On March 10 in Crater’s cinema room, some of the industry’s most prolific VFX artists will share new projects and insights regarding their creative procedures. Speaking in front of the crowd at Belgrade HUG vol. 2 are Pero Lakić, Dimitrije Babović, Bogdan Amidžić, Nikola Damjanov, and Doca Mladenović

Houdini User Groups are a special kind of meetups focused on a globally loved procedural 3D modeling / animation / VFX / gamedev software. The very first HUG Belgrade was held last September as a kick-off event for the CGA annual conference – and we had a blast!

At HUG, we welcome everyone, from Houdini experts to complete beginners who want to get started with Houdini. This group is a mix of visual effects artists, animators, game developers, modelers, VR creators, motion graphics artists, and other CG creators.

The meetup will be held on March 10 at Crater Training Center (Knićaninova 3, Belgrade) starting at 6 PM. Click below to RSVP.

 

ATTEND THE EVENT

PROGRAM

Session #1
Houdini VFX Fundamentals 

VFX trainees from Crater Training Center will showcase their course projects, as well as a feature film they have been working on.

Session #2
Breaking rules in traditional pipeline with KineFX

Doca Mladenović (Digital Asset Tailors)

In this session, Doca will show how the introduction of KineFX in Houdini created opportunities to improve the existing character pipeline.

 

Session #3
Grooming Characters in Houdini

Pero Lakić, Dimitrije Babović, Bogdan Amidžić (Crater Studio)

Artists from Crater Studio will show how they adopted Houdini grooming tools and Groombear to create photorealistic animals for several feature films.

 

Session #4
Nodevember 2022: 15 projects in 30 days

Nikola Damjanov (Nordeus)

The idea behind Nodevember is to come up with 15 creative solutions to the assigned challenges during the month of November using only node-based tools. In this session, Nikola will present all the ways Houdini can be used in such a challenge.

 

Part of the CGA crew just landed a year-long project for one of our valuable partners. And we have a job opportunity just for you. This is why we are looking for a Host & Community Coordinator to join our team for a year-long project (with the possibility for renewal).

Throughout the years, our team has executed projects in the field of learning & development and event organization both within CGA and Crater Training Center. With numerous successful initiatives under our belt, we are known for nurturing the growth of art communities within creative industries in the region. As a team, we are dedicated to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment, and we are applying such values to our community as well.

 

About the job:

If you’re ambitious, self-driven, and open to learning new tricks – we would love to meet you. This role requires good interpersonal skills, advanced communication skills, and a sense of time management that will enable you to execute tasks related to people management and event coordination.

Most importantly, you will be the face and voice of our team, passing along all in-house communications. If helping others in developing their talents and working with creative people each day sounds fun, then read on!

 

What will you do:

• You will work on an exciting project in the international environment;
• As a part of our internal comms team, you will make sure that all the information is passed in a timely manner to our community;
• You will communicate regularly with our lecturers, speakers, and program participants, 
• Provide day-to-day onsite and online support to the program participants,
• Connect (with) people – a person in this role is expected to build strong connections and support collaborations;
• Write reports on the program progression,
• Monitor, track, and report on feedback and (online) reviews, 
• Make sure that all the KPIs are organized, contracts and agreements signed and filled;
• Organize group activities for the program participants;
• Help out with event organization; 
• Stay up-to-date with digital technology trends.
  

What we expect from our ideal candidate:

• Excellent verbal and written communications skills in Serbian and English;
• Experience in planning and leading community initiatives;
• Excellent interpersonal skills;
• Experience with using various social/comms apps (for instance, Slack, Discord, and other common social media apps);
• Attention to detail and a problem-solver approach;
• Eagerness to bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the table.

It would be super nice if you are:

• Eager to get involved and help out with creating marketing campaigns promoting our events and programs;
• Passionate about digital arts, games, animation, and movies.

What can you expect from this job:

• Many growth and learning opportunities; 
• A friendly, supportive, and knowledge-sharing environment;
• A dynamic and productive workplace,
• Valuable experience in managing a creative community within the industry;
• Flexible working hours;
• Possibility of joining our team on other initiatives. 

If you wish to apply for this job, please send an email to [email protected] with the subject “HCO: Job Application”, your resume, and your motivational letter attached.

