How would you do realistic auto exposure?
I use Maya, Redshift and Nuke.
First of all, I’m not sure if it’s better to do it in my 3D render or in comp. Second, is there a way to enable some kind of auto exposure setting, or will it always have to be manually keyframed?
What I need specifically for my shot, is when the camera turns to a massive bright window, the frame should get overexposed for a couple seconds. Again though, I want this to feel completely natural and realistic, not key framed. What’s the preferred way to do this?
https://redd.it/1q0mexq
@vfxbackup
I use Maya, Redshift and Nuke.
First of all, I’m not sure if it’s better to do it in my 3D render or in comp. Second, is there a way to enable some kind of auto exposure setting, or will it always have to be manually keyframed?
What I need specifically for my shot, is when the camera turns to a massive bright window, the frame should get overexposed for a couple seconds. Again though, I want this to feel completely natural and realistic, not key framed. What’s the preferred way to do this?
https://redd.it/1q0mexq
@vfxbackup
Reddit
From the vfx community on Reddit
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Frames of 2025: A Retrospective (USA)
Hello,
I have been a long time lurker and decided it was finally time to be a Reddit participant to kick off the upcoming new year. I have been a VFX artist since 2010 and my tolerance for the machinations of this industry has reached... critical levels, I guess. Unbeknownst to a lot of my colleagues, I have spent most of my life being incredibly sad for reasons I have just started to discover through therapy. I still refuse to mention anything I struggle with to my supes, HR (cuz fuck 'em), and managers. I feel like people don't really care and that is okay.
I am fortunate enough to have been mostly employed through these past several years. I try my best to remind myself of that. I understand a lot of people haven't been so lucky. I guess something I have learned from this industry and growing older is that it doesn't hurt to be more empathetic. I believe we all could be a bit kinder (myself included). The discourse over AI VFX and people in or out of the industry having very strong opinions about "crossing the picket line" (as if it existed in the first place) has got me feeling super sad. Yeah, I am talking about the Meta job. I am ambivalent about the morals of taking the job. I understand people's fears about "training our replacement." However, bills have to get paid too.
This past year, I have been trying to get into various trade unions. I thought I would give it a go because I kept reading about the trades needing more people and that is true! Unions do need apprentices. You absolutely do not need experience. However, here is the thing... it really depends on the area. HCOL cities have big demand, but also a huge pool of potential apprentices and most of the people these unions will accept are people with previous construction experience (lol). For example, my local accepted around 600+ new apprentices this year and over 80% of them had some sort of construction background. This has been my experience though and I still encourage people to apply, especially if you can survive the first few years on a reduced wage.
Before this post gets too long: I am done with VFX. I am out. I have become a laborer for commercial buildings. Office Space has aged like fine wine because like Seinfeld... it has become incredibly relatable as I have become older, holy shit. I almost spit my drink out when I remembered Peter ALSO becomes a laborer, finally at peace. What was it again? Something something... time is a flat circle... haha.
In conclusion, I am much happier than I was starting out this year. Constantly experiencing burnout after shortish gigs was a big wake up call. For anyone who does care, getting on the right meds has made dramatic changes for me (in a good way). I have got to travel a lot because of this job and it has been one of the few positive experiences for me in VFX. I met the only girl I've ever loved abroad (it didn't work out but I wish her the best). I also got to meet some really rad people. I am also sorry to anyone I have been very judgmental with (even if it is absolutely true you do too much ass kissing during dailies). I hope only the best for y'all. Rock on peoples and happy new year :)
https://redd.it/1q0r756
@vfxbackup
Hello,
I have been a long time lurker and decided it was finally time to be a Reddit participant to kick off the upcoming new year. I have been a VFX artist since 2010 and my tolerance for the machinations of this industry has reached... critical levels, I guess. Unbeknownst to a lot of my colleagues, I have spent most of my life being incredibly sad for reasons I have just started to discover through therapy. I still refuse to mention anything I struggle with to my supes, HR (cuz fuck 'em), and managers. I feel like people don't really care and that is okay.
