Firechild Video

The Making of "Serenity"

2014-07-29T16:19:00.001-05:00

Thought I would upload a fun little video today. Here is a time lapse of the creation of "Serenity." It's a fairly simple rendering, but just because it's not complicated doesn't mean it isn't any good! Remember that, Blender buds!

Serenity

2014-07-28T17:08:00.001-05:00

Having a little fun with the moon today. What do you think?

New Blender Tutorial! Creating the "one ring

2014-06-01T19:31:00.004-05:00

Here it is folks. In this tutorial we will update an old gold material tutorial we did a couple years ago, and then take it a step further by adding engraved text and then making that text glow. Kind of like that Lord of the Rings thing... only with a third less nerd.... or more nerd. You decide.

One Ring to Force Throw Them All

2014-04-29T14:58:00.002-05:00

Ahead of our new, updated, gold tutorial, I thought I'd share a render of the final image, along with a little speed modeling preview. As you can see, we are really going to be having some fun with this one. Blender has evolved since our last stab at a good gold material (See previous Gold Material Tutorial Here) so the time seemed right to revisit this technique.... with a twist.

After WAY too many requests, we will be giving you the "one ring to rule them all.... sort of." As you can see, the Firechild offices believe there is only one return.... and there is only one trilogy. Period.

Enjoy the preview and check back soon for the full tutorial and some big time nerdy goodness.

It's getting warm in here

2013-10-02T16:23:00.002-05:00

Anyone bring marshmallows?

One ring to.... wait... what's that say?

2013-04-09T18:12:00.001-05:00

Tutorial coming soon.

Phase one complete

2012-11-06T05:15:00.002-06:00

As you can tell, we are back. There are still some things to do (notice the missing tabs at the top) but the good news is, we are back online. Keep an eye out for phase two, where we get the remainder of our content up and running, then phase two will introduce some brand new content! So keep your eyes open and check back often. Things are moving fast now!

And AAAWWWWAAAAYYY we go!

2012-08-15T02:46:00.000-05:00

I've been talking about it for a while and now the time is almost here. The ALL NEW FIRECHILD VIDEO is upon us! We will be taking the site offline in a few days to set up the changes. It shouldn't take too long and when we are back it will be better than ever. We have a lot in store! Let's take a look at some of the changes you will be seeing upon our return! After the jump of course! Read on!

WHAT'S NEW:

1. A new layout design.

This goes without say. I mean... what would an upgrade be without a whole new look? Our logo won't be changing... but that's about the extent of it.

2. Vlogging with Fire. (new series)

It's high time I got into the vlogosphere! I'll be bringing you rants, raves, news commentary... heck... it could be ANYTHING! We all know how I like to ramble and now I'll have a real outlet to do just that. I look forward to starting conversations with you guys in the very near future.

3. New Tutorials!

That's right. In addition to preparing all the other content, I've also been hard at work with new training material. The first thing you will see when we come back is some revisits to older tutorials. Several of my older videos used older versions of blender. With 2.63 out.... it seemed fitting to revisit some of those older methods. For example, my old gold ring tutorial just isn't relevant now that cycles is around.
Yes. There will also be some brand NEW tutorials coming down the road. Don't you worry. I haven't forgotten what made this site what it is, or what it is about to become.

4. Short films, Machinima and animation, OH MY!

We haven't come up with a name for the content, nor have we gotten anything recorded yet... but I have a stack of scripts on my desk that seems dangerously close to toppling over and burying me in agonizing paper cuts. This content will be a little later down the road... but I just wanted to mention that there will be some cinematic stuff coming as well.

5. Movie Roasters (new series)

This is a series I am REALLY excited about. In fact, this is something I have wanted to do since I first put my digital fingerprint on the internet. Movie roasters will be all about movie and game reviews, previews, and (my favorite part) COMEDY COMMENTARY!!!!!! I'm a HUGE movie nerd and to have the chance to crack a few jokes at the silver screen is... sigh... I'm getting all geeked out just thinking about how much fun this is going to be. We hope to build this into something HUGE.... we hope you feel the same.

So there you have it! A preview of the new Firechild Video! Hopefully you now understand why it has been so quiet around here lately. I've been thinking about you guys and I've been working hard to get back to you.... but I wanted to bring you something more. Something you can get involved in, something new, and something entertaining! What many of you may not know is that "Firechild Video" was originally called "Firechild Entertainment" and that's a theme I'm getting back to... Entertainment. This will likely be my last post before the transition. So I'll see you on the flip side!

