befores & afters

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The befores & afters VFX podcast from journalist Ian Failes, covering the latest in visual effects, animation and virtual production.

Ian Failes


    • May 19, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 38m AVG DURATION
    • 218 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from befores & afters

    Version Zero AI has a splines output solution for AI/ML rotoscoping

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 44:10


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Version Zero AI co-founders Chad Wanstreet and Allan McKay about their new platform and tool that utilizes machine leaning for roto, matting, clean painting and paint.

    The latest machine learning side of Silhouette

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 27:15


    Ian Failes chats to Marco Paolini and Paul Miller, two names synonymous with rotoscoping tool Silhouette from Boris FX, about the machine learning developments now implemented in the tool.

    AI and ML in VFX from a VFX artist/supervisor point of view

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 43:32


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to visual effects supervisor and VFX artist Andreas Maaninka about his take on the wave of AI and ML tools and techniques hitting the industry right now.

    Behind the development of Slapshot's AI roto and generative retiming tools

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 22:37


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Jon Mason, the co-founder and CEO of Slapshot, an AI-powered VFX toolkit.

    Where Wonder Dynamics has now gone with its AI VFX tools

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 41:46


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Nikola Todorovic, co-founder of Wonder Dynamics, about the latest AI-related aspects of the tool, including motion prediction. 

    The dream of AI roto with Electric Sheep

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 13, 2025 34:05


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Electric Sheep co-founders Gary Palmer and Richie Murray about their company's AI rotoscoping product.

    How Rising Sun Pictures' REVIZE machine learning tech came to be

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2025 28:40


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Rising Sun Pictures President Jennie Zeiher about the studio's machine learning toolset called REVIZE, used on many projects for face and body replacement.

    tech machine learning rising sun pictures
    Metaphysic's neural HMC performance injection tech

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2025 38:29


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Jo Plaete from Metaphysic about the use of its neural HMC performance injection tech, including for the character Rook in 'Alien: Romulus'.

    Wētā FX used its Loki state machine for muscle simulations on Red Hulk in 'Captain America: Brave New World'

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2025 63:15


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Wētā FX VFX supervisor Dan Cox and animation supervisor Sidney Kombo-Kintombo about the character played by Harrison Ford.

    Why planes flying at hundreds of miles an hour is really tough to pull off in VFX

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025 35:45


    Ian Failes from befores & afters talks to Digital Domain visual effects supervisor Hanzhi Tang and digital effects supervisor Ryan Duhaime about the Celestial Island dogfight sequence in 'Captain America: Brave New World'.

    Sponsored: How Reallusion AccuFace was used on 'Love is a Championship'

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2025 20:34


    Creative director, director & producer Geoff Hect discusses the use of Reallusion's iClone and Accuface for markerless facial capture and animation.

    creative championship iclone reallusion
    How the motion capture worked on 'Better Man'

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2025 24:04


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Wētā FX visual effects supervisor Luke Millar and actor Jonno Davies about the motion capture in 'Better Man.'

    The visual effects of 'Alien: Romulus'

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 32:12


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to 'Alien: Romulus' visual effects supervisor Eric Barba about the VFX Oscar nominated film.

    Will Becher from Aardman on the old-school and new-school tech in 'Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2025 19:17


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Will Becher, supervising animator and stop motion lead at Aardman, about 'Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl' and the tech used in the film.

    The wide use of machine learning VFX techniques on 'Here'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2025 49:44


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to VFX supervisor Kevin Baillie about the Robert Zemeckis film, 'Here', and its use of machine learning de-ageing techniques, virtual production and other ML approaches.

    How the Academy Software Foundation works

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2025 46:47


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to David Morin, who is the Executive Director at the Academy Software Foundation about the VFX software packages the ASWF encompasses.

    executive director vfx david morin academy software foundation
    How to get VFX into your Sundance film

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2025 37:37


    Ian Failes chats to VFX supervisor Alex Noble, who is the founder of Wild Union Post, about visual effects for independent films, including those submitted for the Sundance Film Festival.

