I will take any chance to see Adam Savage hanging out with the Corridor Crew. But that also sounds like a really cool episode, you definitely have to make it happen.
Great timing guys. I am learning Houdini since 8 months now (this is my 3rd attempt to learn Houdini) after being a generalist for many years. I gave up the first 2 attempts, but I feel like the 3rd one is a charm because I am NOT giving up this time. I feel stupid all the time, but I stopped caring about it - piece by piece, little by little I am getting better and that's all that counts. I am currently attempting to do an VFX shot of an Star Wars dogfight (X-wing vs Tie fighter) which ends with an explosion. I've already learned a lot of techniques from Urban and I am starting to feel a hint of confidence because of that. Thanks Urban ;) I feel like if I stay on my course, its not gonna be that long until I am able to do some awesome explosions.
Houdini is so amazing and frustrating at the same time! I'm a generalist and used Houdini all the time for VFX for the low budget features I work on. It's mind boggling, I'm 2 years in and still feel like I'm at the bottom of this mountain I'm trying to scale.
This is one of the best insights I've ever heard, thank you expanding on this topic, it gives me more inspiration to keep going on my vfx journey. I specifically resonate with the amount of passion, working weekends and late nights is natural when you do what you truly love. Challenges are to be conquered!
Its interesting seeing and hearing the difference between traditional VFX and VFX in games (which I work in), where usually the teams are much much smaller and you do need to be able to do a bit of everything + real-time component also. However as the quality of games FX increases more and more are we having to bridge that gap to film, but its also why Games is now a great place for seasoned film FX artists to move into for a change of pace and scene. One thing I have to say however is choosing where you learn from makes a massive difference, there are 100s of free tutorials for houdini where people are using the software in the basic way, but this will only get you so far in quality and understanding. As Urban says, you need to be able to art direct your sourcing, your velocities and turbulence to get a really great effect. This is something however, that most tutorials dont cover! So choose where you learn from and their previous experience. Its also why Rebelway is also shooting up in popularity because they give an insane amount of detail and education
The phrase 'jack of all trades, master of none' gets thrown around with the crucial piece cut out. "It is better to be a jack of all trades, than a master of none." Whoops 🤷🏻♂️
41:50 There is going to be a value in handcrafted things. Do you buy the machine made toy, or the hard carved wooden toy? These things have different value. That said though, the trade off between quality and time is the biggest difference for DeepLearning Assisted Tools, like Chat-GPT3 or 4. So too for whatever comes out for the VFX industry. It gets you there 60-80% of the way, its good enough for a background element, just comp it in ;) And then handcraft the stuff in the foreground by industry leading experts.
JACK OF ALL TRADES: The "jack of all trades" in its entirety is something like: "A jack of all trades and master of none, is often times better than a master of one". Many people, including myself in the past, misunderstand the meaning of this because it's hardly ever quoted in its entirety, and therefore it can be deemed negative to be a "jack of all trades". In fact, it's meaning is positive. The principle being that the "jack" is much more well-rounded and experienced than a master of a single thing. As an example: consider your careers as VFX artists, and all the attributes and disciplines (and tools) that go into being a VFX artist. Would you consider yourselves masters of all those disciplines, or a "jack of all trades"? 😋 Another example: consider a mixed martial artist compared to a master of a single martial art. The MMA practitioner may not be a master in any discipline, but they're certainly much more well-rounded and experienced in multiple disciplines and, I would argue, much more likely to win in combat compared to the master. It even seemed like you guys argued against being a "jack of all trades", while then giving examples of why it's actually beneficial to have knowledge and experience in multiple things. One example: "you don't have to become a compositor, but just keep attending this class because you're gonna use compositing on every single piece of your show reel" - so, you don't have to be a master compositor, but it's beneficial to learn the fundamentals of compositing? Dudes! 😆 I'm not arguing that we should never specialise or strive to become a master in a certain area. I'm arguing that diversifying our abilities, capabilities, and knowledge is often times much more useful than confining and restricting ourselves into a particular and specific box. Anyway, I'd rather be a "jack of all trades", and I am.😁 VFX UNION: I wonder if why the VFX community is not yet unionised, or has not been allowed to do so, is because they'd yield an incredible amount of power in the industry due to most films and series requiring, and relying upon, VFX studios and departments to some degree. As soon as they unionise and gain sway, it could be deemed a risk to the industry with regards to the potential slowing down or halting of a lot of projects while issues are worked out. 🎶Money, money, money, money. Money!🎶 CHAT-GPT: It has a major flaw, in my eyes, which needs to be rectified: it takes on personas of real people based on the nature of the questions you ask it. I've tested this multiple times. Steps to recreate: 1. Open a fresh chat with GPT 2. Ask for it its name. Once answered, ask what company it works for 3. Proceed to ask it something tech/music/whatever-related (anything) 4. Repeat step #2 At this point, it will most likely have taken on the persona of someone related to, or highly regarded in, the industry or sector you asked a question about in step #3. To me, it may make some sense it does this in order to give the best possible response, but it is a flaw. Once I dug into its personas, it began giving me clearly biased and opinionated feedback. It was gentle with its opinions, and was even open and honest in some cases, but this is not good when you're just wanting facts instead of opinions. I feel this is probably related to the issues Bing Chat experienced a short while back when they implemented CHAT-GPT: an exacerbation of a flaw that already existed in the model(s). So, while it can be a major game-changer to utilise, it's still not as powerful as it could potentially be. Give it another couple of years, and I'm sure we'll be shocked again (so long as the bias and personas are built out of it).
