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No DRM, No Fuss: Digital Production Archive Now Online
The Digital Production archive is live: all issues as DRM-free PDFs via Dropbox, exclusively for subscribers.
The power of the crowd
Looking back: In DP 03 : 2015, Lighting Boy Studio realised the film project Le Gouffre. A Kickstarter campaign brought the animated film over the finishing line. An animago AWARD-nominated short film.
The law of the series | Retro article
Review: In DP 05 : 2010, we sought an expert discussion with Blue Byte, the German gaming industry giants. We asked Managing Director Odile Limpach and Producer Benedikt Grindel about the 7th instalment of the building strategy series The Settlers.
War of the Worlds | Retro Articles
Review: In DP 05 : 2005, ILM chased special effects through a brand new pipeline for Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds film. A test run with time pressure - in the middle of a big-budget production.
Between HFF and VHS | Retro article
Looking back: A special film school opened in Mannheim in DP 06 : 2014. The non-profit organisation Flimmermenschen views film as a holistic cultural phenomenon. An educational programme for students, hobbyists and newcomers to the industry.
More locations, more VFX!
Looking back: In DP 03 : 2015, we found out that Rise Visual Effects Studios has been around since 2007 - eight years later, in 2015, it even had four locations. Founder Florian Gellinger explained to us how the expansion of the VFX business was achieved.
A memorable VFX project
Review: In DP 06 : 2013, we spoke to VFX supervisors Thilo Ewers (Pixomondo) and Paul Lambert (Digital Domain) about the science fiction film Oblivion - and about Tom Cruise's 3D model.
Maljaʼ tayʼ Avid
Review: In DP 05 : 2013 we learnt Klingon: "Cut with Avid" is called "Maljaʼ tayʼ Avid". J. J. Abrams made the sequel to the reboot - could Starship Enterprise nostalgics and blockbuster fans be satisfied at the same time?
Back to the 70s – Cloud Atlas
Review: In DP 02 : 2013, we tracked down the mega-production Cloud Atlas - with export director Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski siblings in the director's chair. How did Rise manage the massive visual effects of the three-hour epic - and how did the VFX artists transform today's Glasgow into the San Francisco of the 1970s?
Interview zu Cloud Atlas
Review: In DP 02 : 2013, we spoke to Florian Gellinger, founder of VFX studio Rise, about the David Mitchell film Cloud Atlas. The sci-fi epic was realised by: the Wachowski siblings.
Colourful balls
Review: In DP 01 : 2013, a world-famous manufacturer of sugar water commissioned a commercial from Bent Image Lab. Grading artist Jalal Jemison was responsible for the bright red colour typical of the beverage brand. An interview.
Medieval murderer
Ubisoft built on the success of Assassin's Creed with a second installment in the series. The content mix for the sequel: Renaissance Italy, modern 3ds Max technology and a pompous trailer debut. The reward: an animago AWARD in the "Best Postproduction" category!
A new journey begins
Review: In DP 01 : 2013, Weta Digital went back to Middle-earth with Peter Jackson. For the prequel trilogy "The Hobbit", the New Zealanders transferred fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien's prequel to the big screen.
Studio Validations from Nvidia | Kostenloser Artikel
Brought to you by notebooksbilliger.de: In this in-depth interview with Senior Technical Product Manager Rick Napier we talked about Nvidia Studio. What is it and how does it work?
Back in Dinoland
Review: In DP 01 : 2016, "Jurassic World" celebrated its opening. We asked VFX supervisor Martyn Culpitt from Image Engine for a chat - about impressive CG environments and even more impressive CG dinosaurs. Who is the biggest pipeline eater?
ARRI ALEXA 35: Sensor and Workflow
The ALEXA 35 introduced a 17-stop sensor, REVEAL Color Science, ARRI Textures, 19 recording formats and Live Link metadata.
Practical test of the Filmic Pro app with Frame.io!
Only for YouTubers? Master editor Oliver Peters gets behind the handset - and behind the editing suite and on-location camera. Can the Filmic Pro app inspire?
