Netherlands Film Academy

Houdini Courses

The first two months of the second year there are two exercises in which they need to use Houdini alongside Maya. The first one is called Houdini Fundamentals, and teaches the very basics of houdini.

In the second one, they have to create a fantasy train which has some animation constrains but also some dynamics, like steam or smoke. This exercise is called Trainspotting. In the second half of the second year they have to work on “Creature Creation”. They go to the zoo to draw and be inspired by animals. Based on their drawing they have to come up with a fantasy creature. They pose the creature in an action full pose and it should have some form of dynamics. This could be sand that is being kick up or a fire breathing dragon and very often the creature has fur. The final result contains a creature that doesn’t move but the camera moves around it, hopefully in an interesting way. Again, the exercise is a combination of Maya and Houdini.

Often, the vfx in the second-year movies contain Houdini created elements like a flock of birds.

In the third year the whole group follows a course called Dynamics and together they have to create a dynamical system that passes on a movement. Each student creates a small part of it. For example, it starts with a candle burning a rope which then unleashes a hammer which hit a wall which in its turn crumbles on a button etc. Again, a combination of Houdini and Maya.

Also in the third year, there always are a couple of students who want to specialize into Houdini, the last couple of years this has been about four to six of the 18 students. We have taught them a masterclass about Houdini  in which they dive into a couple of concept, which they choose, about Houdini often in a combination with Nuke. 

Again, the third-year movies rely on Houdini.

In the final year, they use Houdini as the vfx tool it is meant to be. For example this year they had a virtual production film with lots of water/ocean sims.

There is about eight to ten weeks of Houdini lessons in the second year, about three to four weeks in the masterclasses in the third year. And throughout all the years our Houdini teacher Rudi Nieuwenhuis is around to help them out on anything they need.

As you can see, Houdini is really on of the four main tools which we teach. It is one of the pillars on which they build all their vfx work.