The Role of Karma in Dune: Prophecy | Rodeo FX | FMX HIVE 2025

Join Scott Coates, Environment Supervisor at Rodeo FX, for an in-depth look at the creation of the VES Awards-nominated Imperial Palace in Dune: Prophecy. From assembling the vast environment to developing shaders in Solaris, Scott will explore the lookdev process, the use of procedural ocean tools, and the shot setup and lighting in Karma XPU. He will also break down the Nuke compositing workflow, revealing how layers were structured to achieve the final cinematic look. Scott Coates is a highly skilled VFX Environment Supervisor with a career spanning some of the industry’s most acclaimed studios and projects. Scott’s greatest strength lies in championing a full generalist workflow, empowering his team to handle every stage of production, from initial layouts to final renders. With years of experience refining techniques and developing pipeline tools, he excels at solving technical challenges and enhancing efficiency. His passion for pushing boundaries inspires his team to think creatively and work outside their comfort zones to deliver exceptional results. 00:00 About Rodeo FX 03:37 Key Projects Breakdown 07:13 Pipeline and Tools Overview 10:49 Working with Houdini 14:25 Shot Execution Process 18:01 Simulation Showcase 21:37 Environment and Layout Insights 25:13 Rendering Strategy 28:49 Production Challenges 32:25 Summary and Closing Words