Perfect Storm Studio’s Post

Texturing and lookdev for the robotic arm! Done in Substance Painter & Redshift. 😉 #cgi #3d #vfx

We're currently mid-project on something a bit more unusual. I want to share some of the feedback from the client (with their blessing) to illustrate why it's super important to know what you're asking for before you ask for it, as we're not going to second guess it. We are contracted to produce the CGI scenes for an upcoming TV show, we work alongside the VFX co-ordinator. These scenes specifically are space scenes involving various spacecraft. There are a number of scenes where there are full scale battles seen from a variety of distances. The setting is near future so everything feels quite familiar. The brief was unsurprisingly quite specific. Part of the brief as it pertains to us read as follows: "... space related cinematography and CGI is to be physically accurate based on more or less current technological advancements and understanding of science ... CGI scenes are to be photorealistic and be physically accurate in all regards." We produced the first run of test sequences. Most of the feedback was straight down the middle normal stuff, however there were two major red flags that set alarm bells ringing: - The light colours and metals seem very blown out. Can you bring the highlights down significantly? - When the autocannons, missiles or railguns start firing there seems to be some initial drift before the ship stabilises with the thrusters. The thrusters seem to fire a bit late. Can you remove the drift and have the thrusters working immediately. The client asked for physically accurate, which is what we gave them. In case you're wondering why we flagged these two: 1. There is no atmosphere in space. Light is from direct sunlight. Highlights are going to be harsh. This was intentional in line with the brief, not an artistic choice. 2. Sudden and sustained weapons fire in zero gravity is going to have the effect of pushing the ship about it's axis away from the source of the recoil, something we mathematically calculated based on certain assumptions of the forces involved. Automated thrusters would need a second or two to establish the direction of the pitch, yaw and roll as well as the change in momentum before they started to counter it. This was again intentional in line with the brief, not a mistake or oversight. When we pushed those two points back, the client started to realise the implications of what they'd asked for, which the VFX co-ordinator was at pains to point out to them. In the end, the decision was made to go ahead with full physical accuracy as per the brief because as it eventually turned out, this was exactly what the director had intended. Feedback at this stage was coming from production execs attached to the project. The moral of the story here is to really make sure everyone understands what you're asking for before and after you ask for it and make sure everyone on the project is on the same page. Nightmare narrowly avoided.

🎬 Ten Fascinating Facts About #Films 🎬 1️⃣ Pioneering Motion Picture: The earliest surviving film is "Roundhay Garden Scene," filmed in 1888 by French inventor Louis Le Prince in Leeds, England. 2️⃣ Hollywood's Inaugural Feature: "The Squaw Man" (1914), directed by Oscar Apfel and Cecil B. DeMille, is often credited as the first feature-length film shot in Hollywood. 3️⃣ Early 3D Experimentation: "The Power of Love" (1922), directed by Nat G. Deverich and Harry K. Fairall, was among the first films to utilize 3D technology, though it is now considered lost. 4️⃣ Introduction of Synchronized Sound: "The Jazz Singer" (1927), directed by Alan Crosland, marked the beginning of the "talkies" era, being the first feature-length film with synchronized dialogue sequences. 5️⃣ Ambitious Cinematic Endeavor: "Ambiancé," an experimental film by Swedish director Anders Weberg, was announced with a projected runtime of 720 hours (30 days), intended for release in 2020. 6️⃣ Box Office Titan: "Avengers: Endgame" (2019), directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, surpassed "Avatar" to become the highest-grossing film worldwide, with a gross exceeding $2.798 billion. 7️⃣ Oscar Triumphs: Three films share the record for the most Academy Awards won, each securing 11 Oscars: "Ben-Hur" (1959), "Titanic" (1997), and "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003). 8️⃣ Early CGI Implementation: "Westworld" (1973), directed by Michael Crichton, featured the first use of 2D computer-generated imagery (CGI) in a feature film, depicting a robot's point of view. 9️⃣ Advancement in Motion Capture: While motion capture technology has evolved over time, "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001) notably utilized it to bring the character Gollum to life, setting new standards in the industry. 🔟 Lucrative Actor Contracts: Keanu Reeves reportedly earned a substantial sum from "The Matrix" trilogy, with estimates around $250 million, including salary and profit participation. 🎥 The evolution of cinema is a testament to technological innovation and creative storytelling. Which of these facts surprised you the most? Share your thoughts below! 👇 #FilmHistory #Cinema #MovieTrivia #Hollywood #FilmIndustry

