When Leta Sobierajski enrolled in college, she already knew what she was meant to do, and she didn’t settle for anything less. “When I went to school for graphic design, I really didn’t have a backup plan – it was this, or nothing,” she says. “My work is a constantly evolving practice, and from the beginning, I have always convinced myself that if I put in the time and experimentation, I would grow and evolve.” After graduation, Sobierajski took on a range of projects, which included animation, print, and branding elements. She collaborated with corporate clients, but realized that she wouldn’t feel comfortable following anyone else’s rules in a 9-to-5 environment. Leta Sobierajski (standing) and Wade Jeffree (on ladder) \\\ Photo: Matt Dutile Sobierajski eventually decided to team up with fellow artist and kindred spirit Wade Jeffree. In 2016 they launched their Brooklyn-based studio, Wade and Leta. The duo, who share a taste for quirky aesthetics, produces sculpture, installations, or anything else they can dream up. Never static in thinking or method, they are constantly searching for another medium to try that will complement their shared vision of the moment. The pair is currently interested in permanency, and they want to utilize more metal, a strong material that will stand the test of time. Small architectural pieces are also on tap, and on a grander scale, they’d like to focus on a park or communal area that everyone can enjoy. With so many ideas swirling around, Sobierajski will record a concept in at least three different ways so that she’s sure to unearth it at a later date. “In some ways, I like to think I’m impeccably organized, as I have countless spreadsheets tracking our work, our lives, and our well-being,” she explains. “The reality is that I am great at over-complicating situations with my intensified list-making and note-taking. The only thing to do is to trust the process.” Today, Leta Sobierajski joins us for Friday Five! Photo: Melitta Baumeister and Michał Plata 1. Melitta Baumeister and Michał Plata The work of Melitta Baumeister and Michał Plata has been a constant inspiration to me for their innovative, artful, and architectural silhouettes. By a practice of draping and arduous pattern-making, the garments that they develop season after season feel like they could be designed for existence in another universe. I’m a person who likes to dress up for anything when I’m not in the studio, and every time I opt to wear one of their looks, I feel like I can take on the world. The best part about their pieces is that they’re extremely functional, so whether I need to hop on a bicycle or show up at an opening, I’m still able to make a statement – these garments even have the ability to strike up conversations on their own. Photo: Wade and Leta 2. Pandas! I was recently in Chengdu to launch a new project and we took half the day to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Pandas and I am a new panda convert. Yes, they’re docile and cute, but their lifestyles are utterly chill and deeply enviable for us adults with responsibilities. Giant pandas primarily eat bamboo and can consume 20-40 kilograms per day. When they’re not doing that, they’re sleeping. When we visited, many could be seen reclining on their backs, feasting on some of the finest bamboo they could select within arm’s reach. While not necessarily playful in appearance, they do seem quite cheeky in their agendas and will do as little as they can to make the most of their meals. It felt like I was watching a mirrored image of myself on a Sunday afternoon while trying to make the most of my last hours of the weekend. Photo: Courtesy of Aoiro 3. Aoiro I’m not really a candle person (I forget to light it, and then I forget it’s lit, and then I panic when it’s been lit for too long) but I love the luxurious subtlety of a fragrant space. It’s an intangible feeling that really can only be experienced in the present. Some of the best people to create these fragrances, in my opinion, are Shizuko and Manuel, the masterminds behind Aoiro, a Japanese and Austrian duo who have developed a keen sense for embodying the fragrances of some of the most intriguing and captivating olfactory atmospheres – earthy forest floors with crackling pine needles, blue cypress tickling the moon in an indigo sky, and rainfall on a spirited Japanese island. Despite living in an urban city, Aoiro’s olfactory design is capable of transporting me to the deepest forests of misty Yakushima island. Photo: Wade and Leta 4. Takuro Kuwata A few months ago, I saw the work of Japanese ceramicist Takuro Kuwata at an exhibition at Salon94 and have been having trouble getting it out of my head. Kuwata’s work exemplifies someone who has worked with a medium so much to completely use the medium as a medium – if that makes sense. His ability to manipulate clay and glaze and