Looking back at FMX 2024!
Last month, our team travelled to Stuttgart, Germany to take part in FMX – Film & Media Exchange! Over the course of the four-day event dedicated to animation, effects, interactive and immersive media, they were delighted to share insightful presentations and panels about some of our recent projects with fellow industry professionals.
First to take the stage was our DNEG Animation team, who gave not one but two behind-the-scenes looks at the Oscar-nominated Nimona! The first presentation featured Marco Manzini (Environment Model Supervisor) and Adam Davis (Lighting Technical Supervisor), as they explored how the team brought life to the story’s characters and the unique world they live in. The duo spoke on various elements, from the lighting on clothing to the craft behind character surfacing and environment builds – all while staying true to the feel of the original comics 2D style!
A WORD ABOUT FMX 2024 | Marco Manzini
“Fifteen years ago, I attended FMX for the first time as a spectator where I handed my reel at the DNEG recruitment booth. Returning this year at FMX as a speaker for DNEG Animation with an Oscar-nominated movie like Nimona was an incredibly surreal experience, surpassing anything I could have imagined. While the emotions were overwhelming, the beauty of DNEG Animation’s work speaks for itself!”
For the second Nimona presentation, Adam Davis (Lighting Technical Supervisor) dove into the team’s use of Katana to build a sequence-based multi-user lighting for the animated feature. With insights into the creative and technical processes, he shared how Foundry’s powerful lighting and LookDev tool played a significant role in producing this critically acclaimed animation!
A WORD ABOUT FMX 2024 | Adam Davis
“It was an honour to represent DNEG Animation at FMX this year with two Nimona presentations, one on the creative side and the other technical. Both presentations were packed, with not a single seat spare and the love for Nimona was palpable. It was wonderful to talk to the attendees and see how much they loved our work and how interested they were in how we approached the various challenges. Everyone should be very proud of the work we have done and how it has been so well received.”
In addition, our DNEG 360 and Technology teams presented a closer look at our latest innovations – including panels on Real-time technology and Houdini – and our VFX team delved into our creature and environment work on Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire! Our very own Paul Franklin (VFX Supervisor) & Aleks Pejic (VFX Supervisor) walked the audience through the meticulous process behind bringing iconic titans like Godzilla and Kong to life on the big screen, creating the menacing spider-creature Charybdis for the opening battle sequence in Rome, and crafting the mystical “Veil” that separates the Iwi Realm from the rest of Hollow Earth.
A WORD ABOUT FMX 2024 | Aleks Pejic
“FMX was an avalanche of inspiration and discovery, leaving me with a renewed sense of creativity and excitement for the future of VFX. It was privilege to participate and be part of such an amazing event.”
Thanks for having us, FMX!
We had an amazing time at FMX 2024, and we’d like to extend our warm appreciation to all the event organizers and our crew who helped make the conference an inspiring success. See you next year!