A Dark Night.

2012-07-22T23:25:00.001-05:00

For those of you who may not know, during the Midnight release of "The Dark Knight Rises" Thursday night, a gunman entered the theater, armed with an assault rifle, two hand guns and a knife. Reports also suggest he threw tear gas before opening fire on the unsuspecting crowd, taking 12 innocent lives and injuring almost 60 others.

Words simply can't express the sorrow I feel for the family members of those 12 souls. I have worked for and with the media for a number of years and, thanks to all the graphic images one see's in a newsroom, felt I had become jaded to such events. This, however, literally brought me to tears. It's honestly very difficult to sit behind my laptop and type these words. This sort of thing simply shouldn't happen.

I've always considered the movie theater to be my church. It's my cathedral and my place of peace, as I am sure it is for many others. For someone to defile that sanctuary.... I just don't have the words.

Of course, this tragedy has spawned a whole army of people jumping to point the finger of blame. These people have blamed everything from violence in hollywood, to weak gun control in the United States, to attacks on judeo-christian beliefs (no, I'm not kidding, google it). What people need to understand is that finger of blame points in one direction. It points to 24-year-old James Holmes and no one else. Period.

This is about the victims. This is about the needless loss of life. This ISN'T about a trying to make the tragedy fit into evidence for pushing your personal agenda. Let's remember what really happened that night. We movie goers are a fraternity. What happens to one of us, effects us all. We need to come together in support. There will be plenty of time to talk about all that gun control stuff later.

In short. I love you guys. We don't say that enough, ya know?

I'm back!!!!!!!!!

2012-07-10T02:36:00.001-05:00

Hey gang. Long time no see! I see some of you have gotten older, some wiser, and some of you look exactly the same! Bravo!

Anyway, in a previous post a few months ago I mentioned that this site was going to go through something of a change. I didn't mention what that change was going to be, and I'm not going to do that here, but I am coming to you with a question.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?

That's right. Favorite film. Let me know. If that isn't a teaser of some of the new content coming to Firechild Video then I don't know what is.

Several months of production and we are finally ready to start rolling out the new Firechild Video. Trust me. You're going to love it.

Now get to typing them comments! Go! Do it! Oh, and while you are at it be sure to subscribe to the Firechild youtube channel so you get this new content as soon as it is released!. And now, my vote for greatest film of all time:

That's right. You're turn.

2012-06-27T04:40:00.001-05:00

It's coming....

Hope Never Dies

2012-03-31T04:03:00.001-05:00

Greetings everyone. In a previous post I mentioned that things will be changing a bit around here. I wanted to get back to my roots and reclaim some of the passion that brought me to visual effects to begin with. Well, I'd like to share with you now the first teaser poster for a documentary that marks my return to directing! I give you "Hope Never Dies: Battle for the Mission River."

A very good friend of mine, Gabriel Valentin Ochoa, approached me back in November with an idea. He had been hired to shoot photographs of an alumni football game in a small South Texas town. If you know anything about Texas, you'll know that high school football is HUGE here. Anyway, after his photography duties were complete he realized that there was something much bigger and much more special going on. He decided to produce a documentary about the rivalry between these two towns and the very "David vs Goliath" atmosphere. No spoilers here! I'll just say I was VERY inspired and immediately agreed to sign on as Director.

There will be MUCH more to come soon. Just wanted to give you a little teaser.

Nothing lasts forever.... IT EVOLVES.

2012-03-01T21:01:00.000-06:00

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post. I know it has been quite a while since my last tutorial... heck... since my last post at all. For that I am sorry. I'm here today to let you know that I have made the difficult, yet bitter sweet, decision to take Firechild Video in a new direction. What does this mean for you? In short, the tutorial days are coming to an end. Well... sort of. Read on after the jump.

Blender and After Effects tutorials have long been the central focus of Firechild Video. However, I originally started the company because, just like you, I wanted to be a professional film maker. Over the past year and a half or so I've become a professional teacher through this site and the library of tutorials. It's been a great, great ride.

