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FMX continues in Stuttgart this week. 3DVF is on-site, and here are our impressions from the second day.
Workshops and Masterclasses
FMX offers numerous conferences on the visual effects of the latest productions, as well as workshops and masterclasses in “company suites.” These sessions, lasting about 45 minutes to an hour, allow the speaker to delve deeper into the technical details of their development. Maxon, Houdini, Foundry, and Chaos are the main companies in these sessions. Throughout the day, artists and TDs present their work and the specifics of the tools used. Some attendees told us they stayed all day in the same room.
Among the presentations we attended was Rigging / Animation by Steph Ramplin (see her Instagram) using Cinema 4D. Her work as an artist, both as an illustrator and animator, has among other things led to her art being showcased in New York stores. The introduction to her work was a treat; unfortunately, after 30 minutes of presentation, we had still seen nothing about rigging and animation. Eventually, the demonstration of rigging in Cinema 4D materialized through joint placement and skinning, which did not work on the first attempt. Fortunately, a backup scene allowed the artist to continue her presentation. We admit we were hoping for a more technical presentation around Cinema 4D.
Our disappointment was quickly forgotten as we then went to a Houdini workshop with Magnus Petterson (Storm Studios) discussing character FX for The Last of Us. This presentation focused on two specific sequences. The creature’s forehead split and the kiss, which according to Magnus might be nominated as potentially the most beautiful “kiss” in visual effects.
Originally planned in animation, these shots were handled by the CFX team, using Houdini. After extensive research, the team, using motion capture and numerous curves, created the realistic cut. This approach, having resulted in a result beyond expectations, can be developed in the future for new projects without going through the rigging/animation department.
Note that in the early morning, Superprod Animation also held a workshop in the Houdini room to present their work on the crowds in the upcoming Asterix movie. We were unable to attend, but the feedback was very positive.
Improving Profits in VFX / Animation
In the early afternoon, Heiko Burkardsmaier (VFX Executive Producer, Accenture Song Content Germany) shared his vision and techniques for improving profits in VFX and animation and trying to avoid mistakes that many studios, according to him, make in their early days. He reminded us that the VFX industry can be risky. Competition during the bidding process, as well as scheduling changes, can have a huge financial impact, as can client changes of mind or the latest technological and creative developments.
Among the solutions to anticipate all these pitfalls, he suggests studios not grow too fast, keep trusted clients, and even have a somewhat conservative approach. Heiko Burkardsmaier listed seven key performance indicators (KPIs) to run a studio, such as revenue, employee motivation, “chargability” (work hours/cost ratio), cost knowledge, limiting extra expenses to a minimum, quality, and of course, the profile per project.
This was obviously a personal viewpoint. A roundtable with other opinions could have shed more light on the subject by offering diverse approaches.
ASWF and Open Source
The Academy Software Foundation houses a very important community of open-source projects and manages technologies and tools used in most visual effects and animation studios worldwide. Jean-Francois Panisset, a member of the Technology Advisory Council (TAC), came to present the latest publications and invite interested parties to join the community.
Note: if you are a Windows developer, “you will be popular.”
Becoming a member of the Academy can have a cost depending on your profile. Rates can range from $0 to $50,000 per year to access the developed content.
We will continue our exploration of this 2024 edition of FMX until the end of the event.
