I Learned How To Fake Water Exactly Like Hollywood

Corridor Crew
16 Jun 202420:59

Summary

TLDRThis script delves into the complexities of computer-generated imagery (CGI), particularly in simulating realistic water in films. It explores the evolution of CGI water from simple sine wave animations to sophisticated fluid dynamics simulations. Highlighting the challenges faced by VFX artists, the script interviews Chris White, a VFX supervisor involved in 'Avatar' sequels, to understand the principles behind creating photorealistic water. The journey illustrates the balance between technological tools and the artist's intuition in crafting visually compelling and story-driven effects.

Takeaways

  • ๐ŸŒ The advancement in computer graphics has made it possible to create highly realistic visuals, including complex elements like water in films.
  • ๐ŸŽจ Water is considered a challenging element to simulate in CGI due to its intricate and complex nature.
  • ๐ŸŽฌ The film 'Nad' exemplifies the effort required to create computer-generated water that moves and behaves convincingly.
  • ๐Ÿ’ง Hollywood movies often feature fake water that is virtually indistinguishable from real water, showcasing the high skill of VFX artists.
  • ๐Ÿ‘จโ€๐Ÿ’ป Chris White, a VFX supervisor, played a key role in developing a new water pipeline for 'Avatar' sequels and worked on 'Nad', emphasizing the importance of water's role in storytelling.
  • ๐Ÿ” Understanding the principles of water is crucial for creating realistic simulations, more so than the specific tools used.
  • ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ The in-house system 'Loki' was developed for the 'Avatar' sequels but is not available to the public, indicating that advanced tools are often proprietary.
  • ๐Ÿ“š The history of fluid dynamics and its application in computer graphics has evolved significantly, with early methods being simple but not physically accurate.
  • ๐ŸŒŠ Films like 'Water World' and 'Titanic' used a combination of linear displacement and particle simulations to create the appearance of water.
  • ๐Ÿ’ก The breakthrough in combining volume-based and particle-based simulations for fluid dynamics was seen in the film 'Antz', allowing for more realistic water movement.
  • ๐ŸŽญ The artist's role in CGI is to use their intuition and creativity to refine simulations, ensuring they serve the story and achieve photorealism.

Q & A

  • What is the main challenge in creating photorealistic CGI water?

    -The main challenge in creating photorealistic CGI water is understanding and replicating the complex physical properties and behaviors of water, such as its reflective and refractive qualities, as well as its interactions with other elements like air and surfaces.

  • Why was the water in the film 'Nad' created using CGI?

    -The water in 'Nad' was created using CGI because the filmmakers wanted to control the direction and movement of the water to help tell the story, which could not be achieved with practical effects within the limitations of a water tank.

  • What role did Chris White play in the development of CGI water?

    -Chris White played a pivotal role in the development of Weta Digital's new water pipeline for the 'Avatar' sequels and also worked on 'Nad', contributing to the advancement of CGI water simulation techniques.

  • What is an 'in-house system' in the context of CGI water simulation?

    -An 'in-house system' refers to a proprietary software or set of tools developed specifically by a company for their own use, in this case, for creating and managing CGI water simulations.

  • What does the term 'Loki' refer to in the script?

    -In the script, 'Loki' refers to the in-house system developed by Weta Digital for simulating water in their CGI projects, which was used in the making of the 'Avatar' sequels.

  • How did the understanding of fluid dynamics contribute to the early stages of CGI water simulation?

    -The understanding of fluid dynamics provided the foundational principles that were translated into mathematical models and algorithms, which were then implemented in early computer graphics to simulate the behavior of water.

  • What was the significance of the film 'Water World' in the history of CGI water simulation?

    -The film 'Water World' was significant because it was one of the first to use actual oceanographic and atmospheric data to emulate the waves of the open ocean, marking a step forward in the realism of CGI water.

  • What is the difference between particle simulations and volume simulations in CGI water?

    -Particle simulations are good at retaining volume but struggle with solving for velocity and pressure, while volume simulations excel at calculating pressure and velocity but have difficulty with retaining volume and capturing splashes or other small-scale water behaviors.

