NewTek has a hand in Avatar’s success at the Oscars - San Antonio Business Journal

James Cameron’s blockbuster hit movie “Avatar” may have won big at the 2010 Academy Awards for taking home Best Visual Effects and Best Art Direction, but NewTek Inc. officials in San Antonio can bask in the knowledge that the company played a small role in that film’s success.

Rob Powers, the supervisor of the Virtual Art Department team that created the Academy Award-winning visual effects of Pandora, used NewTek’s LightWave 3D system for the animation in the film.

“NewTek extends congratulations to all of the teams involved in winning these prestigious Academy Awards, and particularly to the VAD team that was pivotal in enabling James Cameron to fully realize his vision of Pandora,” says Jay Roth, president of the 3D division of NewTek. “We are gratified that LightWave has, again, played an important part in an award-winning production.”

NewTek is a privately owned company that manufactures live production, video editing, 3D animation and special effects tools. It is based in San Antonio.