Lauren Brady, Author at REALTIME

TV VFX for dummies: what are 3D VFX?

We are in a golden age of visual effects. CGI visuals have never been more in demand. Your expertise in the industry may lie elsewhere so you might not realise the actual breadth and depth of what a VFX supplier like us can provide.

3D VFX are more than an alien invasion or a superhero fight. VFX is a multi-faceted process, one that we will break down over the course of our ‘CGI for dummies’ series! With our three-part adaptation of War of the Worlds looming, we couldn’t think of a better time to dive into the world of 3D visual effects for TV.

What is VFX for TV shows?

At its most basic, visual effects (VFX) are the imagery created, altered, or enhanced for a production. They accomplish that which cannot be done during live-action shooting. They aren’t to be confused with special effects (SFX) which are usually done on location during filming. Explosions are a common example, though they are also being replaced by digital recreations as these are safer and cheaper.

On a large scale, they can create the impractical or impossible, such as new background environments, props such as planes, trains, or boats, or life-like animals and creatures. But they are also frequently used for small, simple fixes and to save time and money.

As we said, they aren’t limited to your big-budget action flicks. Today, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a movie, TV show, or advert that doesn’t use VFX in some way. In the coming months, we’ll be covering everything VFX. Here’s what you can expect in our upcoming series.

Demystifying industry terms

Like any industry, the VFX sector has its own dictionary of jargon. It can make the VFX process seem like a Gordian knot, but every term has a simple definition. In this blog, we’ll break down the ABCs of VFX in an easily digestible way. You can learn terms like keying, which is where you replace the green from a green screen with whatever background you like.

How to plan your CGI elements

Creating your CGI elements is one thing; planning them is a whole other process. From concept art to pre-visualisation, we’ll guide you through the process of planning the integration of your assets. You can’t expect to direct your show if you don’t know where your assets will be and when. Look out for our simple step-by-step guide in the future.

Asset building

This might be the first thing you think of when you think ‘VFX’ – creating 3D assets for the production. You can create anything you can think of: from a squadron of planes to a giant three-legged machine and a simple crate, whatever you need. But even this aspect has multiple parts to it. We’ll save the details for a future blog, so keep your eyes peeled.

Particle effects

3D modelling can cover even the tiniest details, including particles like smoke or dust. Particle effects – or particle systems – are made up of tiny particles that, when combined, create the illusion of a greater entity. They will also have their own ‘lifespan’ of sorts, so you can realistically create something like embers in a fire or droplets of rain. The smallest details can make the biggest difference, so look out for a blog on this in the future.

2D vs 3D

If you read 2D and thought we were talking about animated cartoons, then this blog will be for you. Because when we say 2D, we’re talking about visual effects that can be achieved in a 2D space, as opposed to a 3D one. For example, your backgrounds might be 2D matte painting backdrops placed behind your actors. While 3D VFX are great, you can achieve an awful lot more cost-effectively with 2D VFX. We’ll dive into this topic more in a future blog.

CGI vs practical effects

How do you know when to use practical effects or CGI? Is a practical explosion better looking than a CG one? Hopefully, we’ll be able to break down the pros and cons of both for you, so you can figure out how to save yourself time and money during production. Look out for that blog in the near future.

Creating realistic, seamless 3D visual effects takes time and effort. Over the coming months, we hope you’ll find a new appreciation for this art. Check back regularly for another taste of the world of VFX. We hope to see you soon!

At REALTIME, we have the staff and expertise to carry out everything we just talked about. So if you have an exciting project in the pipeline and would like to discuss your visual effects needs, please get in touch with me at [email protected].

An interview with Paul McSweeney on the future of the automotive industry

We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with our very own Paul McSweeney to pick his brains on the future of the automotive industry. Paul is our Automotive Account Director and undeniable fan of all things four-wheeled.

So what does Paul think of the continuing rise of electric vehicles? What will happen to traditional petrol and diesel models? And is ride-sharing going to change how we buy cars?

Thanks for joining me, Paul. Let’s jump right in: as an expert in the industry, why is now an exciting time for the automotive industry?

