Haz started his career in Video games cinematics before moving into Visual Effects where he was nominated for several VES awards for his VFX Supervision work on CG heavy Docu-series for BBC, Discovery and History Channel. His short films (Project Kronos and SYNC) gained traction in Hollywood leading to his transitioning over to Directing & Producing with his breakout feature film THE BEYOND, the indie sci-fi was released in 2018 and was number 2 in the iTunes Charts before being licensed on Netflix and turning into a profitable movie. His second feature film - 2036 Origin Unknown, starring Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica, The Mandalorian) earned a limited Theatrical release before landing on Netflix. He was then hired by Disney to helm the pilot for the action comedy series Fast Layne, where he also served as EP / Creative Consultant on the entire series.

Haz is the co-founder of the production company HaZimation producing animated feature films, series, video games, and Metaverse projects based on their propriety pipeline utilizing Unreal Engine.  The studio's animated feature film - RIFT, has just completed and will be getting its world premiere at the oscar accredited festival - Sparks ani

Highlights of the Episode:

0:00 Introduction

1:50 Introduction of guest

3:06 How Unreal Engine Revolutionizes Content

07:48 In Depth with Motion Capture

12:30 The Encouragement to Show Drafts

13:33 How Real Time Works

15:55 Expanding Creatively To Different Locations

18:48 Telling The Story in Any Medium

25:33 Detailing The Poster

31:46 How Violence in Content is Based on Perception

51:23 Creating a Car Chase Scene

104:23 Outro

Quotes: 

"The only way to stay relevant is to keep creating content." - Haz Dulull

Connecting with the Guest:

LinkedIn: Haz Dulull

Website: https://hazfilm.com
Twitter: Hazimation

Connecting with CG Pro:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/becomecgpro

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomecgpro/

Website: https://www.becomecgpro.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomecgpro

RSVP here for upcoming CG Pro Podcasts: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/cg-pro-39748423833 

#virtualproduction #animation #becomecgpro

Onyi Udeh is a Los Angeles-based founder focused on using technology to help creatives tell their own stories through animation. He currently runs the largest animation community, Animation Club, in the world with 25k members; while building the first dedicated talent marketplace for animation services called ‘Pipeline’.

Onyi's past experiences include working for companies like Walt Disney Studios, Buzzfeed, and Apple. He also ran his own boutique animation studio, Kolanut Productions, which focused on telling stories rooted in African folklore.

He studied Information Technology at San Francisco State University and currently lives in Los Angeles

Highlights of the Episode:

0:00 Introduction

0:38 Introduction of guest

6:10 The Impact of Community

11:23 Keeping the Interest Alive

13:45 Falling Through Technology

30:01 The Pivotal Moments

36:52 How to Get on the Pipeline Platform

38:44 Where New Animators Should Start

45:12 Empowering the Community

58:22 How to Join Animation Club

108:47 Outro

Quotes: 3 quotes
“ I think not being, getting into visual effects specifically, and just the fact that you're not, you're not limited by the limitations of the real world.” - Onyi Udeh

“The gaming industry is expanding. And even a lot more animation talent, metaverse, you know, AR, VR, NFT, even education finance, everybody is kind of collectively looking for this talent.” - Onyi Udeh

“So for us, we saw this as a brilliant opportunity to build this animation ecosystem and truly democratize the process of animation. So anybody, no matter your background, your skill set could come on this platform and get a story told in animation.” - Onyi Udeh

“The gaming industry is expanding. And even a lot more animation talent, metaverse, you know, AR, VR, NFT, even education finance, everybody is kind of collectively looking for this talent.” - Onyi Udeh

“It's important to build those communities and those friendship and those networks because typically, once you have a great relationship and a friendship and you work with somebody, when they get an opportunity or a new project is coming up, tv, film or whatever recruiters typically ask, Well, who would you like to work with?” - Onyi Udeh

“People are now where visual effects was kind of people sitting on their own with headphones on, not interacting that much. This is now starting to change it to be more collaborative in real time. People actually work together more, which is great. And I think VFX artists love it. They kinda wanna be in the mix.” - Onyi Udeh

Connecting with the Guest:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/onyi-udeh-a570b032/

Website: https://pipelinebeta.splashthat.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ceonchairman?lang=en

Connecting with CG Pro:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/becomecgpro

