We are thrilled to announce a major partnership between Drop & Render and Double Jump Academy, one of the premier Houdini learning platforms in the world.
If you are looking to fast-track your career in VFX, their training is unparalleled. But as every 3D artist knows, ambitious FX work creates ambitious render times. That is why we have teamed up: to ensure that while you learn to build blockbuster shots, you have the render power to actually finish them.
The New Workshop: Film FX - Reverse Engineering
Double Jump Academy has released a massive, 24-week workshop titled Film FX - Reverse Engineering.
Led by Corbin Mayne (FX Supervisor at ILP), this course takes a unique, production-focused approach. Instead of just following a tutorial, you learn how to dissect and recreate iconic shots from actual Hollywood blockbusters.
In this workshop, you will learn to reverse engineer:
- Avengers: Infinity War: The complex disintegration effects.
- Solo: The massive underwater bubble bomb.
- Fantastic Beasts: The magical "Obscurus" attacks and shield interactions.
This course is a goldmine for Intermediate to Advanced users. You’ll master advanced VEX, build modular FX setups, and develop production-ready shots using Houdini, Solaris, and Karma.
Solving the "One Machine" Bottleneck
High-end FX work requires high-end hardware. Corbin encountered this challenge firsthand during the creation of the Fantastic Beasts module. The "Obscurus" effect involves heavy volumetric fog and complex lighting inside the volume.
It was simply taking too long to render on a single local machine. Corbin needed a render farm that didn’t require jumping through hoops.
I came across Drop & Render and it was really simple and easy to use... You're literally dropping down a node and then submitting to render, which is the thing I like the most about this.
— Corbin Mayne, ILP FX Supervisor
A Partnership Built on Technical Collaboration
This partnership goes deeper than just a logo swap. When Corbin first began testing our farm, he encountered some initial render failures with his custom tools.
Usually, this is where a user has to file a support ticket and wait. However, at Drop & Render, we monitor our farm proactively. As Corbin explains in his tutorial:
Without me having to reach out to the support, they actually reached out to me and said, 'Hey, look, we see your renders have failed. Let's help you.'
This kicked off a technical collaboration that improved the pipeline for everyone. We worked with Double Jump Academy to refine our USD pipeline, specifically optimizing how our farm handles UDIM syntaxes and stitch files.
The result? The custom Double Jump Tools now integrate seamlessly with Drop & Render. We’ve done the heavy lifting so you can focus on the art.
Watch the Workflow
Corbin created a fantastic tutorial showing exactly how he uses our tools to offload his heavy rendering tasks. It’s a great look at how simple cloud rendering can be when the tools are designed for artists.
Exclusive Offer for Students
We want students to have the same resources as professional studios. We are proud to announce that all Double Jump Academy students in the Legendary and Supremium tier workshops now receive an extra 20% discount on render credits.
Whether you are jumping into the Film FX workshop to master Solaris and Karma, or exploring their other advanced courses, we are here to support your workflow.