use it to create gravity-defying effects within the kiln are exceptionally mysterious to me and feel like they could only be accomplished with years and years of experimentation with the material. I’m equally impressed seeing how he’s grown his work with scale, juxtaposing it with familiar iconography like the fuzzy peach, but sculpting it from materials like bronze. Photo: Wade and Leta 5. The Site of Reversible Destiny, a park built by artists Arakawa and Gins, in Yoro Japan The park is a testament to their career as writers, architects, and their idea of reversible destiny, which in its most extreme form, eliminates death. For all that are willing to listen, Arakawa and Gins’ Reversible Destiny mentality aims to make our lives a little more youthful by encouraging us to reevaluate our relationship with architecture and our surroundings. The intention of “reversible destiny” is not to prolong death, postpone it, grow older alongside it, but to entirely not acknowledge and surpass it. Wade (my partner) and I have spent the last ten years traveling to as many of their remaining sites as possible to further understand this notion of creating spaces to extend our lives and question how conventional living spaces can become detrimental to our longevity.   Works by Wade and Leta: Photo: Wade and Leta and Matt Alexander Now You See Me is a large-scale installation in the heart of Shoreditch, London, that explores the relationship between positive and negative space through bold color, geometry, and light. Simple, familiar shapes are embedded within monolithic forms, creating a layered visual experience that shifts throughout the day. As sunlight passes through the structures, shadows and silhouettes stretch and connect, forming dynamic compositions on the surrounding concrete. Photo: Wade and Leta and John Wylie Paint Your Own Path is series of five towering sculptures, ranging from 10 to 15 feet tall, invites viewers to explore balance, tension, and perspective through bold color and form. Inspired by the delicate, often precarious act of stacking objects, the sculptures appear as if they might topple – yet each one holds steady, challenging perceptions of stability. Created in partnership with the Corolla Cross, the installation transforms its environment into a pop-colored landscape. Photo: Millenia Walk and Outer Edit, Eurthe Studio Monument to Movement is a 14-meter-tall kinetic sculpture that celebrates the spirit of the holiday season through rhythm, motion, and color. Rising skyward in layered compositions, the work symbolizes collective joy, renewal, and the shared energy of celebrations that span cultures and traditions. Powered by motors and constructed from metal beams and cardboard forms, the sculpture continuously shifts, inviting viewers to reflect on the passage of time and the cycles that connect us all. Photo: Wade and Leta and Erika Hara, Piotr Maslanka, and Jeremy Renault Falling Into Place is a vibrant rooftop installation at Ginza Six that explores themes of alignment, adaptability, and perspective. Six colorful structures – each with a void like a missing puzzle piece – serve as spaces for reflection, inviting visitors to consider their place within a greater whole. Rather than focusing on absence, the design transforms emptiness into opportunity, encouraging people to embrace spontaneity and the unfolding nature of life. Playful yet contemplative, the work emphasizes that only through connection and participation can the full picture come into view. Photo: Wade and Leta and Erika Hara, Piotr Maslanka, and Jeremy Renault Photo: Wade and Leta Stop, Listen, Look is a 7-meter-tall interactive artwork atop IFS Chengdu that captures the vibrant rhythm of the city through movement, sound, and form. Blending motorized and wind-powered elements with seesaws and sound modulation, it invites people of all ages to engage, play, and reflect. Inspired by Chengdu’s balance of tradition and modernity, the piece incorporates circular motifs from local symbolism alongside bold, geometric forms to create a dialogue between past and present. With light, motion, and community at its core, the work invites visitors to connect with the city – and each other – through shared interaction. The Cloud is a permanent sculptural kiosk in Burlington, Vermont’s historic City Hall Park, created in collaboration with Brooklyn-based Studio RENZ+OEI. Designed to reinterpret the ephemeral nature of clouds through architecture, it blends art, air, and imagination into a light, fluid structure that defies traditional rigidity. Originally born from a creative exchange between longtime friends and collaborators, the design challenges expectations of permanence by embodying movement and openness. Now home to a local food vendor, The Cloud brings a playful, uplifting presence to the park, inviting reflection and interaction rain or shine..