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomecgpro/

Website: https://www.becomecgpro.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomecgpro 

 RSVP here for upcoming CG Pro Podcasts: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/cg-pro-39748423833

#virtualproduction

#animation

#becomecgpro

Winbush is a multi-award-winning motion graphics artist with over 15 years of experience working in a wide range of mediums from television, movies, to virtual & augmented reality. Over his career, Winbush has done work for Epic Games, Marvel, Netflix, DC, Warner Bros, & Happy Madison to name a few. Notable works include Iron Man, Lego Batman 2, Lego Harry Potter, Transformers, NFL on FOX, Power Rangers, Fantastic Four, Deadliest Catch, and My Little Pony. In the education space, Winbush creates tutorials weekly through Youtube as well as speaks at conferences around the world for shows such as Adobe Max, Siggraph, NAB, and UnrealFest. Winbush is currently a part of the Youtube Black Voice Fund and was also recently awarded the MegaGrant by Epic games to further support his educational efforts. You can find more information about Winbush at JonathanWinbush.com

Highlights of the Episode:

0:13 Introduction

2:14 Jonathan's Story

3:44 Inspiration from movies

6:36 Jonathan's work on movies

8:11 Internship

11:13 Advice for breaking into the industry

15:22 Helping each other

17:03 Youtube career

21:09 Value of education

23:00 Unreal Five vs Unreal Four

26:41 Real time evolution

29:14 Time management

30:26 How to keep things interesting

33:59 Advancement in technology

35:44 Blender application

45:11 Future of green screen and unreal engine

46:40 Good complimentary platform

48:33 Prioritize to learn: Blender or Houdini

50:58 Definition of artist

56:05 Things to look out for

59:44 youtube.com/JonathanWimbush

1:01:37 Mocap

1:04:30 Unreal Fest

Quotes:
“ This stuff should be fun. Like it shouldn't feel like work cuz it's like if you don't enjoy what you're doing, then it's just gonna make your day drag on. But if you're enjoying what you're doing, then it's just like the days go just like that. Like I could literally sit behind a computer for like 20 hours with no break just because I enjoy what I'm doing.“ - Jonathan Winbush

“Nothing can replace hands-on training like your internship or coming in as a junior artist, but it's also important to build the foundation and the building blocks beforehand. So you never wanna go into just cold turkey, not knowing anything. ”- Jonathan Winbush on breaking into the industry

“I had artists that I was actually under, that anytime I had a question, like no one ever turned their back to me. Like the motion graphics community was just so opening and they were uplifting each other, like everybody was helping each other..”- Jonathan Winbush

“I realized that people are coming for the educational content. So I tried to focus more on that. And as you know, like being an educator it's a process. You learn as you go. You're not only learning the software, you're learning how to relay this information to people too, to keep it interesting. Make it so they can relate and be able to take something away from it” - Jonathan Winbush

“And so there's different types of mediums in artistry. You can be a traditional painter or jar, but that's an old school mentality. That's not the only thing that's out there. Like there's an artistry to programming, there's an artistry to sculpting.” - Jonathan Winbush on definition of an artist

Connecting with the Guest:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanwinbush/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-winbush
Website: http://winbushimmersive.com/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/jonathanwinbush

Connecting with CG Pro:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/becomecgpro

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomecgpro/

Website: https://www.becomecgpro.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomecgpro

RSVP here for upcoming CG Pro Podcasts: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/cg-pro-39748423833

#VirtualProduction

#UnrealEngine

#BecomeCGPro

Luc Delamare is a virtual production cinematographer, supervisor, and visualization artist.  Defined by his admiration for the convergence of technology and creativity, his passion is bridging the world of live action cinematography and virtual production.  With both LED volume and CG cinematography experience, Luc’s work is grounded in reality thanks to his live action DP background.  Enabled by his past experience as a vfx supervisor and compositor, he prides himself on speaking–and translating–the various cinematic languages required by today’s highly technical productions. Most importantly, Luc is fluent in Unreal Engine.Luc has served as a “VP DP” for directors TK McKamy and Warren Fu, as well as clients like Google, Blizzard, & Western Digital.  In a past life as a visual effects supervisor, some of his previous clients included Apple, Nasa, Vivo, & 20th Century Fox. Having recently joined the world building lab, Impossible Objects, as Head of Technology, Luc now oversees IO’s implementation of new virtual production pipelines, with a special emphasis in visualization inside Unreal Engine.

