Tuesday, August 16th, 2011 Posted by Jim Thacker

New golem-making machine creates instant crowds

A revolutionary new process developed by French studio Mikros Image promises to change the process of creating crowds for films forever.

Instead of relying on time-consuming CG simulation, the company simply brings armies of tiny actors to life.

The company’s new ad shows the process in action as the minute ‘golems’ are sculpted out of clay, baked in a special machine to bring them to life, then put through a rigorous fitness regime.

Better still, you can now buy that machine for yourself, or purchase surplus storm troopers, zombies and vampires left over from Mikros Image’s previous productions.

Buy the special golem-making machine

Okay, okay: it’s a spoof. Actually, the shots are created in new particle-based crowd simulation tool Golaem, for which Mikros Image was a development partner.

Full marks for creating an entire Amazon.com-style website to support the ad, though – and we do like the shot of a long-suffering Mikros Image staff member picking a stray golem out of their coffee.