Eye candy: SideFX’s 2023 Houdini Film & TV Reel

SideFX has released the 2023 Houdini Film & TV reel, its latest round-up of the best new VFX, animation and motion graphics projects to have been created using the 3D software.

Below, we’ve picked out some of our own personal highlights from the three-minute showreel, with links to making-of videos showing how the effects were created.

The best recent movies, animated features, commercials and motion graphics created with Houdini
Although it includes clips from both the latest Transformers movie and Disney animated feature Strange World, the 2023 Houdini reel is actually fairly light on Hollywood blockbusters.

Of the movies featured, one of the best technical breakdowns is this one from DNEG, which deconstructs a beautiful sequence from Slumberland in which ballroom dancers dissolve into clouds of butterflies.

DNEG also has a making-of for one of the biggest broadcast series featured on the reel, in the shape of this VFX breakdown of its crowd simulations for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

Framestore’s creature work also features extensively, both through clips of its work on the Fantastic Beasts movies, and the technical breakdowns shown in this presentation from FMX 2023.

The reel also features some excellent commercials work from the likes of The Mill and Universal Production Partners, deconstructed in this VFX breakdown of its Clio Award-winning ad for the Porsche 911 Dakar.

Other highlights include amazing motion graphics from Panoply and Jakub Špaček, whose R&D tests can be seen on his Vimeo channel.

Follow CG Channel on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram for daily links to the best new VFX breakdowns