HP helps Shrek get better skin

Hewlett-Packard is to ramp up its provision of computing power to movie studio DreamWorks SKG for the making of animated movie Shrek 2.

The computing giant has also announced a deal with Warner Bros Studios to help restore films.

The deals are HP's latest steps in digital entertainment and utility computing - two areas that have played an increasingly larger role in the company's direction.

DreamWorks already uses HP servers, but under the expanded partnership, HP will rent additional computing power to the studio by way of an offering called the Utility Rendering Service, which HP said will let DreamWorks animators create more lifelike characters and scenery for the upcoming Shrek 2.

As a result, DreamWorks is able to create more lifelike skin on the characters in Shrek 2, as well as enhance each petal on a flower or leaf on a tree, according to Andy Hendrickson, head of animation technology for PDI/DreamWorks.

In utility computing, a company pays to use someone else's computing power on an as-needed basis, rather than purchasing and operating its own computers. Animation is a vastly simpler task than some that HP and others expect utility computing to one day handle.

Hendrickson said: "Rendering involves an enormous amount of calculations in a computer. And that requires an enormous amount of horsepower to make these scenes in a picture. There are a number of shortcuts people use, but having more horsepower through HP's utility rendering service allows us to get closer to realism without having to carry more computers on our books."

In the Warner Bros deal, HP will create a digital studio for postproduction tasks such as editing and sound mixing, cooperate on legislation governing content distribution that balances consumer convenience against the rights of copyright holders, and help the studio digitally restore its movies and television shows.

Felice Swapp, director of HP's strategic initiatives, said: "It's not just about selling more products and services, but about creating a new market for the company."