Every heard of an FUI? Sounds like something you yell when someone cuts you off in traffic, but it actually stands for “Fake User Interface”.

FUI’s are common elements of most major films today; however, you’ve probably given them little thought because good one’s are hardly noticed. They’re the holographic control dials floating within the Iron Man HUD; they’re also the giant iPad-like control center in Minority Report. FUI’s often signal futuristic or technologically advanced settings and they’re designed and built by 3D artists.

One of those artists is Jayse Hansen, an industry veteran with lots of street cred from working on the likes of Iron Man III, Avengers, The Hunger Games and Ender’s Game. In this episode, Dan and I pick Jayse’s brain about how he got started making FUI’s, what types of software he uses and what are some of the hallmarks of a good design.