Interview on ZBrush Central

I was interviewed by Pixologic on behalf of Image Engine about the use of ZBrush for the work we did on Tarsem Singh's "Immortals".

You can check it out at:

http://www.pixologic.com/interview/image-engine/immortals/1/

Working "for free"...

Reading through this article at VFX Soldier today:

"New horizontal expansion includes government-funded Bachelors and Masters programs wherein students pay Digital Domain to work for Digital Domain. (...)

So, if 30% of our labor can be free, actually paying tuition, but by your Junior and Senior year at the college, you’re working on real firms (films), as part of the professional workflow, and you graduate with a resume that has five major films, your name in the credits, and more than just an intership level of experience, then that’s the perfect kind of trade off."

While some may think this makes sense, I strongly beg to differ.

Understand this: I do not know of any other industry whose educational foundation is based on students paying to work "for free" for a related profit-making business.

The implications of that ripple through the ranks of candidates and employees alike. Imagine, from a strictly business point of view, the validated access to labor that (albeit less skilled) is absolutely FREE.

In essence, you are creating a grey moral zone where "labor that is profited from does not necessarily need to be compensated".

While, the "benefits" offered to entry-level candidates dying for a break into the industry may be appealing to them, think of what that means to the skilled, experienced workforce that's come before!

For the students, it may "make sense", but they cannot see further ahead where that decision will take the very industry they want to live from.

I find the argument that this approach is necessary to "protect" the jobs that would be lost to cheap labor markets like China and India quite disturbing. Yes, by "market rules", those jobs will go anyway because of the economical inequalities that undermine the illusion of a truly "globalized world".

It supports the sad philosophy of "averaging for the lowest common denominator", which is (IMHO) the worst thing that can happen for any industry.

Morally dubious? Well, it depends on your point of view right?

As with a lot of other things in this industry that has become so much of a "morally grey zone"...

For DD, it's a lucrative scheme of justifying cheap (free) labor, with the added bonus that once the worker rises to a skill rank higher that "junior", "apprentice" or "student"; they can be automatically dismissed before DD needs to start paying them as employees. And so, the cycle goes on. Blessed by "Wall Street morals".

It just strikes me as another cause for concern. This industry has transformed itself in its VERY short life span. Remember people: most of our jobs DID NOT EXIST back in the late 80's, early 90's!

Seeing these tendencies of averaging talent, skill, experience and professionalism (KEY ingredients for this industry) by the lowest common denominator possible, so the top of the food chain can pocket a few extra greedy dollars, makes me concerned about the place VFX artists will find themselves in another 20 years - considering how fast things changed in the last 20.

Just my two very sad cents.

"PROMETHEUS" - Bring it ON!!

The anticipation buildup for this movie is unlike anything I've seen in the past two years...

Ridley Scott seems to still have some magic at his fingertips, and this latest trailer for "Prometheus" is nothing shorter than EPIC.

If this movie doesn't open up to some serious millions in the box office, I don't know what else can draw in audiences anymore!

To be honest, I think they are beginning to show WAY more than I'd want to see before hitting the theater... but I guess there's a good measure of  "studio marketing machine" involved in that.

In any case, there you have it! Now tell me how on Earth would you not want to go see this movie?! 

Raiding the Lost Ark

Jamie Benning has made 3 ‘filmumentaries,’ as he calls them, about the original Star Wars trilogy. His efforts collate interviews and rare behind the scenes footage and photos in what are essentially the most detailed commentary tracks a fan could hope for.

Benning followed his Star Wars docs with Raiding the Lost Ark, which tracks the creation of the first Indiana Jones film, Raiders of the Lost Ark.

It’s a must-see for any Raiders or Steven Spielberg fan. No matter how much a viewer knows about the making of Raiders, I’d be very surprised if there was nothing here that is new, as Benning has incorporated everything from classic interviews to the minutia of little-seen production reports.

Image Engine Immortals

FX Guide talks to Image Engine about the work on Immortals. Mike chats to vfx supervisor Simon Hughes and Executive Producer Shawn Walsh about the film, which was shot in Montreal.

Direct link HERE.

Earth is AWESOME!

How can one not stare in absolute awe at the beauty of this little blue marble we live on?

Watch this in HD with full-screen ON!

