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Lomas Post, One of Mexico´s Top Ad Agencies, Won the May Winner of Fox's Got Talent

Fox’s Got Talent (FGT) is the platform for all Fox Renderfarm users to share their artwork rendered with Fox Renderfarm and get free render credits. In early June, we announced the May winner of FGT, Lomas Post, a creative and dynamic company which has played an important role in Mexico's advertising for over 13 years. Founded in 2005 by Jack Amkie, Lomas Post grew rapidly to position itself as one of the most important animation and post-production studios in Mexico. Over the years they have maintained a restless spirit which has allowed them to be current and to be a benchmark for the best advertising agencies, production houses and clients in Mexico. Fortunately, we have the opportunity to interview Mr.Carlos García, the Director of 3D area at Lomas Post. With a Film Major, Carlos has specialized in 3D and VFX. He has the ability to craft unique visual images from scratch. He is a know-it-all, which led him to become a master in VFX and 3D. Here’s the interview between Carlos García and Fox Renderfarm. Fox Renderfarm: Hi, Carlos! Could you please briefly introduce yourself? Carlos: I am a digital artist born in Mexico with 7 years of experience, I am currently the director of the 3D area at Lomas Post. I am a huge fan of video games and horror movies. Fox Renderfarm: How do you feel about Lomas Post being the May winner of Fox’s Got Talent (FGT)? Carlos: It is a great honor for us that our work is shown on Fox’s Got Talent, we are grateful not only with Fox Renderfarm, but also with our people in the studio that has allowed us to be at Fox’s Got Talent. Fox Renderfarm: Lomas Post produced lots of good quality animation works and VFX projects, which project gave you a sense of achievement most? Could you give a brief introduction to it? Carlos: One of the projects that gave us the most sense of achievement was to make a 3D seagull for a movie, the difficult thing was to make it really have a natural behavior along with the feather, rig and animation system, I think it has been quite a challenge to make a fully 3D animal. It is undoubtedly one of the projects that has challenged us the most as a team. Fox Renderfarm: Could you introduce your Ad production pipeline? Are there any challenges during the production and how did your team deal with it? Carlos: As it is not a large-scale study, I think it is necessary to analyze what type of project is going to start and the result that we would like to achieve, regardless of that we have a base pipeline that can be modified depending on the complexity of the project. We start with a visual exploration, looking for visual references, we love to explore at first through colors, textures and lighting. Once we visually define where we want to go, we begin with the part that we consider the most important of the process, to capture the idea in a storyboard together with a picture with the mood that we would like to achieve, as closely as possible to the final product. Then we give way to the 3D department that will be in charge of bringing to reality those images that were only an idea or a drawing. Going through all the 3D departments (modeling, texturing, rig layout, animation, lighting). Once the work is successfully completed, we give our friends Fox Renderfarm the opportunity to help us process the days of renders in hours or minutes, for us it is an aspect to take into account from the beginning of a project. Once the render is coming out correctly, the data manager is in charge of ordering and distributing the shots that must be composed to the different areas, providing them with everything they need for their composition to take place. When we finish composing the project, we perform the base light where all the shots are unified in terms of color and light intensity. When the shots are ready, we do an online with a client where we present the final product and we do the final distribution going through a master to make sure that all the materials come out with the appropriate parameters and the required quality. The challenge is always time, and thanks to the fact that our process has been improving, in this case with the integration of external companies in our pipeline as with Fox Renderfarm, they are taking heavy weights off us. Fox Renderfarm: What’s the vision for Lomas Post? Could you give a brief introduction to the studio’s next step or future planning? Carlos: We define ourselves as a creatively restless company, we are constantly exploring all the time. Right now we are focused on expanding our reach by starting operations in Colorado, USA. Our intention is to open the way to new markets. Fox Renderfarm: We can see that Lomas Post is a dynamic team, how did your team keep inspired and motivated? Carlos: We believe that the most important thing in Lomas Post is the people, observing each member of the team achieve their dreams, even being part of them. For us, it is the greatest motivation that can exist in a team. We are motivated to see people do their work with so much love and respect for their creations that it is impossible for them not to motivate you. We are always surrounded by young people who have just finished school. We receive many interns with great pleasure because we love to see those desire to grow and make their way into the world of work. It is practically what motivates us as a team. Fox Renderfarm: Could you please tell us if the COVID-19 affected your team and work or not? If yes, how did you deal with it? Carlos: I think the COVID-19 approved of how effective our remote communication could be and if our end results were the same as when we were physically in the office. Nothing changed, we became more observant of our process and our final products, we did not want anyone to feel that we were not working in the same way, and I think we did it. I believe that we should not fear change, we must make it work in our benefit. Fox Renderfarm: Could you share with us the current market situation of the 3D animation and VFX industry in Mexico? Carlos: I think we are a growing market with a lot of talent, there are people that I admire in the industry that have been able to transcend, not only locally but also globally. The industry in Mexico is often limited by time or budget, but that does not limit creativity or the desire to give everything and high-quality things are done, even compared to international projects. I consider that it is a great moment for the industry in Mexico since we are increasingly heard in festivals worldwide, I am very proud of the people who belong to the Mexican industry. If I had to define them with a word to the people who are part of the industry in Mexico, I would define it as "warriors". Fox Renderfarm: How do you feel about our cloud rendering services? Would you share your experience with Fox Renderfarm? Carlos: What caught our attention from the beginning was Fox Renderfarm’s personalized attention 24 hours a day, the level of response they have is amazing, Fox Renderfarm is the only company that had the plugins we needed to render our different projects. Their speed in rendering was amazing, even if you have come to help us with our scripts when something is corrupted, we are very happy with Fox Renderfarm render service, they far exceeded our expectations. Fox Renderfarm became a fundamental part of our pipeline. Fox Renderfarm: Any other things you wanna share with CG enthusiasts? Carlos: It is never too late to learn something new and never stop creating. Will you be our next WINNER? Click here Fox's Got Talent and submit your artwork rendered with Fox Renderfarm. Shine your talent now!

SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 Goes Virtual

The four-day live event originally scheduled to take place from 17 – 20 November in Daegu, South Korea, will now be fully virtual; more details will be revealed in due course 2 July 2020 – Ongoing worldwide travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic make it impossible to host an in-person SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 in Daegu, South Korea in November. Therefore, we have decided to move to a virtual conference for SIGGRAPH Asia 2020. “This has not been an easy decision, but we came to a common consensus that it was necessary in this current climate. The safety and well-being of all our participants remains our top priority. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we adjust our plans and refocus our efforts to put together the very first SIGGRAPH Asia virtual event for the community,” shared Jinny HyeJin Choo, SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 Conference Chair. The theme for this year’s SIGGRAPH Asia ‘Driving Diversity’ will take on a new meaning as we give our diverse group of worldwide technical and artistic contributors the opportunity to connect with and inspire new communities. The conference chair, Jinny Choo, and her team of program chairs are committed to delivering a strong SIGGRAPH Asia 2020 that celebrates this year’s innovation, advances and achievements in computer graphics, interactive techniques and beyond. We are optimistic that the virtual format will allow our global community to come together and participate in new and innovative ways and drive forward the forefront of our field. As the details of this virtual experience are resolved, the exact dates and format will be revealed in the coming weeks and will be announced through http://sa2020.siggraph.org.

