Magical effects
Review: In DP 05:07, Harry Potter 5, to which eleven studios contributed effects, was enchanting. These included heavyweights such as DNEG, ILM, Framestore and MPC.
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Longform for subscribers: deep dives into VFX and post workflows, tool and pipeline analysis, real-world constraints, integration notes, licensing and performance realities, and what actually holds up in production. Less hype, more usable detail you can bookmark and share internally.
Bloody ice magic
Review: In DP 06:2012, we visited the Polish studio Platige Image. Could the Poles, who are spoilt for success, manage the major project "The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings"?
17 Souls
Since October 2020, the Munich University of Television and Film has been offering a new specialisation in VFX as part of the Image Design course. In their first year, the students have already been able to realise an animated film in teams of three; from a reinterpretation of the werewolf myth (from page 102) to mysterious radio messages from a lost plane.
The Matrix Reloaded
Looking back: In DP 03 : 2003 we hacked into the source code of "Matrix Reloaded". Ready to go back to the Matrix?
Noisy Night, Senseless Stuff
Review: In DP 01 : 2017, we discovered the true spirit of Christmas with the animated musical "More Stuff" from London. But how is Brexit affecting everyday animated life?
Dystopia – Sundays again and again
Review: In DP 07:2015, the sci-fi short film "Sundays" from Amsterdam bundled high-quality VFXs into a 15-minute film. An interview with the makers of the animago AWARD-winning project.
Putting the „Ace” in ACES
The fact that ACES is more than just another buzzword in the VFX industry should have
t should have got around by now. And anyone who works at a major studio in a reasonably up-to-date pipeline will already have had contact with ACES. But what about one-person dancing bands, freelancers with mobile workstations and those who like to dance at several weddings?
Loveletter
Who doesn't know it: the portable games console that saw the light of day at the end of the 1980s and gave us endless hours of fun and games for many years. We are, of course, talking about the Gameboy. A time when the potential of computer-generated graphics was in its infancy. But what if a creative team back then had had access to today's production pipelines and technologies?
Cut faster – The Blackmagic Speed Editor
In DP 02:20, we already presented the Editor Keyboard from Blackmagic Design (BMD for short). It used to be close to 1,000 euros, but when it didn't become a big seller, it was lowered to around 600. Meanwhile, the manufacturer has removed the regular keys in the centre, moved the side panels closer together and added a few extra keys. The result is called Speed Editor (SE for short) and is still being offered at the competitive price of 380 euros including a licence for DaVinci Resolve Studio. Some folks are even marketing the device for 199 euros without the licence, but it remains unclear whether this is permissible on the part of BMD.
The Witcher by Platige
Blast from the Past: In 2020 we conversed with Platige Image about the hit-series “The Witcher”.
Smartes Rapid FX Prototyping in 3ds Max 2019
Review: In DP 05 : 2018, our author Rainer Duda stated that shape-shifting is possible with 3ds Max 2019. But what do the X-Men have to do with it?
Assimilate Live FX
Assimilate Live FX brings post to set: live keying, LED walls, and DMX lighting, all in real time. It’s not quite StageCraft, but it’s definitely stage-crafty.
Engine-Safari
Review: In DP 06 : 2018, our author Alexandra Kaschny focussed on the Big Three (not Five): Unity, Unreal, CryEngine. Which other engines are roaming the jungle?
Kyno as an editing assistant for Resolve
Review: In DP 04 : 2020, our author Uli Plank took a look at the management app Kyno - and its support for Blackmagic Design.
VR Deep Diving | Retro-Article
Review: In DP 06 : 2017, our author Mirja Fürst immersed herself in a VR experience for the "Ghost in the Shell" film adaptation.
Legendary Scaling – Mass Effect Returns
It is no secret that we are massive Mass Effect Fans – and when the info about the remastering came out, we were quite certain that we NEEDED to talk to the guys behind the new release.
4K production – what do you really need?
Review: In DP 02 : 2014, our author Michael Radeck went into the practical test with True 4K.
Houdini becomes hyperactive
Once again, SideFX doesn't do things by halves. The new Houdini 18.5 is packed with classic updates, but also with completely redesigned tools.
Aixterior: Digital nature from calibrated scans
Aixterior bundles scanned natural objects, texture atlases, material scans and HDRIs into coherent biome libraries for offline and realtime 3D work.