Immortals Trailer

A new trailer is available for "Immortals", Tarsem Singh's vision of the Greek myth of Theseus and the Titans.
I was senior digital artist on this project for a good chunk of 2010 and early 2011.
"Immortals" will be in theaters November 11, 2011.
Link HERE.

VFX Bill of Rights

In response to the current production environment, the VES offers this visual effects Bill of Rights, and a dedication to work with the entertainment industry at large to transform the visual effects industry into a model that is mutually sustainable for artists and practitioners, facilities and studios.

Head over to the VES website for the complete text.

The Art of the Title

Movie titles and credits have become such an important thing these days and gained so much visibility that in some productions they actually are treated as separate short movie projects on their own...

Recent pieces like "Catch Me if You Can", "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" and also some prestigious TV series showcase opening and end titles that are pushing the limits of motion design language and aesthetics.

To check out some of the best examples out there, spend a few minutes at artofthetitle.com.
A sleek, elegant blog with excellent navigation and a good list of some of the best opening or end titles you can find, and the companies that are pushing the boundaries out there.

Definitive Blade Runner

This came as my first BluRay gift from a very good friend on Christmas Eve.
This one is a great example of how studios can take advantage of the new format's capacity and resolution to bring a new experience for old fans and make some new ones in the process.

I still remember I saw Blade Runner for the first time on VHS. The movie was released in 1982, and I was too young at the time to go see it in theaters.
So, I never had the opportunity to enjoy the visuals in their full glory.

This BluRay release is the answer to that.
Not only the special limited edition case, which is quite a treat for serious fans of this movie, but the bundle comes with 5 BluRay discs loaded with Blade Runner history.


The first disc has what Ridley Scott calls his "definitive director's cut". It comes in full 1080p in the most pristine quality ever. The film's 35mm footage was scanned at 4K resolution off the original negative, while the visual effects elements were scanned at 8K resolution off the original pristine 65mm elements. The six-track score was re-mixed and is presented in Dolby TrueHD Digital Stereo.

The second disc brings a comprehensive look at the making of Blade Runner, from screenwriting and budget problems to final release and resurrection.
Over 80 interviews with cast and crew, and hours of outtakes and behind-the-scenes material.

The third disc brings both original U.S. and international theatrical cuts from 1982 and the 1992 director's cut version - all in newly transferred anamorphic widescreen scans in full 1080p HD resolution.

The fourth disc brings archival material in 480p or 480i documentaries covering topics from Phillip K. Dick's inspirational novel and its adaptation to become "Blade Runner", through graphic design, wardrobe, screen tests and deleted scenes.

Finally the fifth disc gives fans the rare opportunity to watch the film's pre-release workprint, full of alternate footage, music and a voice-over that was later removed. Also, in full 1080p.
The disc also sports a full range of promotional material, with trailers and promotional featurettes from 1982 down to 2007's "Final Cut" trailer.
There are little documentaries on fans of the movie, the character of Deckard and a final piece tracking the history behind the film's multiple versions and an in-depth look at the creation of this "definitive cut".

It is also worth mentioning that the subtitles are available for all film versions in English, French and Spanish; and the Final Cut has English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Portuguese subtitles. The special features have NO subtitles, which I find a little sad but doesn't really bother me.

In short, if you ever enjoyed this movie, you are in for a serious treat!
This is truly a must-have for cinema lovers, sci-fi enthusiasts and yes, Blade Runner fans!

Pixar's HD goodies...

Disney has fully embraced the BluRay format, and is already putting out some titles that just beg for a place on your shelf...
So much so that these two were actually my FIRST BluRay acquisitions!

"Ratatouille" did very well on the box office in 2007, and has become one of my favorite Pixar movies.
The visuals are simply stunning, and what better way to keep enjoying that than actually in full HD 1080p?!
(Ok, ok... the "big screen" still rules of course. I'm talking about "home entertainment" here!)

This disc is full of the goodies we've grown used to in Pixar releases, and the extra featurette about the "history of the rat"
show's Disney's commitment to making good use of what the extra space in this format has to offer.
And yes... you can pause and see SO much more stuff on a full HD screen! Absolute eye-candy!

Now, one of the nicest surprises was this first compilation of Pixar Shorts!
This disc brings you all the shorts up to "Lifted", with nice audio commentaries from each director, plus a small documentary about the history behind Pixar's short films - which turns out to be the history of Pixar itself.