Interviews A Minecraft Movie: Piotr Karwas (VFX Supervisor) & Elizabeth “Liz” Bernard (Animation Supervisor) – Digital Domain By Vincent Frei - 20/05/2025 With 20+ years in film and advertising, Piotr Karwas has supervised VFX for top directors including David Fincher and Tim Burton. His recent work includes The Electric State, Elevation, he’s here today to talk about the Digital Domain work on A Minecraft Movie. After discussing The Electric State with us a few months ago, Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Bernard is back—this time to talk about her work on A Minecraft Movie. How did you and Digital Domain get involved on this show? Piotr Karwas: We were approached by the Warner Bros. VFX team as they were looking to bring on an additional vendor to help complete the remaining visual effects work. It was also an opportunity to be the best dad ever, since both of my kids are huge Minecraft fans. How was the collaboration with Director Jared Hess and VFX Supervisor Dan Lemmon? Piotr Karwas: I’ve known Dan Lemmon since our time working together at Digital Domain. We collaborated on several projects in the early 2000s, so it was a great opportunity to team up again. As for Jared, I’ve been a fan of his work ever since his first feature, Napoleon Dynamite. Years ago, I also had the chance to briefly work on his film Gentlemen Broncos. The blend of Jared’s signature humor with the global phenomenon of Minecraft was simply too exciting to pass up. I knew I wanted to be involved. Although Digital Domain joined the project later in the production process, we quickly got up to speed and delivered our work on time, despite some challenges. What are the sequences made by Digital Domain? Piotr Karwas: Our primary focus was the final battle sequence, but we also contributed to several fully live-action shots featuring set extensions and some CG animation, primarily around the entrance to the mine. Could you walk us through the process of creating the 500+ Piglins and Iron Golems clashing in that 360° battlefield? What were some of the major technical challenges in making that sequence come to life? Piotr Karwas: One of the key creative challenges was striking the right balance between honoring the iconic look and feel of the game while delivering a cinematic, action-packed experience. The goal was to blend a sense of realism through the movement and design of characters and environments with the charm and style of the Minecraft universe. Under the guidance of Jared and Dan, and in close collaboration with the other vendors, we were able to craft something truly unique. The battle unfolds during the Piglin invasion, as the sunny atmosphere of the Overworld begins to transform into a darker, more menacing environment reminiscent of the Nether. The entire battlefield was designed to function seamlessly in both visual states, capturing the warmth and cheer of the original Overworld, while also supporting its dramatic shift into a hellish landscape filled with fire and gloom. Additionally, the stylized world of Minecraft presented some technical hurdles, especially in large scale crowd sequences. The characters’ unconventional anatomy, limited range of motion, and signature fighting styles added an extra layer of complexity but also pushed us to be creative and innovative. Liz Bernard: We started out with 10 piglins, each of which had 2-6 costumes, plus 8 weapons and 2 torches. We were able to get a lot of variety out of that for our piglin horde. The golem army was smaller and more uniform, and golems are too powerful to be messing around with weapons. Instead, they prefer to use their iron arms to smash through their opponents, so we didn’t have as many different iterations, costumes, and such for the iron golems. In Animation, we moved as fast as possible to clean up and modify a big pile of motion capture so that we could provide our Crowds team with over 300 unique animation cycles and clips. Those clips included everything from golems doing windmill arm attacks, to piglins hacking at golem legs with axes and swords, to baby piglins running around in circles, freaking out. Although we started with motion capture for most of the piglin actions, transferring those actions from a full sized human mocap actor onto 10 different blocky piglins with giant angular heads and different body proportions meant each mocap clip needed a lot of adjustment. For example, piglins cannot raise their square little arms very high because their shoulders will quickly crash into the head. Once we had ploughed through that chunk of work, our Crowds team strung those actions together in Autodesk’s Golaem software to create the crowds seen in the backgrounds of our shots. In the mid-ground, we animated a custom set of longer battle vignettes that we could reuse in a number of shots by reorienting them to camera and offsetting their timing. And of course, there was quite a lot of hero animation to fill in the foreground and tell the story of the ebb and flow of battle. Minecraft is known for its blocky aesthetic. How was the animation rigging approached to stay true to that while enhancing the characters’ performance for live action? Liz Bernard: The piglins, hoglins, and wolves were rigged as pretty standard fleshy characters. The wolves had blocky chests and hips, which our Rigging team kept relatively stiff to preserve the original block shape even when we posed the characters in action. Because we were in a hurry on this fast-paced show, we needed to get rigs into Animation’s hands as quickly as possible, so we ended up relying on our shot modeling/sculpting team to adjust some of the characters’ bodies after animation was approved. They paid special attention to the final look of their shoulders, elbows, and knees, to make sure that the bend at each joint stayed as blocky as possible. The iron golems were a lot trickier to get right because they were made of stiff blocks of metal, had no deforming parts, and their joints were extremely simple. We discovered right away that making an iron golem walk meant instant intersections where the legs attach to the hips and the arms attach to the shoulders. So, to solve that problem and get the golems engaged in