The deadline for applications is February 1st, 2023.

 

Apply now!

We are thrilled to announce that almost all sessions delivered at the conference this year are ready for replay on our YouTube channel. 

The official CGA 2022 playlist includes most sessions delivered both in-person and during the conference’s virtual event. Over two days, CGA 2022 gathered around 1300 guests, including 44 speakers who delivered more than 20 sessions, four panels, and three exclusive side events in Crater, including two exclusive masterclasses and the very first Houdini User Group in the region.

This year was indeed a joy ride.  

HERE’S THE PLAYLIST

“I was at the very first edition of CGA a few years ago, and I have to say that it has grown a lot. It has way more people, and I feel the industry here has matured. The questions are different, even the subjects of the conference are different, so it means the industry here is growing, which is a very positive thing,” says Victor Perez, one of the headliners of our live event. 

The CGA’s virtual experience was preceded by a two-month prep program in Crater Training Center, during which all the original environments featured at the online event were created. 

“It is exciting to be talking to people all around the world about virtual production, and CGA is just a great example of that. What I think is most exciting is the way in which people are being included, the accessibility that they have because of these new tools, and because there are so many different projects around the world that people of all different backgrounds can be a part of it. I think conferences like this one give an excellent overview of those opportunities,” says Connie Kennedy, director of the Los Angeles Lab at Epic Games who also joined the live stream. 

CGA 2022 is supported by a group of delightful sponsors and partners, including 3Lateral/Epic Games, Mad Head Games, Autodesk, PMO, Playstudios Europe, Crater Studio, Side FX, Foundry, Chaos Group, the Ministry of Culture in Serbia, and the Irish Embassy. This year, CGA became a part of the Creative Tech Serbia supercluster.

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL

CGA Belgrade 2022 was our first major event after three years of (mostly) online activities, and it was interesting to see how much the industry landscape has changed during this period. Yet most importantly, it was a pleasure to see our old acquaintances side by side with some new faces forming a curious and exciting crowd at this year’s conference.

For the success of this year’s event we owe tremendous gratitude to the members of our extended team, our tech support, hosts, volunteers, the Lab crew,and our magnificent speakers for sharing the knowledge and passion with our network.

Following are 22 images by Milena Arsenić and Milovan Ilić, our photo duo. Most of the photos were taken at the 2022 live event, while some captured the mood during production of our unique online experience with Atomic Visual Support.

 

click for the full gallery

click for the full gallery

CONFERENCE CREDITS:

FOUNDERS & ORGANIZERS: Miljana Jovović, Milica Božanić

TECHNICAL DIRECTOR: Dane Blačić
ART DIRECTOR: Dimitrije Miljuč

VISUAL IDENTITY: Stefan Knežević

COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER: Branka Malenica
COMMUNICATIONS ASSISTANT: Lorena Ignjatović Ivanović

OPERATIONS TEAM: Tanja Mitić, Marija Rakić-Lovrić, Jasna Milošević, Bojana Simić

PHOTOS AND VIDEOS: Milena Arsenić, Miroslav Ilić

SUPPORT: Atomic Visual, Elder Creative, Ovation BBDO

SPONSORS & PARTNERS: 3Lateral/Epic Games, Autodesk, PMO, Mad Head Games, Playstudios Europe, Crater Studio, Side FX, Foundry, Chaos Group, Digital Asset Tailors, Creative Tech Serbia.

Ever since our early days, CGA has been known as a best place for networking,  knowledge-sharing and honest discussion. And what better way to do just that, than providing a platform for discussion panels.

Here’s a list of topics to be discussed in front of a live audience at MTS Dvorana on September 24th.

 

Complete schedule

Remodeling the Cooperation Between Art and Technology 

Track: CGAlliance

Moldova, Lithuania, Serbia and Ireland have pushed for clustering in the creative sector and have been building their national brands in animation, gaming, film, visual effects and XR. With the changing industry landscape it is time to reconsider the cooperation models that bring art and technology closer in the vision of future creativity.

The panel will discuss the idea of bringing different audiovisual and media subsectors work together. How important role clustering could bring in international positioning and export promotion for small national markets? 