Sleep Tight – A modern horror tale
"From the edge of a forest, the werewolf steps into the moonlight; in front of him lies a small settlement by a forest lake."
This sentence comes from an early version of our script. A lot happened from there to the final film. The old-fashioned settlement became a big city, the forest lake became a hill with modern flats and the werewolf became a werewolf.
More pixels in your pocket – the Blackmagic Pocket 4K
Many loved the inconspicuous Blackmagic Pocket HD despite all its weaknesses - from short battery life to fragile sockets and a very flat screen.
InstaLOD 2020: rendering and automation with InstaLOD Grid
InstaLOD automates the entire 3D workflow, including the tedious steps that no 3D artist likes to perform, such as UV unwrapping, manual retopo or baking.
Blergh! Word Art! In Houdini?
Houdini is certainly not known for classic graphics and especially not for typography and fonts. And word clouds are certainly nothing new either, but somehow always chic when used correctly.
Direct modelling: modelling without obstacles
As the saying goes: every drop wears away the stone. Wouldn't it be ideal if there was a shortcut?
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.
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.
The best light meter ..
... is the one you have with you. And what does everyone have in their pocket these days? Sure, a mobile phone. But can an app compete with a professional light meter? We did the maths. And aren't light meters terribly old-school? Not really for cameramfolks on a film set - except perhaps for solo entertainers on YouTube.
Flambé pictures – Flame Painter 4
Shortly after Flame Painter's 10th birthday, the Slovakian team around Peter Blaškovič released version 4 (currently 4.01) of the effect painting programme for flaming strokes and crazy particle effects. Flame Painter is just one of several creative tools from Escape Motions. We reported on an earlier version of Flame Painter, Amberlight and Rebelle, among others.
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.
Color Grab – Everything is so colourful here
The Color Grab app from Loomatix clearly stands out from all the other colour palette apps I have tested. For example, it has an accessibility feature and can read out colours for people who are colour-blind. What's more, Color Grab is free of charge and has no adverts.
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.
Communicating knowledge with fun: The Story of Martin Luther
Many of us first learnt about Martin Luther's story and the associated reformation of the church at school. Usually recited by a history or religion teacher mumbling to himself, which meant that the monk's revolutionary actions lost all excitement. So it was time to produce an entertaining yet accurate version of the events to mark the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. Tumblehead Animation Studio took up the challenge and won the animago category "Best Visualisation" with the film "The Story of Martin Luther".
InstaLOD: From CAD to VR?
InstaLOD automates the 3D workflow, including the tedious steps that no artist likes, such as UV unwrapping, manual retopo or baking. But how does it work?
Silentmaxx workstation based on Kenko S-595i in test
The company Silentmaxx specialises in silent PCs and workstations. The development of the components used, such as a passive CPU cooler that only works with heat pipes without an additional fan, takes place in-house.
Xi-Machines Animate X2 Advanced im Test
If an "Advanced" or "Ultra" appears in the type designation of a computer from Xi-Machines, this is almost certainly not a boast. You are actually getting an advanced workstation. If only the price wasn't so
ultra ...
More image sharpness with Focus Chart
In order to calibrate the focus of a camera or the lens on the camera system as accurately as possible, expensive and above all manual focus chart systems are generally used, for which there is also authorisation and which are sometimes very sensitive, depending on the provider. For hobby filmmakers and young filmmakers, there is a small solution in app form.
Audio post-production software: Nuendo 10
Somewhat surprisingly, Steinberg presented Nuendo 10 at this year's Game Developers Conference - and now it's here. Steinberg has dispensed with the 9 in the current version of Nuendo in favour of uniform version numbers for its top programs. Instead, over 40 new functions and features have been integrated into Nuendo, so that you could be forgiven for thinking that you had really missed version number 9.
Finns Fleckengang: The Stained Club
People in a club have something in common. In the case of "Stained Club", these are stains on the children's bodies that harbour a deeper meaning. The animated graduation film from the Supinfocom Rubika college in France is in the tradition of youth film classics from the 1980s such as "The Goonies" or "E.T.". With its challenging theme and touching message, it won over the animago jury last year, who awarded it the prize for best newcomer production.
Notebook Alienware m15 tested
In the mobile gaming sector, where it has always been about cramming as much CPU and graphics performance as possible into a notebook, Dell's Alienware notebooks are a firm favourite. Such an Alienware gaming notebook should also be suitable as a mobile workstation, right?