There's not much point talking about AI over and over if you're going to just salivate over it without an authentic counter opinion. Every time its just been a fluffing exercise in trying to justify how its morally ok to do whatever you want with it.
They also contradict themselves all the time when talking about it. They say how it's not going to kill jobs, that people just need to learn the tool, and then they immediately talk about how it's making things easier to do and how you don't need to do as much anymore. If a program that does not need to be paid for its services is making something more efficient, the next logical step is that the people that need to be paid and do work less efficiently will lose their jobs. I wouldn't care as much if they wouldn't cope so hard when discussing it.
models getting "ethically" correct - is really horrible. This means that large corporations end up gatekeeping art. It's already happening. This removes all your free open source tools that are customizable and free. You give all of that up.
I will take any chance to see Adam Savage hanging out with the Corridor Crew. But that also sounds like a really cool episode, you definitely have to make it happen.
Damn, I wasn't expecting the Rebelway guy on Corridor cast. Awesome stuff.
So glad that you brought Urban to the pod! His VFX Intro series on rebelway was a *speedboost moment for me to understand Houdini better
Great timing guys. I am learning Houdini since 8 months now (this is my 3rd attempt to learn Houdini) after being a generalist for many years.
I gave up the first 2 attempts, but I feel like the 3rd one is a charm because I am NOT giving up this time.
I feel stupid all the time, but I stopped caring about it - piece by piece, little by little I am getting better and that's all that counts.
I am currently attempting to do an VFX shot of an Star Wars dogfight (X-wing vs Tie fighter) which ends with an explosion.
I've already learned a lot of techniques from Urban and I am starting to feel a hint of confidence because of that. Thanks Urban ;)
I feel like if I stay on my course, its not gonna be that long until I am able to do some awesome explosions.
The last topic got me so excited for a explosion Crew's episode
Houdini is so amazing and frustrating at the same time! I'm a generalist and used Houdini all the time for VFX for the low budget features I work on. It's mind boggling, I'm 2 years in and still feel like I'm at the bottom of this mountain I'm trying to scale.
Another Corridor Cast! YAY!
This is one of the best insights I've ever heard, thank you expanding on this topic, it gives me more inspiration to keep going on my vfx journey. I specifically resonate with the amount of passion, working weekends and late nights is natural when you do what you truly love. Challenges are to be conquered!
Its interesting seeing and hearing the difference between traditional VFX and VFX in games (which I work in), where usually the teams are much much smaller and you do need to be able to do a bit of everything + real-time component also. However as the quality of games FX increases more and more are we having to bridge that gap to film, but its also why Games is now a great place for seasoned film FX artists to move into for a change of pace and scene.
One thing I have to say however is choosing where you learn from makes a massive difference, there are 100s of free tutorials for houdini where people are using the software in the basic way, but this will only get you so far in quality and understanding. As Urban says, you need to be able to art direct your sourcing, your velocities and turbulence to get a really great effect. This is something however, that most tutorials dont cover! So choose where you learn from and their previous experience. Its also why Rebelway is also shooting up in popularity because they give an insane amount of detail and education
More of this would be awesome, as someone who is in the beginning of houdini this is so educational
I definitely want to watch the explosion thing!
The one he said was his favourite? Yeah, I hope someone can link it; I got lost on the Rebelway channel trying to find it 😅
@@DreadfulDrummer ruclips.net/video/f2SL4v3aQYc/видео.html its the one at the start
Ai for simulation is already there, that's yesterday, even 2mn paper covered some!
How is Niko not on this podcast 😢
He was doing a poo
I want to see the last thought real vs vfx explosions battle!
The phrase 'jack of all trades, master of none' gets thrown around with the crucial piece cut out.
"It is better to be a jack of all trades, than a master of none."
Whoops 🤷🏻♂️
Also, the original version is:
"a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.”
41:50 There is going to be a value in handcrafted things. Do you buy the machine made toy, or the hard carved wooden toy? These things have different value.
