Animation Calling

FMX 2023
Film & Media Exchange
Stuttgart: April 25-27, 2023           
Online: April 28, 2023 

 FMX 2023 will open its conference doors. Many of the events taking place in Stuttgart and online from April 25 to 28 will focus on VFX and virtual production tools that were used, for example, for the Oscar®-winning AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER, as well as ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. A panel of industry experts will furthermore discuss the economic benefits of virtual production processes. Artificial intelligence is also a big topic with FMX speakers: A panel will discuss the new possibilities as well as risks that artificial intelligence-based large language models and image generators hold. In addition to other FMX Forum announcements, FMX is happy to shine a light on its two Gold Partners, Wētā FX and AMCRS and two Silver Partners, Houdini and Vicon this year.

 The photorealistic world of Pandora in AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Wētā FX brought the photorealistic world of Pandora to life in AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER by grounding everything in real-world science. From the early stages of R&D to new on-set technology and the final artistic flourishes on a shot, Pavani Rao Boddapati (VFX Supervisor), Sam Cole (Associate VFX Supervisor), and Stephen Clee (Animation Supervisor) will unpack Wētā's return to Pandora and share insights, stories and exclusive content with FMX visitors.

 Stuart Adcock shares Wētā FX's „Anatomically Plausible Facial System" for AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER

Wētā FX's new facial system used on AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER pushes beyond past techniques and establishes a new suite of controls to replicate an actor's facial performance. Stuart Adcock, Head of Facial Motion at Wētā FX, invites the FMX audience to join him as he discusses Wētā's new Anatomically Plausible Facial System (APFS) and the journey of creating emotionally engaging performances for James Cameron's AVATAR sequel.

 VFX and Virtual Production for ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA  

Industrial Light & Magic's Charmaine Chan (Associate VFX Supervisor) and Laurie Priest (CG Supervisor) discuss visual effects and virtual production techniques used on Marvel's hit film ANT-MAN AND THE WASP: QUANTUMANIA. They will specifically focus on the StageCraft shoot Chan oversaw: StageCraft technology projected virtual backgrounds onto giant LED screens in real-time, eliminating the need for green screens and, in this case, making the film's unique locations possible. The actors were placed inside the immersive LED volume, where practical sets were combined with digital enhancements on the screens. StageCraft was originally developed in 2018 by ILM for the first season of Lucasfilm's hit Disney+ series, THE MANDALORIAN.

 Industry panel discusses the economics of Virtual Production  

„The Economics of Virtual Production – ICVFX" features speakers James Thomas, Virtual Production Executive at Amazon Studios; Chris Bannister, Executive Producer of Virtual Production at Industrial Light & Magic; Lauren Paul, VP of Sales & Marketing at Lux Machina Consulting | NEP Virtual Studios; and Paolo Tamburrino, Sr. Industry Strategy Manager, Autodesk & Executive Producer; and focuses on the economics of using ICVFX (In-Camera Visual Effects) in virtual production. The panel will provide a deeper dive into the reality of budgets and how they fit into the overall budget, the schedule needed for implementation, and the essential crew members required for a successful production. Their conversation will explore how focusing on budgets, schedules, and crew can lead to greater adoption of virtual production techniques. In addition, they will share insights into the latest developments and innovative approaches to production business models.

 AI panel on art, archetypes and algorithms 

Artificial intelligence (AI) has opened up new frontiers of creativity and innovation by creating large language models (LLMs) and image generators that can produce realistic and diverse texts and images from any input. However, these models also reflect the hidden patterns and archetypes that pervade the data they are trained on, which originate from the collective unconscious of human culture. In this talk, the panelists Dave McKean, artist; Sam Hodge, Founder Kognat; Andrew Cochrane, Immersive Content Creator at The AV Club Productions, Inc and Scott Broock, Founder Totem Networks, LLC, will explore how these models can be used to generate new myths and insights that can enrich our understanding of ourselves and the world, but also discuss the ethical challenges and risks that arise when these archetypes or stereotypes are exploited to influence our opinions and emotions.

Please find the latest confirmations for the FMX Forum below.

Workshops: Cudo Compute, Nickelodeon, PixStone Images, Silverdraft, vrbn studios, Wacom.

Wētā FX and AMCRS are the two Gold Partners at this year's FMX.  

Wētā FX is a standard-bearer for creativity and innovation in VFX and animation, attracting talent, partners, and clients that seek to push what is possible in pursuit of their artistic vision. Find more information here.

The Animation Media Cluster Region Stuttgart (AMCRS) is a network of more than 30 VFX service providers, animation, games and interactive studios, as well as universities and academies based in Baden-Württemberg that was initiated by the Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg in 2009. Find more information here.

Houdini 3D is the ultimate procedural platform for artists to unleash their creativity and share workflows seamlessly. Find more information here.

Vicon Motion Systems is the leading technology for high-precision motion capture that empowers virtual production teams to create realistic environments with speed and efficiency. Find more information here.