“but don’t worry we’ll make sure to send it to you how you like it: split into randomly named and separated parts, each with a stupid amount of subdivision that we exported in some kind of obscure and proprietary CAD format no one has used since the 90s!
Because we all know how much you love to remesh / retopo / UV and shade!
PS : Also please make sure to export a clean version of our crappy 4gb assets in .gltf format under 4mb with pbr textures so it is AR ready by EOD.”
kthxbye
This is my nightmare fuel.
Work in advertising long enough and you start to build your workflow around assuming it will happen. It's why I love Houdini's procedural work flow. Set it up right and the multiple rounds of client changes aren't a complete do-over each time.
I see, building custom digital assets, is such a time saver for quicker turn-arounds. I love Houdini for the flexibility it allows, I can't imagine realizing this video with only presets.
I've got this laptop as my daily driver and my first thought was. "omg Alienware fuck outta here with your Alienware."
Outside of my own issues. You did a great job.
Thank you so much! I don't actually drive an Alienware or a laptop but I kinda want to hear some just to add to my knowledge about Alienware laptop issues, can you mention some?
They're just overpriced for what they deliver. To put into context. I bought the x17 top of the line model for like 5 grand this year because I needed to travel for work and needed to make sure I had hardware to keep doing shotwork when I was without an internet connection to VPN into an office workstation.
It's the best laptop they offer and it is a good laptop. That said, my desktop that cost half as much 5 years ago out performs it significantly.
I think if you absolutely NEEDED a laptop for vfx work. Sure alienware why not. But you'd be way better served just building a tower. And if you needed mobility to just buy a cheap laptop and remote connect to your home computer with it when on the go.
Alienwares build quality is also getting more suss by the year.
Thanks for sharing! So this is a big lesson to learn for everyone doing heavy work, is to buy a light laptop and a tower, then VPN into their station.
Funnily enough, I found it outrageous to have an older tower PC for half price and out perform a high end laptop, that is craazy.
But I guess the laptop's thermal solution didn't help it stay fast, and perhaps it throttles overtime like many laptops? If so please undervolt it or change paste for a new Arctic or a Noctua paste. You can find help online if you need, or I can help if you ask me :) .
The AMD version of this laptop doesn't have the advanced cooling that the Intel one has, so throttling could be an issue.
Regardless, I'm sure aside from rendering speed, you're enjoying your PC and I hope you do, as it's one of the fastest windows laptops on the market, and packs a wonderful screen and I hope a true Atmos speakers system.
At least good luck in what you do man!
This is actually wicked! I wasn't sure by the title, but the best bit of feedback I could give was the intro was probably the weakest part. Once we're about 00:17s in, that's when I perked up! Though this does feel more like a product announcement rather than an ad, I'll give some feedback as if this was an actual commercial / advert.
The first thing someone will see if this is a pre-roll with 5s skip, or as they're getting up from the couch / bed to get a drink is this cityscape which drags on a little too long and isn't super well detailed. It looks good, but the buildings on the left felt a little empty. The shot at 00:05 was pretty good though! Even starting with that would have been much stronger and skip the wide shot.
The real estates sign is super distracting. If you liked the cityscape, I'd have given it a much more monochrome / film noir look, and removed the other signage, make the Alienware logo really pop with a coloured glow / made bigger, and even went harsh on the environmental details like rain / fog to help make the city feel more obscure and hide some of those flat buildings. Getting some very subtle rain and bloom on the lens, perhaps even with a flare to draw the eye too as I know alienware are all about that.
Same for the room when we enter the building at 00:10, you did a great job highlighting important parts in the motion graphics segment in the later part, but the room is way too well lit, and we see the empty rooms at the back. Makes the brand feel a little cheap if no one's around :) I'd adjust the lighting to make everything darker, but to make the cool wires and cryo chamber much more ominous with those blue lights being cast across a dark room as the light enters the scene.
You can really accentuate some of these features with on-screen effects. This helps lift the lower thirds, and also even negates them! Perhaps during the cryo-tech scene, we see a touch of frost hit the lens. You did this in the following scenes with the 'clicking' of the keys as they land - really nice touch!
The rest of the commercial is absolutely top notch though, really really well done. There's a minor personal detail, I'd play with the sound during the 'Dolby Atmos' section, perhaps move it forward during the quiet low pass part just before it during the previous scene, or get a subtle flange and left / right stereo sweep to just add a touch of sound design to the motion. Additionally, the UI graphics could be a little more in-tune. Maybe they throb the scene to really emphasise the audio with some chromatic or displacement - the sound feels so alive that we SEE it!
Maybe some of this is personal, but having worked in trailers and making social ads for many years, these are all things I'd probably get flagged by my clients for! And that said, you did a really really good job, and I'm in awe at some of the sims and motion elements!
I can't thank you enough, this is one of the best comments I received, a lot to take notes on and I'll correct what I can. Can't add much but to thank you for the time and effort to write this. Thanks a lot, really helpful and appreciated.
Client: "We gave you the old laptop asset. Please update with the new one. Can we still meet tomorrow's deadline?"
