Nice one. Tanks for this as most of us are too small to be heard. I wish other companies would follow.
Artur 2014-03-10 11:20 GMT+01:00 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) > Please consider the environment before you print this email. > DISCLAIMER: This e-mail and attachments are strictly privileged, private > and confidential and are intended solely for the stated recipient(s). Any > views or opinions presented are solely those of the author and do not > necessarily represent those of the Company. If you are not the intended > recipient, be advised that you have received this e-mail in error and that > any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing, or copying of this e-mail is > strictly prohibited. If this transmission is received in error please > kindly return it to the sender and delete this message from your system. >