    How DNEG made the troll in s2 of 'The Rings of Power'

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2024 47:28


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to DNEG visual effects supervisor Greg Butler about his studio's work on season 2 of 'The Rings of Power'.

    How to make practical bubble effects

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 44:49


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to director, cinematographer and VFX artist Christopher Webb from FX WRX about practical effects in two recent projects, including one involving water and bubbles.

    The virtual production behind 'Daddio'

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2024 21:21


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Disguise VP of Virtual Production, Addy Ghani about the film 'Daddio'. The Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn film is unique because it is essentially one long taxi ride that was effectively fully shot on an LED stage.

    How the wrestling scenes in 'Unstoppable' were made

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 29, 2024 31:29


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to visual effects supervisor Thomas Tannenberger from Crafty Apes, and Landon Bootsma from Gneiss Stuff, about 'Unstoppable' and the incredible face replacement and other invisible effects work in the film.

    wrestling scenes crafty apes
    In-depth on face replacement, environments and that crazy tennis ball POV shot in 'Challengers'

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 27, 2024 28:23


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to ZERO VFX visual effects supervisor Brian Drewes about the tennis film, 'Challengers.'

    Animation producer Jinko Gotoh on getting her start on 'Space Jam'

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 23, 2024 29:52


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Jinko Gotoh about her animation career, and we preview her keynote session coming to SIGGRAPH Asia in Tokyo.

    Sponsored: How ActionVFX assets were used in ‘Godzilla Minus One'

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2024 20:46


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Tom Cowles, Social Media & Community Manager, at Action VFX, about the use of Action VFX assets on Godzilla Minus One.

    assets godzilla minus one
    The visual effects of 'Dune: Part Two'

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2024 57:23


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert about 'Dune: Part Two', including on the opening eclipse moments, the sandworm riding, the attack on the spice harvester, how Giedi Prime was made, the battle of Arrakis, and how the Fremen's blue eyes were achieved. 

    The making of 'Gladiator': a look back with VFX supervisor John Nelson

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 69:51


    Ian Failes from befores & afters talks to 'Gladiator' visual effects supervisor John Nelson about the original film from 2000, including that very famous Steadicam shot of the Gladiators entering the Colosseum, the Rome builds, the amazing tiger fight, and the forest battle in Germania.

    The VFX and stop-motion animation in 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice'

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 42:49


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to 'Beetlejuice Beetlejuice' visual effects supervisor Angus Bickerton, and to Ian Mackinnon, stop motion supervising producer, and Chris Tichborne, animation supervisor -- covering sandworms, the plane crash and more!

    The visual effects of 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians'

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2024 28:51


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to visual effects supervisor Erik Henry about the Disney+ series Percy Jackson and the Olympians, including the use of ILM StageCraft, and the creation of many CG creatures.

    Starting a startup in the world of VFX training

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2024 40:20


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Urban Bradeško, founder of DoubleJump Academy, about launching a VFX training company and what it took to get there.

    Matt Estela: a life

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 80:22


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Matt Estela about Houdini, CG Wiki and his path from VFX into...a different world.

    The invisible visual effects in 'Longlegs'

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2024 35:51


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to 'Longlegs' visual effects supervisor Edward Douglas about the horror film and some VFX you might not have noticed.

    How the Visual Effects World Atlas might change your perspective on the VFX industry

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2024 26:54


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Joseph Bell, who has collated data on the world's largest VFX hubs and VFX studios, the global distribution of VFX skill sets and more in his Visual Effects World Atlas.

    Creating alternate versions of reality for 'Dark Matter'

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2024 25:16


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to 'Dark Matter' visual effects supervisor John Heller about crafting the different versions of Chicago in the show.

    'Sky Captain' turns 20: looking back at filmmaking on the digital backlot

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 17, 2024 67:27


    Ian Failes from befores & afters talks to DOP Eric Adkins on the 20th anniversary of 'Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow', a film that was almost entirely shot on bluescreen.

