Raphael van Lierop

🚀 These are 3 Principles for Height Control in Substance Designer: 🥇 0-1 Height info Grayscale information is just a Ramp that goes from 0 to 1. When your image in the 2D editor shows black it means there is no information at all, meaning the value is 0. But when the editor shows a pure white then you have a 1, or the information is full.  Between 0 and 1 there are tons of values! (Like for example 0,0005) 🥈 Gradients We can choose any value between 0-1, but we can also get several values between these two numbers. This is what we call a Gradient, a blend between two initial values that shades from one value to the other. 🥉 Shape Building Making shapes with our grayscale in formation is about controlling these values in a way that we create a set of values per pixel that later translates into a shape in the 3D Viewport. 🎁As I know this is hard to understand and many people enjoyed our last Bootcamp and learned a lot. I will be hosting a new Free 2-hour Substance Designer Expert Bootcamp for Artists! Last week we had Emiel Sleegers join us briefly to give us his insights on our last project! Click on the link below and fill out the form to join our next Free Bootcamp! 🚀 2-hour Substance Designer Expert Bootcamp, save your seat here: https://lnkd.in/ddu872Ya 🌐 If you want to be part of the biggest Discord Material Art Community go here: https://lnkd.in/d9bKMM-f #gameart #art #d #game #digitalart #gamedev #gaming #games #gamer #videogames #gamedesign #illustration #conceptart #indiegame #unity #fanart #ps #dart #indiedev #gamedevelopment #drawing #indiegamedev #videogame #characterdesign #artwork #blender #artist #playstation #pixelart #indiegames

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You know why audio designers and QA often care so much about every other part of a content pipeline? Because overtime rolls downhill. Let's take a character pipeline that runs about 16 weeks. Here's art: 1 week in concept 2 weeks for modeling 1 week for rigging - might take less so there's buffer! (texture running in parallel) 4 weeks for animation (texture finishing) 4 weeks for VFX 2 weeks for audio 2 weeks for QA Alongside that, designers are working on gameplay, which injects change that can cause more work/rework. If the character has important story elements, you might also have narrative shifts, which can force changes in order to maintain a cohesive character. OK, so assets are flowing through the system, let's say you're reasonably load balanced in terms of people (a huge assumption, I admit). So one day, concept comes to you and says, "Hey, it took us longer to get signoff then we expected, we're not ready yet but another pass or two, we'll be a couple days late." Everyone responds with something like, "Got it, that makes sense. Stuff happens in game dev! We've still got over 14 weeks, we'll figure it out!" But of course this meant modeling also started a little late, and because they weren't quite ready to go, they took on a separate thing to stay productive and help out a different team. Good collaboration, way to keep producing value, you know? So now we're a week behind, but we've still got 12 weeks to figure this out. I won't keep going, but where audio has been promised "2 weeks" what you don't realize is before you're through the second step they've lost one. By the time design tweaks something and anim and VFX have to go back and redo a few things, audio and QA are basically working simultaneously, attempting to get everything done in one week, or even a weekend. VFX also starts feeling the pain because the cascade of issues and late QA pass mean the earlier people in the pipeline are injected with work, which mostly hits the later disciplines because they were already crunched trying to hit their times. At the end of the pipeline, we don't have room to negotiate. In fact, we're all rushing to get it done. This makes audio designers, QA, and sometimes VFX some of the most sensitive to news about things being late ANYWHERE in the pipeline. They've seen the pattern, they know it rolls downhill. They've also been blamed for it in bad organizations. Speaking of, two poor (and common) leadership responses: - "What's wrong with audio and QA? They're always late!" - "We need to hire more audio and QA! That'll solve it!" One slightly better but still not great response: - "It's now an 18 week pipeline, we'll add some buffer!" - That buffer will be gone before animation finishes. You have to recognize these patterns, then work with the ENTIRE team to address them. Otherwise you start getting annoyed at the people with zero control over their reality. #gameproduction #gamedevelopment #gameindustry #art #qa #audio