One interesting aspect of the material is that all of the older shorts are presented in their original format, meaning none were 're-rendered' to be presented in full HD.
So, you only have fully 1080p quality from Geri's Game on. This actually allows you to see the evolution of computer graphics technology through the years, both through the commentaries and the improvement in rendering technology and image output.
This is definitely a MUST HAVE on your shelf if you are even remotely fond of animation! Highly recommended!

Celebrating Light in Vancouver

Since 1991, Vancouver has staged a famous fireworks event every summer.
Called "Symphony of Fire" until 2001 when the event changed to "Celebration of Light", under the sponsorship of HSBC, it draws crowds of over 1 million people around the shores of English Bay every year.

The world's leading fireworks manufacturers consider the HSBC Celebration of Light international fireworks competition to be the most prestigious events of its kind in the world and an exciting arena where they can unveil the latest pyro-musical techniques and the most innovative fireworks materials.

Each year, 3 countries compete by sponsoring its own fireworks show and then join together for a grand finale demonstration. The shows take place 3 days apart from each other between the last days of July and the first week of August.

The 3 days are no mere matter of choice. It takes 3 days through 12-hour work shifts to get each show set-up by a crew of at least 16 people.

The fireworks are shot from a 150-meter barge filled with 1000 tons of sand and anchored by six anchors weighing 4 tons each.
The sand is spread as an even 20cm-deep layer where the mortars are placed. Each competitor will fire anywhere from 2,000 to 4,500 bombs, depending on the show.

People can vote for the best show through their cell phones, and the elected judges cast their votes based on the following criteria:

• General Concept - presentation, structure and scale of display
• Colour - choice and variety of colours
• Originality - design and architecture
• Quality of Production - rhythm of fireworks, volume of effects and quality of construction
• Correlation of Music - choice of music, synchronization of effects, adaptaion of moods

This year's grand finale will take place Saturday, August 4, 2007 at 10:00 p.m.
I will update this post with pictures from the final event!

You can find out more about the Celebration of Light at the official website.

Horton is Looking Good!

Blue Sky Studios' new feature film has been under a lot of secrecy, but finally "Horton Hears a Who" has images and a firts trailer to show off Blue Sky's expertise.

The studio has not only been able to translate Dr. Seuss' unique illustration style into 3D, but has done so creating a rich and also unique look for the movie.
There's a subtlety in the way some elements appear a bit more saturated than most of the other portions of a frame in the overall slightly de-saturated look of the film.

This "de-saturation" becomes even more evident if we compare "Horton" with Blue Sky's previous feature "Robots". It is an interesting visual sensation, departing from the general "lots of color and saturation" road usually traveled by most feature animation films up to now.






Animation looks great, and seems to fit quite right with Dr. Seuss' style and the way the characters were brought into the 3D realm.

Great visuals + great animation + Dr. Seuss... looks like a win/win combination!
Let's wait and see...

Click on the images to download high-res versions.

"How to Cope With Death"

Director Ignacio Ferreras from Tandem Films, produced this amazing animation of an old lady who fiercely decides to postpone her final meeting with the Creator!

The design and art direction gives you an impression in the beginning that shows no hint of what is about to happen.
Things start very dramatic and gloomy, and the way death is portrayed is simply brilliant!
Ignacio shows us an eerie apparition that moves with serpent-like jests and with such an attitude of regal, powerful and inexorable superiority, that makes it even more hilarious to see how the "poor old lady" puts him in complete misery!

This is one piece of animation I HAD to share here! Enjoy! ;)

"Pictures At An Exhibition"

Of a wild range of composers and pieces of classical music I enjoy, I have a particular fondness for Mussorgsky's "Pictures At An Exhibition" - especially the "Promenade" part. (Which, by the way, can be listened from the little blue box at the bottom of this blog's menu).

Mussorgsky composed this piece describing paintings with sound to commemorate a good friend of his, the russian architect Vicktor Hartmann.
Following Hartmann's early death from an anneurism at the age of only 39, an exhibition of over 400 of his paintings was displayed in the Academy of Fine Arts in St Petersburg, in February and March 1874 (100 years before I was born). This inspired Mussorgsky to compose his suite

Dr. Osamu Tezuka was apparently a big fan as well, and decided to explore the idea behind Mussorgsky's famous piece.
Disney's concept of creating animation for notorious works of classical music produced the masterpiece "Fantasia", released in 1940. Tezuka produced this 32-minute film in 1966 following the same principle, describing wildly imaginative characters of everyday life in a variety of drawing styles, following the cadence of Mussorgky's melodies to portray them with a very critical tone.