the battle, we had to give the animators complete control over every body part. This is not something we typically do because it’s easy to go overboard and end up “off model,” but in this scenario, it was absolutely required. This level of control gave the animators the option to offset body parts to achieve the necessary range of movement without visible intersections on screen or gaps in silhouette. Houdini was used to procedurally generate environments for the film. What were some of the most challenging aspects of creating such vast, dynamic landscapes? Piotr Karwas: The environments posed a unique challenge, not just because of their blocky nature, but because it was essential to make the Overworld feel like a tangible, real place. Some design choices were influenced by physical sets that had been built, while others drew inspiration from the real world. We focused on introducing a sense of natural imperfection, subtle elements like slightly uneven lines, worn edges, scuff marks, scattered debris, dirt, and even touches of realistic vegetation. All of this had to be carefully integrated into the strict, grid-based aesthetic of the Minecraft universe. Our environment team rose to the challenge and delivered a highly detailed immersive location, while working under a demanding production schedule. What were the biggest challenges in adapting Minecraft’s creatures and characters into a live-action setting while retaining their iconic charm? Liz Bernard: Because we came onto the project towards the end of shot production, we were able to use other vendors’ work as a rough guide for how our characters should move and behave. The Iron Golems in particular were a fun challenge, and although Sony had a few shots that we could refer to for the overall movement, it was up to us to establish their combat style. We researched how the golems fight in the game, which, as it turns out, is quite simple. We stuck with the game’s stiff legged walk, simple straight arm swings and skyward scoops to match the game’s iron golem attack style as closely as we could. However, purely matching the game wasn’t going to look quite right in a live action environment with human actors. So, on top of the simple performance, we layered weight shifts to counterbalance the heavy arms. We also added some additional step patterns to get them into position to attack piglins so that they would appear clever and more agile without straying too far from the game aesthetic. We also improved the contacts between the golems’ arms and each piglin to really sell the sense of effort and weight in each attack and hit. The destruction of the Overworld Portal seems like a monumental task. How was such an epic scene created, and what role did the environment and FX teams play in bringing it to life? Piotr Karwas: One of the biggest challenges was figuring out the mechanics of how large-scale destruction would play out in the Minecraft world. We had to carefully determine which elements would follow real-world physics and which could behave in a more stylized, game inspired way. We also spent considerable time designing the post-collapse remains to ensure they were visually compelling and cohesive for the staging of the shots that followed. The portal destruction sequence, in particular, appeared in the two widest shots of the entire sequence. These moments required both armies to be on screen, complete with fallen Iron Golems, defeated or pork-chopped Piglins, and digital doubles for every actor. It was a massive technical, logistical, and creative undertaking. We worked on these shots all the way to the final hour. Can you describe the bespoke zombification transformation pipeline developed for the Piglins? How did this process differ from traditional character transformations? Piotr Karwas: By the time we joined the project, the zombification effect had already been largely developed by Weta FX. One of our main challenges was matching their established look while ensuring visual consistency across both their shots and ours. At the same time, we knew we had to push the effect further. After all, this was the grand finale, where the evil army was being defeated. We also wanted the transformation to feel distinct, especially when applied to large numbers of Piglins. To achieve that, we went as far as building complete skeletal systems that could be revealed during the transformation. How was lighting handled to simulate firelit nighttime chaos? What tools or techniques were critical in creating that atmosphere? Piotr Karwas: To achieve the most realistic look, we used actual fire simulations to drive the lighting on both the characters and the environment. We initially started with just a few fires, but Jared was drawn to the striking visual accents and the warm hues they cast on the characters. As a result, we ended up populating the scenes with hundreds of fires. The air was also filled with atmospheric elements like smoke, ash, and embers, all contributing to a richly textured, apocalyptic feel in every shot. To manage this across numerous shots, we developed semi-automated methods to batch simulate the effects efficiently. How was humor incorporated into the animation, especially with subtle gags like pork chops dropping onto the battlefield or background antics? What approach was used to time these moments? Liz Bernard: We had a good time adding easter eggs and gags into this epic battle scene! Piotr let me know early on that Jared would welcome goofy touches, especially on background characters, so I made sure to pass that information on to my team of animators. What did I get back? Nose picks, butt scratches, belly slaps, and all sorts of goofy behaviour in the background. We usually didn’t center those things in the action unless it was called for in the script (in fact, Jared and Dan had to pull us back a few times), but if you look carefully, you’ll find maximum silliness all over the place. And, of course, I have to mention the Great Hog here. He was probably our funniest character and the most challenging to animate. His style of movement was dictated by his unusual proportions, in particular, his itty-bitty legs and long chunky arms. Those stumpy legs meant his stride was