Moderator: Milica Božanić, Executive Director at Serbia Film Commission (co-founder of CGA)
Panelists:
Relja Bobic, SGA/Creative Tech Serbia
Vasili Braga, Executive Director of Creative Industry Cluster Moldova
Kestutis Drazdauskas, Baltic Film and Creative Tech Cluster
Nicky Gogan, Piranha Bar, Ireland 

With this panel, we celebrate CGA being a part of the Creative Tech Serbia Supercluster.

 

Remodeling Education for Generations to Come

Track: CGAcademy

In this panel, we will discuss how software development will affect education in the near future.

People from different branches of the creative industries, as well as university professors, will talk about education, including various training opportunities for both students and young people entering the creative industries, and also adults who are retraining or simply in need of new tools. 

No matter if you’re looking for a career path in VFX, game art, video design, motion capture or any CG-related field, conclusions from this discussion will provide you great source of information.

Moderator: Marija Rakić-Lovrić, Crater Training Center
Panelists:
Adam Kovač, 3Lateral
Ana Perišić, Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad
Miloš Paunović, Nordeus Foundation
Milos Petrović, 3D Artist

FX Gigs at Scale: Freelance, Boutique,  Studio

Track: CGAcademy

The industry professionals from Serbia will discuss their approach when it comes to getting + handling local and external gigs, working with international clients (especially relevant post-COVID), resolving problems, and keeping a clear mind. 

All these are topics relevant to freelancers,  boutique studios with less than 10 people and large collectives. And just like life itself, the FX industry is filled with successes, failures and lessons. So, let’s hear from artists on advice, problem-solving, and keeping work enjoyable.

Moderator: Fianna Wong, SideFX
Panelists:
Nikola Damjanov, Nordeus
Igor Žanić, FX TD
Doca Mladenović, Digital Asset Tailors
Bogdan Amidžić, Crater Studio

If you like this topic, don’t miss out the Houdini FX event scheduled to happen a day before at Crater Training Center known as…  

HUG Belgrade

Remodeling People Experience and Where Does It Lead Us

Track: CGAlliance

This session brings closer insight into what the craft of finding the right person (and talent) nowadays looks like. Our panelists will be talking about the changes that the expansion of technology brought to us. What’s the impact on the number of open positions and experience with recruiting from other industries?

Moderator: Sanja Žugić, Playstudios Europe
Panelists:
Isidora Tasić, Playrix RS
Rebeka Popov, Digital Arrow
Lazar Ivanović, Ubisoft Belgrade

 

Grab a seat!

CGA Belgrade 2022 kicks-off with an exquisite online event scheduled for September 23, 3 PM sharp!

The event will premiere stunning digital environments created at Virtual Environments Lab, the CGA’s very first summer program aimed at students and enter-level artists. The environments were created in Unreal Engine 5 over two months at Crater Training Center with dedicated guidance and support from industry experts.

We filmed the entire ordeal in front of the green screen in the studio of our dear collaborators from Atomic Visual Support, while the magnificent Dane Blačić, CGA’s Technical Director, ensured the smooth experience.

Program includes:

🔹 Opening Ceremony: Founders Talk
Speakers:
Miljana Jovović, Crater Training Center
Milica Božanić, Serbia Film Commission

🔹 Virtual Environments Lab Video Premiere

🔹 StreetOshop: This Is Not How Things Are Done
by Nikola Silić, One Man Band

🔹 The Rookies – Start Building your Digital Career Today
Speakers:
Alwyn Hunt, The Rookies
Stephen Njoto, Weta FX

🔹 Creating a Place of Transformation
Speaker:
Ilija Brunck, Woodblock

🔹 A Demo of disguise XR and VP Workflows
by Milo Hancock, Disguise

🔹 Together in Motion
Speakers:
Connie Kennedy, Epic Games
Lara Cawsey, Epic Games

🔹 ANDY: A Hero’s Journey | Autodesk Vision Series
Speakers:
Jamy Wheless, Ignite Animation Studios
Petar Jovovic, Crater Studio

🔹 Transforming Gaming with Blockchain in the New Decade
by Linda Lee, Playstudios Inc.

Let’s conquer the virtual space together!

Complete Schedule

Virtual Environments Lab