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.

At Total Chaos, Ian Spriggs unveiled Portrait of Cassidy, the latest lifelike portrait from the digital Rembrandt. It’s such a striking image that it graced the cover of 3D World magazine, alongside the tag “This is not a photo!”

In this podcast, Ian reveals the painstaking and lengthy process of creating Cassidy and his other portraits. He tells Chris about how he makes his subjects feel at ease, and then the numerous elements he must consider, such as whether the images should be realistic or stylized, candid or posed, harshly or softly lit. And, after this epic process, the subject might not even like their portrait.

It’s a very interesting podcast which ponders how artists like Rembrandt, da Vinci, Caravaggio, Jackson Pollock and even actor Sharlto Copley use their work to reflect the complicated inner workings of human beings.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast179_IanSpriggs.mp3
Category:CGI -- posted at: 7:50pm PDT

Andre Matos is something of a hero at Chaos Group. He’s a proponent of V-Ray GPU and VRscans, which are part of the toolset he uses to create enormous eye-catching renders for sports car company Porsche. As a special guest at the Total Chaos conference in Sofia, he delivered a keynote speech, a masterclass on motor vehicle renders, and recorded this podcast with Chris.

Andre and Chris share some subtle tricks of the trade which can make good car models look great; from the lighting to the positions of the wheels, the angle of the car, and the headlight set up. Andre also talks about his early life on the Azores islands, how he got started in CG, and the advantages of a GPU-based pipeline.

If you’ve ever struggled to make your car renders or photographs pop, this podcast is for you.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast178_AndreMatos_Porsche.mp3
Category:CGI -- posted at: 10:24pm PDT

Under their Studio Niskota moniker, Dean Niskota and Hrvoje Čop have become renowned around the world for their remarkable arch viz images and videos. At Total Chaos - where this podcast was recorded - the pair announced Polymachine, a new venture in a new office, which will transform them from arch viz specialists into a fully fledged creative agency.

Dean and Hrvoje tell Chris about their journey so far, beginning with their childhood friendship in Zagreb, to surfing the wave of Croatian tourism and single-handedly creating the country’s arch viz scene, to the pros and cons of their in-house, post-production-free pipeline.

You’ll discover how Polymachine will expand on the immense amount of knowledge they’ve already built, as well as a brief history of fluid sims, and Chris’ unusual link with Croatia and Zagreb.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast177_Dean_Chop_Polymachine.mp3
Category:Archviz -- posted at: 5:13pm PDT

Our pals from Corona played a big part at Total Chaos, delivering a keynote speech and numerous presentations. Founding partner and main developer Ondřej Karlík, and research and development partner Jaroslav Křivánek, also sat down with Chris to talk about what’s changed in the nine months since the partnership was announced.

Corona and V-Ray developers working together as a happy family has brought benefits to both pieces of software, with the companies sharing knowledge to solve problems, and Vlado even diving into Corona’s code to implement features. Ondřej and Jaroslav go into detail on the new technology which makes Corona fast and efficient, via exotic terms such as machine learning with Bayesian inference, heterogeneous media, and GPU rendering.

You’ll find out about upcoming features in Corona 2, and more background on Jaroslav Křivánek, the mentor who’s been instrumental in the creation of renderer.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast176_Ondrej_Jaroslav_Corona.mp3
Category:CGI -- posted at: 10:49am PDT

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