"R'ha": Short Film by Kaleb Lechowski

A superb short film by Kaleb Lechowski. There are lots of things in this short he is doing extremely well, his lighting and command over materials in the interrogation room. Way to go Kaleb! Fire it Up!

"Battleship" Fluids & Particles by ILM

A featurette detailing how ILM created the large fluid/particle effects surrounding the massive alien ships in the middle of the ocean. Not too many people liked this movie, I liked it a lot - quite entertaining. Be sure you check it out.

Architectual PreViz: AllCGStudio

Some really nice work from the guys at AllCGStudio. Their level of detail in their presentation is outstanding - their lighting setup makes their models appear as if they already exist in the world. Learn more by visiting their site below: http://www.allcgstudio.com/

Man of Steel: Trailer 2

Something to look forward to...an all-star cast and a dark different take on what we are used to seeing - I love how the trailer continues to build. Looks quite epic. The soundtrack reminds me of Gladiator. Fire it Up!

Peregrine Falcon CG FX & Breakdown: By Fido

Some amazing visual effects work of a falcon by Fido, coming from Scandanavia. In this reel, you'll see exceptional examples of modeling, animation, rigging, lighting, and texturing coming together to compose a beautiful piece. You can learn more about Fido by visiting their website below. http://www.fido.se/ Fire It Up!

Game of Thrones: CGU VFX Breakdowns

Simple but effective use of CGI to create the over 350 visual effect shots of season 1. Many of the landscape shots are similar to what we create in class, but I especially like the variety of "kill shots". Another fun assignment is on the horizon. Stay posted. Fire it up!

Gustav Hoegen: 2012 Animatronic Showreel

All we can say is Wow! One thing to consider, are some of the benefits of using animatronics vs. cg. What do you think? Here, we agreed that an animatronic character, if done well, would be a better costar for an actor. The actor has the ability to react in a realistic fashion to a character that he sees right in front of him because the character has volume, one can make eye contact therefore creating a better connection. There are ways around this, but its usually up to the vision of the director to make sure that the connection is believable. In CG, the character is added in post, sometimes the reaction of an actor is not as believable. We wonder however, if it's cost and time effective, other than that we believe this work to be top notch. Nice job Gustav. Keep firing it up!

Art of Data: IBM Behind the Scenes

In this presentation, we see how code is used to create imagery that is not only beautiful and unique, but useful. Imagine seeing a heartbeat in a way that is unconventional, but dimensional in a way that is steps above a standard 2D EKG. Everything is driven by numbers and so presentations of this kind can only enhance our understanding complex mathematical concepts by giving all of us new ways to relate to the information. Enjoy! Fire it up!

Great White Shark "Kon Tiki" Visual FX Breakdown by ILP

Great white shark visual effects modeling, compositing, fluid and fx animation for the movie Kon Tiki, by ILP (Important Looking Pirates)- nice name. ILP is a visual effects group from Sweden. You can view their website and 2012 Showreel below. http://ilpvfx.com

Design Animation VFX Showreel 2011 by Engine

Oh yeah, hot stuff. Good mixture of CG with cutting edge motion graphics editing, the song helps out in a big way. Be sure to check out their site below. http://www.engine.net.au

CGI VFX Breakdowns: Dark Shadows

These shots are very convincing and were created by the visual effects house called The Senate. Remember that one of the main reasons shots like this are put together is because its too difficult to recreate, primarily because of logistics and cost. You wonder however if it was possible to secure a large warehouse to film some of the opening shots. You can learn about The Senate by visiting their site below. http://www.senatevfx.com Be sure you check their showreel. Fire it up!

LG IPS Monitors: So Real It's Scary

Saw this today and had to post and share. To pull this off however, is not just the monitors, but also the sound, animation, overall presentation, including the flickering lights. A very nice effect that you'll find interesting. Looks fun.

Particles Animation 2012 Olympic Candy Commercial.

Particle animation used for Cadbury Dairy Milk aired during the 2012 London Olympics. The particle trails created by the athletes' movements generates interesting and unique designs inherent to the unique event. Very nice to look at, making me want to see more. I forgot it was a candy commercial, did you? The animation was created by the talented crew from Piranha Bar, Dublin Ireland. Check their website, and you might find that you recognize a lot of pieces they've created. http://www.piranhabar.ie/ Fire it up!

Iron Man 3: Trailer 1

Iron Man 3, seems like Tony Stark gets into more trouble recovering from the affects of the The Avengers. A darker version where it seems that the suits turn on him. Premiering in April.

Julien Malot - CG VFX Demo Reel

 Julien displays some fantastic work in both his films and commercial venues and a wide variety of examples. Pay close attention to his breakdowns, design and layout.