Atish Hariharan 24140275

Learning VFX and animation has been a challenging but rewarding experience, helping me understand how creative ideas are turned into visual outcomes. Through working with tools such as Adobe After Effects and Blender, I have developed skills in compositing, animation, and visual design. Recently, I have also started learning Houdini and Nuke, which has introduced me to more advanced, node-based workflows used in the industry.

A strong example of modern stylised animation can be seen in The Super Mario Bros. Movie, produced by Illumination. The film successfully translates a simple, game-based visual style into a high-quality cinematic experience while maintaining its original identity. The animation style is highly vibrant and exaggerated, with smooth character movements and expressive performances. What makes it particularly effective is the combination of cartoon-like designs with advanced lighting and rendering techniques. Environments are rich in detail, and lighting is used to add depth and realism without losing the playful aesthetic of the original Mario universe.

From a production perspective, Illumination’s approach focuses on strong visual clarity and audience appeal. The use of bold colours, dynamic camera movement, and fluid animation helps keep the film engaging, especially during action sequences. The workflow likely involved a full 3D animation pipeline, including modelling, rigging, animation, and rendering, all refined to achieve a polished final output.

Looking at the evolution of visual effects in cinema, there has been a significant shift from practical and early digital techniques to highly advanced CGI and real-time workflows. Older films relied heavily on practical effects, miniatures, and basic compositing techniques, as seen in Jurassic Park, where a combination of animatronics and early CGI was used to create realistic dinosaurs.

Starting to learn compositing software like Nuke can feel challenging for beginners, especially due to its node-based workflow. Unlike layer-based tools, Nuke requires understanding how nodes connect and process information step by step.

For beginners, one of the main difficulties is adapting to this different way of thinking. However, once understood, the node system offers greater control and flexibility, making it easier to manage complex compositing tasks. It also reflects how professional studios structure their workflows, which is valuable for industry preparation.A good approach to learning Nuke is to start with basic concepts such as reading footage, connecting nodes, and applying simple effects like colour correction and masking. Gradually, more advanced techniques such as keying, tracking, and multi-pass compositing can be explored.

Motion capture, commonly known as MoCap, is a technique used to record real human movement and apply it to digital characters. It plays a major role in modern animation and VFX, allowing for more realistic and natural motion compared to traditional keyframe animation.

In recent years, realism has become a key focus in environment design across film, games, and VFX. Advances in technology now allow artists to create highly detailed and believable environments that closely replicate real-world locations. This is achieved through accurate lighting, high-resolution textures, and physically based rendering techniques. Software such as Unreal Engine and Blender play a major role in achieving this level of realism. Features like real-time lighting, global illumination, and advanced shading systems help artists simulate how light behaves in real environments.

When exploring advanced VFX tools, Houdini stands out for its node-based workflow, which is very different from traditional software. Instead of using layers or simple modifiers, Houdini relies on nodes that are connected together to build complex effects step by step.

This system allows for a high level of control and flexibility, as each node represents a specific operation such as modelling, simulation, or transformation. Artists can easily adjust parameters and see changes update throughout the entire network, making it a powerful tool for procedural workflows. However, one of the main challenges is its steep learning curve. The node system can be difficult to understand at first, especially for beginners who are more familiar with layer-based software like Adobe After Effects. Managing large node networks can also become complex and require strong organisation skills.

With the increasing demand for high-quality visuals, the performance of graphics cards has become a crucial factor in animation and VFX production. A powerful GPU directly affects how efficiently artists can work, especially when dealing with rendering, simulations, and real-time previews.

Graphics cards are heavily used in software such as Blender and Unreal Engine, where they handle tasks like real-time rendering, viewport performance, and GPU-based rendering engines. A stronger GPU allows smoother playback, faster rendering times, and better handling of complex scenes.

One of the key advantages of high-performance GPUs is the ability to work in real-time, which improves workflow efficiency. Artists can quickly test ideas, adjust lighting, and preview animations without long delays. This is particularly useful in projects that involve heavy visual effects or detailed environments.

When comparing different tools used in VFX production, Adobe After Effects and Houdini serve very different purposes within the pipeline.

