FMX 2020 Imagines Tomorrow
As 2019 draws to a close, the FMX - Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Immersive Media has some exciting news to announce: It will be celebrating its 25th anniversary from 5 to 8 May 2020!
Foundry: Goodbye Athera
Foundry terminates Cloud Pipeline project Athera: The future is not in the cloud after all?
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
Blast from the past: Who is the most iconic video game heroine ever? Lara Croft, of course. In this interview, we take a deep dive into the lost city of Paititi – and the final installment of the reboot trilogy.
Foundry releases Nuke 12.0
Foundry releases the 12.0 update for Nuke, NukeX and Nuke Studio with many new features, including a new Inpaint Node and more!
Blackmagic at the IBC 2019
Blackmagic at IBC 2019: New Video Assist, Blackmagic RAW update and new live mixer for YouTube streams!
Cloudy to fiery – Volumetric effects in Cinema 4D (Part 2)
In this two-part series of articles, we will provide the experienced Cinema 4D user with in-depth insights into the creation of volumetric effects with the onboard tools of C4D - without any plug-ins, particles or PyroCluster. In the second part of the series, we will first deepen our knowledge of volumetric texturing of visible lights and then turn to a mograph-based technique.
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K
That was quicker than expected: Blackmagic Design is launching another digital film camera with the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K.
Tutorial: Create fabric texture with Blender
A new video tutorial provides insight into how to create fabric fibre textures in Blender.
Video tip for a successful demo reel
In two video tutorials, experienced animation artist Jean-Denis Haas provides an overview of what makes a killer reel.
Rise shows new VFX reel for Stranger Things Season 3
The VFX studio Rise recently published a reel for the third season of Stranger Things on Vimeo.
Cinema 4D: Camera Calibration
In this Cinema 4D physical camera workshop, we will look at what we can do with a calibration result once we have calibrated the position and focal length of a camera.
Nuke 12.0 – Sneak Peek
A new insight into the upcoming Nuke 12.0 version: Foundry provides new information about the Inpaint Node!
Dell U3219Q in test
As we realised a while ago, we haven't had a Dell Ultrasharp in our test for a long time, which sounds strange because these devices have always done quite well. Reason enough to take a look at the latest model with the catchy name U3219Q.
DaVinci Resolve 16 | Release Candidate
The release candidate of DaVinci Resolve and Fusion 16 is here - the last moves of the public beta!
Rise release new VFX reel for Captain Marvel
The VFX studio Rise recently published a reel for Captain Marvel on Vimeo.
Trixter releases VFX Breakdown for Captain Marvel
The Munich-based VFX studio Trixter recently released a breakdown for Captain Marvel.
4 new free 3D people models from Renderpeople available
Renderpeople has released 4 new and completely free scanned 3D people models.
Submission deadline for animago 2019 extended until 31 July!
Anyone who missed the deadline of 30 June for submitting projects for the animago 2019 now has one last opportunity to enter the race.
3D Alphas for ZBrush available free of charge
Concept artist and ZBrush expert Cki Vang has released a set of 10 free 3D alphas for detailing mech and sci-fi models.
DNEG Showreel 2019 published
Founded in London in 1998, the visual effects and computer animation studio shows its latest creations in the video.
iClone plugins available free of charge
Reallusion has launched the iClone Plugin Marketplace, a new online library of add-ons for its character animation software iClone.
XMD ToolBox plugin available free of charge
The XMD ToolBox plugin for ZBrush is available to download free of charge from xmdsource.com.
download 3D models free of charge
3D-models.com has released a set of 10 free 3D models for use in architectural visualisation and graphic design.
Visualisation: Twinmotion currently available free of charge
Following the acquisition of the 3D visualisation software Twinmotion by Epic Games, the program is available free of charge until November 2019.
Affinity Publisher released
After Affinity Photo and Designer, now comes the next tool: Affinity Publisher is finally out of beta!
