Hardware. Lots And Lots Of Hardware.
This article in WiredMagazine is actually not entirely correct but since I don't know what I'm allowed to comment on and what I'm not I shall just let it stand. Regardless it's not far from the mark.
Lest you gloss over it as you scan the numbers, make sure you notice the use of the prefix "peta".
HUMANPOWER
- IT staff: 35
- Visual f/x staff: 420
HARDWARE
- Equipment rooms: 5
- Desktop computers: 600
- Servers in renderwall: 1,600
- Processors (total): 3,200
- Processors added 10 weeks before movie wrapped: 1,000
- Time it took to get additional processors up and running: 2 weeks
- Network switches: 10
- Speed of network: 10 gigabits (100 times faster than most)
- Temperature of equipment rooms: 76 degrees Fahrenheit
- Weight of air conditioners needed to maintain that temperature: 1/2 ton
STORAGE
- Disk: 60 terabytes
- Near online: 72 terabytes
- Digital backup tape: 0.5 petabyte (equal to 50,000 DVDs)
OUTPUT
- Number of f/x shots: 1,400
- Minimum number of frames per shot: 240
- Average time to render one frame: 2 hours
- Longest time: 2 days
- Total screen time of f/x shots: 2 hours
- Total length of film: Rumored to be 3.5 hours
- Production time: 9 months
Source: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.12/play.html?pg=2
Comments
Pfst. Child's play. Yeah... right... *drool*. --DarrinEden