Judge feedback

Judge feedback is anonymous and shown in a random order.

• Solid methodical approach to the stages of the hammer animation. The presentation is interesting and appropriate - the snowy setting fits the feel of what you're conveying. It makes for an simpler monochromatic pallete, which you offset with some nice saturated reds for the spellcasting. Destruction simulations have a natural feel and timing. Except the initial crack timing - it could anticipate the rock trough slightly sooner. And the cloud of dust could look more like snow - it should be a wider, denser, more energetic particle system that lingers longer. Overall, a strong idea that is very well executed. This is a game-ready asset.
• Hi Elie, I just want to start by saying that this is really great work for a student! Using Houdini and blueprints to seamlessly integrate a piece of VFX into the environment is really amazing! You also put so much work into your design document, I’m really impressed with how skilled you are! In terms of research and development I think you did everything except for looking into real world examples of how things look whilst being destroyed. Your Houdini Simulation is great but I think it would have been better if you had chosen a material to break up e.g. concrete. At the moment the ground crumbles to chunks that are roughly the same size and I think you should pick a material that you want to break up and then research how that material breaks up, as my boss always said “ A VFX artist is only as good as their reference.” here’s a video I found after looking for 10 mins: https://youtu.be/GCcixBzBWCY?t=36 it’s not perfect but it’s a good starting place if I wanted to make a visual effect that is breaking concrete. you definitely deserve a 5 for technical, using houdini and Blueprints, that is very impressive. You also clearly know how to use materials. I think this is very creative! The added texture to the hammer is a nice touch. I love the distortion at the moment of impact, along with the debris and smoke is all really great. But I think you could have a bigger anticipation just before the impact. For example if you had swung the hammer back and then come down onto the ground or raised the hammer up so that the impact would feel a bigger! I also think that the lightning is a little late compared with everything else and could also be bigger with more energy. Like it could have a bit of movement running down in the material. These are really minor things and it’s not the only way to do it but I think you could definitely give it more energy. Your documentation is incredible! Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time to read through all of it but what I did read through shows me that you really know your stuff. My advice to you is to get your work on video because not everyone's like me and will open up unreal files and look at everything in detail. So make sure you get a show reel together when looking for a job, don’t sent potential employers unreal files, unless they ask you too ofc. Presentation, honestly this is some really amazing work, I’m so surprised this came from a student! Honestly you only need to break up your ground a bit more realistically and add a bit more energy to the ending and you’ll really be going places! if you want to take it even further you could also have dust coming up from the ground when it’s being destroyed, a translucent noise with an erosion or a flipbook in a particle system would really polish that effect up nicely! Amazing! AF – VFX Artist