• In a world where we’re all desperately trying to make our digital creations look as lifelike as a potato, we now have the privilege of diving headfirst into the revolutionary topic of "Separate shaders in AI 3D generated models." Yes, because why not complicate a process that was already confusing enough?

    Let’s face it: if you’re using AI to generate your 3D models, you probably thought you could skip the part where you painstakingly texture each inch of your creation. But alas! Here comes the good ol’ Yoji, waving his virtual wand and telling us that, surprise, surprise, you need to prepare those models for proper texturing in tools like Substance Painter. Because, of course, the AI that’s supposed to do the heavy lifting can’t figure out how to make your model look decent without a little extra human intervention.

    But don’t worry! Yoji has got your back with his meticulous “how-to” on separating shaders. Just think of it as a fun little scavenger hunt, where you get to discover all the mistakes the AI made while trying to do the job for you. Who knew that a model could look so… special? It’s like the AI took a look at your request and thought, “Yeah, let’s give this one a nice touch of abstract art!” Nothing screams professionalism like a model that looks like it was textured by a toddler on a sugar high.

    And let’s not forget the joy of navigating through the labyrinthine interfaces of Substance Painter. Ah, yes! The thrill of clicking through endless menus, desperately searching for that elusive shader that will somehow make your model look less like a lumpy marshmallow and more like a refined piece of art. It’s a bit like being in a relationship, really. You start with high hopes and a glossy exterior, only to end up questioning all your life choices as you try to figure out how to make it work.

    So, here we are, living in 2023, where AI can generate models that resemble something out of a sci-fi nightmare, and we still need to roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty with shaders and textures. Who knew that the future would come with so many manual adjustments? Isn’t technology just delightful?

    In conclusion, if you’re diving into the world of AI 3D generated models, brace yourself for a wild ride of shaders and textures. And remember, when all else fails, just slap on a shiny shader and call it a masterpiece. After all, art is subjective, right?

    #3DModels #AIGenerated #SubstancePainter #Shaders #DigitalArt
    In a world where we’re all desperately trying to make our digital creations look as lifelike as a potato, we now have the privilege of diving headfirst into the revolutionary topic of "Separate shaders in AI 3D generated models." Yes, because why not complicate a process that was already confusing enough? Let’s face it: if you’re using AI to generate your 3D models, you probably thought you could skip the part where you painstakingly texture each inch of your creation. But alas! Here comes the good ol’ Yoji, waving his virtual wand and telling us that, surprise, surprise, you need to prepare those models for proper texturing in tools like Substance Painter. Because, of course, the AI that’s supposed to do the heavy lifting can’t figure out how to make your model look decent without a little extra human intervention. But don’t worry! Yoji has got your back with his meticulous “how-to” on separating shaders. Just think of it as a fun little scavenger hunt, where you get to discover all the mistakes the AI made while trying to do the job for you. Who knew that a model could look so… special? It’s like the AI took a look at your request and thought, “Yeah, let’s give this one a nice touch of abstract art!” Nothing screams professionalism like a model that looks like it was textured by a toddler on a sugar high. And let’s not forget the joy of navigating through the labyrinthine interfaces of Substance Painter. Ah, yes! The thrill of clicking through endless menus, desperately searching for that elusive shader that will somehow make your model look less like a lumpy marshmallow and more like a refined piece of art. It’s a bit like being in a relationship, really. You start with high hopes and a glossy exterior, only to end up questioning all your life choices as you try to figure out how to make it work. So, here we are, living in 2023, where AI can generate models that resemble something out of a sci-fi nightmare, and we still need to roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty with shaders and textures. Who knew that the future would come with so many manual adjustments? Isn’t technology just delightful? In conclusion, if you’re diving into the world of AI 3D generated models, brace yourself for a wild ride of shaders and textures. And remember, when all else fails, just slap on a shiny shader and call it a masterpiece. After all, art is subjective, right? #3DModels #AIGenerated #SubstancePainter #Shaders #DigitalArt
    Separate shaders in AI 3d generated models
    Yoji shows how to prepare generated models for proper texturing in tools like Substance Painter. Source
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  • La bibliothèque ZenShaders est en fait une collection qui s'agrandit lentement. Elle propose des matériaux, des outils, des textures et des pinceaux. Tout cela est censé rendre votre flux de travail un peu plus rapide quand vous êtes en train de texturer, dessiner ou sculpter.

    Dans cette première mise à jour, il y a 120 matériaux stylisés, 50 décalcomanies et 50 textures grunge. Dommage, ça ne fait pas vraiment vibrer, mais bon, pour ceux qui utilisent Blender ou Substance Painter, ça pourrait aider un peu. Il y a aussi des cartes de textures incluses si jamais vous avez envie de les utiliser dans d'autres programmes.

    Franchement, on est loin de l'excitation. C'est juste une autre bibliothèque parmi tant d'autres. Qui sait, peut-être qu'un jour, ça deviendra vraiment utile. Pour l'instant, ça reste un peu plat.

    Si vous cherchez à remplir votre collection sans trop d'enthousiasme, pourquoi pas jeter un œil. Mais encore une fois, n'attendez pas de miracles.

    #ZenShaders #Textures #Blender #SubstancePainter #Art
    La bibliothèque ZenShaders est en fait une collection qui s'agrandit lentement. Elle propose des matériaux, des outils, des textures et des pinceaux. Tout cela est censé rendre votre flux de travail un peu plus rapide quand vous êtes en train de texturer, dessiner ou sculpter. Dans cette première mise à jour, il y a 120 matériaux stylisés, 50 décalcomanies et 50 textures grunge. Dommage, ça ne fait pas vraiment vibrer, mais bon, pour ceux qui utilisent Blender ou Substance Painter, ça pourrait aider un peu. Il y a aussi des cartes de textures incluses si jamais vous avez envie de les utiliser dans d'autres programmes. Franchement, on est loin de l'excitation. C'est juste une autre bibliothèque parmi tant d'autres. Qui sait, peut-être qu'un jour, ça deviendra vraiment utile. Pour l'instant, ça reste un peu plat. Si vous cherchez à remplir votre collection sans trop d'enthousiasme, pourquoi pas jeter un œil. Mais encore une fois, n'attendez pas de miracles. #ZenShaders #Textures #Blender #SubstancePainter #Art
    ZenShaders Library [$]
    ZenShaders Library is a growing collection of materials, tools, textures, and brushes designed to speed up your workflow when texturing, drawing, or sculpting. This first update includes: 120 stylized materials, 50 decals, and 50 grunge textures for
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  • Is it just me, or does the phrase "Quick Tip: A Better Wet Shader" sound like the latest buzz from a trendy café, where the barista is more interested in his art than the coffee? I mean, who would have thought that the secret to stunning visuals in Blender would come down to a clearcoat? It’s almost as if John Mervin, that brave pioneer of pixelated perfection, stumbled upon the holy grail of rendering while driving—because, you know, multitasking is all the rage these days!

    Let's take a moment to appreciate the genius of recording tutorials while navigating rush hour traffic. Who needs a calm, focused environment when you could be dodging potholes and merging lanes? I can just picture it: "Okay, folks, today we're going to add a clearcoat to our wet shader... but first, let’s avoid this pedestrian!" Truly inspiring.

    But back to the world of wet shaders. Apparently, the key to mastering the art of sheen is just slapping on a clearcoat and calling it a day. Why bother with the complexities of light diffusion, texture mapping, or even the nuances of realism when you can just... coat it? It's like serving a gourmet meal and then drowning it in ketchup—truly a culinary masterpiece!

    And let’s not forget the vast potential here. If adding a clearcoat is revolutionary, imagine the untapped possibilities! Why not just throw in a sprinkle of fairy dust and call it a magical shader? Or better yet, how about a “drive-by” tutorial series that teaches us how to animate while on a rollercoaster? The future of Blender tutorials is bright—especially if you’re driving towards it at 80 mph!

    After all, who needs to focus on the intricacies of shader creation when we can all just slap on a clearcoat and hope for the best? The art of 3D rendering has clearly reached a new zenith. So, to all the aspiring Blender wizards out there, remember: clearcoat is your best friend, and traffic lights are merely suggestions.

    In conclusion, if you ever find yourself needing a quick fix in Blender, just remember—there’s nothing a good clearcoat can’t solve. Just don’t forget to keep your eyes on the road; after all, we wouldn’t want you to miss a tutorial while mastering the art of shaders on the go!

    #WetShader #BlenderTutorial #Clearcoat #3DRendering #DigitalArt
    Is it just me, or does the phrase "Quick Tip: A Better Wet Shader" sound like the latest buzz from a trendy café, where the barista is more interested in his art than the coffee? I mean, who would have thought that the secret to stunning visuals in Blender would come down to a clearcoat? It’s almost as if John Mervin, that brave pioneer of pixelated perfection, stumbled upon the holy grail of rendering while driving—because, you know, multitasking is all the rage these days! Let's take a moment to appreciate the genius of recording tutorials while navigating rush hour traffic. Who needs a calm, focused environment when you could be dodging potholes and merging lanes? I can just picture it: "Okay, folks, today we're going to add a clearcoat to our wet shader... but first, let’s avoid this pedestrian!" Truly inspiring. But back to the world of wet shaders. Apparently, the key to mastering the art of sheen is just slapping on a clearcoat and calling it a day. Why bother with the complexities of light diffusion, texture mapping, or even the nuances of realism when you can just... coat it? It's like serving a gourmet meal and then drowning it in ketchup—truly a culinary masterpiece! And let’s not forget the vast potential here. If adding a clearcoat is revolutionary, imagine the untapped possibilities! Why not just throw in a sprinkle of fairy dust and call it a magical shader? Or better yet, how about a “drive-by” tutorial series that teaches us how to animate while on a rollercoaster? The future of Blender tutorials is bright—especially if you’re driving towards it at 80 mph! After all, who needs to focus on the intricacies of shader creation when we can all just slap on a clearcoat and hope for the best? The art of 3D rendering has clearly reached a new zenith. So, to all the aspiring Blender wizards out there, remember: clearcoat is your best friend, and traffic lights are merely suggestions. In conclusion, if you ever find yourself needing a quick fix in Blender, just remember—there’s nothing a good clearcoat can’t solve. Just don’t forget to keep your eyes on the road; after all, we wouldn’t want you to miss a tutorial while mastering the art of shaders on the go! #WetShader #BlenderTutorial #Clearcoat #3DRendering #DigitalArt
    Quick Tip: A Better Wet Shader
    John Mervin probably made the shortest Blender tutorial ever ;-) You could just add a clearcoat...But why stop there? P.S. Please do not record tutorials while driving. Source
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  • Learn GameDev with Unity, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender and C# Humble Bundle