Highlights of the Episode:

0:00 Introduction

2:05 Luc's story

3:34 What inspired Luc

6:08 Getting his first job

9:15 Softwares

15:10 Why unreal is standard

20:50 Recommendation to newbies

23:35 What helps with the process

28:02 Approaching a project

33:36 Managing storyboards

35:54 Favorite plugins

37:06 Combining tools

39:49 Developing your own assets

43:44 Customizing mesh

44:45 Virtual production

46:52 Green screen

49:10 How cinematography has helped

50:22 Tips for people who don't have a cinematography background

53:07 AI and Machine Learning

56:20 What is Luc excited/scared about

Quotes:
“ It became quickly clear to us that, you know, with the right mindset and the right approach, this tool is completely valid. “

- Luc Delamare on Unreal Engine

“I will say that this would be hard advice, don't download any software without a goal in mind. You know you'll immediately shut it down. No one wants to watch tutorials without an end in sight. So do it to build something that makes you happy that if you enjoy being creative in that sense”- Luc Delamare

“It's more the mindset, you know,  what can unreal help do to elevate this project? Because it's part of our pipeline cause we're not gonna be stubborn about things that just either aren't there yet or things that just may not make sense or things that the time is there to do this and do it a little slowly, then we can do it that way.”- Luc Delamare

“I was starting to understand that if you have this view and understand the tools at every end of the spectrum you know things can go a lot more smoothly and you can help communicate a story and just your ideas and in a lot more efficient manner.” - Luc Delamare

“For me it was groundbreaking because I could suddenly envision the way I would almost storyboard a movie or block a movie. I realized I could block the same way I blocked a live action commercial or narrative shoot. I could do the exact same thing in unreal.” - Luc Delamare

“The themes behind cinematography apply to any form of art, obviously. Of course it applies to virtual production and unreal engine as well. And so it's just another canvas to kind of explore this kind of thing that happens to be free. It happens to be a major tool that's kind of being explored in, in virtual production in general.” - Luc Delamare

Connecting with the Guest:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/luc_delamare

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luc-delamare
Website: https://lucdelamare.com/

Connecting with CG Pro:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/becomecgpro

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomecgpro/

Website: https://www.becomecgpro.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomecgpro

RSVP here for upcoming CG Pro Podcasts: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/cg-pro-39748423833

#VirtualProduction

#Cinematography

#BecomeCGPro

Designer, developer, and educator, Alex Coulombe is the CEO of Heavenue, a new high-fidelity cloud platform to connect performers with audiences across the metaverse. He also runs Agile Lens: Immersive Design, the award winning XR creative studio.

Alex has always had a passion for purposing emerging technology for creative visions. In 2010 he graduated from Syracuse University with a B. Arch (and Drama minor!) and after working for several architecture firms, when the Oculus DK1 hit the market, immersive tech became his focus. In 2013 while at the theatre planning consultancy Fisher Dachs Associates, he pioneered the world’s first use of VR for accurately testing sightlines and adjusting room design based on the results. Other early immersive creations include an equipment clearance checker for Hudson Yards’ The Shed, a projection mapping tool for Bravo Media and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and design mockups for the Park Avenue Armory’s production of Kenneth Branagh’s Macbeth. His work in highly-custom solutions grew and culminated in the formation of Agile Lens.

Recent architecture projects include David Geffen Hall, Brockman Hall for Opera, the Statue of Liberty Museum, and the Yale Schwarzman Center.

Recent theatre collaborations include the award-winning ghost speed-dating experience Ghosted AR, the Venice Film Festival live VR performance, Loveseat, and the ongoing OnBoard XR One Act Festival. By early 2021, Alex began to focus in earnest building a platform to serve the needs of performing artists in virtual space, and Heavenue was born. The first use of Heavenue was a collaboration with Actors Theatre of Louisville on Scrooge’s Ghost Encounter. The show included actor Ari Tarr performing live in performance capture equipment for audiences around the world engaged in a shared Unreal Engine scene through Meta Quest VR headsets in December 2021. The latest show is a reinterpretation of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, The Orchard, which opened June 7. Learn more at https://www.theorchardoffbroadway.com/

A rising thought leader, Alex and his work features in conferences around the world. He taught VR performance at NYU Tisch, Unity3D at the Syracuse University School of Architecture, and currently teaches Unreal Engine as an authorized partner of Epic Games. Alex has helped organize such events as the RealTime Conference, TCG National Conference, and the new 5th Wall Forum.

