Hasta La Motion!

Over the past few years, I’ve had the pleasure of reading about and watching the results of digital human and faces research led by Hao Li. He is, simultaneously, CEO & Co-Founder of Pinscreen, Inc., Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southern California, and Director of the Vision and Graphics Lab at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies.

Most recently, Li and his collaborators have been demonstrating tools to produce 3D human avatars directly from facial scans and even just single photos. Their latest research, titled ‘Avatar Digitization From a Single Image For Real-Time Rendering’, is being published as a technical paper at SIGGRAPH Asia in Bangkok (27 – 30 November). I had a quick chat to Li on what the research is all about, and where his startup Pinscreen is up to. Read on to also find out how to get a discount to SIGGRAPH Asia.

vfxblog: Could you explain the general idea behind this paper, and what being able to realize a 3D avatar from a single photo involves?

Hao Li: This paper proposes the first system to build a complete game character-like digital avatar including hair and full rig from a single input photograph. With such flexibility, one of the biggest advantages is that people will be able to start creating CG characters of celebrities, their friends, or themselves without further constraints. This will open up new possibilities for all kinds of applications, especially for AR, VR, and gaming, as well as a democratized for of digital content creation in general.

To create such avatar we needed to engineer a comprehensive framework that not only combines single-view face modeling and hair digitization, but also generate models that can be rendered efficiently in game engines. State-of-the-art avatars for real-time rendering often use polystrips (or polycards) as hair representation, and generating those typically requires skilled artistry. The idea behind this paper is to develop an algorithm that can customize existing polystrip hair models to individual subjects, but also ensure that they look good. We involve a lot of state-of-the-art components such as our high-quality facial texture inference technique based on deep convolutional neural networks, but also ensure a robust treatment of hair using a deep learning approach.

This paper demonstrates a prototype system that we have developed half a year ago, and the computation is quite involved. Our latest prototype at Pinscreen only takes several seconds from input to 3D avatar, using more efficient algorithms and parallelized computing.

vfxblog: Hair is an important part of this – what does it take to make the hair feel lifelike but also manageable in terms of realtime rendering?

Hao Li: As opposed to the face, hair is an incredibly complex geometric component of the human body. It is volumetric, the dimensionality of hairstyle variations and deformations are huge, and it is challenging to predict a plausible shape in unseen regions. Furthermore, the rendering of realistic hair appearance is also very difficult to achieve due to tthe complex interaction between strands and its surrounding. photorealistic and natural looking digital hair as seen in VFX is known to involve a complex modeling process and intensive rendering computations. In interactive settings such as games, graphics engineers and digital artists have found ways to develop efficient representations to render high-quality hairs in real-time but the asset production is still very difficult to produce and requires highly skilled and experienced artists. In order to automate this creation, we need to develop machine learning techniques that can mimic the creation process of artists as much as possible, while covering as many type of hairstyles as possible.

vfxblog: Where do you see this particular research having direct application?

Hao Li: The obvious applications are personalized gaming and VR applications, where users become digital avatars and interact with each other in a virtual environment, which is important for realistic simulation and training purposes as well as immersive communication and telepresence in general. Nevertheless, I believe that once these technologies are available to consumers, new applications will emerge, as well as new forms of augmented reality-driven applications. In the long term, I believe that humans will also interact with virtual avatars and communicate through parametric models, as they enable us to take any possible form.

vfxblog: Anything you can say about Pinscreen being available for wider use right now?

Hao Li: We are about to launch an app, that will feature this technology and will be available to everyone :-).

Remember, vfxblog readers can sign up to SIGGRAPH Asia in Bangkok with a 10% discount. Head to http://bit.ly/sa17reg and use the code EP107010MS71.

The sun may have set on the Mumbai Comic Con 2017, but it’s still hard to shake off the euphoria that engulfed it. India’s comics community along with international comics artists and publishers were present in the festival dedicated to comics lovers. As they all said, it was the best place for not only showcasing their latest comics but also interacting with fans.

Animation Xpress caught up with several comic artists present at the venue, who talk about their publications, latest releases and of course, the comic con.

Vivek Goel (Holy Cow Entertainment founder)

What comics are you launching today?

It’s a duel release for us today. It marks a special occasion as Holy Cow generally doesn’t release more than one book at a time. But today, we are releasing two issues of our best selling titles – Age of Immortals and Caster.

Age of Immortals basically follows the best selling run of Holy Cow which is Aghori. Age of Immortals marks the third story arc. Caster is our first main-stream catholic superhero. Our readers come from all kinds of religions and ethnical diversities and we are trying to create comics for everyone. It is a one-time opportunity for us not to work on something which is very much Hindu to all of us and very mainstream.

Is Comic Con a good platform to launch comics?

I don’t think Comic Con is a good platform to launch comics. Infact, it’s the best possible platform! Because Comic Con aside, we just have the online sale. The Comic Con event brings the customers straight to us, give them discounts and get to know honest feedbacks face to face.

