For those who don’t know the event: FMX is where post, VFX, and realtime folks compare notes, spot new workflows, and meet toolmakers from Foundry to AYON .

The 30th edition runs on site May 5 to May 7, with Online and On Campus on May 8, and On Demand from May 9 to June 9. Early Bird ticket options run until March 20. Tickets are sold through the ticket shop, and the full schedule is published as an online program schedule.

This year’s reveal is a broad spread across VFX, animation, and digital media creation, with more updates promised as additional speakers and topics get added. The headline message is simple: the program is live now, and it is designed to be browsed like a buffet. Get your preferred morsels here :)

RENO turns a studio inward

A newly confirmed session in the Shorts track focuses on RENO, an original sci fi short used as a live testbed for virtual production and machine learning workflows. The session names Tav Flett, Rob Hifle, James Pollock, and Paul Silcox, and describes how a traditionally post-driven VFX studio re-engineered its pipeline for a newly opened virtual production stage. It also calls out Gaussian splat scanning, automated rotoscoping, and marker removal as tools for streamlining production.

Generative video, now with shot notes

The hype cycle is almost over. The bubble tends to pop the moment somebody asks where this stuff fits into an actual production pipeline. That is the useful angle of Moonvalleys‘ session in the “The Road ahead” track. . Instead of treating generative video as a party trick, Ben Lock looks at what happens when studios try to use it for real: control, continuity, versioning, integration, governance, and all the other small details that usually kill shiny ideas on contact.

For VFX and animation teams, that is the point. Not more halfbaked sizzle reels, but a sober look at where generative video already helps, where it still breaks, which parts of the panic were never grounded in production reality, and when studios may begin hiring artists again once practical applications, and their many many limits, are easier to assess.

Predator: Badlands, built as a handoff

A joint presentation in the VFX for Features track names Laurens Ehrmann from The Yard VFX and Dominik Zimmerle from TRIXTER discussing work on Predator: Badlands. Shared assets, shared look development, and constant creative exchange across studios to ensure continuity while elevating environments, characters, creatures, and effects, plus a deep dive into selected sequences and the creative and technical challenges behind them.

And there is more to come! Much more!

https://fmx.de/en/program/program-2026/overview

The post FMX 2026 program goes live first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

For those who don’t know the tool: Beeble is a cloud-based VFX relighting platform. Its new SwitchX adds generative background and lighting changes inside the same web app, not as a DCC plug-in.

Backgrounds first, everything else optional

Beeble has introduced SwitchX, a generative video feature designed to make background and lighting changes straightforward while keeping the main subject intact. SwitchX allows artists to replace environments, adjust lighting, and modify elements such as props or costumes while preserving the recognisable appearance of the subject. The core idea is simple: switch the world around the subject without altering what matters. The tool runs entirely inside the Beeble cloud application. No desktop version or direct host integration is mentioned in the official material.

A simple cloud workflow

The workflow centres on ease of use. Users upload a video or image to the Beeble web app. SwitchX automatically detects the main subject, and an interactive masking tool is available for finer control. A reference image is then added to define the new background, lighting and mood. The system analyses the footage frame by frame and pixel by pixel to guide the generation process and maintain temporal consistency.

In a few minutes, SwitchX can generate a 2K video with a new background, updated lighting, shadows and adjusted camera perspective. Identity, facial characteristics and audio sync are intended to remain intact. The exact pixel dimensions, codec and colour pipeline are not specified.

Relighting and environment reshaping

Beyond swapping backgrounds, SwitchX enables relighting of entire scenes. Mood, time of day or genre can be shifted by adjusting lighting conditions through the reference image. Props, costumes and set elements can also be modified. The material describes physically correct light interaction, though no technical definition or rendering model is detailed.

The launch video on YouTube demonstrates examples such as turning an everyday room into a studio-style setting or placing a subject into a city street environment. These examples illustrate aesthetic possibilities rather than measured performance data. Camera perspective adjustments are mentioned, but it is not clarified whether these involve 3D reconstruction or 2D approximations. There is no information about depth passes, AOV export or multilayer output.

Output and beta access

SwitchX produces 2K output in the cloud. The term crisp is used descriptively, without technical metrics. Bit depth, colour space, HDR support and ACES compatibility are not specified. The transcript of the launch video notes that SwitchX is available for free during a beta period. Pricing beyond beta is not included in the official announcement. There is no detail on render limits, clip length restrictions or commercial licensing terms.

Data handling, encryption and storage policies are not addressed in the provided material. Studios working with sensitive footage will need to confirm these aspects directly with Beeble.

Practical take

SwitchX focuses on easy background switching combined with relighting, delivered as a cloud-based video-to-video service. It promises consistent 2K output in minutes and aims to minimise flicker and drift. Whether it meets production tolerances will depend on shot complexity and delivery standards. As with any AI-driven tool entering a post pipeline, thorough testing is essential before committing to client work.

https://beeble.ai/research/switchx

The post Beeble SwitchX focuses on easy background swaps first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.