Nira's VFX Blog
A journey through my master

Category: VFX Careers Research

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VFX Careers Research

VFX Careers Research – Job 3

VFX Compositor

Several weeks ago, I was not sure if compositing was for me. However, after develop my skills in Nuke and seeing how several assets in different formats, lighting, texture, etc, can be put together using lots of different techniques to create a final a scene or sequence, really has taken my full attention and interest. I love modelling and texturing, but I also enjoy putting everything together and create different environments using varied effects, lighting and colours. Being responsible for the final look of a piece could be overwhelming but also really rewarding at the end.

A VFX Compositor is in charge to create the final look of a scene or sequence, taking all digital materials needed such as live-action footage, CGI, and matte paintings, and connecting them all in a single shot. These materials are connected in a way that they look like they belong together in the same scene. A key aspect for compositors is to be able to create realistic lighting settings since relighting to make the shot convincing to the viewers eye is important to the success of the sequence. Another aspect to take in consideration is ‘chroma keying’, technique in which a specific colour or lighting of a shot is picked to be altered or replaced. This method is commonly used in ‘green/blue screen’ where a saturated green/blue background is placed to shot live-action footage with it and then be replaced in post-production with the desired background or CGI.

What I like the most about this, is the numerous environments that can be put together with this, since the only limit established is the imagination. There are a lot of examples about amazing environments created like this, but one example that has caught my attention is the ‘upside-down world’ created for the Netflix series Stranger Things:

Stranger Things series’ upside-down environment (DNEG, 2022)

This shot was a one minute and six seconds master shot with blue screen background which was composited with five different plates, four characters, CGI creatures, and an environment that was made of both real scenography and VFX. In order to make it look ‘realistic’, the visual effects had to match the live-action footage so there is no feeling of low quality background screen. Therefore, they used highly detailed assets and textures that at the same time had to be optimised to be more efficient. This demonstrates the level of expertise a Compositor needs to be able to keep a balance between high quality and efficiency, as this requires a vast knowledge and resources usually acquired with years of practice and experience.

Apart from the technical and creative side of the job, it is also important to be aware or at least being an observant person regarding the physics of our surroundings, for example, the difference between the movements that the leaves of a tree do when the wind blows or when a helicopter is approaching; or how the cast of shadows can differ depending on the time of the day, texture of the surface, artificial light added, etc. DNEG work in Uncharted movie, shows a lot of examples and techniques used to make these physics as realistic as possible:

Uncharted VFX breakdown (DNEG, 2022)

This position requires a lot of attention to detail and full understanding about the software used such as Nuke, since many times I have found myself changing the aesthetic of a scene for not having the knowledge enough to tweak certain features as I want to. Getting stuck in the process is certainly how a person learns and develops their knowledge, and also demonstrates their problem-solving skills, however, I can understand why this position is not offered as ‘entry level’ since it requires refined skills and efficiency, which I hope one day to achieve.

References

DNEG (2022). Behind the VFX | Stranger Things Season 4 | DNEG (online). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYP8yscXFyY [Accessed 24 February 2023]

DNEG (2022). Uncharted VFX Breakdown | DNEG (online). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McI9uFac_hw [Accessed 24 February 2023]

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VFX Careers Research

VFX Careers Research – Job 2

Modelling Artist

Lately, I have been enjoying 3D organic modelling of humans, animals, and objects. It is a task that I could do for hours without getting tired or bored. Creating things from scratch allows me to use my most creative side and pushes me to overcome the technical issues that could arise, to finally have the result that I have in my mind. I also consider modelling intriguing as it is not only based in creating the mesh of something, but figure out the features that define that model so it makes it interesting and memorable.

The task of a Modelling Artist starts with the concept artists design which will be taken as reference, or simply from photographs, or any type of sketch. Then the model is digitally sculpted using modelling programmes such as Maya, ZBrush, or Blender. Later, these models can be textured and animated by Texture Artists and Animators. In small businesses, it is usual that this position is blended with Texture Artist, which I am interested in too. I consider that starting up in a small business could give me the opportunity to learn more general skills so that I can experiment with as many areas of interest I have, to later determine which one I would like to specialise in.

While researching the 3D modelling process, from concept art until final texturing and animation, I found the following video showing the design process of Smaug, the dragon from the Peter Jackson’s movie The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

Smaug design process (The Hobbit The Battle of the Five Armies, 2014)

When creating the mesh of a 3D model, it is important to take in consideration certain technical aspects such as optimisation of the mesh, what is it going to be used, compatibility, etc. The attention to detail and thoroughness in the process will allow Texture Artists and Animators to do their part of the job easily. I have been lately playing around with hair modelling and the creation of various textures effects, such as clothes creases, and it is definitely a challenge to be as photorealistic as possible and at the same time try to keep the topology simple. This area would be a good one to explore and develop if I want to try my luck as a 3D modeller. I also found a few examples of 3D model optimisation:

Examples of 3D models optimisation (Alison & Co, 2018)

Another inspiration I found about modelling is how professionals of the industry have managed to develop new techniques to increase the quality of the models and to make 3D artists task more manageable. In the next example it is shown how they managed to start implementing curly hair in Disney’s characters. Before this, the animated characters had mostly straight hair due to being more suitable to animate and to look with the appropriate quality. However, with the advancement of technology, and 3D software, 3D modellers have found the way to create a tool that focuses in curls. This demonstrates that as a Modelling Artist, I could be learning new skills in a daily basis and also could be developing my own design process and ideas.