We’re at a turning point in the industry, both in terms of propulsion technology and the retail model. With the advent of the electric vehicle and how many manufacturers are challenging the retail model, it’s exciting to see where it’ll be in five or ten years when these things have settled down and the trends have established themselves.

I guess what’s most exciting for me personally is the powertrain change. EVs are gaining more traction – if you’ll pardon the pun – as the range increases and the cars themselves become more and more exciting with each launch.

On the topic of electric vehicles, do you think there will be mass adoption of the technology?

Well, my kids are car fans like me, and they take an interest in every single car that drives past. And to them, electric vehicles are just a part of the overall landscape. That might not be the case for my generation, but for the younger ones, they aren’t a trend – they just are. So yes, I think we will see mass adoption.

New legislation and general demand will drive sales. As batteries become denser, lighter, and more powerful, the packaging challenge of batteries will decrease and will drive more and more new concepts and more and more interest. It will happen from a customer and legislation perspective, I’m sure.

Then what about traditional petrol and diesel cars? Do you think they will go the way of the dinosaur?

Ultimately they will. Fossil fuels are a finite resource after all, so they will run out and we will have to find other ways. But I think we’ll see them hang around for a long time yet. And really, we don’t know how the industry will innovate. So it will happen, but I think it will be a slower process than some predict.

For the car enthusiast, the feel, the noise, the feedback, the engagement of an internal combustion engine is something that EV manufacturers aren’t able to replicate, even if the likes of Lotus, Rimac, and Pininfarina are indeed developing some very exciting looking EV hypercars. It might be, in the end, that vehicles with an internal combustion engine become a small – but stable – part of the market for customers wanting that particular feel on a track day or something like that. EVs would take 95-98% of the market for people who simply want to get from A to B.

How will this affect traditional manufacturers and their classic lineup?

They’re all pretty much developing their own EV strategy, which is great to see. Every single manufacturer has released some sort of communication about how and when they’ll be fully electrified, or at least partially so. I guess the thing the mainstream manufacturers need to look out for are the new “startup” manufacturers, like Rivian. They will make very convincing, properly funded and developed vehicles that will have a credible, world-class reputation straight off the bat.

Companies like Dyson haven’t completely shown their hand yet but you can bet your boots that will be the same. Both organisations have recruited the right people who wouldn’t be working with them if they weren’t doing something game-changing.

So the mainstream manufacturers have their strategies but EV design and manufacture are allowing startups to join the game more easily than if they had to sort out an internal combustion engine, for example, by themselves.

These new companies, how do you think they’ll fit into the market?

They’ll probably start off with a fairly low-ish volume in comparison to the biggest players, but I think customers tend to be less brand loyal these days. Media plays its part in that it’s much easier to establish a reputation for reliability – it can happen much quicker today. So if they are strong competitors – and I think they will be – they’ll be adopted reasonably quickly.

So Tesla might be one of the most well-known examples so far.

Yeah, exactly. A few years ago it was a small name but now they’re mainstream in their own right.

One technology that Tesla and others are working on is self-driving cars. Do you think they will change the landscape?

I’m not sure about self-driving cars. I think full, level five autonomy is a long way away. We can’t be mixing fully autonomous cars with self-driven vehicles – I don’t know how that would even work. It’s good that the world is having this debate, though. Traffic is getting worse and worse, there are more and more cars, so something has to give.

How about ride-sharing apps? Or services where you basically rent a car? Will they have an impact?

Yeah, those I do think will have an effect. I think the general ownership model of cars is going to change over the next 20 to 30 years as people become less brand loyal. And the idea of having a big hunk of metal sitting on your drive six days a week doing nothing becomes less desirable, so instead, you would hire a car just for the journey you’re taking.

If I were to be bold, I’d predict manufacturers would be worried about that. A lot of car purchasing is based on emotion, desire, and want as opposed to need. I think it might be a worry to manufacturers who think it will become less of an emotional decision. But I still think we as humans will find a way to add emotion into any ride-share transaction, as it continues to make a statement about you and manufacturers will indeed ultimately benefit from that.