Highlights of the Episode:

0:00 Introduction

2:29 Alex's story

5:32 5 year program

7:24 Transitioning

12:51 Working in different environments

16:24 Development kit skills and programming

20:44 Advice for learning intimidating skills

24:21 Alex's company

29:16 Cloud computing and pixel streaming

34:07 What made Alex excited about Unreal Engine

41:00 VR and ARs in the future

44:01 Implant of hardwares

45:34 Improvements in metahumans

50:50 Types of theater would or wouldnt work

55:46 Alex's podcast

57:42 What is Alex excited about the future

59:28 AI's involvement in art

Quotes:
“ It's really good to have a goal, to have a particular experience that you want to create. “

- Alex Coulombe

“You're gonna find something in that film that really excites you and you're gonna have those deadlines. And by the end of that process, you're gonna probably come out with something that's pretty impressive. And you might not have even thought that you could do that in such a short amount of”- Alex Coulombe

“I hear people say like I never wanna be a cyborg and it's like, we're kind of already cyborgs.

We rely on devices so much already.”- Alex Coulombe on hardware implants

“And I want as many people in the world to be able to have art affect them in that kind of way. And a lot of that accessibility and a lot of that democratization will come from having the technology, get to a point where it's ubiquitous and cheap and fast enough and frictionless enough that you can do something like put on sunglasses and instantly feel like you are having an experience like that.”- Alex Coulombe

Connecting with the Guest:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/heavenuexr

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexcoulombe/
Website: https://www.agilelens.com/

The (Unofficial) Unreal Engine Podcast: https://rss.com/podcasts/uepodcast/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAq1Tl1Upr0

Connecting with CG Pro:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/becomecgpro

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomecgpro/

Website: https://www.becomecgpro.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomecgpro

RSVP here for upcoming CG Pro Podcasts: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/cg-pro-39748423833

#virtualproduction

#ImmersiveExperiences

#UnrealEngine

Barbara Ford Grant is President, NEP Prysm Stages, a business of NEP Virtual Studios. She is responsible for growing NEP’s global network of permanent virtual production facilities, stage partnerships and client relationships in Film and TV, and for building solutions with her team to empower artists and storytelling.
Barbara has contributed to media and entertainment for nearly 30 years across both creative and technical aspects of film production. Her experience includes emerging technologies, large-scale production operations, research and development, visual effects, animation and enterprise level management.

Before joining NEP, Barbara was Chief Technology Officer at arts and entertainment company Meow Wolf overseeing the company’s mixed-reality platform and IT divisions. Before Meow Wolf, she served as SVP, Digital Production Services at HBO overseeing studio production and post-production operations and growth, and next-gen technologies. Prior to that, she worked at entertainment companies Digital Domain, Sony Pictures Imageworks, and DreamWorks Animation, where she enabled new digital human animation and rendering, digital story and post production workflows, and simulations technologies. Her credits include groundbreaking Film and TV productions Game of Thrones, Maleficent, Alice in Wonderland and the Shrek franchise.

Barbara has been active throughout her career in recognizing and mentoring current and new talent. She is a member of both the Television Academy and the Motion Picture Academy, currently serving as Chair of the Scientific and Technical Awards Committee, is a member of the Technology Committee of the Visual Effects Society, and recently worked as a strategy consultant to MovieLabs, a non-profit R&D joint venture providing universities, corporations, start-ups and others technical guidance and funding for innovative technologies in the distribution and use of motion pictures.

She studied Art History and Photography at the University of New Mexico and currently lives in Los Angeles with her family.

