For those who don’t know the event: FMX is a production conference for animation and Visual Effects, mixing craft talks with pipeline sessions. It touches audio post, cinematography, and realtime tools such as Unreal.

Sound design: not an afterthought

Sound Design at FMX lands as a full track, built around immersive, interactive, and animated work where audio carries story weight. The track description positions sound as half the experience, then drills into fundamentals, standout projects, and where AI can help in early creative phases and where it fails.

The program brings in Supervising Sound Editor Nina Hartstone of Cinphonic, with a session on storytelling with sound that centers on recording, design, and editorial choices for film. Her listed credits include Bohemian Rhapsody, Moonage Daydream, Saltburn, and Wuthering Heights. She also teaches masterclasses at Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg during the On Campus day, with limited participation and registration handled via program@fmx.de.

Supervising Re Recording Mixer David Fluhr brings a workflow talk tied to Walt Disney Animation Studios and the realities of modern delivery. The session covers sound, music, and mixing workflows that support storytelling, plus worldwide deliveries, language versioning, and the path from temp to final mix using sequences from Vaiana 2 and Zoomania 2.

A third session attacks the handoff between picture and audio. Christoph Groß-Fengels demonstrates an AI driven workflow that watches an edit, extracts key frames, sends them to a vision system via the Google Cloud Vision API, then searches a local sound effects library and assembles a first pass sound bed. The pipeline uses a Python workflow designed to slot into existing post pipelines. Try it, break it, then try it again before you trust it with a worklfow that ships.

Cinematography: where VFX changes the job

The Cinematography track adds Paul Cameron for a career conversation about the influence of VFX on visual design, in conversation with Jordan Thistlewood of Cooke Optics. Cameron’s credits include Westworld, Collateral, and Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell no Tales, and the talk is supposed to circle around collaboration from on set through post.

Spatial Storytelling: XR wants story first

A first time Spatial Storytelling track focuses on XR narrative craft across film, theater, and games, with an explicit mandate to keep story ahead of shiny tech.

Alex Coulombe of Agile Lens and director David Gochfeld present virtual production workflows behind A Christmas Carol VR and R and D with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Their talk “Live to Media framework” that captures live performance motion capture and preserves it via the Unreal Engine 5 Replay System, aiming for scalable, repeatable immersive content.

Andreea Ion Cojocaru of NUMENA argues for space as the medium in VR, contrasting references ranging from the Acropolis to Half Life’s City 17, and exploring scale transitions as narrative devices with examples including Mamoru Oshii’s Angel’s Egg and the Venice Biennale project titled Dear Mother.

Balthazar Auxietre of InnerspaceVR focuses on environmental narrative in immersive experiences and outlines practical design techniques and workflows, including use of Gravity Sketch, with an emphasis on balancing cinematic direction and user agency.

Robyn Winfield-Smith discusses narrative work in Apple’s 180 degree immersive format using the Blackmagic Design URSA Cine Immersive camera developed specifically for Apple Vision Pro. The session description covers story development and previsualisation, stereoscopic workflows, scenic elements to guide attention, spatial audio considerations, and the future of spatial entertainment. The supplied details do not provide technical camera specifications.

Dates, formats, and what you can actually watch

FMX runs On Site May 5 to May 7, with Online and On Campus on May 8, and On Demand from May 9 through June 9. The ticket page has all kinds of pass types including Conference Pass, Business Pass, Combi Pass, Day Pass, Experience Pass, Online Pass, and Press Pass.

Two evening get togethers round out the schedule. Tuesday, May 5 runs 19:00 to 21:00 and is powered by Houdini (Meet your favourite Digital Production Editor there). Wednesday May 6 runs 19:00 to 21:00 and is powered by ROE Visual.

The post FMX 2026 bets on sound and spatial craft first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

ShapeLab 2025, the latest iteration of the virtual reality sculpting tool, is now live, offering features aimed at VFX artists, game developers, and 3D creators who prefer to sculpt their digital assets directly in VR. Developed by Leopoly, ShapeLab focuses on VR-based workflows for crafting 3D models with precision, simplicity, and improved speed.

Improved User Experience

The ShapeLab 2025 update emphasizes usability and workflow efficiency for digital production professionals. According to the developers, the software now offers a cleaner, more intuitive interface for sculpting and modeling within a virtual reality space. Stability and smoother navigation have also been prioritized – good news for artists tired of juggling laggy VR tools mid-sculpt.

Sculpting Features for VFX and Game Development

ShapeLab is specifically tailored for high-detail model creation, particularly useful for VFX workflows and game development pipelines. Artists can mold organic or hard-surface 3D models directly in VR, giving them a more tactile, immersive modeling experience. Key tools include adaptive brushes for modeling, customizable sculpting parameters, and mesh refinements for high-resolution assets.

For workflows requiring VR-to-standard-pipeline integration, ShapeLab supports FBX and OBJ exports, making it easier to slot 3D assets into applications like Maya, Blender, or ZBrush for further texturing, rigging, or animation.

Virtual Reality Focus

The tool remains VR-first, with compatibility for leading virtual reality hardware like HTC Vive and Meta Quest (with tethered PC setups). The VR environment allows creators to freely manipulate their models in full three-dimensional space – no monitor-induced tunnel vision here. ShapeLab 2025 is now available for purchase directly from Leopoly. Pricing details can be found on the manufacturer’s website – currently there are discounts, the usual price for the yearly version is $64.99

A Note on Stability

As with any new software release, artists are advised to test ShapeLab 2025’s tools and features before integrating them into active production pipelines. Simplicity and stability matter when deadlines loom.

