Fox Renderfarm Evergreen Program in 2022

In the season of rebirth, renewal and awakening, Fox Renderfarm launched Evergreen Program as a time-limited offer to benefit more individual artists and SMEs, which in turn to prosper with the CG community as a whole hand in hand.If you're a newly-registered user in 2022, start your rendering journey with a special offer from Fox Renderfarm now! Evergreen Program SPECIAL OFFER：If you meet the conditions, you'll get a $50 Render Coupon and also the Gold Membership for 90 days!Valid from April 27th to July 31th (UTC+8).Details：- All the coupons offered will be validated before 12/ 31/ 2022As the leading cloud rendering service provider, Fox Renderfarm will provide safe and fast cloud render farm services for our customers and we always focus on the continuous progress and development of the CG community.

Revealing Mitosis Process with Cinema 4D

Initiated and organized by the best render farm Fox Renderfarm, FGT Art becomes a platform for all Fox Renderfarm users to show their impressive artworks and get awarded monthly. Fox Renderfarm is willing to support more creative artists and students. We are proud to announce the FGT Art February Winner, 2022 came to Dr. Thom Leach for his work “Mitosis”. Congratulations!Mitosis © Thom Leach Software & renderer used: Cinema 4D, Redshift, Adobe After Effects and Premiere ProDr. Thom’s award-winning artwork shows a mechanism that creates two identical daughter cells from a single parent cell. He introduced that during the progression, he tried to focus on the details of some key stages of mitosis, including interphase, prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase and telophase. The clips were rendered with Fox Renderfarm, the world-leading cloud rendering services provider. Thom Leach is a digital artist specializing in scientific visuals. He has a PhD in biotechnology (PhD, UoM) and has produced digital art in various forms for many years. Let's find out how he made the amazing artwork through the exclusive interview with Fox Renderfarm.!Dr. Thom LeachDr. Thom Leach Scientific Illustrator & Animator in Amoeba StudiosLondon, United Kingdom Fox Renderfarm: Hi Thom, thanks for accepting our interview, could you please introduce yourself?Thom: Hi there, I’m Thom Leach, a digital artist born in the UK who creates scientific animations and illustrations.!Mitosis © Thom Leach-4Mitosis © Thom Leach Fox Renderfarm: Congrats on winning the FGT Art February Winner, 2022! How do you feel about it?Thom: Thank you so much! I’m over the moon to be featured with you! I’ve used Fox Renderfarm for over a year now and have seen the great talents that your winning clients have. It’s an honor to be amongst them! Fox Renderfarm: How did you encounter CG? Could you share with us your educational and career experience?Thom: My background is actually very different from most people in the CG industry. I studied biotechnology and completed a PhD in the subject, but in the end, I decided that scientific research wasn’t for me. I’ve always had creative hobbies, including photography and music, so at that point, I searched for something creative within science. I started by offering basic 2D illustrations, but I gradually taught myself 3D techniques so that I could offer 3D illustrations and animations to clients too. Now, most of my work consists of 3D visuals and I really love how creativity is part of my everyday practice.!Mitosis © Thom LeachMitosis © Thom Leach Fox Renderfarm: What is your motivation for making science visuals?Thom: I’ve spent a lot of time in a scientific environment and I’ve really come to appreciate the work that scientists do each day. My work is all about showing the beauty in what they do, making it look cool, and making it easier to understand for people who don’t have the same background.I think science visuals are so important for public understanding: take an example, the illustrators Alissa Eckert and Dan Higgins who designed the SARS-CoV-2 illustration with the red spikes – this has been shared around the world and it’s given the public a better understanding of the virus we’re dealing with. Without illustrators and animators in this field, the information would be much denser and more difficult to understand.!SARS-CoV-2 illustration © Alissa Eckert & Dan HigginsSARS-CoV-2 illustration © Alissa Eckert & Dan Higgins Fox Renderfarm: Could you introduce some of your works of science visuals?Thom: Sure, one of the things I enjoy the most is designing covers for scientific journals like the examples below. For these illustrations, I usually use a combination of 3D software (Zbrush and Cinema 4D) and Photoshop. I love this type of work because each time you’re showing cutting-edge science that’s never been visualized in the same way before.Scientific journals' covers illustrated by Thom Leach (via: image.google.com)I’ve also recently been experimenting with C4D and seeing how far I can push simulations with X particles. I used this approach in March to give a unique representation of blood clotting to raise awareness of people living with bleeding disorders.Bleeding Disorders Awareness Month © Thom Leach Fox Renderfarm: What’s your inspiration for Mitosis?Thom: I created the animation Mitosis to show people something that happens inside the body that is essential for all human life on earth. It’s a process that connects us all, so I wanted to show that it’s fundamentally a beautiful thing. I used a lot of microscope images and scientific textbooks as my references to make the animation as scientifically accurate as possible. My biggest aim was to make something scientifically accurate for the audience and also looks beautiful.!Mitosis © Thom Leach-1Mitosis © Thom Leach Fox Renderfarm: How long did you finish the work?Thom: This animation took about 3 weeks in total while I was working on other projects at the same time. Fox Renderfarm: What software and plugins did you use for the animation?Thom: For the main part of the animation, I used Cinema 4D with the Redshift GPU render. I composited a background and extra effects onto the animation using Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro. Fox Renderfarm: Did you meet any difficulties when creating this work? And how did you solve it?Thom: Yes, at the start I simulated the chromosomes (X shapes) as soft-body simulations, which was too much for my computer to process. So instead, I changed these to hair simulations with added geometry, and this made the processing times much faster.!Mitosis © Thom Leach-3Mitosis © Thom Leach!Mitosis © Thom Leach-2Mitosis © Thom Leach Fox Renderfarm: How do you improve your CG professional skills?Thom: I regularly set myself challenges to animate a new scientific concept. Nearly every time I face new challenges that lead me to improve my CG skills. Usually I find the solutions on YouTube or online in forums – never underestimate how much free information there is. Fox Renderfarm: Any artworks or artists inspire you the most?Thom: In my work, I’m very inspired by the works of David Goodsell and Drew Berry, who visualize the inner workings of our cells so accurately and beautifully. There are few artists within this field who have been able to recreate microscopic worlds in the same way like these artists.CytoSkeleton © David S. Goodsell Fox Renderfarm: How do you feel about Fox Renderfarm’s cloud rendering services?Thom: I’m very happy to work with Fox Renderfarm on my projects. Rex was my first contact at your company and he always offered the best support when I needed it for my renders. Fox Renderfarm: Any other things you want to share with the CG enthusiasts?Thom: I think it’s so important to continually create and show your work to others. By creating regularly and giving yourself new challenges, you will learn skills that will set you apart from the rest. From my own experience, even if you don’t have a background in CG, you can still forge a successful career in CG. By applying your own unique background, you can also find your niche in this industry.

