I'm a big believer in continuing education. As I continue to push from film FX into the game world, I buy anything I can get my hands on if it looks good. I took a risk on this one, The Gnomon Workshop: Visual FX for Games, I wasn't sure. It started off really bad, and I was afraid I wasted my money, but it quickly got really good.
I think the description is a little misleading, they push the software aspect of the DVD, like saying "Fume FX" where there is only a reference that "this was made in Fume FX". Very little how to do things explicitly. Its not even that engine centric, so this would definitely work for other engines as well.
Maxime walks you through a wide range of FX, breaking down how they're made and what to consider when creating them. He's got a lot of tips and tricks, and general good to know stuff. As a seasoned film FX artist I wondered how eye opening that would be. Some key areas I was like damn, I don't know if I would have thought of that!
Overall I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars, not for everyone, but highly recommend and well worth the money for FX artist. Best for people who have a decent grasp of a game engine like UDK, and a 3D package.
Edit: I think I might give it 4.5 out of 5 since this is the only DVD I've gotten (ok Lighting too) that I've watched again. Its pretty good. Lots of little tips that with a re-watching you catch. Its a great resource as long as you know what to expect. Its a breakdown of game FX not so much how to make them from scratch.
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