The VFX Process

In this episode, Jamie sits down with Craig Caton-Largent, VFX artist and Chair of 3D Animation & VFX at the New York Film Academy (NYFA) Los Angeles, to discuss his incredible 45-year career in the VFX industry. Born in Portland, Oregon, Craig has contributed to over 100 films and collaborated with legendary directors like Tim Burton, Steven Spielberg, and James Cameron. His journey began wit...

In this episode, Jamie sits down with Rasmus Poulsen (aka Technouveau), a Copenhagen-based Art Director in the AAA games industry. With an impressive resume working on titles like Hitman, Kane & Lynch, and the upcoming Project 007, Rasmus has also built a name for himself as a sci-fi artist, crafting stunning Blender renders of futuristic ships and worlds. As a lifelong Star Wars and sci-fi fa...

Jamie sits down with VFX artist and director Santiago Menghini to discuss the making of his incredible Unreal Engine short film, RALLY. This suspenseful, action-packed film marks Santiago's debut in Unreal Engine, showcasing his transition from traditional live-action filmmaking to the world of real-time animation. Originally intended as a live-action project, RALLY was shelved due to unforese...

Join VFX artist and filmmaker Calvin Romeyn as he takes you behind the scenes of his ambitious Unreal Engine short film, Firmware. This groundbreaking project, which took two years to create, marked Calvin’s first time using Unreal Engine. Despite being new to the platform, Calvin utilised advanced tools like Metahumans for lifelike faces and motion capture with actors to create thrilling action s...

In this episode, VFX artist MX Bell takes us behind the scenes of his incredible work as a VFX art director on Deadpool and Wolverine! Working alongside acclaimed director Shawn Levy and visionary production designer Raymond Chang, Martin utilised the power of Unreal Engine to revolutionise the creative process. We explore how Unreal Engine helped visualise the stunning sets of Deadpool and Wolver...

Join Nikodem Bredlich, also known as DemNikoArt, as he shares his insights into Blender 3D filmmaking and the secrets behind his efficiency in creating high-quality animations. In this video, Niko breaks down the process of crafting his latest Mega Man 3D fan film, Mavericks Episode 5, offering an in-depth look at how passion and careful planning come together to bring his vision to life. Whether...

In this episode, VFX graduates Sondre Fagerborg and Sebastian Sveen, who attended Kristiania University College in Norway, take you behind the scenes of their ambitious bachelor project, Cryo Odyssey—a fully CG sci-fi short that showcases their mastery of Hollywood-level VFX compositing. Sondre and Sebastian dive into the challenges and creative choices involved in bringing Cryo Odyssey to life, e...

In this episode, VFX artist and writer/director MX Bell discusses Giblets, his upcoming live-action dark comedy short currently in the pitching and visualisation stage. Bell explains how Unreal Engine and Virtual Production are essential in bringing his vision to life. Though still unfilmed, Unreal Engine’s real-time tech has enabled him to pitch the concept to collaborators and investors. Bell, a...

In this video, we sit down with writer and animator Sean Buckelew to discuss his work on HBO Max's sci-fi animated series Scavengers Reign . Sean gives an inside look at writing for such an immersive, otherworldly project, sharing his approach to crafting unique stories and compelling characters in animation. He also talks about overcoming imposter syndrome, offering advice for creatives facin...

In this video, animation director Raman Djafari dives deep into their career creating visually stunning music videos for some of the biggest names in the industry, including Coldplay, Dua Lipa, and Ashnikko. We'll explore their artistic journey, how they developed their signature style, and the truth behind working in the animation and music video industries. From their early influences to col...

In this episode, we sit down with 3D artist Trent Fortune to explore his innovative work in recreating a scene from X-Men '97 using Unreal Engine. Trent shares his expertise on how this project, designed as a Previs exercise, demonstrates Unreal Engine's potential for revolutionizing Previs in animation and filmmaking. Trent’s animation software of choice is Maya, where he modeled, rigged,...

In this episode, we sit down with Christopher Rutledge, an innovative CG artist and filmmaker, to explore his unique approach to creating stunning animations. Known for his exceptional use of SideFX's Houdini, Chris takes us behind the scenes of his creative process, showcasing the making of several of his captivating short films. While Houdini is typically recognized as a go-to tool for block...

AJ Jefferies (MOONJAM) is a multi-disciplinary digital artist, illustrator, retoucher, character designer, animator, and director. He has been creating images, characters, and animations for the advertising, gaming, and entertainment industries since 2001. In this episode, AJ dives into making his 3D animated short films Peas and Horse, fueled by wacky ideas and a desire to learn new 3D animation...

In this episode, Julian Glander dives deep into the making of Boys Go to Jupiter. Self-produced and self-financed, the film was animated entirely using Blender 3D software. Julian explains why Blender was the perfect software for this project and praises the Blender 3D community for their support. He shares the highs and lows of producing a feature-length animation in Blender over the course of fi...

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 result...

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," mad...

Jess Wiseman, a 3D animator and designer based in the UK, shares her journey from painting portraits to working with brands and individuals to bring their creative ideas to life. She started by entering competitions and cold emailing potential clients, offering her work for free to overcome her lack of experience. Her strategy paid off when she received a reply from YouTube superstar KSI and went...

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, cre...

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 caree...

Hollywood Stunt Coordinator Dave Macomber discusses previsualising a fight sequence for David Fincher's 'The Killer' and his latest Unreal Engine project. Meet Dave Macomber, an award-winning stunt/fight coordinator and second unit director in the film industry. With a passion for Visual Effects (VFX), Dave seamlessly incorporates VFX elements into his stunt visualisations, providing a...

The VFX Process Podcast #39 Jamie 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 nost...

The VFX Process Podcast #38 Patrick 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...

The VFX Process Podcast #37 Jamie chats with Faruk Heplevent, the brilliant mind behind The Scope, a ground-breaking fully CGI automotive launch company. Faruk began his journey as a globetrotting car photographer, capturing iconic images for the world's leading car brands, all on traditional film. However, faced with the rise of CGI, Faruk encountered a career crossroads. Undeterred, he found...

TVP Podcast #36 | Jamie chats with Alireza 'Mehran' Fattahi about his viral BATMAN cinematics. Discover how he brought THE DARK KNIGHT to life using the power of UNREAL ENGINE. Ali, also knows as Mehran is an Unreal Engine artist based in Iran. He reflects on his journey since creating his first Batman cinematic just one year ago. Little did he know, the response would be monumental! Now,...

TVP Podcast #35 | Brent Forrest discusses the creation of 'Samurai Frog Golf,' the award-winning 3D animation produced by the Japanese studio 'Marza Animation Planet.' Brent, a Canadian-born animator currently residing in Tokyo, is employed by the acclaimed animation studio Marza Animation Planet. We delve into Brent's independent filmmaking career, where he has crafted 3D shor...