Simulating Crowds with Golaem & Maya
Production-Ready Workflow using Golaem, Maya & Unreal Engine with Wilfried Lhomme
Description
This 5-hour workshop presents a complete, production-ready crowd simulation workflow using Golaem, Maya, and Unreal Engine, designed for high-end cinematic and film projects. Taught by Wilfried Lhomme, a Senior Crowd TD at DNEG, the techniques demonstrated are based on pre-production practices used in feature films and AAA cinematics. Wilfried begins in Maya with Golaem, building a strong foundation for crowds, including agent creation, animation assignment, motion paths, triggers, transitions, and optimization strategies tailored for complex shots. The focus remains on creating clean, reliable setups that are easy to iterate on in production. The workflow then continues in Unreal Engine 5, covering cache export, scale and timing validation, and best practices for integrating crowds into a cinematic scene. Artists will also explore how to use Sequencer, camera blocking, lighting, and post-processing to achieve movie-quality results while maintaining strong performance. This workshop is designed for both artists who have never worked with crowds before and those with prior crowd experience who want to strengthen, refine, or professionalize their workflow for production. Assets from the Lost City by Big Medium Small Studio are used in this workshop; however, they are not required to follow along. Artists can work with any other assets or simple proxies to follow along with the techniques showcased.
Duration: 5h 02m
Format: HD 1920x1080
Wilfried Lhomme
Senior Crowd TD at DNEG
Wilfried Lhomme began his career in France as an animator before moving to Canada, where he continued his career. He initially worked as a 3D generalist until the COVID-19 pandemic led him to transition into crowd work. He took his first steps in the crowds while working on PAW Patrol: The Movie at Mikros Animation, a key turning point in his career. From there, he fully specialized in crowds and is now a Senior Crowd TD at DNEG. He has built his experience at major international studios such as Digital Domain, Framestore, and DNEG, as well as in animation studios including ON Animation and Mikros Animation.
Follow Wilfried’s career on LinkedIn.
