Xsens Indie Programme
Indie developers can now apply for Xsens's new programme to obtain the company's MVN MoCap system at a reduced price.
MC 8.8 – Features from V7 Return
PhraseFind and ScriptSync reappeared in revised form with the release of Media Composer version 8.8, but unfortunately are not firmly integrated as features.
Close to Nature: “The Shark in the Park”
Since "Loom," we know that Polynoid can realize macro shots especially well in CG form. In the new short film "Shark in the Park," the team explores natural phenomena by getting very close. Here is the teaser.
Red Bull Ice-Skating Track in the Breakdown
Red Bull wanted to show the Chrashed Ice track in Ottawa, Canada before it had even been built. A CG realization was therefore needed. Artist Miki Nemcek shows his impressive work in this breakdown.
Stone Plug-in for 3ds Max
According to developer Jerome Moab, the free MaxRStones plug-in can be used to generate stones in 3ds Max quickly and easily.
Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV Breakdown
Image Engine, otherwise better known for VFX work for feature films, created 23 minutes of elaborate 3D animation for the Japanese computer-animated film "Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV." Here is the breakdown video, which shows that Image Engine can obviously simply do everything in the CG field.
The FMX Programme Is Online!
So, time to start planning the FMX 2017 programme! The schedule of talks from May 2 to 5 is online.
5 Tips for Better Architecture Visualizations
Arqui9 shows in this tutorial which tricks can be used to create the best possible architecture visualizations.
Life as a “Mobile”
Verena Fels and her team from the Filmakademie received a 2010 animago AWARD in the "Best Young Production" category. Now the animated short film featuring the determined cow on a string is finally online in full length.
Different Countries, Different Pixar Films
Pixar adapts its scenes to the respective audiences in different countries. In this video, you can see how.
Explosions, Fire & Smoke: ActionVFX
The stock-footage marketplace ActionVFX specializes in ready-made effects for action sequences. A few of them are also free.
animago AWARD 2017: Let’s go!
This year we are a little earlier with the animago: 7 & 8 September. So don't hesitate and submit your best, most beautiful or most original CG project now! As a motivational snack: Making-of report of the "2 Aliens".
Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro
Blackmagic has released the Mini Pro version of the URSA camera, which has quite a lot to offer.
“Fantastic Beasts” Rodeo FX Breakdown
Rodeo delivered 126 VFX shots for "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," including numerous creatures and environments. Here is the breakdown reel.
Eye Candy: Houdini Games & VR Reel 2017
Archive notice: This article was originally published on March 9, 2017. Links and embedded videos are preserved as…
Maya 2017 Update 3
In Update 3 of Maya 2017, the UV Editor was completely redesigned; numerous new features for the UV field and an optimized viewport are also new.
Shader & Lights Research with Arnold in C4D
Ken Ottmann conducted some shader and light studies with Arnold in Cinema 4D and makes the C4D project files available free of charge.
Packed with Free Downloads: NASA Software Catalogue
We like NASA – not without reason: In its newly published 2017–2018 software catalogue, the space agency has collected hundreds of royalty-free applications for a wide range of uses.
Call for Entries: KLIK Amsterdam Animation Festival
Submissions can now be made to the Dutch KLICK Animation Festival until June 1. Professional filmmakers as well as students may take part.
“Batman V Superman”: Breakdowns
What's the best way to prepare for the 2017 cinema release of "Justice League"? It doesn't have to be the extended version of "Dawn of Justice", the almost 12-minute long breakdown reel is an ideal alternative.
HDR Webinar from Sony
HDR – from recording and post-production to delivery – is the subject of Sony's free webinar on March 7.
First FMX Programme Highlights
Oscar glamour (without incorrect winner cards) in the programme of FMX 2017, which takes place this year under the motto "Beyond the Screen." Among other things, talks about Oscar winner "Piper" and five other nominated films are included.
Rise Reel: “Doctor Strange”
"Doctor Strange" breakdown reels are currently hailing down everywhere. Here is one from Germany, by Rise | Visual Effects Studios.
Congratulations on Your 100th Birthday!
In 2017, ARRI celebrates a birthday that very few ever experience: ARRI turns 100 this year! For the occasion, board members Jörg Pohlman and Franz Kraus look back and, in typical ARRI fashion, of course: forward.
Free Storytelling Tips from Pixar
In six episodes, big names from Pixar Animation Studios (including Pete Doctor and Mark Andrews) show what the art of successful storytelling looks like.