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Following up on my recent talk at Substance Days, one of the topics I covered was how I created a PBR Validator Tool for Substance Painter users working with ACEScg! This handy tool eliminates the guesswork, leading to a smoother and more efficient workflow. I also added the option to check roughness and avoid using extreme values. You can get this tool for free here: https://lnkd.in/dVMVk52z If you have any feedback or suggestions feel free to get in touch. #3d #MadeWithSubstance #substancepainter

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The brilliance of Laurie Anderson, Multi-hyphenated Creative and NASA’s first Artist-in-Residence on her thoughts about AI and Intelligence. She quotes a cryptologist during her interview with Tom Power on Q at CBC Radio: “If you think technology will solve your problems, you don’t understand technology and you don’t understand your problems” She goes on to say, “Ask yourself if AI is taking over our world? If it is, what is it? And don’t stop at asking what that is, but ask what intelligence is…. what is your intelligence? Who are you and what do you have to say? …It’s a wonderful way into self-knowledge. How are you different from a machine? …People are just spewing out stuff that they just read or stuff that they just heard. What are you? Just a repeating machine? Is that any different than AI? You’re just collecting stuff and regurgitating it. So, what is it about you that is really you? It’s an opportunity to think about that and figure that out. It’s different for everybody.” Yes, I just repeated what she said. It resonated with me and I want to remember it.

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Watch our short demo reel showing how we leverage in-studio virtual production techniques to help tell your story in an engaging and cost-effective way.

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This is a great illustration of how many humans are – and soon "were" – needed to create a big movie with a lot of visual effects (VFX). In addition to film industry slowly winding down as there's so much more competition for our time, focus, and money, now AI is coming for those people's jobs. Sure, AI alone won't replace most of those people, but someone who knows how to take full advantage of AI tools will. One thing I've been wondering about, though, is that when making these big movies will become much cheaper, thanks to generative AI tools, will film industry become more profitable again. Will we see more "niche" films that have good profit margins as they won't need big global audiences to cover the costs and make profit? 🤔

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Another blow to the industry as new tax cuts affect studios and jobs in Montreal. In March, the Quebec government announced it would increase the base rate of the tax credit from 20 to 25% and cap its application to 65% of a contract's value, whereas before there was no cap. https://lnkd.in/eb4bq3tx Changes to make our industry more sustainable is required... #vfx #visualeffects

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The Curious Case of Upside-Down Lavalier Mics Many people wonder why British sound professionals sometimes wear lavalier microphones upside down. Is it simply an urban myth, or is there a method to this madness? Possible Benefits (with Limitations): There are some logical explanations for this practice, though their validity is debated: Reduced Sibilance and Plosives: In enclosed environments like news studios, an upside-down mic might slightly reduce harsh "s" sounds and plosives (p, b) caused by close proximity to the mouth. Limited Effectiveness: However, this benefit likely diminishes outdoors or in echoey rooms where the microphone picks up more ambient noise. Omnidirectional Microphones Only: For this technique to potentially work, the microphone must be omnidirectional, meaning it picks up sound equally from all directions. The Mystery Continues: While these explanations seem plausible, it's unclear why this practice wouldn't be universally adopted if it offered a significant advantage. Beyond the UK: Furthermore, not all British sound professionals use this technique, and it's not uncommon to see lavalier mics worn traditionally in the UK as well as the US. The Bottom Line: Ultimately, the most important factor is clear audio capture. As long as the microphone is positioned correctly, the direction of the clip seems to be a matter of preference or established tradition. #audioengineering #sounddesign #locationrecording #microphone #lavmic #soundguy #audiotips #soundsecrets #upsidedownmic #ukaudio #lavplacement #mythbusters #audiomyth

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Another great resource for level design and #gameart is Dimensions.com. It’s a database with common measurements and construction terminology used for everyday objects, buildings, trees, etc. A goldmine of information!

