Outsource Manager @ MPC London

Description

Position Summary:

MPC Film are looking for a strong production manager to handle the overview of work between its London, Vancouver and Bangalore sites. This person needs to have a strong VFX background with a firm understanding of Matchmove/Rotoanimation, and Rotoscope/PaintPrep disciplines. They also need to be willing to travel at short notice.

Position based at London site.

Duties and Responsibilities:

· Involvement with in house departments in regards to ensuring workload facilitated to vendors.

· Ability to forecast workload and predict potential shortfalls with current MPC vendors in order to take necessary action to ensure work gets done

· Regular interaction with Show Producers / Production Managers regarding workload and vendors

· Aid with future growth planning for MPC Bangalore regarding resource/systems

· Strong relationship building with current MPC vendors and establishing relationships with potential 3rd party vendors

Experience, Skills and Abilities Required at Minimum:

· Highly organised, first-class time management skills

· Excellent communication skills

· Good understanding of Sinecync, FTP, Aspera and other common online delivery and review tools

· Good understanding of common digital image file formats and resolutions

· Proven ability to prioritise conflicting tasks

· Ability to remain calm and confident in a fast-paced environment

· Ability to work within a creative team towards a common goal

· Good knowledge of MS Office packages (incl Excel, Word and Project)

· Preferably an understanding of Filemaker software

· Open to learning new production tools.

Please apply on the link below:
http://www.moving-picture.com/index….jobslondonfilm

Lighting Artist @ MPC London

Description:

MPC are currently looking to recruit Senior Lighting TD’s to work on various projects on short term contracts.

Responsibilities:

• Light and render CG elements to match live action footage using MPC’s standardized toolset.
• Manage render scene’s, elements and assets.
• Composite rendered CG elements and live action for daily progress reviews.
• Technically and creatively maintain consistent shot quality and look for sequences as specified by lighting supervisor and CG supervisor.
• Develop shots in collaboration with shot compositor.
• Deliver renders according to agreed deadlines and schedules and specifications.
• Support lighting lead with technical and creative supervision.
• Support lighting and rendering pipeline for shots and sequences.
• Look development of rendered CG objects across shots and sequences.
• Monitor daily progress together with lead lighting TD and supervisors.
• Maintain daily routines, review processes and development cycles.
• Work with production to create schedules and project targets.
• Reports to lead lighter & supervisors.

Experience and Skills:

• Thorough understanding of techniques and technologies related to CG rendering and compositing.
• Good team leading ability’s
• Good communication skills.
• Proven experience in leading / managing a team of artists.
• Strong problem solving skills.
• Shading and lighting & rendering terminology.
• Very good understanding of production pipelines.
• Very good knowledge of a renderer such as Mental Ray or Renderman.
• Very good knowledge of a compositing software.
• Proven production experience in a large feature film production environment.
• Thorough understanding of computer graphics and the visual effects process.
• General understanding of linux / unix based operating systems
• Some understanding of programming / software development.
• TCL, MEL, Perl and Python, programming also an advantage.

Please apply on the link below:
http://www.moving-picture.com/index….jobslondonfilm

DMP Artists @ MPC London

Description

Position Summary:
With an emphasis on the aesthetics and techniques of photo-realistic image creation, the DMP artist will be responsible for painting photo real environments, elements and textures for matching into live action plates or to stand on their own as DMP plates.
These Digital Matte Painting’s may also be used in a 3D environment and may be mapped onto 3D objects. These will eventually be rendered through a variety of off the shelf and proprietary renderers.

DMPs can be created from scratch or sampled from photos, scanned reference or any other artwork necessary to create new objects or to match the surfaces of existing live action. A strong understanding and sympathy for real world materials and lighting is essential and must be demonstrated in the work on your reel. DMP artists may work closely with the compositors, modelling, look-dev and lighting artists and therefore must have a basic knowledge of the practices of each discipline.

A Senior Digital Matte Painter works under the guidance and direction of the project Lead, Head of Department and the show Supervisors.

Duties and Responsibilities:
• Proficiency in creating photo-realistic DMPs.
• Assisting and developing the look of a shot or sequence with the supervision team.
• Work alongside the production team to establish schedules and technical requirements.
• Works in partnership with look-dev artists, lighters and compositors to ensure that the shots are delivered to the very highest standard.

• Design and construct Maya and Nuke environment scenes to develop and animate the 3D digital matte paintings, according with the visual and technical standards defined with the Environment Lead.
• Check and release the renders, or the Nuke scripts for the comp department to gather.
• Regularly release dailies so that progress on a shot can be assessed.
• Attend dailies sessions and obtain feedback from supervisors.
• Report any day-to-day problems or concerns to the lead Environment TD on the show and any software issues to the appropriate support list.
• Work with the Environment HOD to improve the feature set and stability of our tool set.
• Improve his or her knowledge and understanding of MPC’s Environment tool set and pipeline.
• Needs to be proactive and fairly autonomous.
• Act as a mentor to Junior and Mid-Level DMP artists in the department, aiding them in developing their creative and technical abilities and knowledge.
• Adequately document Environment practical methods, and ensure that documentation is available centrally for use by the 3D DMP Department as a whole.