Highlights of the Episode:
0:23 Introduction to Barbara Ford Grant
1:19 Journey into visual effects
7:11 Coding
16:28 Starting in New Mexico
20:45 What it’s like working on….
24:16 Is it possible to retain creative spirit in a bigger institution
31:38 The hardest part to scale
34:10 Role as President of NEP Prysm Stages
39:02 Currently working in Production
40:43 Building tools independent of the engine
43:51 Having a healthy R&D team
48:41 Stage plans for the New York Metro area
48:56 Opportunities to see the Atlanta stage
50:19 Favorite aspects in virtual production
53:08 Machine learning AI tools coming out
1:01:39 A short film
1:02:57 Being multi disciplinary

Quotes:

"If you've been in visual effects this long nothing drives you’re more crazy than rebuilding the same asset over and over again for a different purpose." - Barbara Ford Grant

"The advantage of a big company is that they were the IP and the advantage of a small company is they were kind of a punk scrappy collective that kinda started the whole thing." - Barbara Ford Grant

"It's a sketch with technology, they're sketching out something that's never been sketched before and using some amounts of technology to help illustrate that."
- Barbara Ford Grant

“It's not about policy it's like what's necessary, what's actually gonna have the biggest impact.” - Barbara Ford Grant

“Maintaining our passions is important to our career growth.” - Barbara Ford Grant

Connecting with the Guest:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/barbaraanneford/
Instagram: @barbarafordgrant
Twitter: https://twitter.com/barbarafordgra1?lang=en

Connecting with CG Pro:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/becomecgpro
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomecgpro/
Website: https://www.becomecgpro.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/edgevisualCG

RSVP here for upcoming CG Pro Podcasts: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/cg-pro-39748423833

#virtualproduction
#filmmaking
#innovation

For over 25 years, Brett Leonard has been at the forefront of the digital media revolution - whether it be as Director/ Writer of the groundbreaking hit film Lawnmower Man, which introduced the concept of Virtual Reality to popular culture - or being the first to pioneer modern stereoscopic techniques and photo-realistic CGI in his hit IMAX 3D film “T-Rex” - or introducing American audiences to Russell Crowe and many other talents both in front of and behind the camera.

Brett’s work as a visionary Director/Producer/Futurist has always pushed the edge of innovation in the entertainment industry, and continues to do so with a project slate at his company Studio Lightship, focused on creation of VX (Virtual eXperience) executed in a hybrid approach with Film and Television. Studio Lightship is dedicated to defining a process and platform for truly interactive narrative VX StoryWorlds for the emerging era of Immersive Entertainment. Brett is currently finishing two feature film projects he has directed- “Hollywood Rooftop”, the first film to be shot in both 360VR and traditional cinema - and “Triumph”, starring Academy Award Nominee Terrence Howard, star of the hit television series “Empire”, and RJ Mitte, star of the groundbreaking series “Breaking Bad”.

Highlights of the Episode:

0:00 Introduction

2:13 Tool technologies

5:12 What got you into movies

8:32 Super eight filmmaker

12:28 Advice for people breaking into the industry

15:56 Good way to understand filmmaking

19:58 Creating a narrative

22:10 Streaming services

23:33 Managing storytelling

29:27 The point of storytelling

32:04 Lawnmower Man reborn

36:05 Immersive environments

37:50 Healing Virtual Environments

46:19 Contrast in utopian vs dystopian storytelling

50:37 Immersive experience

55:15 Supporting the metaverse

58:30 Open source community is utopia

1:00:02 virtualpsychedelics.com

Quotes:

“ Now I will say that in order to break the mold, you gotta know what the mold is you're breaking. You have to know what good narrative is. Knowing how that works in the human conscious and unconscious. That's really important. - Brett Leonard

“I mean you don't even need to go to a college and get the tools. You can actually find those tools online. You could shoot with your phone, play around and really find out what works for you and your point of view as a storyteller.”- Brett Leonard

“Blade Runner is really a narrative environment more than it is a traditional plot. I mean, the plot is incredibly simple. You know, Android chases other Androids and finds out he's an Android. You don't watch that movie again and again, because of the plot, you watch that cause you're exploring a narrative environment that has such richness in it.”- Brett Leonard

Connecting with the Guest:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/directorleonard

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettleonard1/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brettleonard1/ 

Connecting with CG Pro:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/becomecgpro

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomecgpro/

Website: https://www.becomecgpro.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomecgpro

RSVP here for upcoming CG Pro Podcasts: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/cg-pro-39748423833

#virtualproduction
#storytelling
#filmmaking

Paul Debevec is Netflix’s Director of Research for Creative Algorithms and Technology, overseeing R&D for visual effects and virtual production with computer vision, graphics, and machine learning.

