Michael Mumbauer

🎬 How We Sync Audio with SndResolver 🎧 Syncing audio to picture can be a complex task, especially when dealing with non-standard recordings. I've developed a tool called SndResolver to streamline this process. 👉 What’s SndResolver? It's a tool we use to dynamically resample audio files that include a pilot tone, ensuring they align perfectly with picture content. This is especially useful for audio from sources that operated without standard sync or have pilot tone recorded as audio. You can choose the channel that has the tone and set the frequency target. 📲 Here’s a quick look at SndResolver in action

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This could be a game changer for delivering remastered or restored content as the AV1 feature of grain reconstruction can be used with other modern codecs, even at higher resolutions.

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Sumo Digital Ltd acquired Pipeworks Studios for $100M in 2021 and made Timbre Games a part of it, but now Timbre will shut down as SUMO wants to be future-ready. Yet again, a studio falls prey to closure while in the middle of developing two games, one an ARPG and the other a sim-like RPG. And to be fair, RPGs require a lot of effort to build. But by the looks of it, Timbre possessed a strong group of talent who could’ve easily accomplished these RPGs, so it’s hard to imagine how they are feeling after putting in years of hard work only to lose all of it. In addition, they were on a mission to build a world-class network of game studios across Canada. It's hard to digest that more and more studios are being forced to quit crafting their video games every day. Support for the game devs is much needed, in fact, now more than ever! So, I am back to highlight a few of the folks who were impacted with an intent to support and bring visibility from recruiters. Kat Neale — A Women in Games ambassador who was Timbre’s Principal Gameplay Designer. Kat is an excellent team player because if you check out her feed, she has been supporting her team nonstop since the closure by reposting jobs and resources. Before Timbre, she worked for Blackbird Interactive as an Associate Game Director on an unannounced title and Homeworld 3. Zach Williams — He was Timbre’s Lead Core Gameplay Designer and has shipped 17 titles in his 14 years of experience in the industry. Before Timbre, he worked for renowned studios like Relic Entertainment, Smoking Gun Interactive, and BlackBird Interactive. Emmalyn Rynard — A Materials Artist for Timbre Games, Emmalyn also has experience developing VR games and prototypes for Oculus Quest. Her love for 3D drove her to become a 3D Artist, making her skilled in modelling, texturing and lighting. Jonas Roth — The Principal Software Engineer of Timbre Games with a hardcore 15 years of software engineering experience. Before Timbre, he was Offworld Industries’ Principal Software Engineer working on Starship Troopers. Jaclyn Adair — Another Women in Games Ambassador from Timbre Games who was their Lead Talent Acquisition Partner. Previous to Timbre, she was also Beamdog’s Technical Recruiter who helped ship their title, Mythforce. Yan Chatel — A bomb Level Designer who has worked on titles like Far Cry 5 & 6, For Honor, Transformers: Beyond Reality, and Hitman: Sniper. He has worked for studios like Rovio, Ubisoft, Compulsion Games, and The Sandbox. #layoffsupport

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The reason ARwall's ARFX won AI Product of the Year at NAB Show is because it's an XR/AI filmmaking software suite that promises: 1. A business strategy that doesn't involve stealing or coercing filmmakers out of their hard work, allowing us to promise that we'll never steal that data, 2. Allowing filmmakers to train their own model for their own film, in an intuitive process, 3. Making that data private, even to ARwall, 4. Making that data portable/downloadable, meaning we have to continue delivering value, or you can take your training data and go elsewhere, 5. And we're owned and operated by filmmakers, and have served filmmakers for 8+ years pioneering XRVP. Beta sign up is here, for those interested in learning more: https://lnkd.in/g9rWK8jd *** Here's the part that I'm advised not to put in an official press release, but for the tech nerds, provides more guidance on our rationale and strategy: What do I mean by #1? What "business strategy"? Major legacy software corps are attempting to use the "compute cost to SaaS subs" ratio model perfected on cloud here in genAI. But they will fail, because unlike cloud there's no persistent distributed network needed for genAI, symmetrical hardware constraints for model-building are loosening, and it's a near certainty that people will be able to homebrew their models more effectively than on-prem compute was at replacing cloud compute. With those considerations, here's the theory we're taking a gamble on: generative AI models are content, not products themselves, and the ability to generate them should be shared with creators of content. With current processing hardware innovations, we can return to a more equitable model like envisioned in the early 90s, ditching the mainframe and terminal paradigm, and bringing the data and compute onto your desk and keeping it there. That means this moment is NOT a crisis for labor and indie, as has been claimed, but the greatest opportunity to reclaim ownership. Seeing the opportunity this way requires some anachronistic assumptions about computing, but this is our conclusion: we want to propagate true creator ownership of these tools and processes. Not just because that's how we correct for some of the industry missteps that have been made, but because it's good for filmmakers and good for business. https://lnkd.in/gNfGNUC2