Experience, Skills and Abilities Required at Minimum:
• A Senior DMP should have at least five years experience in creating matte paintings for commercials, TV or feature films.
• Proficiency with Adobe Photoshop.
• Knowledge of traditional art skills and techniques: composition, colour, lighting; drawing, painting, photography.
• Basic understanding of Renderman compliant renders and LINUX.
• Deep understanding of UV texturing and camera mapping techniques.
• Autodesk Maya: Basic knowledge of hard surface modelling and general software interface.
• Good knowledge of The Foundry Nuke (or any other node based compositing software).
• Capacity to work collaboratively with other Matte Painters, Technical Directors and Compositors.
• Excellent learning and communication skills.
• Strong organizational and follow through skills with the ability to handle complex projects within a fast paced, dynamic, deadline driven environment, according to leads and supervisors expectations.
• Creative problem solving.
• Proactive and open to comments and critics approach.
• Proficiency with Eon Vue, Autodesk Mudbox or Pixologic Zbrush is a plus.
• Mel or Python scripting is a plus.
Please apply on the link below:
http://www.moving-picture.com/index….jobslondonfilm

what is alpha gain in fusion doing..?

im blending two images together in fusion with alpha gain…
now im trying to do the same in nuke… but there is no way to get the same look…

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BlinkInk Internship

Hello,

We are a production company based in London. www.blinkink.co.uk
We produce commercials and music videos using a broad range of film and animation techniques.
We are looking to expand our small internal studio with young and motivated people. We are currently offering internships for 3D generalists to gain experience working with us for few weeks with the potential to eventually become a part of our new department in the near future.

For further information and an application form please send your details and showreel to simone@blinkprods.com

Thank you!

Blinkink

maya 3d text doesn’t display correctly

I am trying to import a 3d text from maya to nuke, but this doesn’t display correctly…For example, the letter "d" is no hole, while the "e" has become an object filled and incomprehensible.. I’ve tried in many ways and I’m losing hope! can someone help me?

cmiVFX Releases New Houdini Fractals Clouds & Terrain Training Video

cmiVFX Releases New Houdini Fractals Clouds & Terrain Training Video
High Definition Training Videos for the Visual Effects Industry

Princeton, NJ (february 23, 2011) – cmiVFX launches its latest full feature training video for Houdini based on highly advanced fractals for the creation of volumetric clouds and natural terrains. This video covers a detailed workflow within VEX nodes to allow the viewer to have a deep understanding on creating professional shots for such natural effects. The educational structure for this video, gears all users up to be able to follow its contents from beginning to end. This in-depth introduction to Fractals will add an essential knowledge to all Houdini artists wanting to move to the next level. The results produced by this video are truly superb, and near impossible to achieve any other way. With this revolutionary blend of artistry and technology, every user can have the ability to understand the roots and principles of constructing solid multi-fractal networks . At this same time, you will learn how to seamlessly create a digital asset to make your fractals accessible on any shot that you are working on. When you’re finished with the video, you will have the opportunity to create very complicated cloud system, in very difficult scenarios like multilayering effects with complex design and anything else you can dream up.

Short Description:
In this course we will investigate all the details on creating a robust fractal network, so we can learn how to fix any issue that may arise or even prevent them from happening.

Here at cmiVFX we maintain a current training library for the latest versions of popular software titles. When it comes to high end CG and VFX training, there is only once choice… cmiVFX!

Don’t forget about the cmiSubscription plan! Get one today. cmiVFX launched the most affordable subscription plan in Visual FX Training History for only $299 USD, and if you were a subscriber, this New Training Release would already be in your account. This video is also available a-la-cart in our brand new HTML5 player system.

Houdini Fractals Clouds & Terrain Training Video
http://www.cmivfx.com/tutorials/view…udini+Fractals

Introducing Fractal Networks
In this chapter we will navigate through core VEX nodes and network workflows to create basic fractal images and animations, building up a ground knowledge for mastering fractal color extraction and animation. We then set rules for interaction between external images and your fractals.

Procedural Terrains
One of the first areas that fractals were used was on creating digital terrains. In this section, we`ll look from start to finish how to build a node system that provide us the power to create interesting and unique terrains with VEX, how to control them and also how to comprehend the idea behind a multi-fractal terrain.

"For Loop " VEX Node
One of the greatest nodes in VEX is the "for loop" node, it allows you to repeat the same sequence of code many times. however it has a very specific condition it needs to meet to work properly. Continuing with the effort to evolve the fractal system , we will delve into how to take advantage of the "for loop" to implement richness and a more natural look. Along side the "for loop", we will introduce a method to securely change the input parameters of the network.