The post ShapeLab 2025: Sculpting in VR, Now Sharper Than Ever first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

In nuce: Icosa Gallery has released the latest version of the open-source VR sketching app Open Brush, making Open Brush 2.0 available. With the release of Open Brush 2.0, the app is also celebrating its two-year anniversary. The software is based on Tilt Brush, which was previously developed by Google. Digital Production last reported on Tilt Brush on 9 November 2017. Open Brush has been open source since 2021 and will no longer be pursued as a commercial project.

Open Brush v2.0

In toto: Below are some of the key features of Open Brush 2.0 – in addition to the fact that the app has been upgraded to the latest version of the Unity game engine.

• Support for a Layers System: Up to eight layers can be selected. This should improve clarity when working with large sketches.
• Pressure sensitivity for brushes: Some brushes now have pressure sensitivity – depending on how hard the user grips their input device, strokes appear more or less forceful.
• Up to 10 times the bit rate: Sketching is said to have become noticeably more performant – with a leap in performance from 5 frames per second to 50.
• Support for OpenXR extensions: Virtual reality and mixed reality applications are hereby supported – and Open Brush usable for a wider range of hardware offerings. This includes an extension that allows users of Meta Quest headsets to draw within a mixed reality environment.
• Two new tools: The Snip and Join tools have been added to the toolbox. With these tools, existing brushstrokes can either be halved using the control point or two existing brushstrokes can be joined together.

Clicked further: To the announcement of the release of Open Brush 2.0 or to the corresponding GitHub. Users can find out where Open Brush is available from via docs.openbrush.app . Digital Production reported on the previous version Open Brush 1.0 on 2 March 2022 – and on the new functions Lazy Input and other feature delights.

Source: cgchannel.com ( report by Jim Thacker)

The post Drawing with VR glasses – and in 3D space? first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: Icosa Gallery releases Open Brush 1.0, an open-source 3D sketching tool for virtual reality. The software is based on Tilt Brush, which was previously developed by Google. We last reported on Tilt Brush on 9 November 2017. Open Brush has been open source since 2021 and is no longer being pursued as a commercial project.

What can Open Brush do? With Open Brush, you can draw in 3D space – provided you have a headset compatible with Oculus or SteamVR. You can export your drawings in FBX, gITF, USD or JSON file format. This allows you to continue your projects in Blender or Maya – or you can place your drawings directly as an asset in a game engine. Alternatively, you can upload your drawings directly to YouTube.

The highlight of designing with Open Brush is that your drawings are displayed both as conventional 2D brushstrokes and as 3D geometries. You can adapt the brushstrokes to your creative wishes – regardless of whether you want to bend, rotate, restrict your strokes to straight lines or recolour them. A nice special feature: you can place your drawings in a 3D background. Open Brush provides you with templates for this.

What can you expect with Open Brush 1.0? The most important changes include the so-called “Lazy Input”, which is similar to ZBrush’s “Lazy Mouse” system. This allows you to smooth out strokes that you have created freehand. Many users will also be pleased to know that different sketches can now be merged with each other. The video below will take you on a journey of discovery of all the other features.

Preview of Open Brush 1.1: Open Brush 1.1 is due to be released within a few weeks. The new features will include a layer system and a snip tool. With the snip tool, you will be able to cut out parts of existing strokes – or delete them completely.

Click further: You can find all further information at docs.openbrush.app. There you can also find out all about the differences between Open Brush and Tilt Brush. Of course, you can also find out where you can download Open Brush . Also visit openbrush.itch.io.

Open Brush v1.0 Release

Open Brush Trailer

The post With the open source Open Brush 1.0 you can scribble in virtual space first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

• What is the Virtual Production Lab? The workshop teaches core competences in the field of virtual and mixed reality production
• Cooperation with Film University Babelsberg: Experts from the field and professors from Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf will be lecturing
• The deadline: The application deadline is 31.01.2022. The workshops will take place between 14 and 18 March 2022 in German and English

In nuce: Apply for the Virtual Production Lab of the Film University Babelsberg Konrad Wolf and the Erich Pommer Institute!

What is the Virtual Production Lab? The workshop teaches core competences in the field of virtual and mixed reality production. The target group is film and television professionals who are interested in the new technologies. The lab is particularly suitable for creative professionals from the fields of production, editing, camera, directing and creative technologies.

Cooperation with Babelsberg Film University: National and international experts from the field as well as professors from Babelsberg Film University Konrad Wolf will impart their knowledge as part of the training programme. These include Prof. Dr Lena Gieseke (image-oriented media technology), Silke Buhr (production designer and film architect) and Frank Govaere and Adrian Weber (both from Halostage).

The key dates: The application deadline is 31 January 2022 and the workshops will take place between 14 and 18 March 2022 in German and English. All further information can be obtained from the Erich Pommer Institute itself.

Tip for those who are undecided: Today, 25 January at 19:00, you will get a little foretaste of what to expect in the workshop at the online info evening .

The post Filmuni Babelsberg organises the Virtual Production Lab first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.