super short unless he broke out into a full quadruped gallop, which our team animated with extra oomph and effort to get a good laugh. The Great Hog’s low rider pants took a dive after one particularly strenuous sprint across the battlefield to attack Natalie. When he rose up on hind legs in anticipation of smashing her with his giant blocky fists, Jared wanted to make sure that the audience could see clearly the gag that his butt crack was showing. In VFX, we traditionally call a gradient of options that we would pitch to the client a “wedge.” In this case, we needed to get a read on how low to go with the pants before we simulated them in CFX, so we sent over a “wedge” for the pants and butt crack for Jared to pick from. In this case, I guess it was actually…a wedgie. How was the visual humor seamlessly integrated into the more intense action sequences, and was there a particular moment that captured this balance perfectly? Liz Bernard: The visual humour was baked into the action from the get-go, from game to storyboards to previsualization. I mean, there’s something inherently funny about dozens of piglins in shorts getting smacked high up into the air and then poof! turning into porkchops. When I welcomed each animator to the show, I made a point of mentioning that they were a little more free to tell jokes with pantomime on this show than they might be used to on more realistic productions. Because we were always in a mindset to make each shot as funny as possible without distracting from the story points, the flavour in animation dailies was always funny. My team pitched piglins getting run over by the Great Hog by accident, baby piglins riding on an iron golem attempting to attack its head, some utterly hilarious slow-mo action with exaggerated overlap a la Baywatch, a hoglin and piglin rider mugging for the camera as they gallop by in the foreground, wolves clamped on by their teeth to the waistband of the Great Hog, and a whole lot of over-acted melodramatic writhing as the piglins zombified after the portal collapsed. You don’t have to tell animators twice to be silly. With such a large-scale project, how did the animation and VFX teams collaborate to maintain a cohesive style across both departments? Were there any specific moments where this collaboration stood out? Liz Bernard: This was a ripsnorter of a project timeline, so all departments were hitting the ground running and developing their parts of the project concurrently. That’s always challenging and requires a lot of communication to pull off. We had a bullpen of experienced folks in our show leadership, and knowing what each other’s departments could and couldn’t do saved us a lot of time as we ramped up. For example, we were able to establish a single groundplane early in our animation schedule, which helped us avoid having to adjust the character’s feet contacts to an evolving environment even as artists were still building the overworld battlefield. The Environments team did a great job set dressing the environment after we had placed our animation and crowds’ characters, so that we did not need to worry about running through plants, pebbles, fires, or corpses. The FX department established a workflow with the Crowds team to “porkchop” any crowds piglin that got smacked by crowds’ iron golems. Setting these rules and criteria helped each department streamline their processes. And, our production team did an absolutely incredible job making sure that every department stayed on target, communicated their roadblocks and breakthroughs effectively downstream (and sometimes upstream!), and adjusted the schedule to compensate. I think the moment where this collaboration really shone was when we saw all of the zombification shots at the end of the sequence starting to fall into place. One day, it felt like we had all of them left to tackle, and the next, we had our methodology kinks worked out and they all started to drop like dominoes. Piotr Karwas: As Liz mentioned, the schedule was extremely tight, especially for executing the film’s grand finale. We had to move quickly and strategically, knowing that things would evolve and change throughout production. I’m incredibly grateful to our amazing team at Digital Domain. Across all four locations, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Montreal, and Hyderabad, our artists worked around the clock to bring it all to life. Yes, there were long hours, high stress, and the usual frustrations with technology that doesn’t always behave but in the end, it was all absolutely worth it. Seeing kids enjoy the movie so much made everything worthwhile. Chicken Jockey! Looking back on the project, what aspects of the visual effects are you most proud of? Piotr Karwas: Without a doubt, the Great Hog’s butt crack was the highlight for me. Liz Bernard: Just the sheer scale of this thing is wild. This is one of those “more is more” kinds of projects that don’t come around so often in our world of photorealistic visual effects. Nothing was supposed to be “real” here, everything was exaggerated, every frame we produced was chock full of crazy action, over the top humor, and easter eggs. I’m very proud of our animation team for embracing this hilarious show in a more cartoony style that we don’t often have the opportunity to tackle. And, man, it tickles me that the fans got such a huge kick out of it all when the movie hit theatres. What else can you ask for? How long have you worked on this show? Piotr Karwas: About six months Liz Bernard: Just six months from start to finish. What’s the VFX shots count? Piotr Karwas: Digital Domain delivered 187 shots not including omits. What is your next project? Piotr Karwas: A Minecraft Movie I hope. Jokes aside, I’m looking at a whole slate of different projects. Liz Bernard: All I can say right now is that it’s a science fiction film that comes out in 2026. Stay tuned! A big thanks for your time. WANT TO KNOW MORE?Digital Domain: Dedicated page about A Minecraft Movie on Digital Domain website. © Vincent Frei – The Art of VFX – 2025

