FMX/08 - talks, workshops and more
we’re delighted to play our biggest part yet in FMX this year…
…Europes largest visual effects, animation and interactive festival, FMX held in Stuttgart, Germany which will take place 5th - 9th May.
1. The CGI Diaries - Workshop 2. Charac-ature Animation - Talk
3. CGI Clinic 4. Hosting and Interviews
1. The CGI Diaries - Workshop
by Matt Estela and Andrew Daffy, 4-7pm Thursday, Listaal Turm B
It took a company the size of Weta to bring Gollum to the screen. tHoC is currently working on a character that has to give a similar performance… with a full-time staff of 2! In this workshop Matt Estela and Andrew Daffy run through their complete process of building a photoreal character from scratch, using only commercially available tools.
Director Richard Hickey comments ‘I wanted Swivel to be a one off, an out there iconic cgi character of the highest finish.’
Building on their experience at top UK facilities like FS-CFC and The Mill, as well as learning from plenty of mistakes along the way, the workshop will cover photoreal skin with SSS, character design and anatomy, modelling techniques, body rigging, facial rigging, capturing lightprobes and rendering with HDRI, and importantly how constant comparison to photographs and life-reference drives critiques and development. Also discussed are essential timesavers for all 3d work, including workflow tips for faster ‘lookdev’, viewport feedback, photoshop scripting, HDR development and many other tricks.
Tools
Maya and Mental Ray primarily, but will also include Photoshop, Zbrush, After Effects, Shake, and a dozen cheap-ish Maya addons.
Audience
Students and semi professionals
Supplements
We will also supply notes from the event, so you won’t need to be doing lots of constant writing!
2. Charac-ature Animation - Talk
by Andrew Daffy, 2pm Monday, Raum Reutlingen
When it comes to bringing creatures to life within the computer, there are two favoured styles in which the director chooses to have them animated. Character animation, which is used predominately in CGI features, and Creature animation normally seen in VFX movies. However there is sometimes a need to combine these principles. Daffy will be discussing this fusion which he has named Charac-ature animation.
‘CHARAC-ATURE being a combination of the words CHARACTER and CREATURE, is an apt description for what tHoC is often asked to do. Our brief for CGI creatures is often as if the director had given a brief to a real stunt animal on a film set and called ‘action!’. From synchronized swimming seahorses to ducks formation flying, Daffy will show his latest tricks and tips to getting realistic looking CGI creatures in next to no time.
Recent Projects Dissected - Chemical Brothers - Salmon Dance, Ford - Birds, Orange - Origami.
3. CGI Clinic
We’re also running a daily CGI Clinic to help students with any issues relating directly to their projects or 3D in general.
Click the image below to see a version of our print campaign which gives more information
4. Hosting and Interviews
As well as all this (and the partying) Daffy will be hosting the commercials day as well as interviewing some of the big guns for AWN.
