Avatar 2 | WETA FX | Houdini Connect

In this feature Nicholas Illingsworth, FX Supervisor at WETA FX chats with us about how they put Houdini to use in the production of Avatar 2, specifically around the creation of water and fire related VFX. Nicholas also discusses how Houdini was integrated into proprietary toolsets used at WETA FX as well as the benefits of a procedural workflow.

[@Heavenira]

just what a film, gorgeous

[@VisualistAyush07]

I love Houdini but my pc hates Houdini

[@Invisible123d]

Same same bud different 🤣🤣🥲🥲🥲..ussss

[@VisualistAyush07]

@@Invisible123d 🤣

[@user-jo5om5du3b]

Me too 😂

[@AdamNilsson-jz5mv]

Great video! will there be a longer version?

[@Davvechan]

Great with some more in-depth view of what you created for Avatar.
Cheers from a Houdini FX artist

[@sridharan5172]

Houdini is build different from other softwares really worthy and incredible ❤

[@TheLizardKing752]

Discovering Houdini years after Softimage was discontinued was such a breath of fresh air.

[@wallacesousuke1433]

@@TheLizardKing752 why? I vastly prefer Maya and Unreal Engine 5 over Houdini, I hate its procedural/node based approach, though I know it makes it a beast for simulation/VFX but that isn't my area of interest at all (for that I would rather wait for Embergen to mature)

[@TheLizardKing752]

@@wallacesousuke1433 Hmm, I think with creative software there's always that gap between what we want to accomplish and how to use the software to accomplish it, and it feels very intuitive for me in Houdini. I love the node-based procedural approach, I don't think I've ever had to use the undo button in 2+ years with that software.
Also an indie license is like $250/yr, there aren't any features locked behind higher tier subscriptions. I also don't have to pay extra for essential plugins.
It's definitely lacking in some areas like sculpting or texture painting, but I'm a motion graphics person professionally so I'm not usually needing those tools often anyways.

[@Krishnaavril-qq6yf]

Weta suppose to release there houdini version right, Hweta few years ago

[@dirtcreature3d]

Yeah, WetaH and WetaM were canned when unity bought them I asked about it at Siggraph last year

[@lega-xyz]

Incredible!

[@disl4007]

I'm really Curious to know what hardware they used

[@luigifitzgerald2510]

Would love to know how to achieve this kind of small scal water sim and wetness maps at 1:58

[@UdangPistolProduction]

😮😮😮😮

[@joelchamp1949]

Col. Quaritch : "James Cameron and houdini... that's a potent mix! Gives me the goosebumps!" lol

[@beq23d]

one day, one day!

[@abdullaharshak.n7870]

Which render is used to render these shots??

[@sridharan5172]

That's the secret they use native render?

[@wouterengering9030]

It’s their proprietary engine called Manuka

[@ghost3dee]

It's called Manuka, their proprietary spectral renderer

[@dff8809]

Another reason to learn houdini

[@wallacesousuke1433]

What? A garbage movie? lol

[@Gary_Hun]

0:40 - I'm not overly happy with that shot, the integration of the Na'vi character with the rest is anything but convincing, even at 480p youtube crap.

[@didioskywalker]

❤

[@humbleraider6343]

Some people loves practical effects too much to the point that they are hating CGI. Practical effects have its place. But i want to see them make something like Avatar 1 & 2, Avengers movies, Aquaman and Transformers without using CGI lol.

[@TumsoAliev]

I started following Houdini before it became mainstream

[@Rodutchi]

Common everyone, let's clap for him! Sorry for breathing the same air as you good sir!

[@TumsoAliev]

​@@Rodutchi you are welcome peasant

[@olexp9017]

​@@metaturnalIt is already despite all the attempts to ignore it 😂
FX already, lighting is coming, animation. I have no doubts about them.
But it would be great to see Houdini performing as well on the compositing front. One day.

[@christophercraves]

Super bro❤

[@Dartagnan65]

I did some work in Prisms back the day!

[@parikshitbelsare6914]

A tight fucking slap to those liars who use Vfx and CGI and say it's all practical... meanwhile avatar is almost fully CGI and the director proudly presents his movies without taking away VFX artist's credit

[@khomatech6428]

more like WATER FX aoyoyyooooooooooo

[@briananeuraysem3321]

Heh, wetter, because water? Get it?

[@chobingames8419]

I thought unity destroyed weta

[@tomhaswell6283]

They bought WetaDigital, WetaFX continued as a seperate entity.

[@dynamohack]

blender could do all that with 1000 crashes

[@rubenloedolff]

Blender could do none of that with a trillion crashes.

[@wallacesousuke1433]

Avatar 🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮

[@tokkyor]

Sadly the movie was Woke.

[@1974elky]

Isn't it past your bedtime?

[@jej_x]

sadly you think you're opinion means anything

[@user-kr4rk1pv6e]

Sadly, you have no idea what woke means and you somehow think its an insult.
Also- 3rd highest grossing film of all time so I guess people must like it. Guess that flies in the face of that whole go woke go broke thing you idiots like to use.

[@davold0]

How ??? 😂😂

[@hannanshahid2416]

what isnt these days but fyi this is a technical video not related to the story