3Dprinting (178) A.I. (834) animation (348) blender (207) colour (233) commercials (52) composition (152) cool (362) design (648) Featured (79) hardware (313) IOS (109) jokes (138) lighting (288) modeling (144) music (186) photogrammetry (189) photography (754) production (1288) python (92) quotes (496) reference (314) software (1350) trailers (306) ves (549) VR (221)
https://pyimagesearch.com/2017/08/28/fast-optimized-for-pixel-loops-with-opencv-and-python/
https://learnopencv.com/exposure-fusion-using-opencv-cpp-python/
Exposure Fusion is a method for combining images taken with different exposure settings into one image that looks like a tone mapped High Dynamic Range (HDR) image.
https://www.zumolabs.ai/post/what-is-neural-rendering
“The key concept behind neural rendering approaches is that they are differentiable. A differentiable function is one whose derivative exists at each point in the domain. This is important because machine learning is basically the chain rule with extra steps: a differentiable rendering function can be learned with data, one gradient descent step at a time. Learning a rendering function statistically through data is fundamentally different from the classic rendering methods we described above, which calculate and extrapolate from the known laws of physics.”
“Simon Willison created a Datasette browser to explore WebVid-10M, one of the two datasets used to train the video generation model, and quickly learned that all 10.7 million video clips were scraped from Shutterstock, watermarks and all.”
“In addition to the Shutterstock clips, Meta also used 10 million video clips from this 100M video dataset from Microsoft Research Asia. It’s not mentioned on their GitHub, but if you dig into the paper, you learn that every clip came from over 3 million YouTube videos.”
“It’s become standard practice for technology companies working with AI to commercially use datasets and models collected and trained by non-commercial research entities like universities or non-profits.”
“Like with the artists, photographers, and other creators found in the 2.3 billion images that trained Stable Diffusion, I can’t help but wonder how the creators of those 3 million YouTube videos feel about Meta using their work to train their new model.”
https://www.flexclip.com/learn/cinematic-video.html
” In this video, I utilized artificial intelligence to generate an animated music video for the song Canvas by Resonate. This tool allows anyone to generate beautiful images using only text as the input. My question was, what if I used song lyrics as input to the AI, can I make perfect music synchronized videos automatically with the push of a button? Let me know how you think the AI did in this visual interpretation of the song.
After getting caught up in the excitement around DALL·E2 (latest and greatest AI system, it’s INSANE), I searched for any way I could use similar image generation for music synchronization. Since DALL·E2 is not available to the public yet, my search led me to VQGAN + CLIP (Vector Quantized Generative Adversarial Network and Contrastive Language–Image Pre-training), before settling more specifically on Disco Diffusion V5.2 Turbo. If you don’t know what any of these words or acronyms mean, don’t worry, I was just as confused when I first started learning about this technology. I believe we’re reaching a turning point where entire industries are about to shift in reaction to this new process (which is essentially magic!).
DoodleChaos”
https://www.zippia.com/advice/gamification-statistics/
hatrabbits.com/en/gamification/
Gamification is the process of using game elements in a non-game context. It has many advantages over traditional learning approaches, including: Increasing learner motivation levels. Improving knowledge retention
10 gamification techniques you can use instantly
https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/working-from-home-tips-to-stay-productive/
Tip #1 – Build a strong work-life balance
Tip #2 – Create your own working environment
Tip #3 – Socialize at work
Tip #4 – Become a time-management expert
Tip #5 – Learn to deep focus
www.outpost-vfx.com/en/news/18-pro-tips-and-tricks-for-lighting
Get as much information regarding your plate lighting as possible
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:
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:
www.awn.com/animationworld/your-career-animation-how-survive-and-thrive-now-available
“The new edition of his book is filled with insight and advice from over 150 animation industry professionals, a wide-ranging tome of suggestions, reality checks, and inspiration on how to set your sights and blaze your own career trail. He shares practical tips on building a reel, portfolio, and resume; pitching and selling shows; and taking to heart and learning from on-the-job criticism.”
