The History of VFX: How the Morphing Effect Evolved
From the 1980s sci-fi movies to the 2020s Hollywood action films, let’s examine how one of our favorite VFX changed in a few decades.
Our Favorite Blogs for VFX Inspiration
By: Kseniya Serebrennikova
In this article, we'll share some of our favorite VFX blogs for inspiration from around the web.
If you want to take a deep dive into the world of VFX and read about the latest news in the industry, discover amazing pro-level FX artists, and learn about the upcoming VFX-related events, take a look at these awesome blogs and websites to get inspired!
1. Animation World Network
The name of this website speaks for itself – Animation World Network is an endless source of useful information for animators and VFX artists. Though the content is mostly centered around animation, there is an entire subdivision for FX artists called VFXWorld Magazine.
AWN has all you need to keep up with the ever-changing world of CGI – they write about the latest software releases, post news about the industry’s leading companies, discuss the visuals in the newest movies, TV series, video games, and more. You can find interviews with talented artists on the website as well – for instance, a recent one features Brazilian animator Pedro Conti, the creator of a heartwarming independent short film named “Tamo Junto”.
AWN is a great source if you are serious about working in big production as almost every article is a solid longread that helps you understand how the industry works a bit better. There is also a “Jobs” section on the website where you can find the latest openings for digital creators in many different companies including Netflix and Dell.
2. FX Guide
If you are looking for detailed explanations of how various visual effects for high-end movies and TV series were created and if you prefer reading about FX production rather than watching dozens of quick 1,5-minute breakdowns, fxguide would be perfect for you. On this website, you will find comprehensive tech reviews, VFX breakdowns, and software overviews.
But what we love the most about fxguide’s content are their outstanding podcasts. Fxguide team has talked to some of the most influential people in the industry including SFX Supervisor Chris Corbould (yes, THE Chris Corbould who essentially carried the entire James Bond franchise), VFX Supervisor Guillaume Rocheron, Epic Games’ Virtual Production Director Matt Madden, and many others.
3. The Rebelway Blog
If you are reading this, you already know that apart from the main website where we have everything about our VFX courses, we also post blog content weekly. And we sure don’t mean to boast but it has everything to get you inspired to create. On The Rebelway Blog, you can find useful articles about the VFX industry, job compilations, free tutorials from our instructors, and interviews with our alumni where they talk about their artistic growth and share their success stories. On top of that, we share incredible works created by the participants of the Rebelway FX Challenge, showreels from professional VFX artists, and staggering VFX breakdowns.
Whether you are only considering getting started in VFX or already looking for your first job in the industry, you will find a helpful article on our blog. Here’s, for instance, our short Software 101 that explains which apps you might need as an FX artist and this article is our overview of the types of jobs you can land as a VFX artist. It’s hard to keep myself from dropping spoilers (best hardware for 3D artists and shush, I never said that) but let me just say that there’s a lot more awesome content to come very soon so stay tuned!
4. VFX Media
If you are looking for an endless stream of inspiring visual content to feed your creativity, check out VFX Media. It is an Instagram blog where you can find all sorts of VFX-related videos from many artists across the globe – behind-the-scenes, FX breakdowns, process walkthroughs, and completed scenes.
The page features tons of stylized, cartoony visuals as well as hyperrealistic FX that look astoundingly (and sometimes horrifyingly) believable. So if you need to absorb some high-quality visual content to drive your imagination and get started with your own art, you definitely don’t want to miss this one. Plus, VFX Media posts content from all over the web so if you share your creations online, you might even get reposted by them.
5. 80 Level
80 Level is one of the most-loved online sources for digital artists as it has plenty of useful articles for 2D and 3D creators. There you can find news about the 3D industry, VFX production, video game development, and technology as a whole, read about the latest software releases and updates, and discover the newest products for gamers and digital artists. 80 Level also posts product reviews and ratings, free tutorial compilations, selections of the latest jobs for digital artists, and other useful stuff.
But the best thing you can find on this website are the interviews with the industry professionals – most of them are pretty much complete detailed, in-depth tutorials on how to create unbelievably beautiful artworks. 3D modelers, animators, VFX artists, concept artists, and many other creators share breakdowns of their best works which is incredibly informative and helpful for those who are learning how to do digital art.
6. Art of VFX
Art of VFX was created by the industry veteran Vincent Frei who has worked on some of the most well-known titles in the entertainment industry including Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra, Fast & Furious 7, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Stranger Things. His website is all about inspiring content for VFX artists as there you can watch the most stunning high-end opening sequences and trailers for movies, video games, and TV series.
Vincent Frei also posts VFX breakdowns and showreels from the world’s renowned FX studios – you can see how visuals for Mortal Kombat, Venom, American Horror Stories, and other famous titles were made. But the best part about Art of VFX is the interviews section. You can read detailed breakdowns of some of the killer VFX scenes from expensive Hollywood movies shared by VFX, CG, and animation supervisors working at Weta Digital, DNEG, Marvel Studios, and Cinesite.
7. CG Channel
CG Channel is one of the most useful sources a CG artist can find because it’s essentially an all-in-one. The site writes news about the latest software releases daily, posts product reviews and tests, and what’s probably most important, shares all kinds of free resources for CG artists from tutorials to plugins and toolsets. Considering how expensive tools for 3D art can be, this list is a lifesaver – it features nearly everything from free rigged 3D characters and mocap moves to Ivy Generator for Blender.
The most captivating page on CG Channel though is their compilation of reels, demos, trailers, and other visual content from many different sources.
8. Movie Effects VFX
If you’re looking for a neverending flow of inspiring content that never stops coming, this one is for you. Movie Effects VFX is an Instagram blog run by German filmmaker Timo Sell where you can find some really cool videos showing the little secrets of movie production. You will find lots of before&after scenes, and many of them leave you speechless because the difference between what happens on set and what the audience sees on the screen can be startling.
There are also plenty of VFX breakdown posts on this page and some hilarious memes about working in the entertainment industry so you’ll never get bored scrolling through Movie Effects VFX’s feed.
9. a52
It’s always exciting to see how VFX pros make their most ambitious ideas come to life and create shots that make the viewers’ jaws drop from the very first second. If you want to know what it takes to produce the world’s most beautiful commercials, check out a52’s blog. This Santa Monica-based studio has created absolutely stunning videos for IKEA, Honda, Toyota, BMW, Lenovo, HP, and many other world-famous brands.
On their blog, a52 post interviews with their artists where they reveal the little tricks behind VFX production and explain how they create all those magnificent visuals. You can also watch a52’s works on their website and find more inspiring visual content on their Instagram.
10. VFX Express
VFX Express is an online media platform founded by Ritto Prabu where you can find plenty of inspiring VFX content. If you always wanted to know how professional FX artists create jaw-dropping effects for high-end movie and TV production, you can find numerous posts with VFX breakdowns on Vfxexpress. There are videos from Scanline VFX, DNEG, Framestore, Weta Digital, and other studios.
Also, you can watch the hottest, juiciest, most mesmerizing movie and TV series trailers created using VFX as well as read the latest news about animation and visual effects. And just like many other blogs mentioned in the article, Vfxexpress posts interviews with digital artists and you can discover amazing creators who work in the industry.
Learn to Create Stunning VFX
Have you ever dreamed of creating world-class VFX like a pro? If so check out Introduction to Houdini FX. Our online course will teach you the essentials you need to know to get started with Houdini, the most exciting VFX software in the world. Check out the course page below, and when you’re ready you can sign up to get free lessons delivered to your inbox on the course page.
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