Search Results for: pipeline

1: Introduction Title: Managing a VFX Facility’s Render Wall

• Briefly introduce the importance of managing a VFX facility’s render wall.
• Highlight how efficient management contributes to project timelines and overall productivity.

2: Daily Overview Title: Daily Management Routine

• Monitor Queues: Begin each day by reviewing render queues to assess workload and priorities.
• Resource Allocation: Allocate resources based on project demands and available hardware.
• Job Prioritization: Set rendering priorities according to project deadlines and importance.
• Queue Optimization: Adjust queue settings to maximize rendering efficiency.

3: Resource Allocation Title: Efficient Resource Management

• Hardware Utilization: Distribute rendering tasks across available machines for optimal resource usage.
• Balance Workloads: Avoid overloading specific machines while others remain underutilized.
• Consider Off-Peak Times: Schedule resource-intensive tasks during off-peak hours to enhance overall performance.

4: Job Prioritization Title: Prioritizing Rendering Tasks

• Deadline Sensitivity: Give higher priority to tasks with imminent deadlines to ensure timely delivery.
• Critical Shots: Identify shots crucial to the project’s narrative or visual impact for prioritization.
• Dependent Shots: Sequence shots that depend on others should be prioritized together.

5: Queue Optimization and Reporting Title: Streamlining Render Queues

• Dependency Management: Set up dependencies to ensure shots are rendered in the correct order.
• Error Handling: Implement automated error detection and requeueing mechanisms.
• Progress Tracking: Regularly monitor rendering progress and update stakeholders.
• Data Management: Archive completed renders and remove redundant data to free up storage.
• Reporting: Provide daily reports on rendering status, resource usage, and potential bottlenecks.

6: Conclusion Title: Enhancing VFX Workflow

• Effective management of a VFX facility’s render wall is essential for project success.
• Daily monitoring, resource allocation, job prioritization, queue optimization, and reporting are key components.
• A well-managed render wall ensures efficient production, timely delivery, and overall project success.

https://www.illuminationmacguff.com/pipeline/

https://www.fxguide.com/fxfeatured/exclusive-joe-letteri-discusses-weta-fxs-new-facial-pipeline-on-avatar-2/

https://www.dgp.toronto.edu/projects/animatomy/animatomy.pdf

https://www.goldderby.com/feature/joe-letteri-avatar-the-way-of-water-vfx-interview-1205228595/

https://www.behance.net/gallery/35474413/Design-Triangle-(re-make)-2016

https://www.behance.net/gallery/9112935/Wonderful-Creative-Process-Chart

Or the more realistic version

Startup tools and support sites

Making an animated movie for free
http://www.pixelsham.com/2020/12/07/an-open-source-pipeline/

adsknews.autodesk.com/news/acquisition-software-from-tangent-labs

Autodesk is acquiring LoUPE, the powerful cloud-based production pipeline technology for artists and studios, and the team that created it.

Tangent Labs founder Jeff Bell will be joining Autodesk with his development team.

www.alexanderrichtertd.com/post/plex-open-source-pipeline

Environments
– OS: Windows | Linux | Mac
– Software: Maya 2020+ | Houdini 15+ | 3ds Max 2020+ | Nuke 12+ | …
– Renderer: Arnold | RenderMan | Mantra | V-Ray | …

Project Features
– Visual Effects, Animation & Game production management system
– file & folder management (settings | create | save | load | publish)
– flexible, portable, multi functional project environment
– additional libraries (api | img | user | shot)
– workflow tracking & reporting
– user-pipeline integration
– SSTP (simple | smart | transparent | performant)

Pipeline Features

Layered Pipeline
– create a company pipeline
– add a project pipeline
– test and develop in a personal environment

Scripts
– desktop app
– save (+ publish) | load | create | render
– get, set and handle data | img | scripts
– template UI (user, report, help, accept, comment, color code)
– setup menu, shelf, toolbar, …

Workflows and Charts
– naming conventions
– software pipeline
– folder structure (project & pipeline)

Data and Helper
– project (resolution, fps …)
– user (name, task …)
– context (shot, task, comment …)
– environment variables (PROJECT_PATH …)
– additional libraries

Feedback & Debug (+ advanced logging)
– inform user about processes
– debug like a king *bow*

www.foundry.com/insights/film-tv/pipeline-deployment-best-practice-katana

www.foundry.com/event/webinars/katana-deployment-essentials

www.gafferhq.org/

www.wicuslab.com/posts/edl-cdl-in-vfx-pipeline

Nira is a collaborative platform capable of rendering massive 3D production assets in real time for interactive, web-based review on any device, including smartphones and tablets.

Nira is the perfect solution for entertainment, product design, engineering, and other industries that require secure presentation, review, and organization of digital assets and designs.

nira.app/

www.fxecademy.com/color-spaces-of-the-vfx-pipeline-part-3-camera-space/

https://syncsketch.com/

tails.boum.org/

To use Tails, shut down the computer and start on your Tails USB stick instead of starting on Windows, macOS, or Linux.

You can temporarily turn your own computer into a secure machine. You can also stay safe while using the computer of somebody else.

Tails is a 1.2 GB download and takes ½ hour to install. Tails can be installed on any USB stick of 8 GB minimum. Tails works on most computers less than 10 years old. You can start again on the other operating system after you shut down Tails.

https://www.cg-wire.com/en/kitsu

Kitsu is a web application to track the progress of your productions. It improves the communication between all stakeholders of the production. Which leads to better pictures and faster deliveries.

CGWire PRESS RELEASE

“We noticed that a good way to improve the quality of CG movies is to improve the communication inside the studio. That’s why we made a software that is easy to use. All the stakeholders of the production can add and get data efficiently. Everyone is better informed and take better decisions.

The most notable features of Kitsu are:

– The listing of all elements of the production: assets, shots and tasks.
– A powerful commenting system that allows to put notes on tasks while changing status and attaching previews.
– A playlist system to view, compare, annotate and comment shots in a row. It’s super easy for the director to perform his reviews.
– A news feed to know in real-time what is happening during the production.
– Quota tables to evaluate the productiviy of the studio.

Aside of that we added other tools to simplify the daily usage : timesheets, scheduling, production statistics, Slack integration and casting management.

Kitsu Today CGWire is deployed in 25 studios. Most of them are split in different locations. So, our users are spread in more than 15 countries working on production of all kinds: TV series, feature films and short movies (our customers are Cube Creative, TNZPV, Miyu, Akami, Lee Film, etc.). Once shipped, all productions tracked with Kitsu met success by receiving awards or getting millions of views on Youtube or on TV.

Another good thing is that Animation Schools really enjoy our product, 10 of them are using Kitsu to manage their end of studies projects (Les Gobelins, Ecole des Nouvelles Images, LISAA, etc.).

Our goal in 2020 is to make the ingestion process even better with a stronger import system, software integration and production templates. With these features, we want to be the reference software for building animation productions, especially for TV series.”

https://jo.dreggn.org/home/2018_manuka.pdf

http://www.fxguide.com/featured/manuka-weta-digitals-new-renderer/

The Manuka rendering architecture has been designed in the spirit of the classic reyes rendering architecture. In its core, reyes is based on stochastic rasterisation of micropolygons, facilitating depth of field, motion blur, high geometric complexity,and programmable shading.

This is commonly achieved with Monte Carlo path tracing, using a paradigm often called shade-on-hit, in which the renderer alternates tracing rays with running shaders on the various ray hits. The shaders take the role of generating the inputs of the local material structure which is then used bypath sampling logic to evaluate contributions and to inform what further rays to cast through the scene.

Over the years, however, the expectations have risen substantially when it comes to image quality. Computing pictures which are indistinguishable from real footage requires accurate simulation of light transport, which is most often performed using some variant of Monte Carlo path tracing. Unfortunately this paradigm requires random memory accesses to the whole scene and does not lend itself well to a rasterisation approach at all.

Manuka is both a uni-directional and bidirectional path tracer and encompasses multiple importance sampling (MIS). Interestingly, and importantly for production character skin work, it is the first major production renderer to incorporate spectral MIS in the form of a new ‘Hero Spectral Sampling’ technique, which was recently published at Eurographics Symposium on Rendering 2014.

Manuka propose a shade-before-hit paradigm in-stead and minimise I/O strain (and some memory costs) on the system, leveraging locality of reference by running pattern generation shaders before we execute light transport simulation by path sampling, “compressing” any bvh structure as needed, and as such also limiting duplication of source data.
The difference with reyes is that instead of baking colors into the geometry like in Reyes, manuka bakes surface closures. This means that light transport is still calculated with path tracing, but all texture lookups etc. are done up-front and baked into the geometry.

The main drawback with this method is that geometry has to be tessellated to its highest, stable topology before shading can be evaluated properly. As such, the high cost to first pixel. Even a basic 4 vertices square becomes a much more complex model with this approach.

Manuka use the RenderMan Shading Language (rsl) for programmable shading [Pixar Animation Studios 2015], but we do not invoke rsl shaders when intersecting a ray with a surface (often called shade-on-hit). Instead, we pre-tessellate and pre-shade all the input geometry in the front end of the renderer.
This way, we can efficiently order shading computations to sup-port near-optimal texture locality, vectorisation, and parallelism. This system avoids repeated evaluation of shaders at the same surface point, and presents a minimal amount of memory to be accessed during light transport time. An added benefit is that the acceleration structure for ray tracing (abounding volume hierarchy, bvh) is built once on the final tessellated geometry, which allows us to ray trace more efficiently than multi-level bvhs and avoids costly caching of on-demand tessellated micropolygons and the associated scheduling issues.

For the shading reasons above, in terms of AOVs, the studio approach is to succeed at combining complex shading with ray paths in the render rather than pass a multi-pass render to compositing.

For the Spectral Rendering component. The light transport stage is fully spectral, using a continuously sampled wavelength which is traced with each path and used to apply the spectral camera sensitivity of the sensor. This allows for faithfully support any degree of observer metamerism as the camera footage they are intended to match as well as complex materials which require wavelength dependent phenomena such as diffraction, dispersion, interference, iridescence, or chromatic extinction and Rayleigh scattering in participating media.

As opposed to the original reyes paper, we use bilinear interpolation of these bsdf inputs later when evaluating bsdfs per pathv ertex during light transport4. This improves temporal stability of geometry which moves very slowly with respect to the pixel raster

In terms of the pipeline, everything rendered at Weta was already completely interwoven with their deep data pipeline. Manuka very much was written with deep data in mind. Here, Manuka not so much extends the deep capabilities, rather it fully matches the already extremely complex and powerful setup Weta Digital already enjoy with RenderMan. For example, an ape in a scene can be selected, its ID is available and a NUKE artist can then paint in 3D say a hand and part of the way up the neutral posed ape.

We called our system Manuka, as a respectful nod to reyes: we had heard a story froma former ILM employee about how reyes got its name from how fond the early Pixar people were of their lunches at Point Reyes, and decided to name our system after our surrounding natural environment, too. Manuka is a kind of tea tree very common in New Zealand which has very many very small leaves, in analogy to micropolygons ina tree structure for ray tracing. It also happens to be the case that Weta Digital’s main site is on Manuka Street.

openimagedenoise.github.io/

The purpose of Open Image Denoise is to provide an open, high-quality, efficient, and easy-to-use denoising library that allows one to significantly reduce rendering times in ray tracing based rendering applications. It filters out the Monte Carlo noise inherent to stochastic ray tracing methods like path tracing, reducing the amount of necessary samples per pixel by even multiple orders of magnitude (depending on the desired closeness to the ground truth).

https://www.filmsourcing.com/film-industry-cheat-sheet

http://www.animationmeat.com/templates/templates.html

http://wonderfulspace.net/features_creativeprocesschart.html

cgsupervisor.blogspot.com/p/pipeline-articles.html

A VFX pipeline belongs to one of three classes:

• production (task) primary
• material (data) secondary
• approval (meta-data) tertiary

A VFX pipeline is comprised of four structural dimensions:

• leadership
• personnel
• tools
• methods

A VFX pipeline utilizes technology but is not the technology

A VFX pipeline divides a work-flow into separate and meaningful tasks assigned to two or more persons

A VFX pipeline tasks divisions are determined using a tree of specialization across the three dimensions

The VFX pipeline structural form is dictated by

• the functional mission,
• resources available and
• company culture

A VFX pipeline is malleable

http://www.clockandflame.com/downloads.html

The Production Pipeline, Webinar

As part of ongoing promotions for the book, The Digital Visual Effects Studio: The Artists and Their Work Revealed, Mayur hosted webinars on December 6 and 7, 2009. In the sessions, Mayur made the case for artist-centric pipelines, as opposed to data-centric pipelines and he shared some insight as to why production pipelines fail to be fast, light and powerful. We are pleased to make available a recording of one of the sessions, with a run-time of 56m30s.

http://www.clockandflame.com/media/dvfxs_webinar_pipeline.mp4

http://www.clockandflame.com/media/dvfxs_webinar_pipeline.flv

https://education.civitai.com/generative-ai-glossary/

https://shangchenzhou.com/projects/ProPainter/

https://github.com/sczhou/ProPainter

https://www.russian3dscanner.com/wrap4d/

R3DS Wrap4D is an extended version of Wrap designed specifically for 4D processing. It takes a sequence of textured 3D scans as an input and produces a sequence of meshes with a consistent topology as an output.

The solution includes 12 new nodes. At the heart of the pipeline is the FacialWrapping node which combines the power of the BlendWrapping node with the results from the lip and eyelid detector. The idea behind the node is to provide a robust result that doesn’t require cleanup.

animallogic.com/usd-alab/

The USD ALab data set is the Animal Logic interpretation and implementation of real world production and pipeline concepts. There are two downloads available, including guiding documents and two sets of textures.

The first download contains the ALab scene assets themselves, derived from our production assets and conformed for compatibility to allow them to load in any tool which supports USD.

The second download is an optional extra, a “production rendering Texture Pack,” which delivers 4K OpenEXR textures with udims for production style rendering.

https://www.awn.com/blog/blame-canada-and-covid

deadline.com/2021/08/walt-disney-animation-studios-vancouver-studio-what-if-1234809175/

Effective next year, Walt Disney Animation Studios is throwing the doors open to a new facility in Vancouver, BC that will focus on long-form series and special projects for Disney+. The first in the pipeline is the anticipated, feature-quality musical series Moana.

https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/advanced-computer-vision-with-python/

https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-use-opencv-and-python-for-computer-vision-and-ai/

Working for a VFX (Visual Effects) studio provides numerous opportunities to leverage the power of Python and OpenCV for various tasks. OpenCV is a versatile computer vision library that can be applied to many aspects of the VFX pipeline. Here’s a detailed list of opportunities to take advantage of Python and OpenCV in a VFX studio:

1. Image and Video Processing:
   • Preprocessing: Python and OpenCV can be used for tasks like resizing, color correction, noise reduction, and frame interpolation to prepare images and videos for further processing.
   • Format Conversion: Convert between different image and video formats using OpenCV’s capabilities.
2. Tracking and Matchmoving:
   • Feature Detection and Tracking: Utilize OpenCV to detect and track features in image sequences, which is essential for matchmoving tasks to integrate computer-generated elements into live-action footage.
3. Rotoscoping and Masking:
   • Segmentation and Masking: Use OpenCV for creating and manipulating masks and alpha channels for various VFX tasks, like isolating objects or characters from their backgrounds.
4. Camera Calibration:
   • Intrinsic and Extrinsic Calibration: Python and OpenCV can help calibrate cameras for accurate 3D scene reconstruction and camera tracking.
5. 3D Scene Reconstruction:
   • Stereoscopy: Use OpenCV to process stereoscopic image pairs for creating 3D depth maps and generating realistic 3D scenes.
   • Structure from Motion (SfM): Implement SfM techniques to create 3D models from 2D image sequences.
6. Green Screen and Blue Screen Keying:
   • Chroma Keying: Implement advanced keying algorithms using OpenCV to seamlessly integrate actors and objects into virtual environments.
7. Particle and Fluid Simulations:
   • Particle Tracking: Utilize OpenCV to track and manipulate particles in fluid simulations for more realistic visual effects.
8. Motion Analysis:
   • Optical Flow: Implement optical flow algorithms to analyze motion patterns in footage, useful for creating dynamic VFX elements that follow the motion of objects.
9. Virtual Set Extension:
   • Camera Projection: Use camera calibration techniques to project virtual environments onto physical sets, extending the visual scope of a scene.
10. Color Grading:
    • Color Correction: Implement custom color grading algorithms to match the color tones and moods of different shots.
11. Automated QC (Quality Control):
    • Artifact Detection: Develop Python scripts to automatically detect and flag visual artifacts like noise, flicker, or compression artifacts in rendered frames.
12. Data Analysis and Visualization:
    • Performance Metrics: Use Python to analyze rendering times and optimize the rendering process.
    • Data Visualization: Generate graphs and charts to visualize render farm usage, project progress, and resource allocation.
13. Automating Repetitive Tasks:
    • Batch Processing: Automate repetitive tasks like resizing images, applying filters, or converting file formats across multiple shots.
14. Machine Learning Integration:
    • Object Detection: Integrate machine learning models (using frameworks like TensorFlow or PyTorch) to detect and track specific objects or elements within scenes.
15. Pipeline Integration:
    • Custom Tools: Develop Python scripts and tools to integrate OpenCV-based processes seamlessly into the studio’s pipeline.
16. Real-time Visualization:
    • Live Previsualization: Implement real-time OpenCV-based visualizations to aid decision-making during the preproduction stage.
17. VR and AR Integration:
    • Augmented Reality: Use Python and OpenCV to integrate virtual elements into real-world footage, creating compelling AR experiences.
18. Camera Effects:
    • Lens Distortion: Correct lens distortions and apply various camera effects using OpenCV, contributing to the desired visual style.

Interpolating frames from an EXR sequence using OpenCV can be useful when you have only every second frame of a final render and you want to create smoother motion by generating intermediate frames. However, keep in mind that interpolating frames might not always yield perfect results, especially if there are complex changes between frames. Here’s a basic example of how you might use OpenCV to achieve this:

import cv2
import numpy as np
import os

# Replace with the path to your EXR frames
exr_folder = "path_to_exr_frames"

# Replace with the appropriate frame extension and naming convention
frame_template = "frame_{:04d}.exr"

# Define the range of frame numbers you have
start_frame = 1
end_frame = 100
step = 2

# Define the output folder for interpolated frames
output_folder = "output_interpolated_frames"
os.makedirs(output_folder, exist_ok=True)

# Loop through the frame range and interpolate
for frame_num in range(start_frame, end_frame + 1, step):
    frame_path = os.path.join(exr_folder, frame_template.format(frame_num))
    next_frame_path = os.path.join(exr_folder, frame_template.format(frame_num + step))

    if os.path.exists(frame_path) and os.path.exists(next_frame_path):
        frame = cv2.imread(frame_path, cv2.IMREAD_ANYDEPTH | cv2.IMREAD_COLOR)
        next_frame = cv2.imread(next_frame_path, cv2.IMREAD_ANYDEPTH | cv2.IMREAD_COLOR)

        # Interpolate frames using simple averaging
        interpolated_frame = (frame + next_frame) / 2

        # Save interpolated frame
        output_path = os.path.join(output_folder, frame_template.format(frame_num))
        cv2.imwrite(output_path, interpolated_frame)

        print(f"Interpolated frame {frame_num}") # alternatively: print("Interpolated frame {}".format(frame_num))

Please note the following points:

• The above example uses simple averaging to interpolate frames. More advanced interpolation methods might provide better results, such as motion-based algorithms like optical flow-based interpolation.
• EXR files can store high dynamic range (HDR) data, so make sure to use cv2.IMREAD_ANYDEPTH flag when reading these files.
• OpenCV might not support EXR format directly. You might need to use a library like exr to read and manipulate EXR files, and then convert them to OpenCV-compatible formats.
• Consider the characteristics of your specific render when using interpolation. If there are large changes between frames, the interpolation might lead to artifacts.
• Experiment with different interpolation methods and parameters to achieve the desired result.
• For a more advanced and accurate interpolation, you might need to implement or use existing algorithms that take into account motion estimation and compensation.

gvv.mpi-inf.mpg.de/projects/NeuralActor/

https://www.animationxpress.com/vfx/meet-daniele-tosti-a-senior-cg-artist-who-is-on-a-mission-to-inspire-the-next-generation-of-artists/

You’ve been in the VFX Industry for over a decade. Tell us about your journey.

It all started with my older brother giving me a Commodore64 personal computer as a gift back in the late 80′. I realised then I could create something directly from my imagination using this new digital media format. And, eventually, make a living in the process.
That led me to start my professional career in 1990. From live TV to games to animation. All the way to live action VFX in the recent years.

I really never stopped to crave to create art since those early days. And I have been incredibly fortunate to work with really great talent along the way, which made my journey so much more effective.

What inspired you to pursue VFX as a career?

An incredible combination of opportunities, really. The opportunity to express myself as an artist and earn money in the process. The opportunity to learn about how the world around us works and how best solve problems. The opportunity to share my time with other talented people with similar passions. The opportunity to grow and adapt to new challenges. The opportunity to develop something that was never done before. A perfect storm of creativity that fed my continuous curiosity about life and genuinely drove my inspiration.

Tell us about the projects you’ve particularly enjoyed working on in your career

I quite enjoyed working on live TV projects, as the combination of tight deadlines and high quality was quite an incredible learning platform as a professional artist. But working on large, high end live action feature projects was really where I learnt most of my trade. And gave me the most satisfaction.

Every film I worked on had some memorable experiences. Right from Avatar to Iron Man 3 to Jungle Book to The Planet of the Apes to The Hobbits to name a few.

But above all, the technical challenges and the high quality we reached in each and every of the projects that I worked on, the best memories come from working with amazing and skilled artists, from a variety of disciplines. As those were my true mentors and became my best friends.

Post Production, Animation, VFX, Motion Graphics, Video Editing …

What are some technologies and trends that you think are emerging in the VFX Industry?

In the last few years there has definitely been a bias from some major studios to make VFX a commodity. In the more negative sense of the word. When any product reaches a level of quality that attracts a mass of consumers and reaches a plateau of opportunities, large corporation tend to respond with maximising its sale values by leveraging marketing schemes and deliverable more than the core values of the product itself. This is often a commoditisation approach that tends to empower agents who are not necessarily knowledgeable of a product’s cycles, and in that process, lowering the quality of the product itself for the sake of profits. It is a pretty common event in modern society and it applies to any brand name, not just VFX.

One challenge with VFX’s technology and artistry is that it relies on the effectiveness of artists and visionaries for the most. And limiting the authority, ownerships and perspective of such a crowd has definitely directly impacted the overall quality of the last decade of productions, both technically and artistically. There are very few and apart creative forces who have been able to deliver project that one could identify as a truly creative breakthrough. While the majority of productions seem to have suffered from some of these commoditisation patterns.

The other bigger challenge with this current trend is that VFX, due to various, historical business arrangements, is often relying on unbalanced resources as well as very small and feeble economic cycles and margins. Which make the entire industry extremely susceptible to marketing failures and to unstable leadership. As a few recent bankruptcies have demonstrated.

It is taking some reasonable time for the VFX crowd to acknowledge these trends and learn to be profitable, as the majority has never been educated on fair business practices.

But. Thankfully, the VFX circle is also a crowd of extremely adaptable and talented individuals, who are quite capable at resolving issues, finding alternatives and leveraging their passion. Which I believe is one of the drives behind the current evolution in the use of artificial intelligence, virtual reality, virtual production, real time rendering, and so on.

There is still a long path ahead of us but I hope we are all learning ways to make our passion speaks in profitable ways for everyone.

It is also highly likely that, in a near future, larger software and hardware corporation, thanks to their more profitable business practices, large development teams and better understanding of marketing, will eventually take over a lot of the cycles that the current production houses currently run. And in that process allow creative studios to focus back on VFX artistry.

What effect has the pandemics-induced lockdown had on the industry?

It is still early to say. I fear that if live action production does not start soon, we may see some of the economic challenges I mention above. At both studio and artists’ scale. There is definitely a push from production houses to make large distribution clients understand the fragility of the moment, especially in relation to payment cycles and economic support. Thus, there is still a fair risk that the few studios which adopted a more commoditised view to production will make their artists pay some price for their choices.

But, any challenge brings opportunities. For example, there is finally some recognition into a momentum to rely on work-from-home as a feasible solution to a lot of the current office production’s limitations and general artistry restrictions. Which, while there is no win-win in this pandemic, could be a silver lining.

What would you say to the budding artists who wish to become CG artists or VFX professionals?

Follow your passion but treat this career as any other business.
Learn to be adaptable. Find a true balance between professional and family life. Carefully plan your future. And watch our channel to learn more about all these.

What inspired you to create a channel for aspiring artists?

As many fellow and respected artists, I love this industry, but I had to understand a lot of business practices at my own expenses.
You can learn tools, cycles and software from books and schools. But production life tends to drive its own rhythms and there are fewer opportunities to absorb those.

Along my career I had some challenges finding professional willing to share their time to invest into me. But I was still extremely fortunate to find other mentors who helped me to be economically and professionally successful in this business. I owe a lot to these people. I promised myself I would exchange that favour by helping other artists, myself.

What can students expect to learn from your channel?

I am excited to have the opportunity to fill some of the voids that the current education systems and industry may have. This by helping new artists with true life stories by some of the most accomplished and successful talents I met during my career. We will talk about technology trends as much as our life experiences as artists. Discussing career advises. Trying to look into the future of the industry. And suggesting professional tips. The aim through this mentor-ship is to inspire new generations to focus on what is more important for the VFX industry. Take responsibilities for their art and passions as much as their families.

And, in the process, to feel empowered to materialise from their imagination more and more of those creative, awe inspiring moments that this art form has gifted us with so far.

http://TheCGCareer.com

www.shootonline.com/news/pandemic-production-prospects-possibilities-concerns

“For many, production has stopped in its tracks due to the coronavirus pandemic. ”

“Others have stepped up their in-house activity, tapping into their homegrown production and post capabilities.” [Or working from home]

“While losing the physical proximity and communal nature of collaboration, creatives and artists have managed to stay connected through technology”

“While some projects have “completely died,” said Gavin Wellsman [a creative director at The Mill in New York], others are still in the pipeline and have adapted to a world where social distancing is imperative and live-action production as we’ve known it is no longer feasible at the moment. Clients are turning to visual effects, CG and other options.”

“Still, much work has fallen by the wayside. And many projects don’t translate properly from live action to another [full CG] discipline.”

“London-based independent production house MindsEye launched HomeStudio…. HomeStudio brings together a lineup of directors who have their own equipment, DPs with studio space, and stop-frame animators who can turn out content in this period of imposed self-isolation. This isn’t a roster of talent that a company has signed in the traditional sense; rather it’s a collection of talent that’s being made available to agencies and brands.”

“However, ingenuity, imagination and improvisation can only go so far when production and post companies are suffering from poor cash flow, a situation which is exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. …many companies would settle for–or at least welcome with open arms–getting paid in a timely fashion by marketers and ad agencies for services already rendered. ”

“In a live poll of over 500 AICP member participants during a Zoom Town Hall last month, the issue of outstanding receivables was the most immediate concern. It was found that 28% of companies reported that they are owed in excess of $1 million, while 23% are owed between $500,000-$1 million and 34% are owed between $100,000-$500,000. The members were also polled on how late these payments are: 29% reported that payments are 45 or more days late (per their contracted terms), and one-third are 30-45 days late. Extrapolating across the industry, conservatively, this is well in excess of $200 million.”

“Matt Miller, president and CEO of AICP: A healthy production and post community is integral to the overall economy’s recovery once we are clear of the pandemic. Production and post talent will be needed to help brands connect with the consumer marketplace and bring it back to life. It’s thus in the interest of [all] marketers and agencies to do what they can–and should do–to contribute to keeping the production and post sectors whole. “

Ethan Roffler
I recently had the honor of interviewing this VFX genius and gained great insight into what it takes to work in the entertainment industry. Keep in mind, these questions are coming from an artist’s perspective but can be applied to any creative individual looking for some wisdom from a professional. So grab a drink, sit back, and enjoy this fun and insightful conversation.

Ethan
To start, I just wanted to say thank you so much for taking the time for this interview!

Daniele
My pleasure.
When I started my career I struggled to find help. Even people in the industry at the time were not that helpful. Because of that, I decided very early on that I was going to do exactly the opposite. I spend most of my weekends talking or helping students. ;)

Ethan
That’s awesome! I have also come across the same struggle! Just a heads up, this will probably be the most informal interview you’ll ever have haha! Okay, so let’s start with a small introduction!

Daniele
Short introduction: I worked very hard and got lucky enough to work on great shows with great people. ;) Slightly longer version: I started working for a TV channel, very early, while I was learning about CG. Slowly made my way across the world, working along very great people and amazing shows. I learned that to be successful in this business, you have to really love what you do as much as respecting the people around you. What you do will improve to the final product; the way you work with people will make a difference in your life.

Ethan
How long have you been an artist?

Daniele
Loaded question. I believe I am still trying and craving to be one. After each production I finish I realize how much I still do not know. And how many things I would like to try. I guess in my CG Sup and generalist world, being an artist is about learning as much about the latest technologies and production cycles as I can, then putting that in practice. Having said that, I do consider myself a cinematographer first, as I have been doing that for about 25 years now.

Ethan
Words of true wisdom, the more I know the less I know:) How did you get your start in the industry?
How did you break into such a competitive field?

Daniele
There were not many schools when I started. It was all about a few magazines, some books, and pushing software around trying to learn how to make pretty images. Opportunities opened because of that knowledge! The true break was learning to work hard to achieve a Suspension of Disbelief in my work that people would recognize as such. It’s not something everyone can do, but I was fortunate to not be scared of working hard, being a quick learner and having very good supervisors and colleagues to learn from.

Ethan
Which do you think is better, having a solid art degree or a strong portfolio?

Daniele
Very good question. A strong portfolio will get you a job now. A solid strong degree will likely get you a job for a longer period. Let me digress here; Working as an artist is not about being an artist, it’s about making money as an artist. Most people fail to make that difference and have either a poor career or lack the understanding to make a stable one. One should never mix art with working as an artist. You can do both only if you understand business and are fair to yourself.

Ethan
That’s probably the most helpful answer to that question I have ever heard.
What’s some advice you can offer to someone just starting out who wants to break into the industry?

Daniele
Breaking in the industry is not just about knowing your art. It’s about knowing good business practices. Prepare a good demo reel based on the skill you are applying for; research all the places where you want to apply and why; send as many reels around; follow up each reel with a phone call. Business is all about right time, right place.

Ethan
A follow-up question to that is: Would you consider it a bad practice to send your demo reels out in mass quantity rather than focusing on a handful of companies to research and apply for?

Daniele
Depends how desperate you are… I would say research is a must. To improve your options, you need to know which company is working on what and what skills they are after. If you were selling vacuum cleaners you probably would not want to waste energy contacting shoemakers or cattle farmers.

Ethan
What do you think the biggest killer of creativity and productivity is for you?

Daniele
Money…If you were thinking as an artist. ;) If you were thinking about making money as an artist… then I would say “thinking that you work alone”.

Ethan
Best. Answer. Ever.
What are ways you fight complacency and maintain fresh ideas, outlooks, and perspectives

Daniele
Two things: Challenge yourself to go outside your comfort zone. And think outside of the box.

Ethan
What are the ways/habits you have that challenge yourself to get out of your comfort zone and think outside the box?

Daniele
If you think you are a good character painter, pick up a camera and go take pictures of amazing landscapes. If you think you are good only at painting or sketching, learn how to code in python. If you cannot solve a problem, that being a project or a person, learn to ask for help or learn about looking at the problem from various perspectives. If you are introvert, learn to be extrovert. And vice versa. And so on…

Ethan
How do you avoid burnout?

Daniele
Oh… I wish I learned about this earlier. I think anyone that has a passion in something is at risk of burning out. Artists, more than many, because we see the world differently and our passion goes deep. You avoid burnouts by thinking that you are in a long term plan and that you have an obligation to pay or repay your talent by supporting and cherishing yourself and your family, not your paycheck. You do this by treating your art as a business and using business skills when dealing with your career and using artistic skills only when you are dealing with a project itself.

Ethan
Looking back, what was a big defining moment for you?

Daniele
Recognizing that people around you, those being colleagues, friends or family, come first.
It changed my career overnight.

Ethan
Who are some of your personal heroes?

Daniele
Too many to list. Most recently… James Cameron; Joe Letteri; Lawrence Krauss; Richard Dawkins. Because they all mix science, art, and poetry in their own way.

Ethan
Last question:
What’s your dream job? ;)

Daniele
Teaching artists to be better at being business people… as it will help us all improve our lives and the careers we took…

Being a VFX artist is fundamentally based on mistrust.
This because schedules, pipelines, technology, creative calls… all have a native and naive instability to them that causes everyone to grow a genuine but beneficial lack of trust in the status quo. This is a fine balance act to build into your character. 

The VFX motto: “Love everyone but trust no one” is born on that.

Interview for the magazine InCG, Taiwan, Issue 28, 201609

————————————————————-
– First of all can you introduce yourself to our audience, who you are, how you join this part of industry? Can you talk about your past experience as VFX artist?

My career started on a late Christmas night in the middle of the 1980s. I remember waking up to the soundtrack of Ghostbusters playing off from a new Commodore 64 console. My older brother, Claudio, left the console in my room, as a gift. And I was hooked.

Since that moment I spent any free time available to play with computer technology and in particular computer graphic. Eventually this evolved into a passion that pushed me to learn the basic techniques and the art of all related to computer graphic. In a time when computer graphic at consumer level was still in its infancy.

My place would be filled with any computer graphic magazine I could put my hands on. As well as the first few books. A collection that at some point grew to around 300 books. From the making-of movie books. To reference books. To animation books. And so on. My first girlfriends were not too thrilled about sharing the space in that room.

This passion, as well as the initial few side jobs creating small animated videos and logos for local companies, eventually gave me enough confidence in my abilities and led me into my first professional job. As a computer graphic technician, driving lead and credit titles for one of the first few private national TV stations in Italy. Not necessarily a striking but a well paid job.

The fact that I could make money through what I loved the most was an eye opener in my young life. It gave me fuel to invest even more of my time in the art and it did set the fundamentals for a very long career than has spanned over 20 years, across TV productions, commercials, video games and more recently feature movies.

————————————————————-

– Can you introduce us about your current company?

After leaving Italy I started working for some of the most recognized Studios around the world, and eventually for facilities such as Disney Features, Sony Imageworks, Moving Picture Company. During that period I had the fortune to serve along world level talents and supervisors, who helped me refine both my technical and artistic skills. This while also investing my time into learning about management and training cycles.

I started sharing some of this personal knowledge and production experience throughout the world with ReelMatters Ltd.

But eventually those extra skills allowed me to reach my dream in 2008, when I joined the team at Weta Digital in Wellington, New Zealand, to help on James Cameron’s Avatar.

Weta has since been my family and the source of my pride. The level of expertise, passion and vision among the crew at Weta is inspirational and clearly visible in any project we work on. We all tend to thrive on perfection here and continuously pushing quality well beyond standards. One of the reasons why Weta is still at the forefront of the VFX industry nowadays.

————————————————————-

– What sort of movie had you participated before? Out of all movies what was the most challenging that you had encountered?

Due to my early, self thought, home training, it became easier for me to be involved with CG animation productions first. On that front, my best memories are working on Sony Imageworks’ “Surf’s Up” as well as on Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson’s “The Adventure Of Tintin”. Movies which both raised the bar for CG environments and character animation.

Most recently I have seen myself more involved with live action features, such as: “Avatar”, “Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes” and “Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes”, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and “The Hobbit: The Battle Of Armies”, “Iron Man Three”. All the way to Jon Favreau’s Walt Disney production: “The Jungle Book”.

Each production has its own level of complexity and it is hard to make comparisons. Having some basic training has been fundamental for me to be able to see these features to delivery, while being flexible enough in sorting out those unique daily trials.

Feature production overall is an unique challenge itself. You do need a solid understanding of both technology and human nature to be able to find solutions which are applicable to a constantly moving target, across the life of a project. Often under a commercially driven, delivery pressure. And while working along a multitude of different unique talents.

It is quite a life changing experience, worth the pages of a best selling book. Where each chapter has its own plot.

————————————————————-

– How do you co-operate with other special effect artist in order to create realistic effect?

While there is an incredible amount of high class talent in the feature production business, no production is ever done by just an individual. It’s always the product of a constant collaboration that flows from the brain of visionary directors to the hands of skillful visual artist, and back.

Providing the perfect backdrop for this collaboration is what usually makes some productions more successful than others.

In that context. Creativity is the true fusion of the best ideas shared by this pool of minds, independently from which level of production you are at.

Management’s job is to feed and support this fusion, not to drive it.

And the working environment is one that allows trust and respect between all parties, while avoiding mechanical routines.

In other words. No piece of hardware or software will make a visually pleasant picture by itself unless someone infuses it with a soul. As George Sand once said “ The artist vocation is to send light into the human heart.”.

And to paraphrase Arthur C. Clark, I believe that a true collaboration between visionaries and artists is what makes “any sufficiently advanced (CG) technology indistinguishable from magic”.

————————————————————-

– What does it mean to you to create a good quality effect?

Any good CG effect that you would call as such is an effect that live for its purpose. Which most of the time is to support the action or the plot at hand.

In a live action feature, I tend to be in awe when the effect is helping experiencing that perfect Suspension Of Disbelief. Which is, the willingness to suspend logic and criticism for the sake of enjoying the unbelievable.

As soon as any effect breaks from its purpose or it is not up to the task at hand, your brain will tend to over analyze the visuals and, as such, take you away from the overall experience.

It is interesting to see that movies such as Jurassic Park are still holding their ground nowadays. Where more modern vfx productions tend to look dated very quickly. From that point of view, it appears to me that a quite a common mistake today is to overcompensate visuals with camera work, digital grading and computer generated work for the sake of the effect, more than to serve the story and the truth of the moment.

————————————————————-

– If it is possible for you to share tips about creating good quality effect?

1- The generalist at heart.

One question that I get quite often during my seminars is what should new vfx artists focus on. Is it specializing on a tool? Or learning a discipline? Or mastering a specific skill?

It is a fact that higher level Studios tend to hire people with well defined talents that fit in specific operational labels. In this way it is easier for them to fulfill recruitment numbers and satisfy production’s immediate needs.

What happens after wards, when you start working as a VFX artist, is not always as well defined. The flexible nature of feature production cycles and delivery deadlines is often a catalyst for a multitude of variations in an artist’s work life. Especially on the post-production side of a digital pipeline. For that reason, I notice that people with more generic skills, with an ability to adapt to new processes and a genuinely open nature tend to fit in better and last longer throughout various projects.

The exception here being artists with dedicated PHDs and/or masters of a very specific domain, which makes them highly specialized in the VFX crowd and able to have a niche of their own.

Looking at the software or hardware side of things, technology is still progressing on a daily basis. And will continue doing so. To this extent, many facilities rely on proprietary technology. Thus specializing on a single tool, without learning the CG art’s basics, is also a dangerous game to play. You may end up being obsolete along the program you have learned. Or, in the best case, having a very limited number of facilities you can apply to.

What I suggest as a general rule to young VFX artists is to focus their energies in learning all that constitutes the basis of a successful career in computer graphic, along with improving their natural talent. So. From understanding modeling. To lighting and color. From rigging to animation. From procedural cycles to FX mechanism.

Doing so, building the knowledge necessary not only to satisfy a possible recruitment position, but also to be able to interact with people with different talents in a large facility. And as such, have enough confidence to quickly help and fit it in the bigger picture, which often forms these complex production pipelines.

On that note, competition for very few spots in a large studio is also a challenge when combined with trying to win the attention of a busy HR office or of a busy VFX Supervisor.

When applying for a VFX position, it is quite beneficial to have a very clear introduction letter, which simply states in one line the discipline you are applying for. That being for example: modeling, animation, texturing, shading, … But never indicating more than one discipline at the time. Then in the body of the introduction letter describe that, if need arises, you could also help covering other positions which fit along your skills.

Finally, supporting your application with a very short demo reel (one minute top, possibly less) that shows and clearly labels your very best work in the main discipline you are applying for and clarifies your side skills, wherever those are applicable. To this extent, if you are interested in multiple disciplines, it is highly recommended to prepare multiple introduction letters and related demo reels to satisfy each separate application.

2-What constitute the best production pipeline.

There is always a lot of pride in winning accolades in the VFX industry. And deservedly so. The amount of energy, investments, time and talent required to achieve such a task is, to say the least, overwhelming. Very few Studios and individuals have the sensibility,
experience and organization to pull that feat.

In support of these cycles, there is also a lot of new technology and specialized tools which continuously push the boundaries of what is achievable in computer graphic on a daily basis. To the point that I am confident the majority of senior VFX people in the industry would agree that we are still at the beginning of this exploration, in many ways.

Where a painter is looking for an intimate inspiration to fill in his lonely blank canvas, with a brush and a small collection of colors at his disposal. CG is often the product of a perfect balance between a crowd of ambitions, thousands of frames, a multitude of digital gadgets and a variety of complex mediums.

The combination of new visions and new science is also what makes organizing these complex VFX tasks an expensive challenge in itself, worth the efforts of the most influential CTOs and producers around the world.

A challenge well described in a white-paper about The Status Of Visual Effects written by Renee Dunlop, Paul Malcolm, Eric Roth for the Visual Effects Society in July 2008.
Between the pages, the writers detail a few of the biggest obstacles currently affecting production:
– The difficulty to determine who is in charge of certain creative decisions.
– Directors and Producers’ mixed approach to pre and post visualization.
– The lack of consistency and resources between pre, mid and post production.
– A lack of consistency throughout pipelines, mainly due to the impact of new technologies.

Most of the time, this translates into a very costly, “brute-force” solution workflow. Which, in its own, destabilize any reasonable software production schemes that Studios are willing to invest into.
While a collection of good stable software it’s a fair base for any visual effects venture, I firmly believe that to defy these challenges the core of any VFX pipeline should be a software agnostic one.

All CG elements should be able to be translated effortlessly across tools, independently from their original disciplines’ unique requirements.
And, more than the compartmentalized organization used in other markets, the key structure of this pipeline should focus on the flow of data and the quality of the inventory.
The rest is important, but not essential.

By achieving such a system, the work environment would prove to:
. Be flexible enough to maintain integrity across platforms and departments.
. Allow modifications to the software infrastructure without affecting deliverables.
. Accept various in house and external content.
. And deliver quality without jeopardizing speed.

Overall and independently from the approach, the support of flow of data and of inventory quality is for me a critical element that would help any production survive under the majority of modern, commercial delivery stress requirements.
This framework would help maintaining productivity stable even with continuous changes in a feature’s vision and objectives.

Finally, it would help training the modern VFX artist not to rely on those unique tools or solutions which are software centric and bound to expiry when new technology arises. Thus keeping skills and talent always applicable to the task at hand, to the long lasting benefit of the production studio.

To support such a mechanism, facilities should consider researching and investing into :
. A stable, software independent, browser based, asset and shot manager.
. A solid look development structure.
. A software independent, script based, rendering management solution.

And an asset living in this environment should sport basic qualities such as:
. being version-able
. being hash-able
. being track-able
. being verbose
. being software and hierarchic relation agnostic
. being self-contained
. supporting expandable qualities
. supporting temporally and shading stable procedural decimation

————————————————————-

– Can you give a word of inspiration to those who wish to participate as VFX artist

If anyone is willing to notice it or not, the vast majority of top grossing movies coming out every year are now filled with special effects created by a new wave of craftsmen who share their talent all around the world.

We are living in a period where the new DaVincis, Botticellis and Galileos live their life, comfortably seating in front of a computer. Creating a new art form which converts ones and zeros into a visually pleasing virtual reality. All this while offering their artistry away from language, race and belief barriers.

The knowledge required to achieve such a task is still a mix of an incredible amount of disciplines.

From biology and zoology, to physics and mathematics. From sculpting to painting. From astronomy to molecular chemistry.

It is an incredible opportunity to have a working career, learning about all aspects of life, while creating a new Suspension Of Disbelief

http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1r5h9b/im_phil_tippett_stopmotion_animator_director

LA Animator:
What, in your opinion, is broken in the current VFX workflow? What things would you like to most see change?
Endless revisions?
Disconnect between Director and artists/VFX facility?
Bidding process? etc?

Phil Tippet:

In the olden days, producers knew what visual effects were. Now they’ve gotten into this methodology where they’ll hire a middleman – a visual effects supervisor, and this person works for the producing studio. They’re middle managers.

And when you go into a review with one of them, there’s this weird sort of competition that happens. It’s a game called ‘Find What’s Wrong With This Shot’. And there’s always going to be something wrong, because everything’s subjective. And you can micromanage it down to a pixel, and that happens all the time.

We’re doing it digitally, so there’s no pressure to save on film costs or whatever, so it’s not unusual to go through 500 revisions of the same shot, moving pixels around and scrutinizing this or that.

That’s not how you manage artists. You encourage artists, and then you’ll get – you know – art. If your idea of managing artists is just pointing out what’s wrong and making them fix it over and over again, you end up with artists who just stand around asking “OK lady, where do you want this sofa? You want it over there? No? Fine. You want it over there? I don’t give a fuck. I’ll put it wherever you want it.”

It’s creative mismanagement, it’s part of the whole corporate modality. The fish stinks from the head on down. Back on Star Wars, Robocop, we never thought about what was wrong with a shot. We just thought about how to make it better.

This resonates with the VES 2008′ Status Of VFX white-paper written by Renee Dunlop, Paul Malcolm, Eric Roth for the Visual Effects Society in July 2008. A critical effort in educating the production world on the status of the current use of visual effects:

“While digital visual effects have opened the door wide to tremendous opportunity, those working in the
pipeline are still jostling to claim their place in the process.

Though it is understandable that different crafts want to protect their own territory, safeguarding
the old ways of doing things often gets in the way of creating partnerships.

· An oft-heard concern raised by Art Directors and Production Designers has been a lack
of consistency throughout the pipeline and the impact new technologies used by VFX
artists will have on their work. However, the fact is that part of a VFX Supervisor’s
responsibility is to maintain communication with DPs and Art Directors to ensure that
the final product reflects what those parties wanted.

· Often it is difficult to determine who is in charge of certain creative decisions that
overlap craft boundaries.

· There are cultural and generational factors to consider. A lot of Directors don’t want to
commit to what the shot’s going to be until they’re in post. However, many younger
Directors are very open to manipulating images early on.

· On many, if not most, projects, Art Directors and DPs are often on another project and
no longer accessible to VFX artists after the shoot. Unfortunately, this is when VFX
Supervisors are finalizing their work in post, which impacts the work done earlier by
other craftspeople.

Yet another factor is time. As studios continue to push for shorter production periods, putting
together the perfect pipeline becomes increasingly difficult. As Alex Funke, Visual Effects
Supervisor and DP says:

“In a perfect world, the live action would be shot first, the miniatures would
shoot second and then the digital effects would assemble and enhance the
whole mix. But it doesn’t usually happen that way. It’s more likely that the
miniatures will be shooting along with the live action, and the digital artists will
be trying to get rough assemblies of shots done so they can find out just how
much work they will have to do.””

…

“Some of these cultural changes need to begin within the visual effects community itself.
As VFX Supervisor and former Visual Effects Society Board Chair Jeffrey A. Okun noted:

“In our earnest desire to get a seat at the ‘adults table’ of the business, we have
been engaged in a 30-year publicity campaign to make everyone aware of what
we do and how we do it. In this process we have focused on the success stories
and hidden away the terrible truth of how we got to those successes. As far as
the public, most directors and producers are concerned, they are not at all aware
of how time and hands-on intensive the process really is. What we need to do is
begin telling the painful truth.””

…

“Visual effects artists need to bring other practitioners into the VFX production process as part of
the education process. Unfortunately, this often proves difficult because of long-standing
territorial issues. As productions are shared throughout the international production community,
consistency and quality can be difficult for Department Heads to monitor.”

…

“As anyone with even a modicum of experience in the entertainment industry knows, nothing
ever changes unless producers can be convinced that it’s in their best economic interest. That
said, visual effects professionals have a very convincing argument to make with producers
about the need to re-evaluate the impact of VFX on the bottom line.

Roughly 20 out of the top 25 highest grossing films of all time are visual effects films. Visual
effects typically take 25-50% or more of an entire show’s budget, an estimate that is often
admitted as low. In animated films, that number is far higher. Clearly, the work, the creative
product, and the practitioners of the visual effects industry all have an enormous impact on the
producers’ bottom line and the show’s eventual success in the marketplace.

Essentially, if visual effects artists are included in decision making up front, productions costs
will drop because the VFX artists can help streamline the production path in telling the
Director’s story. They can be instrumental in offering more choices that help guide and
generate better creative and production decisions and, therefore, a more efficient production
schedule.”

The owner of ReelMatters is a Technical Director with over 25 years of production experience in various fields of the entertainment business.

During this period he has contributed to Productions for some of the most distinguished and internationally recognized studios and facilities including Walt Disney Pictures, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Universal Pictures, Weta Digital, C.O.R.E Feature Animation, Framestore CFC, Moving Picture Company, UPN, Atari, Seneca Colleges, Hasbro, DKP Studios, Artech Studios and FOX.

In 2001 he was awarded as one of the fifty most recognized Maya developers by French magazine: Pixelcreation. He has been named in various technical contributions published online for organizations such as VFX World, Autodesk Alias and Highend3D.

Covering various Production roles, such as CG Supervisor, Art Director, Lighting Supervisor, and lead Technical Director, he has led and supervised teams up to 40 people to successful deadlines in various production types; from video games, to broadcast television and theatrically released feature films.

His expertise range from modeling and look development, to lighting, rendering, VFX and to pipeline implementation.

PixelSham.com is now the direct portal for ReelMatters‘ blog and industry news.

http://vfxsoldier.wordpress.com/2013/02/24/an-open-letter-to-ang-lee/

Dear Mr. Lee, When asked about the bankruptcy of Rhythm + Hues, the visual effects house largely responsible for making your film “life of Pi” as incredible as it was, you said: “I would like it to be cheaper and not a tough business [for VFX vendors].

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