Web tip: Search engine for textures, materials and HDRIs
Textures.one is a new search engine that allows users to find free materials, textures and HDRIs on popular websites.
Free Blender material collection for download
Michael Novelo wanted to give something back to the Blender community and decided to create a free, open-access collection of materials.
113 new Alpha masks
Game artist Dan Rožański has once again put together a new free alpha mask package. The total of 113 alphas can also be used for commercial purposes!
The 10 most valuable Blender hotkeys
Our colleagues at 3dtotal.com have put together 10 hotkeys for Blender that will save you time.
Unreal Engine | Free Assets in June
And this month Epic Games is also giving us the next batch of free assets!
Neat Video in update frenzy
Neat Video goes into the next version: Noise-free and with its own Resolve plug-in!
The world’s largest IMAX screen is coming
The world's largest IMAX screen is to be installed in Leonberg, Baden-Württemberg
The 100 best Photoshop plugins
Skylum recently launched their new Luminar Flex plugin. In the course of this, the Luminar team did a little research into which Photoshop plugins are currently available on the market.
Thinkinetic releases Pulldownit plugin 4.5 for 3DS Max
Thinkinetic has released a new version of its 3DS Max plugin Pulldownit 4.5.
Innovations in the entry-level workstation C1 from XI-MACHINES
XI-MACHINES GmbH, based in Hamburg, has updated its C1 entry-level workstation series.
Physically Based Rendering: Lots of realism, but with creative levers, please!
When computer-generated content is to be displayed as photorealistically as possible, we are talking about Physically Based Rendering or Physically Based Shading - hereinafter referred to as PBR. Modern, production-experienced renderers, who use this abbreviation, enable artists to create impressive visualisations of entire worlds based on physical principles. To do this, artists must learn the skills of the classical arts and combine them with a meticulous gift for observation and an understanding of physical principles in the field of optics. With the foundation gained from art and science, artistic nuances can be integrated into realistic-looking computer-generated content using physical parameters for light sources and materials, right through to the creation of surreal effects.
DeepC | OSS for Nuke
Deep compositing for everyone! The open source plugin "DeepC" makes it possible.
Security and VFX
While researching storage, hardware and the other topics for this focus, one topic kept popping up: with all the new ways to work on different data-sets, the security aspect plays an important role. So we asked the head of one of the most widely distributed studio groups – Henric Larsson, CEO of Chimney.
Specialist study on video software – take part and win!
Take part in the survey on video software now and win Amazon vouchers!
CityEngine 2019!
With CityEngine 2019.0, one of the biggest CityEngine versions in recent years has been released. Our CityEngine team, which now consists of 17 people at the ESRI R&D Centre in Zurich, has been hard at work programming every nook and cranny, so that with this version we can really offer you many new features as well as a solid revision of old functionality.
Challenge Yourself: A project analysis
After several years of film editing and constant discussions about film dramaturgy and visual language, what is needed, what is not, even more intensively, but differently, much more clearly, I decided to invest this knowledge in my first directorial work.
That was FMX 2019!
FMX 2019 is over and most visitors have successfully returned home: A short recap of this year's trade conference!
Data everywhere. But where is that file?
After asking around in preparation for this focus, we stumbled on a few studios mentioning something called Caringo – an Austin-based provider of storage tools, hardware, software and other things. Since it came recommended, we asked what that “storage thing they do” is …
Syslink Elements Media Storage – Climbing mountains of data?
In addition to cloud storage (cloud = other people's computers), you also need local assets - and since networks are always faster than the Internet connection, it makes sense to keep the lion's share locally available...
Higx | Particle Party for Nuke
"Point Render" is a new fast particle tool for Nuke. In addition to the tool, there are other interesting blink scripts from the developer on Nukepedia...
GDC 2019 | Texturing für Assassin’s Creed
All GDC 2019 Substance Talks about Material and Texturing Pipelines are online: In addition to Odyssey and Spider-Man, the developers also presented new tools and features.