Some are decidedly NOT "Tezuka-like", as they differ radically from his famous style for character designs. Others like the "Gardener of Artificial Landscapes" begin to show some resemblance to his most popular designs. Actually, the variety of styles is astounding! It surely impresses you with the idea you're watching several paintings and drawings from various artists come to life.

So, sit back, relax and take some time to enjoy this little-known excellent example of animation art and creativity!

"Story of a Street Corner"

Dr. Osamu Tezuka has been praised by many as the "Father of Anime", and the Japanese Walt Disney.
Surely, his legacy lives on in characters like "Princess Knight", "Kimba the White Lion" and his most famous creation "Tetsuwan ATOM" or "Astroboy".

However, Dr. Tezuka produced a wealth of animation works throughout his career which remains quite unknown to the vast audience.
One of these jewels is this "short" (38 min.) animation produced in 1962, which Tezuka financed himself: "Story of a Street Corner". Simply, ART!

Enjoy!

The CG Treasure Chest

What is that Davy Jones?!!
After seeing "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Dead Man's Chest" for the second time, I still left the theater amazed...

ILM was showing off it's technical prowess during Siggraph 2006 at several events: Autodesk's AGUA, Pixar's RenderMan User Group Meeting, a few Siggraph technical sketches and at Lucasfilm's booth on the exhibition floor.

Though there's a huge amount of effects (digital and non-digital) throughout the movie, nothing strikes your eyes more than the über-villain Davy Jones. Most of ILM's presentations were focused of the hardships of making Jones come to life.

Davy Jones was played by the talented Bill Nighy. The captain of the "Flying Dutchman" is a half-man/half-sea monster being who haunts the oceans since the day he had his heart broken by an unsettled love affair.

Nighy was shot with a grey marker suit to give the CG team accurate light positioning and color temperature from the set. Though some make-up was added to his eyes and mouth for a "backup", Davy Jones is ENTIRELY CG throughout the movie.

ILM captured the actor's movements from his shot performance and relied heavily on keyframe animation to exaggerate his acting and animate his face and tentacles.

For those, ILM technicians created a dynamic setup that could simulate the physics of each tentacle with gravity, collisions and basic curvature; on top of the simulations the animators could select which parts of each tentacle would receive hand-animated keyframes, and which parts would remain simulated. On top of that, there was a system that allowed the animators to paint areas of the tentacles that would be "sticky", and how much "stickyness" they could have, so the tentacles would adhere to each other and to Jones' clothes, and detach depending on their speed and/or based on the animator's cue.































Jones is the captain of the "Flying Dutchman", a frightful sight that seems to be as much a part of the ocean depths as its cursed captain.










The ship was built to full scale as a set.
A digital replica was provided by ILM for several shots, which was extremelly accurate and provided its own rendering challenges.




The ship's crew was also created as CG characters. While some background crewmembers were shot with make-up, most of them - specially the main crewmembers - are entirely computer-generated throughout the movie using the same techniques as Davy Jones.

ILM used RenderMan to render all the CG elements in the movie.
One new RenderMan version 13 feature that was crucial for the production was its new ambient occlusion workflow that doesn't require expensive raytracing calculations.
During Pixar's RenderMan User Group Meeting, an ILM technical director was praising this new feature saying they would not have been able to render some of the most complex elements (such as the digital "Flying Dutchman") using current occlusion and global illumination techniques. ILM worked closely with Pixar on this issue, and RenderMan's "traceless" occlusion and color-bleeding features were polished for this current release (PRMan 13) as they were being used for the production of "The Dead Man's Chest".

Compositing for all the shots was split between Apple's Shake, Autodesk's Inferno and ILM's own Comptime and Sabre systems. ILM used its EXR format extensively throughout the production to maintain image depth and provide extended control to compositors through extra information added via RenderMan AOV render passes.
While the public waits for the next Pirates of the Caribbean (due 2007), Davy Jones and his crew set the new standards for believability and push the boundaries of CG art and technology for the next years.







Images are a courtesy of ILM and are ©Copyright Disney Enterprises Inc. and Jerry Bruckheimer Inc.