AI, or Artificial Intelligence (with capital letters), sounds like something out of a science fiction movie – like the omnipotent and somewhat annoying trans-dimensional being known as Q in Star Trek, who was known for meeting out unintelligible and incomprehensible wisdom from beyond. In reality, AI is very real, and it’s everywhere.

You can’t click onto a website, open a magazine, or scroll through your socials without bumping up against it. Your phone uses a form of AI to unlock everything from its lock screen to your banking apps. Tools on your computer are helping you to write error-free emails and documents. The ads that track you across the web are powered by AI. That voice thingamajig that you use to speak to your home devices – yep, that’s AI too. There are even apps that claim to be able to write copy, and, presumably, articles like this one. Thankfully this article is being written by an actual human being even as you read.

And in case you were wondering, we’re not going to launch into a long-winded explanation about what AI really is – frankly speaking that’s for a whole other article. The term itself comes from the idea that machines can be given the ability to perform similar cognitive tasks to human beings – doing so via a neural network that romantically follows the architecture of the human brain, where nodes in a circuit are compared to neurons. It’s heady stuff indeed.

Suffice it to say that for our purposes we can define AI as computer systems that are able to look at enormous quantities of information, apply algorithms to this information and then produce novel artifacts based on these underlying datasets. In other words, systems that look at everything that has been created or produced before, and use this information to create something new. 

Like digital art for VFX studios and other creative endeavors.

And it is here that we come to the starting point for this article.

Perhaps you’ve also noticed this, but recently, we’ve been hearing a lot of buzz around the topic of AI art – that is to say, imagery that has been magicked up, entirely out of thin air using only an AI app (of which there seem to be exponentially more examples each day). 

As is often the case with any new technology, the use of AI in art and design has fractured the world into various conflicting camps.

On the one hand, there are those who see this as a veritable death knoll for artists, and indeed anyone who makes their living in the visual arts. Just like those who viewed the advent of the digital camera as the end of photography as we knew it, there are the doomsday nay-sayers who woefully predict AI is on its way to putting us all out of a job.

Some point to the amount of effort at the input side as being too low when weighed against the incredible sophistication that comes out at the end. The argument is that this is simply unfair, somehow. That people are making art without doing the work.

AI is a tool, just like any other.

The counterargument is that AI is just a tool like any other. Think of technologies like Photoshop – which has its own built-in AI called Adobe Sensei, and which has reduced the work needed for things like creating alpha channels and selections exponentially, as well as the relatively new Neural Filters which can do anything from re-colouring old photographs to replacing skies literally at the click of a button; and Autotune– which has been helping singers sound better since 1996, and has even gotten certain rappers into trouble. Google it.

The point is that such technologies are only there to enhance what you already bring to the table in terms of talent; to wit Photoshop still requires a huge amount of effort to create anything original, and as for Autotune, well, you really do have to be able to sing at –at least at some level. Watch the American Idol auditions if you doubt us.

We are not in the naysayers’ camp.

As a matter of fact, we love it when a new thing comes along – along with the potential downsides (often not really downsides) new technology always brings with it extraordinary advantages. 

And it’s on those advantages that we want to focus. 

Now, before we go any further, we should point out that this article is not about the ethics of AI, how it affects society, or even how it might, or might not, change our definition of art and/or creativity; this is, quite simply, about using AI as a tool like any other in our arsenal, and how AI-generated imagery fits in with our particular workflow.

We argue that the use of AI in the visual arts is about more than just getting as quickly as possible to an end result.

AI is fast becoming, if it is not indeed already, an essential tool in the VFX workflow – specifically, the area of matte painting. 

At its core matte painting is about creating the impression of an environment that was either not present at the filming or too expensive to film for real, or simply impossible to shoot for one reason or another. A matte painter, or matte artist, paints a – usually static – background, or other parts of the film world, in order to produce the illusion of something that looks real, but that in fact does not exist in reality. In one case this might be the inside of a giant star freighter, while in another it might be the smoky backdrop of H. G. Wells’ industrial London. 

