Roberto Carlos Meré, professionally known as Chuck Meré, is a renowned as a filmmaker, actor, and popular YouTuber, Chuck is best recognized for his hosting role in the widely acclaimed YouTube series Zombie Go Boom. With nearly 2 million subscribers and over 300 million views, the series has earned him YouTube silver and gold play buttons. Beyond his YouTube success, Chuck has received two Mid-America Regional Emmy Awards and numerous Regional Emmy nominations for his commercial and promotional work.

In this episode, guest Casey Pike joins to chat about visualization for the film industry. Casey discusses the transition from viewing previsualization as a lesser form to appreciating its storytelling potential. He also talks about the technological advancements in real-time rendering engines, emphasizes the importance of decision-making in visualization, and the balance between previz and post viz.

Time Stamps:

00:01:03 Casey chats about his early passion for movies and transition to visualization.

00:08:29 Adoption and evolution of real-time rendering engines, particularly Unreal Engine, for previsualization.

00:13:38 Discussion on the balance between speed and visual quality in previsualization, based on director's preferences and project requirements.

00:16:38 Different types of visualization work, including tech viz, pitch viz, and post viz, and their respective deliverables.

00:20:00 Explanation of post viz and its role in the filmmaking process, including its use in editing and VFX planning.

00:22:03 Temporary VFX shots for early screenings, editing decisions, and reducing the need for imagination.

00:23:14 Temporary VFX shots in test screenings, including previz shots and the purpose of postviz.

00:26:16 Use of Maya, Unreal, and After Effects for postviz, and the shift to remote work during COVID-19.

00:28:41 Postviz work location, virtual art department, and the impact of AI tools on the industry.

00:35:27 Exploration of AI tools, their impact on efficiency, and the potential for job replacement.

00:42:32 Relevance of Maya, Unreal, After Effects, and Substance Painter for aspiring visualization professionals.

00:46:30 Discussion on the essential skills for visualization, including camera attachment, helicopter speed, and car safety on film sets.

00:48:22 Observation of the increasing use of Blender in visualization and its accessibility for artists. 00:52:17 The importance of being a generalist in the visualization field and the diverse skills required for visualization tasks.

00:54:49 Exploration of the blurred line between visualization and VFX, their shared tools, and distinct purposes in film production.

00:59:57 Excitement about the adoption of real-time options in visualization and the consideration of their impact on project workflow.

Connecting with the Guest:

Website: www.halon.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-pyke-1697222b/

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4270845/

Connecting with CG Pro:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/becomecgpro

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomecgpro/

Website: https://www.becomecgpro.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BecomeCGPro

In this episode, we are joined by Tim and Alex Porter from Mod Tech Labs. They discuss their transition to founding a company that specializes in content optimization. They explore the challenges of creating efficient tools for artists, the role of AI in their work, and their vision for the future of technical optimization. The Porters also dig into the use of AI models and their excitement for an upcoming collaboration with CG Pro to develop AI tools for Unreal Engine.

Time Stamps:

00:01:07 Tim and Alex discuss their diverse backgrounds in the entertainment industry and their transition to founding Mod Tech Labs.

00:01:55 Alex shares her background in interior design and construction management and her transition to working in VR and AR.

00:04:14 Tim discusses his early influences, including his parents' professions and his educational path, leading to his career in the entertainment industry.

00:12:26 Challenges of working in studios and the motivation behind starting their own company, Underminer, and later Mod Tech Labs.

00:15:22 The idea for Mod Tech Labs stemmed from solving their own content pipeline and automation challenges, which they realized could benefit others.

00:20:03 Challenges in optimizing content for VR and XR, and the interest of various studios in content optimization.

00:20:53 The interest of large and small studios in content optimization, and the potential for customizing solutions.

00:22:53 The development of tools for simplifying processes and enabling content optimization, emphasizing the need for tools that work for individual content creators.

00:24:35 The application of optimization in VR, film, and virtual production, and the focus on making content look better and play back well on different screens.

00:26:25 The goal of enabling artists to focus on their art and the importance of maintaining quality through perceptual optimization.

00:27:38 Detailing their project and the challenges faced in optimizing content for different stages and led wall resolutions.

00:33:32 The vision of a future with reduced manual optimization, the role of AI in content optimization, and the potential for tools to replace manual optimization.

00:36:29 The two suggest that technical artists adapt their skills to tool development and shading, acknowledging the continued need for optimization skills in some scenarios.

00:38:27 The importance of client fit and the discovery process in understanding the client's mindset and interest in innovative solutions.

00:39:09 The company's infrastructure and the importance of client engagement in exploring unconventional projects.

00:41:24 The company's data storage capacity and the need for custom solutions for clients. 00:41:32 The size and specialized training data requirements for AI, and the challenges of finding quality assets.

00:43:04 They give an analogy of AI as a room full of people taking a test, and the use of GANs for generating secondary maps.

00:44:41 Using AI models and automated systems for content optimization and analysis.

00:48:35 The role of AI in enabling artists and reducing repetitive tasks, with a focus on artist control.

00:51:12 The evolving role of previs and collaboration with AI tools for better communication and visualization.

00:54:22 Invitation for collaboration and discussion of upcoming projects, including AI tools for optimizing scenes in Unreal for Fortnite.

Connecting with the Guests:

Website: https://modtechlabs.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alextporter

https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothymporter/

Connecting with CG Pro:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/becomecgpro

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becomecgpro/

Website: https://www.becomecgpro.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BecomeCGPro