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Jacob Dickey

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Caught this perfect moment in Jake Dickey’s Virtual Production class at SLCC this week! @saltlakecc @leerafel 🎃👻

Just a little Halloween magic on the LED wall!

#VirtualProduction #SLCC #LEDWall #HalloweenVibes #saltlakecommunitycollege

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Experimenting with some Unreal environments on the LED wall at SLCC today.

Environment 1: Exterior Cave - Carrara
Environment 2: Interior Cave - Carrara
Environment 3: Florence Cathedral
Environment 4: Riverside / Mountains

One of the challenges we’re exploring with ARTIFEX is how to seamlessly marry real-world practical locations, like our mountain cave, with digital environments built using a combination of photogrammetry and Fab assets.

We’re also experimenting with Unreal’s latest motion-capture tools, which can turn a recorded performance into 3D character animation. That opens up some really interesting possibilities for previz: blocking actors, exploring camera positions and lenses and working through production logistics in the digital space.

For a small indie project, especially a historical fantasy like ARTIFEX @artifexfilm, I really believe workflows like this could be a game changer. The ability to solve more creative and technical problems in pre-production can potentially save valuable time and resources, and lead to more creative outcomes.

Very grateful to Jake Dickey @leerafel and the entire Film Production department at SLCC @saltlakecommunitycollege for the incredible instruction and for giving me the space to experiment, learn, fail, fail, troubleshoot, and work through these new challenges.

There’s a LOT to learn, but that’s half the fun.

#Artifex #VirtualProduction #UnrealEngine #ICVFX #IndieFilm @saltlakecc @hivemindedstudios

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Adjunct Professor Jake Dickey @leerafel schooling the class on using perspective and parallax to sell a process car shot in SLCC’s Virtual Production class @saltlakecommunitycollege

#utahfilm #slcc #indiefilm #icvfx #virtualproduction

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Jake Dickey @leerafel isn’t afraid to get a little dirty for his students. Whatever it takes to sell the shot.

Week 3 of Virtual Production at Salt Lake Community College @saltlakecommunitycollege and I seriously can’t get enough of this class. The more we experiment with the technology, the more storytelling potential I see. VP is evolving incredibly fast, and it’s exciting to keep learning, experimenting, and finding new ways to put these tools to work.

Grateful for the dedicated instructors at SLCC, always willing to roll the extra mile. *No instructors were harmed in the making of this lesson.

#VirtualProduction #SLCC #UnrealEngine #ICVFX #Cinematography

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First day back in Jake Dickey’s @leerafel Virtual Production class at SLCC! @saltlakecc

Stoked to be back building on everything we learned last semester, and catching up on all the VP tech developments that happened over the summer. This space is moving at a truly breakneck pace, and it’s exciting to be part of it.

Looking forward to another semester of learning, experimenting, and figuring out how to put these tools to work in real-world filmmaking.

But really, I’m just here for the great Frustum jokes.

#VirtualProduction #SLCC #UnrealEngine #ICVFX #FilmEducation

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Well… apparently August 30th really is Global ARTIFEX Day!

A year ago, we joked about making it official. This year, we have something worth celebrating:

ARTIFEX will be released publicly on August 30th on the Hiveminded Studios YouTube channel.

Four years to the day since this project first started taking shape, and after an incredible festival run, it’s finally time to share it with everyone.

Along the way, ARTIFEX earned three nominations and a Best Sound win at the Utah International Film Festival, followed by an amazing run at the Zepstone International Film Festival, where it was named Annual Winner for Best Web/TV Series Episode and Round Winner for Best Proof of Concept, along with additional recognition for makeup and hair. @r_of_r_fx

ARTIFEX has been built by an incredible group of actors, filmmakers, artists, technicians, collaborators and friends who kept showing up and helping us push this idea further up the mountain.

We’re currently in pre-production on ARTIFEX: MICHELANGELO, a new prequel short that will take us deeper into Michelangelo’s past and expand the historical fantasy world we’ve only begun to explore.

So Stay Tuned!

To everyone who has been part of ARTIFEX over the last four years: Thank You!

And to everyone who has been asking when they can finally see it:

August 30th
Hiveminded Studios YouTube.

Global ARTIFEX Day is officially on.

#Artifex #ArtifexMichelangelo #IndieFilm #UtahFilm #HivemindedStudios

@mattywebbbbb @owleyedproductions @ronindascholar @un.known_i @connerykirk @jsncine @slapfarmer @natemoffett.reel @gurustump @ngraven1 @hivemindedstudios @soundformovement @leerafel @r_of_r_fx

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Winners photo from ZepFest 2025. Incredibly stoked to be part of this year’s lineup.
ARTIFEX Recognitions: Round 4 Winner (Best Proof of Concept), Round 4 Winner (Honorable Mention — Best Make-Up & Hair Styling) @r_of_r_fx and Annual Winner (Best TV/Web Series Episode).
Shout out to Artifex cast and crew and Shane Morrisun @shanemorrisun for sharing the photo. @zepfestofficial

#ZepstoneFilmAndMusicFestival #UtahFilm #UtahFilmmakers #FilmCommunity #IndieFilm

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Quick repost- (had to reupload this clean with no music. Audio On)
Continuing the journey after our latest ARTIFEX cave sequence previz deep dive.