I’m putting you on the spot here a bit: if we did this interview again in ten years, what solid prediction can you make about the automotive landscape?

If I had to stick my neck out and guess, I’d say electric cars will have a significant portion of the market but diesel and petrol will still be around. It’s tough! I don’t know if I can see a whole lot of progress in the autonomous process, but I do think ride-sharing could well be the new big thing. So progress in two out of the three topics we’ve talked about isn’t bad!

What I will say about electric vehicles is they’re much quieter than petrol cars; you can’t hear them coming. So that has safety implications that I don’t think the industry has quite solved yet. So if you’re about to cross a road you might listen for an engine, but with an EV it doesn’t have that. Will EVs beep as they go along? Do we create an artificial engine sound? I don’t know, but there’s definitely a discussion to be had about what noise these cars should make to herald their arrival around the corner.

It was a very strange experience to go to the Goodwood Festival of Speed recently and see a drifting demonstration. The first car the driver used was a Jaguar F-Type with a V8 engine, so you had the roar of this engine and the screeching of the tyres. But then he did the same thing in an electric car and there was just the screech of the tyres, which was very strange to watch!

I guess it’s a bit ghost-like.

Yes, exactly! You’re almost looking at the car thinking, “how’s that moving along the road?” You’re so used to seeing cars one way through your whole life. It’s a weird sensation.

Well thanks for your time, Paul. It’s been enlightening. Before we go, one last question. And it’s another difficult one: if I had to make you choose, what’s your one favourite car of all time?

That’s the impossible question! People who like cars and dedicate their life to cars never have just one. So the only way I would answer that is, if I had unlimited funds, I would enjoy making that choice. I can’t give you a straight answer I’m afraid!

Good answer; I’ll let you off. Again, thank you, Paul.

Like the entire automotive team at RealtimeUK, Paul is a lover of all things automotive. It’s just one of the many reasons we’re a trusted partner with many well-known manufacturers. You can find examples of our stellar work here. If you would like to discuss your latest project, feel free to get in touch at [email protected].

The rise of auto chess games: who will win the autobattler war?

The wider gaming scene is always defined by its biggest trend. There tends to be one huge, genre-defining game that others dream of being as successful as. First-person shooters were popularised by Call of Duty, MOBAs by League of Legends, and battle royales by Fortnite.

This year has seen the rise of a whole new genre – the ‘autobattler’. What began with Dota 2 mod ‘Dota Auto Chess’ has now spawned multiple competitors all vying to be the dominant game in this new genre. But where did they come from? Where are they heading? And how might they become king?

The opening gambit

If you’re wondering where the terms ‘autobattler’ and ‘auto chess’ suddenly appeared from, you’re not the only one. It’s a relatively new concept that became popular as a custom game type on Dota 2. It combines the characters of Dota and the layout of chess with a dash of mahjong to create a game that was like no other. First making its appearance in January this year, and created by Chinese developer Drodo Studio, it has lit the fuse to a whole new genre of strategic games.

The only fly in the ointment was that Dota is a Valve IP. After discussions with Drodo Studio, the two companies amicably decided to head their own ways. Valve spun the idea into Dota Underlords, while Drodo Studio began work on a separate, fully-fledged game simply called Auto Chess that they hope will not only conquer China but the entire world. And so the autobattler was born. Riot Games is now the latest to join by creating a spin-off of League of Legends entitled Teamfight Tactics.

The current state of play

Dota Underlords, Auto Chess, and Teamfight Tactics are the current three big players on the scene, each vying to take the crown of the king of the autobattlers. Dota Underlords has the advantage of having the character set-up people are most familiar with. Auto Chess is the progenitor; the original idea that people love so much. And Teamfight Tactics can capitalise on the enormous player base of League of Legends. In fact, to increase uptake, the game is accessible within the League of Legends client.