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Maya Attribute Options tool.! Newest addition to my personal tool set. Took me a few days to write it on and off. This tool helps me to re-order attributes without having to re-do the incoming/outgoing connections. Some options are still a work in progress... #reorder #attributes #mel #maya #tools #rigging

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Ok, I think it’s too soon to write the absolute epitaph of VFX in LA. It’s not going to go back to what it was (unless California drastically upgrades it’s bribery fund to match what everyone else is waving under the noses of the studios, but that’s a separate subject). No it won’t go back to what it was, but it’s probably not going to die out either. However, if it does, I think the VFX Memorial should be an Ozymandius type statue, just a pedestal with a figure worn down to a pair of feet, inscribed with “Look upon my works, ye mighty, and despair.” If it was up to me, I’d put it on Venice Beach where On the Waterfront used to be, but location is negotiable. There should also be an eternal flame, with a repeating loop of notes requiring the flame to be bigger, smaller, faster, slower, rougher and smoother, followed by complaints that it’s too expensive and too cg, and why didn’t we do it in comp? On May 4th of every year we can meet, tell tales and drink to the best of shots and the worst of shots. Hey, maybe there should be a tiki bar… 🤔 Not THIS May 4th, it’s too soon. Let’s make it the May 4th after the Academy gives the first Oscar for Best Use of No CGI in a Marketing Campaign. That seems fitting. BYOB.

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Why is Quebec reducing tax incentives for VFX in the province's 2024-25 budget? The new budget increases the base rate for film production services from 20% to 25% in an effort to attract foreign film shoots to Québec. It also increases the cap on eligible labor expenditures in film and television production from 50% to 65%. But impact on VFX and animation goes in the opposite direction: eligible labour expenditures are reduced from 100% to 65%. Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard seems to view this as balancing support across different areas of the film and television industry. VFX is relatively easy to send to different parts of the world. The bulk of the work happens in post production, and doesn't need to be performed in the same location as filming. The raw materials and end product are digital and travel easily. There are few regulatory hurdles, and no import/export tariffs. A smaller local talent pool can be supplemented through relocation and training. All this allows cost of labor and tax incentives to be powerful drivers of where VFX work is performed in the world. #vfx #vfxjobs #filmfinance #taxincentives

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Hello VFX community! Did you know that 2dview offers more than just project management tools? With 2dview's Attendance feature, authorized personnel have a dedicated space to effortlessly monitor and manage artist attendance. It provides a real-time snapshot of your team's attendance status, indicating who's actively working, who's on leave, and who hasn't logged in. This visibility into individual and overall attendance ensures that studio managers and supervisors can stay informed and make informed decisions to keep projects on track. Ready to revolutionize how you manage artist attendance? Sign up for 2dview today and experience the power of efficient attendance tracking firsthand! Visit our website to explore 2dview without any cost. Website link: www.2dview.com Sales queries: sales@2dview.com #vfx #VFXIndustry #vfx #attendance #2dview #tracking #freeplan #freeofcost

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I often remind my students at Vancouver Film School—and myself—that we navigate the world with our talent. However, true genius only visits when we are tapped out, cornered against the ring, and desperate to make something happen against all odds. In those moments, as García Lorca poetically described, we hope for "el duende" or the muse to grace us with a divine visit. It is in this state of desperation that we become receptive to this divine whisper, leading to an out-of-body experience where magic happens. At AGA Films Inc., we've been busy launching a web series titled Prayers For Dawn. This project clocked at eight three-minute episodes and was made by a crew of six on a bare-bone budget. It stands as a testament to what can be achieved when creativity is unleashed under budgetary constraints. Massive indie hits like The Blair Witch Project, El Mariachi, Napoleon Dynamite, Pink Flamingos, and Clerks relied heavily on genius storytelling and originality rather than budget. One crucial lesson I've learned over the years is that we cannot wait for perfect conditions to make art. Much, like having a baby, there is never a right time or the right amount of money. With Prayers For Dawn, I initially wrote a script for a TV series. However, raising the funds to achieve the level of excellence required proved challenging. Instead, we chose to film a prequel—something manageable both financially and creatively—that would put the story to the test and inform our TV script. We shot the series vertically to ensure accessibility and to innovate within the medium. Most vertically shot content lacks cinematic quality, and we wanted to change that narrative. At AGA Films Inc., we believe that constraints fuel creativity, pushing us to create remarkable stories that resonate with audiences. Prayers For Dawn is a reflection of this belief, showcasing that with determination and a bit of divine inspiration, we can produce exceptional work even in the face of challenges. #prayersfordawn #indiefilm #filmmaker #horror

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