About 18 months ago I quit my job as a support analyst for IBM, left the comfort of my friends and family in Dublin and moved to London to pursue my dream of working as a visual effects artist in the post production industry.
Great 3D Visualisation Event at the Barbican
Last night, Thursday 29th March, was the Art of 3D Visualisation event at the Barbican Centre, and we’re delighted to report it was a great success. To start with, the setting was spectacular. The Barbican is an inspiring setting for architectural design. The event kicked off in the conservatory terrace, a hidden treasure in the heart of the Barbican and a lavish space with a back drop of decorative tropical plants. This time was spent wisely, arming ourselves with a cold drink the proceedings moved to Cinema 3 where we and our guests were treated to four presentations from five fantastic speakers.
Escapees Day Out with Framestore, Part 2
Moving on from the presentation by Kevin Jenkins we turned our attention to Ben Morris who gave us the low-down on his role as a VFX Supervisor. As we watched the end sequence of War Horse, which is the part where we discover the fate of our hero’s horse, we all became a little misty eyed, but were quickly reassured by Ben that no horses were harmed during the making of this film. Needless to say, we were all very impressed with the great VFX work done by the guys at Framestore and how realistic the horse looked. Surely Mr Spielberg wouldn't have it any other way.
Escapees Day Out with Framestore, Part 1
Last Friday, 23rd March, the students at Escape Studios had a much deserved break from the studio in Soho. It was nice to finally catch a bit of sunlight as all of us have been cooped up indoors, out from this amazing weather. However, the blast of sunshine was short lived as we were to enter one of the largest VFX studios in Soho.
This Work in ZBrush is Awesome!
I'm very rarely lost for words but after looking at Jason Martin's work, I really was. It is nothing short of phenomenal and the quality of detail of the work is beyond impressive. ZBrush is hard to beat within the sculpting world and Jason's work illustrates this perfectly. What's great about ZBrush is that it's like working with a piece of 3D clay, the tools are very similar to that of an artists toolbox you to visualise and create your concept pretty quickly. But don't let me convince you! Check it out for yourself and let us know what you think.
Nationwide Tax Break Policy for the CG Industry
I was pretty shocked last week when the Coalition Government reversed its position in their dramatic Budget announcement. The UK government has declared its intention to establish a nationwide games tax break policy, in a manoeuvre that leaves the British sector in shock and jubilation. They stated: "Following consultation on the design, the Government will introduce corporation tax reliefs for the video games, animation and high-end television industries from April 2013, subject to State aid approval," read the official budget report.
Pixomondo in London
Pixomondo, an international visual effects company with eleven facilities worldwide, have a very talented team right here in London. Based just off Old Street, the London facility opened in 2010 and is one of the more recent additions to the Pixomondo global network. The company is currently growing from strength to strength, and is working on some very highly anticipated projects such as Snow White and the Huntsman, The Amazing Spiderman, and the new series of Game of Thrones. Over the past five years, Pixomondo has provided VFX production and supervision for over thirty high-concept feature films, including popular titles like Hugo, Red Tails, Sucker Punch, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, Super 8, Fast Five, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief and 2012, to name just a few.
50% Online Course SALE! Pick up new skills for 1/2 price
Make sure you don’t miss out on our 10 DAY SPRING SALE to purchase any of our Self-Directed Online courses at half price! Whether you want an introduction to Maya, to learn how to animate a character or get to grips with visualiation for V-Ray, these in-depth short online courses are the most efficient way to pick up new skills and expand your CV.
Acting for Animators
On March 29th, Shapes in Motion will be running an 'Acting for Animators' class. It's a great little course and one which can really help you understand how to bring your animations to life. If you'd like to find out more, here are the details.
WOW - Prometheus - The Trailer
Check out the new official trailer for 'Prometheus' by Ridley Scott. The film will consist of the following all star cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green and Charlize Theron. Conceived as a prequel to Scott's 1979 science fiction horror film Alien, it is in fact a separate story and is not directly connected to the Aliens franchise.
The Coolest VFX Apps on the Market
There are so many useful apps on the market and I have found a couple of super useful and cool iPhone apps for the VFX artist and digital photographer. Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be sharing these with you in a series of blog posts.
ZBrush giving you more..
Pixologic are at it again! Another release of ZBrush (4R3) and not disappointingly they have added another bunch of cool new features!
What makes this taste even sweeter for ZBrush customers is that again the upgrade is completely FREE! Since day one Pixologic have never charged for an upgrade, which is pretty amazing. Of course it means it now has a huge following and user base. Quite smart really!
The Foundry Release HIERO 1.0
Following an extensive period of beta testing The Foundry release HIERO 1.0. This new project management, conform and review tool is now available for purchase worldwide.
March Free Tutorial: Speed Up Your Workflow in Maya
If you want to be taken seriously as a 3D artist you’ll need to approach your workflow professionally. This means being super organised when managing your assets and in this month’s free tutorial we are going to show you how this is done.
An Exclusive Event on 3D Visualisation
On Thursday 29th March, Escape Studios are hosting an event at the Barbican Centre that will discuss the art of 3d visualisation. Joined by four industry speakers this is an opportunity to discover how professionals in film and other media create stunning as well as captivating animated visuals. The event is aimed at anyone working in the business of 3d visualisation, whether that’s in architecture, design, engineering or media and entertainment. We would like to invite you all to this exclusive event as we expose the creative side of this visual form.
Stargate Studios 'The Walking Dead' VFX Showreel
As an avid zombie fan, I spend my days either killing zombies on the game console or watching them get hacked to pieces on tele (not to mention seeing one in the reflection of the mirror, the morning after a night of partying). One TV series which I'm sure most of you have heard of, is 'The Walking Dead'. Apart from the ghastly zombies and the characters of the show - one of the most common things people talk about is the lovely VFX. The talented guys at Stargate Studios are responsible for the VFX for The Walking Dead and they have just released their Season 2 showreel.
Enjoy, VFX/Zombie fans!
Alastair at the Cross Road
Escapee Alastair Cross, who finished his VFX Production studies in 2010, went on to become a Studio Assistant here, but the time has come to move on, and he now faces the choice of his next role.
Nike FlyKnit Commercial by Digital Domain
A few friends of mine have posted the Nike 'FlyKnit' commercial link on Facebook and I can't help but share it with you all because it's so cool. Nike is showing off its latest technology for the upcoming 2012 Olympics in London. It was created at Digital Domain, and is directed by David Rosenbaum and VFX supervised by Aladino Debert.
The whole shoe weighs a mere 160g (5.6 ounces) for a size 9 and has been worn by the first, second and third place athletes in the men's marathon at the 2011 World Championships. Nike released the Flyknit HTM Racer in London on Saturday 25th of February, to much anticipation.
I think you'll agree that the commercial looks amazing and stylish. It just makes me want a pair of these bad boys! Well done to the guys at Digital Domain!
News Round-Up: Monday 5th Mar 2012
Here is my usual jumble of news to start off this week. There are tutorials, news of various software releases, a cool "Making of Rango", and really sweet advert for Twinnings tea, and lots more. Feel free to add anything I may have forgotten.
CG Coffee Culture
The lives of professional VFX artists, who during their working hours create amazing effects, are generally fuelled by a colossal coffee culture, which is almost as strong as the pub culture that exists after work.
