Dissertation help!

Hi guys,

I’m at university at the moment conducting research to identify the way social media is used by you VFX employees, and the impact it has on the industry, from a practitioner’s point of view, and a business point of view.

Here’s the link for both practitioners and businesses, and it would be greatly appreciated and would help me a lot if you industry pros could take the time to complete it!

Questionnaire for Practitioners

Questionnaire for Businesses

Let me know if you have any questions, cheers!

Looking for insight on a how this commercial was done: Nike 360 Maestri

Can anyone give me any insight on how this commercial was done. It is the Nike CTR 360 Maestri: Take Control Andres Iniesta

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_xQ0QMvgX0

Ive scoured for information about it, and I keep coming up with very little. I know tt was done by the Mill VFX Studio, It employs 360 cameras and then processing in flame. Thats about all I know.

Can anoyone break it down for me a bit more or refer me to a link that describes the process more in detail?

Thanks,

D

Got a music video tomorrow… Need some ideas…

The song is called "Get Ratchet" which means to go wild.

It will be a club song with chicks all over. I’m just looking for some creative ideas to try for the shoot, either just camera work ideas or effects shots.

I’m going to have the artist wear a snorricam for one shot we cut to throughout the video walking through the club drunk/buzzed then cut to first persion shots with blurry vision/double vision.

It’s not a strip club video, just a regular club video.

I have a crane, a dolly, a steadicam and can build other rigs if need be.

Was thinking about building a rig for the camera to bolt a bottle to a peice of wood and have it passed around the guys, similar to a snorricam for the bottle.

Any ideas on how to do that with a 7d?

cmiVFX Releases Luxology Modo Automotive Visualization Training Video

cmiVFX Releases Luxology Modo Automotive Visualization Training Video
High Definition Training Videos for the Visual Effects Industry

Princeton, NJ (March 31, 2011) – cmiVFX launches its latest training endeavor showcasing the ever popular Modo application from Luxology. Modo was first introduced as a modeling application but soon, its developers, introduced new features to produce high quality imagery. This training will show you how to use Modo for creating automotive imagery in several situations.From this video you will get access to several techniques to properly light your model in a studio environment and integrate it with a photo backplate.
This training isn’t an introduction to Luxology’s Modo, so having a general knowledge about the software is advisable. This video was made possible with the support of two key companies , HDRI-Locations and Evermotion.org. HDRI-Locations kindly provided us the HDR maps used to teach the lessons and Evermotion.org provided us the Camaro model used to teach the techniques included in this video.

This training cover professional visualization techniques used on the day to day life of an automotive artist and product designers everywhere.

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.

Modo Automotive Visualization
http://store.cmivfx.com/tutorials/vi…+Visualization

Introduction
In this part of the video, you will be introduced to the 3 different projects that you’ll be producing and what assets were used within the training, particularly the car model and the HDRI + Backplates pack. There will be a brief description of how to install scripts, the Gamma 2.2 workflow and how to map useful commands to hot keys in order to speed up your work.

Mesh Considerations
Modo can import several file formats. Choosing the right one, considering the situation, is very important to get you the right results. The three file formats that will be discussed are OBJ, FBX and Collada. Each one operates differently depending on the situations and will be tested with our geometry. Sometimes, moving data through different packages might generate unclean geometry, requiring minor fixing would be necessary for getting good results. Since the imported model is very detailed, having some degree of complexity, proper organization is paramount for the rigging process. You’ll learn how to rig this model using the new Schematic View in order to better pose your model.

Studio 01 Setup, Clay Rendering
A studio environment is very fast to setup in Modo. You’ll learn how to achieve this quickly to correctly visualize your model with a simple light rig. you will also go through creating material presets for later reuse and how to render several types of clay shots to showcase the model geometry through the help of a simple composite in After Effects.

Studio 02 Setup, Photo-realistic Rendering
In this chapter, you’ll learn how to take advantage of the Render Tree to modify the previous environment, maintaining its essence and updating the light rig. You will go through creating new material presets for later reuse and to properly use reflectors to illuminate and enhance the look of your model. (Very similar to a live photography set) Many Render Outputs will be later compositing in After Effects.

Using HDRI and Back-plates
In this chapter you’ll learn how to integrate your model with a photo backplate, using an HDR image for lighting and nice reflections to help achieve this effect. You will need several Render Outputs to enhance in the final After Effects Compositing stage.

About The Author
Paulo Barrelas is an Architect and a CG artist, living and working in Portugal. His passion for Architecture and Computer Graphics started at a very young age, being divided between the two since then. His contact with several arts started very early, culminating during the university frequency, providing him the sensibility to help solidify his concepts. Paulo has been teaching and adapting to new technologies since the year 2000.