    Learn GameDev with Unity, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender and C# Humble Bundle / News / June 11, 2025 /

    The Learn GameDev with Unity, Godot, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender and C# Humble Bundle from Zenva is now available. Each game engine comes with 5 or more courses covering all aspects of game development. This bundle joins the No-Code No-Problem Develop bundle and the Big Bang Unreal Unity and Godot bundle already live on Humble.
    As with most Humble Bundles, this one is organized into tiers:
    1$ Tier
    Intro to Godot 4 Game DevelopmentIntro to the Game Development Industry
    Makes No Sense Tier
    Explore Audio for Godot 4 Games
    UV Mapping in Blender for Beginners
    UI/UX for Game Design
    25$ Tier
    Godot 4 Mini-ProjectsCreate a Micro Turn-Based RPG in Godot3D Action-Adventure Game in Godot – Unit 1 – Characters
    Intro to Visual Shaders in Godot 4
    Learn Game Optimization for Godot 4
    Coin Collector Game – Godot Mobile Projects
    Unreal Engine Mini-Projects
    Intro to Unreal Engine Game Development
    Create a Racing Game in Unreal Engine
    The Complete Unreal Engine C++ Course – Build an FPS
    Create a Turn-Based Mini RPG in Unreal Engine
    Build a 2.5D Farming RPG with Unreal Engine
    Intro to Game Development with Unity
    Unity Mini-Projects – C# Fundamentals
    Explore Game Optimization in Unity 6
    Intro to ECS for Unity 6
    Build an Arcade Kart Racing Game in Unity
    Construct a Mobile Physics Game in Unity
    Intro to Particle Systems for Unity Games
    Intro to Game Development with GameMaker
    Create a Complete 2D Action RPG in GameMaker
    Build a Real-Time Strategy Mini-Game with GameMaker
    Develop an Idle Clicker from Scratch in GameMaker
    Make a Mini Turn-Based RPG from Scratch in GameMaker
    The Comprehensive Introduction to C# Programming
    Build a Complete Mini 2D Game Engine with C#
    Learn 3D Modeling with Blender from Scratch
    Intro to Rigging Models in Blender
    MagicaVoxel for Beginners – Create Voxel Game Assets
    Prompt Engineering for Game Developers
    You can learn more about the Learn GameDev with Unity, Godot, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender and C# Humble Bundle in the video below. Using links on this page to purchase the bundle helps support GFS
    #learn #gamedev #with #unity #unreal
    Learn GameDev with Unity, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender and C# Humble Bundle
    Learn GameDev with Unity, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender and C# Humble Bundle / News / June 11, 2025 / The Learn GameDev with Unity, Godot, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender and C# Humble Bundle from Zenva is now available. Each game engine comes with 5 or more courses covering all aspects of game development. This bundle joins the No-Code No-Problem Develop bundle and the Big Bang Unreal Unity and Godot bundle already live on Humble. As with most Humble Bundles, this one is organized into tiers: 1$ Tier Intro to Godot 4 Game DevelopmentIntro to the Game Development Industry Makes No Sense Tier Explore Audio for Godot 4 Games UV Mapping in Blender for Beginners UI/UX for Game Design 25$ Tier Godot 4 Mini-ProjectsCreate a Micro Turn-Based RPG in Godot3D Action-Adventure Game in Godot – Unit 1 – Characters Intro to Visual Shaders in Godot 4 Learn Game Optimization for Godot 4 Coin Collector Game – Godot Mobile Projects Unreal Engine Mini-Projects Intro to Unreal Engine Game Development Create a Racing Game in Unreal Engine The Complete Unreal Engine C++ Course – Build an FPS Create a Turn-Based Mini RPG in Unreal Engine Build a 2.5D Farming RPG with Unreal Engine Intro to Game Development with Unity Unity Mini-Projects – C# Fundamentals Explore Game Optimization in Unity 6 Intro to ECS for Unity 6 Build an Arcade Kart Racing Game in Unity Construct a Mobile Physics Game in Unity Intro to Particle Systems for Unity Games Intro to Game Development with GameMaker Create a Complete 2D Action RPG in GameMaker Build a Real-Time Strategy Mini-Game with GameMaker Develop an Idle Clicker from Scratch in GameMaker Make a Mini Turn-Based RPG from Scratch in GameMaker The Comprehensive Introduction to C# Programming Build a Complete Mini 2D Game Engine with C# Learn 3D Modeling with Blender from Scratch Intro to Rigging Models in Blender MagicaVoxel for Beginners – Create Voxel Game Assets Prompt Engineering for Game Developers You can learn more about the Learn GameDev with Unity, Godot, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender and C# Humble Bundle in the video below. Using links on this page to purchase the bundle helps support GFS #learn #gamedev #with #unity #unreal
    GAMEFROMSCRATCH.COM
    Learn GameDev with Unity, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender and C# Humble Bundle
    Learn GameDev with Unity, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender and C# Humble Bundle / News / June 11, 2025 / The Learn GameDev with Unity, Godot, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender and C# Humble Bundle from Zenva is now available. Each game engine comes with 5 or more courses covering all aspects of game development. This bundle joins the No-Code No-Problem Develop bundle and the Big Bang Unreal Unity and Godot bundle already live on Humble. As with most Humble Bundles, this one is organized into tiers: 1$ Tier Intro to Godot 4 Game Development (2025 Edition) Intro to the Game Development Industry Makes No Sense Tier Explore Audio for Godot 4 Games UV Mapping in Blender for Beginners UI/UX for Game Design 25$ Tier Godot 4 Mini-Projects (2025 Edition) Create a Micro Turn-Based RPG in Godot (2025 Edition) 3D Action-Adventure Game in Godot – Unit 1 – Characters Intro to Visual Shaders in Godot 4 Learn Game Optimization for Godot 4 Coin Collector Game – Godot Mobile Projects Unreal Engine Mini-Projects Intro to Unreal Engine Game Development Create a Racing Game in Unreal Engine The Complete Unreal Engine C++ Course – Build an FPS Create a Turn-Based Mini RPG in Unreal Engine Build a 2.5D Farming RPG with Unreal Engine Intro to Game Development with Unity Unity Mini-Projects – C# Fundamentals Explore Game Optimization in Unity 6 Intro to ECS for Unity 6 Build an Arcade Kart Racing Game in Unity Construct a Mobile Physics Game in Unity Intro to Particle Systems for Unity Games Intro to Game Development with GameMaker Create a Complete 2D Action RPG in GameMaker Build a Real-Time Strategy Mini-Game with GameMaker Develop an Idle Clicker from Scratch in GameMaker Make a Mini Turn-Based RPG from Scratch in GameMaker The Comprehensive Introduction to C# Programming Build a Complete Mini 2D Game Engine with C# Learn 3D Modeling with Blender from Scratch Intro to Rigging Models in Blender MagicaVoxel for Beginners – Create Voxel Game Assets Prompt Engineering for Game Developers You can learn more about the Learn GameDev with Unity, Godot, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender and C# Humble Bundle in the video below. Using links on this page to purchase the bundle helps support GFS (and thanks so much if you do!)
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  • Unity Technical VFX Artist at No Brakes Games

