Aaron F. Ross

Here's a committee meeting from yesterday with the California State Assembly talking with people, artists, musicians, actors, music executives a professor of computer science, all addressing their experience with Generative AI and the impact it has had on their industries. There's so much good info in this, I implore you to watch the whole thing. I don't have much to say about the video. All the misconceptions people often have about AI, these politicians have those too, and it's cleared up quickly and eloquently by each of the speakers in easy to understand language. And speaking of politicians, it's pretty clear that no matter how much knowledge or lack of knowledge these politicians have about AI, they want to help their constituents, they want their constituents to help them see the issue clearly so they can help. We need regulations of course, but meetings like this are so important to achieve that goal. Politicians need to be educated too on things affecting communities. They are skilled at governing, not knowing every field of expertise under their jurisdiction. If we don't educate them, tech companies will. Also the Motion Picture Association was invited to attend to give their perspective on AI. They declined. In this meeting, democracy was at work and the MPA no matter how powerful, no matter how influential, would only have one voice in this meeting which could have been challenged by other speakers. So I get why they declined. *Full disclosure, I do know some of the speakers, but in my objective, non bias opinion, I think this meeting was excellent and informative :)*

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go get the jobs

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Why would a seasoned motion designer participate in Our Fly on the Wall program? Because it offers an experience different than any other studio. Hear it from Ivan Miguel, an Oakland-based senior Art Director and Motion Designer with over 15 years of experience. "A big obstacle for many freelance artists who may not have been invited to work at a big studio is wondering if they really know how a large project is handled. They may work on a part of the project but not have the opportunity or time to see the whole picture and meditate about how all the parts come together. The “fly on the wall” program offers a great opportunity to fill those gaps. While several courses for design or animation exist, creative direction (or art direction) is rarely taught and is one of those things you learn over time while developing a project with more people. Shadowing Hung and the rest of BIEN is like having the opportunity to be in the writer’s room and on the set of a show while making an episode. You can follow everything from how they answer a client’s brief, reshape scripts to be visually more compelling, hire the team according to the needs of the piece and build up the characters, always having in consideration that these aren’t just generic molds but that every decision reflects their uniqueness and background. An active eye, even with experience in these kinds of rodeos, will find many many tips and tricks to add to their own toolkit, from the way they compose decks so the client understands all of the steps in the process of making an animation, reducing in that way their possible anxiety, to the research and documentation they put together for the artists so they have all the tools at their hands to succeed. To their way of storing everything in a living Milanote document where anyone on the team can access all the info, without forgetting simple but powerful ways to configure posting and feedback on Slack, reducing the nonsense and making it easy to find each shot and its feedback, or briefing for the animation’s music (a part I always struggle with), or being present in dailies checking the teams work, worries, and progress. With so much attention to how great the shots look, to how accurate they represent reality, to the characters or the ins and outs of an event, BIEN has a specific perspective on how to approach the process that they aren’t afraid but happy to share with anyone. In an industry plagued with grey areas and unknowns, being transparent about your process and ideal of how work should be done and what a role should entail and sharing that with an audience of professionals that may not receive mentorship otherwise, is an initiative that I can only applaud." Check out Ivan's LinkedIn https://buff.ly/3K6w3Lc and his website here https://buff.ly/3K1s4Q9 As we like to say, hire this man!

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After all the modeling and texturing, and the sweat and blood along the way, I'm proud to present my artwork of the USS Arizona. The software used includes Cinema 4D, Octane Render, Substance Painter, and Photoshop. https://lnkd.in/dFci5t8W #navalhistory #3dmodeling

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New tutorial just launched. Model this lifeguard stand in Blender (with all the joining and bendy pipes). #b3d #blender3d https://lnkd.in/gpHcKc_m

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So much excitement in the real time world right now with Epic Games releasing Unreal Engine 5.4! Looks like I'll be updating some educational content very soon regarding some of these new features. I know I'm super excited for some of the elements making it easier for my game dev students to integrate custom characters into their projects! To celebrate this exciting release of Unreal Engine 5.4, I'm doing a 40% off sale of my Unreal Engine Pro Masterclass when you use the code UNREAL54NOW before 11:59PM PDT April 26th. https://lnkd.in/di2XwQXf #unrealengine #gamedesign #gamedevelopment #virtualproduction

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Will be posting workflow videos as well as tutorials, here is a breakdown of how to get some very fast render times in cycles using Blender.