Flight Simulator | Workshop Report Wednesday
Aeroplanes in your stomach - and on the (virtual) runway? Alessandro Cucinotta guides you to where "Microsoft Flight Simulator X" and "Reallusion" tools provide lift!
Resolve 10 on tour
Review: In DP 01 : 2014, Resolve 10 went into open beta. We spoke to London-based videographer James Tonkin, who was on tour with Resolve 10 and Robbie Willliams. The perfect topic for the festival season!
New CG villains for Spider-Man 3 |
Review: In DP 04 : 2007, Spidey made his third appearance on the big screen and had to fight three villains at the same time. Imageworks created characters made of air, sand and black mass.
Todesfall in Celebration City
Review: In DP 07 : 2016, photo designer Jürgen Stein reported on his black and white work "Topview", which was created with Softimage and Arnold. More than just black and white painting?
Capturing Reality in Houdini
Review: In DP 02 : 2019, we take a closer look at photogrammetry in Houdini. Our Houdini expert clarifies whether this has resulted in a production boost for game developers.
My Dear Gnome
Review: In DP 06 : 2016, the animated short film "My Dear Gnome" impressed with a humorous board game of checkers. We spoke to the two makers.
Germany in Baselight
A look back: In DP 01:2019, we took a look at high-end grading with Baselight. We also spoke to Rotor Film about HDR material and the Amazon series "Deutschland 86".
Stylised Inn in Unreal Engine 5
Environment artist Zurab Barisashvili explains the texturing and lighting workflow behind a stylised inn built with UE5 and Substance Designer.
Bigger & Better
Review: In DP 04 : 2009, effects company ILM realised gigantic robots for Michael Bay's second part of the tin-and-bending brothers from Transformers. "Mindbending" or "sand in the gears"?
Thousands of parts
Looking back: In DP 05 : 2007, the ILM team was looking for new ways to bring the Transformers to the big screen - and came up with a solution that had a decisive impact on the industry.
Framestore kills Tom Cruise
Review: In DP 06:2014, we looked to London - and to the effects of sci-fi gem "Edge of Tomorrow", in which Tom Cruise dies a thousand deaths.
glTF – the new standard for products | Retro articles
Looking back: In DP 01:2022 we presented a new standard for assets - that can do real-time? It can! That masters PBR? It masters it! That is open source and prominently supported? Yes, and again: Yes! Is glTF the file format prodigy?
UVPackmaster 2 for 3ds Max
A look back: In DP 05 : 2020, 3ds Max expert Mike Kuhn dealt with UV unwinding. An annoying task for many, but a meditative puzzle game for Mike.
Adventures in the alien ghetto
Review: In DP 06 : 2009, the sci-fi surprise hit "District 9" flashed us - with big green aliens that look like a cross between a shrimp and a grasshopper.
Avid Media Composer 2021.12 Reviewed
Media Composer 2021.12 adds cloud licence transfers, Monterey and M1 emulation support, Windows 11 compatibility and interface updates.
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.
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"?
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?
Modelling a Vintage Ticket Dispenser
Pulkit Jain explains a Maya, Substance and Marmoset workflow for a vintage ticket dispenser built to practise subdivision modelling.
Unity Acquires SyncSketch
Unity acquires browser-based review platform SyncSketch, adding real-time annotation, whiteboards and 2D, video and 3D review.
Digital Production Camera Comparison and Test Files
Uli Plank compared cameras from Canon, Nikon, GoPro, Blackmagic Design and Sony, with archived articles and downloadable test files.
Building an Abandoned Tunnel in UE5
Environment artist Emiel Sleegers explains composition, assets, vegetation, texturing and lighting for an Unreal Engine 5 tunnel.
Procedural Grass with Megascans and UE4
Karsten Malmquist explains a Megascans-to-SpeedTree workflow, grass shaders, landscape materials and optimisation in Unreal Engine 4.
Creating Human Figures with MakeHuman
This archive tutorial explains MakeHuman's macro controls, topology choices, facial asymmetry and CC0 export for downstream 3D work.
