newslounge.co · May 23, 2024

Good Morning. 

Welcome to another edition of newslounge. If you're new here, every week I share what I find interesting in the world of VFX and AI. A little deep dive into what we’re working on, along with the new technologies and workflows. Lets get to it.

On today’s menu:

• The Art of Space and Immersive Narrative

• The Rise of AI in Hollywood

• Dash, The Game-Changer in UE5 World Building

• “Breaking Bad” Inspired Cinematic

• Autodesk's New Secret Weapon

-Ardy

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CASE STUDY

THE ART OF SPACE AND IMMERSIVE NARRATIVE

✨I have always been fascinated by underground metro stations. The way it feels when you walk around them, with so much going on—the lights, the crowd, and the architecture—all uniquely contribute to a certain atmosphere. There is a strange sense of cohesiveness, yet it remains super dynamic and unpredictable.

💡The goal of this experiment is to take a simple CG environment and create not only a visually appealing image but also a procedural system that allows for flexibility in visual development and animation. Such spaces are composed of many smaller elements, including the architecture, the crowd, the train, and all the screens and lights.

🙋‍♂️A common issue is that the concept still image created by incorporating CG passes often differs significantly from the original CG scene. As a result, you will not only need new masks and new depth maps for generating video but also need those separately for the moving and static elements to achieve the best control using ControlNets. For example, in the top image, I needed a moving depth map for the train to properly animate it, along with a very detailed line art based on everything else in the original concept image to enforce my composition.

💡I used my original Houdini masks to cut out my newly created maps in ComfyUI, which I had created with AUX preprocessors.

⚡Another crucial aspect of this project was projecting a different animation onto the LED screen in the metro station. This screen video was assembled using separate CG renders and a different workflow to animate the woman's mouth in sync with the audio.

🚀Stay tuned for a full project breakdown in the next few days.

-Ardy

DON'T MISS THIS...

DASH, THE GAME-CHANGER IN UNREAL ENGINE 5 WORLD BUILDING

Polygonflow's new YouTube tutorial demonstrates how to use UE5 and Dash to recreate a Helldivers 2 game environment, utilizing various tools, plugins, and assets.

🙋‍♂️What is Dash?
Dash is a revolutionary Unreal Engine 5 plugin that simplifies creating natural environments, from serene terrains to lush forests, for all skill levels.

Why We Think Dash is a Must-Have:
Dash transforms Unreal Engine's complex workflow into a streamlined, intuitive experience. It's designed for both novice and experienced users, focusing on enhancing creativity and reducing the intricacies of world building.

Dash's Key Features:

• User-Friendly Prompt Bar: Located at the top of the Unreal Engine 5 viewport, the prompt bar is where your creative journey begins.

• Effortless Command Input: Simply type what you want to create or do, like “create terrain” or “scatter” and Dash helps you bring your vision to life.

• Both Powerful Tools and Utility Actions: Dash has several really powerful tools, like “Surface Scatter” or procedural cables but also many nice to have utility actions such as “draw curve” or “procedural to static converter”

• Tailored Customization: Fine-tune your creations with adjustable settings for size, proximity, material, and much more.

• Easy Asset Access: You’ll get easy access to your own project assets through the Dash Content Library. With the AI tagging feature all the assets become searchable and then you can drop them with physics or scatter them around with a simple click.

• Base materials: such as water and snow

Exciting Future Developments:

• For each release, Dash implements new utility tools that make UE much easier to work with and adds new procedural tools that makes UE even more powerful.

👩‍💻Learn more and try Dash for free here.

-Sponsored

NEWS

THE RISE OF AI IN HOLLYWOOD

During the strikes last year, there was apprehension about AI replacing human roles, particularly among writers and actors. This fear has persisted to some extent, though it is balanced by the recognition of AI as a facilitator that could bring new capabilities and efficiencies to the industry.

Now there is a mix of optimism and hesitation among Hollywood professionals regarding AI. Some view AI as a powerful tool that can enhance creativity and productivity, while others express concerns about its impact on traditional skills and job roles.

AI Integration:
Studios are actively integrating AI tools to streamline workflows, from pre-production to post-production. AI is used for tasks such as creating visual effects, editing, and even extending video clips.

AI tools are also being employed for specific tasks like upscaling video resolution, cloning voices, and matching video to audio, which enhances the technical quality of productions.

Creative Applications:
There is a significant push to use AI for creative expansions, such as generating social media content, music videos, and even assisting in animation. AI's ability to quickly produce high-quality digital imagery and effects is particularly valued for projects with tight budgets or schedules.

Additionally, AI is being explored for its potential to contribute to narrative elements, with tools capable of generating scripts and aiding in the creative storytelling process.

Overall, while AI's role in Hollywood is evolving, it is clear that both the perceptions of and approaches to AI are complex and multifaceted, balancing technological possibilities with traditional creative values.

-NL

TRENDING

💥This cinematic, inspired by Breaking Bad, is sweeping the internet and looks fantastic.

-NL

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