I am fortunate enough to have been mostly employed through these past several years. I try my best to remind myself of that. I understand a lot of people haven't been so lucky. I guess something I have learned from this industry and growing older is that it doesn't hurt to be more empathetic. I believe we all could be a bit kinder (myself included). The discourse over AI VFX and people in or out of the industry having very strong opinions about "crossing the picket line" (as if it existed in the first place) has got me feeling super sad. Yeah, I am talking about the Meta job. I am ambivalent about the morals of taking the job. I understand people's fears about "training our replacement." However, bills have to get paid too.
This past year, I have been trying to get into various trade unions. I thought I would give it a go because I kept reading about the trades needing more people and that is true! Unions do need apprentices. You absolutely do not need experience. However, here is the thing... it really depends on the area. HCOL cities have big demand, but also a huge pool of potential apprentices and most of the people these unions will accept are people with previous construction experience (lol). For example, my local accepted around 600+ new apprentices this year and over 80% of them had some sort of construction background. This has been my experience though and I still encourage people to apply, especially if you can survive the first few years on a reduced wage.
Before this post gets too long: I am done with VFX. I am out. I have become a laborer for commercial buildings. Office Space has aged like fine wine because like Seinfeld... it has become incredibly relatable as I have become older, holy shit. I almost spit my drink out when I remembered Peter ALSO becomes a laborer, finally at peace. What was it again? Something something... time is a flat circle... haha.
In conclusion, I am much happier than I was starting out this year. Constantly experiencing burnout after shortish gigs was a big wake up call. For anyone who does care, getting on the right meds has made dramatic changes for me (in a good way). I have got to travel a lot because of this job and it has been one of the few positive experiences for me in VFX. I met the only girl I've ever loved abroad (it didn't work out but I wish her the best). I also got to meet some really rad people. I am also sorry to anyone I have been very judgmental with (even if it is absolutely true you do too much ass kissing during dailies). I hope only the best for y'all. Rock on peoples and happy new year :)
https://redd.it/1q0r756
@vfxbackup
Reddit
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It seems that the quality of visual effects and CGI in Stranger Things Season 5 have changed compared to previous seasons.
There are criticisms in the latest season with regards to the visual effects especially the part where Max is running towards the light. I have also the same criticism as well in the Will Byers flashback in the first episode where he is being chased by Demogorgons. I also just learned that there is a change of visual effects supervisors in the latest season (Betsy Paterson replaced Michael Maher who have done the previous seasons). And based on the VFX Breakdowns and Art of VFX website, Weta FX and ILM (I think that these are their first time working in the series) are doing most of the heavy lifting than companies like Rodeo FX and Scanline VFX that already have previous experiences in the series. Additionally, it seemed like they are pretty much reliant on blue screens based on their BTS videos compared to the previous seasons.
https://redd.it/1q0wlre
@vfxbackup
There are criticisms in the latest season with regards to the visual effects especially the part where Max is running towards the light. I have also the same criticism as well in the Will Byers flashback in the first episode where he is being chased by Demogorgons. I also just learned that there is a change of visual effects supervisors in the latest season (Betsy Paterson replaced Michael Maher who have done the previous seasons). And based on the VFX Breakdowns and Art of VFX website, Weta FX and ILM (I think that these are their first time working in the series) are doing most of the heavy lifting than companies like Rodeo FX and Scanline VFX that already have previous experiences in the series. Additionally, it seemed like they are pretty much reliant on blue screens based on their BTS videos compared to the previous seasons.
https://redd.it/1q0wlre
@vfxbackup
Reddit
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My 2025 VFX and Animation Reel!
https://youtu.be/JfyEbRi3fyU?si=4uVleDG_FMU4eVVt
https://redd.it/1q0yw5n
@vfxbackup
https://youtu.be/JfyEbRi3fyU?si=4uVleDG_FMU4eVVt
https://redd.it/1q0yw5n
@vfxbackup
YouTube
MC PRODUCTIONS' VFX/ Animation Reel 2025
Hope you all enjoyed the video!