A Modular Hermit Interior in UE4
Daniela Ontiveros details walls, floors, trim textures, books, props, lighting and rendering for a modular Unreal Engine 4 interior.
Modo 10.1: Procedural Modelling and pFusion
A detailed look at Modo 10.1's procedural modelling stack, mesh and selection operations, curve tools, game workflows and the early pFusion extension for MeshFusion.
Renderpeople Adds Rigged 3D People
A detailed look at Renderpeople's expansion from ready-to-render scanned people to rigged 3D characters, including topology, skeletons, facial controls and workflow trade-offs.
MochaBlend Transfers Mocha Tracking Data to Cinema 4D and Blender
A detailed review of MochaBlend, a plug-in for transferring Mocha planar tracks, shapes and camera data into Cinema 4D or Blender for 3D integration.
Houdini-style predetermined breaking points
Review: In DP 03 : 2019, Rainer Duda confronts the predetermined breaking point Houdini 17 aka "Codename Banshee" - and breaks it?
DJI Ronin 4D Combines Camera and Gimbal
DJI Ronin 4D combines a full-frame 6K or 8K cinema camera, four-axis stabilisation, LiDAR focusing and wireless video transmission.
Editing Pipelines with OpenTimelineIO
A detailed introduction to Pixar's OpenTimelineIO, its timeline object model, EDL/XML adapters, viewer, installation and prospects for native NLE integration.
Using a Second Keyboard or MIDI Controller for Shortcuts
A practical guide to using a second keyboard or MIDI controller as a dedicated shortcut surface with HID Macros, LuaMacros, MIDI2LR and application-specific mappings.
ProRes Patcher: Last-Minute Repairs Without a Full Render
ProRes Patcher's early beta edited frames, metadata and clip sections without rebuilding an entire ProRes file, but required strict copy-first testing.
Head-Mounted Capture at the 2021 Sci-Tech Oscars
An fxguide feature examined the 2021 Scientific and Technical Awards and the development of head-mounted facial capture by Technoprops, Standard Deviation and Weta Digital.
3Dconnexion CADMouse Review for Left-Handed Artists
A long-term review of the left-handed 3Dconnexion CADMouse examines ergonomics, seven-button control, wireless and wired operation, 3DxWare profiles and DCC use.
Digital Domain’s Masquerade 2.0 Advances Facial Capture
Digital Domain's Masquerade 2.0 facial-capture system supported performances such as Thanos and the recreation of Martin Luther King Jr. for TIME.
Pixar Discusses the RenderMan 24 Roadmap, XPU and Denoising
Pixar's RenderMan team discussed GPU adoption, XPU, memory demands, machine learning and denoising after the RenderMan 24 release.
Premiere Pro Project View Presets Favour the List View
Editor Scott Simmons shared Premiere Pro project-view presets designed around the List View rather than thumbnail-heavy browsing.
The Witcher by Platige
Blast from the Past: In 2020 we conversed with Platige Image about the hit-series “The Witcher”.
Mocha Pro 2022 Adds MFR Support and Apple Silicon Performance
Mocha Pro 2022 added Adobe Multi-Frame Rendering support, colour-management improvements, new exports and faster Apple M1 performance.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker — VFX Supervisor Roger Guyett Interview
ILM VFX supervisor Roger Guyett discusses the global production, practical and digital techniques, virtual production and fleet work behind The Rise of Skywalker.
USD | Article
From Chaos Group: Universal Scene Description - in the flow of time, or fishing in the mud?
Cycles in Blender 2.8: Performance, Shaders and Workflow Updates
A detailed review of the Cycles improvements delivered with Blender 2.8, covering performance, hardware support, motion blur, Cryptomatte, displacement and shaders.
ZBrush 2019’s NPR Filters for Non-Photorealistic Rendering
A detailed review of ZBrush 2019’s BPR-based NPR filters, presets, effect layers, masks and render-pass workflow for illustrative 3D imagery.
Havit HV-KB395L Review: A Low-Profile Mechanical Keyboard
A 2018 review of Havit’s full-size HV-KB395L keyboard, covering its low-profile Kailh switches, construction, RGB software, macros and everyday ergonomics.