Example of 3D modelling technique improvement to make curly hair (Insider, 2022)

I found this process interesting and inspiring: despite it means to work towards tight deadlines and to be able to make the impossible in the short timeframes, I consider this a rewarding job that can be enjoyable from beginning to end every step of the way.

References


Alison & Co, 2018. Character Creator 3 and InstaLOD partner to optimize game character design (online). Available at https://invisioncommunity.co.uk/character-creator-3-and-instalod-partner-to-optimize-game-character-design/. [Accessed 17 February 2023]

Insider, 2022. How Disney’s Animated Hair Became So Realistic, From ‘Tangled’ To ‘Encanto’ | Movies Insider (online). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvTchBdrqdw. [Accessed 17 February 2023]

The Hobbit The Battle of the Five Armies, 2014. The Hobbit : The Desolation of Smaug – Smaug Featurette (online). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pvr7DSEHcic. [Accessed 17 February 2023]

Categories
VFX Careers Research

VFX Careers Research – Job 1

Environment Artist

I find really satisfying to create scenes from scratch and step by step turn it into something that can be part of a real world or may look like it is a real place. Therefore, I think the role of Environment Artist would be a good option for me when trying to find a job in the VFX industry.

I consider that a video game company such as Frontier, it would be a good start point for this role as they look for realistic landscapes, but they do not require the grade of detail that the film industry usually demands. However, since I overall enjoy the most photorealistic models of environments following a steampunk, cyberpunk, art nouveau styles, or even futuristic sci-fi space or 80’s neon aesthetics, my main goal is to one day make it to a good VFX company that focuses on the filmmaking of movies with these styles. 

‘Blade Runner 2049’ (Framestore, 2023)
‘The Expanse’ series, city concept art environment (Jim Thacker, 2016)
‘The Expanse’ series, space ship concept art environment (Jim Thacker, 2016)

Researching about the role’s characteristics, I found that the environment artists are required when the actual environment is too difficult or impossible to film in real life (e.g. post-apocalyptic cities, a space environment, a completely different world, etc). The brief starts with a 2D or 3D digital art made by concept artists to be taken as a reference material (it could also be photographs of similar places or sketches). Then the environment artist would create the ‘wireframe’ or mesh of the landscape to then sculpt the different characteristics of the scene to make it as accurate and realistic as possible to what is fitting. Once the model is done, in big companies where these roles are more specialised, this is passed on to the texturing artist to add texture and make the surfaces look realistic, but in smaller companies, environment artists can be doing both modelling and texturing or even lighting the scene. 

What I like from modelling overall is the fact that it can be made from a studio as an internal employee, or as a freelancer. I think that to start in a studio as an internal employee would give me a bit more stability and security at the beginning of my career, as well as being an opportunity to see how more experienced people do the job and take some useful tips from them.

I also found two example videos in YouTube that shows examples of the role of an environment artist in a video game and in a film. 

In the first example below, it shows how for video games the environments are modelled from scratched, textured, and layered later with the objects and characters of the scene. They also must set colliders on each object or component of the environment so the character that is being used by the player interacts with the scene. Despite with the years, the game industry has been becoming more realistic following the development of new and more powerful software, it still does not reach the photorealism of films. It the game design it is needed a balance between immersive design and fluid gameplay, so it is difficult to be perfectly photorealistic.

Video Game Environment Artist Job (InspirationTuts, 2022)

The second example below shows an environment reel made by MPC artists. It is visible that the environments are not 100% modelled and they are a mixture of green/blue screen, modelling, texturing, environment shots from other places (rotoscoped), and colour correction. It is a more difficult task in my opinion but it has a more satisfying result.

MPC Film Environmental Reel (MPC, 2021)

References

Framestore (2023). Blade Runner 2049: Art Department (online). Available at: https://www.framestore.com/work/blade-runner-2049-art-department?language=en [Accessed 10 February 2023]

InspirationTuts (2022). Video Game Environment Artist Job (online). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opn3mhFjDyI [Accessed 10 February 2023]

MPC (2021). MPC Film Environment Reel (online). Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47GcYCoBHpw [Accessed 10 February 2023]

Thacker, J (2016). Behind the scenes: the concept art of The Expanse (online). Available at: https://magazine.artstation.com/2016/02/scenes-concept-art-expanse/ [Accessed 10 February 2023]