How to Build a Realistic Character in Maya

André Jukebox © Jonathan W. Rodegher The artwork, André Jukebox, was created by Jonathan W. Rodegher from Argentina, who is currently working in Ireland as Lead Sequence Lighter for a feature film, and rendered with Fox Renderfarm, the leading cloud rendering services provider in the CG industry. This video has been made as a technical test for his short film, André Jukebox. It tells a story about André, a busker, who intends to pursue a life doing music, his main passion, despite being born and raised in the marginality. This is the first of the last array of renders that will close this phase, reaching an important milestone in the animation project. Following this, there will be a number of updates rolled out for the character, including new skin shader/textures, eyes improved, cloth new shaders and textures, a much better-improved rigging system, etc. Here’s the interview between Jonathan and Fox Renderfarm, in which we can find out how he came up with the idea and created this wonderful video. - Jonathan W. Rodegher - Lead Lighter and Compositor in Boulder Media - From: Argentina - ArtStation: https://www.artstation.com/jonathanrodegher Fox Renderfarm: Hi Jonathan, thank you so much for accepting our interview! Could you briefly introduce yourself? Jonathan: Hi! Thank you for interviewing me. My name is Jonathan, I’m from Argentina and currently working in Ireland as Lead Sequence Lighter for a feature film. I’m also a bit of a music nerd and lately, I’ve been going into filmmaking and storytelling. Fox Renderfarm: Now we can see the beautiful shot concept of André Jukebox, including a video as the technical test, could you give a brief introduction about the whole story? Jonathan: Well André is a busker who, despite being born and raised in the marginality, intends to pursue a life doing music, his main passion. Along with JD, a friend from childhood, they both try to survive and help each other try to build a better life, far from a drug-infested neighborhood. Fox Renderfarm: What’s your inspiration for the short film? Jonathan: The Wire is a big one, storytelling and tone wise. Narc, the movie is another one. Visually though, Seven, Pear Ciders and Cigarettes and Into the Spiderverse. Very different sources that I intend to mix somehow. Fox Renderfarm: In the video, we see the cloth and hair motion is realistic, how did you do that? Jonathan: I just did the sims and then load them up as alembics, using modifiers to apply wind-like motion. For such a short clip, these little tricks are often good enough. André Jukebox © Jonathan W. Rodegher Fox Renderfarm: When did the project start? And when will the film be released which we are looking forward to? Jonathan: I started building the character, from design to final model, about 2 and a half years ago. By then I already had a few written ideas. After that, it’s been iterations and iterations of improvements, be it technical or visual. I just put in some hours now and then when the inspiration hit or when new ideas came up. Fox Renderfarm: What’s the most interesting or unforgettable thing during the process? Jonathan: For sure the learning side of it is the most interesting. For example, I had to learn how to actually build cloth, and shoes. Also, how many times you think you’re done and happy with, and keep finding ways to improve your assets. Fox Renderfarm: Have you met any difficulty in the creation? How did you overcome it? Jonathan: Yeah, naturally. Many different issues during all this time. The way to overcome it is to test, test and test. Also do a lot of solid research. Taking a day or two away from the problem is a really good technique too, given you have the time. Way too many times I found myself stuck in an issue, and I just needed a fresh look into it. Fox Renderfarm: The video is the milestone in your project, so what’s your next step for the project? Jonathan: Right now there’s a teaser/proof of concept on the works. The next step is to gather all the needed assets/rigs up to pace so the animation team can start with final animation. In the meantime there’s quite a bit of pipeline and other processes being developed as we go, as well as finishing with the rigging, recording of voices, music, touching up the edit, etc. André Jukebox © Jonathan W. Rodegher Fox Renderfarm: When did you encounter CG? Could you briefly tell us the story of your educational and work experience along your CG journey? Jonathan: I found a VFX school in Argentina, around 2001, and that was the first time I got the idea that I could actually work on it, in a user computer. Having always had the knack for drawing and animation, and also a huge interest in computers, I found that 3d animation was quite ideal. So I started there, with a very basic and informative 6 months training. And not too long after that, I started working on tv ads. Around that time, lucky for me, 3d animation was wildly popular for ads. Not too long after that I was working on animation full time. Fox Renderfarm: What do you do to enhance your professional skills? Jonathan: I’m usually keeping an eye open for any new training material I can come across. Especially if it comes from artists I admire/respect. The other thing that’s very important is to keep working on your stuff, and be brutally honest about your results. Your instincts are pretty good at telling you what you don’t wanna hear/see. Fox Renderfarm: Anyone or any artwork inspires you the most in this industry? Jonathan: Lately, I’ve found the work from Alberto Mielgo super interesting. His stuff looks amazing. Also, Zac Rets, his art direction is pretty stunning too. Fox Renderfarm: How do you feel about Fox Renderfarm’s cloud rendering services? Jonathan: It’s been a real pleasure to work with. Everyone seems eager to make the whole thing go as smoothly as possible, not to mention how friendly the attention is. If my project can afford it, it’s a no brainer! Fox Renderfarm: Any other things you wanna share with CG enthusiasts? Jonathan: Be humble, there’s at least one very very useful thing you can learn from anyone in the team. Also, take more time learning the fundamentals, I’ve seen a lack of this over the years. A software might take a couple of weeks to get used to, fundamentals? You’ll be perfecting forever. It’s the fastest way to make your work look really good.