In this demonstration, Nate explains and shows the process by which a piece of concept art is interpreted and used to model out a game environment in Maya. In the process, Nate will explain various modeling tools, techniques, and workflows, as well as numerous theories and methods used to create game art. A timelapse video of the entire modeling session is included so that the viewer can see and understand all the techniques being used. Nate will also cover common errors and mistakes to avoid so that the scene will run efficiently in real time and light correctly.

Beginning with some thoughts on how we define the concept of color, Richard explains various methods people in history have used to systemize color. These systems include the additive and subtractive color wheels, which are addressed as metaphorical maps of color. The basic vocabulary we use to describe color - hue, value and saturation - are explained through illustrative and graphic means. The majority of this DVD is concerned with color harmonies and contrasts, with references to over 350 paintings. This lecture is intended to do more than spend time defining this list of terms - advice is offered about how to best use these "Mechanics of Color" to your advantage, and a few traps to avoid.

This lecture demonstrates a technique that encourages the artist to pursue three-hour figure gesture studies in 3D. These 3D gesture 'paintings' allow the artist to experiment and avoid being consumed with the detail work ordinarily associated with the medium of 3D. While a reference photograph is used for the purposes of the lecture, the techniques have been developed under the time constraints of working in front of a live model. Techniques will be demonstrated for the three phases of creating a quick study; modeling, texturing and lighting using ZBrush, 3D Coat and Modo. Each of the phases will be built from the ground up, and the purpose of each component is demonstrated. This methodology can easily serve as a foundational 'underpaint' for a more polished, realized work. When the underpaint is solid, more finished work is solely a matter of adding additional layers and filling in details.

In this DVD, character rigger Carlo Sansonetti demonstrates the rigging process from research to completion. Carlo covers creating the skeleton and rigging the spine, arms, hands, legs, head and neck. He discusses the core concepts of rigging, including joint orientation and understanding rotation order, as well as some more advanced techniques like stretchy limbs, forearm twist without volume loss, and connecting attributes with Hypershade. This DVD is for students who are new to rigging as well as for professional riggers who are looking for different approaches to rigging their characters 400 Minutes of Lecture.

Wayne Barlowe is an author and illustrator who has created images for books, films and galleries. After attending Cooper Union, he executed hundreds of paperback book covers for all of the major publishers as well as illustrations for Life, Time and Newsweek. He is the author and illustrator of Expedition, Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials, Barlowe’s Guide to Fantasy, Barlowe’s Inferno, Brushfire: Illuminations from the Inferno, The Alien Life of Wayne Barlowe and An Alphabet of Dinosaurs.

BEHIND THE SCENES (BTS) is an exciting DVD series developed to showcase the creation of a game cinematic sequence. In this chapter of the series Jared Simeth demonstrates the creation of two matte paintings. Starting with concept paintings provided by BTS Art Director Mark Goerner, Jared goes through the process of creating simple 3D geometry and matching the camera in Maya.

This lecture covers the principles of good composition with an emphasis on effective cinematic lighting. Jeremy begins by discussing the fundamental concepts behind how light operates in the physical world, providing an overview of topics like reflection, absorption, refraction, color temperature and atmospheric dispersion. He then moves into camera based composition, discussing topics like camera angles, distance, lenses and depth of field which all help to define the mood of a shot.

In this three disc set, the entire production process of making the music video White Swan is revealed. Winner of “Best Music Video” at hdfest, White Swan is a unique collaboration between students from the Gnomon School of Visual Effects and director Sil van der Woerd. This set breaks down step-by-step the process for integrating live action footage with complex digital sets to create an imaginative world inspired by the music of singer Lolly Jane Blue.

Trin was started to create a high-res 4k still image, yet evolved to become a looping ten second animation rendered in vertical HD at 1200x1920 to be displayed on a wall-mounted digital display. Starting from a personal sketch, Trin was created in twenty hours using Photoshop, Maya, Zbrush, UVlayout, Bodypaint and Mental Ray. The entire process was recorded and is demonstrated using timelapse footage, where I explain every step with an emphasis on both the technical and aesthetic thought processes.

This "making of" demonstration and lecture began with the decision to create a new still image and record the entire process. Using Maya, UVlayout, ZBrush and Photoshop, "Smile" was created in ten hours over the course of a couple evenings. Observe and listen as Alex shares his workflow, thought process and techniques, covering everything from creating a base mesh and laying out UVs to creating a final comp in Photoshop.