Real-time CG is quickly taking over the film industry — but learning about its virtual cameras, lenses, and sets can be tricky. Tackling this is “Becoming a CG Pro,” an online virtual production course aimed at filmmakers and CG artists hosted by Edward Dawson-Taylor and Jacqueline Cooper, a pair of VFX industry pros with credits on Jurassic World, The Jungle Book, and The Lion King.
In this podcast, Edd and (returning guest) Jackie talk to Chris about what he learned through taking the course, and how virtual filmmaking brings back on-set collaboration and puts CG tools in the hands of traditional filmmakers. They also discuss the history of filmmaking, from Eadweard Muybridge to The Matrix, and the applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning in the real world.
Links:
Unreal for Filmmakers > (begins October 2021)
Becoming a CG Pro on Facebook >
Chapters:
5:10 Introducing Edd and Jackie
8:27 VJ and JK: Edd’s origin story
13:46 Getting involved in VR
20:30 Edd’s other projects
26:17 Talking AI
33:22 Virtual production
41:52 Jackie talks compositing
45:14 From “The Jungle Book” to “The Lion King”
52:56 Bringing the joy back into filmmaking
58:05 Sharing cinematography skills
1:02:17 Creating great virtual shots
1:06:22 Course materials
Chris is a CG industry veteran and Director of Chaos Labs. He can also be heard regularly as the host of the CG Garage podcast which attracts 20,000 weekly listeners. With a background in both VFX and Design, Chris has worked for Gensler, Digital Domain, Imageworks and Method Studios. His credits include Maleficent, Oblivion and Tron: Legacy.