MPC’s “Jungle Book” Breakdown Video
The Oscars are this week – "The Jungle Book" is considered the favourite for the golden boy in the VFX category. MPC's current breakdown video shows how elaborate the VFX achievement was.
Camera Forum with Pierre-William Glenn & Lots of Further Training at HFF
HFF Munich turns 50 – the university celebrates with a concentrated load of further training. On February 24, the Camer Forum begins with a screening of Truffaut's "Day for Night," including a subsequent conversation with the film's camera man, Pierre-William Glenn.
New Newsletter! Sign Up & Win a Power Bank
Our DP editorial newsletter has received a makeover: prettier, clearer and with even more information. Anyone who signs up by March 31 can win one of three power banks for their mobile device!
The Maxon Lab Is Here!
Maxon released Labs yesterday: it allows Cinema 4D users to test potential features for the software.
Student Projects in the Upcoming DP 03 : 17
We had issued a small call to present your student project in a making-of in the next DP. Due to the numerous submissions, we decided: there will even be two! And these are they.
Pug Meets Cat – Animated Film from New Zealand
When a pug is the last hope in a war – it can still go wrong. "Pug of War" participated in the animago AWARD last year; it was created by students from the Media Design School in New Zealand.
Sneak Peek – DP 03 : 17
One factor that makes working in the film and post-production industry so interesting: you never stop learning. That is why, in our first focus, we give you further-training tips and show paths into the CG industry beyond a traditional degree. To ensure that you also have enough time available for your education, in the second focus we present the most practical plug-ins.
Substance Designer 6
According to Allegorithmic, version 6 of Substance Designer is the most complete and versatile version of the tool ever produced. Here is an overview of the features.
New “Guardians of the Galaxy 2” TV Spot
The new "You're Welcome" TV spot for the second part of Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" has been released.
“Richard the Stork” Trailer
What takes a long time – the trailer for "Richard the Stork" was released after many years of production. The film celebrated its world premiere on February 12 at the Berlinale.
We Have a New animago Website!
Once the wild animago birthday bash was over, it was time for a complete visual overhaul. Now the time has come – just stop by and submit your latest project right away!
Software for Concept Art: Black Ink
The digital painting tool Black Ink in version 0.3000 is currently available at the beta discount of 40 euros; this also purchases the final version directly.
DxO OpticsPro 9 as a Free License
Get the DxO OpticsPro 9 image-editing program free of charge until February 28, 2017!
The 2017 VES Award Winners
“The Jungle Book” and “Game of Thrones” dominated yesterday’s VES Awards as winners in the most categories. Here is an overview of the 24 categories.
“Citipati” Wins Annie Award
In the “Best Student Project” category, Andreas Feix’s diploma film “Citipati” won the prize at the 44th Annie Awards. To celebrate, our readers can download the making-of from DP 04 : 16 free of charge.
VR-Sound: Pro Tools G’Audio Works
Sound is an essential component for an immersive experience in VR worlds. With G'Audio Works, a plug-in for Pro Tools is now available that supports the creation of VR sound.
Download the Space Nebula Node for Blender
Sci-fi graphics artist Mark Kingsnorth is offering his “Nebula” node as a free download. It lets Blender users create space backgrounds with different looks quickly and easily.
Dates at SAE Institute in 2017
SAE Institute has nine locations in Germany alone. For planning the year 2017, the university has now published an overview of its dates, including open days, workshows, and where SAE can be found as an exhibitor.
The Power of Nature
In his visually extremely impressive short film “Natural Attraction”, Marc Zimmermann shows which landscapes are created through the interplay of sky and earth. The full-CG work is now online in full, including a breakdown clip.
Mash-up Video of the Oscar VFX Nominees
Fire, water, animals, explosions! All computer-generated! This mash-up video shows, in concentrated form, the effects that earned the respective Oscar films a nomination this year.
New Version of the C4D Plug-in “People in Motion”
One tool to move them all! People in Motion R2.0 makes it quick and easy to animate rigged 3D characters. The plug-in is compatible with Cinema 4D R17 and higher versions.
Go Get That Nut!
Meerkats really are the better people. Or are they? “Catch It” took part in the 2016 animago AWARD, and the film from the ESMA school in France can now be viewed in full.
Moving into the Heart of Kreuzberg
SAE Institute’s Berlin campus has moved to the Cuvryspeicher near Oberbaum Bridge. At the end of January, it was officially inaugurated with more than 300 invited guests from the creative and media industries.
Mackevision Showreel 2017
The Mackevision 2017 showreel is here. It features great shots from various automotive visualizations as well as the studio’s film and series projects such as “Game of Thrones”.
