sciVFX - Science needs Visual Effects!

[xilofoton]

Hi,

Let me to introduce sciVFX here, the developing website about photoreal (both CG and practical) scientific visualizations.
There is a growing collection from advanced scientific/data visualizations to scientifically accurate or plausible visual effects & animations, in fiction/documentary films, music videos and ads.
Two nice examples from the collection:

//youtu.be/jS2RZz3Gk_k

This project is in the trial stage and will start in 2018.

//youtu.be/syU1rRCp7E8

Here on CGS are many fine art quality images/animations, some are depicting superheroes who save “the world”…

Our technical existence is now making its effect on the climate of Earth, 97% of the relevant scientists agree this consensus:

http://whyscientistsdisagreeaboutglobalwarming.com/

Thus, we have a Real Planet that has to be saved from real problems
I’m sure that the creativity level of the CG/VFX artists here can hugely help to solve some of these issues… or at least visualize them!

“I’d known intellectually what happened but knowing it intellectually is very different from seeing it and feeling it” – Kip Thorne (the scientist behind the film, Interstellar)

Read more there:

https://scivfx.wordpress.com

Thank you for your attention.
All the best.
Greg / xilofoton

[xilofoton]

//youtu.be/rSrOt6DZQqA

This is a new piece and there are a lot more with behind the scenes stuff:
sciVFX - The List

You can extend them, just send any ideas with the form. Let’s inspire scientists!

[ambassador]

You can add plenty of shots from Cosmos.

[xilofoton]

//youtu.be/R2gOcQMJQB8

Definitely, the Cosmos documentary series is one of the best examples, so this was one of the first videos there.
The full playlist is in the Documentaries section with some other stuff:
scivfx.wordpress.com/list/vfxindocumentaries/

[XLNT-3d]

This is the “sleeper” field I’ve been involved in since 1997. It pays well, you can usually stretch your creative chops and being a generalist, you can have fun with 3d modeling, 2d graphics/illustration, VFX, animation and whatever.

As long as the budgets are in place and you’ve got the resources available to you. The best part is that the quality and constraints are typically much less than broadcast or film. You have other constraints, but one of the best parts has been how minimal the competition has been. Truly blue waters. It’s getting a bit tighter now, but the bar has been raised.

[xilofoton]

Thanks for this info!

I worked in wide range of projects from experimental animation shorts to Hollywood blockbusters, but at a point I left VFX and went to study earth sciences, I felt that I need totally different stuff(and less pixels) and was curious about climate change among others. I’m back in VFX, but this is the field which is the most interesting for me. I realized how much opportunities are there during the university years… and there is a lack of scientific visualizations. Especially in the education, we VFX/CG artists can hugely improve the learning experience, like this:

[vimeo]164325033[/vimeo]

Behind the scenes:
http://framestorevr.com/field-trip-to-mars/

I’ve explained my thoughts on sciVFX with this and other examples.

[xilofoton]

//youtu.be/zqE-ultsWt0

A brand new visualization

[xilofoton]

Hi,

I recently shared a sneak peek of one of my cinematic scientific/data visualization projects here and on ArtStation:
https://www.artstation.com/artwork/bwP3r

[xilofoton]

[b]
//youtu.be/Tk338VXcb24

[/b]

Cinematic Scientific Visualization
provides an another step beyond diagrams and abstractions that we are used to seeing
in textbooks. The difference from those more simplified images is that
it puts the science in context and is more emotional and memorable to
audiences. Cinematic scientific visualization is an especially
accessible form of science communication, because it exploits the
processing power of the visual cortex in the human brain, and because it
leverages a powerful, familiar visual language established by Hollywood
films

We see on movie screens how superheroes save “the world” from
destruction in weekly shifts, propelled by the magical power of visual
effects. However they only do so from fictious dangers or even on
non-existing planets. The real superheroes are sometimes the scientists
and inventors with inventions, research results which they conduct to
save our planet from real dangers. Just think about Elon Musk as many
call him the Real Iron Man…
Continue on sciVfx ->

[InfernalDarkness]

I thought this was supposed to be about Science, not fiction?

Promoting Musk on a CGI site, how apt.

[skeebertus]

Well he IS doing some pretty damn cool stuff. Electrical cars, space exploration, boring tunnels under Los Angeles.

I don’t see many other so-called Billionaires doing anything particularly more exciting.

Nice animation also.

[xilofoton]

I thought this was supposed to be about Science, not fiction?

Promoting Musk on a CGI site, how apt.

Yes, absolutely…
Science, based on fiction

//youtu.be/aBr2kKAHN6M

//youtu.be/wbSwFU6tY1c

Ironically Musk said that the Tesla in space doesn’t seem real, it’s more like a CGI:
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/960992715579125760

However I rather promote CGI for scientists and inventors like Musk
In example Arthur C. Clarke predicted the satellite communication system, so there are great opportunities when art meets science.
http://lakdiva.org/clarke/1945ww/

[masterofacid]

I must say that when it comes to scientific viz I like the non-photoreal look much better than the “we try so hard to fake it, because we want people to believe that we have something that we do not”. I would rather invest in a project that came with a informative and simple project viz, than someone who think they can fool me with some pretty images. Don´t get me wrong, pretty images are nice for certain things, but if I want to understand how something work, keep it “openGL” so I won’t be distracted!

I have a friend who used cryengine to do wind turbine viz. Zero render time and perfect level of quality for all intended viewers. Can live as 3d artist get any smoother?!

[xilofoton]

I must say that when it comes to scientific viz I like the non-photoreal look much better than the “we try so hard to fake it, because we want
people to believe that we have something that we do not”…

I totally agree that there are fields in visualization, where the awesomeness isn’t necessary, and can make creators a bit blind in terms of scientific accuracy. But…
Sometimes the opposite is the true, high-end realism can help the work of scientists/engineers in certain situations. Just think about architectual visualizations. Those tend to be like time travelled photos from the future. They show almost exactly how the lighting, all the visual impact of the building would be. It can help to solve problems before they start the construction. This is a serious example:
https://www.eclat-digital.com/simulating-the-death-ray/

Indeed, if you want to communicate scientific facts to a general audience. Good example is this:

//youtu.be/RejAjfRkVuc

However these from Real World Visuals aren’t photorealistic, no textures etc. but enough real to get the sense. As I mentioned on the sciVfx site, we see the mindblowing VFX on the big screen, but what about the reality? We are facing with a planetary scale eco-villain, namely anthropogenic pollution. That’s a scientific consensus. Period.

//youtu.be/IEqBduQIx-Q

It’s worth to watch this film, if you didn’t, but from 1:26:50 , DiCaprio’s speech is interesting now…
Sorry if I’m a bit too promotional, but I think we CG/VFX artists have responsibility. We flood the big screen with fiction based spectacles, but just a little fraction of us create something which are based on facts, but aren’t boring.

To be extremely simplified, it seems, that this guy perturbates less pixels in his recent movies than as much as VFX artists do. So as I stated in the first post:
I’m sure that the creativity level of the CG/VFX artists here can hugely help to solve some of these issues… or at least visualize them!

Although there are good renect news, they continue the Cosmos series with Neil deGrasse Tyson:
https://www.space.com/39386-cosmos-tv-series-gets-second-season.html