Interview with Squids Visual Arts, VFX Creator of the Vodafone x Salah Campaign

The legendary Mohamed Salah starred in a new Vodafone Egypt campaign themed “Our Strength in Encouragement”, showing the connectivity between the Egyptian people and the iconic football player in a fun way.Vodafone x Salah AD Fox Renderfarm, as a world-leading cloud render farm, is thrilled to have the chance to provide cloud rendering services to the amazing video by collaborating with Squids Visual Arts, a growing visual effects studio based in Cairo, Egypt, and also the pivotal vfx creator in the short.Vodafone Salah | VFX BreakdownMr. Yousef Taher, Owner and Co-founder of Squids Visual Arts had an in-depth conversation with Fox Renderfarm, revealing details of the ad, and sharing with us their endless pursuit of high-end output using top-notch technologies and techniques in Squids Visual Arts. Yousef TaherOwner & Co-founder Squids Visual Arts Fox Renderfarm: Hi Yousef, thank you so much for accepting our interview! Could you briefly introduce yourself?Yousef: I am a 3D artist with more than 12 years of experience. I have spent most of my career time experimenting different aspects in the industry, from modeling/texturing/lighting/rigging/animation/FX/previs and layout/compositing. For 3 years I have been focusing exclusively on FX and been featured on CGrecords and 3D total as well as Cebas thinking particles website. Then later now, I have been extensively focusing on 3D cinematic lighting and camera work as well as screenplay writing and directing. Now I have proudly founded Squids VFX with my other two partners 6 years ago. Our studio specializes in creating state of the art visual effects for TVC, dramas and feature films.Demo Reel | Compositing | Squids VFX Fox Renderfarm: The Vodafone Ad Campaign is so fun and creative. Could you share with us which part of the production that you are in charge of?Yousef: I was responsible for supervising the 3D Department, starting from creating a proper workflow to Assets LookDev. Along with the team leader and the rest of the very talented artists, we were able to create believable 3D renders that perfectly blend with the live action footage. Fox Renderfarm: When creating the campaign, did you meet any difficulty? How did you solve it?Yousef: Yes, of course we did face one big challenge which was the render time vs. the deadline. But thanks to Fox Renderfarm we were able to deliver 47 full CG shots in only 4 days. Fox Renderfarm: You are the partner of Squids VFX studio, could you share with us your story with Squids VFX?Yousef: Me and my partners have been working as CG supervisors for other big studios in Cairo for about 7 years. The three of us gained valuable experience in the industry, an experience that had a lot of achievements as well as frustrations. We thought that this is the perfect timing to start our studio with our own values and ambitions. and that was the start of our journey that has a lot of challenges to overcome. Fox Renderfarm: Squids VFX has been involved in the production of many movies and TV series, which of them is your most unforgettable one?Yousef: I remember in 2016 and 2017 we had three big projects with hundreds of challenging scenes. It was the Movie “30 Years Ago” and the Drama “Wanoos”as well as “Adly Allam”. We had very few artists at that time, and delivering those challenging scenes was almost a mission impossible. However, it was really fun to see amazing results coming out by just 5 artists on board.Teaser | 30 Years AgoBreakdown Reel | Wanoos | Squids VFXBreakdown | Adly Allam | Squids VFX Fox Renderfarm: Squids VFX also provides mind-blowing VFX to the advertising industry. What is your most unforgettable case? What did you think is the key to make the vfx in an ad pop up and assist the ad to convey its key message?Yousef: We worked on “Etisalat” TVC back in 2021, the required brief was really fun and interesting. However, the deadline was unforgiving. Despite this, we were able to create various static and animated assets, creatures, saucers, flaming