The VFX Process

AJ Jefferies is a multi-disciplinary digital artist and animator known for his imaginative 3D animated shorts. He shares insights on creating his quirky films Peas and Horse, merging humor with the nitty-gritty of 3D technology. AJ recounts his whimsical journey of crafting a tiny Ryan Gosling for a magazine cover, delving into the joys and challenges of character design. He emphasizes nurturing children's creativity through The Monster Project, highlighting the delicate balance between fun and professionalism in the animation world.

Julian Glander, a 3D artist and animator, discusses the making of his feature-length animation 'Boys Go to Jupiter' using Blender. He praises the Blender community and shares insights on the challenges and joys of producing the film over five years. The film follows a surreal coming-of-age story with a diverse voice cast. Glander emphasizes the importance of starting small and achieving work-life balance in long projects.

Vikki & Niels discuss starting YONK, an animation studio utilising VR sculpting with Blender to create unique and playful character designs and animations."Hello there! We are YONK, the 3D animation studio that specialises in using Virtual Reality Sculpting software to craft visually striking artworks, animations and character designs. Our innovative approach to this technology has resulted in a unique style that seamlessly combines raw, childlike sculpting with polished, vibrant veneers. Our goal is to break free from traditional 3D norms and craft work that's playful, maximalist and delightfully strange." - YONK ONLINEIn this episode, Vikki Young and Niels van der Donk discuss starting their Netherlands-based animation studio, YONK, and their decision to use VR sculpting as the cornerstone of their creativity.Discover how YONK produces unique and captivating animations with VR sculpting in Blender, accelerating their creative process by tenfold.Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how they crafted a puppet rig in Blender using VR and designed an innovative car rig powered by geometry nodes and an Xbox controller.This episode offers great insights into using VR as a creative tool, the power of Blender 3D, and developing a unique artistic style.The VFX Process Podcast #45Getting Intimate With Your Industry!Accompanying media:Connect With YONK click hereFor the video podcast click here

SouthernShotty is widely known in the 3D community for his unique character designs and his Blender tutorials on YouTube. Shotty started teaching Blender skills to the community four years ago and is now one of the go-to content creators for those wanting to make 3D animated films.In this episode, SouthernShotty shares the process of creating his animated short film "Watermelon Girl," made using Blender with a little help from After Effects and the Adobe Substance suite. After failing many times to complete this project, Shotty reveals how he finally made it to the finish line, covering the creative process of producing a 3D film in Blender. He focuses on scalability, character design, asset reuse, and the importance of feedback from the Blender community. He also delves into the challenges, learnings, and advice for aspiring artists and filmmakers. Produced by a single animator, "Watermelon Girl" tells the story of a girl born from a watermelon seed in a departed king's stomach. A stunning journey begins, with an art style inspired by hand-made arts and crafts. Looking to create your own films in Blender? Check out this ultimate guide to solo filmmaking. Learn about animation, production, design, and all the tips you need to create animated short films by yourself with the help of SouthernShotty.The VFX Process Podcast #44Getting Intimate With Your Industry!Accompanying media:Connect With SoutherShotty click hereFor the video podcast click here

Jess Wiseman, a UK-based 3D animator, shares her journey from painting to working with brands like KSI using Blender. She discusses learning on the job, creating photorealistic visuals, blending digital art with physical products, and future plans for her brand Figuregot.

Joshua Toonen discusses his VFX journey and his mission to push the limits of Unreal Engine's filmmaking and visual effects capabilities.Joshua Toonen is a seasoned VFX artist with 8 years of experience in the film industry, contributing to blockbuster films like Alien: Covenant, Spider-Man: Across the Spiderverse, and Star Wars, among others.In 2020, Josh embarked on a personal project, creating 'Stay,' a short film/music video inspired by 'The Last of Us.' In this episode, he shares his journey and the creative process behind this remarkable project.Recently, Josh transitioned into the world of Unreal Engine and virtual production. He worked as an virtual production supervisor on the sets of Avatar: The Last Airbender and Star Trek: Discovery, igniting his passion for Unreal Engine. Determined to push its boundaries, he set out to recreate a scene from Dune: Part One entirely in Unreal Engine within 24 hours, documenting the entire process on his YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/-syj6kFf6e4?feature=sharedJosh’s latest challenge is a Godzilla sequence, exploring the question, "How can we achieve everything within Unreal Engine?" He is streaming the entire process live on his YouTube channel, titled The Godzilla Masterclass.The VFX Process Podcast #42Getting Intimate With Your Industry!Accompanying media:Discover Joshua Toonen click hereFor the video podcast click here