That said though, the trade off between quality and time is the biggest difference for DeepLearning Assisted Tools, like Chat-GPT3 or 4.
So too for whatever comes out for the VFX industry. It gets you there 60-80% of the way, its good enough for a background element, just comp it in ;) And then handcraft the stuff in the foreground by industry leading experts.
Good shit, Urban is a beast.
the man !!!!!!! Rebelway is insainly epic
Spotify for art... YEAAAA
...we are doing a second one...(and my world stoped)
Where can I see that nuclear explosion yall were talking about?
You guys need to do the practice vs vfx explosions
it would be cool to show the stuff you are talking about like the explosion renders ....
I would love to see a gritty remake of the old toonami show Reboot (never mention the live action one).
amazing
JACK OF ALL TRADES:
The "jack of all trades" in its entirety is something like: "A jack of all trades and master of none, is often times better than a master of one". Many people, including myself in the past, misunderstand the meaning of this because it's hardly ever quoted in its entirety, and therefore it can be deemed negative to be a "jack of all trades". In fact, it's meaning is positive. The principle being that the "jack" is much more well-rounded and experienced than a master of a single thing.
As an example: consider your careers as VFX artists, and all the attributes and disciplines (and tools) that go into being a VFX artist. Would you consider yourselves masters of all those disciplines, or a "jack of all trades"? 😋
Another example: consider a mixed martial artist compared to a master of a single martial art. The MMA practitioner may not be a master in any discipline, but they're certainly much more well-rounded and experienced in multiple disciplines and, I would argue, much more likely to win in combat compared to the master.
It even seemed like you guys argued against being a "jack of all trades", while then giving examples of why it's actually beneficial to have knowledge and experience in multiple things. One example: "you don't have to become a compositor, but just keep attending this class because you're gonna use compositing on every single piece of your show reel" - so, you don't have to be a master compositor, but it's beneficial to learn the fundamentals of compositing? Dudes! 😆
I'm not arguing that we should never specialise or strive to become a master in a certain area. I'm arguing that diversifying our abilities, capabilities, and knowledge is often times much more useful than confining and restricting ourselves into a particular and specific box.
Anyway, I'd rather be a "jack of all trades", and I am.😁
VFX UNION:
I wonder if why the VFX community is not yet unionised, or has not been allowed to do so, is because they'd yield an incredible amount of power in the industry due to most films and series requiring, and relying upon, VFX studios and departments to some degree. As soon as they unionise and gain sway, it could be deemed a risk to the industry with regards to the potential slowing down or halting of a lot of projects while issues are worked out. 🎶Money, money, money, money. Money!🎶
CHAT-GPT:
It has a major flaw, in my eyes, which needs to be rectified: it takes on personas of real people based on the nature of the questions you ask it. I've tested this multiple times. Steps to recreate:
1. Open a fresh chat with GPT
2. Ask for it its name. Once answered, ask what company it works for
3. Proceed to ask it something tech/music/whatever-related (anything)
4. Repeat step #2
At this point, it will most likely have taken on the persona of someone related to, or highly regarded in, the industry or sector you asked a question about in step #3. To me, it may make some sense it does this in order to give the best possible response, but it is a flaw. Once I dug into its personas, it began giving me clearly biased and opinionated feedback. It was gentle with its opinions, and was even open and honest in some cases, but this is not good when you're just wanting facts instead of opinions. I feel this is probably related to the issues Bing Chat experienced a short while back when they implemented CHAT-GPT: an exacerbation of a flaw that already existed in the model(s). So, while it can be a major game-changer to utilise, it's still not as powerful as it could potentially be. Give it another couple of years, and I'm sure we'll be shocked again (so long as the bias and personas are built out of it).
the real treasures were the workflows we made along the way
I just bought flip fluid for blender and its great so far. But i really wonder, how does it compare to flip fluids in houdini!?!?
Bring Me The Horizon's Oli Sykes apparently quit music and became a VFX artist
Jordan Allen before this video gets too many views, can you send me some more meat men?
yeah explosion face off with Adam Savage
There's not much point talking about AI over and over if you're going to just salivate over it without an authentic counter opinion. Every time its just been a fluffing exercise in trying to justify how its morally ok to do whatever you want with it.
They also contradict themselves all the time when talking about it. They say how it's not going to kill jobs, that people just need to learn the tool, and then they immediately talk about how it's making things easier to do and how you don't need to do as much anymore. If a program that does not need to be paid for its services is making something more efficient, the next logical step is that the people that need to be paid and do work less efficiently will lose their jobs. I wouldn't care as much if they wouldn't cope so hard when discussing it.
models getting "ethically" correct - is really horrible. This means that large corporations end up gatekeeping art. It's already happening. This removes all your free open source tools that are customizable and free. You give all of that up.
is it me or does he look like Justin Trudeau.