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UMG's Partnership with SoundLabs Brings Advanced AI Technology to Music Production Universal Music Group (UMG) has announced a collaboration with SoundLabs, a music technology company known for its AI tools designed for music creators. This partnership will allow UMG's artists and producers to use SoundLabs' MicDrop plugin, an AI-powered tool compatible with all major digital audio workstations. The plugin can be trained on an artist's voice, enabling the creation of custom vocal models for studio use. UMG, which works with prominent artists like Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Adele, and Kendrick Lamar, highlights that this tool provides artists with full creative control and approval over the generated content. The MicDrop plugin offers several innovative features, including the ability to modify vocal timbres, transform speech into singing, and change the language of a vocal recording. This technology allows artists to release foreign-language versions of their songs without recording new vocals. Additionally, it enables them to perform duets with their younger selves by utilizing archival recordings. UMG emphasizes that these vocal models will be exclusively available for the artists' personal use and not for public access, ensuring ethical application and full control by the creators. This development follows UMG's recent partnership with Roland, where they introduced seven ethical principles for AI in music creation. These guidelines aim to ensure that artificial intelligence enhances, rather than replaces, human creativity. Previously, UMG also explored licensing artists' voices for AI-generated songs in collaboration with Google, demonstrating their commitment to integrating AI ethically in the music industry. SoundLabs, led by Grammy-nominated producer and software developer BT, is at the forefront of AI music technology. BT has a history of working on innovative audio plugins like iZotope's Stutter Edit and BreakTweaker. He expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, emphasizing the potential of AI to democratize creativity and reduce barriers in the creative process. UMG's Chris Horton reiterated the company's focus on keeping artists central to their AI strategy, ensuring that technology serves artistic expression. The MicDrop plugin is set for release later this summer, marking a significant step in the evolution of music production. #MusicInnovation #AIMusic #CreativeTech #FutureOfMusic

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I'm refining my UEFN Metahuman MOCAP workflow. I got some helpful tips on X/Twitter from some other devs that I share in my YouTube video - https://lnkd.in/e6E4tCHD

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My heart tonight goes out to the Archiact team, shut down after over a decade, and the 5 folks affected at Payload Studios. Both instances were reported by the companies themselves. There is not an official estimate for cuts at Archiact but a trusted industry source, Obsidian Game Industry Layoffs, suggested this number might be around 35. --- FOR THOSE AFFECTED - WELCOME TO AMIR SATVAT'S GAMES COMMUNITY We will not rest until every gamer is employed. OUR TOOLS WORK - We reach over 400,000 unique viewers monthly and nearly 4,000,000 unique viewers annually across all platforms. - Our games community has facilitated over 2,400 jobs and 45,000 coaching conversations, the largest impact of any games individual or community in the universe. - Our data shows that we can double your job-seeking success from 6% to 12% on average for those who engage with all our tools over a multi-month period. - Over 20% of all trackable games jobs found touch some part of our community. - Always free (nothing wrong with those who charge; just our choice), always with love, and always without ulterior motives. AMIRSATVAT.COM - Our main hub offers 18 resources for games employment assistance with an uplifting, easy-to-use design. - Use our template for Games Org Support Posts (Category 4, Resource 10) to maximize the visibility of those affected at your games company. We have completed 105 posts highlighting over 2,500 candidates. Discord - Join us at discord.gg/amirsatvat, a complementary, live, games career support community with over 5,000 members. Currently open to new members. LinkedIn - Follow me and join the discussion here on LinkedIn, with over 94,000 members and 1-3 daily posts providing support and career assistance in the games industry, the largest Top Voice games community on the platform. How the Games Community Can Help - Spread the Word: Reshares and comments increase resource visibility. - Join Our Movement: Choose one or several of the 16 ways to help gamers on AMIRSATVAT.COM under "How You Can Help," or provide advice on Discord.

