Large-Format VFX: Insights from Siggraph Tokyo 2024

JANUARY 18 2025

“Small teams, big things.” That’s how Mikael Moane, Lead CG Technical Artist at Cause and FX, describes the ambitious work that took centre stage during his presentation at Siggraph 2024 in Tokyo.

As the global hub for computer graphics innovation, Siggraph was the perfect venue to showcase how our team at Cause and FX tackled the challenge of creating large-format content for massive LED stages—all with our small but mighty team.

What is Large-Format Content Creation?

Large-format content is at the cutting edge of the VFX industry, designed to bring massive LED stages to life. These ultra-high-resolution visuals are used in everything from virtual production to live events, where stunning imagery and seamless integration with real-world elements are key.

The challenge? Producing content that scales beautifully across enormous pixel counts while maintaining real-time playback capabilities.

At Cause and FX, our team set out with a clear goal: deliver jaw-dropping visuals that meet the demanding specifications of large-format projects while optimising for efficiency.

The Challenges of Large-Format Content

During his presentation, Mikael shared the unique hurdles our team faced with these projects, many of which required rethinking traditional VFX workflows:

Massive Pixel Density: Rendering visuals at resolutions exceeding 12K or more is no small feat. Every pixel demands extraordinary attention to detail.
Pipeline Optimisation: Transitioning from familiar pipelines such as Maya/VRay to a Houdini/Karma workflow required innovation and adaptability.
Hardware Limitations: Overcoming VRAM constraints was critical to ensuring projects ran smoothly on large LED setups.

Innovative Solutions for Big Results

To overcome these challenges, Mikael highlighted a series of technical breakthroughs our team implemented:

Tiled Rendering: By breaking down large-format visuals into smaller, manageable tiles, we reduced processing demands while maintaining quality.
Texture Optimisation: Strategic compression and proxies ensured VRAM usage was kept under control without compromising visual fidelity.
Embracing USD (Universal Scene Description): USD data allowed for seamless scene management and integration, especially for large-scale environments.
Advanced Tools: Adopting Solaris, Karma XPU, accelerated the rendering pipeline and enhanced creative flexibility.

Through these methods, Cause and FX delivered content that not only met but exceeded expectations, proving that small teams can achieve big things with the right approach.

Proving Ground, Putting Innovation to the Test

Mikael also shared two standout projects that showcased Cause and FX’s ingenuity. Yes, the details remain under wraps, but these projects demonstrated our team’s ability to blend technical expertise with creative vision, delivering high-quality results on time and on budget.

Lessons from Siggraph

Siggraph Tokyo 2024 served as a platform for Mikael and our team to share key learnings with the global VFX community. Mikael emphasised the importance of collaboration, adaptability, and a willingness to push the boundaries of traditional workflows.

“This isn’t just about working harder; it’s about working smarter,” he noted.

For Cause and FX, presenting at Siggraph wasn’t just a milestone—it was a testament to our commitment to innovation and excellence in the VFX industry.

Looking Ahead

As large-format content continues to evolve, Cause and FX is ready to embrace the challenges and opportunities ahead. Whether it’s creating cutting-edge visuals for LED stages or finding new ways to optimise workflows, our team remains committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

Want to learn more about how Cause and FX delivers world-class VFX? Check out our case studies to see what we’ve been up to, or get in touch to discuss your next project.

You can watch Mikael’s full presentation on YouTube here.