    Unity Technical VFX ArtistNo Brakes GamesVilnius, Lithuania or Remote3 hours agoApplyWe are No Brakes Games, the creators of Human Fall Flat.We are looking for a Unity Technical VFX Artist to join our team to work on Human Fall Flat 2.FULL-TIME POSITION - Vilnius, Lithuania or RemoteRole Overview:As a Unity Technical Artist specializing in VFX and rendering, you will develop and optimize real-time visual effects, create advanced shaders and materials, and ensure a balance between visual fidelity and performance. You will solve complex technical challenges, optimizing effects for real-time execution while collaborating with artists, designers, and engineers to push Unity’s rendering capabilities to the next level.Responsibilities:Develop and optimize real-time VFX solutions that are both visually striking and performant.Create scalable shaders and materials for water, fog, atmospheric effects, and dynamic lighting.Debug and resolve VFX performance bottlenecks using Unity Profiler, RenderDoc, and other tools.Optimize particle systems, volumetric effects, and GPU simulations for multi-platform performance.Document best practices and educate the team on efficient asset and shader workflows.Collaborate with engineers to develop and implement custom rendering solutions.Stay updated on Unity’s latest advancements in rendering, HDRP, and the Visual Effect Graph.Requirements:2+ years of experience as a Technical Artist in game development, with a focus on Unity.Strong understanding of Unity’s rendering pipelineand shader development.Experience developing performance-conscious visual effects, including particle systems, volumetric lighting, and dynamic environmental effects.Proficiency in GPU/CPU optimization techniques, LODs for VFX.Hands-on experience with real-time lighting and atmospheric effects.Ability to debug and profile complex rendering issues effectively.Excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team.A flexible, R&D-driven mindset, able to iterate quickly in both prototyping and production environments.Nice-to-Have:Experience working on at least one released game project.Experience with Unity HDRP and SRP.Experience with multi-platform development.Knowledge of C#, Python, or C++ for extending Unity’s capabilities.Experience developing custom node-based tools or extending Unity’s Visual Effect Graph.Background in procedural animation, physics-based effects, or fluid simulations.Apply today by sending your Portfolio & CV to jobs@nobrakesgames.com
    Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings.
    Apply
    #unity #technical #vfx #artist #brakes
    Unity Technical VFX Artist at No Brakes Games
    Unity Technical VFX ArtistNo Brakes GamesVilnius, Lithuania or Remote3 hours agoApplyWe are No Brakes Games, the creators of Human Fall Flat.We are looking for a Unity Technical VFX Artist to join our team to work on Human Fall Flat 2.FULL-TIME POSITION - Vilnius, Lithuania or RemoteRole Overview:As a Unity Technical Artist specializing in VFX and rendering, you will develop and optimize real-time visual effects, create advanced shaders and materials, and ensure a balance between visual fidelity and performance. You will solve complex technical challenges, optimizing effects for real-time execution while collaborating with artists, designers, and engineers to push Unity’s rendering capabilities to the next level.Responsibilities:Develop and optimize real-time VFX solutions that are both visually striking and performant.Create scalable shaders and materials for water, fog, atmospheric effects, and dynamic lighting.Debug and resolve VFX performance bottlenecks using Unity Profiler, RenderDoc, and other tools.Optimize particle systems, volumetric effects, and GPU simulations for multi-platform performance.Document best practices and educate the team on efficient asset and shader workflows.Collaborate with engineers to develop and implement custom rendering solutions.Stay updated on Unity’s latest advancements in rendering, HDRP, and the Visual Effect Graph.Requirements:2+ years of experience as a Technical Artist in game development, with a focus on Unity.Strong understanding of Unity’s rendering pipelineand shader development.Experience developing performance-conscious visual effects, including particle systems, volumetric lighting, and dynamic environmental effects.Proficiency in GPU/CPU optimization techniques, LODs for VFX.Hands-on experience with real-time lighting and atmospheric effects.Ability to debug and profile complex rendering issues effectively.Excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team.A flexible, R&D-driven mindset, able to iterate quickly in both prototyping and production environments.Nice-to-Have:Experience working on at least one released game project.Experience with Unity HDRP and SRP.Experience with multi-platform development.Knowledge of C#, Python, or C++ for extending Unity’s capabilities.Experience developing custom node-based tools or extending Unity’s Visual Effect Graph.Background in procedural animation, physics-based effects, or fluid simulations.Apply today by sending your Portfolio & CV to jobs@nobrakesgames.com Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply #unity #technical #vfx #artist #brakes
    Unity Technical VFX Artist at No Brakes Games
    Unity Technical VFX ArtistNo Brakes GamesVilnius, Lithuania or Remote3 hours agoApplyWe are No Brakes Games, the creators of Human Fall Flat.We are looking for a Unity Technical VFX Artist to join our team to work on Human Fall Flat 2.FULL-TIME POSITION - Vilnius, Lithuania or RemoteRole Overview:As a Unity Technical Artist specializing in VFX and rendering, you will develop and optimize real-time visual effects, create advanced shaders and materials, and ensure a balance between visual fidelity and performance. You will solve complex technical challenges, optimizing effects for real-time execution while collaborating with artists, designers, and engineers to push Unity’s rendering capabilities to the next level.Responsibilities:Develop and optimize real-time VFX solutions that are both visually striking and performant.Create scalable shaders and materials for water, fog, atmospheric effects, and dynamic lighting.Debug and resolve VFX performance bottlenecks using Unity Profiler, RenderDoc, and other tools.Optimize particle systems, volumetric effects, and GPU simulations for multi-platform performance.Document best practices and educate the team on efficient asset and shader workflows.Collaborate with engineers to develop and implement custom rendering solutions.Stay updated on Unity’s latest advancements in rendering, HDRP, and the Visual Effect Graph.Requirements:2+ years of experience as a Technical Artist in game development, with a focus on Unity.Strong understanding of Unity’s rendering pipeline (HDRP, URP, Built-in) and shader development (HLSL, Shader Graph).Experience developing performance-conscious visual effects, including particle systems, volumetric lighting, and dynamic environmental effects.Proficiency in GPU/CPU optimization techniques, LODs for VFX.Hands-on experience with real-time lighting and atmospheric effects.Ability to debug and profile complex rendering issues effectively.Excellent communication skills and ability to work collaboratively within a multi-disciplinary team.A flexible, R&D-driven mindset, able to iterate quickly in both prototyping and production environments.Nice-to-Have:Experience working on at least one released game project.Experience with Unity HDRP and SRP.Experience with multi-platform development (PC, console, mobile, VR/AR).Knowledge of C#, Python, or C++ for extending Unity’s capabilities.Experience developing custom node-based tools or extending Unity’s Visual Effect Graph.Background in procedural animation, physics-based effects, or fluid simulations.Apply today by sending your Portfolio & CV to jobs@nobrakesgames.com Create Your Profile — Game companies can contact you with their relevant job openings. Apply
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  • Game Dev Digest Issue #286 - Design Tricks, Deep Dives, and more

