Linux/OSS and the Film Industry
For Star Wars: Episode II, Linux made Yoda a light saber-wielding action figure. In Lord of the Rings 2, waves of Orcs attacking the colossal fortress at Helm’s Deep are not thousands of human extras, but digital actors created using Linux. To consumers, Linux may rank third after Windows and Macintosh, but Linux dominates motion pictures more than anyone but studio insiders may realize. It has been used to produce more than 30 blockbuster films, including Lord of the Rings, Star Wars: Episode II, Harry Potter, Shrek, and Titanic.In short, the big news in Hollywood about Linux is it is no longer big news. Linux has won not only renderfarm servers, but the artist desktops of the top studios. It’s hard to find a large studio that does not rely upon Linux as its primary animation and special effects OS, and many smaller film studios have adopted Linux, too.
At the software level, studios are using Linux versions of some of the leading commercial applications for 3D animation, compositing, special effects, and rendering — Alias Maya, Apple Shake, and Pixar RenderMan. Internally, the major studios have ported millions of lines of proprietary code to Linux and are creating their new programs in Linux.
Linux began in 1991 as grad student Linus Torvalds’ personal hobby. How did it become a professional graphics powerhouse in the most demanding of CG industries?
Linux/OSS advocates already know Shrek was concieved and birthed with Linux. What they may not know is how broad and deep Linux penetration is in the film industry. The article above provides a concise history of Hollywood’s transition to Linux (including the migration to the desktop, not just renderfarms) and it acts as a great case study for the benefits of Linux over alternative OS. Direct your PHB at this article if you are making the case for Linux in your workplace.
Many thanks to Andy for bring this article and millimeter.com to my attention.