Deauville Green Awards: Deadline for submissions only until 26 April!
Entries for the 2019 Deauville Film Festival, which takes place on 12 and 13 June, can only be submitted until Friday 26 April 2019!
Blackmagic Fusion: 9 becomes 16
The Fusion compositing tool is entering the next round together with DaVinci Resolve - and there are also some changes.
Win 2 FMX tickets now!
We are giving away 2 tickets for one lucky winner and a companion of their choice for the FMX 2019 taking place from 30 April to 3 May!
The new gadgets from Blackmagic
Problems with the battery life of your pocket camera? Blackmagic had the answer at NAB!
DaVinci 16 is here: The editing revolution?
NAB 2019 is in full swing: Blackmagic Design presents the new versions of DaVinci Resolve, Fusion and other interesting gadgets.
FMX 2019: Incredibles 2, Spies in Disguise, Game Design und neuer Trailer Kinky Kitchen
FMX 2019: Insights into VFX work on series such as Lost in Space and Game of Thrones and the latest N.E.W.S. on animation productions.
Flame 2020 in learning mode!
Flame 2020 in learning mode: New machine learning-based tools, Open FX, Cryptomatte support and more!
“Last words” – VR experience in the making-of
The VR experience "Last Words" takes the player on a challenging, emotional journey. As Lisa, you are confronted early on with the death of your own brother Leo. The vivid and detailed locations give the player an insight into the characters, their relationships and the circumstances behind Leo's death. In addition to Lisa's flat, players can also explore environments from their shared past, including the family home and tree house. It is important to us that the player experiences the feelings of powerlessness that torment Lisa at first hand.
Blackmagic: An update round
Blackmagic presents new URSA Mini Pro, Blackmagic RAW for Pocket Cinema Camera 4K and more!
Cloudy to fiery – Volumetric effects in Cinema 4D (Part 1)
In this two-part series of articles, we will provide the experienced Cinema 4D user with in-depth insights into the creation of volumetric effects with the onboard tools of Cinema 4D - without any plug-ins, particles or Pyro Cluster. The first part of the series is dedicated to visible lights and their texturing with volumetric shaders.
AliceVision: Photogrammetrie in Houdini
The open source photogrammetry tool in Houdini: SideFx releases free plug-in!
FMX 2019: Animation Trailer
The new animation trailer for FMX 2019 is here and couldn't be more apt: Interactions with cats in a nutshell.
Frame.io: Free Workflow Guide
From recording and codec selection to rough cut and export: Frame.io's Workflow Guide provides a good overview of the workflows.
Shading, Lighting & Rendering with Cinema 4D R19 (Part 5)
So far in this series of articles, we have looked in detail at the basics such as BSDFs…
Jan Pinkava | N.E.W.S. | Release of the first trailer
Programme highlights and first trailers for FMX 2019, which will take place from 30 April to 3 May in Stuttgart's Haus der Wirtschaft.
Shading, Lighting & Rendering with Cinema 4D R19 (Part 4)
In this 5-part series of articles, we provide the experienced Cinema 4D user with in-depth insights into the areas of shading, lighting and rendering. In the 4th part of the series, we look at light sources, shadow types and the power of manual lighting techniques.by Marc Potocnik
Who needs a workstation these days?
At FMX 2O18, The Foundry launched Athera.io, a connection between The Foundry’s tools (among others, like Houdini, Blender, and many more to come), Google Cloud Services and artists. Via a browser – and really, any browser and machine will do – users
can get virtual workstations and rendering performance. That sounds nice – but let’s not get too excited and ask some questions first.
Shading, Lighting & Rendering with Cinema 4D R19 (Part 2)
In the last part of our series, we took a thorough look at the basis of shading, lighting and rendering, namely methods for geometry smoothing and various lighting models / BRDFs. In this part, we will build on this foundation and take an in-depth look at C4D's material system to provide a basis for later work with textures, shaders, lighting and shadows.
eGPU from BMD! OMG!