  • How did the film 'Ants' (1998) contribute to the advancement of CGI water simulation?

    -The film 'Ants' contributed by combining the benefits of both particle and volume simulations to create a more realistic and dynamic representation of water, marking a landmark achievement in CGI fluid simulation.

  • What is the role of the artist in the process of creating photorealistic CGI water?

    -The role of the artist is crucial in the process of creating photorealistic CGI water as they use their intuition and artistic vision to make manual tweaks and decisions that enhance the realism and storytelling aspects of the water simulation.

  • What software was used in the script to attempt creating a photorealistic river?

    -Houdini was the software used in the script to attempt creating a photorealistic river, allowing the user to apply their understanding of fluid dynamics and CGI techniques.

Outlines

00:00

๐ŸŽจ The Art of CGI Water in Film

This paragraph delves into the complexities of creating computer-generated imagery (CGI) for water in films. It discusses the challenges faced by visual effects (VFX) artists in replicating the intricacies of water and highlights the impressive work done in films like 'Nad' and 'Avatar'. The speaker expresses intimidation by the task and seeks advice from Chris White, a VFX supervisor who contributed to 'Avatar' and 'Nad', about the tools and techniques used in the industry. The importance of understanding water's behavior is emphasized, and the limitations of in-house systems like Loki are mentioned, suggesting that such tools are not accessible to everyone.

05:01

๐ŸŒŠ The Evolution of Water Simulation in CGI

This section traces the history and development of water simulation in computer graphics, starting from the basics of fluid dynamics to the application in films. It explains how early computer graphics struggled with water visualization, often resorting to practical effects. The paragraph discusses the transition from simple sine wave simulations to more complex methods like linear displacement and particle simulations, as seen in films like 'Water World' and 'Titanic'. It also touches on the limitations of particle simulations and the need for a more comprehensive approach to fluid dynamics in CGI.

10:02

๐Ÿš€ Bridging the Gap: Combining Volumes and Particles for Realistic Fluids

The third paragraph focuses on the technical advancements in CGI that allowed for more realistic fluid simulations. It describes the challenges of using volumes and particles separately and how the film 'Ants' (1998) pioneered a method that combined the benefits of both approaches. This breakthrough enabled the creation of CG fluids that could move and interact more naturally. The paragraph also outlines the progress made in fluid simulations over the years, with examples from films like 'The Perfect Storm', 'The Day After Tomorrow', and 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End', showcasing the increasing sophistication and control in CGI water effects.

15:03

๐Ÿ–Œ๏ธ The Artist's Role in Achieving Photorealistic CGI Water

In this paragraph, the speaker shares their personal journey of attempting to create photorealistic water using Houdini, a 3D animation software. They discuss the process of setting up a simulation with a dry ravine and rocks, and the reliance on pre-existing mathematical models to handle the physics of fluid dynamics. The speaker realizes that despite the advancements in technology, the artist's intuition and manual adjustments are crucial for achieving the desired level of realism. They consult with Chris again to understand the current state of water simulation in films like 'Avatar' and the importance of artist involvement in fine-tuning the simulation results.

20:04

๐ŸŽฌ The Final Touch: Artistic Intuition in CGI Water Rendering

The final paragraph concludes the speaker's quest to create realistic CGI water. They reflect on the importance of artistic intuition in the rendering process, beyond the mathematical and scientific aspects. The speaker manually tweaks the render to address issues like the lack of wetness on the riverbed, light breakup on the water surface, and the absence of foam and cavitation. The result is a photorealistic water render, which underscores the significance of the artist's role in storytelling through visual effects. The paragraph ends with a philosophical note on the harmony between technology and artistry in creating beautiful and believable imagery for the screen.

Mindmap

Keywords

๐Ÿ’กComputer Graphics

Computer Graphics refers to the creation of visual content using computers. It is a vast field that encompasses everything from simple images to complex simulations. In the context of the video, Computer Graphics is the main theme, as the script discusses the evolution and current state of CGI in creating realistic visuals, particularly water, in films.

