Sombra Labs

😊 Been so busy with work at Sombra Labs and Saddington Baynes only finally got around to doing some MiniMax tests and WOW they are so fun and amazing. 🔥 I'm especially impressed with its ability to take hand drawn content and create very consistent animations and outputs. While not perfect this is a great step forward for our animation team to be able to concept and begin the process for previously very complicated workflows! 🤩 #genai #ai #minimax #animation

👋 After recovering from the Gen 3 - 48 hour film festival from Runway 💤 I finally got around to doing a small and fun showcase of the new vid 2 vid tools that allow us Sombra Labs to go from CG --> Photoreal video or simple shot video --> enhanced prompted video outputs. So many possibilities here which have already been implemented in our production pipeline for CG --> AI --> Compositing. 🔥 🛎 Follow me and Sombra Labs for all the latest and greatest pipeline developments 👏 #ai #runway #vfx #genai

After a grueling 48 hours we have our Runway 48 hour Gen 3 Film Festival submission! 😓 We used Viv 2 Vid, Gen 3 Alpha, Gen 3 Turbo, Flame, Premiere, After Effects, Photoshop and more! 👿 Using the themes from their guidelines we reimagined a developing concept I've had based on the origin of our amazing web 3 gaming world for Sombra Network. So much fun and so little sleep 😴 🔔 Follow Brendan ONeil and Sombra Labs for more great AI shorts to come! #runway #genai #gen48 #ai

Sombra Labs was able to find time to test LivePortrait and its so much fun and opens up so many possibilities. After a handful of tests including reimagining the Etrade Babies and more we took it a step further to see how it would work with animals. Being heavily involved with local cat charities and being a big cat dad I wanted to see if I could bring to life one of my favorite friends - CHONK. Meet Catfather aka Chonk the Godfather. Impressed with the ability to sync up a non human. While it did take some trial and error and some alterations to the images to get comfy UI to pick up on the facial landmarks in the end it came out really great for a few hours of work. Excited to continue bringing things and animals to life with Comfy UI and the great minds within the Bandoco Discord. Testing the video to video live portrait next! Video - Comfy UI via LivePortrait / Insightface  Audio - ElevenLabs Production - Sombra Labs /ALONGSIDE/ Global #ai #comfyui #elevenlabs #cats

I'm really impressed with Runway's Gen 3 temporal consistency. Specifically I'm impressed with its ability to recreate letters and written signage in a clever way. Granted the results are not perfect but it’s a great start and amazing to see such consistency in this front. This is going to open up a whole new way to create content and breath life into our creations. New ways to animate and morph objects and effects. I can totally imagine opening credits for new hit Netflix shows using AI to augment their title credits in mind-blowing ways where mixed media is just the tip of the iceberg. Really excited to see where this takes us and all the amazing new stories that are going to be told. #genai #runway #ml #ai

At Sombra Labs, a creative innovation studio under ALONGSIDE/ Global Collective, we're always pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the world of product photography and asset creation. Our secret weapon? ComfyUI – a powerful, node-based software that leverages Stable Diffusion through user-generated/trained models and nodes to transform how we approach our work. With Comfy UI, we're able to expedite and reinvent the entire process of product photoshoots, retouching, and motion assets. One of the standout features we utilize is IC light, which allows us to relight scenes and shots that were either practically captured or created in AI, and then augmented for stunning results. Our team at Sombra Labs combines decades of VFX expertise with cutting-edge R&D in AI, developing faster and more flexible workflows for our clients. This synergy enables us to automate product workflows and asset creation on an unprecedented scale. Imagine having massive levels of control over every aspect of your product photos and videos – lighting, environment, foreground, time of day, color palette, labels, regionalization of areas and humans, and so much more. With Comfy UI and our vast team of AI experts and VFX veterans, we're harnessing the wild stallion that is AI to achieve this level of precision and creativity. A perfect example of our innovation in action is our recent R&D on Corona. We created a timelapse of lighting elements in just 5 hours – a task that would have traditionally taken over a week. No more worrying about the sun going down or missing the magic hour; our technology ensures we capture the perfect shot every time. At Sombra Labs, we're not just adapting to the future of product photoshoots and asset creation – we're shaping it. Stay tuned for more groundbreaking innovations as we continue to push the limits of what's possible with AI and VFX. Special thanks to Maged Elbanna for his adaptation of IC light for sun control and Illyasviel of course for IC light and so much more! Contact Glen Taylor and Jen Allison for inquires into ALONGSIDE/ Global and Sombra Labs. #Innovation #AI #VFX #ComfyUI

Roblox, Lamborghini, Netflix, and Adidas are trending for their recent campaigns and Web3/Metaverse integrations. The digital landscape is evolving, and Roblox is at the forefront, transforming brand experiences through user-generated content. Lamborghini has entered the scene with their Lamborghini Lanzador Lab, an immersive virtual experience where users can explore and customize the all-electric Ultra GT Lanzador. This initiative allows over 70 million daily Roblox users to engage with Lamborghini's innovative designs and cutting-edge technology long before the physical car hits the streets. Netflix is also making waves with its Nextworld campaign, bringing beloved shows to life in an interactive universe. Fans can dive into immersive games like "Stranger Things: Escape from Hawkins High" and "One Piece: East Blue Brawls," connecting with favorite characters in new and exciting ways. The digital theme park experience includes mini-games and collectible items, creating a vibrant ecosystem of fan engagement. Adidas has achieved a milestone with their largest digital sale on Roblox, selling a virtual necklace for $25,000. This event highlights the growing market for digital assets and the potential for brands to tap into new revenue streams. In the crypto world, Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs have seen significant success, with Bitcoin reaching its previous all-time high. Wall Street giants like Goldman Sachs are leaning into crypto, and there are rumors of upcoming ETFs for XRP, Cardano, and Solana. This movement signals increased regulatory clarity and investor interest in the crypto space. The convergence of cinematic IP, gaming, blockchain/crypto is creating unparalleled opportunities. Imagine a world where cinema crosses into gaming and gaming experiences are enriched with blockchain-powered rewards, loyalty programs, and NFT verification. RFID in-person verification could seamlessly integrate the digital and physical worlds, enhancing both security and user experience. Brands are leveraging these technologies to create engaging and innovative ways to connect with consumers, transforming how we interact with entertainment and digital assets. If you enjoyed this update, feel free to turn on the 🔔 for future content on Web3, Crypto, Gaming & Metaverse related content

