CG Garage

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Episode 416 - James Blevins - Co-Founder, MESH Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

James Blevins has been involved in pretty much every step of the filmmaking process, from driving vehicles to virtual production. Films he's contributed to include Waterworld, Armageddon, Pleasantville, and, most impressive of all, Space Jam. He's also worked at some of Hollywood's biggest studios, including Disney, Netflix, Amazon, and LucasFilm for virtual production on The Mandalorian.

In this podcast, James delves into some funny stories from behind the scenes of movies, including Crimson Tide, Armageddon, and Pleasantville. He also gives an interesting perspective on the emergence of AI and talks about MESH, the virtual production consultancy company he set up. He also goes into detail about the Hollywood Professional Association and its Tech Retreat — which is where Chris recorded this podcast.

Episode 415 - Andrew Schmied - Chief Strategy Officer, M2 Insights Feb 27, 2023

Show notes

Andrew Schmied has established himself as an authority on all things related to computer graphics. He's helped companies, including Samsung, Apple, and Microsoft, explore technology and drive innovation. He's also a counselor and AI special interest group leader for the RealTime Society, which hosts a community and conference dedicated to the future of CG.

In this conversation with Chris, Andrew shares his expertise on artificial intelligence, which is dramatically changing the world of computer graphics and beyond. Andrew reveals how AI works and what we need to do to make it fairer for artists whose work it may be taking influence from. He also answers some of the more ethical questions surrounding AI, such as whether we can trust it and if it's safe enough to drive our cars.

Episode 414 - Alex Wang, Visual Effects Supervisor - "The Last Of Us" Feb 21, 2023

Show notes

Becoming VFX supervisor on HBO's The Last of Us has fulfilled a lifelong dream for movie and game fan Alex Wang. In this podcast, Alex tells Chris about his journey to this hugely prestigious position via his work on movies including The Day After Tomorrow, Sin City, Tron: Legacy, Deadpool, Fast & Furious 8, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Dominion, and Terminator: Dark Fate.

Alex also shares some of the key lessons he's learned throughout his career, including whether it's better to work on animation or VFX, how working in-house compares to being employed by a studio, and the benefits of technical versus artistic knowledge. Chris and Alex also discuss the growing prevalence of AI in the VFX industry.

Episode 413 - Dr. Mike Seymour Feb 13, 2023

Show notes

Much has changed since Mike Seymour last guested on the CG Garage podcast almost six years ago. Not only has the VFX sage and digital humans expert become Dr. Mike, thanks to his doctorate from the University of Sydney, but the entire industry is facing a seismic shift thanks to neural networks and artificial intelligence.

Or is it? In this podcast, Chris and Mike consider the idea that the latest changes in VFX, art, and technology could just be the next step in a continuous evolutionary process. Mike also talks about his work on The Champion, a Netflix film that used neural rendering to seamlessly put English words in the mouths of Polish actors, which sparks a related conversation about the relationship between technology and acting.

Episode 412 - Jonathan Egstad Feb 06, 2023

Show notes

Jonathan Egstad knows Nuke like few others. He started working with the compositing software at Digital Domain, where he developed a 3D subsystem and bagged an Academy Award, before moving to the pioneering animation studio Image Movers. Subsequently, he joined Dreamworks Animation (formerly PDI) to help integrate Nuke into its compositing pipeline.

In this podcast, Jonathan demonstrates the rare combination of artistic and technical talents that have made him one of the most respected names in the CG industry. He discusses his first jobs at DD on Apollo 13, how the company upgraded Nuke to handle Titanic's epic shots, and he reminisces with Chris about faking ray tracing for I, Robot. He wraps up with details on his new role at Foundry and what's in store for Nuke.

Episode 411 - Meats Meier — Virtual Production Supervisor at Eyeline Studios (Scanline) Jan 30, 2023

Show notes

Meats Meier is a unique combination of artist and technical director. Not only does he create incredible biomechanical pieces with ZBrush, but he's also advanced VFX via projects including Hellboy and The Day After Tomorrow. More recently, Meats has art-directed virtual production for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Netflix's upcoming live-action adaptation of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

In this balanced conversation, recorded in person at Meats' Yucca Valley residence, the artist discusses his background in computer graphics and then delves into some of the questions rapid advances in AI art pose: Is it ethical? Will it steal artists' jobs? And what does it mean for the future?

Episode 410 - Yuval Levy - Director / Creative Director / VFX Supervisor, The-Artery Jan 23, 2023

Show notes

Chris has interviewed many VFX supervisors and directors on the podcast, but it's rare to meet someone who does both. Not only does Yuval Levy direct (and creative direct) commercials for the likes of BMW, Ford, and Microsoft, but he's also VFX supervised a wide variety of Hollywood films, including The Adjustment Bureau, Smile, and Tower Heist.

Yuval and Chris dive deep into the world of car commercials, discussing the benefits of shooting in the real world versus using CG. You'll learn what makes Nascar vehicles unusual, the secrets of Emily Blunt's dancing in The Adjustment Bureau, plus what a U-Crane is (and was). Yuval finishes with a little insight on upcoming movies Beau is Afraid and The Nickel Boys, plus his thoughts on advances in AI.

Episode 409 - Andrew Bardusk - VFX Supervisor, Zoic Studios Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

Andrew Bardusk is a humble legend of the VFX industry. He started as a dustbuster on movies, then moved to compositing for Medium and Once Upon a Time and effects supervision on Arrow. Today, Andrew serves as visual effects supervisor on DC's Legends of Tomorrow.

Andrew talks about how streaming services have revolutionized Zoic's wheelhouse of episodic work and how demands for 4K HDR content have made small-screen effects more cinematic. Andrew also discusses working from home and going on-set, and he breaks down creating an octopus attack for Legends of Tomorrow.

Episode 408 - Culley Bunker & Richard Kidd - Prototype Jan 09, 2023

Show notes

Digital humans are back on the podcast! This week, Chris is joined by (real humans) Culley Bunker and Richard Kidd, a pair of VFX veterans who have given stars the beauty treatment and worked on dozens of movies. They're part of the team that formed Prototype, a new company that specializes in creating digital humans, using machine learning to perfect them for cutting-edge projects.

Chris, Culley, and Richard discuss the latest in digital humans, including advancements in facial capture, avoiding the uncanny valley, and how digidoubles can be used for everything from entertainment (such as Abba's Voyage show) to personal assistants. It's still a hugely exciting and innovative field within VFX, and we can't wait to see what Prototype comes up with.

Episode 407 - Evan Jacobs — VP Finishing & Stereo, Marvel Studios Jan 03, 2023

Show notes

2023 gets off to a flying start with this podcast guest: Evan Jacobs, who has become a critical part of Marvel Studios' VFX pipeline. Before joining Marvel, Evan created miniature submarines for The Hunt for Red October, herded digital cockroaches in Silent Hill, extended sets for Olympus has Fallen, and converted Alice in Wonderland and Conan the Barbarian to 3D.

Evan talks about creating visual effects on low budgets and how he found his niche role at Marvel. He discusses the advantages of working with HDR technology, what makes some films suitable for stereoscopic conversion, whether 3D is still important to global audiences, and taking notes from Sam Raimi on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

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