Alastair,
excellent letter and spot on. Thanks for taking the effort. I hope this
letter does not "just" stay inside this mailing list but gets more exposure
as well.
-M
--
Martin Chatterjee
[ Freelance Technical Director ]
[ http://www.chatterjee.de ]
[ https://vimeo.com/chatterjee ]
On Mon, Mar 10, 2014 at 12:35 PM, Morten Bartholdy <x...@colorshopvfx.dk>wrote:
> Thank you for posting this - my sentiments exactly Alastair - very well
> put.
>
>
> Softimage is the very reason why we can handle complex stuff with a
> very small crew. With Maya on the horizon we will be less effective and
> have to hire more freelance TD's to get the same things done => less money
> earned.
>
>
> Morten Bartholdy
>
> VFX Supervisor
>
> Gimmickvfx.com
>
>
>
>
>
> Den 10. marts 2014 kl. 11:20 skrev Alastair Hearsum <
> hear...@glassworks.co.uk>:
>
> Folks
> Dan Y and other folks, I hope this comes across as firm but reasonable. I
> will post it on other appropriate sites. Any ideas on that front?
>
> * An open letter to Autodesk. *
>
> Dear Autodesk
>
> My name is Alastair Hearsum. I'm a founding partner, director and head
> of 3d at Glassworks. If you haven't heard of us, we are a small to midsized
> company which has been creating VFX and animation for TV commercials for
> markets around the world, for the past 20 years. We have branches in
> London, Amsterdam and Barcelona. We create innovative and multi award
> winning work and we use Softimage.
>
> Your announcement that you are retiring Softimage has left us saddened,
> disappointed and not a little angry. The anger for two reasons; that you
> have shot the racehorse of the 3d software world in the head in its prime
> but also that you didn't consult with us about this assassination or
> discuss any of your plans for the future with us. We have no idea what the
> future from you holds. We are big and longstanding users of other Autodesk
> products as well as Softimage. The puzzling thing is, technologically
> speaking, there was no writing on the wall as there was with Henry and
> Flame, for example, or these days with Flame and Nuke.
>
> We have been punching above our weight, in London, for the past 20 years
> competing well with the much larger organisations of MPC, Framestore and
> The Mill. One of the reasons we have been able to do that, apart from the
> deep talent of our crew is, I believe, because of the software that we
> chose. I'm nearly 150 years old now but I still sit at the computer making
> pictures for TV commercials to the same arduous schedule that I always
> have. So I know what I'm talking about. For a period a few years back we
> had a 50/50 split of Maya and Softimage. We chose to go 100% Softimage. Its
> better for the work that we do and the sector we are in. Its no coincidence
> that all the finalists in the recent British Animation Awards (tv
> commercials) did their work in Softimage. Similarly, both silver and gold
> award winners in the 3d animation category at this year's British
> Television Advertising Craft awards were Softimage companies.
>
> You may well go on to list major work that's been done in Maya. Sure
> there has, and great work too. But Maya is used as a shell in the major
> film effect companies. It is heavily customised and unrecognisable as the
> product you ship. We have our proprietary software and tailored workflow as
> well, but Softimage remains pretty much untouched. It is lean, efficient,
> and the ICE environment is innovative and empowering.
>
> So you've done it. What's next? Like I said we have had vague
> information about what the future holds. We hear rumours about bi-frost and
> that's about it. From what I understand from various sources there are no
> plans to replicate the efficient workflow and full ice functionality that
> made us so productive. You have offered free transitionary licenses of Maya
> with the threat of having to discontinue using Softimage in 2 years time.
>
>
> The final thought is not just about what software is best for our future
> but also about what sort of software supply company we want to get into bed
> with. The attributes that come top of my list: listening to customers,
> acting on their recommendations, speedy development, innovation. Now does
> that sound like you?
>
> Alastair Hearsum
> Glassworks.
>
>
>
> --
> Alastair Hearsum
> Head of 3d
> [image: GLASSWORKS]
> 33/34 Great Pulteney Street
> London
> W1F 9NP
> +44 (0)20 7434 1182
> glassworks.co.uk <http://www.glassworks.co.uk/>
> Glassworks Terms and Conditions of Sale can be found at glassworks.co.uk
> (Company registered in England with number 04759979. Registered office 25
> Harley Street, London, W1G 9BR. VAT registration number: 867290000)
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