    This article was originally published on GameDevDigest.comEnjoy!What was Radiant AI, anyway? - A ridiculously deep dive into Oblivion's controversial AI system and its legacyblog.paavo.meConsider The Horse Game - No I don’t think every dev should make a horse game. But I do think every developer should at least look at them, maybe even play one because, it is very important that you understand the importance of genre, fandom, and how visibility works. Even if you are not making a horse game, the lessons you can learn by looking at this sub genre are very similar to other genres, just not as blatantly clear as they are with horse games.howtomarketagame.comMaking a killing: The playful 2D terror of Psycasso® - I sat down with lead developer Benjamin Lavender and Omni, designer and producer, to talk about this playfully gory game that gives a classic retro style and a freshtwist.UnityIntroduction to Asset Manager transfer methods in Unity - Unity's Asset Manager is a user-friendly digital asset management platform supporting over 70 file formats to help teams centralize, organize, discover, and use assets seamlessly across projects. It reduces redundant work by design, making cross-team collaboration smoother and accelerating production workflows.UnityVideosRules of the Game: Five Tricks of Highly Effective Designers - Every working designer has them: unique techniques or "tricks" that they use when crafting gameplay. Sure, there's the general game design wisdom that everyone agrees on and can be found in many a game design book, but experienced game designers often have very specific rules that are personal to them, techniques that not everyone knows about or even agrees with. In this GDC 2015 session, five experienced game designers join the stage for 10 minutes each to share one game design "trick" that they use.Game Developers ConferenceBinding of Isaac Style Room Generator in Unity- Our third part in the series - making the rooms!Game Dev GarnetIntroduction to Unity Behavior | Unity Tutorial - In this video you'll become familiar with the core concepts of Unity Behavior, including a live example.LlamAcademyHow I got my demo ready for Steam Next Fest - It's Steam Next Fest, and I've got a game in the showcase. So here are 7 tips for making the most of this demo sharing festival.Game Maker's ToolkitOptimizing lighting in Projekt Z: Beyond Order - 314 Arts studio lead and founder Justin Miersch discuss how the team used the Screen Space Global Illumination feature in Unity’s High Definition Render Pipeline, along with the Unity Profiler and Timeline to overcome the lighting challenges they faced in building Projekt Z: Beyond Order.UnityMemory Arenas in Unity: Heap Allocation Without the GC - In this video, we explore how to build a custom memory arena in Unity using unsafe code and manual heap allocation. You’ll learn how to allocate raw memory for temporary graph-like structures—such as crafting trees or decision planners—without triggering the garbage collector. We’ll walk through the concept of stack frames, translate that to heap-based arena allocation, and implement a fast, disposable system that gives you full control over memory layout and lifetime. Perfect for performance-critical systems where GC spikes aren’t acceptable.git-amendCloth Animation Using The Compute Shader - In this video, we dive into cloth simulation using OpenGL compute shaders. By applying simple mathematical equations, we’ll achieve smooth, dynamic movement. We'll explore particle-based simulation, tackle synchronization challenges with double buffering, and optimize rendering using triangle strips for efficient memory usage. Whether you're familiar with compute shaders or just getting started, this is the perfect way to step up your real-time graphics skills!OGLDEVHow we're designing games for a broader audience - Our games are too hardBiteMe GamesAssetsLearn Game Dev - Unity, Godot, Unreal, Gamemaker, Blender & C# - Make games like a pro.Passionate about video games? Then start making your own! Our latest bundle will help you learn vital game development skills. Master the most popular creation platforms like Unity, Godot, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender, and C#—now that’s a sharp-lookin’ bundle! Build a 2.5D farming RPG with Unreal Engine, create a micro turn-based RPG in Godot, explore game optimization, and so much more.__Big Bang Unreal & Unity Asset Packs Bundle - 5000+ unrivaled assets in one bundle. Calling all game devs—build your worlds with this gigantic bundle of over 5000 assets, including realistic and stylized environments, SFX packs, and powerful tools. Perfect for hobbyists, beginners, and professional developers alike, you'll gain access to essential resources, tutorials, and beta-testing–ready content to start building immediately. The experts at Leartes Studios have curated an amazing library packed with value, featuring environments, VFX packs, and tutorial courses on Unreal Engine, Blender, Substance Painter, and ZBrush. Get the assets you need to bring your game to life—and help support One Tree Planted with your purchase! This bundle provides Unity Asset Store keys directly with your purchase, and FAB keys via redemption through Cosmos, if the product is available on those platforms.Humble Bundle AffiliateGameplay Tools 50% Off - Core systems, half the price. Get pro-grade tools to power your gameplay—combat, cutscenes, UI, and more. Including: HTrace: World Space Global Illumination, VFX Graph - Ultra Mega Pack - Vol.1, Magic Animation Blend, Utility Intelligence: Utility AI Framework for Unity 6, Build for iOS/macOS on Windows>?Unity AffiliateHi guys, I created a website about 6 years in which I host all my field recordings and foley sounds. All free to download and use CC0. There is currently 50+ packs with 1000's of sounds and hours of field recordings all perfect for game SFX and UI. - I think game designers can benefit from a wide range of sounds on the site, especially those that enhance immersion and atmosphere.signaturesounds.orgSmartAddresser - Automate Addressing, Labeling, and Version Control for Unity's Addressable Asset System.CyberAgentGameEntertainment Open SourceEasyCS - EasyCS is an easy-to-use and flexible framework for Unity, adopting a Data-Driven Entity & Actor-Component approach. It bridges Unity's classic OOP with powerful data-oriented patterns, without forcing a complete ECS paradigm shift or a mindset change. Build smarter, not harder.Watcher3056 Open SourceBinding-Of-Isaac_Map-Generator - Binding of Isaac map generator for Unity2DGarnetKane99 Open SourceHelion - A modern fast paced Doom FPS engineHelion-Engine Open SourcePixelationFx - Pixelation post effect for Unity UrpNullTale Open SourceExtreme Add-Ons Bundle For Blender & ZBrush - Extraordinary quality—Extreme add-ons Get quality add-ons for Blender and ZBrush with our latest bundle! We’ve teamed up with the pros at FlippedNormals to deliver a gigantic library of powerful tools for your next game development project. Add new life to your creative work with standout assets like Real-time Hair ZBrush Plugin, Physical Starlight and Atmosphere, Easy Mesh ZBrush Plugin, and more. Get the add-ons you need to bring color and individuality to your next project—and help support Extra Life with your purchase!Humble Bundle AffiliateShop up to 50% off Gabriel Aguiar Prod - Publisher Sale - Gabriel Aguiar Prod. is best known for his extensive VFX assets that help many developers prototype and ship games with special effects. His support and educational material are also invaluable resources for the game dev community. PLUS get VFX Graph - Stylized Fire - Vol. 1 for FREE with code GAP2025Unity AffiliateSpotlightDream Garden - Dream Garden is a simulation game about building tiny cute garden dioramas. A large selection of tools, plants, decorations and customization awaits you. Try all of them and create your dream garden.Campfire StudioMy game, Call Of Dookie. Demo available on SteamYou can subscribe to the free weekly newsletter on GameDevDigest.comThis post includes affiliate links; I may receive compensation if you purchase products or services from the different links provided in this article.
    #game #dev #digest #issue #design
    Game Dev Digest Issue #286 - Design Tricks, Deep Dives, and more
    This article was originally published on GameDevDigest.comEnjoy!What was Radiant AI, anyway? - A ridiculously deep dive into Oblivion's controversial AI system and its legacyblog.paavo.meConsider The Horse Game - No I don’t think every dev should make a horse game. But I do think every developer should at least look at them, maybe even play one because, it is very important that you understand the importance of genre, fandom, and how visibility works. Even if you are not making a horse game, the lessons you can learn by looking at this sub genre are very similar to other genres, just not as blatantly clear as they are with horse games.howtomarketagame.comMaking a killing: The playful 2D terror of Psycasso® - I sat down with lead developer Benjamin Lavender and Omni, designer and producer, to talk about this playfully gory game that gives a classic retro style and a freshtwist.UnityIntroduction to Asset Manager transfer methods in Unity - Unity's Asset Manager is a user-friendly digital asset management platform supporting over 70 file formats to help teams centralize, organize, discover, and use assets seamlessly across projects. It reduces redundant work by design, making cross-team collaboration smoother and accelerating production workflows.UnityVideosRules of the Game: Five Tricks of Highly Effective Designers - Every working designer has them: unique techniques or "tricks" that they use when crafting gameplay. Sure, there's the general game design wisdom that everyone agrees on and can be found in many a game design book, but experienced game designers often have very specific rules that are personal to them, techniques that not everyone knows about or even agrees with. In this GDC 2015 session, five experienced game designers join the stage for 10 minutes each to share one game design "trick" that they use.Game Developers ConferenceBinding of Isaac Style Room Generator in Unity- Our third part in the series - making the rooms!Game Dev GarnetIntroduction to Unity Behavior | Unity Tutorial - In this video you'll become familiar with the core concepts of Unity Behavior, including a live example.LlamAcademyHow I got my demo ready for Steam Next Fest - It's Steam Next Fest, and I've got a game in the showcase. So here are 7 tips for making the most of this demo sharing festival.Game Maker's ToolkitOptimizing lighting in Projekt Z: Beyond Order - 314 Arts studio lead and founder Justin Miersch discuss how the team used the Screen Space Global Illumination feature in Unity’s High Definition Render Pipeline, along with the Unity Profiler and Timeline to overcome the lighting challenges they faced in building Projekt Z: Beyond Order.UnityMemory Arenas in Unity: Heap Allocation Without the GC - In this video, we explore how to build a custom memory arena in Unity using unsafe code and manual heap allocation. You’ll learn how to allocate raw memory for temporary graph-like structures—such as crafting trees or decision planners—without triggering the garbage collector. We’ll walk through the concept of stack frames, translate that to heap-based arena allocation, and implement a fast, disposable system that gives you full control over memory layout and lifetime. Perfect for performance-critical systems where GC spikes aren’t acceptable.git-amendCloth Animation Using The Compute Shader - In this video, we dive into cloth simulation using OpenGL compute shaders. By applying simple mathematical equations, we’ll achieve smooth, dynamic movement. We'll explore particle-based simulation, tackle synchronization challenges with double buffering, and optimize rendering using triangle strips for efficient memory usage. Whether you're familiar with compute shaders or just getting started, this is the perfect way to step up your real-time graphics skills!OGLDEVHow we're designing games for a broader audience - Our games are too hardBiteMe GamesAssetsLearn Game Dev - Unity, Godot, Unreal, Gamemaker, Blender & C# - Make games like a pro.Passionate about video games? Then start making your own! Our latest bundle will help you learn vital game development skills. Master the most popular creation platforms like Unity, Godot, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender, and C#—now that’s a sharp-lookin’ bundle! Build a 2.5D farming RPG with Unreal Engine, create a micro turn-based RPG in Godot, explore game optimization, and so much more.