Plex – Open source pipeline for VFX
Review: In DP 03 : 2018, our author Alexander Richter stated: "There are countless pipelines for film projects. But how is a project ultimately set up and realised?
Radeon ProRender for 3ds Max: Renderer Review
A detailed 2018 review of AMD Radeon ProRender for 3ds Max, covering OpenCL CPU/GPU rendering, materials, lighting, cameras, ActiveShade and workflow limitations.
Trapcode 14 Review: New Tools for Particular, Form and Tao
A historical review of Trapcode 14 examines Particular 3.0, Form 3.0 and Tao 1.2, including the expanded Designer and multisystems.
Ten Tips for a Stronger Lighting and Compositing Demo Reel
Lighting and compositing artist Eva Mateo-Fabregas shares ten practical ways to improve the quality, clarity and range of a demo reel.
Unity’s rendering at its finest: Lightweight and High Definition
Blast from the Past: In issue 06 : 2018 of DP our author Alexandra Kaschny wondered 'Which hidden rendering powers are revealed with Unity 2018.1 and above?'
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?
Reallusion and Unreal Engine Workflow Supports African Animation Project
Okai-Farayi Chinyanga explains a Reallusion and Unreal Engine workflow developed for Formation Animation and the Azania Rises project.
Lighttracer Review: Native GPU Path Tracing in a Web Browser
A historical review examines Lighttracer’s client-side WebGL path tracing, materials, lighting, cameras, GLB export and GPU performance.
Portable DaVinci Resolve: Mac mini eGPU vs Medion Erazer Laptop
A historical DaVinci Resolve test compares a Mac mini with external Radeon GPU against a Medion Erazer gaming laptop with Nvidia graphics.
Interview: Adam Myhill on Unity, Cinemachine and Real-Time Cinematography
Unity’s Adam Myhill discusses Cinemachine, Timeline, procedural cameras, HDRP and the engine’s expanding role in real-time cinematography.
Rebelle 3 Review: Natural Watercolour and Acrylic Painting
A historical review examines Rebelle 3’s realistic watercolour, acrylic, ink and pastel simulation, wet-media flow, masks and drawing aids.
Tutorial: Rendering VDB Clouds with Corona Renderer 6
SOA Academy demonstrates a VDB cloud-rendering workflow in Corona Renderer 6 and provides an accompanying article with additional guidance.
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?
Wacom Intuos Pro Review: Switching from Mouse to Pen
This archive hands-on review tests whether Wacom’s Intuos Pro can replace a mouse in everyday production work, from setup and ergonomics to precision and speed.
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.
Sound Tools for Editors: Soundly, Loopcloud, UVI and Virtual Audio Cable
This archive guide examines practical sound-design tools for editors, including Soundly, Loopcloud, Xtreme FX, Woosh and Virtual Audio Cable.
Direct modelling: modelling without obstacles
Review: In DP 01 : 2020, our author Rainer Duda took a closer look at the steep learning curve of VFX powerhouse Houdini - and revealed how the curve can be smoothed out.
4K production – what do you really need?
Review: In DP 02 : 2014, our author Michael Radeck went into the practical test with True 4K.
HDMI 2.1 Explained for Filmmakers
An overview of HDMI 2.1 covers 48Gbps bandwidth, Dynamic HDR, eARC, backward compatibility and certified Ultra High Speed cables.
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.
X-Particles Public Release 2019
The new X-Particles features will soon be available in Public Release 2019 - we took a look at what the tool has to offer.
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.
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)!
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.
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?
Rubinrote VFX
Review: DP 03 : 2013 took a closer look at the film adaptation of the young adult novel Ruby Red. We spoke to Professor Jürgen Schopper, Supervisor Mortimer Warlimont and VFX Producer Katja Müller about particle effects, the filmability of Spiegel bestsellers and the magic of VFX shots.
Bioshock Infinite
Review: In DP 03 : 2013, we asked Design Director and User Experience Specialist Billd Gardner why Bioshock Infinite had to be delayed. What happened behind the company gates at Irrational Games?