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What is new in the script! check out the YouTube Video below 👇🏻

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Lately I've been testing out a in-Maya chromatic aberration (and lens distortion) render technique that involves adding a makeshift lens in front of your virtual camera. While this is a more time consuming render, it does offer a workflow without the use of Nuke or After Effects for comp. *Rendering a personal 3D Modelling project. #3D #Maya

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CMF (Color, Material, & Finish) Designer Openings in Multiple Industries!! An option for 3D Artists looking to pivot out of Entertainment. If you come from the VFX, Animation, or Gaming industries, you might not be familiar with the job title of CMF Designer. I certainly wasn't when I was laid off from Blue Sky Studios, but I have since learned about the role and understand its connection to 3D Artists. Let me give you a quick crash course. A CMF (Color, Material, and Finish) designer plays a crucial role in defining a company's products' aesthetic and sensory aspects. Their key responsibilities include ensuring that the materials used in the products deliver the desired brand experience, staying up-to-date with the latest color trends, and crafting surface treatments such as coatings, textures, and embellishments. Sounds like a Shading or Surfacing artist in VFX, Animation, or Gaming, right? In this week’s newsletter (coming out Sunday/Monday), I will explore the possibility of a 3D Artist (focused on Shading and Surfacing) transitioning to the role of CMF Designer in the Apparel, Footwear, and Automotive industries. I will share the similarities, differences, and necessary skills to prepare for this transition. BUT FIRST…let’s check out the current market for companies hiring CMF Designers. https://lnkd.in/gm--ADt7

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Graduation season means it's also RECRUITER SCAM season. Be alert for fake emails, rushing into collecting your info, job offers with no specifics / no portfolio review, and the classic request to buy equipment upfront so they can "reimburse you later". https://lnkd.in/etjURmAp

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Incredible work Simon Verstraete, Lea Kronenberger, Julian Bragagna, Marn Schokker, and Can Basdogan 👏. They all collaborated to build this scene titled "Project Grot" for SideFX as a learning resource for people looking to get into creating environments with Houdini for Unreal Engine. Project Grot explores a pipeline built using tools created in Houdini that were then used in Unreal by layout artists, it includes both world-building and Realtime FX workflows. https://lnkd.in/ebufCts8 Also, take a look at Julian's course at Houdini.School: Procedural HDAs for Unreal. He guides you through developing a building generator HDA for Unreal Engine, focusing on procedural problem-solving and tool prototyping. https://lnkd.in/ekNqSnjs #sidefxhoudini #sidefx #procedural #3d #houdini #cgi #design #animation #motiongraphics #vfxartist #fx #digitalart #motionart #3Dart #mograph #simulation #visualeffects #digitalart #vfx #render #unreal #unrealengine #hda #gamedesign #realtime #realtimegraphics #realtimevfx #realtimerendering #filmmaking #gamedev

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Here is a new video on my Youtube channel with solutions for Geometry Cache files in Unreal Engine when using the Livesync plugin from Clo3D. If you're into digital fashion and want to use the animation options to visualize your looks, then please see the other videos in the series. I explain how the new plugin works (released 4/1/24) and I also share how to go beyond the expected by creating unique animation combos. I'll post more on the series here. https://lnkd.in/gPUh3-jf

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My goal in this tutorial is to expand my skill set by creating procedural organic material in Substance Painter. I came up with this idea after seeing the artwork Baby Zerg by Cino Lai. I didn't use any reference, color palette, or concept. I figured it out during the process, so you might see a little bit of struggle with parameters. :D "Watch the full tutorial here." :https://lnkd.in/d2jN3_Ra I also created 25 smart materials using this workflow, which you can download here: https://cstu.io/2afa60 #Substance #gamedesign #3d #gameart #Material #digitalart #digitalart #Animation #Substancepainter #Digital3D #art #Texturing

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ONLY 24 HOURS LEFT Invest in yourself! What you're waiting for? 💪 👇 What you'll learn: -Basics of 3D Lighting, grounded in real-world layouts -Mastering the user interface and general workflow -Setting up ACES for optimal rendering -Exploring various types of lights: Area, Mesh, Spot, Dome, Sun&Sky -Integrating 3D objects seamlessly into photos -Understanding Global Illumination (GI) and its role in animation -Unraveling the intricacies of Redshift Materials and Material Blender -Pro tips on utilizing Displacement maps effectively -Techniques to light like renowned studios such as Man Vs Machine, NotReal & Tendril -Navigating Photographic Exposure and Depth of Field for cinematic results -Fine-tuning color controls, LUT, and lens effects -Choosing the right camera types for your projects -Camera animation and Mograph Animation ACCESS for LIFE! Not as Patreon when you need to pay monthly 💪 PLUS All the source files! ✍ PLUS 7 Animated SCENES! 🏋‍♂️ PLUS 100 Materials! 🎉 Enroll now!🚀 https://lnkd.in/eAqsYKq3 If after this you are not a Superstar, I'll kick your ass (We mean it 😁 ) #Cinema4D #Redshift #3DLighting #ProfessionalDevelopment #Animation #VisualEffects #Training #ManVsMachine

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