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Congratulations to this outstanding XR pioneers. Well deserved recognition for decades of work. As Jacki Morie says, we're in XR's 3rd generation. Spending the morning learning about trailblazers that I surprisingly have not met! Humbled, honored, and a bit star-struck to be included among such industry giants. Wonderful warmup for the XR History talks coming up at AWE in Long beach. Remember there are no WIMPS in XR (Windows, Icons, Mice, Pointers, or Solo Play). Time to learn from the past and unleash the next wave of XR innovation! Today we celebrate: Ivan Sutherland, Tom Furness, Henry Fuchs, Steve Mann, Prof Bob Stone, Jacquelyn (Jacki) Morie, Mark Bolas, Diane Gromala, Monika Fleischmann, Ann Lasko-Harvill, Jannick Rolland, Brenda Laurel, Carolina Cruz-Neira, Jonathan Waldern, Philip Rosedale, Lanny Smoot, Tim Sweeney, Avi Bar-Zeev, Stan Honey, Louis Rosenberg, Evelyn Miralles, MBA, Bruce Thomas, Mark Billinghurst, Paul Travers, Tony Parisi, Shelley Peterson, Bruno Uzzan, Alvin Wang Graylin, Nonny de la Peña, PhD, Thad Starner, John Gaeta, Yaakov Amitai, Elizabeth Baron, John Hanke, Thomas Alt, Peter Georg Meier, Sean White, Christine Perey, Jeri Ellsworth, Dr. Helen Papagiannis, Ph.D. and so many more! 🏆 XR Hall of Fame Full list: https://lnkd.in/dXPZbDEf 🐦 Early Bird pricing is still on. Ends May 9th. https://lnkd.in/gE_gTv7k 💰 Use my speaker code SPKR24D for a 20% discount. On top of Early Bird discount before May 9th! I'm joining Josette Seitz and Finn Staber 6/19 to talk about Designing for the Future of XR! I'll be sharing some of my experiences designing Follow the White Rabbit Tales on Apple Vision Pro! #XR #VR #AR #SpatialComputing #AugementedReality #VirtualReality #MixedReality #Metaverse #FutureTech #Innovation #HCI #AWE24 #AWE #AWE2024

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AUDIOPHILE MAN - YOUTUBE FEATURE: HiFi NEWS, ETC If you would like an insight into this exclusive, weekly Patreon video, here’s a recent sample for your delectation. To see the video click: https://lnkd.in/ezTn49yD 

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Learn how to manage firearms safety from our experienced guests like filmmaker Frank Ziede, and hear about how using VFX can prevent on-set firearms deaths, in this very important episode of VFX for Indies. Please tune in at vfxforindies.com, our YouTube channel, or your favorite podcast app.

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I finally found the time to create and share something that has been on my backlog for a while! I often encounter confusion (my own included) when trying to use math to develop more efficient solutions than simply relying on built-in tools in 3D software. In particular, this post dives into object orientation in Maya—a task that can range from straightforward to quite complex. I understand how hard it can be to approach this kind of problem without a strong technical background, but solving these challenges programmatically can provide much greater control and performance. It’s definitely time well spent, and your workflow will improve significantly as a result. I’ve provided both the code and a brief (though not exhaustive) introduction to key linear algebra concepts. I hope this helps shed some light on the topic and offers clarity in an area that can often seem tricky. A special thanks to Marco D'Ambros — without his patience, I would still be a long way from understanding any of these concepts! Any feedback is more than welcome.