Sombra spent the past 3 months building the new sombranetwork.io Since Launching: -Our traffic has increased by 48% -We're generating 25 new leads every day -We've signed 6 new clients because of the website -We've onboarded an additional 100 new community members To help you do the same, I'll detail how we built the website. This gets very technical so save this post to come back to in the future. Platforms/software we used: - ⁠CSS - ⁠Java - ⁠React - Figma - ⁠Vercel - ⁠GitHub - ⁠WebGL - ⁠ClickUp - ⁠Node.Js - ⁠After Effects - ⁠Photoshop Woman/Man power required: - ⁠Creative director  - ⁠Fullstack devs - UX designers - ⁠Animators   - ⁠CG artists  - ⁠Producer   - ⁠Editor Steps: 1. Concept ideas against brand identity in multiple creative sessions   2. ⁠Storyboard website in Figma with site map to establish pages/flow  3. ⁠Design pages, elements and layout for desktop / mobile views 4. ⁠Animate elements, build CG assets needed 5. Render and optimize  6. ⁠Optimize again  7. ⁠Storyboard and script for showreel   8. ⁠Compile, edit, sound design, FX showreel 9. ⁠Code all elements  10. Expand and refine  11. ⁠Code code code  12. ⁠Launch Benefits of building a website similar to Sombra's: -More community members  -More brand awareness  -Increased credibility  -Better Partnerships -Increase in sales To support the LinkedIn community, I'm offering a free website strategy. Share your website in the comments below and I'll choose 3. Huge shoutout to the entire Sombra Labs, ALONGSIDE/ Global & Sombra Network team. We crushed it!

Well-respected move from Grayscale Investments CEO - Michael Sonnenshein! In a recent interview with CNBC, Grayscale CEO says fees on its bitcoin ETF will drop over time after outflows hit $12 billion. Key Takeaways: -Market reacts to GBTC outflows amid FTX bankruptcy. -Grayscale's GBTC sees significant outflows, totaling $12 billion. -CEO anticipates fee reduction as the crypto ETF market matures. -Emphasis on diversification with other crypto investment products. -Awaited SEC approval for Grayscale Ethereum Trust conversion to ETF. -Grayscale introduces Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust, aiming for lower fees. -CEO encourages investors to explore Grayscale's offerings beyond Bitcoin. Read more: 👉 https://lnkd.in/e99md3Js The video below is a throwback to the Crypto Winter, before hitting the bull run. Amazing to see how much has happened in a few months. This really puts things into perspective. Mass adoption can be sooner than we think. P.S. How do you think these changes will impact the crypto ETF landscape?

The Ethereum Dencun Upgrade is a monumental moment in blockchain history. On Wednesday, 2.1 million people gathered to watch the Dencun Livestream. The Dencun update prioritizes scalability, efficiency, and security through the implementation of various Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs). According to the Ethereum Foundation, the most notable change is EIP-4844 for proto-danksharding. This seeks to optimize gas fees for Layer 2 network (L2). In turn, this will enhance the network's ability to handle greater transaction volumes via those secondary layers. Layer 2 networks, such as rollups, are secondary blockchains built on top of the base Ethereum network. In a bid to scale transaction volumes, rollups compress transactions by bundling them. The initial verification for those transactions happens off the chain, but the transactions are settled on the main Ethereum blockchain. However, even with the compression, nodes processing transactions hold on to Layer 2 data forever. This will expand their hardware requirements, which are then passed on to users via higher transaction or gas fees. More than 90% of the fees users pay on rollups are because of this data storage. The Dencun upgrade will alter that, allowing information related to Layer 2 networks to be added to the base Ethereum blockchain via temporary, more efficiently stored "blobs" rather than as permanent data. As of this writing, blob data will be available for 18 days. Each byte of data that L2s store on Ethereum costs roughly 16 gas. The introduction of blobs and a new fee market designed for blob data drops the gas cost down to 1 per byte of data stored, However, it is important to note that Ethereum users on the main blockchain or Layer 1 users won't stand to benefit much from the lower fees found on Layer 2 networks after the upgrade. Currently, Ethereum’s performance is hindered by its slow transaction speed, low throughput, and high costs for users. With average transaction fees of $2.3 as of February 22nd, Ethereum is significantly more expensive versus alternatives like Solana. This threatens to drive away end users to other chains. The Dencun upgrade could help Ethereum compete in terms of scalability with faster chains. Fidelity also points out that in addition to differentiating it from competitors, the latest changes to the Ethereum network could help transition from being a general-purpose blockchain to a global database for Layer 2 networks. The best way to gauge the success of the Dencun upgrade will be to track the number of Layer 2 users via a metric such as active addresses. Tap in below to watch the full live stream and let's go Ethereum! https://lnkd.in/dPPC93Vz