Editor’s note: This post is a part of our Meet the Omnivore series, which features individual creators and developers who use NVIDIA Omniverse to accelerate their 3D workflows and create virtual worlds.
Pekka Varis’s artistry has come a long way from his early days as a self-styled “punk activist” who spray painted during the “old school days of hip hop in Finland.”
More than 30 years later, he’s embracing the future of graphics as a videographer who uses NVIDIA Omniverse, a physically accurate 3D design collaboration and simulation platform, to create vibrant virtual worlds.
His freelance video production company Catchline translates complex technology services into attention-snagging, easily digestible video messages or commercials.
A recent project was an animated ad for Artio, an app that brings a global digital art gallery to individual smart devices.
In the commercial, a digital family searches for the perfect piece of art to enliven their new home, visualizing options on the walls in real time. Plus, the parents unpack boxes filled with detailed items, a child plays with block toys, the dog shakes its head and wags its tail — all in a physically accurate way, thanks to Omniverse.
“NVIDIA Omniverse has given me more artistic power and a totally new level of freedom,” Varis said. “It’s a trusty playground where I can bring in quality content and focus on creating designs, visuals, variations — all that fun stuff.”
Vivifying the Videography
The Helsinki-based videographer takes viewers through his creative process in a three-part tutorial that details his recent commercial project, in which Artio helps the digital family make their blank walls pop.
Watch the first installment of the tutorial series on demand and below:
In subsequent episodes, Varis covers his animation process with Reallusion Character Creator, as well as his steps for lighting and color correction in Omniverse.
His multi-app workflow — bringing characters to life with Reallusion software and perfecting the lighting with Lightmap HDR Light Studio — is made possible by Omniverse Connectors, plugins that connect third-party design apps with Omniverse, and NVIDIA Studio drivers.
He estimates a 90 percent savings in time and cost using Omniverse. “With Omniverse Connectors to Reallusion software like Character Creator and iClone, I can make commercial-quality characters quickly and easily, which I wouldn’t have even dreamed about before,” he said.
His favorite Omniverse apps, he added, are Omniverse Create — a toolkit built on Pixar’s Universal Scene Description format that accelerates advanced scene composition — and Omniverse Machinima, with which he animates and manipulates characters inside of virtual worlds.
“I see myself using Omniverse with every single work commission I get moving forward,” Varis said. “And I hope my video tutorials inspire viewers to try using these superb tools to create their own artwork.”
When not creating videos, Varis makes music as a drummer who loves metal, rock and hip hop — and spends time with his six-year-old daughter, his source of inspiration.
Join In on the Creation
Inspired by Varis? Remix and animate characters from Squad, Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord and MechWarrior 5 using the Omniverse Machinima app for the #MadeInMachinima contest, running through June 27, for a chance to win the latest NVIDIA Studio laptop.
Learn more about Omniverse by watching GTC sessions on demand — featuring visionaries from the Omniverse team, Adobe, Autodesk, Epic Games, Pixar, Unity and Walt Disney Studios.
Creators and developers can download NVIDIA Omniverse for free and get started with step-by-step tutorials on the Omniverse YouTube channel. Follow Omniverse on Instagram, Twitter and Medium for additional resources and inspiration. Check out the Omniverse forums and join our Discord Server to chat with the community.