Episode 449 - Kyle Balda - Co-Director, “Minions: The Rise of Gru” & “Despicable Me 3”
Release Date: 10/30/2023
Episode 471 - Chris MacLean - Overall VFX Supervisor, “Foundation”
CG Garage
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...
info_outline
Episode 470 - Hugo Guerra - Director, VFX Supervisor, YouTuber, & Podcaster
CG Garage
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...
info_outline
Episode 469 - Doug Trumbull, Joe Kosinski & Tim Miller Revisited
CG Garage
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...
info_outline
Episode 468 - Alex Yolov & Gosho Genchev — Product Managers, V-Ray for Maya & Houdini
CG Garage
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...
info_outline
Episode 467 - Julian Levi - VFX Producer, “The Creator”
CG Garage
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...
info_outline
Episode 466 - Tom Grimes - Product Manager, Chaos Corona
CG Garage
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...
info_outline
Episode 465 - Tram Le-Jones - Vice President Solutions - Creative, Backlight
CG Garage
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...
info_outline
Episode 464 - Casey Pyke - Visualization Supervisor, Halon Entertainment
CG Garage
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...
info_outline
Episode 463 - Richard Crudo, ASC - Cinematographer & Director
CG Garage
Richard Crudo began his career in New York City, learning from some of the best in the business, including László Kovács and Gordon Willis, and helping shoot movies such as Ghostbusters 2, Raising Arizona, and Broadway Danny Rose. He then served as cinematographer on movies including American Pie, Out Cold, and Brooklyn Rules, as well as television series such as FX Network’s Justified, The CW’s Jane the Virgin, and CBS’s SWAT. In this podcast, Richard discusses the transition of motion pictures from film to digital, and the concurrent rise of new visual effects techniques. He...
info_outline
Episode 462 - Paolo Berto Durante - CEO, J CUBE
CG Garage
Could Paolo Berto Durante really be Chris, but from another dimension? These outspoken CG enthusiasts have a lot in common: an extensive knowledge of 3D software and render engines stretching back decades, a history in VFX and teaching CG, and strong opinions on the current state of the industry. Paolo talks about his roles in the research and development of 3D software, starting from Alias|wavefront, to mental images. to Jupiter Jazz, up to his current role at J Cube, their team has developed CG tools for artists such as Multiverse USD, Maneki, and the futuristic WeRender generative service....
info_outlineOver the past 30 years, Kyle Balda has risen from humble animator to co-director of beloved kids’ movies Minions: The Rise of Gru and Despicable Me 3. Beginning in animation for films including Mars Attacks, The Mask, and Toy Story 2, Kyle met director Pierre Coffin in Europe and helped create the animated series Pat & Stan, which would build the foundations for the Minions’ lovable antics.
In this illuminating podcast, Kyle shares the essential lessons he learned as an animator and his path to the director’s chair. He reveals the organic process of creating a Minions movie, from the initial concept with the writer to the collaborative addition of ideas as more people get involved. Kyle also gives a positive perspective on AI and its role in CG movies, and he shares his thoughts on how animation has evolved from a genre to a medium.