“Everyone seems to agree, and I certainly do, and it’s my POV in the book, that self-development is everything. You shouldn’t wait for anyone to make you anything, to give you opportunities you haven’t earned yet.”
DECA reconstructs a 3D head model with detailed facial geometry from a single input image. The resulting 3D head model can be easily animated.
The code is based on Learning an Animatable Detailed 3D Face Model from In-The-Wild Images
www.leforttalentgroup.com/business-blog/is-the-genie-out-forever
Cons of remote working:
Pros of remote working:
Some useful tips about working online:
– Valve is currently working on an open-source BCI software project, to interpret the signals being read from people’s brains using VR headsets.
– “If you’re a software developer in 2022 who doesn’t have one of these in your test lab, you’re making a silly mistake,”
– “The real world will seem flat, colourless, blurry compared to the experiences you’ll be able to create in people’s brains.”
– “BCIs have advanced to a point where that (VR) vertigo could be suppressed artificially, and that “it’s more of a certification issue than a scientific one”.
– Neuroplasticity is the ability of our brains to re-learn how to operate the body when something changes.
– “You can iterate software faster than a prosthetic”
www.andreageremia.it/tutorial_python_tcl.html
https://www.gatimedia.co.uk/list-of-knobs-2
https://learn.foundry.com/nuke/developers/63/ndkdevguide/knobs-and-handles/knobtypes.html
http://www.andreageremia.it/tutorial_python_tcl.html
http://thoughtvfx.blogspot.com/2012/12/nuke-tcl-tips.html
Check final image quality
https://www.compositingpro.com/tech-check-compositing-shot-in-nuke/
Local copy:
http://pixelsham.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/compositing_pro_tech_check_nuke_script.nk
Nuke tcl procedures
https://www.gatimedia.co.uk/nuke-tcl-procedures
Knobs
https://learn.foundry.com/nuke/developers/63/ndkdevguide/knobs-and-handles/knobtypes.html
(more…)
At a time when AI and machine learning are changing the very fabric of society and transforming entire industries, it is more important than ever to give every student the opportunity to not only learn how these technologies work, but also to think critically about the ethical and societal impacts of AI.
www.otava.com/reference/aws-vs-azure-key-differences/
www.edureka.co/blog/aws-vs-azure/
www.quora.com/What-are-the-major-differences-between-AWS-Azure-and-Google-Cloud
Google usually gives the biggest bang for your buck, but is not strong in all fields.
Azure will probably fit best if you are already using a lot of Microsoft products and Windows.
AWS is most mature, has the most flexibility, the best console, but it’s VM’s are less powerful or just more expensive
Amazon AWS
– Offers the most infrastructure as a service offerings such as low level computing (EC2), storage (S3), VPC (networking), database (RDS) with support for various operating systems (Windows, Many Linux flavors) with a vast 3rd party marketplace called AWS Marketplace where vendors provide their add-ons.
– Pioneer for serverless computing with Lambda, and now Fargate/Elastic Kubernetes Service.
– While Amazon has more product and feature offerings, it requires professional setup to operate & maintain. AWS gives you building blocks, it is up to you to build it together.
– According to Marketing Intelligence for Cloud Service Providers | Intricately there are over 1MM customers making it one of the most popular computing platforms to date: Intricately
– Price is similar to Microsoft
Microsoft AZURE
– Supports both Windows & Linux workloads, with a very deep integration into Microsoft’s developer ecosystem with Visual Studio, .NET etc. If you are an MSFT developer, Azure is an easy way to get your application deployed.
– Price is similar to AWS
– The newest entrant to the market, offers mostly Platform as Service offerings like Machine Learning as a Service, Kubernetes as a Service etc. However, Google does not offer as many product offerings.
– Google pioneered Kubernetes and is the leader in terms of delivering a truly managed Kubernetes experience
– Price can be cheaper than AWS and Microsoft due to the PaaS nature of the product, may require less building.
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.