Project Contents
All cmiVFX videos come with all the training materials you can need right from our website. No matter what time of day, your location, or how your feeling, cmiVFX will be there waiting for you! Due to agreements with Evermotion.org and HDRI-Locations, the model and HDR maps won`t be included in the title. They are only used to teach the techniques.
You can access other models available for purchase at http://www.evermotion.org and other HDR maps at http://www.hdri-locations.com/

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.

cmiVFX Releases Imagineer Mocha Pro For Production Multilingual Training Series

cmiVFX Releases Imagineer Mocha Pro For Production Multilingual Training Series
High Definition Training Videos for the Visual Effects Industry

Princeton, NJ (March 24, 2011) – cmiVFX launches its latest training endeavor showcasing the ever popular Mocha Pro application from Imagineer Systems. We have been in communication with Imagineer for many years trying to produce a well formatted, much needed training solution for their fantastic line of products. When we saw that Mocha Pro had all the tools in one location, we knew it was time for us to start the training franchise for this line of tools. After years of taking requests and emails suggestions from our customers from around the world, we are proud to announce our very first multilingual training solution starting with the Mocha Pro training. This video will include both English and Portuguese versions of the training at no extra cost to the end user. We will be releasing more languages through out the year for many of our training videos. Many of you call us Number One in the industry for many reasons…. and now our new FREE multilingual service will be On Demand for users to enjoy. (This comes in very handy when traveling around as a freelance artist. Learn key terms in more then one language to help reduce instructional barriers in regards to the Visual Effects and Computer Graphics industry). This new service will be turned on just a few short days from the launch of the English Version of this product.

This training cover all Mocha Pro modules (Track, Adjust Track, Insert, Remove, Stabilize, and Lens) using example projects and with in-depth explanation of the parameters, leaving no room for guesswork when working with the modules.

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.

Mocha Pro For Production Volume 1
http://cmivfx.com/tutorials/view/290…duction_Vol_1/

Introduction
Since this is the beginning of a video series, we will get started with planar tracking concepts. You’ll get a guided tour of the Mocha Pro user interface, utilizing a simple project setup. You’ll use the Tracker Module to track surfaces, discover strategies to improve tracking, track surfaces that leave the screen, learn about the types of splines layers shapes and how to review the tracking quality with the Viewer controls.

Rotoscoping
cmiVFX has been using Imagineer tools for its Rotoscoping pipeline for years. It is one of the fastest ways to take care of one of the most tedious tasks in the Visual Effects game. Learn how to use the planar tracker to achieve faster results when doing Rotoscoping. There will be an overview of the tools to create and manipulate Layer shapes, including edge feathering and smoothing. Learn how to evaluate rotoshape quality with the Viewer controls and when the rotoscope is finished, explore the options to export the results to other softwares.

Advanced Tracking
While working on a more challenging project, you will learn how to isolate unwanted elements from the tracking area using garbage mattes and Blend modes. Then watch a more in-depth explanation of the Adjust track module to further refine your tracking results when the Track module is not enough to solve the tracking. We then break down several methods of exporting and importing into other 3rd party applications, such as: Final Cut Pro, Nuke, Motion, and After Effects. (Autodesk Flame customers can review our Flame training video for GMask information)

Insert Module
Discover how to use the Insert module parameters to successfully place images on tracked surfaces. Learn how to render final composited inserts from Mocha Pro or to export the insert layer for other softwares. 

Lens Module
Explore the Lens module to obtain better results on the other Mocha Pro modules when shots have lens distortion. (In photography, distortion is particularly associated with zoom lenses, particularly large-range zooms, but may also be found in prime lenses, and depends on focal distance)

Remove Module
With the two example projects presented, understand how to use the unique Remove module of Mocha Pro to eliminate unwanted elements from shots. Using the same scene background or additional clean plates, we discuss the removal parameters in depth, making it easy to remove unwanted objects in shots requiring enhancement.

Stabilize Module
In this section we show you how to take shaky footage and make it presentable for further post production. Learn how to recover the missing parts of the plate using the Border settings and how to further smooth Camera movements using the Stabilize parameters.

About The Author
Magno Borgo is a 30 years old Brazilian visual effects artist, specialized in Compositing, Rotoscope and Paint/Removal. He has a degree in Graphic Design and have been working with post-production for more than 8 years. He is one of the 5 founding members of Boundary Visual Effects, a specialized rotoscope boutique with global presence that focus on matte creation for high-end visual effects: from simple keying to complex shot elements removals and stereoscopic projects.

Project Contents
All cmiVFX videos come with all the training materials you can need right from our website. No matter what time of day, your location, or how your feeling, cmiVFX will be there waiting for you!