Getting to pressure-test these ideas at SLCC alongside a truly world-class team of creators has been nothing short of incredible. Huge gratitude to Prof. Jake Dickey, Prof. David Lehleitner, and Jonathan Olsen (Johnny-O) for building an environment that’s genuinely on the cutting edge of virtual production. SLCC deserves serious recognition for investing in the future of ICVFX and Unreal-driven filmmaking.

These sessions are shaping the next phase of ARTIFEX. The goal is real and within reach: shoot on location this year while capturing real-world photogrammetry from the cave environment, then seamlessly blend that data into our Unreal Engine world, keeping it grounded, tactile, and cinematic.

Massive shoutout to my fellow students as well. The problem-solving and back-and-forth has been invaluable. This kind of collaborative brain trust is exactly how these ambitious ideas turn into executable plans.

Its still early in the process. We’re still exploring and experimenting, but the path forward is getting clearer, and it’s incredibly exciting to see how close these worlds are to colliding.

More soon.
#ARTIFEX #VirtualProduction #ICVFX #UnrealEngine #SLCC

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Feeling incredibly grateful this Thanksgiving.

This past year has been one of the most creatively fulfilling chapters of my career, filled with projects I’m proud of and people I’m honored to work alongside.

To everyone who showed up for our screenings, championed our work, sent encouragement, or simply believed in the journey: Thank You from the bottom of my heart. Community means everything, and I’m lucky to be surrounded by such inspiring and generous people.

Im incredibly grateful to White Rabbit Productions @whiterabbitproductions_ , Combat Films & Research @combatfilms , Hiveminded Studios @hivemindedstudios , Flying GOAT Productions @flyinggoatproductions , Market Vision Media @marketvisionmedia , and to the networks and partners who trusted me this year, 20/20, HBO Max, Access Hollywood, HGTV (Rock the Block, Rehab Addict), Hulu, Channel News Asia, ESPN, U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, CourtTV, Hallmark, Bravo and more. Each project has been a chance to learn, connect, and grow.

I’m humbled by the talent around me and grateful for the support that keeps pushing me forward.

Thank you for believing in the work.

Thank you for showing up.

And thank you for making this year unforgettable.

Happy Thanksgiving

#Thanksgiving #Grateful #IndieFilm #FilmmakerLife #UtahFilm #WhiteRabbitProductions #OnSet #FilmCommunity #FilmProduction #CreativeLife #ArtifexFilm #HGTV #BravoTV #HBO #ESPN #Hulu #20Twenty #SupportIndieFilm

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Wrapped a location scout for the next chapter of ARTIFEX. A prologue that gives some wild context for everything that happens in the main story. Still super early in pre-viz/pre-production, but the pieces are already coming together.

Thrilled to be collaborating again with Jake Dickey, ARTIFEX’s VFX Supervisor, now Adjunct Professor, ICVFX Supervisor + Virtual Production Mentor (huge shoutout to SLCC @saltlakecc for an amazing Virtual Production class). We’ve been breaking down sets/scenes and figuring out how to pull off something truly epic on screen.

ARTIFEX is still eligible for several festivals (send good vibes 🤞) We’ll keep you updated on where you can watch it soon.

If you want to get involved or just cheer us on, hit us up.
Thanks for supporting indie film in Salt Lake City!

#ArtifexFilm #IndieFilm #SLCLife #VirtualProduction #ICVFX #UnrealEngine #UtahFilm #LocationScout #PreProduction #FilmmakingMagic #SLCC #SupportIndieFilm

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Experimenting this week with photogrammetry, scanning future shooting locations to build realistic (and not-so realistic) 3D virtual sets for pre-viz and virtual production.

There are incredible horizons opening up for independent films…

Another evolution in the ARTIFEX universe

www.artifexuniverse.com

#VirtualProduction #Filmmaking #ARTIFEX #filmutah #virtualscouting #cottonwood #unrealengine #virtualproduction #slcc #nextchapter #artifexfilm #realitycapture #twinmotion

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“The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlin, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That’s the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.”

― T.H. White, The Once and Future King

#stayfocused #freelance #grateful #filmutah #atlanta #idaho #sandiego #utah #igowheretheworktakesme #sonyfx9 #learn #keepgettingbetter

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