Helper for ideal green screen lighting
For the most accurate key possible, the green or blue screen must be ideally lit. If there is no light meter in the immediate vicinity, you can use the app called Green Screener from Hollywood Camera Work. For just under 12 euros including tax, we get a helper for determining the ideal lighting conditions with sophisticated functions. The helper can be installed on Android and iOS devices and is available via the respective store. What exactly the Green Screener has to offer and how the app performs in use is shown below using an example.
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.
Datacolor SpyderX in test
Colour correction is playing an increasingly important role in media production, not least because more and more recordings are being made in flat LOG formats to give colour correction more leeway. As a result, the need for calibrated monitoring is increasing, partly already on-set, but at the latest in post-production. If you want to have more control over the deliverable quality, reference displays are indispensable in post-production. Otherwise you are quickly exposed to discussions and uncertainty spreads among everyone involved.
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.
Blackmagic Design: DaVinci Resolve and Fusion turn 16
For young people, 16 is considered a rather problematic age, but the roots of Resolve and Fusion go way back into the last century and you can expect a certain maturity. Does this also apply to a public beta?
Notebook Razer Blade 15 in test
The Razer Blade is the second gaming notebook in the test that we analysed for its suitability as a potential workstation. Of all the workstations in the test field, the Razer Blade has the CPU with the lowest performance reserves, but can compensate for this with other qualities.
FMX 2019: Real-time ray tracing for final frame rendering
It's Wednesday afternoon in the König Karl Halle in the Haus der Wirtschaft. The hall is darkened and filled with people eagerly awaiting the lecture "Troll: Real Time Raytracing and The VFX Pipeline" - and the DP is there too.
Weltenbauer RK50 in the test
The company Weltenbauer from Wiesbaden has been a specialised dealer for 2D and 3D software for over 15 years and, in addition to Hewlett Packard computers, also offers workstations and render servers from its own production. We had the entry-level model RK50 sent to us for testing and took a closer look at it.
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.
Making-of: Spring
Blender is a beacon project in the field of open source computer graphics. One of the reasons for its success is the open movies, in which the realisation of a specific project goes hand in hand with the development of the software. This concept can be traced back to the time when Blender was still an in-house solution from the Dutch studio NeoGeo. Back then, it was quite normal for artists and developers to work together in one place. Ultimately, it was the experience gained back then that led us to continue working on animation projects - even after Blender became open source. However, with a different sign.
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...
A haven of peace in the zombie storm – Making-of “Grant” cinematic trailer
Goodbye Kansas Studios created a series of cinematic trailers for the game "Overkill's The Walking Dead" in which the four main game characters are introduced in various scenes. With "Grant", the team won the animago AWARD in the "Best Game Cinematic" category last year.
Portrait of a genius – 3D portrait still
Portraits of very well-known personalities are always a great challenge because everyone knows the face of the person portrayed and mistakes quickly become apparent. Alexander Beim impressed with his 3D portrait still of Albert Einstein and won the public vote in the "Best Still" category and thus an animago AWARD. Here, the 3D artist explains how the image was created.
Does Alex make Toni unemployed?
A look back: How does audio AI work in practice? "Alex Audio Butler" consists of VST plug-ins that are designed to handle the sound mixing independently. The big players in the VST game: DaVinci Resolve, Premiere Pro and Adobe Audition.
Lovecraft in Köln – Making-of „The Colour“
The ifs internationale filmschule köln is an artistically and academically orientated training and further education institution for media professionals. On the initiative of the NRW state government and the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, it was founded in 2000 as a non-profit limited company whose sole shareholder is the Film- und Medienstiftung. Its reputation as one of the best film schools in Germany is based in particular on the support it provides to students, its teaching and project work and not least on numerous awards, including a student Oscar. One project we found great is "The Colour", based on a Lovecraftian short story - and we ask the students how they came up with it and what it's like to study at the ifs.
More pixels in your pocket – Blackmagic Pocket 4K in test
Many loved the inconspicuous Blackmagic Pocket HD despite all its weaknesses. The film images were simply too beautiful for a camera of this price range and size. As soon as 4K became an issue, many people wanted a new successor to the classic 16 mm camera with better resolution. Does the new camera have that much magic?
