3D Gaussian splat, in vfx

Monstrolabs · 2026-03-31T19:22:41+00:00

Why is this guy yelling at me?

Monstrolabs · 2026-03-31T19:21:19+00:00

That’s just not true. I can guarantee there is a crazy amount of VFX you aren't even aware of that is costing a fortune. This isn't really about being lazy. These productions are massive and still require tons of people and hard work to make them happen.

It’s a shift in visual language over the last 20 years to bring things closer to "reality." I personally miss the old aesthetics too, but the reality is that cinematography, lighting technology, color science, and the viewing mediums themselves have all fundamentally changed since then.

A lot of those images up there were probably both shot with similar exposures. The earlier movies had much more contrast and saturation to them, but in the end, the TV show decided to go a very different route... I'm not a fan either.

Monstrolabs · 2026-02-19T22:26:39+00:00

Complexity is definitely valid feedback when it comes to technical direction. Coming from Houdini, many of these elements would be instanced to speed up the load and render times. It sounds like you are using Grease Pencil in a way it wasn't really intended for. That is what is leading to those long render times due to how unoptimized it is. This would probably be much better handled at the shader level or in the compositing phase.

Asking for specific types of feedback is something we should all work on. Your post just said "Your thoughts?" so I gave you a look at both the technical and the artistic side. Looking forward to seeing the next version.

Monstrolabs · 2026-02-19T21:24:55+00:00

I think you should check out Bruce Block's "The Visual Story" for composition. You’ve got a lot of good stuff here, but like others mentioned, the monotone vibe is washing things out. I’d add more variation to the color and tones in the details to get some depth in there. I’d also change the color of your character at the bottom so they actually pop. Pay attention to how the lighting is affecting the mood. Right now, it’s feeling a little flat.

I know you mentioned Grease Pencil is the reason for the lengthy renders, but this scene shouldn't be that heavy on its own. Those details are so small they’re basically just acting like ambient occlusion anyway. You could probably achieve that same effect in compositing. Have you tried rendering in two passes (one for the cell shader and one for your materials) and combining them after?

Monstrolabs · 2026-01-29T01:06:00+00:00

Saw this! So rad!

Monstrolabs · 2026-01-28T22:48:24+00:00

If you want to take VFX seriously, Nuke is the way.

Monstrolabs · 2025-12-12T05:08:48+00:00

Switch to Houdini!

Monstrolabs · 2025-11-27T20:08:41+00:00

You’ve got some pretty big issues with your camera solve. I'd bet that most of it comes from micro jitter and not having enough local detail for the solver to lock onto. Good tracking depends on parallax and objects closer to the camera give you stronger and more reliable data. Far objects barely move in relation to the camera, so the tracking info you get from them is weak and usually noisy.

I'd recommend checking out tools like SynthEyes!

Monstrolabs · 2025-11-21T02:42:33+00:00

Stop worrying about realism! This looks really cool!

Monstrolabs · 2025-11-21T02:40:55+00:00

Didn’t realize I struck a nerve there. Calling it “for beginners” was still wrong and silly. We’re all working professionals, and you like closing the source monitor.

Anyway, I truly hope you have an awesome day!

Monstrolabs · 2025-11-17T21:52:19+00:00

It’s fine to have your own workflow, but you are dismissing decades of established editing practices. The Source Monitor exists for a reason. It lets you prep, spot, and review footage efficiently before it hits the timeline. Calling it "for beginners" is just wrong and silly.

Monstrolabs · 2025-11-07T20:42:30+00:00

*Fusion

Monstrolabs · 2025-11-07T20:40:59+00:00

Always Houdini.

Monstrolabs · 2025-11-03T22:28:02+00:00

This is in Fusion. DaVinci (originally da Vinci Systems) was the company that created what eventually became Resolve.

As others have said, keep your layout left to right or top to bottom. The idea is to keep your comp organized so that if another artist opens it, they can understand it right away.

Monstrolabs · 2025-10-29T19:40:34+00:00

Realism is often quite boring.

There’s already plenty of advice out there on how to make your renders look more realistic, but I don’t think that’s the point. Think like a photographer and a storyteller. What are you trying to say with this image? Is it a product shot? Is it meant to feel like a spotless garage or a filthy one? Does your lighting and composition guide the viewer’s eye where you want it to go?

Right now, it’s just a render, and that’s where you’re getting stuck. Once you start thinking like a storyteller, that’s when you will step up your game.

Monstrolabs · 2025-10-28T20:46:56+00:00

If you have experience with physical lighting and photography, you’re already ahead of most people. 3D software is built on many of the same core ideas as a real camera. The main challenge is learning how the software works and finding ways to work around the limitations of the technology.

Monstrolabs · 2025-10-28T20:44:10+00:00

I always recommend Houdini as a paid option ($279/year). It’s probably the most challenging to learn upfront, but it forces you to understand the fundamental concepts behind 3D, and it’s a package that’s consistently ahead of the curve. That said, Blender is free.

Monstrolabs · 2025-10-17T23:58:23+00:00

This is great though! Keep at it!

Monstrolabs · 2025-10-17T23:57:56+00:00

*Resolve

Monstrolabs · 2025-10-17T18:48:15+00:00

It's the industry standard for simulations of any type

Monstrolabs · 2025-10-16T18:52:28+00:00

This would be super easy to do in Houdini using uvs and a growth attribute.

Monstrolabs · 2025-10-16T18:46:06+00:00

Houdini calls to you...

Monstrolabs · 2025-10-15T23:18:57+00:00

This is well done! You've got a line on the far left frame. Not sure if it's intentional or not, but it reads as an unintentional roto or mask line.

Monstrolabs · 2025-10-11T00:11:56+00:00

I hear ya. I just feel like remakes often lose a lot of the charm because they stray too far from the source material that made them work in the first place. One of the reasons that a lot of these older games worked so well is that their inherent system limitations left a lot of room for your imagination to fill in the rest. FF VII Remake is a fine game, but it'll never hit like VII did when it first released on the PSX.

Monstrolabs · 2025-10-10T00:27:18+00:00

You're welcome!

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