Make sure to like, share, and subscribe!
Subscribe To My Second Channel!
@MCPOSTPRODYT
Videos Featured in Order of Appearance:
https://youtube.com/shorts/FqBQtr5VY6s?si=HohtOwvmAkPVRYuM
https://youtu.be/nimFvhkbrR4?si=iUbotS2QnoaCxPD5…
Make sure to like, share, and subscribe!
Subscribe To My Second Channel!
@MCPOSTPRODYT
Videos Featured in Order of Appearance:
https://youtube.com/shorts/FqBQtr5VY6s?si=HohtOwvmAkPVRYuM
https://youtu.be/nimFvhkbrR4?si=iUbotS2QnoaCxPD5…
Higgsfield Cinema Studio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-dL-hzCP2s
https://redd.it/1q1293e
@vfxbackup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-dL-hzCP2s
https://redd.it/1q1293e
@vfxbackup
YouTube
Hollywood Is Officially TERRIFIED of This AI | Higgsfield Cinema Studio
🚀 TRY HIGGSFIELD CINEMA STUDIO: https://higgsfield.ai/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=cinema_studio
Finally, the era of morphing AI videos is over. Today, I’m showing you how to stop typing “Cinematic” into your prompts and start actually directing.…
Finally, the era of morphing AI videos is over. Today, I’m showing you how to stop typing “Cinematic” into your prompts and start actually directing.…
New post production scheduling tool
Hey all!
For the past 10 years, I’ve worked as a post producer at a small post house focused on commercial work (no heavy VFX), with access to offline editors, online editors, sound designers, and colorists. During that time, I’ve been looking for a planning tool that’s simple enough for resource booking and scheduling, but still properly adapted to our industry.
I’ve tried tools like Farmers Wife (Cirkus), Toggl Plan, Float, Resource Guru, Sonderplan, etc. Some were far too complex, others too expensive, and some simply had very poor interfaces.
In the end, I decided to build my own tool. I’ve been using it internally for a while, it’s worked really well for me, and I’ve now decided to share it.
Here’s a short summary of the core features that were important to me and that I’ve built into the tool:
Resource booking - This was the most important part for me: a timeline where different resources can be grouped, with drag-and-drop booking, copy/paste, and quick adjustments. You can also link rooms to specific bookings and immediately see which rooms are available. This has worked especially well for setups where you have resources, but no permanently assigned rooms.
Reporting - To keep track of project margins, how much I’m actually earning per project, and whether I’m booking more time than what was originally quoted.
Schedule export - To avoid maintaining two separate schedules, each project has a dynamic timeline that can be exported as a PDF and sent directly to the client.
Calendar synchronization -I work with a lot of freelancers that I want included in the system. I’ve built a two-way calendar subnoscription that lets me see when a freelancer is booked in their private calendar. I can’t see what the booking is — it just shows as “Booked” (time only). It also works the other way around, so freelancers get my bookings directly in their own calendars.
It’s free to try and use at: https://postlane.io
Alex
https://redd.it/1q1ckwz
@vfxbackup
Hey all!
For the past 10 years, I’ve worked as a post producer at a small post house focused on commercial work (no heavy VFX), with access to offline editors, online editors, sound designers, and colorists. During that time, I’ve been looking for a planning tool that’s simple enough for resource booking and scheduling, but still properly adapted to our industry.
I’ve tried tools like Farmers Wife (Cirkus), Toggl Plan, Float, Resource Guru, Sonderplan, etc. Some were far too complex, others too expensive, and some simply had very poor interfaces.
In the end, I decided to build my own tool. I’ve been using it internally for a while, it’s worked really well for me, and I’ve now decided to share it.
Here’s a short summary of the core features that were important to me and that I’ve built into the tool:
Resource booking - This was the most important part for me: a timeline where different resources can be grouped, with drag-and-drop booking, copy/paste, and quick adjustments. You can also link rooms to specific bookings and immediately see which rooms are available. This has worked especially well for setups where you have resources, but no permanently assigned rooms.