__Big Bang Unreal & Unity Asset Packs Bundle - 5000+ unrivaled assets in one bundle. Calling all game devs—build your worlds with this gigantic bundle of over 5000 assets, including realistic and stylized environments, SFX packs, and powerful tools. Perfect for hobbyists, beginners, and professional developers alike, you'll gain access to essential resources, tutorials, and beta-testing–ready content to start building immediately. The experts at Leartes Studios have curated an amazing library packed with value, featuring environments, VFX packs, and tutorial courses on Unreal Engine, Blender, Substance Painter, and ZBrush. Get the assets you need to bring your game to life—and help support One Tree Planted with your purchase! This bundle provides Unity Asset Store keys directly with your purchase, and FAB keys via redemption through Cosmos, if the product is available on those platforms.Humble Bundle AffiliateGameplay Tools 50% Off - Core systems, half the price. Get pro-grade tools to power your gameplay—combat, cutscenes, UI, and more. Including: HTrace: World Space Global Illumination, VFX Graph - Ultra Mega Pack - Vol.1, Magic Animation Blend, Utility Intelligence: Utility AI Framework for Unity 6, Build for iOS/macOS on Windows>?Unity AffiliateHi guys, I created a website about 6 years in which I host all my field recordings and foley sounds. All free to download and use CC0. There is currently 50+ packs with 1000's of sounds and hours of field recordings all perfect for game SFX and UI. - I think game designers can benefit from a wide range of sounds on the site, especially those that enhance immersion and atmosphere.signaturesounds.orgSmartAddresser - Automate Addressing, Labeling, and Version Control for Unity's Addressable Asset System.CyberAgentGameEntertainment Open SourceEasyCS - EasyCS is an easy-to-use and flexible framework for Unity, adopting a Data-Driven Entity & Actor-Component approach. It bridges Unity's classic OOP with powerful data-oriented patterns, without forcing a complete ECS paradigm shift or a mindset change. Build smarter, not harder.Watcher3056 Open SourceBinding-Of-Isaac_Map-Generator - Binding of Isaac map generator for Unity2DGarnetKane99 Open SourceHelion - A modern fast paced Doom FPS engineHelion-Engine Open SourcePixelationFx - Pixelation post effect for Unity UrpNullTale Open SourceExtreme Add-Ons Bundle For Blender & ZBrush - Extraordinary quality—Extreme add-ons Get quality add-ons for Blender and ZBrush with our latest bundle! We’ve teamed up with the pros at FlippedNormals to deliver a gigantic library of powerful tools for your next game development project. Add new life to your creative work with standout assets like Real-time Hair ZBrush Plugin, Physical Starlight and Atmosphere, Easy Mesh ZBrush Plugin, and more. Get the add-ons you need to bring color and individuality to your next project—and help support Extra Life with your purchase!Humble Bundle AffiliateShop up to 50% off Gabriel Aguiar Prod - Publisher Sale - Gabriel Aguiar Prod. is best known for his extensive VFX assets that help many developers prototype and ship games with special effects. His support and educational material are also invaluable resources for the game dev community. PLUS get VFX Graph - Stylized Fire - Vol. 1 for FREE with code GAP2025Unity AffiliateSpotlightDream Garden - Dream Garden is a simulation game about building tiny cute garden dioramas. A large selection of tools, plants, decorations and customization awaits you. Try all of them and create your dream garden.Campfire StudioMy game, Call Of Dookie. Demo available on SteamYou can subscribe to the free weekly newsletter on GameDevDigest.comThis post includes affiliate links; I may receive compensation if you purchase products or services from the different links provided in this article. #game #dev #digest #issue #design
    GAMEDEV.NET
    Game Dev Digest Issue #286 - Design Tricks, Deep Dives, and more
    This article was originally published on GameDevDigest.comEnjoy!What was Radiant AI, anyway? - A ridiculously deep dive into Oblivion's controversial AI system and its legacyblog.paavo.meConsider The Horse Game - No I don’t think every dev should make a horse game (unlike horror, which I still think everyone should at least one). But I do think every developer should at least look at them, maybe even play one because, it is very important that you understand the importance of genre, fandom, and how visibility works. Even if you are not making a horse game, the lessons you can learn by looking at this sub genre are very similar to other genres, just not as blatantly clear as they are with horse games.howtomarketagame.comMaking a killing: The playful 2D terror of Psycasso® - I sat down with lead developer Benjamin Lavender and Omni, designer and producer, to talk about this playfully gory game that gives a classic retro style and a fresh (if gruesome) twist.UnityIntroduction to Asset Manager transfer methods in Unity - Unity's Asset Manager is a user-friendly digital asset management platform supporting over 70 file formats to help teams centralize, organize, discover, and use assets seamlessly across projects. It reduces redundant work by design, making cross-team collaboration smoother and accelerating production workflows.UnityVideosRules of the Game: Five Tricks of Highly Effective Designers - Every working designer has them: unique techniques or "tricks" that they use when crafting gameplay. Sure, there's the general game design wisdom that everyone agrees on and can be found in many a game design book, but experienced game designers often have very specific rules that are personal to them, techniques that not everyone knows about or even agrees with. In this GDC 2015 session, five experienced game designers join the stage for 10 minutes each to share one game design "trick" that they use.Game Developers ConferenceBinding of Isaac Style Room Generator in Unity [Full Tutorial] - Our third part in the series - making the rooms!Game Dev GarnetIntroduction to Unity Behavior | Unity Tutorial - In this video you'll become familiar with the core concepts of Unity Behavior, including a live example.LlamAcademyHow I got my demo ready for Steam Next Fest - It's Steam Next Fest, and I've got a game in the showcase. So here are 7 tips for making the most of this demo sharing festival.Game Maker's ToolkitOptimizing lighting in Projekt Z: Beyond Order - 314 Arts studio lead and founder Justin Miersch discuss how the team used the Screen Space Global Illumination feature in Unity’s High Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP), along with the Unity Profiler and Timeline to overcome the lighting challenges they faced in building Projekt Z: Beyond Order.UnityMemory Arenas in Unity: Heap Allocation Without the GC - In this video, we explore how to build a custom memory arena in Unity using unsafe code and manual heap allocation. You’ll learn how to allocate raw memory for temporary graph-like structures—such as crafting trees or decision planners—without triggering the garbage collector. We’ll walk through the concept of stack frames, translate that to heap-based arena allocation, and implement a fast, disposable system that gives you full control over memory layout and lifetime. Perfect for performance-critical systems where GC spikes aren’t acceptable.git-amendCloth Animation Using The Compute Shader - In this video, we dive into cloth simulation using OpenGL compute shaders. By applying simple mathematical equations, we’ll achieve smooth, dynamic movement. We'll explore particle-based simulation, tackle synchronization challenges with double buffering, and optimize rendering using triangle strips for efficient memory usage. Whether you're familiar with compute shaders or just getting started, this is the perfect way to step up your real-time graphics skills!OGLDEVHow we're designing games for a broader audience - Our games are too hardBiteMe GamesAssetsLearn Game Dev - Unity, Godot, Unreal, Gamemaker, Blender & C# - Make games like a pro.Passionate about video games? Then start making your own! Our latest bundle will help you learn vital game development skills. Master the most popular creation platforms like Unity, Godot, Unreal, GameMaker, Blender, and C#—now that’s a sharp-lookin’ bundle! Build a 2.5D farming RPG with Unreal Engine, create a micro turn-based RPG in Godot, explore game optimization, and so much more.__Big Bang Unreal & Unity Asset Packs Bundle - 5000+ unrivaled assets in one bundle. Calling all game devs—build your worlds with this gigantic bundle of over 5000 assets, including realistic and stylized environments, SFX packs, and powerful tools. Perfect for hobbyists, beginners, and professional developers alike, you'll gain access to essential resources, tutorials, and beta-testing–ready content to start building immediately. The experts at Leartes Studios have curated an amazing library packed with value, featuring environments, VFX packs, and tutorial courses on Unreal Engine, Blender, Substance Painter, and ZBrush. Get the assets you need to bring your game to life—and help support One Tree Planted with your purchase! This bundle provides Unity Asset Store keys directly with your purchase, and FAB keys via redemption through Cosmos, if the product is available on those platforms.Humble Bundle AffiliateGameplay Tools 50% Off - Core systems, half the price. Get pro-grade tools to power your gameplay—combat, cutscenes, UI, and more. Including: HTrace: World Space Global Illumination, VFX Graph - Ultra Mega Pack - Vol.1, Magic Animation Blend, Utility Intelligence (v2): Utility AI Framework for Unity 6, Build for iOS/macOS on Windows>?Unity AffiliateHi guys, I created a website about 6 years in which I host all my field recordings and foley sounds. All free to download and use CC0. There is currently 50+ packs with 1000's of sounds and hours of field recordings all perfect for game SFX and UI. - I think game designers can benefit from a wide range of sounds on the site, especially those that enhance immersion and atmosphere.signaturesounds.orgSmartAddresser - Automate Addressing, Labeling, and Version Control for Unity's Addressable Asset System.CyberAgentGameEntertainment Open SourceEasyCS - EasyCS is an easy-to-use and flexible framework for Unity, adopting a Data-Driven Entity & Actor-Component approach. It bridges Unity's classic OOP with powerful data-oriented patterns, without forcing a complete ECS paradigm shift or a mindset change. Build smarter, not harder.Watcher3056 Open SourceBinding-Of-Isaac_Map-Generator - Binding of Isaac map generator for Unity2DGarnetKane99 Open SourceHelion - A modern fast paced Doom FPS engineHelion-Engine Open SourcePixelationFx - Pixelation post effect for Unity UrpNullTale Open SourceExtreme Add-Ons Bundle For Blender & ZBrush - Extraordinary quality—Extreme add-ons Get quality add-ons for Blender and ZBrush with our latest bundle! We’ve teamed up with the pros at FlippedNormals to deliver a gigantic library of powerful tools for your next game development project. Add new life to your creative work with standout assets like Real-time Hair ZBrush Plugin, Physical Starlight and Atmosphere, Easy Mesh ZBrush Plugin, and more. Get the add-ons you need to bring color and individuality to your next project—and help support Extra Life with your purchase!Humble Bundle AffiliateShop up to 50% off Gabriel Aguiar Prod - Publisher Sale - Gabriel Aguiar Prod. is best known for his extensive VFX assets that help many developers prototype and ship games with special effects. His support and educational material are also invaluable resources for the game dev community. PLUS get VFX Graph - Stylized Fire - Vol. 1 for FREE with code GAP2025Unity AffiliateSpotlightDream Garden - Dream Garden is a simulation game about building tiny cute garden dioramas. A large selection of tools, plants, decorations and customization awaits you. Try all of them and create your dream garden.[You can find it on Steam]Campfire StudioMy game, Call Of Dookie. Demo available on SteamYou can subscribe to the free weekly newsletter on GameDevDigest.comThis post includes affiliate links; I may receive compensation if you purchase products or services from the different links provided in this article.
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  • VRS - The Must-Know Material Optimization Trick in UE5