๐Ÿ’กCGI

CGI, or Computer-Generated Imagery, is a subset of computer graphics that specifically deals with creating images and animations that are not based on real-world footage. The video emphasizes the advancements in CGI, especially in simulating water for movies, and how it has become increasingly realistic and integral to the storytelling in films.

๐Ÿ’กWater Simulation

Water Simulation is the process of using computer graphics to create the appearance and behavior of water. The script highlights the complexity and the evolution of water simulation in movies, noting how it has become a significant challenge due to the intricate physics and visual properties of water.

๐Ÿ’กPhotorealism

Photorealism in the context of computer graphics means creating digital images that are indistinguishable from photographs of real-world scenes. The video's theme revolves around the pursuit of photorealism in CGI, particularly in simulating water, to enhance the visual storytelling in films.

๐Ÿ’กFluid Dynamics

Fluid Dynamics is the study of how fluids, like water and air, move and interact. The script explains that understanding fluid dynamics is crucial for simulating realistic water in CGI, as it involves the application of mathematical principles to model the behavior of fluids in a digital environment.

๐Ÿ’กParticle Simulation

Particle Simulation is a technique used in computer graphics to simulate various natural phenomena, including the behavior of water. In the script, it is mentioned as an early method for simulating water, where individual points in 3D space move according to predefined rules to create the illusion of fluid motion.

๐Ÿ’กVolumes

In computer graphics, volumes refer to a three-dimensional grid of data points used to simulate the behavior of fluids. The script discusses the use of volumes in water simulation, noting their ability to track pressure and velocity within a fluid system, but also their limitations in retaining volume.

๐Ÿ’กHoudini

Houdini is a 3D animation and visual effects software that is widely used for creating complex simulations, including water. The script mentions Houdini as the tool the author uses to attempt to create their own water simulation, highlighting its capabilities in simulating fluid dynamics.

๐Ÿ’กState Machine

A State Machine in the context of the video refers to a setup used in advanced water simulations that integrates various aspects of fluid behavior, such as air entrainment, bubbles, foam, and mist. It represents a sophisticated approach to simulating water, as discussed by Chris White, a VFX supervisor, in the script.

๐Ÿ’กArtistic Vision

Artistic Vision pertains to the creative ideas and intentions that guide the creation of visual content. The script concludes with the importance of the artist's role in using tools like CGI to support their vision, emphasizing that technology serves the artist's goal of telling a story through visuals.

๐Ÿ’กCavitation

Cavitation is the formation of vapor cavities in a liquid due to rapid pressure changes, often seen in the form of bubbles in water. The script mentions cavitation as an important aspect of realistic water simulation that was missing in the author's initial attempts, contributing to the final touch of realism in the water's appearance.

Highlights

The complexity of creating CGI water and its importance in films like 'Nad' where all the water was fake yet realistic.

Chris White's role in developing a new water pipeline for 'Avatar' sequels and his work on 'Nad'.

The significance of water movement in storytelling and its enhancement through CGI in 'Nad'.

The limitations of traditional methods like green screen with water and the evolution to computer-generated water.

The development of the in-house system 'Loki' for simulating water in 'Avatar' sequels.

The importance of understanding the principles of water over the tools used for simulation.

The history of fluid dynamics and its application in computer graphics for water simulation.

The challenges of simulating water's interaction with other visual effects like green screen.

The use of oceanographic data in 'Water World' to emulate realistic ocean waves.

The introduction of particle simulations to create effects like bubbles in 'Titanic'.

The limitations of particle simulations in capturing the physics of water.

The breakthrough in combining volume and particle methods in 'Antz' for more realistic fluid simulation.

Advancements in fluid simulations from 'The Perfect Storm' to 'Pirates of the Caribbean'.

The philosophical question of whether it's possible to perfectly simulate water physics.

The role of the artist in shaping the simulation process and the importance of storytelling.

The realization that artistry is crucial in the final touches of CGI water to achieve photorealism.

The final outcome of creating photorealistic water and the appreciation for the artist's role in CGI.