Matte paintings don’t necessarily have to look real, they just have to match the look of the rest of the film. Matte painting’s job is to complement the look-or concept–development aspect of the film.

Matte painting has been with us since the very beginnings of moviemaking. We’ve all seen the famous death-defying Charlie Chaplin skating scene in the 1936 film Modern Times, where Chaplin skates around an upper floor in a department store, coming perilously close to the edge of a sheer drop where the railing appears to be broken. The effect, of course, was created by placing a matte, painted onto a piece of glass, between the camera and the action. 

What seems so simple now in fact represented the pioneering use of technology at the time. So influential did this technique turn out to be, that it became central to the special effects used many years later in a very famous series of movies set in a galaxy far far away. 

In the digital era, traditional painting techniques have been replaced by digital compositing methods. And although the basis for creating these matte worlds may have evolved with the advent of new technology, the principles remain the same – with VFX artists creating extensions to the worlds being presented in the live-action sequences. Creating, in essence, what is not there at the time of the shooting. This might be a representation of medieval Prague, as seen from across the Charles Bridge, or the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz – matte painting runs the gamut from the perfectly realistic to the utterly fanciful. 

AI technology allows us to do what we have always done – create conceptual worlds and environments – only in a far more efficient way than was possible before. The craft of what we do is not diminished – Wacom tablets and photo-bashing in Photoshop are still essential tools and skills, but now we have another means to help us create the building blocks. And as the building blocks get more sophisticated with every new iteration of whatever AI software is the app de jour, so too, does our work.

And the better our work gets, the more the AI has to train itself on. It’s a kind of meta-spiral that’s sure to break your brain if you think about it too hard.

Finally, if there is a conclusion to all of this it is that intent counts. Just as when you see a work of art in a museum that speaks to you in some kind of way, if what you are creating using AI helps to tell a story, then perhaps it is not the great evil some are making it out to be.

AI is here to stay, and it’s only going to get more sophisticated. And we’re on board with that.

Although 3D modelling is now a ubiquitous part of the media and entertainment landscape, it didn’t start out that way. Like many of the coolest toys we get to play with in our professional lives, it began life as a tool for the military and high-end scientific institutions. This was probably because the government was the only entity able to afford the enormous costs associated with the computers that were needed to run this, and pretty much any other, software. To bring a little context to this, these computers occupied entire floors in the buildings in which they were housed. Moreover, interacting with the software required all commands to be rendered as text or mathematical formulas. 

Back in the day, scientists were pretty much the only people who were able to do the programming.

Then along came something called Sketchpad, which was revolutionary in a number of ways, not least of which was that it allowed users to communicate with the computer using a light wand. Thus, the world’s first GUI was born.

Today, most of what we think of as 3D software had its genesis in the 1990s. Falling prices of both software and computers meant that more people could access these applications. Universities started to include courses on 3D software. And soon 3D design in its various forms and manifestations became a viable career choice.

There’s been nothing short of a digital arms race when it comes to VFX software.

Since then, there has been a veritable explosion in the range of options, entry points and applications, with many moving to the cloud, which has of course ushered in a new era of collaboration.

As one of our colleagues put it, there has been nothing short of a digital arms race when it comes to technology, features and tools. And while software such as Maya, 3D Studio Max, C4D, Blender and many more have all brought their own unique flavour to the industry, there is one piece of software that is set to change not only how we approach 3D animation, but how we think about it, too.

If you hadn’t already guessed, we’re talking about SideFX’s Houdini.

Houdini is what is known in the trade as Full Digital Content Creation (DCC) software, which is just a pompous way of saying that it’s capable of producing many different types of outputs related to the creation of visual experiences, including film and TV, game development, motion graphics, web content and even virtual reality. 

What distinguishes this type of software from more traditional types of CAD software – that’s used, for example, for things like shipbuilding and car design, is that DCC software allows for direct editing, where the user interacts directly with the mesh independently of dimensional or geometric parametric constraints. This speeds up the creative process considerably and adds a significant level of flexibility.