    UE5 lets you optimize materials using Variable Rate Shading. It runs your pixel shader once for a block, then spreads that result — reducing pixel shader cost with minimal visual loss.
    This feature is not related to LOD, Nanite or Virtual Shadow Maps - it’s a separate material level optimization.

    In practice, you might see 10–50% improvement on fill-rate-bound scenes, sometimes more.
    Works per-material, no global setup needed.
    Available since UE5.0Open your material — Details — Advanced — Shading Rate— Change

    The larger the block, the less GPU load, but also more visible blur
    Great to be used on background VFX, or anything that doesn’t need crisp pixel detail.

    Doesn’t work with DLSS or on all platforms.
    Not supported for masked materials in UE5.6. May be broken with masked materials in earlier versions.

    I learned about this feature thanks to a super-duper-senior-boss-chief-king tech art wizard — Dmytro Baidachnyi. All hype to him.
    Cheers
    #vrs #mustknow #material #optimization #trick
    VRS - The Must-Know Material Optimization Trick in UE5🤖
    UE5 lets you optimize materials using Variable Rate Shading. It runs your pixel shader once for a block, then spreads that result — reducing pixel shader cost with minimal visual loss. This feature is not related to LOD, Nanite or Virtual Shadow Maps - it’s a separate material level optimization. In practice, you might see 10–50% improvement on fill-rate-bound scenes, sometimes more. Works per-material, no global setup needed. Available since UE5.0Open your material — Details — Advanced — Shading Rate— Change The larger the block, the less GPU load, but also more visible blur Great to be used on background VFX, or anything that doesn’t need crisp pixel detail. Doesn’t work with DLSS or on all platforms. Not supported for masked materials in UE5.6. May be broken with masked materials in earlier versions. I learned about this feature thanks to a super-duper-senior-boss-chief-king tech art wizard — Dmytro Baidachnyi. All hype to him. Cheers #vrs #mustknow #material #optimization #trick
    REALTIMEVFX.COM
    VRS - The Must-Know Material Optimization Trick in UE5🤖
    UE5 lets you optimize materials using Variable Rate Shading (VRS). It runs your pixel shader once for a block (like 2x2 or 4x4), then spreads that result — reducing pixel shader cost with minimal visual loss. This feature is not related to LOD, Nanite or Virtual Shadow Maps - it’s a separate material level optimization. In practice, you might see 10–50% improvement on fill-rate-bound scenes, sometimes more (often less). Works per-material, no global setup needed. Available since UE5.0 (DX12/Vulkan required) Open your material — Details — Advanced — Shading Rate (1x1) — Change The larger the block, the less GPU load, but also more visible blur Great to be used on background VFX, or anything that doesn’t need crisp pixel detail. Doesn’t work with DLSS or on all platforms. Not supported for masked materials in UE5.6. May be broken with masked materials in earlier versions. I learned about this feature thanks to a super-duper-senior-boss-chief-king tech art wizard — Dmytro Baidachnyi. All hype to him. Cheers
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  • DISCOVERING ELIO

    By TREVOR HOGG

    Images courtesy of Pixar.