Video Copilot live on Tour – Talking with Andrew Kramer
„Hey what’s up, Andrew Kramer here with another very exiting tutorial“ – you have heard this, if you are somewhere in the sphere of VFX, especially within the Adobe and After Effects ecosystem. This intro has been around for 15 years – and it took 15 years for Andrew Kramer to finally make it to London, Paris, Barcelona and Berlin. And we took the chance to meet him on the last and biggest event at the Estrel Congress Center in Berlin – which was sold out, just like the rest of the tour.
Into space with the Film Academy
With their diploma project "Asperity", the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg team, in collaboration with a total of 3O students, transformed a visit to FMX 2O18 into an interactive space journey.
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.
InstaLOD: Time is money
There are some things in a 3D artist's workflow that are probably considered rather unpopular. (cough ... unwrapping, retopo ... cough) And even if a kind soul takes pity on them, it still remains time-consuming. InstaLOD from Stuttgart is trying to help all companies from the entire 3D sector (film, games, automotive, etc.) with its software of the same name, and in doing so is speeding up and cleaning up much more than just the two black sheep mentioned.
Tangent Wave 2 Control Panel
So one decision is that people need to straighten something. We take a closer look at the new edition of the wave panel and analyse the advantages and disadvantages compared to its predecessor and the alternatives.
Wacom Cintiq Pro 24 – Review
At the beginning of the year, Wacom announced the addition of two large versions to its c-series (previously 13 and 16 inch - we reported in issue O2:18), replacing the previous flagships Cintiq 22 HD Touch and Cintiq 27 QHD Touch. Together with the new Wacom Cintiq Pro Engine, an optional PC module, the tablet is set to become a compact, powerful pen computer. At least the device with a 24-inch display is now available - we presented our first impressions and hardware tests in the last issue (available for free download at download.digitalproduction.com). We have taken another look at such a tablet with a 4K touch display from the user's perspective.
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.
Zombies & 3D Scanner
They are also currently stepping on the gas with their development and possibilities: 3D scanners have always been a part of visual effects production
Effects production, many examples are now showing how they can make working on set much easier.
CAD Network Creator Extreme in test
With the Creator Extreme, CAD Network from Cologne provides the most expensive, but also the most powerful workstation in the test field. In this price segment, customers can expect more than just performance. And that's exactly what you get.
BenQ SW271 Review
With the SW series, BenQ sets out to conquer the colour-managed monitor world. We looked at the 27-inch model in practice for several months.
DAX Networx AV workstation test
The retro wave seems to have reached workstation manufacturers. Digital Audionetworx from Berlin are offering a vintage workstation with the legendary Intel 8O86 processor 4O years after the original was released.
Lenovo Thinkstation P320 Tiny in test
With the Thinkstation P32O Tiny, Lenovo has squeezed a fully-fledged workstation including graphics card into a housing volume of just one litre. Is this still a workstation or just a useless feasibility study?
The virtual glue press:CineXtools from Cinedeck
Non-linear video editing with computers (NLE for short) has given us enormous freedom. Not only the fiddling with adhesive presses and cotton gloves, synchronised tape machines or even toxic carbon tetrachloride in magnetic magnifiers from the early days of videotape are a thing of the past. today, "cuts" are non-destructive and can be altered at will (sometimes all too often). But the whole thing has one disadvantage .....
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.
Let There Be Light
We are all working from home now – and anyone who always has to retreat to the darkest corner with their 3D tools because everything else reflects could take a look at this lamp here.
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?
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.
Bforartists – a fork for Blender
Bforartists is a complete 3D suite - namely a Blender fork based on the current version 2.79b. Just like Blender, the free and open source 3D suite, Bforartists can be used for the entire 3D pipeline: Modelling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking - even for video editing and game creation.
IMF – and what it’s all about
IMF - Interoperable Mastering Format - has been around for a few years now. After a somewhat slow start, however, IMF experienced a boom at the beginning of 2O16 at the latest, when Netflix made it its main delivery format. What IMF is and what it is supposed to be good for, however, is still largely unknown to the broad masses of the media industry. This article is intended to provide a brief introduction to the format, shedding some light on its peculiarities and advantages as well as the costs involved. As the cover image suggests, this article will not be a colourful creative experience - but have fun anyway.
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.
Filmakademie VR film “Sonar” now on Google Daydream
We have already presented the interesting sci-fi horror experience "Sonar" in our VR focus in DP 02 : 17. Here is an extract from the interview with Philipp Maas and all the new information.