Free Workshop: Optimizing the Modo UI
André Löscher shows how to optimally adapt the Modo interface to personal needs in this workshop from DP issue 01 : 17.
Documentary on February 22: How VFX Artists Are Exploited by Hollywood
The documentary “Hollywood’s Greatest Trick – The Exploitation of Movie Magic” will go online on February 22. VFX studio founders, former employees, and many more will discuss how major Hollywood studios have ripped them off.
C4D Video Tutorial Series for Switchers
This Cineversity series is aimed at Maya artists and users of other software packages who are interested in working with Cinema 4D.
Open-Source Transcoder HandBrake 1.0 – with VP9 Support
After 13 years of development, HandBrake has reached its full version. The update contains revised libraries, and for the first time VP9 and Ultra HD color passthrough with the BT.2020 color space are supported.
Open Source – and Even Better than H.265?
The successor codec to H.264—H.265/HEVC—is not really taking off due to licensing disputes. The free AV1 video codec, which can keep pace in terms of quality, therefore has all the better prospects.
Fantastic Beasts in the Breakdown
Image Engine was part of the VFX crew on “Fantastic Beasts”. The team was responsible for the Graphorn family and the brain-eating creature Swooping Evil. Both creatures can be seen in the studio’s latest breakdown video.
Your Student Project in DP – Apply!
A short film with lots of VFX and animation, or a game, is a lot, a lot of work. Once the work is finished, people like to report on it. We offer you the opportunity: with a making-of report about your student project in the next DP!
2017 Oscar Nominations
The Oscar nominations for this year have now been announced. Naturally, we are primarily interested in the VFX and animation categories. Here is the overview.
Child Jurors Wanted for the “Tricks for Kids” Short-Film Competition
ITFS is looking for film-loving children aged 9 to 12 for the “Tricks for Kids – Short Film” competition jury at its 24th edition.
Project Felix: Create 3D Scenes Quickly & Easily
With Project Felix, graphic designers who are not 3D professionals can quickly and easily assemble product shots or 3D scenes. The 3D app is available to Adobe Creative Cloud members as an additional offering.
Application Deadlines for Studying at Filmakademie
As a reminder: Depending on the chosen degree program or focus, the application deadline for studying at Filmakademie ends on February 15 or May 15.
“Shine” Teaser, Rigging Video & Free Download
We already chose “Shine” as a cover story in 2015; now a teaser and a rigging clip for the newly VES-nominated project are online. To celebrate the nomination, we are also giving away the Filmakademie team’s making-of report as a download.
Submit Projects to Animation Production Day
Still need to acuire important financing components for your own project? Until February 27, 2017, animation projects from film, TV series, mobile content, games, cross-media, and transmedia can be submitted to APD.
2017 Sci-Tech Awards
Two week before the actual Oscars, the Academy presents awards for special technical achievements. ARRI, Blue Sky Studios, RED, Sony, and Disney are among the recipients.
99 Fire Films Award – Now Also with 360° Films
Quickly register by January 25! Then, on January 26, make a 99-second short film in a production time of 99 hours.
Creating Underwater Lighting
In this tutorial, Daniel Danielsson gives tips on how to fake an underwater scene in Cinema 4D and thereby save render time.
Zippy Painter 1.0 for 3ds Max
With the 3ds Max plug-in Zippy Painter, simulated objects can be painted dynamically onto a surface in a 3D space.
VES Section Now Also in Germany
VFX supervisor Florian Gellinger of Rise | Visual Effects Studios initiated a German section of the Visual Effects Society, which has now been founded.
VES Nominees 2017
The VES Awards will be presented for the 15th time on 7 February. Here is an overview of this year's nominees.
Open Day at SAE Institute
On February 5, the open day at SAE Institute’s German locations once again offers a chance to sample the study programs. Here is an overview of the programs in the various cities.
Creating Realistic Raindrops in After Effects
Video Copilot shows how to create a rainy atmosphere in a scene or title using only After Effects, without any additional plug-ins, in this half-hour tutorial.
The Creation of Chocolate
Something new to watch from Filmakademie: in the delightfully crazy short film “Chocolate Darwin”, the student team shows how God created Darwin, who in turn created the dinosaurs and apes, and how he was then seduced by the invention of chocolate.
More Light! With Slik for Modo
The Studio Lighting & Illuminance Kit Slik was developed to expand Modo’s onboard lights. Download the free workshop here and bring light into the darkness.
To Fly Once
The graduation film “Le Constructeur de Malheur” from Hagenberg University of Applied Sciences is about a great dream pursued by scientist Hugo. It took part in the 2015 animago AWARD, and the film is now online in full.