meteors and mechs. We were very keen to carefully craft the details in each asset whether by modeling or through texturing. But we have all agreed that “details are what make the difference”. Breakdown Reel | Etisalat | Squids VFX Fox Renderfarm: As a partner for Squids VFX, what did you do to optimize the communication and cooperation to enhance the production efficiency?Yousef: Checkpoints were the primary key to ultimate productivity. whether those checkpoints are intended to follow up with the artists in-house or for the clients. It does put everyone on track and keep us perfectly aligned on the same page. instant feedback is what completes this process, it saves a lot of time that could be wasted with no use. Fox Renderfarm: How did you encounter CG? Could you briefly share with us your educational and work experience?Yousef: I studied directing for TV and got my bachelor degree in 2010. However, I have been professionally working in this career even before. My passion for creating moving elements have dictated me to dive deep into motion graphics for sometime, later, a vicious appetite for Film visual effects ate me from inside, I was working very hard to promote myself for big studios creating VFX for block-busters. In 2009 I was able to join one of those big studios and I was able to get myself credited in the movie “Zahaymer” and many other films after. !Poster of ZahaymerPoster of Zahaymer Fox Renderfarm: You also provided new techniques in the field of 3D animation by innovating your own facial motion capture techniques and rigging tricks. Could you introduce these new techniques to us?Yousef: Yes !! That was so much fun. A really long time ago, I was fascinated by mocap tech, especially facial capture. At that time it was really expensive to own the hardware and the software. So I came up with a manual offline solution, basically is to track points over a face using regular tracking softwares like syntheyes and then create an advanced facial rig in 3ds Max that is able to read those tracking points using a script that I have created, and attach them to the facial bones. it did drive the animation like a charm. It was tedious but totally worth trying. I think it was really cool at that time before things got really easy just using an iphone to capture movement in real-time. Fox Renderfarm: Any artist or artwork inspires you the most?Yousef: Of course, several artists do inspire me always.Tyson Ibele is my one true hero, he is insanely clever in all disciplines. The same is Ian Hubert. one new favorite artist is Oleg Vdovenko, known as “Chuvabak” . Just crazy good.!Tyson Ibele© Tyson IbeleEpisode 1 : Salad Mug - DYNAMO DREAM | Ian HubertwILL | Oleg Vdovenko Fox Renderfarm: What’s the next step for both you and Squids VFX?Yousef: We are now working on several projects that have extensive VFX work, really challenging projects. we are putting very high hopes to make it look stunning. The next big step is producing our own content. We are now working on our first production, a CG short that is mind bending. It will be a true breakthrough for Squids. Fox Renderfarm: How do you feel about the cloud rendering services of Fox Renderfarm?Yousef: Fox Renderfarm is a true lifesaver. Working on heavy projects simultaneously is not easy. Rendering them out will definitely clog your local farm. When you are under the stress of delivering within the unforgiving deadlines, things might go wrong. Fox Renderfarm is equipped with thousands of monster machines that are able to output shots like a shredder, enabling us to output several shots in parallel in no time. In a nutshell, because of Fox Renderfarm, being stressed about rendering is no more. Fox Renderfarm: Is there anything else you want to share with the CG enthusiast?Yousef: I know a lot of artists out there are working on their own projects and are concerned about cloud rendering being expensive, It is NOT. It is actually much cheaper to use it than building your own local farm. don’t be afraid and give it a shot, your work will come out to light much faster ;).