CG Garage

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Episode 336 - Sophia "PHIA" Bollinger - The Virtual Reality Show Aug 02, 2021

Show notes

Introducing the CG Garage podcast's first-ever virtual guest: PHIA, AKA Sophia Bollinger. In the space of little over a year, PHIA's "The Virtual Reality Show" has amassed over 100,000 YouTube and Twitch subscribers who tune in to find out about the latest tech and trends in VR. At the same time, she's become a virtual celebrity, and running the show has become her full-time job.

In this podcast, which is better watched than listened-to, the enthusiastic VR expert tells Chris why she started the channel. She talks about how the virtual world can offer a haven from the real one and discusses some of the more unusual phenomena that come about as a result of fooling your brain into thinking the virtual is real. You'll learn what the best tech for a modern VR setup is—as well as PHIA's ambitious plans for the future.

Episode 335 - Jean-Michel Blottière - Founder, RealTime Conference Jul 26, 2021

Show notes

The globally renowned RealTime Conference couldn't have been founded by anyone other than Jean-Michel Blottière. From a young age, Jean-Michel has been at the heart of both the games and media industries, beginning with gaming magazines and TV series in his native France, and moving into CG and animation conferences via Imagina and FMX.

Today, Jean-Michel runs the RealTime Conference, which has proved spectacularly successful—despite starting when the pandemic hit last year. He talks about the joy of organizing the conference, from finding generous sponsors and talented speakers, to presenting live in front of a global audience. He also discusses the exciting upcoming edition of the RealTime Conference—The Rise of the Metaverse: Populating the Metaverse.

Episode 334 - Carlos Fueyo - Creative Director/Owner, Playard Studios Jul 19, 2021

Show notes

This week's podcast guest, Carlos Fueyo, checks all Chris' boxes for architecture, VFX, and real-time. After working alongside theoretical architecture legend Lebbeus Woods, Carlos provided stunning visual effects for movies including Priest, Super 8, and Avengers: Age of Ultron. He then set himself up as a studio working on VFX, architectural, virtual reality, and real-time projects, including evil base compendium, LAIR.

Today, Carlos is investigating real-time filmmaking via an intriguing short film entitled "Replica" while working on effects for a yet-to-be-revealed Marvel project. Carlos gives his thoughts on how real-time is turning filmmaking on its head and some of the new challenges it presents in keeping content fresh.

Episode 333 - Ross Denner - Head of 3D / Creative Director / VFX Supervisor, Artjail Jul 06, 2021

Show notes

After making stop-motion videos as a kid and studying furniture design, Ross Denner found his way into VFX via stints at Bermuda Shorts and The Mill. He then moved from London to Los Angeles to work for MPC and now lives in New York, where he helped set up boutique studio ArtJail.

Ross talks about how SideFX's versatile Houdini software is usurping Maya in traditional pipelines and empowering smaller VFX houses. He also gives invaluable advice on getting hired by VFX studios and what to do when you start, and he and Chris talk about working with dyslexia.

Episode 332 - Seyi Sosanya - Co-founder/CEO, Gravity Sketch Jun 28, 2021

Show notes

Over the past few years, Gravity Sketch has made its way into the workflows of everyone from individual artists to large corporations, including Ford and HP. This unique software allows designers to intuitively create and perfect their visions in a three-dimensional, virtual space.

Gravity Sketch Co-Founder and CEO Seyi Sosanya talks about how his team used influences from outside computing, such as dance, kitchen design, and London's underground system, to develop the software's accessible-but-minimalist interface. Seyi offers a fascinating insight into what it's like to run a startup company and how users are making use of Gravity Sketch—including lobster-influenced footwear.

Episode 331 - Solomon Rogers - Founder/CEO, REWIND Jun 21, 2021

Show notes

No one knows the virtual world like Solomon Rogers. From an academic background, Sol decided to found his own company, REWIND, to specialize in creating immersive and meaningful VR experiences for an impressive array of companies, including HBO, Lyft, Sony, and Microsoft.

In this podcast, Sol tells Chris how VR has evolved over the past decade, explains why we're yet to see good VR architecture, and goes behind-the-scenes of REWIND's terrifying in-car VR experience with holoride technology for Universal Pictures. He also talks about how the entertainment industry is catering for digital natives, who prefer esports and zero-gravity concerts in Fortnite to watching movies. It's a fascinating and authoritative glimpse into the incredible potential of future technology.

Episode 330 - Patrick Osborne - Animator, Writer, and Director Jun 14, 2021

Show notes

Patrick Osborne grew up with a passion for Nintendo, Jurassic Park, and Wavefront—and he got to see behind the scenes of movie merchandising via his dad's job as head of design at Kenner Toys. After attending the prestigious Ringling College of Art + Design, he joined Sony Imageworks, then Disney, and polished his skills as an animator.

While at Disney, Patrick directed the short film "Feast," which won an Academy Award, and then moved into directing full-time on the sitcom Imaginary Mary. Patrick talks about the tools he's used throughout his career, what it's like to become a Hollywood director, and his favorite part of the filmmaking process. He also gives a sneak peek into his upcoming experiments with real-time, VR, and in-progress shorts for Love, Death & Robots, and Apple.

Episode 329 - Ryan Laney - VFX Supervisor; Founder, Teus Media Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Hard-hitting documentaries and cutting-edge VFX rarely go together, but for David France's Welcome to Chechnya, it was necessary to marry the two. The film captures the flight of LGBTQ citizens from the Russian republic of Chechnya, where being gay can lead to beatings and murders. To preserve his subjects' anonymity while allowing the audience to connect with them emotionally, David turned to VFX expert Ryan Laney to digitally swap faces with willing "donors" from around the world.

Ryan explains how he developed new techniques to replace faces without the limitations of traditional methods such as blurring and pixelation. He also discusses his 20-plus-years in movie VFX, including The Matrix, The Aviator, The Day After Tomorrow, and many more. It's proof that VFX's role in filmmaking now extends far beyond Hollywood blockbusters— and it's had a surprising effect on Ryan's outlook, too.

Episode 328 - Dmitry Vinnik - Technical Director/Supervisor, Silhouette Images Jun 01, 2021

Show notes

Originally hailing from Russia, Dmitry Vinnik's love for CG computer game cutscenes inspired him to learn 3D Studio and study at Vancouver Film School. He's gone on to work on VFX projects big and small, including Battlestar Galactica, Tron: Legacy, Final Destination 5, and Game of Thrones.

Throughout his career, Dmitry has embraced technology and encouraged studios to use V-Ray—with spectacular results. This podcast serves as a deep dive into the past, present, and future of rendering technology, covering everything from 286s in the mid-90s to the versatile, superpowered hardware that powers today's CGI.

Episode 327 - Concept Artist David Levy on NFTs May 24, 2021

Show notes

What do NFTs mean for professional artists? That's the question Chris explores this week with returning podcast guest David Levy, whose concept art has helped define the look of big sci-fi movies, including Tron: Legacy, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and the upcoming Avatar sequels.

In this thought-provoking discussion, David talks about the potential NFTs have to revolutionize digital art and how this new way of attaching value to content changes the industry for well-known artists and absolute beginners. Chris and David talk about how NFT galleries are more like Las Vegas than The Louvre, discuss some of the ethical and environmental concerns surrounding NFTs and explain what cryptocurrencies mean on a larger scale.

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