Who are the target audience?

My target audience is mostly teen and adults; people aged between 14 and above. I believe they are like a raw clay; something rigid. It’s better to make them think about things that aren’t appreciated by adults. They are at a pivotal stage and their minds can be remoulded as they are acceptable to changes.

Chariot Comics

What is Chariot Comics about?

Chariot Comics is more of action stuff. We’ve done stories on zombies, super soldiers, on dark magic etc.

How do you go about the marketing of the comics?

We are independent publishers and hence come to Comic Con to publish out books.

Your comic launches for the day?

We are here at the MCC only to sell our books and sketches. We ain’t launching anything today, but we do have something in the pipeline which is for the Delhi Comic Con.

Richie Maheshwari from Simon and Schuster, India

What are your plans for the Mumbai Comic Con?

Our only purpose is just branding and commercialising manga comics so that the end customer comes to know about our work. This is just promotion based.

Sumit Kumar (Bakarmax webcomics founder)

Sumit Kumar (right)

Could you brief our readers about Bakarmax and its creations?

Bakarmax is website dedicated for publishing comics. Although there were a few international websites to publish comics, none were domestic. So I created this so as to publish my work. We release new comics almost every week. Guide to Hipsters, State Bank of Comics are some of the prominent works. They are about day to day life but with a satirical take. The only superhero I’ve done is Daalman, whose only superhero is to convert one version of daal into another!

What’s the story behind Bakarmax?

I believe all this I’ve done is bullsh*t to the maximum extent! Hence the name.

Do you think web comics have a better chance of sales?

Absolutely! Print, these days, is dead. However, if people really love some of the comics, I’d go ahead to print it. The comic Amar Bari Tomar Bari Naxalbari was met with positive response on the web. Hence we went ahead with the print version of the same. So web comics becomes a testing version as such.

Which of your comics have been more popular?

Guide to Hipsters is one of the popular comics. I wrote it after visiting a hipster festival where all the people gathered were tucked away in funky and weird costumes. Then there’s another one on my father who used to work in State Bank of Patiala. Also Vicckkky did well too.

Abhijeet Kini (Abhijeet Kini Merch founder)

What are your launches for the MCC 2017?

“We are launching Rhyme Fighters, a comic humour with a rhythmic twist in an ode to some of the unsung heroes of our daily lives like the Mumbai dabbawallas, the traffic cops, the autorickshaw drivers etc.”

What do you have to say about Animation Xpress?

Animation Xpress have constantly provided us the platform to bring forth our work. It covered my latest publication Rhyme Fighters at it’s official launch too. We are really thankful to them for their constant support and coverage.

Nick Seluk (The Awkward Yeti co-founder)

The Awkward Yeti Co-founder Nick Seluk and Anup Sheth

Could you brief us about your publication ‘The Awkward Yeti’?

The comic is about our everyday decisions, what we do to arrive at those decisions, how does the logic part of our selves interact with our emotional part and how do you arrive at a conclusion. It’s related to something that we do everyday like eating, exercising etc.

When did ‘The Awkward Yeti’ come into being?

The comic has been going on for five years now.

What are your thoughts on the growing popularity of web comics?

Digital comics are really popular. People are liking the fact that the quality is getting better. It’s a very competitive field and difficult to earn a living, yet a pretty good job to do.

What’s your experience at the MCC 2017?

This is my first time at the Mumbai Comic Con and so far it’s been great!

Aishwarya Gupta (Amar Chitra Katha senior marketing manager)

The team of Amar Chitra Katha

How is Amar Chitra Katha associated with ‘Padmavati’?

Bhansali and his team read our story and liked it. So the concept has been taken from the original story. The comic was originally named as Padmini. But now we are changing it to Padmavati and launching with the 3D version of the comics by the end of this year.

Have you finished with Padmavati comics’ production?

It is currently under production and by it shall be out by 21 November 2017.

Are you launching new comics?

We have a new range of merchandises for the launch. T-shirts, apparels, fridge magnets, posters, mobile wallets etc are some of the merchandises up for sale here.

What’s your most popular character?

The most popular characters would be Suppandi and Shikari Shambhu.

The post Indian comics community assemble along with international folks at Mumbai Comic Con 2017 appeared first on AnimationXpress.

Replete with enthusiasm, the Regency halls of ITC Windsor Manor in Bengaluru played host to India’s very first B2B Summit, curated specifically for the AVGC sector. Organised by ABAI in association with the Govt. of Karnataka, the event attracted around 21 buyers from around the globe and with over 100 indigenous pitches, the summit brought together professionals from all corners of the AVGC industry into play.

A crisp schedule of one on one pitches with buyers gave away time for the buyers to take on the mantle of speakers as well, wherein they took to the stage to share their experiences and provide insights on what people should keep in mind while trying to sell or pitch their products. As Australia based Mighty Serious CEO Al Gibb said, “We are not only here to buy, we’re here to share our experiences with everyone, which in turn would be beneficial!”