To tell the story of Earth Defender at the scale and visual impact the narrative required, Studio Birthplace teamed up with VFX partner Heckler HQ for the second time after their collaboration for Greenpeace’s Money Trees film. “This was the sort of project I wish I could work on every single day. To be doing such interesting work is already exciting, but to be doing it for a project that is addressing probably the most important issue of our time, the destruction of our natural world, felt like such an honour.” - Visual Effects Creative Director Cody Amos From recreating the destruction of a forest to crafting breathtaking scenes—like a mesmerizing battle and the poignant moment where trees fold into themselves as the earth opens up to welcome the father into the afterlife, watch this VFX breakdown by Heckler HQ and explore how these visuals came to life. Credits: Production Company: Studio Birthplace Film Directors/Writers: Jorik Dozy, Sil van der Woerd, Kynan Tegar Music Artist: Novo Amor Commissioner: Novo Amor and Believe Executive Producer: Alea Rahim Producer: Sara Kong Director of Photography: Nicholas Chin Art Director: Pawadi Jihad Casting & Community Organizer: Indai Flora Talents Father: Bet Son: Lapi Editors: Jorik Dozy & Sil van der Woerd Visual Effects: Heckler HQ Visual Effects Creative Director: Cody Amos Executive Producer: Charu Menon Head of Production: Xinhui Zheng FX Artists: Cody Amos , Ong Yong Soon, Ooi Sen Ree  Lead Compositor: Davor Zec Compositors: Azreena Ahmad, Johnson Lim  CG Artist: Mohammed Nizam  IO: Craig Woo  Grading Company: Harbor Picture Company Colourist: Alex Gregory Sound Designer:  Joe Wills BTS & Stills Photographer: Jakub Chlouba Campaign Partners: AMAN - Aliansi Masyarakat Adat Nusantara Yayasan HAkA Global Alliance of Territorial Communities If Not Us Then Who? #vfx #novoamor

Glad to finally see first official project in Unreal Environment getting recognition, it was challenging to learn Unreal and use that in creating entire forest at night environment in ##unrealengine5 using #quixel #megascans #lumen Had to constantly learn and improve our skills and create these full cg environments with a brilliant team at Resonance Digital. #vfx #3denvironments #films #visualeffects #unrealenvironments #visualdevelopment

Take a deeper look at how we made these fast-paced colorful characters and XXXXXL robots in our Mini-Mof

VFX Supervisor Aaron Wright Dishes On the Time Travel Secrets of 'My Old Ass' https://ift.tt/mVO8evH There are so few movies that come out a year that charm me. Movies with their own charisma and presence are sometimes fewer and farther between than they ought to be. That being said, one of the movies that I connected with its charming charisma this year was My Old Ass. Perhaps it's because I'm nearing the age of the main character in the future, but I saw a lot of wonder, anxiety, hope, and fear in myself, which was also in the movie. It took a lot of work for this indie to come together, and one of the unsung heroes of the film is Aaron Wright, the VFX supervisor who put a lot of care and attention into the reliability of the movie behind the scenes. We were excited to sit down with Aaron to talk about this movie. Let's dive into our interview below. Editor's note: the following interview is edited for length and clarity. No Film School: How did the team go about creating the realistic toe amputation effect for Aubrey Plaza's character? What were some of the key considerations in achieving this effect? Aaron Wright: When we first got a look at this shot, we noticed right away some key components that were going to be difficult, and also some components that would make this one of our star shots in the film. The pinky toe had some green tape on it and was wiggling around a lot, which made the foot's tendons and veins flex and move. Matching our replacement damaged toe area to the existing foot exactly was a key component to achieving believability. Other things were identified, like the flickering firelight, which had to be replicated on the toe, as well as the BG plate behind the toe. Both of these aspects were marked as difficult areas. We moved forward with the 3D foot approach and used a 2D matte painting projection as the base texture for the foot. We tracked and animated the 3D model into place using a technique called rotomation. We then used a couple of other 3D rendering techniques to get the underlying SubSurface Scattering of the skin to look correct, along with animating multiple light sources on and off to achieve the firelight flickering on the surface. All of these components were combined together in compositing to complete the look, and finally, color graded to match the scene. Since this was the main focus of the shot, and the audience’s eyes would be locked on the toe, there was no hiding any mistakes or adding layers of “smoke and mirrors” to make this a passable effect. We just had to rely on the skill and talent of our artists. NFS: How did you enhance the scar on Aubrey Plaza's stomach for the night scene? Wright: This shot was more of a straightforward shot, but it still contained some of the same difficult elements that were present in the toe shot. The flickering light and tracking the new scar onto the body was the focus. We took reference from a couple of different places, such as long-term...

Think like a cinematographer. AI video creation is moving beyond imitation and outpacing its limitations, blending traditional techniques with in-model innovations that mimic practical effects. My last post focused on effects that happen in-frame, but there are two elements critical to great cinematography that happen out-of-frame: lensing and lighting. One of my more interesting recent experiments is how camera lensing and lighting—usually the domain of on-set tools—can now be orchestrated directly within AI video, producing strikingly cinematic results. Dynamic Lighting Animation Prompt lights as if they're off-camera, using terms like "flood" for soft illumination or "barn doors" to shape and direct beams. For drama, try "Venetian blinds" to cast patterned shadows or simulate spillover light. These choices guide focus and emotion while interacting naturally with subjects. Use prompt traveling to move the lights with terms like "sweep" or "strobe". Lensing for Depth Add lens details to your prompts to define the field of view and depth. 14mm: Ultra-wide for landscapes and dramatic perspectives. 24mm: Wide-angle for balanced realism. 35mm: A storyteller's go-to, offering a natural view. 50mm: Intimate and human, mimicking the eye's perspective. Pair lenses with aperture tweaks like "f/1.8" for dreamy focus or "f/16" for sharp, detailed scenes. As these AI video models advance, integrating these techniques will redefine "practical effects" for creators and filmmakers. Give it a try for yourself.

MiniMax(t2v)+++, prompting details included...

Useful tips. Brendt Petersen nice work, and the prompts are very helpful.