Blog
Short, specific answers to the questions brands, agencies and other artists ask me. Each article covers exactly one question.
What Is Mixed Reality Video Production?
Mixed reality video production means filmed footage and 3D animation sharing the same frame. The camera move in the footage is solved in 3D, digital elements are placed into that solved space, lit to match the plate, and composited with the same grain, blur and lens character. It is technically the same craft as visual effects; the difference is that mixed reality content usually wants you to notice the collision between real and digital rather than hide it.
Updated 2026-09-08
What Drives the Cost of a CGI Commercial?
The cost of a CGI commercial is driven by how many unique shots there are, how much has to be built from scratch, how much simulation is involved, how many formats you need, and how many approval rounds sit in the schedule. Duration barely matters: a five second shot with a cloth simulation can cost more than a thirty second film assembled from existing assets. This article explains the levers so you can shape a brief that fits a budget, rather than guessing at a number.
Updated 2026-09-08
How Are Hyperrealistic CGI Portraits Made?
A hyperrealistic CGI portrait is built in six stages: sculpting the head, developing the skin shader, grooming hair, simulating fabric and secondary detail, rendering, and compositing. Realism comes from the small imperfections, pores, peach fuzz, asymmetry, subsurface scattering, uneven skin tone, not from resolution. The single biggest jump in believability comes from skin look development, and the second biggest from grooming.
Updated 2026-09-08
How Is 3D Animation Used in Music Videos?
3D animation shows up in music videos in four ways: as a fully animated video, as animated sequences cut into live action, as digital enhancement of shots that were filmed, and as looping visual content for social and live playback. Which one a project needs is usually decided by budget and release date rather than by taste, and the sequences approach is the most common because it puts the spend where the song peaks.
Updated 2026-09-08
Houdini vs Blender for Commercial VFX: When Is Each the Right Tool?
Use Houdini when the work is simulation-heavy, procedural, or likely to change repeatedly after approval, its node-based setups let a late change propagate instead of forcing a rebuild. Use Blender when the project is modelling, look development and straightforward animation on a tight budget, or when the team already knows it. Both render commercial-grade images; the difference is how much a change costs you in week five.
Updated 2026-09-08