Connect through SSH on windows
https://www.putty.org/
Connect through Desktop
Remote Desktop
Common commands
> sudo raspi-config
> sudo apt-get update
> sudo apt-get upgrade
> ifconfig
> nano test.py
> wget https://path.to.image.png
> sudo apt-get install git
> git clone https://REPOSITORY
> sudo reboot
> suto shutdown -r now (reboot after shutdown)
> cat /etc/os-release
Starting kits:
BlueGriffon is an open source WYSIWYG editor powered by Gecko, the rendering engine developed for Mozilla Firefox. One of a few derivatives of NVU, a now-discontinued HTML editor, BlueGriffon is the only actively developed NVU derivative that supports HTML5 as well as modern components of CSS.
If your goal is to write as little actual HTML as possible, then BlueGriffon is the tool you want. It’s a true drag-and-drop WYSIWYG website designer, and even includes a dual view option so you can see the code behind your design, in case you want to edit it or just learn from it.
It also supports the EPUB ebook format, so you don’t have to just publish to the web: you can provide your readers with a download of your content that they can take with them. Licensed under the MPL, GPL, and LGPL, a version of BlueGriffon is available for Linux, Windows, and Mac.
Source: opensource.com/alternatives/dreamweaver
monkeylearn.com/keyword-extraction/
Keyword extraction is the automated process of extracting the most relevant words and expressions from text.
https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/services/cognitive-services/text-analytics/
Airplane manufacturing is no different from mortgage lending or insulin distribution or make-believe blood analyzing software (or VFX?) —another cash cow for the one percent, bound inexorably for the slaughterhouse.
The beginning of the end was “Boeing’s 1997 acquisition of McDonnell Douglas, a dysfunctional firm with a dilapidated aircraft plant in Long Beach and a CEO (Harry Stonecipher) who liked to use what he called the “Hollywood model” for dealing with engineers: Hire them for a few months when project deadlines are nigh, fire them when you need to make numbers.” And all that came with it. “Stonecipher’s team had driven the last nail in the coffin of McDonnell’s flailing commercial jet business by trying to outsource everything but design, final assembly, and flight testing and sales.”
It is understood, now more than ever, that capitalism does half-assed things like that, especially in concert with computer software and oblivious regulators.
There was something unsettlingly familiar when the world first learned of MCAS in November, about two weeks after the system’s unthinkable stupidity drove the two-month-old plane and all 189 people on it to a horrific death. It smacked of the sort of screwup a 23-year-old intern might have made—and indeed, much of the software on the MAX had been engineered by recent grads of Indian software-coding academies making as little as $9 an hour, part of Boeing management’s endless war on the unions that once represented more than half its employees.
Down in South Carolina, a nonunion Boeing assembly line that opened in 2011 had for years churned out scores of whistle-blower complaints and wrongful termination lawsuits packed with scenes wherein quality-control documents were regularly forged, employees who enforced standards were sabotaged, and planes were routinely delivered to airlines with loose screws, scratched windows, and random debris everywhere.
Shockingly, another piece of the quality failure is Boeing securing investments from all airliners, starting with SouthWest above all, to guarantee Boeing’s production lines support in exchange for fair market prices and favorite treatments. Basically giving Boeing financial stability independently on the quality of their product. “Those partnerships were but one numbers-smoothing mechanism in a diversified tool kit Boeing had assembled over the previous generation for making its complex and volatile business more palatable to Wall Street.”
Blind people who regain their sight may find themselves in a world they don’t immediately comprehend. “It would be more like a sighted person trying to rely on tactile information,” Moore says.
Learning to see is a developmental process, just like learning language, Prof Cathleen Moore continues. “As far as vision goes, a three-and-a-half year old child is already a well-calibrated system.”
https://tweakyourbiz.com/global/the-art-of-war
– Being prepared at what you do can be the difference between success and failure when things go wrong
– Your king is your own customers. If you care for them, they will care for your project. Anticipate their needs, desires, wants and fulfill them with an unbiased mind.
– Understand and respect the scope, ownerships and accountabilities of the project you work on.
– Be subtle and diplomatic. You can only learn when you listen. But always be prepared to answer and follow up.
– Share efforts with other people in the project by offering free help, as that will come back as an investement.
– Focus on key elements of a production which are the least organized or efficient.
– Validate and qualify your resources before taking on a plan.
– Invest into a plan only if you are sure it can be completed successfully.
– Value a project’s requirements and its users’ experience before the technology development itself.
– Motivate your teams by the gains in specific production investments.
– Organize tasks and teams based on their strenghts and self efficiency.
– Analyze the project’s requirements and resources. Then prioritize them accordingly.
– Observe and resolve bottlenecks, opportunities and users’ needs
– Detail a plan B as soon as you striclty commit to a detailed plan A.
– Dedicate some time and small teams to research efficient alternatives.
– Build only and always on top of stable and known cycles.
– Focus on the big items if they can resolve a lot of small ones.
– If something worked before is still worth to think out of the box.
– Combine all your team strengths into a unified collaborative effort.
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.
www.artsy.net/article/the-art-genome-project-a-brief-history-of-color-in-art
Of all the pigments that have been banned over the centuries, the color most missed by painters is likely Lead White.
This hue could capture and reflect a gleam of light like no other, though its production was anything but glamorous. The 17th-century Dutch method for manufacturing the pigment involved layering cow and horse manure over lead and vinegar. After three months in a sealed room, these materials would combine to create flakes of pure white. While scientists in the late 19th century identified lead as poisonous, it wasn’t until 1978 that the United States banned the production of lead white paint.
More reading:
www.canva.com/learn/color-meanings/
https://www.infogrades.com/history-events-infographics/bizarre-history-of-colors/
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#BrendanFraser is a righteous dude.
In November 2007 our paychecks stopped. I was the FX lead on #JourneyToTheCenterOfTheEarth for Meteor Studios in Montreal and was asked to convince my crew to stay and finish the picture with a guarantee we’d all get paid with overtime. We had a handfull of shots left.
As soon as we delivered the last shot, we were escorted out. It was two weeks before Christmas and we’d soon learn there was no money. Meteor was declaring bankruptcy.
They owed us 1.3 million dollars.
Variety put their best reporter on it and after many artists and support staff bravely came forward, I got this short terse email:
“The paper(Variety) has decided that another visual effects company going bankrupt, however sad, is really not news worthy at this time”
I kept trying to get help from the Hollywood press. I realized it wasn’t just Variety’s decision, no one wanted to touch the story. My guess was the studio had put pressure on them to bury it.
Finally, I made that rejection quote from Variety the headline of our own press release, and hired a PR company to release it. One artist, Eric Labranche, made a website for us to communcate with each other and vote, many others helped as well.
Then I tried to get the attention of Brendan Fraser, the star and executive producer of the movie. I called his “people” from IMDB pro. They said they’d tell him, they did not.
24 hours after the release, I got a threatening email from Variety and a call. I hung up. I then got a call from Les Normes the labor dept in Canada. They told me not to go to the press it would ruin our case. I hung up on them to. Then the phone rang again and it was this fast talking New York City gal with a heavy brooklyn accent. She was excited that I’d called Fraser’s people and had gotten no response from him.
It was page six of the Post, the gossip page, but we’d take it. She said the story would be live on the website within the hour. Exactly one hour later there it was: https://pagesix.com/2008/08/01/a-journey-in-search-of-pay/
My phone rang as I was reading the piece, a 212 area code, I answered to thank the girl, but a man answered and he said. “Is this Dave Rand?” I said “Yes”.
“This is Brendan Fraser, what the fuck is going on?”
He had no idea that artists were not paid on his movie. He listened intently, asked a lot of questions and promised he would call me regularly until this was solved.
First, he called the Post to tell all: https://pagesix.com/2008/08/03/to-the-rescue-2/
A vfx wave began to form. Branden kept his promise, he publically campaigned for us. The media, especially Variety, even started to cover our story. Thank you David Cohen.
We finally got 80% of our money almost 2 yrs later.
To quote the great Steve Hulett : “What runs the world isn’t what’s right, or who’s the richest, it’s leverage, and who has it.”
We’d had none, but Mr Fraser gave us wings.
He’s a righteous dude.
These days, I’m very selective, if I’ve chosen to work there you can bet they’re moving in the