Reporting - To keep track of project margins, how much I’m actually earning per project, and whether I’m booking more time than what was originally quoted.
Schedule export - To avoid maintaining two separate schedules, each project has a dynamic timeline that can be exported as a PDF and sent directly to the client.
Calendar synchronization -I work with a lot of freelancers that I want included in the system. I’ve built a two-way calendar subnoscription that lets me see when a freelancer is booked in their private calendar. I can’t see what the booking is — it just shows as “Booked” (time only). It also works the other way around, so freelancers get my bookings directly in their own calendars.
It’s free to try and use at: https://postlane.io
Alex
https://redd.it/1q1ckwz
@vfxbackup
postlane.io
Post Lane - Resource Planning for Post-Production
Purpose-built scheduling software for post-production studios. Manage editors, colorists, suites, and project margins.
Any advice or tutorial recommendation on how to make this texture (Arnold, Vray)?
https://preview.redd.it/t7vjtaeckvag1.jpg?width=740&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e78db95a0ac421b4c5a22818a48b33b0aaeacf1
https://redd.it/1q1qn1n
@vfxbackup
https://preview.redd.it/t7vjtaeckvag1.jpg?width=740&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0e78db95a0ac421b4c5a22818a48b33b0aaeacf1
https://redd.it/1q1qn1n
@vfxbackup
Avatar Comp Workflow.
Hey I just watched Avatar in a theatre and was super impressed. I am just wondering if any compers are willing to divulge a bit about your process I have some detailed questions also. Thanks.
Was it all rendered in Deep? My last gigs were with DNEG and we were going all the way with rendering everything in DEEEP. Which honestly I loved because it we could combine an amazing array of layers and all the holdouts were automatic, and we could still edit depth. BUT SO much of your time spent futzing with the depth of atmosphere etc. So in the end of my comp career there I was only working on like 2 shots at a time because they were SO heavy to work with, and the day seemed to be spent trying to fight all your precomps through the farm in time for dailies, and never quite hitting all the notes bc there was so much competition for processing. I really stopped enjoying comp in this era. Was such a slog to get anything done. Have things improved on the deep comp pipeline at WETA that is way better than what DNGEG has? BC DNEG was hell for waiting.
Just wondering if the process felt very dialed in and the templates and comp supervision was really efficient. Was there an auto-comp to build your first pass etc. Or was it all heavily massaged and lots of back and fourth?
Just asking because as a viewer who used to work in comp, I was utterly shocked at how realistic and consistent it was. Was that due to a finely tuned pipeline or was it pulled together with a lot of manual labor and endless arguing in dailies?
https://redd.it/1q1tpa4
@vfxbackup
Hey I just watched Avatar in a theatre and was super impressed. I am just wondering if any compers are willing to divulge a bit about your process I have some detailed questions also. Thanks.
Was it all rendered in Deep? My last gigs were with DNEG and we were going all the way with rendering everything in DEEEP. Which honestly I loved because it we could combine an amazing array of layers and all the holdouts were automatic, and we could still edit depth. BUT SO much of your time spent futzing with the depth of atmosphere etc. So in the end of my comp career there I was only working on like 2 shots at a time because they were SO heavy to work with, and the day seemed to be spent trying to fight all your precomps through the farm in time for dailies, and never quite hitting all the notes bc there was so much competition for processing. I really stopped enjoying comp in this era. Was such a slog to get anything done. Have things improved on the deep comp pipeline at WETA that is way better than what DNGEG has? BC DNEG was hell for waiting.
Just wondering if the process felt very dialed in and the templates and comp supervision was really efficient. Was there an auto-comp to build your first pass etc. Or was it all heavily massaged and lots of back and fourth?