Transcripts

play00:00

welcome to the wonderful world of

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computer Graphics you know this place is

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pretty great these days we can make just

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about anything in here robots Aliens big

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old worms and of course Henry C's upper

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lip but I bet you didn't realize how

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much CGI was in this scene there you go

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oygen please this is a scene from the

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film naad and it required just as much

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effort to create in the computer as any

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of the other examples because all of the

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water you are seeing is fake and I don't

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think people understand how crazy that

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actually is and it's not just this film

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most Hollywood movies these days are

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filled with fake water that is basically

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invisible to the public because it's

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just that good as a VX artist I've

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always found water to be very

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intimidating we've replicated so much of

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the intricacy of nature but water is so

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complex it's very difficult to recreate

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which is why this water looks like crap

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but what if I could make it not look

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like crap what if I could create a river

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entirely in the computer that is 100%

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photo well I'd have to figure out what

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tools were used on films like niad and

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Avatar way of water to accomplish their

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incredible CG fluids and what better way

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to do that then talk to somebody who

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knows the way of water better than

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anyone else we are joined by what FX

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supervisor Chris White how you doing

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Jordan I'm doing very good Chris played

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a pivotal role in the development of

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what effect's new water pipeline for the

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Avatar sequels but he also worked on

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niad my first question when I did see

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the VFX breakdown of NAD is why why why

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why would you do do this with niad it

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was really important to the filmmakers

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that the current and the direction and a

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movement of the water helped tell the

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story that she was being guided with the

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current and she was working with it or

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she was working against it they weren't

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able to capture all of that within the

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tank so we came in to help sell that

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story point and it was important to not

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bring the viewer out of the picture

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there's scenes that were extreme

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close-ups we know that has to look great

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for it to be beli for the audience do

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you feel that given where technology is

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that I would be capable of creating

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something at home that is photorealistic

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when it comes to water the key to it is

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understanding the principles and the

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look of it on way of the water we spent

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years like we literally took a

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whiteboard erased it started with a

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single drop and said okay what's

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happening with water and did a deep dive

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and studied all of those principles we

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created our in-house system that we

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built which um is called Loki

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our inhouse system that we built like in

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houses and we're not allowed our inhouse

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system that we built it's not available

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for like

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me I guess that's it huh the tools I

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need are behind closed doors for the

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elites I'm not

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Elite can't even make water just a

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peasant begging for scraps from the

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king's table in this case the king's a

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really nice guy Chris was lovely thank

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you Chris all I wanted to make is a

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fully simulated 100% photorealistic

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River Dean is that too much to ask but

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Chris did say something interesting he

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said that the tools don't matter as much

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as understanding the principles of water

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you know Chris is right if I can just

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learn all I can about creating simulated

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water then I wouldn't need their fancy

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tools even a dirty peasant like me would

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be capable of creating CG water that

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holds up to the real thing

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[Music]

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[Music]

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[Music]

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you know diving into water simulation

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there is so much info it's hard to tell

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what's important and what's just well

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noise it seems these days we're all

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drowning in

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information and that's where today's

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pretty soon we're all going to be in

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wouldn't mind it ground news shows me

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saw a Shark throw up water simulations

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sorry let's get back to

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that so I dove real deep into computer

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generated water and in its history I

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believe lie the tools to simulate my

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River it all starts obviously with how

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real water flows the study of fluid

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dynamics has actually been around for a

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few hundred years fluid dynamics allows

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us not only to understand the flow of

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liquids but also the flow of gases like

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how air bends around the wing of a plane

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the laws that guide fluid dynamics are

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surprisingly straightforward you can

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actually write the critical equations on

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the palm of your hand look at that I

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don't know what it means but it fits and

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I got tiny hands now it wasn't long

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after the invention of the computer that

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this math was brought into the digital

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realm but while the laws are somewhat

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simple to outline their actual

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application is incredibly complex to

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simulate and then orders of magnitude

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harder to actually visualize because it

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would take another 30 years for computer

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Graphics to bring the first genuine

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fluid simulation to film prior to this

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the only way to visualize water in

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movies was well with

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water whether it was massive water tanks

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being dumped onto real sets or smaller

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tanks of water used in conjunction with

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Miniatures there was only so much that

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could be achieved visually and it really

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didn't help that water didn't exactly

