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.

Andy Lomas has always been fascinated with math and filmmaking. On graduating from Cambridge he founded a video production company, then worked on VFX for movies including The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions. At the same time, he explored his passion for CG art, making use of render farms in their downtime.

In this podcast, Andy goes into detail on his artwork and how he uses technology, including deep learning and NVIDIA’s OptiX API, to create unruly but controllable plantlike and cellular forms. He talks about how he brings together influences from nature, physics and biology, as well as his work on Katana at The Foundry and his current lecturing post at Goldsmiths, University of London.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast281_AndyLomas.mp3
Category:CGI -- posted at: 11:26am PDT

Matthew Bannister has been a key player in the evolution of arch-viz. Having founded arch-viz studio DBOX in New York in the mid-90s, he’s watched the medium grow into an industry unto itself, borrowing techniques from VFX — such as greenscreen, depth-of-field and helicopter shots — to create awe-inspiring work. 

But, as Matthew explains, the arch-viz business has become a victim of its own success, with social media accounts reposting artists’ work without giving credit. For this reason, Matthew has founded The Credit Revolution, a movement that seeks to remarry artists’ titles with the artwork they’ve poured their blood, sweat and tears into. Matthew also talks about how his musical project, The Beautiful Fear, has helped him tackle personal demons.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast280_MatthewBannister.mp3
Category:Archviz -- posted at: 8:28am PDT

Mike Wuetherick’s story begins in the world of videogames, where he created games as well as the engines and middleware that make them work. Today, Mike heads up the Tech, Media and Entertainment division at Unity Technologies, the company behind the ubiquitous game engine that is fast becoming part of the VFX, architecture and automotive pipelines.

In this podcast, Mike tells Chris how techniques and tools from filmmaking and gaming are merging via projects such as The Lion KingBlack Mirror: Bandersnatch and Oats Studios' two sequels to Unity's original Adam short film. Mike offers some fascinating insights into how we’ll experience entertainment in the future and where cloud computing, user-generated content and real-time rendering fit into the picture.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast279_MikeWuetherick.mp3
Category:CGI -- posted at: 8:40am PDT

“When you start taking care of other people, amazing things happen,” says David Guthrie. And he’s right — after discovering the lack of PPE during the COVID-19 pandemic, he took matters into his own hands and founded a company to manufacture and distribute face masks, making use of contacts he’s made in app development and fashion design.

David also discusses how he teaches the fundamentals of design at Rice University and the University of Houston via projects involving cubes, mandolins and furniture, imposing constraints to investigate and understand form and function. He gives his thoughts on how modern architecture and technology don’t encourage socialization — as well as his hopes for the post-COVID future.

Direct download: CGGarage_Podcast278_DavidGuthrie.mp3
Category:Architecture -- posted at: 8:22am PDT

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