A Russian-born gaming mogul has been named the UK’s richest person under 40 — in a ranking dominated by tech entrepreneurs. Dmitry Bukhman, 39, built his fortune after founding mobile gaming giant Playrix. His estimated wealth of £12.54bn tops The Sunday Times 40 Under 40 Rich List — and makes up over a third of its £36.2bn combined total. His net worth has nearly doubled since last year. As a child in post-Soviet Russia, Bukman taught himself to code. Alongside his older brother Igor, he built his first game with an old Pentium PC given to them by their grandfather. After founding Playrix in 2004, the duo turned their focus to free-to-play mobile games. Their biggest hits — including Homescapes, Fishdom, and Township — have come in the casual puzzle and simulation genres. The 💜 of EU techThe latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!Most of their revenue derive from in-app purchases (IAP). In 2024, Playrix was the world’s fourth-largest mobile game publisher by IAP revenue, generating around $1.66 billion. The company has also faced accusations of pay-to-win mechanics and misleading advertising. The Bukhman brothers left Russia in 2016. They moved to Israel in 2016 and then relocated to the the UK four years later. In 2022, they shut down Playrix’s operations in their home country after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Bukhman is far from the only tech leader on the rich list — nearly half its members come from the sector. Five of them join Bukhman in the top 10: Herman Narula, the CEO of virtual worlds business Improbable, Oliver and Alexander Kent-Braham, the co-founders of insurtech firm Marshmallow, and Piotr Dabkowski and Mati Staniszewski, the co-founders of AI firm ElevenLabs. The rankings are a subset of The Sunday Times Rich List, which profiles the UK’s 350 wealthiest people and families. Their combined wealth is estimated at £772.8bn — more than the annual GDP of Switzerland. Story by Thomas Macaulay Managing editor Thomas is the managing editor of TNW. He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers. Away from work, he e (show all) Thomas is the managing editor of TNW. He leads our coverage of European tech and oversees our talented team of writers. Away from work, he enjoys playing chess (badly) and the guitar (even worse). Get the TNW newsletter Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week. Also tagged with

Behind the scenes of the climactic final battle between the Piglins and Iron Golems in ‘A Minecraft Movie’. The showdown between the Piglins and Iron Golems in Jared Hess’ A Minecraft Movie featured 187 VFX shots from Digital Domain. The studio collaborated with production visual effects supervisor Dan Lemmon to deliver battlefield action and final destruction of the Overworld Portal (not to mention a whole bunch of pork chop plopping). Here, Digital Domain animation supervisor Liz Bernard and visual effects supervisor Piotr Karwas break it down for befores & afters, and highlight a few Easter eggs you may have missed. b&a: What were the challenges of animating characters for the finale battle, especially in retaining any kind of ‘blockyness’ to them? Liz Bernard: The Piglins were pretty forgiving when it came to animation because they were soft and squishy. The blockyness came from the design of the character more than from the style of animation. We only had a handful of restrictions based on their blocky design: we opted to keep their arms a little lower and more bent than a human’s because their shoulders would quickly intersect with their large blocky heads, and since they had very short necks, we also needed to tone down any head rotations except lateral turns. Oh, and of course when they fell down to the ground after zombifying, they clunk-rolled around on the ground about as well as a square wheel. Even though the golems have a very simple style of animation in the game, translating that simplicity was pretty challenging in the film, given that they are made of stiff blocks of metal with no give at all. When you have a blocky character with no areas that can deform, and extremely simple joints, you kind of have to cheat every joint to pose the character. A walk cycle, for example, gave us instant intersections where the legs attach to the hips and the arms attach to the shoulders.To address that, Rigging gave the animators controls to offset body parts to achieve the necessary range of movement without visible intersections or gaps in silhouette. b&a: There are some great clashes directly between the Piglins and Iron Golems – how did you come up choreography for these. Was mocap used at all as part of the process? How were any crowd tools utilized? Liz Bernard: Thanks! We had a blast figuring this out. Piotr and I directed several days of motion capture on Digital Domain’s motion capture stage in Los Angeles. We recorded a lot of Piglin charges, attacks, and reactions to key moments in the battle, and we spitballed a bunch of fun and silly ideas on the shoot days with our performer to try to pack in as much humor as possible. In most shots, we had three layers of animation: in the background and midground, our Crowds team put together crowds simulations using Autodesk’s Golaem software (indeed, it’s a very weird coincidence that we simulated Iron Golems in a program called Golaem). In front of that, we also dropped in pre-made battle vignettes which consisted of a golem fighting 3 or 4 Piglins. Each vignette was created by a different animator and polished up to a high level before receiving body and cloth simulations in CFX. Then we were able to reuse those vignettes (without having to resimulate them in every shot) by offsetting them in timing and space throughout the sequence. Finally, in the foreground, we of course had the hero animation, which was a mix of keyframe and motion capture, although the mocap needed a lot of adjustment to work with the unusual proportions of the characters. All of the wolves and golems and ghasts were fully keyframed along with the Great Hog. Our rule in Animation was to make every choice the weird or goofy one so that the resulting choreography was a symphony of silliness. b&a: Where you had to integrate live-action actors into the scenes, what were some of the trickiest aspects of dealing with hair and clothing integration there, and generally bringing them into a game world?
