The VFX Process Bigtooth Studios

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 #44
Getting Intimate With Your Industry!

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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 on to create artwork for him to promote his boxing match with Logan Paul.

Jess shares her experience of learning animation and 3D design through real projects using Blender. She talks about how she took on a job to create animations for Pop Smoke's album visuals, even though she had no prior experience in animation. This forced her to quickly learn Blender and overcome beginner struggles. She also discusses her journey of working with brands like Notwoways, KSI, The Sidemen, and Vandy The Pink, among many others, creating photorealistic visuals of their products using Blender.

Jess is using her Blender 3D skills to create a brand called Figuregot. The brand combines digital collectible art with physical products. She explains the process of creating animations and visuals for the brand and discusses her process of creating shaders and materials in Blender, emphasising the importance of paying attention to real-world objects and references. She also talks about the potential future directions for her brand, including animations, streetwear, and digital/physical collectibles.

This episode provides great insight into building a portfolio as a young artist, using Blender to create photorealistic visuals, the controversy behind NFTs, and how to start your own brand with no start-up cost, utilising free 3D software.

The VFX Process Podcast #43
Getting Intimate With Your Industry!

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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=shared

Josh’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 #42
Getting Intimate With Your Industry!

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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 #41
Getting Intimate With Your Industry!

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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 comprehensive template for the crew.

Having worked on iconic blockbusters like Transformers, HBO's Watchmen, and numerous Marvel Cinematic Universe films, Dave's expertise shines through. Just a glance at his IMDB page showcases his impressive portfolio.

In his latest project for David Fincher's 'The Killer', Dave coordinated a gripping 6-minute fight sequence shot mostly in darkness. Join him as he shares insights into collaborating with David Fincher, labelling it 'the most intimidating thing I've ever done in my career'.

'Killer vs Brute' exemplifies Dave's mastery in delivering high-impact action sequences.

Venturing into Unreal Engine filmmaking during his spare time, Dave's creativity knows no bounds. Last year, he unveiled 'The Ronin', his first Unreal Engine short film, showcasing a fight scene performed entirely by himself, using Rokoko motion capture technology. Now, with 'The Widow: Assassins Highway', Dave enlists a team of MARVEL stunt performers to help him capture the stunts and elevate the action.

This episode offers a captivating glimpse into the VFX pipeline, Hollywood stunt process, and Unreal Engine filmmaking.

The VFX Process... Getting Intimate With Your Industry!

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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 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!

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Discover THUMBS click here
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