    The character design of Glordon is based on a tardigrade, which is a microscopic water bear.

    Rather than look at the unknown as something to be feared, Pixar has decided to do some wish fulfillment with Elio, where a lonely adolescent astrophile gets abducted by aliens and is mistaken as the leader of Earth. Originally conceived and directed by Adrian Molina, the coming-of-age science fiction adventure was shepherded by Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian, who had previously worked together on Turning Red.
    “Space is often seen as dark, mysterious and scary, but there is also so much hope, wonder and curiosity,” notes Shi, director of Elio. “It’s like anything is ‘out there.’ Elio captures how a lot of us feel at different points of our lives, when we were kids like him, or even now wanting to be off of this current planet because it’s just too much. For Elio, it’s a rescue. I feel that there’s something so universal about that feeling of wanting to be taken away and taken care of. To know that you’re not alone and somebody chose you and picked you up.”

    The character design of Glordon is based on a tardigrade, which is a microscopic water bear.

    There is a stark contrast between how Earth and the alien world, known as the Communiverse, are portrayed. “The more we worked with the animators on Glordon and Helix, they began to realize that Domee and I respond positively when thosecharacters are exaggerated, made cute, round and chubby,” states Sharafian, director of Elio. “That automatically started to differentiate the way the Earth and space feel.” A certain question had to be answered when designing the United Nations-inspired Communiverse. “It was coming from a place of this lonely kid who feels like no one wants him on Earth,” Shi explains. “What would be heaven and paradise for him? The Communiverse was built around that idea.” A sense of belonging is an important theme. “It’s also inspired by Adrian Molina’s backstory, and our backstories too, of going to animation college,” Sharafian remarks. “For the first time, we said, ‘This is where everybody like me is!’”

    Green is the thematic color for Elio.

    Visual effects are an important storytelling tool. “Especially, for our movie, which is about this boy going to this crazy incredible world of the Communiverse,” Shi observes. “It has to be dazzling and look spectacular on the big screen and feel like paradise. Elio is such a visual feast, and you do feel like, ‘I want to stay here no matter what. I can’t believe that this place even exists.’ Visual effects are a powerful tool to help you feel what the characters are feeling.” A wishlist became a reality for the directors. “Claudia Chung Saniigave Domee and me carte blanche for wish fulfillment for ourselves,” Sharafian remarks. “What do you want Elio’s outfit in space to look like? It was a difficult costume, but now when we watch the movie, we’re all so proud of it. Elio looks fabulous, and he’s so happy to be wearing that outfit. Who would want to take that off?”

    The Communiverse was meant to feel like a place that a child would love to visit and explore.

    Methodology rather than technology went through the biggest change for the production. “The Communiverse is super complex and has lots of moving pieces. But there’s not much CG can’t do anymore,” notes Claudia Chung Sanii. “Elemental did effects characters. We did long curly hair, dresses, capes, water and fire. What we hadn’t done before was be a part of that design process. How do we get lighting into layout? How do we see the shaders in animation in layout? The tools department was working on a software called Luna which does that. I went to the tools department and asked, ‘Can I play around with it?’ They were like, ‘Okay. But it’s not ready yet.’ Tools will basically be bringing RenderMan and an interactive lighting workflow to the pipeline across all of these DCCs. Because we light in Katana, you can’t get back upstream. The conceit that we were dipping our toe in on Elio was, ‘Whatever you do in lighting, anyone on the pipeline can see it.’”

    The influence of microscopic forms and macro photography grounded the Communiverse in natural phenomena.

    The variety in the Communiverse is a contrast to the regimented world on the military base.

    There were no departmental borders, in particular with cinematography. “We had our layout and lighting DPs start on the same day. Derek Williams wouldn’t shoot anything without Jordan Rempel, our lighting DP, seeing it,” Sanii states. “Jordan would drop in lighting and start doing key lighting as Derek’s team was laying out. It wasn’t like you had to hit the render button, wait for the render to come up and go, ‘Oh, my god, it’s dark! I didn’t know that it was nighttime.’” A new term was adopted. “Meredith Homand I pulled the entire crew and leadership into this mental concept that we called the ‘college project.’ For some of us, college was a time when we didn’t have titles and crafts. You begged, borrowed and stole to hit that deadline. So much of our world has become linear in our process that I wanted to break that down to, ‘No. We’re all working together. The scope of this film is too large for us to wait for each other to finish our piece. If this person is slammed, fine. Figure out a different idea to do it with what tools you have.’”

    Directors Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian are drawn to chubby, exaggerated and cute characters.

    Forgoing the word ‘no’ led to the technology breaking down. “I remember times when crowdsis dressing all of the aliens and because of forgetting to constrain it to the Communiverse, they all show up at the origin, and you’re going, ‘Why is there a whole party going on over there?’” Sanii laughs. “On Elio, it was always forward. There were no rules about locking things down or not installing over the weekend. It was always like, ‘Put it all in, and we’ll deal with it on Monday.’ There would be some funny stuff. We never QC’d something before walking it into the room. Everyone saw how the sausage was made. It was fun and not fun for Harley Jessupbecause sometimes there would be a big thing in the middle screen, and he would say, ‘Is that finished?’ There was no way we could get through this film if we kept trying to fix the thing that broke.”

    An aerial image of Elio as he attempts to get abducted by aliens.

    Part of the design of the Coummuniverse was inspired by Chinese puzzle balls.

    A former visual effects art director at ILM, Harley Jessup found his previous experiences on projects like Innerspace to be helpful on Elio. “I liked that the directors wanted to build on the effects films from the 1980s and early 1990s,” reflects Jessup. “I was there and part of that. It was fun to look back. At the time, the techniques were all practical, matte paintings and miniatures, which are fun to work with, but without the safety net of CG. One thing Dennis Murenwas keen on, was how people see things like the natural phenomenon you might see in a microscopic or macro photography form. We were using that. I was looking at the mothership of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which Dennis shot when he was a young artist. It was nice to be able to bring all of that history to this film.”
    Earth was impacted by a comment made by Pete Docter. “He said, ‘The military base should feel like a parking lot,” Jessup reveals. “You should know why Elio wants to be anywhere else. And the Communiverse needs to be inviting. We built a lot of contrast into those two worlds. The brutalist architecture on the military base, with its hard edges and heavy horizontal forms close to the earth, needed to be harsh but beautiful in its own way, so we tried for that. The Communiverse would be in contrast and be all curves, translucent surfaces and stained-glass backlit effects. Things were wide open about what it could be because each of the aliens are from a different climate and gravity. There are some buildings that are actually upside down on it, and the whole thing is rotating inside like clockwork. It is hopefully an appealing, fun world. It’s not a dystopian outer space.”

    Exploring various facial expressions for Elio.

    A tough character to get right was Aunt Olga, who struggles to be the guardian of her nephew.

    Character designs of Elio and Glordon. which shows them interacting with each other.

    Architecture was devised to reflect the desired tone for scenes. “In the Grand Assembly Hall where each alien has a desk and booth, the booth is shaped like an eyelid that can close or open,” Jessup explains. “It increases the feeling that they’re evaluating and observing Elio and each of the candidates that have come to join the Communiverse.” A couple of iconic cinematic franchises were avoided for aesthetic reasons. “As much as I love Star Wars and Star Trek, we wanted to be different from those kinds of aliens that are often more humanoid.” Ooooo was the first alien to be designed. “We did Ooooo in collaboration with the effects team, which was small at that time. She was described as a liquid supercomputer. We actually used the wireframe that was turning up and asked, what if it ended up being this network of little lights that are moving around and can express how much she was thinking? Ooooo is Elio’s guide to the Communiverse; her body would deform, so she could become a big screen or reach out and pluck things. Ooooo has an ability like an amoeba to stretch.”
    Flexibility is important when figuring out shot design. “On Elio, we provided the layout department with a rudimentary version of our environments,” states David Luoh, Sets Supervisor. “It might be simple geometry. We’re not worried necessarily about shading, color and material yet. Things are roughly in place but also built in a way that is flexible. As they’re sorting out the camera and testing out staging, they can move elements of the set around. Maybe this architectural piece needs to be shifted or larger or smaller. There was a variation on what was typically expected of set deliveries of environments to our layout department. That bar was lowered to give the layout department something to work with sooner and also with more flexibility. From their work we get context as to how we partner with our art and design department to build and finalize those environments.”