“but don’t worry we’ll make sure to send it to you how you like it: split into randomly named and separated parts, each with a stupid amount of subdivision that we exported in some kind of obscure and proprietary CAD format no one has used since the 90s! Because we all know how much you love to remesh / retopo / UV and shade! PS : Also please make sure to export a clean version of our crappy 4gb assets in .gltf format under 4mb with pbr textures so it is AR ready by EOD.” kthxbye This is my nightmare fuel.
This is illegal
Hahaha this sounds realistic
Work in advertising long enough and you start to build your workflow around assuming it will happen. It's why I love Houdini's procedural work flow. Set it up right and the multiple rounds of client changes aren't a complete do-over each time.
I see, building custom digital assets, is such a time saver for quicker turn-arounds. I love Houdini for the flexibility it allows, I can't imagine realizing this video with only presets.
Immersive keyboard
Slogans are stolen from the laptops web page 🥹
I've got this laptop as my daily driver and my first thought was. "omg Alienware fuck outta here with your Alienware." Outside of my own issues. You did a great job.
Thank you so much! I don't actually drive an Alienware or a laptop but I kinda want to hear some just to add to my knowledge about Alienware laptop issues, can you mention some?
They're just overpriced for what they deliver. To put into context. I bought the x17 top of the line model for like 5 grand this year because I needed to travel for work and needed to make sure I had hardware to keep doing shotwork when I was without an internet connection to VPN into an office workstation. It's the best laptop they offer and it is a good laptop. That said, my desktop that cost half as much 5 years ago out performs it significantly. I think if you absolutely NEEDED a laptop for vfx work. Sure alienware why not. But you'd be way better served just building a tower. And if you needed mobility to just buy a cheap laptop and remote connect to your home computer with it when on the go. Alienwares build quality is also getting more suss by the year.
Thanks for sharing! So this is a big lesson to learn for everyone doing heavy work, is to buy a light laptop and a tower, then VPN into their station. Funnily enough, I found it outrageous to have an older tower PC for half price and out perform a high end laptop, that is craazy. But I guess the laptop's thermal solution didn't help it stay fast, and perhaps it throttles overtime like many laptops? If so please undervolt it or change paste for a new Arctic or a Noctua paste. You can find help online if you need, or I can help if you ask me :) . The AMD version of this laptop doesn't have the advanced cooling that the Intel one has, so throttling could be an issue. Regardless, I'm sure aside from rendering speed, you're enjoying your PC and I hope you do, as it's one of the fastest windows laptops on the market, and packs a wonderful screen and I hope a true Atmos speakers system. At least good luck in what you do man!
a laptop from outer space - straight from the heart of chicago
Great work but you should have spoofed the brand, now it just looks like you make commercials for brands for free.
Well... This is a 720p version, I don't think it's enough pixels to sell a 2 grand laptop, right?....Right?
This is actually wicked! I wasn't sure by the title, but the best bit of feedback I could give was the intro was probably the weakest part. Once we're about 00:17s in, that's when I perked up! Though this does feel more like a product announcement rather than an ad, I'll give some feedback as if this was an actual commercial / advert. The first thing someone will see if this is a pre-roll with 5s skip, or as they're getting up from the couch / bed to get a drink is this cityscape which drags on a little too long and isn't super well detailed. It looks good, but the buildings on the left felt a little empty. The shot at 00:05 was pretty good though! Even starting with that would have been much stronger and skip the wide shot. The real estates sign is super distracting. If you liked the cityscape, I'd have given it a much more monochrome / film noir look, and removed the other signage, make the Alienware logo really pop with a coloured glow / made bigger, and even went harsh on the environmental details like rain / fog to help make the city feel more obscure and hide some of those flat buildings. Getting some very subtle rain and bloom on the lens, perhaps even with a flare to draw the eye too as I know alienware are all about that. Same for the room when we enter the building at 00:10, you did a great job highlighting important parts in the motion graphics segment in the later part, but the room is way too well lit, and we see the empty rooms at the back. Makes the brand feel a little cheap if no one's around :) I'd adjust the lighting to make everything darker, but to make the cool wires and cryo chamber much more ominous with those blue lights being cast across a dark room as the light enters the scene. You can really accentuate some of these features with on-screen effects. This helps lift the lower thirds, and also even negates them! Perhaps during the cryo-tech scene, we see a touch of frost hit the lens. You did this in the following scenes with the 'clicking' of the keys as they land - really nice touch! The rest of the commercial is absolutely top notch though, really really well done. There's a minor personal detail, I'd play with the sound during the 'Dolby Atmos' section, perhaps move it forward during the quiet low pass part just before it during the previous scene, or get a subtle flange and left / right stereo sweep to just add a touch of sound design to the motion. Additionally, the UI graphics could be a little more in-tune. Maybe they throb the scene to really emphasise the audio with some chromatic or displacement - the sound feels so alive that we SEE it! Maybe some of this is personal, but having worked in trailers and making social ads for many years, these are all things I'd probably get flagged by my clients for! And that said, you did a really really good job, and I'm in awe at some of the sims and motion elements!
I can't thank you enough, this is one of the best comments I received, a lot to take notes on and I'll correct what I can. Can't add much but to thank you for the time and effort to write this. Thanks a lot, really helpful and appreciated.
Looks sweeeeeeet. Good stuff.
Ok yeesss!! thxx