Monitors and recorders: Neway from China or Video Assist from Blackmagic?
The flip-out screen of an Ursa Mini Pro is very small and only offers a 2x pixel zoom despite full HD. This is not a problem in shoulder mode, as the OLED viewfinder is excellent. But the camera can do more than just reportage, and when working with a larger team you often need a larger image. In the case of expensive productions or unrepeatable events, it is generally advisable to provide a backup image, which is not offered by the camera itself. This raises the question of whether to use an inexpensive additional monitor or a combination device that also records the signals.
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?
So much cattle stuff!
Review: In DP 03 : 2017, Warner Brothers reached for "Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them", because J.K. Rowling was finished with Harry Potter after volume seven. Off we went to the beasts (wherever they are to be found)!
Meet the Graphorns
Image Engine worked on 88 VFX shots for "Fantastic Beasts and where to find them", with the Canadian studio responsible for the three-headed Graphorn family and Swooping Evil as well as several other sequences. Due to the high complexity of the tasks, Image Engine worked on the project for around a year with a team of 1OO people, despite the relatively small number of shots.
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.
On-Set Tools
Review: In DP 06 : 2016 we introduced four helpers that will help you to find out the exact position of the light emitter sun, preview LUTs in the browser, and always have a collection of knowledge with you.
Sensitivity for sensitive topics
Looking back: In DP 03 : 2016, we faced up to mortality. The "Young Heroes" organisation is committed to making informed decisions about organ donation. A related short film from Berlin impressed the animago judges with its pop-up 3D environment. All organic, right?
Cosmos Laundromat
Review: In DP 01:2016, the Blender Institute produced the comedic short film "Kosmos Waschsalon". Did the film win the animago AWARD 2015?
First Cycle
Review: In DP 01 : 2016, we spoke to Mathieu Auvray - a French director with ten years of professional experience. What tools does the artist très français work with?
Dark Awakening
Review: In DP 05 : 2010, the Finns from Remedy Entertainment moved to the north-west of America - research for Alan Wake. Could the new game concept match its predecessor Max Payne: The Fall of Pax Payne?
Making-of Krautscape
Review: In DP 04 : 2014, we let the engines roar in the racing game Krautscape by developers Mario von Rickenbach and Michael Burgdorfer - including procedurally generated racetracks. A game project from the Zurich University of the Arts.
Cloudy with a view of Houdini
Review: In DP 03 : 2014, we climbed into the opening scene of the bestselling film adaptation of The Book Thief. Rise Visual Effects Studios realised a long cloud sequence including a 3D tracking shot with Houdini. How do artists create the perfect cumulus cloud?
Love in times of global warming
Review: In DP 03 : 2014, we found out what happens when arctic pink creatures get involved with tropical fruit - and design students from HBK Braunschweig make 3D animation.
The CG monkeys are loose
Review: In DP 06 : 2014, Weta Digital set to work on the second instalment of Planet of the Apes. A conversation with VFX supervisor Dan Lemmon about primates, performance capturing and premium VFX.
When the Lucy gets the LIDAR…
Review: In DP 07 : 2014, "Lucy", together with director Luc Besson, tapped into the full brain power - and the VFX power of ILM, Rodeo FX and 4DMax. How did the sci-fi action film with Scarlett Johansson come about?
Spider webs vs. electric flashes
Review: In DP 07 : 2014, the most popular spider-man in film history was electrostatically charged. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Rise of Electro" was one of the most elaborate projects for Sony Pictures Imageworks in 2014. We caught up with digital effects supervisor David A. Smith.
Steampunk Panther
Review: In DP 02 : 2014, a steampunk panther caught the readers' eye - with emerald green eyes and filigree decorations. An animago submission by 3D artist Anna Huber.
Put in the right light
Review: In DP 04 : 2014, Depeche Mode went on a major tour - and Cologne-based post-production house the editors cgn was responsible for the high-quality post-production of the concert events. How do post-pros make the performers look as good as possible? Head editor Tobias Berbuer explains in an interview!
Historical Decay
Review: In DP 01 : 2014 game developer Naughty Dog threw its heroes into a post-pandemic scenario with The Last of Us - but how were the lighting, texturing and motion capturing created?
Korda database
Looking back: In DP 01 : 2013, we threw ourselves into the arms of film funding - and with that we went into the Korda database, which promises to clear up the film funding jungle.