As the VFX industry continues to evolve, the demand for complex and highly realistic effects continues to grow, Dazzle Pictures has recognised that Houdini plays an essential role in any modern VFX workflow and have made it an integral part of our delivery pipeline. 

Houdini is special for a number of reasons. 

Let’s explore some of them here.

1. Procedural Workflow
   Houdini’s procedural workflow allows artists to create complex 3D content using a node-based system that enables non-destructive editing and faster iteration times. This workflow is especially beneficial for VFX work, where complex scenes need to be created and edited quickly.
2. Strong VFX Capabilities
   Houdini has a strong focus on VFX and simulation, with powerful tools for volumetrics and dynamics, making it especially good at creating fire, smoke and cloud simulations, as well as fantastic fluid simulations, among others. 
   It’s also used extensively for character rigging and animation, making it a popular choice for film and TV studios.
3. Flexibility and customization
   Houdini’s node-based system allows users to create their own custom tools and workflows, making it highly customizable for specific project needs. This customization extends to its user interface, which can be completely customized to suit the needs of individual artists or studios.

Procedural workflow FTW

A procedural workflow in 3D art is a way of working that is based on rules and algorithms, rather than manual processes, for example, scattering a bunch of objects like trees and bushes on a landscape, without having to create elements of the scene individually. 

With this method, artists create a network of nodes that defines the properties of 3D objects and how they interact with each other. If you ever used the software Shake back in the day, you might be familiar with how it enables complex image processing sequences via the connection of effects nodes presented to the user in a graphical workflow interface.

This approach allows for non-destructive editing, where changes can be made at any point in the process without affecting previous work. It also facilitates faster iteration times and scalability, as artists can quickly make changes and adjust the level of detail in their work on the fly. Procedural workflows are particularly useful for creating complex scenes and models in VFX, video games, and animation. By using procedural workflows, artists can work more efficiently and effectively, while still maintaining a high level of creativity and artistic control over their work. 

In praise of Houdini’s VFX prowess

Houdini is widely considered to be one of the best software applications for high-end visual effects of all kinds. Its powerful tools for traditionally difficult VFX such as particle effects and destruction simulations have made it a favourite among VFX artists. So much so, that it’s used everywhere, and by all the big names.

Walt Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks, ILM, Sony Pictures – all the big names are known to use Houdini in at least some part of their workflow, on movies as diverse as Angry Birds’ “Rio,” “Thor: Ragnarok,” and “Stranger things.” 

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” also used Houdini extensively for its VFX work, including creating complex destruction simulations for the movie’s climactic battle scenes. 

With its powerful tools and customization options, Houdini has become a go-to software for effects animation in the film and TV industries. 

Flexible customization where you need it most

Houdini offers a vast range of tools and features that can be customized to fit the specific needs of individual users and their workflows.

One of the key ways in which Houdini can be customized is through its node-based workflow, which allows users to create their own custom nodes and workflows using a visual programming language called Houdini’s node network. This means that users can create their own custom tools and pipelines that can be shared across projects and with other users.

Houdini also provides a wide range of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that allow users to script and automate tasks and create custom plugins and extensions for the software. This level of customization allows users to integrate Houdini into their existing pipelines and workflows, and to create specialized tools that streamline their work processes.

Additionally, Houdini’s user interface can be customized to fit the individual preferences and workflows of users. Users can customize menus, toolbars, keyboard shortcuts, and hotkeys to make the software more efficient and user-friendly.

The flexibility and customization options provided by Houdini make it an ideal choice for studios and artists who require a high degree of flexibility and control over their workflows.

A final word before you escape this article

In our opinion Houdini represents the future of 3D in the VFX industry thanks to its raft unique capabilities, customization options, and forward-thinking procedural workflow. 

It’s no surprise that Houdini has become a go-to software app for the VFX industry, and it is likely to remain so in the future.

No-one would dispute that it’s been a tumultuous, disruptive ride for cosmetic and beauty marketers in recent times. Brands have had to literally reinvent the consumer journey, moving from in-person, in-store to the digital environment. This has been especially challenging for beauty brands, where the customer experience is very much where sales are won or lost.