-core Intel Xeon W-series processor for rapid workload loading and processing, while up to four NVIDIA® Quadro™ graphics cards provide unparalleled support for GPU-accelerated compute applications. Flame only utilizes two GPUs, making the custom-configurable W5 ideal, and with additional PCI-E slots, liquid cooling, and 512GB of system memory, it delivers high-powered performance for all Flame features from 3D visual effects, compositing, and conforming, to editing, color grading, and finishing. The high powered BOXX workstation also provides state-of-the-art performance for rendering, simulation, deep learning, and multi-display applications.
“We’re pleased to see the BOXX APEXX W5 workstation as a qualified Flame solution,” said Will Harris, Autodesk Flame Family Product Manager. “The W5 provides outstanding support for Flame’s rich list of features, enabling users to accelerate their post workflow, expand opportunity for more iterations, and meet critical project deadlines.”
Jennifer Kent On Why Her Feature Directing Debut, “The Babadook,” Continues To Haunt Us
"The Babadook," when it was released 10 years ago, didn't seem to portend a cultural sensation.
It was the first film by a little-known Australian filmmaker, Jennifer Kent. It had that strange name. On opening weekend, it played in two theaters.
But with time, the long shadows of "The Babadook" continued to envelop moviegoers. Its rerelease this weekend in theaters, a decade later, is less of a reminder of a sleeper 2014 indie hit than it is a chance to revisit a horror milestone that continues to cast a dark spell.
Not many small-budget, first-feature films can be fairly said to have shifted cinema but Kent's directorial debut may be one of them. It was at the nexus of that much-debated term "elevated horror." But regardless of that label, it helped kicked off a wave of challenging, filmmaker-driven genre movies like "It Follows," "Get Out" and "Hereditary."
Kent, 55, has watched all of this — and those many "Babadook" memes — unfold over the years with a mix of elation and confusion. Her film was inspired in part by the death of her father, and its horror elements likewise arise out of the suppression of emotions. A single mother (Essie Davis) is struggling with raising her young son (Noah Wiseman) years after the tragic death of her husband. A figure from a pop-up children's book begins to appear. As things grow more intense, his name is drawn out in three chilling syllables — "Bah-Bah-Doooook" — an incantation of unprocessed grief.
Kent recently spoke from her native Australia to reflect on the origins and continuing life of "The Babadook."
Q: Given that you didn't set out to in any way "change" horror, how have you regarded the unique afterlife of "The... Read More