Multi-Fractal Workflow
Once we understand what is behind a good fractal system, its time to start bringing to life a complete multi-fractal OTL. In this section we`ll cover every information you need to achieve a great , clean and efficient system.

Introducing Volumetric Networks
Working with volumetric nodes in Houdini is a delicate thing. It can be an intensive process if you don’t handle it right. Our goal here is to present the viewer with a unique way to manage the intricate details within the volumetric process. How to properly set your scene to receive volumetric elements, how to render them, shade, understand definitions and set specific rules to achieve a believable result.

Custom Volumetric Displacement
In this chapter we will introduce the epicenter of our product. Combining all the knowledge we acquired until here to build our own custom volumetric displacements. We will use a simple system to create a pyroclastic cloud to understand the technique behind control vectors and how they can help us to properly add displacements.

Object Volumetric Setup
One of the most required option in a good volumetric system is the ability to apply it to any kind of source object. This can be extremely helpful to draw unique designs and to style clouds in any way we desire. Here we will explain extensively all the necessary steps to accomplish ultimate control on where your volumes will be applied. The only limit is your imagination!

Cloud Systems Workflow
Everything we have learned so far culminates in this outstanding Cloud System workflow. Utilizing our custom multi-fractal OTL and all the knowledge acquired through all the lessons, we will demonstrate how you can create unbelievable natural cloud effect and how to control it in any form your production demands, thus optimizing visibility and rendering to have a great viewport feedback together with great rendering results.

About The Author
Andreu Lucio is a Spanish cg professional with more than 10 years experience and is 32 years old. After studying visual communication, he started working in international cartoon series in 1999, "The triplets", "Juanito Jones" and "Tom" as a Cg Artist for a company called Cromosoma. He become the Lead Cg Artist so learned a lot about light, colors, compositing, fx and how important they are for improving the final result. During his carrier working in some of the top spanish studios he has deeply use softwares like 3d Max, Maya, Houdini, Modo, Combustion, Nuke. Stuff like dynamics, expressions, maya mel and python had been present almost always in his long r&d sessions. Never stopped learning neither working so how to fit developed techniques in the real production its been the key goal for him. For the last 3 years he is working in Torsion Animation, a small Houdini based studio that has co-founded, creating motion graphics and visual fx for commercials. The studio is really small, so it has to use his skills from modeling to compositing and Houdini´s power in order to get the job finished within the tight deadlines and the high quality demanded.

MORE ABOUT THE VIDEO:
http://www.vimeo.com/20325893

This video is available today at the cmiVFX Store: http://store.cmivfx.com/

About cmiVFX
cmiVFX is the leader in High Definition Video Training for the Visual Effects Community. Register for FREE and receive hours of FREE content at the cmiVFX Video-on-Demand Player. ( http://store.cmivfx.com/login ) For additional information about cmiVFX, visit http://www.cmivfx.com. © 2010 cmiVFX | cmiStudios. All rights reserved.

Reading a .map file generated from IMF display

Does anyone know whether there is a way Nuke can read such a file?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Grant

Stoav

Belgian design powerhouse Stoav has updated his site with brand new work including a very cool showreel. Check it out!

Normal and Displacement maps usage in Nuke 6.2

Hi guys and gals, i am working on AppLink script for Nuke, which is bridge between 3D-Coat and Nuke, it should allow to paint/sculpt/uvmap/retopo in 3D-Coat any geometry node you have in your nuke script, then bring it back in one mouse click. For reference you can check same tool I’ve created for Fusion 6 here: http://www.vfxtalk.com/forum/3d-coat…pt-t28896.html

Generally I think that Nuke is awesome platform to script for, very well documented and tutorialized ( 😀 ), everything is scriptable, gizmo creation system is very nice as well, nuke itself is very stable and the way it works looks logical to me so i can wrap my head around it quite fast.
But there is a few problems I’ve encountered, first and foremost is unlike Fusion 6 with it’s awesome new 3D shaders and materials system, Nuke does not support normal or bump maping of 3D geometries. There is a BumpMat node, but i can’t figure how it should be used myself, nor find any relevant information about it. I’ve saw NormalBump gizmo, but i can’t figure the way to use it with baked normal map + other maps (diffuse/spec).

My question to Nuke gurus:

1) Can you please advice any good way to use baked normal maps (that’s it, normal bump maps baked in UV space and not normals render pass)? Aren’t they useful in any way inside Nuke? Maybe i can use this maps in 2.5D relight ?

2) What about 3D Displacement node, does not it support any tessellation of geometry inside ReadGeo node? Only Card/Cube/Cylinder nodes may be tessellated inside nuke, while external geometries must be pre-tessellated prior to importing it to Nuke?

Thanks in advance for your answers!