In 2002, his Light Stage 3 system surrounded actors with LEDs displaying images of virtual sets and environments for lighting-accurate compositing. Techniques from Paul’s work have been used to create key visual effects sequences in The Matrix, Spider-Man 2, Benjamin Button, Avatar, Gravity, Furious 7, Blade Runner: 2049, Gemini Man, Free Guy, and numerous video games.

Paul’s techniques for HDR imaging, image-based lighting, and photoreal digital actors have been recognized with two Academy Awards and the SMPTE Progress Medal. Paul is a Governor of the Visual Effects Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a Fellow of the Visual Effects Society, and an Adjunct Research Professor at the University of Southern California Computer Science.

More info at: www.debevec.org

Highlights of the Episode:
0:00 Introduction
1:52 Paul’s early days
7:39 Image based lighting and HDR
12:44 Some early adaptations
17:19 3D rendering in natural light
19:01 Rendering Synthetic Objects into Real Scenes
23:04 The Campanelli movie
27:56 Facade: Reconstructing polyhedra models
32:16 High dynamic range imaging
34:52 Light Stage: 360° of illumination
39:47 Real world image based lighting
42:08 Virtual HRI Maps software named after Arnold
46:52 LED lighting environment from 20 years ago
52:49 Optimal linear color correction matrices
55:53 Working on Light fields with Google
59:27 Exciting future for filmmaking
01:02:18 Democratizing new technology
01:05:02 Advice for aspiring filmmakers
01:09:17 Go to a Siggraph conference near you

Quotes:

“When I look at the kind of work that made Star Wars possible, that made The Matrix possible, that made Gravity possible. It's folks who had this creative vision and realized maybe the technology can meet it there; but then they really took technology where there wasn't any real solid reason to believe it was gonna be possible to do it. And they just made it happen anyway.” - Paul Debevec

“The goal is to try to create tools for filmmakers and every so often this beautiful marriage of art and technology comes together. There's things ripe for the picking that maybe no one's quite seen yet that they're gonna get, and it's gonna blow everybody away and it's gonna be the next Matrix or the next Gravity.”
- Paul Debevec

“LED panels that have a wider color gamut have worse color rendition, they light stuff funnier because they have to put the RGB LEDs further out in weird parts of the spectrum to do that. But it dramatically increases the polarization. I think we're not too far away from people releasing panels that will have that additional color and it, and it's probably gonna be white and we know how to drive it.”- Paul Debevec

“You can invert that matrix and apply the inverse of that matrix to your in-camera pixels in the frustum so that your frustum now looks like it has bad color rendition. So without having to separate foreground and background, you put it all through that post correction matrix. It fixes considerably three quarters of color rendition and skin looks a heck of a lot better.” - Paul Debevec

Connecting with the Guest:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/debfx
Website: http://www.pauldebevec.com/
Siggraph: https://www.siggraph.org/

Connecting with CG Pro:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/becomecgpro
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomecgpro/
Website: https://www.becomecgpro.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomecgpro

RSVP here for upcoming CG Pro Podcasts: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/cg-pro-39748423833

#virtualproduction
#technology
#filmmaking

Have you ever considered what your story could do for others? And how it can change their lives forever. Dani Bellar Pilukas, Director of Physical Production at Lux Machina, who used to work as a Disney Imagineer, told stories through world building. With a theater background as an actress, she harnessed the power of storytelling into her work.

She created worlds that allow every delighted child, grandparent and person from all walks of life to become emotionally affected. In this episode, Dani will share her experiences on creating sets that evoke strong emotions and vibrant ambience. Her passion for theater will get you excited and curious about what she has planned next. Watch this episode now.

Highlights of the Episode:

 0:00 Introduction

1:32 Dani's Story

8:46 Favorite Work of Art

12:52 Behind the scenes of production

14:18 Issues with working a new tool

18:55 Past experiences that helps creativity

21:13 Advice for producers

22:26 Dani's PA gig

26:57 Advice to how to learn the craft

29:52 Staying calm in the middle of chaos

31:55 Teamwork makes the dream work

35:51 Challenges, limitations and issues with volumes

37:11 Specific skill in order to get a job on an LED stage

41:10 Luck getting involved in the MSG sphere

42:09 Immersive audio

44:29 LED Domes

46:48 Director of physical production

48:21 Experience on Galaxy's Edge

52:20 Impact of the work

56:04 What excites you about the future of the industry

57:16 LED screens in the future

59:59 The purpose of reaching out to people

1:03:08 Opening Stage in Atlanta

Quotes:
“It's true. You all have capability. You're all smart enough. You could figure it out. We do it because it's interesting and because we want to do it and because it gives us an opportunity to tell bigger stories. I think most of us are storytellers.”

