FMX 2015

Unfortunately due to not having enough time off  this year I was not able to attend the FMX. :C

I wish I had the time because it seems like it was very interesting!

It being their 20th anniversary they made it extra special.

When I was reading about the visitor speakers a lot of them were vfx orientated and I regretted not seeing them so so much despite always thinking that I was just interested in games... 

I think since the last FMX and seeing all the magic behind my favourite movies and tv series touched me a bit hence why my first project this year was very vfx orientated.

I think that's another good reason to visit such conferences, to see what is going on in other circles than what you're interested in. You may see something completely different you'll want to explore. 

They always give you insight to their processes and the software they use.

Since last year's fmx I've been wanting to try Houdini, everyone seems to be using it and the outcomes are amazing!
Anyways, back to the subject...

The visitor speakers that attended this year:
Joe Letteri - Supervisor and Director of Weta Digital
Lorne Peterson, John Knoll and Richard Bluff from ILM talking about STAR WARS
Ralph Eggleston, William Reeves and Eben Fiske Ostby to lookback at 20 years of Toy Story
Some of the Marvel team to talk about Age Of Ultron.

Raphael Lacoste on art direction and image composition of Assassin's Creed 4.
Brent Burley, Principal Software Engineer presentation on Hyperion.

Apart from that there were bits and pieces on the upcoming MINIONS! Big Hero 6 and Game of thrones which I also regret not seeing as last years GoT presentation wasn't disappointing. We got a short (very short) shot of the future dragons which was very satisfying!

What I love listening to are the reassuring comments. They don't just show you all the amazing things they've done. They show you the things that went wrong and tell you the stories of how it sometimes goes very very wrong and how they deal with it. Being a student and not as experienced as I'd like to be it helps me a great deal. Because sometimes during my projects I feel like giving up on it because things just won't go the way I want them to and they show everyone how it's part of the process. They present themselves like normal people and it makes me feel like being a part of it isn't as unrealistic as I imagine it.

The only problem about visiting such conferences are the £$£$£$
Fair enough the tickets are discounted for students, but as far as I remember they're still over a hundred pounds. Which wouldn't be as much but people never seem to think about the living costs and travel costs. It adds up to a fair amount of money which is why I made a whole road trip out of it last year just to make it worth the money.

Apart from that it's a great thing to do, I got a lot of useful contacts out of the last one and I will definitely try and attend it when I can! C: