Plug and Play and Palaver?
Simply plug it in via USB - and get started as a podcasting presenter? The Seiren V2 Pro was launched at the same time as the Seiren V2 X. What all releases in the Seiren V2 series have in common is that they are designed as recording devices for streamers.
Got you a Present!
“Present” stands for “Photoreal
REaltime Sentient ENTity”. During FMX 2022, Manne Öhrström, Global Head of Film Software at Framestore, delivered a talk about the Present project, where machine learning translates high-end film character rigs into real-time. A conversation with Manne Öhrström – and with Epic Game’s Research and Development Technology Producer, Emelia Fiell.
The Boys | VFX Breakdown
VFX house Rising Sun Pictures doesn't shy away from it - exaggerated comic book violence. Lively visual effects for the third season of the successful (anti)superhero series!
The power of the crowd
Looking back: In DP 03 : 2015, Lighting Boy Studio realised the film project Le Gouffre. A Kickstarter campaign brought the animated film over the finishing line. An animago AWARD-nominated short film.
Slumberland | VFX Breakdown
The red thread leads where ....? To the VFXs for the fantasy film Slumberland, in which Jason Momoa accompanies a girl on an adventurous dream journey.
His Dark Materials | Featurette
Cuddling with an ice bar? Things get animalistic in the BBC series based on the novel trilogy - with creature effects, puppetry and Master Petz.
Andor | VFX Breakdown
Streaming the Star Wars: For the War of the Stars series, VFX house Rising Sun Pictures overthrows the Empire together with the Rebellion.
A sheen of simplicity
Playing an instrument when you’re in the profession of animation helps – especially in regard to timing. For Animation Director Andrew Overtoom, it’s the guitar.
Black is beautiful ... and now Adam too: Universal Production Partners (UPP) turns Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson into a superhero!
Video Packaging Unveiled: Netflix goes GPAC
This article is a conversation with Motion Spell’s Founder and CEO Romain Bouqueau. Anne Aaron (see on the right), Director of Encoding Technologies at Netflix, recently said: “As part of our strategy to build a flexible and efficient packaging platform, we needed a strong partner with deep expertise of the best encoding and packaging tools.” In November 2022, Motion Spell, a media technology software and consulting company based in Paris, concluded an 18-month transition phase with streaming provider Netflix – resulting in: the integration of GPAC Open-Source Software into Netflix’s worldwide content operations.
Daniel2 Dynamo? Next-gen Codecs!
„The fastest codec in the world“ is how the Munich-based broadcasting and production software developer Cinegy advertises its video codec Daniel2; it uses the computing power of the graphics processor to speed up image processing specifically and workflows in general. The codec promises: real-time film editing with Adobe Premiere CC, at a resolution of
of 8K - without any drop in frame rate. A conversation with Cinegy boss Jan Weigner about Content Creation with Power Codecs.
Flight of fancy | Retro article
Review: In DP 06 : 2014, the second instalment of Planes rotated its way into the inbound flight path. Disneytoon Studios increased the budget for software licences and personnel at the time - but does the film come close to Disney-Slash-Pixar major productions such as Frozen or Brave?
Trust is good, control is… QScan?
While gazing across the internet in search for DCC-related news items, we stumbled across a report released on
the 24th of October on postperspective.com titled “LWKS Offers Updated QScan for Automated QC”, announcing the launch of QScan 2023 – the most recent version of the automated quality control (AQC) platform, manufactured by Lightworks (LWKS). We got in touch with Daniel Roques, Product Manager for QScan to answer our questions about what improvements users can hope for with QScan 2023.
Kaleidoscope | VFX Breakdown
Can the robbery succeed with bees? VFX house Framestore supplies bees and pump guns - and starts a little fire ... for the Netflix series Kaleidoscope.
That girl is green!
For Marvel Studio‘s most recent streaming series, “She-Hulk: Attorney at Law”, the concept of a workplace dramewdy (think Ally McBeal, 90s kids!) merges with Superhero-battles (think all the Marvel movies, comic-book-geeks!) – leading to 6-foot-
7-inch-sized, gorgeously green,
super-powered viewing pleasures.
A conversation with VFX Production Coordinator Erika Feijoo Spena and Visual Effects Supervisor Chris Smallfield about Hulk-ifications at VFX-powerhouse Trixter.
Notre-Dame | VFX Showreel
In 2019, the fire at Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral caused horror - the mini-series on Netflix portrays the firefighters. Fire simulation from The Yard VFX.
The law of the series | Retro article
Review: In DP 05 : 2010, we sought an expert discussion with Blue Byte, the German gaming industry giants. We asked Managing Director Odile Limpach and Producer Benedikt Grindel about the 7th instalment of the building strategy series The Settlers.
The girls and boys from Goodbye Kansas Studio are digging their way to Arrakis: The announcement trailer for the online game stirs up desert sand and worms.
Doomsday (Konets sveta) | VFX Breakdown
Visual effects with angel tongues: In the Russian streaming series, wings grow - and the devil drops by for a murder.
War of the Worlds | Retro Articles
Review: In DP 05 : 2005, ILM chased special effects through a brand new pipeline for Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds film. A test run with time pressure - in the middle of a big-budget production.
MPC looks back on its VFX highlights 2021
Eye to eye with crisp visual effects: the aliens from The Mandalorian slime around, the dance-tested Adam Driver from Annette whirls around. Always there: plenty of visual effects!
Troll | VFX Breakdown
All Hail the Mountain King: Those who dance with the troll also climb to pipeline heights with the VFX Norwegians from Gimpville. Trollish show values!
Stylised trees | Tutorial Tuesday
From Blender tutorial luminary "All The Works" comes a new video tutorial - about beautiful trees. A training programme for Unreal Engine 5.1 and Blender.
Drawing with VR glasses – and in 3D space?
Open Brush 2.0, the latest version of the open-source VR sketching app, introduces an eight-layer system. A release note.
The Gray Man | VFX Breakdown
Another 28 kilometres to Vienna: the VFX breakdown for the action film The Gray Man embraces Viennese humour!
The definitive terrain generator for Blender?
The 3D software Blender is getting a new version of Terrain Mixer - a node-based tool that can be used to raise terrain. A release note.
A Dutch filmmaker accompanies the Blender Foundation as it prepares for the Blender Conference 2022 - and beyond. Interviews with chief developer Ton Roosendaal and team.
Halo | VFX Breakdown
The battle with the Covenant goes into series production: Canadian-based VFX house Redefine sends the Master Chief into the star war.
Stack high with this free plug-in!
Developer Sini Software releases a little helper with which 3D objects of any type can be placed on top of each other. A free download for 3ds Max.
The future of real-time hand tracking?
A Twitter user shares the current state of development of his software for real-time hand tracking. Should also produce good results with occlusions.
Doctor Who Flux | VFX Breakdown
When it comes to risks and side effects, the doctor advises ... the 13th season of BBC's long-running hit Doctor Who! Showstoppers with Tardis, Timelords and great VFXs!
Elected: Board members 2023 of the Visual Effects Society!
Chair Lisa Cooke was re-elected. As the first Chair(woman) in VES history, she has many years of experience at Tippett Studio and Tippett Productions.
Real-time rendering and modelling tool in a double pack!
With Silo 2023 and Milo 2023, software provider Nevercenter is releasing the latest versions of its rendering and modelling tools. Cost: 160 US dollars.
AI power for the editing software Vegas Pro 20?
Software developer Magix has released an update for Vegas. The built-in ONNX Runtime AI engine is designed to process AI-supported functions faster. A product announcement.
Blender 3.5 should support Metal programming interface?
Version 3.5 of the 3D graphics software Blender is in the starting blocks - together with Metal Support, Renderer Eevee and bug fixes. A message from the alpha phase.
Three desert wretches with canine followers: VFX powerhouse Hybride Technologies pulls perhaps the most popular bounty hunter in stellar history through desert sand.
Wednesday | VFX Breakdown
Monsters, the macabre and misanthropes: in the Netflix series Wednesday by horror comedian Tim Burton, things get monstrous (with well-made VFXs).
Open source reviewing tool from DNEG?
After Autodesk's RV recently took the open source step, xStudio is now jumping on the bandwagon of VFX-size DNEG! When is itview from Sony Pictures Imageworks coming?
Do some damage with this Blender toolset!
The Damage Bundle tears and scratches and scrapes - on the surfaces of 3D objects. A toolset for Blender.
Latest version of the liquid simulation plug-in Phoenix!
Software developer Chaos releases version 5 - and introduces support for V-Ray's CPU Interactive Production Rendering. A report on the software release.
Doctor Strange 2 | VFX Breakdown
Strange to weird effects from Sony Pictures Imageworks: VFXers wield the wrecking ball for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness!
How do procedural clay shaders work?
The creative director of Method Studios handles texture mapping and stop trick shaders. A half-hour video tutorial for Cinema 4D and Redshift.
Better particle simulation from Maxon?
With the release of Trapcode 2023.2, particle simulation and 3D effects enter the next (development) round. Faster loading times, performance improvements ... and what else?
Latest version of the story development tool released!
Flix 6.5 has been released. The story development software from The Foundry now also supports Apple Silicon processors - and the VFX Reference Platform 2022.
As part of the Open Review Initiative, Autodesk is making Open RV available - a powerful tool for reviewing loops.
Rodeo FX rocks the baby gargoyle!
A creature in dinosaur format - and yet as cute as your neighbour's Lumpy? VFX producer and animation supervisor explain the visual effects for the Netflix series The Sandman.
Visual Effects Society announces nominees!
Avatar breaks its own record: A total of 14 nominations for the James Cameron sequel! New Emerging Technology Award category nominated for the first time.
Sony Pictures Imageworks | Sizzle Reel
With mega pug power through the most eye-popping visual effects - together with Doctor Strange (aka Sorcerer Supreme), the E.T.s from Men in Black and poodle-fresh four-paws.
Rocky and stony surfaces | Tutorial Tuesday
The Lighting & Shading Artist from Pixomondo shows how beautiful visual effects can be created from terrain and rock surfaces. A video tutorial with 3ds Max and V-Ray 6.
See: Empire of the Blind | VFX Breakdown
If you want to believe, you have to see - with Aquaman Jason Momoa & company. A dystopian VFX breakdown of the Apple Plus series.
Open source plug-ins from Amazon Web Services!
Free plug-ins from the cloud computing provider AWS. Among them: Plug-ins that have already been used by VFX house Scanline for major productions such as Aquaman.
Maxon releases ZBrush 2023!
The software developer Maxon (Cinema 4D, etc.) has released the latest version of its 3D sculpting software. One new feature: integration with the Redshift renderer - and what else?
transferring 3D characters from Reallusion software to Unity?
This plug-in helps to export characters from Character Creator, iClone and ActorCore to the game engine Unity. A free offer.
ZBrush benefits from the M1 and M2 processors. Upgrades for the creative tools ZBrush, Forger, Red Giant Trapcode and Capsules are flowing through the pipeline.
How do Thinking Particles actually work?
If this question is on your mind, you can now find the answers - thanks to eight free online courses from EffectiveTD. Professional training from industry veterans at Scanline and Stormborn Studios.
New payment model introduced for the Nuke product family!
Perpetual licences will continue to be offered until the end of the year. New customers use annual subscriptions.
Omniverse updates at the CES 2023!
At the Consumer Electronics Show, graphics card manufacturer Nvidia presented innovations for its Omniverse collab platform. AI tools, Blender extension and more.
Still a checker or already a checker map?
Check it out now: With the free Checker Map from the ex-Weta-Workshop employee, chessboard maps can be customised - and downloaded in 8K!
How can vegetation be made more realistic?
Use V-Ray and Corona Renderer to make grasses, shrubs and flowers even more attractive? This free ten-minute film makes thumbs greener.
Already played Houdini 19.5?
... or still learning? With the latest edition of Houdini Foundations, the reference book by Houdini expert Robert Magee, artists learn the 3D programme Houdini from the ground up.
In space, nobody can hear you … render?
The new download package from ProductionCrate includes 80 assets that enhance aerospace. 10 assets are free of charge.
Enter text – and a finished 3D object appears?
Point-E makes it possible to generate 3D objects using text input - in minutes, with manageable graphics performance. A development of the company OpenAI.
A wormy worm - and a dystopian disaster: the eco-thriller Vesper Chronicles depicts a speculative future. Visual effects by Studio Mac Guff.
Motion capturing with Rokoko Video?
Still kicking (and performing MoCap): Technology company Rokoko releases its AI-powered web browser solution that allows users to transfer movements into 3D software.
Nvidia’s Omniverse gets an extensive update!
DeepSearch is being modernised, new connectors are to ensure better collaboration - and Omniverse is to become more performant and user-friendly in general.
How does a third-person game work with Blender?
YouTuber All the Works shows how to pull up a video game with a shoulder perspective. A video tutorial for Blender users.
Finally an app for stair builders!
With the Stairs Maker add-on, conventional 3D objects can be transformed into stairs (railings)! A tool for Blender.
Festivus for the Rest of us!
The Christmas tree bows, the relatives burn - or the other way round? How to survive the holiday chaos? We recommend: Reading DP 01 : 2023 - and going on an endless Star Trek adventure!
The Foundry releases Katana 6.0!
The software for look development and lighting is getting an update - and should further speed up workflows.
Create underwater scenes more easily with these free tools!
The Senior Lighting Artist from Ubisoft Montreal creates a valuable toolset - makes it available to artists free of charge via gumroad.com.
(Crisp) fresh as a pink lady: water simulation!
With the particle simulation tool tyFlow for 3ds Max, 3D artist Philip Moreton douses the apple with water. Beautiful visual effects - drop by drop.
Grzegorz Wronkowski, the creative mind behind a footage exchange, makes HDRIs available free of charge as Blender scene files!
Otoy unveils the Octane 2023 GPU renderer!
