MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Imageworks is in development on three new projects to use its patented proprietary Imagemotion performance capture technologies. The announcement was made by Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment president Yair Landau.

They include two projects from Sony Pictures Animation, Neanderthals and an untitled feature from Jerome Chen, the Academy Award-nominated visual effects supervisor on The Polar Express and Beowulf.

Additionally, Imageworks is presently in discussion with Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Seaside Productions with Steven Paul to participate in the production of a movie based on the bestselling author James Patterson’s Maximum Ride. Arad, a producer of the Spider-Man movies for which Imageworks has created the visual effects and animation, recently optioned the science-fiction thriller Maximum Ride to be developed as a performance capture feature. In this bestselling series, six children with altered DNA, 98 per cent human and two per cent bird, have wings and extraordinary powers.

The new projects will be developed using Imageworks’ proprietary Imagemotion performance capture system. In keeping with Imageworks’ philosophy and history of providing technological ingenuity and creative solutions to the movie industry, Imagemotion performance capture enables filmmakers and performers to fully explore their creative vision.

“Each of these projects is unique in their approach to moviemaking and Imagemotion affords the filmmakers tremendous creative freedom,” says Landau.

Since its first application on The Polar Express, Imageworks has continued to refine the capabilities of Imagemotion performance capture technologies, increasing its power and flexibility. Imagemotion has been the basis for all-CG productions such as Monster House, photo-realistic digital characters in movies such as Spider-Man 3, and highly stylized films such as Beowulf. By utilizing Imagemotion, directors are given the flexibility to fully explore their creative imagination, which may reach beyond the physical limitations of human beings.

“The core of our business is Imagination,” said Tim Sarnoff, President of Sony Pictures Imageworks. “Developing Imagemotion was a lengthy and complex process, and we couldn’t be happier with the results of our efforts as filmmakers embrace its possibilities.”