In Depth Articles (50 Tutorials)
In Depth: 3D Renderers (Updated 17 December 2020) #3drenderer
December 17, 2020
There are so many renderers available out there, and how does an artist know what to choose? Learn what the different renderers offer.
In Depth: Render Farms / Network Rendering / Distributed Rendering
December 16, 2020
The idea of network rendering is to distribute your render over a network, or farm, of computers, to speed up your render times.
In Depth: Create Subtitles and Captions for Your Videos
November 18, 2020
Create subtitles and closed-captioning to help your video gain reach and appeal to a wider audience on broadcast and streaming videos.
In Depth: Working with Night Time Scenes, part 1
November 2, 2020
You really have two choices when shooting scenes that take place at night. Either shoot at night and deal with the low light situation or shoot Day for Night. Shooting at night is easier if your camera is capable of it. Day for Night, which I would recommend under certain circumstances, can be tricky but can look fantastic and undistinguishable when it’s done correctly. Part one of this article will focus on shooting in after dark.
In Depth: Working with Night Time Scenes, part 2
November 2, 2020
Part 1 of this two part series focused on shooting at night and when and how to accomplish shooting in low light. Part 2 focuses on working with footage shot during the daytime and color grading for night. We'll also talk about adding some night time elements to sell your shot.
In Depth: Why Should I Use V-Ray?
August 7, 2020
V-Ray is a powerful 3D rendering system that was built for designers, architects, and jack-of-all-trades. Learn about how artists use V-Ray.
In Depth: Upscaling Video
August 5, 2020
If you work with old video footage in standard format or can’t shoot 4K, here are several tools to make the job smoother and get better results.
In Depth: Gunfire and Muzzle Flash (Updated 10 July 2020)
July 10, 2020
An exhaustive resource on adding spectacular Gunfire and Muzzle Flash effects to your action and science fiction films in your host of choice.
In Depth: Fireworks Extravaganza with Fun New Content
July 3, 2020
Each July 4 we update a collection of fun tutorials on making fireworks. Enjoy tutorials for Particular, Particle Illusion, X-Particles, more!
In Depth: DaVinci Resolve Studio vs the Free Version
June 15, 2020
Is Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve Studio version worth the investment over the free version? Yes, it is! Learn why you should upgrade to Resolve Studio.
Best of 2019: The Top 10 Tutorials at Toolfarm.com
January 7, 2020
According to our website stats, these were the Top 10 Tutorials of 2019. It’s interesting that most are technical, not about VFX.
Deepfakes Examples & Tutorials: AI in Media Production #AI
October 2, 2019
Deepfakes use artificial intelligence to create a convincing face swap in video and imagery. There is a big future for deepfakes in the film industry.
In Depth: What in the Heck is Bokeh?
July 18, 2019
Bokeh is a type of defocus or lens blur where the blur takes on the shape of the lens diaphram. We explain how to pronounce the word, how it is created, and show lots of cool examples. Also, a few plug-ins to create a bokeh in post-production.
In Depth: The Ultimate Guide to Building a Great Demo Reel
June 13, 2019
Is your New Year’s Resolution to get a new job or to bring in new freelance work? A new demo reel can help. What are employers looking for in a reel? I was on a panel at a college last month where we talked about what makes a demo reel great and what makes it… well, not so great. I also asked around to some industry peers for their opinions.
In Depth: Creating Space – A Galaxy of Resources for your Epic Space Film
March 7, 2019
Space, the final frontier! Learn to create stars, galaxy, moons, and more for your next space themed film or science fiction short.