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.

cmiVFX Releases SideFX Houdini Hip Tricks Volume One and Two

cmiVFX Releases SideFX Houdini Hip Tricks Volume One and Two
High Definition Training Videos for the Visual Effects Industry

Princeton, NJ (March 28, 2011) – cmiVFX launches its latest training for the SideFX Houdini premiere digital visual effects animation software package. Why build one kick ass VFX video when two is twice as nice! We have never been more fired up to release a training video in the history of this company. Everything you wanted to know, delivered fast and furious through our ground breaking, ever evolving web based delivery player system. In these two videos, you’ll learn how to make production ready user friendly tools that will captivate your audience time and time again. Since Houdini is way more than just a 3D application, you will see it from a framework point of view. You`ll understand how you can solve any kind of situation you might encounter, using the tools in ways they were never dreamed to perform in that way. As a testament of the power and flexibility of Houdini, we’ll try to keep it simple and understandable by encapsulating some very interesting areas of Houdini. When you’re done with this set, you’ll have several tools to use, and have lots of ideas of how approach and develop your own tools. To call it Magic, is a true understatement. How can you put a guarantee on perfection?

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.

Brief Introduction
Welcome to the highly anticipate "HIP Tricks" video set, created by CMIVFX and Varomix. A partnership like no other, this joint venture shows the true comradery that is a true CG pipeline. There is a reason that cmiVFX stands alone in the high end market…. IT’S NOT EASY TO DO! However true, we take pride in our sadistic need to provide the latest and greatest training in our industry so that digital entertainers can tell their story. We will work with ANYONE that has something fantastic to offer… wether it is a student half way around the world, or another training company that wants to work with us on a video title. We will always pull together with the right people to make the best training the world has to offer. Expect great things… ALWAYS!

||||||||||||||||||||| Houdini HIP Tricks Volume 1 ||||||||||||||||||||||
http://store.cmivfx.com/tutorials/vi…ricks+Volume+1

A Hip Autopsy
In this first volume you will learn how to dissect any Houdini Hip scene, and figure out how that scene is put together. This is great for exploring sample scenes, other artists scenes to assist you in the creation of your own. We will also go over some tips to make your projects more solid and show you were you can get help from the great Houdini Artist Community.

Feather Tool
For this chapter set we will build a hero feather system used for close-up shots. This tool will give the artist total control using Houdini’s ramp widgets so that it makes for a great user experience. In the process we’ll learn how to map ramp parameters to control parameters of our tool.

Earthquake and Fischer Cracks.
In this section we will create a multi-purpose ground cracking tool, putting special attention on making it easily modifiable, and in realtime. The art of making it solid and getting predictable result, doesn’t mean that its simple. The final result is a very high end production ready tool that can be used in many scenarios. This chapter alone is work the price of the entire volume set.

||||||||||||||||||||| Houdini HIP Tricks Volume 2 ||||||||||||||||||||||
http://store.cmivfx.com/tutorials/vi…ricks+Volume+2

Row Row Row Your Boat
Using Houdini Ocean Tools plug-in (HOT), we’ll create and ocean that emits foam and splashes. We then we’ll add a ship that floats on the ocean in which the movement of the ship will be driven by the ocean. Once we do that, we’ll use the floating, moving ship to deform the ocean as it advances and emits spray at collisions with the waves.

Pixelated Game
Believe it or not, we’ll will build a complete playable game inside Houdini, using out-of-the-box tools and a little bit of Python code. This project is a real statement that Houdini can do just about everything that you can throw at it. Don’t think of Houdini as a 3D app, think of it as a 3D Operating System.

Alvaro Castañeda
Alvaro Castañeda, best known as "Varomix" is a 33 years old CG Generalist TD. He lost a little of his self back in 1993 at a Jurassic Park screening, and that totally changed his life. Toy Story finished the job in 1995 – there was no turning back!. He started his way in 3D back in 1998, first using 3ds Max, then Cinema4D and finally in 1999, I met Maya 2.0. Since then I’ve done CGI for print, web, TV, Film, DVD, I guess anything that has pixels in it!. He started using Houdini in 2002 shortly after Side Effects launched the Houdini Apprentice Program. He had also done on-set VFX Supervision and DOP Assisting. He’ll soon move to Toronto to continue his career as a Houdini Generalist.

Project Contents
All cmiVFX videos come with all the training materials you can need right from our website. No matter what time of day, your location, or how your feeling, cmiVFX will be there waiting for you!

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.

IATSE FLAT RATE FUNNY VIDEO

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WMDb_gNv_c
obviously its not funny but the sad truth but well made.

Damn you auto correct !

computer training center

I want to start a computer training center for animation & vfx in india,can any one tell me How to Start a Computer Training Center & I need assistance as to where to register. how can i provide certificates to my students to the related course. i am staying in india, kurnool.can any one give me the full details plz-Thanking you Sir.

Cheap accommodation recommendations in LA / San Francisco

Hi everyone

I am planning on going over to Los Angeles / San Francisco sometime soon. It would be great if anyone has recommendations for any cheap/reasonable accommodation over there for someone on a budget :). I am searching on the internet, but it would also be nice to hear reviews of any places to stay, from users on this forum.

Thanks