The next phase of autobattler games will be securing the player base across platforms. While it began on PC, the genre is aiming to attract the lucrative mobile crowd. Both Auto Chess and Dota Underlords have mobile versions of their game and, in the case of Dota Underlords, the PC version is based on the mobile iteration (for now). There will no doubt be more autobattler games that come along, but what will decide which one comes out on top?

Standing out from the crowd

It makes sense that the one eventually crowned as king of the genre will be the one that can attract the greatest community. Naturally, they all have their own in-built communities, but what will attract newcomers? While word of mouth has achieved a lot so far, there has been little in the way of marketing. While this is understandable, given they are all in the early stages of development, it makes sense that they would benefit from cinematic trailers to bring the crowds in.

The challenge will be taking the relatively dry, top-down view of the autobattler games and turning that into a stunning trailer. It will need to sell the action that is otherwise left to your imagination. It will need to weave a story that plays out in short-form. And, in the case of Dota Underlords and Teamfight Tactics, it needs to show the pre-existing communities that this is an exciting addition to the lore that justifies the hours already spent in the game. Auto Chess has an uphill battle in that regard, so will need a strong theme to attract people’s attention.

This is especially true in the mobile landscape. The competition in this space isn’t just other autobattlers, but all of mobile gaming. How will you differentiate amongst the match three games and the battle royales?

Most of all, it needs to show people this is a community worth joining. At this early stage, any of these games could fade into irrelevance. A new competitor can appear at any moment to claim the crown as its own. If they want to be the best, they need a trailer that unashamedly says “we are the best”.Given the success they are enjoying in such a short period, we think the autobattler genre is here to stay and hasn’t even begun to peak. The autobattler war is about to heat up: are you ready for it?

At REALTIME, we can craft a trailer that amazes audiences and draws in new players. We’ve worked with many free-to-play games, such as Smite and CrossFire, so we’re well-equipped to handle whatever your request may be. If you would like to know more, get in touch with me at [email protected].

Game trailers done right

Game trailers done right: analysing some of E3 2019’s biggest trailers

Now the dust has settled and the post-show high has dissipated, we can look at this year’s E3 showcase with fresh eyes. It was the usual mix of the good, interesting, and the where-did-that-come-from. This year had an odd air about it though, with everyone waiting for the next generation of consoles. Without them, the show somehow felt incomplete – a situation compounded by the fact Sony decided to skip the show altogether.

What we ended up with was an unusually high slew of quality trailers for games that may well serve as this generation’s swan songs. With the majority of them for games that won’t see the light of day before next year at the earliest, the trailers served to show their importance as a major marketing beat in bringing a new game to market.

There were some VERY impressive trailers for sure – some for IPs we’re already familiar with and some new ones too. Regardless of how fresh the game idea might be, you only get one chance to impress – a mantra we continually remind ourselves of during any production. So how did this year’s crop of trailers fare?

The good

A great trailer not only needs to have stunning visuals; it also needs to tell a great story. And we saw some fantastic examples this year!

The latest expansion for The Elder Scrolls Online, Elsweyr, was marked by an impressive trailer that hugely impressed its fans. Fan reactions were overwhelmingly generous to this resplendent CG trailer which told a complete story in four-and-a-half minutes. It did a great job of showcasing the upcoming Necromancer class, expertly blending cinematic brilliance and actual gameplay elements. People loved it. Some people really loved it.

The bad

So you have the visuals and you have the story-telling. Great!. But is it interesting? Remember the mantra – ‘you only have one chance to impress’.

For some, the much-anticipated Crystal Dynamics Marvel’s Avengers failed to deliver. Despite having a massive IP, the trailer left many of its fans underwhelmed, with the design of the characters coming in for particularly harsh criticism. For many, the game felt confusing and unappealing. Yet behind-closed-doors, impressions were nothing but glowing. Crystal Dynamics has since hinted they are going to address much of the criticism before the game’s eventual release.

It goes to show how putting a trailer together is important. You can have all the right elements (a great IP) but get the detail wrong (unappealing character design) and you’re in danger of alienating your audience. A successful trailer will give the audience what they want – extolling the virtues of the brand with great story-telling that will appeal directly to its community. Perhaps a good example of this is the CrossfireX trailer. Although a relatively unknown brand here in the West, it’s one that has taken the East by storm. This visceral trailer did an incredible job at planting its flag in the West and letting everyone know it’s here. Those in the know are excited and those who aren’t are certainly intrigued.