 Piotr Karwas: Integrating live-action actors into a highly stylized environment could be tricky. Many of the scenes became significantly more complex after the original footage was captured, requiring pretty substantial adjustments to the photography. Precise matchmoving of our digital doubles was necessary to ensure accurate shadows and reflections, allowing the actors to blend naturally into the final environment. b&a: When the Piglins are exposed to sunlight, what was DD’s approach to zombify them? Piotr Karwas: For the climactic finale, where the evil army is ultimately defeated, we knew the zombification effect had to stand out. While much of the initial work had already been developed by Wētā FX when we joined the project, one of our first tasks was ensuring visual continuity while integrating seamlessly with their existing shots. But matching their look was only part of the challenge. We also needed to bring something new to the table, especially given the scale of the sequences involving massive groups of Piglins. To make the transformation feel both distinctive and impactful, we built fully articulated skeletal systems that could emerge during the zombification process, adding an extra layer of visual complexity to an already dramatic moment. b&a: Can you talk about any Easter eggs or gags you were able to add into the background of the battle? Liz Bernard: We knew from the beginning that our director, Jared Hess would welcome wacky ideas and goofy touches, especially on background characters. I made sure to pass that information on to each animator as soon as they joined the team so that they could put on their thinking caps. As a result, we had a basket of nose picks, pratfalls, butt scratches, and belly slaps to sprinkle into the action. I’m not sure if this qualifies as an easter egg because we did it so many times in the battle, but when the Piglins die, each turns into a perfectly cooked pork chop that flops to the ground. We had one particularly large piglin named Snowball who turned into a VERY large floppy ‘chop when Natalie stabbed him with her diamond sword. I feel like we did alright when we read articles after opening weekend about how rowdy the fans were at the movie theatres. It’s been a total kick to see how the fans reacted so positively to our work! The post ‘We had a basket of nose picks, pratfalls, butt scratches and belly slaps to sprinkle into the action’ appeared first on befores & afters.

TensorWave, a data center provider building facilities primarily with AMD hardware, has raised $100 million as it seeks to further build out its data center infrastructure. The funding round was led by Magnetar and AMD Ventures, and brings the company’s total capital raised to $146.7 million, according to Crunchbase. Maverick Silicon, Nexus Venture Partners and Prosperity7 also participated in the round. It’s a precarious time for data center projects. Tariff-related price hikes on components like server racks and chips could contribute to overall data center build costs increasing by 5% to 15%, per an analysis by TD Cowen. Investors are also wary of such projects accumulating too much capacity, particularly as the number of cheap AI services continues to grow. Overcapacity is reportedly one of the factors delaying OpenAI’s ambitious $500-billion Stargate data center project. Las Vegas, Nevada-based TensorWave claims that it hasn’t seen a slowdown in business, however. The company is on track to end the year with run-rate revenue of more than $100 million, which would mark a 20x increase from a year earlier, according to CEO Darrick Horton (pictured above; in the middle). Nvidia is the favored hardware vendor for data centers that are used for training and running AI models. But TensorWave embraced AMD early on, aiming to provide cloud services at lower prices. TensorWave recently deployed a “dedicated training” cluster of around 8,000 AMD Instinct MI325X GPUs. The new capital will enable the company to grow that cluster, as well as expand headcount and support “operational growth,” said Horton. Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you’ve built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | June 5 REGISTER NOW TensorWave has a team of around 40 people at present, and expects headcount to reach over 100 by the end of the year. “This $100 million funding propels TensorWave’s mission to democratize access to cutting-edge AI compute,” Horton added. “Our 8,192 Instinct MI325X GPU cluster marks just the beginning as we establish ourselves as the emerging AMD-powered leader in the rapidly expanding AI infrastructure market.” Other data center providers placing bets on AMD’s AI chips range from startups like Lamini and Nscale to larger, more entrenched cloud providers such as Azure and Oracle. Horton co-founded TensorWave with Jeff Tatarchuk (pictured above; on the left) and Piotr Tomasik (pictured above; on the right) in 2023. Tatarchuk had previously launched cloud vendor VMAccel with Horton, and sold another startup, Lets Rolo, to digital identity firm LifeKey. Horton co-founded crypto mining company VaultMiner Technologies, VMAccel’s corporate parent. As for Tomasik, he co-launched influencer marketer site Influential, and is the second co-founder of Lets Rolo.