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In the first episode of The Forgotten Files, we will talk about our #summergamefest2024 experience with Grinding Gear Games #PathofExile2! This Action RPG is looking to be one of the best games of 2024 and I can’t wait for you all to experience the game for yourself when it releases later this year! This series aims to highlight games that were either released without prior coverage or were overshadowed by other events we previously covered. The goal is to provide in-depth attention to games that were not extensively covered upon their release. Given the continuous stream of game releases in recent years, certain titles I have not been able to thoroughly discuss. This series serves as a platform to present our informed opinions following the launch of specific events. #gaming #gamesindustry #Gamingcommunity https://lnkd.in/gSWmR-_9

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Unreal Engine 5.4 has a ton of amazing animation features and improvements - no better time to dive into real time animation! And there's lots more to come. Here's some great guides on the various new features: 1. Control Rig - https://lnkd.in/gXBA3WeY 2. Modular Rigging - https://lnkd.in/gwTUgMxA 3. Animation Authoring Overview - https://lnkd.in/gykmXW-U 4. IK Re-targeting - https://lnkd.in/gmtRQQUY 5. Sequencer Updates - https://lnkd.in/g6QU-uRc #ue5 #unrealengine #epicgames #realtime #transmedia #animation

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Can Luma’s Dream Machine end Sora and Runway ML’s hype? Luma recently launched Dream Machine, an AI model that claims to generate high-quality, realistic videos from text or image prompts. Since the application is publicly available and offers AI enthusiasts 30 free tries, many have tried it to see if it lives up to the hype. With this, certain speculations have come to the fore concerning whether this new launch can surpass Sora and Runway ML’s success. To see how true these speculations are, I decided to compare the results using the prompts of published videos on Sora and Runway ML on Luma’s Dream Machine. Here are my findings: Sora: ➣Text prompts were more detailed, but the generated outputs did not live up to the expectations. ➣In both videos, the Luma output seems pale in comparison to the cinematic shots of Sora. ➣In the generated outputs, the backgrounds are blurred, whereas the actual videos have backgrounds that come alive. ➣If watched closely, the characters tend to have an unnatural expression and gait. ➣Although the ‘Enhance Prompt’ command improved quality, minor details like “kicking up dust” were still not incorporated. Runway ML: ➣In this case, the prompts were one-liners, as Runway ML states that they do not require personalized prompts.  ➣This is probably why the outputs generated were not exactly what the prompt stated. Both outputs looked like scenes copied and pasted from a movie instead of being AI-generated. ➣Luma again could not pick up the finer details of the prompt. In short, Sora has the best output generation capacity with cinematic shots and stunning visuals.  Runway ML’s output tends to be more creative, but the visuals are rather simple. Thus, even though Luma has not achieved the level of output quality that the other two have, its easy accessibility to the public makes it a win for Luma Dream Machine anyway. #ai #luma #dreammachine #runwayml #sora #aivideo #videogenerator

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Be well on your way to capturing a professional and engaging panel discussion for your feature video with these tips 👇 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐦-𝐮𝐩 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 Briefly interview each panelist individually before filming to put them at ease and ensure a smooth flow during the main interview. 𝐕𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐞𝐲 Vary your shot sizes (wide, medium, close-up) throughout the interview to keep the video visually engaging. 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 Capture some extra footage at the end in case you need cutaway shots during editing or want to add alternate takes. . . . Remember, good planning and attention to detail will pay off in the final product! If you need more tips, schedule a FREE discovery call with me! 🔥 #videoproduction #interviewvideo #featurevideo #educationalvideo

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You know the modeling industry, you know the entertainment industry, but do you know how BOTH of these industries are being changed on global scale... due to COSPLAY? Find out how. #Professional #Writer #Model #Cosplay #ReadNow #DontMissOut

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One of the huge benefits of Virtual Production and ICVFX is that you also get all of the tracking data from the day on set. If your production needs a wide shot but doesn't have a full art build to cover the floor for just that one shot, we can take our tracking data and do a simple composite. The luxury of building out a massive physical set isn't always available, but not showing the floor can make your project feel small. This is a great way to utilize the tracking data for something other than just parallax, as well as allowing for wider shots where lights and the edge of the volume may be visible. Utilizing the data we have at our finger tips is a great way to maximize virtual production. This technique can also be used for greenscreen, when we either simultaneously do ICVFX and Green plates, or just using green plates.

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