Episode 471 - Chris MacLean - Overall VFX Supervisor, “Foundation”

Dan Ring is an expert in empowering VFX artists with cutting-edge research. He began his 20-year career by creating tech to analyze surgery videos (so that no one else would have to), then moved to Foundry to develop CopyCat, the Nuke machine-learning tool that applies corrections to sequences based on a small number of frames. Now, Dan has joined Chaos to help implement machine learning in its visualization products. In this conversation with Chris, Dan covers just about every aspect of modern CG, including generative AI, Gaussian Splats and NeRFs, the surprising VFX roles that AI might not replace, and the steps Chaos is taking to ensure users have access to helpful but unintrusive tools that are ethically sound.

Phil Galler is a true virtual production guru. From the nuts and bolts of LED screens to the 3D software that provides the imagery to the business decisions and financial trends that help fund this new wave of VFX filmmaking, Phil understands it all. In this podcast, Phil talks about his history in virtual production, beginning with the innovative projections used to make Oblivion’s sets come to life and continually evolving the tech via Tomorrowland, House of Cards, Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Mandalorian, and Bullet Train. Never one to sit still, Phil is leveraging his knowledge of real-time solutions and content to help define the next generation of storytellers. Phil’s holistic understanding of digital entertainment makes this podcast a must-listen.

Chris MacLean’s incredible career in VFX has transported him from documentaries on Cretaceous dinosaurs to the far-flung future for Foundation, Apple TV+’s bold adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s genre-defining sci-fi novels. Along the way, Chris has created and supervised VFX for movies and TV series, including Crimson Peak, Godless, American Gods, Resident Evil, and many more. Having worked his way up from artist to second-unit director, Chris has a unique perspective on filmmaking and how the crew comes together. Chris also talks about making Foundation, including how they found the series’ extraterrestrial locations here on Earth, avoided blue screens, and even digitally simulated the vintage lenses used on the physical shoot. Chris also shares his informed perspectives on new technology, including Gaussian Splatting, in-camera VFX, and AI.

Hugo Guerra is the dictionary definition of multitasking. Having taken his eye for compositing into directing short films and commercials, and supervising VFX, Hugo fills his spare time with producing content for his successful YouTube channel and recording the VFX Notes podcast with Ian Failes. If that’s not enough, he’s also produced a cookbook with his wife. Hugo talks about his early career in Portugal and how he took his love for movies into short films, and then compositing and directing. He also tells you why you need to go on-set, talks about the benefits of teaching, gives his thoughts on AI and “invisible” CGI, and reveals the inner workings of YouTube.  

As Chris is tied up with a really cool Chaos project, we’re revisiting some of the older episodes of the CG Garage podcast. And we’re starting big with true luminaries of Hollywood revealing how they got their projects off the ground. First up is Doug Trumbull, the 2001: A Space Odyssey VFX genius who went on to direct Silent Running and continually innovated Hollywood motion picture technology. Recorded shortly before his death in 2022, Doug talks about getting Brainstorm made and gives a prescient perspective on home theater. We follow with a seminal live show that celebrated the podcast’s 100th episode with a pair of VFX experts turned blockbuster directors: Joe Kosinski and Tim Miller. Recorded at Gnomon School, Joe talks about how he leveled up Tron: Legacy and brought Oblivion’s stunning visuals to life, while Tim talks Deadpool and reveals some of the interesting choices that led to the beloved but very R-rated superhero movie.

With V-Ray 6 for Maya and Houdini, update 2, Chaos adds an important feature to its powerful renderer: MaterialX support. With this addition, artists and studios can seamlessly use materials across different DCCs and get identical results, removing many of the pain points of increasingly complicated modern 3D pipelines. In this podcast, V-Ray for Maya Product Manager Alex Yolov and V-Ray for Houdini Product Manager Gosho Genchev reveal how they’ve worked with studios to implement MaterialX in the latest software updates. They also tackle some frequently asked questions about MaterialX, such as how it works and whether it can be used with existing projects, and they reveal some of the additional features that have recently been added to V-Ray.  

Over his 30-year career, Julian Levi has produced VFX for Hollywood movies, beginning with Braveheart, moving into O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Day After Tomorrow (with Chris), Speed Racer, X-Men: First Class, Prometheus, and many more. Most recently, he helped director Gareth Edwards bring the world of The Creator to life, earning four VES awards and a VFX Oscar nomination in the process. Julian talks about how The Creator marks a return to the guerilla-style sci-fi Gareth pioneered with his debut, Monsters, utilizing cheaper cameras and preferring real-world locales over sets. Julian reveals how Gareth’s background as a VFX artist also means that he understands where corners can be cut while delivering awe-inspiring shots, and he shares his thoughts on how the industry is changing. 

Archviz artists love Chaos Corona. This renderer has become a go-to for visualizing everything from compact kitchens to sky-scraping towers, giving users stunning results straight out of the box. But what’s on the horizon for this popular renderer? In this podcast, Product Manager Tom Grimes discusses what makes Chaos Corona a popular choice for the architecture industry and how its philosophy differs from other renderers such as V-Ray. He also talks about the software’s future and plans to make it an integral part of the Chaos ecosphere, as well as how it’s getting real-time functionality via Chaos Vantage.  

Tram Le-Jones has an eye for detail, a people-centric personality, and a passion for computer science — making her perfect for VFX production roles. After getting a job on The Matrix Revolutions via craigslist (no, really), she became a sought-after coordinator and then moved into producing VFX for movies including Spider-Man 3, Tower Heist, and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, as well as commercials, moving from west to east coast and back again along the way. Having served on the front line of VFX, Tram has taken her expertise into project management software for media and entertainment, starting with Autodesk’s Shotgrid and moving to Backlight’s ftrack. Tram talks through her fascinating career, from lugging huge CRTs around Digital Domain’s office, to working with Spike Jonze on his short film “I’m Here,” to the challenges of integrating cutting-edge virtual production technology into traditional VFX pipelines.  

VFX visualization might just be the closest you can get to being a film director without stepping behind the camera. This technology has become a key part of the VFX process, with previz storyboarding growing into pitchviz (to get movies greenlit), techviz (to figure out logistics), and postviz (to create temporary VFX). It’s an area Casey Pyke has become an expert in via his role at Halon Entertainment, which has helped visualize movies including The Batman, Pinnochio, Argylle, and John Wick: Chapter 4. Casey breaks down how the technology required for visualization differs from that for VFX — speed is of the essence, but looking good is increasingly important. He also talks about how his background as an amateur filmmaker helped him understand what directors want and the satisfaction of recognising his work on the big screen. Casey concludes with his experiences using LED walls and AI tools in visualization pipelines.