CG Garage

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235529/ Ever wonder how the scrappy, sarcastic world of Murderbot was brought to life? Veteran Visual Effects Supervisor Sean Faden pulls back the curtain on the hit Apple TV+ series, revealing the innovative and often hilarious journey of its creation. He shares the origin story of his involvement, detailing a highly collaborative process that began nearly a year bef...

A few months back, on episode 510, we debated whether James Cameron is an all-powerful maverick who answers to no one. VFX legend and Digital Domain co-founder Scott Ross heard the discussion and had a clear message for us: "You got it wrong." According to Scott, the idea that Cameron operates completely free from studio influence is a fantasy, especially when a quarter-billion dollars is on the l...

Computer graphics pioneer Ken Perlin invented Perlin noise, a foundational tool used in nearly every area of computer graphics. In this episode of CG Garage, Ken shares his unique journey, starting with a childhood love for both art and mathematics. He recounts how his early work on the film Tron inspired him to invent Perlin noise and the foundational concepts of shaders, a breakthrough that laid...

This week, we sit down with acclaimed cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw , the first woman ever to shoot on IMAX for the film Sinner . She discusses her unique journey into filmmaking, including her work in 16mm on The Last Showgirl and her credits on major studio projects like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and Marvel's Loki . Autumn highlights the vital importance of finding a creative commun...

Episode 515 marks the very first CG Garage Podcast episode under the Monstrous Moonshine banner, and it's a big reset moment. Chris is joined by longtime collaborator Daniel Thron and new producer/coordinator Lily Nichols to introduce this new chapter. Together, they reflect on the origins of the Monstrous Moonshine name, its ties to both 1970s cinema and mathematics, and why it represents the kin...

This episode marks the final CG Garage podcast under the Chaos umbrella. The next chapter of the show will launch under a new banner, continuing the conversations that explore the art, craft, and future of filmmaking. Armen Kevorkian joins Chris to reflect on his long career in visual effects, from his early start as an intern on Star Trek: Voyager and Deep Space Nine to becoming the president of...

At SIGGRAPH 2025, Chaos unveils major updates to Vantage and Arena that significantly expand real-time ray tracing workflows. Product managers Simeon Balabanov and Georgi Zhekov join Chris to break down the new capabilities, including native USD and MaterialX support, Gaussian splats with ray-traced lighting, volumetric caches, and a streamlined pipeline that keeps the same asset across previs, vi...

In this episode, Chris chats with Susan O'Neal, a long-time force in the visual effects industry, about her remarkable career journey and insights into the evolving VFX world. Susan recounts starting as employee #24 at Digital Domain in the early '90s, working on landmark projects like Titanic , and moving through various studios such as Lightstorm, A52, CIS, Zoic, and Riot. Along the way, she wor...

VFX veterans Chad Wanstreet and Allan McKay join Chris to talk about their new startup, Version Zero, a company aimed at automating the mundane tasks that bog down visual effects work. Born out of years of frustration with tedious jobs like roto, paint, plate cleanup, and matchmove, Version Zero helps artists and studios save time and focus on the creative parts of production. Chad and Allan share...

We're trying something new this week and taking a break from the usual interview format. This episode kicks off a roundtable discussion format that we plan to revisit every few months. Chris is joined in person by Daniel Thron and James Blevins, both CG Garage podcast veterans, for a relaxed but sharp conversation about recent events in technology and the movie industry. The group starts with Jame...

Marti Romances, co-founder and creative director of Territory Studio San Fransisco, joins the podcast to share his journey from designing DVD menus in Spain to creating iconic futuristic interfaces for blockbuster films like P rometheus , The Martian , Guardians of the Galaxy , and Captain America: The Winter Soldier . With roots in multimedia and motion graphics, Marti explains how his early pass...

Michael Ralla joins the podcast to share his journey through the world of visual effects, with a focus on his latest project as VFX Supervisor on the film Sinners . He discusses how he worked closely with cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, whose fearless approach to lighting and darkness pushed the creative envelope. The episode features a deep conversation about the differences between film a...