Just asking because as a viewer who used to work in comp, I was utterly shocked at how realistic and consistent it was. Was that due to a finely tuned pipeline or was it pulled together with a lot of manual labor and endless arguing in dailies?
https://redd.it/1q1tpa4
@vfxbackup
Reddit
From the vfx community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the vfx community
I wanted to see if I could both make a virtual production film and also re-capture the enjoyment and spontaneity I had making films when I was young. This was the result.
https://youtu.be/NC82kq4c1bs
https://redd.it/1q1vgh3
@vfxbackup
https://youtu.be/NC82kq4c1bs
https://redd.it/1q1vgh3
@vfxbackup
YouTube
I REMADE My Childhood Zombie Film With UNREAL ENGINE
Make your dream film with the Virtual Filmmaker's Playbook:
https://boundless-resource.com/playbook-training
https://boundless-resource.com/playbook-training
How do i remove a sticker from a video?
I have a video of me as a baby walking my first steps and when me and my siblings were like 11 years old my brother edited the video put some smiley sticker on like a corner of the video and deleted the original version and now the video is ruined. Is there a way to remove the sticker but so that the video looks like there was nothing there before i dont want it to be like a hole there...
https://redd.it/1q1xnmm
@vfxbackup
I have a video of me as a baby walking my first steps and when me and my siblings were like 11 years old my brother edited the video put some smiley sticker on like a corner of the video and deleted the original version and now the video is ruined. Is there a way to remove the sticker but so that the video looks like there was nothing there before i dont want it to be like a hole there...
https://redd.it/1q1xnmm
@vfxbackup
Reddit
From the vfx community on Reddit
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An upcoming dark fantasy roguelike RPG inspired by classical literature
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4D9R_C3_kA
https://redd.it/1q25j5d
@vfxbackup
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4D9R_C3_kA
https://redd.it/1q25j5d
@vfxbackup
YouTube
Shattered Paradise (Lore Teaser) - Yaldabaoth, the Blind God
Lore Teaser for Shattered Paradise, an upcoming dark fantasy roguelike RPG inspired by classical literature and forbidden theology.
Retrace Dante’s path through Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise, battling horrors, rewriting fate, and uncovering the truth…
Retrace Dante’s path through Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise, battling horrors, rewriting fate, and uncovering the truth…
What is the absolute "BOSS" local hardware setup for high-end VFX? (No Budget Limit)
Hey guys,
I’m working on a project exploring the "pinnacle" of VFX hardware. Excluding the typical home-office or "budget-friendly" builds, I want to look at what the "big boys" actually use—or what an artist would build if they were given a blank check to replicate a studio-grade environment locally.
The Scenario:
Budget: No limit (within the realm of reality—no supercomputers like El Capitan).
Architecture: Closed system. No Cloud/AWS/Azure dependency. Everything is processed locally.
Workstation: A single "God-tier" desktop/workstation.
Storage: Local high-speed server storage allowed.
Longevity: Must hold up to 2026+ industry demands (8K+ plates, heavy sims, real-time lighting).
Availability: These do not have to be off-the-shelf components available via consumer retailers. Enterprise B2B hardware open game.
The Question: If you were building a workstation for an artist at ILM, Digital Domain, Sony Imageworks, or Lola VFX, what are the specs?
I’m talking:
CPU: Are we looking at the latest Threadripper Pro 9000WX series or Dual-Xeon Sapphire Rapids?
GPU: Dual or Quad NVIDIA RTX 6000 Blackwells (96GB VRAM)? Or is the consumer RTX 5090 actually preferred for raw speed?
RAM: 512GB+ of DDR5 ECC?
Storage: What does a "boss" local NVMe RAID look like? (e.g., VAST Data or Dell PowerScale local racks?)
Networking & Data Pipe: 8K uncompressed playback, 100GbE SFP28 fiber (using ConnectX-6/7 NICs) or is 200GbE+ standard? Any 400GbE+ ConnectX-8 users yet? NVMe-oF or specific All-Flash RAID (like WEKA or Pure Storage)?
Monitoring: Eizo? Flanders Scientific? What’s the standard for final color?
I’d love to hear from anyone working at these shops—what is the "Holy Grail" machine that sits under your desk (or in the rack room)?