The breathtaking

Cyberpunk 2077 deservedly stole this year’s show with its incredible trailer. Despite being announced over seven years ago, the hype took it to new heights, pushing its fans to a new level of frenzy with the revelation that Keanu Reeves would feature amongst its cast.

This E3 was another showcase of examples of why trailers matter. A game’s pre-release hype can live and die on its trailer. Which examples will we still be talking about at the end of the year? Creating a trailer is as much an art as the game itself is – one that needs as much specialism and creative vision as the game itself.

At RealtimeUK, we understand the nuance of creating a trailer. Our work has even reached the E3 main stage. Put your trust in a company that knows how to create compelling content. To talk about your upcoming project, get in touch with me at [email protected].

How to: Exploding zombies and flame throwers!

Graham Collier and Adrian Vickers give us a little rundown of what went into making the Zombie Army 4 trailer including the use of Houdini’s Finite Element Methods.

Graham Collier: My favourite part of the day: exploding zombies in Houdini 😀

On previous trailers I used Houdini’s Finite Element Methods (FEM) to fracture and create soft body simulations of exploding chunks of flesh.

This time I wanted to test the new Vellum tools in Houdini 17.5 especially the Vellum Tetrahedral Fiber Constraints. After a few tests I found that I could get similar results as FEM but with much faster simulation times. This was really useful as we had multiple zombie meshes to simulate and we needed to create fast iterations.

To control the fracturing of the Vellum soft bodies I had to set up groups containing areas of impact and impact velocities. I used these groups to add Pin to Target constraints to constrain the mesh to the incoming animation. Within the DOP simulation I then used Vellum Constraint Properties to remove the Pin constraints on the impact frames. I also used Geometry Wrangle nodes to adjust Break Thresholds and add in the Custom Velocities. This enabled me to direct several impacts on the zombies and gave me enough control with the fracturing. The simulation was very fast which enabled me to create several iterations before I was happy with the result.

Previously I used Houdini POP networks for blood simulations, but this time we wanted to go further with Fluid Implicit Particles(FLIP). These fluid simulations were emitted from the internal fractured surfaces. I used a Sign Distance Field (SDF) with a small offset to check if the internal surface was enclosed or open. If open I then scattered points onto the surface and set velocities based on the Normal’s and movement. This data was then used as a FLIP source. The fluid simulation itself made use of Viscosity, Collision Velocity Blending and Surface Tension which all really helped control the flow of the blood.

Finally these simulations were all exported as Alembic caches and rendered in 3DS-Max with VRay.

Houdini users can download this cut down Vellum setup showing a single impact simulation using Tetrahedral Fiber Constraints.

Adrian Vickers: First I exported the character using alembic from 3ds Max, also exporting the camera and any collision geometry I might need.

To start I created a point at the end of the flamethrower nozzle with a normal vector in the direction of spray and also an up vector, this enabled me to copy a remeshed polygon circle, with a rest attribute, onto this point. Custom velocity and density attributes were then created with various controls, enabling me to adjust spread, inner and outer flow, randomized scale and overall strength, plus move the emitter geometry further in or out from the nozzle.

This went into a fairly straight forward popnet, using gravity, collision geometry and various pop forces, scaling the turbulent forces by the points age. These pop points were then seperated into 2 streams in sops, flamethrower spray and collided points. I was then able to create fuel, temperature, velocity and pscale attributes based on there normalized age, giving me more control of each effect. These points then got fed directly into a dopnet for the fire and smoke sim.

The pyro sim then used various gas micro solvers to shape the flamethrower effect, several gas particle to field, gas disturbance based on velocity, gas shred and gas vortex confinement among them.

This was then exported from Houdini as vdb’s and rendered in 3ds Max with Vray using a volume grid, but my initial tests were rendered in Mantra.