Interviews that focus on the CG creative in visual effects, architecture and beyond. Christopher Nichols of Chaos sits down with directors, artists, photographers and developers for candid discussions on technology and art, all with a focus on computer graphics. Visit chaosgroup.com/cg-garage for more information and an archive of past shows.

A lot has changed in the two years since Pedro Conti last guested on the CG Garage podcast. Not only has he moved from bustling Sao Paulo to the more relaxed city of Florianópolis, but he’s also contributed to a playful Katy Perry music video and directed “Tamo Junto,” a touching tale of neighborly goodwill in the pandemic.

Pedro tells Chris how “Tamo Junto” fell into place, from the inspiration behind the story and getting a superstar rapper to provide the vocals, to the support Chaos and Rebus Farm offered to render the final piece. Pedro also talks about his plans for the project and how the pandemic has changed the industry.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast355_PedroConti.mp3
Category:animation -- posted at: 10:31am PDT

This week, Chris meets Nathan Millsap, a humble but hugely enthusiastic CG generalist. Nathan’s career began as a “render monkey” for Chris at Sway, and since then he’s gone on to work at 19 effects studios on movies including 2012, Avatar, and Transformers: Age of Extinction. Today, Nathan is working on TV series for prestigious LA studio, GhostVFX.

In this podcast, Nathan talks through his life and career so far, from how Toy Story inspired him to pursue VFX, to his early days at Sway, moving to Singapore to fix shots on Transformers: Age of Extinction, and then returning to LA to raise his family. He gives his thoughts on why TV is taking over from theaters, talks about his favorite projects, and shares tales of working with directors including Roland Emmerich and Joe Kosinski.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast354_NathanMillsap.mp3
Category:VFX -- posted at: 12:07pm PDT

Jelmer Boskma is livin’ the VFX dream. Originally hailing from the Netherlands, he moved to Vancouver to go to film school and became interested in character modeling. Jelmer then picked up work as a modeler on movies including Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and District 9. With Tron: Legacy, he became a matte painter, then moved up to art direction on Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, and VFX supervision on Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children and Eternals.

Jelmer tells Chris about his career highlights, from early encouragement from practical effects wizard Rick Baker to working alongside directors including Robert Rodriguez and Tim Burton. He also talks about how love blossomed in the VFX industry, discusses the pros and cons of working remotely, and shares some of the important life lessons he’s learned.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast353_JelmerBoskma.mp3
Category:VFX -- posted at: 7:56am PDT

It’s been 18 months since Chris recorded a podcast in-person, but he’s back with a bang — and the pop of a Belgian beer cork. His guest is Belle van der Woodsen, a talented arch-viz artist whose career has taken her from Europe to the US and the Middle East. At the same time, her work has developed a distinctive, tranquil style.

Belle talks about what it takes to be an arch-viz artist today, including the expectations to be active on social media and how technology such as Corona's LightMix helps perfect her images. She and Chris also talk about how Inception inspired her career, worldwide architecture styles, and why she loves depicting home comforts.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast352_BelleVanDerWoodsen.mp3
Category:Archviz -- posted at: 11:28am PDT

Three years ago, Beauty and The Bit made an enormous splash in the arch-viz world with “Landmark,” an atmospheric, anamorphic short film that homaged auteurs such as Scott, Kubrick, and Villeneuve. From here, the Spanish creative studio has worked on imagery and animations for studios including Schmidt Hammer Lassen Architects, Bjarke Ingels Group, and Perkins & Will.

In this podcast, Beauty and The Bit’s CEO, Victor Bonafonte, joins Chris to tell the studio’s story, from his beginnings in architecture to finding artistic inspiration at THU festival. Victor also talks about how arch-viz has evolved into its own art form, how he learned the rules in order to break them, and how the future of CG ties in with his ambitions.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast351_VictorBonafonte.mp3
Category:Archviz -- posted at: 7:53am PDT

Top of this year's Chaos Christmas wishlist is A Portrait of the Digital Age, Ian Spriggs’ book on creating his meticulous character studies. In this week’s podcast, the digital portrait artist returns to talk to Chris (who features in the book) about some of the subjects the publication tackles.

Ian shares valuable insights into the process of making his portraits, including his Renaissance influences, the roles clothing, lights, and pose play in his images, and he's embraced improvements in technology and technique. He talks about some of the major shifts in the art world in the past few years, including the emergence of real-time digital humans and the rapid rise of NFTs. You’ll also get to hear about Ian’s next portrait — and find out why it's his most challenging yet.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast350_IanSpriggs.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:36am PDT

Kofi Opoku-Ansah and Daniel Mark Miller have both found interesting routes to becoming successful VFX artists. Kofi was inspired by Final Fantasy to pursue a career in gaming, but working at The Mill ignited his passion for VFX. Daniel, meanwhile, toyed with becoming an editor before getting into compositing via the advertising industry.

Together, Kofi and Daniel host The VFX Artists Podcast, which uses their wide range of industry contacts to record engaging, funny, and advice-packed podcasts. In this conversation with Chris, they give lots of valuable ideas about starting in VFX and how the industry works. Kofi also reveals how his three-year-old inspired him to set up the podcast, while Daniel details “Broken Toy,” his Black Mirror-esque short film.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast349_TheVFXArtistsPodcast.mp3
Category:VFX -- posted at: 8:23am PDT

Paul Deasy is a true master of character modeling. His sculpts demonstrate a deft understanding of how to tell stories through emotions and subtle touches, whether it’s Hellboy, Mr. Freeze, Voldemort, or his own noir-ish creations.

In this podcast, Chris talks to Paul about how becoming one of the most respected character artists on the internet, from his youthful obsession with Batman: The Animated Series to his present-day work at Giant Animation. He shares useful tips, from how to create an evocative sculpt to the essential steps to nurturing talent and ensuring artists are happy.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast348_PaulDeasy.mp3
Category:animation -- posted at: 8:21am PDT

Steve Griffith’s impressive IMDb page includes The Matrix sequels, Captain America: The First Avenger, Ant-Man, the Watchmen TV series, Jungle Cruise, and many more blockbusters. Over the course of 20 years, he’s gone from intern to VP of Production at Legend, taking in stints at major VFX studios including Rodeo FX, MPC, Luma Pictures, Atomic Fiction, and Digital Domain.

In this podcast, Chris and Steve reminisce about some of the projects they worked on together, including I, Robot and Stealth, before tackling the current state of the visual effects industry. They track the evolution of virtual production from Gravity and Oblivion to Murder on the Orient Express and The Mandalorian and discuss how real-time and AI are changing the way studios
work.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast347_SteveGriffith.mp3
Category:VFX -- posted at: 8:31am PDT

Jack Evans’ illustrious VFX career has taken him to some of the biggest studios in LA and Vancouver, including Digital Domain, ILM, Disney, and Image Engine Design. His impressive roster of credits includes lighting on Speed Racer, TRON: Legacy, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Fast & Furious 8, Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Mandalorian, and Aquaman

In this entertaining podcast, Jack talks about his career so far, from his early days of creating TV graphics with Photoshop and 3ds Max to learning Nuke, V-Ray, and Gaffer. He also discusses working from home in the pandemic, goes into depth on shots for TRON: Legacy and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and gives insight into different cultures at visual effects houses.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast346_JackEvans.mp3
Category:VFX -- posted at: 8:23am PDT