News The Sinking City Remastered is Out Now on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC Frogwares' Unreal Engine 5 remaster of the 2019 horror title gets a surprise launch. Owners of the original can avail of a free upgrade. Posted By Ravi Sinha | On 13th, May. 2025 Out of nowhere, Frogwares has announced that The Sinking City Remastered is out now for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC players. Check out the release trailer below, which compares various improvements in the remaster to the original. Developed on Unreal Engine 5, the remaster includes enhanced environments with more details and objects, a full lighting overhaul, reflection improvements and 4K textures. Upscalers like Nvidia DLSS and AMD FSR are also supported alongside Temporal Super Resolution. You can also leverage the new Photo Mode for screenshots. Of course, those who own the original on previous-gen consoles and PC can upgrade to the remaster for free. As for the future, The Sinking City 2 is in development, and Frogwares has plans for the franchise. In a press release, publishing director Sergiy Oganesyan said, “We plan to do big things with The Sinking City, starting with the sequel and then beyond. “So, after our rather well-known struggles with the original, it feels amazing to have this positive moment be part of the game’s twisted history and for us to be the ones to fully decide it. Making it free to all our existing fans is our way of giving back to them for having supported us all this time through thick and thin.” The Sinking City was first launched in 2019 and focuses on private investigator Charles W. Reed, who suffers from disturbing nightmares. He arrives in Oakmont to unravel their meaning and is caught up in a plot involving the Great Old Ones. Check out our review of the original here. Tagged With: Elden Ring: Nightreign Publisher:Bandai Namco Developer:FromSoftware Platforms:PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, Xbox One, PCView More DOOM: The Dark Ages Publisher:Bethesda Softworks Developer:id Software Platforms:Xbox Series X, PS5, PCView More Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Publisher:Sony Developer:Kojima Productions Platforms:PS5View More Amazing Articles You Might Want To Check Out! Grand Theft Auto 4 Should be Remastered – Former Technical Director The ex-Rockstar developer also wrote about how he believes Niko Bellic to be the best protagonist in the Grand... The Sinking City Remastered is Out Now on Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC Frogwares' Unreal Engine 5 remaster of the 2019 horror title gets a surprise launch. Owners of the original ca... Tony Hawk Wants to Campaign for Tony Hawk’s Underground Remaster According to Tony Hawk, it's still too early to talk about Underground remastered since Tony Hawk's Pro Skater... The Witcher 4 – CD Projekt CFO Believes Ciri is a “Great Choice” for Protagonist In an interview, Piotr Nielubowicz spoke about various aspects of The Witcher franchise, including the trailer... Helldivers 2 Update Adds New Illuminate Enemies, Primary Weapon Customization Players can finally customize certain Primary weapons with new magazines, muzzles, and other attachments to al... Sega Reports 28.3 Percent Rise in Operating Profits for Fiscal Year 2025 Sega's operating profits increased despite lower overall revenue thanks to the cancellation of Sports Interact... View More

While Ciri taking over the reins from Geralt as protagonist of The Witcher franchise going forward has been the source of several conversations online, CD Projekt CFO Piotr Nielubowicz has spokena bout how she is a “great choice” for The Witcher 4 and future games in the franchise. In an interview with Polish publication Parkiet, Nielubowicz spoke about wanting to introduce Ciri as the new protagonist in the trailer from The Game Awards 2025, and what it might mean for the series going forward. “At the [The Game Awards 2025] in December, we presented the first trailer, which was created using our own version of the Unreal Engine 5 engine,” said Nielubowicz (translation via Google). “Although it did not show the gameplay itself, it gave players an idea of ​​what they could expect from ‘The Witcher 4’. Above all, we wanted to introduce the world to the main character of the game. We believe that Ciri is a great choice for the new saga, because she gives us many possibilities – both narrative and artistic.” “It also gives us the opportunity to tell the story from a new perspective. Apart from that, unfortunately, I cannot reveal anything more. We have the ambition to reach higher and higher with each new game, and this also applies to the fourth part of ‘The Witcher’.” While being generally coy about more details about The Witcher 4, Nielubowicz also spoke about how the franchise has been quite successful, with more than 75 million copies sold, and how CD Projekt wants to further develop it through more games. “We produced three parts of ‘The Witcher’ – each of them was a success and each was a milestone for us in the development of CD Projekt,” he said. “To date, the entire trilogy has sold over 75 million copies. This is a phenomenal result that shows how big the potential of this brand is. What’s more, despite the passing of years, new players are still eager to reach for our ‘Witchers’.” Nielubowicz also spoke about the in-development Project Sirius being made alongside The Witcher 4 in an effort to further expand on the Witcher franchise. He also mentioned the remake of the first game in the franchise, which is expected to be released only after The Witcher 4 has hit store shelves. “We have a strong franchise in our hands, which we want to develop further, among other things, through further productions,” he said. “A lot is already happening here. We are working full steam ahead on ‘The Witcher 4’, which will open a new Witcher saga, and in parallel, work is underway on a project codenamed [Sirius], and we have also started a remake of the first ‘The Witcher’.” In the meantime, The Witcher 4 is still going strong in development, with the developers at CD Projekt RED releasing regular behind-the-scenes details through the studio’s podcast. The game is currently in development for PC, pS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game, however, isn’t expected to be out until 2027 at the earliest. The developers have also asked fans of the series to be careful about scams posing as beta invitations for the upcoming game.