Odd Ball: I'm a Mac guy, but know they're limited in certain areas. I'm personally interested in any scenarios where a Mac(s) can be incorporated. Something like dual Mac Studio M3 Ultras (512gb RAM 16TB SSDs) paired/clustered with 1 or 2 baddass GPUs? (assume we can double or triple TB5 speeds😉)
https://redd.it/1q28qk4
@vfxbackup
Hey guys,
I’m working on a project exploring the "pinnacle" of VFX hardware. Excluding the typical home-office or "budget-friendly" builds, I want to look at what the "big boys" actually use—or what an artist would build if they were given a blank check to replicate a studio-grade environment locally.
The Scenario:
Budget: No limit (within the realm of reality—no supercomputers like El Capitan).
Architecture: Closed system. No Cloud/AWS/Azure dependency. Everything is processed locally.
Workstation: A single "God-tier" desktop/workstation.
Storage: Local high-speed server storage allowed.
Longevity: Must hold up to 2026+ industry demands (8K+ plates, heavy sims, real-time lighting).
Availability: These do not have to be off-the-shelf components available via consumer retailers. Enterprise B2B hardware open game.
The Question: If you were building a workstation for an artist at ILM, Digital Domain, Sony Imageworks, or Lola VFX, what are the specs?
I’m talking:
CPU: Are we looking at the latest Threadripper Pro 9000WX series or Dual-Xeon Sapphire Rapids?
GPU: Dual or Quad NVIDIA RTX 6000 Blackwells (96GB VRAM)? Or is the consumer RTX 5090 actually preferred for raw speed?
RAM: 512GB+ of DDR5 ECC?
Storage: What does a "boss" local NVMe RAID look like? (e.g., VAST Data or Dell PowerScale local racks?)
Networking & Data Pipe: 8K uncompressed playback, 100GbE SFP28 fiber (using ConnectX-6/7 NICs) or is 200GbE+ standard? Any 400GbE+ ConnectX-8 users yet? NVMe-oF or specific All-Flash RAID (like WEKA or Pure Storage)?
Monitoring: Eizo? Flanders Scientific? What’s the standard for final color?
I’d love to hear from anyone working at these shops—what is the "Holy Grail" machine that sits under your desk (or in the rack room)?
Odd Ball: I'm a Mac guy, but know they're limited in certain areas. I'm personally interested in any scenarios where a Mac(s) can be incorporated. Something like dual Mac Studio M3 Ultras (512gb RAM 16TB SSDs) paired/clustered with 1 or 2 baddass GPUs? (assume we can double or triple TB5 speeds😉)
https://redd.it/1q28qk4
@vfxbackup
Reddit
From the vfx community on Reddit
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Rotoscoping & Paint Cleanup | Film / Commercial Work support
Hope you're all doing well.
I handle Rotoscoping, Paint Cleanup, and Chroma Keying for film and commercial projects, and I’m currently open to taking on new shots. I focus on delivering clean, stable mattes (no chatter or fringing), along with consistent wire/rig/marker removal and edge refinement where required keeping outputs production ready and workflow friendly.
Software: Silhouette, Mocha, Nuke, After Effects
Capacity: Individual + small team support available
Before confirming any project, I usually take a short test shot to align on edge preference and delivery structure it helps both sides stay in sync from the start.
If you’d like to discuss a shot, feel free to share a reference frame or brief.
Happy to talk workflow and requirements.
https://redd.it/1q27i9j
@vfxbackup
Hope you're all doing well.
I handle Rotoscoping, Paint Cleanup, and Chroma Keying for film and commercial projects, and I’m currently open to taking on new shots. I focus on delivering clean, stable mattes (no chatter or fringing), along with consistent wire/rig/marker removal and edge refinement where required keeping outputs production ready and workflow friendly.
Software: Silhouette, Mocha, Nuke, After Effects
Capacity: Individual + small team support available
Before confirming any project, I usually take a short test shot to align on edge preference and delivery structure it helps both sides stay in sync from the start.
If you’d like to discuss a shot, feel free to share a reference frame or brief.
Happy to talk workflow and requirements.
https://redd.it/1q27i9j
@vfxbackup
Reddit
From the vfx community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the vfx community