    Behind the invisible effects of ‘The Instigators'

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2024 28:53


    Ian Failes from befores & afters talks to visual effects supervisor Mark Russell about the Doug Liman film The Instigators, and its mix of car chases, explosions and even addition of water onto actors.

    How Wētā FX made that 5400 frame Vermithor dragon oner in ‘House of the Dragon'

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 6, 2024 24:37


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Wētā FX visual effects supervisor Wayne Stables about his studio's work on season 2 of 'House of the Dragon'.

    Sponsored: How Reallusion tools were used for concept previs on '3 Body Problem'

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2024 13:24


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to artist Jakub Kaźmierczak about his concepts and environment previsualization and the Reallusion tools he used for the Netflix series '3 Body Problem'.

    A preview of the VFX and animation conference VIEW taking place in Italy in October

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2024 29:26


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to VIEW Conference's Maria Elena Gutierrez about what to expect at this year's event, including the just announced presence of Alien: Romulus director Fede Álvarez.

    A look at the state of play of virtual production with Jim Geduldick

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2024 71:41


    Ian Failes chats to virtual production supervisor and visual effects supervisor Jim Geduldick about the state of play in all things VP, including LED walls, on-set work and the future landscape with machine learning and AI.

    The state of play in VFX employment right now

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2024 31:11


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to VFX recruiter Simon Davies, from Digital Arts Xchange, about the current challenging visual effects and anmation employment environment. Simon shares some advice for artists right now looking to get back into the industry, and about getting a VFX job generally.

    VFX supervisor Stephan Fleet on the latest mayhem he helped orchestrate for ‘The Boys'

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2024 34:07


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to visual effects supervisor Stephan Fleet about season 4 of 'The Boys.'

    Celebrating the CG legacy of 'The Last Starfighter'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2024 42:32


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Jim Rygiel about his time at Digital Productions on 'The Last Starfighter', which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary, and still resonates as a groundbreaking achievement in CG and VFX to this day.

    The machine learning tech behind Digital Domain's in-house facial capture tool Masquerade3

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2024 27:12


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Digital Domain CTO Hanno Basse about Masquerade3, the latest incarnation of DD's in-house facial capture tool.

    All about the motion base mechs in the Jennifer Lopez film, 'Atlas'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2024 44:03


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to visual effects supervisor Lindy De Quattro about Brad Peyton's 'Atlas'.

    Behind the tests, on-set shoot and CG animation of the characters in 'IF'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 45:18


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to VFX supervisor Chris Lawrence and animation supervisor Arslan Elver about their work on director John Krasinski's 'IF'.

    The visual effects of Pixar's 'Inside Out 2'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2024 24:45


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Pixar visual effects supervisor Sudeep Rangaswamy about 'Inside Out 2', including about new character rigging and particle approaches, using RenderMan, simulating that crazy memory orb avalanche, and more.

    How those nuclear explosions in 'Fallout' were made

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2024 32:01


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to RISE visual effects supervisor Andreas Giesen about the Amazon Prime Video series, 'Fallout', including that opening nuclear set of explosions.

    How multiple Robert Downey Jr.'s appeared on screen in 'The Sympathizer'

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2024 24:18


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Chad Wanstreet, the visual effects supervisor on HBO's 'The Sympathizer' about the crazy private lounge scene that features multiple characters played by Robert Downey Jr., with impressive face replacement work, plus many other scenes in the series.

    How 'Ripley' used VFX to aid in its storytelling

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2024 48:22


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to 'Ripley' visual effects producer Joseph Servodio and visual effects supervisor John Bowers about the 'murder boat' scene, environments and *that* wig.

    Miniatures, puppets, lightsabers and Purrgils

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2024 31:54


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to Industrial Light & Magic visual effects supervisor Richard Bluff about 'Ahsoka.'

    Go behind the scenes of this full-length CG anime from HaZ Dulull

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2024 78:57


    Ian Failes from befores & afters chats to HaZ Dulull, co-founder of HaZimation and the director of the indie CG animated feature 'MAX BEYOND.'

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