Before Apple users die of old age at the waiting bar, Blackmagic Design helps with rendering and launches an external GPU box with Thunderbolt 3 - or is your box fast enough?
Guerilla Station – With guerrilla tactics to the finished shot
At FMX 2O17, Mercenaries Arsenal, the birthplace of Guerilla Station, was talked about for the first time, providing a variable turbo for rendering in conjunction with Guerilla render nodes and the open source render manager called Coalition. Arsenal is software that is much more than just a render application. Rather, it is a professional solution for lighting, look development, scattering and scene assembly with a renderer in its luggage. A software package that easily ranks alongside its competitors Clarisse iFX from Isotropix and Katana from The Foundry. In the following, we will show you what guerrilla tools and tactics are available for professional use and why Guerilla Station may also be of interest to some freelancers.
animago AWARD 2018 – Winners and Nominees
After almost a thousand entries, it was quite difficult for the jury to decide who should take home the coveted prize - and after lengthy discussions, these were their choices. We will introduce all projects in the upcoming 2O19-issues of Digital Production. So without further ado...
What‘s next in Blender?
At FMX 2O18 we caught up with Ton Roosendaal – head of the Blender Foundation and the guy who turned the package into an open-source tool. And when you are already in Stuttgart, why not ask a few questions?
Grading on the Orient Express
When you look for an All-Star-Cast, you can’t top Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kenneth Branagh, Daisy Ridley and all the others who travelled this year’s “Murder on the Orient Express”. But what you might not have known is that for the Dailies Grading, DaVinci Resolve came into play. We wanted to know how the rich, saturated look was accomplished.
Foundry: Modo 12.0 released
Modo 12.0 is here: New modelling features, UV improvements, Python scripts and more in the new update!
VLC 3.0 Media Player: With 8K, HDR and Chromecast support
Folks! The new VLC 3.0 Media Player version is now available for free. With the release, VideoLan adds Chromecast, HDR, 360° videos and more!
Allan McKay: Decay VFX Training
New free VFX training from Allan McKay: This time there's a ten-hour session on how to realise this decay effect.
21 free alpha masks
New free stuff: Free hardsurface alpha masks by game artist Dan Rožański. The total of 21 alphas can also be used for commercial purposes!
Update for Nuke and Cara VR 2.0
In addition to Nuke 11.1, the Cara VR plug-in has also been updated with new stichting tools, Match Move and new Ocula tools for customising stereo projects.
Foundry releases Mari 4.0
Mari 4.0 released by Foundry: The 3D painting tool comes with a cleaner interface, faster project set-ups and Disney's Principled BRDF Shader, among other things
X-Particles 4 for Cinema 4D available
X-Particles 4 is now available: The particle and VFX system for Cinema 4D with many new features, including OpenVDB support, new Cloth simulations and much more!
Scripting for artists – Scripting in Nuke
Our "Scripting for Artists" series continues. This time with scripting in Nuke. In two videos, Alexander Richter explains everything Nuke users need to know to get started.
Adobe MAX 2017: 11 future technologies
A look into the future: At Adobe MAX 2017, there were insights into tools for upcoming releases - including Scene Stitch, Deep Fill, Project Cloak and more.
Flowbox 1.5 on the market
New version of the rotoscoping software offers improved display settings and more speed.
The open libraries of Hollywood
At this year’s FMX there was a talk „Open Source Software in the Motion Picture Industry – An Investigation by the Science and Technology Council of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences”. In a full room David Morin presented the
results of a survey about Open Source libraries in use in the Motion Picture Industry right now, from a survey done with big studios, software vendors, developers and CTOs – including a live Q&A with the FMX audience.
Cinema 4D Release 19: Departure on several fronts
In the latest iteration, Cinema 4D gives us a glimpse into the future. A lot of things are happening behind the scenes, such as work on a new core, i.e. the heart of the software. Elsewhere, changes are more clearly visible, such as the integration of a new GPU-based renderer or the expansion of MoGraph and OpenGL capabilities.
