Best gaming video card for vfx

hi, i just bout a new core 2 quad q8200 and i want to buy a video a nice video card, but i cant afford those expensive quadrofx cards and in my country i cant find those cards on stores.
so i would like to know winch gaming card its the best for vfx???
some say that the Gforce 8800 and all the gt series are the best to go…
so what you guys think???

Chrome Render Passes

Hello all.

I was wondering if anyone could offer me some help.

I am just learning about render passes for a project in which I want to composite a rendered image (of a bike) into a photograph. I have set up some image based lighting and also used an hdr image for reflections.

When I render out the passes for the chrome material something goes wrong when I try to composite them together. The three passes I am using are, diffuse, specular and reflection.

The diffuse pass is pure white, which I think might be causing an issue. I have tried many different methods of merging them, tried multiplying the reflection and the specular together and then adding this to the diffuse. Also tried adding them all together.

For some reason I cant get the reflections to show up correctly, I am missing a pass or doing something wrong?

Many thanks.

Peppermelon Fresh Projects

Peppermelon updates! My favourite in this batch is the MTV ‘Los Premios 3009′ (MTV Awards 2009). It features eye-popping futuristic imagining of the 3 main cities: Bogota (top section), Mexico City (middle), and Buenos Aires (bottom). I recommend playing the HD teaser for the most satisfying viewing experience. Also, don’t miss the design rationale here.

Two other favourites of mine : Fox’s Retro Classifica (left, below) and Zilveren Kruis (right, below). Both features very well-considered character and environment designs, yet each is very different from the other.

Without a doubt, Peppermelon has sealed their reputation as one of the best and most versatile studios in the industry.

Posted on Motionographer

Indian Billing rate

So I just lost my roto artist job. Several of us lost it as well. We speculate that it is because either our clients are going to Indian firms directly or our small vfx studio is going directly to indian studios.

I don’t want to start another thread of outsourcing bashing, or another thread about the pro’s and con’s of outsourcing. But does anyone know how much the Indian Firms bill their US clients at for Compositing and Roto work?

I read that indian artists are paid at about $1/hour. But surely the Indian studios that hire these artists are not billing the US client at $1/hour or $2/hour. I imagine it is closer to $25/hour because they have to absorb other costs like Software license, rent, insurance etc.

Does anyone know the billing rate of Indian Studios to US clients?

How To Train Your Dragon – fantastic! Go see it!

I thought it was easily Dreamworks best animated film to date! I went in expecting little from the trailers but came out very surprised.

The animation was phenomenal too! Such good acting .. the first interactions between hiccup and toothless was very heartwarming and I felt like I was as amazed and intrigued as the character in the film! And that sequence had no dialogue.
I read somewhere else that they used a per character animation lead system, and I think it shows. All the characters have great different personalities.

The flying sequences were also very good. All in all such a charming film. Not once during it was I bored. Great music score too!

I will definitely be going see it again in theaters, this time in IMAX. I just hope it does well at the box office. It would be a shame for this to fall to the wayside because it isn’t a shrek. This deserves to be successful.

Has anyone here gone to see this yet? What did you think?

Just for Fun – Nuke 5 UI for NukeX 6

Just for fun this afternoon I sat down a coded the original Nuke 4 UI into a saved preset of NukeX 6.

Everything works (save backdrop node, can’t find the code) and gives you a very clean interface if needed.

Just for your interest,

Matt

edit, Backdrop fixed … nuke.nodes.BackdropNode()

Attached Thumbnails

Click image for larger version

Name:	nuke5UIforNukeX6.jpg
Views:	N/A
Size:	174.6 KB
ID:	9510
 

There’s something in the water at MTV Poland.

> Quicktime H.264
(9mb)
> iPod Compatible
(4mb)
> Watch in Flash
(2mb)

> Quicktime H.264
(8mb)
> iPod Compatible
(4mb)
> Watch in Flash
(3mb)

Lithuanian based motion design studio Korb have created this pair of beautifully crafted idents for MTVN HD in Poland. Globally, MTV have done some amazing on air presentation, from Latin America’s visual break to Australia’s local take on the brand.

And while the idea isn’t entirely original, the unique look and subtle execution of it all creates a powerful and thoughtful take on the otherwise ADHD brand that is MTV.

For a look behind the scenes, and for full credits keep reading below the fold..

> Quicktime H.264
(25mb)
> iPod Compatible
(15mb)
> Watch in Flash
(10mb progressive)

Credits:

Client: MTV Networks Polska
Director: Rimantas Lukavicius
Creative: John Kwoka
Production manager: Agnieszka Klys
CGI: Rimantas Lukavcius, Evaldas Cesnavicius
Music Company: Echolab
Composer, Sound Designer: Gavin Little
Production asistant: STRICTLY PRODUCTION

Master Class Video’s Starting to Appear

A couple of videos have been uploaded to The Foundry’s YouTube channel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACqB7…feature=digest
http://www.youtube.com/user/TheFoundryChannel#p/p

Fiodor Sumkin

Check out these gorgeous illustrations by Fiodor Sumkin.

Huge Sound Collection Promo Week

ey There Everyone! What my company has created is making filmmakers, vfx artists, and 3d animators crazy with excitement! The Studio Sound Collection has over 500 unique sounds that you are bound to use in everyone of your projects. This week we are having a special ‘promo’ week. This doesn’t happen often. We will provide everyone that reads this forum post a discount code. You may use this discount code upon purchase of collection.

note: discount code will last only 1 week from 4/2/2010, and it will be 15% off. (More than 10 dollars off)

Visit www.studiosoundesign.com

Promotional Code : StudioSounds

With over 50 already sold in the last two weeks, they go fast. Don’t wait a week, Buy now! Take advantage of this promotion week.

Any more information, for buying ‘bulk’ deals, etc. contact us @
support@studiosoundesign.com