After Effects is primarily used for compositing and motion graphics, allowing artists to combine footage, add effects, and create animations in a layer-based workflow. It is widely used for tasks such as editing, colour correction, and adding visual effects to live-action shots.

On the other hand, Houdini is a node-based 3D software mainly used for creating complex simulations such as explosions, fire, smoke, and destruction. It is highly procedural, meaning artists can create effects that are flexible and easily adjustable.

The main difference lies in their roles: After Effects is used in the final stages of production for compositing, while Houdini is used earlier to generate complex VFX elements.

Looking at current practices within the creative industry, the use of both paid and cracked software has become a widely discussed topic. Professional tools such as Adobe After Effects and Autodesk Maya are industry-standard, but they often come with high subscription costs, which can be difficult for students and independent artists to afford.

As a result, some individuals turn to cracked versions of software to access these tools. While this may provide short-term access, it raises serious ethical and legal concerns. Cracked software can also be unreliable, lack updates, and pose security risks, which can negatively impact workflow and project quality.

On the other hand, using paid or licensed software ensures stability, access to updates, and alignment with professional industry standards. Many companies expect artists to be familiar with legally licensed tools, making it important for long-term career development.

There are also alternatives such as Blender, which is free and widely used in both independent and professional environments. This shows that high-quality work can still be achieved without relying on illegal software.

With the recent release of its official trailer, Grand Theft Auto VI has generated significant attention, particularly for its visual quality and realism. The game appears to push the boundaries of real-time rendering, showcasing highly detailed environments, advanced lighting systems, and lifelike character animations.

One of the most impressive aspects is how realistic the world feels, with detailed textures, natural lighting, and smooth character movements. The way light interacts with surfaces, reflections, and environmental elements highlights a major advancement compared to previous titles.

I explored the animation style of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. These films are known for their highly stylised approach, combining 3D animation with 2D comic-book elements to create a unique visual style.

One of the most distinctive features is the use of frame manipulation, where certain scenes are animated at lower frame rates to mimic traditional animation. In addition, effects such as halftone textures, bold outlines, and exaggerated motion are used to replicate the look of comic panels.

As part of my research, I explored the difference between manually created 3D models and AI-generated models in modern VFX workflows. Traditional 3D modelling involves artists building assets from scratch using software such as Blender, where full control is given over shape, topology, and detail. This approach allows for precise and customised results, which is important for high-quality production work.

In contrast, AI-generated models use machine learning tools to quickly create 3D assets based on prompts or reference images. This process is much faster and can be useful for generating ideas or base models. However, AI outputs may lack accuracy, clean topology, or the level of detail required for professional use, often requiring further manual refinement.

This comparison highlights a key balance between speed and control. While AI can support the creative process and improve efficiency, manual modelling remains essential for achieving polished and production-ready results.

The visual style of The Wild Robot, which stands out for its unique combination of stylised animation and cinematic realism. The film uses soft lighting, painterly textures, and expressive environments to create a visually rich and emotional experience.

One of the most interesting aspects of the film is how it blends natural environments with digital animation, making scenes feel both artistic and believable. The use of lighting and colour plays a major role in setting the mood, with warm and cool tones used to reflect different emotional moments.

This research is useful for my project because it shows how stylisation does not mean losing realism. Even though my work is focused on anime-style VFX, I can apply similar principles by carefully using lighting, colour, and composition to enhance the overall visual quality of my scenes.

As part of my research, I explored the role of lighting in visual effects and how it contributes to creating believable and cinematic scenes. Lighting is one of the most important elements in VFX, as it helps integrate CGI elements with live-action footage and ensures that everything appears consistent within the environment.

One key aspect of lighting in VFX is matching the light source, direction, and intensity from the original footage. If the lighting does not match, the added effects can look unrealistic or disconnected from the scene. Tools such as Blender and Unreal Engine allow artists to recreate and adjust lighting conditions to achieve more accurate results.

Lighting is also used creatively to enhance mood and focus. For example, strong contrast, coloured lighting, or glow effects can be used to highlight energy-based visuals, which is particularly relevant to my anime-inspired project.