Lamp lighting

Animation World Network’s Dan Sarto spoke about how the roots have to be strengthened in order to create better talent and hence better products. Focusing on the education in the AVGC sector and how it should be provided utmost care, he also praised the B2B Summit and how trusted networks like this will help foster a better ecosystem.

Antony Reed from the Game Developers Association of Australia spoke about the gaming industry in Australia and how the active support from the government and the passionate developers helped rebuild its gaming scene from a mere 300 individuals to a strong 2000 in a brief amount of time. Further focusing on creating IPs, he said that Australia contributes to very less in the gaming consumer base but is still strong on creating original content, barely opting for outsourced work.

In between the sessions we caught up with some of the sellers and buyers to get their initial feedback. With each seller getting 15 minutes on the clock to pitch their product to potential buyers, the schedule was packed but organised in a way to give everyone the opportunity. The same resonated with the words of Disney India director DCVI and animation development Ravindran Acharya, “The event is a positive move for India and Indian studios. They are getting an international exposure and also it is a win-win for both the buyers and the sellers. The event is very well organised and will be favourable for the future of the AVGC industry in the country”

It was not only the buyers who seemed content, among the sellers, Aum Animation CEO Vivek Bolar expressed, “Attention to details and open mindedness to extend the opportunity to not only Karnataka but all around India was really good. We are very impressed.”

BBC’s Aubrey Clarke spoke about the recent trend of digital consumptions and that even being a traditional broadcaster, how they came about with IPlayer and are even looking at digital first content.

Just B’s Justine Bannister shared her views on how technology enhancements are driving the trends in the industry. She says, “As the OTT market booms, it is also becoming more and more saturated, which however might be good for content creators as they have more options to look for when selling their products.”

The Who’s Who panel consisting of Zia Bales, Dominic Gardiner and Tim Searle, which was being curated by Alison Warner touched upon a broad array of subjects concerning the kids’ content sector. From 360 degree approaches to co-productions and technical necessities to storytelling, the panel covered it all. The takeaway from the discussion was that this is the best time to create or get into the kids’ content market, however Bales pointed out that IPs are to be culturally specific but still has to be created in a way that it has an international appeal.

Karnataka IT BT and Tourism minister Priyank Kharge

Vince Baertsoen from The Mill showcased their creation titled Blackbird. Created in association with Epic Games, the product will assist users in editing and putting FX in realtime, cutting off the cost and time of post production processes significantly.

With the day almost coming to an end, the attendees were paid a visit by the IT BT and Tourism minister of Karnataka Priyank Kharge. With ABAI president Biren Ghosh completing the welcome note, the minister himself took the stage to address the packed hall of audience consisting of buyers, sellers and enthusiasts alike.

The minister shared that how a casual conversation during the latest edition of GAFX about making Bangalore the creative capital of the city became what we were experiencing. He appreciated the efforts of ABAI to follow up on that idea and making the Bengaluru B2B AVGC Summit a reality. He further focused on how it’s not only disruption in the ecosystem that has to be materialised, creation is equally important. He exulted, “I would love to see more such events throughout the country and Bengaluru can be the anchor to it.”

The minister also announced that day after tomorrow, Rs. 22 crore ( would be invested among 111 start ups who showed promise in the government’s Elevate 100 start-up project. It is to be noted that the government had, during GAFX, announced Rs. 50 lakh to a number of studios who create original IPs. Standing by his words, the minister further encouraged indigenous creators to make original content and expressed that he would love to see original content go global.

With ABAI bringing in several requests in a wish list, urging the minister to further look into various areas including infrastructure, policy and more, the minister was almost instantaneous and gave a positive nod to all of them which included the much anticipated Center of Excellence for the AVGC sector in the city.

Sharing his thoughts about the event’s turn-up, Bengaluru B2B AVGC Summit Curator Biren Ghose said, “Exceeeding expectations, the B2B AVGC Summit was off to a rollicking start. The global panel of 21 buyers fed off the enthusiasm of about 100 pitchers. The Hon. Minister Priyank Kharge made a sparkling presentation on the initiatives that would spur Bengaluru to become the next creative capital of digital India. He responded to ABAI’s wish list instantaneously and assured the packed hall of greater support for the sector going forward.”

The post International buyers converge at India’s first B2B AVGC Summit in Bengaluru appeared first on AnimationXpress.

Crossed Super Mario Bros. 06 Février 2013
Histoire de fêter son arrivée sur Jeuxvideo.com, Karim Debbache nous fait rêver avec une chronique dédiée à l’adaptation au cinéma de Super Mario Bros. Comme vous allez le découvrir, le résultat est un film raté à tous les niveaux…

The game that grinds Chance’s gears.
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