Olov Burman, a multi-award-winning director, discusses his journey, unique characters, and projects ranging from Cartoon Network to Tenacious D.Olov Burman, an animation director from Sweden, travels the globe while collaborating with networks of artists and clients worldwide. He has harboured a passion for animation and visual storytelling since a young age, and throughout his professional career, he has been involved in over 200 animated film productions, often serving as Creative Director, Storyboard Artist, or Animator.Olov has worked in various techniques such as 3D, 2D, and Stop Motion. Currently, he freelances as a Director, assisting clients in developing ideas and creating pitch material for diverse film productions.In this episode, Olov guides us through a range of projects, starting from his early days animating for Cartoon Network, directing animation for Tenacious D's 'Video Games,' and culminating in his latest personal project: expanding his viral short film 'The Food Thief' into a 12-minute version, as demanded by fans.Join us as we delve deep into the work of Olov Burman and discover how he pushes the limits of animation with his unique 3D character rigs and unmistakable style.The VFX Process Podcast #41Getting Intimate With Your Industry!Accompanying media:Discover Olov Burman click hereFor the video podcast click here

Award-winning stunt coordinator Dave Macomber shares insights on pre-visualizing a fight sequence for David Fincher, his work on iconic blockbusters, and his venture into Unreal Engine filmmaking. He discusses the challenges of choreographing complex fight scenes, balancing creativity with practicality, and using motion capture technology in VFX production. Additionally, he highlights the importance of trust and teamwork in executing daring movie stunts.

The VFX Process Podcast #39Jamie chats with THUMBS about building his brand focused on pop culture and how he was commissioned by Mark Hoppus of Blink 182.Nick Thompson, also known as THUMBS, is a West London-based artist who has built his brand through a love for 80's and 90's pop culture. His work includes paintings, prints, apparel, and collectible toys, filled with an incredibly nostalgic feel by breathing new life into his favourite pop culture icons, including The Simpsons, Marvel, DC, Disney and many others.THUMBS also integrates a significant musical presence into some of his designs, combining pop culture characters with artists such as MF Doom, Beastie Boys, Biggie Smalls, and Blink 182.We delve into how Nick built THUMBS Art & Design from stickers in a skate shop to the globally recognised brand and family business it is today. THUMBS has showcased his art in exhibitions around the world and has been fortunate to collaborate with brands such as Virgin Galactic, Xbox, Hello Kitty, Deadmau5, Looney Tunes and even the Chicago Bulls.We discuss how Nick utilises social media as an artist/brand, how he has perfected pop culture characters in his art, and how he navigates copyright issues with his designs, which prominently feature multiple intellectual properties (IPs).As a huge fan of Blink 182, Nick designed a limited edition poster combining The Simpsons with the cover of Blink's legendary live album 'The Mark, Tom & Travis Show'. This led to the bass player, Mark Hoppus, becoming a fan of THUMBS, purchasing a print, and later commissioning Nick to design a bass guitar for their 2023 world tour.The VFX Process... Getting Intimate With Your Industry!Accompanying media:Discover THUMBS click hereFor the video podcast click here

The VFX Process Podcast #38Patrick 4D shares his 3D process, discusses how he utilises social media as an artist.Patrick Foley is a 3D artist who specialises in creating photorealistic food. Utilising a combination of ZBrush, Cinema 4D and Octane, he has earned legendary status in the 3D world through his daily Instagram reels, showcasing the process behind his remarkable food renders that have claimed him the name 'The Digital Chef.'What began as a 3D artist having fun transformed into Patrick securing high-profile clients eager to feature his photorealistic food renders on their product packaging. Patrick owes all his professional 3D opportunities to social media, emphasising that Instagram functions as a live portfolio and should be viewed as a means of branding yourself online.Showcasing his ZBrush skills daily on social media led to Patrick's invitation to the official ZBrush Summit, and he regularly hosts live streams titled 'Cooking With Patrick' on the ZBrush YouTube Channel.Streaming daily on his Discord server, Patrick creates unique 3D food renders in real time, later showcasing them as his daily Instagram reels. Also... we throw in a challenge! Patrick 4D is tasked with creating one of his 3D food renders within just 10 minutes, and he does not disappoint!This episode provides valuable insights into achieving success as a 3D artist, building an online community, and mastering the art of photorealistic 3D modelling and texturing.The VFX Process... Getting Intimate With Your Industry!Accompanying media:Discover Patrick 4D click hereFor the video podcast click here