    Regional biomes known as disks are part of the Communiverse. “There are aquatic, lush forest, snow and ice, and hot lava disks,” Luoh remarks. “The hot disk is grounded in the desert, volcanic rock and lava, while for the lush disk we looked at interesting plant life found in the world around us.” The Communiverse is a complex geometric form. “We wanted these natural arrangements of alien districts, and that was all happening on this twisting and curving terrain in a way that made traditional dressing approaches clunky. Oftentimes, you’re putting something on the ground or mounted, and the ground is always facing upward. But if you have to dress the wall or ceiling, it becomes a lot more difficult to manipulate and place on something with that dynamic and shape. You have stuff that casts light, is see-through and shifting over time. Ooooo is a living character that looks like electronic circuitry that is constantly moving, and we also have that element in the walls, floors and bubble transport that carry the characters around.”
    Sets were adjusted throughout the production. “We try to anticipate situations that might come up,” Luoh states. “What if we have a series of shots where you’re getting closer and closer to the Communiverse and you have to bridge the distance between your hero and set extension background? There is a partnership with story, but certainly with our layout camera staging department. As we see shots come out of their work, we know where we need to spend the time to figure out, are we going to see the distant hills in this way? We’re not going to build it until we know because it can be labor-intensive. There is a responsiveness to what we are starting to see as shots get made.” Combining the familiar into something unfamiliar was a process. “There was this curation of being inspired by existing alien sci-fi depictions, but also reaching back into biological phenomena or interesting material because we wanted to ground a lot of those visual elements and ideas in something that people could intuitively grasp on to, even if they were combined or arranged in a way that is surprising, strange and delightful.”
    #discovering #elio
    DISCOVERING ELIO
    By TREVOR HOGG Images courtesy of Pixar. The character design of Glordon is based on a tardigrade, which is a microscopic water bear. Rather than look at the unknown as something to be feared, Pixar has decided to do some wish fulfillment with Elio, where a lonely adolescent astrophile gets abducted by aliens and is mistaken as the leader of Earth. Originally conceived and directed by Adrian Molina, the coming-of-age science fiction adventure was shepherded by Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian, who had previously worked together on Turning Red. “Space is often seen as dark, mysterious and scary, but there is also so much hope, wonder and curiosity,” notes Shi, director of Elio. “It’s like anything is ‘out there.’ Elio captures how a lot of us feel at different points of our lives, when we were kids like him, or even now wanting to be off of this current planet because it’s just too much. For Elio, it’s a rescue. I feel that there’s something so universal about that feeling of wanting to be taken away and taken care of. To know that you’re not alone and somebody chose you and picked you up.” The character design of Glordon is based on a tardigrade, which is a microscopic water bear. There is a stark contrast between how Earth and the alien world, known as the Communiverse, are portrayed. “The more we worked with the animators on Glordon and Helix, they began to realize that Domee and I respond positively when thosecharacters are exaggerated, made cute, round and chubby,” states Sharafian, director of Elio. “That automatically started to differentiate the way the Earth and space feel.” A certain question had to be answered when designing the United Nations-inspired Communiverse. “It was coming from a place of this lonely kid who feels like no one wants him on Earth,” Shi explains. “What would be heaven and paradise for him? The Communiverse was built around that idea.” A sense of belonging is an important theme. “It’s also inspired by Adrian Molina’s backstory, and our backstories too, of going to animation college,” Sharafian remarks. “For the first time, we said, ‘This is where everybody like me is!’” Green is the thematic color for Elio. Visual effects are an important storytelling tool. “Especially, for our movie, which is about this boy going to this crazy incredible world of the Communiverse,” Shi observes. “It has to be dazzling and look spectacular on the big screen and feel like paradise. Elio is such a visual feast, and you do feel like, ‘I want to stay here no matter what. I can’t believe that this place even exists.’ Visual effects are a powerful tool to help you feel what the characters are feeling.” A wishlist became a reality for the directors. “Claudia Chung Saniigave Domee and me carte blanche for wish fulfillment for ourselves,” Sharafian remarks. “What do you want Elio’s outfit in space to look like? It was a difficult costume, but now when we watch the movie, we’re all so proud of it. Elio looks fabulous, and he’s so happy to be wearing that outfit. Who would want to take that off?” The Communiverse was meant to feel like a place that a child would love to visit and explore. Methodology rather than technology went through the biggest change for the production. “The Communiverse is super complex and has lots of moving pieces. But there’s not much CG can’t do anymore,” notes Claudia Chung Sanii. “Elemental did effects characters. We did long curly hair, dresses, capes, water and fire. What we hadn’t done before was be a part of that design process. How do we get lighting into layout? How do we see the shaders in animation in layout? The tools department was working on a software called Luna which does that. I went to the tools department and asked, ‘Can I play around with it?’ They were like, ‘Okay. But it’s not ready yet.’ Tools will basically be bringing RenderMan and an interactive lighting workflow to the pipeline across all of these DCCs. Because we light in Katana, you can’t get back upstream. The conceit that we were dipping our toe in on Elio was, ‘Whatever you do in lighting, anyone on the pipeline can see it.’” The influence of microscopic forms and macro photography grounded the Communiverse in natural phenomena. The variety in the Communiverse is a contrast to the regimented world on the military base. There were no departmental borders, in particular with cinematography. “We had our layout and lighting DPs start on the same day. Derek Williams wouldn’t shoot anything without Jordan Rempel, our lighting DP, seeing it,” Sanii states. “Jordan would drop in lighting and start doing key lighting as Derek’s team was laying out. It wasn’t like you had to hit the render button, wait for the render to come up and go, ‘Oh, my god, it’s dark! I didn’t know that it was nighttime.’” A new term was adopted. “Meredith Homand I pulled the entire crew and leadership into this mental concept that we called the ‘college project.’ For some of us, college was a time when we didn’t have titles and crafts. You begged, borrowed and stole to hit that deadline. So much of our world has become linear in our process that I wanted to break that down to, ‘No. We’re all working together. The scope of this film is too large for us to wait for each other to finish our piece. If this person is slammed, fine. Figure out a different idea to do it with what tools you have.’” Directors Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian are drawn to chubby, exaggerated and cute characters. Forgoing the word ‘no’ led to the technology breaking down. “I remember times when crowdsis dressing all of the aliens and because of forgetting to constrain it to the Communiverse, they all show up at the origin, and you’re going, ‘Why is there a whole party going on over there?’” Sanii laughs. “On Elio, it was always forward. There were no rules about locking things down or not installing over the weekend. It was always like, ‘Put it all in, and we’ll deal with it on Monday.’ There would be some funny stuff. We never QC’d something before walking it into the room. Everyone saw how the sausage was made. It was fun and not fun for Harley Jessupbecause sometimes there would be a big thing in the middle screen, and he would say, ‘Is that finished?’ There was no way we could get through this film if we kept trying to fix the thing that broke.” An aerial image of Elio as he attempts to get abducted by aliens. Part of the design of the Coummuniverse was inspired by Chinese puzzle balls. A former visual effects art director at ILM, Harley Jessup found his previous experiences on projects like Innerspace to be helpful on Elio. “I liked that the directors wanted to build on the effects films from the 1980s and early 1990s,” reflects Jessup. “I was there and part of that. It was fun to look back. At the time, the techniques were all practical, matte paintings and miniatures, which are fun to work with, but without the safety net of CG. One thing Dennis Murenwas keen on, was how people see things like the natural phenomenon you might see in a microscopic or macro photography form. We were using that. I was looking at the mothership of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which Dennis shot when he was a young artist. It was nice to be able to bring all of that history to this film.” Earth was impacted by a comment made by Pete Docter. “He said, ‘The military base should feel like a parking lot,” Jessup reveals. “You should know why Elio wants to be anywhere else. And the Communiverse needs to be inviting. We built a lot of contrast into those two worlds. The brutalist architecture on the military base, with its hard edges and heavy horizontal forms close to the earth, needed to be harsh but beautiful in its own way, so we tried for that. The Communiverse would be in contrast and be all curves, translucent surfaces and stained-glass backlit effects. Things were wide open about what it could be because each of the aliens are from a different climate and gravity. There are some buildings that are actually upside down on it, and the whole thing is rotating inside like clockwork. It is hopefully an appealing, fun world. It’s not a dystopian outer space.” Exploring various facial expressions for Elio. A tough character to get right was Aunt Olga, who struggles to be the guardian of her nephew. Character designs of Elio and Glordon. which shows them interacting with each other. Architecture was devised to reflect the desired tone for scenes. “In the Grand Assembly Hall where each alien has a desk and booth, the booth is shaped like an eyelid that can close or open,” Jessup explains. “It increases the feeling that they’re evaluating and observing Elio and each of the candidates that have come to join the Communiverse.” A couple of iconic cinematic franchises were avoided for aesthetic reasons. “As much as I love Star Wars and Star Trek, we wanted to be different from those kinds of aliens that are often more humanoid.” Ooooo was the first alien to be designed. “We did Ooooo in collaboration with the effects team, which was small at that time. She was described as a liquid supercomputer. We actually used the wireframe that was turning up and asked, what if it ended up being this network of little lights that are moving around and can express how much she was thinking? Ooooo is Elio’s guide to the Communiverse; her body would deform, so she could become a big screen or reach out and pluck things. Ooooo has an ability like an amoeba to stretch.” Flexibility is important when figuring out shot design. “On Elio, we provided the layout department with a rudimentary version of our environments,” states David Luoh, Sets Supervisor. “It might be simple geometry. We’re not worried necessarily about shading, color and material yet. Things are roughly in place but also built in a way that is flexible. As they’re sorting out the camera and testing out staging, they can move elements of the set around. Maybe this architectural piece needs to be shifted or larger or smaller. There was a variation on what was typically expected of set deliveries of environments to our layout department. That bar was lowered to give the layout department something to work with sooner and also with more flexibility. From their work we get context as to how we partner with our art and design department to build and finalize those environments.” Regional biomes known as disks are part of the Communiverse. “There are aquatic, lush forest, snow and ice, and hot lava disks,” Luoh remarks. “The hot disk is grounded in the desert, volcanic rock and lava, while for the lush disk we looked at interesting plant life found in the world around us.” The Communiverse is a complex geometric form. “We wanted these natural arrangements of alien districts, and that was all happening on this twisting and curving terrain in a way that made traditional dressing approaches clunky. Oftentimes, you’re putting something on the ground or mounted, and the ground is always facing upward. But if you have to dress the wall or ceiling, it becomes a lot more difficult to manipulate and place on something with that dynamic and shape. You have stuff that casts light, is see-through and shifting over time. Ooooo is a living character that looks like electronic circuitry that is constantly moving, and we also have that element in the walls, floors and bubble transport that carry the characters around.” Sets were adjusted throughout the production. “We try to anticipate situations that might come up,” Luoh states. “What if we have a series of shots where you’re getting closer and closer to the Communiverse and you have to bridge the distance between your hero and set extension background? There is a partnership with story, but certainly with our layout camera staging department. As we see shots come out of their work, we know where we need to spend the time to figure out, are we going to see the distant hills in this way? We’re not going to build it until we know because it can be labor-intensive. There is a responsiveness to what we are starting to see as shots get made.” Combining the familiar into something unfamiliar was a process. “There was this curation of being inspired by existing alien sci-fi depictions, but also reaching back into biological phenomena or interesting material because we wanted to ground a lot of those visual elements and ideas in something that people could intuitively grasp on to, even if they were combined or arranged in a way that is surprising, strange and delightful.” #discovering #elio
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    DISCOVERING ELIO
    By TREVOR HOGG Images courtesy of Pixar. The character design of Glordon is based on a tardigrade, which is a microscopic water bear. Rather than look at the unknown as something to be feared, Pixar has decided to do some wish fulfillment with Elio, where a lonely adolescent astrophile gets abducted by aliens and is mistaken as the leader of Earth. Originally conceived and directed by Adrian Molina, the coming-of-age science fiction adventure was shepherded by Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian, who had previously worked together on Turning Red. “Space is often seen as dark, mysterious and scary, but there is also so much hope, wonder and curiosity,” notes Shi, director of Elio. “It’s like anything is ‘out there.’ Elio captures how a lot of us feel at different points of our lives, when we were kids like him, or even now wanting to be off of this current planet because it’s just too much. For Elio, it’s a rescue. I feel that there’s something so universal about that feeling of wanting to be taken away and taken care of. To know that you’re not alone and somebody chose you and picked you up.” The character design of Glordon is based on a tardigrade, which is a microscopic water bear. There is a stark contrast between how Earth and the alien world, known as the Communiverse, are portrayed. “The more we worked with the animators on Glordon and Helix, they began to realize that Domee and I respond positively when those [alien] characters are exaggerated, made cute, round and chubby,” states Sharafian, director of Elio. “That automatically started to differentiate the way the Earth and space feel.” A certain question had to be answered when designing the United Nations-inspired Communiverse. “It was coming from a place of this lonely kid who feels like no one wants him on Earth,” Shi explains. “What would be heaven and paradise for him? The Communiverse was built around that idea.” A sense of belonging is an important theme. “It’s also inspired by Adrian Molina’s backstory, and our backstories too, of going to animation college,” Sharafian remarks. “For the first time, we said, ‘This is where everybody like me is!’” Green is the thematic color for Elio. Visual effects are an important storytelling tool. “Especially, for our movie, which is about this boy going to this crazy incredible world of the Communiverse,” Shi observes. “It has to be dazzling and look spectacular on the big screen and feel like paradise. Elio is such a visual feast, and you do feel like, ‘I want to stay here no matter what. I can’t believe that this place even exists.’ Visual effects are a powerful tool to help you feel what the characters are feeling.” A wishlist became a reality for the directors. “Claudia Chung Sanii [Visual Effects Supervisor] gave Domee and me carte blanche for wish fulfillment for ourselves,” Sharafian remarks. “What do you want Elio’s outfit in space to look like? It was a difficult costume, but now when we watch the movie, we’re all so proud of it. Elio looks fabulous, and he’s so happy to be wearing that outfit. Who would want to take that off?” The Communiverse was meant to feel like a place that a child would love to visit and explore. Methodology rather than technology went through the biggest change for the production. “The Communiverse is super complex and has lots of moving pieces. But there’s not much CG can’t do anymore,” notes Claudia Chung Sanii. “Elemental did effects characters. We did long curly hair, dresses, capes, water and fire. What we hadn’t done before was be a part of that design process. How do we get lighting into layout? How do we see the shaders in animation in layout? The tools department was working on a software called Luna which does that. I went to the tools department and asked, ‘Can I play around with it?’ They were like, ‘Okay. But it’s not ready yet.’ Tools will basically be bringing RenderMan and an interactive lighting workflow to the pipeline across all of these DCCs. Because we light in Katana, you can’t get back upstream. The conceit that we were dipping our toe in on Elio was, ‘Whatever you do in lighting, anyone on the pipeline can see it.’” The influence of microscopic forms and macro photography grounded the Communiverse in natural phenomena. The variety in the Communiverse is a contrast to the regimented world on the military base. There were no departmental borders, in particular with cinematography. “We had our layout and lighting DPs start on the same day. Derek Williams wouldn’t shoot anything without Jordan Rempel, our lighting DP, seeing it,” Sanii states. “Jordan would drop in lighting and start doing key lighting as Derek’s team was laying out. It wasn’t like you had to hit the render button, wait for the render to come up and go, ‘Oh, my god, it’s dark! I didn’t know that it was nighttime.’” A new term was adopted. “Meredith Hom [Production Manager] and I pulled the entire crew and leadership into this mental concept that we called the ‘college project.’ For some of us, college was a time when we didn’t have titles and crafts. You begged, borrowed and stole to hit that deadline. So much of our world has become linear in our process that I wanted to break that down to, ‘No. We’re all working together. The scope of this film is too large for us to wait for each other to finish our piece. If this person is slammed, fine. Figure out a different idea to do it with what tools you have.’” Directors Domee Shi and Madeline Sharafian are drawn to chubby, exaggerated and cute characters. Forgoing the word ‘no’ led to the technology breaking down. “I remember times when crowds [department] is dressing all of the aliens and because of forgetting to constrain it to the Communiverse, they all show up at the origin, and you’re going, ‘Why is there a whole party going on over there?’” Sanii laughs. “On Elio, it was always forward. There were no rules about locking things down or not installing over the weekend. It was always like, ‘Put it all in, and we’ll deal with it on Monday.’ There would be some funny stuff. We never QC’d something before walking it into the room. Everyone saw how the sausage was made. It was fun and not fun for Harley Jessup [Production Designer] because sometimes there would be a big thing in the middle screen, and he would say, ‘Is that finished?’ There was no way we could get through this film if we kept trying to fix the thing that broke.” An aerial image of Elio as he attempts to get abducted by aliens. Part of the design of the Coummuniverse was inspired by Chinese puzzle balls. A former visual effects art director at ILM, Harley Jessup found his previous experiences on projects like Innerspace to be helpful on Elio. “I liked that the directors wanted to build on the effects films from the 1980s and early 1990s,” reflects Jessup. “I was there and part of that. It was fun to look back. At the time, the techniques were all practical, matte paintings and miniatures, which are fun to work with, but without the safety net of CG. One thing Dennis Muren [VES] was keen on, was how people see things like the natural phenomenon you might see in a microscopic or macro photography form. We were using that. I was looking at the mothership of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which Dennis shot when he was a young artist. It was nice to be able to bring all of that history to this film.” Earth was impacted by a comment made by Pete Docter (CCO, Pixar). “He said, ‘The military base should feel like a parking lot,” Jessup reveals. “You should know why Elio wants to be anywhere else. And the Communiverse needs to be inviting. We built a lot of contrast into those two worlds. The brutalist architecture on the military base, with its hard edges and heavy horizontal forms close to the earth, needed to be harsh but beautiful in its own way, so we tried for that. The Communiverse would be in contrast and be all curves, translucent surfaces and stained-glass backlit effects. Things were wide open about what it could be because each of the aliens are from a different climate and gravity. There are some buildings that are actually upside down on it, and the whole thing is rotating inside like clockwork. It is hopefully an appealing, fun world. It’s not a dystopian outer space.” Exploring various facial expressions for Elio. A tough character to get right was Aunt Olga, who struggles to be the guardian of her nephew. Character designs of Elio and Glordon. which shows them interacting with each other. Architecture was devised to reflect the desired tone for scenes. “In the Grand Assembly Hall where each alien has a desk and booth, the booth is shaped like an eyelid that can close or open,” Jessup explains. “It increases the feeling that they’re evaluating and observing Elio and each of the candidates that have come to join the Communiverse.” A couple of iconic cinematic franchises were avoided for aesthetic reasons. “As much as I love Star Wars and Star Trek, we wanted to be different from those kinds of aliens that are often more humanoid.” Ooooo was the first alien to be designed. “We did Ooooo in collaboration with the effects team, which was small at that time. She was described as a liquid supercomputer. We actually used the wireframe that was turning up and asked, what if it ended up being this network of little lights that are moving around and can express how much she was thinking? Ooooo is Elio’s guide to the Communiverse; her body would deform, so she could become a big screen or reach out and pluck things. Ooooo has an ability like an amoeba to stretch.” Flexibility is important when figuring out shot design. “On Elio, we provided the layout department with a rudimentary version of our environments,” states David Luoh, Sets Supervisor. “It might be simple geometry. We’re not worried necessarily about shading, color and material yet. Things are roughly in place but also built in a way that is flexible. As they’re sorting out the camera and testing out staging, they can move elements of the set around. Maybe this architectural piece needs to be shifted or larger or smaller. There was a variation on what was typically expected of set deliveries of environments to our layout department. That bar was lowered to give the layout department something to work with sooner and also with more flexibility. From their work we get context as to how we partner with our art and design department to build and finalize those environments.” Regional biomes known as disks are part of the Communiverse. “There are aquatic, lush forest, snow and ice, and hot lava disks,” Luoh remarks. “The hot disk is grounded in the desert, volcanic rock and lava, while for the lush disk we looked at interesting plant life found in the world around us.” The Communiverse is a complex geometric form. “We wanted these natural arrangements of alien districts, and that was all happening on this twisting and curving terrain in a way that made traditional dressing approaches clunky. Oftentimes, you’re putting something on the ground or mounted, and the ground is always facing upward. But if you have to dress the wall or ceiling, it becomes a lot more difficult to manipulate and place on something with that dynamic and shape. You have stuff that casts light, is see-through and shifting over time. Ooooo is a living character that looks like electronic circuitry that is constantly moving, and we also have that element in the walls, floors and bubble transport that carry the characters around.” Sets were adjusted throughout the production. “We try to anticipate situations that might come up,” Luoh states. “What if we have a series of shots where you’re getting closer and closer to the Communiverse and you have to bridge the distance between your hero and set extension background? There is a partnership with story, but certainly with our layout camera staging department. As we see shots come out of their work, we know where we need to spend the time to figure out, are we going to see the distant hills in this way? We’re not going to build it until we know because it can be labor-intensive. There is a responsiveness to what we are starting to see as shots get made.” Combining the familiar into something unfamiliar was a process. “There was this curation of being inspired by existing alien sci-fi depictions, but also reaching back into biological phenomena or interesting material because we wanted to ground a lot of those visual elements and ideas in something that people could intuitively grasp on to, even if they were combined or arranged in a way that is surprising, strange and delightful.”
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