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play nice with other methods of visual

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effects of the time namely green screen

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see water is very difficult to capture

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on a green screen due to the fact that

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it both refracts and reflects the green

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of the screen and it's not like you can

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manipulate real water with stop motion

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either so if you couldn't get the water

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to do what you wanted on camera well

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tough luck because you couldn't get it

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any other way but by the 9s computer

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Graphics began to dip its little toe in

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the water simulation World it started

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with characters that had the appearance

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of water like the pseudopod from the

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abyss or the T1000 from Terminator 2

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which we've made separate videos about

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but this was essentially using sine

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waves to change the height of the points

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on the surface surface of the characters

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giving the illusion of a liquidy

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organism but what if you have a film

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that is a literal world of

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water 1995's atly named water world was

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the first film to use actual

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oceanographic and Atmospheric data to

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emulate the waves of the open ocean this

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allowed the production to replace the

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Horizon around their massive ship sets

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with photoreal CG water I mean look at

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this this looks great looks like an

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ocean moves like an ocean I might as

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well just use this 30-year-old method to

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simulate my river right well similar to

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previous effects it's simply a linear

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displacement of the ocean's surface now

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what the heck does that even mean well

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if we look at this we have a grid with a

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simple texture on top of it a black to

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white map basically what I want to tell

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the computer is hey any elements that

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are pure white be the highest point and

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anything that is pure black be the

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lowest point so if we have an animated

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map and that map moves like ocean waves

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technically we should be able to use the

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same approach to create what looks like

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ocean waves

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T so this is great this gives the

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illusion of an ocean surface but in

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reality it's just a grid that's being

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displaced in the exact same way we saw

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previously now what that means for us is

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well it's not real physics we can't ever

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get any real waves because at the end of

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the day these are points that are being

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displaced up or down and in that way

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we'll never have a wave dynamically

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crash over its neighboring points it's

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all just trickery at the end of the

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day a similar method to this was used to

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even greater effect in 1997's Titanic

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like water world it's a linear

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displacement of the ocean's surface but

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there were a few physics-based

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simulations used in the CG of Titanic

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and to create this River we're going to

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need those physics when we see the

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propellers of the ship you can see these

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tiny bubbles being churned up by this

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machine there was actually a version of

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this effect achieved in camera with a

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miniature but Cameron thought the

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bubbles created were too big to achieve

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this massive sense of scale of the ship

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they needed to be even tinier so the VFX

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team used a particle simulation you see

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particles had existed since 1983 and

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these little guys could actually

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simulate gravity as well as collisions

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with other objects now in the real world

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bubbles are generated through this

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entirely complex physical reaction to

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the propellers and what the water's

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actually made of we don't have to worry

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about any of that what if we could just

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create particles on the edges of the

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blade and shoot them out into 3D space

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well we get a really cool looking result

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we got lots of little buddies floating

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out into the ether these obviously are

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not bubbles right these are actually

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just tiny little points in 3D space that

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we are shooting out not a lot of math

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but you do get a very cool result so if

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we can simulate particles and we can

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affect the forces of how they move then

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why not just use particles to simulate

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my River but if we just pause this

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simulation let's zoom in and take a

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little bit of a look around look these

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particles are actually phasing through

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each other in a particle simulation

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particles don't interact with each other

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they're like New

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Yorkers sorry I didn't mean sorry but

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what do I mean by that well I can

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actually show you with another

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simulation here we have a stream of

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particles that are being poured into a

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box if you'll notice when the Spheres

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make contact with each other well

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they're not really making contact at all

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they all just fall and collapse through

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each other as if their neighbors don't

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even exist now these particles can

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simulate very quickly when they're only

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concerned with themselves like New York

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is sorry still funnier in my head I

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swear I'll land it but imagine how much

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more complex it gets when every single

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one of these particles needs to know

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where its thousand plus neighbors are

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every single frame that's a lot of

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additional math and if you add 10 times

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the math to a calculation guess what

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it's going to take 10 times longer to

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calculate and this is not a large number

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of particles not even close imagine how

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many more you would need to simulate a

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body of water let alone a full raging

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River and then try doing that on a '90s