Eyes & Ears: Search for New Talent
On May 8, 2017, Eyes & Ears of Europe will hold the Eyes & Ears New Talents for the 18th time. Anyone who wants to present their project there and make contacts in this way can apply until February 10.
New Versions of Nucoda & Phoenix
Release 2 of version 2016.1 of the Nucoda grading and Phoenix restoration software has been released. Here is an overview of the new features.
Equipment Checklist for the Film Set
Everything for the camera packed? Enough storage media available? BildTon GmbH has published a useful checklist for film and television productions that also immediately shows the daily rental prices for the technical equipment.
Free Download: 4K Water-Droplet Texture
3D artist Daniel Mozbäuchel used the quiet winter days to create a full-CG Porsche in a rainy environment. The 4K rain texture used in it may be downloaded free of charge.
Visiting Image Engine
Image Engine from Vancouver provides an insight into its studio premises, team, and pipeline in this video, which is almost ten minuets long. We are also giving away a free making-of article about the studio’s work on “Jurassic World”.
CG Characters for “Rogue One”
Spoiler alert: one of the most impressive CG achievements for “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” was the digital re-creation of two human actors. In this video, ILM shows how this demanding task was accomplished.
Free Workshop on the Modo 10 Series
Last year, The Foundry released the 10 series of Modo. In this free article from DP 06 : 16, you can read which new features you can expect through the updates.
Custom Workflow in AEM
In this video, Sunil Bhaskaran shows how to create a custom workflow in Adobe Experience Manager in order to work on a shared task in optimized teamwork.
The 10 Contenders for the 2017 VFX Oscar
Before the nominees for this year’s Oscar are announced in mid-January, the Academy has already made a preliminary selection. These ten feature films are on the shortlist.
FMX Trailer for 2017 Is Set
2017 is already in full swing—time to make FMX plans! “Elemental” is the official trailer for the 2017 edition from May 2 to 5. Here is the first teaser.
Fantastic Beasts in the Breakdown
In this video, Wired offers numerous breakdowns and footage from the shoot of the Harry Potter spin-off “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”.
Offline Render 1.1 for Unity
Newly released: Offline Render is a multi-channel render plug-in for the Unity Engine.
The Best LED Lights for Under 50 US Dollars
Spent too much money on Christmas presents? No problem—DSLR Video Shooter presents seven LED video lights that each cost less than 50 US dollars.
Arri’s HDR Show
“The Best for HDR Since 2010”—in its showreel, Arri shows what its cameras can do when it comes to HDR images.
New Storyboard Tool: Boardfish
Work on the current storyboard quickly and easily via drag-and-drop: Boardfish makes it possible.
Affinity Photo Is Out of Beta
Version 1.5 of the Affinity Photo image-editing program has been released for both Windows and Mac. The tool costs only 40 euros until December 22; the regular price is 50 euros.
“American Horror Story”-Teaser
OneSize from Amsterdam helped realise the new promo trailer for the sixth season of "American Horror Story". Not for the faint-hearted!
No More Stuff!
When the elves have made the dolls dance and then the boss returns—Blue Zoo have released part two of their Christmas animated film “More Stuff”. And the fun is definitely over!
Socially Critical Animated Musical
This year, Blue Zoo took part in the animago AWARD with “More Stuff”. It was not enough for a trophy, but it was enough for a making-of in the current DP issue, which was released today.
2016 animago Event Clip
Our event clip is here! Anyone who wants to get an impression of what it was like, or wants to spot themselves in the video—just watch!
Creating Hair & Fur with Modo
Simulating fur is a very demanding task. Learn how to do this in Modo in this workshop, which can be downloaded free of charge.
Landscape with Spaceship
Oblique FX from Canada has released a great breakdown video of the effects for director Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival”, with many set extensions and compositing works.
December 14: Procedural Modeling in the Modo Webinar
What is procedural modeling all about? The Foundry explains it tomorrow in this webinar—register here!
Vimeo Channel for Modo Geeks
This Vimeo channel is worthwhile for Modo users: it includes a five-part basic training course on creating a 3D scene as well as various workflow tips for Modo 10.2.
Lightworks Beta Version 14
In the latest version 14, which is currently in public beta, the Lightworks editing program has received a new interface as well as audio and video FX tools.
watch “Alike” in full length
Cover motif of the animago special issue and animago AWARD winner in the "Best Character" category - "Alike" really cleaned up at this year's DP event. The delightful father-son film is now online in full length.