AMD Helps “Madagascar” Animals Break Free

AMD Helps “Madagascar” Animals Break Free

AMD (NYSE:AMD) announced today that the AMD Opteron™ processor played a significant role in the digital magic behind DreamWorks Animation SKG’s recent movie, “Madagascar.” “Madagascar” is the tale of four Central Park Zoo animals who, after spending their lives in blissful captivity, are unexpectedly shipped back to Africa and shipwrecked on the wild and exotic island of Madagascar. The movie, which premiered in the U.S. last week as part of the second largest Memorial Day box-office opening weekend ever, has piqued film-critics’ interest with its stylized cartoon characters and lush environments. The AMD Opteron processor significantly improved rendering times for “Madagascar” and enabled digital artists to create never-before-seen images.

“AMD64-based workstations and servers give our artists ever-increasing levels of performance. AMD’s leading-edge processor technology enables our creative talent to continue to push the limits of their imagination,” said Ed Leonard, chief technology officer, DreamWorks Animation SKG. “Madagascar is a breath-taking glimpse of the digital animation possibilities enabled by the power of AMD64 technology.”

“The AMD64 architecture helps the broadest range of PC users break free from creative limitations — including innovators like DreamWorks Animation to a growing community of world-class performers and artists — ultimately to consumers looking to use what the pros use,” said John Volkmann, corporate vice president, global corporate marketing, AMD. “While your average consumer won’t render an entire movie on their PC, they do want to use the exact same 64-bit technology used by the world’s most creative minds.”

AMD64 technology made scenes possible within “Madagascar” that up until now would have been virtually unattainable due to processing limitations. For example, crowds of furry creatures, which have traditionally been considered one of “the holy grails” of animated films due to the complexity of fur animation, were an integral part of “Madagascar.” The faster rendering times and increased memory bandwidth enabled by AMD64 technology allowed DreamWorks Animation to render scenes with up to 900 lemurs celebrating in a lush jungle — one of many amazing feats displayed in the movie “Madagascar.” The AMD64 technology utilized by DreamWorks Animation to help create “Madagascar” is integral to all AMD products, from servers and workstations to desktop and notebook PCs. DreamWorks Animation will continue to expand its use of AMD products as the partnership between AMD and DreamWorks Animation matures.

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