Developer Otoy beckons with the functions meshlet streaming, neural rendering and temporal real-time denoising. An announcement about the closed beta.
Scan T-Rex Tristan Otto and other dinosaurs with this mobile app?
Want to take home a 3D scan of the Tyrannosaurus "Tristan" in Berlin's Natural History Museum? Download the 3D scanning app Polycam 3.0 on your mobile phone!
Blender 3.4 is released!
The Open Path Guiding Library (Open PGL) from Intel has been installed. How does the open-source production renderer Cycles benefit from this?
First event highlights of FMX 2023 published!
What do the unmistakable Jeff Goldblum, the environmental organisation WWF and AI-supported rotoscoping have in common? The Film & Media Exchange 2023 in Stuttgart!
Free December collection at Epic Games!
There's something going on in the online marketplace: these six download packages are available for free until the end of December! The assets are suitable for environment design.
Autodesk releases Maya 2023.3!
Particularly worth mentioning are: workflow improvements for animation tools and updates for the Arnold, Substance and USD plug-ins.
The Foundry releases Mari 6.0!
The software for drawing 3D textures has been released in version 6.0 and Charli Holt, Product Manager for Mari, is proud of the many USD-related improvements.
How to connect CityEngine with the Unreal Engine?
The architecture software CityEngine can also do Unreal - but how does it work? Product manager Avonlea Fotheringham and software developer Benjamin Neukom show the workflow.
The GPU renderer now also supports Intel's Open Image Denoiser. This should shorten render times. Realistic fire is simulated with volume multi-scattering.
Foundry 2022 | Showreel
What do Jane Foster, Thor, Doctor Strange and Captain Buzz Lightyear have in common? They all tumble through Foundry's showreel in 2022!
New version of the physics simulation software Bitfrost released!
Autodesk updates Bitfrost - and advances the open-source integration of Bitfrost-USD.
Platige Image provides the visual effects for The Witcher season 3!
Polish-based VFX house Platige Image is once again involved in the third season of the fantasy series on Netflix! The new series season is due to be released in summer 2023.
Who should use the Aurora renderer from Autodesk?
It is aimed at artists who work with Universal Scene Description (USD). What other functions does the real-time path tracing renderer offer?
Node-based simulation framework for Blender?
With his Twitter post, software developer Jacques Lucke shows what Blender's simulation framework could look like with the release of Blender 3.5 in March 2023.
She-Hulk – Attorney at Law | VFX-Breakdown
Breaking (joke) news: clients represented by lawyer She-Hulk will benefit from nearly 1,000 VFX shots from Digital Domain!
Blender’s animation toolbox is about to get a makeover!
Doctor Sybren Stüvel & team announce: Blender's animation tools will be significantly improved by the end of 2025.
The Cascadeur animation software is available as a full version!
The beta tests have been successfully completed - now the full version is being released. A five-minute video shows which new functions are coming.
Double release from Epic Games: Version 1.3 of MetaHuman is released as Early Access, then the calibration library expands creative freedom for artists.
New pricing for OctaneRenderer!
Software developer Otoy is scrapping its previous licensing model and replacing it with: Studio Plus subscriptions, including numerous assets and software solutions.
Obi-Wan Kenobi | Breakdown Reel
VFX house Image Engine brings Jedi veteran Obi-Wan Kenobi out of retirement - and into his own streaming series on Disney Plus.
Die VFXen aus “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”!
VFX supervisor Ara Khanikian from Rodeo FX explains how the stylish action scenes from the Marvel film were created.
Ragdoll Dynamics is released in version 3.0!
Does the plug-in for Autodesk Maya create more creative freedom for artists? According to the developer, Weta, Sony Pictures Imageworks, DNEG and others swear by the little helper.
Creating realistic motion sequences with machine learning?
A five-person team from Ubisoft La Forge and York University is researching how realistic movements could soon be created - supported by a neural network.
Outpost VFX | Showreel 2022
The VFX house Outpost VFX shines with moving image bombast for series and film highlights - including: Wheel of Time, Star Trek: Picard and The Orville.
Three days of Devcom-Online? Also relevant for VFXers!
Nvidia? Unreal Engine? CD Project? Yes, they're all at the Devcom Summit - from today until Wednesday. A free online event.
Fire & Flame for Fusion?
Danasa Arsad, VFX artist and alumnus of the SAE Institute, explains how a real-looking fire can be staged - with fusion in DaVinci Resolve.
A colossal start to the series for the Master Chief from the Halo series: VFX Supervisor Patrick David and VFX Producer Nancy Heller make the Madrigal Tower explode.
The Night of the Living Dead | Raffle
The milestone of the zombie film genre by cult director George A. Romero is being released as a lavish Collectors Edition. We're giving away a copy of the collector's item!