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PC where the most realistic game you'd

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ever played was

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doomed and even if you had the patience

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to simulate all of those interactions

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particles really only work well for

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emulating some of the phenomena

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generated by water because particle

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simulations don't really scale that well

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what we need is a better way to track

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the Dynamics of a fluid system namely

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the pressure which is the areas of least

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resistance and the velocity which is the

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speed and direction of

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motion now there is another framework of

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thinking about 3D space which is key to

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tracking these Dynamics until now we've

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been thinking in terms of individual

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points in space you know these little

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dudes but what if instead we think about

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3D space as a volume of 3D cubes

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essentially these cubes are containers

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of data that can pass information

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between themselves so using those

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elegant fluid Dynamic equations we can

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Define how pressure and velocity move

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data through space so that's it we're

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done here let's just use volumes to

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simulate this River well not so fast me

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you see the issue with volumes is

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ironically it's imperfect ability to

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track how much volume is in it and what

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I mean by that is in a volume simulation

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you can't really get a splash of water

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separating from the larger body and then

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recombining with it because it'll shrink

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away into nothingness before it lands

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and it's gone so this was the Dilemma in

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the late '90s volumes are great at

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solving velocity and pressure but bad at

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retaining volume and particles are great

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at retaining volume but bad at solving

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for velocity and pressure but in 1998

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one film was bold enough to attempt to

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bridge this Gap to use the best of both

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methods something not even Titanic the

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most expensive film ever made to that

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point was bold enough to attempt a

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groundbreaking classic that you all

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remember dearly I'm talking of course

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about 1998's ants you're not serious are

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you okay maybe ants isn't the most

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memorable movie I have a thing about

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drinking from the anus of another

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creature but it will forever be

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responsible for a truly Landmark

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achievement look at that just bask in

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the glory Now by today's standards maybe

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it doesn't look realistic but heck it's

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moving like water the team had to hire a

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guy who had just finished his PhD to

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even figure out how to do this unlike

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Titanic and water world it's not just

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the surface there was an undulating mass

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that literally flows through space Nick

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Foster who developed the simulation

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software figured out how to take the

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benefits of volumes and the benefits of

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particles and combine them to create CG

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fluid and over the next decade films

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began to radically advance both the

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speed and the level of complexity of

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these fluid simulations there was 2000s

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the perfect storm in which industrial

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Light and Magic physically simulated

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these enormous waves on top of which

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were separate particle simulations to

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replicate the foam and spray that would

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be generated by the boat slamming into

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them 2004 is the day after tomorrow with

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an incredible flooding sequence where a

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giant swell overtakes New York the film

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was able to add precise guidance to the

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fluid simulation like suction pumps and

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whirl pools to control the flow of the

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water and speaking of whirl pools who

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could forget 2007's Pirates of the

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Caribbean at World's

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End look at that whirling dervish of CG

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Beauty

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[Music]

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and of course Avatar in 2009 which by

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many could be deemed as the start of the

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modern era of water simulation CG water

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was at the point where it could be

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precisely directed to do the things that

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we could never capture on camera but

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still based in physics so we did it

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after Decades of trial and error this

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elegant MTH of fluid dynamics can now be

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properly visualized by computer Graphics

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now it's time to see if I can replicate

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this magic on my own computer and what

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better tool to use when trying to make

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some magic than Houdini so since I've

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now learned the ins and outs of fluid

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simulations I've built my very own from

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the ground up now before I can simulate

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anything I have to give my River

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something to run through and so I found

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a photo scan online of a bone dry Ravine

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I added a whole bunch of photo scans of

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giant rocks and boulders so that those

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liquids had something more Dynamic to

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interact with so the reality is once I

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have my source of water and my Collision

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geometry I don't really need to worry

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about too much more because like we've

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talked about to this point the math has

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been done right people much smarter than

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me have crunched the numbers and devised

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systems to calculate all of that math on

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my behalf so all I need to do now is let

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physics do its

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thing here it is it's not bad like it

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moves like water you get the sense that

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it is rushing and gushing you know how

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the water is literally getting trapped

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and churning and spinning before rolling

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back out but a lot of the detail

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is missing in those areas for some

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reason I mean this is nothing compared

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to the insane photo realism you're

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seeing in movies nowadays so I'm going

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to go check back in with Chris to see

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how I can take this render into the

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realm of the photo real so Chris you

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were a VFX supervisor on the original

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Avatar and you were also a VFX

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supervisor on way of water what are the

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major like significant differences from

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13 years ago with Avatar to now in terms

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of what we can do with water it's still

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the the same mathematical approach but

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now we created this setup called the

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state machine which does the main

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simulation but it entrains the air as

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well it creates the underwater bubbles

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that will travel up and those become the

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foam and then becomes the Mist so it's

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all this integrated system so it all

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works together it sounds like you've

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built this state machine to press

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simulate and then you have a result

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although the the machine lets you do it

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the the artist has control of the input

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because after it comes out of the

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machine there's there's a lot that goes

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into sculpting the surfacing of the

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water and making sure the parameters are

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appropriate to get the maximum detail

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you know do I want to make it choppier

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so that I get more white water do I want

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to have you know more foam or less foam

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so the effects artists is making a lot

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of decisions to get the result that they

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want is it possible to perfectly

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simulate the physics of water I think we

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can simulate visually very realistic

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water I think that gets into into deeper

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philosophical like how like like there's

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always some level of of detail that

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you're simulating to you're not going

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down to the the molecules or anything

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like that so you do have to cheat it cuz

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as you get into it you're like okay yeah

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we've got it down to this little level

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and you're like but if you really dig

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into it more there may be silk that's

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being kicked up there there's all these

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complex systems I mean we're still at

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the at the end of the day we we're still

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making movies and it's about telling the

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story that was part of the drive was

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like if we can give the artist a good

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system that looks good from the

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beginning then they can spend more time

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being artistic that's actually really

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interesting that you say that it's

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almost like even if we do reach a point

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where on a molecular level we can

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perfectly recreate water you would

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almost still need the artist in order to

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draw it in such a way that it tells the

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story that needs to be told exactly it

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it always comes down to that and the the

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tools are there to help it look

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realistic and they help give us control

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but all the discussions and decisions

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are made to that one point like what is

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the story being told in this shot and

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how do they affect support and help tell

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that story I think I've had it backwards

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I've been looking at it is you know more

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on the tools than the artist but it

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seems like the tools are there to

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service the vision of the artist versus

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the artist to drive the tool yeah it's

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it's a it's that it's that support yeah

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well Chris thank you so much for joining

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us and lending us a little bit of your

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expertise it's great just talking about

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all this stuff and and kind of digging

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into it you know after talking to Chris

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I started to realize that in order to

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take this render across the Finish Line

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I I need to start using my eye as an

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artist more so naturally I looked at

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real Rivers right reference and I

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started to notice the differences

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between my render and the stuff that I

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was seeing from actual footage real

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Rivers the water actually makes the dirt

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that it goes over wet in real Rivers

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you're getting a much greater breakup of

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the overall light on the surface it's

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not so globular and perfect like it is

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in this render you're getting

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volumetrics from inside the body of the

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river itself as it moves over dirt and

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churns it up into like a thick Inky

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paste and of course we're missing a

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crucial aspect of this cavitation right

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the foam the bubbles beneath the surface

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the spray there's nothing here it's just

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perfect glassy texture and for all of

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these problems I can't just click a

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button and solve them I'm going to have

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to use my own intuition as an artist

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until I'm happy with the final image

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well I made those manual tweaks and this

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is the

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[Music]

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result I'm I'm very proud looking at

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this final image I achieved what I set

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out to do I created photorealistic water

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and that's awesome but what I've taken

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away is how much the hand of the artist

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still drives this process Math and

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Science without that spark of humanity

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is soulless so knowing just how much of

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what we see on the big screen is

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thoughtfully crafted just makes it that

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much more beautiful

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Related Tags
CGI WaterFilm VFXFluid DynamicsHoudini SoftwareAvatar SequelWater SimulationVFX BreakdownPhotorealistic RenderingComputer GraphicsArtistic Intuition