However, I've decided I want to shift the focus of the blog, and the Firechild experience in general, to put entertainment front and center. There will likely still be tutorials, of course, but the central focus of the website will be more to entertain than inform. I want to direct and edit more films. That's it in a nutshell. Instead of spending hours conceiving, experimenting, recording and editing a new tutorial, I want to spend that time creating new films, new entertainment videos, and... basically... just have a hell of a lot of fun. I can then put together a tutorial based on that experience. I want the real world to take over and I want to inject that world into the tutorials. Do you see?

I hope you understand my reasoning for the shift and I hope to see you all here for the NEW FIRECHILD when it launches very soon. OH! and don't worry. The current tutorials aren't going anywhere. In fact, this site is going to be MUCH better organized. So... I hope I make just as good an entertainer as I did a tutorial maker and I hope to hear from all of you very, very soon. Take care.

Big projects!

2011-11-12T17:02:00.001-06:00

Hey gang, I just wanted to drop a line and let you know that I'm working on a REALLY big project and it's giving me tons of idea's

Getting the contract

2011-11-03T23:04:00.001-05:00

I had lunch with a long time client earlier today and the topic of freelance work came up. Some of the things he said were so truthful, so brutally honest, that I felt you guys needed to know. I asked him, out of all the bids he gets for assignments, what made him come to me time and again. He replied simply, "Because you are the fastest designer I know."

That really hit home for me. He admitted that he has gotten bids from more talented designers, as well as much faster designers, but what made him choose me was the balance of speed and talent. I am fast enough to get their projects finished ahead of schedule, but talented enough to make those products with professional quality.

That's what most employers in this country want. Being talented at what you do isn't good enough anymore. You have to be good... and FAST. Speed trumps talent 99% of the time. Keep that in mind if you plan to pursue a career in motion graphics or design.

Don't get me wrong... if you are fast, but have no style and your designs come out lacking, an employer will pass. On the flip side, you can produce some of the greatest designs ever created, but if it takes you twice as long to achieve those results as some other professional who produces graphics half as good, you lose again.

Basically what I am telling you is that you have to find a balance. When a project comes up and you start coming up with idea's to pitch, don't pitch idea's that will take an eternity to produce. Pick designs in your comfort zone. Pick a design you know you can do well, and quickly. That way, when you finish ahead of schedule, you'll have the time to go back, tweak, and really make it outstanding. At the same time, you'll impress your employer and he will be much more likely to throw new jobs your way.

Blender Quick Tip: Creating a Luma Matte

2011-10-22T15:08:00.001-05:00

Have you ever rendered a video out, waited several hours, only to find out you forgot to enable your alpha channel? What do you do then? Re-render the entire thing? NO! Of course not! Save yourself some time by using a Luma Matte. It's a quick, easy to set up render, it renders quickly and most non linear editors support Luma mattes (masks). This quick tip will save you tons of time in overcoming mistakes. I hope you enjoy and I hope it helps.

Blender Sapling addon

2011-10-18T04:12:00.002-05:00

So I have been playing around with the sapling addon for Blender 2.59 and I'm in love. It's so much fun, so versatile and so very, very impressive.

If you haven't played around with the addon yet, I highly recommend you do! You may need a basic understanding of it as we move forward through time. Just saying!

Are you a gamer?

2011-10-05T18:08:00.000-05:00

It's a simple question. If you are a gamer, I want to know what you use for online gaming! Why? Well... I can't tell you that yet.... let's just say I have a really "fun" idea. Before I can say anymore, I need to hear from you! I need to know what system most of the community uses.

Please take part in this poll! I wouldn't want to exclude anyone when the big day comes!

You can find the poll below, or in the sidebar. Tell your friends and family! Let me know your opinion!

Newton's Cradle Tutorial Part 2

2011-10-05T16:59:00.001-05:00

Time to finish this model up! In this part we will just take a quick look at some lighting and texturing. In particular, we will be using HDR lighting for a quick and dirty setup. It's far from perfect, but hopefully it will get your creative juices flowing and point you in the right direction. That's what this is all about after all! Enjoy!

Update

2011-10-03T01:18:00.001-05:00

Hello friends. I'm currently traveling for work and writing this from the blogger phone app, so I will keep this short and sweet. I'm almost finished with part two of our newtons cradle physics tutorial and will have it posted as soon as I get back into town. Its taken a little longer than expected for various reasons, but mainly because I wanted to make the finished product better. I've been toying around with the physics engine a bit lately and getting some pretty exciting results. Hope to share all this with you very soon. Till then, have fun and happy blending!