OctaneVR for After Effects and Nuke!
Otoy releases free versions of Octane for Adobe After Effects and Foundry Nuke - for all OctaneVR subscribers.
Foundry SIGGRAPH contributions online
From the new cloud pipeline "Elara" to the features in Nuke 11: The Siggraph presentations from Foundry are now online - the new showreel is also available!
“League of Angels 2”-Trailer im Making-of
The marvellous Gal Gadot now also takes on dragons - in the trailer for the game "League of Angels 2". Studio nhb shows in the making-of how the VFX was created.
Cinema4D – Here comes Release 19!
Fresh from Siggraph: Cinema 4D Release19, with a new viewport, sound effectors, even more Voronoi fracturing, a spherical VR camera and of course the AMD Radeon ProRender. Fancy testing it out yet?
Nuke and Hiero 11.0 are here!
Live Groups, VFX Reference Platform 2017 standards, GPU support for AMD, Denoise improvements and more in the new release of Nuke.
FaceBuilder: 3D faces in Nuke
Not a photogrammetry solution, but fast: FaceBuilder lets you generate 3D faces from photos in Nuke in no time at all.
Spectracal Calman 2016
Why calibrate monitors? Our most important tool in the production of media content is the monitor, as a control tool in the first instance of production via the reference monitor in post-production during finishing and as a presentation tool in the final use of the content.
One for all? The Ursa Mini 4.6K Pro from Blackmagic
At NAB 2O17, the new version of the Ursa Mini 4.6K Pro (UM Pro for short) received a lot of attention, with Videomaker even honouring it as the "Best camera of NAB". But what does the "Pro" in the name mean? For whom is the new camera more professional than its predecessor with the same sensor? Can it satisfy in documentary and nature film or even in reportage?
Adobe acquires Mettle SkyBox Suite
VR tools for the Creative Cloud: Adobe acquires the Mettle SkyBox Suite and plans seamless integration with Adobe products. CC subscribers can receive the plug-ins early via email support.
94 free effects plug-ins
Whether in After Effects, Nuke, DaVinci, Final Cut or Premiere: FXhome offers over 90 free plug-ins - for keying, VFX, colour correction and more!
Faceware Live 2.5
Real-time transfer of live performance to 3D modelled faces: Faceware Tech releases a new update for improved tracking and more!
FMX 2017: Clarisse 3.5 from Isotropix
Fresh announcement from FMX 2017: Clarisse version 3.5 with new paint tools, scatter features, Cryptomatte support and more!
Adobe Premiere Pro: April Update
The new major update to Adobe Premiere Pro includes two new control panels, a new text tool, Adobe Stock integration and much more!
Adobe After Effects: April Update
The update for Adobe After Effects comes with interesting new features, including a Motion Graphics Panel, new Deblur effect, Lumetri Scopes and more!
Music of the future at BMW
A robot walks towards a black-painted grand piano. Orchestral music begins and transforms the road tunnel into a…
BaseGrade and the evolution of colour grading
At NAB 2O16, colour grading specialist Filmlight caused quite a stir in the colourist scene. BaseGrade - a completely newly developed grading operator for Baselight - was presented, which is intended to replace classic tools such as Lift, Gamma and Gain. That sounds like a small revolution. Filmlight promises more consistent results and a more natural way of working. Reason enough not only for Baselight colourists to take a detailed look at it.
130 free textures from Pixar
Free textures from Pixar: A total of 130 seamless textures of clouds, paper and more with tips for shader networks in Renderman.
Doctor Strange: Official Breakdown by Luma
New breakdown video for Doctor Strange: Luma Pictures presents their magical work on the Marvel film in this clip.
After Effects Tutorial: Zordon Effect
In preparation for the Power Rangers film: In this tutorial you will learn how to create the modern version of Zordon with After Effects.