- Dani Bellar Pilukas on pursuing a career in film

“And I think it's trusting the teams that are around me that really allows me to keep that calm and say, we are going to solve this because it is the only option and that doesn't mean we're going to get the thing that we a hundred percent wanted. We may have to solve it in a way that we get something similar to what we wanted. We may solve it in a way we get something better than what we wanted, but what we will do is we will solve it”

- Dani Bellar Pilukas on teamwork

“I am not the strongest person for limitations and possibilities for the simple fact that I think everything is possible and limitations are able to be overcome.”

- Dani Bellar Pilukas

“I mean, I'm a person who's willing to go into a space and watch a movie for 90 minutes and forget what's happening in the rest of the world. Maybe it teaches me something. Maybe it doesn't. Maybe I just laugh hysterically. I'm okay.” 

- Dani Bellar Pilukas

Connecting with the Guest:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danibellarstage/

Website: https://www.luxmc.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/i_fly_stuff

Connecting with CG Pro:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/becomecgpro

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomecgpro/

Website: https://www.becomecgpro.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomecgpro

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What sparks your interest? Is it a painting? A movie? A song probably? For James it was the movie, ‘Close Encounters Of The Third Kind’ by Steven Speilberg. James Blevins is an amazing product consultant. He has worked for Disney, Netflix and The Mandalorian.

When James was a kid, he was amazed by filmmaking & storytelling, and it gave him the inspiration he needed to work for the film industry. Fast forward to now, he has worked on amazing movies and has met many great movie making professionals.

Being a Production Consultant is not easy, however it can be very rewarding. You get to collaborate with client managers and project managers to make sure everything is in tip-top condition. So fix your aperture, eye on the lens and enjoy this exciting episode.

Highlights of the Episode:

0:00 Introduction

1:49 James' Story

5:59 What drew you towards film making

10:25 What inspires people

11:47 The growth of technologies

13:24 Unreal and V Cams

16:50 Connectivity and Collaboration

19:07 Curiosity of new technologies

20:31 Problems encountered filming Mandalorian

22:16 Enabling editorial

24:00 How much post ICV effects need

25:43 Connection between previs and virtual art department

28:56 The rise of mini studios

29:40 Moire Effect

32:58 Standard Pixel Pitch

34:09 Tech preparation

35:21 Standard distance of the camera from the wall

37:00 Magic Box

38:32 Resistance from the visual effects to virtual production

40:25 Bravery through resistance

41:45 Advice for people still in the traditional workflow

42:53 Brainstorming app

45:07 Needs in the industry

47:44 Brain bar

50:42 Spherical LED volume

53:54 What are you most excited about in virtual production?

55:24 Motion Grade

56:46 Broadcast Virtual Production

59:25 Future of green screen and unreal engine

1:03:17 The influence of AI

Quotes:
“I love those collaborations. I love to introduce people to each other and say, Hey, you know, everyone wants the same thing, which is to create this vision, which will then make it all the way to the viewer”

- James Blevins

“Everyone needs to now jump into the pool and find out if it's for them. It's not gonna be for everyone. Because it is at this phase, there's some things that you really have to target and you really have to want the benefit that you get from the usage.” 

- James Blevins regarding the new technologies

“The best advice I ever got for setting up a shoot is to run it. This is from Clint Spillers, run it like it's a re-shoot or run it like it's pickups. That means that every department head meet they look at the pages. They understand because at reshoots everyone wants to leave anyway, so that they're all about efficiency. They're all about getting the right stuff on the stage, off the stage as quickly as possible.” 

- James Blevins on film preparation

“It'd be nice if we had this app called make a movie, which would go to a shared space where we could start to talk about a scene and people could add elements that supported a substantial amount of geometry.” 

- James Blevins

Connecting with the Guest:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-blevins-738b74/

Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0088320/ 

Connecting with CG Pro:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/becomecgpro

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomecgpro/

Website: https://www.becomecgpro.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomecgpro

RSVP here for upcoming CG Pro Podcasts: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/cg-pro-39748423833