NEW TUTORIAL: NEWTONS CRADLE PHYSICS

2011-09-06T16:18:00.001-05:00

What started off being a quick, simple look at the blender physics engine has now become a two part tutorial! In this first part we are going to take a look at the modeling and physics of a Newtons cradle.

SEE THE TUTORIAL AFTER THE JUMP!

The blender physics engine can be a little tempermental at times, and you will see a good example of that through the course of this tutorial, but if you stick with it, it can also yield some pretty impressive results! Just remember, even the tiniest of modifications to a scene can have drastic results in the physics calculations.

In part two we will look at HDR lighting, setting up the render, and the wonderful chrome material! Stay tuned and happy blending!

So many Blenders, so little time

2011-09-06T16:16:00.000-05:00

Blender is an amazing piece of software, it really is, and thanks to the Google Summer of Code, we have many, many versions of Blender to choose from.

Newtons cradle in Post production!!

2011-09-05T21:19:00.004-05:00

A few months ago I posted an experimental render of a Newton's cradle built in blender, with the promise of a tutorial coming soon (see the render here). Well, if you read my previous post then you know life has side tracked me and pulled me away from the recording process. Now that things are back on track, however, expect a new tutorial by this time tomorrow! In fact, I've recorded everything and I'm now just waiting on the render. (I used HDR lighting, motion blur, etc... so the render is taking a while). Here are a couple images just to wet your apetite! Should be a fun dip into the exciting world of Blender physics!

Like I stated, the tutorial is complete, just waiting on the render, and then the uploads. Hope you enjoy!

Where I've gone

2011-08-30T13:57:00.000-05:00

I know it's bee quiet here for a good long while. For that I am sorry. I know I have probably already lost many fans and regular viewers, but I want you all to know it is my intent to get things back on track.

Now to the question at hand: What happened? Well... I'll tell you all about it, after the jump

This has not been a happy time in my life. In the past six months I lost my day job and lost more than 75% of my freelance clients. Both losses were completely out of of my control. We have the weak economy to thank for that one. Many businesses simply stopped advertising during the dark economic times. So, for the first time in my life, I was forced into the Texas unemployment insurance system.

Claiming an unemployment check every week is not a fun process. I was bringing in barely enough money to keep food on the table. That meant I had to work harder than ever to pick up new clients and keep some kind of income coming in or risk not having a house over my head. The extra time I had to devote to earning an income meant less time available for the blog and the development of new tutorials.

Eventually, however, I landed a great job with a nationwide newspaper publishing company. Things were beginning to improve. Finally I had a little more time to devote to training tutorials and the blog in general. However, my hard times were not over.

I'm not going to bore you with the details of my personal life, but I'll give you the quick summary. Just when things looked like they were improving professionally, my personal life took a big hit. My fiance left me. That put me into a fit of depression, as you might expect. I didn't want to do anything. I would try working on training tutorials to take my mind off the pain, but I simply couldn't focus.

Finally, I recently learned that I have health issues that require me to completely change my lifestyle. My eating and exercise habits had to go through a complete overhaul.

As you can tell, there has been a LOT on my plate recently. I've had so much to deal with that I had no choice but to put the blog on the back burner for a while. My health and emotional issues had to take top priority for a while.For that I am sorry, but I hope you understand.

Now to the good news. It's very simple. I'm back! I've dealt with the health, emotional, and professional problems in my life and I am better than ever! I've never been healthier, happier or wealth....no... okay... so the financial problem still exists. I haven't won the lottery yet. So I'll keep working hard, focused on my goals. This is a good thing for you, because you and the Firechild Nation have become a top priority.

That is where the idea for a script came from. I knew I had to return to this blog in a big BIG way. I had to do something to make you all forget about the months of silence. In short, I had to WOW you. I know I haven't done that yet, but hey... I'm still writing the script!

There you have it, the longest post I have ever written. I'm not even going to proof read this. I'm just going to post my raw words and feelings right there on the page for you.

In closing, I'm sorry I was silent for so long... but I am BACK!!!! Missed you guys

Violent Story VIODOC #1: The Script

2011-08-18T14:50:00.001-05:00

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