Jess Loren, CEO and co-founder of Global Objects, joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of immersive content and the creative tech reshaping the industry. A force to be reckoned with, Jess has a sharp pulse on where things are headed, and she doesn't hold back when discussing the current state of Hollywood. She talks candidly about the challenges studios and creators face today...

Johnson Yan, a trailblazer in real-time 3D graphics, joins the podcast to recount his remarkable journey from the earliest days of computer graphics and flight simulation. Starting in the late 1970s, Johnson tackled fundamental challenges like texture mapping, anti-aliasing, translucency, and scalability, long before today's GPU technology emerged. He shares insights into his pioneering work at Si...

Sebastian Sylwan has a wealth of experience, having been CTO at Weta Digital, Scanline, and Felix & Paul Studios, as well as Director of Technology at Digital Domain. He's spent his career at the intersection of art and technology, helping world-class teams push the boundaries of visual effects, immersive media, and real-time workflows. In this episode, he reflects on the challenges of innovating...

Scott Ross, legendary VFX executive and co-founder of Digital Domain, joins the podcast for an unfiltered conversation about the state of the film industry and the visual effects business. With decades of experience and a reputation for telling it like it is, Scott digs into the systemic challenges facing Hollywood—from broken economic models in studio filmmaking to the relentless pressure on VFX...

Joshua Lastine, an entertainment lawyer, returns to the podcast to break down the rapidly changing legal and business landscape of the film industry. As AI tools reshape content creation, streaming platforms redefine distribution, and independent filmmakers leverage new technology, Joshua explains how contracts, intellectual property, and revenue models are evolving. He dives into the legal implic...

Oliver Markowski, Head of 3D at RISE, returns to the podcast to dive deep into the latest advancements in VFX technology. Since his last appearance, the industry has seen major shifts, and Oliver shares insights on how USD and MaterialX have evolved, shaping how studios exchange data and build pipelines. He discusses the adoption of USD across the industry, from major VFX houses to tech giants lik...

Eric Barba, Academy Award-winning VFX supervisor, returns to the podcast to discuss his latest work on Alien: Romulus , directed by Fede Álvarez, for which he is nominated for an Oscar in 2025. He shares the challenges of bringing the world of Alien to life, from balancing practical effects with cutting-edge VFX to ensuring the film stays true to Ridley Scott's iconic franchise. Eric dives into th...

In the special 500th episode of the CG Garage podcast, Steve Preeg, one of the first-ever guests of the show, returns to reflect on a decade of change in the visual effects industry. An Academy Award-winning VFX supervisor known for his groundbreaking work on The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and TRON: Legacy , Steve shares how both the industry and his own career have evolved since his last app...

Jake Maymudes, visual effects supervisor and CEO of Wylie Co., shares his experiences working on major projects like  Dune: Part One , Dune: Part Two , and Alien: Romulus . Jake discusses the creative and technical challenges involved in creating the stunning visuals for these films, from complex simulations to photoreal environments. He also reflects on his journey through the visual effects indu...

Todd Perry, a veteran visual effects supervisor with decades of experience in the industry, shares his journey from his early fascination with Star Wars to becoming a key figure in VFX. Todd discusses how he transitioned from experimenting with stop-motion and early computer graphics to landing his first major jobs at Imageworks and Weta, working on projects like The Lord of the Rings: The Two Tow...

Andy Boyd, co-founder of Jam, shares insights into his studio's journey over the past decade and their ability to adapt to changing industry dynamics. Andy reflects on his studio's blend of commercial and long-form projects, including Brothers , a feature film featuring a photoreal CG orangutan, now available on Amazon Prime. He discusses the challenges of creating realistic fur and how transition...

Jason Smith, the senior visual effects supervisor on The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power , joins the podcast to discuss his award-winning career in visual effects. With nearly 25 years at Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Jason's achievements include an Oscar nomination and a Sci-Tech Award from the Academy for his groundbreaking work on Blockparty, a rigging tool used to bring countless creat...

Jo Plaete, a pioneer in digital humans and chief innovation officer at Metaphysic, joins the podcast to discuss his company's groundbreaking work on the newly released film Here , now in theaters. Jo traces his journey from his early career in computer graphics and visual effects, working on films like Where the Wild Things Are and Aladdin , to creating cutting-edge AI-driven tools that enable pho...